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Communities are invited to apply for $100,000 Great Strides Award. Deadline Oct. 7.
From: Sylvia Burgos Toftness
651-225-7704
sburgos@nwaf.org
Communities across the upper midwest and
Northwest invited to apply for Great Strides Award
Deadline is Oct. 7
Up to Four Communities Will Win $100,000 Each for Steps Taken to Get Out —and Stay Out—of Poverty
St. Paul, Minn., September 1, 2005— The Northwest Area Foundation is inviting communities from all across its eight-state region to apply for a Great Strides Award. Launched last year, this initiative rewards communities for the innovative steps they have already taken to reduce poverty for the long term. The Foundation will select up to four communities, rewarding each one with $100,000 and an invitation to share key lessons with other communities.
Interested communities must apply online, www.nwaf.org, by Oct. 7. Only communities from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington area eligible. Winners will be announced January 16, 2006. The monetary award will go to a community organization, to be used for the community’s benefit.
The award winners will be selected using criteria that examine:
· Inclusive approaches – The approach seeks to involve members of the community at varying levels, specifically those most greatly affected by poverty and who are typically excluded from decision-making.
· Regional impact –Community members are aware of and communicating / interacting with other communities in the geographic area facing similar issues.
· Asset-based development– A community possesses unique strengths or assets. This includes the talents of individuals, existing businesses, artistic and other attractions and natural resources. The community has identified these assets and works to develop effective interaction.
· Economic engines – A community has an economic base that provides income and jobs to community members. Communities that can identify the economic engines that drive business, community, and social development have a greater chance of building an economy that addresses poverty reduction and wealth creation.
· Leadership – Leaders come from all segments of our communities. A community that invests in its leadership system will engage all those involved in the poverty reduction effort in some level of leadership. The approach should plan for leadership succession to ensure a sustainable future.
Forty-four communities from throughout the Foundation’s eight-state region applied for the first awards. The selected communities and the community organizations that received the award were: Willmar, Minnesota, the Heartland Community Action Agency; Missoula, Montana, the North-Missoula Community Development Corporation; Fargo, North Dakota, the CHARISM project; and Kyle, South Dakota, The Lakota Fund.
The Northwest Area Foundation, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., helps communities reduce poverty in its eight-state region: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Foundation brings technical assistance and financial resources that help identify, share and advocate community-focused strategies for long-term impact. For additional information, www.nwaf.org, or call 651-224-9635.
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