Helping Children Nationwide
The Venable Foundation supports a wide range of programs that serve children in underserved communities throughout the United States. Guided by the belief that every child has the right to thrive, one of our major funding priority areas is children's welfare services. In this issue we're looking at the Foundation's support for a range of diverse initiatives serving children of diverse backgrounds and their families, allowing them to learn and grow.
Spotlight: NY Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
In 2023, the Venable Foundation awarded $5,000 to the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), a 149-year-old organization dedicated to protecting the safety of children. Last year, Venable Foundation funding supported the NYSPCC's Therapeutic Supervised Visitation Program, which helps families heal from histories of abuse, neglect, and domestic violence. The grant provided approximately 50 therapeutic supervised visits, during which NYSPCC therapists helped parents improve their parenting skills and strengthen their parent-child bonds.
"One of the reasons we most appreciate the Venable Foundation's support is because the services we offer, specifically therapeutic supervised visitations, are so rare right now," said Interim Executive Director and Legal Counsel, Muna Heaven. "There is a dire lack of accessible supervised visitation services in New York state, and most other programs provide observation only. The NYSPCC is able to provide therapeutic coaching and parenting education, because of our partnership with the Foundation."
NYSPCC is recognized as the first child protection agency in the United States, and its founders are credited with developing the basic tenets of U.S. child protection laws. Today, the NYSPCC remains dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. The NYSPCC offers its services free of charge to ensure that children and families with limited resources can access services. Since its inception, the organization has served more than two million children.
"Having support from the Venable Foundation is really meaningful to us," said Beverly Orth, the NYSPCC's Director of Institutional Giving. "It is like a stamp of approval on our services."
Grantee Profiles
Higher Achievement Baltimore bridges the opportunity gap during children's middle school years by tapping into the collective strength of their communities. Its proven model pairs academic support with social-emotional tools and encouragement. Venable Foundation funding has supported Higher Achievement in its mission to create lasting, positive outcomes for all youth, regardless of their neighborhood.
Infant Welfare Society provides a range of integrated, quality, and preventive healthcare services to vulnerable children and families in Chicago. Its services include pediatric healthcare, dentistry, counseling, optometry, and more. Venable Foundation funding for transportation has helped the Infant Welfare Society's constituencies stay in care by making appointments and other services more accessible to them.
Saving Innocence serves, empowers, and advocates for child victims of sex trafficking and abuse in Los Angeles. They provide survivors with long-term advocacy, case management, and a number of other critical tools. Funding from the Venable Foundation has helped Saving Innocence ensure that children receive the rehabilitation services they need.
Larkin Street Youth Services empowers young people to move beyond homelessness by providing an array of healthcare, housing, employment, and education services. As the largest nonprofit provider for young people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, Larkin Street Youth Services has touched the lives of more than 78,000 young adults. Venable Foundation funding supports the organization in its mission to end youth homelessness.
Playtime Project fosters resilience in children who are facing housing insecurity in Washington, DC by providing access to transformative play experiences. In addition to offering play opportunities that facilitate healthy child development, Playtime Project engages in advocacy to reduce the risk of chronic homelessness. Support from the Venable Foundation has helped the organization sustain its programmatic offerings and advocacy work.
Visit Venable.com/Foundation to learn more about our funding priorities and application process.