• The school must be a New York City public, independent or parochial school, have the mission and vision to provide quality education, well-defined goals to achieve that end, and be working to achieve those goals.
  
  
• The school must serve a community and/or student population suffering from lack of financial and/or other resources (typically 80% or more receive free lunch). Often these are marginal and at risk environments with tremendous problems, such as illiteracy, drug abuse, broken homes, violence and crime.
  
  
• The principal/director and staff should be dynamic, focused, enthusiastic, caring, committed, have a strong rapport with—and the respect of—their students, have high expectations about what can be accomplished, not be afraid to try new and different approaches and participate in day-to-day school activities. The caliber of a school's leadership is paramount to what the school can become.
  
  
• A well-run school with strong leadership is generally reflected in orderly, relatively quiet halls and classes in which real teaching is being done and students are participating. Steadily improving performance scores are also indicative that good things are happening, although this is not a rigid requirement. Success for some struggling schools faced with large student turnover, large Limited English Proficient populations, overcrowding and limited resources may be measured by a different, somewhat more relaxed, standard if there is a great deal of energy and determination evident from the principal and staff.
  
  
• Also important is evidence that resources of the school are being well-used. Idle computers and labs do not offer strong support for a request for more computers.
  
  
• There is a strong preference for grants for resources that children can relate to, rather than sums of money, and also for grants that allow CFC's funds to go as far as they can go (e.g., through matching programs with other institutions), reaching as many students as possible in a meaningful way and/or the establishment of on-going relationships.
  
  
• There must be evidence that the school has genuine need relative to other schools, and the school must request a grant from CFC that would address its particular need in a substantial and meaningful way.

• “We feel very fortunate to have benefited from the generosity of Children for Children. The instruments will service the children of Manhattan Charter School for many years to come, and play a most important part in helping us achieve our goal of providing music education to all of our students.”
  - Principal, Manhattan Charter School
  
  
• “We at Passages Academy are honored to work with Children for Children and welcome future opportunities to connect with those working to “grow involved.”
  -Librarian, Passages Academy
  
  
• “[The books and library shelves] provided by Children for Children helped us develop motivated and independent readers and ultimately lifelong learners.”
  -Librarian, PS 158K

For more information, please contact CFC at: 212.850.4170 or email Rebecca Kraus at rkraus@childrenforchildren.org