What Making Caring Common at HGSE does

Making Caring Common (MCC) is a non-profit research and programs initiative of the Harvard Graduate School of Education focused on helping children and young adults develop empathy, self-awareness, and a commitment to fairness. The organization serves three primary audiences: families (parents and caregivers), K-12 educators (teachers, counselors, administrators), and colleges/universities. MCC produces research-informed resources, tools, and programs rather than a technology product, with flagship offerings including the Caring Schools Network (a K-12 school program), the Youth Advisory Board (29 high school students from 9 states), the Relationship Mapping tool, and the Student Purpose Initiative. The organization also publishes a series of proprietary research reports — notably the 'Turning the Tide' series (latest 2026 edition), 'On Edge,' 'Gen Z Wants to Do Good' (with Gallup), and 'Caring for the Caregivers' — that have driven national discourse on youth mental health, loneliness, and college admissions equity.

MCC's business model is mission-driven and non-commercial. All resources, programs, and materials are provided free of charge to families, educators, and colleges. Revenue is sourced from individual donations (via Harvard's alumni giving platform) and foundation grants (e.g., Walton Family Foundation). The organization operates a content-led, community-driven GTM motion: distributing materials through its website, email newsletters, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), webinars, and earned media coverage. Strategic partnerships — notably with Gallup, Common App, the Walton Family Foundation, Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and Boston Children's Museum — extend its research reach and embed its frameworks into the college admissions ecosystem (e.g., the Common App Student Context Question pilot reached 220,000+ students and 12 colleges). MCC is led by Faculty Director Richard Weissbourd and a small team of approximately 7 directors and program staff, and is operationally housed within Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Name

Making Caring Common at HGSE

Legal name

Making Caring Common at Harvard Graduate School of Education

Website

https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Making Caring Common is a non-profit Harvard Graduate School of Education initiative that provides free research-informed programs, resources, and reports to help families, K-12 educators, and colleges foster empathy, mental health, and ethical development in children.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Research and Youth Development Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs (EDACALAJ), Family Engagement & Home–School Partnership Programs (EDACALAB), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

• Social-emotional learning
• Character development
• K-12 school programs
• College admissions research
• Youth mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Making Caring Common accepts donations through Harvard's alumni giving platform, allowing individuals to support their mission of raising kids who care about others and the common good.
2. Foundation Grants: The organization receives funding from foundations such as the Walton Family Foundation to conduct research and develop resources on youth mental health and character development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Making Caring Common is a non-profit research and programs initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that develops evidence-based programs, tools, and research publications to help children develop empathy, self-awareness, and a commitment to fairness. Its core offerings include the Caring Schools Network K-12 program, Relationship Mapping resources, the Youth Advisory Board, and tailored resource collections for educators, families, and colleges (#caring schools network, #relationship mapping, #youth advisory board, #resources for families, #educators, #colleges). It also publishes research reports on youth mental health, college admissions equity, and Gen Z purpose and meaning.

Product overview

Making Caring Common at HGSE is an initiative of the Harvard Graduate School of Education that provides research-informed programs, resources, and publications focused on helping children develop empathy, self-awareness, and commitment to fairness. The portfolio includes the Caring Schools Network (CSN), a K-12 school program; the Youth Advisory Board for high school students; Relationship Mapping tools for identifying supportive adults; and resources for Educators, Families, and Colleges. Key publications include the Turning the Tide report series, On Edge report, Gen Z Wants to Do Good report, and Caring for the Caregivers report. The organization also provides school profile templates and resources for equitable college admissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Caring Schools Network (CSN): A K-12 school program developed by experts at Harvard Graduate School of Education that empowers schools with tools to cultivate community, caring, and a more fair world.
• Youth Advisory Board (YAB)

Products and services

• Caring Schools Network A K-12 school program developed by Harvard Graduate School of Education experts and educators nationwide that empowers schools with tools to cultivate community, caring, and a more fair world. Available at no cost to participating schools.
• Relationship Mapping A visual tool that helps children identify the adults at school who can offer support and guidance, empowering them to feel confident and prepared to tackle challenges. Used by schools and educators to support student mental health.
• Youth Advisory Board A program engaging a diverse group of high school students from across the United States who are committed to making schools more caring and respectful places through everyday interactions.
• Resources for Educators A collection of research-informed strategies, tools, and programs for educators to help children develop empathy, self-awareness, and commitment to fairness.
• Resources for Families Practical guidance and activities for families to support children's social-emotional development, empathy, and caring behaviors at home.
• Resources for Colleges Research and tools for colleges and universities focused on student purpose, mental health, and ethical admissions practices.
• Teen Mental Health Resources Resources focused on promoting positive youth mental health and supporting teens through relationship mapping and caring adult connections.
• Student Purpose Initiative Initiative helping young people develop a sense of meaning, purpose, and direction in their lives through research-based strategies.
• Turning the Tide Report Series Reports making the case for key shifts in college admissions, elevating ethical and civic capacities at the heart of repairing what divides society, democracy, and collective well-being.
• On Edge Report Research report on understanding and preventing young adults' mental health challenges, finding that young adults report twice the rates of anxiety and depression as teens.
• Gen Z Wants to Do Good Report Report developed in collaboration with Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation exploring how Gen Z thinks about work, meaning, purpose, and factors influencing their mental health.
• Caring for the Caregivers Report Research exploring the critical link between parent and teen mental health, showing caregivers' mental health suffers as much as their teenage children's.
• School Profile Templates and Resources Resources developed with Dr. Nicola to assist counselors and school leaders in improving the quality and equity of school profiles for college admissions, including templates and examples.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 58% of young adults reported little or no purpose or meaning in their lives in the previous month (On Edge report)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on the Gen Z Wants to Do Good report, exploring how helping others supports meaning and wellbeing among Generation Z. The report topples misconceptions about how Gen Z thinks about work and examines where they find meaning and purpose.
• Common AppcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot program with Common App on a Student Context Question designed to give students an easy way to share information about their home commitments on college applications. Over 220,000 students and 12 colleges participated.
• Center for Rural StrategiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project supporting teachers in leading productive classroom discussions about social issues, along with Generation Citizen.
• Generation CitizenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project focused on supporting teachers in leading productive classroom discussions about social issues, in partnership with Center for Rural Strategies.
• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on resources for building courageous connections and challenging biases. MCC shares Greater Good resources with their audience.
• Boston Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCC's Milena Batanova discussed empathy and strategies for nurturing compassion with Melissa Higgins of Boston Children's Museum on their Big & Little Podcast.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Center on the Developing Child: Also housed at Harvard, this center translates developmental science into resources for policymakers, educators, and parents. It is a broad academic peer sharing the Harvard institutional brand and overlapping content on child development and adversity.
• Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media provides research and curriculum on media, technology, and child wellbeing to families and schools. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with MCC's focus on youth mental health, screen time, and family-facing resources.

Emerging players

• The Jed Foundation: JED protects youth mental health and prevents suicide, with programs for high schools, colleges, and families. It is a focused peer in MCC's youth and young-adult mental health space, especially in the college segment.
• Born This Way Foundation: Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga, supports youth mental health and kindness through research, programming, and youth-led initiatives. It shares MCC's focus on kindness, youth voice, and family engagement.

Direct peers

• Search Institute: Search Institute builds research-based frameworks (Developmental Assets) used by schools and youth organizations to support positive youth development. It overlaps closely with MCC's focus on relationships, caring adults, and youth thriving.
• Character.org: Character.org certifies schools and districts for character education and provides resources for educators focused on ethical, caring, and responsible student development. It is a close peer of MCC's Caring Schools Network in K-12 character and SEL programming.
• Committee for Children (Second Step): Committee for Children develops the widely adopted Second Step SEL curriculum for K-8 schools, providing paid curricula and training. It competes with MCC's Caring Schools Network in K-8 SEL purchasing and program adoption.
• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley): Greater Good Science Center produces research-based articles, courses, and resources on empathy, compassion, and well-being for educators and parents. It shares MCC's academic-credibility-driven approach and overlapping content focus on kindness and youth mental health.
• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): CASEL is the leading SEL framework organization serving K-12 schools, educators, and districts with research-based resources and frameworks. It directly competes with MCC for school district SEL adoption and educator attention in the same SEL category.
• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER): Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence develops the RULER framework for emotional intelligence in K-12 schools, serving as both a research center and a practitioner training program. It competes with MCC for SEL adoption in K-12 districts and educator professional development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjkPaRmm57ccIJE4RYZJOHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/makingcaringcommon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/making-caring-common-at-hgse
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccharvarded

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Making Caring Common at HGSE