Our Work
So far, K.I.D.S. Foundation has funded 700+ children with aspirations to attend Arellano High School. These students have become student leaders, earned scholarships, attended college, and even become the next generation of volunteers and staffers for K.I.D.S. Foundation, giving back to the program that made a difference in their lives.
It cannot be overstated how little investment is needed to make this difference. Arellano is among many high-quality public schools in Manila and throughout the Philippines. In theory, every Filipino child can access a “free” education. The sticking point is expenses like supplies, uniforms, and transportation… relatively inexpensive costs that low-income Filipino families nevertheless struggle to afford.
An investment of less than $100 a year can make a life-changing difference for a Filipino child
Our mission over the next five years is to expand from 700 to 5,000 students impacted by the generosity of philanthropic benefactors in the Western and Eastern world.
We can achieve this by adding four other schools as partner institutions, for a total of five schools, to increase our capacity and scale our commitment to exponentially more students.
Additionally, we want to 5x our donor base to include more generous individuals, households, and institutions in the Western and Eastern worlds. Wealthy donors make the most significant difference … but we’re only talking about $100/year. Even middle-class donors can make a tangible difference on this scale of need.
Finally, we intend to act as a conduit between benefactor and beneficiary — not just money, but personal relationships. Without mediation, these relationships can be abused. With mediation by an experienced NGO like K.I.D.S. Foundation, benefactor partnerships can blossom into lifelong friendships, sources of pride and gratitude for both parties.
It’s easy to feel proud of helping when you know who you’re helping. K.I.D.S. Foundation puts a face on philanthropy, connecting communities across oceans to build bridges between cultures.
Our Process
K.I.D.S. Foundation is determined to place donor funds where they will do the most good. A relatively small investment can make a vast difference in a Filipino child’s life, but it takes more than just walking through the doors of a school — the students must be prepared to make the most of the opportunity.
If beneficiary students seize the opportunity and apply themselves, opening up educational access to low-income Filipino students is one of the highest-ROI philanthropic endeavors our experienced team of NGO alums has ever seen.
Our process depends on three pillars:
Needs Assessment
Our team scrupulously assesses the needs of each applicant student. We’re looking for families who truly can’t afford the relatively modest expenses required to attend public school due to unemployment, underemployment, single-income households, large families, and generational income inequality. We want to identify families for whom modest assistance can make a disproportional difference in whether or not their children can attend school.
Student Commitment
In addition to assessing needs, we also assess student aptitude. We’re looking for bridge, motivated, committed students with exceptional character who will understand and seize the opportunity with both hands. We want future student leaders, participants in activities, and ambitions to continue in their education and beyond to the point of obtaining skilled careers that break the cycle of poverty and uplift the entire family. We reassess each student’s progress every year to ensure their progress aligns with continued participation in our program.
Benefactor Connection
The best philanthropy comes from a direct and personal connection between the beneficiary and benefactor. When donors contribute to K.I.D.S. Foundation, we want the benefactor to know whose life they are changing and whose generosity affected that change. We share pictures and biographies, facilitate holiday cards and messages, and curate a robust but appropriate connection between the benefactor and the beneficiary. Benefactors can even apply for permission to visit one of our partner schools and see the impact of their donation with their own eyes.
Few foundations have the opportunity to make such a tangible difference in so many lives with such little investment. We take our calling seriously and commit to getting it right — not just good intentions, but good outcomes.
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