Allentown, Pa., December 14, 2021—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) recently renewed Nonprofit Effectiveness grants for the 2021-22 funding cycle. Eight Lehigh Valley nonprofits that participated in the Foundation’s capacity building program last year in the 2020-2021 grant cycle have been awarded grants to continue as a cohort. This cohort of organizations is specifically designed for organizations whose leadership identifies as being Black, Brown, Latinx/o/a, or Asian, and are committed to serving Lehigh Valley’s Black and Brown communities.
“Continued funding for organizational capacity building is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of these important organizations,” said Megan Briggs, LVCF Director of Community Investments. “We are so pleased to be partnering with this truly powerful group of nonprofits again to build upon the momentum we achieved together this past year.”
The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation initiated this grant opportunity in recognition of the valuable role that diverse organizations have in providing culturally-centered approaches in delivery of services and programs to the Lehigh Valley community. In addition to a $14,000 grant that each organization received in the first year of the program, each of the following organizations received a $10,000 grant for general operating expenses and will be participating in the 2022 Community of Practice this year:
- Afros in Nature
- Boys & Girls Club of Bethlehem
- Casa Guadalupe Center
- Cohesion Network
- Martin Luther & Coretta Scott King Memorial Project Inc DBA Freedom Memorial
- Pratyush Sinha Foundation
- Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley
- Resurrected Community Development Corporation
The Foundation launched the Nonprofit Effectiveness Program as a pilot in 2018 to provide targeted internal infrastructure support to assist in strengthening nonprofit effectiveness in a variety of ways. The model included not only grant funding for a capacity-building project, but also offered grantees a Community of Practice, a space for individual reflection in community and deepening relationships with peers.
Last year, leaders in the Community of Practice Program worked in sessions and in a practicum to build collective agency that models the principle of abundance and the power of cooperation. These sessions were facilitated by Joyce Johnson Shabazz and Phyllis Alexander, both who are nationally-recognized consultants in the field of racism, equity and inclusion. In this year’s Community of Practice, Phyllis Alexander will continue to work with the 2021-2022 cohort to create a space to continue authentic connections. One of the planned sessions will include Hannah Hasan, an award-winning, highly acclaimed spoken word poet, speaker, and storyteller who will work with the cohort to craft and tell their own stories. LVCF is looking forward to continuing partnering with these organizations for the 2021-2022 cycle.
For more information on the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, visit: https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/grants/overview-%7C-community-investments