In September…

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In September, our board made the following investments, and together we’re tracking these results…

AUM Foundation USA, Inc. (Limestone County, AL)- Young people’s access to mentorships, experiences, and resources to help them explore post-secondary pathways.

Boy Scouts of America Anthony Wayne Council (Steuben County, IN)- A designated space for young people to gain skills and increase connections that will help them develop capabilities to support their future economic freedom.

Central Noble Community School Cooperation (Noble County, IN)- Learning environments that provide opportunities for kindergarten students to learn in an outdoor environment.

East Noble School Cooperation (Noble County, IN) – Young people following their interest, building skills, and applying knowledge and talents through music.

Friends of Eckhart Public Library, Inc. (Dekalb County)- Young people learning skills that are of value to others and that set them on a path to economic freedom.

J. Kruse Education Center, Inc. (Dekalb County, IN)- Young people receiving career coaching that supports their future economic freedom and financial stability.

Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana (Allen County, IN)- Students exploring career options, connecting with industry professionals, and making informed decisions about their future pathways.

Kosciusko Community YMCA, Inc. (Kosciusko County, IN)- An intentionally prepared playground area that better meets the needs of children.

Lakeland School Cooperation (LaGrange, IN)- Children engaging in movement and activities that contribute to their healthy development.

Lost Sparrows, Inc. (Kosciusko County, IN)- School administrators and adults understanding how to best support children and young people.

Metis Robotics, Inc. (Whitley County, IN)- Young people practicing valuable skills that are foundational to grow towards economic freedom.

Stroh Church of Christ (LaGrange, IN)- Educators providing well-prepared learning environments that foster the healthy growth and development of children.

The Center for Whitley County Youth, Inc. (Whitley County, IN)- Young people being supported, challenged, and encouraged to build confidence, skills, and healthy relationships.

Thinking about a proposal, but don’t know where to start? Give us a call – 260-347-1278 or send us an email at dekko@dekkofoundation.org 

In July, our board made the following investments, and together we’re tracking these results…

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Apple Tree Center(Noble County, IN)- Improving children’s ability to communicate with others and self-regulate using their five senses.

Camp Lutherhaven (Noble County, IN)- Increasing intentional outdoor experiential learning opportunities for children and young people to develop confidence, connection, and character.

Cardinal Services Inc. (Kosciusko County, IN)- Teachers growing in their understanding of child development in a way that supports student literacy.

Creston Community School District (Union County, IN)- Increasing opportunities for young people to develop healthy lifestyle practices, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Grace College & Seminary (Kosciusko County, IN)- Tutoring and educational services for children and young people to increase literacy skills.

Hamilton Community Schools (Steuben County, IN)- Supporting students to follow their interests in arts and music, build skills, and apply knowledge and talents.

Indiana Youth Institute, Inc.– Supporting youth-serving professionals so they are better equipped to lead and guide the young people they serve.

Kosciusko Literacy Services Inc. dba Operation Read (Kosciusko County, IN)- Helping children and young people improve reading engagement and skill development.

MSD of Steuben County (Steuben County, IN)- Young people gaining skills in leadership, organization, communication, and problem solving.

Pearl Arts, Inc. – Young people increasing performing arts skills, soft skills, and character in preparation for their next steps in education and career pursuits.

Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library (Kosciusko County, IN)- Providing a space for children and young people to grow, engage with peers, and improve their knowledge through self-directed learning.

Tippecanoe Valley School Cooperation (Kosciusko County, IN)- Children increasing musical skills and engagement while improving collaboration and teamwork .

Tippecanoe Valley School Cooperation (Kosciusko County, IN)- Preschool students engaging in cooperative play, problem solving, and language rich environments.

Tippecanoe Valley School Cooperation (Kosciusko County, IN)- Preschool children developing gross motor skills and cooperative play.

TROY Center (Whitley County, IN)- Students learning about their options after high school and demonstrating progress towards diploma completion.

The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center– Young people practicing entrepreneurial skills and learning business principles.

Wagon Wheel Center Theatre, Inc. (Kosciusko County, IN)- Young people growing in their performance and technical theater skills.

Wawasee Community Schools (Kosciusko County, IN)- Young people developing communication skills, using text-based evidence, organization, and writing.

World Baseball Academy, Inc. – Students gaining exposure to STEM concepts while also developing communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.

Grants support youth-focused projects

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The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded more than $980,000 in grants and pledges to 16 youth-serving organizations during its most recent round of grantmaking.

The foundation, started in 1981 by the late businessman and philanthropist Chester E. Dekko, invests in projects and programs that help build knowledge, skills, and character in children and young people from birth through age 18 so they can be self-sufficient and grow up to be economically free.

Its grantmaking is concentrated within 13 counties in four states — Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, and Minnesota — where Mr. Dekko had business or personal interests.

Organizations receiving grants and pledges were:

  • Lost Sparrows, Inc. (Winona Lake, IN): $20,000 to support the organization’s annual conference for youth workers and caregivers where they learn practices and strategies that contribute to their understanding of the healthy development of young people.
  • Murray Community School District (Murray, IA): $1,500 to support updating a high school classroom so it better meets the learning needs of students.
  • Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation (Syracuse, IN): $100,000 to support the extension of the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail so students can engage in outdoor recreation and have a safe route to Wawasee Middle School.
  • Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana, Inc. (Fort Wayne, IN): $75,000 to support caring adults building authentic relationships with middle and high school students that enrich their mental, spiritual, and social well-being.
  • Athens City Schools (Athens, AL): $30,000 to support science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) opportunities at Athens Renaissance School so that students build problem-solving, collaboration, leadership, teamwork, and other skills.
  • Grace College (Winona Lake): $40,000 to support educational programs for preschool through sixth-grade students that enhance their understanding of natural environments, aquatic life, and career opportunities.
  • Mount Ayr Community Schools (Mount Ayr, IA): $500,000 to support building and equipping a career technical education academy for high school students from Mount Ayr and surrounding communities so they gain workforce-ready skills and are better prepared for their next steps after graduation.
  • Norman County East Schools (Twin Valley, MN): $7,000 to support updating science equipment that adds to students’ learning and engagement in the classroom.
  • Shore Church, Inc./Rainbow Years Learning Center (Shipshewana, IN): $800 to support staff members’ professional development that contributes to their work with young people.
  • Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (Akron, IN): $10,000 to support high school students’ understanding of photography so they can express themselves creatively and build skills that can lead to a career or starting their own business.
  • Warsaw Community Schools (Warsaw, IN): $21,710 to support the leadership development of elementary students as well as equipping educators with principles and strategies that elevate their work.
  • Westview School Corporation (Topeka, IN): $13,000 to support more extracurricular opportunities for junior and senior high school students through esports.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County (Goshen, IN): $5,000 to support after-school programs in Angola, IN, and Ligonier, IN, so elementary students have a safe place to participate in activities, get homework help, and engage with caring adults.
  • East Noble Show Choir Boosters, Inc. (Kendallville, IN): $7,500 to support choir members’ growing confidence in their music and performance skills.
  • GO Foundation (LaGrange, IN): $150,000 to support the opening of a new childcare center for children ages 0-5 that contributes their healthy development and provides another option in the community for parents.
  • Greater Warsaw Cooperative Preschool, Inc. (Warsaw): $2,000 to support an additional classroom at the school that can help children develop foundational skills during their formative years.

If you’d like to learn more about how investments such as these support children and young people so they can achieve economic freedom later in life, contact a Dekko Foundation program officer at 260-347-1278. Or visit dekkofoundation.org to explore the foundation’s mission and funding priorities, review its grantmaking process, or send a grant proposal.

Schools, nonprofits receive grants for work with young people

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KENDALLVILLE, IN — The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded more than $770,000 in grants and pledges to 13 youth-serving organizations during its most recent round of grantmaking.

The foundation, started in 1981 by the late businessman and philanthropist Chester E. Dekko, invests in projects and programs that help build knowledge, skills, and character in children and young people from birth through age 18 so they can be self-sufficient and grow up to be economically free.

Its grantmaking is concentrated within 13 counties in four states — Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, and Minnesota — where Mr. Dekko had business or personal interests.

Organizations receiving grants and pledges were:

  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Roanoke, IN): $40,000 to support the organization’s financial sustainability so that staff and volunteers can provide mentoring to student-athletes in the Dekko Foundation’s Northeast Indiana grantmaking area.
  • Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center (Garrett, IN): $330,000 over three years to support the organization’s operations so that young people can develop skills and habits for lifelong learning through its early education and youth programs.
  • Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (Des Moines, IA): $37,500 to support in-school programs in Clarke and Union counties that help young people build career-ready skills and gain experience through work-based learning opportunities.
  • Ada-Borup-West School District (Ada, MN): $90,000 over three years to support the district’s summer school program so students in grades K-6 are engaged in reading, math, and science and can participate in community field trips.
  • Cardinal Services, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $30,000 to support science, technology, engineering, and math learning in Head Start classrooms that appeals to children’s natural curiosity and helps prepare them for elementary school.
  • Central Decatur Community School District (Leon, IA): $40,000 to support the renovation of the high school’s weight room so that it better meets the needs of students and supports their physical development.
  • Diagonal Community Schools (Diagonal, IA): $24,270 to support the district’s use of an early learning curriculum so educators have a stronger understanding of child development principles and children are better prepared to enter kindergarten.
  • Diagonal Community Schools: $16,237 over three years to support elementary teachers’ professional development so they can assist students with building foundational reading skills that lead to academic success.
  • Friendship Church (Athens, AL): $26,000 to support Friendship Learning Center’s financial sustainability so that it can retain staff at its three locations and meet the early learning needs of young people.
  • Funshine Learning Center (Lamoni, IA): $50,000 over two years to support the center’s ability to increase enrollment so that its financial sustainability is strengthened.
  • Limestone County Schools (Athens, AL): $20,000 to support the construction of greenhouses at two high schools so that students can build science, math, and literacy skills and gain hands-on experience and training in agriculture.
  • Smith-Green Community Schools (Churubusco, IN): $6,745 to support additional welding equipment for the high school agriculture program so that students can further develop their skills and earn industry-recognized certifications.
  • YMCA of Steuben County (Angola, IN): $56,000 over three years to support water safety classes for second-grade students so they can enjoy outdoor recreation and engage in physical activity.
  • American Legion Charities, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN): $4,500 to support the American Legion in Limestone County, AL, with sending young people to Boys State so they can better understand democracy and how they can be future community leaders.

If you’d like to learn more about how investments such as these support children and young people so they can achieve economic freedom later in life, contact a Dekko Foundation program officer at 260-347-1278. Or visit dekkofoundation.org to explore the foundation’s mission and funding priorities, review its grantmaking process, or send a grant proposal.

Grants advance youth-serving organizations’ work

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KENDALLVILLE, IN — The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded more than $590,000 in grants and pledges to 12 youth-serving organizations during its most recent round of grantmaking.

The foundation, started in 1981 by the late businessman and philanthropist Chester E. Dekko, invests in projects and programs that help build knowledge, skills, and character in children and young people from birth through age 18 so they can be self-sufficient and grow up to be economically free.

Its grantmaking is concentrated within 13 counties in four states — Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, and Minnesota — where Mr. Dekko had business or personal interests.

Organizations receiving grants and pledges were:

  • Limestone County Schools (Athens, AL): $5,000 to support civics education at the district’s elementary schools so that students build character, problem-solving skills, and their financial literacy that contribute to being a United States citizen.
  • Athens City Schools (Athens, AL): $9,000 to support civics education at the district’s elementary schools so that students build character, problem-solving skills, and their financial literacy that contribute to being a United States citizen.
  • Apple Tree Center (Kendallville, IN): $52,500 to support the center’s operations so its financial sustainability is strengthened and it can serve the needs of young people in preschool through sixth grade through its programs.
  • Freedom Academy, Inc. (Kendallville, IN): $80,000 to support the academy’s tutoring program for students in grades K-8 so they can reach their potential and build skills that contribute to lifelong learning.
  • Healthier Moms and Babies, Inc. (Fort Wayne, IN): $10,000 to support the organization’s prenatal education programs so that birth outcomes are improved and parents better understand their child’s developmental needs.
  • Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $25,515 to support the county’s early learning coalition so it can provide professional development for early learning educators and help improve learning environments.
  • Ada-Borup-West School District (Ada, MN): $5,700 to support technology needs for the high school’s student news class and e-sports team so students can develop and strengthen skills through engaging, hands-on learning.
  • Ada-Borup-West School District: $3,560 to support students’ ability to create glass art and build entrepreneurship skills by selling pieces to the public.
  • Impact 2818: Outdoor Ministries (Wolcottville, IN): $100,000 to support the construction of new cabins and other facilities at Camp Lakewood so the organization can better serve the needs of campers and contribute to their personal and spiritual growth.
  • Limestone County Schools: $25,000 to support updating athletic equipment at Clements High School so student-athletes can compete safely and build skills that can help them be successful on and off the field.
  • Sacred Heart Catholic School (Warsaw, IN): $250,000 to support the renovation and expansion of the school so it can increase the number of grades served and improve learning environments for students.
  • Southern Iowa STEAM Academy (Chariton, IA): $12,250 to support an educational experience for elementary and middle school students that increases their understanding of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) concepts and how those connect to local careers.
  • St. Joseph Catholic School (Garrett, IN): $7,000 to support the professional development of teachers so they can better meet the learning needs of students in their classrooms.
  • Westview School Corporation (Topeka, IN): $5,000 to support students’ hands-on learning in food production and entrepreneurship.

If you’d like to learn more about how investments such as these support children and young people so they can achieve economic freedom later in life, contact a Dekko Foundation program officer at 260-347-1278. Or visit dekkofoundation.org to explore the foundation’s mission and funding priorities, review its grantmaking process, or send a grant proposal.