Irving-based NEC Foundation of America, the charitable giving fund of the NEC Corporation of America, has announced its 2023 grant recipients. With the grants, the foundation is dedicating more than $500,000 to Dallas-area schools and non-profit programs.

Since 1991, the NEC Foundation of America’s mission has been “to contribute to the creation of social value and help advance human potential through technology and innovative giving programs.” This year’s grantees include both new and long-standing community partners, chosen based on “measurable community impact as well as demonstrated dedication to the foundation’s core pillars of education, health and human services, environmental stewardship and community wellbeing.”

This year’s grant recipients are:

• Catch Up & Read – Herbert Marcus Elementary School (Dallas)
• Dallas Education Foundation – Book vending machines and student home library program (Dallas)
• FC Dallas Foundation – STEAM FC, powered by NEC (Frisco)
• Susan G. Komen – 3-Day Walk (National)
• UT Dallas – Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum (Dallas)
• Young Women’s Preparatory Network – Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School (Dallas)

“NEC understands its responsibility to support organizations on the front lines of caring for the communities we work and live in each day,” Ken Wilson, VP of Strategic Planning for NEC and VP of the  NEC Foundation of America, said in a statement. “Our 2023 grant recipients exemplify the immense dedication it takes to keep our communities thriving. We’re proud of the work they’ve done, and we look forward to supporting the continuation of that work through the foundation this year.”

Longtime support for many of this year’s recipients

NEC Foundation goes way back with many of this year’s recipients, having long provided funding, donations, internships, and volunteer support. It has worked with Herbert Marcus Elementary School’s Catch Up & Read program to give students the reading foundation they need to succeed in school and life. The foundation co-founded the STEAM FC educational field trip program alongside the FC Dallas Foundation. And it has provided funding, internships, and upgraded technology for the Young Women’s Preparatory Network and Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School.

Changing the world by giving underserved students a boost in STEM

Lynn McBee, CEO of the Young Women’s Preparatory Network, says NEC’s “generous financial contributions” have enabled her network’s students “to plan careers in STEM fields at a rate that is four times higher than the national average.”

“Their support provides these young women with hands-on learning experiences, access to cutting-edge tools, relevant internships and mentoring and highly trained teachers, all of which are essential for pursuing STEM degrees with confidence,” McBee said in a statement. “Thanks to NEC’s investment in our mission, our previously underserved students become highly qualified college graduates who are ready to make a positive impact on the world. Their partnership changes the world.”

Dallas Education Foundation is foundation’s newest grant recipient

NEC Foundation said its newest recipient is the Dallas Education Foundation, whose executive director, Mita Havlick, more than welcomed the partnership.

“We are beyond grateful and thrilled to partner with NEC Foundation,” Havlick said in a statement. “This donation to advance literacy is a continuation of the company’s long-term support of the students of Dallas ISD, and we know that NEC Foundation’s investment in this program will have direct impact by creating a positive connection between students and reading material, cultivating a love of learning, and promoting parent engagement.”

Exploration for next round of funding is slated for this fall

This year’s round of funding has concluded, NEC said, but it aims to engage with new potential community partners during its next round of funding this fall. For more information, you can visit NECFoundation.org or reach out to the foundation directly at [email protected].

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