This round will focus on initiatives that empower parents and caregivers to better access the resources and education required to support children.

The Early Childhood Development program seeks to improve learning and development outcomes for children through innovative programs and sector initiatives in early childhood (08 years old), in particular, programs that recognise and foster parental engagement in their children's learning and development.

Objectives: 

• To support innovative projects that target vulnerable communities that seek to improve child development outcomes and have potential for scale. 
• To scale and consolidate successful evidence programs to a point of sustainability. 
• To support initiatives that seek to better integrate fractured services/systems in early childhood, improve access to and quality of ECEC and/or strengthen the ECEC workforce.  
• To develop shared measurement tools and or resources for the early childhood sector.    
• To evaluate large scale interventions (particularly randomised control trials) that contribute to enhancing the evidence base for early years intervention.  

The Foundation have a particular interest in programs that recognise and foster parental engagement in their children’s learning and development and prioritise support for programs that engage with or target parents.   

You must speak to the Program Manager to discuss your proposal prior to submitting an Expression of Interest. 

Eligibility

Under the terms of the deed of The Ian Potter Foundation and Australian taxation laws, The Ian Potter Foundation can only make grants to organisations with BOTH Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Item 1 and Tax Concession Charity (TCC) status.

Important to know

• The Foundation rarely awards the full amount of any project. Please ensure that you have alternative providers of funding and that your application clearly considers any possible grant from the Foundation in this context.
• Program Managers may request a phone conversation with applicants during the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage.
• University applicants should contact their Advancement/Research Office prior to submitting an EOI or Application. See specific instructions for applications from universities or research institutes.
• Please note that existing projects may not be eligible. Occasionally, the Foundation will support a development or innovation to an existing project but please contact the relevant program manager before proceeding.
• In general, the recommended minimum grant amount for institutions and organisations is $100,000 per year and grants are usually multi-year.
• We encourage all organisations to apply regardless of their size; in the case of smaller organisations, the award can be for smaller amounts over multiple years.
• Proposals that are collaborative and/or share knowledge with the broader sector are encouraged.
• Please also refer to our Funding Principles for further information.

• Phone: 03 9650 3188
• Website: https://www.ianpotter.org.au/contact/