Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education Grant

Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Last Updated: March 14, 2026

Summary

The William Penn Foundation is offering funding to enhance enrollment in high-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs. This initiative aims to increase the number of high-quality seats, improve existing ECE programs, and support providers in achieving full enrollment. Strategies may include workforce training, financial assistance, and technical support, all directed at ensuring that families can access the best educational opportunities for their children, particularly in maintaining high-quality standards.

Overview

Opportunity Overview Funding will be directed toward efforts that help early learning programs to increase the number high-quality seats, transform existing ECE seats from lower quality to high quality, and/or help providers to achieve and maintain full enrollment in existing high-quality classrooms. We recognize that there are many different tactics that can help to advance this objective. Some examples could include projects that improve workforce recruitment and training to ensure needed staffing for high- quality programs, loan or re-grant funds accompanied by technical assistance to help programs achieve high-quality ratings, training or technical assistance that leads to improved STAR ratings, efforts to decrease suspension and expulsion in high-quality programs to ensure that all seats are used, or helping families choose and enroll in a high-quality program that meets their needs.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Application Details

Request for Proposals
Published March 19, 2025 Due April 25, 2025
William Penn Foundation
Two Logan Square, Suite 1100
100 North 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
williampennfoundation.org

The William Penn Foundation (WPF) has a long history of investing in efforts to
improve the lives of young children in Philadelphia. The Foundation’s Children and
Families program was created to expand access to programs and resources that
support the healthy development and academic success of young children, ages 0 to
8, in Philadelphia. A full description of the Children and Families program, its goal, and
its objectives can be found on the Foundation’s website. This specific Request for
Proposals (RFP) was created to help organizations to advance the following objective:
By 2035, more than 60% of Philadelphia children, birth to 5, are enrolled in
high-quality early childhood education.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 2

The benefits of high-quality early childhood education (ECE) include positive social, emotional, and academic
preparedness of young children, and support for the economic wellbeing of working families. Research suggests that the
advantages of high-quality ECE extend into adulthood. According to a 2021 study published in Child Development, adults
who consistently attended high-quality early childhood education as children earned higher wages than adults who did
not attend high quality preschool.1
Despite the many benefits of high-quality early childhood education, the national ECE sector remains inadequately
resourced. Challenges such as low wages for teachers and staff, affordability, and accessibility of care are some of the
most common barriers that prevent early learning programs from reaching full enrollment. When early learning
programs are unable to maintain or expand enrollment, the consequences threaten program quality and, in some cases,
result in program closure.
Keystone STARS is the Quality Rating and Improvement
System (QRIS) for Pennsylvania’s early childhood education
programs. Through the QRIS system, programs are assessed
using evidence-based program quality tools. Programs that
are rated STAR 3 or 4 are considered high quality. William
Penn Foundation relies upon STAR 3 or 4 ratings as
representation of high quality. The QRIS also helps to
inform caregiver selection of early learning programs,
helping families to identify the highest quality programs.
The Foundation recognizes that there are many ways that organizations and communities can contribute to advancing
the objective stated above. With that understanding, there are few limitations on the project designs or applicants’
approach to addressing this issue. For example, proposals may focus on expanding or sustaining the supply of high-
quality seats, increasing utilization of the existing supply of high-quality seats, or other ways to advance the objective.
Proposals may have a small geographic focus or may seek to make change on a citywide scale.
Regardless of the approach, all applicants should describe a compelling explanation for how their proposed work will
help to increase and maintain enrollment in high-quality ECE programs located in Philadelphia.
The specific criteria that will be used to assess all proposals can be found on pages 7 and 8 of this document.
Why is the Foundation using a Request for Proposals to advance this objective?
The Foundation has chosen to advance this objective using a Request for Proposals for several reasons. First, we believe
that stakeholders across the region have a great deal of expertise and experience that can be supported to make
progress on an objective that we heard was important to communities in our region. We want to hear about the
impactful projects that are underway or could get underway and need funding. Second, we want to be as transparent as
possible about the opportunity for non-profit organizations in the region to secure funding for work to advance this
objective. Third, we heard from applicants and grantees in the past that our grant application process was overly
—
1 Bustamante, A. S., Dearing, E., Zachrisson, H. D., & Vandell, D. L. (2022). Adult outcomes of sustained high-quality early child care and
education: Do they vary by family income? Child Development, 93, 502–523.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 3

burdensome, had unpredictable timelines, and did not provide sufficient information about the funding availability or
the criteria used in selecting grantees. Fourth, we heard that applicants wanted an opportunity to show Foundation staff
their work, not just tell them about it. The RFP process, including site visits as described below, is part of our effort to
address this important feedback and to align with the Foundation’s grantmaking values (as detailed on our website).
According to the 2024 Childcare Supply and Demand report published by
Reinvestment Fund, 3,000 new high-quality seats were added in Philadelphia,
between 2023-2024. As a result of this increase, 49% of the city’s early childhood
education seats were in early learning programs with a high-quality rating. This
represents dramatic growth from a decade ago when only 25% of all seats were rated
as high quality.2 Still, with more than half of the city’s ECE seats not yet rated as high
quality, there is much work to be done.
Issues such as insufficient teacher preparation and ongoing training, lack of funding for high-quality curriculum and
classroom materials, high staff turnover due to inadequate compensation and other issues challenge the local sector’s
ability to ensure that all ECE settings are high quality.
Nearly 60% of Philadelphia-
based high-quality Early
Learning Programs
experienced enrollment
challenges in 2024.3
There are currently more
than 450 early childhood
educator vacancies in
Philadelphia that, if filled,
could serve nearly 4,000
additional birth to 5-year-old
children.4
—
2 Reinvestment Fund. (2025). Changes in the Supply of and Demand for Childcare in Philadelphia, 2024.
3 Reinvestment Fund. (2024). Philadelphia ECE Providers Survey 2024.
4 Children First. (2025). A Decade of Stalled Progress: Opportunity Stunted for Children in Philadelphia.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 4

Funding will be directed toward efforts that help early learning programs to increase
the number high-quality seats, transform existing ECE seats from lower quality to high
quality, and/or help providers to achieve and maintain full enrollment in existing high-
quality classrooms.
As noted above, we recognize that there are many different tactics that can help to advance this objective. Some
examples could include projects that improve workforce recruitment and training to ensure needed staffing for high-
quality programs, loan or re-grant funds accompanied by technical assistance to help programs achieve high-quality
ratings, training or technical assistance that leads to improved STAR ratings, efforts to decrease suspension and
expulsion in high-quality programs to ensure that all seats are used, or helping families choose and enroll in a high-
quality program that meets their needs.
Projects eligible for funding must:
• Improve opportunities for children from birth to age 5
• Focus solely on ECE programs in the city of Philadelphia
• Advance the objective stated on page 2
• Use STAR 3-4 ratings as the measure of high quality
Several types of efforts are not eligible for support through this RFP:
• tuition scholarships
• loan repayment
• independent research/data analysis projects
• projects that will only increase the number of high-quality seats at a single ECE program or provider
• projects that will only increase utilization of existing high-quality seats at a single ECE program or provider
• projects that will only improve the quality of seats at a single ECE program or provider
• capital projects that benefit a single ECE program or provider
• projects that don’t define high quality as a STAR 3 or 4 rating
• statewide advocacy activities (A separate RFP to support advocacy efforts will be released in December 2025.)
We are requesting proposals for up to two years of funding. After reviewing proposals, WPF will conduct site visits and
gather additional information from a limited number of organizations.
Organizations that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits.
However, the Foundation recognizes that making significant progress on the objective is difficult and encourages
organizations to include partnerships that leverage complementary strengths, resources, and expertise to reach
proposed goals.
The Foundation recognizes that there are many different tactics or approaches that could be used to advance the
objective stated above. All proposals that meet the review criteria described below are encouraged.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 5

WPF has $5 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. The maximum amount of funding that
organizations may request for direct expenses is $1 million over two years. (This does not include the overhead amount
that will be added to project budgets, based on a formula described on the “How to Apply” section of our website). The
grant amount requested should be commensurate with the contribution that the project will make to the overall
objective.
At least $1 million of the total amount awarded under this RFP will be reserved for grants to organizations that have
budgets under $1 million per year and/or are led by individuals who are members of groups with a history of
discrimination or exclusion.
Eligibility
Applicants must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)3 public charities or operate under a public
charity fiduciary. Public charities include community-based organizations, schools and educational institutions, and
other types of public-serving groups. Government entities are also eligible to apply.
Proposed projects must occur in Philadelphia and serve families who are residents of Philadelphia.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 6

Proposals will be judged on the criteria below. Applicants should address these criteria in their narrative responses to
the application questions.
Alignment with Objective
Absent Emergent Developing Strong
Project activities and Project activities and goals Project will make a clear but Project will make a clear and
goals are unrelated to may advance the defined indirect contribution to advancing direct contribution to advancing
the defined objective. objective, but connection is the defined objective. the defined objective.
vague.
Program Design
Absent Emergent Developing Strong
The approach to the Outlines an approach to the Outlines a clear approach to the Outlines a clear approach to the
work is vague or unclear. work that describes one of the work that describes two of the work that describes the
following: the organizational following: the organizational organizational capacity to carry
capacity to carry out the capacity to carry out the proposed out the proposed program, a
proposed program, a feasible program, a feasible plan to feasible plan to implement the
plan to implement the work, or a implement the work, or a detailed work, and a plan to track project
detailed plan to track the plan to track project outcomes and outcomes and impact on the
outcomes and impact on the impact on the relevant objective. relevant objective.
relevant objective. Strong Re quired
Partnerships and Collaboration
Absent Emergent Developing Strong
No identified partners or Partners are identified but Some existing partnerships, a clear Sufficient existing partnerships
plans for collaboration. there are no clear plan to build new partnerships, and a or commitments from partner
commitments. description of each partner’s role to organizations and a description
maximize impact. of each partner’s role to
maximize impact.
Organizational Experience
Absent Emergent Developing Strong
No implementation Limited implementation Some implementation experience Extensive implementation
experience and no track experience (less than two (2-5 years) with advancing the experience (5+ years) with
record of success. years) with advancing the specified objective and a track advancing the specified objective
specified objective and a record of success in Philadelphia or and a track record of success in
minimal track record of other relevant cities or regions. Philadelphia and/or
success. Pennsylvania.
Emergent, Developing, or Strong Required
Community Engagement
Absent Emergent Developing Strong
No evidence of Minimal evidence of the Evidence of the applicants’ Key components of the project
familiarity with the applicants’ familiarity with familiarity with the intended were informed by the intended
intended beneficiaries of intended beneficiaries of the beneficiaries of the proposed effort beneficiaries of the proposed
the proposed effort and proposed effort, but there is a and there is a plan for ongoing effort and there is a plan for
no plan for future commitment to develop a stakeholder engagement during ongoing engagement during
engagement. stakeholder engagement plan implementation. implementation.
during implementation.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 7

Additional expectations:
Proposal is informed by evidence related to local barriers to increasing the number of, and
Evidence-based
sustaining full enrollment in, high-quality early learning programs in Philadelphia.
Proposal clearly outlines practices for ensuring participant diversity and integrating a culturally
Diversity
and linguistically responsive approach throughout the program.
Proposals should focus on providing supports for traditionally marginalized communities
Target Population
including low-income, people of color, non-English language speakers.
Project is being undertaken in coordination with other organizations and initiatives in the
sector who are seeking to advance the same objective. If a project is being proposed in direct
Coordination
partnership with another organization or organizations, a letter of support must be included
from each partner organization.
Budget The requested budget is reasonable for the proposed activities and the stated results.
Grantees will be expected to complete a brief written report each year describing how
they have made progress toward the objective above and what they have learned
during the year.
In addition, organizations funded through this RFP will be convened in a Learning Community to build networks among
those advancing a common objective, to share learning and best practices, and to identify ways in which progress could
be enhanced. Grantees will help to determine the frequency, content, and specific goals of the Learning Community. The
overhead funding included with any awarded grants is, in part, meant to help subsidize staff participation in the Learning
Community.
Webinar
Interested organizations are invited to participate in an optional
informational webinar on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 1:00PM ET.
Register for the webinar at https://lu.ma/williampennfoundation
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 8

Project budgets should cover up to two years of funding and may include up to three
months for planning. Organizations are encouraged to build on their existing
programs, using WPF funding to supplement or enhance those efforts.
Project budgets should be all-inclusive, including any fees to partner organizations or consultants. This information can
be provided in the proposal narrative.
Except in rare circumstances, total funding from WPF should not exceed 25% of an organization's operating budget.
All aspects of project development and execution, including planning, materials, community engagement, staffing, and
implementation, are eligible for funding.
In rare cases, it is possible that everything an organization does is focused on advancing the specific objective stated
above. If that is the case, an organization may be eligible for general operating, rather than project support. If you believe
that to be the case, please contact the Program Officer named below to discuss further.
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 9

Before you apply, please review the questions below. If March 19, 2025
you can confidently answer “yes” to the questions, this Proposal submission
period opens.
funding opportunity may be relevant to you. If you respond
“no” to any of the questions, this opportunity is not a good
March 25, 2025
match for your project, and you should not apply.
Informational Webinar
(see page 8)
Is Your Project: YES NO
April 25, 2025
Serving families who reside in Philadelphia?
Proposals due by 5:00PM ET
Focused on children from birth to age 5?
Going to improve the quality of ECE programs or increase
May 7-12, 2025
utilization of high-quality seats?
Select applicants notified
Using STAR 3 or 4 as the measure of high quality?
that their proposals have
Going to impact more than one ECE program or provider?
been chosen for further
consideration and a site
Please also review all of the criteria on pages 7 and 8 and make sure that your visit. Other applicants
program aligns with those. will be notified that their
proposals are not
advancing in the process.
If you answered “yes” to all of the questions above and meet the stated criteria,
the application process begins by completing a proposal on our online submission
system at https://wpf.my.site.com/grantee. Submit your application by 5:00PM ET
May 12-June 6, 2025
on April 25, 2025. A WPF team will review all proposals and will notify applicants if
Site visits conducted by
they have been selected to move forward in the review process. To download a
WPF staff with selected
working copy of the application to draft responses, please click here.
applicants.
Selected organizations will take part in a site visit with WPF staff so that the
Foundation can learn more about applicants’ work. Site visits will be July 25, 2025
approximately two hours in duration. We ask that organizations use this time to
WPF Board review
introduce key staff working on the proposed project, to show WPF staff where the
selected proposals.
work will take place, and to elevate the voices of the potential beneficiaries of the
proposed project. Based on a combination of the written materials and the
August 2025
learning from the site visit, a final slate of organizations will be recommended to
the WPF Board for consideration of their proposals. Project implementation
can begin.
This request or any subsequent response does not commit William Penn Foundation
or the responding organization to any future funding or engagement. If you have any
questions, contact Kellie Brown at kbrown@williampennfoundation.org
Request for Proposals: Increasing Enrollment in High-Quality Early Childhood Education 1100