Why Philanthropy Invests in Advocacy

An increasing number of major foundations and philanthropies understand that parallel investments in state-level policy priorities—alongside their programmatic investments—are a powerful way to pursue scale and permanency.

Across the country, investors who are focused on thriving children and families are increasingly looking for high-potential “big bets” — the strategic investments that not only make a difference for families, but also unlock the additional sustained investment necessary to make big, lasting change. The Alliance for Early Success was created to do just that. And today we work in every state in the country to equip front-line allies with the connections and resources they need to secure crucial state funding and support for the spectrum of programs that help children learn, grow, and succeed.

We know that when investors invest in state-level policy priorities for early childhood, they leverage limited available funds to deliver exponential impact.

Founded in 2005 to ensure impact-focused collaboration in the early childhood policy world, the Alliance for Early Success has since grown into a crucial, 50-state resource for the in-state advocates fighting for structural, lasting change in early childhood impact and outcomes. We leverage funds from investors and direct a pooled fund that we deploy to unlock the potential of as many kids as possible.

Through our state and national partnerships, the Alliance works to achieve big, sustained impact faster than anyone can do alone:

We connect advocates with their successful counterparts in other states.
We make sure they have access to national experts and consultants they need to make the case to policymakers.
We provide strategic investments to advance state policies and funding that help young children and their families thrive.
And above all, we operate on the belief that a complete early childhood strategy — grounded in racial, economic, social, and gender equity — is essential for all children, families, and communities to reach their full potential.