[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-590923-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-590923-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","from-downtime-to-prime-time-a-funders-role-in-enhancing-summer-learning","From Downtime to Prime Time - A Funder’s Role in Enhancing Summer Learning","","From Downtime to Prime Time examines how a community foundation uses grantmaking and technical support to strengthen summer learning opportunities for underserved youth. It describes learning community sessions that convene nonprofit providers and funders to review what worked, challenges in behavioral and mental health needs, and progress reported in final evaluations. The article emphasizes building providers’ evaluation capacity, aligning program goals to data, and shifting from grant-only support to cost-effective, socially justice oriented partnership and network learning.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/from-downtime-to-prime-time-a-funders-role-in-enhancing-summer-learning/590923/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/from-downtime-to-prime-time-a-funders-role-in-enhancing-summer-learning/590923.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Stanford","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the purpose of the learning community session described in the article?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Foundation staff convene providers to share updates, reflect on what worked and what challenges appeared, and consider accomplishments from final reports and evaluation findings.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What challenges do providers commonly face in summer programs?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Providers report difficulties managing behavioral issues, supporting youth with mental health challenges, and having conversations with parents about needed supports and local resources.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does the Hartford Foundation aim to improve summer learning beyond providing grants?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It emphasizes technical assistance, convening providers as thought partners, and building providers’ evaluation capacity so programs can use data to adjust strategies and improve outcomes.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},590923,1793034301,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":123,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},2336477552062,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","From Downtime to Prime Time  \nA Funder’s Role in Enhancing Summer Learning  \nJudith W. McBride and Anita M. Baker  \nOn a cold winter’s day, staff who oversee summer program funding from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in Connecticut open a learning community session for the 42 nonprofits that operated summer programs with its support last summer. “It’s a great time to think summer again and begin the early planning that gets us ready to respond to the needs and interests of children, youth, and their families this summer!” An early start is critical to effective summer planning (Schwartz et al., 2018) .  \nIn this first learning community session since last summer’s programs, foundation staff invite providers to share their news.“What worked? What challenges did you see?” Seasoned providers highlight field trips taken, books introduced, newsletters crafted by youth  \nand shared with families, partnerships initiated, and other activities that worked. Some providers acknowledge challenges managing behavioral issues, working with youth who may have mental health challenges, and broaching conversations with parents about needed supports and local resources. Foundation staff and the evaluation partner add accomplishments and issues from providers’ final reports for consideration: “Together, you engaged nearly 10,000 youth from across the Greater Hartford region, including 500 participants with developmental or physical challenges!”  \nJUDITH W. MCBRIDE, MA, JD, is director of grants and partnership investments at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in Connecticut. She dedicates this article to her parents, both educators, who enrolled her in a youth development program every summer from age 7 to 18. She sees these experiences as the foundation of her lifelong learning.  \nANITA M. BAKER, EdD, launched Evaluation Services in 1995 and has since operated as a sole proprietor and consultant. Throughout her career, she has guided and coached nonprofit and foundation staff in building evaluation capacity and enhancing evaluative thinking.  \nPhoto: Hartford’s Camp Courant, via the Hartford Foundation, Hartford, Connecticut  \nThe session includes city and school district representatives, other funders, and speakers, includingthe evaluation partner, who come together to support quality summer programming for underserved youth. Agendas for sessions are drawn from program visits and from providers’ ideas in reports and grant applications. For example, recent sessions included guest speakers discussing urban trauma and staff selfcare; providers learned about youth mental health first aid and previewed school district summer plans. The goals are to expand the collective capacity of providers to integrate effective strategies for addressing challenges and to work as thought partners in delivering quality summer programs. Our experience suggestshow funders can deepen their impact in low-income communities by tapping the experience of nonprofitsand partnering with them and other local experts to improve program outcomes.  \nBeyond Funding Support  \nEach summer across the country, communitybased nonprofits of all sizes work with children and teens in summer programs, often on the heels of their afterschool programs. Providers often can be challenged to quickly design and staff programs to engage participants in meaningful summer learning. It’s a high calling! But with early planning, modest funding, and technical assistance, providers can deliver. The Hartford Foundation has sought to provide  \nstaff. Equally important has been building the evaluation capacity of providers to examine what worked and what didn’t so they can make adjustments.  \nOf course funding is critical, but it’s only one factor. Providers also need support in integrating practices that improve program quality. In response, the Hartford Foundation adopted a long-term strategy to enhance providers’ collective learning. As a community foundation, we provide technical as","cbCaikcei0GE3ND1","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikcei0GE3ND1","pdf",204097,"English","# A Funder’s Role in Enhancing Summer Learning\n## Early planning and learning community sessions\n## Beyond funding support: technical assistance and evaluation capacity\n## An evolution in practice and the opportunity gap","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the learning community session described in the article?\",\"answer\":\"Foundation staff convene providers to share updates, reflect on what worked and what challenges appeared, and consider accomplishments from final reports and evaluation findings.\"},{\"question\":\"What challenges do providers commonly face in summer programs?\",\"answer\":\"Providers report difficulties managing behavioral issues, supporting youth with mental health challenges, and having conversations with parents about needed supports and local resources.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the Hartford Foundation aim to improve summer learning beyond providing grants?\",\"answer\":\"It emphasizes technical assistance, convening providers as thought partners, and building providers’ evaluation capacity so programs can use data to adjust strategies and improve outcomes.\"}]","From Downtime to Prime Time - A Funder’s Role in Enhancing Summer Learning | PDF",1792070738,25]