Since the Social Innovation Fund Grantee Convening last week, I have been reflecting on all the things we learned. I still think one of the most important is the lesson about how much stronger any one of us becomes when we join with others. Connection is a way in which we can help those among us who are struggling the hardest. There is a great deal of research showing that people who feel more socially connected have better emotional, physical and mental health. And we know that it is easier to move mountains when we are all pulling!
Connection is a common theme in the work of the Social Innovation Fund 2015 grantees. As promised, here are the final 3 of the 8 new grantees in whose esteemed company the United Way of Lane County’s KITS Social Innovation Fund grant has the pleasure of standing.
• Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Connected Youth Initiative- This grant will help to move a successful program for helping youth aging out of foster care connect to housing, employment, community resources and education. Through their social innovation fund, the foundation will be able to move this program into the rural areas and expand it to serve, homeless youth, those aging out of the foster care system, and those involved in the juvenile justice system. http://www.nebraskachildren.org/connectedyouth.html
• REDF-This $7 million, two year grant will allow the program that provides support and jobs for people facing barriers such as homelessness, incarceration histories, and mental health disabilities to move beyond California to the rest of the nation. http://redf.org/redf-is-awarded-7mm-from-sif/
• Youthprise- This $3 million, 3 year grant will help to fund programs that provide educational opportunities, workforce readiness, youth employment and youth entrepreneurship efforts with low income, at-risk “opportunity youth” across the state of Minnesota. http://www.youthprise.org/resources-2/social-innovation-fund-opportunity-reboot/
Congratulations to all of our fellow 2015 Social Innovation Fund grantees!
