Andrew Carnegie Foundation

A former schoolteacher, Janet Robinson joined The New York Times Company as an account executive. She rose to be the first woman to serve as chief executive and was routinely ranked on annual lists of the most powerful women in business. At the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, Robinson is on another exclusive list as one of more than 160 distinguished individuals who have served as a trustee since the institution was established in 1911. Joining the board in 2004, Robinson is also one of the longest-serving trustees and is now on her second term as chair. In a new interview, Robinson explains how her career in education and in media prepared her to help lead Carnegie through a period of change, including its focus on reducing political polarization, investing in national service, and embracing a new name. Read the full Q&A, conducted by chief communications officer Celeste Ford: https://lnkd.in/eFrTY5vb

High schools are the last educational experience we all share and the gateway to adulthood. But they were imagined as comprehensive, not connected. As a result graduates struggle to find their way to what's next. We must bring the real world into high schools through college classes, internships, and community service. Thanks to the Democracy Journal for letting me unpack these ideas: https://lnkd.in/e594uGuQ

"Our public education system was intended to be the great equalizer of opportunity, but too often it has the opposite impact for low-income students," says Leslie Cornfeld, founder of the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON). From early college programs to apprenticeships that bring degrees directly to the workplace, learn how a wave of new efforts is working to make college access and completion possible for low-income students nationwide: https://lnkd.in/e_9dDnqK

Attention Teachers! Join the Smithsonian Institution's Democracy in Dialogue Virtual Exchange—an inspiring journey for educators and students. Experience a three‑day summit in Washington, D.C., explore local innovation, and connect classrooms nationwide to celebrate community, creativity, and democracy. We are currently accepting applications for our Spring 2027 Cohort! “I feel that through the Smithsonian's resources and the organic connections I was able to make with my cohort, I now have the chance to bring the whole nation to my students - to meet them where they are and open their minds to a whole world of possibilities.” -Current Cohort 6 Educator Apply today! ✅ Applicants: all professional and informal educators working with students ages 10-19. ✅ Included: $1,500 honorarium, CEU credits, & costs for the January 2027 summit in D.C. 📅 Application Period: Closes Monday, October 5, 2026 To learn more about this opportunity and to apply, please visit: https://lnkd.in/g5i-3q8C #SmithsonianEdu #DemocracyInDialogue Democracy in Dialogue is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Bezos Family Foundation and Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

Many leading funders recognize that polarization is adversely affecting their work. But what role can philanthropy best play to reduce the dangers of polarization? Join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 12 p.m. ET for a free webinar on the range of ways that foundations and donors are responding to polarization and the early lessons that are emerging about what works and what is missing. Drawing on lessons from the U.S. and around the world, our distinguished panel will examine different facets of the problem and explore approaches that help improve and increase connection and civility across divides. Hear from our panel during a 45-minute discussion, followed by 15 minutes dedicated to audience Q&A. Moderator: 🗣️ Mark Freeman, Executive Director of the Institute for Integrated Transitions Panelists: 🗣️ Dame Louise Richardson, President, Andrew Carnegie Foundation 🗣️ Binaifer Nowrojee, President, Open Society Foundations 🗣️ Amber D. Miller, President, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation ➡ Register here: https://lnkd.in/evqeN9MS 🔗 Read our publication "Philanthropy and Polarization: Ten Ideas from a Foundation Leadership Retreat": https://lnkd.in/eXr8ZsCX 👉 Learn more about IFIT’s Global Initiative on Polarization: https://lnkd.in/dUtsVsdU #Philanthropy #Polarization #Democracy #SocialImpact #Peacebuilding #OvercomePolarization

Studies show young Americans see the value in national service. A 2021 survey by the nonprofit Voices for National Service found that 8 in 10 adults aged 18–24 supported increasing federal funding for AmeriCorps, for example. Yet the number of service opportunities has not significantly changed — hovering around 65,000 in recent years. To help fund and sustain service year programs, nonprofit Service Year Alliance is turning to states. Through the Center for State Service Innovation, launched with funding from Carnegie and Einhorn Collaborative in September 2025, Service Year Alliance is working with local leaders in eight partner states to develop alternative funding models and create 3,000 new service year opportunities annually. Read more: https://lnkd.in/erYWS89F

Polarization has emerged as a major topic of discussion in U.S. politics in recent years. A Carnegie-supported survey by CivicPulse in 2025 found that 89 percent of local officials said that it was negatively affecting the country. Yet polarization in the United States is not a new phenomenon. Katlyn Marie Carter, an Andrew Carnegie Fellow at the University of Notre Dame, is exploring how political polarization has deep roots in American history, including early American debates over truth in politics. Carter is one of 24 Andrew Carnegie Fellows selected in 2026 to receive $200,000 grants to pursue research projects and share their knowledge with the public. The 2026 class marks the third year the program has focused on the causes of political polarization in the U.S., representing an $18 million investment in scholarly research on the subject. In 2027, the program will expand its focus to examine polarization worldwide. The 2026 fellows’ research includes how extremist content in online games contributes to polarization among young men, lessons from communities of color in building social cohesion, and an assessment of how religious ideology has shaped American politics over the last 75 years. Here is a preview of some of their work: https://lnkd.in/eD-hbSvR #CarnegieFellows

No matter what issue your organization supports, polarization is making progress harder. What role can funders play in reducing it?  Join us on September 3 at 12pm ET for a timely discussion featuring Carnegie president Dame Louise Richardson, alongside Open Society Foundations president Binaifer Nowrojee and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation president Amber D. Miller, moderated by Institute for Integrated Transitions - IFIT executive director Mark Freeman. Register for free here: https://lnkd.in/evqeN9MS 

For years, the Federation of American Scientists used breadcrumbs left by Chinese state media to track the country’s nuclear developments. In 2021, using a short news video and commercial satellite imagery, they discovered an undisclosed 1,000-square-kilometer missile training area, with new missile silos covered by inflatable air domes. Within a month, three more silo fields were identified, indicating an exponential increase in the size of China’s nuclear arsenal and making headlines across the globe. Satellite imagery is one of several emerging open-source tools that, in the hands of well-trained analysts, are extremely powerful engines for investigation, transparency, and igniting global nuclear debates. Nearly every nuclear stakeholder relies on findings like those made in China for a common understanding of global nuclear arsenals, and diplomats and policymakers have expressed that having third-party estimates of nuclear weapons has allowed them to engage more productively with their counterparts in other countries without revealing any sensitive information. Learn how new companies, researchers, programs, and tools have unlocked a golden age for nuclear weapons analysis, and how this work can help build a more peaceful world: https://lnkd.in/eVtyYSMa