 Welcome
to summer. This season marks the close of our foundation’s
year—a time to look back and take stock of our grant making.
In our review, we construct a scorecard, using a three-pronged
inquiry: first, the lens of "impact" – what is
different; next, "influence" – how has policy
or behavior changed; and lastly, "leverage" - have we
attracted other resources to support our work and our grantees?
I hope these attributes will be reflected in our most recent grants
and those of the past year, and in the work featured in this newsletter.
One
of the goals of our work is to redefine success for youth in the
juvenile justice system. We want to move beyond mere recidivism—staying
out of trouble or at least not getting caught. Success should
mirror what we expect—and indeed aspire to—for our
loved ones. For those kids who have earned a second chance, that
means not only being good citizens but also continuing with their
education, or an employment opportunity or another compelling
opportunity.
That
is why we have recently awarded a grant to the Florida Juvenile
Justice Foundation (FJJF) to launch a new statewide Eckerd Scholarship
Program. Through a partnership of the Florida Department of Juvenile
Justice, the Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation and Eckerd Family
Foundation, this program will provide funds for specific needs
and services to help youth who are trying to pursue academic or
vocational plans. The money will be targeted to those who have
successfully completed juvenile justice requirements and earned
the eligibility to apply for financial help. It is money that
is not typically available for these uses. We see this innovative
program as an opportunity to support kids who have made a mistake
but earned a second chance to get on track and move forward.
Our
support for this program is built in large part on our experience
with the general Eckerd Family Foundation Scholarship Initiative,
which has been in existence since 2002; our experience with vocational
education at the Bowers-Whitley Career Center, and with the Connected
by 25 foster care youth program.
The
FJJF grant is a risk. If the recommendations of the Blueprint
Commission end up sitting on a shelf, this program will fizzle.
But with folks like Terri Eggers, the director of education for
the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and those who work
with her; and Lytha Page Belrose, the executive director for the
Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation and its committed board; we
think it is a risk worth taking. You will read more about the
Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation program in this newsletter.
As
we enjoy the more leisurely pace of summer, we remain mindful
of the many challenges we face and also the many opportunities
we have to help children and youth in need. We are excited by
the progress that is underway, and are grateful to the many dedicated
individuals and organizations who are working with us to make
that happen.
Joe
Clark
Grant Program Will Help Kids Seeking
a New Beginning
 Looking
back at our lives, most of us can spot an instance or two where
a small amount of help made a huge difference. It may have steered
us away from taking the wrong path, or enabled us to move in a
direction that made our life better. This help probably would
not have appeared momentous to a casual observer. But it set something
in motion that was larger than the sum of its parts. Perhaps it
removed a barrier that otherwise would have prevented a fresh
start. We all have these points of reference—and can think
of individuals, organizations or experiences that provided help
at a crucial time.
A
new project of the Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation (FJJF)
intends to lend a helping hand to young people who are transitioning
from the juvenile justice system. Backed by funding from the Eckerd
Family Foundation, the program will provide small grants—called
Youth Investment Awards—to young people who have met the
requirements of the juvenile justice system and are trying to
pursue education, employment or personal goals. Working closely
with Terri Eggers, the education director of the Florida Department
of Juvenile Justice, FJJF will provide grants to those who have
earned an opportunity for a second chance.
[read
the rest of the spotlight story]
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Family Funders Network Features EFF's
Work
 The
Eckerd Family Foundation was featured in the May issue of the
Family Funders Connection, a monthly newsletter produced
by the Family Funders Network. "The Eckerd Family Foundation:
Helping Foster Care Youth Succeed in School, Work, and Life,"
provides an overview of our current work and philosophy. To read
the article, click here.
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National Publication Highlights an Increasing Focus on Juvenile
Justice
 Across
the country, grant makers of all sizes are turning more attention
and resources toward juvenile justice. A May 15th article in the
Chronicle of Philanthropy, "Leaving Hard Times
Behind
– Foundations Lead Effort to Change Juvenile Justice System,"
highlights a number of philanthropic organizations—including
EFF—that are concerned about the high number of young people
held in detention and what it means for their futures and for
our society. Reducing the number of incarcerated young people,
ensuring mental health treatment for those who need it, reducing
racial inequality, improving legal representation for poor youth,
improving the conditions of juvenile justice facilities, encouraging
the use of alternatives to prison for youth who commit non-violent
crimes – these are among the many issues currently being
addressed by funders. To read the article, click here
(pdf).
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Eckerd Fellow Completes Master's Degree,
Looks to New Challenges
 |
Matthew
Morton in Oxford, UK |
Matthew
Morton, Eckerd's first Fellow, has recently completed a year of
graduate study at Oxford University in England. He has earned
a master's degree in evidence-based social interventions, a combination
of public policy, community development, nonprofit studies and
statistics. The program looks at social problems with an emphasis
on measuring and evaluating policies and interventions, and integrating
approaches for maximum effectiveness and results.
Matt's
academic studies during the year were rounded out by cross-country
running, debate training, and weekly discussion groups on human
welfare issues. He also participated in a committee working to
develop better strategies for reducing poverty in the European
Union. During school breaks, he continued his work in support
of international programs for youth empowerment, leadership and
education in East Africa, Guatemala, and Florida.
The
next step for this multi-faceted scholar is pursuing a Doctor
of Philosophy degree, under a scholarship recently awarded to
him by Oxford. Earning the degree will require three more years
of study.
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Eckerd Receives Child Advocate
Award for Foster Care Efforts
 |
Judge
Herbert Baumann, Jr., 13th Circuit Court;
EFF President Joe Clark;
and EFF Board Member Terrell Swann Clark |
The
Eckerd Family Foundation received the Child Advocate Award from
Florida's Children First on May 15. The foundation was one of
three recipients honored for their work in making a difference
in the lives of foster care children in the community. Joe Clark,
Jane Soltis and Terrell Clark accepted the award for Eckerd's
efforts to help reform the foster care system and help youth aging
out. Florida's Children First praised the foundation's leadership
role in researching and funding initiatives for older foster youth
on a state and national basis.
More than 120 child and public advocates from across the state
attended the event in Tampa, which raised more than $20,000 for
Florida's Children First, a statewide advocacy group whose mission
is to advance children's rights. Each year, the organization presents
the Child Advocate Award to individuals or organizations that
positively impact children in communities throughout Florida.
Other award recipients included Bob Dillinger and his team of
lawyers from the Public Defender's Office of Pinellas and Pasco
Counties, and successful foster care alum, Ashley Kyle. Since
earning an AA degree, Ashley has worked with Connected by 25 to
help other foster youth and plans to attend a four-year college.
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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 May:
CHILD
PROTECTION & PREVENTION:
 Pisgah
Legal Services
$200,000
Asheville, NC
Providing a capital challenge grant for the purchase of a new
office facility. PLS provides free civil legal assistance and
education to vulnerable children, youth and low-income families
in Western North Carolina to help them meet basic needs in housing;
domestic violence and child abuse prevention; education and health
care. PLS partners with educators, child welfare workers, physicians,
Guardians ad Litem and others. The relocation will allow PLS to
double the number of clients served.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT:
 Wheels
of Success
$125,000
Tampa, FL
Awarding a two-year grant with a second-year challenge to an organization
providing low-income clients with transportation solutions in
the form of a car, truck or van that has been donated or purchased
and restored to good working condition. Families with children
receive 80% of the vehicles. An assessment is made to ensure the
vehicle will add value to the family or individual and is affordable
on a long-term basis. All recipients pay a portion of restoration
costs on a flexible schedule.
EDUCATION:
 Key
West Botanical Garden Society
$202,350
Key West, FL
A third and final year award supporting the Environmental Educational
Program to enhance science education for at-risk students in the
Monroe County School System. The elements include in-class mentoring
as well as peer-to-peer learning and technical assistance for
science teachers. The organization has developed a partnership
with Duke University that involves local high school students
in the research efforts of Duke's master's program. The program
goal is to improve graduation rates for youth and involve them
in planning for success.
 Serviam
Girls Academy
$300,000
Wilmington, DE
Providing start-up funds over three years for a girls school that
is part of the NativityMiguel Network of Schools, a nationwide
network of faith-based middle schools offering education to students
from low-income families in impoverished communities. The program
expects to initially enroll 60-80 girls and will provide educational,
emotional and social skills needed to succeed in high school and
beyond. This grant complements the foundation support of the Nativity
network including Nativity Prep in Wilmington and Academy Prep
in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida.
JUVENILE JUSTICE:
 Campaign
for Youth Justice
$100,000
Washington, DC
Supporting ongoing work in North Carolina to implement effective
alternatives to the practice of automatically trying 16 and 17
year olds as adults, no matter how minor the offense. North Carolina
is one of three remaining states in the nation to follow this
practice relating to youth under 18 years of age. CYJ will work
with organizations in North Carolina to define needed reform,
advocate for support and work with policymakers to identify and
implement more effective and appropriate services for this group.
Florida
Juvenile Justice Foundation
$100,000
Tallahassee, FL
Funding a pilot program in collaboration with the Department of
Education within the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to
start a flexible scholarship program for youth transitioning out
of the juvenile justice system. Youth who successfully complete
their involvement with the juvenile justice system earn eligibility
for support to pursue academic, vocational or personal goals that
cannot be met through other resources. The intent is to reinforce
the definition of success beyond recidivism by supporting efforts
to become productive, responsible citizens.
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