Backpack to School
Funding Amount
Fully funded (backpacks fully packed with supplies provided)
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Other requirements
- Children in grades K–6
- Parents employed in senior healthcare communities that partner with Vital Life Foundation
Overview
Program Type: Employee family support and intergenerational community service
Backpack to School is a Vital Life Foundation initiative providing essential school supplies to children in grades K–6 whose parents work in senior healthcare communities. The program alleviates the financial strain of back-to-school shopping, which often exceeds $100 per child.
Program Statistics
- Since: 2008
- Backpacks Distributed: 25,000+
- Geographic Reach: 14+ states
- Partner Campuses: 100+ senior healthcare campuses and business collaborators
- 2024 Distribution Events: 30+ senior care communities hosted distribution parties
Program Components
- Backpack Supply: Fully packed with essential school supplies
- Employment Support: Works with community vendors to fill backpacks, supporting meaningful employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Community Celebrations: Annual backpack distribution parties where senior residents personally hand out fully supplied backpacks to children
- Intergenerational Connection: Creates opportunities for connection between aging adults and children, providing purposeful enrichment for seniors
Eligibility
- Children in grades K–6
- Parents employed in senior healthcare communities that partner with Vital Life Foundation
Contact Information
- Organization: Vital Life Foundation
- Address: 4560 SE International Way #100, Milwaukie, OR 97222
- Email: info@vitallifefoundation.org
- Phone: 971-206-5256
What Vital Life actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990 filing, 2024
- Grants in 2024
- 9
- Total given
- $626K
- Median grant
- $56K
- Range
- $10K–$204K
- By dollars: Oregon 74%, Colorado 16%, Nevada 9%. Top recipient cities: Portland, OR; Denver, CO; Carson City, NV.
Example grants
Friends of the Children · Portland, OR
$204K
Meals on Wheels · Portland, OR
$127K
Wish of a Lifetime · Denver, CO
$100K
Ronald McDonald House Charities · Portland, OR
$60K
Alzheimers Association · Portland, OR
$56K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Education
- K-12 schools
- Developmental disabilities
- Family services
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