Success By Six

Bank of America grants $70,000 to support State SUCCESS BY 6® planning for early childhood
development and school readiness in Tennessee

On April 4, 2002, Bank of America Foundation announced $623,750 in grant(s) to 7 United Ways in Tennessee in support of local SUCCESS BY 6 initiatives. A $70,000 grant will fund a statewide strategic plan that will be developed in coordination with several of the United Ways in Tennessee. These grants are part of $10 million being contributed to 112 United Way agencies across the country. The funds will bring together community and state stakeholders to help ensure that all children enter school ready to succeed.

Early childhood development has reached a critical crossroads in our country. In the United States, more than 12 million children - one out of six - live in poverty. High-quality childcare is difficult to find. Recent research shows that a child's brain grows to more than 80 percent of its adult size by age 3, and that early environmental influences can have a lasting impact on development, affecting the way connections between brain cells are made.

SUCCESS BY 6 works to ensure that all children develop the emotional, social, cognitive and physical capacities and skills they need to enter school ready to succeed and also achieve success in all areas of their lives.

Tennessee is one of 10 states who have obtained a state grant that will bring together all current early childhood advocacy efforts toward a central focus for preschool children. United Way of America and Bank of America have two primary goals for this grant to Tennessee. First, they want to formalize a technical assistance and support initiative for all local United Ways conducting or interested in a SUCCESS BY 6 initiative in Tennessee. Second, they want us to develop a plan to promote systems (policy and procedure) changes that will eliminate barriers faced by young children and their families. This collective planning effort of many United Ways across Tennessee will: provide greater information on early childhood development and school readiness to more areas of the state; facilitate support from businesses, government, and community volunteers in different communities; and create a plan to modify broad-based social policy to support children and families at the local and state levels.

"The generosity and leadership in helping children succeed truly demonstrates the outstanding corporate citizenship of Bank of America," said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America. "Their unprecedented support of SUCCESS BY 6, will improve the lives of millions of children in hundreds of communities across the nation."

United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making measurable impact in every community across
America. The United Way movement includes approximately 1,400 community-based United Way organizations. Each is independent, separately incorporated and governed by local volunteers. (For more information on United Way of America, visit www.unitedway.org)

The Bank of America Foundation directs charitable giving on behalf of Bank of America. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit partners that use creativity and imagination to help America's children succeed in life, neighborhoods flourish and communities prosper. United Ways throughout the bank's franchise have been invited to apply annually for SUCCESS BY 6 funding. Applicants are rated on the criteria of goals and objectives, community involvement, results and accountability, management and funding.

Four kinds of grants were awarded through United Way of America: Developing grants for up to two years, one-year implementation grants to expand new efforts, sustaining grants to increase the capacity of existing early childhood initiatives, and statewide grants to advocate for children's issues at the state level. United Way of America administers the grants on an annual basis.

Downloads:
SB6 Selected County Data (Excel Format)
SB6 Generic Questionaire (Word Format)
SB6 Presentation (Power Point Format)

For additional county data please visit the Kids Count Website