We are excited to share that the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), in partnership with ECMC Foundation, has launched the Catalyzing Community Foundations: A Strategic Lever to Fund Smaller Postsecondary Nonprofits initiative. This initiative aims to strengthen community foundations in four priority regions, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, equipping them to support smaller organizations in improving postsecondary student success.
Overview
SEF, in partnership with ECMC Foundation, is engaged in a two-year pilot program to support smaller community-based organizations focused on postsecondary student success. SEF collaborates with community foundations to re-grant funds to grassroots nonprofit organizations serving underrepresented students, helping them achieve postsecondary persistence and completion.
This project builds the capacity of community foundations and community-based organizations, increases resources for regions with great opportunity, and provides convenings and workshops for shared learning.
SEF is working with community foundations in four priority regions, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, to re-grant funds to smaller organizations with budgets under $1.5M. These nonprofits often face barriers to securing large grants despite their direct impact on student success.
Key Objectives
- Improve student achievement and postsecondary outcomes across the South.
- Direct funding to strengthen smaller community-based organizations (CBOs).
- Build community foundations’ internal capacity to sustain postsecondary strategies.
- Foster cross-sector partnerships and shared learning.
- Contribute learnings to the broader education and philanthropic fields.
Capacity Building as a Critical Lever for Postsecondary Success
Capacity building means equipping community foundations with the resources and knowledge to support CBOs effectively.
We strengthen the capacities of community foundations and their nonprofits by:
- Tailored technical assistance (convenings, webinars, resources).
- Data-driven content on outcomes, barriers, and proven strategies.
- Measuring impact through participant surveys.
- Sustainable skill-building that extends beyond the grant period.
ECMC’s North Star Goal
This work is guided by ECMC’s North Star Goal, which is by 2040, eliminate equity gaps in postsecondary completion to expand opportunity for underserved learners.
To do this, ECMC:
- Invests in intermediaries with regional expertise.
- Builds community foundation capacity.
- Regrants to grassroots CBOs closest to students.
- Reaches historically underfunded regions, especially in the South.
- Aligns resources to increase persistence, retention, and completion.
Amplifying Initiative Impact:
A key objective of the Catalyzing Community Foundations initiative is to contribute learnings to the broader field. By sharing our insights and experiences at conferences, we strengthen the philanthropic sector, spark collaboration across communities, and amplify the impact of community foundations. We have attended the following conferences to share our work and engage with peers:
- 2025 UNCF UNITE Conference, Increasing Postsecondary Opportunity Through Community Funding Partnerships: The Catalyzing Community Foundations Initiative
- 2025 NCAN Conference, Catalyzing Community Foundations a Strategic Lever to Fund Smaller Postsecondary Nonprofits