Why Early Childhood
Every child deserves the opportunity and resources they need to grow into their power — like education, healthcare, economic security, and more. But we know that every family is not given the same chance to survive and thrive. Opportunities vary state to state, city to city, and even neighborhood to neighborhood. Too many families — and disproportionately Black and brown families — are denied what they need to succeed. They don’t have enough opportunities to use their agency and solve the complex problems that impact them most. We believe that the people who know what their kids and communities need, also know what to do about it. By coming together to fund community- and parent-led efforts, we fund powerful communities with stronger futures. And we do it without restriction or prescription because we’ve seen again and again what resources and self determination can do.
Our Mission
We resource institutions that organize to advance the well-being of young children and families by elevating the voices of those that have been marginalized by systems that perpetuate different outcomes based on race.
Core values
Trust and Self-Determination
We trust people’s expertise, recognize their innate human dignity, and honor their strengths.
Curiosity and Learning
We are curious and willing to adapt and change based on what we learn.
Imaginative & Bold
We are unapologetic in rethinking advocacy, power, organizing, community, and philanthropy.
Racial Equity and Anti-Racism
We acknowledge the continuing impacts of racism and are unapologetic in our efforts to remove race as a predictor of child and family outcomes.
Honesty and Joy
We bring vulnerability and positivity to our work as we change ourselves and systems to realize equity and justice.
The current landscape under-resources organizations with deep community knowledge and mobilizing ability. Adding strength and capacity to these advocacy and organizing institutions is essential for systems change.
Our Funding Strategy
The Power Equity Fund is proud to join a growing movement of innovative funders who are redefining success in the field of philanthropy. Instead of traditional funding practices that can sometimes replicate power dynamics in communities, we turn our trust and resources towards leaders most impacted by inequity.
Working in philanthropy is a responsibility and privilege — carefully choosing where and how to distribute resources for the biggest impact possible. But traditional models of philanthropy sometimes replicate damaging power dynamics and inequity in communities. Being intentional about how we measure impact and decide which grantees receive funding can make all the difference. That’s why more funders, like the Power Equity Fund, are centering local groups with deep community knowledge rather than prioritizing national groups with broader experience. More funders are minimizing reporting in order to maximize impact.
Together, we’re reimagining the definition of success. We’re including the leadership and agency of people most impacted by unfair systems that perpetuate unfair outcomes, where who succeeds and who fails is too easily predicted by race, geography, and family income. As individual donors, grantmakers, institutions, and a whole field, philanthropy has a powerful opportunity and responsibility. We get to innovate and adapt to make change that is meaningful and lasting.
Our Theory of Change
Philanthropy is successful when the community-based organizations we partner with have the resources they need to sustain and thrive. In order for this to happen, funders must be realistic about what it takes to truly sustain an organization over time. Investing in unrestricted, multi-year funding makes room for our grantees to be more flexible and resilient as they navigate challenges over time.
In this trust-based funding model, our grantees become stronger financially by accessing additional funding. They become more stable as they’re able to shift out of “survival mode.” They grow more powerful by making new coalitions. Over time, the groups we fund demonstrate influence by advancing policy, shifting power and changing systems. Families and organizers shift out of survival and begin to thrive because they have the resources to realize their dreams. They build statewide power, connecting to other resources that outlast our investments.
We love, trust and believe in our grantees. We selected them because we have seen first-hand the impact they have made on children and families in their communities. We take joy in celebrating them and their successes. When we celebrate our grantees publicly, their successes can be replicated by community leaders across the country .
In this way, we move toward the long-term vision of a world that values, recognizes and celebrates human dignity. A world where all families — regardless of the color of their skin, the balance in their bank account, or their zip code — have the power of self-determination and interdependence. A world where superheroes are real and we see them everyday.