“Make the world a better place for this and future generations.” W. Clement Stone
“Make the world a better place for this and future generations.” W. Clement Stone
The Foundation is dedicated to bringing about positive change in five major urban areas in which Foundation family trustees are affiliated – Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and the states in which they are located — with a commitment to providing the educational and developmental opportunities that support equitable outcomes and enable all children and young people to fulfill their potential.
Stone Leaders for Change
The Foundation awards scholarship grants to youth leadership organizations that are currently part of the Foundation’s youth development portfolio. Executive directors are able to use funds for purposes that they believe will most strengthen their own organizational impact, flowing from their leadership and professional growth.
Grantee Convenings on Equity
Annually, the Foundation staff and grantee leaders from the three portfolios and all funded geographies, in partnership with Dr. Sherri Killins-Stewart, co-design an annual convening focused on racial equity. The convenings allow both the Foundation and grantees to forge a closer partnership to address the challenges of system wide inequities.
Mission-Related Investing
The Foundation goes beyond grantmaking and uses the impact portion of its investment portfolio to help achieve the Foundation’s mission. Together with our advisors, we actively track the rapidly-growing field of impact investing, and continually re-examine our approach to make sure we are making the most of opportunities in a dynamic investment landscape.
New & Noteworthy
2025 Grants Awarded
June 13, 2025
To date, the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation has awarded approximately $2.2 million in grants in 2025. Please visit our Grants Awarded section for detailed descriptions.
Head Start Focus of Recent Foundation Effort
June 5, 2025
As Illinois works to build a more streamlined and equitable early childhood education system, federal funding, especially for Head Start, remains a vital cornerstone. Recently, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation, hosted Making Invisible Funding Visible: The Role of Federal Funding in Illinois' Early Childhood System
ELA proficiency rebounds for Chicago elementary school students
By. Briana Mendez-Padilla, K-12 Dive
April 16, 2025
Proficiency rates in all subjects declined at Chicago Public Schools following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new review found English language arts proficiency rates at the elementary level have bounced back and surpassed pre-pandemic levels — increasing by 11 percentage points between 2022 and 2024.
Foundation Supported EdD Urban Education Leadership Program 20th year celebration
March 5, 2025
On September 12, 2024, over 200 attendees convened at the UIC Forum for “Equity-Centered Leaders, the Next 20 Years,” a celebration of the UIC College of Education’s EdD in Urban Education Leadership. The evening was a manifestation of the shared vision of program faculty from 20 years ago and a celebration of the program’s accomplishments, impact, and influence since that time. This video chronicles some of the highlights from the event.
After Election 1st, Here’s How Oakland and Berkeley Youth Turned Out
by. Riley Cooke, KQED
February 28, 2025
When Maximus Simmons cast his ballot in November, he could only fill it out for one election — his Oakland school board representative — because he was among the first 16- and 17-year-olds allowed to vote in Oakland and Berkeley.
The East Bay cities allowed teens to vote in school board elections for the first time last year, following years of youth advocacy.
Education Dept. Cancels Over $600M in Grants for Teacher Pipeline Programs
by. Linda Jacobson, The 74
February 18, 2025
At last week’s confirmation hearing, education secretary nominee Linda McMahon called teaching “one of the most noble professions that we have in our country” and expressed support for workforce development programs.
But now the department she wants to lead has abruptly canceled more than $600 million in grants designed to prepare teachers, especially in high-need schools.
