Support from Impact Fellows Action Fund made a meaningful difference for young children and families in 2025. By strategically funding state-level 501(c)(4) advocacy, Impact Fellows Action Fund helped partners protect progress, advance critical policy priorities, and keep the needs of families front and center.
In 2025, 16 states received grants totaling $3.7 million: Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia.
They also received technical assistance from our legislative and electoral advocacy strategists, peer exchange among Fellows across states, and legal support as needed.
We measure the efficacy of our funding by analyzing outcomes in our three areas of impact.
Area of Impact #1
More Pro-Young Child and Family Advocates, Voters, Candidates, and Winning Candidates
- In 2025, Fellows activated over 6,000 people in electoral advocacy (in mostly a non-election year) and lobbied to reach 2.3 million voters.
- More than 200 pro-early childhood legislators were identified as being on the record in support of pro-young child and family policies.
In 2025, Virginia and Louisiana had wins, with other states gearing up for elections in 2026.
Area of Impact #2
More Pro-Child and Family Legislation and Funding
- In 2025, Fellows lobbied and leveraged lawmaking champions to protect $9.9 billion and add $1.6 billion in funding for a total of $11.5 billion for young children and their families
- Fellows also helped secure 70 policy wins in the areas of pre-K, child care, wellbeing (physical and mental health), and paid leave.
- At least 6.2 million young children and families will benefit from these policies and funding.
Area of Impact #3
More Capacity for Legislative and Electoral Advocacy for Young Children and Families
- In 2025, Fellows collectively raised $2.7 million for legislative and electoral advocacy beyond their IFAF grants.
- In addition to the biannual IFAF Fellows Forum, Fellows made 35 connections with each other to share strategies in a variety of areas, including digital media, fundraising, and policy development.