UWWV is making available $80,000 to fund innovative programs and/or services that help prepare children for success in Kindergarten. These grant funds are intended for targeted, time-sensitive funding needs that can be expended in one year with the minimum award being $1,000 and the maximum award being $10,000. Eligible activities may include training, education, technical assistance, and capacity-building efforts that increase the ability of parents, caregivers, educators, childcare providers, and organizations to support children's Kindergarten readiness. Applicants should demonstrate how the proposed activities will improve outcomes for children ages birth through five and contribute to one or more domains of Kindergarten readiness.


Specifically, grants will be awarded to:
  • Expand capacity of childcare and other early learning programs that support Kindergarten readiness
  • Childcare licensing support that aids in preparing children for Kindergarten
  • Quality Improvement for early learning programs
  • Professional development and/or parent education that strengthens the ability of adults and organizations to prepare children for success in Kindergarten
  • Programs that provide early literacy and language development and/or social-emotional learning to prepare children for Kindergarten


Examples of possible programs and services:
  • Expanding existing childcare slots that prepare children for kindergarten
  • Staff training that strengthens the ability of the organization to prepare children for success in kindergarten
  • Curriculum implementation
  • Classroom quality improvement
  • Educational materials and learning environments
  • Social-emotional learning curriculum implementation
  • Parent education programs
  • Developmental screenings
  • Early intervention referrals
  • Behavioral health supports
  • Speech and language screening
  • Early childhood enrichment programs


Preference may be given to proposals that:
  • Encourage and facilitate participation from members of the ALICE population and are at or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
  • Are located in rural counties served by UWWV: Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion Counties in Indiana, and Clark County in Illinois
  • Have not received funding from United Way of the Wabash Valley within the last two years
  • Support childcare providers becoming licensed or beginning the path to quality designation that will improve the ability of children to be Kindergarten ready.
  • Increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities in underserved communities.
  • Improve the quality of early childhood education through evidence-based practices.
  • Support Kindergarten readiness for children facing economic barriers.
  • Demonstrate collaboration among schools, childcare providers, community organizations, and families.


Application deadline is Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 4:00 pm ET.


The detailed grant announcement can be found here.

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1. Project Name (Required.)

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2. Legal Name of Organization (Required.)

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3. Organization Director's Name (Required.)

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4. Organization Director's Email Address (Required.)

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5. Contact Person's Name (if not the Director) (Required.)

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6. Contact Person's Email Address (Required.)

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7. Organization's Address (Required.)

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8. Organization's Phone Number (Required.)

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9. Please provide the total amount of funding requested below.

The maximum award will be $10,000. UWWV awards full funding only. Partial awards will not be given. Request only the amount your project actually needs. (Required.)

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10. For this project, are you seeking additional funds from other sources? (Required.)

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11. If you applied for outside funds from sources in addition to UWWV but are not awarded them, will you be able to complete your project? (Required.)

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12. Please describe your organization's plan to sustain the progress achieved through this grant after the funding period ends. Include the strategies, partnerships, funding sources, and organizational capacity that will support continued implementation and long-term impact once grant funds have been expended. (Required.)

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13. Which counties will be served by your proposal? (please mark all that apply) (Required.)

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14. Please describe the need the proposed project will address. (Required.)

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15. Project Description: Please tell us about your project.
  • What does your organization plan to accomplish with this funding?
  • Is your organization creating a new project/program or expanding an existing one?
  • Who will be leading the project/program?
  • Describe the project/program location and timeline.
  • How will the project/program lead to Kindergarten readiness?
Please provide as many details as you can to help application evaluators understand your project.

(Please limit your response to 1000 words) (Required.)

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16. Please provide information about who will be directly impacted by the proposal. Examples might include 150 children ages birth to five years old; 150 parents; 25 pre-school program staff, etc. (Required.)

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17. If your plan involves partnerships with other organizations, please list those partnerships and explain how they will aid in the grant's goal of Kindergarten readiness.

(Please limit your response to 750 words) (Required.)

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18. How will success be measured? You must check at least one of the below boxes with how you plan to report outcomes. (you can add an additional outcome indicator if you choose) (Required.)

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19. Please describe the method(s) that will be used for measuring, collecting, and reporting the outcomes of the proposed project/program. (Required.)

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20. Project Budget (Please use project budget template as a guide) (Required.)

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21. Please provide a detailed budget narrative explaining how the requested funds will be used, how each budget item was calculated, and why the items are important for the project/program. (Required.)

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22. Attachments: Upload photos, letters of commitment from partner organizations, or other supporting documents here (optional).

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23. Upload Attachment #2 (optional)

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24. Upload Attachment #3 (optional)

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25. Upload Attachment #4 (optional).

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26. Upload Attachment #5 (optional).

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