Initiatives and Special Programs | Print full guidelines

Lumina Foundation identifies and initiates proactive programs that have the potential to systemically improve postsecondary access or success. We generally solicit participation in these efforts, rather than accepting unsolicited proposals. Currently, these programs include:

Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a multi-year national initiative to help more community college students succeed. Achieving the Dream serves approximately 800,000 students in 83 community colleges in 15 states, with the support of 19 funders. This initiative is currently not accepting unsolicited proposals.
KnowHow2GO, a public awareness campaign to inform eighth- through 10th-grade students about what it takes to prepare for and apply to college. Currently, our KnowHow2GO investments are focused mainly in Los Angeles, California; Tampa, Florida; Illinois; Indiana; Kentucky; Ohio and Washington state. Other states have adopted elements of the KnowHow2GO campaign, including Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Montana and Tennessee. If your organization is affiliated with a statewide college access network or local program in these locations and you would like more information about the KH2GO campaign and resources, please contact Jeanna Keller at jkeller@luminafoundation.org.
Making Opportunity Affordable, an effort to increase productivity in higher education and reduce college costs in order to maintain educational opportunity. This initiative will consider proposals that address one or more of the following goals:

Revamp financial systems to increase productivity.
Increase efficiency and effectiveness of academic programs and administrative operations.
Realign system capacity through the use of new providers and making better use of existing institutions.