720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 120
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Learning Links & Summertime Kids
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation is Greater Cincinnati’s community foundation, helping individuals, families, and businesses establish charitable funds to make the most of their giving and build a better community. GCF exists to inspire current and future generations to invest in a more vibrant and prosperous Greater Cincinnati where everyone can thrive. Two very impactful GCF programs have been supported by the Dater Foundation since 1993, and grant support increased significantly in 2018.
• Learning Links … gives teachers and other educators at local schools the opportunity to apply for classroom or school-wide small projects they lack the necessary financial resources to implement. Grants are awarded up to $1,000 each. In 2019, 177 different Learning Links projects in schools from the 8 county region. This amounted to $169,476 and impacted nearly 31,000 children. Of the grants awarded, approximately 50% of the students impacted were on a free or reduced lunch rate. Through a proposed targeted marketing plan, the number of applications received increased by 21% from 2018. This year, projects included STEM and STEAM programs, Mindful Music Moments, field trips to COSI and the Zoo, and a variety of other enriching and educational opportunities. Our tri-state teachers are always innovative and enterprising. They are able to use a small amount of money in big ways.
• Summertime Kids ... provides small grants of up to $1000 each to local nonprofits that provide summer programs for children and youth ages birth-18. Funded programs provide enriching and fun experiences for the children. They combine learning components and safe environments. In 2019, 233 applications were received. The grant review committee selected 189 projects to fund totaling $187,062. All eight counties in our tri-state region received funding. Over 37,500 kids were served through these grants, most of which were from low income and/or inner city areas. Many of these kids would not have had the chance to participate in these summertime activities were it not for the Summertime Kids program.
Greater Cincinnati Foundation considers the Summertime Kids program its of our most successful programs. The program has been around for 32 years and continues to help so many children and youth participate in summer programs. These programs not only have a focus on addressing summer learning loss, but also introduce kids to new, enriching experiences that expand their horizons.