“Communities in Action: Championing Change for Children”- 2017 Annual Report released

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) announced today the release of its 2017 annual report, featuring leadership letters, grantee stories, photos and videos that illustrate engaged communities as the champions driving measurable change for children. “Communities in Action: Championing Change for Children,” describes the foundation’s approach to working alongside communities, as well as grantmaking priorities and financial highlights from the year.

“Our goal for children is lasting change,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO, in her annual report letter, which further describes how this change can be realized using examples from the year and the Kellogg Foundation’s approach. “Authentic community engagement requires our willingness to be taught and the courage to respond to what we learn,” she noted.

A gallery of six stories illuminate the aspirations and varied experiences of communities in pursuing solutions for children – especially how they are creating models and appealing to allies to support their vision. Whether it’s transforming a public school system in Battle Creek, Michigan, attracting new partners to realize a shared vision for a more sustainable village in Haiti or embarking on racial healing journeys throughout the U.S., community-based actions are at the heart of significantly changing children’s lives for the better.

Financial Highlights for 2017

As part of the annual report, the foundation’s financial statements and a summary of grantmaking investments are also now available. For the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2017, the foundation made 638 new grant commitments totaling $397 million. Of this amount, nearly 60 percent was invested across its priority places of Michigan ($115,625, 125), Mississippi ($29,639,856), New Mexico ($34,131,768) and New Orleans ($17,801,446) within the U.S., and Mexico ($14,238,275) and Haiti ($15,166,861) internationally. There were 2,231 active grants during the year.

“Communities in Action: Championing Change for Children” is available at http://2017annualreport.wkkf.org/.

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About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, the WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.