Six ways the Foundation bridges the gap.
When an agency or caseworker can't get a need met through traditional sources, they call the Poshard Foundation. Here's where that funding goes.
Crisis funding, no waiting on a grant cycle
Car seats, beds, school supplies, clothing, personal care items, trauma treatment, counseling and medical needs — funded directly for children in crisis when no other resource is available. Agencies and caseworkers throughout the southern third of Illinois work directly with the Foundation to request support.
A tree with something under it
Each December, the Foundation distributes thousands of brand-new toys and gifts to hundreds of identified abused, abandoned and neglected children across roughly 20 Southern Illinois counties. The 2024 giveaway reached 700 children; the program has grown steadily since 215 children were served in its first year, 2015. Children are identified by agency caseworkers — it is not a public giveaway.
Nutrition, not just calories
The Foundation provides annual grants — typically over $100,000 a year — to dozens of area food pantries, with one condition: the money goes toward fresh, nutritious food for families with children, not just canned surplus.
For students who overcame childhood adversity
Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships to students from regional community colleges enrolling at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, prioritizing applicants who have overcome a background of abuse or adversity as children.
Equipping the people on the front line
In partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois and others, the Foundation funds no-cost trainings at John A. Logan College for social workers, teachers and outreach staff — on topics from trauma-informed care to the effects of domestic abuse and substance exposure on children.
Bricks and mortar where they're needed
From a 6,000 sq. ft. shelter for women and children in Cairo to renovations at the Night's Shield/Roan Center and Centerstone's children's wing in Carbondale, the Foundation has helped fund lasting facilities — often supplemented by donated labor-union work.
28 agencies, one afternoon
Every April, representatives from agencies across Southern Illinois gather at John A. Logan College as the Foundation distributes its Prevention Month grants in person. Recent recipients have included:
Work with an agency that serves abused or at-risk children in Southern Illinois? Get in touch about requesting support.