Support for Hawaii

by Posted in Community Development, Disaster Philanthropy, Philanthropy

We have all seen the footage of the devastation wrought by wildfires in Maui.  Many residents lost everything in the fire and will need significant support to rebuild their lives.

If you are interested in making a donation to recovery funds, the Hawaii Community Foundation is hosting the Maui Strong Fund.  The Maui United Way also has a Maui Fire Disaster Fund.

Our sister organization, Funder Hui, has a list of fundraising efforts and resources related to the fire, and is co-sponsoring a webinar on recovery needs for this Friday, August 17.

Hawaii Wildfires:  What Will Recovery Look Like?

August 17, 4:00pm
Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Funder Hui

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Funder Hui are hosting a webinar to address the urgent and long-term needs of communities affected by the wildfires. Panelists will focus on the unique nature of island recovery, including Hawaii’s ecology; the impact of losing such a critical cultural, political and economic engine; and lessons learned from wildfire recovery in other communities.

At the end of the webinar, donors and grantmakers will:

  1. Understand the distinctive immediate and long-term needs in an island setting.
  2. Learn about how pre-existing inequities will affect outcomes for recovery.
  3. Increase their knowledge of Hawaii’s unique characteristics and how funders can help maintain them during recovery.

While primarily aimed at funders, it may also be of interest to emergency managers, academics, disaster responders and NGO staff interested in or working on disasters and other crises.
Register

BankNewport Awards More Than $500,000 in Grants to 45 RI Organizations

by Posted in Children & Youth, Community Development, Corporate Citizenship, Education, Health and Wellness, Housing and Homelessness, Immigrants and Refugees, Member Highlights, Member News, Philanthropy

As part of its All In Giving program, BankNewport is pleased to announce that it recently awarded over $505,000 in grant funds to organizations throughout Rhode Island that focus on areas of need including food insecurity, education and workforce development, arts and culture, healthy lives, and underserved populations.

Among the recipients are the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County, to support the expansion and renovation of its Central Clubhouse; the Providence Public Library, to support its Technology Career Pathway education, enrichment, and workforce development program; and the Central Falls Children’s Foundation, to help establish El Centro Community Center in the City of Central Falls, a new one-stop supportive community center for residents.

Recipients of the last quarter grants are:

· Back to School Celebration

· Battle of Rhode Island 1778 Association

· Big Brothers Big Sisters of RI

· BikeNewport

· Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County

· Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick

· Capital Good Fund

· Central Falls Children’s Foundation

· College Visions

· East Bay Food Pantry

· FABNewport

· Genesis Center

· Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation

· Hope & Main

· Hope Alzheimer’s Center

· Innovation Studio, Inc.

· Inspiring Minds

· International Yacht Restoration School

· Jonnycake Center for Hope

· Junior Achievement of RI

· Local Initiatives Support Corporation

· Local Return

· Looking Upwards

· Meals on Wheels of RI

· MS Dream Center of Rhode Island

· New Bridges for Haitian Success

· Newport Art Museum

· Newport Hospital Foundation

· Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust

· Potter League for Animals

· Preservation Society of Newport County

· Providence Public Library

· Redwood Library and Athenaeum

· Rhode Island Philharmonic

· Rhode Island SPCA

· Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education

· RI Elder Info

· San Miguel School of Providence

· Save the Bay

· South County Art Association

· South County Museum

· St. Vincent DePaul Society

· The Groden Network

· Thrive Outside

· Visiting Nurse Home and Hospice

Providence Awards $200,000 to Local Arts, Cultural Organizations

by Posted in Arts & Culture, Community Development, Creative Placemaking, Member Highlights, Member News

Mayor Brett P. Smiley and Director of Art, Culture, Tourism Joe Wilson Jr. today announced WaterFire Providence, Community MusicWorks, Trinity Repertory Company, Hope Street Merchants Association, The Puerto Rican Professional Association of RI, RPM Voices of RI, West Broadway Neighborhood Association, AS220 and Rhode Island Black Storytellers as the grantees for the Special Events Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Sector funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.  

Arts and cultural institutions were some of the hardest hit businesses throughout COVID-19, and many are still struggling to rebound. This grant program is part of the city’s larger effort to ensure that the art institutions that make Providence unique can rebound and grow over the long-term. The $200,000 grants that were awarded are part of over $3 million the city has awarded to various art programs and cultural institutions fighting the economic impacts of COVID-19.  

 

Nearly 1,200 Residents Turn Out to Vote in State’s Largest Ever Participatory Budgeting Initiative

by Posted in Basic Need, Children & Youth, Climate/Environment, Collective Impact, Community Development, Education, Equity, Health and Wellness, Member Highlights, Member News

Nearly 1,200 Central Providence residents cast ballots earlier this month and voted to allocate a total of $1 million toward eight community projects that will improve the health and quality of life throughout the 02908 and 02909 zip codes. The Nine Neighborhood Fund is a community-lead participatory budgeting initiative. It is the state’s largest direct budgeting effort and work has been facilitated by ONE Neighborhood Builders and its Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone team. ONE|NB is one of the state’s leading community development corporations. Election results were tabulated and finalized during a meeting of the Nine Neighborhood Fund Steering Committee on Thursday evening.

Residents aged 13 and older that live or attend school in Central Providence had the opportunity to vote on seven large projects with budgets over $30,0000 and six small projects with budgets of $30,0000.

The four winning large projects in order of votes received were:

  1. Bathrooms and Plants in Our Parks: $368,000 will be directed to install two new composting toilets at Merino Park and increase access to existing bathrooms in Donigian and Davis Parks. In addition, this initiative will support the planting of native shrubs to enhance the beauty of the green space, encourage community use, and protect the environment.
  2. Lead-Free Water: $330,000 will be directed to provide all households in the Central Providence neighborhoods who have lead-contaminated pipes with an NSF-certified water filter dispenser. Additionally, these funds will help support community education about lead safety.
  3. Peer Mental Health: $50,000 will be directed to launch a peer mental health training program for high school students in the nine Central Providence neighborhoods. The training will help young people detect the signs that their classmates and friends may be experiencing mental health issues. Students who complete the training will receive a certificate and have the opportunity to train other students in their high schools.
  4. Improving Our Bus Stops:  $132,000 will be directed to add seating, lighting, and additional amenities near approximately 4 bus stops that currently do not have shelters.

Additionally, four small projects of $30,000 each were funded:

  1. Life Skills Classes for Youth will provide classes for youth that discuss skills around parenting, personal finance, domestic activities, and other basic life skills.
  2. Food Bearing Tree Planting will plant 20 food-bearing trees native to Rhode Island (apple, pear, peach, berries, nut trees) around Central Providence to help address food insecurity, lack of green space and tree cover.
  3. Soccer for Youth will expand the accessibility of soccer-playing to more local youth in Central Providence, by providing free access to equipment, outdoor space, and coaching.
  4. Bike Distribution and Repair will distribute 50 bikes and repair kits and offer bike maintenance and repair workshops to low-income residents of 02908 and 02909.

The Nine Neighborhood Fund election prioritized accessible voting. Voting took place over the course of two full weeks. Of the nearly 1,200 votes cast, 923 were cast in person at 30 pop-up voting stations and 264 were cast online. More than 200 young people aged 13 to 17 cast ballots.

Projects included on the ballot were developed by community members who served as “project delegates” and narrowed down from more than 300 ideas collected from local residents. The Nine Neighborhood Fund Steering Committee, comprised entirely of residents of 02908 and 02909, led the idea collection process and oversaw the community-wide vote.

Participatory budgeting provides a democratic process for individuals who live in the community to make direct decisions about how to spend a portion of a budget. The Nine Neighborhood Fund is the largest known participatory budget allocation in Rhode Island and is focused on improving community health outcomes and strengthening quality of life throughout Central Providence. Funding for the Nine Neighborhood Fund was made available by the state Executive Office of Health & Human Services and Department of Health and through private grant funds secured by ONE|NB.

Funds cannot be used to supplement existing programs, services, or projects that normally would be funded by state or local government. In addition, there are program design and cost considerations to ensure that all projects can be achieved and that the sustainability of the project is built into its implementation.

Champlin Awards $7.9 Million to RI Nonprofits

by Posted in Children & Youth, Community Development, Member Highlights, Member News, Philanthropy

The Champlin Foundation announced today $7.9 million in capital funding to 78 Rhode Island based nonprofit organizations. Across 26 communities statewide, grants will make critical capital investments, including building upgrades, enhanced security and technology systems, new vehicles, and new and expanded facilities.  

Ten libraries across 10 different communities received grants in this round of funding, including the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library in Narragansett—the state’s only completely new library building under construction. Twelve years in the making, this $8.9 million overall project is slated for completion later in 2023 and received $250,000 from Champlin in this round of funding.  

Libraries are just one of nine key areas of focus supported by the Champlin Foundation. Other priorities include capital investments in arts and culture, conservation and parks, education, healthcare, historic preservation and heritage, social services, youth services, and welfare of animals. The $7,986,833 awarded in the spring cycle makes the foundation’s total distribution to date $674 million over the past nine-plus decades. 

 This spring round of grants also includes two first-time grantees: Rhode Island Sports Union and Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. Nonprofits in Rhode Island will have a second opportunity this year to apply for funding. The fall grants application cycle opens on June 1, 2023, and will close on July 1, 2023. 

United Way Invests $10 Million to Build Racial Equity and Opportunities for all Rhode Islanders

by Posted in Basic Need, Children & Youth, Community Development, Equity, Health and Wellness, Member Highlights, Member News, Nonprofit Capacity Building, Philanthropy, Policy

With a focus on achieving the goals of its LIVE UNITED 2025 plan to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders, United Way of Rhode Island announced an investment of $10 million in the work of community organizations over three years. These latest grants,  awarded from United Way’s Community Impact Fund, benefitted 45 local nonprofits, following what were intentional changes to the organization’s grantmaking program.

In 2021, United Way made the commitment to invest $100 million over five years to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders. With this round of funding, the organization’s contributions through programs, grants, and philanthropy now total more than $71.25 million toward that goal in just three years. Additionally in 2023, United Way will offer more opportunities for funding with a focus on summer learning, opportunity grants, equity initiatives, and family stabilization, among others.

United Way’s overhaul of its grant program was designed to better serve organizations whose work is rooted in actively advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Among the changes are three years of funding rather than two, awarding only unrestricted grants, instituting nontraditional reporting, and addressing the funding inequities faced by nonprofits led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders. On average, these organizations have less than half of the staff and budget as non-BIPOC-led nonprofits.

Aligning with United Way’s strategic priorities, the focus areas of the awarded grants include out-of-school time and experiential learning opportunities for students in underserved communities, housing, job training and economic empowerment, and community-based advocacy to advance social justice and racial equity.

Among the grantee organizations, two — Inspiring Minds and Mt. Hope Learning Center — were funded at the recommendation of United Way’s Women United group.

Organizations were invited to apply for up to $75,000 in annual funding for the three-year period of 2023 to 2026. Proposals went through a multiphase review process, in which a committee of 29 took a holistic approach to reviewing each application. Proposals were scored on alignment with United Way’s mission; organizational readiness to invest; population served and geographical reach; justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion plans; and proposed activities. There were 238 grant applications received, totaling $17.8 million in funding requests.

$20 Million in ARPA Funds Distributed to Address Housing, Hunger, and Behavioral Health

by Posted in Basic Need, Children & Youth, Community Development, Disaster Philanthropy, Health and Wellness, Housing and Homelessness, Member Highlights, Member News, Philanthropy, Policy

The Rhode Island Foundation has completed awarding $20 million in grants for hunger, housing and behavioral health to 240 nonprofits across the state. State leaders tapped the Foundation to distribute the funding from Rhode Island’s $1.1 billion share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation for COVID-19 recovery.

The $20 million the Foundation has awarded since December is the single largest pool of grants in the organization’s 107-year-history.

The grants targeted organizations that experienced negative economic impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation gave priority to community-based nonprofits serving communities where the need is highest.

The Mt. Hope Community Center in Providence, the East Bay Community Action Program in East Providence, the Galilee Mission in Narragansett, the James L. Maher Center in Middletown, YWCA Rhode Island in Woonsocket and Westbay Community Action in Warwick, where the announcement was made, are among the organizations that received funding. Here is the full list of recipients.

The Foundation announced the first $8.3 million in grants to 91 nonprofits last December. The final $11.7 million in grants were awarded to 149 organizations over the past four months.

New Housing Report Released

by Posted in Community Development, Housing and Homelessness, Member Highlights, Member News, Philanthropy, Policy
Rhode Island Foundation recently released a study of Rhode Island’s housing environment by the Boston Consulting Group, entitled “Housing Supply and Homelessness in Rhode Island.”
Under the guidance of a steering committee consisting of funding partners Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, the Partnership for Rhode Island, and Rhode Island LISC, and with staff support from the United Way of Rhode Island, the effort engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including key providers and leaders in the homelessness and housing sectors, around housing strategy, development, finance, and organizational design across the private, public, and social service sectors. The work was done in collaboration with, and in support of, the state Department of Housing.
Going forward, the Department of Housing will engage stakeholders further around the facts and options in the study and implement next steps in a transparent and accountable manner. In addition, the study will inform, but is separate from, the strategic plan the Department is developing.

Citizens Gives LISC $1.25 Million For Digital Inclusion

by Posted in Basic Need, Community Development, Corporate Citizenship, Education, Equity, Financial Literacy, Member Highlights, Member News, Philanthropy, Technology

The Citizens Charitable Foundation announced today a $1.25 million grant to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to fuel digital inclusion in historically marginalized communities, helping residents build the skills they need to compete for jobs.

Supporting work at eight LISC Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) partners, the funding will help launch and expand digital services that prepare people for growth industries, including the information technology field. LISC FOCs are community-based programs that integrate services related to employment training and career coaching, job placement, financial coaching, and wrap-around social support like child-care, housing and transportation so that people can achieve long-term financial stability.

The $1.25 million grant from Citizens builds on a pilot program, also supported by the bank, that tested approaches to bridging the digital skills gap. The grant is supporting one-on-one training, digital literacy workshops, ongoing digital coaching, and job training for the information technology field.

Since FOC services are delivered by experienced community-based nonprofits, the digital training is tailored to local economic and employment conditions, with a particular focus on people and communities where job loss, discrimination and underinvestment have limited opportunities. Importantly, the experience gained from these efforts can then be replicated throughout LISC’s national network of more than 120 FOCs, which serve 25,000 people each year.

The funding directly benefits people who face the steepest structural barriers to opportunity. More than 83 percent of FOC clients are people of color, and 60 percent are women. They take advantage of a range of FOC programs—including the Bridges to Career Opportunities program, which focuses on foundational skills like math and reading, as well as technical training—so they can move into better-paying jobs and build a more stable financial future.

Citizens has been a long-time supporter of LISC and FOCs, with more than $4 million in funding since 2018.