The Donald Driver Foundation has a Core Focus specializing in serving:
Through these initiatives the Donald Driver Foundation has helped hundreds of families escape from poverty, we have provided over 1,000 students with educational resources and nutritious meals and we have granted over $100,000 in scholarships. The Donald Driver Foundation strives to tackle this mission head on, working to provide the underprivileged with the necessary resources to succeed.
Funding requests are reviewed on an annual basis. Requests for funding from the Donald Driver Foundation must be received no later than October 31st to be considered for the following year. If you are submitting a nomination for the annual Driven to Achieve award, please click here.
Underprivileged Children and Families
As one of five children growing up in inner-city Houston, many times Donald Driver found himself wondering where he would lay his head at night. Because of the pain that these memories hold for him, he is highly dedicated to and passionate about helping underprivileged children and families.
As one of the foundation’s main missions, we work to find families who have gone through a difficult period and are taking the necessary steps to regain control of their lives. We believe in a “hand up”, not a “hand out”, and our families are carefully selected in conjunction with shelters and counselors who have helped them on this journey. We have been fortunate enough to reach out too several families in both Wisconsin and Texas.
The Foundation also supports Blessings in a Backpack. Donald Driver wore #80 for Green Bay which is fitting since $80 is what it takes to feed just one child in the Blessings program on the weekends for an entire 38-week school year!
The Blessings in a Backpack program is simple. A passionate parent, teacher, nurse, counselor, community advocate or corporate supporter elects to start the Blessings in a Backpack program in a local school Once a school is adopted, Blessings in a Backpack will provide the program framework for implementation.
The next step is to fundraise to support the number of children your program will feed. You will also need to gather volunteers to manage the weekly logistics of getting the food from the grocer to the school or facility where the backpacks will be loaded with food for distribution. Blessings in a Backpack donates all program backpacks raised through national partnerships and funding. We also connect adopters across the country so they can share ideas and successes and so that you can learn how to run your new program. 100% of all monies raised for a new or existing school program go directly to food purchased for the backpacks.
Health, Wellness and Safety
The Donald Driver Foundation has helped launch and support a number of programs and initiatives which support the well-being of our communities.
The Foundation supports American Red Cross, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, MACC Fund and a number of additional charities and programs who have a common goal of wellness. Donald Driver has also partnered with the state of Wisconsin to improve child safety in cars. As an advocate for WisDot Zero in Wisconsin traffic safety campaign, Donald Driver and his Foundation have helped improved the health and well-being of Wisconsin’s youth.
The Foundation has also launched physical fitness programs and camps to help promote exercise and activity within today’s youth. Donald Driver has helped lead annual training camps in Wisconsin, Texas and Mississippi. Camps have been free to the public and have helped support the GO! Get Out campaign which was started to fight obesity in children. The Foundation’s goal is to encourage families and children to lead healthier and more active lives. Camps led by Driver have provided families with fun, health-focused events and give incentives to combat against the increasing rate of childhood obesity.
Education and Career Development
The future of America is in the hands of our youth. Our mission is to not only love and care for our children, but to educate them and provide them with the tools to help reach their potential and make a difference as adults.
The Donald Driver Foundation understands that not all children are given the opportunities to get an advanced start on their education. Believing in the importance of education and knowledge, The Donald Driver Foundation has made education and career development a top imitative. To date, we have opened two computer labs in inner-city youth centers. These computers are available for school-aged children to help them with their homework. They are also equipped with special software to help pre-school aged children learn how to read.
The Donald Driver Foundation has also helped launch career development programs with our partner Goodwill Industries. Goodwill’s Workforce Connection Centers help bridge the gap between the job seeker and local companies. These centers offer job search assistance free of charge and no appointment is necessary. They provide an array of services, including resume assistance, workshops on interviewing, access to computers and other technology, job resources and on-site interviewing. bridge the gap between the job seeker and local companies. They also offer job search assistance free of charge and no appointment is necessary. Other services include resume assistance, workshops on interviewing, access to computers and other technology, job resources and on-site interviewing.
