Last fall, the Commonwealth Children’s Fund (CCF), Eastern Bank Charitable Fund, SouthCoast Community Foundation, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley came together to discuss how all four philanthropic organizations could partner to provide early childcare funding support to the Southeastern Massachusetts region. Knowing that the New Bedford based nonprofit PACE (People Acting in Community Endeavors) worked closely with home-based childcare providers throughout the 47 towns they serve, the SouthCoast Community Foundation engaged them in this unique collaboration. PACE had the relationships, systems, and processes to identify where the funds should go and expedite their delivery. Thanks to an innovative funding approach, $55,000 from the Community Foundation coupled with contributions from Eastern, United Way, and matching from CCF, turned into a total of $342,000 for the area. This enabled the PACE team to assist 137 independent licensed providers to create a COVID safe environment for the children they serve.
COVID Response: Innovative Funding Collaboration
