VERO BEACH — The Indian River Community Foundation Board of Directors met Tuesday, April 3, to award over $200,000 in grants to fund programs for local residents hit hardest by the economic recession.
This is the fourth year the Community Foundation has operated a competitive grant program driven by contributions from local philanthropists interested in addressing time-sensitive community needs.
“It’s true that our nation is seeing signs of recovery, but there is still a great deal of economic uncertainty for many in our community,” said Becky Allen, Chairman of the Indian River Community Foundation Board of Directors.
“Hunger, homelessness, and employment issues continue to top the list of local concerns based on surveys with our local nonprofit partners and fund holders. Our Board has made it a priority to connect interested donors with organizations that have measurable plans for addressing these issues,” Allen added.
“This year’s funding is almost double what was available last year,” Allen said, with 29 donors contributing for a combined $213,780. She attributes the significant increase to new philanthropists engaged in the community and a growing confidence in the Community Foundation’s ability to select creative programs that produce measurable results.
“All of the programs have the potential for long-term community impact, and we work closely with each organization throughout the year to ensure they are tracking their results,” Allen said. “We are very pleased to know that over 5,400 vulnerable citizens hit hardest by the recession will be helped through programs we are funding this year.”
A variation in this year’s grants program was the addition of a $5,000 Micro-grant Program, designed specifically for small organizations who will utilize the funds within six months. Three $5,000 micro-grants were awarded to:
The Education Foundation of Indian River County for a Community Garden at Vero Beach Elementary, a Title I school with a 60 percent minority population and where 89 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunch.
Second through fifth graders will participate in a program at the Community Garden that will teach them to plant, grow, and harvest vegetables which can then be brought home to their families as a source for nutrition.
A projected 735 families will ultimately benefit.
Hunters Against Hunger for a program to collect and process nuisance and hunted game animals in Indian River County to satisfy hunger needs in this community.
Hunters Against Hunger is a new nonprofit organization that works with owners of local groves, ranches, and farmland to receive donations of hog and deer that would otherwise go to waste. The organization collects the donations and uses USDA-approved processors to process, weigh, and label packages of meat for distribution to hunger-relief organizations.
It is projected that 5,000 pounds of meat will be processed through this grant.
Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council to upgrade the Homeless Management Information System Hardware the organization uses to train 65 area homeless organizations.
The Council’s current system is over ten years old and consists mainly of second-hand donations. The updated system will improve the Council’s ability to efficiently collect the data it needs to maintain its role as the lead agency for securing homeless funding from state and federal sources.
In addition to Micro-grants, five Program Grants were awarded to organizations seeking funding for new programs or program expansion. These one-year awards were made to:
Children’s Home Society for the new Homeless in High School initiative that will provide safety-net services for youth, ages 16-18, who are still enrolled in high school, homeless, and not already involved in the foster care system.
The organization has identified approximately 33 Indian River County high school students who qualify as unaccompanied youth attempting to finish high school while “couch surfing” or living in cars, abandoned buildings, or on the streets.
This $50,000 grant will provide housing, financial support, counseling, and independent living skills in an effort to break the cycle of homelessness.
Harvest Food and Outreach Center for the expansion of the organization’s Community Resource and Education Program.
This $50,000 grant will allow Harvest Food and Outreach Center to invest new materials and hire additional staff to double the number of family units enrolled in the Passport to Prosperity program which offers training in life skills, relationships, financial education, and employment.
An additional 200 families will be served through this grant.
Indian River Habitat for Humanity for the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative which seeks to eliminate poverty housing by beautifying, repairing, and weatherizing homes owned by local low-income residents.
Able-bodied homeowners will work alongside community volunteers to complete the work, with the grant funding covering the materials required for each home revitalization.
The $30,000 grant will fund the revitalization of seven homes, which includes 21 individuals and two disabled homeowners. This program is allowing Habitat for Humanity to help improve blighted areas, while serving a new type of low-income resident.
The Learning Alliance for the Literacy Coaching Program.
This $50,000 grant will fund one of four Educational Consultants needed to support the 13 schools, 150 classrooms, and 30 master coaches currently engaged in literacy programs spearheaded by The Learning Alliance.
Educational consultants focus on developing the literacy skills of 30 master coaches already residing in 13 elementary schools. Once fully trained, these master coaches will support the teachers, thereby creating a self-sustaining professional literacy culture within the school district.
The Salvation Army for the Ride Safe – Vehicle Safety and Maintenance Program which provides auto repair services for vulnerable older adults and poverty-stricken families with children in Indian River County.
This $18,780 grant specifically targets individuals and families who are at risk of losing their job due to unreliable transportation and who have exhausted all other options for getting to work, or those who have been hired for a job they will be unable to accept without reliable transportation.
The Community Foundation uses a Board-appointed committee of local experts and community leaders to review the proposals and recommend to the board how the grants should be awarded.
The committee looks for well-tested models that can be brought to scale or expanded, as well as pilot programs that can be grown and replicated.
The Community Foundation then takes responsibility for stewarding the results of grants and communicating the impact to each of the donors involved.
The Indian River Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides donors with flexible philanthropic tools to achieve their current and long-term charitable giving goals.
The Foundation currently manages over $11 million in assets restricted for charitable purposes.
Since 2008, in partnership with its donors, over $6 million has been contributed to charities with more than 90 percent staying within Indian River County.
For more information, visit www.IRCommunityFoundation.com
or call the Executive Director, Kerry Bartlett, at (772) 492-1407.
