Lincoln Littles Giving Day Raises Nearly $670,000 for Early Childhood Education

The second annual Lincoln Littles Giving Day, held on February 12, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, raised $668,150 and surpassed last year’s giving day results by more than $30,000.

Hosted by the Lincoln Community Foundation, in partnership with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, the giving day raised funds for tuition assistance, allowing more children in need to access quality early childhood education. The fund is inspired by the Prosper Lincoln Early Childhood community agenda goal of increasing accessible and affordable high-quality early childhood education.

“These generous gifts will make a big impact for our little ones in Lincoln,” said Barbara Bartle, President of the Lincoln Community Foundation. “When we band together, more children have access to quality early childhood education. Thank you, Lincoln.”

According to the 2019 Lincoln Vital Signs, 75% of Lincoln’s children under age six have all parents in the workforce. There are currently 3,362 children under age six in Lincoln living in households that fall below the poverty threshold and only 9% of children in poverty are enrolled in early childhood education. The Lincoln Littles initiative strives to create equal opportunities for all children in Lincoln to learn and grow in their early years. Access to high-quality early childhood experiences enables children to be kindergarten-ready and to develop into successful community citizens.