BHEF members are driving change "on the ground." They develop, adopt and promote best practices and strategic approaches among corporate, education and foundation leaders, nationally and locally.
CRI In the News
BHEF's ISIE a Major Success
BHEF is pleased to announce that our inaugeral Institute for Strategic Investment in Education (ISIE): Maximizing the Impact of Corporate Philanthropy was a huge success. Over 45 corporate philanthropy and private foundation leaders convened in Cambridge, Massachusetts April 3-5 to share ideas on improving the effectiveness of education investments.
The ISIE was cosponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and supported by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, a global philanthropic organization that promotes excellence and innovation in education and works to improve the academic performance and lifelong productivity of young people worldwide through a combination of strategic partnerships, grants, loans, and the deployment of professional talent from Goldman Sachs.
For other recent news and events, see News.
The College Readiness Initiative:
An Agenda for Educational Success
About the Initiative
The College Readiness Initiative (CRI) is a dynamic platform for business and higher education to work together to promote college readiness, access, and success for underserved populations, particularly in science and math. The CRI harnesses the influence and resources of BHEF and its membership, a unique cross-section of prominent corporate, higher education, and foundation leaders. 
The CRI is led by BHEF Chairman, Herbert
M. Allison, Jr., Chairman, President & CEO
of TIAA-CREF and BHEF Vice Chairman, David J. Skorton, President of Cornell University; and a BHEF Member Working Group of senior executives.
Goals of the Initiative
Building on this distinctive cross-sector perspective, the CRI:
- Addresses critical P-20 education pipeline issues;
- Identifies practical solutions to local education concerns;
- Focuses on systemic solutions and programs that support systemic change; and
- Creates a platform for local/state member-led partnerships to develop strategic approaches, test them, and disseminate lessons learned.
Implementation Strategies
The CRI achieves these goals through five inter-related strategies:
1. Engagement of CEOs to raise awareness of the urgent need to improve college readiness and success, and promote leadership, including a strong philanthropic response to these challenges.
2. Convenings to build and share knowledge about these issues in a philanthropy community of practice. The first of these is the Institute for Strategic Investment in Education (ISIE), in April 2008 at Harvard University.
3. A Web-based Resource Center to equip corporate leaders and other philanthropists with the information and tools they need to maximize their investments in education, including:
- Strategic advice to corporations on effective philanthropic and education practices; and
- Information about programs that are effective in improving college readiness, access, and success.
4. Advocacy and Action On-the-Ground with local teams of corporate, university, and foundation leaders working to improve college readiness and success. BHEF is providing resources, tools, information, and hands-on consultation to members and their peers to enable them to invest effectively in education, advocate for change, and ultimately create change within their individual communities.
5. A Public Awareness Campaign to change public and parental attitudes about the imperative to improve college readiness, access, and success. BHEF will conduct research, launch a public awareness campaign, and team with business and education associations to promote the campaign.
See the CRI brochure for more detailed information.
See also our Boosting K-12 Student Achievement brochure for information on the early phases of the CRI.
Financial Support
The CRI is supported by BHEF members’ dues and funding from USA Funds, the Goldman Sachs Foundation, the Humana Foundation, the Nationwide Foundation, the KPMG Foundation, TIAA-CREF, the Sallie Mae Fund, and the Wallace Foundation.
For more information about why your organization should invest in improving student achievement, college readiness, and success and why the CRI’s strategies most effectively address those needs, contact Brian.Fitzgerald@bhef.com or Nancy.Kuhn@bhef.com.