• Target service delivery to populations with less access to resources, with priority given to programming for children.
• Recognize that providing basic human needs is the first step to assisting the most impoverished.
• Support preventative rather than intervening efforts by identifying the root cause of community issues which are preventing the growth of self-reliant and productive families.
• Understand the cultural diversity and values of the families residing in Fort Bend County.

To maximize its impact in serving Fort Bend County, the Trustees of The George Foundation have prioritized funding opportunities in support of family stability across the following areas:

Basic Needs

Programs serving vulnerable residents to equip them with the basic needs leading to family stability, including:

• Providing children a safe environment in which to participate in after school activities, including mentoring and recreational programs.
• Protecting children from abuse and neglect.
• Assisting vulnerable seniors in being healthy and independent, making it possible for them to remain safely within their communities.

Health and Wellness

Programs to assist in removing barriers and increasing access to health care for underinsured and uninsured residents (or underserved residents), specifically in the area of primary health.

Education

Programs to provide a multi-faceted approach to education in which all Fort Bend County residents benefit:

• promoting family involvement in education from early through secondary education.
• supporting professional development and resources for teachers.
• increasing educational opportunities for residents to address the full range of their abilities, such as English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), and workforce development programs to allow adults to become better equipped to become advocates for change within their communities.

Sense of Community

Programs that build community through consensus and development of partnerships that can be sustained by:

• building partnerships within low income neighborhoods to interconnect residents and assist them in building healthy communities with safe havens in which residents can play, study and participate in community activities.
• supporting the complex issues of immigrants by providing access to resources assisting them to better understand their individual community and the role they play in strengthening their communities through the growth of safe neighborhoods.