Our Vision & Our Mission
Empowering Rural Colorado's Schools and Students
It takes a village to raise a child
We believe everyone should have access to education. Rural communities epitomize the “villages” that raise our children; however, due to the size of the population and/or the remoteness of the town, rural schools and districts are often overlooked when it comes to providing opportunities and resources for students. It’s our mission at the Nathan Yip Foundation to provide financial support to rural schools and teachers to help provide equitable and innovative opportunities for students in rural Colorado. By providing resources and connections to teachers, schools and districts in rural Colorado, we hope to positively impact the educational trajectory of rural Colorado communities.
授 人 以 鱼不 如 授 人 以 渔
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime — Chinese Proverb
Committed to Enriching Education for a sustainable future
A YOUNG MAN’S DREAM TO END POVERTY
The Nathan Yip Foundation was founded in 2002 by Jimmy and Linda Yip, after they lost their only child, Nathan, in an automobile accident in December 2001. Nathan was 19 years old.
Growing up, Nathan was very involved with philanthropy and was Vice President of Future Givers at Kent Denver. The organization’s mission was to encourage young people to help others through philanthropic efforts.
Nathan traveled the world with his parents. While visiting many remote areas of China, Nathan was overwhelmed by the poverty and lack of educational opportunities. It was during these trips that Nathan and Jimmy spoke of starting a foundation to fund education for impoverished and underserved children worldwide. Nathan recognized his own privilege and knew that by targeting education, he could begin to end the cycle of poverty that exists in so many rural areas. The Yip family made a promise that when Nathan finished college, they would work together to establish this foundation.
BACK TO BASICS
Supporting Education for a Brighter Future
Nathan Yip was a young man who had great empathy for the world’s challenges. He envisioned a place through which unbridled collaboration could end the cycle of poverty by providing equal access to educational opportunities. This is his enduring philosophy on which we’ve built our foundation.
Nathan passed away in 2001 at the early age of 19, but today his legacy of action lives on through the Nathan Yip Foundation.
Mission Statement: The Nathan Yip Foundation supports K-12 rural education.
"To turn Nathan's wish into action, we dedicated our lives to supporting students, teachers, and schools in the rural and remote areas of China and Colorado"
— Jimmy Yip, Founder
SETTING BIG GOALS AND CREATING TARGETED EFFORTS
A Caring Learning Environment Met With Effective Teaching and Support
“What makes an education great?” and “How can we do the most good?” are two critical questions we ask ourselves. Our current focus on China and Colorado is just the beginning of our journey, where we see great need for education support, and where we can make a great impact with our resources and expertise.
THE SPIRIT
Nathan’s Chinese name was “浩霖”, meaning heavy rain in English
“Since the start of Nathan Yip Foundation, every time when we start a project, finish building a school, or visit on the opening ceremony, it’d always rain. We see it as a sign that Nathan is watching us and proud of what we’re doing.”
— Jimmy Yip, Nathan’s Father
