Overview of the ECHO Fund
The Early Childhood Opportunity Fund (ECHO) Fund is Agenda for Children’s innovative grant program that seeks to increase access to high-quality early care and education for children from birth through age four by directly funding the needs of early childhood programs.
The ECHO Fund supports early learning programs in our region by investing in increased access, ingenuity, and quality for our youngest learners. Since the fund’s inception in 2018, Agenda for Children has distributed over 1,000 grants totaling over $4.8M.
Grant Summary
The ECHO Orleans Facilities Fund Pilot Grant will provide grants to Family Child Care Providers (FCCs) and licensed Type III Centers to support the physical improvement, expansion, and development of new classrooms and centers. The ECHO Facilities Fund Pilot Grant is made possible through a partnership with Nola C.A.R.E.S. and generous contributions from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, J.P Morgan Chase, and individual donors
Grant Timeline
- Wednesday, November 16th, 2022: LAUNCH
- Friday, January 6th, 2023: APPLICATION DEADLINE
- Tuesday, January 31st, 2023: AWARD NOTIFICATION
Grant Details
The ECHO Orleans Facilities Fund Pilot Grants will provide funding in two different categories to support the physical improvement, expansion, and development of new classrooms and centers. Seed Grants are up to $20,000 to support FCCs and small Type III Centers licensed to serve fewer than 50 children. Grow Grants are up to $50,000 to Type III Centers licensed to serve 50 or more children. Type I and II Centers are not eligible for the fund. Applicants must currently operate an FCC or Type III Child Care Center in Orleans Parish.
Seed Grants
These grants are for Type III Child Care Centers licensed to serve fewer then 50 children Family Child Care providers (FCCs); award amounts are up to $20k. The purpose of the grant is to support FCC and small Type IIIs capacity and sustainability. Eligible providers can apply for grant funds to provide the following:
- Cosmetic and minor structural improvements to their program site
- Grant requests for cosmetic or structural improvements must demonstrate site control: deed, mortgage, or documentation from landlord that improvements are allowable
- Accessibility improvements (ex: bathrooms, ramps, ADA-compliant doorways)
- Safety improvements (safety surfaces)
- Furniture and fixtures to support non-traditional hours (between 6 PM and 7 AM)
- Play equipment
Grow Grants
These grants are for Commercial-based, licensed Type III Centers that are currently serve less than 50 children that demonstrate a plan to expand to at least 50 seats and Centers currently licensed to serve at least 50 children; award amounts are up to $50k. These grants are designed to support early learning center providers that are actively planning to grow the physical location of their centers and expand the number of seats they provide. Applicants must demonstrate site control; proof includes a signed lease that allows for leaseholder improvements, a purchase option agreement, or an active mortgage. Grants support up to 25% of the total cost of development and cannot exceed $50k. For reimbursements, eligible costs must have been incurred no earlier than July 1, 2022. Eligible providers can apply for grant funds towards the following:
- Make physical improvements to existing centers that will actively expand seat capacity
- Provide construction gap financing and collateralization for loans (ex: SBA requires a 10% down payment for its 7A loan program)
- Reimburse construction costs incurred by the center owner for new site construction
Grow grants are offered through a partnership with Nola C.A.R.E.S. and made possible by the funding from the J.P Morgan Chase AdvancingCities initiative.
Application Information
This application is designed to be straightforward and should be able to be completed less than a few hours. Users are able to save their application and resume later. Please contact echofund@agendaforchildren.org if you experience any issues or have any questions.
Please read through the application thoroughly before beginning. You will need the following documents to fill out the application:
- Financial statements – profit and loss, balance sheet, or business tax returns for at least the last 2 years
- Estimates or quotes for any items or services you plan to use the grant funds to support
- Demographic information for the children you serve
- Demographic information for your staff
- Completed W-9 and Direct Deposit Form, if desired
- If you are applying for funds to support the development of an additional center you will need
- Contractor estimate
- Proof of other funding sources (a letter of credit, loan pre-approval, etc.)
The application is split into the following sections:
- Section I - BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This section is general demographic information about the applicant and the applicant’s business.
- Section II - GRANT REQUEST INFORMATION
This section is designed to understand what the applicant is applying for and why. Applicants will select (1) one tier of funding for which they are applying. Applicants will need estimated costs for the items or services for which they plan to use the funds and a summary of how the funds will support their capacity to serve more children
- Section III - CENTER INFORMATION
This section is designed to provide greater detail about the center including the number of staff and any staff vacancies, the locations under operation, the demographics of the children served, and occupancy and vacancy rates
- Section IV - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This section is designed to provide more insight into the center's current financial wellbeing to provide the appropriate funding and supports to promote sustainability.
- Section V - FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION
Applicants will provide a completed W-9 and a Direct Deposit Form, if desired to ensure timely release of funds should they be awarded a grant.
- Section VI - ASSURANCES
Applicants will complete an agreement regarding their application and award requirements.
- Section VII - FEEDBACK (OPTIONAL)
Applicants will provide feedback on their application experience.