Start Early

About Start Early

Start Early’s recent grantmaking is built around early learning for children from prenatal age through age 5, with a strong tilt toward Head Start and Early Head Start, family services, and systems support. The largest grants on file go to Chicago-area organizations working in those lanes, including El Hogar for HS/EHS Program work and Marillac Social Center for community-based family services. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated focus on healthy births and thriving families, effective early learning programs, and strong early childhood systems. The foundation also backs organizations that deliver early childhood services at scale, not just one-off projects. Chicago Child Care Society appears repeatedly across multiple years for community-based family services, and Casa Central receives both HS/EHS program funding and Head Start/Early Head Start support. Other recurring grantees such as One Hope United and Asian Human Services show that Start Early supports organizations serving children and families through direct service delivery as well as program infrastructure. Its stated philosophy emphasizes direct service provision, program support, capacity building, and multi-site or national center support. Leadership is listed as Diana Rauner, and the foundation’s public identity centers on closing the opportunity gap so children enter kindergarten ready to learn.

What Start Early Funds

In Head Start and Early Head Start, Start Early has funded program operations for multiple Chicago-area providers, including Casa Central for Head Start/Early Head Start Program work and The Children’s Place Association for HS/EHS Program support. That same service line also appears with Asian Human Services, which received several grants for HS/EHS Program support across different years. For community-based family services, the foundation backs agencies that work with children and caregivers through local service delivery. Marillac Social Center received grants for Comm Based Family Services, as did Family Focus Inc and The Children’s Home in Peoria. Start Early also supports organizations that combine Head Start/Early Head Start with broader family services, such as One Hope United and Children’s Home AidChildren’s Society of IL. The mix suggests a focus on providers that can serve families across multiple early childhood touchpoints.

How Start Early Gives