Critical Ways Philanthropy Can Help Every Young Child and Family Thrive

Investing in a child’s earliest years strengthens lifelong health, learning, and economic mobility, with an impact that extends beyond to parents and entire communities. But American families today are struggling to access and afford the supports they want and need to nurture and care for their very young children. Philanthropy has a critical—and catalytic—role to play in shaping a future where all very young children and their families can thrive across race, income, and geography.

Join the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative for a discussion with The Bridgespan Group building on their refreshed funder guide, Investing in Our Future: Critical Ways Philanthropy Can Help Every Young Child and Family Thrive (January 2026, available prior to our discussion).

In this discussion, we will:

• Take stock of the current state of the early childhood field;
• Explore four critical opportunities for philanthropy to drive system-level change in the coming decade, with examples of how philanthropy is supporting leading efforts today; and
• Discuss ways that current early childhood funders, and other funders focused on young children and families, can help bring other funders to the table, including high net worth donors who could become champions for young children and families.