Mattel Children’s Foundation Awards Domestic Grants To 38 Nonprofit Organizations For 2007

Programs Address Physical Activity, Literacy and Girl’s Self-Esteem

El Segundo, Calif.- The Mattel Children’s Foundation today announced the recipients of its domestic grants for 2007. Thirty-eight nonprofit organizations directly serving children in need in 21 states will receive grants totaling $400,000 funded by the Foundation. Grants range from $3,000 to $35,000, with an average grant amount of approximately $10,000 per organization.

“In partnership with these organizations, the Mattel Children’s Foundation is able to directly impact children facing financial or physical hardship and improve their quality of life,” said Kevin Farr, chairman of the Mattel Children’s Foundation and chief financial officer of Mattel. “Through these grants, Mattel believes it can extend its reach to make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in need nationwide.”

The 38 organizations receiving grants this year, which range across 21 states, were selected by the Foundation based on their innovative approaches and demonstrated effectiveness of programs that directly impact children in-need. The recipient organizations focus on one of the Foundation’s three priority areas: promotion of health and active lifestyles; learning and literacy; and girls’ self-esteem and self-empowerment. The grants will fund either general operating needs or specific projects. More than 500 grant applications were submitted by non-profit organizations across the country.

“We are proud to assist these organizations as we continue our mission of helping children in need,” said Deidre Lind, executive director of the Mattel Children’s Foundation. “These grantees offer innovative programs to effectively address the challenges many children face in communities across the U.S.”

The Mattel Children’s Foundation funds will enable selected organizations to serve rural and urban communities in the U.S. For example, grant funds will support:

Art of Elysium, California: Support the self-esteem of girls in children’s hospitals with arts-based curriculum in the hospital setting.

Pajama Program, New York: Provide books, along with a new set of pajamas, to homeless, abandoned and abused children in shelters, group homes, and foster care facilities.

Girls in the Game, Illinois: Promote sports and fitness opportunities, health education and leadership development for girls in inner-city settings.

Florida Introduces Physical Activity & Nutrition to Youth (FLIPANY), Florida: The Eat Right, Get Moving program will engage children in low-income communities in a school-based nutrition and physical activity program.

Hip Hop Haven, North Carolina: Mentors, particularly African-American men, will read to children in group settings to promote literacy through the My Bookie – Changing the Odds program.

For a full listing of grant recipients, please visit:
http://www.Mattel.com/About_Us/Philanthropy/.

The Mattel Children’s Foundation will award grants again in 2008. Applications and guidelines will be available January 15, 2008, at http://www.Mattel.com.