With great joy, ECFC announces the launch of the Racial Justice and Equity Fund, a collaborative, community-driven fund transforming how we invest in early childhood and family well-being.
We are a movement of funders, advocates and community members who envision a world where all young children, their families, and communities thrive and flourish together.
This past year, we’ve witnessed funding for life-sustaining programs like Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) slashed–endangering millions of children and their families who are struggling to get their basic needs met. The poorest age group in the United States are children—specifically children of color, children in the South, children under 5, and children of single parents. Nearly 1 in 3 of all people experiencing poverty across the U.S. are children.
At a time in which child well-being is more precarious than ever, funders must step up to meet the moment. We have raised over $7 million to resource the grassroots community leaders and organizations that are making a profound difference in the lives of young children and families often overlooked by philanthropy including: mutual aid networks, grassroots organizations, and small-but-mighty groups with deep community roots and proven impact.
Guided by an intersectional framework we call the “Social Determinants of Child and Family Well-Being,” we move beyond the narrow focus on developmental outcomes and towards an ecosystem-based vision of justice and equity. From housing, healthcare, early care and education, economic inclusion and beyond, we fund the full ecosystem of child well-being because children don’t thrive in isolation—they flourish when their families, environments, and communities are well-resourced and valued.
Through a community-driven model that shifts decision-making power to those closest to these issues, such as parents, caregivers, and community organizers, we invest in grassroots leaders and organizations with budgets under $1 million, especially those under $500,000, that are already creating meaningful, transformative change in the communities most impacted by systemic inequities.
Our goal is to develop a $25 million fund in the next three years so we can resource grassroots organizations and direct service providers in places where support is needed most. We provide unrestricted funding so that these organizations are empowered to respond rapidly to urgent needs in their community while also having the freedom to invest in building their own capacity. This looks like obtaining postnatal essentials for a mother of five after her husband was deported, getting 300 backpacks into the hands of families who need them, and upgrading computers and phones so staff can respond fast and serve the community better.
We invite you to learn more about the Racial Justice and Equity Fund—our collective effort fueling a bold multi-state, multi-issue movement reshaping how we care for children and families in this country.