The Hunt Institute

Founded in 2001 by former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt (D), the organization was an instrumental force in the creation of federal government-directed Common Core education standards. ² The institute endorses critical race theory-aligned is “unapologetic in its approach to equity.” ³ Its programming includes state legislator retreats, the Governors’ Education Symposium for state governors, and a fellowship program. ⁴ The critical race theory-inspired concept of  “educational equity,” ⁵ is foundational in all of the institute’s core programming. ⁶

Since 2002, the Hunt Institute has received at least $17,604,929 from the left-of-center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, including a 2009 grant of $5,549,352 in support nationwide advocacy for federal government-directed Common Core education standards. ^{7 8}

History and Leadership

The Hunt Institute was founded in 2001 by former Gov. Jim Hunt (D-NC) as an education-focused advocacy organization. Aimed at guiding political leaders, the institute was instrumental in the creation of federal government-directed Common Core education standards ² and was an affiliate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from 2008 until 2015, when the Republican-led state legislature ended the institute’s state funding. ⁹

In 2016, the Institute broadened its scope to include all aspects of education, from early childhood to postsecondary and workforce issues. ¹⁰ As of January 2022, the Hunt Institute is an independent nonprofit within Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. ¹

Javaid Siddiqi is the president and CEO of the Hunt Institute. ¹¹ He was the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia from November 2013 until January 2014. ¹²

Activities and Funding

The Hunt Institute operates state legislator retreats, the Governors’ Education Symposium for state governors, assists 27 early childhood state teams, and operates a fellowship program. ⁴ Its other work focuses on early childhood education, standards and assessments, teachers, postsecondary education and workforce issues, and development of school leaders. ⁴

Critical Race Theory

The Hunt Institute supports the critical race theory-inspired concept of “educational equity” ¹³ and operates the DRIVE Taskforce, which is designed to increase the ethnic diversity of North Carolina’s teachers. ¹⁴ The critical race theory-inspired concept of “equity” is foundational in all of the institute’s core programming, ⁶ which includes working to address the left-wing concept of “systemic racism” in schools, ¹⁵ opposing attendance requirements for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, ¹⁶ webinars focused on using school boards to advance “racial equity in education,” ¹⁷ and using school libraries to advance “racial identity and equity.” ¹⁸

Common Core

The Hunt Institute was instrumental in the creation of the federal government-directed Common Core education standards in the early 2000s. ² In 2009, the institute received a $5,549,352 grant from the left-of-center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support Common Core. ^{7 8} Using that money, the institute coordinated advocacy efforts with other left-of-center groups, including Thomas B. Fordham Institute, UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Governors Association, Achieve, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). ¹⁹

During the advocacy campaign, the institute held regular calls with members of the Gates Foundation and spent $437,000 to hire GMMB Consulting to conduct polling, make fact sheets, prepare talking points, and create a “messaging tool kit” for stakeholders. ²⁰ GMBB is owned by Jim Margolis, a Democratic Party operative who worked on both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. ¹⁹

Funding

In 2019, the Hunt Institute reported receiving contributions and grants totaling $4,693,779 and expenses of $2,617,745. ²¹ In 2018, the organization reported receiving $4,306,875 of grants and contributions and expenses of $2,198,808. ²¹

Since 2002, the left-of-center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated at least $17,604,929 to the Hunt Institute, including a $5,549,352 grant in support nationwide advocacy for federal government-directed Common Core Education Standards in 2009. ^{7 8}

In 2021, the Hunt Institute received $1,250,000 from the left-of-center Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to increase the number of minority school teachers and leaders by 2030. This will include partnerships with The New Teacher Project, The Education Trust, Men of Color in Education Leadership, New Leaders, and Teach Plus. ²² That same year, the institute received grants of $500,000 from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, ²³ two  grants totaling $950,000 from the Carnegie Corporation, ²⁴ and $300,000 from the Lumina Foundation for a two-year grant. ²⁵

In 2019, Hunt Institute received grants of $460,170 from the left-of-center Foundation for the Carolinas; ²⁶ $419,216 and $900,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; ^{27 28} a two-year grant of $750,000 from the Carnegie Corporation; ¹ $96,500 from Arnold Ventures; ²⁹ and $25,000 from the Robins Foundation. ³⁰

The Hunt Institute’s other funders include ACT, Altria, Arras Foundation, Belk Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Brady Education Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, College Board, Dominion Energy, Duke Endowment, Foundation for Child Development, John M. Belk Endowment, the Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, New Venture Fund, Oak Foundation, Pritzker Children’s Initiative, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robins Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, Thornburg Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. ³¹

The institute has also received a grant of $80,000 from the left-of-center New Venture Fund, which is managed by Arabella Advisors; ³² $4,307,900 from the Atlantic Philanthropies since 2001; ³³ $1,250,000 from the Wallace Foundation In 2003; ³⁴ and $130,000 from the Lumina Foundation in 2018. ³⁵