STRATEGY

Core Competences

The starting point to our Strategy 2030 Theory of Change are our Core Competences – the domains of expertise that characterize our philanthropic approach and programmatic investments. We apply these Competences to maximize the Foundation’s strategic value-add in all areas of our work and amplify the impact of our philanthropic giving.


Evidence Generator & Translator

We fund world-class research into child learning and development, with practical impact on policy and practice.

JF Research Fellowship
Klaus J. Jacobs Research Award


Partnership Innovator

We ignite multi-stakeholder coalitions between governments, industry, schools, and social purpose organizations to jointly scale up effective education policies and practices.

Jacobs Foundation Conference
Connecting the EdTech Research Ecosystem (CERES)
Leveraging Evidence for Action to Promote Change (LEAP)


Catalytic Investor

We support policy innovation by facilitating access to knowledge, data, and tools, to promote learning and practice improvement, instigate change, and inspire leadership approaches to strengthen the entire learning system.

Learning EdTech Impact Funds (LEIF)
Impact-Linked Fund for Education (ILFF)
Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF)


Policy Entrepreneur

We strengthen the formulation and implementation of education policy by taking advantage of opportunities to introduce or refine evidence-based policy instruments and practices, catalyze change-management processes, and transform leadership capacity and approaches.

Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC)
Quality education in Ghana
Quality education in Colombia
Effective digitalization for Swiss education

Theory of Change

Annual Report

Annual Report

Over the past months and years, children’s lives have changed in profound ways. Children of all ages around the globe are being affected by COVID-19. Well-meant mitigation measures –– such as school closures –– have often done more harm than good. The shift from school attendance to learning from home has not been successful for most school systems and institutions, and the introduction and use of learning technologies has not had the desired success in many places. Even under most favorable conditions, students made little or no progress while learning from home1 . Learning losses were most pronounced among students from disadvantaged homes.