The Kenneth Rainin Foundation believes every Oakland child should have the literacy and language skills to communicate, learn and thrive. Research shows that the greatest opportunity to foster literacy growth occurs during early childhood through second grade. However, not all Oakland children have equal access to early learning experiences that maximize this critical window of development.
Early Care Spaces supports organizations that promote language and literacy development for children from birth to five years old. This grantmaking program funds community-driven solutions and local initiatives that intentionally integrate these skills into early childhood programming, creating stronger, more developmentally enriching opportunities for our youngest learners.
Early Care Spaces aims to advance work that focuses on:
- Supporting children in expanding their literacy and language skills.
- Creating opportunities that increase parents’ and caregivers’ capacity to support early literacy.
- Upskilling and career advancement for early care providers to lead language-rich, developmentally appropriate and culturally connected care.
This grant program prioritizes:
- Early care opportunities outside of traditional education systems or center-based care, such as in family resource centers, libraries, community spaces or other community-based organizations.
- Programs that want to build or have deep connections to informal care providers or Family, Friend and Neighbor care. This could include targeting these caregivers in program outreach and delivery or providing professional development opportunities for them.
- Organizations that are deeply rooted in and of the community they intend to serve. If not, there is a plan to authentically engage with and serve that community.
- Work happening in the Oakland flatlands, especially neighborhoods experiencing disinvestment and displacement of low-income children and families.
These focus areas and priorities allow us to fund innovative, community-based solutions that bridge gaps and expand access to high-quality early learning experiences, particularly for families in underserved areas.
Grant program terms are explained in our frequently asked questions.
How To Apply
Eligibility Requirements
We accept applications from organizations that meet the following criteria.
- Nonprofit organizations or 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsors. All fiscal sponsorships require a written agreement.
- Services support Oakland children, educators, providers or families. While an organization can operate and provide services outside of Oakland, funding can only go toward its Oakland operations.
Early Care Spaces does not fund:
- Initiatives or programs designed for children ages 6+
- Programs that primarily support book access or wraparound services*
- Capital campaign requests
- Childcare centers
- Fee-for-service programs
- One-time events
- Construction, purchase or renovation of facilities
- Advertising or promotional sponsorship
- Fraternal organizations
- Organizations that discriminate based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender
Eligibility for current Rainin Foundation Education grantees:
- Early Care Spaces grantees must finish their previously funded projects by December 31, 2025.
- Before applying for this grant, grantees funded through another Education grant program must finish their previously funded project and submit the grant report by the August 25, 2025, Early Care Spaces application deadline.
- Exceptions are possible for current Education grantees if the new project is significantly different from the currently funded one. To discuss your specific situation, please get in touch with the Education Program Officer.
Grant Requirements
Grant and request amounts: Applicants can request up to $75,000 for a one-year grant and up to $100,000 for a two-year grant. The requested grant amount may not exceed 30% of the organization’s last closed fiscal year budget and should reflect project scope, organization size and actual cost of services.
Grant period: Project activities must take place within the following timeframes:
- January 1, 2026-December 31, 2026, for grantees who choose a 12-month grant period.
- January 1, 2026-December 31, 2027, for grantees who choose a 24-month grant period.
Application & Review Process
- One-Stage Application: Applications will be accepted online from August 4, 2025, through August 25, 2025, at 11:59 PM (PST). Preview the application content.
- Internal Review For Eligibility: Applications will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Education Program Team to ensure eligibility before being sent to a review panel. Applications not meeting eligibility requirements will be notified of declination.
- Panel Review: A panel of early childhood education leaders and past grant recipients will review applications and recommend projects for funding. Panelists will bring a broad understanding of Oakland’s early childhood education ecosystem, knowledge of how early literacy and language integrates into programming and/or will have experience working with Family, Friend and Neighbor care or families looking for informal early learning opportunities.
Applicants must submit all application materials on GivingData, our online grants management system, during the application period. If you plan to copy and paste information into our online system, please note the word count limits, as the system will not allow additional text beyond the set restrictions.
Previous Early Care Spaces grantees are not eligible for automatic grant renewal. Depending on the past project’s grant period, grantees may be eligible to apply for funding. See additional notes under “Eligibility Requirements” above.
All applicants will be required to submit project budgets. However, we will only request financial statements (such as profit and loss statements and balance sheets) from applicants we recommend for funding.
Evaluation Criteria
A panel of experienced Oakland early childhood education leaders who are familiar with the regional landscape will review applications and provide funding recommendations. Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Strong alignment with one or more of the Early Care Spaces strategic focus areas.
- A well-articulated understanding of gaps in Oakland’s early childhood education ecosystem and how the project aims to address them.
- Clear relevance and meaningful connection to the community it intends to serve.
- Demonstrated ability to successfully implement project goals and activities within the grant timeline.
- Organizational capacity to resource the project to achieve proposed outcomes.
- Consideration for increasing access to informal care providers.
- An authentic, thoughtful approach to community engagement and incorporating feedback.
- A strong emphasis on serving children, families and providers in Oakland’s Flatlands.
Important Application Dates
- In-person or Virtual Office Hours: July 7-August 1, 2025
- Application: August 4-25 at 11:59 PM (PST)
- Award Notification: November 3, 2025
- Grant Period:
- January 1, 2026-December 31, 2026, for grantees who choose a 12-month grant period
- January 1, 2026-December 31, 2027, for grantees who choose a 24-month grant period
Questions?
We encourage you to review the eligibility information above and read our frequently asked questions for more information. If you have additional questions, contact our Education Program Staff.
