HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESJ Grant CoverOrganization Page Requested Amount
Help Hope and Love Foundation 4 $25,000.00
I.C. Pilates 9 $25,000.00
Community Crisis Services 14 $24,000.00
Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa 21 $13,528.80
Enihakole Ministries 28 $20,965.00
IC Compassion 35 $22,250.00
Houses Into Homes 41 $15,000.00
Natural Talent Music 50 $23,725.00
Wright House of Fashion 57 $25,000.00
Sudanese American Community Services in Iowa 65 $10,000.00
Great Plains Action Society 70 $6,500.00
Iowa City Area Development Group 76 $25,000.00
Iowa City Area Business Partnership 82 $23,500.00
United Action for Youth 89 $25,000.00
African Resources Center International 95 $24,000.00
Al-Iman Center of Iowa 103 $15,000.00
Immigrant Analytics 109 $16,175.00
Systems Unlimited 118 $5,823.00
Better Together 2030 124 $18,500.00
Iowa City/Coralville Boxing Club 130 $20,000.00
Neighborhood Center of Johnson County 137 $15,500.00
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3
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Help Hope and Love Foundation
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52246
Country
Johnson
Street Address
4440 Preston Lane
Address Line 2
7083100218
helphopeandlovefoundation@gmail.com
www.helphopelovefoundation.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Selena Martin
4
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
President / CEO
708-310-0218
selenaedtina@gmail.com
Our mission is to provide people in need and non-profit organizations helping people with support and services.
We help people in their time of need experiencing homelessness, financial difficulty, food insecurities, financial
hardships, experiencing natural disasters, unemployment, disabilities, and other hardships. Our organizations
meets the needs of people through providing food, clothing, water, emergency kits, coats, blankets, shoes,
hygiene products and bags of love as well as school supplies and back packs. We also provide Thanksgiving &
Christmas Meals and toys and sometimes furniture. We also provide books and other basic needs including
everything above and more distribution by pick up and delivery for people without transportation or homeless.
2
Project Proposal
HHLF Mobile Community Service Center & Outreach Project
HHLF would have food, clothing & supplies available to the community 7 days a week with our Mobile
Community Service Center. There are several ways to receive our services you can go online and register, call
us, make an appointment, word of mouth requests and community leaders support with all target areas in need
of assistance that we would drive through to provide assistance. Our center would be able to reach and provide
more assistance because so many people can get to food pantries and other places that you have to go in
person to receive service there is a huge GAP that we are trying to close with our assistance for the greater good
of the community. I have connections with leaders in the community including the Mayor of Iowa CIty and Chair
and have met with them regarding my plan.
New
Our programs helps to unify, educate and build stronger communities. We identify and provide resources, help
improve health, hygiene and mental health. We inform them of other services, non profits and organizations that
can also assist them with employment and housing. By bridging a huge GAP where we fall short in racial equity
and social justice for the people in the community to get assistance, aid, services and support. We provide Help
and give Hope through Love we started out by helping to feed the homeless and have grown into over 12
programs in the 2.5 years. We also will provide emergency disaster supplies and emergency kits.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
5
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
None None None
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
Our foundations helps (ALL) & every demographic in Iowa. We started out with African American homeless
males ranging from 18-65 and women from 18-60 (income 0-$500 a month. Then Indian women single family
homes ages 20-65 with children 17 and younger (income $6000-$15,000 a year) Hispanic women single family
ages 18-65 with children & grandchildren 17 and younger (income $6000-$12,000) African American women
single 18-65 with children & grandchildren 17 and younger (income $6000 - $20,000) Muslim single women 20-
65 with children & grandchildren ($7500-$25,000) African men & women ages 25-60 (income 0 - $15,000)
Caucasian men & women ages 18-65 (0-$25,000)
Yes, $25,000
Success will be our foundation positively impacting as many lives in Iowa as possible a min. of 2500
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes. we will continue utilize the Mobility Van for distribution in the Community each year and year round.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
NA
0.00$
$15,000
City of Iowa City Applied 25,000.00$
P&G Received 15,000.00$
Budget
6
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Food, Supplies,
Clothing
Outreach Program 5.00$1,000 5,000.00$
Food Supplies,
Clothing
Outreach Program 5.00$1,000 5,000.00$
Food, Supplies,
Clothing
Outreach Program 5.00$1,000 5,000.00$
NA
The grant money will be used to purchase a Van for the HHLF Mobility Community Center for Distribution on
wheels through out the entire Iowa Community.
As soon as we can secure and purchase the Van for larger distribution and transportation
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
$15,000 - $20,000
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
7
8
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
I.C. Pilates, LLC
City
IOWA CITY
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
725 S. CLINTON ST
Address Line 2
Ste. C
3192140555
jennifer@icpilates.com
still under construction through Esper in Iowa City
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Jennifer Anderson
9
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Owner
3196312515
jennifer@icpilates.com
To meet each client where they're at to achieve their goals of strength & flexibility through ownership of their own
bodies.
1
Project Proposal
Studio build
I have been operating a private Pilates studio out of my home & want to increase the capacity for group
apparatus classes. The space at 725 S. Clinton St. needs the drop down ceiling removed, all wires & ducts with
it contained & updated for an industrial look, a wall with HVAC in it removed, HVAC relocated, new flooring, non-
glare LED lighting, walls put up to create a lobby that blocks cold air in the winter & allows light to filter to a back
room, mirrors, & paint for walls & old cabinets.
New
I am a black woman opening my first business on my own in order to gain independence. I'm looking forward to
mentoring & educating others on self care through Pilates or learning to teach Pilates.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None Pilates Studio build 3 months
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
The area is accessible to professionals & students living in the area. 725 S. Clinton St. has a parking lot, so
surrounding residents are able to commute from outside neighborhoods, & there are several hotels within
walking distance now.
10
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
Classes will range from $15-$35.
Once a full schedule is up & running, filled classes could serve 50-100 a day M-Sat.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, I'm looking forward to getting up to teach Pilates & hopefully train future Pilates teachers.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
25,000.00$
Without paying myself: rent, utilities, scheduling app, one other instructor to start with, wifi, & music $50,000.
Home equity Received 90,000.00$
Budget
Rent 725 S. Clinton St.1.05$1,890 2,000.00$
Utilities Gas & electric 11.32$12 1,494.24$
1 Extra instructor
p/day
Evening/weekend hrs.30.00$336 10,080.00$
Pilates apparatus Reformers w/ towers 3,800.00$10 38,000.00$
Pilates apparatus Stability Chairs 1,100.00$10 11,000.00$
Pilates apparatus Ladder Barrel 1,100.00$1 1,100.00$
Pilates apparatus Trapeze 4,500.00$1 4,500.00$
Pilates equipment Misc. mats, wts, balls,etc.180.00$10 1,800.00$
HVAC Removal & replace 15,000.00$1 15,000.00$
New lobby walls create lobby space 15,000.00$1 15,000.00$
11
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
New LED lights 27 new plus electrician 148.14$27 4,000.00$
Professionals certified in HVAC, & an electrician are required for inspection.
Grant money would go towards the remodel in order to make the space functional for a Pilates studio as well as
a bit more efficient with the LED lights & creation of the lobby.
If permit is granted for HVAC & wall removal the end of January.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
I could delay the creation of the lobby. I was also hoping to avoid disruption of in session classes from incoming
classes
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
12/19/2022
12
13
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Community Crisis Services
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
1121 S. Gilbert Court
Address Line 2
3193596721
amy.miller@builtbycommunity.org
builtbycommunity.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Amy Miller
14
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Grants Manager
3193596721
amy.miller@builtbycommunity.org
CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank is a volunteer-driven organization that provides immediate and non-
judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food, or financial crisis.
52
Project Proposal
Expanding Culturally Appropriate Food Options
Currently, our Food Bank provides a wide variety of meats, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and non-perishable
items to families in Iowa City. We distribute food through the Pantry at Pepperwood Plaza in Iowa City as well as
our Mobile Pantry and free delivery service. In an effort to be culturally responsive, CommUnity prioritizes
allowing families to select the foods which best meet their needs. This means having fewer restrictions on items,
bringing in more culturally appropriate foods, and giving those who utilize Mobile Pantry or Delivery greater
choice in what comes to them. CommUnity ensures that all items remain free to clients by partnering with
nonprofit food distributors, such as HACAP, Table to Table, and Field to Families. We recognize that we could go
further to support equity in health outcomes and in building communities. Therefore, we propose an initiative that
allows us to consistently offer culturally-responsive foods that are sourced from minority-owned businesses in
Iowa City.
According to Census Data, nearly 80% of the Iowa City population is White. Yet, less than 40% of households
visiting our food bank identify as white. Over 50% identify as Black, Multicultural, or Other, and 18% of
households identify as Hispanic/Latinx. Visitors to our food bank are disproportionately marginalized populations.
Often, immigrants face health challenges and cardiovascular risks after relocating to America, because they are
forced to adjust to new foods that have higher carbohydrates and more preservatives. (United Way of Olmsted
County)
Access to culturally appropriate foods, such as mas, dry rice, dry beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables, can
help sustain health by maintaining a more familiar, traditional diet and also help immigrants and descendants of
immigrants maintain their cultural identities. According to 2020 Census Bureau data, 11.6% of Johnson County’s
population is foreign-born, with the most common origin country of Mexico. Currently, we do not currently ask
about immigration status in order to maintain trust with clients; however, based on input from our staff and DEI
Specialist, we serve a large percentage of individuals who immigrated from Sudan and other African countries.
We will partner with two minority-owned businesses in Iowa City that distribute African and Mexican foods—
Alcapulco Mexican Bakery & Grocery Store and Modina African Market. This grant funding will allow us to source
$1,000 each month from each business for a year (totaling $24,000). If awarded, we will also seek matching
funds to double the amount of food we purchase from each of these vendors. In total, our goal is for this initiative
to result in $48,000 worth of purchases from minority-owned businesses in Iowa City’s South District while also
supporting the health and cultural identity of food-insecure individuals in our area.
New
15
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
According to Kent State Online, an important principle of social justice is access to resources—including food.
Through our collaboration with Open Heartland, we have learned that some clients struggle with the options at
our Food Bank because they aren’t familiar with the available foods. Further, some have expressed the need for
more familiar foods, including pinto beans, dry beans (instead of canned beans), dry bags of rice, more varieties
of rice, and seasonal spices. We believe that access to familiar foods that are nutritious is a basic human right.
As aforementioned, immigrants can face health challenges and cardiovascular risks after relocating to America,
because they are forced to adjust to new foods that have higher carbohydrates and more preservatives. (United
Way of Olmstead County). According to Feeding America, food insecurity affects every aspect of health. It can
lead to chronic health conditions, poor health, and complications with the kidneys, eyes, and nervous system.
According to panelists at “An Iowa Perspective on the Refugee Crisis and the United Nations” on December 6,
2022, familiar foods afford comfort to refugees and immigrants, many of whom have faced difficult circumstances
during their journeys to Iowa City.
This project will advance racial equity / social justice by helping to maintain the cultural identity of individuals
facing food insecurity while also directly supporting minority-owned business enterprises within Iowa City. We
intend to offer a sense of home, inclusion, cultural identity, and health with this initiative. Our hope is that
refugees and the diverse people we serve will feel an increased sense of belonging and become more
comfortable connecting with us for services.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Alcapulco Mexican Bakery &
Grocery Store
Monthly $2,000 purchase of culturally appropriate
foods.
12 months
Modina African Market (located
in Pepperwood Plaza)
Monthly $2,000 purchase of culturally appropriate
foods.
12 months
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
Almost 100% of households who use the Food Bank are low-income residents. We serve all ages. The vast
majority are food insecure by USDA standards. 63% of primary clients identify as non-white, including 36% who
are Black or African American. Female-headed households make up around 60% of all families. A significant
number of clients speak Spanish, French, Arabic, or Swahili. Based on input from our staff and DEI Specialist,
we will reach African American descendants of Slaves, Sudanese, Somalian, Kenyan, Congolese, Mexican,
Honduran, and other Latinx and refugee populations.
We do not charge clients for food or services.
16
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
Lived experiences of racism and social inequity are difficult to measure. For this initiative, success will be
measured by the dollar amount spent at local minority-owned businesses to feed CommUnity’s food-insure
beneficiaries. The impact will be felt among the community members — the Food Bank will be more inclusive,
more approachable, and more in tune with our minority and immigrant populations. It will offer a sense of agency,
home, belonging, and comfort when they look for familiar foods.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
We intend to continue this new initiative by promoting and partnering with minority-owned businesses in our area
with the goal of feeding more individuals with culturally-appropriate options. At this time we do not have other
funding sources for this specific initiative, but this type of collaboration has been a longstanding goal of
CommUnity and CommUnity’s board of directors. This grant would kickstart partnerships in the community while
helping distribute familiar, culturally appropriate foods to food-insecure individuals. With an agency-wide DEI
Specialist on staff dedicated to advancing inclusion, we are firmly committed to continuing to advance racial
equity and social justice into the future. After this grant period, we will continue this initiative by building a budget
and fundraising goals into our planning yearly.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
Yes. In the last three years, we have received the following totals per program. This includes federal American
Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were distributed by the City of Iowa City.
--Financial Support: $490,528 for security deposit funding and additional funding for rapid-rehousing security
deposits during COVID-19.
--Food Bank/Second Site Staffing: $50,000
--Mobile Crisis Response (MCR): $459,243.23 from ARPA #1. This allowed for the purchase of vehicles,
renovations, and additional MCR staff.
--Iowa City Aid to Agencies (HCDC): $238,336.75 for agency operating support
24,000.00$
11,678,284.54
We do not currently have other funding sources for this specific
initiative.
Received 0.00$
Budget
17
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
Location #1 foods
and/or spices - Grant
Funded
$1,000 per month for 12
months. Grant-funded
purchases from Alcapulco
Mexican Bakery & Grocery
Store. Examples of foods:
Assorted spices, consome de
pollo, pasta alimentica, frijoles
negros, frijol mayo coba,
permano mayocoba. Quantity
may vary based on food
availability and type of food
purchased monthly.
1,000.00$12 12,000.00$
Location #1 foods
and/or spices -
Donor Funded
$1,000 per month for 12
months. Donor-funded
purchases from Alcapulco
Mexican Bakery & Grocery
Store. Examples of foods:
Assorted spices, consome de
pollo, pasta alimentica, frijoles
negros, frijol mayo coba,
permano mayocoba. Quantity
may vary based on food
availability and type of food
purchased monthly.
1,000.00$12 12,000.00$
Location #2 foods
and/or spices - Grant
Funded
$1,000 per month for 12
months. Grant-funded
purchases from Modina African
Market (located in Pepperwood
Plaza). Examples of foods:
Rice, dry beans, other popular
items per Modina. Quantity may
vary based on food availability
and type of food purchased
monthly.
1,000.00$12 12,000.00$
Location #2 foods
and/or spices -
Donor Funded
$1,000 per month for 12
months. Donor-funded
purchases from Modina African
Market (located in Pepperwood
Plaza). Examples of foods:
Rice, dry beans, other popular
items per Modina. Quantity may
vary based on food availability
and type of food purchased
monthly.
1,000.00$12 12,000.00$
N/A
Project activities (purchases) will occur monthly, beginning the month a funding agreement is executed or
funding is received and continuing for 12 months. At this time, our Food Bank program budget is 93% comprised
of individual contributions. This grant would allow a firm budget for culturally appropriate foods in fiscal year
2024.
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4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Project activities (purchases) will occur monthly, beginning the month a funding agreement is executed or
funding is received and continuing for 12 months. Depending on supply chains, these amounts may vary or
occasionally carry over into the next month. In total, $48,000 will be spent within a year at these locations.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
With less funding, the impact of this initiative will be reduced—fewer individuals will be served and fewer dollars
will be spent at minority-owned businesses in Iowa City.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
12/20/2022
19
20
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
1556 S 1st Avenue #C
Address Line 2
(319) 594-7593
info@cwjiowa.org
https://cwjiowa.org/
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Mazahir Salih
21
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Executive Director
(571) 282-5188
mazahir@cwjiowa.org
The Center for Worker Justice unites low-wage workers in Eastern Iowa across race and immigration status to
achieve social and economic justice through education, organization, direct service, and community alliances.
We seek to improve Eastern Iowa communities by coordinating projects to address injustices in areas such as
workplace conditions, civil rights, access to education, and the need for affordable housing.
10
Project Proposal
Community Technology and Education Improvement Initiative
As part of the Community Technology and Education Improvement Initiative, CWJ will purchase a SMART Board
for our newly built computer lab and hire instructors to host free educational workshops for Iowa City community
members. The SMART Board will play an essential role in many of CWJ’s educational initiatives. CWJ will use
the SMART Board in English as a Second Language (ESL) workshops, our tutoring program, and most
workshops including our entrepreneurship and computer literacy workshops. With funding from the RESJ Grant,
CWJ will host 12 computer literacy workshops that will be taught in English, but the instructors we will hire will be
bilingual. The bilingual instructors will allow us to have 4 workshops for Spanish/English speakers, 4 for
Arabic/English speakers, and 4 for French/English speakers. Currently, CWJ only has one TV screen and it has
been difficult to ensure engagement with our beneficiaries and provide high quality teaching that community
members deserve. Further, the TV screen is located in a different meeting room and is almost always in use. The
Community Technology and Education Improvement Initiative will allow CWJ to continue our efforts to provide
community members with the educational resources they need to succeed in an increasingly technologically
advanced society.
Continuous
22
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
The Community Technology and Education Improvement Initiative will primarily serve low-income individuals and
immigrants. The first part of this project involves the purchase and installation of a SMART Board in CWJ’s
computer lab. CWJ will use our computer lab for workshops, presentations, and other opportunities that will
directly benefit low-income workers and immigrants. The majority of CWJ’s workshops, presentations, and other
community gatherings are hosted in multiple languages and are free. By hosting these meetings in multiple
languages and not charging fees for attendance, CWJ allows Iowa City community members to overcome
language, cultural, and income barriers that often prevent them from accessing educational resources. For
example, in the past, CWJ has hosted workshops and presentations that teach community members about
workers’ rights, wage theft, sewing, how to start a business, and more. The SMART Board will enhance these
educational opportunities and make them more collaborative due to the SMART Board’s interactive screen
display. By improving the quality of workshops, low-income workers and immigrants will be able to gain more
skills and knowledge from each workshop which, in turn, will allow attendees to potentially find new or better
employment opportunities and improve their living conditions.
The second part of this project involves hosting computer literacy workshops. These workshops will be similar to
CWJ’s previous workshops because they will be free to attend, have child care services, and be hosted in
multiple languages. There are many low-income and immigrant individuals in Iowa City who do not have access
to computers or the internet which has limited their computer literacy. Consequently, these individuals may find it
difficult to find and apply for jobs, use their emails, search for information online, apply for financial assistance,
access online health services, and other tasks that are becoming an increasingly important part of life. Teaching
community members basic computer skills will improve racial equity and social justice because participants will
be better positioned to perform the aforementioned tasks.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None None None
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
This project will primarily serve Iowa City, low-income workers and immigrants. Individuals who are 18 years or
older and speak French, English, Arabic, or Spanish continue to make up the majority of CWJ’s individual
membership base and are expected to make up the majority of this project’s participants. CWJ expects the
workshop participants to be between the ages of 18 and 65. CWJ’s workshops will be taught in 4 languages so
that a variety of races and ethnicities can be served by this project. This project will be open equally to both men
and women.
No, the classes will be free for all individuals.
23
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Success for the Community Technology and Education Improvement Initiative will be evaluated based on the
number of workshop attendees, the skills learned by workshop attendees, and the overall use of the SMART
Board. CWJ wants as many community members as possible to participate in workshops, gain skills, and utilize
the SMART Board. Specifically, CWJ will consider this project successful if more than 50 individuals attend RESJ
funded workshops, if the majority of workshop attendees feel like they learned valuable skills, and if other
workshops and meetings utilize the SMART Board to positively impact residents of eastern Iowa. Further, we will
consider this project successful if participants sign up for more advanced computer literacy courses which we are
looking to do in the future.
The CWJ computer lab has 13 computers so each computer literacy workshop can host 13 participants. With
funding from the RESJ grant, there will be 12 workshops hosted in 4 languages. Depending on if there are
repeat participants, CWJ expects the workshops associated with this grant to directly impact between 39 and
156 individuals. The workshop attendees will be low-income and/or immigrants with little to no computer skills.
As a result, the workshop attendees will gain valuable computer skills that, in turn, could help them find jobs,
search the internet for information, use their emails, and perform many other tasks that are becoming
increasingly necessary to have.
The SMART Board is expected to positively impact hundreds of eastern Iowa community members. In addition to
workshops funded by this RESJ grant, CWJ will be able to use the SMART Board for other workshops,
presentations, and collaborative meetings. The SMART Board will increase the number of workshops we can
host, expand on the types of workshops we host, and improve the overall quality of workshops. In the past, CWJ
has hosted workshops on a variety of topics such as workers’ rights, sewing, how to start a business, workers’
safety, housing rights, youth tutoring, and more. CWJ looks to continue providing these workshops in the future
so that low-income and immigrant individuals can better overcome educational barriers. Finally, based on
immigrant community members’ requests, CWJ is planning on restarting our mass tutoring program for
elementary, middle and high school students in the near future.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, CWJ expects the SMART Board to be operational and used for many years after it is purchased. CWJ will
ensure that the SMART Board is properly cared for to ensure it is in proper working condition for as long as
possible. Additionally, CWJ’s computer lab has already been fully funded, and it will continue to be used for a
variety of purposes after the RESJ grant funding ends. Further, through community partnerships and other
sources of funding, CWJ will continue hosting educational opportunities and workshops after the RESJ grant
funding ends. As a result, CWJ will be able to continue the Community Technology and Education Improvement
Initiative for many years after RESJ grant funding ends.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
RESJ = $18,000
A2A Emerging = $15,000
Emergency Fund = $23,000
Covid Assistance Fund = $64,000
13,528.80$
$304,245.32
24
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
None Applied 0.00$
Budget
SMART Board MX
Series 65" + OPS i5
Module + shipping
costs
A 65” interactive display. The
OPS Module gives CWJ access
to Microsoft Office files and
applications within the display.
6,148.00$1 6,148.00$
Hourly Wages for
Workshop Instructors
Each workshop instructor will
be paid for their time teaching
the class. There will be 12
workshops total. There will be 3
workshops taught in English, 3
workshops taught in Spanish, 3
workshops taught in Arabic, and
3 workshops taught in French.
150.00$24 3,600.00$
SMART Board
Installation
Precise Management, a local
company, is currently installing
CWJ’s computer lab and they
will be hired to install the
SMART Board within the
computer lab.
350.00$1 350.00$
Child Care Wages 2 babysitters during each
workshop for 2 hours.
18.00$48 864.00$
Snacks and Water Snacks for any kids who are
being looked after during the
workshop and water for
everyone. Pizzas cost $7 each.
A case of water costs $5. We
will get 3 pizzas and 1 water
case per workshop.
26.00$12 312.00$
Indirect Cost Rent, utilities, printing,
translating, administration,
office supplies, insurance,
taxes, etc. 20% of above total.
2,254.80$1 2,254.80$
This budget includes fees for three professional services. CWJ will need to hire a company or individual to install
the SMART Board because installation is not included in the cost of purchase. The installation is necessary for
CWJ to use the SMART Board and is a one-time cost. The budget also includes fees to pay for instructors to
teach the 12 workshops. Hiring instructors will ensure that community members receive quality training at these
workshops. CWJ staff members and volunteers speak multiple languages and have computer literacy skills, but
we do not have the experience or qualifications to teach these workshops. Finally, many of the individuals who
would attend CWJ’s workshops have children and are low-income. Even though these workshops would be free,
many community members cannot afford the expensive costs of child care and would be unable to attend
without the free provided child care services. Therefore, providing child care at these workshops would allow
individuals to overcome income-related barriers and would encourage all individuals to attend regardless of
parental status.25
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
In August of 2023 or as soon as funding is received, CWJ will purchase the SMART Board. As soon as the
SMART Board arrives, CWJ will install it in the computer lab. Once the SMART Board is installed, CWJ will take
between two to four weeks to plan the workshops, hire instructors, and hire child care services. CWJ will then
begin hosting one workshop per week, depending on the availability of instructors.
August 2023 - Purchase SMART Board
August 2023 - Installation of SMART Board
September 2023 - Begin hosting one workshop per week
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Yes, this project could be completed with less funding; however, with less funding, CWJ would not be able to
host as many workshops and educational opportunities. The minimum amount of funding needed to purchase
and install the SmartBoard is estimated to be $6,835. Each workshop will cost approximately $398, including the
instructor’s wages and wages for child care. Thus, with each $398 decrease in funding, CWJ would need to
eliminate one of the 12 proposed workshops from our schedule. CWJ already hosts some educational
workshops that are funded by other sources, and future workshops would still greatly benefit from the SMART
Board.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/4/2023
26
27
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Enihakole Ministries
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52245
Country
USA
Street Address
2809 E Court St
Address Line 2
319 512 5780
theogeneh.egpc20@gmail.com
www.enihakoleministries.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Theogene Havugimana
28
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Pastor
319 512 5780
theogeneh.egpc20@gmail.com
Name*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Susan Gray
Community supporter
319 321 9164
susangrayss123@gmail.com
To educate citizen leaders of the Realm of God and educate the people about their rights and responsibilities to
build a nation of law, peace and democracy.
3
Project Proposal
Continuation of the Immigrant Journey: Women need to be
seen as the strong family pillar which will support families
achieve their American Dream
29
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
In traditional African society the role of the wife is to stay home and take care of the home and family. Many
families that have immigrated to the US find themselves struggling financially and need to reconsider some of
their traditional values to overcome some of these challenges. This project addresses the need to modify some
of these values to meet the new reality of a new community and believes that the families' success lies in a
strong relationship between husband and wife, and that African women be supported to consider ways of
working outside the home, or creating home-based businesses and becoming more confident in functioning
outside the home, within the mainstream society.
Our project has two parts. It will begin with a conference where participants will celebrate their successful
immigration to a new country to build a better future for their families. Participants will then have the opportunity
to hear testimonials from people that have managed to make a successful transition. The importance of a strong
marital relationship will be discussed, and participants will also consider the individual challenges that they face.
These challenges will be gathered to provide direction for the second part of the project. This session will be
from 10 a.m. - noon. Lunch and social networking will be held from noon to 3 p.m. and some community
resources will be invited to exhibit their information. The keynote will be held from 3p.m. - 5 p.m. The keynote will
be delivered by a pastor from Africa, delivering the message that while these families have successfully
immigrated, their success will only be meaningful if they can successfully adapt to a new country, and a new
culture, while remaining true to the important African values such a love of children and family, and the nurturing
spirit that they have brought with them. This success is important for them, and for the families they have left
behind in Africa.
The second part of this project will provide 2 meetings each month for 10 months. The one monthly gathering will
be to participate in a marriage guidance course. This training will be provided by Pastor Havugimana and two
American presenters. It addresses the importance of the development of self identity. The second gathering each
month will be based on the forms completed by participants at the conference. We expect these barriers to be
child care assistance, employment opportunities, and what training is required, English proficiency to meet
participants individual goals, These issues will be discussed by African women that have successfully dealt with
these issues and community volunteers that understand the resources in the community. These issues will be
discussed within the group, but individual support will also be provided.
New
Supporting families to become more successfully assimilated into the community, this will impact families
financially and make the feel more connected to their new community. This will be achieved through discussions
about how things may be done differently 'here' than 'at home' and to understand why this might be. There will
also be opportunities to ask questions within a safe, non-judgmental environment about how things are done
here e.g. health care, education. Volunteers will help participants understand the various system within our
community or help individual connect to organizations that can assist them with specific issues: e.g. How to
connect to Grant Wood AEA and what to expect if you have a young child with developmental delays or if one
has employment issues to connect with Center for Worker Justice.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
4Cs Community Coordinated
Child Care
4Cs will assist women wanting to provide child care in
their home to become registered and start work.
August - June
30
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
Child Care Centers Lionheart Child Care Center and a few other centers
have expressed interest in creating a more diverse
workgroup. The director at Lionheart would lead this
aspect of the project
August - June
Other if this project is accepted, we will immediately discuss
collaborations with local nursing homes & Kirkwood
regarding CNA opportunities
March - June
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
Participation will be open to all African adults that are immigrants or refugees. This will include Congolese
families and West African families. Male and female members are encouraged to attend, the second monthly
gathering is mainly for women, but interested males would be welcome to attend. The majority of families are low
income, but we do not specifically gather that data.
No
Our goal is to have 300 people attend the conference. We expect to have 50 people participate in the monthly
meetings. Participants of the monthly gatherings will complete an evaluation of the marriage guidance class and
participants attending the second monthly meetings will complete a goal in-take form and the assessment will be
based on their individual goals. We expect an increase in employment, self-confidence, increase in English
proficiency and increased knowledge regarding resources available in the community.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, this project is a family-support program and therefore the needs will continue beyond the year.
This first year of the project will be a learning curve, and time will be taken to analyse the needs, develop the
volunteer group to include a good mix of African immigrants and local volunteers/ allies. We will also look for
other funding sources
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
20,965.00$
The organization has no formal budget. They have done fundraising for specific projects: Food for Rwanda,
support of widow group in Burundi, paying school fees for girls in Congo to keep them in school.
City of Iowa City Applied 20,965.00$
Budget 31
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Conference Marketing 100.00$100.00$
Conference Materials: flip chart, pens,200.00$200.00$
Conference Food: 300 people 16.60$300 4,980.00$
Conference Church cleaning team 500.00$1 500.00$
Conference Keynote presenter/ air fare 3,000.00$1 3,000.00$
Conference Keynote presenter/ hotel 100.00$5 500.00$
Conference Keynote presenter/ fee + misc 3,000.00$1 3,000.00$
Conference Child care/ 3 providers, 5 hours 15.00$15 225.00$
Conference Translators: 2 x 4 hours 20.00$8 160.00$
Monthly gatherings Snack for 50 people, 20 mtgs 4.00$1,000 4,000.00$
Monthly gatherings Child care/ 2 providers, 3 hours 15.00$120 1,800.00$
Monthly gatherings Materials, printing 100.00$100.00$
Monthly gatherings Translators/ (2 x 3 hr)x 20 mtgs 20.00$120 2,400.00$
The African pastor will receive a keynote fee + misc (meals ) of $3000.00, plus travelling expenses. It is strongly
felt within the African group that having an African pastor attend this conference has a profound impact on the
motivation and commitment of the group.
If we receive funding work will immediately begin finalizing the date for the conference, which will be held in July.
April - June: the conference volunteer team will be busy organizing visa, air ticket and hotel arrangement for the
visiting keynote presenter. The conference group will also be designing conference posters to be mailed and
emailed to all churches in the African Church Alliance group. These will be distributed in June. The volunteer
presenters for the conference session from 10 a.m. - noon will also be meeting and planning their session: April -
May. Plans and contract will be established with a catering group to provide the meal at the conference - April.
Early April Pastor Havigimana will meet with the church donating space for the conference. In June child care
providers and translators will be contracted for the conference and possibly the monthly gatherings as well. In
April dates will be set for the monthly gatherings, and time and location will be determined. In May the monthly
gathering/ resource and Indvidual need group will meet and begin gathering printed resources and names of
individuals that will be valuable as possible resources for particular subjects. In July this team will meet after the
conference and review the feedback from participants and then set up a timetable for topics for the group. The
bi-monthly meetings will be held from August -November and January - June. In May the steering committee will
review all paperwork necessary to gather reporting data and information that will provide direction to the group.
This will be implemented at the conference and continue to be gathered and assessed throughout the year.
Conference: July 2023
Monthly gatherings: Bimonthly from August - November and January to June (10 months, 2 meetings each
month
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
we believe that the budget has been realistically set. we could make it work for less,but would need to cut the
number of participants.
32
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/4/2023
33
34
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
IC Compassion
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States of America
Street Address
1035 Wade St
Address Line 2
(319)330-9883
dayrin@iccompassion.org
www.iccompassion.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Dayrin Lovan
35
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Program Coordinator
(319)621-3112
dayrin@iccompassion.org
IC Compassion is a Christ centered organization that engages culturally diverse communities together through
hope, opportunities and partnerships. Together we equip people at their point of need to move out of poverty and
inspire them to be of service to others.
16
Project Proposal
Jabez Café
Jabez Café supports immigrant families with special needs children aged 16-21. We provide an employment-
training program and work experience for young adults with developmental disabilities. Jabez Café creates a
safe environment for building job skills, confidence and independence. We create a sense of community and
build awareness of the barriers people with disabilities face.
Jabez Café will consist of a group of young adults who have a disability cooking, working with money, cleaning,
and serving others. It was founded in 2022 by IC Compassion staff member Pastor Dayrin Lovan and a group of
immigrant parents seeking to help their young adult children with disabilities live independent lives and build a
greater sense of community for their families. The parents of those young adults will make up the committee for
Jabez Café, establishing rules and regulations for the program. The café will provide training to young adults for
three years. Applications will be available which will address each applicant’s necessary accommodations,
availability, and why they desire the position. We will also have a coordinator who is in charge of the program.
The café will offer coffee, smoothies, and culturally inspired food. All menu items are donation based.
Continuous
Jabez Café provides a unique work experience for young adults with disabilities that are also from immigrant
families. Café Manager Dayrin Lovan is herself an immigrant whose first language is Spanish and raised a son
with a disability in the Iowa City area. The café provides a work opportunity for these young adults that
accommodates students who hold both of these identities.
With the cultural focus and safety of the environment of Jabez Cafe, we will increase independence of low-
income immigrant young adults with disabilities by learning job skills and building confidence. Statewide, the
Disability and Health Data System shows that 28.4% of Hispanic individuals have a disability (which is higher
than the state average of about 23%). Based on Johnson County population of 152,854 x 5.8% (which is the
percentage of residents who are Latino) x 28.4% (which is the statewide percentage of people who are Latino
who have a disability). This would indicate that approx. 2,518 Latino individuals in the Johnson County area have
disabilities. Many families report that the only job opportunities that they have are cleaning jobs and many
without interpretation for their children.
The café also provides a place where a group of people who speak different languages and have different
abilities can serve a customer base that is also diverse. The cost of a meal at Jabez is up to the customer, with a
suggested donation of $8 a meal. Those who are able to can pay more, those who are not can pay less. This
allows the café to have an economically diverse customer base.
36
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Iowa City Schools Students from City, West and Transitions Services
Center come to Jabez for work experiences
Aug 2022 - Present
Goodwill of the Heartland Young adults with disabilities are referred to Jabez for
work experiences
April 2022 - Present
Successful Living Clients with Successful Living come to the café for
meals. Neighbors of IC Compassion.
April 2022 - Present
Iowa LEND Graduate students from this program will come and
volunteer. Provides trainings on working with
individuals with disabilities for Jabez management.
August 2022 -
Present
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
The main focus of Jabez is to provide work experience to young adults between the ages of 16-21 who identify
as both a person with a disability and as being a member of an immigrant family. Many of the young adults are
Spanish speakers, but there are young adults from non-Spanish speaking countries as well. Gender is not taken
into account for individuals who are looking for work experience. Additionally, the suggested donation allows the
café to provide meals for individuals of all income levels.
Neither the individual nor the organization who is matching the young adult with Jabez for the work experience
pay anything to participate.
Success for this project is providing relevant and respectful job experience for at least 10 young adults over the
course of the next year. This work experience will come with a solid reference of someone who can explain the
skills and strengths of the individual and their growth during their time at Jabez. During their year or two at Jabez
working two to four hours a week, we hope that the individuals can transition to working without the assistance of
a job coach while remaining in a supported environment. After this, the goal is that they will be ready to move
into a job that will earn them a wage and offer more hours.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes. Jabez will continue operating at IC Compassion for as long as possible. Through additional grants,
donations at the café for meals and through fundraising events, and business sponsorships, Jabez hopes to
create a model for this kind of work experience that can be utilized by others in the future.
Funding Amount Request
37
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
If so, for what and for how much?
Yes. IC Compassion received a Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant for Jabez Café at the beginning of 2021
to start and operate the café in the amount of $15,000.
22,250.00$
$224,905
City of Iowa City SJRE Grant Applied 22,250.00$
Donations Received 1,000.00$
Fundraising Received 500.00$
Business Sponsorships Applied 2,000.00$
Budget
Food Food purchases for meals that
are served at the cafe
$12,000.00$
Supplies Silverware, cups, containers,
etc
$2,500.00$
Wages Support for program coordinator
position
$6,250.00$
Compensation Gift Cards for young adults
getting job experience
25.00$192 4,800.00$
Promotional
Materials
Digital and print
flyers/advertising to increase
and expand clientele
$1,000.00$
No professional services included
Purchases for food are made as needed on a week-to-week basis, with the majority of the shopping done at
Walmart, Acapulco, other Mexican groceries, and from local food producers such as Cachua’s Cakes. Supplies
(silverware, cups, plates, containers, etc) are purchased on as needed basis as well, mostly through online
vendors. Wages are paid on a monthly basis to the café manager. Compensation is for the young adults who are
getting job experience at the café and come in the form one $25 gift card for each week they work at least one
shift.
38
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
The café is open year-round (except for major holidays) and operates at IC Compassion on Iowa City’s East
Side every Thursday and Friday from 9 am to 3 pm.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Without a full award our ability to maintain current hours and offer consistent job experience opportunities to the
young adults we work with is hampered. The institutions we work with to coordinate job experiences need
consistent hours for the week for scheduling the job experiences. A lesser award would effect our hours of
operation and/or the amount of days and weeks that the café can operate. These consistent hours are also
necessary to build up a reliable customer base that can work to support the café in addition to grant funds from
other entities and institutions.
In 2021, we received over $90,000 from grants including Amerigroup for $28,000 and CARES Act money from
the state of Iowa that supported the remodel and establishment of the commercial kitchen. This money has been
spent with the remodeling and purchase of commercial appliances. With funds that included the Social Justice
and Racial Equity grant from the City of Iowa City last year, the café was able to meet its goal of providing work
experiences for ten young adults with disabilities who are also from immigrant families. The café has been
operating since April 2022 and we are looking for funding for one more year through the SJRE grant to continue
the work in 2023. Establishing the program, clientele and new funding opportunities takes time, but making the
café financially soluble through donations, sponsorships and other grant opportunities will be a focus during the
span of this next cycle of funding.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/5/2023
39
40
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Houses into Homes
City
Coralville
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52241
Country
United States
Street Address
401 6th Ave., Suite 1
Address Line 2
3193820960
directors@housesintohomes.org
housesintohomes.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Lucy Barker
41
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Director of Development
3193820969
lucy@housesintohomes.org
Houses into Homes provides gently-used beds, furniture, and household items for families and individuals in
Johnson County who are exiting homelessness, domestic violence, and other crisis situations.
Our mission is to help people feel the comfort of home and to do so in a way that honors their experience and
engages them with unconditional positive regard. Houses into Homes is the only organization of its kind in
Johnson County. We also proudly offer volunteers, recipients, donors, and staff a unique opportunity to meet and
impact those with whom they share our community.
5
Project Proposal
Change Your World Youth Volunteer Academy
42
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
We are requesting $15,000 in continued support for our Youth Volunteer Academy (YVA), which was funded by
the FY22 SJRE grant. We have accomplished a lot in the first half of the year. Building this program has been
challenging at times, and the continued funding is necessary to ensure the success of the program.
BACKGROUND
While the substance of our volunteer academy has remained the same, it has taken a very different format than
the one we proposed in our FY22 grant application. As planned in last year’s application, we did convene an
advisory committee* over the summer to help us create the Youth Volunteer Academy. This group met twice, in
June and July, and they formed a curriculum subcommittee, which met three times and created a weekly
curriculum that incorporates Houses into Homes’ work turning shelter into a home. The curriculum also visits
important topics connected to social justice, starting with trust-building and an examination of identity. Other
topics are stereotypes/prejudice, ACES; historical systems of oppression; the power of language; cycles of
poverty, eviction, and domestic violence; privilege; equity/inequity; microaggressions, and implicit bias. The
vision of the YVA is to foster social justice-centered leaders, and the academy will end with students writing their
personal mission and vision statements.
The work to get this program off the ground has been more than anticipated, and at the same time Houses into
Homes saw a 37% increase in referrals for our bed and furniture provision services from the fall of 2021 to the
fall of 2022. Recruiting students proved to be more difficult than we had anticipated, especially because our
existing staff were unable to devote the proper attention to the task. To address this need, we contracted with a
project coordinator to manage the logistics of the program, including outreach and recruitment. We postponed
the start of the academy to January 2023, and we expect to have 10-15 students enrolled when the Academy
starts on January 14.
*Advisory committee members: Fred Newell (ICCSD & Dream City), Brad Kelly (ICCSD), Willie Barney
(Davenport Community School District), Yolanda Spears (University of Iowa), Amira Nash (University of Iowa),
Sunday Goshit, Zach Anderson (student, University of Iowa), Monique Cottman (ICCSD), Rodney Anderson
(Caring Hands & More), Walid Afifi (University of California - Santa Barbara), Davonte Foster (Dream City)
PROPOSAL
This grant application requests $15,000 in funding to continue the YVA that was funded for FY22. We will repeat
the Academy twice in the 2023-24 school year (September-December and January-April). Funding will support
paying expert facilitators, incentives and experiences for students, and a project coordinator.
GOALS
Goals for this project are:
-Youth will report an increase in self-awareness.
-Youth will report understanding privilege.
-Youth will report an increased awareness of underlying social justice issues.
-Youth will report seeing that all people have value and how some forms of charity can further marginalize
vulnerable populations.
-Youth will report developing authentic relationships with those who have a different background than their own.
-Youth will volunteer 30 hours with Houses into Homes.
In FY23, we expect to create a guide to the YVA that can be shared with other organizations, especially those
serving youth.
Continuous
43
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
Houses into Homes’ YVA will advance social justice and racial equity by combining community service with
deliberate learning. As mentioned above, the topics for the 14 weekly meetings are trust-building; identity;
stereotypes/prejudice; ACES; historical systems of oppression; the power of language; cycles of poverty,
eviction, and domestic violence; privilege; equity/inequity; microaggressions, and implicit bias. Houses into
Homes’ mission to provide the basic comforts of home to those living without will give students a real-life
understanding of the effects of these issues. They will also have the opportunity to make an immediate and
tangible difference to individuals through their volunteer work. Throughout the 14 weeks, students will have the
chance to reflect and unpack what they learn and do.
The Change Your World YVA is based on critical service learning. Traditional service learning, defined as “a
community service action tied to learning goals and ongoing reflection about the experience,” is one way to tie
learning in the classroom to community service. Tania Mitchell, in “Traditional vs. Critical Service-Learning:
Engaging the Literature to Differentiate Two Models,” notes that students who participate in service learning are
“more tolerant, altruistic, and culturally aware; … have stronger leadership and communication skills; and …
(albeit marginally) earn higher grade point averages and have stronger critical thinking skills than their non-
service-learning counterparts.”
We plan to go further than traditional service learning, however, and follow critical service learning. Mitchell
explains that critical service learning (CSL) is “unapologetic in its aim to dismantle structures of injustice.” CSL
has three important features:
A redistribution of power among participants from a give-take relationship to a more equal one,
Authentic relationships within the learning environment and in the community, and
Work done through a “social change perspective” that encourages students to see themselves as “agents of
social change.”
We will also use Social Justice Sensemaking Theory to inform our Academy’s social justice curriculum. In “How
Service-Learning Enacts Social Justice Sensemaking,” Tania Mitchell describes how students use the process to
“consider and conceptualize issues of justice.” The steps in this process are: self-awareness and an examination
of one’s own identity, reflection on one’s service experiences, inclusion of resources (i.e., individuals, readings),
and dialogue within a group. Further steps include reflecting on contradictions between earlier understandings
and new information, and coming to a meaning of justice that one can act on. At the end of the YVA, students will
write personal mission and vision statements.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None None None
44
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
HOUSEHOLDS SERVED BY HOUSES INTO HOMES
66% of recipient households are extremely low-income, or 30% AMI, and another 23% are very low-income, or
50% AMI. An estimate of the racial makeup of our recipients is 80% Black or African American, 12% Hispanic,
and 8% White. An increasing number of our recipients are immigrants, most often referred through the Iowa City
Community School District and Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. 60% of the individuals we serve are
children.
All of our recipients are, in some way, living without the basic comforts of home. Most individuals we serve are
sleeping on the floor or an air mattress. Most of our recipients are also living without basic furniture, such as a
couch and a table and chairs, a place to do homework, or even decent lighting in living rooms and bedrooms.
Additionally, most homes we furnish are without the dishes and pots and pans needed to provide a meal for their
families.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants in the Youth Volunteer Academy will be youth from our local high schools, will include all income
levels, and will be ethnically and racially diverse.
There is no financial cost to participate.
45
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
Success for this project will include:
-Developing and expanding collaborations with youth-serving organizations
-Full enrollment of 10-15 students per semester
-Students will complete 30 volunteer hours and demonstrate increases in awareness of self and issues of racial
equity and social justice
COLLABORATIONS
Members of the advisory committee represented several community organizations and UI departments, and we
have connections to the social service agencies who make referrals for bed and furniture needs. We hope to
collaborate more closely in 2023 with local youth-serving organizations, with a goal to sustain the program and
possibly share the execution with other organizations or groups.
ENROLLMENT
We expect to have 10-15 students per semester enroll in and complete the program. Their volunteer work will
impact dozens of individuals over the course of the semester. We plan to measure growth over the 14 weeks in
our participants through a survey, to be given at the start and end of the academy. Longer-term success will be
fostering social justice-centered leaders.
IMPACTS OF VOLUNTEERING AND LEARNING
In the Fall of 2022, a volunteer survey was developed through a collaboration between Houses into Homes (HiH)
directors and University of California-Santa Barbara researchers. This survey has been modified for the YVA.
The Fall 2022 survey was sent to all Houses into Homes (HiH) volunteers in September, 2022, with the intention
of measuring volunteer satisfaction, motivations to volunteer, and impacts of volunteering. The survey included
70 questions. All volunteers who completed at least a portion of the survey were included in the analyses (n=98).
One set of survey questions asked volunteers whether they had changed in four particular ways as a result of
their volunteerism. Specifically, they were asked whether they were “inspired by people’s capacity to persevere”
(65% reported that they were), “more aware of the ways in which race, class, gender, sexual orientation and
other identities impact privilege, access, and resources” (58%), whether their “life goals and priorities have
evolved” as a result of their volunteerism (38%), and whether they were “better able to remain present when
hearing trauma narratives” (36%).
These are impressive outcomes of volunteerism, but a more fine-grained analysis shows that the impact on
volunteers, as assessed through these questions, is noticeably stronger in younger, as compared to older,
volunteers. For instance, young adults were 87% more likely than older volunteers (92% vs. 47%) to have their
awareness of structural inequalities increased, and 58% more likely to have the volunteer experience impact
their life goals and priorities (54% vs. 34%). We expect to see similar results in our student participants.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
We hope that the YVA will continue to be held, whether it is at Houses into Homes or through another
organization or group. To ensure the program can continue, we will look for opportunities for collaboration, as
well as diverse sources of funding, including grants, sponsorships, and private donations.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
FY23 Emerging Aid to Agencies: $8,625.00
FY22 Social Justice & Racial Equity: $15,000
FY22 Emerging Aid to Agencies: $5,438
2020 DNR Mattress reuse grant: $10,000
2020 Emergency funding $15,000
46
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
15,000.00$
$250,000
Mark Wahlberg Foundation Applied 7,500.00$
Sunflower Foundation Applied 3,000.00$
Budget
Facilitators Experts who teach each
meeting
200.00$28 5,600.00$
Project coordinator Manage logistics 2,500.00$2 5,000.00$
Incentives/experienc
es
Enhance learning for students 4,400.00$1 4,400.00$
We will pay the program facilitators, who are knowledgeable and experienced social justice practitioners. Houses
into Homes will provide the volunteer opportunities and the environment for critical service learning, and the
facilitators will carry out the meaningful RESJ curriculum.
Expenses would be divided over two periods, one starting in September and one starting in January.
The YVA will take place two times over the year, one starting in the fall and one starting in the winter.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
This project can be completed with less funding. Priorities would be to pay the facilitators and the project
coordinator. We would seek other funding for student incentives and experiences.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
47
Date*
1/5/2023
48
49
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Natural Talent Music
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
USA
Street Address
1108 5th Avenue
Address Line 2
515-460-1727
nattalmus@gmail.com
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Creighton Gaynor
50
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Owner Operator
515-460-1727
nattalmus@gmail.com
To empower and promote a diverse range of artists and curate inclusive events with a focus on multicultural
community-building.
1
Project Proposal
South District Entertainment Incubation and Community
Development
This project strives to uncover and nurture artistic talent and expression within the South District area in Iowa
City especially focusing on people of color and international origins. While Iowa City has a great reputation for
the arts, there is a marked lack of representation from and a disconnect to providing reflective entertainment for
these communities. This project strives to expand the diversity of performers, styles of music and venues in
which entertainment is presented in Iowa City. The project has 3 stages:
A. Incubation of up and coming talent. This will include education and coaching artists in a safe space on how to
improve their craft, how to handle the business side of being a performer, becoming an effective entrepreneur
and expression of their art related to social justice movements. Skilled professionals from within Iowa City and
the surrounding area will serve as presenters, coaches, and mentors. There will also be development of
relationships with local businesses to increase accessibility and equity in established venues as well as create
new performance opportunities within new performance spaces.
B. Concert Series. This stage consists of multiple, small format, new artist-friendly performances in which
program participants can hone their craft and apply lessons learned during incubation. This will include
Local/Open-Mic style events at established area venues, performances at the South District Diversity Markets
and, following the examples of similar events in other parts of the city such as the Northside Concert Series and
the Longfellow Neighborhood’s Front Porch Music Festival, other pop-up venues in the South District area.
C. Community Celebration Festival. This would be a one day event held within the South District that celebrates
unity through diversity, promotes representative access to performance opportunities and gives select Incubator
participants performance experience alongside established local and regional professionals. The intent is to hold
this celebration in conjunction with the end of the Diversity Market season and serve as a showcase of the South
District and its inherent diversity as well as a welcome to the entire Iowa City community to be involved with and
support the southside.
Research shows that live music especially can be a powerful tool in developing community. Van der Hoeven and
Hitters (2019, p 265) state that “popular music is often used in the growing number of urban events that are
organized to foster inclusivity, social cohesion or to revitalize urban space (Cohen, 2013; Holt and Wergin, 2013
as cited in Van der Hoeven, 2019)
And in a national study of outdoor arts festivals, the National Endowment for the Arts (2010) states that “outdoor
arts festivals distinguish themselves from
other arts venues and events in a variety of ways, all
conducive to building local arts audiences.” (p. 68)
New
51
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
This project will advance racial equity/social justice by improving and increasing access and equity in
performance opportunities, nurturing artists from traditionally under-served racial groups and expanding and
diversifying the choices that established venue talent buyers have for booking local talent.
Van der Hoeven and Hitters agree, stating that:
Research on live music policy underscores the different values that
can be attributed to this cultural good. A wide range of positive effects
of live music for its environment have been observed in the literature: It
can boost the local economy through the marketing of urban places
(Oakes and Warnaby, 2011 as cited in Van der Hoeven, 2019), enables the development of talent and skills
(Wynn, 2015 as cited in Van der Hoeven, 2019), attracts tourists (Hudson, 2006 as cited in Van der
Hoeven, 2019), contributes to a sense of identity and belonging (Cohen, 2012 as cited in Van der Hoeven,
2019) and fosters pride in local musical achievements and a shared music heritage (Van der Hoeven and
Brandellero, 2015 as cited in Van der Hoeven, 2019).
Additionally, this project is an expansion of the South District Neighborhood, Diversity Market and South District
Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID)’s efforts to empower, elevate and rewrite a more
accurate narrative of the southside of town.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
South District Neighborhood
Association
Promotion, Consultation & Feedback on-going
South District Self-Supported
Municipal Improvement District
Promotion, Consultation & Feedback on-going
Dream City Promotion, Classroom Space on-going
Emprendimiento Latino 5M Latino Entertainment Coordination, Promotion &
Feedback
on-going
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
African-American, Latino and other Peoples of Color in the South District, residents of the South District in
general, all ages (with a focus on young adults), all genders, gender expressions and identities, low-income
residents and people who do not have access to the same resources as other well-served populations in the city.
No.
52
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
a. Increased, positive visibility for the South District in general,
b. Increased exposure to more diverse and reflective art and performers
c. Increased opportunities and connections for local artists
d. Increased number of artists from the South District performing at venues and events in the mainstream Iowa
City arts scene
e. A more cohesive community with less homogeneous audiences.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes. With a strong showing and success in the inaugural project, we hope to fund future iterations through
sponsorship and smaller grants.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No.
23,725.00$
$10,000
NA Applied 0.00$
Budget
Incubator instructor
fees
instructing, mentoring, coaching
of participants
1,200.00$1 1,200.00$
Incubator classroom
space
incubator workshop space
rental
200.00$1 200.00$
Incubator equipment
and materials
musical, logistical, educational
materials for incubator sessions
550.00$1 550.00$
Entertainment
Coordinator - Latino
Populations,
Spanish-Speaking
booking and coordination of
Spanish-speaking and Latino
artists, cultural training
2,000.00$1 2,000.00$
Concert series
performance fees
payment for artists 2,500.00$1 2,500.00$
53
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Concert series
equipment
musical and logistical support
for performances and spaces
250.00$1 250.00$
Concert series
marketing
promotion for performances 50.00$1 50.00$
Festival performance
fees
payment for artists 9,500.00$1 9,500.00$
Festival stage stage rental 2,750.00$1 2,750.00$
Festival sound and
lights
PA, lights, and tech 1,800.00$1 1,800.00$
Festival crew stage crew 100.00$1 100.00$
Festival video video capture of the event 1,500.00$1 1,500.00$
Festival fenceline stage boundary for safety and
security
200.00$1 200.00$
Festival sanitary portable toilets and hand
sanitizing
375.00$1 375.00$
Festival marketing promotion for the event and
performances
250.00$1 250.00$
Miscellaneous miscellaneous needs 500.00$1 500.00$
Established artists and arts business professionals will be utilized as educators and mentors for young artists in
the incubation stage. Established artists and service providers will be paid for their services for the festival as
well. These professionals are integral to the project as they will either help develop young artists into self-
sufficient artistic entrepreneurs, be key in attracting audiences to the festival event or provide the support that
helps make this a high-quality event.
June: incubator space, equipment and presenter fees, festival marketing
July: incubator presenter fees, concert series entertainment coordination, equipment rental, marketing and
performance fees, festival performer and services deposits
Aug: festival performance fees, service fees and marketing
Incubator Workshops: June - July
Concert Series: July-mid August
Festival: mid August
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
No, not in its full form. A very small part, such as very truncated incubation, could potentially be completed, but
the development, public-facing and community building components could not.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
54
Date*
1/5/2023
55
56
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Wright House of Fashion
City
IOWA CITY
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
910 S Gilbert Street
Address Line 2
319-541-9790
wrighthouseoffashion@gmail.com
www.wrightfashionhouse.com/whworkshops
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Andre' Wright
57
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Founder
319-541-9790
wrighthouseoffashion@gmail.com
Wright House of Fashion is a 501(c)(3) organization and is the first fashion house in Iowa City. Our mission is to
empower underrepresented populations through art, design, and entrepreneurial skills as vehicles for change.
1
Project Proposal
Big Dreams Fashion Festival
Through art and fashion design, art and science, young BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth are finding their voice and
being heard through their works. We are putting together a social justice, racial equity fashion experience called
the Big Dream Fashion Festival.
The Big Dreams Fashion Festival will offer an entertaining, family-friendly, fun, and diverse community
experience. The festival will be an opportunity to foster healthy relationships in the diverse community and
promote overall community solidarity. Our festival will highlight BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth as future leaders in
the community. The festival will be an excellent venue for the people of Iowa City to have fun in a safe and
entertaining way while learning more about racial and social justice, fashion, and the opportunities available for
people who have an interest in pursuing careers in fashion and design. We anticipate there will be 150 - 200
community members who will attend the Big Dream Festival.
Our project includes four weeks of model and designer training before the fashion show. These workshops will
provide the training to be a commercial, walkway, editorial and professional model. Each of the participants from
the workshops will participate in the Big Dream Fashion Festival.
New
58
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
We strategically put together events by utilizing existing space in new ways to facilitate change and create
opportunities within our community. After considering unique events in the past, we better understand our
competitive edge and our commitment to the community and are aware of a diverse perspective from BIPOC
and LGBTQIA+, body-positive individuals to non-traditional folks who want something new and unique. We are
creating new pathways for community engagement, the heart of racial and social justice.
Our goal has always been to help build and integrate this community. We demonstrate, through action, how to
stand up for ourselves, speak truth to power, and create a safe and productive place to be – a place to fit in, to
feel like we belong no matter what we feel or think or look like. We help our community engage in important
conversations, and to explore their unique voices and perspectives. With our talented BIPOC and LGBTQIA+
production team, fashion stylists, and models, The Big Dreams Fashion Festival is a doorway to making real
dreams come true.
According to Print Magazine (July 8, 2020), Black men and women make up just 3% of the design industry. We
want to offer opportunities so that Black design becomes more of an influence across the country.
We are on a mission to change what you might think of a fashion designer of the future. The mission is
necessary and urgent as Black designers from all disciplines are hardly represented, meaning that our ideas and
our stories are not being heard or documented. When arts education is underfunded and overlooked, it has a
direct impact on the community. When the community is impacted negatively, everyone loses. This is a matter of
urgency.
There is a discrepancy in test scores and achievement between white and minority students. One factor seems
to be discipline practices. Iowa is one of the worst states in terms of racial disparities in out-of-school
suspensions, which interrupts learning, causes negativity toward school, and can lead to a prison mindset.
Furthermore, at Iowa’s public education institutions, both the students and teachers are disproportionately white.
We are aiming to fill in some of the gaps in education by offering BIPOC youth essential skills that can lead to
sustainable employment. Iowa also has a large discrepancy between white and minority incarceration rates, with
minorities most often jailed for drug offenses (typically marijuana), commonly associated with low economic
status and unemployment. In fact, Blacks in Iowa are only 3 % of the population, yet they are 26% of the prison
population. Unemployment is one factor that leads to drug use, and our program aims to provide careers for
Blacks in Iowa.
Providing youth with a creative outlet through fashion and design is also a known protective factor for mental
health issues. Art therapy is a common practice at many treatment centers, as we now know that expression
through art is healing for many mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc. Art is
therapeutic for all of us, regardless of whether we have a mental health condition. As human beings, we have an
innate desire to create and for us re-imagining, our community with space for more social and racial justice
activities is how we plan to combat some of the stats that are negative.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Iowa Open Heartland Open Heartland is helping WHF build our fashion and
sewing room. This room is integral to creating
fashionable pieces for the fashion festival. Iowa Open
Heartland is a past recipient of the RESJ and we are
excited to continue partnering with this organization.
6 months
Resilient Sustainable Futures
Iowa City (RSFIC)
RSFIC is our investment partner and helped us
purchase the Varsity Cleaners building.
1yr
59
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
Great Plains Action Society
(GPAS)
We collaborate with GPAS by providing space to
organize, learn new skills, and participate in
workshops. We also have a collaboration hoodie that
we sell through Humanize my Hoodie and the
proceeds are donated back to their organization to
purchase emergency medical kits. We have shared
space producing the Truthsgiving events together. We
will always stand in solidarity with indigenous
organizations. Great Plains is a past recipient of the
RESJ grant.
4 yrs
Iowa City Community School
District
We continue to partner with the Iowa City Community
School District by providing education, mentorship,
and community activities to youth. In the past, we
have created twelve-week workshops at City High
called Learn More Here. We will have a number of
youth participate and volunteer for the Big Dream
Fashion Festival.
6 yrs
Think Iowa City Think Iowa City was the initial sponsor of this event
as they awarded us a small grant for the original Big
Dream Festival that was originally at Big Grove
Brewery but was canceled due to management
changes. There is $1200 from Think Iowa City to
contribute to the show.
1 yr
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
We serve the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth. The State of Iowa (specifically Black Hawk County) is one of the
worst places for Black men to live. The per capita money income for Blacks in Iowa is $18,070 while the per
capita median income for the state is $30,047; the poverty rate for black people in Iowa is 35.7% but for the
state, the rate is 11.8%. Reducing the threat perception of Black men will help reduce racial profiling,
suspension, and expulsion rates, stop and search statistics, and reduce discrimination in employment. Black
people in Iowa are locked into a cycle of poverty and with that comes a negative connotation: THEY ARE
DANGEROUS! The WHF will offer more opportunities to underserved populations through fashion, art, design,
and entrepreneurship.
There will be no cost for students to participate in the fashion design workshops. We are planning to fund the
expenses with sponsorships, private donations, and grant support. We want the opportunities to be available to
youth at no cost so that there are no financial barriers to participation. Our mission includes offering equal
opportunity regardless of socioeconomic status.
We will ask for a suggested donation at the entrance door for those who attend the fashion show.
The Big Dream Fashion Festival will appeal to a diverse crowd in terms of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and
gender identity. Those who are community driven and want to engage with others are likely to attend. We believe
that since the pandemic has limited social activities in the last couple of years, people are eager to have
entertaining, social events that provide fun for the entire family. We also expect that individuals who are
interested in fashion and want an opportunity to learn about and develop skills in the fashion industry will be
eager to attend. We anticipate 150-200 people attending the Big Dreams Fashion Festival.
Success looks like empowering underserved students through fashion teaching them skills in fashion design and
entrepreneurship when we do this through a series of workshop sessions then we will feel more equitable as far
as the economic disadvantages BIPOC individuals face so if we can showcase these qualities at the Big Dream
Fashion Fest then we have moved the nettle towards a more equitable future.
60
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes. The Wright House of Fashion is an established 501(c)(3) in Iowa City. The Big Dreams Fashion Festival will
be the first of many unique, culturally diverse community events f that highlights the skills and talents of our
BIPOC and LGBTIA+ youth. These youth will use these essential skills to build solid careers and become
examples of success for their friends and communities.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
$5,000 Fashion show for the BIPOC community in 2022.
25,000.00$
$30,000
Think Iowa City Received 1,200.00$
Budget
Fashion Show
production Manager
Organizing, production detail,
creative concept, training of
models and designers,
management of event staff.
5,000.00$1 5,000.00$
Fashion Show
training Workshop
Four week workshop to recruit,
train and prepare models and
designers for the fashion show
this will included a steipen to 4
different speakers with topics in
fashion
1,200.00$4 4,800.00$
Production assistant Supports the Production
Manager day of the show
1,300.00$1 1,300.00$
Special guest MC Narrates the fashion show day
of
1,000.00$1 1,000.00$
DJ and sound Play music set mood 300.00$1 300.00$
Chair rental Rental from Aero Rental 1.00$100 100.00$
61
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
Space rental
improvements
Where the fashion show will be
held. Includes utility costs,
building improvements and
upgrades, building supplies,
driveway management,
insurance, taxes, sound
system, building runway &
building sewing room
4,500.00$1 4,500.00$
Lighting Specialized LED lights from
Aero Rental
450.00$1 450.00$
Hair and makeup Makeup for 10 people 80.00$10 800.00$
Models Performance for the show 200.00$10 2,000.00$
Food and beverage Catering to feed 50 people and
volunteers of the fashion show
1,500.00$1 1,500.00$
Raw materials This includes fabric, screens,
ink, emulsion, fabric, thread
200.00$10 2,000.00$
Marketing and
advertising
Includes social media
advertising, 100 programs,
videos and photography
1,200.00$1 1,200.00$
This project will include professional services and will advance the program by providing opportunities for the
contractors to be paid a fair wage. These special guest speakers will inspire attendees and help make events in
Iowa City more culturally centered. This is noted on the budget document as a special guest MC.
June 1st, 2023: The Fashion Show Production Manager will start upon receiving grant funds. $2,500 will be
allocated to the Fashion Show Production Manager at the start of their contract. The remaining $2,500 will be
paid after the festival is finished on August 6th, 2023.
June 15th, 2023: Preparation for the Big Dream Fashion Festival will start. At that time we will coordinate all the
pieces for our production team, we will hire the Production Assistant, and allocate funds for the fashion show. We
are planning to have our festival on August 5th. Prior to that we will make a deposit for a DJ, produce
promotional material, coordinate food and beverage, and coordinate all our special guest MCs, we will secure all
of these items by July 1st.
July 1st, 2023: The Production Assistant will be hired by July 1st, 2023 to support the workshops and fashion
show. They will be paid $1,300 for their contracted services.
July 6th - July 27th, 2023: Wright House of Fashion Workshops (four total. One per week). We will evenly
allocate $1200 each week for four weeks totaling $4800. This will cover our instructor costs, and marketing
material costs, and will cover food and beverages for four weeks of instruction.
August 6th, 2023: Big Dream Fashion Festival all people associated with the production/activities for the fashion
show will be paid on the day of the event.
June 1st, 2023: Fashion Show Production Manager starts
July 1st, 2023: Production Assistant starts (Meet and Greet) Week 1 workshop - Thursday, July 6th Time: 4-6 pm
Fashion Show Walk practice Week 2 workshop - Thursday, July 13th Time: 4-6 pm
Fashion Show Empowerment Week 3 workshop - Thursday, July 20th Time: 4-6 pm
Fashion Show Final walk-through Week 4 workshop - Thursday, July 27th Time: 4-6 pm
Wright House Of Fashion Big Dream Fashion Festival - Saturday, August 5th
62
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
The grant funding would allow us to create an impactful event by providing models with stipends, marketing,
covering entertainment costs, and funding the workshops and educational opportunities associated with the
event. As the budget demonstrates, full funding is necessary to develop all aspects of the proposal.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/5/2023
63
64
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Sudanese American Community Services in Iowa
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
536 Southgate Ave
Address Line 2
3195125124
president@samcos.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Abdalgader Ibrahim
65
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
President
3195125124
president@samcos.org
Inspiring to build a vibrant strong community. For its skills and potential to be honed to dare and overcome
whatever barriers impeding its rightful progress for equity, prosperity and justice. Who , then can contribute to the
cultural, racial, and social diversity of Iowa community at large.
1
Project Proposal
Community Building
Carry out programs, detailed down, to educate, empower, and train community member by engaging agencies,
city department and commissions, organizations, institutions, and volunteers.
New
The project will advance racial equity and social justice by providing training to ensure good paying job for
community members. Enhance awareness of services and support available for low income and vulnerable
sector of the community that was provided by the city, agencies and organizations
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None None None
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
The project will serve black immigrants’ low-income community. Approximately break down into 60% children
and under age, 25% young adult and 15% 45 years and older.The total number is difficult calculate, beside the
300 members, an unknown number of the community will benefit directly or indirectly from the services.
66
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
No
The prospect of success is promising, since the component of the program touch people concerns and life. For
example, the need for good paying jobs the concern and about their children education and safety. The
recipient’s already have a strong motivation to participate in the programs.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
The project will continue. We plan to expand it to address other concerns and challenges facing the community
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
10,000.00$
Income
Members fee $24, 000
Miscellaneous $ 1,500
Total $ 25,500
Expenses
Rent: monthly $1800 annually $21,000
Utilities and office supplies $2,880
Projected project expenses
None Received 0.00$
Budget
Rent Rent 1,800.00$12 21,000.00$
Electricity Utility 90.00$12 1,080.00$
Internet Utility 50.00$12 600.00$
Water Utility 60.00$12 720.00$
Office supplies miscellaneous 40.00$12 480.00$
67
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
No
1 25% towards rent utilities and supplies/$497.5 per month
2 Educational programs: English conversation, survival English for adult,
Monthly for four months summer and fall $2,000
3 Participate in UI Work Center apprentice program 2,500
4 Educational: UI legal Cleric $200
5 Trips to Iowa historical site and amusement facilities, Summer and fall $ 3,500
6. Police department community outreach. July August, $200,
7 . educational, money management and small business October $1200
8. Entrepreneur class and workshop
February, 2023
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
No
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/5/2023
68
69
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Great Plains Action Society
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52245
Country
USA
Street Address
412 Kimball Road
Address Line 2
3193318034
sikowis@greatplainsaction.org
https://www.greatplainsaction.org/
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Sikowis Nobiss
70
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Executive Director
3193318034
sikowis@greatplainsaction.org
Great Plains Action Society addresses the trauma Indigenous Peoples and our Earth have faced and works to
prevent further colonial-capitalist violence through education, direct action, cultural revival, mutual aid, and
political change.
6
Project Proposal
Truthsgiving at the Englert
In 2022, we partnered with The Englert Theater, for the first time to host a large city-wide Truthsgiving event. We
owe the Iowa City Human Rights Commission a debt of gratitude for the $5,000 grant that helped make this a
reality. The event will be a multifaceted evening event with a Native Drum Group, speakers touching on many
subjects surrounding colonial-capitalism and the effects it has on BIPOC and migrant folks, and an Indigenous
band. Last year, we had Audiopharmacy play and they were a huge hit! To learn more about this false narrative
and how Truthsgiving came about, please read the article written by the founder of the concept, Sikowis Nobiss
and check out our website at truthsgiving.org
Continuous
The tagline of Truthsgiving is The Truth Will Not Be Whitewashed as it stands for the antithesis of the
Thanksgiving mythology that tells a lie about Indigenous Peoples and Pilgrims breaking bread. For the past six
years, Truthsgiving has been a night of truth-telling, music, and laughter celebrating Indigenous culture and
history and uplifting the good in Thanksgiving, which is about family, being thankful, and celebrating the harvest
season. It is also a celebration of Indigenous culture & history and a time, to tell the truth about current issues
our community faces. It decreases the erasure and racism that indigenous folks face in Iowa City as well as
provides folks with a true understanding of what Thanksgiving is about but does not cancel the idea.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
71
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
The Englert Theater same same
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
It was created to serve Indigenous folks as stated above, but it is growing rapidly across the country and folks
from all backgrounds have benefited from it.
No-We ask folks to come for free and donate if they like which only covers the cost of the band and the Englert's
fees to advertise the event.
Success is based on making people think differently about Thanksgiving and Indigenous Peoples. We know that
Truthsgiving works as it has become popular across the state. Even CNN quoted Sikowis’ Bustle article in 2018!
Besides the Englert Theater, in 2022, we had many folks partner with us or carry out their Truthsgiving events,
such as:
Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City, IA
The University of Omaha, Omaha, NE
Seven Generations of Service in
IMT Insurance, Des Moines, IA
Johnson County Equity and Inclusion Committee, Iowa City, IA
7 Directions of Service, Graham, NC
U of I Native American Student Association, Iowa City IA
Sarnia’s YMCA Project North, Toronto, ON, Canada
We also had some good press last year such as:
Talk of Iowa with Charity Nebee, IPR Radio, November 4, 2022
Native activists educate Iowans on the truth behind Thanksgiving, IPR News, Nov 23, 2022
Sarnia’s YMCA Project North is presenting “Truthsgiving” 2022, Sarnia News Today, November 25, 2022
Truthsgiving, event rejecting Thanksgiving myths, provides opportunity to learn at Englert Theatre, Iowa City
Press-Citizen, November 10, 2022
Iowa City Human Rights Commission Video, December 2022
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, every year! 2023 will be our 7th year!
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
Yes, we received $5,000 in 2022 for the same event.
6,500.00$
Our budget for 2022 was around $240,000. We plan to increase our budget to $380,000 for 2023.
72
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
Seventh Generation Received 20,000.00$
11th Hour Project Received 75,000.00$
Western Rural and Plains States Received 50,000.00$
Movement Voter Project Received 7,000.00$
Ben & Jerry's Received 25,000.00$
LUSH Received 15,000.00$
Future Coalition Received 23,580.00$
Emerald Cities Received 50,000.00$
Iowa Stata Clean Energy Table Received 3,300.00$
Climate Nexus Received 30,000.00$
Small Donors on Act Blue Received 20,000.00$
March on Community Fund Received 2,500.00$
Sweetgrass Foundation Received 5,000.00$
Walton Foundation Received 75,000.00$
Kindle Project Received 10,000.00$
Midwest EJ Network Received 62,000.00$
Budget
Drum Group Tradiitional Native Drummers
from Sioux City
512.50$4 2,050.00$
Guest Speakers To discuss the issues
surrounding Truthsgiving
550.00$3 1,650.00$
Gas for GPAS
Speakers
To rep GPAS on stage 100.00$1 100.00$
Catering For band, speakers, volunteers,
dummers, family friends (30
folks)
1,000.00$1 1,000.00$
Zine Printing Truthsgiving zine to give to
every audience member
2.00$400 700.00$
Band Band Fees, travel, hotel (partial
as Englert will cover most)
1,500.00$1 1,500.00$
We will require a caterer for the event. In 2022, we hired Oasis. It advances the activity as we need to feed a
large group of people while doing sound checks, which start in mid-afternoon. Then the event will start at 7 and
we need to essentially stay there the whole time setting up gear, merch tables, etc.
73
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
We will get hotels well ahead of time this year in case the event falls on a game day again, which means they
were expensive last year. So we will most likely book those in September. We will not need to spend the rest
until just before the event, the day of, or shortly afterward
The Englert Theater
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Yes, $6,000
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/5/2023
74
75
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Iowa City Area Development Group
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
136 S. Dubuque Street
Address Line 2
(319) 354-3939
info@icadgroup.com
https://iowacityareadevelopment.com/
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Liz Hubing
76
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Director of Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement
(319) 248-6910
ehubing@icadgroup.com
The Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD)’s mission is to create, collaborate, and act boldly to help build
the economic future of our community and be the best place for all people and businesses to THRIVE. ICAD
strives to promote an inclusive organizational culture for individuals to experience authentic, respectful
interactions with fellow members and community leaders. We believe that celebrating diversity, championing
equity, and cultivating inclusion are critical to the economic vitality of the Iowa City area.
39
Project Proposal
Builders and Backers – Local Pebble Grant Funding
Builders and Backers is a national endeavor that is being implemented locally by the Iowa City Area
Development Group. The national program, Builders and Backers, has been supported in its initial training,
cohorts, and implementation by ICAD in Iowa City by Heartland Forward and the Kauffman Foundation. These
entities spearheaded the first cohort of Builders and Backers and its formation and created the local capacity for
broader and local implementation. In FY24, the Builders and Backers – Local Pebble Grant Funding project will
provide local funding in the form of “Pebble Grants” for underrepresented and underestimated populations from
Iowa City in the earliest stages of entrepreneurship in the cohorts that will occur during FY24 in the local Builders
and Backers Idea Accelerator. A thriving economy is more than just high-growth ventures – it can start locally by
supporting earliest stage entrepreneurs who need this seed funding and a support team of people who believe in
them and their ideas.
The Builders and Backers Idea Accelerator is a rapid-pace, 90-day hybrid program to get aspiring entrepreneurs
ideas off the sidelines and into action. From hyper-growth tech-enabled startups and main street businesses to
impact ventures and everything in between, the Idea Accelerator helps new Builders get started on their
entrepreneurial journey in an entirely unique way. Community organizations like Iowa City Area Development
Group (ICAD), the South District SSMID, Iowa City Downtown District, Iowa City Area Business Partnership,
philanthropic groups, mayors, nonprofits, and alumni recruit Builders and engage them within the existing
entrepreneurial ecosystem. Utilizing the Builders and Backers curriculum and the turnkey solutions, the program
increases the capacity of local organizations to find the earliest stage entrepreneurs. Content is taught virtually,
with organizations like ICAD providing opportunities in person for the Builders to connect. ICAD has played a
critical role in retention and long-term sustainability within communities and help them connect with individuals
that are not currently in the entrepreneurial pipeline. With these “sprint” sessions, mentorship, and Pebble Grants
of $5,000 of non-dilutive funding, Builders are given the opportunity to put their ideas into action during the
experiment phase of the program. This SJRE grant will be used to fund Pebble Grants of five Iowa City based
entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities over the FY24 cohort, increasing direct access to the
economic ecosystem and creating additional inclusive economic development opportunities for those
communities identified as a part of the Inclusive Economic Development Plan recently completed and in its
infancy of implementation. SJRE funding will go directly to these entrepreneurs, and ICAD will support the
funding and staffing costs required to run the program.
The local seed funding for Pebble Grants is critical to the continued growth and success of the Builders and
Backers program and its impact in underrepresented entrepreneurial communities accessing the economic
ecosystem locally.
77
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
New
Access to the capital has continuously identified as a barrier to equitable access for underrepresented
entrepreneurs. In fact, in the recent Inclusive Economic Development Plan (IEDP) led by Astig Planning locally
(available in full here:
https://www.astigplanning.com/_files/ugd/82d696_77578e12d1644d0ca8748f7090746829.pdf) access to capital,
financial systems, and business support systems were identified as existing barriers to BIPOC businesses and
underrepresented and underestimated populations. Providing direct access to undiluted cash funding to support
an emerging entrepreneur in the Pebble Grant, all while providing entrepreneurial support and systems to
enhance and develop the project, will immediately impact and advance racial equity and social justice for that
business owner, it extends to the entire Iowa City community. We know from this IEDP that existing and
emerging business owners in the area come from diverse backgrounds and will benefit from access to the
economic ecosystem almost immediately as seen from previous cohorts. It is time to support these
entrepreneurs locally and continue to build our capacity as a community to adequately fund and support them.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
South District Self-Supported
Municipal Improvement District
(SD SSMID) (501c6)
Recruitment of participants and promotion through
the diversity markets
Ongoing
Iowa City Area Business
Partnership (501c6)
Recruitment of participants, economic development
partnerships, referrals
Ongoing
Better Together 2030 (501c3) Implementation of the inclusive economic
development plan
Ongoing
Heartland Forward Nationwide promotion of the Builders in the Iowa City
Idea Accelerator and connection to a nationwide
network of mentors
Ongoing
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
23 participants so far: 4 immigrants, 69% female, 31% male, 52% Caucasian, 31% black/African American, 4%
Hispanic/latino, 4% Asian, 9% non-white / other identified in previous cohorts, upcoming cohorts are expected to
be increasingly diverse due to recruitment efforts and referrals from past Builders and awareness of the program,
especially women, and increases in racial diversity as well. This project will directly serve those members of the
cohort who identify in these categories other than Caucasian and will be from Iowa City municipal boundaries
and served by an Iowa City based organization, ICAD. We do not have data on the past participants ages or
incomes.
No
78
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
The project will be successful if these five Pebble Grant entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to bring their
ideas to experimentation. This is possible with the funding from SJRE grants and this funding comes without
traditional structural barriers to financing entrepreneurial opportunities and comes with the full support of the
Builders and Backers curriculum, which is designed to enhance and amplify the experience for the Builder and
improve outcomes. This project impacts the Builder, their immediate communities, and then the larger Iowa City
community as a whole as the more often we lift and remove inequitable barriers and open up opportunities for
the entire community, we all succeed. Funds spent in these Pebble Grants also generally stay local, are spent
locally by the entrepreneurs on their entrepreneurial idea, and have an amplification effect in this manner.
As seen in the IEDP and Better Together 2030 plan, our entire community has identified supporting an inclusive
economic ecosystem and environment as a key priority and opportunity that will enhance the quality of life for
every member of our community. This creates a welcoming environment that spreads to other areas our
systems, improving equitable access for all.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes
Builders and Backers has established a framework that works for emerging entrepreneurs and ICAD intends to
implement this program after the SJRE funding ends, ensuring this is a locally supported and funded opportunity.
Banks and other business support organizations like accountants, insurance companies, and others, who all
need growing client bases with new businesses, will see the opportunities created by this program and will be
continually engaged with for support of this program. Two local banks have agreed to support this work in
previous cohorts and their support and others will be sought to ensure the viability and expansion of this program
into the coming years.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
Yes. ICAD receives economic development funding for support of those activities. Builders and Backers is a
separate project from those, funded entirely by ICAD and local funding requests such as this. No Iowa City funds
have been requested nor received for Builders and Backers at this time.
25,000.00$
$1,000,000
City of Iowa City SJRE Applied 25,000.00$
GreenState Credit Union Applied 5,000.00$
MidWestOne Bank Applied 2,500.00$
ICAD Staff and Program Costs (In-Kind)Received 10,000.00$
Budget
79
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Pebble Grants Grants for Builders to use
towards an experiment to test
out their business idea
5,000.00$5 25,000.00$
Builders and Backers
Program Fee
Fee for Builders and Backers
staff time to execute the
program
2,000.00$5 10,000.00$
Operational Costs ICAD Staff time and costs for
Program Administration and
Operations for two cohorts (In-
Kind)
3,000.00$2 6,000.00$
Event Costs Event costs for program launch
event, mid-program meetup,
and Capstone Event
500.00$3 1,500.00$
None. SJRE funds will be distributed directly as Pebble Grants to Builders.
Funds will be spent in FY24 for the cohorts in Builders and Backers on five Builders in the FY24 cohorts between
July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Cohorts are run in Fall and Winter/Spring of the year and funding will be spent beginning in early Fall of 2023
and into early Spring 2024.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Each Builder receives $5,000 as a Pebble Grant in the program and if less funds are received, less Pebble
Grants would be distributed. Fees are paid to Heartland Forward per Builder so costs are only incurred once the
Builder is enrolled in the cohort to receive the Pebble Grant. Staff time and program administration and events
costs will be incurred but at a lower ratio if less Builders are accepted into the program due to funding limitations.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
80
81
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Iowa City Area Business Partnership
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
136 S Dubuque St
Address Line 2
319.337.9637
mary@iowacityarea.com
www.iowacityarea.com
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Mary Willie
82
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Director of Operations
319.337.9637
mary@iowacityarea.com
The Business Partnership serves as the voice of business for Johnson County, Iowa, uniting businesses and
community to maintain a strong economy and quality of life. Our advocacy efforts, networking events, and other
member benefits position members, business leaders and the community for success. We are a partnership of
over 750 businesses committed to making Johnson County the best place to live, work, and learn. We connect
members with the resources they need to grow, advocate on behalf of issues important to area businesses, and
engage the business community to positively impact our community as a whole.
102
Project Proposal
Leadership Programs Scholarships and Access Initiative
83
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
The Iowa City Area Business Partnership (the ICABP) offers comprehensive and dynamic leadership and
community engagement programs. The ICABP, formerly known as the Chamber of Commerce, began offering
educational initiatives in the early 1990s with the formation of the Community Leadership Program (CLP). The
CLP program is now well established and a constant in the community. Last year, the ICABP launched the
Executive Leadership Program (ELP) with faculty and services from the Tippie College of Business. The ELP
program, now in its second class, will continue annually as CLP does. Traditionally, these educational programs
were offered to those who worked in businesses that had the ability to pay their full tuition to the programs with
limited financial assistance. Tuition covers the cost of program administration, fees, program materials, meeting
locations, travel to meeting locations, tours, accommodations, and meals for the full class during day-long
sessions.
CLP is the region’s premier leadership program. It was created in 1990 and was formed to foster informed, well-
equipped invested leaders. Through the program’s life, more than 700 current and future leaders have gained
insight into the issues, opportunities, strengths, and challenges within our community. These leaders attend ten
full-day classes and a weekend retreat, all which offer to inspire emerging leaders by educating them on the
Iowa City area. CLP is a year-long program.
ELP provides Iowa City area business leaders an immersive deep dive into today’s most pressing leadership
challenges, giving them the tools to successfully lead and grow their organizations. The program consists of a
kick-off meeting, 4 full-day sessions, and 3 lunch hour class discussions. This structure enables participants to
periodically remove themselves from day-to-day demands to collaborate with and learn from peers and experts
in a cohort-style format. Each session is facilitated by an engaging, internationally recognized expert affiliated
with the Tippie Leadership Collaborative. Courses include topics relating to recruitment and retention of talent,
leading a diverse workforce, leading strategic change, and fostering engagement and well-being.
Over the last years, the ICABP has increasingly become focused on the importance of equitable access to the
economic systems, removing barriers to accessing these programs where possible, and increasing recruitment
efforts for previously unrepresented and underrepresented groups, by race, gender, age, and income. To that
end, the ICABP partnered with the Iowa City Area Development Group to fund Astig Planning’s Inclusive
Economic Development Plan (IEDP, available here:
https://www.astigplanning.com/_files/ugd/82d696_77578e12d1644d0ca8748f7090746829.pdf). In that
systematic review of our local business support organizations and systems, the IEDP identified that
underestimated community members were historically unpresented and under resourced and had barriers to
access to information, resources, lack of access (real or perceived) to financial systems, relationships with
business support systems, and a short supply of business mentors.
This project seeks to overcome these barriers by providing resources and direct access to these programs
through scholarships, increasing access to the existing and well-run educational programs and civic engagement
opportunities. By increasing access to these opportunities through scholarships, previously underrepresented
participants in the CLP and ELP programs will have direct access and appropriate information contained in each
program’s yearlong curricula. It also includes a diverse and well-established opportunity for increasing access to
the local economic ecosystem, and very immediate and personal relationships with business support
organizations like banks, realtors, insurance agents, and accountants. Secondarily, the CLP program has been a
very real pipeline to community engagement in the community and increasing access to this program will provide
trained community leaders who are prepared and ready to serve on Iowa City Boards, Commissions, and in the
larger community as a whole.
SJRE Funds will be used for direct scholarships to students in both ELP programs and CLP programs that are
from Iowa City and identify from an underrepresented group by race, age, income, or gender. Recruitment efforts
will continue through outreach to communities that previously may have perceived a lack of access to the
programs due to inability to pay tuition.
New
84
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
This project will directly advance racial equity and social justice for both participants throughout the programs
and the community at large by removing economic barriers to participation in community engagement and
business and leadership training activities. The CLP and ELP activities and programs are designed to and have
been shown to improve the participants’ abilities to engage in the local community after graduation. This occurs
through community engaged learning in CLP about seven sectors in the community, leadership and strengths-
based awareness trainings, advancement of business and management concepts, career planning and
advancement, referrals, and formal and informal networking opportunities. Underrepresented community
members interested in participation in the activities will have immediate and direct access to these programs and
the benefits that flow from them, achieving important barrier reductions identified in the inclusive economic
development planning process.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Community Foundation of
Johnson County
ICABP has collaborated with CFJC to establish two
scholarships for previous cohorts, but more work
remains to be done to increase participation and
representation.
2 years
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
CLP and ELP classes have been increasingly diverse, but more work remains to be done. This program will
serve Iowa City residents who identify in the underrepresented race, gender, age, and income levels for
participants, which means primarily non-white, female, older than 50, and income levels below 60-80% AMI.
Participants will receive 100% scholarships and will have no cost to participate in the project as a result of this
funding.
Success will be measured by not only quantity of participants, but the quality of experience they report in the
immediate and long-term following participation in ELP and CLP program. Direct participants would be
immediately impacted not only to the specified and funded quantity of scholarship recipients, and then their
immediate communities (families, neighborhoods, workplaces), but the entire class would be positively impacted
by this fuller community participation. The entire classes would share their experiences and knowledge they
have gained by participating in the programs. It would truly have a ripple effect for years and ensure that these
engaging community programs are accessible equitably across the city of Iowa City.
85
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Funding for scholarships is this entire project to ensure equitable access to programming, and continued
requests for private funding for these scholarships will be made even more effective with the positive outcomes
and measures that will be shown through this pilot stage. Participants will be surveyed throughout the program
and beyond, with qualitative and quantitative data shared with funders in the budgeting and sponsorship
process. Scholarships for nonprofit organization employees have been previously successful at increasing
participation in both ELP and CLP, though not targeted to race, income, gender, or age demographics, rather
type of employer. These nonprofit scholarships are now funded as a part of the program budget and corporate
sponsors after pilot years of successful implementation.
The Community Foundation of Johnson County previously supported two scholarships to the CLP program and
is sought again to fund underrepresented racial demographic groups in the last CLP classes, which has
increased access for participants who would otherwise been unable to join this cohort of participants. Once well
established with a successful track record, the scholarships could be built into the program budget and private
sponsors could be and will be sought to continue the program going forward.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No, the organization has not received funding from the City of Iowa City other than annual dues payment as a
member of the Business Partnership, $5680 annually. The City also sponsors a table at the annual banquet for
$1100, approximately. These dues and the annual banquet are not tied to the CLP and ELP programs.
23,500.00$
$875,000
Community Foundation of Johnson County Applied 2,000.00$
Budget
CLP Scholarships Scholarship for CLP Program
Tuition 2023-2024
2,500.00$7 17,500.00$
ELP Scholarships Scholarship for ELP Program
Tuition 2023-2024
3,000.00$2 6,000.00$
None
86
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Tuition scholarships will all be spent and paid in the 2023-2024 class years, beginning no sooner than July 1,
2023, and paid in full and spent by June 30, 2024.
CLP classes begin in August 2023, ending in May 2024. ELP will begin in fall 2023 and an additional session will
conclude late Spring 2024. Recruitment for participants will begin immediately upon notification of grant award.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Scholarships will be awarded at the number received. Less funding means less participants as the funding is 1:1
direct for each participant in the programs.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
87
88
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
United Action for Youth
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
1700 S 1st Ave, suite 14
Address Line 2
3193387518
genevieve.anglin@unitedactionforyouth.org
www.unitedactionforyouth.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Genevieve Anglin
89
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Associate Director
3193387518
genevieve.anglin@unitedactionforyouth.org
To nurture the potential of all youth to create, grow, and succeed.
52
Project Proposal
UAY Studio B
UAY is proposing adding a new music studio to our already existing music and studio offerings. This studio would
would emphasize vocal tracks, and much of the equipment we are proposing would be portable, allowing UAY
staff to record outside our current studio setting at the Swaim Youth Center.
New
Music has long been a key part of social justice movements. The Save the Music Foundation believes, "Music is
an essential aspect of all human civilizations and has the power to emotionally, morally, and culturally affect
society. When people from one culture exchange music with each other, they gain valuable insight into another
way of life. Learning how music and social bonding are tied is especially crucial in times of conflict when other
lines of communication prove to be challenging. Music, as a cultural right, may aid in the promotion and
protection of other human rights. It can help in the healing process, dismantling walls and boundaries,
reconciliation, and education. Around the world, music is being used as a vehicle for social change and bringing
communities together." According to their Newark, NJ case study, 68% of teachers reported improved academic
performance and 94% reported an improvement in social-emotional skills among youth after their music program
was initiated in schools.
UAY’s studio is very popular, and is often booked months in advance. While this is clearly a great resource for
area youth, it means that we are limited to the number of youth who can utilize the studio, and limited to only
youth who can come to us. This grant would allow us to purchase high quality equipment that could be used at
the Youth Center on a drop in basis, which will allow us to help more young people create art unique to them and
their experience, but would also give us the ability to go where young people are and collaborate with
organizations to bring this resource to them. We are already in discussions with Tate High School, who currently
do not offer music programs, and NCJC to bring the equipment to collaborative summer programs. These are
just the first of what we anticipate to be many collaborations.
Much of the equipment we intend to purchase is specifically for hip-hop and rap, genres that are often left out of
school music curriculums, and that are historically associated with racial justice movements. In Teaching for
Social Justice: Excavating Race, Class, and Gender Among Urban Youth, Maxine Green says, “When we think
of the … nihilism that can and has led to fearsome violence, we need to explore the ways there are of
overcoming senseless fury at existing conditions, feelings of pointlessness, even despair. All this argues for an
encouragement of imaginative reaching out that finds responses in the community. It argues for an opening of
spaces for dialogue, for shared memories, for a coming together in the name of ‘something to pursue.’” UAY
intends to use this equipment to give marginalized youth a safe space to explore their artistic sides and learn
positive ways to channel their feelings, frustrations, and experiences.
90
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
ICCSD - Tate High School Provide in school songwriting, beat making, and
recording workshops.
Begin fall 2023
NCJC Provide summer songwriting, beat making, and
recording workshops.
Begin summer 2023
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
This project will target youth primarily ages 12-18, though some younger youth, and some adults will also benefit.
We anticipate approximately 100 youth to utilize the project in the first year, with many additional youth being
able to utilize the equipment in years to come. The project is for all genders. The current statistics for the studio
are: 50% White, 30% Black, 10% multi-racial, and 10% hispanic. 100% of youth utilizing the studio this year were
of "moderate" (80% of area average income) or below, with 38% in the "low" or "very low" categories. We
anticipate that the youth utilizing Studio B will have much the same demographics, while we will be targeting
lower income and higher minority projects for the mobile studio.
No. All UAY programs are available at no cost to the participants.
We anticipate we will reach at least 100 youth in the first year of the project, approximately 50 in the Youth
Center through Studio B, and at least 50 in outreach programs. We hope that the impact will be to increase the
availability of music education, performance, and recording for young people who have often struggled to access
programing. Music has a host of positive benefits, from positive mental health benefits to bringing people
together to share cultural heritage. UAY also has an emphasis on creating positive social change through art and
community.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, we plan to utilize existing funding, while also looking for new avenues to expand our music and arts
programming, to bring music to an expanded circle of young people.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
UAY receives annual Aid to Agency funding of ~$34,000/year. We have also received funding for homeless
youth services ~$45,000, and have just begun a new grant for crisis services ~$65,000
91
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
25,000.00$
approximately $2 million annually
Anonymous Foundation-remodel of Studio B Applied 5,000.00$
Private donations-Studio B Applied 5,000.00$
Budget
Salaries & benefits for in school programming 5,000.00$1 5,000.00$
Computer equipment computer, monitor, software 5,000.00$1 5,000.00$
Instruments keyboard, guitars 3,500.00$1 3,500.00$
Microphones microphones, headphones 3,000.00$1 3,000.00$
Soundboard soundboard, furniture 5,500.00$1 5,500.00$
Amps amps, speakers 3,000.00$1 3,000.00$
NA
We would purchase the equipment immediately, with programming beginning over the summer and continuing
into the school year. Remodel of studio B (not included in budget, but would cost ~$10K) would begin in late
summer, with Studio B opening in the fall.
The purchase of the equipment would take place immediately, with ongoing programming at the youth center
and in outreach.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
In order for us to have a fully functioning studio and outreach equipment, we would need full funding.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
92
Date*
1/6/2023
93
94
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
AFRICAN RESOURCES CENTER INTERNATIONAL (ARCI)
City
Iowa city
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52241
Country
Johnson
Street Address
611 Southgate Ave
Address Line 2
319-325-3225
arcchronicle21@gmail.com
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Joseph Mungai
95
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Managing Director
319-325-3225
arcchronicle21@gmail.com
ARCI Vision and Mission Statement
African resources center international’s vision is to be a leader in promoting public awareness and creating a
community where refugees and immigrants are treated with dignity, welcome and belonging.
To foster a welcoming community, ARCI may, among other things, do the following:
1. Support refugees and immigrants in their integration efforts in a way that centers their voice and experience.
2. Connect refugees and immigrants with resources, supports and relevant information to improve the quality of
their lives.
3. Help assure diversity and inclusion by increasing awareness of cultural diversity to build a supportive and
engaging community.
4. Foster equality through development of language interpretation and translation programs to reduce disparities,
improve care and equity.
5. Conduct research and disseminate information in furtherance of developing a welcoming community.
6. Initiate, collaborate and support policies focused on removing social and institutionalized barriers that
systematically disadvantage certain groups of people creating underserved communities.
7. Provide training to entities interacting with refugees and immigrants by sharing evidence based effective
strategies of working with members of this community.
8. Build bridges and work cooperatively with other organizations to accomplish these goals.
3 years in operation as an LLC, 10 years established in the community and offering same services.
3
Project Proposal
Safe refugee community families (SRCF)
96
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
The intention of SRCF project is to provide a wrap-around mentoring program for youths of refugee's family in
Iowa city with a goal of building their capacity to help them transition out of the harsh realities of COVID-19
period.
We have trained and experienced staff who are reflective of the diversity of this community that have been
working in the Iowa city community who will provide training and mentoring.
We would like to see 50-60 youth engage in this program and plan on hosting 5 sessions with 10-15 youths
each. We would like to do in-person sessions with extensive observation of COVID-19 protocol. We would host
small groups in large spaces, but we recognize there might be a need to provide some or all the sessions online.
After the training, the participating youth will continue to meet with a small group of our provider to help maintain
the benefits that have been achieved and to further growth.
A little background on current challenges to be addressed.
Young people from refugee families experienced difficult dual blows of isolation from peers, lack of community
integration due to language and host of other barriers and parents who were stressed often having to either
continue dangerous front-line jobs or losing employment.
What we know from local reports and our work with this community:
We know, since the pandemic and reopening of schools in our community, reports show (results of harsh realities
of COVID-19) increase in mental health challenges and difficult behaviors among the youths in this community
including some physical violence where family members and caretakers sometimes being the victims.
These observations are reinforced by reports from law enforcement, our staff members who work closely with
this community and Iowa City Community School District.
Also, young people in this community have started engaging in risky and dangerous behaviors (e.g., heavy
substance use), which has caused loss of lives of a number of youths (from these families) due to drunk driving.
Furthermore, if nothing is done to start addressing the identified need and to curb the rise of these challenges,
the surge will keep on and eventually the demand for funding and services to address more serious issues
among these families will increase.
Meanwhile the quality of life among the youths in this community will continue to decline.
New
97
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
(a) Poverty can be as a result of unequal sharing of resources or inability to access available resources.
The youth that will be served by the SRCF program comes from families who live at or near the poverty level.
We also know the increase in the rate of poverty has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially
for members of this community.
Research shows poverty is a major cause of ill health and a barrier to accessing health when needed.
Also, the correlation between poverty and involvement in criminal justice systems for the youths are well
established.
Furthermore, the heavy abuse of substance among these youths (self-treating of emotional and mental
challenges with substance) and its negative results of drunk driving, like child endangerment among others (as
they transport their own family members and loved ones) and creating risky situations for other road users and
the eventual involvement with the criminal justice creates negative records which translate to lack of jobs or
restrictions to the kind of jobs one can engage in. The outcome is lack of income or enough income. This in turn
continues the cycle of poverty that this community already struggles with.
The SRCF program will help build capacity for the youths in the refugee community which translates to the ability
to access available resources and support in their community.
We believe both the knowledge of where resources and support are and the ability to tap into them starts the
process of taking advantage of available opportunities including sharing with others the privileges within the
society.
(b) Social injustice can occur where there is a denial of rights of certain groups of people in a community.
This in turn can again create poverty for the group of people (experiencing denial of rights) as this results in less
access to adequate resources and support. And eventually inability to share opportunities and privileges within
the community with the rest of the members of the community.
SRCF's mission is to equip the youths in the refugee community with the knowledge that helps them understand
their rights in knowing where resources and supports are and how to tap into them in order to thrive.
We believe people who know their rights are more empowered to have a voice and express their needs.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Iowa city African church
community
We have established positive and productive
relationships with places of worship for the members
of this community and entities that interact and serve
this population in our community.
Ongoing
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
youths from low-income families of refugee community
98
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
All services, supports, referrals and training that incorporate our mentoring work provided by our team will be
free of charge to the participants.
(SRCF) is designed for young people and their families and caretakers. The goal of SRCF is to strengthen
refugees’ families, with a specific emphasis on helping young people connect with resources, support, services
and relevant helpful information to help them transition out of ongoing challenges caused or exacerbated by
COVID-19.
Ongoing significant barriers for this community
It can be easy to forget the conditions of where members of the refugee community are coming from in search of
safety and stability, and the added layer of trauma they are trying to cope with at the same time as they navigate
their resettlement and integration in our community. In addition, the cultural, linguistic, and institutional
differences that can create significant barriers and challenges for many of them in our community.
success of the project involves seeing the following things happen:
Build their capacity
The capacity building resulting in (ability to overcome the negative challenges) for these youths, which will be
determined by the degree to which they are connected to effective resources, support, services and a caring
team.
Impact on this population and community in general by this project
Building and strengthening preventative measures for the community
Since, resources, supports, services and relevant information SRCF program will provide are geared towards
building the capacity of the youths in this community to address both internal and external problems that hinders
them from thriving, this will result into strengthening this community against challenges that threatens their
existence.
The strength of Iowa city's larger community emerges from the content that makes it. Members of this community
are part of Iowa city larger community. Hence strengthening this community is strengthening Iowa city larger
community.
Additional ways this project benefit and impact our community.
Education
The information SRCF program will share with the youth in this community will increase their knowledge
(education) on: (Where and how) to find and get connected to available resources and supports in the
community.
Health
The supports SRCF program will provide to the youth in this community includes referral and connection with
quality and affordable or free mental health services to improve their mental health.
Criminal justice
The resources, support and information SRCF program will provide to the youth in this community will decrease
and or stop their involvement with law enforcement which is related to their substance abuse and engaging in
violence behaviors or driving when drunk.
We hope the number of youths mentored will start a positive ripple-out effect that those impacted will not only
start experiencing wellness, but they will be a catalyst of positive change within this community and the larger
community as a whole.99
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Our team is committed and want to continue with this important project and will seek public and private funding
to support and further this work.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
24,000.00$
$25,000
0.00 Applied 0.00$
Budget
Professional services trainers, translation, childcare $12,000.00$
Suppliers training material, training food,
mentoring program enrollment
incentives
$6,000.00$
Misc rent space, transpotation $6,000.00$
Professional services will help the community benefit from culturally relevant supports that are evidence based
that are tailored to the unique needs of this community. Such interventions will provide the best opportunity for
ensuring these families will address identified issues in ways that are meaningful to them and effective.
The mentoring will occur over a six-to-eight-month period with:
Professional services:
trainers' fees, childcare, translation services (outreach avenues) etc.
Supplies: training incentives: training material, food catering services for proposed sessions etc.
Misc: rent fees for meeting space, transportation and logistics
100
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Major work of the project will happen over the summer and fall of 2023. We plan to hold sessions over a series of
weekends.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
yes, we could start by providing fewer mentoring sessions than planned for at this time.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
101
102
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Al-Iman Center Of Iowa INC
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52246
Country
United States
Street Address
1812 W. Benton ST.
Address Line 2
(319)354-6167
imaniowa@gmail.com
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Viana Qadoura
103
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Founder & Director of Mariam Girls' Club/ Extracurricular
Activities Organizer for Al-Iman Center/ The Head of the
Social Events Committee at Al-Iman Center
3196712195
mariamgirlsclub@gmail.com
Mariam Girls' Club's Mission is to connect, empower, and unite our youth through regularly held meetings and
community service projects held within Iowa City and the surrounding areas.
Mariam Girls' Club is a local Muslim girls’ youth club that was established in 2018. MGC is organized to brighten
the future of our youth and be a place for Muslim girls to gather and build strong, healthy relationships that aim to
assist them in preserving and strengthening their identities. MGC helps our youth to combat any negativity they
encounter by fostering feelings of camaraderie and support, giving them a sense of community they can always
rely on. The notion that “we are all in this together” creates strong bonds between the girls which empowers
them to strengthen the values within themselves, while also providing them with a sense of belonging. This leads
the girls to find joy and comfort in giving back to the community by volunteering, leading projects, and hosting
events for the children in our area.
Mariam Girls' Club is solely leading this project for Al-Iman Center.
4
Project Proposal
The 1,000 Book Nook
The 1,000 Book Nook project aims to offer an alternative narrative for the children in our community. This
children's' mini library at Al-Iman Center will serve our young children (5-14 years of age) throughout the years at
no cost to them. Fiction, non-fiction, and bilingual books will be carefully selected to provide our children with the
opportunity to read and learn about characters and stories similar to themselves - presently, the few rare
instances our children are presented with books where they see connections to their own lives come with many
crippling stereotypes. We are aiming to provide our children with books that have protagonists who resemble
them so that they feel a sense of empowerment as opposed to alienation. We believe that books are powerful
enough to strengthen children's characteristics, to grow their self-esteem, and to create and provide a one-of-a-
kind fun and exciting experience for our children. Al-Iman Center currently has a collection of 250 books that
were donated to them over the course of the past 4 years, but with this grant we are hoping to make a significant
difference by growing the collection to 1,000 books and greatly increasing the accessibility of the children to the
mini-library.
New
104
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
fulfilling the nation’s promise of equality and eradicating misconceptions and biases which are aimed to reduce
the worth of Muslims and immigrants to less-than citizens. Offering our Muslim children a window to learn about
the contributions that their ancestors made to the canal of sciences, astronomy, literature, math, philosophy, and
health is one of many ways to eliminate racial hierarchies. The child will grow with strong dual identities that
encompass both the pride of their own heritage and also the privilege to serve humanity regardless of faith or
race. Our children are being bombarded by negativity from within their own small circle of friends, the school
environment, and the centuries-long war against Muslims and minorities. The wellbeing of our youth is being
jeopardized, and their future is being hijacked by the struggles that they face on a daily basis. Why let others
define who they are instead of giving them the right to their own individualized space to learn who they are?
Enjoying a book that has someone who speaks their language, who adheres to the same faith, and who looks
like them will fulfill the need and desire for trustworthy, accessible resources about Muslims/Arabs and the
cultural heritage that is associated with this great civilization.
I work with Muslim children and youth, and I see the burden on their shoulders. Parents are struggling due to
language barriers to advocate for their kids and even provide them with needed information. Western culture is
prevalent in these children's schools, and the issue is that the children are encouraged and influenced to
assimilate and hide their identity in both direct and indirect ways. They are made to feel that it is shameful to be
themselves and that who they are as people does not suit the mainstream agenda. Children are feeling that they
belong nowhere and that they have to act differently based on where they are or who they are with. Society is
actively trying hard to make those children believe that their faith, heritage and race are restrictive to their
advancement rather than being directive and protective as it is really is. Generations are being lost and
communities are becoming burdens on the State systems. Isn’t time to make a change and save this generation
of children?
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None The 1,000 Book Nook 1 year
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
The project will serve Muslim boys and girls of ages ranging from 5-14 years. Africans (which are the majority
and mostly are Sudanese) and some Middle Easterns will be the most served groups at in Al-Iman Center. It is
not an affluent community and most of them are either students or low income earners who are living and
depending on governmental aid programs.
No financial cost to participate.
Library will be accessible to those who are interested on weekly basis. We will serve a minimum of 40-60
children per week and that is based on the current number of the children we see on a regular basis at Al-Iman
Center.
This nook will provide a safe fun haven for our children. The community will be relieved to finally have a trusted
place which provides reliable resources which are not to be found any where else.105
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, it will continue. The Library will be set to serve generations to come. Getting this grant will advance our goal
to grow the Library and hopefully one day it will become the first in the nation of such kind.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
None
15,000.00$
Al-Iman Center estimate budget is $80,000
None Applied 0.00$
Budget
Books Books to be purchased through
small businesses or
international which adds to the
cost of shipping unless found
some locally. Total will include
estimate shipping.
18.00$750 15,000.00$
None
Books will be purchased throughout the year and then will be categorized and ready for our children to enjoy.
Hopefully by January of 2024 we will reach the 1,000 book goal and have all books on display at Al-Iman
Children Library (The 1,000 Book Nook).
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
Less funding will aid the cause, but it will not fulfill the goal.
106
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
107
108
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Immigrant Analytics
City
Iowa city
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
2958 Keel Boat Loop
Address Line 2
319 512 4997
admin@immigrantanalytics.com
https://www.immigrantanalytics.com/
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Dr. Anne Kiche
109
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Director, Immigrant Analytics
319 400 3877
aokiche@gmail.com
The mission of the organization is to provide research, consultancy, and project management support services to
improve immigrant and refugees welfare by reducing inequalities associated with poor health, lack of education
and skills, and barriers to education and economic opportunities.
1
Project Proposal
Accelerated English Language Learning among Immigrants
and Refugees in Johnson County
Johnson county is home to between 151,000 (Migration Policy Institute, 2020) to 154,743 (U.S. Census
Bureau;2020), persons out of which 10.8 % are foreign-born. The county is experiencing growth in immigrant
and refugee population estimated to be 17,800. This size is second to Polk County with 43,000 immigrants and
refugees. The top ten sending countries to Johnson County are China (12%), Sudan (9.8%), Congo (9.3%), India
(8.3%), Mexico (7.1%), Korea (6.2%), Vietnam (5.8%), Canada (2.6%), El Salvador (2.3%), and Honduras
(1.9%). Most of the immigrants and refugees from these countries are likely to have limited or no English
proficiency.
1. The Problem and Gaps:
There is a high need for English language instruction services in the county, that is not being met by existing
providers. Many of the recent adult arrivals are not able to enroll to Kirkwood Community College, the only
provider of English as a second language (ESL) provider in the county. Barriers like work schedules, lack of
transport, lack of child care, and lack of confidence in learning in formal groups has resulted in many adult
immigrants and refugees delaying enrollment at Kirkwood Community College. These problems are not well
documented due to lack of studies on immigrants and refugees in Johnson County.
Delays in enrollment and lack of enrollment have created a gap between the desire to acquire proficiency in
English and the ability of existing institutions to provide services that meet unique circumstances immigrants and
refugees face. There exists a gap in preparing some of the immigrants and refugees to fully participate in the
society and the existing solutions.
Most of the immigrants and refugees constitute the minority races and are more likely to suffer social injustices
and racial inequalities. They can’t fully participate in the society due to delayed, limited or lack of English
proficiency.
According to the US Census bureau (2020), 60 % of US persons speak English very well, 19% speak it well,
13% don’t speak English well, while 6% don’t speak English at all (U.S. Census Bureau;2020). Applying these
national statistics to Johnson County indicate that about 19% of 17,800 immigrants and refugees are likely to
have limited or no English proficiency in the county. This is almost equivalent to 1 out of 5 not likely to fully
participate in the society until they become proficient in English after many years. This group represents the
deprived Americans who are likely to experience racial, economic, and social injustices.
2. Accelerated English Language Learning Using App Technologies:
The Iowa City based firm, Immigrant Analytics proposes to implement a widely used App called Learning
Upgrade to supplement formal and informal English learning methods. Learners can begin from the basic
English level B to English level 5 reading and comprehension.
110
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
The App has the advantage of allowing participants to learn at their own flexible pace and time, and with the
support of other members of the family. Children born in the US can use the App to help their foreign-born
parents to learn English.
The App can prepare immigrants and refugees who are intimidated and reluctant to enroll in formal English
classes.
3. The Objectives:
a. Reduce the proportion of immigrants and refugees in Johnson County with limited or no English proficiency
(LEP).
b. Reduce the duration of time it takes to learn English as a second language from the typical six years to be
proficient controlling for socio-economic variables.
c. Reduce the barriers to learning English as a second language (ESL)
4. The Project and Implementation:
Immigrant Analytics will obtain login access to 100 immigrants and refugees from all parts of the world. One third
of these participants will be drawn from Latin and Central America region, the next third will be selected from
Africa, and the rest will be from China, India, Korea, and other countries. Participants will be trained on how to
use smart phones, computers, or other device which can be used to access the Learning Upgrade App through
the internet.
The project is expected to impact over 100 immigrants individually by improving their English language skills
and potentially reducing educational, health, and economic inequalities. The project being the first of its kind in
the community will spark discussion and research on the role of new technologies in helping immigrants and
refugees learn English along side existing formal class instruction.
New
111
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
1. Enabling immigrants and refugees from non-English speaking countries to improve their English language
skills, build confidence in interacting with other US English speakers and exercise their social, economic,
political, and legal rights and to meet their obligations as US residents.
2. Improving proficiency in English needed to enroll in a college or university. Many immigrants and refugees
arrive in Iowa with high school education but can’t achieve their educational and occupational aspirations.
3. Allowing immigrants and refugees with college or university diplomas in medical professions, education, and
technical fields to attend refresher courses at the local institutions to avoid ending up unemployed in mismatched
low wage occupations. This can prevent loss in earnings and reduce inequality between US-born persons and
foreign-born workers.
3. Reducing the duration it takes to be proficient in English. Educated professionals like, nurses, dentists, and
doctors trained in languages other than English have found it almost impossible to practice in the US due to
limited English Proficiency. This is considered a waste of human resources.
4. Preventing frustrated immigrant and refugee professionals trained in non-English speaking countries from
returning back to their countries of origin living behind members of their family. Family separation creates social
and economic hardships to members of the family and children who may not want to return back to countries of
origin.
5. Enhancing learning among immigrants and refugees who find it difficult and time consuming to navigate
through learning materials compared to persons proficient in English. Limited English proficiency is not only a
barrier to education but is a source of racial and social inequality. Lack of adequate English instruction programs
for immigrants and refugees was considered a social injustice which violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by the
US Supreme Court decision of 1974 in Lau v. Nichols.
6. Enabling immigrants and refugees to participate in community initiatives aimed at promoting equity and social
justice. Immigrants and refugees with limited or no English proficiency are less likely to get involved in social
programs initiated by civic organizations, City of Iowa City government, and the Iowa City School District.
7. Reducing unemployment among foreign-born persons.
8. Increasing income levels of foreign-born household members and reducing income inequality.
9. Reducing poverty, income inequality, and dependency on public welfare services, which is a source of social
stigma and low esteem among foreign-born persons. To break the cycle of dependency, immigrants and
refugees need a good command of English language skills, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
10. Being good role models for their children if socially and economically independent.
11. Reducing health inequalities by being able to understand health risks, participate in disease prevention
programs, and utilize available health care services. Studies have shown that poor English language skills is one
of the major barriers to utilization of health care services and is a major source of health inequalities among
foreign born persons and their US-born children.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
none none none
112
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
The project will serve 100 residents of Johnson County who are immigrants or refugees. Participants will be
selected if they are from regions and countries where English is not one of the major languages and must qualify
as having limited or no English Proficiency. Participants will include foreign-born persons from South and Central
America, Africa, Arabic Middle East, China, India, Europe and Asian Pacific Islands. Specifically, the group will
be diverse, including:
1. Foreign-born children of immigrants and refugees,
2. Adult males, females, and persons of other gender,
3. Employed low-income earners with limited English proficiency,
4. Unemployed persons with limited or no English language skills.
No
The success of the project will be measured using the following methods:
A. Individual Impacts:
1: The proportion of the enrolled persons who learn using the App for the designated 12 months.
2. The proportion of the enrolled persons who adopt the project beyond 12 months to continue learning
3. The proportion of the enrolled persons who with improvements in English proficiency in 12 months or less
B. Qualitative Impacts:
1. The pace of learning English by controlling for other factors
2. The extent of changes in participation in the economy and the society by considering employment, incomes,
inclusion in health promotion strategies, and involvement in the education of their children.
3. Extent to which other family members are engaged with the App users in learning English. Are their US born
children and spouses more involved ?
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes.
A. The project will ensure that participants who have not dropped out of the language App are sufficiently
supported beyond 12 months by:
1. Allowing individuals capable of paying to continue using the product beyond 12 months at the going cost of $5
per month until they make a decision to terminate using the App.
2.Acquiring other grants from alternative sources from the City of Iowa, other than the RESJ to support existing
participants who want to continue learning using the App beyond 12 months.
3. Negotiating and finalizing research and development contract with the App provider, whereby participants
willing to continue learning but unable to pay are not denied access, but kept to provide essential research
information on how long participants are willing to utilize the App beyond 12 months and for development of
pricing and social marketing strategies for their own needs regarding adoption of the technology.
B. The project will also continue by periodically recruiting new participants to increase the coverage and impact
among needy immigrants and refugees in the community by seeking funding from different organizations.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
16,175.00$
113
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
Rental ($600x12) + administrative costs($2000) = $8200
None Applied 0.00$
Budget
App {LEARNING
UPGRADE)
Login access to the App
"Learning Upgrade " costing $5
per month for 12 months for
100 people.
60.00$100 6,000.00$
Training sessions 10 Sessions for 10 groups 50.00$10 500.00$
Tutoring About 50 out of 100 may need
tutoring in the first few months
about 30 sessions at $20
20.00$50 1,000.00$
Baseline Data
Collection
Data on participant
characteristics (
Questionnaires, administration
and processing) at $15 per unit
$50 rate )
20.00$100 2,000.00$
Outreach &
Recruitment
Hours spent consulting with
organizations to recruit 100
people in Johnson County
20.00$10 200.00$
Translation Translation in Arabic, Swahili/
Lingala etch during training
50.00$4 200.00$
Transport About 25 people out of 100
participants may need transport
for training session at $15 each
15.00$25 375.00$
Monitoring Quarterly cost of data collection
by App developers on
participant learning activities,
drop-out times and performance
at $10 per person for 3 months
30.00$100 3,000.00$
Evaluation and
Reporting
Professional consultancy fee for
analysis of all project data
3,000.00$1 3,000.00$
Report writing Fee for evaluation and writing of
report
1,500.00$1 1,500.00$
Data Storage and
Accessories
Cost for data storage and office
accessories
100.00$1 100.00$
114
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
Project
Transportation Cost
Cost of trips to attend meetings
by project manager and
assistants
10.00$20 200.00$
Testing Software
(CASAS)
Cost of Software 10.00$100 1,000.00$
Administering
CASAS
1 hour Baseline test (10
groups), progress test (10
groups) & progress test (10
groups)
25.00$20 500.00$
Data analysis and
Report
Analyzing data to measure the
impact of the project
1,000.00$1 1,000.00$
Administrative costs Payments to Project Manager 2,000.00$1 2,000.00$
The budget includes fees for professional consultancy services: To have impact these services are necessary
and justified as follows:
1. Sampling and selection of minorities, immigrants and refugees for projects is one of the most difficult tasks
social researchers and project administrators face in the US, especially if there is no social marketing of direct
monetary benefits to induce participation. The expected indirect non-monetary impacts are not always obvious
and it is not always clear to participants that social projects improve their own welfare and reduce societal
inequalities in employment, health, education, and social justice. We therefore need outreach services using
social networks, religious groups, country or region-specific organizations like the African Communities Network
of Iowa to build confidence, comfort, and willingness among immigrants and refugees to participate in projects.
2. Mistrust remains a big issue in minority social relations in the US. We strategically want to work with immigrant
and refugee groups more likely trusted to garner the sufficient enrollment number of 100 to make an impact in
the community in the short and long run.
3. Language is a critical barrier in execution of projects. Translators will be needed to make sure that participants
clearly understand the process, motives, and objectives of the project to avoid lack of enrollment or drop-out.
4. We want to conduct an exemplary language project to supplement formal and informal learning of English as a
second language in the community. We need a sound data collection process, book-keeping, and evaluation
process. The success or failure of the project can only be determined if we rely on qualified professionals in the
field of project management, research, and evaluation services to allow adjustments in undertakings.
Timeline of Expenditures:
September 2023- October 2023: Recruitment of participants $500
October 2023- December 2023 10 training and testing sessions $500
November 2023- May 2024
Launching the project $6000
Participants support services $500
Monitoring drop-outs $500
App testing of progress $2000
Independent test -CASAS for validation of progress $1000
May 2024- November
Collecting and inputting data for analysis from App developer $1000
October 23- Populating data set $175
November 2024:
Continuous assembling of data and testing progress by drop-outs. $2000
November/ December 2024: Data processing and report $2000
115
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Timeframe and Activities:
1. September 2023: Recruitment of participants and finalizing contract for the "Learning Upgrade" App.
2. October 2023: 10 training sessions and testing
3. November 2023: Launching the project
4. December 2023- November 2024: Data acquisition from App on the success and pace of learning.
5. November/ December 2024 : Analyze data and write the report on the experiences using the technology and
evaluate individual successes or failures, and evaluate societal impact in terms in terms of replication potentials,
and adoption of App technologies in addressing sources of social and economic inequalities among minorities in
the US.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
This project can be completed with less funding by:
1. Reducing the number of participants from 100 to a minimum of 50 persons for 12 months and or
2. Reducing the duration of the project to a minimum of 6 months
3. A combination of 1 and 2.
1. A minimum of 50 participants provides a good sample that may allow both qualitative and quantitative test on
learning. Moreover, the size is driven by the goal of inclusion of diverse language and ethnic backgrounds in the
project.
2. The minimum time frame of 12 months is highly recommended to give participants sufficient time to be on the
learning path and provide enough time of data needed to evaluate the progress, the barriers to learning, and
drop-out risk.
3. The minimum time frame of 12 months is part of the negotiation with the App developer to collect data that can
be used to improve the product regarding pricing, retention, and social marketing. Thus even if the grant funding
is not available they are more likely to keep some of the participants who are not able to pay for product
development research. This will allow the project to continue for some participants beyond 12 months until
participants feel they have acquired sufficient English proficiency levels or drop-out for some other reasons.
4. To exploit economies of scale in
5. The minimum amount necessary for the project with reduced participants is about $ 10,000
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
116
117
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Systems Unlimited, Inc.
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
United States
Street Address
2533 Scott Blvd., SE
Address Line 2
319-338-9212
jolene.sorenson@sui.org
www.sui.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Jolene Sorenson
118
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Director of Development and Communications
319-338-9212 ext. 1200
jolene.sorenson@sui.org
Partnering with people who have disabilities and mental health needs to advance their personal independence,
dignity and growth.
51
Project Proposal
Providing Better Care through Connections
Systems Unlimited is a local non-profit based out of Iowa City that works with approximately three hundred fifty
people living with disabilities and mental health needs. People we serve live in ninety-six community homes
across eastern Iowa neighborhoods where they are supported by our staff for typically twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. Fifty-one homes administered by Systems are in the Iowa City area.
It is estimated that 30% of Systems’s front line staff are not native English speakers and that number continues
to increase. While the staff are able to provide good support to the people we serve, there tends to be times
when miscommunication happens. This is especially true when dealing with a person we serve that has a
language barrier due to their disability. This can lead to strained relationships between staff and the person
receiving services, as well as potentially preventing the person with a disability to be able to express their
choices.
Our staff are required to document the services they provide. There are times when words chosen do not have
the intended meaning due to a language barrier, which can lead to the appearance of incomplete documentation
and/or incorrect service provision. There are also times when staff have a very strong understanding of proper
English but do not understand certain expressions that can lead to a feeling of isolation at work.
In order to ensure that Systems has a work environment that all staff can thrive, gain skills and move up within
the agency, Systems would like to invest in an application that can be added to agency Chromebooks at the fifty-
one homes where services are administrated in Iowa City. The application would need to provide text to speech
as well as translate written words. While there are several free translator applications, Systems would need the
ability to manage the application across the agency, trouble shoot with staff and ensure HIPAA compliance. For
the grant, Systems is requesting the price of what the annual cost for an application such as DeepL to be
installed at the fifty-one homes in Iowa City.
The second part of this project is to target the feeling of isolation and misunderstanding when co-workers are not
from the same culture. As stated earlier, our staff base continues to change and diversify. Systems Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team would like to start hosting monthly meetings where native English and non-
native English speaking staff can pair up to work on conversational English skills. This would be a safe space to
ask questions about any misunderstandings for either group and build relationships across the agency. Iowa City
Compassion is another non-profit in Iowa City that has a similar ESL conversational class. Systems has asked
for mentorship from IC Compassion on building this program.
Systems is asking for grant monies to offset the cost of paying staff to run this meeting and for the materials
needed.
If successful, the long-term goal would be to add an additional Conversational ESL meeting that would be open
to community members.
New
119
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
This project advances racial equity/social justice in many ways. With the translator application added to our
Chromebrooks, it can provide better communication between non-native English speaking staff and people we
serve that have a disability. People we serve will receive better care from their staff when they can better express
their wants and needs. People served can use the application with all of their staff when a word is hard for them
to pronounce, even when the staff’s native language is English.
The Conversational ESL meetings are not only a learning opportunity but also a networking one. It can lead to all
staff feeling confident in their ability to understand others from diverse backgrounds and to advance their careers
at Systems.
If Systems is able to start a Conversational ESL class for community members, it is an opportunity for community
members from different countries to learn more about our services.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
None None None
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
This project will serve a wide variety of demographics. The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure our staff are
able to provide the best care to people living with disabilities. The people we serve are aged sixteen years old to
eighty-nine years old. They are from a wide variety of race and genders. Their income is at or near the poverty
line and most receive Medicaid funding.
This project also gives the opportunity for all of our staff to understand each other better and creates a safe
space for non-native English speakers to ask questions. Their race identification and income is unknown, as we
do not ask these questions upon application.
If the long-term goal is realized, this project could also help immigrants that are non-native English speakers
understand social services in an unassuming way.
No, this would be free for participants.
This project has the potential to affect all of our non-native English speaking staff. We currently employ
approximately 900 people so it could impact approximately 270 staff. It has the ability to make communication
easier for people living with disabilities to receive better services in their homes. We currently serve
approximately 288 people that live in a home operated by Systems.
Systems will have a baseline survey to determine where participants feel they are on a scale regarding language
usage, connections with people we serve, their staff and co-workers. The survey will be administered at six
months and again in one year. We hope to see an increase in those areas of at least 10% overall.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
If we find success, we will continue the Conversational ESL meetings with the hope of expansion to the
community. We are also hopeful for the success of the interpreter applications on the Chromebooks. After this
initial year, Systems would determine if we could expand the program to our other service areas. If we can, we
may look at adding parts to our budget and fundraising for it.120
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No.
5,823.00$
45 million
None Applied 0.00$
Budget
DeepL (or app like it) Translator Application for one
year
108.00$51 5,508.00$
ESL Conversational
Books
Books that help with leading
discussions for ESL classes
15.00$5 75.00$
Staff compensation 12 hours of compensation for
staff to lead and plan for the
monthly ESL meetings
20.00$12 240.00$
None.
121
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
March 2023: Systems is awarded the grant money.
- Systems DEI Lead Officer will order the conversational books for the ESL meetings within 2 weeks.
April 2023:
- DEI will do a training on the application; explain its usage and goals.
- Application is paid for and added to all Chromebooks at the Iowa City homes.
- By the end of this month, DEI will have sent out a baseline survey.
- DEI will send out information about the Conversational ESL monthly meeting.
May 2023:
- Systems holds its first monthly ESL conversational class for staff and continues with the classes until at least
May 2024.
November 2023:
- DEI team sends mid-year survey to determine what efforts are working.
- DEI team adjusts anything needed in order to meet goal, including any extra training.
May 2024:
- Last survey is administered by DEI team to determine effectiveness of efforts.
April 2023: All funds will be spent except for the staff wage. Chromebook application will be added to Iowa City
homes. Baseline survey administered.
May 2023: First Conversational ESL meeting will be held
November 2023: Mid-way survey
May 2024: Last survey
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
To complete all of the initiatives in the grant, there would not be a way to cut back on funding.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
122
123
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Better Together 2030
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52245
Country
USA
Street Address
136 S. Dubuque Street
Address Line 2
3193255631
info@bt2030.org
www.bt2030.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Cady Gerlach
124
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Executive Director
3193255631
cady@bt2030.org
Better Together 2030 is a Community Development Corporation that emerged from the pandemic and is charged
with implementing the community-wide strategic plan, the All in Vision. BT2030 was organized is to promote the
overall well-being and common good of the communities in Johnson County, supporting and leading community
development projects and improving quality of life for all, including poverty alleviation activities and projects
designed to improve and strengthen the social determinants of health for all community members.
1
Project Proposal
Implementing the Internal Work of the IEDP
125
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
The Inclusive Economic Development Plan (IEDP) was completed in 2022 and identified existing barriers for
underrepresented and underestimated businesses and community members in the Iowa City area. While the
plan identified very real and structural barriers faced by these communities like capital, rent costs, and access to
information and resources, the plan also identified something critical to the success of the IEDP - adjusting the
current system.
There is no question that the current system is failing and leaving many of our community members behind.
Providing access to capital, information, and resources, and developing more equitable policies and practices to
assist underrepresented and underresourced community members is critical. However, those existing business
support organizations must also undertake significant and important work to adjust their own systems and
beliefs. The IEDP called this important piece of the puzzle "internal work." This internal work that business
support organizations and municipalities must undertake is a key part of the success of creating an inclusive
economic ecosystem. The internal work referenced in the plan is multifaceted, including clearer information on
licensing and permitting processes to translation of business documents and resources. This proposed project is
aimed at the other portion of the "behind the scenes support" needed, including delivering antiracism training,
training in multicultural planning perspectives and tools, and training in the incorporation of multilingual and
multicultural design in offices and public spaces.
Trainings like these are increasingly common in the area and we have many experts in the field to rely upon. The
missing piece is often attendance and personalization to the attendee or business. The key, we have learned, is
offering these trainings at locations, at times, and in places that municipalities and business organizations will not
only access them but will then utilize and operationalize the materials in their day to day functions.
This project will take training topics offered in antiracism, implicit bias, socially just customer service, leading and
managing diverse teams, inclusive marketing, among others. Trainers have been identified for these topics from
local and regional experts, including speakers from the Better Bridges Institute and other local leaders and
organizations that are led by/for underrepresented community members.
This project will fund the program administration of this internal work, the organization of trainings onsite at
business support organizations like accountants, insurance companies, banks, credit unions, printers, marketing
agencies, business leagues, civic groups, and nonprofit organizations. These trainings will be personalized to
each party, ensuring improved attendance, accessible and safe spaces for attendees, and opportunities for
reconciliation and access for healing supports as needed, given the complexity of training materials and topics
discussed. Project funds will be used to pay for Iowa City based trainings, materials, meals, and program
administration.
New
This project will immediately impact racial equity and social justice of the Iowa City community by bringing the
IEDP internal work to business support organizations and municipal organizations to ensure that this critical
piece of the plan and its success is realized. Racial equity and social justice will be advanced when the
community continues to improve access to the economy and make systems that have traditionally been unjust
more accessible to all. Training business support organizations in antiracism, implicit bias, socially just customer
service and inclusive marketing will have real and immediate impacts to our community and people that access
our economy every day!
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
126
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
Better Bridges Institute BBI will partner to offer the trainings for free and
travel within the Iowa City community with BT2030
organized trainings. BBI is from the University of
Iowa.
1 year
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
This project will serve all ages, races, genders, and incomes but will improve experiences for those community
demographic groups that identify as underrepresented and underresourced.
No, there would be no cost to the project participants.
Success of the program looks like regular cadence of trainings that become routine for business support
organizations and become an important part of their usual meeting schedules and annual training plans.
Incorporating this internal work will give immediate benefits to the businesses that were identified in the IEDP
that felt business support organizations were not always accessible, open, or friendly to them. When our entire
community feels welcomed and supported, we all thrive. To put a number to success, when 500 participants
have been trained, the ripple effects will be realized and felt throughout the community.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes, this is the pilot year of the program and we will work to build local capacity for this program to be
incorporated into traditional offerings to business support organizations. Developing the supply/demand for the
product being offered and then establishing a reasonable cost and increasing the scalability of this project will be
continually addressed.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
None.
18,500.00$
$167,500
CFJC Better Together Fund Received 2,500.00$
Better Together Staff - in kind 1/2 staff time Received 2,050.00$
Budget
127
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
Training Tuition Materials for participants,
copies, licenses for
assessments/surveys, and
boxed lunch
25.00$500 12,500.00$
Program
Administration
BT2030 Program Administration
- payroll contract costs
2,500.00$1 2,500.00$
Trainer Fees Trainer fees for not Better
Bridges trainers in implicit bias,
reconciliation, and healing
circles
2,850.00$3 8,550.00$
Trainers fees and fees for professionals who will offer reconciliation and healing circles is critical to the success
of the program.
Trainings would begin in July 2023 and would conclude June 2024.
Recruitment of support organizations will begin in Spring 2023 if successful application is funded, trainings will
begin in Summer 2023 and continue into late Spring 2024. Surveys and continued analysis will occur throughout
the timeline to adjust for program success.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
With reduced participants and offerings, potentially. It is really an economy of scale where it is easier to add more
participants to the project than it is to reduce offerings, which would leave the program incomplete and less than
able to acheive the goals set out in the IEDP.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
128
129
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Iowa City/Coralville Boxing Club
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
IA
Postal / Zip Code
52240
Country
USA
Street Address
391 Highland Ave.
Address Line 2
319-440-3806
icorboxing@gmail.com
www.icorboxing.com
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Emily Klinefelter
130
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Treasurer
319-440-3806
icorboxing@gmail.com
The Iowa City Coralville Boxing Club provides a supportive environment for all under privileged individuals ages
5 and up, including low-income individuals, those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, military service members &
veterans, first responders including police, firefighters, and paramedics, mentally and physically disabled
individuals, senior citizens, and those fighting addiction.
Our supportive environment consists of several structured introductory programs, several competitive athletic
programs, mentoring groups that include assessment strategies that teach determination, life skills, discipline,
and positive self-esteem. All programs promote exemplary citizenship and appreciation of and cooperation with
our community’s institutions that serve the public good. We strive to bring the best to our communities and
inspire the competitive spirit of athletics from recreational to the elite while meeting the needs and challenges our
disadvantaged communities face every day. We care about every member of our community and that is why our
vow is unity, honor, courage and commitment. Semper Fi.
22
Project Proposal
Boxing Buddies: ICOR’s Youth Boxing Mentoring Program
131
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
In recent years fights have become a significant problem in the ICCSD, particularly in our junior highs and high
schools. At the same time, minorities experience disproportionate discipline within our ICCSD. According to the
Iowa City Press Citizen article “Discipline of Black students in Iowa City schools becomes more disproportionate,
data show,” 75% of school suspensions were of Black students despite Black students only comprising 21.6% of
the district’s enrollment. Additionally, according to the article, 82% of the ICCSD suspensions were of students
eligible for free and reduced-price lunches, even though only 37% of the district is eligible for free and reduced-
price lunches. The ICCSD published a report titled “Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health & Rethinking School
Discipline.” This report recommended supporting students’ social-emotional and behavioral health as one of the
ways to combat this problem. That is exactly what the Boxing Buddies program will do.
While it may seem counterintuitive that practicing a sport where you punch people can reduce violence, boxing is
a great way to decrease fighting in school and on the streets. Historical data shows that our structured training
programs offer an outlet for students who are at-risk for getting into fights at school. When kids have a place
where hand-to-hand combat is sanctioned and taught in a safe and controlled manner, they are less likely to get
into fights outside of the boxing gym. Furthermore, the Iowa City/Coralville Boxing Club has a policy against
fighting outside of the gym. However, the no-street-fighting policy is not a zero-tolerance policy because we
believe everyone is capable of change and deserves a second chance.
Our strategic Boxing Buddies program will be an extension and expansion of our current scholarship program,
where we invite children K-12 eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches to join our boxing classes for a
discounted rate. Funding for this program would allow low-income families to participate in our youth boxing
program 100% free of charge. Think of Boxing Buddies as a more intensive, boxing-focused, Big Brothers Big
Sisters meets Police Athletic League program.
Our existing youth boxing program offers classes 4 days per week. The expanded program, Boxing Buddies,
would add 2 more weekly classes and would pair a youth boxer with an adult mentor for at least one of the
weekly classes. To participate in the Boxing Buddies program, the youth boxers commit to attending at least 3 of
the 6 weekly classes with one of those days being the buddy class day. The adult boxing buddies will be
background verified volunteers from our local community, including members of the Iowa City Coralville Boxing
Club, firefighters, law enforcement officers, first responders, school staff and military personnel, who commit to
attending at least one Boxing Buddies class each week with their youth partner. Interviews and background
checks will be performed for all adult boxing buddies prior to commencement of the program.
The weekly Boxing Buddies class will include a lot of partner drills focused on building skill, fitness, strength,
resilience, and confidence. The Boxing Buddies class will be 90 minutes and the last 30 minutes of class will be
less structured to allow the boxing buddies to socialize and to help the relationships to grow naturally. Some of
the other 5 weekly youth boxing classes will be 60 minutes and some will be 90 minutes. The first half hour is
strength and conditioning. The rest of the class is skill based and will include shadow boxing, footwork, heavy
bags, speed bags, double end bags, partner drills and sparring for the participants whose parents are
comfortable with contact.
In addition to the daily classes, we also hold family-friendly community events like parties, boxing shows, socials,
and movie showings every month or two. The youths and adults in the program are invited and encouraged to
attend these community events with their buddies.
New
132
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
This project will advance racial equity and social justice by providing an opportunity for racial minorities and
children from low-income families to learn and grow within a supportive and structured diverse community.
According to data.thetowntalk.com, in Johnson County, Iowa, 18.1% of our population lives below the poverty
line. However, when you look at the racial breakdown of poverty rates, poverty disproportionately affects
minorities with 33.4% of our black residents, 33.5% of our Asian residents, 61.8% of our Pacific Islander
residents, 24.4% of our Latino residents, and 21.3% of our multi-racial residents living below the poverty line. In
contrast, only 15% of our white residents live below the poverty line. Since we started our boxing scholarship
program, 100% of our scholarships have gone to minority children. The relationships built between the boxing
buddies will help expose both the adults and youths to people of different ages, races, religions and
socioeconomic statuses than what they are normally accustomed to. The cooperation required to train with a
boxing buddy will have a positive impact on both the youths in our program and adult volunteers.
Exposure to a diverse set of individuals fights racism as stereotypes and prejudices are bound to be challenged.
When you get to know someone who you normally would view as different by virtue of their racial or
socioeconomic status, you are more likely to see past outward and superficial characteristics and see a person
for the unique individual they really are. From a purely economic standpoint, Boxing Buddies will promote racial
equity and social justice by making (what would normally be unaffordable) boxing classes free and easily
accessible to our underserved, marginalized, and at-risk youths.
Boxing Buddies will also advance racial equity and social justice by building bridges between our marginalized
communities. There is a lack of trust and strained relationships between many of our minority communities and
our public institutions. By targeting adult volunteers from law-enforcement, firefighting, first responders, the
military and school staff, our at-risk youths have an opportunity to interact with individuals from our public
institutions in a positive, collaborative environment.
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Johnson County
Will work with this organization to recruit youth
participants.
Up front and full year
Iowa City Catholic Worker
House
Will work with this organization to recruit youth
participants.
Up front and full year
Salvation Army Will work with this organization to recruit youth
participants.
Up front and full year
G!World Will work with this organization to recruit youth
participants.
Up front and full year
United Action for Youth Will work with this organization to recruit youth
participants.
Up front and full year
ICPD Will work with this organization to recruit adult
volunteers.
Up front and full year
Johnson County Sheriffs Will work with this organization to recruit adult
volunteers.
Up front and full year
ICFD Will work with this organization to recruit adult
volunteers.
Up front and full year
133
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Iowa City Emergency Services Will work with this organization to recruit adult
volunteers.
Up front and full year
ICCSD Will work with this organization to recruit both adult
volunteers and youth participants.
Up front and full year
Our local military batallions Will work with this organization to recruit adult
volunteers.
Up front and full year
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
Boxing Buddies will serve boys and girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade who are eligible for free or reduced-
price school lunches. Using economic indicators to identify eligible program participants will result in the majority
of the program benefits going to racial minorities due to the disproportionate rates of poverty by race. We would
like to avoid using race or ethnicity as the sole factor in determining program eligibility, as that would go against
the diversity and inclusion we are striving to foster and promote.
There is no cost to participate in the project for eligible low-income youths.
Success for the Boxing Buddies program is pairing 20 low-income youths with 20 professional adult volunteers
and keeping them participating and engaged for a full year. At the end of one year, we will have a celebration
where each pair can demonstrate what they have learned by performing a focus-mitts or a controlled light
sparring session in front of a group that includes the program participants and their friends and families. Success
looks like a tight-knit group of unlikely friendships created from training, sweating, laughing, and learning
together. Success looks like the kids coming to more than just the 3 required weekly classes and making the
boxing gym their preferred hang out spot. Success looks like positive and enduring relationships formed between
the program participants. Success looks like increased trust between our local communities and our public
institutions, creating a better environment for all. Success looks like reducing and eliminating school suspensions
and street fighting among our youth participants. Sometimes knowing that you’re not alone can change the
course of your life for the better.
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
We intend for the Boxing Buddies program to continue indefinitely after the initial grant funding runs out. To
ensure the continuation of the program we will seek out different funding sources including other grants, private
donations, and fundraising. We will promote the program and try to make sure it gets as much attention and
publicity as possible so more people are aware of it, which would help to recruit and retain volunteers and youth
participants. We will also establish relationships with guidance counselors and family/student advocates within
the ICCSD so they can refer children to the program who could benefit from it.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
No
20,000.00$
$40,000
134
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
City of Iowa City social justice grant Applied 20,000.00$
Budget
Avertising Social media ads & flyers for
recruiting
300.00$1 300.00$
Supplies Office supplies, cleaning
supplies, etc.
300.00$1 300.00$
Gym Equipment Focus mitts & chest guards 50.00$8 400.00$
Scholarships Scholarship tuition for a full year
for each kid
750.00$20 15,000.00$
Participant
Equipment
Handwraps, gloves, mouth
guard & a shirt for each person
100.00$40 4,000.00$
No professional fees or services are included
The grant money would be spent relatively evenly over the year with the exception of more spending at the
beginning of the program to cover the necessary start up equipment.
The Boxing Buddies program will run continuously for one full year. Classes are held 6 days per week throughout
the year. At the end of the program there will be a celebration and showcasing of what the Boxing Buddies
participants have learned.
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
No. We cannot accommodate 20 kids for a year for less than $20,000
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/5/2023
135
136
Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant Application FY23
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2023.
Questions about the application form or review process should be directed to Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at stefanie-
bowers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5022.
In 2017, the City Council created the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant to assist community-based
organizations in building capacity to address racial equity and social justice needs.
Grant Requirements
The proposal should address one or more of these priority areas: Building Communities, Criminal Justice, Education,
Employment, Health, and Housing.
The organization must be physically located in Iowa City.
The proposal should seek to eliminate inequity in the community (individual, institutional, or structural).
The proposal must be a new project. Exception, organizations previously funded in the last grant cycle may reapply for
the same project to be funded for one additional grant cycle.
Governments, public schools, and colleges/universities cannot be primary applicants.
Applicants can request no more than $25,000.
There are no restrictions on whether applicants are for profit or not for profit
Name of Organization*
Address*
Phone Number*
Email *
Website Address
Background Information
Organizational Information
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County
City
Iowa City
State / Province / Region
Iowa
Postal / Zip Code
52246
Country
Johnson
Street Address
2651 Roberts Rd
Address Line 2
(319) 354-2886
ncjc@ncjc.org
www.ncjc.org
Contact Person for Grant Application
Name*
Rachel Rockwell
137
Organization's Mission Statement *
How many years has the organization been in operation?*
1. The title of the project is *
2. Provide a narrative describing your project.*
Title*
Phone Number*
Email *
Executive Director
319-389-9994
Rachel-rockwell@ncjc.org
The Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County is dedicated to building a better future for people in low-income
neighborhoods through programs that educate, foster self-efficacy, strengthen families, and create a sense of
community.
50
Project Proposal
CommUNITY University
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC) has been working with low-income, isolated families since
1973. Our programs and activities reach over 500 children/youth and up to 200 adults each school-day and
include: 1) NAEYC accredited child development programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; 2) in-school
and after school prevention programming for school-age children; and 3) parenting and home visiting programs,
and family literacy programs.
NCJC has provided parenting groups to the Pheasant Ridge and Broadway communities for almost 50 years,
utilizing curricula such as Celebrating Families, Strengthening Families, Strong African American Families,
Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, and Families and Schools Together.
CommUNITY University is neighborhood level approach that embodies all three of the Better Together 2030
guiding principles: “REPRESENTATIVE LEADERSHIP to dismantle systemic inequity and deepen a culture of
inclusion and belonging COLLABORATION among public, private, nonprofit, neighborhood and University
players to develop innovative scaled solutions GROWTH MINDSET with the willingness to try new things —
because growth and skill are improved with effort and persistence Use Circles, Strategic Doing, Collective
Impact, and other participatory models to identify and empower solutions at the most local level.”
https://bt2030.org/
This pilot program will launch at NCJC Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center alongside the establishment of a
Pheasant Ridge/Westwind neighborhood association. NCJC will coordinating and host six (6), 5-week cohort
learning experiences that utilizes elements of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) framework
for participants to “heal from the wounds of the past, to build mutually respectful relationship, across racial and
ethnic lines that honor and value each person’s humanity, and to build trusting intergenerational and diverse
community relationships that better reflect our common humanity.” https://healourcommunities.org/
This framework, expert facilitation, and collaborative nature of CommUNITY University supports the building of
relationships, connecting of people, and expanding circles of engagement needed for overcoming racial division
and isolation, developing emerging neighborhood leadership, and building both personal and political will.
CommUNITY University is a community development approach born from years of strategic visioning between
Rachel Rockwell, NCJC Executive Director and Master Facilitator, Tony Wilson. Since the beginning
collaborative efforts in 2009, Rachel and Tony have partnered to share their vision for thriving communities
(especially communities of color) and have trained hundreds of youths, adults, families and social service
providers internationally. Their most recent collaborative efforts have been around Community Violence
Intervention in Linn County Iowa.
Rachel Rockwell has committed years of creative, therapeutic, and transformative programming and services to
hundreds of youths and families nationally and internationally. She served as the program officer for Creating
Safe, Equitable and Thriving (SET) Communities Fund at the GCRCF from February 2019 - March 2022, leading
the implementation of the community’s violence intervention/prevention project. Most recently Rachel led the
Cedar Rapids Community in forming a multi-sector coalition that works to prevent community gun violence.138
3. Is this a new project proposal or a continuing project?*
4. This project will advance racial equity / social justice by ...*
5. The project addresses one or more of the following priority areas:*
6. Does this project include any collaborations with community organizations?
If so, please list them below. If no collaborations will occur, type “None.”
Organization*Project Description *Time Span*
p y g p y g
Rachel took on the role of Executive Director of NCJC in July of 2023 and is thrilled that CommUNITY University
has finally found its home in an organization whose mission aligns perfectly with the goals of the project.
The topics of CommUNITY University’s Six, 5-week learning cohorts are as follows:
• Realizing your Leadership Potential (Discovering Our Primary Aim)
• Restorative Justice Practices in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods
• Resilient Community Leaders (Trauma informed care for leaders/community caregivers)
• Community Violence Reduction
• Storytelling for Inclusion & Equity
• Financial Literacy
Each 5-week cohort will meet for 1.5 hours per week and be co-facilitated by Rachel Rockwell and Tony Wilson.
NCJC will invite staff who have participated in internal leadership cohorts (launching March 2023) to join the
cohorts to develop facilitation skills that might be used in the future as part of its organizational development
strategy.
Each cohort will invite community partners and subject matter efforts from government, non-profit, social services
and/or private institutions to participate and/or present. Community partners are to include law enforcement
partners, restorative justice practitioners, academic partners, students, and local artists.
Cohort participation will require a simple registration that will be available in multiple languages and a 5-week
commitment to participation. Each cohort will have up to 20 registration slots to fill. Ideally, individuals will register
for and participate in multiple cohorts and many individuals from the Pheasant Ridge and Westwind
neighborhoods will participate in all six cohorts, emerging and being recognized as true community leaders.
Each cohort group will be asked to help plan and support a culminating event of their choice that will invite the
broader Iowa City community in to:
• Celebrate racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity
• Elevate local voices through storytelling and artistic expression
• Support peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts
• Witness public articulation of the strengths, qualities and vibrancy of the neighborhood and its people
New
-Offering training and capacity-building for existing and emerging neighborhood leaders, educators, and
service providers
- Building mutually respectful relationships across racial and ethnic lines that honor and value each person’s
humanity
- Building trusting intergenerational and diverse community relationships that better reflect our common humanity
- Building relationships, connecting people, and expanding the circles of engagement needed for overcoming
racial hierarchy and building political will
- Utilizing dialogue models, storytelling, and restorative justice practices aimed at repairing relationships
- Creating safe, substantive, and positive spaces for people to bridge differences, break down stereotypes, and
connect with people from different backgrounds
- Helping people find common ground and identify shared values
Building Communities
Criminal Justice
Education
Employment
Health
Housing
139
7. What demographic groups in this community will this project serve?*
8. Is there a financial cost to participate in the project? If yes, how much?*
University of Iowa, Iowa
Initiative for Sustainable
Communities
Travis Kraus and Loyce Arthur have proposed and
received $5,000 in funding to collaborate with
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC) to
help us to further engage historically
underrepresented groups, such as low-income
families, young people, renters, communities of color,
recent immigrants, and speakers of English as a
second language through processes that center
around creative, artist-led activities and compensation
to residents to research the following questions:
1.How does compensation intended to overcome
financial and other barriers impact civic participation
among individuals from historically low participation
groups (e.g., low-income people, communities of
color, recent immigrants, speakers of English as a
second language)? 2. How can artist-led outreach
and engagement increase civic participation among
historically low participation groups?
Starts Spring 2023
for 1 year but there is
an ongoing (yet
currently unfunded)
commitment beyond
the first year.
Pheasant Ridge/Westwind
Neighborhood Association
In Iowa City, Iowa a collaborative has formed around
establishing an atypical neighborhood
association intent on increasing community
engagement, developing local leadership, and
breaking longtime cycles of poverty, racial injustice,
and degraded quality of life. We will
share the collaborative’s collective vision, visioning
process and multi-cultural and restorative approach to
neighborhood revitalization for this underserved, low-
income, and high potential neighborhood.
12.13.2022 and
ongoing
(The response should include age, race, gender and income).
CommUNITY University will serve individuals ages 14 to 104 living and working in the Pheasant Ridge and
Westwind neighborhoods of Iowa City. The vast majority of of participants (well over 50%) will be people of color
including African Americans and immigrant, refugee and asylum seeking individual from Africa (primarily Sudan).
NCJC's Pheasant Ridge location sits in the center of low-income housing and the majority of the youth and
families we serve are among the most diverse and highest poverty neighborhoods of Johnson County.
There is no financial cost to participation.
140
9. What does success for the project look like? (How many people will it impact? What is the impact?)*
10. Will the project continue after the racial equity and social justic grant funding ends?*
No more than 25% of the total funding requested can be for operational costs. i.e., payroll, rent, office supplies, utilities,
insurance, and taxes.
1. Within the last three years, has the organization received any funding from the City of Iowa City?*
2. Amount of Funding Requested*
3. What is the organization's annual budget?*
4. Please list all other funding sources, including the City of Iowa City, for this project.
(Please note applied for v. received, and amount)
Funding Source*Status *Amount*
20 individuals register for each 5- week Course
70% of registrants live in the Westwind/Pheasant Ridge neighborhoods
75% of cohort registrants participate in all 5 weeks of the cohort
50% of cohort registrants will participate in one or more Pheasant Ridge/Westwind Neighborhood Association
meeting is the grant period
25% of participant demonstrate an increased willingness to engage local government (including law
enforcement) as partners in neighborhood problem solving and celebrations
50% of all registrants participate in 2 or more 5-week cohorts
50% of all registrants report they had a chance to tell their story/ listen to another’s story
75% of all cohort participants report strengthened community connections
75% of all cohort participants report increased confidence as a community leader
50% of all cohort participants report stepping into the lead of a team or in a team or small group
75% of all cohort participants report having opportunity to share and celebrate diversity
25% of all cohort members report using restorative circle keeping or other practices in their homes or community
50% of participants report a new or renewed sense belonging and unity with people with different racial, ethnic,
religious, or cultural background.
25% of all participants report an increase in civic engagement
5 or more community partners/subject matter experts will attend cohort sessions
Cohort participation will be multigenerational and include youth, adults and community elders
If yes, what measures will the organization take to ensure that it does?
Yes. We will continue to seek funding for consecutive years of CommUNITY University by expanding our
partnerships, particularly with the University of Iowa and local banking partners who have expressed interest in
supporting the project (Hills and Greenstate) and seeking national funding to be able to expand the development
opportunities for neighborhood leaders. We will also work diligently to engage nonprofit leaders and local subject
matter experts to help further their missions through volunteer facilitation of cohort gatherings and or as guest
presenters.
Funding Amount Request
If so, for what and for how much?
Yes.
NCJC has most recently been award AARPA funds for nonprofit assistance in the amount of $29,475.
CDBG Aid to Agencies Funds in the amount of $58,759
CDBG FY 22 Block Grant -Operating Costs/Childcare & Facilities Improvements in the amount of $37,242
CDBG FY20 Block Grant - Childcare adaptations during COVID in the amount of $15,852
CDBG- Childcare services in the amount of $55,000
15,500.00$
$3,300,000
City of Iowa City Applied 15,400.00$
University of Iowa Office of the Vice President Received 5,000.00$141
1. Complete the table below to itemize your budget:
Item*Brief Description*Unit Cost Quantity Total*
2. If the budget includes fees for professional services, please explain how this advances the program, service, or
activity.*
3. Provide a timeline narrative for how the grant money would be spent over the next year.*
4. Please indicate when the major project activities will occur.*
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County Received 5,000.00$
Budget
Marketing Printing and Postage 1.00$2,000 2,000.00$
Professional Service Group Facilitation 350.00$30 10,500.00$
NCJC Staff Salaries Co-facilitation,Coordination,
After hours staffing,Childcare
30.00$150 4,500.00$
Participant
Incentives/Honorariu
mss
Cohort Participants,
Storytellers, Artists
50.00$100 5,000.00$
Transportation Van usage for U of I
students/vans and NCJC Vans
0.50$500 1,000.00$
Community
Events/Culminating
Events
Food & Beverages 200.00$12 2,400.00$
Tony Wilson has 48 years' experience in educational and human service delivery systems, providing consulting,
facilitation, and instruction in the areas of personal and organizational development. In addition to published
works in the areas of youth healing, domestic violence curricula, and personal empowerment, Tony provides
training opportunities specific to: cultural competency, trauma-informed care, community violence intervention,
community healing, and restorative justice practices. Tony has a unique gift at engaging diverse audience,
creating safe spaces for open dialog, utilizing dialectical cognitive behavioral approaches and has already made
several community connections in the Iowa City area and with NCJC employees. His ability to masterfully
engage everyone in the room no matter how diverse is unparalleled.
Grant expenditures will happen evenly throughout the year except for initial upfront marketing costs to launch the
project in early June. Community event expenses will be incurred at six-week intervals except for late November
and December when there will be a break in project activity. Participant incentive expenditures will most likely
occur alongside culminating event dates or shortly after. Professional Service expenses will be incurred just after
completion of each 5-week cohort. All funds will be expended/ reimbursements requested by May 31st, 2024.
Marketing, Outreach & Registration: June 2023 (and ongoing throughout 2023 and early 2024)
Cohort 1: July 2023
Culminating Event 1: August 2023
Cohort 2: August 2023
Culminating Event 2: September 2023
Cohort 3: October 2023
Culminating Event 3: November 2023
Cohort 4: January 2024
Culminating Event 4: February 2024
Cohort 5: March 2024
Culminating Event 5: April 2024
Cohort 6: April 2024
Culminating Event 6: May 2024
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5. Can this project be completed with less funding?*
Authorization*
Signature*
Date*
If yes, please state the amount of funds that could be allocated to allow the project to proceed.
No, if we receive less than the requested amount from this funding request we will still launch Community
University Cohorts as planned and continue to seek funding sources to fill the gap.
I agree that the following electronic signature is an electronic representation of my signature for all purposes; just the
same as traditional pen-and-paper signature.
1/6/2023
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