OtterCares Foundation

09/01/2026

✨ That idea you’ve been thinking about? This is the month to bring it to life!

💡 Impact Fund
Have an idea for how K–12 students can discover entrepreneurship or philanthropy through meaningful, hands-on experiences? We support educators in Larimer and Weld counties who are bringing those ideas to life.

🛠️ Innovation Station Fund
Dreaming of a makerspace, fab lab, creation station, or another hands-on learning space? We can help you create or enhance spaces where students can make, design, problem solve, and turn ideas into action.

🩷 You don’t have to navigate the grant process alone! OtterCares provides start-to-finish grant writing support. Whether you have questions about your idea, need help with your pre-application or want guidance along the way, just let us know how we can best support your application process.

Your idea could be the changemaking spark that gives students new opportunities to create, lead and make an impact!

📅 Pre-applications are due September 30
👉🏼 Learn more and apply at ottercares.org/grants

08/31/2026

Project Heart just got a little bigger! 💗 Our new Early Elementary Educator Guide completes our collection of FREE resources spanning K-12 with age-appropriate ways for students to learn, give and make a difference.

We also have a new website – take a look around and see what you can find! Here are some of our favorite activities:

🔎 Early Elementary Lesson 4: Community Detectives sends students on a “field trip” around their own school to spot needs and discover where they can make a difference.

🌱 Upper Elementary Lesson 3: What Is a Nonprofit + What Am I Passionate About? helps students connect what they care about with ways they can give back.

🌎 Middle School Lesson 4: The Power of Philanthropy Locally, Nationally, and Globally shows students how far their impact can reach.

🚀 High School Lesson 5: Personal Passions and Career Goals helps students connect their interests, talents and career goals to philanthropy—then create a plan for making professional impact.

And there’s plenty more inspiration to be discovered! Explore our Lessons & Activities, Case Studies and Project Spotlights sections.

Now it’s your turn to let us know your favorites! Drop us a comment!👇🏽

💗 Visit Project Heart’s new website at myprojectheart.org/lessons-activities/

08/26/2026

🐾 Happy International Dog Day to our furry friends who inspire connection, joy, and purpose every day!

Students at Frederick High School turned a simple idea into something extraordinary—a student-led dog treat business that gave them opportunities to learn by doing and discover the pride that comes from creating something meaningful for their community.

🦴 From baking and packaging to sales and customer service, they gained real-world entrepreneurial experience while building confidence every step of the way.

💗 What ideas do your students have? Submit your Impact Fund pre-application by September 30 and take the first step toward transforming student ideas into community impact!

Learn more at https://ottercares.org/impact-fund.

08/26/2026

💕 NEW YEAR, NEW RESOURCE!
Our Early Elementary Educator Guide is ready, and today we’re featuring Lesson One: Heart Helpers!

Big hearts start small. Even the youngest students can discover that they have the power to make a meaningful difference by being helpful, caring, friendly, fair, brave, and giving.

Created especially for K–2 classrooms, Project Heart’s simple and flexible activities help students begin building skills and mindsets that can grow right alongside them:
💗 Compassionate Leadership — planting the seeds of philanthropy early and nurturing the desire to help others
🤝 Social-Emotional Learning — building empathy, kindness, and awareness of others
💡 Student Agency — empowering young learners to identify what they care about and choose ways to help
🌎 Real-World Problem Solving — encouraging students to notice needs, think critically, and take action in their communities
Stay tuned as we spotlight more of our new Early Elementary resources!

✨ Download our FREE guide:
https://www.myprojectheart.org/grade-level/early-elementary/
Be sure to re-register on our new website if you haven’t already!

08/20/2026

This month we’re sharing “Gaga for Friendship,” chapter 6 from our Unstoppable! book. 🌟

Severance Middle School students noticed something important: classmates needed more places to connect. So these changemakers transformed unused corners of their school into welcoming places with benches and a gaga-ball pit.

💗 Laughter filled the air, new friendships formed, and a legacy of kindness continues today!

Unstoppable! is filled with inspiring stories just like this one. Use it as a classroom read-aloud or pair it with Project Heart lessons to help students explore how gratitude can spark generosity and community impact. 💡

Want a free copy of the book?
📘 Visit https://myprojectheart.org/ for details!

08/17/2026

💡 Project Heart’s Unstoppable! book inspires your students to take action and become changemakers in their own communities!

Enjoy 15 true and powerful stories of local kids using their 3Ts of Time, Talent, and Treasure to make a real impact.

Encourage students to dive into these stories on their own as a class read-aloud, weave them into your literacy curriculum, or pair with a Project Heart lesson for deeper impact!

💗 Want a free copy?
Visit https://myprojectheart.org/ for details!

08/13/2026

A new school year means new opportunities to spark change. Our fall grant applications are officially open!

✨ Impact Fund – supporting K–12 entrepreneurship & philanthropy in Larimer and Weld counties
💡 Innovation Station Fund – sparking hands-on learning spaces in Larimer and Weld counties

📅 Pre-apps due: September 30 📅

Main apps due: October 30

*Fun Fact*
💗 We offer start-to-finish grant support – let us know what questions you have!

Visit us at https://ottercares.org/grants. We can’t wait to see your ideas come to life!

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08/12/2026

💗 Our new Project Heart website is LIVE!

We’ve created a fresh, simpler experience to help you discover new ways to bring philanthropy, generosity, and service learning into the classroom.

✨ NEW SITE, NEW ACCOUNT!
To help us create an even better Project Heart experience for you moving forward, all users—including returning ones—will need to create a new account to access our FREE lessons, activities, and downloadable resources.

We promise re-registering is quick and easy!

Visit our new site and create your account at https://www.myprojectheart.org/.

We’ll be spotlighting some of our expanded resources soon. Stay tuned—we can’t wait to show you what’s new!

Discover lesson plans, activities, and proven frameworks that help educators tap into every child's innate desire to give—transforming students into tomorrow's world-changers, today.

08/10/2026

🩷 Every new connection starts with a simple conversation.

Kids love discovering what they have in common with others! Project Heart’s Classroom Bingo is a fun and engaging way to help students build community while learning more about each other's talents, interests, and passions.

💬 Spark meaningful conversations
🌟 Help every student feel seen, valued, and connected
🚀 Set the stage for year-long collaborations

Download this project and explore Project Heart’s many FREE resources at https://myprojectheart.org/

08/08/2026

This summer, Gardens on Spring Creek Project Hort participants once again grew as leaders, problem-solvers, and changemakers! 💚

These energetic teens recently shared the projects they've been cultivating all summer – from designing hands-on activities that engage the community to exploring philanthropy and discovering how their unique talents can make a difference.

Students’ passions and skills were on full display, and we're excited to see where their leadership takes root next! 🌱

Do your students have an idea that could make a difference in your school or community? Our Impact Fund can help bring it to life! Submit your pre-application by September 30 at https://ottercares.org/impact-fund.