The Belk Foundation announced Tuesday, Dec. 14, new grants totaling $1.8 million to education nonprofits in the area.

“Our fall grant cycle was one of our most competitive yet,” Foundation Director Johanna Anderson said in a news release. “It’s encouraging to learn about the many ways that individuals and non-profit organizations are working to improve education in our communities. In a time when public school budgets are under increasing pressure, their dedicated efforts are even more critical to achieving gains in the quality of education.”

In this recent grant cycle, The Belk Foundation focused its giving on organizations that demonstrated how their work increased the number of students achieving at or above grade level and the number of students graduating from high school prepared for college, career and life. Among the grants in Charlotte were:

• $25,000 to A Child’s Place for new software to help track and better serve the estimated 4,453 homeless children enrolled in the school district.

• $87,240 to the Carolina College Advising Corps to support two college advisors at four high schools to focus on helping more students attend college and fostering a culture that encourages students to go to college.

• $50,000 to Freedom School Partners for 50 at-risk children to attend a six-week program focused on increasing literacy and preventing a loss of learning during the summer months.

• $25,000 to New Leaders for New Schools for its training and support program for aspiring school leaders who work in Charlotte’s highest need public schools.

• $25,000 to Sugar Creek Charter School for its extended learning time program, which seeks to increase lower performing students’ achievement by providing additional tutoring and support.

• $50,000 to Teach For America to support two of its corps members in the school district, who will be dedicated to increasing student achievement at underserved schools.

The Foundation invests in schools and organizations that have solid and measurable achievements and results, such as increasing the number of children and youth who:

• Are at or above grade level in core subjects;

• Graduate from high school in four years;

• Have an intentional path forward after high school such as post-secondary education, training or meaningful employment.

Education-focused nonprofits whose programs support The Belk Foundation’s grant guidelines are invited to visit the Foundation’s website, www.belkfoundation.org, and submit a brief e-mail inquiry. The Foundation will invite those nonprofits that fit the desired criteria to proceed with grant applications. The next application deadline is April 1, 2011, with application invitations extended by Feb. 15, 2011.