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.

Organizations 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 $443,000 in grants and pledges to nine 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:

  • Believe in a Dream, Inc. (Fort Wayne, IN): $10,000 to support high school students in Kosciusko County in building problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills by creating their own product or service to sell.
  • Cole Center Family YMCA (Kendallville, IN): $175,000 over two years to support the organization’s sustainability and programs that encourage the healthy development of young people.
  • Elkmont High School Foundation (Elkmont, AL): $150,000 to support installing a playground at Elkmont Elementary School so young people can be physically active and build positive relationships with peers.
  • Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful, Inc. (Athens, AL): $11,323 to support the organization’s use of a mobile planetarium to help young people expand critical-thinking skills and their understanding of the natural world.
  • Kosciusko Community YMCA, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $2,225 to support preschool children as they build knowledge and skills in the outdoors through teamwork, creativity, and imaginative exploration.
  • Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $32,000 to support renovations and upgrades to the organization’s building so it can be used to host more meetings and events that contribute to a stronger community.
  • LaGrange Communities Youth Centers, Inc. (LaGrange, IN): $50,000 to support construction of recreational amenities so that young people have more opportunities to play, be physically active, and build relationships.
  • Limestone County Schools (Athens, AL): $8,423 to support opportunities for outdoor learning for students at Creekside Primary School that further their understanding of science.
  • RespectTeam (Huntertown, IN): $4,510 to support a pilot program for training youth workers and educators so they can better assist young people who are in emotional or mental distress.

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.

Eight grantees receive investments 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 $566,000 in grants and pledges to eight 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:

  • Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community School District (Garrett, IN): $56,120 to support professional development for elementary school educators so that the principles of child development are incorporated in their classrooms.
  • Indiana Alliance of YMCAs, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN): $40,000 to support the alliance’s Youth and Government program so that young people have a better understanding of democracy, government, and their civic responsibilities.
  • Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana (Fort Wayne, IN): $25,000 to support the organization’s JA JobSpark and JobSpark Virtual programs in which middle and high school students learn about careers and the skills required to be successful in them.
  • Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana: $15,000 to support the organization’s in-school programs for students in Noble County.
  • Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana: $45,000 over three years to support the organization’s in-school programs for students in Kosciusko County.
  • Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana: $10,000 to support the organization’s in-school programs for students in Whitley County.
  • Ringgold County Child Care Center (Mount Ayr, IA): $50,000 to support upgrades for an outdoor playground so that preschoolers can engage in healthy play and build gross motor skills.
  • Butler Youth Evangelistic Association (Butler, IN): $32,000 to support facility improvements so that young people can engage in recreational activities and build relationships with peers and caring adults.
  • Lakeland Christian Academy (Winona Lake, IN): $250,000 to support construction of a new facility for early learning and elementary school students that will also help the organization build its capacity.
  • Kosciusko County Teen Court, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $10,000 to support the organization’s Teen Court program in which young people learn about the judicial process and community resources.
  • East Noble School Corporation (Kendallville, IN): $33,000 to support the high school’s ability to provide instruments for students in its jazz bands so that they can build music and performance skills.

Investments support grantees’ projects

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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 $350,000 in grants and pledges to 10 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:

  • City of Kendallville (Kendallville, IN): $15,000 over three years to support the annual KidCity event where families can learn about local organizations, nonprofits, and businesses so they feel more connected to the community.
  • Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc. (Fort Wayne, IN): $65,000 to support the organization’s programs in the Dekko Foundation’s Northeast Indiana grantmaking area so that elementary students have a greater appreciation for music and music-related careers.
  • Indiana Youth Institute, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN): $60,000 to support the organization’s professional-development and educational offerings for youth-serving workers in the foundation’s Northeast Indiana grantmaking area.
  • Operation Read (Warsaw, IN): $15,000 to support the organization’s literacy programs for young people and families in Kosciusko County and its financial sustainability.
  • Athens City Schools (Athens, AL): $10,000 to support creating a piano lab so middle and high school students can develop and build music skills.
  • Clarke Community Schools (Osceola, IA): $120,000 to support extending preschool from half day to full day and offering a dual-language program for kindergarten and first-grade students so they’re supported in their learning.
  • Freedom Academy, Inc. (Kendallville, IN): $30,000 to support the academy’s ability to serve homeschooled students, private and parochial school students, and alternative school students through its workforce skills training classes.
  • Funshine Learning Center (Lamoni, IA): $6,321 to support improvements at the center so staff have more time to meet the needs of young people.
  • Whitko Community School Corporation (South Whitley, IN): $7,450 to support middle school students using ukuleles to build skills and grow their appreciation and knowledge of music.
  • Bill of Rights Institute (Arlington, VA): $25,000 to support the institute’s development of civics curriculum and programs for students in Indiana.

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.

Foundation invests in organizations’ 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 $1.7 million in grants and pledges to 21 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:

  • City of Ada (Ada, MN): $200,000 to support improvements at the Dekko Community Center that enhance the programs and services it offers to Norman County residents.
  • Cole Center Family YMCA (Kendallville, IN): $90,000 over three years to support Camp Wethonkitha, a summer day camp for preschool through middle school students offered in collaboration with the City of Kendallville.
  • Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, Inc. (Fort Wayne, IN): $1,000 to support members of the Whitley County Children’s Choir participating in a camp in Fort Wayne.
  • Fort Wayne Zoological Society (Fort Wayne, IN): $279,882 over three years to support the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo’s Zoo Scientific Inquiry (ZSI) program that travels to elementary schools in the Dekko Foundation’s grantmaking priority area in Northeast Indiana.
  • Graceland University (Lamoni, IA): $624,330 over three years to support the AmeriCorps Youth Launch program that serves communities in the foundation’s grantmaking priority area in South-Central Iowa.
  • Harold W. McMillen Center for Health Education (Fort Wayne, IN): $30,000 to support the center’s preventative education programs provided to students in the foundation’s grantmaking priority area in Northeast Indiana.
  • RespectTeam (Huntertown, IN): $10,000 to support the organization’s programs for middle and high school students in the foundation’s grantmaking priority area in Northeast Indiana.
  • Steuben County Community Foundation (Angola, IN): $3,500 to support young people helping plan and operate the annual Angola Balloons Aloft family festival.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tennessee Valley (Huntsville, AL): $17,000 to support the organization’s launch of a youth mentoring program in Limestone County.
  • Central Noble Community School Corp. (Albion, IN): $15,000 to support teacher professional development and resources so high school students can build career-ready skills through new courses.
  • Chariton Community School District (Chariton, IA): $2,500 to support opportunities for special education students to build vocational and life skills so they can engage in meaningful work in their community.
  • Community Foundation of Whitley County (Columbia City, IN): $100,000 to support the foundation’s efforts to increase its endowment funds so it can address community issues including early learning, workforce development, social services, and mental health.
  • East Union Community Schools (Afton, IA): $300,000 to support renovating an existing building so it can house a new early learning center for infants and toddlers.
  • Limestone County Schools (Athens, AL): $5,000 to support improvements to the Elkmont High School library so it better meets students’ learning needs.
  • Little Lambs Preschool Daycare Ministry (Syracuse, IN): $6,000 to support curriculum training and resources for staff so they can better meet the developmental needs of young people.
  • Auburn Main Street (Auburn, IN): $10,000 to support a project led by its Junior Auburn Main Street program to develop and build a memorial honoring DeKalb County veterans.
  • Angola Performing Arts Academy, Inc. (Angola, IN): $2,500 to support a theater camp for young people where they can engage with the arts, follow their interests, and build skills.
  • Clarke County Public Health (Osceola, IA): $1,000 to support a bike share program that encourages family members to ride together and be physically active.
  • 2nd Floor Gallery, Ltd. (Churubusco, IN): $5,000 to support the organization’s after-school and summer arts programs for young people so they can build skills and express themselves creatively.
  • Steuben Arts Scene Corp. (Angola, IN): $15,000 to support the organization’s arts programs for young people so they can follow their interests, develop their talents, and express themselves creatively.
  • World Baseball Academy (Fort Wayne, IN): $5,000 to support the organization’s program that uses aspects of baseball to teach STEM concepts to DeKalb County Central United School District fourth-grade students.

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.