RGK FOUNDATION

Contact information:
1301 West 25th Street, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78705
Phone: 512-474-9298
Fax: 512-474-7281

Website: http://www.rgkfoundation.org/

Type of foundation: Family

Types of grants: The Foundation mostly awards program grants. It occasionally gives grants for operating expenses, capital campaigns, endowments, but these are usually initiated by the Foundation.

Description: The Foundation's programmatic areas of interest have broadened over the years to include:

• Education: Focusing on formal K-12 education (particularly mathematics, science and reading), teacher development, literacy and higher education.
• Community: Supporting a broad range of human services, community improvement, abuse prevention and youth development programs. The Foundation has particular interest in children and family services, early childhood development and parenting education. The Foundation also makes grants to enhance non-profit management and promote philanthropy and voluntarism. The Foundation makes grants to after-school educational enrichment programs that supplement and enhance formal education systems to increase the chances for successful outcomes in school and life. The Foundation is also interested in programs that attract female and minority students into the fields of mathematics, science and technology.
• Health/Medicine: Grants support programs that promote the health and well-being of children, programs that promote access to health services, and Foundation-initiated programs focusing on ALS.

The Foundation gives nationally, although most grants are in Texas. Typically, the RGK Foundation is not the sole supporter for programs.

Sample grants:

• $150,000 to Library Foundation of Los Angeles for Read to Me LA early literacy initiative across all Los Angeles public library branches (2010).
• $50,000 to Youth and Family Alliance, LifeWorks (Austin) for literacy programs including adult basic education, English as a second language, GED classes, and literacy services for youth (2011).
• $50,000 to Texas Tribune (Austin, TX) (2010).
• $40,000 to Break the Cycle (Los Angeles) to pilot Girl Scouts Edition of violence prevention curriculum in Texas and California (2011).
• $35,000 to A Place Called Home (Los Angeles) in support for Educational Services Program, an after-school and Intersession program for at-risk youth (2012).
• $30,000 to University of Texas, Charles A. Dana Center (Austin) for AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education program providing early literacy intervention to low-income preschool and elementary school students and their parents (2009).
• $25,000 to College Forward (Austin) in support for continued expansion of Harris County program to put low-income students on the path to a college diploma (2012).
• $25,000 to Goodwill Industries of Denver (Denver, CO) in support for Youth Career Development Program helping at-risk youth graduate from high school and make a successful transition to college and career (2012).
• $25,000 to Level Playing Field Institute (San Francisco) in support to expand the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy, a 5-week residential STEM program on college campuses for minority high school students (2012).
• $25,000 to The Works (Bloomington, MN) in support for Adventures in Engineering Program providing hands-on STEM workshops to K-6 grade students and teachers (2012). $25,000 to Lewis County Board of Education (Vanceburg, KY) in support to implement the Reading Street series of textbooks in four low-income elementary schools (2012).
• $25,000 to OneOC (Laguna Hills, CA) in support to help Science@OC implement inquiry-centered science programs, effective teacher professional development, leadership assistance, and community support for Orange County middle schools (2012).
• $23,600 to Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council (Austin) for Ready to Learn family literacy initiative (2007).
• $20,000 to Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana in support for GirlSpace after school/summer program providing STEM, healthy living, and financial literacy activities to at-risk girls ages 5-14 (2012).
• $15,000 to Chicago Youth Services in support for the PASS It On peer-led after-school and summer mentoring program for low-income youth. (2013).
• $15,000 to Greenleaf Family Center (Akron, OH) in support for home-based, early education initiative for low-income 3 and 4 year olds (2012).
• $15,000 to Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council, KLRU-TV (Austin) for board member's discretionary grant to support Ready To Learn family literacy initiative (2008).
• $5,000 to Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council, KLRU-TV (Austin) for board member's discretionary grant to support Ready To Learn family literacy initiative (2012).
• $5,000 to KCRW Foundation (Santa Monica, CA) for board members discretionary grant to support the Music Modernization project to convert the music library to digital format (2007).

Fit for public broadcasting: This Foundation is a prospect, especially for stations involved in literacy, early education, STEM learning, teacher development or dropout prevention work. It may also be a prospect for stations that promote health and wellness in their communities.

Eligibility: The Foundation gives nationally. There are no geographic restrictions, although most grants go to Texas organizations. Most grants are for one-year only. Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations certified as tax exempt under Sections 501(c)(3) or 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and are classified as "not a private foundation" under Section 509(a). Hospitals, educational institutions and governmental institutions meeting these requirements are eligible to apply.

Deadline: There are no deadlines for letter of inquiry submission. The Grants Committee typically meets four times each year to consider requests over $100,000 that have been recommended by staff for review.

How to apply: Full guidelines are available here. All applicants must complete an electronic letter of inquiry as the first step. RGK Foundation will entertain one electronic letter of inquiry per organization in a twelve-month period. The Foundation will respond within two weeks about whether or not a full proposal is requested. RGK does not conduct pre-proposal meetings.

Giving range: The average grant is $25,000.

Assets: $145,448,629 (year ending 12/31/2010).

Total giving: $5,969,767 (year ending 12/31/2010).