First 5 Solano Community Responsive Mini Grants (CLOSED)

The Community Responsive Mini Grant is NOW AVAILABLE for Community Engagement Events & Training/Conferences (Professional Development Opportunity). The Community Responsive Mini Grants will provide up to $500-$3,000 based on the applicants needs and proposed ideas.

The third quarter application was available December 1 through December 21, 2021, for activities occurring January 2022-June 2022.


First 5 Solano has now created a more flexible way to fund your event(s) or activity(ies). Grants will provide
$500-$3,000 based on your needs and proposed ideas. First 5 Solano Mini Grants can fund things such as:

• Community Engagement Events: For one-time events or activities, Community Responsive Mini Grants can provide up to $500 per event to connect with parents, caregivers and/or providers to increase awareness about a topic or resource available in the community. Examples: Community baby shower or early literacy lap read.
• Professional Development Opportunity: For Professional Development Opportunities, such as hosting or attending conferences or training, Community Responsive Mini Grants can provide up to $3,000 per event, to strengthen the skills of Solano County providers for children ages 0-5. Professional Development Opportunities may be one-time (such as a one-day training) or over a time-period (such as a weekly training over 6 weeks). Examples: Lactation Education Certification training or Trauma Informed Care conference.
• Material and Equipment Purchase (Funds have been expended for this Fiscal Year): Community Responsive Mini Grants can be used to support the purchase of equipment or materials up to $5,000 to provide assistance for specific activities or services to children ages 0-5 and their families. Materials or equipment may be used for purposes including, but not limited to education, keeping children and families safe, make space appropriate for young children, etc. Examples: Purchase of new curriculum or purchase of furniture to create age-appropriate space in an office. (Please note: First 5 Solano follows best practices on limiting on the use of digital devices for young children and will not approve requests for screen-based learning, including tablets or computers.)
• Time-Limited Program (Funds have been expended for this Fiscal Year): Community Responsive Mini Grants can be used to support Time-Limited Programs for up to $5,000. Time-Limited Programs must be time-limited in nature and need to establish how many children, families or providers will be served, and what the intended outcome will be. Examples: A 6-week art class for children and grandparents focusing on Latino culture or a 10-week parent leadership training.

Capacity Building for Nonprofits (CLOSED)

First 5 Solano is pleased to announce the intent to recommend the list of applicants who will move on to Phase 2 of the grant process, in response to the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Capacity Building for Nonprofits Grant Opportunity.

Intent to Recommend

The First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission (First 5 Solano) is offering an opportunity for nonprofits serving children ages 0-5 and their families with funding available for up to $7,500 to implement a capacity building project for their organization. The goal of this funding is to strengthen the organization’s ability to positively impact the early childhood system in Solano County.

Grant Application Period Open: August 9, 2021 to September 13, 2021 at 5 pm for activities occurring from October 2021 through June 30, 2022

Responses Were Due: Monday, September 13, 2021 at 5 pm (CLOSED)

First 5 Solano Contact: Lorraine Fernandez, Program Manager at [email protected]


Questions regarding this grant application and process may be submitted by email to [email protected] no later than Friday, August 20, 2021 at 5 pm. The questions received and answers will be published on the First 5 Solano website: www.first5Solano.org Please check the First 5 Solano website continuously for updates.

Funding is available for grants up to $7,500 for requests for capacity building assistance projects including, but not limited to, the following:

• Develop an Equity Plan
• Develop and implement a Board Recruitment and Development Plan
• Develop a Fundraising Strategy and Action Plan
• Engage the services of a grantwriter to write a grant or provide foundational research
• Implement a Needs Assessment to identify and prioritize the needs of a target population
• Develop a Strategic Plan for implementing trauma informed practices
• Develop a Communications Strategy and Action Plan
• Develop an Organizational Assessment and an Action Plan for capacity improvements
• Develop an Organizational Change Management Plan
• Develop a Strategic Plan
• Develop a Technology Upgrade Plan
• Develop a Strategy for supporting recruitment, training and preparation, and retention of volunteers