How We Work
Connecting funders, strengthening shared learning, and moving investments and ideas into action for children birth to five
Our Vision
All young children in Massachusetts will have the opportunities and supports they need to thrive in their earliest years, perinatally to age 5.
Our Mission
Connect, educate, and activate philanthropic funders, in partnership with key stakeholders, to inspire investments that ensure all Massachusetts children can reach their potential.
Approaches
Connect
Funders have a space to build relationships, trust, and knowledge with other funders and early childhood leaders at all altitudes.
Educate
Funders learn about research, knowledge, and analyses relevant to their philanthropic and advocacy strategies.
Activate
Funders learn about research, knowledge, and analyses relevant to their philanthropic and advocacy strategies.
Individually
Funders are able to activate their learnings using various philanthropic levers.
Together
Through the MA ECFC, funders will co-fund and advocate to collectively drive change.
Our Priorities
Short-Term
Remaining Nimble to the Current Climate
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long-term
Strengthening the Early Childhood Workforce
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Our Hypothesis
ECFC ALIGN is the bi-monthly gathering of the full MA ECFC collaborative
A space to Connect with peers, Educate ourselves on the field’s most pressing issues, and Activate strategies that move early childhood forward across the Commonwealth. Each session is designed to align our collective learning, relationships, and actions - creating momentum through shared purpose and statewide impact.
- Activate. Learn. Inform. Gather. Network.
- Connect: Gather, Network
- Educate: Learn, Inform
- Activate:
Activate
ECFC Member Exchange
A space for Massachusetts ECFC members to connect informally, share insights, explore ideas, and learn from one another. These conversations are designed to strengthen relationships, spark new thinking, and deepen our shared commitment to early childhood in the Commonwealth. This is a chance to bring your questions, share actions your foundation is taking, and hear how peers across the Commonwealth are thinking and moving. Come ready to connect, reflect, and learn from one another in a candid, member-only space.
Connect & Educate
funder members on key issues, with aligned peers
Elevate
EC as a funding priority
Interest & Attention
more funder interest and attention in the EC space
Activate
for early wins
Advancing Our Mission
Nimble
to current climate
(Immediate)
Early Childhood Workforce
(Longer-term)
Driving Growth in Knowledge
Our Goal
Ensure a baseline understanding of the early childhood space, including key stakeholders and initiatives, that will lead to easier and increased investment in high-impact, promising early childhood initiatives, systems, supports, and policies.
Infrastructure that Supports Families
Our Goal
- Strong infrastructure that supports families’ abilities to access, afford, and utilize services for their young children
- Increase strength and resilience of families so their children can thrive
- Increase investment in family supports and the access to these supports
Promote a High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce
Our Goal
- Professionalization of the early childhood (EC) field
- Sufficient high-quality, well-compensated EC workforce
Economic Sustainability for Service Providers
Our Goal
- Ensure that all MA families with young children have access to the stable, high-quality services they desire.
