The Fund for Greater Hartford, a private, independent foundation, believes in the power of stakeholders working together to ensure children in our region are academically and socially proficient. The Fund provides thought leadership and financial support to nonprofit organizations and collaborations that apply best practices to their work and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Specifically, The Fund for Greater Hartford believes that every child deserves a strong foundation in which to grow and develop. We know from research that children who reach age-appropriate developmental milestones enter kindergarten with the skills needed to learn and grow socially. We understand the importance of children reading on grade level through grade 3 and how this empowers a child to use reading to learn academically. We also understand that students in fourth grade through graduation need different kinds of support that allow them to develop their own sense of independence and self-esteem; two traits of success that will carry them through and beyond their high school years.