Acquired Knowledge & Wisdom
News & Reports

2019 Annual Report

Acquired Knowledge & Wisdom

In 2019, the J.W. Couch Foundation focused on education, partnering with Portfolio School to expand personalized, project-based learning and DonorsChoose.org to support teachers and classrooms directly. When Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, the Foundation backed World Central Kitchen, which served over 1.5 million meals to affected families.

Preservation

Preservation

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Education

Education

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Wellness

Wellness

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Annual Letter

There has never been a greater sense of urgency around the globe to solve daunting dilemmas. Never the less, we can find resolutions if we choose to unite more communities around a common goal. Since we started a few years ago, we have helped numerous teams across various areas of focus: preservation, education, and wellness. Each year we serendipitously focus on one area more so than others. In 2019, education became our most significant focus and acquiring wisdom from critical influencers and industry leaders.


We learned that our current traditional one-size-fits-all educational model that was born during the industrial age is not meeting the needs of our new, rapidly evolving knowledge-based economy. The next generation deserves a personalized educational experience that better equips them with the skills, values, and knowledge they need to thrive in a new modern world. We sought to help this problem by partnering with the Portfolio School team, who are expanding their cutting edge project-based learning curriculum to more students and teachers across the country. 


As education approaches a monumental rehaul, our focus turned to teachers. Our stewards of knowledge must receive exceptional support to help future generations. Passionate, motivating, effective teachers are the foundation of quality education; and quality education opens the doors to a lifetime of opportunity. The team at Donorschoose.org was the perfect partner to help teachers and their classrooms directly. 


As the year progressed, our focus shifted to the headlines of other pressing needs. Historical storms ravaged communities, and countless people lost their homes to growing natural disasters. Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 with wind gusts up to 220 miles per hour and powered a 20-foot wall of water into the community. Parts of the island nation are still in ruins, and thousands remain displaced. Unsure were to start in the face of such destruction; we helped support the World Central Kitchen, who has to date served over 1.5 million meals to families affected by the hurricane. 


As 2019 came to a close, we felt compelled by more climate change headlines and the urgency upon us to act now. We look to start the next decade with sharper focus and a greater emphasis on problems that will have resounding impacts on future generations. We will be looking for more community leaders and influencers who share our renewed passion for focussing on the growing climate issues. No matter the size of your organization or if you're a for-profit, non-profit, or budding social entrepreneur, we will be searching for you and how we can unify more communities to solve the most daunting challenges. 


We hope that you continue to follow and support us. Onward to new wondrous beginnings. 

May Good Fortune Follow You,

Sean W. Couch

President & Co-Trustee

Jesse W. Couch

Jesse W. Couch

1921 – 2015

By the Numbers

Grants by Pillar — 2019

Total awarded per focus area

No grant data available.

Total Awarded Over Time — Through 2019

Cumulative grant dollars per year

No award data available.

J.W. Couch Foundation

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