NMF Awards Capacity Development Initiative Program Grants
BEMIDJI, MN – April 20, 2010 -- The Northwest Minnesota Foundation's Capacity Development Initiative, made possible by an award from the Compassion Capital Fund of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, recently awarded 11 sub-grants.
This funding will help nonprofit and faith-based organizations strengthen their delivery of programs to the region's unemployed, homeless, low-income and at-risk youth and adults.
The goals of the project are to support regional strategies to reduce homelessness, enhance welfare-to-work transition programming and improve employability by increasing capacity, sustainability, effectiveness and collaboration among the region's human service providers. In addition, the project is working to enhance the ability of faith-based organizations and community-based organizations to sustain the delivery of social services by developing supportive and culturally diverse training, combining and sharing existing resources and volunteer energies, and promoting multi-level strategies that maximize local and regional resources.
A total of $103,603 was awarded to faith-based and community-based organizations located in Mahnomen, Crookston, Erskine, Park Rapids, Naytahwaush, Warren, and Bemidji, which collectively serve all twelve counties in the NMF service area.
Mahnomen County Development Activities Center $2,500
The Mahnomen County DAC is a public entity that provides adult day training and habitation services to special needs, low income adults across Becker, Mahnomen, and Kittson Counties. The organization will implement systems to keep records of service recipients' satisfaction and/or service recipients' outcomes to increase the capacity of the organization in tracking client progress and documenting outcomes. In addition, they will obtain program related technology / equipment and train staff to work more effectively with clients on new technology.
Care and Share, Inc. $8,885
Care and Share is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non denominational corporation serving those who suffer from economic hardship, providing a food shelf, soup kitchen, clothing, emergency and transitional shelter. The organization will implement a multi-level evaluation of the current food shelf operation to identify ways to better and safely serve growing community needs by analysis of current data and evaluation of current services. They will also strengthen multiple partnerships and identify additional partnerships with other community agencies by creating or improving processes for collaborating with partners and strengthening partnerships.
Grace Lutheran Food Shelf $2,354
Grace Lutheran Church Food Shelf is a faith-based, 501 (c)(3) providing emergency food services to the unemployed, underemployed and homeless in the communities of Erskine, McIntosh, Winger and Mentor.
The organization will purchase an upright freezer and reorganize the food shelf space to better serve the clients and increase efficiency and safety of operation while increasing the effectiveness of services to clients.
Human Achievement Performance Academy (HAPA) $14,957
HAPA is a 501(c)(3) delivering financial counseling and employment education services to underemployed, unemployed adults, financial and credit counseling, life-skills to at-risk, homeless and transitional youth and adults. HAPA serves Hubbard, Becker, Mahnomen and Beltrami Counties and one American Indian reservation. The organization will create marketing materials to increase the number of clients served; create a revenue development plan using a consultant to increase the ability to identify funding streams and obtain funds; create and implement a client database system for improved client record keeping system and data sorting system; upgrade current technology in computers, software and communication systems to increased efficiency with daily operations, report generation, and communications.
White Earth Reservation Constituency Service Program $13,500
White Earth Constituency Program is a public agency providing financial assistance to White Earth families whose income is 135% of the Poverty Index: Homeless persons, elders in need, Native Americans, families in transition, in a three county area. The organization will create a data collection, sharing, reporting system for the White Earth Constituency Program to increase the capacity of departments across a three county area to generate reports, conduct data collection, and provide services to clients.
Peacemaker Resources $13,210
Peacemaker Resources is a 501 (c)(3) serving schools (including three reservation schools), at risk youth, Native Americans, and families in transition by providing social emotional skills training to reduce violence, high risk behavior, and improve communications. The organization will develop a new strategic plan to increase the ability of Peacemaker to define direction and innovate; establish new strategic partnerships through increased referrals and requests for service delivery; and, expand program services to include non-violent communications to increase the scope of existing services.
Warren Living at Home Block Nursing Program $4,800
Warren Living at Home Block Nursing Program (WLH/BNS) is a public entity that assists the elderly in living in their homes as long as possible by providing in-home nursing services, assistance with personal care and light housekeeping, referrals to social services, and transportation to meals and activities. The organization will purchase new technology and software to increase the effectiveness of client recordkeeping and reporting, which will increase staff ability to access and maintain client records and generate reports. In addition, they will create new marketing materials to increase client referrals and participation in program and activities.
Bemidji Community Food Shelf $13,825
Bemidji Community Food Shelf is a 501(c)(3) interdenominational faith-based organization serving elders in need, families in transition, and low income individuals seeking to gain greater access to state and federal benefits. The organization will purchase database software and supporting technology to increase the ability of staff to access and maintain client records as well as develop plans for service expansion. In addition, they will develop a strategic plan to explore and implement a co-location with partner services.
Evergreen House, Inc. $14,364
Evergreen House, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community- based organization providing services to a four-county area for homeless youth, high-risk youth, transitional services for families and youth through: youth crisis center, alcohol and drug recovery house, suicide prevention education, transitional housing, mentoring program, youth and family counseling, youth drop-in center for homeless youth. The organization will purchase a variety of technologies to improve cross program communication, report sharing, and client records across three program locations including: phone system, server system, and upgrade their copier in order to increase capacity to communicate, access client records, plan for transitional move and improve existing services to better serve their growing client base.
Servant Hearts $4,651
Servant Hearts is a 501 (c)(3) community- based organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, two-spirited , questioning, ally, marginalized at-risk youth and adults with programs, support, education, and referral services. The organization will create a website of services and available resources and attend grant writing and strategic planning training. They will also purchase technology to support program development and website development.
Northwoods Habitat for Humanity $10,587
Northwoods Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) faith-based organization dedicated to building affordable homes for people in need throughout Beltrami and Clearwater Counties. They provide, through the Re-Store operation, access to affordable building supplies, home furnishings and accessories. The organization will purchase a new electronic cash register compatible with the QuickBooks accounting system to improve financial recordkeeping and will provide cash register training to staff and volunteers for improved customer service at the Re-Store. In addition, they will install a handicap access door to increase access for a new customer base.
A second round of grants will be announced in May.
The Capacity Development Initiative is also providing training and technical assistance for area faith-based organizations and community-based organizations in leadership, organization and program development and community engagement. Workshops are now underway and open for registration. Learn more at www.nwmf.org.
For more information, contact Jane McKelvy, NMF program officer for training, at 218-759-2057 or email janem@nwmf.org.
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is a charitable foundation committed to investing resources, creating opportunities and promoting philanthropy to make the region
a better place to live and work.
