The Foundation recognizes that newborns and toddlers need positive early learning experiences that foster their intellectual, social, and emotional development and lay the foundation for later success. Further, the Foundation recognizes that newborns and toddlers living in high-risk environments need additional support to promote their healthy growth and development. In particular, the first three years of life are especially critical as they are a period of incredible growth in a child’s development.
School-age children need safe places to go after the school day ends that offer educational, enriching activities. The Foundation recognizes that after-school programs are a bridge from the school day to after-school hours where learning can be reinforced in fun, creative ways. After-school programs also provide parents an alternative to their children staying home alone, unsupervised, during the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., when they are most vulnerable to engaging in negative behaviors.
What We Fund
1. Birth–3 Initiatives
a. Funding supports organizations and programs that help parents and caregivers get their children off to a good start, and establish healthy patterns for life-long learning.
b. Funding supports organizations or programs that seek to provide newborns and toddlers with positive early learning experiences that foster their intellectual, social, and emotional development. An emphasis is placed on funding programs that support and engage at-risk populations.
* Through the Children, Families, and Communities (CFC) program, the Foundation works to secure high-quality preschool opportunities for all three- and four-year-olds in the state by funding leadership and constituency-building, technical assistance and systems building, research, and public preschool programs in selected California communities. For more information about funding from this CFC program, click here.
2. After-school Programs and Activities
a. Funding supports organizations that run after-school programs including model, promising, or start-up programs serving students during after-school hours. Emphasis is placed on supporting programs that serve middle school students.
b. Funding supports organizations that provide after-school enrichment activities at an after-school program at a school site or some other community space. Emphasis is placed on supporting programs that serve middle school students.
c. Funding supports organizations or efforts that provide training, resources, or tools that can improve the quality of after-school programs.
* Through the Children, Families, and Communities (CFC) program, the Foundation also works to promote positive youth development through after-school programs for all elementary and middle school-aged children in California. Funding is provided for programs that seek to ensure standards of excellence in the after-school field and support the development of sustainable public and private funding models and mechanisms. For more information about funding from this CFC program, click here.
What We Look For
1. We look for organizations and programs that are addressing a documented need and that have a track record for delivering effective programming to parents and caregivers.
2. For existing programs, we look for model, high-quality programs with a track record of success. For new or emerging programs, we look to support programs with strong leadership that demonstrate high potential and promise for future success.
What We Do Not Fund
Except in special circumstances, support from the Local Grantmaking Program is not provided for research, studies, or policy work. Our preference is to support direct services.
Information on how to apply for a grant
