On May 1, we opened our Early Childhood Education (ECE) grant application process to the community. welcoming any licensed nonprofit group or family childcare providers who operate in the city of Milwaukee to request support for initiatives designed to enhance the quality of their existing services and programming, expand their programming or classroom capacity, or build their organizational capacity and financial sustainability. We asked applicants to limit their grant requests to a minimum of $15,000 and a maximum of $60,000.
Our solicitation expressed a particular interest in proposals that would allow providers to implement or scale up new educational initiatives or business-related strategies. We also encouraged proposals involving collaboration between ECE providers. or between ECE providers and community-based organizations and educational nonprofits that would offer new early learning opportunities or allow them to improve their organizational efficiency and sustainability.
Our grant application process closed on July 11, and we are excited to report that we received 27 very thoughtfully written proposals which are now under staff consideration. In late September, our Board of Directors will meet to consider staff recommendations and decide on the grant requests. Applicants will then receive word from us on their decision in early October.
In the meantime. we want to express our appreciation for the efforts of all the organizations that submitted ECE grant requests, and we thank you for all of the important work you do in our city!
