Glossary

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Glossary

We have used the following words throughout our website to name and explain our new program focus. These represent our organizational definitions, which have helped shape and guide our new program focus.

Vulnerable Children - This is best described as the children who live in impoverished situations - financial poverty being the most fundamental of concerns. For purposes of gaining consensus and clarity on strategic intent, "vulnerable children" means "poverty plus" - that is, poverty plus at least one other compounding factor (such as race, ethnic group, a single mother-headed household, or low level of education). But for far too many children, what makes them vulnerable is poverty plus the color of their skin. Vulnerable children live in urban and rural communities largely segregated by economics, by class, by color.

Program Elements - We have identified five essential "elements" which children, families and communities need in order to reach a vision where all children thrive, to create a community where vulnerable children are lifted out of poverty.

Family Income and Assets - When gasoline hits $3.50 per gallon, and food costs rise 6 percent as they did in 2007, life grows even more tenuous for vulnerable children and families. We want to help these families progress from survival to security. We want them to achieve financial independence; to build home equity; to save for their retirement and for their children's college education. In short, we want vulnerable children to become invulnerable. We want them to succeed today, and to pass their assets onto future generations - just as many middle-class families have done.

Education and Learning - Children need environments that stimulate and support their natural curiosity and foster a passion for learning. Yet society must change how educational systems are structured if we are to respond to the learning needs of the whole child and prepare young people for a fast-changing workforce. We will promote the educational development of children, and increase the stability of families to recognize and embrace learning opportunities.

Food, Health and Well-being - What does it take to raise healthy kids? For starters, a place that's free from violence, where there's respectable housing and air and water that's free from toxins. But kids also need affordable health care, an ample supply of good food, and green places where they can exercise and enjoy nature. We want to make these essentials available for vulnerable children - just as they are for many middle class children.

Civic and Philanthropic Engagement - Traditionally, many people have thought of philanthropists as aging, white-male millionaires and billionaires. But in the past 15 years, we've seen a major growth in "new philanthropists" to include young people, women and minorities. At the same time, there's been a decline in civic participation. This is especially true among vulnerable populations who could benefit from better representation in the democratic process. Through new partnerships, we hope to inspire people - regardless of their backgrounds - to act on behalf of vulnerable children.

Racial Equity - Despite history, our children come into this world with very unequal opportunities to succeed and reach their potential. For example, for African American babies, the infant mortality rate is nearly 1.5 times as high as it is for white babies. Through our new program focus, the Foundation will continue to work against the forces of modern and structural racism that persist in our society.

Approaches - To help unify our program elements, the following threads will guide all our work: Racial Equity, Place, Leadership, Policy and Success by Third Grade.

Place-Based Programming - This key approach emphasizes that we will be more holistically focused in some places, recognizing that life happens within the context of community. Initially, the "places" targeted will be Michigan, Mississippi and New Mexico, although the Kellogg Foundation will still do a significant amount of work in other places as well.