LESSONS LEARNED FROM LITERACY GRANT MAKING | 09-12-2006

Why literacy?

Why would a foundation that makes grants for health and wellness purposes focus its first targeted funding initiative on increasing adult literacy and basic skill levels? A look beneath the surface reveals the connection between literacy and health and the reason for the choice.

Many of the health-related ills that plague Lancaster County, Great Falls and Fort Lawn - domestic violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, unhealthy lifestyle choices, low educational levels and rising healthcare costs - all share as a key contributing factor an unacceptably high rate of functional illiteracy among adults. In seeking to address a root cause rather than merely addressing symptoms, the Foundation embarked on the daunting challenge of making grants for effective programming aimed at increasing literacy and basic skill levels.

The foundation awarded its first grants in this effort in 2002 and followed with additional awards in 2003 and 2004. 2005 marked the completion of three years of programming by the initial group of grantees, with others having completed two years and one year. Even with some organizations still in the midst of their first attempts at programming, the three-year mark offered an opportunity to begin to assess progress on an aggregate basis. The Foundation has spent the better part of 2006 sifting through mounds of data covering 2002-2005 to form this assessment.

What has occurred has been nothing short of remarkable.

More than 4,900 adults have participated in programming offered by the 15 organizations that received adult literacy funding. Many adult learners have demonstrated progress of two and three levels on standardized assessment instruments. Between 83% and 89% of adult learners achieved individual learning goals in each of the three years. Many have surmounted significant and stubborn barriers to improve their lives.

To understand adult learning, it's important to examine how people with low literacy levels are drawn to improving their skills. Few come to instruction for learning's own sake - instruction must be relevant.

Adults may want to become more employable, to better understand healthcare information so as to more effectively care for their own health or that of someone else, to better help their child in school, or to become more engaged in the democratic process. The foundation thus framed its initiative in the areas of workplace, health, family, and citizenship literacy.

Since literacy programming was new to the great majority of organizations, the foundation deemed it important to enter into and maintain a high degree of engagement with its grantees, providing significant amounts of non-financial assistance to literacy programs, including one-on-one consultations with literacy experts, trainings and workshops.

What have we learned?

We've learned that changing a culture is hard work, and that it takes a long time. The South is not terribly far removed from a time when it was possible to provide successfully for one's family with only the most basic skills. Those days are gone for good. We've learned, too, that there are no easy answers to the problem of illiteracy, no quick fixes or one-size-fits-all templates that work for every situation.

We've learned that instruction must be highly individualized and that it does not occur in isolation - it is influenced by a host of societal factors and life circumstances. Effective literacy programming involves more than developing skills - it involves a holistic approach that addresses the needs of the whole person. Given the need for holistic programming it may be fortuitous that many of the organizations that responded to the initiative were already experienced at providing services in other areas of participants' lives.

Perhaps the biggest lesson we've learned is not to underestimate what can happen when a community's creativity is encouraged and unleashed. We did not prescribe for organizations any particular type of programming to pursue; applicants were left to create their own unique approaches. Several organizations have developed programs with the potential to become models for others to follow.

Importantly, we've learned that there was more pent-up demand for literacy services than we imagined and that organizations have developed an equally strong commitment to providing services. One of our initial concerns was how many organizations would want to initiate literacy programming, and, even in the event that many did, how many citizens in need of services would actually take advantage of them? As the numbers attest, our concerns were unfounded.

Response has been great and indications are that it will remain so for months and years to come. We are making available to funded programs transition grants one year at a time for up to three years. Thus far the Foundation has awarded nearly $1.1 million in transition grants to seven organizations. And the Foundation has been facilitating the development of a formally structured organization to serve as an umbrella group for the grantee programs.

What does the future hold? The initiative has made possible a start for Lancaster County, Great Falls and Fort Lawn to embrace raising literacy levels as a priority. There is still such a long way to go and so much still to do. But these communities, a number of nonprofit organizations, and literally thousands of people have reason to be proud.

A good and important start has been made. And that is reason for hope.

Contact: James T. Morton
President
(803) 286-8772