Mission
The mission of Children First Utah (CFU) is to increase access to quality educational opportunities for children in low-income families by providing tuition assistance to private schools.

Program Highlights
Since the inception of the program:

• A total of 704 scholarships have been awarded.
• $2.2 million has been invested in quality education:
      $1.2 million from parents’ contribution
      $1 million from funds raised at CFU

Last year:

• CFU received 1,044 applications and had funds to offer 228 scholarships.
• The average tuition cost per child was $3,316; of that, the CFU scholarship award averaged $1,452 and the families’ portion averaged $1,864.

Family Demographics
Socio-Economic Status
Average Family Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,167
At or below poverty level. . ($18,400 or below) . . . . . . . 40%
Very low-income . . . . . . . . ($18,401 - 23,000) . . . . . . . 28%
Low-income . . . . . . . . . . . . ($23,001-34,039) . . . . . . . . 30%
Moderate Income. . . . . . . . ($34,040 or above) . . . . . . . . 2%

Ethnicity
Caucasian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67%
Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23%
Native American. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6%
African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3%
Asian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%

Household Composition
Two parent household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53%
Single parent household. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43%
Guardian household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4%

School Composition% of Students Attending
Academic . . . . . . . 44% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39%
Catholic. . . . . . . . . 21% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26%
Lutheran . . . . . . . . 10% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6%
LDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9%. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13%
Baptist . . . . . . . . . . . 4% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3%
Others . . . . . . . . . . 12% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13%

Counties Served
Salt Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45%
Utah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17%
Weber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%
Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13%
Washington . . . . . . . . . . . .6%
Box Elder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3%
Cache. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%

Financial Report
Revenues
Grants and Contributions. . . . . . . . . . . .$ 614,178 . . . . . . . . . . . 100%
ExpensesScholarships. . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 360, 764 . . . . . . . . . . . . 59%
Reserves for 2005-06
continuing scholarships. . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 156,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 61,439. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Program Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 35,580 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6%
Occupancy
Professional Fees
Fundraising
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 613,783. . . . . . . . . . . . 100%

Message from the Executive Director
I enthusiastically accepted the position of executive director with Children First Utah a year ago. It has truly been exciting to become part of a team that understands the value of offering children of low-income families equal access to a quality education. The power of education shaped my own life at an early age as I watched my mom struggle to raise five children. Education was the center of our lives. It offered a future of opportunities, transforming our lives and lifting us out of poverty. I couldn’t have found a better fit in Children First Utah—giving me the chance to offer disadvantaged families, desperate to improve their children’s circumstances, the same opportunities a quality education has afforded me.

I am inspired by the stories I hear from the families participating in the program. The daily sacrifices families make reflect the important role education plays in their lives. To pay for their half of the tuition costs, these families choose to delay homeownership, drive older cars and live without so many of the extras many of us consider essentials. I am humbled by their commitment and dedication, and proud to work on their behalf!

Our ability to help 225 children last year is a reflection of the unwavering commitment of our board members. Since the inception of the program in 2000 they have worked diligently to ensure our mission is carried out with integrity and efficiency. They are determined to see this program expand to ensure that all of the children on our waiting list have access to the educational solutions they need. I am honored to work under their leadership and thank them for their clear vision and ongoing support.

As we embark on a new school year I want to thank all of you for your wonderful generosity. Because of you we have come this far. Without you we cannot go any further. Thank you for considering our cause worthy of your support. I invite you all to continue as a part of our team in this life-changing endeavor.

Leah Barker

Letter from the Founder
For generations in America, education has been the ladder by which poor immigrants of every nation have overcome humble beginnings to excel. Most who have achieved a measure of upward mobility can point to access to a good education.

In today’s society, however, it is only those with means to live in nice neighborhoods who are able to attend safe and reasonably successful schools. Lower income children, on the other hand, are condemned to attend underperforming and often unsafe schools. Evidence of this can be seen in test scores. In Utah, for example, the test scores of African American and Hispanic children are consistently less than half of those of white children. In a nation founded on the notion that "all men are created equal", and matured through the civil rights movement, this inequality must not be.

When I first became aware of the disparity in educational opportunity and its potential to divide us, I decided to do something. While I realized one person alone couldn’t help the thousands of children trapped in failing schools, I believed I could at least start helping these children today, one at a time. Thus was born Children First Utah, a charitable organization providing half-tuition scholarships to low-income families.

The results of our efforts have been gratifying. We’ve helped over 700 hundred children pursue a quality education. The children receiving our scholarships gain self-confidence as they see what they can become. One third-grader recently wrote that he was glad to attend his new school so he wouldn’t grow up to be a waiter; instead, he planned to be an engineer.

On behalf of the families and especially the children of Utah, for whom you have made quality education a reality, I thank you. I firmly believe that there is no place your dollars could have had greater impact for good. In this first annual report we celebrate all we have accomplished together and the great beginning we have made in the effort to save, one by one, the thousands of children who need our help. Your support has made this possible.

Jordan Clements

Contact Information
Children First Utah
455 East South Temple
Suite 101
Salt Lake CityUtah 84111801-363-0946

Here are the startling demographic realities in Utah’s public schools:

• Utah’s school-age population is exploding, expecting an increase of 140,000 new students over the next decade.
• In Utah, approximately half of Latinos fail to graduate from High School.
• Last year in Utah, 58% of American Indian, 54% of Hispanic, and 47% of Black students failed core curriculum tests.
• Only 11.5% of low income students in Utah go to college.
• Utah’s taxes to support education are near the highest in the nation while per pupil spending is among the lowest.