Better than the lottery!

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lottery_ticket01

Dekko Foundation Grants–Three things you should know

  1. We want to invest in quality child and youth development. Our grants go to pay for all kinds of unusual things:  cameras, salaries, training, statues…you name it.  But it’s all directed at the same thing:  helping young people have the learning experiences they need when they need them!

 

  1. We don’t have application deadlines. We had grant application deadlines for a while but they didn’t make sense.  We found that grantseekers were trying to meet our deadlines rather than trying to do what worked best for their organization and their work.  Now we accept grant applications anytime.  Simply send your proposal 90 days before you need a response to your proposal.  We’ll get back to you on YOUR timeline!

 

  1. 80% of our grant applications receive support! Are you surprised by that?  We admit it seems high.  But foundation work has changed over time.  Our website is jam-packed with information, how-to’s and support.  You’ve gotten really good at researching and sending targeted proposals.  So many of you call just to talk through an idea you have—and we think this is great.  We can offer you ideas or maybe even suggest applying to a different foundation.

Call us to discuss an idea:  260-347-1278

Right in the sweet spot!

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That’s where these proposals hit us!

Grantseeker, Betsy Pitchford, asked for a post about outstanding recent grants.  There are so many, it’s hard to choose.  Here goes.

We’d like you to notice, that in each of these grant arrangements, there’s an adult who’s stepped back to think about what children need to grow and develop.  Our investments are really in these adults and their thought process!

  • Just this week we invested $4,800 to pay for staff training at the Judy A. Morrill (JAM) Center in Garrett, Indiana. Their center uses the Reggio Emilia philosophy in their early childhood classrooms.  Teachers there asked for more training in order to maximize the impact of this beautiful philosophy.
  • The basketball and tennis court close to ten-year-old Morgan’s house in Gary, MN was a crumbling mess. With a whole lot of support from her mom, Morgan is leading a community effort to update and re-surface the court.  We’ve pledged $10,000 to help if the community can raise the rest of the money.
  • Last summer we made a $4,200 grant to support the robotics team at the Lindsay Lane Christian Academy in Athens, AL. We met teacher, Kathryn DeWitt, and learned of the student-led nature of the team (students elect the CEO and commit to job responsibilities).
  • We don’t make too many multi-year investments, but a recent proposal from DeKalb County Central United Schools was an exception. Because these school leaders believe that children are unique and need different options for learning, they’re offering Personalized Pathways to Learning.  Our grant of $497,000 over the next three years will support the training these leaders need to make this substantive change!

Mmmmmm…bacon!

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bacon

 

Baaaaaacon!

According to comedian, Jim Gaffigan, bacon is SO good you can wrap it around other foods (like brussels sprouts or kale) to make THEM taste better.

At the Dekko Foundation, we think knowledge of child/youth development is a little bit like bacon.  Knowing how children and young people develop is good on its own.   But when you wrap that know-how around early childhood education, a  classroom or a youth group those experiences get better too!  Here’s how:

  • At some early childhood programs, adults bundle children up into coats, hats, mittens and boots for a trip to the playground.  But early childhood education programs that think about  what very young children need to grow and thrive…well, they allow plenty of time for children to dress themselves!  Getting dressed is as much a part of the learning experience as playing outside.
  • Some schools and classroom leaders think each child needs a computer at his/her fingertips.  Schools that think about what children need to grow and thrive believe that waiting for computer access once in a while builds planning skills and self-regulation.  Hmmm.  Those are good things!
  • It’s tempting for adults who advise teen groups to prepare the agenda, write the minutes and plan the food–otherwise it’s left to the kids and the last minute.  But adults who think about what teens need to mature know that natural consequences (no agenda or no snacks) are some really great teachers!  And who ever died from lack-of-agenda???

If you want to know more about our beliefs on what children and young people need to thrive, visit our website and click through our pages on what children need.  We think you’ll find it to be some sizzling-good information!