Many hold the opinion that fall offers the most dramatic changes in nature; so far, that seems to be true for the nonprofit community as well. The past few months have served up a rollercoaster ride for most nonprofits, delivering consequences that will require considerable creativity and perseverance. As a time-limited foundation, we are acutely aware of the necessity for sound planning; these times require discipline and focus to address greater needs with fewer resources.

In September we convened the grantees participating in the EFF Scholarship Program. The Roundtable discussion was attended by grantees from Florida, North Carolina and Delaware. We asked them to share with us their experiences in awarding scholarships over the past six years, and their thoughts about how this program could be extended beyond the life of the Eckerd Family Foundation.

The Roundtable participants presented impressive data and powerful testimony that these awards could be transformative in the lives of young people. And, the primary reason for their success was that the scholarships were flexible and could be used to meet needs that were very individual and practical. A surprising side benefit was that the program boosted the morale and increased the expertise of the grantee organization's staff. Now we have some work ahead of us.

In this newsletter issue, we also highlight the leadership and activities of the Junior League chapters who have united to take on the challenges of helping foster care children and youth who are aging out of foster care. Starting in our home county, Hillsborough County, the Junior League rightfully shares in the success of Connected by 25; and in other communities the League embodies the spirit of community action and unity that are necessary ingredients for progress in these efforts. We owe them much and value them as partners. And finally, in our last article, two Hillsborough County community leaders talk about aging out and the needs that are being addressed by Connected by 25.

As always, we welcome your feedback and comments, and are always happy to hear from you.

Joe Clark

Junior League Focuses Volunteer Efforts on Foster Care

Florida's children in foster care and youth aging out of foster care have found a formidable friend in the Junior League. From Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Dunedin on the Gulf Coast, to South Brevard County on Florida’s east coast, Junior Leaguers have taken up the challenge to help foster care youth build lives that are productive and fulfilling.

The Junior League is an international organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism. With more than 292 local chapters throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, and more than 160,000 members throughout the country, the Junior League can harness tremendous amounts of energy, creativity and commitment. Junior Leaguers work together to identify unmet needs, forge effective coalitions and work to solve problems and challenges in their local community. Most chapters focus on one "signature project" for a period of several years, along with supporting other important work underway in their local area.

[read the rest of the spotlight story]

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Scholarship Grantees Say Flexibility and Trust Are Key Ingredients for Success

Sixteen of EFF's scholarship grantees participated in a Roundtable meeting at the Stetson Law Center on September 5, 2008. The grantees were invited to discuss their experiences and observations about the six-year-old program, and to explore options for the future.

The EFF scholarship program began with a $224,250 allocation from the foundation in 2002. It was created to provide an unusual level of flexibility, and was intended to meet the needs of youth that cannot be met through traditional means. Participating organizations were asked to develop a plan that would include youth in the design and decision-making process and to ensure that the scholarships would be flexible.

Since its beginning, the scholarship program has served more than 2,000 young people. Most of the recipients have been female, ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old. Most requests were for support of the youth's education, including books, fees and computers. Other scholarships were extended to help pay for clothing, car insurance, housing assistance and technical training. Several were for more unusual needs, such as dental work and attending a science fair.

The grantees at the Roundtable gathering agreed that the awards had often effected changes beyond meeting the recipient's immediate need. For example, an award used to buy a computer led to the recipient qualifying for a $15-per-hour job; but it also inspired the recipient's mother – who had been in a low-income position – to acquire additional computer training and increase her own earnings substantially. And, the grantee organizations often found that the scholarship process encouraged them to learn more about their own local resources and to create new partnerships.

The feedback from the Roundtable participants will be shared with the EFF Board, the scholarship committee and staff, and will provide valuable guidance to the foundation as it considers future plans.

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Eckerd Family Foundation Receives Award from Hillsborough Education Foundation

Joe Clark, EFF president, accepted the Hillsborough Education Foundation's New Business Partner of the Year Award on behalf of the Eckerd Family Foundation at an awards ceremony on October 14. The award recognized EFF for its work with at-risk youth and for funding innovative programs to help at-risk students be successful. Specifically cited was Project SUCCESS, which helps students at the Hillsborough School District's Career Centers—a pilot program at Bowers/Whitley Career Center led to substantial increases in attendance, graduation, and the pursuit of postsecondary education and employment. EFF has ensured that this program will continue, due to a multi-year grant.

The annual Business Partnership Awards recognize and honor businesses, organizations and individuals who "so generously go above and beyond to ensure the success of our students, teachers and schools," who understand the importance of supporting education, and who are relied upon to be long-term partners for the Hillsborough School District.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The foundation works to foster partnerships between schools, businesses and community groups in order to increase and expand education through classroom and school grants, mentoring and scholarship programs, programs for at-risk students, and more.

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Building A Brighter Future for Kids and Our Community
From The Community Perspective

MaryEllen Elia, superintendent of the Hillsborough County Public School System, and Luanne Panacek, CEO and executive director of the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, have been exposed to more than their fair share of sad stories about foster care children and the uphill battles that stalk their lives. Often the trauma or tragedy that causes a child to become a ward of the state is just the beginning – the insecurity and instability go on, year after year.

That may be beginning to change. Community partnerships among organizations such as Connected by 25, the Hillsborough County Homeless Coalition, the Hillsborough County School System, The Department of Juvenile Justice, the Children's Board of Hillsborough County and others, are raising awareness of the challenges facing kids in the foster care system and those who are aging out. They are trying to make sure that these young people—who have already been through so much—are not left alone to flounder.

[read the rest of the story]

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National Teleconference Highlights Ways to Help Youth Aging Out

More than 50 leaders of family foundations across the country participated in a September teleconference that featured the Eckerd Family Foundation and its work on behalf of foster care youth. "Helping Foster Care Youth to Succeed in School, Work and Life," sponsored by the Family Funders Network, was intended to increase awareness about the challenges facing youth aging out of foster care, describe the scope of the problem, and provide examples of programs and approaches that are working in Florida and other locations.

Joe Clark, EFF president, and Jane Soltis, vice president programs, delivered brief presentations and then answered questions from teleconference participants. The event provided an opportunity to share compelling factual information and also to build a picture of effective ways that EFF and other philanthropic organizations are helping foster youth or supporting those who are working in this arena.

Several key points from their presentations:

  • 500,000 kids are placed in foster care in the United States each year, due to parental abuse and neglect. More than 100,000 of those kids are over 16 years old.
  • In nearly all the states, kids in foster care are discharged from the system the day they turn 18 years old. Many of these youth are still in high school and are unprepared to live alone and be self sufficient.
  • Research shows that former foster youth face bleak futures. They are:
    • Three times more likely than their peers to be out of school and work.
    • Twice as likely to be unable to pay rent, four times more likely to be evicted.
    • Only ½ of those discharged from foster care finish high school.
    • A significant number end up incarcerated or homeless.

Still, the numbers are manageable, and a concerted effort to help them can pay off quickly, with dramatic results. When Connected by 25 began in 2004 in Hillsborough County, FL, the situation was dire. The high school graduation rate for the aging-out population was 10 times worse than the county average. After Connected by 25 began, the graduation rate increased by 250 percent each year. In 2004, in the group of former foster care youth who were 19 to 23 years old, fewer than 8 percent were working or going to school. Now, 3½ years later, close to 80 percent are employed, going to school, or training for employment.

It is hoped that the teleconference—and the discussions that resulted from that event—will encourage other family foundations to recognize the needs of youth aging out of foster care in their own community or region, and to consider ways they might support this important work.

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The Eckerd Family Foundation is committed to promoting meaningful and lasting change to transform the lives of vulnerable youth and their families. The foundation's mission provides leadership and support for innovative educational, preventative, therapeutic and rehabilitative programs for children, youth and their families. The foundation awarded these new grants in August:

 

EDUCATION:

Educational Coalition for Monroe County
$40,000
Marathon Shores, FL
Supporting CAMP (Cultural American Music Program) for summer 2009. This five-week enrichment program provides career exploration, creative arts, culinary, music, environmental and recreational experiences to the underserved youth in Monroe County. All programs are designed to develop social, emotional, cognitive and life skills.

KLD Youth Foundation
$20,000
Merritt Island, FL
Providing tuition support for youth who cannot succeed in public schools. The Pillar Institute is an alternative school serving children who may have learning disabilities, diagnoses or challenges which are not satisfactorily addressed in public schools. The school offers small, specialized teaching environments, after-school programs and intensive family support and involvement.

OASIS Network of New Tampa
$12,000
Tampa, FL
Providing matching grant funds for uniform clothing for 4,000 low-income students attending mandatory uniform schools in Hillsborough County. Personal hygiene items and school supplies are also available. Almost one-half of the youth in Hillsborough County, the 9th largest school system in the country, qualify for this kind of assistance. Facility access is available to social workers and guidance counselors so that needed supplies can go directly to students.

 

FOSTER CARE:

Cby25 Initiative/Connected by 25 Brevard
$210,816
Melbourne, FL
Providing second year support for implementation of Connected by 25 in Brevard County. Cby25 develops partnerships, projects and programs that enhance and increase the support and services available to youth aging out of foster care. Target areas and activities include administering and managing the program site, youth engagement, financial literacy training, education, employment and transportation.

 

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT :

YWCA Delaware
$150,000
Wilmington, DE
Supporting a two-year seed grant for implementation of YWCA Girls, a leadership program providing disadvantaged girls with necessary tools to help them set and achieve educational and career goals. This investment builds on a successful pilot that targets girls in 9th through 12th grades. It will enable them to successfully transition through adolescence to young adulthood using evidence-based strategies and interventions.

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  Editors    
  Ed Hatcher ed@thehatchergroup.com  
  Susan Loyd skloyd@thehatchergroup.com  
  The Hatcher Group http://www.thehatchergroup.com  
    301-656-0348