CCF Spotlight
Tell us about your organization and your CCF involvement.
Empower New Haven, Inc. (ENH) is the organizational authority for the New Haven, Connecticut, designated Round II Federal Employment Zone.
Empower New Haven is a federally funded entity with the express purpose of facilitating or creating processes and practices that provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the economic status and quality of life of individuals, families, and businesses within the Empowerment Zone communities. Our community partnership initiatives have enabled residents to become first-time homeowners, establish businesses, improve their business facades and secure employment via our HomePower, BusinessPower, WorkPower and PeoplePower collaborations.
"As a Compassion Capital Fund intermediary organization, we work to sustain and enhance the capacity of local faith-based and community organizations committed to improving the lives of children and families in the New Haven region," explained Althea Marshall Richardson, President and CEO of Empower New Haven.
Our CCF funds will establish and operate the New Haven Non-Profit Academy, a technical assistance training program designed to build the capacity of non-profit, faith-based and community organizations to provide more effective community services. It is ENH's objective to strengthen the ability of local organizations to successfully address priority service areas such as: homelessness, at-risk youth, prisoner re-entry, substance abuse, workforce development, housing, unemployment, the elderly, and the disabled.
What is your geographic service area?
The New Haven Empowerment Zone consists of ten census tracks in New Haven County, primarily comprised of the inner city neighborhoods.
What is your project's scope?
The mission of the New Haven Non-Profit Academy is to increase the capacity and effectiveness of non-profits serving Empowerment Zone communities through one-on-one technical assistance, class-based training, and subgrants.
Our specific project objectives include:
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Serve non-profits and resident groups that currently serve or seek to serve Empowerment Zone residents.
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Assist participants in diversifying their funding sources and in developing a sustainable fundraising plan for their organizations;
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Aid participants in increasing the productivity and effectiveness of their organization's staff and board of directors;
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Develop opportunities for networking and building collaborations among New Haven institutions;
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Aid community resident groups and faith-based and community organizations in attaining non-profit status;
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Produce tangible improvements in the capacity and effectiveness of participant organizations.
Program services will be provided through "Project Strategies -- Provide," a combination of comprehensive capacity-building classes, training, and information sessions with the objective of enhancing organizational capacity. Capacity-building technical assistance will include fiscal operations, strategic planning, and board development. In addition, these organizations will participate in the subgrant award program for continued capacity-building through the New Haven Non-Profit Academy. Participants will attend a series of fourteen workshops. The Academy will culminate in the awarding of subgrants of up to $5,000 for small non-profits and community groups and up to $30,000 for larger non-profits for continued capacity-building.
What are you doing with your CCF support?
Upon completion of the New Haven Non-Profit Academy classes, the selected participants will be asked to submit proposals for capacity-building grants of up to $30,000 for large non-profits and up to $5,000 for small non-profits and community organizations and faith-based groups without 501©3 status for a total of $350,000 in subaward grants per year.
What impact have you made?
The Non-Profit Academy classes have just concluded, and already the impact is apparent. Participants have shared with us, through the confidential evaluation, how beneficial the classes have been. For example, one participant remarked that, as a result of attending the class on fundraising, he was able to implement a successful direct mail campaign for the organization's summer camp for preteens. Another participant remarked that the session on board development enabled her organization to implement an immediate board committee restructuring. Another participant indicated that they would now pursue a grant opportunity in conjunction with another participant member.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Three free technical assistance classes were held for members of the New Haven faith-based and community initiative and the response has been gratifying. These public audit sessions, separate from the classes held for members of the New Haven Non-Profit Academy, greatly enabled the larger community to sample the benefits of the Academy and further evaluate their vision and purpose in a supportive and learning environment.
Source: Candace Mckinley, Director of Development, Empower New Haven.
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