The study describes the increasing international assistance in the field of education in Russia and focuses on programs implemented by the US private foundations, tracing, translation of the foundations goals into actual programs in the region. Using data from a variety of sources, foundations program portfolios are analyzed in relation to thematic diversity and geographic spread; types of support and major recipients of aid. Then, a comparative documentation analysis is applied to the programs' descriptions. A case study of two recent initiatives in Russian higher education is presented.