July 2010 Board-Approved Grants
The Northwest Area Foundation has awarded grants totaling $1.9 million to universities in seven states to expand their poverty-reduction work with 260 communities that have completed their participation in the Horizons program over the last several years. Horizons is an 18-month leadership development program to reduce poverty and build prosperity in towns with populations of 5,000 or fewer. University extension services will provide the coaching, training and resources to guide communities in next steps in their action plans to move toward prosperity.
These grants will build on the momentum generated through Horizons by participants passionate about change. The money will fund new strategies such as financial literacy education for youth and adults, business training, leadership development, public policy engagement and building awareness and use of income tax credits for low-income families. Grant dollars will also be used to further community action plans, to leverage public and private funding and to identify resources communities can tap into to sustain their work once this funding has ended.
Grants were made to the following intermediary organizations:
Regents of the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho - $200,000 will fund asset- and wealth-building strategies in 34 communities. Activities include financial literacy education for youth and adults, small business training, tax clinics, grant-seeking workshops and networking at a statewide rural conference. The University of Idaho will also provide training on managing credit, household budgeting, tax credits for low-income families, finding part-time work and understanding unemployment benefits.
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - $200,000 was awarded to increase understanding of financial management, leadership, public speaking and public policy skills in 25 communities and to increase understanding of poverty among University graduate students. The University’s Extension Service will be working with nonprofit organizations throughout the state to deliver the programs to participating communities.
Washington State University, Spokane, Washington - $300,000 was awarded to build partnerships in 40 communities that will increase leadership and effectiveness, expand asset- and wealth- creation programs, and build expertise in public policy work. Funding will provide RuFES (Rural Family Economic Success Institute) training that focuses on asset- and wealth-building strategies such as savings accounts and tax credits for low income people, microenterprise development, affordable housing and transportation. Grant dollars will support efforts to update community poverty reduction strategies to include measurable goals and steps to finding new funding sources.
Iowa State University Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa - $300,000[1] was awarded to provide continued coaching, assistance and resources to the Horizons Steering Committees, the groups that guide Horizons in 35 communities. Funding will support asset- and wealth-creation opportunities, tax preparation training, and financial management training. Statewide convenings on financial literacy issues, leadership and public policy will promote civic engagement.
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana - $300,000 was awarded to promote financial education, business training, leadership development and civic engagement in 35 communities. The grant will support education in financial literacy, grant writing, microenterprise, tax credits for low-income families and engaging in public policy.
North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota - $300,000 to support work in 42 communities around the Foundation’s three outcomes (asset and wealth building, improving public policy and building capacity and leadership), which will improve ability to implement poverty-reduction strategies. Training opportunities include topics such as youth and family financial literacy, regional microenterprise, leadership and strategies to promote community gardens and farmers markets.
South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota - $300,000 to fund advanced education and technical trainings in 36 communities within four key areas: entrepreneurship, development of local food systems, family financial management, business training and mentorships, and leadership training. The grant will support financial education classes, family literacy, training on local food systems, leadership development, curriculum for Native schools and efforts to improve race relations. Communities will partner with South Dakota Voices for Children in efforts to influence public policies that will benefit low-income families.
A key component to these grants is the interaction and learning that will take place among these Horizons alumni communities. This funding will enable all 260 communities across the seven states to convene in monthly webinars with their counterparts to build connections, develop awareness of others’ work, learn about potential collaborative efforts and increase knowledge about successful asset- and wealth-building strategies. The towns will gather periodically by state for networking and information sharing within their own region.
[1] $76,000 of this grant is from the Northwest Area Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
