A $7 million Commitment to Postsecondary Education Innovation

A new donor collaborative will identify, fund, and learn alongside grantees to inform how philanthropy can help reduce barriers to postsecondary education in the United States.

A collaborative of eight leading education foundations today launched the Innovative Postsecondary Models (IPM) Fund, a $7 million investment in organizations demonstrating that postsecondary education can be designed, delivered, financed, and assessed differently, and better, for learners in the United States.

Managed by Panorama Global, the IPM Fund is backed by Ascendium Education Group, College Futures Foundation, ECMC Foundation, Gates Foundation, the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Lumina Foundation, the Raikes Foundation, and Strada Education Foundation. Applications are open July 31 through September 14, 2026.

The Fund is launching at a moment of significant change in higher education. Shifting perceptions of the value of a college degree, a growing emphasis on credentials that lead directly to employment, and the rapid emergence of new learning technologies are already driving new thinking across the sector. The IPM Fund was designed to identify, resource, and learn from the organizations leading this work.

"This Fund reflects what is possible when funders align around a shared commitment to the students who have the most to gain from a better postsecondary system. Alongside our funding partners, we are proud to support and learn from the leaders proving that education can work differently. Those learnings are just as important as the funding itself, and we believe that what we discover together will help shape the future of postsecondary education in the US." - IPM Fund Donor Collaborative

The Fund will award grants ranging from $750,000 to $1,000,000, supporting organizations rethinking postsecondary education across four key areas — from instructional innovation and affordability to workforce alignment and expanded access. The IPM Fund seeks strong alignment to at least one of four themes:

• Reimagining instructional design, delivery, assessment, and student support
• Advancing affordability and financial sustainability
• Career and workforce alignment
• Removing barriers for underserved learners

“This initiative is the kind of collaborative philanthropy that moves a field forward, bringing together not just resources but relationships, knowledge, and a shared goal to learn from practitioners. We’re proud to facilitate this collaboration shaping what accessible postsecondary education can look like for learners in the United States.” - Jennifer Cho, Vice President of Social Impact, Panorama Global

The IPM Fund is designed not only to invest in innovative models but to learn alongside them. Selected grantees will work with the Fund to gather and share learnings, insights, and data to inform how philanthropy can remove barriers to postsecondary access and shape how postsecondary education evolves nationally.

Eligible applicants include institutions, employers, vendors, platforms, intermediaries, and consortia demonstrating, or with the potential to demonstrate, meaningful improvements in how learners access, experience, and benefit from postsecondary education.

Key Dates

• Applications open: July 31, 2026
• Application deadline: September 14, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
• Finalists notified: November 30, 2026
• Award announcements: January 2027