2011 Second Quarter Grants
Northwest Area Foundation made 31 new grants worth $1.825 million in the second quarter of 2011. The awards further the Foundation’s goals of reducing poverty and increasing prosperity by supporting nonprofits in their work to increase assets and wealth, improve public policy and build capacity and leadership.
Asset and Wealth Building
The Foundation made $550,000 in grants to increase assets and wealth among people with low incomes. The grants will support workforce development, expand youth financial training, and increase access to economic opportunities.
•Immigrant Development Center (IDC) of Moorhead, Minn. received $50,000 for the Economic Development for Low-Income Families in Fargo-Moorhead project. The money will assist low-income entrepreneurs in starting new businesses that may have to opportunity to operate out of the International Marketplace Plaza currently under development in downtown Fargo.
Grant term: August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012
•Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) of Duluth, Minn. received $100,000 for Duluth at Work, a workforce development partnership with the city of Duluth. Grant dollars will support the creation of green jobs that pay living wages for workers who currently have low incomes. In addition, the grant will fund strategies to increase incomes, offer personal financial training, and address barriers to employment.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) of St. Paul, Minn. received $100,000 for the Entrepreneur Programs and National Model project. The money will support business training, access to capital, and assistance in creating new businesses and new jobs. If successful, the NDC business model will be shared with regional and national organizations.
Grant term: August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012
•Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) of Minneapolis, Minn. received $75,000 for the Small Business Development Project. Grant funding will provide training, coaching, loans, and assistance for new and expanding businesses in North Minneapolis. The funding comes as many businesses faced setback of rebuilding, relocating, or reopening due to tornado damage in May 2011.
Grant term: August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012
•Portland Development Commission of Portland, Ore. received $100,000 for the Greening Economic Opportunity Initiative. Grant dollars will fund the Metropolitan Contractors Improvement Project in which low-income, minority contractors will increase their ability to bid on weatherization jobs through the Clean Energy Works Oregon project. The grant will also increase a partnership with the State of Oregon to develop the Green Careers Training Program.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Common Bond Communities of St. Paul, Minn. received $25,000 for the Career Advantage Program. This award will match a $150,000 grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to expand and enhance on site technology learning centers where residents have access to career, personal, and professional financial development programs.
Grant term: May 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
•Rural Dynamics Inc. of Great Falls, Mont. received $100,000 for the Mobilizing Rural Communities initiative aimed at increasing the ability of community organizers and asset-building coalitions to develop action plans to reduce poverty. Grant dollars will provide financial education for Montana families and expand financial services on Native American reservations.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012
Improving Public Policy
The Foundation made grants totaling $685,000 for efforts to improve public policies that impact people with low incomes. Nearly half, $260,000 is designated to advance the work statewide coalitions and the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) in Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota and Montana. The SFAI comprises a network of 31 independent, nonpartisan organizations that research and analyze tax and budget policies. Coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the SFAI focuses on policy needs of low- and moderate-income families. The following nonprofits received grants:
•Minnesota Council of Nonprofits of St. Paul, Minn. received $75,000 for the Minnesota Budget Project’s Invest in Minnesota and Minnesota Environmental Justice Roundtables.
Grant term: May 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
•Washington State Budget & Policy Center of Seattle, Wash. received $25,000 to fund research, policy analysis, and message development.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Children’s Alliance of Seattle, Wash. received $60,000 for the Strategic Planning and Coalition Building to Reduce Poverty and Build Prosperity in Washington State. The grant will fund strategic planning, coalition building, and policy assessment.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Neighborhood Partnership of Portland, Ore. received $40,000 for the Communicating for Change initiative. The grant will pay for training, message development, and convenings that will organize an advocacy peer support network.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Consensus Council Inc., fiscal sponsor of the North Dakota Economic Security & Prosperity Alliance, of Bismarck, N.D. received $30,000 for planning, convening, training and message development.
Grant term: June 1, 2011 – May 31, 2012
•Montana Budget & Policy Center of Helena, Mont. received $30,000 for the Partnership for Montana’s Future to provide coalition building, training, and outreach on state budget and tax issues that impact low-income people in Montana.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
The Foundation also made the following grants to promote civic engagement and to advocate for improvements in public policy within the Foundation’s region (Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon):
•Center for Community Change of Washington, D.C. received $125,000 for the Reducing Poverty and Building Prosperity initiative that will provide community organizing training, public policy analysis, organizational leadership, and outreach in Idaho, Montana and South Dakota.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Demos of New York, N.Y. received $75,000 for Public Works: The Demos Center for the Public Sector Project. That project will assist the Foundation’s grantees in developing the ability to rally public support for long-term policy initiatives that reduce poverty and build prosperity.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•National Congress of American Indians of Washington, D.C. received $75,000 for Enhancing Tribal and State Relations to Reduce Poverty in Indian Country, a pilot program in Montana. Partnering with the Montana State Fiscal Analysis Initiative affiliates, this pilot seeks to mobilize policy resources to reduce poverty in Indian County. If successful, the program will be replicated regionally and nationally.
Grant term: September 1, 2011 – August 31, 2012
•Western Organization Resource Councils Education Project of Billings, Mont. received $50,000 for the Idaho Organizing Project, which will expand the Homegrown Prosperity grassroots community organizing and policy advocacy work into Idaho. The goal is to build a strong grassroots community organization with strong leaders who will advocate for policies that encourage entrepreneurship as a means for increasing production of clean energy and local foods.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Nexus Community Partners of St. Paul, Minn. received $100,000 for the work of the Community Engagement Team of the Twin Cities HUD Sustainable Communities Initiative. Led by the Metropolitan Council, that initiative supports regional planning to integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and regional transit. The purpose of the grant is to include underrepresented communities in planning to advance transportation and affordable housing options with access to jobs as well as in environmental preservation and energy efficiency.
Grant term: August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012
Capacity Building
The Foundation made grants totaling $525,000 to build leadership and strengthen the capacity of asset- and wealth-building organizations led by communities of color:
•National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) of San Antonio, Texas received $250,000 for the Northwest Collaborative of Latino Asset Builders initiative. A renewal of a prior grant that funded similar activities, this award will assist Latino organizations that work to build assets and wealth. NALCAB will make sub grants to Latino asset-building organizations in Minn., Iowa, South Dakota, Mont., Idaho, Ore., and Washington. It will also provide access to capital, training, professional development, meetings, policy advocacy, and leadership development.
Grant term: June 1, 2011 – May 31, 2012
•Native American Community Development Institute of Minneapolis, Minn. received $150,000 for the Advancing Strategies for Prosperity initiative, which will build the ability of Urban Indian communities to design and lead economic development strategies. Grant dollars will fund the American Indian Community Blueprint and the American Indian Cultural Corridor plan for social and economic change.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2013
•Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation of Porcupine, S.D. received $70,000 for the Capacity, Leadership, and Asset Development project to strengthen development and organizational abilities. The grant will bolster a capital campaign, long-range strategic planning, and construction of a new facility.
Grant term: July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
•Native American Community Development Corporation of Browning, Mont. received $50,000 for the Mini-Bank Financial Literacy Program. The grant will expand the youth financial curriculum to three additional schools on the Blackfeet reservation as well as to schools on the Rocky Boys and Fort Belknap reservations.
Grant term: June 1, 2011 – May 31, 2012
•Washington Asian- Pacific Islanders of Seattle, Wash. received $5,000 to develop a business plan for the Katalyst Hip Hop Music and Arts program. Katalyst is youth leadership program aimed at developing financial literacy among Asian and Pacific Islanders in order to build assets and wealth and reduce the cycle of poverty.
Grant term: April 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
The following leadership and capacity grants were made in conjunction with the Northwest Area Foundation Board of Directors May 2011 meeting and site visits in Browning, Mont.:
•Blackfeet Learning Academy of Browning, Mont. received $5,000 to support the Alternative School Student Activity Fund.
Grant term: May 2011
•De La Salle Blackfeet School of Browning. Mont. received $5,000 to support the school’s student activity fund.
Grant term: May 2011
•Cut Woods School of Browning, Mont. received $5,000 to support the student activity fund. The Piegan Institute operates the Cut Woods School Immersion program, which teaches the language and history of the Blackfeet Nation.
Grant term: May 2011
•Heart Butte Senior Citizens of Heart Butte, Mont. received $5,000 for its Blackfeet Tribal program.
Grant term: May 2011
•Kaawa’pomaakaa Society of Browning, Mont. received $5,000 for its animal rescue program.
Grant term: May 2011
•KBWG 107.5 FM Thunder Radio of Browning, Mont. received $5,000 for general operating costs and supplemental sports coverage.
Grant term: May 2011
General Grants
The Foundation also made the following general grants totaling $35,000:
•Rural Development Initiatives of Eugene, Ore. received $10,000 for sponsorship of the Regards to Rural Conference.
Grant term: June 24 -25, 2011
•OneAmerica of Seattle, Wash. received $25,000 to support the National Immigration Integration Conference.
Grant term: August 1, 2011 – November 30, 2011
