|
New Guide Shows Where to Find Federal Money
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
By: Kathleen Manzo
New Guide Shows Where to Find Federal Money
The Finance Project manual identifies funding streams for boosting grade-level reading proficiency.
Press Contact:
Soumya Bhat (202) 628-4200
(Washington, DC) -- The Finance Project has produced a new guide, LEARNING TO READ: A Guide to Federal Funding for Grade-Level Reading Proficiency, to support initiatives aimed at ensuring children achieve reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
LEARNING TO READ -- a first-of-its-kind funding guide -- will help state and local officials, leaders of community-based and national organizations, school leaders and private investors identify, access and make the best use of available federal money to meet their policy and program goals. It provides information on 103 federal funding sources across seven cabinet-level departments and three independent agencies that can support early childhood development and early literacy programs, as well as their infrastructure.
The guide, commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, also identifies federal money that can be used to address the root causes of children failing to read, such as limited access to quality early care, and remediation strategies, such as reducing chronic absence and reversing summer learning loss, that affect early literacy. It offers users a guide to "best bet" funding sources and on-the-ground examples; and it allows users to search by funding purpose, eligibility and special populations.
"LEARNING TO READ fills an enormous gap and will significantly impact how program leaders, educators and policymakers identify funding sources that support programs to ensure all children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade," said Annie E. Casey Foundation Executive Vice President Ralph Smith.
The Finance Project created LEARNING TO READ to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a determined effort by philanthropic leaders, including the Casey foundation, to increase the number of low-income students who read proficiently by the end of third grade. This is considered a fundamental milestone in developmental success and overall childhood well-being.
In addition to the national philanthropic push, grade-level reading efforts are being launched statewide in Georgia and Arkansas and in such cities as Sacramento, New Britain, Conn., and Springfield, Mass.
###
About The Finance Project:
The Finance Project is a specialized non-profit research, consulting, technical assistance, and training firm for public and private sector leaders nationwide. We specialize in helping leaders plan and implement financing and sustainability strategies for initiatives that benefit children, families, and communities. Through a board array of products, tools and services, we help leaders make smart investments decision, develop sound financing strategies, and build solid partnerships. To learn more, please visit www.financeproject.org.
About the Annie E. Casey Foundation:
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. To learn more, please visit www.aecf.org.
|
