Schott Foundation Impact Report 2026
Coalescing Philanthropy
Shifting the philanthropic sector to build winning movements has meant venturing into uncharted territory, sharing discoveries and insights as we go. Schott’s donor partners support these initiatives and research opportunities.
Love as Sustainable Funding for Grantees: The Benchmark is a Call-In to Grantmakers
Contributor: Melissa Daar Carvajal
The Sustainable Grantmaking Benchmark is Schott’s pioneering initiative that helps foundations advance equity-centered grantmaking through greater transparency, multi-year support, and flexible funding. It provides a practical way to assess current practices, gain insights, and contribute to field-wide learning on what drives lasting change.
Schott is soliciting participation for the Benchmark’s second Cohort. Participation is simple, affordable, and scaled to grantmaking levels, making it easy for foundations of all sizes to engage, learn, and strengthen their impact. Learn more and register for an information session here.
Schott Foundation launched its inaugural Benchmark cohort of seven funders in January 2026. Since its release, it has engaged more than 2,000 users, generated over 15,000 engagements, and drawn sustained interest from a growing number of foundations interested in joining Cohort 2. See the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Alex Daniels’article, New Rating Scale Grades Foundations on Grantmaking Practices, Not Grant Size,” based on an interview with Schott’s President and CEO, Dr. Jackson.
Dr. Jackson calls in funders, board members of grantmaking organizations, CEOs, and program officers, all invited to join the second Cohort and a movement of foundations and philanthropists committed to transparency, equity, and sustainability. Schott’s goal is to sustainably resource the organizations closest to the work, challenges, and solutions, which is especially important to racial justice organizations.
https://schottfoundation.org/the-sustainable-grantmaking-benchmark-a-call-to-action/
Endowments are one grantmaking strategy recognized by the Benchmark that helps organizations plan for the future effectively. For this purpose, Schott has launched the Racial Justice in Education Endowment Collaborative Fund: the first fund of its kind to raise capital for endowments to ensure the sustainability of BIPOC-led national education justice alliances. The $x.x fund is still growing, and initial payments have been made to xx and xxx.
Informing donor changemakers working to shift the sector to justice and equity through Schott’s quarterly journal.
Contributor: Melissa Daar Carvajal
Through in-depth interviews with philanthropic leaders and innovators, alongside explorations of useful research for grantmakers, Philos is helping build a new consensus in the sector: one rooted in bold strategy, centered in communities, and focused on advancing racial equity.
In FY2026, Philos contributors considered how to move beyond traditional grantmaking practices and what intermediaries can bring to this moment.