The Rice Family Foundation


	Areas of Interest In carrying out its mission, the Rice Family Foundation considers a wide range of proposals concerning educational and developmental programs. However, the Foundation currently has a particular interest in enrichment programs strategically directed at early childhood literacy. We believe that high quality early education provides crucial long-term benefits for young children, their families and our communities. Research has shown that it is in a child's earliest years, birth to five years of age, that the foundation is laid for overall development, ability to learn and grow in mind and body, and enjoy a happy, productive and rewarding life. Numerous findings also indicate that early childhood development advances through relationships with parents, family members and other caregivers and teachers. And, it is the quality of these early relationships that has a profound effect on later social and emotional development. Florida voters demonstrated their belief that these early years are the most critical stage of a child's development by passing a universal pre-Kindergarten amendment to the state constitution requiring that all counties in Florida provide pre-school programs for all three- and four- year-olds whose parents wish to enroll them.

Documented evidence also demonstrates that children who participate in high quality early care and education programs are more likely to complete school and have a potential for financial success, and are less likely to engage in criminal activity. Consequently, the long-term benefits of quality early care and education are not limited to just intellectual gains, but are also seen by measures of social performance and lifetime achievement.

By improving access to and the quality of early childhood education, we can give children a better start so that they will have the means to prosper in school and in life.

An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that there are several challenges that are critical to address in order to ensure quality early childhood literacy. The Foundation believes that by investing significantly in projects that address these challenges it will not only help to improve the quality of early childhood education and care but also will prepare children for success in life. The Foundation believes that some of the current challenges and particular areas of interest for project funding include:

creating and disseminating quality early childhood language and literacy programs;
creating training and workplace initiatives to enhance the overall development of the early childhood education and day care workforce;
engaging parents, families and communities;
providing professional development and support that ensures effective leadership.

By promoting quality early childhood literacy and fostering collaborative partnerships with dedicated organizations and individuals, the Foundation hopes to help maximize the growth and development of children.

Types of Funding & Restrictions

The Foundation invests time, expertise and funding in organizations that are aligned with our mission. Unfortunately, the Foundation cannot support many of the worthwhile agencies seeking assistance each year, even when the proposed activities are within the specified guidelines. Therefore, all inquiries will be considered in the context of the Foundation's funding priorities, its available resources, existing commitments, and the strength of the proposed project or program.

We accept requests for specific program initiatives or enhancements, and innovative ideas and projects are welcomed. We believe in establishing close, long-term relationships with our grantees in the hopes of realizing the maximum potential impact on our grantees' program.

To apply for a grant, your organization must be recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Rice Family Foundation does not fund:

individuals;
capital campaigns (will consider on a limited basis);
foreign-based organizations;
debt reduction;
political activities or attempts to influence specific legislation;
benefit events (tables or tickets).

Grants from the Foundation are usually awarded for one year only. For projects in those areas in which the Foundation has a special interest, requests for multi-year funding may be considered.

In case a grant request is denied, reapplication on the same grant request will not likely be considered within the same fiscal year. However, denial of a grant request does not prohibit the submission of other requests on different projects or on other subjects within the same or later fiscal years.

The Foundation supports challenge or matching grants. There are no discretionary grants by individual board members.

Grant Application, Review & Reporting

The Foundation accepts unsolicited funding inquiries on an on-going basis. Initial contact should be in the form of a Letter of Inquiry, no more than four pages in length. The accepted format for a Letter of Inquiry to the Rice Family Foundation can be downloaded from our website page entitled Grant Application and Evaluation Reports. Letters of inquiry that are incomplete or fail to follow the proper format will not be considered. In general, the Letter of Inquiry should summarize the project's goals and target audience, its fit with the Foundation's objectives, an estimated budget and timeframe, and plans for evaluation and dissemination of results.

Letters of Inquiry are acknowledged and reviewed by the Foundation staff on a monthly basis. After review, if the request falls within the funding priorities of the Foundation the organization will be invited to submit a full proposal for funding consideration. Applicants whose proposed program does not fit the current guidelines or budgetary constraints will also be promptly notified of such rejection.

Full proposals should be no more than eight pages long. The accepted format for a Full Grant Proposal to the Foundation can be downloaded from our website page entitled Grant Application and Evaluation Reports. A Foundation representative will be responsive to questions during the development of the Full Grant Proposal.

Full proposals meeting the guidelines and focus of the Foundation are reviewed by a Grant Review Committee, which meets as necessary. Not every full proposal results in a recommendation to our board for funding, nor does every recommendation receive approval. However, an invitation to apply for a grant is clear evidence of our interest in your project. Those organizations whose requests appear to have the greatest potential for advancing the Foundation's interests will be evaluated more thoroughly, and additional information may be requested, or a site visit or meeting may be scheduled. After further review of the proposal by the Grant Review Committee, the request is then presented to the Foundation's Board of Directors for consideration. The Board meets as needed to make such funding decisions.

Applicants will be notified of the Foundation's decision on each grant request shortly after the Board meets. If the Board has voted to fund a project, an acceptance letter and accompanying Grant Contract will be issued following the Board meeting. Conditions are usually attached to grants made by the Foundation, including required grant and financial reporting and/or site visits by a Foundation representative. The proper format required for the Grant Evaluation Report can be downloaded from our website page entitled Grant Application and Evaluation Reports. The Grant Evaluation Report guidelines were developed to assist grantees in reporting the highlights of the programs' accomplishments, challenges and lessons learned during the grant period. The report also allows the Foundation to track the progress of implemented projects, to maintain oversight and to fulfill its fiduciary duty for the grants it has funded. Reports are due within two months of each completion of a year's worth of funding and following the end of a grant period. If a report will be submitted late, an organization must contact the Foundation to discuss the matter. We do, however, make every effort to accommodate your timeline. If the project requires a multi-year payment, timely submission of the report must be received prior to making any further grant payments.

Generally, the review process takes a few months from receipt of the Letter of Inquiry and Full Grant Proposal to funding.