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Five influential philanthropies joined together
to support the First Five Years Fund, including the Buffett Early Childhood
Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Irving Harris Foundation,
the George Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Children's Initiative, a project
of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. These five family
philanthropies apply a private sector approach to social change, and recognize
early learning as a particularly influential and cost-effective investment. Buffett Early Childhood FundThe Buffett Early Childhood Fund is committed to establishing a more level playing field for all children as they enter kindergarten – a goal that should be a given in any society that values equal opportunity. The Buffett Early Childhood Fund invests in young children and their families living in Omaha, Nebraska and across America. Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationGuided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. The Foundation's investments in early learning are focused in Washington state and include support of Thrive By Five: The Washington Early Learning Fund and two Educare centers in development. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Irving Harris FoundationFounded in 1947 by Irving Harris, a successful businessman, the Irving Harris Foundation is a private family foundation that takes a strategic approach to funding programs, policies, research and organizations that support and advocate for optimal early childhood development, with an emphasis on the prenatal period through the first three years of life. The foundation also supports the arts and humanities and Jewish philanthropy. George Kaiser Family FoundationGeorge Kaiser Family Foundation is a Tulsa-based charitable foundation dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through investments in early childhood education, community health, social welfare and civic enhancement. W.K. Kellogg FoundationWorking toward a vision that all children grow up strong and secure, the W.K. Kellogg invests in key elements that together create the conditions that children need to thrive: Family Income and Assets; Community Assets; Education and Learning; Food, Health, and Well-Being; and Civic and Philanthropic Engagement. The Foundation's emphasis on "success by third grade" guides investments toward the healthy cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The Children’s Initiative of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family FoundationThe Children's Initiative, a project of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, seeks to enhance the early learning capabilities of infants and toddlers, with a special focus on at-risk children. Inspired by the early childhood development work of the late philanthropist Irving Harris and motivated by the belief that all children are born with great potential, The Children's Initiative supports policies, programs, research, and advocacy to allow at-risk children to achieve better economic, educational, and social outcomes. |
