Our Work

Who
We Are

Staff

Margarita Alegría

Senior Program Associate

Rosanna Aybar

Senior Vice President Finance and Administration

Sonia Chakraverty

Receptionist and Bookkeeping Assistant

Kim DuMont

Senior Vice President Program

Julia Farley

Research Assistant

Joseph Ferra

Senior Accountant

Adam Gamoran

President

Billy Hunter

Content Editor

Jenny Irons

Senior Program Officer

Zanella Jarvis

Staff Accountant

Fiona Jicha

Program Administrative Assistant

Dwayne Linville

Director of Grantmaking Operations

Selina Lee

Grants Administrator

James Lui

Human Resources and Administration Coordinator

Vicente Malavé

Senior IT Manager

Richard Murnane

Senior Program Associate

Lenore Neier

Communications Manager

Ruth G. Nolan

Assistant to the President and Board of Trustees

Nancy Rivera-Torres

Grants Administrator

Anupreet Sidhu

Program Officer

Melissa Wooten

Program Officer

Board of Trustees

Alex Doñé

Alex is a Managing Director at Platinum Equity. He was previously the Deputy Comptroller for Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer for the New York City Comptroller’s Office Bureau of Asset Management. He served in the Obama administration, providing advice as a Presidential Appointee at the US Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency. Mr. Doñé holds an AB from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Greg Duncan

Greg is Distinguished Professor, School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. His recent work has focused on estimating the role of school-entry skills and behaviors on later school achievement and attainment and the effects of increasing income inequality on schools and children’s life chances.

Scott Evans, Chair

Scott is the former Deputy Comptroller for Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer for the City of New York Pension Systems. In prior assignments, he has served as President of Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA-CREF. He has served as a member of the investment committee of Tufts University, as an external advisor to the Dutch Pension Fund, ABP., Trustee of Barnard College, member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and Chair of the Finance Committee of the Rockefeller Family Fund. Scott earned his M.B.A. from Northwestern University.

Adam Gamoran

Adam joined the William T. Grant Foundation as President in 2013. Previously, he was the John D. MacArthur Chair in Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his doctorate in education from the University of Chicago.

Kenji Hakuta

Kenji is the Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education (Emeritus) at Stanford University. He is a psycholinguist who has worked extensively in the education of second language learners and bilingualism.

William Hite

William Hite currently serves as President and CEO of Knowledge Works, an educational nonprofit. Additionally, as Superintendent in Residence in the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management, Bill spends time preparing and supporting transformational leaders from diverse backgrounds. Previously he served as Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia and the Superintendent of the Prince Georges County Public School system in Maryland.

Elizabeth Birr Moje

Elizabeth Birr Moje is dean, George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor of Education, and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in secondary and adolescent literacy, cultural theory, and research methods and was awarded the Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize in 2010. A former high school history and biology teacher, Moje’s research examines young people’s navigations of culture, identity, and literacy learning in and out of school in Detroit, Michigan and elsewhere.

Mary Patillo

Mary is the Harold Washington Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at Northwestern University. She is the author of two award-winning books that explore the topics of youth, families, politics, housing, crime, and education in African American neighborhoods in Chicago. Mary received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.

Russell Pennoyer

Russell is a senior advisor to Brittany Capital Group, Inc. a broker-dealer based in New York. He was previously the president of Benedetto, Gartland & Co., Inc. Russell received an A.B. from Harvard College and J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Estelle B. Richman

Estelle has held key roles at the local, state, and federal levels in a public-service career spanning over thirty years. After serving as managing director for the City of Philadelphia, she served for seven years as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, before serving as chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the administration of President Barack Obama. Estelle holds a Master’s degree from Cleveland State University as well as honorary doctorates from Alvernia University and Drexel University.

Mark Soler

Mark is the former Executive Director of the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) in Washington, DC. Prior to founding CCLP in 2006, he was the Senior Staff Attorney, Executive Director, and then President of the Youth Law Center. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Hirokazu Yoshikawa

Hiro is the Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education at NYU Steinhardt and a University Professor at NYU, and Co-Director of the Global TIES for Children center at NYU. He is a community and developmental psychologist who studies the effects of public policies and programs related to immigration, early childhood, gender and sexuality, and poverty reduction on children’s development.

Annual Reports

Financial Statements

About

Careers

The Foundation is currently hiring for the following openings:

Research Assistant

The William T. Grant Foundation seeks a Research Assistant to join our team. The Foundation is a national funder of high-quality research on children and youth in the United States. Our current focus areas are: 1) programs, policies, and practices that reduce inequality in youth outcomes; and 2) strategies to improve the use of research evidence in policies and practices that affect youth. Our funding spans various social science disciplines and across child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, employment, youth programs, and education.

The Research Assistant coordinates letters of inquiry (LOI) for research funding; contributes to research and writing for the Program department; and provides limited administrative support to Program department staff. The Research Assistant also helps to ensure that information about the Foundation’s interests and grantmaking is accurately reflected in communications materials.

This is an exempt position. The salary range is $58,500 to $70,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Foundation also offers a highly competitive benefits package, which includes health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending account; 403(b) contributions; 11 yearly paid holidays; and an annualized 25 total vacation, personal, and sick days. We require all employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as a condition of employment. The Foundation will consider requests for reasonable accommodations on an individual basis in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Responsibilities

1. Coordinate letters of inquiry (LOI) for select grants programs (i.e., Major Research, Officers’ Research, and Requests for Proposals) and the Early Career Reviewer Program.

  • Coordinate and administer applications and review processes. This includes managing deadlines, organizing the internal review process, and corresponding with applicants.
  • Assist in reviewing letters of inquiries and Early Career Reviewer applications.
  • Assist in writing and updating text pertinent to the grants programs. This includes application, review, award, and reporting documents, as well as information on the website and in newsletters.

2. Contribute to research and writing for the Program department.

  • Assist with literature searches, report coding, and reviews.
  • Maintain resources for grantees and potential applicants.

3. Provide additional support for the Program department.

  • Assist with external communications with potential applicants.
  • Assist with writing, editing, and proofing documents, including written communication with the Board on specific grant programs.
  • Support note taking and planning for meetings with grantees and others.
  • Assist with recruiting external reviewers for applications.
  • Maintain files and databases related to applications, reviews, work processes; and produce reports therefrom.
  • Provide technical support to applicants.
  • Evaluate and recommend improvements in application and review process.

4. Work with Communications staff to help ensure that information about the Foundation’s interests and grantmaking is accurately reflected in communications materials.

5. Contribute to department operations.

  • Participate in projects and activities, including updating grants procedures and improving our online grants management system.
  • Contribute to the development of timelines related to letter of inquiries and Early Career Reviewer program.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required.
  • Strong writing skills required. Editing experience preferred.
  • Ability to reason scientifically required. Coursework or training in research design and methods preferred. Preferred knowledge of youth-serving systems (e.g., education, juvenile justice, child welfare).
  • Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills, including ability to work independently and handle diverse administrative responsibilities, required.
  • Working knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet required. Experience with a grants management software (e.g., SmartSimple) is highly desirable.
  • Good communication skills with all levels of internal staff and the public required.
  • Desired traits include attention to detail, problem-solving ability, sound judgment, initiative, high productivity, maturity, flexibility, collegiality, and being a team player.

How to apply:

Submit a cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position, a resume, and contact information for three references to jlui@wtgrantfdn.org. In the subject line, name the job for which you are applying and indicate where you saw this announcement. We are reviewing materials on a rolling basis; applications submitted by November 17 will be in the first set for review. The position will remain open until filled. The William T. Grant Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

The expected start date is January 3, 2024, but is negotiable in the event of conflicting prior commitments. The candidate hired for this position is required to work in the Foundation’s New York City office. Currently, employees may work remotely up to two days per week.

About the William T. Grant Foundation

The William T. Grant Foundation supports research to improve the lives of young people ages 5-25 in the United States. The Foundation’s focus areas are reducing inequality in youth outcomes and improving the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people. Its grantmaking centers on high-quality empirical research that has the potential to advance theory, build evidence, and inform policy and practice. The Foundation’s assets were valued at $389 million in August 2023. Our annual budget is in excess of $20 million. The Foundation is based in New York City and has a full-time staff of 19.

About

History

“What I have in mind is to assist, by some means, in helping people or peoples to live more contentedly and peacefully and well in body and mind through a better knowledge of how to use and enjoy all the good things that the world has to offer them”

William T. Grant 1936

Contact Us

Thanks for your interest in the William T. Grant Foundation. There are a number of ways to contact us:

Email
info@wtgrantfdn.org

Online
Twitter
LinkedIn

Phone
Tel: 212.752.0071

Mail
William T. Grant Foundation
60 East 42nd Street, 43rd Floor
New York, NY 10165

If you have questions or comments about our work, or would like to know more about our grantmaking programs, funding priorities, or focus areas, this contact form is the best way to reach us. We will respond to your message as soon as possible.

    In addition to awarding research, career-development, and mentoring grants in our two primary focus areas, we seek to strengthen mentoring for early-career researchers of color, improve the production of methods and measures in the field, and forge connections between research, policy, and practice through limited communications and capacity-building activities.

    Special Topics

    Our Work  •  Special Topic

    Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice

    We seek to strengthen connections between research, policy, and practice through limited communications and capacity-building activities, and through the Institutional Challenge Grant program.
    Our Work  •  Special Topic

    Improving Youth Service in New York City

    As New York City-based organization, the Foundation focuses a part of our grantmaking on supporting nonprofits that provide services to young people ages 5-25 in the five boroughs of New York City. These awards are designed to improve the quality of direct services and build the capacity of youth-serving organizations.
    Our Work  •  Special Topic

    Mentoring and Career-Development

    We are interested in strengthening the mentoring received by junior researchers of color and to position them for professional success. We also want to support our grantees in developing a stronger understanding of the career development issues facing their junior colleagues of color and to strengthen their mentoring relationships with them. Toward these ends, the Foundation provides a limited number of current grantees with grant support, advice, consultation, and a community focused on mentoring and career development.
    Our Work  •  Special Topic

    Research Methods

    A key approach in our efforts to support impactful research is to invest in the development of tools that enhance the work of many researchers engaged in a common enterprise.
    Grantees and program staff in a roundtable discussion.

    Improving the Use
    of Research Evidence

     

    Recently Awarded Grants

    Grant

    Improving the Use of Research Evidence in Multilingual Learner Policy and Practice: Research-Practice Partnership Engagement with State Education Agency Leaders

    How does engagement in a research-practice partnership improve the use of research by state education agency staff? Does participation in the partnership support state education leaders to shift policy development from a focus on compliance to a focus on social …
    Hayley Weddle
    University Of Pittsburgh
    2022 – 2025
    $609,612
    Grant

    The Inception and Impact of Researcher-Policymaker Relationships

    Does a light-touch intervention to connect county legislators with research and researchers improve their use of research evidence?
    Adam Levine
    Johns Hopkins University
    2022 – 2023
    $216,360
    Grant

    Building Trusting Relationships to Support Evidence Use in Human Services

    Can training and coaching contribute to the development of trusting relationships between agency leadership and staff and their community partners? And to what extent do those relationships improve the use of evidence in decision-making and implementation of evidence-informed initiatives in …
    Allison Metz
    University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
    2021 – 2023
    $50,000
    Grant

    A Southern California Regional RPP Network for the Comparative Study of Research Use in Anti-Racist Partnerships

    How can research-practice partnerships use research in ways that forward anti-racism understanding and action within K-12 schools?
    June Ahn
    University Of California, Irvine
    2021 – 2024
    $600,000
    Grant

    Optimization of the RPC Model: Enhancing Effectiveness and Equity in Improving the Use of Research

    Can the Research-to-Policy Collaboration model be improved to reduce inequities for scholars of color in accessing policymakers, improve the timeliness of research to policymakers, and improve cost-effectiveness?
    Daniel Crowley
    Pennsylvania State University
    2021 – 2024
    $900,000
    Grant

    Effectiveness of a Multi-System Leadership Strategy for Using Evidence During Sustainment of ASD Interventions

    Will training in the use of research evidence enable mid-level leaders in education and mental health systems to sustain evidence-based interventions for children with autism?
    Aubyn Stahmer
    Regents Of The University Of California, Davis
    2021 – 2024
    $998,265
    Grant

    Testing Research Communication Strategies and Impact among Policymakers to Reduce Inequalities Precipitated by COVID-19

    Can a research communication intervention increase policymakers’ use of research evidence to improve the lives of youth and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
    J. Taylor Scott
    Pennsylvania State University
    2020 – 2021
    $38,280
    Grant

    Measurement of Conceptual Use of Research in Courts

    How can we assess whether research has influenced the thinking and decision making orientations of policymakers and practitioners?
    Sarah Walker
    University Of Washington
    2020 – 2024
    $409,936
    Grant

    Consistently Crucial but Invariably Ignored: Testing the Role of Coordination in The Use of Research Evidence

    Can the Coordinated Knowledge System for improving the use of research evidence in mental health be made less intensive yet still impactful?
    Kimberly Becker
    University Of California, Los Angeles
    2020 – 2025
    $638,475
    Grant

    Active Surveillance of Policy Ecosystems and Networks to Enhance Brokering of Research Evidence into State Policymaking

    Can a knowledge brokering intervention improve the use of research evidence in state policymaking?
    Itzhak Yanovitzky
    Rutgers, The State University Of New Jersey
    2019 – 2023
    $955,012
    Grant

    Measuring the Effectiveness of Research-Practice Partnerships in Education

    Strong measures are needed to assess when and how research-practice partnerships are effective and can improve the use of research evidence in policy and practice.
    Caitlin Farrell
    University Of Colorado
    2019 – 2023
    $947,948
    Grant

    What’s Not the Matter with Kansas? Lessons from Kansas for the Future of State School Finance Reform

    What insights can Kansas offer about using research evidence to inform school finance reform?
    Bruce Baker
    Rutgers, The State University Of New Jersey
    2019 – 2019
    $35,000

    From the Digest

    Digest, Issue 8: Winter 2022-23

    Learning Across Contexts: Bringing Together Research on Research Use and Implementation Science

    The fields of implementation science and the study of research use in policy and practice travel on many of the same roads and share similar goals, chief among which is …
    Lauren Supplee
    ,
    Allison Metz
    ,
    and Annette Boaz
    Learning Across Contexts: Bringing Together Research on Research Use and Implementation Science
    Digest, Issue 8: Winter 2022-23

    Building Evidence Systems to Integrate Implementation Research and Practice in Education

    Whether framed as a problem of practice or research use, understanding implementation is critical for identifying and redressing the inequitable distribution of resources, facilitators, and barriers in our systems, which give rise to disparities in student outcomes.
    Norma Ming
    Building Evidence Systems to Integrate Implementation Research and Practice in Education
    Digest, Issue 7: Winter 2021-22

    Research on Research Use: Building Theory, Empirical Evidence, and a Global Field

    Research can play a vital role in pointing policymakers, civil society, and communities toward a stronger, more sustainable, and just world. But getting there means building on what we know about what it takes for research to be useful, used, …
    Research on Research Use: Building Theory, Empirical Evidence, and a Global Field
    Digest, Issue 7: Winter 2021-22

    Strengthening Methods and Improving Collaboration: The Use of Research Evidence Methods Repository

    Introducing an open, centralized resource to help strengthen methods and enable greater collaboration among researchers studying the use of research evidence in policy and practice.
    Drew Gitomer
     and Kevin Crouse
    Strengthening Methods and Improving Collaboration: The Use of Research Evidence Methods Repository
    Digest, Issue 6: Winter 2020-21

    Identifying and Testing Strategies to Improve the Use of Antiracist Research Evidence through Critical Race Lenses

    Encouraging the use of evidence from antiracist research requires thinking differently about what is relevant, how antiracist perspectives are built into routines for using research, and what it means to …
    Fabienne Doucet
    Identifying and Testing Strategies to Improve the Use of Antiracist Research Evidence through Critical Race Lenses
    Digest, Issue 5: Winter 2019-20

    No Small Matters: Reimagining the Use of Research Evidence From A Racial Justice Perspective

    We can no more afford methodologically rich research studies that lack racial consciousness than we can afford racially conscious studies that lack methodological rigor.
    David Kirkland
    No Small Matters: Reimagining the Use of Research Evidence From A Racial Justice Perspective

    Also See

    Awarded Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence
    The William T. Grant Foundation invests in high-quality research focused on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect young people in the United States.
    Contact Us
    60 E. 42nd Street, 43rd Fl. New York, NY  10165
    Privacy Policy Plagiarism Policy Transparency Statement
    © 2023 William T. Grant Foundation