Funding Focus: Early Childhood Development and Education

Over the past several years, we have focused on identifying high impact investment areas that offer low-income residents the greatest opportunity to succeed. Within those areas, we prioritize strategies that provide educational enrichment and wealth-building to affect multiple generations. In this “Funding Focus” series, we will highlight the three high impact areas where the Foundation seeks to advance and scale pace-setting work: Early Childhood Development and Education, Workforce and Career Opportunity Development, and Affordable Housing.

Early Childhood Development and Education
The focus on Early Childhood Development and Education is part of our overall strategy to support local youth's long-term educational advancement and eventual workforce preparation. We know that children who participate in high-quality early childhood programs are more likely to experience long-term outcomes like graduating high school, retaining employment, and securing higher wages in their lifetime.
Currently, these investments center around:

• Advocacy and systems support related to quality child care and Pre-K, including working with nonprofit advocacy organizations to direct funding towards universal early childhood services and fiscal support for Thrive Birth to 5 ;
• Home visitation and coaching for children under two and their parents with interventions that improve health, socialization, and preparation for school; and
• Strategies for literacy competency by 3rd grade

As a complement to the Community Impact Grant process, Community Foundation donors often give directly through their Donor Advised Funds to organizations and initiatives providing direct support in this space, like Family Lifeline, YWCA Richmond, FRIENDS Association for Children or SOAR365, to name a few.

“We’re really hoping to make a lasting impact in our region, starting with strategies for our youngest neighbors, with the hope that they have the opportunity to thrive and live a happy and successful life,” shares Scott Blackwell, Chief Impact Officer at the Foundation.

“But this strategy doesn’t begin or end with us. This is true cross-sector work and involves collaboration at every turn – from our schools to local government to businesses and more.”  He adds, “Even though the Foundation concentrates time and investments in this and other high impact areas, the collective work of our nonprofit partners is what makes the difference.  If you’re a nonprofit focused in other areas of the community, like health or in neighborhood development or the environment, you are contributing to and a part of these strategies to make our region a better place.”

To learn more about how you can support early childhood development and education in Greater Richmond, contact Audrey Trussell, Vice President of Community Impact, at info@cfrichmond.org .