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Robins Foundation Pilots “SEED” Grant Program for Small, Local Non-Profit Child Care Providers

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An ongoing crisis

It’s no secret that the child care sector faces massive challenges in the form of worker shortages, sub-living wages, and limited government support. While many of these challenges were evident well before the pandemic, the last three years have only exacerbated them, bringing the child care industry to a breaking point.  

To understand why our current child care system is struggling, it is necessary to take a look at the cost structure for child care providers. In order to meet licensing requirements and safety standards, providers must meet certain caregiver-to-child ratios; and the younger children are, the higher the ratio of caregivers to children must be. These requirements are important and are in place to ensure quality and safety. But, meeting those ratios creates a cost-burden for providers and means that wages for caregivers remain painfully low, exacerbating workforce turnover and shortages. In some cases, Masters-degree holding caregivers can find the same or better wages working in fast food. 

To make matters worse, those hurt the most by the current child care model are our children. 80% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3 and 1 million new neural connections are made every second in the first few years of life, making quality early child care a crucial part of setting our children up for happy and successful lives. 

But the current child care crisis puts that important early support in jeopardy. In 2022, 40.35% of Virginia kindergarteners were not ready to start kindergarten. This particularly impacts students of color, multi-language learners, students with a disability, and those from low income backgrounds. Early childhood education and care are of paramount importance for each and every child in our region, and there is an urgent need for support and new solutions. 

Barriers to funding

Child care organizations are strained and in need of support. In addition to the challenges providers already face, the process of applying for philanthropic funding can be onerous and time consuming. Many non-profit organizations have their own grant writer on staff, but child care providers, especially smaller ones, struggle to pay the staff they have, much less dedicate someone’s time and role to applying for grants. 

Our region’s child care footprint

Robins Foundation suspected there were many small non-profit child care providers that we did not know about, and which were unaware of the Robins Foundation as a potential source of support. To make sure our support is accessible to all nonprofit child care organizations in our footprint (Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, and Richmond), the Robins Foundation commissioned a landscape assessment to determine eligibility for funding and mission alignment within our region. The study identified a total of 484 child care providers in the Robins Foundation footprint. 112 of these child care providers were non-profits and out of those, 61 providers were identified as serving children under the age of five.

Our foundation’s solution

In response to the challenges and needs within our region, Robins Foundation is piloting a non-profit SEED (“Support for Early Education and Development”) grant program, the goal of which is to provide small, local child care providers with a simplified and responsive funding opportunity, which lies outside of our traditional grant application process. This pilot is for 501c3 non-profit organizations who meet all of our foundation’s grant eligibility criteria. It includes a simplified application process for grants of up to $25,000. 

How to apply for Non-profit SEED

We are excited to announce that our non-profit SEED pilot opens May 15, 2023 at noon. 

To be eligible for Non-profit SEED funding, child care organizations must meet the following criteria:

  • Have 501(c)(3) non-profit status
  • Be licensed
  • Serve children 0 to 5
  • Use a secular (nonreligious) curriculum
  • Be located in Chesterfield, Henrico, Petersburg, or the City of Richmond
  • Not currently receiving other funding from Robins Foundation

If you meet this criteria and are in need of support, we encourage you to apply starting on Monday, May 15th. The non-profit SEED application can be found here.

Grant applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis until funds are depleted. Providers who are offered a grant will be required to complete a brief final report at the end of the funding period. 

Any organization receiving funds through the non-profit SEED pilot would be ineligible to apply for funding through other Robins Foundation grants for a period of 12 months.

If you have questions about the non-profit SEED pilot program, please contact our Early Childhood Senior Program Officer, Meg Pienkowski, Ph.D. If you have questions about the grant process or technology, please contact us at grants@robinsfdn.org.

We are optimistic about the SEED pilot program and the ways it allows us to expand our support to even more mission-aligned child care providers across our region. Together, we will continue to work for and support a child care solution that benefits all involved. 

 

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Robins Foundation ECE Grant Announcement- Cycle Two

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Investments in Early Childhood Education (ECE) have the power to change the trajectory of individual lives and entire families, as well as  deliver significant returns for the community. Access to high-quality early childhood experiences sets children and their families up for long-term success by:

  • Preparing children for school and lifelong learning
  • Providing support of child development and general well-being
  • Equipping parents to be their children’s best first teachers

 

These investments are all the more important as young children recover from pandemic impacts and the Richmond region contends with a widespread lack of affordable, accessible child care. To that end, we are pleased to announce the following grantee partners for our second ECE-focused grant cycle which totaled $780,000:

 

City of Richmond Public Library Foundation – $60,000 for RVA Reads in Nontraditional Childcare: Boosting Skills, Engaging Parents and Caregivers

Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond – $50,000 for Interactions Across Abilities

Family Lifeline – $75,000 for Early Childhood Intensive Home Visiting

Friends Association for Children – $75,000 for Raising the Bar on Early Childhood Education

Greater Richmond SCAN – Stop Child Abuse Now – $50,000 for Circle Preschool Program

Henrico Education Foundation – $100,000 for Virginia Early Learning Partners: An Initiative of the Henrico Education Foundation

Reach Out and Read – $75,000 for Reach Out and Read- Greater Richmond Initiative

Richmond Behavioral Health Foundation – $50,000 for Supporting Children Exposed to Substance Use

Richmond Performing Arts Alliance – $20,000 for Baby Artsplay!™

Urban Baby Beginnings – $75,000 for Richmond Resource Mothers Program

VPM Media  – $50,000 for VPM Early Childhood Education program

 

“From preschool programs to home visiting to parenting support and education, these organizations work tirelessly to ensure our region’s youngest children get the best start,” shares Robins Foundation President & CEO, Chris Chin. “We’re grateful for their efforts and delighted to support them.”

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Robins Foundation ECE Grant Announcement- Cycle One

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For children to have the opportunity to thrive, they require access to high-quality early care and educational experiences, as well as supportive families. These factors can deeply influence children’s cognitive and social-emotional development, school readiness, and long-term wellbeing. 

Toward the end of last year we shared that Robins Foundation would be investing deeply, and more narrowly, in early childhood education (ECE). Since then we have launched our initial ECE-focused grant cycle, had numerous conversations with our nonprofit partners, and reviewed dozens of proposals aligned with our new strategic framework. We are pleased to announce the following grantee partners for our first ECE-focused grant cycle which totaled almost $900,000:

 

Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation

Virginia Literacy Foundation

Families Forward VA

Sacred Heart Center

Healthy Heart Plus II , Inc.

Young Men’s Christian Association Of Greater Richmond

Fulton Montessori School

Children’s Museum of Richmond

Soar 365

Thrive Birth to Five

Voices For Virginia’s Children

Nurture

Coal Pit Ministry Inc

CommUnity Yoga Preschool

Wild Fern Montessori School

 

“All of these organizations have demonstrated a strong commitment to and have an impressive track record in early childhood education,” shares Robins Foundation President & CEO, Chris Chin. “We’re delighted to invest in their efforts to make a significant impact for Richmond families.”

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Our Team is Evolving as We Step More Fully into our New Strategic Direction

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Toward the end of last year we shared that Robins Foundation would be investing deeply, and more narrowly, in early childhood education (ECE). This new strategic direction is well underway, and we are actively engaging with and investing in organizations addressing the ECE needs in our community. Last week we announced the 15 nonprofit organizations who will receive grant funding totaling almost $900,000 as part of our June 2022 ECE cycle. We are also defining and building out our framework to begin investing in nonprofits making Richmond a vibrant and dynamic place to live. 

As we’re settling into our new strategy, we’re seeing a natural evolution of our team:

  • Chris Chin has embraced his new role as President & CEO and is fostering stronger alignment, enhanced communication, and deeper relationships among board and staff members. 
  • Dan Halloran has been promoted to Director, Operations. 
  • Elliot Haspel shared that he will be relocating to Colorado at the end of July to be closer to family and leaving Robins Foundation later this fall. 
  • We announced an opportunity to join our team as Senior Program Officer, Early Childhood Education. 
  • Courtney Rice shared that she will be leaving Robins Foundation on July 22nd for an exciting career development opportunity. She hopes to share more details in the coming weeks. 

We recognize that this is a significant amount of change in a short period of time for a small organization. We are more committed than ever to supporting our partners as you continue your amazing work in our community. And we are excited for and supportive of our team members as they grow and transition within and beyond the Foundation.

Please join me in congratulating our team members and spreading the word about our open position!

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Robins Foundation Staff Promotion and Position Opening/Opportunity

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Robins Foundation’s new strategic direction is well underway, and we are actively engaging with and investing in organizations addressing the early childhood education (ECE) needs in our community. In fact, next week we will announce the 15 nonprofit organizations who will receive grant funding totaling almost $900,000 as part of our June 2022 ECE cycle. We are also defining and building out our framework to begin investing in nonprofits making Richmond a vibrant and dynamic place to live. 

 

To fully execute our Board’s new strategic direction, we have developed a streamlined staffing structure that sets us up for success and provides well-deserved opportunities for team members to step up and shine in new ways. To that end, we are delighted to announce the following promotion:

 

Dan Halloran has been promoted to Director, Operations. Since starting with Robins six years ago as an intern, Dan has quickly developed and mastered a wide range of knowledge and skills related to our “behind the scenes” operations needs and requirements. For the past three years, Dan was our Program and Grants Manager. Now, in his new role, Dan will continue his Program and Grants Manager duties while also taking on new administrative responsibilities related to budgeting, human resources, office management, and various other internal processes that are essential to the Foundation’s success. 

 

 

We also want to announce an opportunity to join our team, as we are looking to fill an upcoming opening for a Senior Program Officer, Early Childhood Education. Elliot Haspel, our current Senior Program Officer, will be relocating to Colorado at the end of July to be closer to family and leaving Robins Foundation later this fall. Elliot has played an integral role in developing our early childhood strategic framework and overseeing our early childhood grant-making portfolio, and we will sincerely miss him. As a nationally-recognized child & family policy expert and commentator and the author of Crawling Behind: America’s Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It, we have no doubt Elliot will be hugely successful in his new ventures.   

 

If you know someone who may be interested in this opportunity at Robins Foundation, please share the job description with them.  

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Why Robins Foundation is Committed to Supporting Early Childhood Education

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As I explained in a recent Washington Post piece:

“One fundamental that predates the pandemic and its ripple effects is the cost of doing business in a highly constrained industry. In most states, for instance, one teacher is permitted under the law to care for a maximum of six to eight toddlers. Personnel eats up 70 percent or more of program budgets. So even though parents are paying through the nose, the true cost of care — the cost where programs are operating comfortably and compensating their staff well — is so high that programs would take a loss on each kid. As it stands, programs already have to cut wages to the bone just to keep the lights on. To keep pace with other industries, their only option (other than public funding or closure) is massively raising prices — hence, [child care may become] a luxury good. The U.S. Treasury Department has called the child-care business model “unworkable.”

In Virginia, the median wage of a child care worker is $10.96 an hour. That rate is far below a living wage for Virginia, and drives significant turnover among child care workers. Teacher to child ratios – which ensure safety and quality — are 1:4 for infants (i.e., 1 teacher for every 4 infants), 1:5 for kids between sixteen months and two years, 1:8 for two-year-olds, and 1:10 for three- and four-year-olds. When you consider the diminishing number of child care workers compared to the number of children who need care, you begin to see the problem. This is why most of metro Richmond is considered to be a “child care desert.”

The staffing shortages are making an already difficult-to-locate resource close to impossible. This summer, I helped Smart Beginnings-Greater Richmond and a coalition of other early childhood partners put out a survey to local child care providers. As reported in the Virginia Mercury in June, the survey “found that — of the 26 child care programs they’ve reached so far — 85 percent reported staffing shortages. In total, there were 114 open teaching positions across all of the facilities.” This represents only a sliver of the programs in the region, and by all reports, shortages have only grown worse since then.

Help may be on the way in the form of the federal government’s Build Back Better package, which contains considerable levels of permanent funding for child care and pre-K. However, even if that legislation passes, there will be a tremendous amount of work to do in order to implement the new system well. Staff will need to be recruited, facilities upgraded, and an administrative infrastructure put into place that allows parents to easily access choices which meet their needs and preferences. None of these elements will be swift or simple. And if the legislation does not pass, there will be all the more need for local and state governments to step up.

Robins Foundation stands ready to support these efforts. Our priorities include directly supporting high-quality child care programs and the nonprofits that work to generate that local infrastructure, supporting the advocacy and policy work to ensure that the laws impacting the Richmond region are strong and fair, and supporting parents of young children in accessing the services that are available to them to be the best possible ‘first teacher’ for their children.

This is a moment of both uncertainty and possibility for Richmond’s young children and their families. We must meet the moment with conviction and clear-eyed vision for both the short- and long-term. If we succeed, we can positively change the trajectory of our region’s future and the lives of its children.

 

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Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund

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We are excited to partner with The Metropolitan Business League, Wells Fargo, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia to launch The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund.

This grant opportunity has been created to assist small, women- and minority-owned businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MBL Small Business Recovery Fund grant application is now available. Apply today!

Application Closing Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST.

Visit https://lnkd.in/dmwaBsp, for more information on The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund Grant.

African American parents and cute small kids wearing protective masks at home. Stop the virus and epidemic diseases.

May 13, 2020 Update

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We are excited to partner with The Metropolitan Business League, Wells Fargo, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia to launch The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund.

This grant opportunity has been created to assist small, women- and minority-owned businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MBL Small Business Recovery Fund grant application is now available. Apply today!

Application Closing Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM EST.

Visit https://lnkd.in/dmwaBsp, for more information on The Metropolitan Business League Small Business Recovery Fund Grant.

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May 1, 2020 Update

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Today we share some inspiring updates and information from our friends at Community Foundation for a greater Richmond.

Thank you for your generosity!

Over the past several weeks, we have seen tremendous support from individuals and organizations across our region stepping up to help our neighbors in need. To all those who have contributed to the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund, or directly to area nonprofits, and to the many organizations coordinating or providing much-needed services, we thank you and we celebrate you!

Here are the latest updates from the COVID-19 Response Fund, including recent grants, creative community participation, and stories from the field, including an update from the River Counties Community Foundation.

Grants from the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund now exceed $2M

An advisory committee from the philanthropic, business and public sectors is reviewing and distributing grants from the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund on a rolling basis. With a new round of grants awarded this week, total grantmaking from the fund now exceeds $2 million to 51 organizations and localities in the Central Virginia region.

The fund has continued to focus on early response efforts to mitigate the health impacts of the pandemic —including food access, health care and shelter. The latest grants are helping to expand food distribution to more rural jurisdictions and address increased need for mental health services and housing support.

View all grants.

 

The Power of Collective Giving

Total Giving to COVID-19 Response Funds

  • As of this week, the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund has raised $4.65 million from hundreds of individuals, foundations and businesses in the region.
  • Our three regional affiliates – Gloucester, Mathews and River Counties Community Foundations – are coordinating similar response funds and efforts. Those funds have raised a combined $443,000 so far to support organizations in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.

Community Foundation Fund Participation

  • Community Foundation donors are committed to the well-being of our region, providing generous support to nonprofits throughout the year. In response to the pandemic, they are giving in multiple ways — whether through contributions to COVID Response Funds, grants to fulfill specific COVID-19 related requests, or grants to nonprofits of their own choosing. Thank you for your partnership.
  • If you would like to make a gift to the Response Fund by check, with other assets or through your donor-advised fund, please contact Community Foundation for assistance.

Creative Community Giving

  • United Way has been a valuable partner in boosting the Central Virginia Response Fund with a $100,000 matching pool for gifts made through their website — and they’ve reached the match! We hope to keep the momentum going. Donate online.
  • NBC12 created a “Virginia Strong” campaign by sharing inspiring stories from organizations receiving support from the Fund and by selling t-shirts. Proceeds from t-shirt purchases go to the fund, and over 800 have been sold so far. More about “Virginia Strong”.
  • Virginia Green gave $5,000 to the fund and launched a “Share the Love” social media campaign, which asks their customers, friends and community members to make a heart in their yard and take a photo of it. The lawn care company will donate an extra $10 to the fund for every picture tagged and shared. Participate in the campaign.
  • The Richmond Flying Squirrels held two “Opening Day” campaigns, raising more than $40,000 for COVID-19 relief organizations, including the Response Fund. Read More.
  • Several Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School students are providing virtual book clubs, trivia, math and yoga classes for children through “ProjectEngageRVA.” All net proceeds will go to the Response Fund. Visit their website.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • HandsOn Greater Richmond is working with community partners to expand their DIY and virtual volunteering opportunities, while still connecting people to critical in-person opportunities. See how you can volunteer.
  • Want to sew masks for Richmond’s essential workers? HandsOn has partnered with Studio Two Three to get homemade masks where they are critically needed. Learn more & sign up.

Partner Stories

Helping those who need it most in the River Counties

In March, River Counties Community Foundation launched the River Counties COVID-19 Response Fund in partnership with the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund to support nonprofit partners addressing critical needs in the community, as well as organizations that will be crucial to the ongoing support and long-term recovery. Read More.

Thousands of volunteers support RPS meals program

Many students at Richmond Public Schools (RPS) depend on the meals they receive at school, so when school buildings closed in March as a precaution against COVID-19, RPS knew they needed a system to ensure kids still had access to the food they need. So far, over 2,000 volunteers have stepped up to help. Read more.

 

 

Q&A with Dr. Vivian Bruzzese, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry

Dr. Vivian Bruzzese is an infectious disease specialist who serves as the Director of HIV Programs with CrossOver Healthcare Ministry – a nonprofit organization that operates two charitable healthcare clinics in the Richmond region. We heard from Dr. Bruzzese to learn a little more about her position and how CrossOver is responding to the needs of their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the Q&A.

Celebrating the Sector

  • The Artists for Hope initiative returns, offering another chance for participants to purchase beautiful art pieces and support local nonprofits at the same time. More
  • The City of Richmond and Henrico County launch programs to feed first responders and aid local restaurants in the process. More
    Local K-12 students are documenting their reflections on how the coronavirus is affecting their lives for The Valentine’s new project, “Richmond Stories from Richmond Kids.” More
  • With support from Verizon and Sam’s Club, Virginia LISC has launched the Small Business Relief Grant program to provide the emergency assistance that many small businesses need at this time. More
  • Communities in Schools of Richmond is finding new ways to connect with their students and ensure they have the academic and emotional support they need. More
  • With funding from a Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund grant, Feed More has hired seven local chefs to help prepare meals for residents in need. More
African American parents and cute small kids wearing protective masks at home. Stop the virus and epidemic diseases.

April 24, 2020 Update

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An update on the Family Crisis Fund

Thanks to the generosity of our partners and the greater Richmond community the Family Crisis Fund is now positioned to deliver $500 individual payments to 2,360 families in our region. And the $1,180,000 fund continues to grow.

The Family Crisis Fund was launched on April 3rd and within days, disbursement of direct payments began, allowing for immediate and direct relief for families with children.

The is also open for individual donations. If you wish to donate, please follow these instructions to do so using your credit or debit card:

  • Visit https://givetogethernow.org/give-together-now/
  • Select your donation amount.
  • Under “Location Preference,” (1) select “Other” and (2) write in “Richmond, VA.”
  • Enter your billing and contact information and press “Submit Donation.”

We continue to work with multiple partners and localities (Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Petersburg) to identify families in need, disburse funds, and make sure recipients don’t have to navigate barriers associated with technology and financial literacy in order to receive much-needed support.

Family Crisis Fund partners include Henrico Education Foundation, Chesterfield Education Foundation, Family Lifeline, City of Richmond, Enrichmond Foundation, Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation, Flying Squirrels Charities, and individual donor, Clelin Ferrell.

No commitment is too small when addressing a situation of this magnitude. At Robins Foundation, we are thankful for the strategic, adaptable, and collaborative efforts between philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, our local government partners and individuals to engage in innovative philanthropy that inspires solutions to our community’s greatest challenges.

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