2020 Grant Application Now Open for DC-Area Education Nonprofits Focused on Preparing Next Generation

Students perform onstage for a program led by Young Artists of America at Strathmore.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will award Good Neighbor Grants of up to $35,000 to local nonprofits that serve high-achieving students in need of resources to support their educational goals

LANDSOWNE, VA – The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced today the opening of the application period for its annual Good Neighbor Grant program, which provides funding to nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area that help students develop their talents and intellectual curiosity.

“We continue to be inspired by the work of transformative educators and nonprofit leaders throughout the DC metro area,” said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. “This is about supporting a growing community of local organizations that share our mission of advancing the education of high-achieving students who have financial need.”

Established in 2012, the Good Neighbor Grant program has awarded over $1.7 million in support of 74 education projects to date. In 2019, the Foundation awarded a total of $250,000 to 12 programs serving more than 7,500 students with financial need in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Good Neighbor Grants can be used to support the establishment of new programs or the scaling of existing initiatives. Eligible programs include in-school and afterschool academic and summer enrichment opportunities; college access initiatives; and arts education.

“The Foundation’s Good Neighbor Grant program enabled Mason Game & Technology Academy (MGTA) to provide scholarships to over 40 middle and high school students to attend our summer programs in 3D Game Design, VR Game Development, Digital Art, Python Programming, and Music Production for Games,” said Vera Lichtenberg, Founding Director of MGTA at George Mason University. “The students were able to engage with Mason faculty and advanced computer game design students, who guided and motivated them regarding their future academic and career goals.”

The 2020 Good Neighbor Grant application is now available online. Eligible nonprofits are invited to submit applications though the deadline on October 1, 2019. Grant recipients will be announced in April.

Organizations can click here to apply to the 2020 Good Neighbor Grant program. For more details on the grant program and the application process, please visit: www.jkcf.org/GNG.

# # #

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $200 million in scholarships to over 2,600 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $110 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

Media Contact: Amber Styles, 571-442-0772, media@jkcf.org

Photo header: Students perform onstage in a program led by Young Artists of America at Strathmore, a 2019 Good Neighbor Grants recipient.