Power to Win Network

We are an initiative to close the advocacy funding gap in early childhood. We equip funders with strategic support and a peer community to invest confidently in both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) advocacy for young children and families.

Early childhood advocates build public awareness, cultivate relationships, and make the case for stronger state investments in young children and families with the help of 501(c)(3) support. Legislative and electoral advocacy, made possible by 501(c)(4) support, is what takes that groundwork over the finish line into more durable policy wins. Yet the 501(c)(4) support that closes the gap between awareness and action remains chronically underfunded in early childhood.

In 2026, early childhood organizations in 18 states reported that for every $1 invested in 501(c)(4) advocacy, they had more than $8 available for 501(c)(3) advocacy. That gap is costing children and families.

501(c)(4) funding unlocks two capabilities that 501(c)(3) funding cannot:

  • Unlimited lobbying to influence budgets and hold lawmakers accountable for early childhood policies
  • Electoral support to elect children’s champions as governors and legislators who will enact and fund necessary legislation

What Power to Win Offers

Join our Learning Community, invest through our Donor Table, or do both.

Connect with the Learning Community

  • Peer Learning — regular briefings and field updates to deepen understanding of the early childhood policy landscape and systems change approaches
  • Legal Resources — guidance for general counsels and legal teams that are “501(c)(4) curious” and want to understand how to set up or navigate appropriate funding structures
  • Shadowing and Site Visits — real-time experiences with state-level 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations

 

Invest Through Power to Win

  • Donor Table — for individual and institutional donors ready to invest in 501(c)(4) advocacy strategies
  • Confidential Investing — meaningful contributions without public disclosure
 

Building the Power to Win  

Since launching in 2026, Power to Win has convened more than 50 funders to explore how 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) can work together to deliver major wins for young children and families. 
 
Participating funders have heard directly from state advocates in Kentucky, New Mexico, Vermont, and Virginia on how they are building on 501(c)(4) advocacy to expand their 501(c)(3) work and what 501(c)(4) investment makes possible on the ground.
 
Ready to join the conversation? Contact Shakera Grant at info@ifaction.org