Focus Area: Advocacy in Early Childhood

Grant Amount: $10,000

Located in Minneapolis, serves statewide and beyond. FCF is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that lends capital exclusively to child care businesses. With their national headquarters Minnesota, they work on initiatives and projects across the country. They provide financial and business assistance to high-quality childcare businesses serving low- and moderate-income families.

Grant supports continuing a new initiative to support Black, Indigenous, and providers of color in the state through Community Conversation groups that will include advocacy training in the upcoming year. The issues focused on will be lack of investment in childcare, difficulties faced by BIPOC providers in getting loans, and accessing COVID-19-related supports. The groups will coach providers on how to approach conversations with legislators and help to set up those conversations.