BUILD Chicago’s Post

Innovation can take many forms, especially when it comes to capacity building. For our nonprofit partners, Tenderloin Museum, The Latina Center, and Southeast Seattle Education Coalition, innovation has meant hiring new staff, streamlining fundraising, and expanding services—projects that have increased their impact and set them on a sustainable path for the future. More on their journeys in our latest blog post, linked in the comments!

Funding shouldn't compromise a nonprofit’s mission. This article sheds light on a critical issue: the disparity between wealthy donors and the causes they support can create significant challenges for nonprofits. When after-school programs for low-income children of color depend on predominantly white, affluent donors, the pressure to align with donor preferences can detract from the core mission. This dynamic underscores the need for diverse funding sources and the cultivation of genuine partnerships that respect and uplift the communities these nonprofits serve. It's time to rethink how we support these vital programs and ensure their focus remains where it matters most. Dive into the full article to explore this pressing issue: [Link to Article] Check this out: https://lnkd.in/gywzkJhA

We find ourselves on the precipice of a key milestone in our nation’s history, as we approach 250 years of democracy and 70 years after the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision. Public education is the cornerstone of that great promise of democracy–it’s the most powerful tool we have to build generations of engaged leaders and citizens and has ripple effects that impact the futures of families and communities. But as leaders committed to a multiracial democracy, we can’t assume its existence and power as a foregone conclusion. Redesigning our public education system into one where every child has the resources, supports, and opportunities necessary to succeed and thrive inside the classroom and outside of it has the power to make that promise from 250 years ago a reality, but each of us has to understand and commit to our role in making it possible. We believe our power to enact change lies in our communities. The compounding crises of the past four years pushed us to make quick pivots, offering time-bound, smaller grants to address immediate needs–and that approach was right for that moment. This current moment requires that we demand more of ourselves as individuals and more of philanthropy as a whole. In the immediate term, that includes:  -Partnering with the NYU Metro Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools to engage you and other partners to better understand this work, how it’s evolving, and what leaders on the ground need more of from education philanthropy;  -Launching our Capacity Building Accelerator, which will support grassroots youth, educators, and community organizations across New England, to strengthen their organizations and expand their reach; -Prioritizing $10 million in grants to support community-rooted solutions—youth and community organizing, advocacy, direct action partnerships, and coalitions of grassroots/tops focused on advancing education justice and equity—starting in July; and -An additional $5 million in grants for resources, infrastructure, and capacity, in response to what we’ve heard from you about a desire for more targeted support. What we are up against can feel like swimming upstream, but look at what can work: community trust, leveraging our convening power to strengthen relationships across lines of difference, and meaningful investments in systems change through community-rooted solutions and innovation anchored in community genius. At Nellie Mae we’re moving general operating support grants and activating reinforcing support that grantees time and again say they need to make our shared vision a reality. Prior to 2020, we were making serious gains–those successes are why we continue to face renewed pushback. But we know that when we lean in and focus on community levers that can affect change, it works and we win. Together, we can be the people to transform our education and youth-serving systems to make real the promise of our democracy. https://bit.ly/43NA5kE

McDonald's and The Chicago Community Trust have chosen A Safe Haven Foundation to receive a Chicago Community Impact Grant to Support Youth Development! This investment will help us continue to support Chicago youth through ASHF's Integrated Education and Training (1ET) programs, which focus on providing training to low-skilled young adults in North Lawndale and other communities we serve. We are honored to be part of this incredible group of Chicago nonprofit organizations selected to participate in the Chicago Community Impact Grants Program, which has invested millions in Chicago-based nonprofit organizations that are addressing some of the city’s most pressing needs for Opportunity Youth. Read more about the Chicago Community Impact Grants Program here: https://bit.ly/3ZEVcUJ #ASafeHaven #EndHomelessness #partners #community #CommunityImpact #youth #opportinities #mcdonalds #chitrust #mcdpartner #YouthOpportunity #education #jobtraining #LifeSkills

Relying on wealthy, largely white donors for funding can lead nonprofits that work with low-income children of color to feel pressured to skew their priorities. In part because of class and racial differences, nonprofits can have trouble talking effectively with the people they serve while also satisfying donors’ demands. From an in-depth case study of an after-school program: https://buff.ly/3BoelSG #fundraising #donors #philanthropy

🚨 Grant Opportunities 🚨 ▶️ AAUW Community Action Grants provide up to $10k in funding to individuals and community-based nonprofits for general operating support and projects that promote STEM programs and equity for women and girls. Applications close November 15. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ewZ5xNiS ▶️ CREATE ACTION by Sony seeks to support local social justice organizations and the communities they serve. Organizations receive direct funding up to $100k, Sony Electronics products, and other opportunities for collaboration and marketing support. Applications close September 30. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gBFB_Zbb ▶️ AmeriCorps Seniors awards grants to programs that support older adults and their caregivers, reduce the number of unhoused people, or support local climate change or behavioral health initiatives. Applications close September 18. Learn more at 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGicaF7s #Grants #GrantOpportunities #Funding #NonProfitFunding

Over 1,900 #nonprofit organizations use Alchemer to collect feedback from members, guests, donors, and other constituents. These nonprofits use feedback generated in Alchemer to make better decisions. Take Renew Partnerships, for example. When Christian universities, churches, and ministries want an assessment of their racial dynamics, they often turn to Renew Partnerships. And Renew Partnerships relies on Alchemer to run their assessments. With the data coming in, Renew Partnerships is able to make better decisions and help guide others to do the same. Read the case study here: https://lnkd.in/gzzNdM_K

🎓 #Education nonprofits are vital in filling gaps in the system and helping pave the way for schools, educators, and students to achieve lasting success. Find out how grantmakers can amplify their impact by including #SkillsBasedVolunteering and other #CapacityBuilding approaches in their strategies to strengthen education nonprofits: https://hubs.la/Q02LlH3M0. Together, we create a brighter future for the next generation! 🌟 AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation, JerseySTEM, More Than Bootstraps #philanthropy

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) issued the following statement on Monday, July 1, 2024 on behalf of its over 90 AAPI-led and -serving member organizations in response to Sunday’s vote by New York City Council on the New York City Budget. “CACF, including our ASAP Youth Leaders and members of our 18% and Growing campaign, have spent months advocating for a NYC Budget that is fair, equitable, and supportive of the City’s most marginalized. This year’s budget fight was incredibly difficult as we pushed for funding for programs that support students, families, and new arrivals — many of them from immigrant and limited English proficient backgrounds —- across New York City. Our communities watched as funding for essential education programs were continually put on the chopping block and then either threatened with complete closure or drastically reduced services. Due to the strong advocacy of our 18% and Growing Campaign members through hearings, meetings, and rallies, we are thankful to see restoration of funding to the following initiatives championed by CACF: ⭕ $5.06 million to the AAPI Community Support Initiative, which supports AAPI-led and -serving community-based organizations who are providing life-affirming, linguistically accessible services ⭕ $3.7 million to the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund, a City Council-funded initiative that provides capacity-building support to Black, Latino, and Asian American Pacific Islander-led nonprofits. ⭕ $3,620,210 to Access Health NYC, a city-wide initiative that funds community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide education, outreach, and assistance to all New Yorkers about how to access health care and coverage. This budget season has come to a close, but as advocates our work is not over. While we have made enormous strides in recent years, the push for budget equity for NYC’s AAPI communities will continue." 🔗 To read our full statement head to https://lnkd.in/e9TdiFWH

From Michael Roberts, Executive Director: January 2025 launches CYD’s celebration of 30 years helping young people forge paths to success. This will be a year of many challenges for vulnerable communities around the country, and CYD’s goal is to advocate, support, and provide resources for young people to grow into self-sufficient adults who can become leaders in our society. Expanding Options, one of our signature approaches, has become a catchphrase. For the past several years, CYD has developed strategies to give students a variety of higher education pathways to connect to the 21st century economy. In this 30th year, our goal is to launch an aggressive new implementation strategy to: ➡️ Build skill sets at the high school level that will help students connect to work. ➡️ Create clear pathways from high school into certifications that lead directly into employment. Doing the most we can with the resources allocated for young people, CYD has maintained an incredible ROI on a very tight budget. However, in order to deepen the work, continue to innovate, and provide students with more individual support and 21st century skills, we need to develop more resources. You can help by recommitting to our mission and joining us in building stronger outcomes for success. Share our information with a friend or colleague, invite someone to visit CYD, volunteer. You and your family, friends, and community can help our young people move into successful futures where they are not just surviving but thriving! To those of you who have supported our mission over the years, I thank you, and the thousands of young people you have supported thank you, too. We will be celebrating our 30th anniversary this year by honoring the heroes who built CYD and the young people who are its soul. Stay tuned for event information and sponsorship opportunities. Let’s have the best New Year! 🎉 Manhattan Comprehensive Night And Day High School High School for Health Professions & Human Services City-As-School High School #nonprofit #college #donate #support #30thanniversary #youth #nyc