Early Childhood at Grantmakers for Education

Attending the upcoming Grantmakers for Education 2025 Annual Conference, October 20–23 in Memphis, Tennessee?

The conference features multiple sessions focused on early childhood themes, sponsored by and featuring ECFC members’ and partners’ work. Conference registration is required to attend all sessions.

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Session Spotlight: Strong Start, Strong Future: Advocating for Birth-to-PreK Racial Equity in the South
Wednesday, October 21 | 2:15 PM–3:00 PM CT
Sponsored by Southern Education Foundation

Despite being home to nearly half of young children living in low-income families and 60% of Black children under 5, early childhood systems in the U.S. South remain deeply underfunded and under-resourced. This session explores how philanthropic leaders can invest in racially equitable, regionally coordinated advocacy for birth-to-PreK children. Drawing from SEF’s Southern Early Childhood Education Justice (SECEJ) Network, participants will examine how cross-state partnerships can advance racial equity, strengthen impact, and sustain transformative outcomes for everyday families.

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Look for these sessions hosted by and featuring ECFC members:

A Decade Later: “Transforming the Workforce” and Re-imagining Equity for Early Educators
Tuesday, October 21, 10:00am–11:15am
Sponsored by Bezos Family Foundation

Panelists include ECFC members Sara Slaughter (W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation), and Ola Friday (Early Educator Investment Collaborative), along with ECFC’s longtime equity advisor, Sherri Killins Stewart. See below for a special webinar series launch on Transforming the Workforce.

Educators in the Spotlight: The Advocacy Power of Film
Tuesday, October 21 | 10:00 AM-11:15 AMCT
Sponsored by Imaginable Futures

This session dives into the impact campaign behind MAKE A CIRCLE — a powerful documentary “love letter” to early educators — and explores how film can deepen public understanding, spark community dialogue, and fuel advocacy in education led by those most affected.

Local Leaders: Driving Strategy, Power & Investment for Early Learning
Tuesday, October 21 | 11:30 AM-12:15 PM
Sponsored by Bezos Family Foundation 

A growing national movement is shifting power to parents, caregivers, and community leaders, ensuring early childhood investments reflect the needs and strengths of local communities. Join a local parent leader, who is also a 2nd generation childcare provider, and a national partner to explore insights, early indicators of impact, and lessons from a movement that is transforming early childhood through civic participation and community leadership.

Designed Together: Funding Participatory Approaches to Early Childhood Innovation
Wednesday, October 22 | 11:30 AM-12:15 PM
Sponsored by MDRC, featuring Gates Foundation

Even the best ideas can stall if they are not fleshed out with the voices of the communities they aim to serve. Let’s explore how funders can help turn good ideas into real, sustainable solutions that solve actual problems by supporting a participatory approach to Research and Development. Hear lessons learned from the Gates-funded Measures for Early Success initiative, where educators, researchers, and tech developers work together to design new assessments for preschool classrooms. Funders play a pivotal role in making this work possible, from the first brainstorm to the classroom!

Fueling the Future: The Role of Funders in Narrative Change and Collective Action
Wednesday, October 22 | 3:15 PM-4:30 PM
Sponsored by James B. McClatchy Foundation

Narrative change is more than a communications strategy—it’s a critical lever for transforming systems and shifting power. In this session, we’ll explore why and how two early childhood funder collaboratives chose to invest in narrative change and how it aligns with their broader vision for systemic transformation in early childhood education. They’’ll share early insights from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative’s “In Our Hands” campaign, and the Emerging Bilingual Collaborative’s “Multilingual Learning for California: Narrative Community of Practice.

Viewers Like You: How Public Media Can Help Us Build a Better World
Wednesday, October 22 | 3:15 PM-4:30 PM 
Sponsored by The Grable Foundation

For nearly 60 years, PBS has been the go-to destination for free, high-quality children’s content. From “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” to “Sesame Street,” PBS programs have helped generations of learners grow up smarter, kinder, and more curious. That mission continues today. Join us for a conversation with Genie Deez and Thy Than, producers of the upcoming series “Phoebe & Jay;” Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS KIDS; and Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation, to explore how public media can help every child become the best of whoever they are.

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Grantmakers for Education conference registration is required to attend all sessions. Learn more about registration here.