The Evanston Community Foundation has exceeded its $2 million matching grant challenge for the Communityworks Fund program “Every Child Ready for Kindergarten, Every Youth Ready for Work.”
The Evanston Community Foundation has exceeded its $2 million matching grant challenge for the Communityworks Fund program “Every Child Ready for Kindergarten, Every Youth Ready for Work.”
Support from local community members, including an additional match from an anonymous donor, has secured the matching grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation. These funds, together with prior contributions, establish a permanent endowment of $6 million for the Communityworks initiative.
“This financial challenge has come to an end but our work continues,” said the foundation’s CEO, Sara Schastok. “This endowment empowers our community and everyone involved is thrilled to know we’re making such a big difference in Evanston’s resources.”
Over 175 donors contributed to the Communityworks endowment and ECF’s administrative endowment with gifts ranging from $20 to $1,000,000. In addition, community members also contributed more than $380,000 for immediate spending on the “Every Child” project. As a result, ECF was able to make an earlier and more substantial impact than endowment proceeds alone would have allowed.
The endowment sustains ECF’s innovative “Every Child”, and expands its model to a broader range of services to advance early learning and kindergarten readiness.
Launched in 2007, ECF’s “Every Child” focuses on providing crucial services and support to at-risk families with babies 0 to 36 months. This successful initiative is built upon cutting-edge academic research that links early learning experiences to kindergarten readiness — and to future successes in school and life.
“Our success shows that Evanstonians can come together to meet a challenge and work together to take care of our community,” said Paul Finnegan, Co-CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners and Chair of the ECF “Every Child” Advisory Committee. Finnegan has led ECF’s development, launch and oversight of the “Every Child” initiative since 2005.
Currently, the pilot project supports home visits with 50 families a year, developmental screening for over 160 children and educational drop-in sessions attended by over 150 families. The program has had a 67 percent retention rate despite the recession’s effects on those most vulnerable to loss of jobs, housing, and subsidized services.