W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Every child counts. But a proposed federal rule to remove race and ethnicity questions from the census could make it harder to see which children and communities are being overlooked and where resources are needed most. In a new op-ed, our President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron and Lisa Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, explain what's at stake for children and families when we lose access to detailed, reliable census data. Read the full op-ed in The Hill: https://lnkd.in/ev4MVH-t

We are honored to once again receive the Best & Brightest for Wellness national award from the National Association for Business Resources/The Best and Brightest Programs in recognition of our continued commitment to the well-being of our employees. Creating the conditions for children and families to thrive is at the heart of our mission, and that same dedication extends to our workplace. We’re proud to cultivate an environment where our employees and their families feel supported in their physical, mental and financial well-being. Thank you to all of our staff, and partners at The McCahill Group, for helping contribute to an environment of care.

The Farm Bill, SNAP and childcare are more connected than they may seem. The Farm Bill funds nutrition programs like SNAP. By supporting access to nutritious food, SNAP helps working families stretch their budgets further to cover other essential needs, including childcare. Insights from Michigan Department of Health & Human Services and Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities highlight how food assistance programs can support working parents and create stronger conditions for children and communities to thrive.

💡 New research from Syracuse University’s Local NExT Lab shows how testing assumptions about story formats, presentation and audience engagement can help newsrooms make more informed decisions about their journalism and long-term strategy. From the value of pairing investigative reporting with community stories at Mississippi Today to the impact of on-camera video at Deep South Today’s Arkansas Today, the findings offer practical lessons for local news leaders. And we’re excited to help bring these insights to more newsrooms. AJP is joining Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as a partner for the Lab’s next cohort, which will include eight newsrooms, four of them AJP-supported organizations. Read more about what newsrooms learned and how they’re putting those findings into practice: https://lnkd.in/dDmVWGvM

We're grateful to our community partners for continually experimenting, learning and asking what they can do differently to better reach and serve their communities. As local newsrooms navigate shifts in how people find, engage with and respond to journalism, often without the time or research capacity to rigorously test what works, the Local NExT Lab creates space to do just that. Excited to keep learning alongside these newsrooms, the American Journalism Project and Syracuse University.

The stories we tell matter. They shape how we see communities, whose voices we value, and what we believe is possible. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with NationSwell to reflect on the power of Black philanthropy, narrative equity, and the connection between organizational transformation and systems change. One of my favorite reflections from our conversation was this: “Your story and your strategy are one and the same. Sharing the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ is how we prove that better worlds are possible.” This reflection also brings me back to W.K. Kellogg Foundation's guiding formula: “It is only through cooperative planning, intelligent study and group action – activities on the part of the entire community – that lasting results can be achieved.” Nearly a century later, that belief remains as relevant as ever. Communities are not simply recipients of solutions. They are creators of them. And the stories we tell should reflect their strengths, aspirations, and power to shape their own futures. Grateful to NationSwell for the opportunity to share my perspective and reflect on the power of storytelling, collective action, and community-driven change. I invite you to take a few minutes to read the interview. I'd love to hear what resonates with you! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsWS-H3z #Philanthropy #NarrativeChange #SystemsChange #CommunityLeadership

Creating brighter futures when people show up, build trust and inspire others to take action. Television host Rocsi Diaz shares why hope grows through community and why every person has a role to play in creating lasting change for children. How are you helping build a stronger future in your community?

Sports can create new ways to see a country, a culture and one another. When Haiti returned to the World Cup after 50 years, Soccer in the Streets helped young players like 10-year-old Josephine “Josie” Van connect the moment to their Haitian heritage. Josie escorted Haiti’s goalie and captain onto the field in Atlanta, calling it an “amazing opportunity.” As Executive Director Kaseem A. Ladipo shares, soccer offers a “wonderful platform to elevate” conversations around culture, identity and belonging. Watch the full video: https://lnkd.in/eSAndtnU