ECMC Foundation

ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation dedicated to improving postsecondary education and career outcomes for underserved students through evidence-based innovation. As an affiliate of the ECMC Group, the foundation employs a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Its mission is to inspire and facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes, especially among underserved populations, through evidence-based innovation.

In 2018, ECMC Foundation launched Education Innovation Ventures (EIV), a program that utilizes program-related investments (PRIs) to fund innovative and scalable solutions aimed at improving educational and career outcomes for students from underserved communities. This initiative allows the foundation to invest in both nonprofit and for-profit enterprises, complementing its traditional grantmaking strategy. The foundation's vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential and achieve family-sustaining wages. By leveraging a variety of funding tools, ECMC Foundation seeks to address systemic challenges in higher education and workforce development, ultimately enhancing opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, first-generation college students, and adult learners.

In 2023, ECMC Foundation made 89 grants and investments, with an average amount per grant/investment of $561,971. This reflects the foundation's commitment to systemic change and its focus on supporting organizations that are at the forefront of innovation in postsecondary education. Through its strategic framework, ECMC Foundation aims to address the root causes of inequitable student outcomes by changing the systems that perpetuate these issues, thereby serving more students and making a meaningful and lasting impact on postsecondary education, society, and the economy.