Education is a core source of opportunity, economic mobility, and community resilience. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is dedicated to reshaping global education systems so that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a quality education and can reach their full potential.
The Foundation is transforming education around the world by integrating philanthropy, data-driven innovation, and local partnerships to empower learners, build stronger schools, and reshape education.
On The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation: A Commitment to Create Enduring Change
Established in 1999 by Michael and Susan Dell, the Foundation is committed to enabling opportunities for children and families in urban poverty.
Education is one of the Foundation’s main pillars, supplemented by efforts in health, family economic self-sufficiency, and community development.
The main priorities in education are:
- Increasing Access to Quality Learning
- Building Better Education Systems
- Driving Equity and Inclusion
- Utilizing Data and Innovation to Create Systemic Change
Working across initiatives in the United States, India, and South Africa, the Foundation seeks to deliver sustainable, large-scale improvements in student outcomes.
Increasing Access to Quality Education
Providing Equal Opportunities to Learn for All Children
Quality education is not equally available to everyone, but it must be.
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation strives to:
- Invest in Early Childhood Education: Supporting literacy and numeracy skills in early childhood to prepare children for lifelong learning.
- Boost Enrollment and Attendance: Helping bridge the gap between education and access—particularly for girls and vulnerable youth.
- Extend Digital Access: Closing the digital divide by integrating technology into schools and remote learning systems.
By removing barriers to access, the Foundation is helping more children begin, and stay on a path to opportunity.
Strengthening Education Systems to Have Sustainable Impact
Constructing Resilient and Effective Learning Environments
Beyond access, the Foundation is focused on building education systems that are sustainable, scalable, and equitable.
Key initiatives include:
- Spurring Government School Reform: Supporting public school systems in modernizing curricula, teacher training, and infrastructure.
- Investing in School Leadership: Empowering school leaders to improve teaching and boost academic outcomes.
- Promoting Innovation in Learning Models: Advancing personalized, competency-based, and tech-enabled approaches to learning.
Through initiatives like Ed-Fi Alliance and partnerships with organizations such as Pratham Books, the Foundation is helping create stronger education ecosystems at scale.
Encouraging Equity and Inclusion in Education
Overcoming Systemic Barriers to Learning
Lasting educational reform must be built on principles of equity and inclusion. The Foundation focuses on:
- Supporting Girls’ Education: Addressing cultural, financial, and logistical challenges that prevent girls from staying in school.
- Targeting Urban Poverty: Designing programs specifically for children living in informal settlements and slums.
- Championing Inclusive Education: Ensuring that students with disabilities and diverse linguistic, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds are not left behind.
By centering the most marginalized learners, the Foundation ensures that all students can benefit from reforms, no matter their starting point.
Harnessing Data and Innovation to Achieve Greater Impact
Employing Technology to Enhance Learning Results
Data and innovation are critical tools in the Foundation’s strategy to improve educational outcomes.
Their efforts include:
- Establishing Education Data Systems: Helping schools and governments track student progress, identify gaps, and make evidence-based decisions.
- Financing Research and Evaluation: Supporting rigorous evaluations to understand what works, and why, in education reform.
- Scaling Successful Solutions: Investing in programs with clear potential for impact and replication.
With tools like the Student Success Toolkit and collaborations with Education Analytics, the Foundation takes a data-driven approach to transforming education.
Global Reach: Impacts in America, India, and South Africa
Driving Change Across Three Continents
The Foundation’s work spans multiple regions, each with its own context, but united by the goal of student success.
- In the U.S.: Supporting college readiness and completion for low-income students through the Dell Scholars Program, which includes scholarships, mentoring, and academic support.
- In India: Scaling foundational learning programs, strengthening public-private initiatives, and promoting education technology innovation.
- In South Africa: Investing in early-grade literacy, teacher development, and data infrastructure to strengthen the education system.
Across all geographies, the Foundation’s investments are locally informed and globally inspired.
Who Benefits from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Programs?
The Foundation’s educational programs support:
- Low-Income and Underserved Students
- Schools Enhancing Access and Learning Quality
- Government and Non-Governmental Organizations Focused on Education Reform
- Communities Breaking Cycles of Poverty
Each initiative is designed to empower learners and build systems that create long-term, scalable opportunities.
How to Partner with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Organizations interested in collaboration should:
- Align to Strategic Priorities: Focus areas include access to education, systems reform, equity, and data-driven innovation.
- Demonstrate Scalable, Durable Impact: Programs must be capable of driving systemic change beyond isolated success.
- Commit to Equity and Inclusion: Initiatives should prioritize underserved and marginalized populations.
The Foundation partners strategically with governments, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and private sector actors to drive sustainable change.
How Fluxx Enables Successful Data-Driven Philanthropy
Large-scale education reform requires modern systems and real-time insight.
Grant management platforms like Fluxx help leading foundations:
- Streamline Grantmaking Processes: From intake to impact reporting and performance tracking.
- Monitor Outcomes in Real Time: Including student achievement, attendance, and graduation rates.
- Promote Increased Collaboration: Supporting transparent, data-rich dialogue between funders and partners.
With solutions like Fluxx, organizations like the Dell Foundation can expand their reach and accelerate systems-level transformation in education.
Building a Brighter Tomorrow Through Education
With a steadfast commitment to access, innovation, and equity, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is transforming education systems and expanding opportunity for millions of children worldwide.
By empowering learners, strengthening schools, and investing in long-term reform, the Foundation is helping create a future where every student—regardless of their circumstances—can learn, grow, and thrive.
For more on their work in education, visit the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation website.
