Herzfeld Foundation: Early Childhood Education Grant

Herzfeld Foundation: Early Childhood Education Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Richard & Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Inc.
Amount: US $15,000 - US $60,000
Last Updated: May 05, 2025

Summary

The Herzfeld Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Early Childhood Education Grant, aimed at licensed nonprofit childcare providers in Milwaukee. Grants ranging from $15,000 to $60,000 will support initiatives that enhance educational quality, expand capacity, improve educator retention, and foster collaboration among providers. The foundation encourages innovative proposals that strengthen financial stability and sustainability, ultimately benefiting the community's children and families.

Overview

History It was the wish of Richard and Ethel Herzfeld that, upon their deaths, their assets would be added to their Foundation dedicated to Wisconsin but with emphasis on the greater Milwaukee area. Since Ethel's death in 1997, the Foundation translated that wish into an investment of many millions of dollars in the community with more to come in the future. Richard and Ethel lived in Milwaukee and on Pine Lake for most of their lives. Richard’s father was the founder of a company that bought and managed the Boston Store from 1906 to 1948. There, after serving in World War I and graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Richard worked his way up from stock boy in 1920 to president in 1940. Boston Store was sold to Federated Department Stores, Inc. in 1948. Ethel Ann Davis Herzfeld was born in Chicago and attended Milwaukee-Downer College. She received her B.A. degree from Wellesley College in 1920. Her mother, Emma J. Davis, resided on Marietta Avenue in Milwaukee. Richard and Ethel were active in the Milwaukee community and contributed significant time and resources to enriching cultural life in the city. Sparked by a spirit of innovation and recognizing the need to adapt to an ever-changing world, both took a lively interest in all aspects of the greater Milwaukee area and ways to enhance the quality of life of its institutions and citizens. What We Support Arts & CultureEducationCivic Improvement (On a limited basis and by invitation only) Early Childhood Education Grant We are currently accepting grant applications from Milwaukee-based licensed nonprofit childcare providers for grants to support early childhood education initiatives. Grants are intended to help ECE providers in Milwaukee invest in initiatives to improve the quality of their educational services and programming, expand their classroom capacity or hours of operation, improve educator retention and recruitment, build organizational capacity, or enhance financial stability and sustainability. We are particularly interested in proposals that allow ECE providers to implement or scale up new educational initiatives or business-related strategies. In addition, we encourage proposals that involve collaboration between two or more ECE providers or between an ECE provider or providers and one or more community-based organizations or educational nonprofits to offer new early learning opportunities or improve organizational efficiency and sustainability. Providers may apply for more than one grant if a second grant involves a collaboration with at least one additional entity. Funding Maximum grant is $60,000, minimum grant is $15,000.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Licensed nonprofit group or family childcare providers who operate in the city of Milwaukee are eligible for grants to support early childhood education (ECE) initiatives that are designed to enhance the quality of existing services and programming, expand programming or classroom capacity, or build organizational capacity and financial sustainability.

Ineligibility

This program does not fund capital campaigns, general operations, fundraising/gala events, or scholarship programs.If specifically linked to added capacity, enhanced quality or safety, or improved financial sustainability, grants for physical improvements to facilities will be considered.