NCFL’s partnerships with forward-thinking national foundations have consistently resulted in progressive national and local literacy initiatives that lead to positive results for parents and children nationwide. The substantial investment and trust of these partners has helped NCFL blaze new trails and take risks that have been essential to the organization’s growth, knowledge and leadership.

NCFL’s founding partner, The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, invested in family literacy and NCFL even before the organization opened its doors—when it was little more than a groundbreaking idea with tremendous potential more than 18 years ago. The Kenan Trust has continued its commitment to NCFL and family literacy over the years, investing more than $10 million in NCFL and its work. Most recently the Kenan Trust helped NCFL establish the Hispanic Family Learning Institute, a concerted effort to develop resources and disseminate information about improving educational services for Hispanic/Latino and other immigrant families in the U.S.

Since 1994, the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has brought about significant change for NCFL, transforming our work, the family literacy field, and the lives of families throughout the nation. Beyond generous financial investments totaling more than $5 million, Knight Foundation support has been a magnet for other initiatives and funding, and the underpinning for a much wider body of work. Recent efforts of this partnership include a national public service announcement campaign for family literacy managed by the Ad Council and the support of effective new strategies for working with low-literate English language learners in the Cambodian Technical Assistance Project. NCFL has leveraged these initiatives and other Knight investments to perpetuate true change and grow the family literacy movement nationwide.

NCFL’s partnership with the Annenberg Foundation is changing the way NCFL and schools tackle the significant challenges associated with parent involvement. A recent grant from this partner resulted in the development of All Your Parents = AYP, a systematic framework developed by NCFL to help elementary school and entire school districts engage parents in their children’s schools and meet federal mandates for parent involvement. This three-year initiative also spurred NCFL to explore new avenues to deliver the latest research information and interactive literacy strategies to more families.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York first invested in NCFL with a grant to break new ground in addressing the low reading achievement of a much underserved age group—adolescents and pre-adolescents. As a result, NCFL identified effective instructional approaches and created a framework for parent involvement with older children. NCFL’s partnership with the Corporation continued in 2007 with its financial and program staff contributions to the exciting Hispanic Family Learning Summit held at NCFL’s Conference in March 2007.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation and NCFL are teaming up to improve family literacy services within the Foundation’s already substantial efforts to educate and serve families. By delivering technical assistance to the Foundation’s Making Connections programs, NCFL is expanding the use of proven family literacy strategies and practices and honing its capacity to deliver customized technical assistance services in Making Connections communities. The Foundation also supported and participated in the Hispanic Family Learning Summit through this initiative.