Pennies for Preschoolers: Philanthropic Foundation Investment in Preschool Programs, Policies, and Research

• In Event: Exploring the Impacts of U.S. Pre-K and Kindergarten Policies

Abstract

The widely understood return on investments and lasting benefits of high-quality early childhood programs have influenced the funding decisions of executives at U.S. philanthropic foundations, and yet little is known about their investments. Drawing from a conceptual framework that combines types of philanthropic investment with the concepts of accountability and transparency, I conducted a comparative case study of three foundations which began financially supporting early childhood between 2000 and 2005. I found that each foundation invests a disparate amount of money in early childhood. With the inclusion of early childhood programs in K-12 education and the decrease in national and state education funding from those same budgets, it is critical to understand how philanthropic foundations are supporting early childhood education.

Author

• Kathryn P. Chapman, University of Kentucky