Group items tagged

RGK Foundation awards grants in the broad areas of Education, Community, and Health/Medicine. The Foundation's primary interests within Education include programs that focus on formal K-12 education (particularly mathematics, science and reading), teacher development, literacy, and higher education. Within Community, the Foundation supports a broad range of human services, community improvement, abuse prevention, and youth development programs. Human service programs of particular interest to the Foundation include children and family services, early childhood development, and parenting education. The Foundation supports a variety of Community Improvement programs including those that enhance non-profit management and promote philanthropy and voluntarism. Youth development programs supported by the Foundation typically include after-school educational enrichment programs that supplement and enhance formal education systems to increase the chances for successful outcomes in school and life. The Foundation is also interested in programs that attract female and minority students into the fields of mathematics, science, and technology. The Foundation's current interests in the area of Health/Medicine include programs that promote the health and well-being of children, programs that promote access to health services, and Foundation-initiated programs focusing on ALS.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations working to promote new ideas about how to engage children and youth in learning and ways to bring together community-based systems that promote learning. The foundation will consider grants in four priority areas: Educated Kids; Healthy Kids; Secure Families; and Civic Engagement. Educated Kids: To ensure that all children get the development and education they need as a basis for independence and success, the foundation seeks opportunities to invest in early child development (ages zero to eight) leading to reading proficiency by third grade, graduation from high school, and pathways to meaningful employment. Healthy Kids: The foundation supports programs that work to ensure that all children grow and reach optimal well-being by having access to fresh, healthy food, physical activity, quality health care, and strong family supports. Secure Families: The foundation supports programs that build economic security for vulnerable children and their families through sustained income and asset accumulation. Civic Engagement: The foundation partners with organizations committed to inclusion, impact, and innovation in solving public problems and meeting the needs of children and families who are most vulnerable.

The Eos Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by investing in children's futures. It seeks an equitable and just society where the basic human needs of all individuals are met, and where children grow up well-nourished and healthy and have opportunities for high-quality education and the tools to achieve economic self-sufficiency. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications from Massachusetts schools/districts and charter public schools for its After the Bell (ATB), Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program, which aims to combat childhood hunger and improve student learning.  ATB BIC is proven to increase access in and participation in school breakfast. Benefits of the program include lower absentee and tardy rates, fewer morning nurses visits and behavioral problems, and higher academic achievement. The majority of Massachusetts schools operating ATB BIC maintain 80 percent or more participation rates, drawing down USDA reimbursements that sustain the program beyond grants from private funders like Eos.  Through the program, Eos provides one-time grants of up to $10,000 to eligible Massachusetts schools/districts and charter public schools interested in making breakfast part of their school day by launching or expanding ATB BIC programming. Grant amounts are based on school enrollment: 1) $5,000 for schools with up to 300 students; 2) $7,500 for schools with between 301 and 600 students; and $10,000 for schools with more than 601 students. See the Eos Foundation website for complete program guideline and application instructions.

The New York City-based William T. Grant Foundation is accepting applications for its Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence program. Through the program, the foundation seeks high-quality field-initiated studies that identify, build, and test strategies to ensure that research evidence is used in ways that benefit youth. The foundation welcomes ideas initiated by social scientists across a range of disciplines and diverse methodologies with the potential to advance researchers' own disciplinary work and scholarship and reveal insights about ways to improve the use of research evidence. The foundation is particularly interested in research on improving the use of research evidence by state and local decision makers, mid-level managers, and intermediaries, and in research dedicated to the following lines of inquiry: identifying or testing strategies to improve the use of existing research; identifying or testing strategies for producing more useful research evidence; and testing the assumption that using high-quality research improves decision making and youth outcomes. 

The Gerber Foundation is dedicated to enhancing quality of life for infants and young children, with a focus on children under the age of three. Of particular interest to the foundation are projects offering substantial promise of meaningful advances in prevention and treatment of diseases and those with broad and general applicability. Research focus areas identified by the foundation include: Pediatric Health - Projects that promote health and/or the prevention or treatment of disease. Of particular interest to the foundation are applied research projects focused on reducing the incidence of neonatal and early childhood illnesses, or those aimed at improving the cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of development.

The NEA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Education Association, is a public charity supported by contributions from educators' dues, corporate sponsors, and others. The foundation supports student success by helping public school educators work with key partners to build strong systems of shared responsibility. As part of an effort to achieve this goal, the foundation is inviting applications for its Learning and Leadership Grants program. The program provides support to public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education through grants to individuals to fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or grants to groups for collegial study activities, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. All $5,000 group grant applicants must include partner information. To be eligible, applicants must be a public school educator in grades pre-K-12; a public school education support professional; or a faculty or staff member at a public higher education institution. The foundation encourages applications from education support professionals. Preference will be given to members of the National Education Association.

The research grants program of the William T. Grant Foundation supports high-quality field-initiated studies that are relevant to policies and practices that affect the lives of young people in the United States. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications in support of research projects designed to advance understanding of inequality in youth outcomes and/or improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect young people. The foundation will award grants of up to $600,000 over two or three years in support of research designed to build, test, and increase understanding of approaches to reducing inequality in youth outcomes on the basis of race, ethnicity, economic standing, or immigrant origin status. The foundation is particularly interested in research on programs, policies, and practices with the potential to reduce inequality in academic, social, behavioral, and economic outcomes.

The vision of the Episcopal Health Foundation is a diocese where people, parishes, institutions, and communities are connected in service to creating healthy communities for all. According to the foundation, a strong, responsive caregiver-child relationship and the infant brain development that results from that relationship maximize a child's physical development, communication, and social skills and strengthen his/her ability to mitigate the long-term effects of stressful life events and circumstances. To that end, the foundation is inviting applications for its Build the Foundation for a Healthy Life by Investing in Early Childhood Brain Development initiative. Through the initiative, grants will be awarded to community-based clinics and organizations that embrace the importance of early childhood brain development and prioritize primary prevention work with vulnerable families, beginning before or at the birth of their children.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that has evolved from a young cancer patient's front yard lemonade stand to a national foundation for childhood cancer, awards grants designed to fill critical voids in current pediatric cancer research. Through its Innovation Grants program, the foundation awards two-year grants of up to $250,000 in support of researchers with a novel approach to pediatric oncology investigation. This can include a change in research direction and/or an innovative new idea that moves away from an investigator's prior research but has potential impact for childhood cancers. Innovation Grants will support research proposals to be carried out by investigators who are already established, have a track record of peer-reviewed publications, and can demonstrate evidence of successfully competing for extramural funding. To be eligible, applicants must possess a degree at the MD, MD/PhD or PhD level and hold a faculty appointment at an academic institution.

The NEA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Education Association, is a public charity supported by contributions from educators' dues, corporate sponsors, and others. The foundation supports student success by helping public school educator's work with key partners to build strong systems of shared responsibility. As part of an effort to achieve this goal, the foundation is inviting applications for its Learning and Leadership Grants program. The program provides support to public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education through grants to individuals to fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. All $5,000 group grant applicants must include partner information. To be eligible, applicants must be public school educators in grades PreK-12; public school education support professionals; or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions. The foundation encourages education support professionals to apply. Preference will be given to members of the National Education Association.

The mission of the Gerber Foundation is to enhance the quality of life of infants and young children in nutrition, care, and development. To that end, the foundation currently is accepting concept papers for health and/or nutrition-related research projects with the potential to have a significant impact on issues affecting infants and young children, from birth to the age of three. The foundation awards grants to research projects focused on solutions that, when implemented, will improve health, nutrition, and/or developmental outcomes for infants and young children. Projects may address etiologic mechanisms of disease; new, improved, or less invasive diagnostic procedures; reduction or elimination of side effects; alleviation of symptoms; new, improved, or less invasive therapies or treatments; dosage or dosing requirements or mechanisms for drugs, nutrient supplementation, or other therapeutic measures (under or overdosing); and preventive measures.

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation in West Bloomfield, Michigan, is dedicated to transforming lives in profoundly positive ways through grants focused on health, youth and animal welfare. The foundation's MDS Research Fund (MDSRF) seeks to advance the understanding and treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and related blood disorders and expands the foundation's investments in support of cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical MDS research with the potential to establish future standards of care and, ultimately, a cure. The foundation will consider proposals in two categories from individuals at university, college, hospital, or laboratory institutions for support of research in MDS or related disorders: Early Career Awards of up to $125,000 per year over two years will be awarded to eligible investigators who are less than five years from completion of their fellowship training or postdoctoral program and/or have not previously been awarded an RO1 grant or its equivalent. Established Investigator Awards of up to $250,000 per year over two years will be awarded to eligible investigators who are five or more years from completion of their fellowship training or postdoctoral program, or to applicants who have previously received an Early Career Award from the foundation or an RO1 grant or its equivalent.

Established in 1962, the Spencer Foundation is dedicated to the belief that research is necessary to the improvement of education. To that end, the foundation supports high-quality investigations of education through its research programs and to the strengthening and renewal of the educational research community through its fellowship/training programs and related activities. To that end, the foundation is accepting proposals through its Small Research Grants Program from education research projects. In keeping with the foundation's mission, the program aims to fund academic work that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. Examples of previously funded projects include an experimental study of how college students use visual representations in solving math problems; a study exploring the process of racial and rural identity formation among African-American high-school students who attend de facto segregated schools in the rural South; and a mixed-methods study focused on the different types of knowledge novice and experienced teachers draw on in teaching reading comprehension. To be eligible, principal investigators and co-PIs must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. In addition, the PI must be affiliated with a college, university, school district, nonprofit research facility, or nonprofit cultural institution that is willing to serve as the fiscal agent should a grant be awarded.

Established in 1962, the Spencer Foundation is dedicated to the belief that research is necessary to the improvement of education. To that end, the foundation supports high-quality investigations of education through its research programs and the strengthening and renewing of the educational research community through its fellowship and training programs and related activities. Through its Small Research Grants Program, the foundation is accepting research proposals for education research projects. In keeping with the foundation's mission, the program aims to fund academic work that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. Examples of previously funded projects include an experimental study of how college students use visual representations in solving math problems; a study exploring the process of racial and rural identity formation among African-American high-school students who attend de facto segregated schools in the rural South; and a mixed-methods study focused on the different types of knowledge novice and experienced teachers draw on in teaching reading comprehension. The program awards grants of up to $50,000. To be eligible, principal investigators and co-PIs must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. In addition, the PI must be affiliated with a college, university, school district, nonprofit research facility, or nonprofit cultural institution that is willing to serve as the fiscal agent if a grant is awarded.

The Saucony Run For Good Foundation is committed to improving the lives of children by helping to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. According to the foundation, today's American youth are considered the most inactive in history and as a result the rate of obesity among U.S. children and teenagers has more than tripled over the past three decades. To that end, Saucony is inviting proposals aimed at helping run down the childhood obesity epidemic. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to community-based nonprofit organizations that initiate and support running programs for kids. Program participants must be 18 years of age or younger, and the foundation will prioritize programs that serve populations not traditionally exposed to running programs.

In recent years, inequality in the United States has become increasingly pervasive. At the same time, prospects for social mobility have decreased. The William T. Grant Foundation believes the research community can play a critical role in reversing this trend. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications in support of research projects designed to advance understanding in the area of inequalities in youth development and/or increase understanding of how research is acquired, understood, and used, as well as the circumstances that shape its use in decision making. Through its Research program, the foundation will award grants of up to $600,000 in support of research that focuses on ways to reduce disparities in academic, behavioral, social, and economic outcomes for youth. Priority will be given to projects related to inequality related to economic, racial/ethnic, and language background, but research that explores other areas will also be considered based on a compelling case for its impact. To be eligible, organizations must be considered tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Early Childhood Welfare - Children can only reach their full potential when all aspects of their development - intellectual, emotional, and physical - are optimally supported. Providing a safe and nurturing environment is essential, as is imparting the skills of social living in a culturally diverse world. To that end, the foundation supports projects that seek to perfect child-rearing practices and to identify models that can provide creative, caring environments in which all young children thrive. Early Childhood Education and Play - Research shows that children need to be stimulated as well as nurtured, early in life if they are to succeed in school, work, and life. That preparation relates to every aspect of a child's development, and everywhere a child learns - at home, in childcare settings, and in preschool. The foundation seeks to improve the quality of both early childhood teaching and learning, through the development of innovative curricula and research based pedagogical standards, as well as the design of imaginative play materials and learning environments. Parenting Education - To help parents create nurturing environments for their children, the foundation supports programs that teach parents about developmental psychology, cultural child-rearing differences, pedagogy, issues of health, and prenatal care and diet, as well programs that provide both cognitive and emotional support to parents.

The Brady Education Foundation seeks to close the achievement/opportunity gap for children at risk for poor school outcomes due to environmental factors associated with poverty. To advance this mission, the foundation is accepting stage-one applications for projects related to the development and evaluation of programs that are consistent with a strength-based approach and show promise of being feasible, effective, and sustainable. 1) Program Development: One-year grants will be awarded to projects aimed at developing and testing the feasibility of new programs that promote positive cognitive and/or achievement outcomes for children (birth through 18 years) from underserved groups and/or low-resourced communities. Priority will be given to programs/projects that represent strong collaborative relationships between researchers, practitioners, and other community stakeholders (as appropriate), and where the community/population being studied is reflected by the composition of the project's leadership team; programs/projects consistent with strength-based approaches rather than deficit models; programs/projects that leverage other funding; and/or programs/projects that, in addition to showing promise of being effective, show promise of being affordable, accessible, and sustainable. Past Program Development grants have ranged between $25,000 and $276,000.

The Raechel & Jackie Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to inspire and enrich the lives of youth in Central America through recreation, the arts, and innovative educational experiences, is accepting grant applications for its 2013 funding cycle. Grant applications are invited from charitable organizations working to provide children in Central America with innovative educational experiences that align with the RJF mission. The foundation seeks to partner with community-based organizations and community-driven projects in Central America that provide resources to educate and provide opportunities that enable youth to address environmental concerns, foster personal growth, and encourage positive lasting change in their communities. Applicant organizations should provide services that meet the needs of children; provide holistic support for children's development that nurtures their voice, leadership capabilities, and active participation in decisions that affect their lives; have a history of effective actions spanning at least three years; demonstrate consistency in their mission, goals, and strategy; propose feasible and innovative projects that closely align with RJF's mission; and demonstrate community interest in implementing the project/program.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) today announced a $5 million investment to identify and cultivate innovations in the growing field of family engagement that support children's educational success from birth to 8 years old. Organizations that have developed effective family engagement models that address obstacles faced by low-income families are encouraged to send initial submissions for possible funding of up to $500,000 for one to three years. WKKF defines family engagement as a shared responsibility of families, schools and communities for student learning and achievement. It is a continuous process from birth to third grade and beyond that occurs across multiple settings where children learn. The foundation seeks to support and expand on-the-ground family engagement efforts that include program design and implementation, service delivery and/or policy development and implementation.