We mobilize resources, forge partnerships, and support families to improve early childhood health, education and development, and ensure children are prepared for kindergarten.
Mecklenburg Partnership for Children backs early childhood work at county scale, and its largest recent grants go to Mecklenburg County’s pre-K system. The 2025 award of $18,970,011 to Mecklenburg County for MECK. Pre-K sits alongside similarly large 2024 and 2023 grants of $18,082,586 and $17,600,825 for the same purpose, showing a sustained commitment to public early learning infrastructure. The foundation also supports the organizations that help children enter and stay in those programs. Childcare Resources received $1,318,430 in 2025 for Quality Every Day, after awards of $1,356,259 in 2023 and $1,286,930 in 2024, linking quality improvement, preschool support, and teacher coaching. Other recurring grants point to family-facing services and child health, including Communities in Schools for Safe Journey, YMCA of Greater Charlotte for Parents as Teachers, and the Mecklenburg County Health Department for Child Health Care Cons.
The foundation’s program mix centers on early care and education, family support, literacy, health, and social-emotional development for children ages 0-5. In school readiness work, Mecklenburg County Schools received $500,000 in 2024 and 2023 for NC Pre-K Program, tying the funder to public pre-kindergarten access. For workforce and classroom quality, Childcare Resources received $400,182 in 2025 for Teacher Coaching, complementing its broader quality-improvement support. Family engagement is another clear thread: YMCA of Greater Charlotte received $426,894 in 2025 for Parents as Teachers, after similar awards in 2024 and 2023. Health-focused grantmaking also appears in Care Ring Inc’s $169,622 2025 grant for Nurse Family Pship, which fits the foundation’s support for expectant and new mothers and infants.
Typical grant size sits at $86,253 at the 25th percentile, $153,657 at the median, and $377,895 at the 75th percentile. The pattern is repeat funding rather than isolated awards: several recipients appear in multiple consecutive years, including Mecklenburg County, Childcare Resources, Communities in Schools, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, and the Mecklenburg County Health Department. The foundation is a regular funder and the active grant programs show unsolicited applications are accepted through the Smart Start grant portal. Program structures include annual RFA rounds, general funding opportunities, and competitive innovation grants.
$24.6M
$1.4M
$32.4M
$32.3M
Most grants fall between $86K and $378K, with a median of $154K.
25th Percentile
$86K
Median
$154K
75th Percentile
$378K
MICHAEL BLACKWELDER
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Grantmaking is local and lands entirely in North Carolina. Mecklenburg County and Charlotte account for the dominant share of awards, with additional grants in Matthews and Greensboro. The recipient city pattern is heavily concentrated in Charlotte, including Mecklenburg County, Childcare Resources, CMS, Communities in Schools, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Safe Alliance, Freedom Communities, and Care Ring Inc. Outside Charlotte, the recent grants list includes Thompson Child & Family Focus in Matthews and Children’s Home Society of NC and Charlotte Speech & Hearing in Greensboro.
It funds early care and education, family support, health, literacy, parent and caregiver engagement, and social-emotional development for children ages 0-5. Recent grant purposes include MECK. Pre-K, Quality Every Day, Parents as Teachers, Nurse Family Pship, and Child Health Care Cons.
Yes. The active grant programs include Smart Starts Funds and Innovation Grants, and the program descriptions say applications are submitted through the grant portal or via an RFA process. Several listed programs explicitly note that they accept unsolicited applications.
The typical grant size is $86,253 at the 25th percentile, $153,657 at the median, and $377,895 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also shows awards ranging from under $200,000 to multi-million-dollar grants for Mecklenburg County’s pre-K work.
Its grants are local, with 100% of grants going to recipients in North Carolina. Mecklenburg County and Charlotte are the main recipient locations in the recent grants list, with additional awards in Matthews and Greensboro.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Mecklenburg Partnership for Children that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be community partners eligible under the annual request for applications process. Uploaded documents include board list, audited financial statement, IRS tax-exempt letter, and, for five-star facilities, a license.
Deadline: Annual funding cycle; FY26-27 portal opened February 1 and closed February 28, with FY27-28 expected to open in February 2027.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MECKLENBURG COUNTY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $19,916,877 | 2026 | MECK. PRE-K |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $1,299,930 | 2026 | QUALITY EVERY DAY |
| CMS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $500,000 | 2026 | NC PRE-K PROGRAM |
| MECK CO HEALTH DEPT | CHARLOTTE, NC | $439,764 | 2026 | CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS. |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $436,700 | 2026 | SAFE JOURNEY |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $339,938 | 2026 | TEACHER COACHING |
| YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $322,033 | 2026 | PARENTS AS TEACHERS |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $309,656 | 2026 | PRESCHOOL |
| CARE RING INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $226,741 | 2026 | NURSE FAMILY PSHIP |
| CHARLOTTE SPEECH & HEARING | GREENSBORO, NC | $199,820 | 2026 | COMMUNITY LANGUAGE IMPACT PGM |
| CHARLOTTE BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $182,370 | 2026 | PRESCHOOL |
| FREEDOM COMMUNITIES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $162,001 | 2026 | MOMS MOVING FORWARD |
| THE LEARNING COLLABORATIVE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $121,407 | 2026 | PRESCHOOL |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $104,855 | 2026 | RAISING A READER |
| MECKLENBURG COUNTY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $18,970,011 | 2025 | MECK. PRE-K |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $1,318,430 | 2025 | QUALITY EVERY DAY |
| CMS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $500,000 | 2025 | NC PRE-K PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $430,000 | 2025 | SAFE JOURNEY |
| YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $426,894 | 2025 | PARENTS AS TEACHERS |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $400,182 | 2025 | TEACHER COACHING |
| MECK CO HEALTH DEPT | CHARLOTTE, NC | $379,895 | 2025 | CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS. |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $283,656 | 2025 | PRESCHOOL |
| CHARLOTTE SPEECH & HEARING | GREENSBORO, NC | $213,720 | 2025 | COMMUNITY LANGUAGE IMPACT PRM |
| SAFE ALLIANCE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $204,958 | 2025 | CHILD ADULT RELATIONSHIP |
| FREEDOM COMMUNITIES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $172,349 | 2025 | MOMS MOVING FORWARD |
| CARE RING INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $169,622 | 2025 | NURSE FAMILY PSHIP |
| EDUCATIONAL QUALITY INST | CHARLOTTE, NC | $153,657 | 2025 | EDUCATION EQUITY |
| THE LEARNING COLLABORATIVE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $125,980 | 2025 | PRESCHOOL |
| BYE FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $125,507 | 2025 | FAMILY LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT |
| - | CHARLOTTE, NC | $113,499 | 2025 | PRESCHOOL |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $110,505 | 2025 | RAISING A READER |
| FAMILY CHILDCARE CENTER ENRICH FDN | PAW CREEK, NC | $8,791 | 2025 | CHILDCARE ENRICHMENT |
| PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL (NOVANT HEALTH) | CHARLOTTE, NC | $7,087 | 2025 | IMPROVING SCHOOL READINESS |
| MECKLENBURG COUNTY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $18,082,586 | 2024 | MECK PRE-K |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $1,286,930 | 2024 | QUALITY EVERY DAY |
| CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $500,000 | 2024 | NC PRE-K PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS | CHARLOTTE, NC | $429,986 | 2024 | SAFE JOURNEY |
| YMCA OF GREATER CHARLOTTE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $426,805 | 2024 | PARENTS AS TEACHERS |
| MECK CO HEALTH DEPT | CHARLOTTE, NC | $375,895 | 2024 | CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS. |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $243,936 | 2024 | PRESCHOOL |
| CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF NC | GREENSBORO, NC | $220,000 | 2024 | CHILD FIRST SYSTEMS BLDG |
| FREEDOM COMMUNITIES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $169,390 | 2024 | MOMS MOVING FORWARD |
| CARE RING INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $169,079 | 2024 | NURSE FAMILY PSHIP |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $168,612 | 2024 | TEACHER COACHING |
| CHARLOTTE SPEECH & HEARING | CHARLOTTE, NC | $161,470 | 2024 | COMMUNITY LANGUAGE IMPACE PGM |
| CHARLOTTE BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $127,405 | 2024 | PRESCHOOL |
| THE LEARNING COLLABORATIVE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $119,967 | 2024 | PRESCHOOL |
| CPCC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $105,746 | 2024 | EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER ED. |
| ATRIUM | CHARLOTTE, NC | $102,059 | 2024 | BOND WITH ME |
| CHILDCARE RESOURCES | CHARLOTTE, NC | $94,855 | 2024 | RAISING A READER |
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
$19,916,877MECK. PRE-K
CMS
$500,000NC PRE-K PROGRAM
MECK CO HEALTH DEPT
$439,764CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS.
TEACHER COACHING
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
$18,970,011MECK. PRE-K
CMS
$500,000NC PRE-K PROGRAM
MECK CO HEALTH DEPT
$379,895CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS.
EDUCATIONAL QUALITY INST
$153,657EDUCATION EQUITY
BYE FOUNDATION
$125,507FAMILY LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT
FAMILY CHILDCARE CENTER ENRICH FDN
$8,791CHILDCARE ENRICHMENT
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
$18,082,586MECK PRE-K
CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS
$500,000NC PRE-K PROGRAM
MECK CO HEALTH DEPT
$375,895CHILD HEALTH CARE CONS.
CPCC
$105,746EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER ED.
ATRIUM
$102,059BOND WITH ME
