State and local governments are another source of sponsorship. They often sponsor projects or serve as local clearinghouses for programs that are partially, or in some cases entirely, funded by the federal government. Because there are thousands of such programs, they do not appear in this book. Individual state department of education offices are the best source of current information on projects operating in their locales. Many colleges and universities have offices of sponsored programs, and this may be another source of information on state and local government projects.
Private foundations constitute another source of support for educational initiatives.
More than 40,000 foundations are operating in the U.S. today. Obtaining foundation support is complicated by the fact that many restrict their awards to a particular community, region, organization, or proposal category. Yet when a proposal falls within a foundation's operating guidelines, this can be an excellent source of support. As the wealth of U.S. entrepreneurs such as Microsoft's Bill Gates, Hewlett-Packard's David Packard, and Nike's Phil Knight swells, it is likely the present mix of philanthropic foundations will change and another group of major sponsors will emerge. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a case in point.