Posts

Investments support grantees’ work

/0 Comments/in /by

The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded more than $685,000 in grants and pledges to 15 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:

  • Baker Youth Club (Warsaw, IN): $90,000 over three years to support administrative staffing needs so the organization can be more intentional in advancing its programs and financial sustainability.
  • City of Kendallville (Kendallville, IN): $75,000 to support construction of a skate park at the Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex so children and young people have a safe place to play and build skills.
  • Foundation for Art and Music in Education (Fort Wayne, IN): $5,000 to support students in the foundation’s Northeast Indiana grantmaking area in participating in fine arts programs in which they can explore their creativity and express themselves.
  • Indiana Troopers Youth Services (Indianapolis, IN): $3,000 to support the Indiana State Police Youth Career Camp where campers can have positive interactions with members of law enforcement and learn about potential careers.
  • Stone’s Trace Historical Society (Ligonier, IN): $12,000 over three years to support students’ learning and gaining a sense of community by taking part in the organization’s Living History Days and Pioneer Festival.
  • Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Warsaw, IN): $7,500 to support the church’s summer nature preschool program in which children connect with the natural world, explore and take healthy risks, and build self-confidence.
  • Athens-Limestone Public Library Foundation (Athens, AL): $15,500 to support the purchase of a community outreach van that will bring youth services and programs to children and young people throughout Limestone County.
  • Central Noble Community School Corporation (Albion, IN): $137,360 over three years to support efforts at Central Noble Primary School to help students build foundational skills that support their reading and language proficiency.
  • Clarke County Conservation Board (Osceola, IA): $100,000 to support the construction of an education center at East Lake Park that will help young people have a greater appreciation for nature as well as provide space for community members to come together.
  • Kosciusko Community YMCA, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): $50,000 to support the installation of artificial turf fields that will increase the number of young people learning teamwork, developing character, and connecting with adult mentors through soccer.
  • Limestone County Schools (Athens, AL): $10,000 to support a program at Tanner Elementary in which students practice problem solving and build skills through completing basic woodworking and soldering projects.
  • Prairie Heights Community School Corporation (LaGrange, IN): $30,000 to support high school students building skills in graphic arts and website design that can help them be successful after graduation.
  • St. Mary of the Assumption School (Avilla, IN): $50,000 to support improvements to the school that will reduce maintenance costs and help ensure a safe environment for students.
  • The Village Early Childhood Center (Osceola, IA): $25,000 to support upgrades within the center so that the learning environment aligns with children’s needs.
  • Leon Chamber of Commerce (Leon, IA): $75,000 to support the installation of new playground equipment at the Little River Recreation Area so that children can safely play together.

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.

Grantees’ projects support youth development

/0 Comments/in /by

The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded more than $339,000 in grants and pledges to seven 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:

  • Children First Center (Auburn, IN): $40,000 to support the organization’s growing capacity to serve families in northeast Indiana and promote the healthy development of children and young people.
  • LaGrange First Church of God (LaGrange, IN): $42,000 to support operations at the Lighthouse Montessori Education Center in Ashley, IN, so that young people can learn in an intentionally prepared environment in which they build knowledge, skills, and character.
  • Wawasee Community Schools (Syracuse, IN): $35,000 to support the Lead Learners coalition so that educators are empowered to spark transformational change in schools and provide individualized learning opportunities for students.
  • DeKalb County Central United School District (Waterloo, IN): $50,000 to support the purchase of new playground equipment so that students and community members have more recreational options and opportunities to socialize with one another.
  • McMillen Center for Health Education (Fort Wayne, IN): $20,000 to support campus upgrades so that northeast Indiana students have a positive and safe experience as they participate in the center’s health education programs.
  • Lucas County Health Center (Chariton, IA): $2,831 to support the center’s purchase of CPR manikins so that high school students in the community can learn and practice life-saving skills.
  • Town of North Webster (North Webster, IN): $150,000 to support the construction of a 4.5-mile connector trail to the town’s middle school so that students and community members can walk and bicycle safely and have increased recreational opportunities.

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

/0 Comments/in /by

The Dekko Foundation, a private family foundation located in Kendallville, IN, with a mission of fostering economic freedom through education, awarded $541,000 in grants to six 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 were:

  • The Apple Tree Center (Kendallville, IN): $50,000 to support the organization’s early learning programs for children.
  • BABE of Whitley County, Inc. (Columbia City, IN): $5,000 to support the organization’s educational programs for parents of young children.
  • City of Murray (Murray, IA): $75,000 over two years to support an improved experience for families at the city’s recreation complex.
  • City of Athens (Athens, AL): $250,000 to support a park and splash pad that are part of a nearly $14 million project to redevelop a former industrial site in the city.
  • City of Kendallville (Kendallville, IN): $11,000 to support improvements to the disc golf course at the Kendallville Outdoor Recreation Complex.
  • Noble Trails, Inc. (Rome City, IN): $150,000 over three years to support an endowment fund that will be used to help offset the cost of trail network maintenance.

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.

Meet our team: Payton Hunley

/0 Comments/in /by

Payton Hunley, grants and program associate

Payton Hunley is the grants and program associate at the Dekko Foundation. She joined the staff in June of 2022 after serving as a graduate assistant volleyball coach at her alma mater, Bethel University.

Question: In your role as grants and program associate, what are some of the primary responsibilities you handle from day to day?

Answer: My primary responsibilities are running weekly reports, processing payments, producing grant paperwork, and maintaining the daily functions of the grants management system. I also review, draft, and edit grant proposals for the staff, Grant Review Committee, and board meetings.

Q: What are some of the things you’ve learned about philanthropy since joining the team?

A: I have learned so much about philanthropy since joining the team. First and foremost, I learned how to pronounce it! (After a lot of practice. 😊) Philanthropy is so much more than just donating money. At the Dekko Foundation, philanthropy is finding ways to invest in positive change in children and young people so they can grow up to be economically free. In my eyes, I think of philanthropy as giving time, money, or resources to help make the world a better place.

Q: What would you want a potential grantseeker to know about our work here at the foundation?

A: I would want potential grant seekers to know that the staff at the Dekko Foundation are approachable and helpful. The Dekko Foundation team is always looking for ways to connect people with resources and potential networking opportunities, so one should never hesitate to email or call us with questions.

If you’d like to learn more about our mission of fostering economic freedom through education, contact Payton or a program officer at 260-347-1278, or email dekko@dekkofoundation.org.

iSMART Lab prepares students for success

/0 Comments/in /by

A new high-tech lab is helping the students of today build highly valued skills for the future.

The iSMART Lab opened this school year in the Community Learning Center in Kendallville, IN. The lab features an array of state-of-the-art equipment that allows adolescents to get hands-on training so they can be successful in advanced manufacturing and logistics careers.

Inside the iSMART Lab — the name stands for information systems, manufacturing, automation, robotics, and technology — students are grounded in the basic concepts of Industry 4.0. Also called the “fourth industrial revolution,” Industry 4.0 represents the growing number of “smart” manufacturing facilities that use cloud-based processes to make their workflow more efficient.

That’s particularly relevant in Noble County, IN, where the iSMART Lab is located. Noble County has one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing businesses of anywhere in the country. That’s why a group of local partners representing education, workforce development, and philanthropy came together to make the iSMART Lab possible.

The Noble County Economic Development Corporation began spearheading the effort in 2020. The collaboration includes Impact Institute, which provides career technical education for high school students in northeast Indiana; Freedom Academy, which offers workforce training for employers; the Community Learning Center; and the Dekko Foundation.

The iSMART Lab has been awarded more than $820,000 in grants that have been used to outfit it with the same type of cutting-edge equipment, robots, and software found in manufacturing facilities. This fall, Impact Institute began offering its two-year Smart Technologies & Automation program to high school juniors and seniors in the iSMART Lab. And Freedom Academy launched its new Industry 4.0 training classes for adult workers.

In October, nearly two dozen middle school students took part in a daylong Manufacturing Experience camp in the iSMART Lab. They worked on AC/DC electrical systems and circuits, tried their hand at soldering, and explored how to use programmable logic controllers and 3-D printers.

Collaborating to help make the iSMART Lab possible made sense for us at the Dekko Foundation because it aligns with several of the things we’re interested in funding. It provides an opportunity for young people to practice problem solving in ways that have real-world connections. It’s a place where they can follow their interests, build skills, and apply their knowledge and talents. And it can help them better understand what their options are after they graduate from high school.

We’re excited by the potential of the iSMART Lab to help young people building knowledge, skills, and character. We think it’s a really smart way to support them in being self-sufficient and capable of achieving economic freedom as adults.