Applications are now open for the 2024 Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative (ECEFC) Grant program.
Donor Name: Washington Area Women’s Foundation
State: Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia
County: Arlington County (VA), Fairfax County (VA), Montgomery County (MD) and Prince George’s County (MD)
City: Alexandria
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $40,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
The Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative (ECEFC), housed at Washington Area Women’s Foundation, will prioritize its funding in 2024 to organizations working to advance systems change in the area of early care and education in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region. Specifically, the ECEFC seeks to fund advocacy organizations, grassroots organizing partnerships, or coalition models whose work will ultimately improve working conditions, wellbeing, and respect of those in the early care and education field while simultaneously closing achievement gaps amongst the region’s youngest and most vulnerable learners.
Strong proposals will address one or more of the following goals:
- Facilitate the advancement of Early Care and Education issues to enhance support and recognition for early childhood educators, fostering a valued and sustainable Early Care and Education Workforce.
- Advance initiatives for increased public funding to support capacity building and pay equity across Early Care and Education systems.
- Center the experience and voices of family and center-based early childhood educators in decision-making processes and uplift providers as critical contributors through partnerships that contribute to their well-being, professional development, and business expansion.
- Leverage data tracking and research to yield actionable insights for policy enhancements and identify and address gender-based disparities and barriers to equitable early care across the region.
Funding Information
Grants awarded through this process will be issued as general operating grants to the applicant organization for 13 months. The grant period of awards made will be from December 2023 through December 2024. While there is no minimum or maximum amount that applicants can request, please remember that it is common for the ECEFC to award grants in the range of $10,000 to $40,000.
Geographical Areas
The ECEFC comprises corporate funders, local and national foundations, and family funds. The target geographic area includes Washington, DC; Arlington and Fairfax Counties, as well as the City of Alexandria in Virginia; and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland.
Eligibility Criteria
The ECEFC seeks to partner with organizations that ensure gender, race, culture, religion, class, and ability equity across early education systems and are led by individuals reflective of the communities they aim to serve.
For more information, visit WAWF.
