2017 HDR Foundation Grants
Large Grants
Aspire! Afterschool Learning | Arlington, Virginia
The $71,200 grant will be used to outfit a new classroom and library space at a local community center that works with underserved kids. The new space and equipment will increase the number of children the center can accommodate, and expand its teaching capabilities.
Bridges to Prosperity | Denver, Colorado
This is the third grant the HDR Foundation has provided to Bridges to Prosperity. The $36,000 donated in this grant cycle will be used to construct a footbridge in Nicaragua, which will provide safer and easier access to necessary resources, including schools and markets.
Gateway to Science Center | Bismarck, North Dakota
More than 2,000 students in the Bismarck area will benefit from the Engineering Creativity Lab supported by the $17,900 grant. The Gateway to Science Center will use the funds to enhance its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programming.
Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio | Redlands, California
The $31,685 grant will be used by the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio to purchase equipment for its environmental education project, which will serve up to 900 students between the ages of 8 and 15.
Girls Incorporated | Omaha, Nebraska
Girls Inc. is inspiring and teaching girls necessary skills to excel in STEM fields. The organization will use its $71,637 grant to build and supply two computer labs, one in north Omaha and one in south Omaha.
Partnership 4 Kids | Omaha, Nebraska
The $18,825 grant will fund a laptop lending library that will provide underserved children access to computers, and aid in technology education provided by the organization.
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks | Springfield, Missouri
Watershed of the Ozarks will use the $80,000 grant to create a solar energy array at its Watershed Center, which will be used to educate students on renewable energy while simultaneously saving the organization money on energy bills.
Small Grants
First Round
Education Foundation of Billings Public Schools | Billings, Montana
The HDR Foundation’s donation of $13,836 will be used to purchase robotics kits for kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Central Heights Elementary School. As the school district implements the Project Lead the Way curriculum, it is a substantial cost to purchase the STEM materials. The HDR employees in Billings are volunteers with the STEM Billings program, using hands-on activities to teach students after school.
Explore Austin | Austin, Texas
Explore Austin, a mentorship program that uses outdoor recreation to inspire underprivileged youth, has grown to more than 270 “Explorers” in 2017. With this growth, the organization needs new bicycles and more canoes to meet the participant needs. With the $15,000 from the HDR Foundation, Explore Austin will purchase up to 22 bikes and two canoes to ensure that it can meet demands and continue its impactful work in the community.
Greenscape of Jacksonville | Jacksonville, Florida
The ARC Jacksonville Village is a unique living option for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It offers affordable apartment-style independent living where residents are seen, treated, and respected as adults. The facility had minimal landscaping and many of the buildings suffered the full impact of the Florida sun. With the HDR Foundation’s $8,650 grant, more than 70 trees were purchased and — with the help of HDR employees — planted at the Village, providing shade to lower cooling costs, increase beautification and encourage outdoor activity.
Missoula Food Bank | Missoula, Montana
The Missoula Food Bank’s Kids Table after-school and summer programs provide meals to more than 600 kids during the school year and nearly 400 in the summer months, totaling more than 105,000 meals for 2017-2018 school year. The HDR Foundation’s $5,000 grant will help purchase two new refrigerators to keep up with the growth of the programs, which have seen a 200 percent increase in participants since their launch in late 2015.
PlatteForum | Denver, Colorado
PlatteForum supports contemporary artists and underserved youth through its arts programs by allowing children to work side by side with artists. HDR volunteers have helped with the organization’s ArtLab sessions, teaching the ins and outs of facilitating a charrette. The $15,000 from the HDR Foundation will be used to purchase new iPads and a large format printer for digital media and design projects.
Second Round
Smart Girl Society | Omaha, Nebraska
The Smart Girl Society’s mission is to educate people about negative effects and potential long-term consequences of technology and social media use. HDR Foundation’s $12,500 grant facilitates that by funding the Society’s development of an interactive smartphone and tablet app that will teach parents, youth and educators about various social media platforms and potential dangers.
Healing for Haiti | Trenton, New Jersey
The $15,000 grant will purchase windows for a new medical clinic currently under construction in Jonc-Dodin, Haiti. Volunteer American physicians will work alongside Haitian physicians and nurses to provide care at the Haitian-owned and -operated clinic, which will be a mainstay of the community and provide jobs and critical healthcare services for the nearly 6,000 residents.
Saddle Up! | Franklin, Tennessee
Saddle Up! serves hundreds of children with disabilities from 41 counties in Middle Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama with therapeutic riding services. The $7,200 from the HDR Foundation will help purchase new, more efficient LED lighting that will better illuminate all areas of the 50,000-square-foot indoor arena. This will lower safety risks by brightening dark areas of the arena and will save the organization thousands of dollars annually on their energy costs.
Restore Education | San Antonio, Texas
The HDR Foundation’s $15,000 grant will help expand Restore Education's Passport to College program with the addition of an on-site Certified Nursing Assistant training program. Students will now be able to receive their CNA certification and get assistance with job placement while simultaneously earning a GED. The CNA credential is a stepping-stone into the medical field and a requirement for many nursing programs. The program also seeks to address nursing shortages in San Antonio by preparing more students for nursing-related careers.
United Way of Paducah-McCracken County | Paducah, Kentucky
This $5,799 grant will provide training materials, STEM packets, flash cards, math exercises and iPads with special math applications to support the United Way of Paducah's Partners and Literacy Support programs. The reading and math PALS programs provide one-on-one educational support to students who would otherwise fall behind, and the program is designed to encourage students to pursue higher education.
