To be eligible for consideration, please thoroughly review our guidelines to ensure your organization’s proposal fits with KDK-Harman Foundation’s mission and programming interests. All applicants must complete a Letter of Inquiryas the first step. All of our application and reporting forms are available on the Central Texas Education Funders (CTEF) website. Refer to Grants Process for complete details and Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Grants for common questions regarding submission. Please also refer to Operating Support Grants which are available for returning grantees only.  If you have a question about your program meeting our grant guidelines, you are welcome to discuss your potential proposal directly with our program officer, Jennifer Esterline.

KDK-Harman Foundation distributes grants only to qualified public entities or 501(c)(3) charities. Both unsolicited and solicited requests are accepted. Programs eligible for KDK-Harman funding must meet the guidelines listed below and address one or more of the following areas of interest:

Age Groups Served

• Pre-K (ages 3-5)
• K-12 Education
  • Elementary
  • Middle School
  • High School
• Postsecondary  

Funding Areas of Interest

• PreK-12 Schooling
• Out-of-School Time
• Family Literacy
• College Access
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
• Postsecondary Education

We focus strictly on academic education. The Foundation's program interests include tutoring, college access, GED certification, academically rigorous after-school and summer programs, and traditional education during the school day. In addition, KDK will favor those programs in the areas of math, science, and computer technology.

A note about adult education: Although we have made grants in the area of adult literacy in the past, the Foundation has decided to cease funding in the areas of adult basic literacy (ABE) and adult English as a Second Language (ESL) as we continue to refine our grant guidelines and focus our grants to targeted areas of education. Adult basic literacy is defined as those individuals who do not have at least a fifth grade education. The Foundation continues to fund programs in other areas of adult education, such as postsecondary educational opportunities for low-income adults.  We also support workforce development programs that are academically rigorous, allow participants to obtain college credit, and open doors for them to acquire living-wage jobs. 

A note about early childhood:The Foundation continues to focus its early childhood grantmaking in the area of pre-K programs that strictly focus on kindergarten-readiness. We do not fund day care facilities, programs that primarily target age groups 0-3, or any early childhood program whose focus is not primarily academic preparation for kindergarten. In this age group, we seek programs that are providing proven, best-in-class academic preparation programs for pre-K students in the areas of reading and math, or family literacy programs that have kindergarten-readiness as a critical component of its literacy focus.

We seek established, "best-in-class" programs that can demonstrate measurable outcomes. We define best-in-class as those organizations that possess outstanding leadership; the planning, budgeting, and operating procedures generate confidence in the organization’s capabilities; the project outcomes are well-designed, specific, and reasonable; and the programs have the ability to be replicated and/or brought to scale.

The Foundation recognizes that the most disadvantaged and underserved people in society are disproportionately women and their children; and therefore, we favor programs that serve this group. However, a focus on women is not synonymous with women-only programs. The Foundation supports many programs that benefit both genders.

The Foundation prefers proposals with the following characteristics:

• The organization’s primary mission is to break the cycle of poverty
• Majority of organization’s budget is allocated to educational programs and services
• Demonstrated success and innovation with measurable outcomes
• Best-in-class programming
• Evidence of collaboration with other entities to maximize the impact of service
• Strong expression of need and support for this project/program from the professional community involved and/or the population to be served
• Proposed project is needed and supported by its surrounding community
• Evidence of potential and willingness of program to be replicated and brought to scale
• Encourages service and encourages a culture of giving back
• Financial support from other sources already exists to ensure that the project will be implemented and continue after the grant period
• Reasoned, efficient, and sound evaluation plan, which includes measurable outcomes of proposed project. Click on Evaluation to learn more.

Due to our limited funding, KDK-Harman Foundation prefers not to fund requests that possess the following characteristics:

• Organizations that do not have a majority of their overall budget allocated to educational programs.
• Organizations with a mission that is significantly different than ours.
• Organizations with less than three years in operation.
• Programs that do not have strong evidence of success in terms of measurable outcomes.
• An amount in excess of $100,000
• Adult Basic Education (ABE) and adult ESL
• Early childhood programs that focus primarily on ages 0-3
• Day care facilities
• Arts and athletic education
• Financial literacy education
• Character-building and life skills programs (i.e.: leadership, self-esteem, social issues such as behavior and attendance)
• Programs that focus on social supports instead of academics to help close the achievement gap (i.e.,: pregnancy prevention programs, dating violence prevention, etc.).

Restrictions:

KDK-Harman Foundation does not support:

• Organizations that exclude participants based on race or religion
• Tax-generating entities (municipalities, school districts, etc.) for services within their normal responsibilities
• Grants or loans to individuals
• Political campaigns or purposes
• Any one program more than once per calendar year
• Scholarships at any level
• Sponsorships or purchase of tickets for galas, festivals, or raffles
• School fundraisers or events (including sports and other extracurricular activities)

Geographic Areas:

For grantmaking purposes, the KDK-Harman Foundation is exclusively interested in contributing to the communities of Central Texas, defined as Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Burnet, and Llano counties. We are seeking 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with programming excellence that align with our mission and serve the economically disadvantaged within those geographic areas.