The Kellner Family Foundation publishes 2015 Annual Report: Over CZK 88 million donated to philanthropic causes

The overwhelming majority of the grants provided by The Kellner Family Foundation are channelled into support for the education of children and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The Kellner Family Foundation donated approximately 90% of the total distributed funds for this purpose in 2015.

The Kellner Family Foundation’s core projects continue to include grants for Open Gate students; grants under the Universities project, which helps Czech students acquire knowledge and skills at prestigious universities in the Czech Republic and around the world; grants under the Helping Schools Succeed project, which is focused on improving the quality of teaching at public elementary schools; and grants under the Science project, which sponsors research by Czech scientists.

The Open Gate grammar school had 215 students at the end of 2015. The Kellner Family Foundation grants were provided to 94 of them, to a total amount of CZK 39 million. “I am delighted that Open Gate students not only passively receive the gifts but also proactively volunteer to help others and often initiate charitable drives themselves. For example, in 2015, the Run & Help event devised at Open Gate was joined by another 30 schools, institutions and groups,” said Renáta Kellnerová, Chairwoman of The Kellner Family Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

In the current school year, 52 students are receiving grants under the Universities project: 12 new students have been admitted to the programme, and 40 grantees continue at universities in higher years. Sixteen grantees graduated last year, mostly with excellent results.

The Helping Schools Succeed team selected three new schools in a challenging application process last year, extending this project into eight regions in total. In 2015, the programme provided support to some 400 teachers and, through their participation, to more than 6,000 students in ten schools across the Czech Republic.

In addition to its own projects, in 2015 The Kellner Family Foundation also allocated funds to individual gifts. Among its many endeavours, it supported the Logic Olympiad held by Mensa Czech Republic; the Prague Student Summit; the publication of the Zámeček [Little Chateau] magazine; and a talented pianist’s Tomas Kaca studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, U.S.