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Crime prevention funding granted to 48 nonprofits
The Indianapolis Recorder - 9/22/2017
This week, the board of the Indianapolis Foundation, a philanthropic fund under the umbrella of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, awarded over $2.6 million to 48 area nonprofit organizations as part of Phase II of the Community Crime Prevention Grant Program.
"I am proud that for the second year in a row we have grown Community Crime Prevention Grant funding, helping to provide additional resources for neighborhoods-based organizations and encourage continued collaboration with our public safety officials," said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. "In partnership with The Indianapolis Foundation and the City-County Council, we remain committed to fundamentally addressing the root causes of crime and aiding our most vulnerable populations. Together, we can ensure that all residents have the chance to live in safe, prosperous neighborhoods." In April of 2013, the Indianapolis Foundation entered into an agreement with the City-County Council to manage the council's grant program. This year, the council voted to approve an increase in funding, taking the total from $2 million to $2,650,500. Phase I of the crime prevention grant funding totaled $400,000 and was given to 10 area organizations that focus on street outreach and conflict resolution.
According to the grant's criteria, award recipients in Phase II were chosen based on their ability to prevent violent crimes among residents, serve African-American males ages 14-24 in high-crime areas, provide intervention or prevention services to adults or youth currently interacting with the criminal justice system and/or improve neighborhood safety within the six focus areas designated by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).
"The organizations that have received a Community Crime Prevention grant have implemented results-driven programs that address the City-County Council's crime prevention, intervention and reduction priorities," said Alicia Collins, community collaborations manager with CICF. "The Indianapolis Foundation believes the City-County Council's decision to increase the total dollar amount for Phase II this year
will have a significant impact on our city."
Grant recipient Bloom Project Inc. was awarded $15,000 for Project King, a yearlong mentoring program for boys ages 12-18 that focuses on character development, trauma, systemic violence and crime prevention topics.
Bloom founder Arnetta Scruggs shared that the grant application process was at times strenuous but gave her organization the chance to review the work they're doing.
"It really gave us an opportunity to look at our reporting and what we're evaluating and to make sure we're impacting the areas we're in," she said. Scruggs noted that this funding will help the organization expand into more schools, neighborhoods and apartment communities across the entire city. Currently, the organization has been involved most heavily on the northwest and east sides of Indianapolis.
The Greater Indianapolis Literacy League, another grantee, was given $50,000. The organization, also known as Indy Reads, will use the funding to support its Community Classrooms for Success program, which provides literacy services in English language proficiency to 400 returning citizens at 15 community-based sites. The plan is to have participants transition into adult basic education and high school equivalency classes.
Ryan King, Indy Reads CEO, said statistically speaking, there is a great need in the city for programs of this sort. National studies have shown that more than 75 percent of those incarcerated are illiterate. Research also shows that literacy programs have been effective in reducing rates of recidivism.
"For us, it's trying to address those issues from a prevention and intervention standpoint," he said.
A LOOK AT THE AWARD RECIPIENTS:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
$30,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
$45,000
Brookside Community Church of Indianapolis Inc.
$30,000
Concord Center Association Inc.
$20,000
Dove Recovery House for Women Inc.$50,000
Edna Martin Christian Center
$40,000
Eskenazi Health Foundation
$75,000
Fathers and Families Resource/Research Center $45,000
Flanner House of Indianapolis Inc.
$40,000
Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis$20,000
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Inc.
$30,000
Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana$45,000
Great Commission Church of God
$10,000
Greater Indianapolis Literacy League
$50,000
Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee $30,000
Groundwork Indy $40,000
Hawthorne Social Service Association Inc.
$42,000
Horizon House Inc.
$45,000
Indianapolis Legal Aid Society Inc.$30,000
Indianapolis Private Industry Counsel (EmployIndy) $50,000
Indianapolis Urban League
$50,000
John Boner Neighborhood Centers
$50,000
Martin Luther King Community Center
$50,000
Murphy Mentoring Group Inc.
$10,000
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic
$30,000
Oasis Christian Community Development Corporation
$25,000
PACE Inc.
$100,000
Pathway Resource Center Inc.
$40,000
Peace Learning Center
$50,000
Progress House Inc.
$35,000
Second Helpings $50,000
Step-Up Inc.
$60,000
Stop the Violence Indianapolis Inc.$50,000
TeenWorks $50,000
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis$40,000
The Domestic Violence Network $70,000
Trusted Mentors $50,000
Volunteers of America of Indiana Inc.$60,000
Workforce Inc.
$75,000
YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
$50,000
Young Audiences Indiana $10,000
For a complete list of grantees, visit indianapolisrecorder.com