FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 29, 2010Contact:
Robin Reid (608) 232-1763
Madison Community Foundation
Communications Director
rreid@madisoncommunityfoundation.org
Madison Community Foundation Spring Grants Total $1,022,256; Focus on Job Development
Madison, WI. – Madison Community Foundation Board of Governors recently approved $1,022,256 to be awarded to twenty Dane County charities, continuing to support basic needs while committing additional funding to projects that focus on community development and the environment.
“This year we are broadening our basic needs support by providing much needed funding for job training,” explained Phyllis Lovrien, Madison Community Foundation Board Chair. “This funding helps increase agency capacity and expand training programs for displaced workers, those with barriers to employment, and at-risk youth.”
Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation President, sees a portion of the 2010 funding of environmental projects as answering an increasing concern for the environment. Over $242,000 is committed to environmental projects throughout Dane County.
“Protection of our watershed is of vital importance to the quality of life in Dane County,” says Woit. “Reducing phosphorus run-off and protecting shoreline integrity are essential to safeguarding our water quality for future generations. Our funding will leverage other financial, staffing, and volunteer sources to help protect these valuable assets.”
Grants for community development include funding to provide housing for homeless adults, update the YWCA building in downtown Madison, build the new Fitchburg Library, and construct the Tenney Park Shelter.
The list of all 2010 Spring Competitive Grants awarded by MCF is as follows:
Community Action Coalition$154,000 to build the capacity of 13 Dane County food pantries. The project will fund a variety of essential equipment to improve efficiency in food storage, handling and delivery. In addition, the grant will provide 20,000 reusable cloth shopping bags that will be distributed to every pantry in the county.
Children’s Theater of Madison $35,000 for the Madison Arts Production Cooperative. This co-op provides a structure that allows local artists and arts organizations to share resources, reducing waste, cost and duplication of inventory.
Clean Wisconsin$100,000 challenge grant to be matched 3:1 for creation of a $400,000 endowment in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Clean Wisconsin. This endowment will ensure future funding of environmental projects.
Dane County Department of Land & Water Resources$75,000 to address watershed concerns and model clean-up practices for the entire Yahara watershed. The reduction of phosphorus is key in reducing algae blooms and this project will install best management practices and ongoing testing to help farmers reduce agricultural runoff and continue the important work of Watershed Cleanup.
Firemen’s Park in the Prairie$20,000 to create poured-in-place rubber flooring throughout the playground to increase handicap mobility, decrease maintenance costs and allow for project expansion for handicapped families. This 100% volunteer based project builds on the MCF grant for construction of the park in 2007.
Fitchburg Public Library$75,000 toward the construction of a LEED gold certified public library. The city has already broken ground on its first ever public library. This grant will provide $50,000 toward capital expenditures and $25,000 designated for the library’s endowment challenge.
Friends of Lake Wingra/City of Madison$21,500 toward the Vilas Beach Improvement Project. The coordinated effort between the Friends of Lake Wingra and the City of Madison will focus on storm-water management, erosion control, native vegetation planting and goose control, all to reduce high bacteria levels and limit beach closings.
Madison Youth Choirs$20,000 toward the Westgate Studios Improvement project. This coordinated effort between Madison Youth Choirs and the Madison Ballet will create three well-equipped, quality rehearsal studios for both organizations to utilize, allowing an increase in programming and curriculum offerings.
Madison Area Technical College$75,000 to provide training opportunities for workers who have been dislocated from their jobs. This grant will increase the capacity of the Center for Adult Learning by adding 30 additional academies over the next two years, resulting in a 45% increase in the number of individuals served.
Madison Music Collective$25,000 for the Mary Lou Williams Centennial Youth Engagement program. As part of the Mary Lou Williams Centennial Celebration, middle and high school age youth will be provided with high quality arts experiences featuring jazz and poetry.
McFarland Senior Outreach Services $25,000 toward the construction of four ADA-friendly bocce courts in William McFarland park. Bocce is an activity well-suited to seniors and the new courts will offer a place to congregate, socialize, exercise and enjoy the outdoors.
Natural Heritage Land Trust$15,756 toward the Vermont Creek Stream-bank Protection project in Black Earth. The project aims to ensure the permanent protection and public access to a targeted 6 mile segment of Vermont Creek through the purchase of stream-bank easements.
Operation Fresh Start, Inc.$50,000 for their At-Risk Youth Job Training program. The grant will expand on the conservation portion of this successful program, adding 30 youth annually and enlarging it from a summer program to year-long. It will also help to leverage an additional $138,000 in AmeriCorps grant funding.
Personal Essentials Pantry$11,000 to build and share the Personal Essentials Pantry database. This database will allow multiple pantries to network, reducing costs and ultimately providing a reliable and broad array of personal and household products to families in need.
Porchlight, Inc.$50,000 for the Madison Cares capital campaign, an initiative to build two new facilities to support and house homeless people with serious mental illness. This campaign also provides for a new facility for Porchlight’s Safe Haven program.
The Road Home Dane County$100,000 for the second phase of their Housing & Hope project. This project will develop a second neighborhood of 15 affordable, supported housing units for homeless families. In addition to the project, the Road Home established an endowment fund as part of the campaign to ensure units will remain affordable and be supported forever.
Tenney Lapham, Inc.$15,000 toward the construction of a new shelter in Tenney Park. With over 60,000 visitors annually, the park is one of the city’s oldest and most used spaces. A greatly improved and ADA accessible facility will serve residents of all ages.
Urban League of Greater Madison$75,000 for the Job Services Network program. The program seeks to expand the capacity and impact of the workforce development and career training programs at the new Center for Economic Development, increasing individuals served by over 20%.
Village of Belleville$30,000 challenge grant to restore the ecological health of Lake Belle View and associated wetlands, and to engage the community in protecting this resource.
YWCA$50,000 for the Real Lives, Real Change Capital campaign. The campaign’s primary objective is the restoration of a historic Madison landmark that will also provide a safe and energy-efficient living and working environment for the YWCA. This initiative includes the new Empowerment Center, providing classrooms and workshops to serve a greater number of unemployed or under-employed individuals.
###
The Madison Community Foundation advances philanthropy as a means for building assets by establishing endowments for people connected to Madison and distributing grants for the betterment of Dane County residents. The Madison Community Foundation was established in 1942 as a tax-exempt community trust and is governed by a Board of Governors representing the broad interests of the community. Individuals and organizations interested in establishing an endowment with Madison Community Foundation or donating money to its general fund may get more details online at www.madisoncommunityfoundation.org