Mary Castle Memorial Fund for Support of Low-Income Infants and Toddlers

Proposals Are Due by April 15, 2024

(estimated total funds available: $600,000)

One of America’s oldest charitable foundations, the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, continually reviews its granting strategies, processes, and protocols. We are especially committed to every child receiving the best possible early education. This is so that children have every chance to achieve their fullest potential regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Consistent with our 19th-century charter, we have focused on all facets of public and private preschool and kindergarten education. The focus has included tens of millions of dollars in more than a century, invested in school and learning lab facilities, preschool tuition assistance, curriculum innovation, university programs for teachers in the field, scholarships for teachers, supplemental funds for professional development, preschool leadership programs, and advocacy for increased state and federal spending for Hawaii’s children and families.

After considerable conferencing with community advisors and being mindful of our focus on children 0-5, we have decided to sequester $600,000 in 2024 to support outstanding non-profits providing services to low-income families with infants and toddlers. We are especially interested in organizations with a solid track record serving the community and low-income families with services directed at, among other things, pre-natal/perinatal care, pediatric health, safety, parent education, cultural-based early well-being and learning, nutrition, and ending domestic violence and pediatric trauma resulting from it. We seek to provide unrestricted program support to improve the lives of infants and toddlers (0-36 months of age). We also realize the needs far exceed what one private family foundation can accomplish. We intend the grants to cover the state and have selected invitees with that geography in mind.

We are primarily an early education funder. We hope that our investments each year will make it more likely that young children will be ready for high-quality preschools and thus more prepared to enjoy success in our pre-k to grade 12 educational system. Developing the full potential of every child and increasing the healthy social cognitive and emotional development of our state’s keiki is our framing purpose.

After consultation with community advisors and our trustees, we invite select organizations to apply for program support for infant-toddler projects. We do not seek to create or urge new, unproven programs. We want to support what you already do well and especially those which have been evaluated thoroughly.

For 2024 we have set aside a total of $600,000 to initiate the effort. We ask that each of those selected to apply to us by April 15, 2024. In judging how much you should request, please remember that the applicants are highly competitive and must share the dollars available. Amounts awarded will reflect the excellence of the applications and the impact of the program(s) needing additional support from us. We ask that you include the following items in your application:

1. A cover letter indicating that the CEO and the Board of Directors of your organization approve the application and will exercise the usual prudence and oversight.
2. An executive summary of no more than a page giving the general purpose of the program and how well it is serving children based on your evaluations. Please also provide a brief organizational description, including your founding date. Emphasize your commitment to serving the needs of infants and toddlers from low-income families.
3. A longer program description in your complete proposal. Why did you decide on the program, what it has accomplished, how many you are serving, what is the general socio-economic and racial profile of those that you serve, your plans for the program and how you intend to sustain it, the qualifications of your staff, how your organization fits into the community, why you started the program, and significantly why unrestricted funds from the Castle Foundation would assist your effort? Will the money you are asking for improve the ongoing program, and if so, how so? Will you be able to serve more infants and toddlers? Will our funds enhance the quality of services? Can you use any part of our grant, should you receive one, to seek matching funds from other corporations, foundations, or individual donors? Please let us know how you intend to, if you do, leverage our grant from other donors, whether public or private.
4. A current approved annual budget for your organization, a copy of your most recent budget, and a statement of the project’s cost for which you are applying.
5. A list of your trustees and their affiliations.
6. Any evidence you have from evaluative instruments that would help our trustees understand the qualitative and quantitative difference your program(s) is making.

Finally, we require a final report detailing how the Castle funds were spent, who was served, and what was accomplished. The final report is due one year from the receipt of the grant and is required before your organization may apply again. You may wish to roll the final report from 2023 into your third application in 2024.

      The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation Trustees have approved a third $600,000 initiative for 2024. Please also note that the quality of the applications and the attendant final reports will determine whether the grantmaking initiative is expanded beyond three years.

      All applications must be received by April 15, 2024 to be considered at our summer trustee meeting in July. Early submissions are encouraged.

This request for proposals is by invitation only