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On October 15, 1941, just weeks before the United States’ entry into World War II, our founder, W.K. Kellogg, reflected on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s (WKKF) first decade of impact. Considering the foundation’s early accomplishments, he wrote:
“It has given me a great deal of satisfaction to feel that the contributions of the foundation will help children everywhere face the future more confidently, healthier in mind and body, and more secure in the trust of this country and institutions.”
Mr. Kellogg penned these words with remarkable conviction, considering the challenges facing children and families at the time. By the decade’s start, much of Europe was already at war, and both global stability and confidence in democratic institutions were under severe strain. Many Americans, still reeling from the aftershocks of the Great Depression, had lost trust in public institutions and grown increasingly concerned about the future their children would inherit.
Despite this turmoil, Mr. Kellogg maintained two unwavering beliefs: one, that investments in education, civic life and community could serve as bulwarks against instability; and two, that helping children grow up with confidence in themselves, their country and its institutions was both urgent and possible.
He was right.
For the better part of a century marked by many historic challenges, the foundation has helped countless communities strengthen and sustain the systems children and families need to thrive. During wartime and periods of social unrest, including the Great Depression and the Great Recession, the Kellogg Foundation has worked alongside communities as they have tackled their biggest challenges.
Today, the Kellogg Foundation is once again helping communities shape their own futures during a moment of profound uncertainty. In the last decade, trust in our institutions has plummeted and divisions of all kinds have widened, making it difficult for people to unite around a shared understanding of current challenges—let alone begin the work of solving them.
In this moment, the value of our community-driven efforts has never been more apparent. That work begins by breaking down the barriers that separate us and fostering the relationships people need to find common ground. Our long-term approach ensures these connections can continue to grow and evolve over time, regardless of the environment. Our experience—over the last year and nearly a century preceding it—has demonstrated that with mutual trust and collaboration, progress is possible even in the most challenging times.
Today, my fellow trustees are as committed as ever to the work of community-led transformation. Together with our partners and grantees, and empowered by the vision of our founder, we will continue investing in a world where every child can thrive.
In 2025, as our communities confronted a raft of challenges and change, we doubled down on our commitment to delivering results for children and families. Our deep relationships and long-term investments helped our staff and community partners continue their work in the face of uncertainty while adapting in real time to meet emerging needs.
From Michigan to Mississippi, New Mexico to New Orleans, and Mexico to Haiti, the Kellogg Foundation’s investments helped more than 60,000 individuals and families gain access to transformative job training, early learning, health services and financial support. Several of our partners achieved major milestones, from record enrollment in high-quality pre-K to nationally recognized gains in early literacy to reductions in maternal mortality. At the national level, WKKF backed efforts that expanded child care facilities through innovative real estate financing, grew apprenticeship pathways in education and health care, integrated early development into pediatric care, and supported cross-sector partnerships improving food access and community health across states.
Taken together, this progress demonstrates the power of the foundation’s community-driven approach in catalyzing solutions that create lasting impact.
Another highlight of the year was the opportunity to connect directly with grantees and see their transformational work firsthand. In 2025, we had the privilege of meeting with several of WKKF’s partners to learn about how they are improving education systems, strengthening public health systems, supporting their immigrant neighbors, and more.
Our visits with grantees underscored a truth Mr. Kellogg observed nearly a century ago: that communities have the answers to their own challenges and just need resources to make them a reality. Seeing all the creative ways our grantees are leveraging WKKF resources to galvanize change reinforced the importance of listening to and learning from those closest to the work. I know I speak for my fellow trustees when I say we are looking forward to learning from more of our grantees in 2026.
As I complete my second year as board chair, I am once again filled with gratitude for my fellow trustees, our extraordinary domestic and international staff and the steadfast leadership of our President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron. Together with our global network of grantees and fellows, our foundation is delivering on Mr. Kellogg’s founding charge to improve the health, happiness and well-being of all children—one child, family and community at a time.
While the challenges we face today may feel unprecedented in scope and scale, as a nearly 100-year-old institution, we have the benefit of a long-term perspective. Our nation has faced instability, unrest and division before. Yet, at every turn, through investment and visionary community leadership, we have always found a way forward. That’s why, even as we grapple with a new era of uncertainty, we are ready to face the future with confidence—hand-in-hand with the communities we serve.