25th Anniversary Mini-Grant Program

We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of First 5 Kern by awarding 25 grants of $2,500 each, to organizations focused on the early care and education of children aged 0-5, or support of their families.

First 5 Kern seeks to partner with programs, agencies, individuals or grassroots organizations who engage in this work, and support their efforts in creative and meaningful ways.

When proposition 10 was passed, First 5 California unveiled a statewide mission statement that “All children will enter school ready to achieve their greatest potential.” To that end, our focus for these mini-grants is on the education of young children and those who help prepare them for a life of learning.

Celebrating 25 years of First 5 Kern!

In 1998, California voters approved Proposition 10, securing the formation of First 5 agencies throughout the state. In First 5 history, over $200 million has been invested into early childhood programs in all corners of our county. Today, 39 different programs are funded, covering Health & Wellness, Parent Support, Early Childcare & Education, and Integration of Services. Over 9,000 children; 11,000 parents, and nearly 200 child care providers received services provided by First 5 Kern funding in 2022-23.

Timeline

Timeline of the RFP Process

25th ANNIVERSARY MINI-GRANT TIMELINE

DATE	DETAIL
Sept. 1, 2023	Mini-grant application window opens
Sept. 18, 2023	Deadline for submitting questions pertaining to the mini-grants
Sept. 21, 2023	Questions and answers will be posted for all potential applicants on this page
Sept. 29, 2023	Mini-grant application closes
Oct. 2, 2023	Mini-grant grading & review period begins
Nov. 1, 2023	Mini-grant awardees notified
April 30, 2024	Deadline for grant award funding to be spent.
May 31, 2024	Awardee summary reports due

DATE DETAIL

Sept. 1, 2023 Mini-grant application window opens

Sept. 18, 2023 Deadline for submitting questions pertaining to the mini-grants

Sept. 21, 2023 Questions and answers will be posted for all potential applicants on this page

Sept. 29, 2023 Mini-grant application closes

Oct. 2, 2023 Mini-grant grading & review period begins

Nov. 1, 2023 Mini-grant awardees notified

April 30, 2024 Deadline for grant award funding to be spent.

May 31, 2024 Awardee summary reports due

*dates are subject to change

Mini-Grant Instructions

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RFP Program Question & Answer section

Q & A
Questions about the 25th Anniversary Mini-Grants must be submitted to First 5 Kern through the email funding@first5kern.org. The questions and responses submitted will be posted on this page for all potential applicants to see.

First 5 Kern is committed to answer all questions about the mini-grants and the approval process publicly, in order to maintain transparency throughout the process. To preserve this fairness and transparency, personal phone calls, meetings, or emails to First 5 Kern staff about the mini-grants will not receive replies or any additional information.

The window for submitting a question is September 1 – September 18, 2023.
All Questions and Answers will be posted on this page by Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Questions that are submitted after September 18 will not be posted on the Q&A section, and will not receive a reply.
Emailed questions will not receive direct replies. The question will be posted on this page, along with the answer, during the appropriate time frame.
Proposed applicants should not have phone calls, meetings, or conduct any other communication with First 5 Kern staff pertaining to the mini-grants. Emails regarding the mini-grants sent to any other First 5 Kern email address will not be answered.

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Questions & Answers…

Question: Can one organization submit multiple Mini-Grant applications, for different types of project and different audiences?
Answer: The likelihood of multiple grant applications being approved will be based on the number of applications we receive. We will caution that if an applicant has multiple submissions and only one is awarded, the one that they consider a priority might not be the one that gets selected. So please keep this under consideration if applying for multiple projects.

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Question: For the Mini-Grant application, can we apply for more than one “Type of Project” and “Target Audience?”
Answer: Each grant application can only be submitted with one “Type” and one “Target,” for clarity on the application form. If your application can be utilized for multiple audiences or types, please choose the most relevant.

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Question: The application says to include photos of the classroom or play area related to your application, and that they are required. Does that mean photos of the items I want to purchase, or current photos of the area kids are using?
Answer: This is intended to ask for current photos of the space where children play and learn, so that our reviewers can determine the level of need. It is helpful, however, to have pics of the items that you want to purchase as well. Our best advice on this is to include whatever pictures you feel would help support your request and demonstrate the need for the items/work you are requesting in the grant.

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Mini-Grant Online Application

Applicant Information

Applicant Agency(Required)

Name(Required)

First Last

Title(Required)

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Website or Social Media page

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City County ZIP / Postal Code

Type of Organization(Required)

Public Agency or School District

Licensed Child Care Provider

Nonprofit or Grassroots Organization

Tell us about your organization(Required)

Project Description

Type of Project(Required)

Classroom / Play Spaces Improvement

Limited Time Event

Individual Child needs

Target Audience(Required)

Children 0-5

Parents or other caregivers

Child Care Providers

Provide a description of the project.(Required)

Provide a date by which your project will be completed

If your project is an event, provide the date of the event

Describe the need this project will address, and how many children it will impact.(Required)

Long term impact: Will this project impact children beyond June 2024? If YES, please explain.(Required)

Budget

Please provide estimated costs associated with the project or event. (For example: classroom materials, diapers, toys, play equipment, printing costs, advertising costs, etc.) Use the description to be more specific on what is being purchased. Use Quantity and Unit Price to reference your Line Item, even if this item has multiple elements.

Line item

Description

Quantity & Unit Price

AMOUNT

Line item

Description

Quantity & Unit Price

AMOUNT

Line item

Description

Quantity & Unit Price

AMOUNT

Line item

Description

Quantity & Unit Price

AMOUNT

Line item

Description

Quantity & Unit Price

AMOUNT

TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED

This field will populate based on the entered AMOUNT from the line item descriptions. Please make sure your TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED does not exceed the grant limit, which is $2,500.

Budgetary Notes

Please provide any budget information that will help us assess your request, such as vendors, other funding sources being used for the project, or if this grant award will only cover a portion of the expense of the project.

Who will be responsible for keeping financial records of the mini-grant?

Name(Required)

First Last Title

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Additional Information

Please include any additional information or collateral you feel would support your application during our Project Review.

Flier or other marketing efforts

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Photos of the classroom or play area related to your application (REQUIRED if applying for a classroom/play space improvement project)

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 10 MB.

Conflicts of Interest(Required)

Please indicate any personal or professional connection to First 5 Kern staff, commissioners, or committee members. If there are none, please type NONE.

Funding history with First 5 Kern(Required)

If you or your agency are currently or have in the past received funding from First 5 Kern, please indicate here by including the years and the name of the program. If there are none, please type NONE.