WILLMAR -- A local women's philanthropy group has received a $50,000 matching grant to help support its mission of preparing children for kindergarten.
The grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation was announced Tuesday.
Colleen Thompson Michels, one of the co-chairmen of the philanthropy initiative, called it "spectacular."
"It will allow us to enhance the programs that are in place right now," she said.
Empower: Women United in Philanthropy is a new initiative by the United Way of Kandiyohi County to harness the power of women's influence and pocketbooks to improve kindergarten readiness among children in Kandiyohi County.
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By some estimates, as many as half of local children are not classroom-ready when they enter kindergarten. If this gap doesn't close in the early grades, it tends to accelerate as children grow older.
Addressing it sooner has been shown to increase the likelihood that these children will be successful, Thompson Michels said. "The answer is to catch it early."
Money that's generated by Empower will help support readiness projects ranging from children's reading programs to services that address preschool health needs.
"We will be coalescing around one or two ideas that we are ready to implement," said Willmar Schools Superintendent Kathy Leedom, who co-chairs Empower.
The group particularly wants to focus on families who might not have access to quality preschool programs, she said.
It also plans to develop partnerships with other entities that work with young children.
The Bremer grant, which is for three years, gives a significant boost to the funds that Empower will be able to distribute, Leedom and Thompson Michels said.
The fact that it's a matching grant also will help increase its leverage, they said. Roughly half of the match, or about $25,000, must be raised during the initial year of the grant.
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"We are seeing a great deal of interest and momentum," Leedom said. "People see kindergarten readiness as a great area of need that impacts everyone. They're sensing there's a great opportunity to invest and make a difference."
Close to 40 women have pledged gifts and membership to Empower: Women United in Philanthropy since the initiative was established earlier this year. For more information, call the United Way of Kandiyohi County at 320-235-1050.
