Bruno Manno

Bruno is senior advisor for the Walton Family Foundation's K-12 Education Program focused on grantmaking and team operations. Before joining the foundation, he was senior program associate for education with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and before that, a senior fellow in the Education Policy Studies Program at the Hudson Institute. From 1986 to 1993, he worked in the United States Department of Education, holding several senior positions, including assistant secretary for policy and planning.

Bruno received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. from Boston College. He is the co-author or author of numerous books and articles on K-12 education policy and reform as well as philanthropy.


Whither education philanthropy?

A report from Grantmakers for Education provides insight into the direction that grantmaker giving is trending.

career pathway
A new way forward: career pathway programs nurture civil society and advance upward mobility

Here’s how donors can foster the upward mobility of young people and strengthen the institutions of civil society by supporting career pathway education and training programs.


third places
Investing in third places

Third places are necessary for our individual and civic health. If we want to rebuild our social fabric, that should guide our giving habits.

third places
Revisiting third places in the wake of the pandemic

“Third places” suffered greatly during the pandemic, and we suffered for their absence in our daily lives.


Hidden Loss, Hidden Pain

Local philanthropies and donors can play a lead role in marshaling others in their communities to lead an effort to respond to this tragic situation. Here are five ways to help children who have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19.

post-pandemic
Post-pandemic: from “pandemic” to “endemic” giving

Post-pandemic K-12 philanthropy should focus on families and communities.


Lessons learned for K-12 philanthropy

Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic and the new struggles it posed for driving change in educational environments helped us to identify several ways to improve our K-12 philanthropy—especially by attending to the specific needs of local communities.

Civic entrepreneurs create new high school movement

Various organizations and leaders around the country are disrupting the K-12 system to provide young people the skills, training, and education they need for success.