U.S. Dell Foundation
The Dell Foundation demonstrates community commitment with grants awarded in the U.S. In fiscal year 2009, the Dell Foundation awarded the following grants that gave new opportunities to recipients:
- 83 Equipping Youth Grants in the U.S.
- More than 100 open grants ranging in value from $1,000 to $10,000 to U.S. communities where Dell has facilities
The Dell Foundation delivered a wide range of targeted support through Equipping Youth Grants in fiscal year 2009. These grants are two-year partnerships with nonprofit organizations. The grants offer direct financial assistance to these nonprofit organizations and programs that empower youth to learn and excel in a digitally driven economy. Dell provides three types of Equipping Youth Grants: Healthy Communities, Connected Communities and Literate Communities.
Foundation Management
The Dell Foundation is structured to manage U.S. charitable giving. Dell executives comprise the six-member Foundation Board, and any Board member can make nominations for Board membership. The nominees are proposed as a resolution for the Board to approve. The terms vary from one to three years. The day-to-day Dell Foundation management now resides with the newly created Corporate Responsibility Team led by Gil Casellas.
The Foundation supports a wide range of programs that benefit children, newborn to 17 years of age, in Dell's principal US locations, and welcomes proposals from nonprofit organizations that address the health and human services, the education and the technology access for youth as described below.
Basic Qualifications:
- Must provide direct programs and services to youth ages newborn to high school seniors
- Must be designated by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Open Grant partners must be located in one of the following areas:
- In Idaho: Twin Falls County
- In Illinois: Lake County and Cook County
- In New Hampshire: Hillsborough County
- In North Carolina: Forsyth or Guilford County
- In Ohio: Butler County or Hamilton County
- In Oklahoma: Oklahoma County
- In Tennessee: Wilson or Davidson County
- In Texas: Travis or Williamson County
- Equipping Youth Grant partners must be located in one of the following areas:
- Texas: Travis or Williamson County
- Tennessee: Davidson or Wilson County
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma County
- North Carolina: Forsyth or Guilford County
- The Dell Foundation giving does not extend to:
- Individuals
- Academic or research projects
- Civic, religious or political institutions
- School fundraisers
- Capital campaigns or endowments
- Sponsorships, marketing opportunities or event fundraisers
- Sports events and organizations
Funding requests to the Foundation cannot exceed 20% of an organization's total annual operating budget.
Programs
Through two-year partnerships with nonprofit organizations, the Dell Foundation supports Healthy Community, Literate Community and Connected Community programs. Deadlines, additional criteria and current partners can be accessed on these headings below.
Healthy Communities Grants
The Dell Foundation awarded Healthy Communities grants to 28 organizations that address the basic needs of children for food, shelter, safety and health care.
Example:
Center for Youth Issues-Nashville/Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS)
STARS exists to help students refrain from the use of alcohol, other drugs and violence, and to enhance their educational achievement and character development. The Dell Foundation underwrites the Student Assistance Program, a prevention and early intervention collaboration with Wilson County schools that provides educational strategies and support to change inappropriate behaviors.
The Dell Foundation secured 27 Connected Communities partnerships to provide computer labs for communities with limited access to technology.
Example:
Communities in Schools
Communities in Schools helps kids stay in school and prepare for life by providing school-based services including: supportive guidance, educational enhancement, health and human services, career exploration and job readiness training. Funding from Dell Foundation underwrites the Tech Tots program that provides low-income families with a home computer, a tech mentor and information on how to enhance their child’s school readiness skills using technology.
The Dell Foundation awarded Literate Communities grants to 28 programs that empower communities to provide quality education to youth, particularly in math, science and literacy.
SciWorks, Science Center & Environmental Park of Forsyth County
SciWorks, Science Center & Environmental Park of Forsyth County, promotes scientific literacy, lifelong learning and an appreciation for the sciences by providing innovative education and recreational experiences through interactive programs and exhibits, collections, an environmental park, planetarium and unique facilities.
Dell Foundation funds Science Education Programs that support the science teaching of K-12 classroom teachers and family science learning. SciWorks also directs the annual Region V Science Fair.
The Dell Foundation provided limited open grants to programs and services that fall outside the timeline and scope of the Equipping Youth Grant program. Open grants are for financial, volunteer or in-kind support, limited to between $1,000 and $10,000 and serve populations in Dell's principal U.S. locations.
A few examples of Open Grants the Dell Foundation has funded are:
BreakThrough
Breakthrough builds a path to college, beginning in middle school, for low-income students who will be first-generation college graduates. Recognizing the importance of building skills and confidence through early intervention, the program makes a six-year commitment to low-income students. Through this long-term approach, Breakthrough provides the highly individualized and comprehensive support that low-income students need if they are to beat the staggering odds against them graduating from high school and attending college. The Dell Foundation supports Breakthrough with an Open Grant focused on a 2009 SAT/ACT Prep Program.
Girls Empowerment Network (GENaustin)
ClubGEN is modeled on Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) which is a dynamic approach to teaching. It utilizes older, trained students to teach younger students. Each club consists of up to 20 girls, is co-facilitated by two high school juniors or seniors, and is supervised by an adult campus director. Some girls will participate for the entire 30 weeks of the program, and others may only participate for a semester. The most exciting revelation at a clubGEN meeting is when the middle school girls realize their high school facilitators “have been there” and that they’ve survived all the middle school obstacles they are presently enduring. Hence, the advice and guidance that might normally be rejected if presented by an adult is readily accepted amidst the nurturing and comfortable realm of these peer-to-peer mentor relationships.