Foundation For Early Learning

Programs: The foundation gives children across washington state a strong start to life and learning. In collaboration with its community partners, the foundation supports parents and caregivers as they guide their children through critical developmental years. The foundation funds initiatives throughout washington state that aid in actualizing its' vision that all children in washington will be socially, emotionally, and intellectually prepared when they enter school. The stages of the foundation's grantmaking for coalition development include mobilizing individuals, generating momentum, building broad support including business, philanthropic and private support, and crafting and implementing an integrated system plan. The foundation fosters an inclusive, open process for developing early learning programs and focuses on supporting community coalitions as an effective way to build and sustain capacity for systemic improvement. The foundation's objective is to have an impact with all the children in a community. The foundation supports the community coalitions through providing the following types of support:1. Grants to coalition members to promote school readiness with $80,000 awarded in fiscal year 2013. 2. During the fiscal year, over 21,163 professionals, child care providers, children and parents benefited from the initiatives the foundation funded. 3. $26,598 was awarded to groups providing community outreach for early learning issues and resulted in 25 educational and parenting groups benefiting from these grants. 4. During fiscal year 2013, the foundation was able to assist 31 coalition groups geographically covering all 39 counties of the state of washington in promoting issues around early learning with the long term objective of impacting all children in every county. 5. The foundation received a grant from a major donor to fund a specific initiative to foster and support early learning in the native american community in the state of washington. The program also encourages community leadership in the early learning sector for this underserved community. 6. The foundation created an outreach program identified as the uni. This is a mobile and portable unit that can be transported to various communities throughout the state to advocate and focus on specific themes. The first year is a stem (science,technology,engineering,math) focus inviting communities of parents and children to participate in hands on activities where they live, work and play.