Room to Grow

Funding early childhood initiatives is an investment in the region’s future.

By Lisa Meyers McClintick

In March, usually well-timed to winter doldrums, Big Lake parents and kids can munch on healthy snacks and dance and sing in Liberty Elementary School’s cafeteria. In the nearby gym, preschoolers can jump in an inflated bouncy house while quieter kids concentrate on scaling a climbing wall. Welcome to Rise & Shine Family Fun Time—an open house for families and children up to age 5 that’s sponsored by Big Lake Schools’ Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE).

“Families wanted more low-cost or free early childhood events,” said Sarah Fritsch, an early childhood parent educator in Big Lake. In just three years, the community’s early childhood coalition, with its cross-section of public agencies, teachers and child care providers, has launched multiple events and training workshops to enrich what’s offered for young families.

Big Lake’s early childhood coalition has received $7,000 from the Initiative Foundation for each of the last three years to help with community services and events. But in 2018, in addition to its expanded programming, Big Lake will also focus on developing a new skill—fundraising.

For years, initiatives that support early childhood development have been priorities for funders and grant-makers across the state and the country. That’s changed as the pendulum swings and focus areas shift. “We’re seeing funders’ priorities transition to other areas of need,” said Tammy Filippi, early childhood program manager at the Initiative Foundation. That means organizations, too, will need to shift their emphasis from grant writing to fundraising.

Endowment Earnings

To help established early childhood coalitions make the transition and build self-sustaining income streams, the Initiative Foundation is offering a $500,000 challenge match in 2018 for regional coalitions to raise money and establish their own endowments. With an endowed fund, donated assets are invested and the interest earnings are used to fund future expenditures.

For coalitions to build their endowment, a minimum of $20,000 needs to be raised: $10,000 locally plus a $10,000 Initiative Foundation match. “Once that minimum is raised, a percentage of the annual earnings from the endowment can be spent to support local initiatives,” Filippi said. “Ultimately, it’s more flexible and reliable than any grants a coalition might receive.”

Endowment earnings can be used for professional development and workshops for child care providers, literacy programs, special events and other services most needed by children from birth to age 5 in each coalition area.

“The investment in early childhood in general is important,” Filippi said, citing a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study that shows a $7 to $16 return for every dollar invested in early care and education. “Building an endowment is going to take time, but it’s the surest path to create a flexible funding tool that can adjust to the most urgent early childhood needs and opportunities that arise in each community.”

Collaborations Count

The Initiative Foundation will continue to offer guidance and select grants to early childhood coalitions while it hosts endowment funds and shares fundraising and programming strategies. Sharing ideas has always been critical to making progress—especially in the face of the early child care provider shortage and when new research and timely topics emerge that can help educators and caregivers.

Angie Klinefelter, project manager for Greater St. Cloud Area Thrive, a subsidiary of the Minnesota Thrive Initiative championed by the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations, said the coalition of early childhood agencies and providers she supports have their greatest success when they work together as a diverse group. Collaborators include therapists, public health nurses and social service providers, school district early childhood educators, Head Start, crisis nursery providers, CentraCare Health and more.

The coalition, which serves the region’s biggest population, got a jump start on fundraising when it started an endowment in 2012. They have about $60,000 and will be discussing ways to grow their fund.

“The opportunity to raise $100,000 and get another $100,000 through the maximum matching grant is really exciting and appealing,” Klinefelter said. A fundraising committee is ready to start brainstorming. “We’re going to go for it.”

Flexible Funds

One advantage of endowment earnings is that they can be more flexible than grants, which often are tailored to specific programs, Filippi said. Each coalition area also has its own priorities and needs based on the population, local economy and available services. The Cambridge-Isanti area, for example, wants to put funding toward oral health for young children, something that’s also been an emphasis in other parts of the region.

Each coalition will likewise need to find fundraising efforts that work well for their communities. Onamia, which last year raised almost $5,000, has had success through a letter-writing campaign that seeks contributions. They also champion events, such as last year’s Fall FundFest. Their area has focused on promoting literacy, with initiatives that include providing free books at well-child checkups, helping families in need through diaper and food collections and offering early childhood programs for families.

Supporting Families

In Big Lake, Fritsch said the early childhood community is motivated to raise funds and continue its popular programs, which include workshops for child care providers and a fall Family Fun Fest that’s similar to a business expo but showcases close to 30 agencies, groups and businesses that address the needs of early childhood. They also hope to fund an Early Childhood Family Education in the Parks program that offers twice-a-month events throughout the summer with kids’ activities, free books, the Help Me Grow program and a chance for kids to meet police and emergency providers.

Besides being a resource for families and child care providers, the programs can help the community attract and welcome young families. That’s important when you consider that a growing number of employers now allow telecommuting, videoconferencing and online commerce. “An increasing number of younger families are no longer required to locate their home near their employers,” said Don Hickman, vice president for community and workforce development at the Initiative Foundation. “Folks choose where they want to live based on quality of life. Quality schools and child care are key criteria.”

For the Big Lake Early Childhood Coalition, members plan to start fundraising ideas soon, Fritsch said, possibly linking into Big Lake’s Spud Fest, a popular summer celebration that draws the community together for a parade and a weekend of events.

“People are excited to get on board and start raising funds so we can expand services and activities,” said Fritsch. “When you have the energy and the people, magical things can happen.”

CRANK UP YOUR COALITION

If you’re a member of an existing early childhood coalition in Central Minnesota, the steps to building a permanent source of income for your region don’t need to be overly complicated: gather your team, set a fundraising goal ($10,000 is a good, conservative target to meet the minimum threshold) and start your campaign. The Initiative Foundation will be at the ready to match your efforts dollar for dollar up to $100,000, and up to a total of $500,000 across all participating coalitions in the region.