The Daniel Foundation of Alabama was founded by Birmingham philanthropist Hugh Daniel and his family to help strengthen individuals and communities within

the state. It has provided millions of dollars and other resources to support preserving the arts, improving education and health outcomes, and meeting

the needs of individuals and communities.

In SAIL, The Daniel Foundation saw an opportunity to reach students who otherwise would not have a chance to attend a summer camp, and they eagerly

became one of SAIL’s first donors.

What the Daniel Foundation recognized was that not every family could provide summer learning opportunities for their children. For many, the inability to attend summer camps put them at risk of falling behind grade level. From the very beginning, they felt that if they could help more students participate in high-

quality summer enrichment programs that exposed them to math and

reading in addition to sports and other enrichment activities, these programs could curb summer learning loss.

Today, The Daniel Foundation is an advocate

for high-quality, community-based summer learning programs. And, they played a role in expanding the SAIL model from Birmingham to the Huntsville-Madison County region, as well as areas of the Black Belt and other areas in the state.

The Daniel Foundation’s leadership points to SAIL’s diverse delivery model as one reason they have continued to support SAIL over the years. Local communities and programs can design enrichment programs each feels would best benefit their specific learning community. As a result, a SAIL program site in Huntsville may look very different from those in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and elsewhere. But, as The Daniel Foundation reminds other donors, what sets a SAIL program apart from other summer camps is its ongoing professional development, quality assurance

framework, and annual assessment process. It is these extra pieces that help program leaders understand what works, exchange ideas, and put students in the best position to make academic gains.