Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Cradles to Crayons-Boston
Legal Name (if Different): Cradles to Crayons, Inc.
Also Known As: Cradles to Crayons
Mailing Address: 155 North Beacon St.
City: Brighton
State: Massachusetts
Postal Code: 02135
Main Phone: 617.779.4720
Main Fax: 866.841.9995
Organization Website: www.cradlestocrayons.org
Employer ID Number: 04-3584367
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: March 30, 2017
Requested Amount: $10,000

Project Title: Ready for School
Project Description:

Founded in 2002, Cradles to Crayons® (“Cradles”) works to lessen the effects of poverty and transform the lives of low-income and homeless children by providing, free of charge, the essential items they need to thrive: clothing, shoes, diapers, baby gear, outerwear, and school supplies.

Cradles-Boston respectfully requests a grant for $10,000 from the Hermanowski Family Foundation to support the 2017-2018 Ready for School program. This program operates from June through September to provide children with new backpacks filled with school supplies such as notebooks, calculators, crayons and pens. It also provides seasonal, properly-fitting clothing for those children who need it, leading to better academic outcomes for children.

The National Retail Federation reported that in 2016, families spent an average $673.57 on school supplies and new clothing. Getting ready for school puts families living in low-income and homeless situations in a position where they are forced to choose between necessities such as rent and groceries, or clothes and school supplies for their children. In a recent survey, 87.4% of Cradles’ Ready for School families reported that it would have been hard for them to afford school supplies. 72.6% indicated that their children probably would have gone without.

The Ready for School program begins with collections of new and like-new children’s items in either corporate or community locations. Donations are brought to our Giving Factory warehouse where volunteers inspect, sort, and organize them into customized KidPacks® and backpacks. These items are then picked up and brought directly to the children and families we serve through our 130 social service partners.

Leveraging these tremendous volunteer donations of time and resources, Cradles delivers Ready for School items at an organizational cost of just $33 per pack. Support from the Hermanowski Foundation would transform the lives of over 300 children.

Total Project Budget: $2,001,788

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Funding to date: TJX companies, OMAM, Sanofi Genzyme, Biogen, Arbella Insurance Foundation, Eversource, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Intellia Therapeutics

Project Duration: June 1, 2017 through September 30, 2017
Geographical Area Served: Cradles to Crayons-Boston serves children in low-income and homeless situations throughout Massachusetts, with approximately 50% of our KidPacks distributed to children living in the City of Boston.
Age Group To Be Served: Ages 5 through 12

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms.
Contact First Name: Caitlin
Contact Last Name: Connelly
Contact Title: Senior Manager of Foundation Relations
Contact Phone: 617.779.4720
Contact Email: cconnelly@cradlestocrayons.org