San Diego CA— The San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) and San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP) recently announced $50,000 in grants for two local nonprofits working to support Early Childhood Education in San Diego County.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and Traveling Stories will each receive $25,000 to support their mission and provide general operation support. Members of SDWF and SDSVP worked together to select the grant recipients. Both grantees will work closely with SDSVP members over the next two years to grow their organizational capacity.
“We chose these organizations because they are both working hard to ensure the success of young children in San Diego and are at a point in their organizational history where volunteer support from SVP can help them get to the next level,” said Sierra Visher Kroha, Executive Director of San Diego Social Venture Partners. “Their work is especially critical since we know that 48% of all third graders in San Diego County are below grade level in reading, which is a gap these organizations are working to close.”
According to a report by Children Now, quality preschool is important for all kids, but unlike kindergarten, preschool isn’t universal in California. Attendance is especially critical for low-income children, who can arrive at elementary school nearly 14 months behind more affluent kids in school-readiness measures.
“Both of our organizations are built on the principle that we accomplish more by working together than any of us could alone,” said Katie Sawyer, Executive Director of the San Diego Women’s Foundation. “We believe that collaboration is key in solving big social problems, and I am so happy that we were able to join forces with San Diego Social Venture Partners to provide substantial funding to these exceptional organizations.”+
These grants are the first co-funding partnership for the SDWF Collaboration Committee. The committee’s funds are separate from the SDWF’s primary grant cycle, and each committee member contributes at least $500, beyond annual dues, to make these grants possible. The committee members then work to find a funding partner, with whom they work closely with to make granting decisions. For more information, or to become a member of the SDWF, visit https://www.sdwomensfoundation.org.