Social Advocacy Grants

The District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS) Family Services Administration (FSA) is offering multiple grant opportunities to provide health services and education to refugees resettled in the District of Columbia. This initiative aims to address health disparities and improve the well-being of the refugee population in the area. The program aligns with the DHS/FSA's mission to support vulnerable populations and ensure access to essential services. The primary beneficiaries of this program are refugees resettled in the District of Columbia. The impact goals are to provide domestic medical screening and follow-up, enhance health literacy, and reduce gaps in health services. This will be achieved through two main projects: the Refugee Medical Screening project and the Refugee Health Promotion project. The Refugee Medical Screening project prioritizes the provision of initial medical screenings and subsequent follow-up care for newly arrived refugees. The Refugee Health Promotion project focuses on improving health literacy and addressing service gaps through various interventions. These interventions include workshops, wellness and support groups, and medical case management, all designed to empower refugees with the knowledge and resources to manage their health effectively. Expected outcomes include comprehensive medical screening for refugees, increased health literacy within the refugee community, and a reduction in unmet health service needs. Measurable results will likely involve the number of refugees screened, participation rates in health promotion activities, and improvements in health indicators for the target population. The grants aim to create a sustainable framework for health support for refugees in the District.

The Portland Office of Violence Prevention's 2024-2025 Safer Portland Grant is an opportunity to help reduce gun violence through community-based prevention efforts. Who should apply? The 2024-2025 grant prioritizes efforts in the following Portland neighborhoods, including: Cully; Hazelwood; Eliot; Powellhurst-Gilbert; and/or Areas known for high rates of gun violence. Applicants supporting efforts in all neighborhoods, even those outside the priority areas, are encouraged to apply. We encourage organizations that serve culturally specific communities, women and female identifying communities, African Immigrant/Refugee communities, and the LGBTQIA+ community to apply. What programs are supported by the grant? Examples of programs and activities that can be supported through this grant include: Preventative programs, workshops, camps, and events; Flexible funds for direct community assistance and services; Youth and adult mediation and mentoring programs; Arts and culture or recreational violence preventative programs; Aftercare support funds for families of victims; and Capacity building in small contractors to provide services. How much funding is available? A total of $500,000 is available. Organizations can apply for up to $100,000. Grant awards may vary based on the scope of work and number of community members served. How to apply? Visit the City of Portland Webgrants website - https://cityofportlandgrants.net - and create an account. Select "Click here to register." Fill out the required information. Under "Program area of interest," select "ovp - office of violence prevention." Answer the remaining questions. When finished, select "Save registration information." Once your account is created, you will receive two separate emails with your login and password information. Log on to the City of Portland Webgrants website. Access the Safer Portland Grant and fill out the application and budget forms. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on May 17, 2024. Questions? For more information, contact Riamyrie Walter at riamyrie.walter@portlandoregon.gov.

The IMPACT Bucks grant, supported by BLBB Charitable, Bucks County Foundation (BCF), and Foundations Community Partnership, aims to strengthen communities by fostering economic self-sufficiency and opportunity for socially and/or economically disadvantaged individuals. This initiative directly aligns with BCF's mission to identify and address community concerns, particularly for underserved populations, and to promote creative and collaborative solutions to community problems. The grant seeks to support nonprofits whose work in Bucks County directly improves the lives of residents. The target beneficiaries for the IMPACT Bucks grant are socially and/or economically disadvantaged people within Bucks County. The overarching impact goal is to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities by improving economic self-sufficiency and opportunity for these individuals. BCF emphasizes supporting underserved populations and promoting solutions that address the root causes of community problems, rather than just the symptoms. The grant prioritizes innovative projects and collaborative efforts among community groups or organizations to address unmet needs. BCF is looking for proposals that respect individual concerns while seeking community-wide solutions. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) nonprofits with a Bucks County client population that constitutes 50% or more of their total client base, and whose proposed projects directly benefit Bucks County. Expected outcomes include improved economic self-sufficiency, increased opportunities for disadvantaged individuals, and stronger, more resilient communities within Bucks County. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided information, the grant's focus on addressing community concerns and promoting solutions suggests that successful projects will demonstrate tangible improvements in the economic well-being and overall health of the target population. This one-time, 12-month grant award of $75,000 per partner (totaling $225,000 for the IMPACT grant award opportunity) signifies a strategic commitment from the foundations to drive meaningful and measurable change at the community level.

This grant path supports projects focused on community violence intervention or interruption, particularly in high-risk communities. The initiatives should aim at directly engaging with individuals most likely to be involved in or affected by firearm-related harm. Projects should employ strategies like Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) and Community-Based Intervention Programs (CVIPs) that capitalize on the "teachable moment" immediately after a youth has been involved in violence. Additionally, strategies should include violence interruption programs that provide immediate responses to shootings to prevent further violence and retaliation through community engagement events. Applicants must attend a pre-application webinar.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations working to combat racism, support immigrants and refugees, and promote equitable climate policies, particularly in Baltimore City, the DC region, and New York, with a focus on communities of color and low-income populations.

This fund provides financial support to Indigenous communities in Northern California to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people through prevention, crisis response, and long-term recovery initiatives.

This program provides one-time funding to local nonprofit organizations and municipalities in Dutchess County to improve services and programs for veterans.

This funding opportunity supports projects that preserve and share California Indian culture, art, and traditional practices, prioritizing initiatives that promote knowledge transmission across generations.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore area that support youth development programs focused on career skills and life skills for high school students.

The Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) is implementing new grantmaking approaches to effectively invest in people, places, and opportunities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. The new model includes Strategic Grants and Community Responsive Fund grants. Strategic Grants are awarded directly by OBT to organizations with at least $500,000 in expenses from the previous year, aligning with OBT's objectives. Community Responsive Fund grants are managed by intermediary partners, focusing on organizations with less than $500,000 in expenses.

Seeking to foster deeper connections with nature among a range of constituencies, the Foundation invests in environmental programs that focus on education and/or stewardship. In the environmental education area, the Foundation’s emphasis is on high quality programs that promote hands-on experiential activities in formal and informal K-12 educational settings to increase time spent outside in nature for youth. In the environmental stewardship area, the Foundation seeks to support the maintenance and expansion of green spaces, including parks and farms, in under-resourced neighborhoods. The Foundation’s environmental grantmaking is limited to the Baltimore metropolitan region. The Foundation typically provides funding for general operations and/or programming, but not capital needs.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that support immigrant rights, legal services, and holistic support for refugees and asylum seekers, particularly in Baltimore, the DC region, and New York.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that work on climate justice initiatives, focusing on supporting communities of color and low-income populations in Baltimore City, the DC region, and New York.

This funding opportunity supports grassroots initiatives that address climate change through community-driven projects focused on youth activism, Indigenous voices, sustainable visions, climate justice, and regenerative agriculture.

Title II Juvenile Justice Council grants are specifically awarded to local juvenile justice councils to implement programs, policies and practices that improve the effectiveness of local juvenile justice systems, reduce unnecessary juvenile justice system involvement and/or analyze and reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) in each council’s local system. Because this model of local governance, collaboration and data-driven decision-making has proven effective, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission is allocating funding to support local juvenile justice councils and the development of data-driven, collaborative local juvenile justice plans which guide future system improvement efforts. The Illinois Juvenile Court Act provides that each county or group of counties may establish a local juvenile justice council [705 ILCS 405/6-12]. The purpose of this council, according to the Act, is “to provide a forum for the development of a community based interagency assessment of the local juvenile justice system, to develop a county juvenile justice plan for the prevention of juvenile delinquency, and to make recommendations to the county board, or county boards, for more effectively utilizing existing community resources in dealing with juveniles who are found to be involved in crime, or who are truant or have been suspended or expelled from school.” Through juvenile justice councils, the Act prescribes a response to juveniles in conflict with the law that is comprehensive, driven by data and analysis, and collaborative across all systems that touch these youth. As embodied in the Juvenile Court Act, Juvenile Justice Councils provide a structure to ensure that local jurisdictions respond to youth in conflict with the law in a manner which is data-driven, strategic, and focused on serving youth, families and communities in the most effective ways possible. Unfortunately, very few jurisdictions in Illinois have developed councils that operate in the manner envisioned in the Act. In some communities, youth become involved in the juvenile justice system unnecessarily because alternatives do not exist, or are not embedded within the system decision-making process. Because the needs and resources are different in each community in Illinois, a one-size-fits-all approach is not likely to be very effective. Local councils are in the best position to craft solutions that meet the local community’s needs and take into account local resources. Empowering and supporting local juvenile justice councils can also stem the tide of racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system at the front door and help ensure that no youth enters the juvenile justice system unnecessarily. Such local ownership is the best way to ensure more effective long-term programming and sustained systemic change. This, in turn, will reduce the costs associated with incarcerating youth in correctional facilities, reduce rates of recidivism, reduce the number of crime victims, and ultimately create safer communities in Illinois. Juvenile Justice Youth Serving Programs: The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides funding directly to states through its Title II Formula Grants Program (Title II) to support state and local delinquency prevention, intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements. These funds are used to help states implement comprehensive state juvenile justice plans based on detailed studies of needs in their jurisdictions. State Advisory Groups, comprised of members appointed by the governor, set priorities for funded activities. The State Advisory Group for Illinois, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC), administers the Title II funds. These funds support a broad range of juvenile justice activities at the state and local level that are designed to improve the juvenile justice system through the development of more effective education, training, research, prevention, diversion, treatment, and rehabilitation programs in the area of juvenile delinquency. These programs or projects can be designed to be developed, implemented and evaluated directly or through grants and contracts with public and private agencies. Title II also funds state and local activities designed to ensure and maintain the state's compliance with the Core Requirements of the JJDPA. • Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO) • Adult Jail and Lock-Up Removal (Jail Removal) • "Sight and Sound" Separation • Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED); In some communities, youth become involved in the juvenile justice system unnecessarily because alternatives do not exist or are not embedded within the system decision-making process. Because the needs and resources are different in each community in Illinois, a one-size-fits-all approach is not likely to be very effective. Local juvenile justice systems and community-based providers are in prime position to craft solutions and develop youth serving programs that meet the local community's needs and take into account local resources. Empowering and supporting local youth programming can also stem the tide of racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system at the front door and help ensure that no youth enters the juvenile justice system unnecessarily. Investing in local communities will reduce the costs associated with incarcerating youth in correctional facilities, reduce rates of recidivism, reduce the number of crime victims, and ultimately create safer communities in Illinois.

Program Summary The PATH program is designed to reduce and/or eliminate homelessness for individuals who may be experiencing (SMI) serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Our goal is to ensure that individuals are connected to mainstream MH services and eventually transitioned into stable housing improve their health, and live a self-directed, purposeful life. Funding Priorities or Focus Areas • IDHS is working to counteract systemic racism and inequity, and to prioritize and maximize diversity throughout its service provision process. This work involves addressing existing institutionalized inequities, aiming to create transformation, and operationalizing equity and racial justice. It also focuses on the creation of a culture of inclusivity for all regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Project Description The Grantee will operate the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) formula grant providing flexible, community-based services throughout the State of Illinois to address the needs of adults ages 18-65+ and families, with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. PATH links the population of individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI)/co-occurring substance use disorders (COD), who experience persistent and pervasive health disparities, to mainstream and other supportive services. Collectively the PATH resources help individuals experiencing or at risk for homelessness with SMI/COD secure safe and stable housing, improve their health, and live a self-directed, purposeful life.

The Non-Profit Security Program, administered by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), aims to support nonprofit organizations at high risk of terrorist or extremist attacks. The program provides funding for physical and cybersecurity enhancements and other security-related activities. The total program funding is $274,500,000 for FY 2024, with a maximum award of $150,000 per site and up to $450,000 per sub-applicant. Eligible applicants must apply through their State Administrative Agency (SAA), and applications are due by June 1, 2024, at 5 PM CDT. The program targets nonprofit organizations described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including those automatically exempt such as churches, mosques, and synagogues. The funding can be used for target-hardening activities like the purchase or installation of security equipment. Performance metrics focus on enhancing the protection of soft targets and crowded places through planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises.

Program Summary • The Grantee shall deliver mental health services to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind by utilizing a culturally affirmative approach. This approach will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The culturally affirmative approach shall serve these populations in an individualized manner and shall provide any level of outpatient mental health service delivered by staff who directly provide such in the individual's language and communication mode. Additionally, these staff will exhibit a distinct knowledge base, specialized clinical skills, and specialized cultural linguistic skills. The service delivery may also include staff who exhibit a knowledge base in serving these minority populations and utilize reasonable accommodations for the individual's language needs and communication modes. The Grantee's staff providing mental health services may include case managers, therapists, counselors, and/or psychiatrists. The Grantee shall communicate in an accessible manner, by utilizing Video Phones, TTYs, licensed sign language interpreters and/or other reasonable accommodations according to the individual's needs. Funding Priorities or Focus Areas • IDHS is working to counteract systemic racism and inequity, and to prioritize and maximize diversity throughout its service provision process. This work involves addressing existing institutionalized inequities, aiming to create transformation, and operationalizing equity and racial justice. It also focuses on the creation of a culture of inclusivity for all regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Project Description • The Grantee must deliver mental health services to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind by utilizing a culturally affirmative approach. This approach will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Each of these minority populations have unique cultural and linguistic needs, which are not exclusively homogeneous. Therefore, the culturally affirmative approach must serve these populations in an individualized manner. An individual who is Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind, that is served by this grant funding, may reside or be originally from any county in Illinois. The cultural affirmative service delivery must provide any level of outpatient mental health service delivered by staff who directly provide such in the individual’s language and communication mode. Additionally, these staff will exhibit a distinct knowledge base, specialized clinical skills, and specialized cultural linguistic skills. The service delivery may also include staff who exhibit a knowledge base in serving these minority populations, and utilize reasonable accommodations for the individual’s language needs and communication modes. The Grantee’s staff providing mental health services may include, but are not limited to: case managers, therapists, counselors, and/or psychiatrists. The Grantee must communicate in an accessible manner, by utilizing Video Phones, TTYs, licensed sign language interpreters and/or other reasonable accommodations according to the individual’s needs. There are community networks across the state of Illinois that serve as a separate referral source for these populations. In these networks, information is communicated on how and where to access these services that are delivered in a cultural affirmative approach. The Grantee must serve as an embedded entity of these community networks as it relates to their cultural affirmative service delivery of mental health services. The Grantee’s staff will outreach, collaborate, and network across various service systems to effectively address these challenges. As part of this, the Grantee will assist individuals served in addressing the complex language, cultural, clinical, and administrative challenges when navigating the various service systems and their associated processes. Most often, these systems’ information is not readily accessible in the population’s native language and communication mode. Specifically, the Grantee’s staff will assist individuals in identifying and linking to other applicable providers, how to access their services, and/or apply for applicable benefits. Additionally, there is an absence of any evidence-based mental health treatment developed for or evaluated for use with these populations. The grantee must adapt evidence-based mental health treatment using an effective and culturally affirmative approach. This must include but is not limited to: consideration of the individual’s culture, community, beliefs, thinking and learning style, communication mode(s), and language needs. This funding is designated to support costs associated with cultural affirmative service delivery approach; the necessary outreach, networking, and collaboration necessary as an embedded entity providing for these populations; adaptation of evidence-based mental health treatment; and paying for licensed sign language interpreter services. The mental health services provided are billed to Healthcare and Family Services’ Illinois Medicaid as well as any of their associated Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Therefore, the Grantee must also have certification as (Comprehensive) Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), as defined in Part 132, Subparts B and C.

The mission of AmeriCorps is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteering. The following non-federal entities (all of which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1) are eligible to apply: - Indian Tribes - Institutions of higher education - Local governments, including school districts - Nonprofit organizations - State of Illinois agencies, departments, and commissions Organizations that propose to operate only in Illinois must apply through Serve Illinois Organizations that propose to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one State or Territory must apply directly to AmeriCorps. Serve Illinois works under the leadership of the Commission of Volunteerism and Community Service to distribute and administer Illinois AmeriCorps State funding from AmeriCorps, the federal agency. AmeriCorps and Serve Illinois' legal authority to award these grants is found in the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, (NCSA) (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) Serve Illinois considers new cost reimbursement proposals from any eligible applicant, as defined above, to: - Assess the feasibility and fit to AmeriCorps with applicants’ ideas. - In close partnership and assistance from select Serve Illinois staff: develop internal controls, hire and train new staff and/or re-focusing and training existing staff, develop AmeriCorps specific policies and procedures, train in the areas of AmeriCorps member recruitment, enrollment, member supervision, and cost-reimbursement grant management. These various products will be developed in a structured, iterative process during the planning period using Serve Illinois’s Program Manual.

The educate2elevate (e2e) Grant is a collaborative funding initiative bringing together resources from across New Mexico for high-impact grantmaking, with the Albuquerque Community Foundation as the Donor Name. This grant aligns with the foundation's mission by focusing on education and school-based partners, specifically targeting Central New Mexico. The e2e funding area's original intent to support educational initiatives and address food insecurity among students and families remains the core focus for this year's RFP. The target beneficiaries of this grant are students and their families in Central New Mexico, encompassing Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties. The program aims to address food insecurity and enhance educational opportunities for these populations. Impact goals include expanding equitable access to nutritious meals, fostering community partnerships to provide food resources, and supporting early childhood education settings to ensure young children have access to nutritious meals and snacks during crucial developmental years. The grant prioritizes programs that provide enhancement of school meal programs, community partnerships, and early childhood education initiatives. For school meal programs, projects expanding equitable access to nutritious meals for students, including out-of-school time meal programs, nutrition programs, and school-based gardens, are emphasized. However, funding for free and reduced lunch programs will not be considered. Community partnerships involve collaborative efforts between local organizations, businesses, and stakeholders to expand food access and reduce food insecurity among students. Early childhood education initiatives aim to address food insecurity among young children and their families in settings like preschools and daycare centers. Expected outcomes include improved access to nutritious meals for students, enhanced community collaboration in addressing food insecurity, and better nutritional support for young children in early childhood education settings. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided information, the focus on expanding access, providing resources, and supporting initiatives implies a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the reach and effectiveness of the funded programs in reducing food insecurity and supporting student well-family well-being in Central New Mexico. The foundation's strategic priority is clearly to support education and food security, particularly in Central New Mexico, through collaborative and impactful grantmaking.