United Way of Central Indiana Awards More Than $2.7 Million to Four Agencies in Final Round of Great Families 2020
INDIANAPOLIS – United Way of Central Indiana today awarded $2,775,000 in grants to four local organizations as part of Great Families 2020, the initiative designed to transform the lives of Indianapolis’ most vulnerable families in neighborhoods with the most need. Funded in 2016 in part by a significant grant from the federal Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a federal program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Great Families 2020 is modeled from the promising practice of the “Two Generation” approach, where neighborhood networks in education, financial stability and health services are integrated to serve the whole family. Located in target neighborhoods of the West Side, Northwest/Midtown and the Far Eastside, the four Great Families 2020 grant winners announced today submitted innovative proposals that aim to improve family outcomes in kindergarten readiness, mental health, employment and financial literacy. The winners for this round of Great Families 2020 grants include:
- Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFÉ) was awarded $1.05 million ($350,000 per year over three years) to serve 100 adults and 100 children in the Far Eastside neighborhood. CAFÉ will utilize its Center for Working Families to provide workforce development, financial coaching, income supports and asset building services for adults. The agency will also contract with targeted partners in the neighborhood to provide early childhood education programming for children.
- Hawthorne Community Center was awarded $750,000 ($250,000 per year over three years) to serve 115 adults and 115 children in the Near West neighborhood through its Center for Working Families and early childhood education programming. Hawthorne will also partner with the Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) to provide a collaborative approach to serving families in their neighborhood.
- Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) was awarded $300,000 ($100,000 per year over three years) to serve families in the Near West neighborhood in partnership with Hawthorne. MCCOY will provide wraparound services for 115 families, focusing on helping adults and children build social capital and promoting health and well-being.
- Martin Luther King Community Center was awarded $675,000 ($225,000 per year over three years) to serve 100 adults and 100 children in the Northwest/Midtown neighborhoods. MLK will provide workforce development, financial coaching, income supports and asset building services for adults. The agency will also contract with targeted partners in the neighborhood to provide early childhood education programming for children.
The four grant recipients announced today complete the selection process for the Great Families 2020 initiative. The first round of grantees were announced in February and included the Edna Martin Christian Center, John Boner Neighborhood Centers, East Tenth United Methodist Children and Youth Center and Englewood Christian Church. “Today was another landmark moment in United Way history,” said Ann D. Murtlow, president and CEO of United Way of Central Indiana. “These four community organizations have demonstrated how these significant funds will be put to the greatest use, helping the most children gain access to quality pre-k programs, and for their parents to gain the support and skills they need to achieve financial stability. Now that we have identified our key partners in Great Families 2020, the critical work begins to identify and eliminate the barriers to self-sufficiency for the whole family.” The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) positions the federal government to be a catalyst for impact – mobilizing private resources to find and grow community solutions with evidence of results. United Way of Central Indiana was the first organization in Central Indiana to receive a SIF grant. With a $7 million SIF grant plus dollar-for-dollar matches by United Way and sub-grantees, the community investment for Great Families 2020 totals $21 million. “Our city boasts a long line of successful public-private partnerships, and the Great Families 2020 initiative builds on this legacy,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “This investment will enable our community partners to make promising solutions work for more people in the neighborhoods with the most need. I’m grateful that our neighbors on the West Side, Northwest/Midtown and the Far Eastside will have the opportunity to access these solutions and unlock the opportunities they deserve as residents of our great city.” “On behalf of the Corporation for National and Community Service, we congratulate our partners at United Way of Central Indiana as the first organization in central Indiana to receive a SIF grant,” said Louis Lopez, State Program Director for CNCS. “We applaud the selection of a remarkable group of community organizations to execute this important initiative.”
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About United Way of Central IndianaUnited Way of Central Indiana fights for the education, financial stability, health and basic needs of all people in central Indiana by creating, managing and investing resources in sustainable solutions to the most stubborn barriers to self-sufficiency. United Way invites all members of our community to LIVE UNITED by giving, advocating and volunteering to improve lives in Central Indiana. Visit uwci.org to learn more. About the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)The Corporation for National and Community Service is the federal agency for volunteering, service, and civic engagement. The agency engages millions of Americans in citizen service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
CONTACTSEmily Brelageemily.brelage@uwci.org Ty Spisakty.spisak@uwci.org Jessica Di Santojessica.disanto@uwci.org