Buffett Early Childhood Fund

Private foundation · EIN 20-1768874 · since 2005buffettearly.org·District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$33.4M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$3,000 to $3M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$200k

Typical grant (median)

42 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

Buffett Early Childhood Fund backs early childhood practice, policy and science, with grants reaching programme providers, research and evaluation work, and organisations advancing early-childhood policy and networks; no geographic focus is stated.
It operates strictly by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity without an existing relationship should not apply.
Where it does fund, grants typically run from $3,000 to $3,050,000, with about 8 in 10 of its 122 grants falling in that range and a median grant of $150,000, so a request in that region would be realistic if invited.
Giving looks strongly relationship-led rather than open-competition: 80% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded, suggesting it concentrates support on established partners rather than first-time applicants.
There is no indication here of a submission process or timing, so approach would depend entirely on being invited rather than on preparing an unsolicited proposal.

Overview

Buffett Early Childhood Fund is a US private foundation based in Omaha, NE.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Fund invests in early childhood practice, policy and science to improve systems and create structural change so all young children and families thrive. Its approach supports parents and children by building on their strengths and responding to their unique needs, with a sustained focus on early learning through catalytic investment, more effective policies and systems, and coalitions and partnerships. It treats cognitive, social-emotional and physical development as interconnected. Its grants have reached early-childhood programme providers, research and evaluation work, and organisations advancing early-childhood policy and networks.

Themes

Early childhood practice
Early childhood policy
Early childhood science

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Nebraska, Illinois, District of Columbia and Massachusetts.

How to apply

The filing marks contributions as going only to preselected charitable organisations and says unsolicited requests are not accepted; it gives no submission steps.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 80% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 122 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

Nebraska57%

Illinois13%

District of Columbia10%

Massachusetts7%

Kansas3%

North Carolina3%

6 other states: 6%

The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to organisations Buffett Early Childhood Fund had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

42 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $200k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 42 grants in tax year 2025 by size

Under $1k5%

$1k–$2.5k5%

$2.5k–$5k7%

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k5%

$25k–$50k2%

$50k–$100k5%

$100k–$250k26%

$250k–$500k14%

$500k–$1M7%

$1M and over21%

Median $200k (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation · First five nebraska operating support, rooted in relationships, communities 4 kids, outdoor space exploration, data project, and changemakers program support
$3,995,0632025 tax year
Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative · General operating support 2025
$3,954,1692025 tax year
Start Early · Educare learning network support, first five years fund and project support, and annual luncheon support
$3,746,5042025 tax year
Educare of Omaha · Quality early childhood program operating support
$3,717,9942025 tax year
Early Childhood Impact Group · Educare learning network program support
$3,608,0222025 tax year
Alliance for Early Success · State based early childhood education support
$3,000,0002025 tax year
Educare Lincoln · Quality early childhood program operating support
$2,188,9432025 tax year
Early Futures Partnership · General operations support
$1,783,8002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Mike Burke — Vice-President
Wallace Weitz — Director & Secretary
Helen Raikes — Director & Treasurer
Susan A Buffett — Director & Chair
Jessie Rasmussen — President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$33,226,589	$30,605,670	$8,606,329	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$34,505,845	$31,856,902	$9,046,904	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$36,921,354	$33,363,929	$8,026,590	Filing for 2025 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.