BHP Foundation Board earmarks $52m for global education

The BHP Foundation has made a US$52 million commitment to support programs that aim to address global education disadvantage from partners the Education Endowment Foundation, Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education and Teach For All.

There are more than half a billion children either not in school, or in school but failing to learn basic skills and the Foundation’s education partners focus on different audiences, from frontline teachers to girls and community leaders. All are striving to identify new and more effective ways to improve education for the most disadvantaged.

“Our investments are chosen for their potential to forge new models for taking on complex sustainable development issues, and to set new standards. Our education partners do that. They seek to deliver measurable, effective, and practical solutions to global education challenges. We hope that bringing them together will help unlock new ideas and amplify the reach and outcome of their programs,” said Karen Wood, Chairman of the BHP Foundation

The BHP Foundation has announced that Charles (Chip) Goodyear will join the Board as a Director from September 4, 2018 and take up the role of Chairman from February 1, 2019.

Goodyear was Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton from 2003 until 2007. He joined BHP as Chief Financial Officer in 1999. He said: “It is an honor to join the Board of the BHP Foundation. I have seen first-hand the power of strategic philanthropy in improving people’s lives. Since its formation, the Foundation has committed more than US$180 million of which US$52 million is one of the largest contributions to global education programs by any private organization. It is visionary and I am humbled to join the Board at such an exciting time for the Foundation.”

The BHP Foundation was established in 2013 and replaced the UK Charitable Trust BHP Billiton Sustainable Communities. It undertook a major piece of work to define its strategy culminating in the development of three Global Signature Programs in 2016: Natural Resource Governance, Environmental Resilience and Education Equity. It also runs country programs in Australia, the United States, Chile and Canada focussing on issues ranging from enhancing Indigenous Peoples governance and self-determination to enhancing the potential of young people.