Funder suggestion: The Reinvestment Fund

Basic information

• Funder name: The Reinvestment Fund
• Website: https://www.reinvestment.com
• Subject areas: Family services; Youth services; Developmental disability services
• Average grant amount: $60,000

Alignment + strategic fit

Why this is a good option: The reinvestment fund creates opportunity for underserved people and places through partnerships. It marshals the capital, analytics, and expertise necessary to build strong, healthy, and more equitable communities.

Funder priorities: Quality early childhood education (ECE) helps ensure that the critical development stage from birth to age 5—when 90% of a child’s brain develops—is an enriching and educational experience that prepares children to build relationships, learn in school, and graduate ready for college or careers.

Program match

Fundraiser’s programs:   

• Speech Therapy Program
• Parent Impact Program
• Occupational Therapy Program
• Special Instruction Program
• AAC Program (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

Funder’s programs: 

• Capacity building & capital access: uses grants and technical assistance to make access to capital more equitable for low-wealth individuals and communities, particularly in the areas of early childhood education, food and social determinants of health.
• Child care
• Child development
• Early childhood education
• Family services
• Human services
• Youth development

Foundation contacts

• Fundraising contact: Emma Garcia, Manager, 215-574-5929, emma.garcia@reinvestment.com

• Cheila Fernandez, COO & Corporate Secretary

• Christina Szczepanski, President, Lending & Investments

• Donald Hinkle-Brown, President & CEO

• Emily Dowdall, President, Policy Solutions

• Ira Goldstein, Senior Advisor, Policy Solutions

• Rhonda Smith, Assitant Corporate Secretary

• Sara Vernon Sterman, Chief Programs Officer

• Timothy Gillespie, Treasurer

• Tracy Petrofsky, Senior Director, Operations Strategic Priorities

Grantmaking details

The Fund for Quality (FFQ) is a partnership between Reinvestment Fund and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), with funding from the William Penn Foundation, and Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program.

• Giving restrictions:  Based on successful completion of the planning phase, providers will be eligible to apply for capital grant awards of up to $300,000 and as needed

• Application timeline:  The Fund for Quality program is currently in a one-year program funding cycle from July 2024 through June 2025 to support three high quality expansion projects that can be completed within a 12-month timeline.

• Application requirements: 
  • Existing high quality operator (STAR 3 and 4) at over 50% of sites
  • Must be in operation for 2+ years
  • Serving low-income populations (over 50% of children served receiving subsidy funding including CCW, Head Start, Early Head Start, PreK Counts, and PHLpreK)
  • Positive enrollment trends and strong business plan
  • Organizational capacity for expansion
  • Projects that will increase licensed capacity by 40 or more ECE seats in Philadelphia
  • Ownership or long-term lease (10+ years) on property and landlord consent for renovations

• Deadline: open application cycle

Suggested next steps

• Review the website to determine which grant program or planning resource is the best fit for your current needs: https://www.reinvestment.com/grants/early-childhood-education/
• Contact info is clear on the website under each opportunity so once you determine if you’re a good fit, reach out to the staff with a customized LOI and inquire about the next steps if they’re not clearly listed on the website.
• We have generated a draft Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to use as starting point for outreach to this funder. Download it below.