Post from Community: Thriving Communities grant application | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
May 14, 2021
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to info@milwaukeenns.org or submit it directly.
Sherman Park East and North Division
From 2018-2019, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation engaged with residents in Sherman Park East and North Division neighborhoods to understand their needs and concerns. At the completion of a three-pronged community engagement process in each neighborhood, both respective community advisory councils made up of residents and community leaders determined the Foundation should invest $300,000 into youth. Our three-pronged community engagement process consisted of three community visioning sessions, one-on-one interviews with stakeholders, and the creation of a resident-led community advisory council.
Sherman Park East
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Funding Priority Area: Professional skills development for youth and young adults (16-24 years old)
When there are leadership opportunities and resources for youth and young adults to succeed, they will be better prepared for their future. Sherman Park is a young community, where more than 1,600 people between the ages of 15 and 24 are preparing to enter high school and the workforce. There are a number of programs in the area serving young people at that critical time of early adolescence when they are transitioning into high school. However, according to residents and community leaders, fewer programs have successfully engaged older adolescents (ages 16 to 24) as they prepare to graduate high school and enter the workforce.
Youth and young adults ages 16 to 24, who are preparing for their future, have greater impact in their community when there are resources and opportunities to develop professional skills to succeed in the workforce. When we do not invest in the talents and potential of our youth and young adults, there is chronic underemployment, which can lead to increased adverse interactions with police. Community stakeholders interviewed and those who participated in the visioning sessions agreed that support for youth engagement activities is a priority with the Sherman Park East neighborhood.
North Division
Funding Priority Areas: After-school programming for youth, social support activities for youth or young adults (10-18 years old)
When we cultivate safe and supportive environments for youth, they have a greater quality of life and overall positive engagement at school and in their community. With a quarter of the population in North Division under age 14, they need the appropriate tools to successfully develop their social and emotional learning skills. Given all the challenges that young people in North Division face, the lack of programming before and after school reveals a major gap in their social support systems.
Youth ages 10 to 18 are best equipped for positive engagement at school and in their community when there is access to safe and supportive spaces to learn and develop. By taking action to address challenges youth face and transforming values and attitudes to support youth development, families and communities are changed in a positive way. Community stakeholders interviewed and those who participated in the visioning sessions agreed that support for youth development activities is a priority with the North Division neighborhood.
Who is eligible?
The Foundation seeks to reach groups and organizations that are based in Sherman Park East or North Division that demonstrate a track record of hiring and engaging with community members. Priority will be given to initiatives that fall within the priorities identified and with organizations that place the voices of people who are traditionally left out of community decision-making at the center of the planning, implementation, and results of the proposed project, event, or activities. Groups and organizations representing these respective neighborhoods are encouraged to apply.
Successful proposals may include the following:
• Age-appropriate programming and/or activities for the following age groups for the respective neighborhoods:
**Youth – (ages 10-15)
**Young People (ages16-18)
**Young Adults (ages19-24)
• An outreach plan that includes strategies for recruitment and retention of youth • Demonstration of an understanding of how to provide programming that is     responsive to the interests and culture of youth in Sherman Park East or North Division
• Partnerships that leverage existing resources to improve outcomes for youth
Grant amounts may range from $250 to $7,500.
Organizations must be considered charitable organizations as determined by the IRS internal revenue code 501(c)(3). Please note: Organizations that do not have this designation may use a fiscal sponsor (organization recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity) to serve as the recipient and manager of the grant. Eligible nonprofits are required to have board membership that is at least 10 percent people of color. The term “people of color” refers to all persons who are not categorized as white by the U.S. Census.
The applicant also agrees to share its experiences with the funders and others so that lessons learned can benefit other participants.
Proposal Requirements
Applicants must submit a completed written proposal by the deadline via the Grants Portal on the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s website. To help you be best prepared for submission, there will be four Q&A informational sessions and one-on-one sign-ups for office hours to answer your questions and receive initial feedback. Please reserve a 15-minute time slot here: https://forms.gle/CKxT8zRbGtm27by1A
Informational Sessions
Wednesday, May 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Monday, May 17, 4-5 p.m.
Wednesday, May 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Register here: https://forms.gle/7AcVy38vhKKkWGp5A
Informational Sessions: https://milwaukeenns.org/2021/05/03/post-from-community-grant-information-sessions-for-sherman-park-east-north-division-neighborhoods/
Greater Milwaukee Foundation Grant Website: https://www.greatermilwaukeefoundation.org/grants/grant-seekers/other-grant-opportunities/north-division-sherman-park/