W.K. Kellogg Foundation HQ

Notes from the nonprofit

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) places the optimal development of children at the center of all we do and calls for healing the profound racial gaps and inequities that exist in our communities. We believe in supporting and building upon the mindsets, methods and modes of change that hold promise to advance children’s best interests generally, and those of vulnerable children in particular.

Concentrating our resources on early childhood (prenatal to age 8), within the context of families and communities, offers the best opportunity to dramatically reduce the vulnerability caused by poverty and racial inequity over time.

There is strong evidence that optimal child development means providing children with the stimulus, tools and support necessary for their emotional, intellectual, physical and cultural growth. To achieve this, we organize our work and investments toward attaining three strategic goals:

Educated Kids: Increase the number of children who are reading-and-math proficient by third grade.

Healthy Kids: Increase the number of children born at a healthy birth weight and who receive the care and healthy food they need for optimal development.

Secure Families: Increase the number of children and families living at least 200 percent above the poverty level.

Within and around each goal are commitments to Community & Civic Engagement and Racial Equity – because both are necessary for communities to create the conditions under which all children can thrive.

We take a place-based approach to our work, concentrating as much as two-thirds of our grantmaking in a limited number of specific places where we believe we can have maximum impact.