HomeMy WebLinkAboutgrant allocations fy 2020Item Number: 13.
February 18, 2020
Resolution Adopting the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Allocations
for Fiscal Year 2020.
Prepared By:Stefanie Bowers, Human Rights Coordinator
Reviewed By:Geoff Fruin, City Manager
Sue Dulek, Assistant City Attorney
Fiscal Impact:$75,000
Recommendations:Staff: Approval
Commission:
By a vote of 8-0 the Human Rights Commission recommends for the City
Council to provide full funding for the top six scoring applicants and partial
funding for the top seventh applicant for the Social Justice and Racial Equity
Grant for fiscal year 2020.
Attachments:Draft Minutes HRC 1 21 00
Resolution
Exhibit A
Executive Summary:
The Human Rights Commission recommends full funding for the top six scoring applicants:
Successful Living, Little Creations Academy, Center for Worker Justice, Antelope Lending
Library, Inside Out Reentry, and the Labor Center and partial funding for the top seventh
applicant, the Sudanese Community Center, for the Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant for
fiscal year 2020.
Background / Analysis:
In 2017, the City Council created the Social Justice and Racial Equity ("SJRE") Grant to assist
community-based organizations in building capacity to address social justice and racial equity
needs. Seventy-five thousand dollars has been allocated yearly for the SJRE Grant since fiscal
year 2019.
Social justice and racial equity are defined as "both a process and a goal. The goal is full and
equal participation of all groups and individuals in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their
needs, allow them to reach their full potential, and limit/decrease barriers. This definition includes a
vision of society that is equitable, and where all members are physically and psychologically safe
and secure."
The grant is available to for-profit and non-profit Iowa City based organizations to fund programs,
activities, or services that help eliminate inequities in the community. The grant lists six priority
service areas: education, building community, housing, criminal justice, health, and employment.
Organizations whose programs, services, or activities address one or more of these priorities are
considered first for funding. Applications to apply for the grant for fiscal year 2020 were available
from December 2, 2019 - January 3, 2020.
The Human Rights Commission met on January 21 to review the sixteen funding requests. By a
vote of 8-0 the Commission recommends to City Council to fund the below organizations. The
total allocation is $75,000.00.
Successful Living $18,000.00: Therapeutic and Cultural Activity Program that provides
transportation to their clients to attend a wide variety of events at venues that charge admission.
Funds will cover cost of admission fees and transportation for 150-200 persons over the year.
Cultural excursions will further teach clients how to cope with new experiences and how to grow.
Sudanese Community Center $13,520.00: Community Assistance Program for Sudanese
Immigrants and their families, (CAPSI) will be conducted on a city-wide basis, as the current
situation in the Sudanese Community is increasing dramatically. The program will assist Sudanese
persons who in the community by providing assistance in three areas: education, health, and
standard of living.
Little Creations Academy $7,360.00: a series of four evening programs designed to engage and
support parents in their role as their child’s first teacher. Known as PATHS to Success (Parents
and Teachers Helping Students), each of the four sessions will consist of a family meal, a focus
on an academic and/or behavioral area, and an expectation that parents will apply the learned
techniques at home. Materials will be supplied to the parents so they will have everything they
need to engage with their child’s learning.
Center for Worker Justice $8,975.98: funds will be used for specific services and items of
equipment to support the newly formed Center for Worker Justice Social Enterprise. This project
is designed to create opportunities for economic independence for members with culinary skills
through the creation of a café where they can cook, pass along culinary knowledge to future
generations, and educate the larger community about diverse types of food.
Antelope Lending Library $6,644.00: funding to start a large-print section in its Middle Grade and
Young Adult sections which would include large-print multicultural titles. Recent studies have
shown that large-print books—which are printed with a dyslexic friendly font—can assist children
with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. They have also found that most children and teens read 2 levels
above where they were reading by reading large-print books.
Inside Out Reentry $5,000.00: requesting funding for the second year to continue their program of
hosting a quarterly forum series oriented around reentry, cultivating a supportive community for
returning citizens, and offering educational and empowerment opportunities for returning citizens
directly.
The Labor Center $15,500.00: the Corridor Apprenticeship Opportunity Network will offer: 1)
outreach and orientation workshops to connect members of underrepresented groups with high-
quality job training opportunities, 2) two sessions of a new preparatory skills-based apprenticeship
readiness course for Iowa City residents interested in qualifying for a registered apprenticeship, 3)
direct connection of participants who complete the preapprentice program with eastern Iowa
apprenticeship training coordinators, and 4) access to leadership development and peer support
networks.
Rankings for Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Submissions FY 20
Organization Requested Amount Prior Recipient Average Rank Adil Jessica Noemi Jason Bijou Cathy Mark Zachary
#60 Successful Living $18,000 No 6.75 6 1 8 10 5 8 5 11 6
#61 Sudanese Community Center $15,000 No 7.125 7 3 10 13 3 5 4 9 10
#62 Gathering and Helping Community $25,000.00 No 7.5 8 4 11 1 7 10 6 8 13
#63 Little Creations Academy $7,360.00 No 5.625 4 5 $2 2 2 14 3 6 11
#64 Multicultural Development Center of Iowa $7,500.00 No 8.375 9 6 6 12 8 11 8 7 9
#66 Food Pantry at Iowa $10,000.00 No 10.875 11 7 7 15 12 12 10 12 12
#67 Center for Worker Justice $8,975.98 Yes 5.875 5 8 3 9 10 2 9 2 4
#68 Iowa City Pride $5,000.00 No 11.625 14 9 13 11 9 9 14 14 14
#69 Antelope Lending Library $6,644.00 No 4.875 2 10 4 4 1 13 1 1 5
#70 Inside Out Reentry Community $5,000.00 Yes 5.25 3 11 5 5 13 1 2 4 1
#71 Domestic Violence Intervention Program $5,700.00 No 11.125 12 12 16 6 14 3 15 16 7
#72 ICC Fusion $13,000.00 No 13.5 16 13 14 14 11 16 11 13 16
#73 Summer of the Arts $10,000.00 No 11.375 13 14 12 7 15 6 12 10 15
#74 Healthcare Trends $8,855.66 No 9.5 10 15 9 8 6 15 16 5 2
#75 African Communities Network of Iowa $25,000.00 No 13.25 15 16 15 16 16 7 13 15 8
#76 Labor Center $15,500.00 Yes 3.375 1 2 1 3 4 4 7 3 3
Total $186,536
Funds available $75,000.00