New Hampshire Tomorrow

Strong, thriving kids grow into thriving adults who contribute to prosperous and healthy communities.

But right now, too many of our kids never have that chance.

Contrary to our cherished myths about social mobility, if you are born poor in the United States, you are increasingly likely to stay poor. For children of color who are born poor, the likelihood of staying poor is even greater. This is not how the American Dream is supposed to work.

Thousands of kids from struggling families lack access to everything from high-quality early childhood care and education to advanced placement classes in high school and enrichment activities. They are less likely to go to college, less able to get good jobs and less ready to contribute to communities.

This is the trend that world-renowned sociologist Robert Putnam has labeled the “opportunity gap.”

Together, we can — and we must — reverse these trends. This is not only a social obligation — it is an economic imperative.

Vastly unequal access to opportunity threatens New Hampshire’s long-term economic and social well-being. Income inequality in the U.S. has reached its highest levels in more than five decades, and New Hampshire is among the states where disparities are growing the fastest.

If we are to maintain our status as one of the best states in the country for children and families, all of our kids must have the chance to reach their full potential.

Together, we can make that happen.

Overall, New Hampshire does very well by our kids. But too frequently, the ZIP code a child lives in — or the education of her parents, the color of her skin, the structure of her family — plays an outsized role in predicting her success. And New Hampshire’s opportunity gap is widening. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 11 percent of kids in New Hampshire (or 27,000) are living in poverty — up from 6 percent in 2000. (Under federal guidelines, a family of four with an income of $25,750 is considered to be in poverty.) And 43,000 of our kids, or 27 percent, are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunch. In some districts, more than half of all kids qualify.

Our kids struggle in other areas, too: New Hampshire’s young people have among the highest rates of substance use in the country, and our college students graduate with the nation’s highest debt load. But there are proven solutions. We know that when kids have access to a range of opportunities throughout their lives, they are able to thrive and to become adults who sustain their communities.

TAKING ACTION
To increase youth opportunity, the Foundation is investing in four proven areas: early childhood development; family and youth supports; substance use prevention, treatment and recovery; and education and career pathways. Each area of investment aligns with work being done by the public sector, nonprofits, education and business. Each area of this important work needs generous donor support.

To achieve the goals of New Hampshire Tomorrow, the Foundation has made a commitment to invest at least $100 million over a decade in grants and scholarships, to build and support multisector coalitions and to advance sensible public policy.

And — because the resources, partnerships and action needed to make lasting change are far greater than one community foundation could provide — those funds and efforts are being multiplied with additional resources from local and national partners.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Working together, we can increase opportunities for New Hampshire’s kids. New Hampshire has the resources, the relationships and the long tradition of bipartisan cooperation needed to narrow the opportunity gap and increase mobility from poverty. Please join us with your best ideas, your energy, commitment, voices and resources to make sure that every one of our children has access to the opportunities they need to thrive. For our kids. For New Hampshire tomorrow.

      Read our New Hampshire Tomorrow publication

      Read our New Hampshire Tomorrow 2020 Progress Report

Please join us to ensure that all of New Hampshire’s kids have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Together, we can build a stronger New Hampshire tomorrow.

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