2011 Emergency Capital Grant Program
Announcement and Application Process

Purpose of the Grant:

The Children’s Investment Fund offers grants for emergency capital needs, with a focus on health and safety, regulatory compliance, and projects that help programs survive in the current challenging economy. We have a limited pool of funding available starting July 8, 2010. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and will be available until the grant pool is exhausted.

The current funding is restricted to Boston providers only. We will expand eligibility if additional funding becomes available.

Eligibility:

• To be eligible to apply for funding, your program must meet all the following criteria:
• Be located in Boston;
• Be a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization;
• Operate a licensed center-based program serving infants, toddlers and/or preschool children or operate a school program in a community setting;
• Serve a minimum of 50% low-income children, as defined by the Department of Early Education and Care income eligibility guidelines;
• If you are an early care and education program, you must offer care on a full-day, full-year basis , or if you are a school age program you must provide services during the school year or year round;
• Demonstrate that your organization has the financial and organizational resources to continue to serve children and families.

Eligible projects must fall within one or more of the following categories:

Priority One:

• Building emergencies (e.g. roof leak, flooding, loss of heat, building code violations, insufficient indoor air quality)
• Facility renovations needed to comply with licensing regulations, address health and safety concerns.
• For school age programs, providers located within the Circle of Promise.

Priority Two:

• Program consolidation or reconfiguration (e.g. combining classrooms due to reductions in enrollment) that may require small renovations, repairs or equipment purchases
• Energy efficient modifications designed to reduce energy usage and energy operating costs while improving the health and safety of children and adults in the program
• Facility renovations needed to meet accreditation standards

Please note that Children’s Investment Fund grants cannot be used for public schools or other municipal sites.

Our highest priority for funding will be those projects that meet a critical and immediate need. Other criteria considered include:

• Projects that make a lasting improvement in your facility
• Projects that will be completed within 4 months of award depending on weather conditions

Application Process and Timetable

This funding will be available beginning July 8, 2010. To apply, please contact Theresa Jordan at the Children’s Investment Fund at 617-727-5944 x107. If your project meets the general intent of the emergency grant program, we will provide an application form that requests additional information and documentation. The completed application with the accompanying documentation should be submitted to the Children’s Investment Fund within 2 weeks. We will then respond within a month to schedule a site visit and discuss next steps.