The Nellie Mae Education Foundation in Quincy, Massachusetts, has announced commitments totaling $20 million in support of efforts to address the impacts of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism on public education in New England.

Recipients of the general operating support and capacity-building grants include the Movement for Black Lives ($2.5 million), the Schott Foundation for Public Education ($2.25 million), the MA Immigrant COVID-19 Collaborative ($750,000), the Abolitionist Teaching Network ($500,000), Diversity Talks ($100,000), the African Community Education Program ($100,000), Blue Hills Civic Association ($47,250), and Maine Inside Out ($47,250). The funding is in addition to the $10 million in planned grantmaking previously announced by the organization as part of a revised strategy aimed at advancing racial equity in the region.

NMEF also announced that it will provide additional support to ten school districts in New England serving communities with large numbers of Black and brown children as they reopen after COVID-related closures.

"We know this is only one important part of how we can show up as funders at this time," the organization said in a statement posted on its website. "We remain committed to learning, adapting, and improving; to showing up as allies working to combat anti-Blackness in our education system, using our platform and privilege to amplify the leadership of our partners, listening to those who are more proximate and directly connected to this work in communities, every day."

(Photo credit: Tim Dennell via Flickr)