Community Foundation Spring 2013 Leadership Grant Recipients Announced

Jul 1, 2013

Through strategic Leadership Grants the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines plays a key role in providing significant funding to projects that strengthen Greater Des Moines by proactively responding to community trends and opportunities.  The Community Foundation announces support of the following organizations with Leadership Grants:


Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa

A $50,000 Leadership Grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa supports the establishment of the Bernie and Berniece Baker Club at Amos Hiatt Middle School. The establishment of Baker Club will increase daily services to 150 students and will be the first step in creating a direct "feeder pattern" for students to move from elementary to high school clubs within the Boys and Girls Club's system, better increasing assistance to students and their families on their path to high school graduation.

Contact: Jodi Warth; 515.262.5695 ext.208

 

Des Moines "I Have a Dream" Foundation

A $100,000 Leadership Grant (issued as a matching challenge grant) to Des Moines "I Have a Dream" Foundation supports the development of a new model for educational intervention to ensure more kids in the community have tools they need to graduate from high school and be prepared for post-secondary education and careers. This strategy implements a new model of adopting an entire school (Findley Elementary) as opposed to one particular class as done previously. The program is committed to infusing a culture of college and career from an early age within a school setting. The "Dreamer Academy" to be conducted at Findley Elementary will provide an incentive program for students to earn up to $400 per year to be deposited into an educational savings account.  

Contact: Emily Hamilton; 515.271.1976  


Des Moines Public Schools

A $50,000 Leadership Grant to Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) supports efforts of the Governor and Mayor Initiative-Des Moines Public Schools AmeriCorps Program administered through the Corporation for National and Community Service. The DMPS AmeriCorps Program will provide resources to improve at-risk students' academic performance and school engagement. This will be achieved through the use of AmeriCorps members to tutor students in 38 Elementary schools, career-based mentoring support at 10 middle schools and service learning programming at eight International Baccalaureate schools. Currently there are 15 AmeriCorps members serving the schools and implementation of this expanded program would increase this number to 68 AmeriCorps members within Des Moines Public Schools. 

Contact: Eric Whitney; 515.242.7944

  

Iowa Homeless Youth Centers

A $100,000 Leadership Grant to Iowa Homeless Youth Centers supports the refurbishment of unused Section 8 duplex housing to serve as the new Lighthouse Host Home. The Lighthouse is a transitional living program that provides safe and stable housing for homeless mothers (ages 16-25) and their children, along with providing basic life skills training. The new Lighthouse facilities will increase available housing for homeless young women and their children as well as provide units that are more conducive to independent living along with a centrally located community center and meeting space, private counseling room and offices for the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers staff.

Contact: Rhonda Clark-Leyda; 515.265.1222