Building Back for Equity - Guidance to Inform 2021 Early Childhood Grantmaking - October 2020

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Guidance to inform 2021 early childhood grantmaking outlines how philanthropy can advance equity amid the widening opportunity gaps created by uneven access to virtual learning, limited child care options, isolation, recession pressures, and high unemployment. It sets direction for funders to build local and national community power, support state and federal policy advocacy, and develop infrastructure that connects efforts and creates feedback loops. It also details funder actions such as listening inclusively, ceding decision-making power, funding organizations led by those most proximate to needs, and adjusting grantmaking practices for greater flexibility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Contents

Letters from the Collaborators

Executive Summary

Introduction

Expected Context for the Remainder of 2020

What Funders Can Support

How Funders Can Support These Efforts

Conclusion

Appendix

Acknowledgments

Organizations and resources surfaced through this work

Building Back for Equity Guidance to Inform 2021 Early Childhood Grantmaking A joint project of the Heising-Simons Foundation, The Education Trust, and The Bridgespan Group Collaborating to accelerate social impact OCTOBER 2020 Table of Contents Letters from the Collaborators ..................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Expected Context for the Remainder of 2020 .............................................................................................. 7 Uneven experiences with virtual learning and services will widen opportunity gaps.......................... 8 Fewer child care options and higher demand limit access in marginalized communities ................... 8 Emotional toll from isolation, a deepening recession, and high unemployment................................. 9 What Funders Can Support......................................................................................................................... 10 1. Build community power and capacity locally and nationally ..................................................... 11 2. Advance state and federal policy advocacy ................................................................................ 13 3. Build infrastructure and capacity to connect efforts and create feedback loops ...................... 14 How Funders Can Support These Efforts .................................................................................................... 15 1. Listen deeply to proximate stakeholders with an inclusive approach ....................................... 15 2. Cede power and engage others in decision making................................................................... 16 3. Fund organizations led by those most proximate to the issues and communities .................... 16 4. Adjust grantmaking practices to be more flexible ..................................................................... 17 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................... 18 Organizations and resources surfaced through this work ...................................................................... 18 Letters from the Collaborators Dear colleagues: One of philanthropy’s greatest assets is the bird’s eye perch and field knowledge it is fortunate to hold, enabling a view into a bigger picture and a possible better future. With that better future as a destination, and anticipating the opportunities and challenges ahead, philanthropy can hold equity atthe core and use its present resources to fuel the risk capital for the social sector. That is philanthropy at its best. But, of course, this year has been like no other, with opportunities and challenges that could not have been foreseen. And in that context, the early childhood sector began to falter. We will need fresh vantage points to guide us into the future. It was with this in mind that we set out to learn what we need to do differently as we consider our grantmaking and the highest and best use of precious risk capital moving forward. To do this, the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Education program collaborated with The Bridgespan Group and The Education Trust to help our field pla

FAQs

What challenges does the guidance cite for early childhood education in 2020?

It highlights widening opportunity gaps from uneven virtual learning and services, reduced child care options with higher demand in marginalized communities, and the emotional toll of isolation, recession, and high unemployment.

What are the three areas funders are encouraged to support?

Funders are urged to build community power and capacity locally and nationally, advance state and federal policy advocacy, and build infrastructure and capacity to connect efforts and create feedback loops.

How should funders change their grantmaking approach, according to the document?

The document emphasizes listening deeply to proximate stakeholders with an inclusive approach, ceding power to engage others in decision making, funding organizations led by those most closely affected, and adjusting grantmaking practices to be more flexible.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia