Donnell-Kay Foundation

Our Work: Projects

The Donnell-Kay Foundation (DKF) is interested in Colorado's public education system, providing thoughtful research, dialogue and critical thinking in the development of creative and systemic ideas to strengthen and improve schools.

The staff at Donnell-Kay are doing research and supporting projects that touch much of the education world. Read below for more details on specific projects, grantees and contact information. For general information, please email Director of Communications Kristina Tabor.

We do not accept grant proposals but make investments on an individual basis. A few organizations we supported recently include the Colorado Department of Education, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, and the Public Education and Business Coalition.

Current & Ongoing

Blended Learning
DK is excited to be involved in the innovative and changing world of blended learning, which combines the traditional "brick and mortar" experience with the ever-increasing array of online learning opportunities. Ultimately, it will provide all students with countless options for getting a great education. DK has twice hosted the Colorado Summit on Blended Learning and is planning meetings for 2012. Read More.

Blended learning programs supported in-part by DK include iNACOL.

School Finance Partnership
DK and Executive Director Tony Lewis are supporting an effort to rewrite the School Finance Act in Colorado. The Colorado Children's Campaign is leading up the project, with a number of statewide partners. Visit the Partnership’s website for more details.

Youth Off-Track To Graduation
DK believes that all students deserve a high quality education - ensuring they graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. For those students most at risk of not graduating, the foundation wants to make sure there is alternative access to high quality educational options.

Kim Knous-Dolan is the point person for this project, creating partnerships in the nonprofit community and within school districts. She is working to form a regional strategy for solving the problem, as well as increasing knowledge and understanding of programs that are already successful.

Reports & Research:

Working Statewide to Boost Graduation Rates.

Better High Schools and Early Warning System Technical Assistance

NGA Report: State Policies to Reengage Dropouts

DK: Answering the Call: A Report on Colorado's High School Dropouts (Fall 2010)
DK: A Call to Action Report (Fall 2009)

Programs DK supports include Colorado Youth for a Change, Colorado Children's Campaign, the Colorado League of Charter Schools, and the Colorado Graduates Initiative (see more below)

School Turnarounds
DK has a continuing interest in turnaround schools. In January 2011, the foundation funded a report by Public Impact on improvements and obstacles to school turnarounds in Colorado.

School Innovation
DK has helped support some of Denver's innovative schools, including the Odyssey School, Venture Prep, and West Denver Prep.

School Leadership
"Recruiting, developing, and supporting the most talented school leaders are enormous leverage points to ensure highly effective schools," says Kim Knous-Dolan at the Donnell-Kay Foundation. She supports policies, practices, and programs that seek to increase the likelihood that talented individuals will successfully lead schools.

One example is Get Smart Schools, which is working to develop a robust school leadership program aimed at leaders opening new charter schools and autonomous schools in the Denver area.

Dolan also is working to ensure that talented school leadership comes to Denver Public Schools and other metro area districts. She believes it takes a strategic and comprehensive approach build leaders, and that process gives districts a competitive advantage for long-term success. These strong leaders are needed not only in traditional schools, but for innovation and turnaround schools as well.

DPS Enrollment Project
In partnership with Denver Public Schools, Get Smart Schools and several other non-profits, we hired a national consultant to analyze the current choice policies at DPS. Currently, the project is in implementation, a process that will lay out new choice policies for the district.

Other Work

Colorado Graduates Initiative
The Colorado Graduates Initiative was an effort to accelerate action toward the goal of reducing the state's dropout rate in half over the next ten years. Colorado has a recognized problem getting all young people to succeed in high school and community, state leaders, school leaders and the public are beginning to commit to ensuring that more students graduate from high school, that fewer students dropout, and that all young people get an education that prepares them for future success. Read More.

Competency-Based Summit
We planned a competency-based pathways summit in early 2011 to explore how states and districts can move from "seat time" to "proficiency" for student graduation.

Early Childhood Education
Donnell-Kay wanted to increase the number of high-quality, sustainable and affordable charter school-based early childhood education (ECE) centers for infants, toddlers, and preschool children in Colorado. Read More.

Better Food for Better Schools
Helping create healthy schools has been a high priority for the foundation. Charter schools now have the opportunity to opt out of their district food service programs and become entities that will be able to process reimbursements for students receiving free or reduced price lunches. Revolution Foods, a California-based company, began serving healthy, freshly prepared meals to charter schools students across the metro area in the fall of 2009. Additionally, we have partnered with the Colorado Health Foundation and others to increase the supply of school-based health services for all children.

Envision Schools Colorado becomes Venture Prep
Two schools are better than one! Envision Leadership Prep and Denver Venture School joined to become Venture Prep -- a free, rigorous, public school whose mission is to prepare all 6-12 grade students for college and career success. Read More.

Colorado Summit on Blended Learning - March 2010
Click here for more information about the summit and panelists. Click here for the agenda. Read more. Contact: Matt Samelson

Fall 2009 Symposiums
On September 29-30, 2009, we partnered with the School of Public Affairs at UCD and others in hosting two symposiums: "How to effectively manage a portfolio of schools within a school district." and "What should be done about Colorado's low performing charter schools?" Read more.

Green Schools Seminar - April 2008:
We co-hosted this seminar about high performance school building design and construction and how these schools are more productive learning environments. Read More.

DPS Blueprint - New School Development and Beyond:
A primary area of focus for the Donnell-Kay Foundation is to help facilitate the creation of new, smaller, high-performing schools that effectively serve students. Read More.

Conversation 2007:
Conversation 2007 was an opportunity for all Coloradoans to help shape the future of Colorado education - preschool through graduate school - by engaging in a series of guided conversations with members of the community and elected representatives. Read More.

Trujillo Commission on Online Education:
In February 2007, the Commission released its final findings and recommendations. Read More

Crumbling Classrooms:
According to one study, 88% of Colorado's schools are not in good physical condition. The schools we depend on to house, protect and educate our children are, in some cases literally, crumbling and Colorado needs $4.7 billion to bring its schools into good condition. Read More.

Manual High School Reorganization:
Denver Public Schools closed and reopened Manual High School after recognizing that it suffered from low academic achievement, declining enrollment, and lack of available resources for students. Read More.