Campaign, which has raised 79 percent of its goal, funds Little Bit’s ‘Project Graduation’ initiative and building capacity needs.

The Little Bit Foundation (Little Bit), a St. Louis-based nonprofit working to empower under-resourced students to succeed in the classroom and beyond, has announced the public phase of its campaign to impact the educational outcomes of students in the Riverview Gardens School District (RGSD). To date, Little Bit has raised $6.6 million from individual, institutional and corporate donors, 77 percent of its $8.4 million campaign goal.

Launched early in 2018, the Impact Campaign fuels the most ambitious initiative of the nearly 20-year organization. Through the initiative – called Project Graduation – Little Bit has adopted all 13 schools in RGSD and created a continuum of support (from early education through high school) with programs and partnerships that address basic needs, enrich learning and open doors to opportunities often out of reach for students in underserved communities. The aim is to help students stay on track for graduation and graduate college, career or military ready, as well as create a model for other school communities working towards educational equity. Little Bit and RGSD will be recognized with a Community Development Award for Project Graduation at the North County Inc. Annual Breakfast on Sept. 18.  

“Ensuring every child has equal opportunity for success has been the driving force behind Little Bit’s efforts from our start,” says Rosemary Hanley, Little Bit CEO and Co-Founder. “The time to level the playing field for our predominantly Black school communities is now (really, long overdue) and it begins with creating school environments where barriers outside of the classroom aren’t hindering success in the classroom, and where students are provided grade-level resources and real-world experiences.”

Specifically, Little Bit is focused on supporting students in three key areas:

Basic needs, such as food, clothing, health and wellness

Academic enrichment through literacy and STEM programming, tutoring, test preparation, mentoring and more

Career readiness through skills training, career exploration, work study and more

(Little Bit has pivoted this programming to virtual and non-contact delivery during COVID-19.)

Hanley says that the purpose of the Impact Campaign also is to fund the payment and renovation of its building in Brentwood. Little Bit moved into the space in 2017 to accommodate much larger operations needed for Project Graduation. The “fixer upper,” as Hanley calls it, requires some upgrades for more efficiency and productivity, she says.

Major contributors to the campaign so far include Civic Progress, Centene, Dana Brown Charitable Trust, the Mabee Foundation, Cigna and Ameren Missouri. “Someone needs to start the conversation with kids in poverty about their futures; they have to know people care,” says D-Lori Newsome-Pitts, Manager, Corporate Contributions and Community Initiatives for Ameren Missouri. “Project Graduation changes the game, puts muscle behind altering the trajectory. Also, from a corporation standpoint, we are going to need to develop a more diverse workforce, so it’s a no-brainer. Our future CEO may be among these kids.”

“We have been awed by our donors’ vision and support during the quiet phase of this campaign and hopeful that the public phase will deliver equally impactful results,” says Hanley. “It’s time for change.”