Creating Momentum for Children’s Success

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation is a private family foundation created by Mr. Dick Schulze, founder of Best Buy. Fueled by the generosity of Mr. Schulze and his family, and by their commitment to support the communities where they lived and built the company, the Foundation partners with grantees to create meaningful, measurable outcomes in the areas of health, education and human services.

To encourage the Twin Cities community to invest in the next generation of Minnesotans, and to recognize the quality of YWCA Early Childhood Education programs, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation has offered generous support in the form of a scholarship challenge grant. If YWCA raises $250,000 for Early Childhood Education, the Schulze Family Foundation will provide an additional $250,000. Read on to learn more about The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and the challenge grant.

How did the Foundation first become interested in supporting early childhood education?

The Foundation understands that creating access to high-quality early childhood programs has multiple positive outcomes. First, with 90 percent of brain development happening by the time a child reaches the age of 5, we understand the critical importance of children receiving high-quality learning opportunities consistently and at the earliest ages. Second, we know that access to affordable, high-quality child care makes a big difference in many families' ability to work, live stably and thrive. Finally, the Foundation is interested in improving educational outcomes, and we know that children who enter kindergarten with the cognitive, social and emotional skills they need to succeed do better throughout their time in school.

Why did you choose to partner with YWCA Minneapolis through supporting our Early Childhood Education program?

YWCA Minneapolis achieves impressive outcomes in its early childhood programs, in a supportive, safe environment designed to serve children appropriately throughout their early development. YWCA participates in rigorous assessments of its programs and curriculum, ensuring that the children in its care are receiving the best start possible. Based on their commitments to excellence and assessment, we are confident that an investment in YWCA's early learning programs will create meaningful positive outcomes in the lives of children, families and communities.

What do you hope this challenge grant will accomplish?

In issuing this challenge grant, we hope many others will step up and join us in this strategic investment. We hope this challenge grant will create momentum around YWCA's fundraising efforts for its early childhood programs, and we hope that new donors to this cause will appreciate the importance of high quality early learning programs in our community. And finally, we hope that in meeting this challenge grant, YWCA will deploy the $500,000 they've raised to provide many more children access to their early learning programs, thereby setting each of those children on a path toward their best success.To learn more about the Foundation and its work, visit schulzefamilyfoundation.org.Learn more about the Learn and Grow Scholarship FundDonate to the Learn and Grow Scholarship Fund