Tempe, Arizona — October 2, 2025 — The Imagine Learning Foundation (ILF), the philanthropic initiative of Imagine Learning, a leader in K–12 digital-first solutions designed for the future of learning, today announced its 2025 Signature Grant recipients. Seven organizations will receive a total of $605,000 to support critical initiatives addressing chronic absenteeism, student homelessness, and emergency relief for students and families affected by the California wildfires.
Since its launch in 2021, ILF has now awarded over $1.86 million through 40 grants as part of its initial $5 million funding commitment. Past recipient organizations have positively impacted more than 413,000 students and youth in 1,700 communities across the U.S., addressing issues from homelessness to mental health support.
The 2025 grant cycle continues ILF’s strategic focus on chronic absenteeism and student homelessness while expanding support to address the urgent needs of students and communities impacted by the devastating California wildfires. Nearly 28% of all students were chronically absent during the 2022–2023 school year; of those, 36% are economically disadvantaged and 48% are homeless, which creates significant barriers to academic success. Furthermore, almost 1.4 million public school students experienced homelessness, a 14% increase from the 2021–2022 school year, with many states reporting higher rates of student homelessness for the 2023–2024 school year.
“By investing in student well-being beyond academics, we can support individual children in need and strengthen entire communities,” said Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Learning. “Through the Imagine Learning Foundation and our partnership with this year’s 2025 Signature Grant recipients, we’re addressing the barriers that prevent children from thriving as learners and as people — whether that’s chronic absenteeism, homelessness, or the devastating impact of natural disasters like the California wildfires. Every student deserves the stability necessary to thrive, and that’s exactly what these partnerships help us deliver.”
2025 Signature Grant Recipients
The 2025 grant awards represent a mix of continuing partnerships with proven organizations and new initiatives addressing emergency needs for over 300,000 youth. Four recipients are first-time grant recipients, and three organizations — Catie’s Closet, Erika’s Lighthouse, and SchoolHouse Connection + Attendance Works — are returning recipients that have made a significant impact with the foundation’s previous funding.
- BackPack Brigade ($100k) will provide weekend hunger bags for at-risk children across five Washington school districts and 102 schools, serving over 5,000 students each week. The program offers eight different culturally appropriate menus adapted to meet the needs of individual students and will continue their demonstrated success in increasing student attendance, particularly on Mondays and Fridays.
- Catie’s Closet ($100k) will support over 9,000 youth across Massachusetts and New Hampshire by expanding its Special Order System (SOS) program to address youth in direct need, including homelessness, foster care, fire victims, and abuse survivors. Youth receive emergency needs such as clothing and toiletries necessary to overcome chronic absenteeism, successfully stay in school, and increase their confidence to thrive in life.
- City Year Los Angeles ($50k) will use its funding to support over 11,000 students in grades 3–9 through their Whole School Whole Child Program, which provides stability, academic support, and emotional care and individualized interventions for over 1,600 youth. The organization ensures students, families, and schools have resources and resilience to navigate the wildfire crisis.
- Erika’s Lighthouse ($75k) will receive additional funding to nationally expand its Four Pillars model to over 1 million students in grades 4–12 by focusing on mental health support through classroom education, empowerment clubs, family engagement, and comprehensive staff training. Additional support will be directed towards Los Angeles students who have experienced mental health challenges and trauma from the LA wildfires.
- Operation Warm ($100k) will provide new coats and shoes to over 2,000 Los Angeles children affected by the California wildfires, targeting vulnerable, displaced, and under-housed families to foster increased self-esteem, outdoor play, and school attendance.
- SchoolHouse Connection + Attendance Works ($100k) will build on the accomplishments of its 2024 grant, implementing six key strategies to increase attendance for chronically absent students and students experiencing homelessness through customizable toolkits, national webinars, and strategy briefs for over 1,000 district administrators and state-level actors. As part of their project, they will collaborate with state and local education agencies, the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to broaden the implementation of these strategies and improve attendance.
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace ($80k) will hand-build and deliver high-quality wooden beds, mattresses, and bedding to bedless children, with a portion of the ILF grant focused on children affected by the LA wildfires. The organization aims to construct and deliver 5,100 beds to children in need through various chapters across the country, including Alabama, Arizona, California, and Texas.
“Our 2025 ILF Signature Grant recipients are working tirelessly to address the challenges our students face outside the classroom with creativity and compassion,” said Chris Graham, Chairman and President of the Imagine Learning Foundation. “These organizations restore hope and build confidence in every child they serve. When a student has a warm coat, a safe place to sleep, and knows they won’t be hungry over the weekend, they can focus on what matters most: learning and growing to their full potential.”
