OVERVIEW: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation invests in efforts to improve educational opportunity and college completion for low-income students with high potential. A few grants also support youth-related community development in parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.
IP TAKE: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation champions the cause of students who lack educational opportunity and awards grants and scholarships to even the playing field. Hundreds of scholarships for secondary and post-secondary education go out the door each year, and grants support programs that aim to challenge secondary students to take harder courses, navigate the college selection process and complete their paths to college completion. The Mid-Atlantic is a strong priority area, but giving is national in scope. Unfortunately, Cooke does not typically award grants in response to unsolicited proposals, so networking will be key to getting your organization noticed.
PROFILE: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF), established in 2000, was founded on the belief that low-income students often fall short of their educational potential because of the high cost of education. Headquartered in Landsdowne, Virginia, JKCF is “dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need.” JKCF supports this mission through its scholarship and grants programs. While most of its grantmaking supports K-12 and higher educational opportunities, a smaller portion of its grantmaking goes to community organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Grants for K-12 and Arts Education
Funding for K-12 education stems from the following grant and scholarship programs:
- The Academic Achievement program awards grants for high-quality summer enrichment programs and efforts to “connect high-achieving, lower-income secondary students to advanced coursework and experiential learning that prepares them for a bright future.” Grantees include Active Minds, Heights Philadelphia and the Loudon Education Foundation, which seeks to engage the communities of Loudon County in its K-12 schools.
- The Young Artist Award annually recognizes 20 outstanding K-12 musicians with scholarships of $10,000 for “private lessons, master classes, quality instruments, summer programs, and performance experiences.”
- The Young Scholars Program offers funding to exceptional 7th graders who demonstrate financial need. Scholarships are intended for the following five years of K-12 education at rigorous, college-preparatory schools.
Grants for Higher Education
Higher education grants and scholarships stem from the following programs:
- The College Access and Excellence program awards grants to “expand educational opportunities throughout the United States.” These grants typically offer multi-year partnerships to “educational leaders that share our commitment to advance the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need.” Current grantees include the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Community College Transfer Initiative and the National College Advising Corps.
- The College Scholarship Program supports “high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities.” Up to $55,000 per year is available, based on student need and tuition and housing costs.
- The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship program, similarly, provides support to high-achieving community college students who seek to complete their undergraduate degrees at four-year colleges and universities. The scholarships are awarded in amounts of up to $55,000 and include access to advisement on college selection and the transition process.
Grants for Community Development Mid-Atlantic States
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a national funder but makes its home region of the Mid-Atlantic States a top priority.
- The Local Support program awards grants to youth-serving community organizations in Loudon County and the surrounding areas in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
- Grantees include the Boys and Girls Club of Fauquier, the Dance Institute of Washington, Virginia’s Foundation of the State Arboretum and Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $6,000 and $1 million.
- With the exception of grants to a handful of community organizations in the Mid-Atlantic, this funder focuses on increasing educational opportunity for high-achieving students through grants and scholarships.
- The foundation supports a mix of small, local organizations and national groups with broad reach and influence.
- Find information about how to apply for scholarships on individual program pages.
- The foundation indicates that it “rarely, if ever” awards grants in response to unsolicited proposals. It does not provide information about how to apply on its website, but grantseekers can sign up for the foundation’s newsletter to keep up with new opportunities.
- Contact the foundation via its contact page or by telephone at (703) 723-8000.
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