Mission: The Kids In Need Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1995. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. The Kids in Need National Network of Resource Centers includes 34 facilities that allow teachers from low-income schools to obtain free school supplies for their students. The national sponsor of the Kids In Need Network is Target, a long time supporter of the Kids In Need Foundation. In addition, Kids In Need Teacher Grants provide preK-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning opportunities for students. Our School Ready Supplies program distributes backpacks filled with supplies in communities not served by Resource Centers. The Second Responder® program provides free backpacks filled with school supplies to students affected by natural disasters. The Kids In Need Foundation has distributed more than $650 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 4.2 million students and 120,000 teachers annually, and has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to teachers. The Kids In Need Foundation has received Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating for three consecutive years, indicating that it executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America. For more information, visit www.kinf.org. Follow Kids In Need on Twitter, http://twitter.com/kidsinneed
Results: The Kids In Need Foundation has distributed more than $800 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 4.8 million students and 120,000 teachers annually, and has awarded more than $1.7 million in grants to teachers.
Target demographics: students and teachers
Direct beneficiaries per year: 4.8 million students and 150,000 teachers
Geographic areas served: USA
Programs: The mechanism for the distribution of school supplies is our growing network of Resource Centers. Each Center has the look and feel of a small store and teachers are allowed to 'shop' without spending a dime of their own money. There are 38 Resource Centers throughout the country that make up the National Network. The Teacher Grants program provides funds to teachers to conduct innovative classroom projects. School Ready Supplies provides backpacks filled with supplies to students who are not served by Resource Centers. Second Responder® provides free school supplies to students who have lost their possessions because of natural disasters.
Over a ten + year period I have written several grants. These grants have funded projects that I would not have been able to do in my classroom with this money. From science students comparing building materials for a bridge design, to comparing DNA of different plants and even starting a free preschool program for at-risk kids using high schoolers as tutors. All of these projects were created with the help of Kids in Need Foundation!
The Elmer's Teacher Tool Kit grant program enabled my students in many ways. They became stronger, more confident readers. The project gave them a better understanding for the need to be good oral readers. Students of all reading levels were able to contribute, and I believe that met a desired goal of making sure all students feel important.
The kids in need program is great for both sides: those that need help and those groups looking for a way to help worthy causes either locally or nationally. I can not thing of a better way to match the two up.
Moving forward, I will continue to use the service and highly recommend both perspective programs and donating foundations to investigate for themselves how well the program works
The Kids in Need Grant that my students received allowed them to create their own business! By receiving the $500.00 grant monies, Transition Students in the T.R.A.C.T. Program bought 3 new shredders. They now receive all the school's important shredding boxes in our district, and do all the shredding themselves. They then take the shredding bags to the recycling center for processing, with TRACT provided transportation.
Combined with their shredding project, they also collect all schools cafeteria cans, bottles, etc. to be recycled.
Students then bill each school for shredding/recycling services completed. Money returned to the TRACT Program by schools is deposited directly into the student TRACT fund, and students then decide how and where the money is spent with teacher support. This great project gives students an opportunity to learn responsibility for their job, follow through with their commitment, and budgeting/banking skills with their money. The kids love it!
Kids in Need is the perfect name for this program because it truly helps Kids in Need. With more and more cuts to education, it is difficult to get the needed resources to make learning a great experience for our youth. Students that are actively engaged retain the learning better and the money from these grants helps students apply their learning in a meaningful way. One that is better for all students and schools. Thanks for helping our Kids in Need!
