22 Durham-Connected Nonprofits and Organizations Selected by Voters
Which Durham-connected nonprofits and community organizations will soon receive participatory budgeting grant funds for their COVID-19 response? The public voting results are now in and 22 organizations will soon be awarded up to $50,000 each to address the needs of residents most impacted during the pandemic.
As Durham continues to deal with the impacts of COVID-19, the second funding cycle of Participatory Budgeting Durham (PB Durham) adopted a new scope. PB Durham recommended the establishment of a grant program to offer financial assistance to Durham-connected nonprofits and community organizations to support their COVID-19 relief efforts. Durham City Council approved the new scope and $1 million was allocated for organizations directly serving communities most adversely impacted by the current pandemic as well as organizations addressing issues contributing to racial, economic, and social injustices in the Bull City. The selected non-profit and/or community organizations were eligible to receive up to $50,000 each in grant funding to help them provide their services or programming.
More than 60 Durham-connected nonprofits and community organizations submitted grant applications to PB Durham to request funding. Those 60 applications were narrowed down to 31 grant proposals, and residents 13 years and older were invited to vote to select the winning organizations to implement their projects over the next two fiscal years. The nonprofits and community organizations with the most votes are now eligible to receive up to $50,000 each in grant funding through this program.
According to Interim Assistant Budget Director Andrew Holland, in addition to offering online voting, PB Durham staff were active in engaging residents at pop-up voting sites at Durham Station, Durham County Health Services Building, African-American barbershops, religious institutions, and more. “Even though many in-person events in our community were canceled or scaled down due to the pandemic, we were still able to conduct direct outreach and engagement by meeting many of our residents where they were with the help of volunteers and the community engagement staff with the City’s Neighborhood Improvement Services Department,” said Holland. “Our goal was to ensure that our voters represented Durham’s diversity, so we were pleased that 54% indicated they were people of color. It was important to us to make sure we addressed any systemic barriers related to public engagement, so we intentionally reached out to underrepresented communities to encourage them to give their input into this local government decision-making process.”
After a month-long voting process, Durham residents selected the following 22 non-profits and community organizations:
Children, Youth, and Family Wellness
| Organization | Amount
Requested | Number
of Votes | Description |
|---|
| Families Moving Forward | $50,000 | 1,508 | By providing the tenancy support included in our aftercare program, we help families transition from homelessness to housing by ensuring that our families continue to receive the services and case management they need to foster self-sufficiency. Funding will allow Families Moving Forward’s Aftercare Program to extend the case management support and services from our current 12-month program up to 18 months.
|
| Book Harvest | $40,184 | 1,298 | Book Harvest’s parent-to-parent program is a network of families who have been our program participants and partners and who know firsthand the benefits of having access to resources for their children: books in the home from birth; regular shared reading routines; early language activities and experiences; engagement in pre-K programs; advocacy in formal school settings.
|
| Helping Each Adolescent Reach Their Spark (H.E.A.R.T.S) | $50,000 | 1,268 | Provides equitable access to resources, for young parents and services which support and promote self-help and self-care. Help provide participants with the same opportunity and access to youth experiences as their peers who are not in the same situation. Life skill training, self-development, and financial development.
|
| Diaper Bank of North Carolina | $50,000 | 1,259 | DBNC provides free diaper and hygiene products to low-income families. DBNC also distributes adult incontinence supplies. The provision of these products allows recipients to elevate their level of living by providing products vital to families’ dignity. Access to these products helps to remove barriers to education and employment.
|
| World Relief Durham | $50,000 | 1,246 | World Relief Durham will facilitate the healthy integration of immigrant youth into the community by providing multilingual academic and social-emotional support through connecting families with mental health providers, employment services, and life-sustaining services (food, emergency rent assistance, etc.)
|
| The Association for the Preservation of the Eno Valley | $47,944 | 1,041 | Eno River Association will expand upon our successful summer programming with new initiatives to engage all students beyond the summer and into the school year. This will expand the number of students served, and the percentage of students from underserved communities and schools. We will offer school field trips to parks along the Eno River, education programs provided within the school when a field trip is not a viable option, and virtual learning opportunities.
|
| Immersion for Spanish Acquisition | $30,000 | 966 | ISLA's SEPA Online and ISLA Los Sábados enable black and brown students to acquire Spanish language abilities, build cultural bridges and solidarity between them, and provide a culturally affirming education regardless of race, class, income, religion, or sexual orientation.
|
| Purpose Learning Lab | $15,000 | 942 | Purpose Learning Lab provides curriculum-enhanced STEM programs that promote learning /innovation in a safe and secure environment. Supporting STEM literacy for future scientists, build self-esteem, and improve learning outcomes. Activities include Design, Think, Build-Robotics, Chemistry, Re-Leaf Plant Cycle.
|
| Bull City Little League | $50,000 | 824 | Bull City Little League offers spring/summer/fall baseball and softball opportunities. They foster an environment where children have fun, become coachable, good teammates, and learn how to work to accomplish goals in a competitive, nurturing, and safe environment.
|
| Total | $383,128 | 10,352 |
|
Community Building and Economic Opportunities
| Organization | Amount Requested | Number of Votes | Description |
|---|
| Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) | $40,000 | 1,234 | TROSA’s treatment model not only addresses the substance use disorder of our residents, but also every other aspect of our residents’ lives that contributes to success, such as education, employment, and financial stability. This grant would allow TROSA residents to take college courses at Durham Technical Community College at no cost.
|
| Durham Literacy Center | $50,000 | 1,186 | The DLC’s College and Career Counseling program will ensure that students are ready for the next stages of their educational and career journeys. Services provided will include one-on-one counseling, classes, and workshops on topics including job readiness, job search skills, applying to college, securing financial aid, and education about available career pathways. |
| StepUp Durham | $50,000 | 1,175 | StepUp Durham offers a 28-hour workshop that teaches the skills needed to find and sustain employment, as well as personalized employment counseling, job referrals, and post-employment support. Our programs are designed specifically for individuals experiencing challenges to finding employment, such as a criminal background or gaps in employment history.
|
| SEEDS | $50,000 | 1,171 | SEEDS seeks a partnership with the City of Durham to fund community garden establishment and maintenance in North and East Durham, built by high school students participating in our paid internship programs.
|
| Equity Before Birth | $25,000 | 1,121 | Equity Before Birth will provide direct cash assistance to pregnant mothers and those with infants under 18 months of age in order to provide rental assistance and prompt safe and stable housing situations. Moreover, this work will help to reduce SIDS and improve Black infant and maternal health.
|
| Durham Children's Initiative | $28,000 | 1,110 | DCI will provide both service & work to benefit community building, economic opportunities, and family wellness. We believe that as important as it is to provide Basic Needs such as food and diapers, it is just as important to build our community’s ability to care for themselves through living-wage jobs. |
| Durham County Teen Court and Restitution | $50,000 | 1,047 | After the intake and assessment are completed, the youth will have the knowledge and soft skills that will allow them to make amends within their community as well as increase their chance at success and other economic opportunities. |
| Southern Vision Alliance | $50,000 | 991 | The Stop Evictions Network is a broad effort of concerned individuals and organizations working to end evictions and advocate for affordable housing as a human right in the US South. Our organizing strategies center on community-led decision-making for the collective liberation of all.
|
| Be Connected Durham | $28,000 | 858 | Be Connected Durham connected with DPS feeding sites & businesses to establish a food sovereignty initiative called ’Everybody Eats' at The Chicken Hut & New Visions of Africa to provide PPE. They will continue this initiative & engage neighbors in monthly 3rd Friday events.
|
| Total | $371,000 | 9,893 |
|
Health and Human Services
| Organization | Amount Requested | Number of Votes | Description |
|---|
| El Futuro | $47,116 | 1,242 | Continue & expand group mental health treatment and stress relief programs: individual therapy, psychiatry, and substance use treatment plus additional support for families between therapy sessions.
|
| LIFE Skills Foundation | $50,000 | 1,112 | Independent Living Program provides transitional housing, career services, mental health care, rent assistance & other basic needs; Independent Living Skills Classes; transitional housing. Emergency assistance (i.e., rent funds) to prevent evictions and/or late fees/penalties, as approved by staff.
|
| Center for Child & Family Health | $49,415 | 1,092 | Center for Child & Family Health will increase the number of therapists delivering three treatments for children ages 0-6 in families from marginalized and/or underserved populations in Durham. A small percentage of the grant will fund training.
|
| Community Action Advocacy Restoration and Empowerment (CAARE) | $50,000 | 1,006 | We hope to elevate the from-charity-to-justice model that End Hunger Durham continually advocates for - reducing community need for food assistance through creating new economic opportunities and improving community health. |
| Total | $196,531 | 4,452 |
|
In the coming months, PB Durham staff and the City Attorney’s Office will work with the winning nonprofits to develop grant agreements. PB Durham staff hopes to implement at least 50% of the winning grant proposals within the first fiscal year of the two-year funding agreement.
For more information, visit the PB Durham website, send an email to PB Durham staff, or call (984) 227-9095. Residents are also encouraged to follow PB Durham on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the Budget and Management Services Department
The City of Durham Budget and Management Services Department is responsible for the development and oversight of the City’s annual budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The department is also responsible for performance management, continuous improvement, and strategic planning. A division of the department, the Office of Performance and Innovation, serves as internal consultants, helping City departments accomplish Durham's "One Vision and Five Goals" through advancing the City's Strategic Plan; providing framework for data-driven decisions; fostering a culture of innovation; and facilitating process improvements.
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