Amity Foundation’s Post

As the executive director of the MD_Reentry, these are some of the lessons that I’ve learned through five years of hard work, experience, and occasional heartbreak. Please take from my experience and put it to use at your nonprofit! Article link: https://lnkd.in/eHy_2k4k

Check out this insightful article from Vanessa F. Bright, MBA, LMSW, Executive Director of the Maryland Reentry Resource Center. If you have a Nonprofit or considering starting one, I believe you’ll benefit greatly from this advice.

A connection on LinkedIn posted this article about the importance of public-private partnerships and it got me thinking about a new way for #csr to expand their outreach into communities. Because of the flexibility and agility of private funding, foundations and corporations are uniquely poised to help support the innovation that the government so desperately needs and isn’t always in the position to do, as risk should be averted when dealing with taxpayer money. It’s not just about giving money to the gov’t because they don’t have enough, it’s about combining the expertise from the private, public, and third sectors to come together to innovate. On a very small scale, private capital can develop pilot programs to support communities in areas of housing reform, etc…Several states have agencies that are actively looking for philanthropic and corporate partners. As I watch the popular CSR platforms adopt new volunteering approaches, I wonder if a new software module for exploring local public-private partnerships where corporations can join forces with the public and third sectors would be of any interest to companies. https://lnkd.in/deH-YbkQ #socialimpact #csr #corporatesocialresponsibility #charitablegiving #philanthropy Blackbaud Submittable Benevity Optimy Groundswell Bonterra

Free books! Teachers of incarcerated students: check out this list of titles if you are in need of textbooks for your students.

Dismas of Vermont gets $250,000 grant for housing! Earlier this week, the TD Charitable Foundation announced Dismas of VT would receive this grant from their Housing for Everyone program. I’ve been volunteering at the Dismas house in Hartford for almost 2 years now, so I was really excited to hear this news. Housing is a huge problem right now in our country. And especially those who have been involved with the justice system. This grant will fund a program that Dismas has been trying to start for years. Dismas will work with local landlords to sign a “master” lease and then sublet to residents of Dismas House who are ready to fully integrate back into the community, leaving the current residential program. What does this actually mean? What you may not know is that Dismas (and many other transitional housing programs, although there’s only one other provider in VT) receives funding from the VT department of corrections, and therefore must abide by many rules set by the DOC, which, as you would imagine, are pretty intrusive. This new program is separately funded, and will just be a regular apartment lease, no rules or restrictions. And this will prevent Dismas residents from being discriminated against purely because of their past. Learn more at www.dismasofvt.org or read the whole press release at https://lnkd.in/e_djUyWW

Unlock the Power of Data-Driven Case Management Discover how Homeless Link’s #InForm platform is transforming case management for charities across the UK. In this new case study, see how Women in Prison are streamlining operations, improving decision-making, and delivering better support to vulnerable individuals. Learn more about how In-Form is empowering charities to drive real impact: https://bit.ly/3TBQwwn #CaseManagement #CharityTech #NonProfitInnovation #TechForGood #SocialImpact

Walls Turned Sideways was officially incorporated July 26, 2024. They held their official board meeting September 5, 2024 and elected officers. The next steps are to complete state filings and apply for tax-exempt status, which we will be doing next week. Congrats, WTS! Walls Turned Sideways is an art and community space dedicated to people impacted by incarceration, with a focus on collective liberation, healing, and abolition. Walls Turned Sideways is an outgrowth of teaching and learning with incarcerated artists and writers at Stateville prison. The organization is a spinoff of the Prison + Neighborhood Art/Education Project. The organization seeks to more deeply engage the wider community of people impacted by incarceration: the family, friends, and loved ones of people who are currently incarcerated. Nonprofit Utopia is the ideal community for leaders who want to start, manage and scale nonprofits. This is achieved through an online community, consulting, coaching and courses.

Alternatives, Inc., a non-profit based in Billings, Montana, operating pre-release residential centers, recently replaced its observed breathalyzer process with SOBRcheck, and the results speak for themselves. Read the full case study here: https://bit.ly/42uZX4e

In terms of government appointments, this is quite a move. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed James Timpson as the minister for prisons. We all know the Timpson Group as a business that cuts keys, repairs shoes, and offers dry cleaning and phone repair services. But their reputation goes much further than that. It’s reported that James Thompson has been visiting prisons for over 20 years and recruiting prison leavers. In fact, around 10% of the Timpson Group workforce are former prisoners. Reading the article, it seems there are a number of things the Timpson Group continue to do in order to help our society, including: 👉 Cleaning interview outfits for free if someone is unemployed. 👉 Free holiday homes for foster families. 👉 Doing small jobs for free (adding extra belt holes for example) and asking for a donation, raising £4 million for charity. When you consider the close link between homelessness and those who are either serving a sentence or have been released from prison, it’s easy to see why this appointment has been widely welcomed. What are your thoughts? #PrisonReform #Homelessness #Charity

The Justice Department announced its annual plan for making anticipated grant funding available this fiscal year to advance public safety activities and improve justice system outcomes. The Department is inviting community-based organizations; state, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies, including law enforcement agencies; research institutions; and nonprofit entities to apply for funding from more than 200 grant programs. As in prior years, the awards will be made later this year, subject to appropriations, and will build on almost $5.8 billion in grants awarded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. #funding #justice #nonprofitorganization