First Five Years Fund

First Five Years Fund

The First Five Years Fund is a United States-based nonprofit advocacy organization focused on policies affecting early childhood. Founded in 2013, the organization engages federal and state policymakers, philanthropic institutions, and nonprofit partners to influence legislation and public programs related to young children. It operates within a landscape that includes nonprofit networks, federal agencies, legislative bodies, and philanthropic foundations.

History

The organization was established amid debates in the United States Congress, the Presidential election, 2012 aftermath, and discussions involving the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives about early childhood investments. Founders and early leaders connected with policy circles in Washington, D.C. and collaborated with nonprofit coalitions linked to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation. In its formative years the group engaged with legislative initiatives influenced by advocacy from entities such as Zero to Three, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Save the Children. Throughout the 2010s it interacted with executive branch offices including the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Education, as well as committees chaired by lawmakers from the Democratic Party (United States) and the Republican Party (United States). The organization responded to policymaking moments shaped by reports from institutions like the National Academy of Sciences and budget proposals debated during sessions of the Congressional Budget Office. Its timeline reflects engagement during administrations that included Barack Obama and later policy contexts under Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Mission and Goals

The stated mission centers on promoting public policies that expand access to services for children from birth to age five and supporting families in multiple states. It frames objectives in relation to national debates involving stakeholders such as the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and advocacy groups like The Children's Defense Fund and American Academy of Pediatrics. Goals include influencing legislative language referenced in bills introduced by senators and representatives affiliated with caucuses like the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Bipartisan Retreats network. The organization articulates priorities that align with proposals from think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, the Urban Institute, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities while engaging philanthropic actors including the Heising-Simons Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Programs and Initiatives

Program work involves policy research, state-level campaign support, and coalition-building across nonprofit partners and advocacy groups. Initiatives have intersected with campaigns in states with legislative activity in places like California, New York (state), Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois. The organization has supported framing strategies and messaging in coordination with communications firms that previously worked for entities such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America and public policy consultancies linked to alumni from the Office of Management and Budget. Projects include technical assistance for state policymakers navigating statutes informed by analyses from the Kaiser Family Foundation and pilot program designs shaped by experts from universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and Columbia University. The group has convened briefings with research partners including the National Institute for Early Education Research and policy forums featuring leaders from United Way affiliates and national nonprofit coalitions like Child Trends and National Women's Law Center.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations, individual donors, and collaborative grants from networks tied to major foundations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Partnerships span national organizations such as Chamber of Commerce (United States), nonprofit alliances like Council on Foundations, and state intermediary organizations including Child Care Aware of America. The organization has engaged consultants and partners with histories at institutions such as the Public Policy Institute of California and the Economic Policy Institute, and has coordinated with advocacy entities that maintain relationships with the White House early childhood offices and congressional staff from committees including the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Collaborative efforts have involved philanthropic collaboratives patterned after initiatives by the Packard Foundation and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Impact and Evaluation

Assessment of impact references legislative outcomes in state capitols, testimony before federal subcommittees, and coverage in media outlets that report on national policy debates. Evaluators and critics alike have compared outcomes to research from the RAND Corporation, the Pew Research Center, and the Institute of Medicine analyses. Measures cited include shifts in legislative language introduced by members of Congress, ballot initiative outcomes in states with contested measures, and incorporation of policy recommendations into administrative guidance from agencies such as the Administration for Children and Families. External evaluations have been undertaken by university-affiliated researchers at institutions including the University of Chicago, Stanford University, and University of Michigan, while policy tracking appears in reports from organizations like the Heritage Foundation and Center for American Progress. The organization's influence is often discussed alongside larger national movements involving philanthropic actors, nonprofit coalitions, and legislative champions in both chambers of the United States Congress.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.