Current Grant Projects:
2010 Planning Grantees

The Capacity Building Fund of Third Sector New England has awarded Planning Grants for the 2010-2011 grant cycle to 15 networks. CBF networks are comprised of 5 or more organizations that come together to design a joint learning experience (peer or expert led).

The Planning Grants are intended to help underwrite the cost of bringing networks together for a 3 to 4 month period to plan and develop longer-term projects of 12 to 18 months. Projects will help the individual organizations and the network as a whole more effectively achieve a shared goal – collaborating to face a community challenge – while together learning new program management and administrative strategies. Following are short descriptions of the funded projects.

Boston Tenant Coalition

This learning network is made up of organizations focused on supporting tenant rights, community development, affordable housing and economic justice. Their goal is to partner with the Latino community to collaboratively build their joint capacity to understand the roots of the housing crisis in its historic and political context – and be able to articulate these realities in every day conversations. The network plans to learn how to talk about the housing crisis in its global economic context, in terms and language that are audience specific.

The network will also look at ways that it can work with tenants and constituents to develop tenant-led workshops that present the causes of housing exploitation, and offer strategies for collective action to address them. This network will also develop and implement collective strategies among network members that involve tenant services, education, advocacy and organizing that ultimately enhance the ability of thousands of tenants to defend and expand their rights to decent housing. Additionally, the group of organizations will explore how it might build relationships and joint efforts throughout the field that move the above agendas forward while utilizing their experiences and other assets most effectively.

Network members: Boston Tenant Coalition, United for a Fair Economy, Allston Brighton CDC, Jamaica Plain NDC, Action for Boston Community & Development, Inc. (ABCD) Citywide Boston Hispanic Center, Greater Four Corners Action Coalition

Clean Water Fund- Massachusetts

This network consists of 7 grassroots community, immigrant rights, environmental and labor constituents’ organizations. They hope to learn about ways in which their diverse perspectives and experiences overlap and can create a unified campaign that promotes environmental, economic and racial justice. Through a learning process which bridges obstacles to working together, this group will focus on how it can discover how the waste stream of the city of Boston currently impacts workers who process it, communities where it is processed and disposed, and the environment.

The network will research the possibility of increasing the recycling rate dramatically, in concert with city officials. They hope that this will allow for growing the job base dramatically. They also plan to assess the scale of interest in this project statewide as well as the potential for new jobs in other communities. This project could lead to the development of the network’s capacity to steer policy decisions in a just and sustainable way.

Network members: Clean Water Action - Massachusetts, MassCOSH, Community Labor United, Teamsters Local 25, Boston Workers Alliance, Toxics Action Center, Chelsea Collaborative

Commonwealth Center for Change

This learning network is comprised of small and/or emerging groups in the Northampton, Mass., region that are dedicated to building dynamic, resilient and creative community in different ways. They have identified commonly held values of social justice, transformation, joy and access to land.

Each of the network’s member organizations wants to become more effective at fulfilling their respective missions, engaging their constituencies, deepening their root systems, and building their capacity to reach the second and third tier of volunteers on the edges of their organizations. Ultimately, the network’s goal is to build a model of collaboration that could be shared with others – and to learning from other groups, within and across their interest area.

Network members: Commonwealth Center for Change, C-Integral, Green Northampton, Grow Food Northampton, Montview Neighborhood Farm, Straw Dogs, Valley Art Share, Valley Time Trade, Voices from Inside

Community Teamwork, Inc.

This learning network is made up of diverse Lowell-based organizations which are each individually addressing aspects of food access, healthy food choices, food production and distribution. The network seeks to bridge gaps and promote collaboration between organizations to develop more comprehensive strategies to address hunger and food security in Lowell through a comprehensive approach.

The network plans to use a participatory research approach to identify food-related resources and needs, and promote collaboration and community participation. This includes deciding what to study and how to use results, and to identify action goals to create lasting change.

Network members: Community Teamwork, Inc, Lowell Transitional Living Center, Lowell General Hospital, YWCA of Lowell, Lowell Public Schools, Community Gardens Greenhouse, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Lowell Alliance for Families & Neighborhoods, Greater Lowell Health Alliance/UMass Lowell, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Mass. Department of Transitional Assistance, United Teen Equality Center, Luna Farm, Lydia Sisson, Catholic Charities, City of Lowell, Health Department, City of Lowell, Department of Planning and Development, CTI Merrimack Valley Regional Network

East Boston Ecumenical Community Council

This network is made up of 6 agencies that have previously worked individually on improving the lives of immigrants and diverse minority groups. They have come together to focus on a community-wide effort of bringing diverse parents together to address systemic change in public schools in East Boston and to eliminate family barriers to housing, access to health care, and other social and legal barriers to equity. This will be the first step in the process of bringing the community together to solve issues and make the community a healthy, safe place for all its families.

Network members: East Boston Ecumenical Community Council, Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), Health Care for All, City Life Vida Urbana, Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Harbor House

This network is comprised of nontraditional mental health providers that have a common direction through their mission to assist adults with mental illness make positive gains through employment. This network will focus on working to educate families and the community they serve with an aim to reduce the stigma, and consequently any prejudice or racism experienced by people with mental illness.

These organizations will plan to develop understanding not only in the field but in the mental health community. By collaborating they can create the capacity to share information and build a better delivery system for vocational services than the one currently offered in more traditional contexts. The intent is to ultimately develop the field’s capacity to reach an underserved portion of our society.

Network members: Harbor House, NAMI-RI, MHA-RI, A Cookie Place, A New Leaf

Investing In Girls Alliance

This learning network is made up of 35 organizations in Central Massachusetts including community-based organizations, public schools, colleges, funders, state agencies, legislators. After undergoing a 6-month needs assessment in 2007, the group developed a strategic plan that created a subcommittee and set an action plan that would run through 2011.

The plan looks to position the network to effectively build the capacity of its member organizations and actively engage a wide range of stakeholders and constituencies in efforts to improve services for girls. It focuses on improving access to information about girls and girls’ programs, and raising public awareness of the unique strengths, needs, experiences and perspectives of girls. It will also look at ways to collectively advocate for girls’ needs among legislators and policymakers. Ultimately, this project strives to result in the improvement of these services and strategies in bettering the lives of middle school girls.

Network members: United Way of Central Massachusetts, Worcester Public Schools, YWCA Central Mass, Consortium of Worcester Colleges, Girls Inc. of Worcester, Girls Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, Latino Education Institute, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, United Way Women’s Initiative

Massachusetts Association of Older Americans

This diverse group of organizations wants to learn how to respond to the changing state and federal policies affecting the health care, economic security and daily living of members. The individual organizations, as well as the group, seek to learn how they can impact the public policy and social choices made. They then want to determine how to best communicate what is learned with their constituents and the wider public to engage them in the change and decision making processes. Through the Planning Grant process, the group plans to answer a number of specific questions. These include, What do changes in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security benefits, retirement pensions, state community-based services and other resources mean for the daily lives of older men and women? The network will also explore the question, How can members and constituents best engage in decision making processes to influence Massachusetts’ policy decisions about the policy options state government is offered by changing federal law and regulations affecting their lives?

Network members: Mass. Association of Older Americans, Mass. Senior Action Council, Mass. Home Care, Mass. Association of Councils on Aging, Silver Legislature

Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services

This group of community-based nonprofits has decided to work together to collaboratively address substance abuse and addiction which is a major community health problem in the Mason Square area of Springfield. These organizations and networks have identified the need to move toward a higher-level collaboration, and more transparency and accountability in planning and resource allocation at the community level. The network will also look at opportunities to develop community-centered systems for dealing with these problems.

This network has an expressed interest and willingness to examine and address some of the root causes of these problems, and to learn to work together in new and different ways. Because the participating organizations and networks represent a cross-section of the city, they expect to benefit from being exposed to different perspectives and methodologies. Their plan is to consequently learn how to effectively access and support the efforts of each entity to effectively provide sustainable community-based treatment and recovery supports.

Network members: Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Phoenix House, Faith Unlimited, Springfield Health Disparities Project Page Blvd., Community Activist/DV Specialist - Brenda Lopez, Mason Square Neighborhood Health Center, Center for Human Development, Women in Recovery, Hampden County Sheriffs Department, Gandara Center, Tapestry Health System

North Berkshire Community Coalition

This learning network is a partnership between many community organizations and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Currently, these organizations are working on several facets of food security in the northern part of Berkshire County, based on community plans developed through a number of community meetings and discussions.

The group plans to study at least three different options for sustaining its work. The first option would be for the program to be taken under the umbrella of an existing non-profit organization. The second option would have the project become a self-standing organization, perhaps with another organization acting as a fiscal agent. The third option would be creating a new partnership with a local business.

Within that framework, there are a number of options that will be narrowed down to two or three feasible opportunities. This will lead to the most sustainable and viable model for this group to operate as a formalized network, and accomplish the community-driven goals that have yet to be reached.

Network members: North Berkshire Community Coalition, Target Hunger, Berkshire Community Action Council, Berkshire Food Project, REACH for Community Health, Wild Oats Co-op, Williams College, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Harper Center, City of North Adams, Hoosac Harvest, Community Member - Ashley Benson, Community Member - Maryanne Kufs

Phoenix Houses of New England

This learning network include representatives of the community, schools, criminal justice system, treatment programs, youth serving organizations, and coalitions that are concerned about the effects of substance abuse and violence on youth and families. This group has been convening as an informal network for a number of months, and recognizes the need for high-level collaboration and local systems change to address these issues more effectively.

The group has identified a number of learning areas related to network development and building generative capacity that it will be addressed in the planning process. These include strategic assessment and planning, team building and collaborative skills, constituent and stakeholder inclusion, and community impact and evaluation. Learning areas to be addressed also include conducting meaningful strategic meetings, systems thinking, capacity mapping, collaborative and community problem-solving, and developing a process for shared leadership.

In addition, the group is interested in developing and utilizing electronic and web tools to facilitate communication and coordination of its work. Ultimately, this increased capacity will result in more effective collaboration and a transition from organizational self-interest to working together for the common good.

Network members: Phoenix Academy, Gandara Center, Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities, A.W.A.K.E, Springfield Police Department, Springfield Public Schools, Institute for Health & Recovery/DYS Programs, Hampden County Juvenile Probation, Center for Human Development

Pioneer Valley Project

This network is comprised of community-based organizations and anchor institutions (e.g., hospital, and local universities), located mostly in the distressed inner city neighborhoods of Springfield, Mass. The group wants to learn how to develop a network of worker-owned businesses in the inner city that will supply goods and services for local anchor institutions.

This initiative is inspired by a successful program in Cleveland, Ohio, in which institutions in University Circle have pooled their purchasing to create a worker-owned laundry, hydroponic greenhouse, and a solar installation and energy generation business.

Opportunities for joint purchasing will emerge from understanding each other’s assets and needs. This group will address the many barriers to local job creation from anchor institution purchasing. Significant cultural barriers divide these white-run institutions from their Latino and African-American neighborhoods. All parties will learn about each other and about the process of building capacity for local development if the potential for job creation is to be realized.

Network members: The Pioneer Valley Project, Center for Popular Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, American International College, Springfield Technical Community College, Baystate Medical Center

The Second Step

This learning network consists of domestic violence (DV) organizations which share a common focus, proximity to each other, and concern about the common needs of the overlapping populations served. The group wants to learn ways to access legal resources for clients. This is in response to rapid growth in the DV victim/survivor population, limited available resources (including within the court system), and unequal access to funds and resources between abusers and abused.

These organizations plan to increase organizational stability by partnering to leverage resources and thus becoming more effective. They hope to become more efficient by extending joint learning and cross-training to all of the member organizations.

Network members: The Second Step, Inc., The Domestic Violence Program at Boston Medical Center, Journey to Safety, Jewish Family & Children’s Services - Waltham, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Gay Men’s Domestic Violence project, Renewal House, Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

The Steppingstone Foundation

This learning network is comprised of self-defined nonprofits which are dedicated to increasing college access and success for Boston students. These organizations hope to learn best program practices from each another and from industry experts.

During the planning phase, the network will explore such options as creating a searchable database of programs so staff members can learn about and connect with other programs that could benefit their students. During the grant-funded process, network organizations will look also at developing a simplified or common program application to remove barriers that discourage families from completing the application process.

The group will also explore opportunities for increasing communication between the staff of different programs, so that appropriate data is available as students transition. The group will additionally, discuss the possibility of flexible program entry and exit points.

Ultimately, these organizations will have the opportunity to learn from one other during network-sponsored workshops and forums. At these, they will discuss issues such as how to engage parents or how to recruit and retain young men of color, a traditionally underserved population with regard to college access.

The network seeks to provide access to the benefits of a college degree –higher lifetime earnings, better health, and enhanced community engagement – to groups that experience significant barriers to higher education. This will benefit not only the students, but their communities and generations to come.

Network members: National Partnership for Educational Access, BELL, Pine Manor College, MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs, Trinity Excellence for Education, The Steppingstone Foundation

YWCA of Central Massachusetts

The participating organizations in this learning network are all YWCAs which share a common mission to eliminate racism and empower women. YWCAs are struggling with the issues of race and class locally and at the regional level – both internally and externally. The network wants to learn what the barriers are that prohibit them from moving their mission towards racism-free communities.

While the individual associations have had limited success in working on racial justice, they have found there is a lack of connection between staff and mission, and how they deliver racial justice. The YWCAs plan to build their capacity to further their common mission in communities across the New England region and across the country. Learning about this piece, racism and classism, will allow them to move on with leadership development through all levels of the YWCA.

Network members: YWCA Central Massachusetts, YWCA Newburyport, YWCA Cambridge - Marshfield Branch, YWCA Greater Lawrence, YWCA New Hampshire, YWCA Vermont