The Dr. Seuss Foundation and San Diego Foundation have announced $2 million in grants to expand early literacy and learning opportunities for children and families across San Diego County. The funding is part of the Bright Futures initiative and the Ready to Learn endowment, both supported by the Dr. Seuss Foundation, and is designed to strengthen programs that build reading skills, promote healthy development, and prepare children for long-term success.
This year’s grantees, selected through a common application process, will support children from birth to age 8. The Ready to Learn program focuses on early literacy and language development for children up to age 5, while Bright Futures emphasizes school readiness, experiential learning, and social-emotional growth for children up to age 8. Some organizations will receive up to $90,000 in combined support.
Leaders from both foundations emphasized the importance of investing in organizations deeply connected to their communities, ensuring families have access to strong support early in children’s lives. Local partners highlighted how early learning experiences shape children’s confidence, curiosity, and future opportunities, while also empowering parents to serve as their child’s first teachers.
The grants build on a longstanding partnership between the Dr. Seuss Foundation and San Diego Foundation, which has invested nearly $5 million in local organizations. In 2025, the Dr. Seuss Foundation established a $15 million endowment to sustain early literacy efforts. In its first year, the Ready to Learn program reached more than 14,600 children under age 5 across the county.
The initiative reflects the foundation’s belief in the critical importance of early childhood education, noting that children’s brains are 90 percent developed by age five and that reading proficiency by third grade strongly predicts future success. By funding programs that inspire learning and spark imagination, the Dr. Seuss Foundation continues to expand opportunities for children and families across San Diego.
