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History
and Our Philosophy of Giving
KDK-Harman
Foundation was established in 2004 by Janet E. Harman. Janet named
the family philanthropy in honor of her three children, Kevin,
David, and Kelly. The Foundation’s first grants provided support to
education programs in Austin, Texas, the home of the Harman
family. The KDK-Harman Foundation has since turned its attention to
sharpening the programmatic focus of its giving and expanded its
reach to include seven central Texas counties.
In
the course of the Foundation’s research with experts in the field of
education, it was concluded that most poverty assessments identify a
high correlation between education and income status. With this
knowledge, the Foundation’s focus was driven towards academic
programs for low-income families. KDK-Harman believes education is
the key for economically disadvantaged families to escape poverty
and access better paying employment opportunities. The foundation’s
goal is to educate individuals so that they may provide a better
life for themselves and their families. This isn’t a temporary fix,
but a long-term solution to breaking the cycle of
poverty.
Janet
views her family foundation as a strategic vehicle to fund academic
programs from preschool through adult education. She is a strong
believer that nonprofits can bring about change if they are given
strategic, hands-on support to grow their organizations. To reflect
that belief, KDK-Harman Foundation takes a high engagement approach
to its philanthropy by working closely with grantees to provide
financial, operational and networking support. The focus is toward
building upon the capacity of our grantees so that they can execute
their missions effectively and efficiently, thereby making a lasting
difference in the lives of disadvantaged families.
Specifically,
KDK-Harman seeks “best in class” programmatic efforts. The programming areas can
vary from math, science, and computer technology, to literacy,
tutoring, college access, GED certification and traditional
education. As
KDK-Harman continues to grow, the Board of Directors will explore
educational-based opportunities to expand its work as we are
committed to the Foundation’s mission of breaking the cycle of
poverty through education.
Our
Annual Report is available for
download in PDF on the Forms Page.
Our
Press Kit is
available for download in PDF on the Forms
Page.
We are proud members of
the following membership organizations and attend their annual
conferences:
Association
of Small Foundations
www.smallfoundations.org
Conference
of Southwest Foundations
www.c-s-f.org
Council
on Foundations
www.cof.org
Grantmakers
for Education
www.edfunders.org
Greenlights
for Nonprofit Success
www.greenlights.org
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