Overview

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 by breakfast cereal pioneer W.K. Kellogg, who defined its purpose as “…administering funds for the promotion of the welfare, comfort, health, education, feeding, clothing, sheltering and safeguarding of children and youth, directly or indirectly, without regard to sex, race, creed or nationality.…” To guide current and future trustees and staff, he said, “Use the money as you please so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children.”

The foundation receives its income primarily from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trust, which was set up by Mr. Kellogg. In addition to its diversified portfolio, the trust continues to own substantial equity in the Kellogg Company. While the company and the foundation have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, the foundation is governed by its own independent board of trustees. The foundation receives its income primarily from the trust’s investments.

Over the years, the Kellogg Foundation’s programming has continued to evolve, striving to remain innovative and responsive to the ever-changing needs of society. Today, the organization ranks among the world’s largest private foundations, awarding grants in the United States, Mexico and Haiti.

Mission

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.

Vision

We envision a nation that marshals its resources to assure that all children have an equitable and promising future – a nation in which all children thrive.

Values

The work of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is imbued with these values:

• We believe in helping people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations. 
• We believe all people have the inherent capacity to effect change in their lives, in their organizations, and in their communities. We respect individuals and value their collective interests, strengths and cultures. 
• We believe stewardship requires fidelity to the spirit and to the intent of the founder, and the wise use of resources. We believe in being responsible, prudent, selfless and exercising good judgment. 
• We believe innovation of thought and action leads to enduring and positive change in both formal and informal systems. 
• We value integrity of purpose and action, and believe it is essential to all of our affairs.

History & Legacy

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s mission, work and values are rooted in the experience and perspective of our founder, Will Keith Kellogg. To understand the former, it is helpful to know something of the latter.

• The First Eleven Years
• The First Twenty-Five Years
• The First Half-Century

Early Life

W.K. Kellogg was born April 7, 1860, to Michigan pioneer parents, Seventh Day Adventists who valued modesty, healthy living and hard work. Those attributes also describe much of Mr. Kellogg's life and interests.

Mr. Kellogg went to work in the family broom business at age 14, quitting school after teachers mistook his then-undiagnosed vision problems (which ultimately left him nearly blind) for lack of intellect. At age 20, he joined his brother, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, at the Battle Creek Sanitarium (the “San”), then a leading health spa. Often working as many as 120 hours a week, he filled positions from errand boy to business manager.

In one such role, working one night in the San's kitchen to find a digestible substitute for bread, Mr. Kellogg accidentally let stand a batch of boiled wheat. By morning, the wheat had turned to flakes, which became the basis for Corn Flakes and, in 1906, the Kellogg Company.

While Mr. Kellogg became one of the world's wealthiest men, he was never quite comfortable in that role (on being told he'd become a millionaire, he responded, "I am no such thing!") and felt obligated to use his fortune to benefit others. As early as 1909, he wrote, "If I am successful in getting out of debt, and become prosperous, I expect to make good use of any wealth that may come to me.”

With the foundation he established in 1930 – originally named the W.K. Kellogg Child Welfare Foundation – he proved true to his word, instructing the staff to, “Use the money as you please so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children.”

Stewardship

The Kellogg Foundation shares our founder’s commitment to stewardship.

We are stewards of both W.K. Kellogg’s legacy and of the public’s trust. (Happily, the two are highly compatible.) To retain that trust, we are obligated to manage our assets efficiently and effectively. And we seek to be as transparent as possible about what we support and how we account for our expenditures.

The foundation’s vision, mission and values guide our strategic planning and our everyday decision-making. There are also clear directives to help our trustees, officers and staff members uphold the legal and ethical standards essential to our work. Please consult the topics and policies listed to learn more about how the Kellogg Foundation governs itself as it works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

“It is my hope that the property that kind Providence has brought me may be helpful to many others and that I may be found a faithful steward.”

• Governance
• Code of Ethics
• Conflict of Interest
• Reporting Illegal or Unethical Conduct