KENDALLVILLE — Dekko Foundation staff members recently completed a mailing of 35 gift boxes addressed to select people across the communities and states the organization serves. The boxes contain a present and a surprise grant to support each recipient’s organization or cause. The gifts are in celebration of Dekko Foundation’s 35th anniversary.

“Mr. Dekko left us with a mission to foster economic freedom through education,” says program director, Sharon Smith. “We think that the surest way to economic freedom is to build skills, knowledge and character in young people as they grow and develop. On our 35th we’re recognizing people whom we’ve observed stepping back, intentionally, to meet the needs of children and youth.”

“There’s a saying in the world of foundations and grant making,” says Dekko Foundation president, Tom Leedy. “New foundations invest in things. Mature foundations invest in ideas. As we celebrate our 35th year, our experience reflects this saying exactly.

“We’ve certainly invested in our share of buildings and equipment,” Leedy says, “but, as we continue to hone our work and move closer toward our mission of fostering economic freedom through education, we’ve learned a lot.   Buildings and equipment are necessary, but they don’t go nearly far enough to develop children into independent adults.

“While we still offer support for buildings and equipment,” Leedy says, “we want to make our investments in organizations and communities where adults are intentional about growing healthy, independent young people.”

To find out who, in your community, was honored by the Dekko Foundation’s 35th birthday mailing, check this publication in about one week, visit the Foundation’s website or go to Facebook and search Dekko Foundation.

The Dekko Foundation was started in 1981 by Chester A. Dekko, an entrepreneur whose businesses made component parts for the auto, lighting, household goods and office furniture industries. When Dekko passed away in 1992 a portion of his estate went to support the Dekko Foundation.

The Foundation’s current endowment totals $233 million. Since its beginning in 1981, the Dekko Foundation has granted $196 million with the vision of preparing youth for lives of independence and, in the words of the foundation’s founder, economic freedom.

A child of the Great Depression, Dekko was passionate about helping people understand and yearn for economic freedom which he defined as “the ultimate liberty to make decisions about one’s own life.”

The Foundation makes about $11 Million in grants each year across communities where Dekko had an interest.  Those communities include:

• In Indiana: DeKalb, LaGrange, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben and Whitley counties.
• Also communities in Alabama, Florida, Iowa and Minnesota.

For more information about the Dekko Foundation, its beliefs and its grantmaking, visit www.dekkofoundation.org or call (260) 347-1278.