The Early Learning Indiana (ELI), with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc., is pleased to announce the Early Years Initiative, a competitive grant opportunity for organizations to help infants and toddlers develop foundational knowledge and skills that support their future learning and development.
Donor Name: Early Learning Indiana (ELI)
State: Indiana
Counties: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $75,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Eligible organizations throughout Indiana are invited to propose new, enhanced or expanded programs and projects that influence healthy brain development and the development of physical, social emotional and cognitive skills in infants and toddlers (children from birth through age three).
Priorities and Focus Populations
Early Years Initiative proposals must be designed to strengthen foundational learning and development, but can be as varied as the needs of the young children they are designed to serve. Proposed programs or projects may include, among others:
- Strengthening families through home visiting and parent education programs
- Ensuring access to supportive child care
- Supporting early detection of developmental needs or disabilities and implementation of responsive interventions
- Promoting essential skills through early language strategies
The Early Years Initiative has a particular focus on infants and toddlers who are in low-income households, are members of communities of color or are multi-language learners (the “Focus Populations”). Early Years Initiative proposals may serve other populations, but ELI will view more favorably proposals from applicants that serve a significant number of children within the Focus Populations.
Funding Information
ELI expects to award grants ranging from $75,000 to $500,000 to support programs and projects that will be implemented during a grant period of up to three years.
Funding Considerations
ELI recognizes that organizations are at different levels of preparedness to address the needs of infants and toddlers. ELI plans to grant awards to:
- Expand successful programs or projects or accelerate planned investments; and
- Enable grantees to plan, design and implement new programs or projects. An applicant may submit only one proposal through the Early Years Initiative. However, it may request funding for multiple programs or projects in one proposal.
Proposals must include short narratives describing each proposed program or project and how it will serve the needs of area infants and toddlers, explaining the expected impact of the proposed activity(ies) and discussing potential roadblocks; a detailed timeline; and a budget and budget narrative. Letters of support (optional) may also be included. In reviewing proposals and determining funding recommendations, ELI staff will take into consideration the following, among other factors:
- The number of infants and toddlers who will be served and the potential outcomes for the learning and development of those children.
- The manner in which one or more Focus Population(s) will be served by the proposal, if applicable.
- The applicant’s (or applicants’) capabilities to carry out programs and projects of the type and scale being proposed.
- The feasibility of the program or project plan, including the viability of the timeline and proposed investment, the likelihood of aligning key partners or other critical success factors, and the achievability of the anticipated outcomes.
- Whether the amount of the requested grant is proportional to the scale and impact of the program or project to be funded by the grant.
- Whether the applicant(s) have the ability and commitment to sustain the program or project after funds from the grant are expended.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding under the Early Years Initiative, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- It must be a public charity described in Internal Revenue Code section 501(c) (3).
- Organizations may apply independently or in collaboration, but the lead applicant must meet this requirement.
- It must carry out the grant for a charitable purpose aligned with the priorities of the Early Years Initiative as described above.
- It must be currently serving, or proposing to serve, infants and toddlers, directly or indirectly (e.g., by offering parenting supports). A lead applicant may provide these services through a partner as long as all eligibility criteria are met. An applicant need not serve this age group exclusively, but the focus of its proposal must prioritize this population. Applicants may also include community foundations, United Ways and other such organizations that have the stature and capacity to lead, coordinate or otherwise support programs and projects for infants and toddlers.
For more information, visit Early Years Initiative.
