The Escambia Children’s Trust staff and the program committee have recommended that the full board consider a micro-grant program. CARE (Community, Access, Resilience and Empowerment) grants will be available to provide nonprofits with an opportunity to seek funding for existing programs, advocacy efforts, or events and activities that support the children and families in Escambia County. The grants will be up to $50,000 and are only available for one time.
Not all the funds allocated for various programs are used, and they are recaptured by the Trust.
“We started looking into how could we help our nonprofits with some of these recapture dollars or unspent dollars,” Executive Director Lindsey Cannon said. “They don’t need to sit in the bank. They need to be out working for children.”
Cannon’s counterparts in Miami recommended establishing a mini-grant process. “And so we looked into that and saw how they did it. We morphed that to what we were hearing from our local community and from our individual meetings with nonprofits that we have not funded yet and looked at how we could establish relationships with them make sure they have what they need to serve the kids they’re serving.”
A slideshow explained Community, Access, Resilience and Empowerment:
Community
Purpose: Strengthen and support local
communities by fostering unity and collaboration.
Areas of Focus:
– Programs that promote community engagement, civic participation, and positive relationships with law enforcement
– Support for local groups organizing community events centered around the betterment of children and family engagement
– Building a sense of community through neighborhood engagement opportunities
Access
Purpose: Increase access to essential services, resources, and opportunities for underserved or marginalized populations.
Areas of Focus:
– Initiatives that enhance existing program access to healthcare, education, and physical/safety factors
– Funding for projects that build or enhance accessible transportation and technology for youth in vital local programming
– Enhancing existing community programs, and/or collaborative projects that provide direct services to children and young people
– Offer participant performance incentives to address academic performance, chronic absenteeism/truancy, or increase positive behavior
Resilience
Purpose: Build resilience in communities to withstand social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Areas of Focus:
? Projectsfocusedonsustainable community practices, which may include evidence-based practices, evidence informed practices or innovative programming that supports a targeted population
? Supportprojectsthatfocusonmental wellness, domestic violence awareness, human trafficking, reduction in youth delinquency and/or promote resiliency
Empowerment
Purpose: Empower individuals and communities to take control of their own futures.
Areas of Focus:
– Initiatives that provide leadership training, youth mentorship, or capacity- building opportunities
– Funding for advocacy groups or initiatives that promote the safety and well-being of children and youth in the community
– Supporting programs that encourage youth engagement, community violence prevention activities, and/or the development of collaboratives providing mentorship through lived experiences