Ready to Learn Grant

Note: Applicants may apply for either a Ready to Learn grant, a Dr. Seuss Foundation Bright Futures grant, or both.
The San Diego Foundation
We enable donors and nonprofit partners to tackle the most critical needs facing San Diegans.
For 50 years, donors, nonprofits, communities, government and civic leaders have trusted San Diego Foundation to transform lives and have partnered with us for lasting change that moves our region forward.
As San Diego’s largest regional community foundation, it’s our job to understand the pulse of our local communities better than anyone, enabling donors and nonprofit partners to tackle the most critical needs facing San Diegans.
The Dr. Seuss Foundation and San Diego Foundation are now accepting applications from eligible nonprofit organizations to be considered for either a Ready to Learn grant, a Dr. Seuss Foundation Bright Futures grant, or both.
Seuss Foundation (DSF) and San Diego Foundation (SDF) have collaborated to award nearly $5 million to local organizations offering high-quality early educational opportunities and programs for children and families in San Diego County. To date, this collaborative grantmaking effort has supported 40+ nonprofit partners in providing critical services to more than 70,000 individuals, including 37,000 children aged 0-5.
Launched in Spring 2025 through the support of a $15 million endowment established by the Dr. Seuss Foundation at SDF, the joint Ready to Learn initiative aims to provide sustainable, long-term funding to support early literacy efforts for children up to age 5 in the San Diego region for years to come.
Grant Goals
The Ready to Learn initiative supports the expansion of early literacy and learning opportunities for children up to age 5, with an emphasis on literacy and language competencies as key drivers of healthy development and school success.
Proposals will be considered for programs that pursue at least one of the following objectives:
Expanding access to high-quality literacy and learning opportunitiesBuilding provider expertise in literacy instructionPromoting family-centered literacy and learningAddressing barriers to learning through whole-child, developmentally appropriate approaches