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LVCF’s Early Childhood Grantmaking
The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has recently awarded $106,000 in general operating grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for 2025-26 to ten nonprofit organizations working to expand access to high-quality early childhood education throughout the Lehigh Valley. The grants reflect LVCF’s continued commitment to strengthening the early childhood sector and supporting the children, families, and educators who depend on it. More...
What we Do to Support Early Childhood Education:
LVCF has focused on supporting the Early Childhood sector beginning in 2023. Each year, nearly $200,000 in funding support is distributed to Lehigh Valley organizations that are focused on early childhood. These funds come from several different area-of-interest funds that are focused on supporting Lehigh Valley youth and families, including the Edward & Inez Donley Fund; Walter & Alma Bastian Fund; Frances L. Barnard Fund for Children; Support from Roger & Kathy Yott; Lucille F. Driver Fund; William C. Rybak Fund for Persons with Disabilities; Robert D. & Gwendolyn-Jane Romeril Campership Fund; and Janice & Paul Gross Fund.
LVCF’s Funding Priorities for the Early Childhood grantmaking cycle focused on supporting the early childcare sector (ages 0-5) through several key initiatives:
- High-Quality Childcare Centers: Funding centers that demonstrate active efforts to improve the quality of their services, such as improving facilities, retaining staff, increasing salaries, expanding slots, and developing programs.
- Addressing Behavioral and Mental Health Needs: Supporting programs that equip childcare workers with resources to care for children with challenging behaviors or high mental health needs, as well as providing direct care for such children.
- Advocacy for Improved Policies: Supporting organizations that advocate for better regulations, funding, and policies for early childcare providers.
- Additional Considerations: LVCF prioritizes funding for organizations that:
- Are guided by the community they serve.
- Are learning organizations.
- Serve children and families most at risk of exiting the safety net, including immigrant families, LGBTQ+ families, single guardian households, foster care children, very low-income families, children with disabilities, or families involved in the criminal justice system.
- Evaluation Criteria
Applications were evaluated based on:- Alignment with funding focus areas.
- Population served, particularly at-risk children and families.
- Community guidance in program implementation.
- Provision of high-quality programs and services.
- Efforts towards improving regulations, funding, or policies for early childcare providers.
Ask Megan
Learn more about the community investments/grants opportunities at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
Megan Barnes Briggs
Vice President of Community Investments
840 West Hamilton Street, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18101
610 351-5353 Ext. 121, megan@lvcfoundation.org