News and Resources |
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 Clayton Early Learning Nets Top Honor and Funding
Early childhood education in Colorado just received a major boost thanks to Clayton Early Learning and its Educare Center. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Head Start, recognized Clayton as a “Center of Excellence.” 2010 was the first year this award was designated, and Clayton is one of the first ten Head Start programs nationwide to receive the award. Clayton will receive $1 million in funding over the next five years to provide outreach to other Colorado and national Head Start and early childhood education programs and deepen its unique evidence-based practices. Chambers Family Fund made the lead gift to build Clayton Educare Center and it opened its doors to children in 2007.
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 Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission
In 2010, a Senate Bill codified an Executive Order that created the Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission to effectively coordinate federal and state funded services for children from birth to age eight. Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien served as Governor for the day and signed the bill making the commission part of Colorado state statute. Establishing a vehicle to coordinate and seek efficiencies to improve access to quality services for children in Colorado has been a long term goal that has finally been realized.
This new state commission allowed the state to apply for a $1.3 million grant over three years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for staffing and funding of the Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission. Chambers Family Fund partnered with Rose Community Foundation and The Buell Foundation to fund the cost of applying for the grant and Colorado received the funding in June.
One of the most important policy recommendations for building comprehensive, integrated early childhood systems is to create high level leadership that ensures children are a top priority. For the past three years, Chambers Family Fund has collaborated with other early care and education funders to support systems change efforts through the Lt. Governor’s office. From this investment has come a framework for systems change.
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 Women's Foundation of Oklahoma Meets the Challenge
In 2008, the Women's Foundation of Oklahoma joined the Wyoming Women's Foundation and the Women's Foundation of Montana in reaching a significant milestone. In less than five years, the Women's Foundation of Oklahoma raised $500,000 that was matched by Chambers Family Fund, creating the first $1 million permanent endowment fund to benefit women and girls in Oklahoma. The women's funds in Wyoming and Montana reached the $1 million milestone in 2005. Chambers Family Fund launched its Women's Funds Initiative, creating new women's funds in partnership with statewide community foundations, to increase support for organizations serving women and girls and to encourage women's philanthropy in Montana, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
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Wyoming Women’s Foundation 10th Anniversary Celebration
On October 10th, 2010, the Wyoming Women’s Foundation hosted a luncheon in Cheyenne to mark its tenth anniversary and celebrate ten years of grantmaking to benefit Wyoming’s women and girls. Merle Chambers was recognized for founding the women’s foundation. In her remarks at the luncheon, Merle reflected why on she created the foundation, the importance of the work the foundation does and progress that has been made in women’s philanthropy in the last two decades.
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Past News
- Chambers Family Fund Receives Award for Outstanding Communications
- Colorado Children's Campaign Names Merle Chambers a "Champion for Kids"
- Research Leads to Inclusiveness Conference
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Colorado
Children’s Campaign
This statewide organization works to mobilize individuals and organizations
to think and act on behalf of children, with particular attention
to the health, education and safety of children most at risk.
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Qualistar
Early Learning
Qualistar Early Learning is a statewide organization working with child care providers, parents, and communities to improve the quality of early childhood education in Colorado.
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Annie
E. Casey Foundation
AECF works to build better futures for disadvantaged children and
their families in the United States and fosters public policies, human service
reforms and community supports that more effectively meet the needs
of today's vulnerable children and families.
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Kids
Count
Kids Count is a national and state by state project of the Annie
E. Casey Foundation to track the status of children in the United
States. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book uses the best available
data to measure the educational, social, economic and physical well-being
of children state by state.
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Gender
Matters: Funding Effective Programs for Women and Girls
(*PDF) is a June 2001 research report
by Molly Mead, EdD, of Tufts University, available for download.
*PDFs require the Acrobat
Reader.
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NARAL
Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America protects and preserves the right to choose
while promoting policies and programs that improve women's health
and make abortion less necessary. This organization works
to educate Americans and officeholders about reproductive rights
and health issues and elect pro-choice candidates at all levels
of government.
For information about
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
please visit their website.
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Planned
Parenthood Federation of America
Planned Parenthood provides comprehensive reproductive and complementary
health care services, advocates for public policies which guarantee
the privacy and rights of each individual, provides educational
programs and promotes research and the advancement of technology
in reproductive health care.
For information about
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
please visit their website. |
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The Bell
Policy Center
The Bell is committed to making Colorado
a state of opportunity for all, regardless of race or economic background.
This nonpartisan think tank seeks to reinvigorate the debate on issues affecting the
well-being of Coloradans and to promote policies that open gateways
to opportunity.
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Colorado
Center on Law and Policy
CCLP is a nonpartisan organization that advocates on
behalf of the poor, working poor and other vulnerable populations.
This organization promotes justice and economic security for lower income Coloradans
through legislative, administrative and legal advocacy.
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The
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
IWPR is a public policy research organization dedicated to informing
and stimulating the debate on issues of critical importance to women
and their families. It focuses on poverty and welfare,
employment and earnings, work and family issues, health and safety
and women's civic and political participation.
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Political
Research Associates
PRA is an independent, nonprofit research center that studies antidemocratic,
authoritarian and other oppressive movements, institutions and trends.
This organization is based on progressive values, and is committed to advancing
an open, democratic and pluralistic society. |
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Global
Fund for Women
The Global Fund for Women is a grantmaking foundation supporting
women's human rights organizations around the world working to address
critical issues such as gaining economic independence, increasing
girls' access to education and stopping violence against women.
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Women’s
Foundation of Colorado
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado promotes the full participation
of women and girls in society through direct grants and technical
support to organizations working to improve the lives of Colorado's
women and girls.
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Women’s
Funding Network
WFN is an international association of public and private women's
foundations, federations, funds in community foundations, individual
donors and supporting institutions committed to changing society
by improving the status of women and girls.
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