The Capacity Building Fund provides support for technology, skill building and other assistance to help agencies improve their services. As with other fund distributions, volunteers review applications and select projects based on innovation, collaboration, and ability to make an impact.

United Way of Central New York recently awarded Consulting Services Grants to five local non-profit organizations. Consulting Services Grants are awarded semi-annually through United Way’s Capacity Building Fund to help local human-service agencies plan for the future and become more efficient.

“We realize that human-service agencies are often forced to choose between spending money on agency operations and client services,” said Jennifer Bartholomew, vice president of United Way’s Community Impact Division. ““United Way has chosen to take on the role of helping agencies become more efficient and effective, knowing this will ultimately result in better service to people in need.”

Requests for funding ranged from $5,000 to $27,000. In total, $39,260 was awarded in this funding cycle.

Listed below are the agencies that received grants, the grant amounts, and the consulting focus for each grant:

• L’Arche Syracuse - $10,000 to develop a long-term fiscal plan that facilitates agency and program growth.
• Mental Health Association of Onondaga County - $5,956 to design a public relations campaign to address the stigma surrounding mental-health issues.
• On Point for College, Inc. - $9,804 to improve the organization’s public awareness and design new marketing materials.
• The Salvation Army - $7,500 to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of operating from multiple sites and plan for program growth.
• Syracuse Housing Authority - $6,000 to address federal funding cuts, adapt to changes in management, and implement a new anti-poverty initiative.

In addition to the Consulting Services Grants, the Capacity Building Fund offers Technology Grants, which help human-service agencies keep up with new technologies to improve the efficiency of their day-to-day operations. Technology Grants are also awarded semi-annually.

For more information about the Capacity Building Fund Consulting Services Grant, contact Rosy George at 428-2236 or rgeorge@unitedway-cny.org

The Community Initiative Fund supports innovative approaches to addressing important human care issues in Onondaga County. This year, Initiative Fund dollars where awarded to the following:

United Way grant to move forward Bridges Out of Poverty initiative

United Way of Central New York recently awarded a grant to CONTACT Community Services, Inc. that will help fund a unique anti-poverty initiative in Onondaga County.

The $74,510 grant-which was made through United Way’s Community Initiative Fund-will allow a group of human-service agencies to begin work on the next phase of the local Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative. CONTACT will serve as the lead agency in the collaboration.

The initiative, based on the book “Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities,” seeks to help people understand how to work across economic classes to break the poverty cycle. The initiative helps agency workers gain a deeper understanding of people in poverty-not only of the challenges they face, but of the strengths they may possess. This new understanding helps agency workers partner with people in poverty to create opportunities for success that can improve their lives.

Since its launch in November 2005, the Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative has been embraced by a variety of non-profit organizations throughout Onondaga County. In phase one of the initiative, twenty people from 14 local non-profits became certified Bridges Out of Poverty Trainers and they have since trained more than 1,800 individuals.

The United Way grant will assist with phase two of the initiative. In this phase, trained volunteers and agency staff will begin working with people who are committed to transitioning from poverty. Participants will learn strategies that work, including setting goals, creating personal plans for improving their economic situations, and ways to increase their likelihood of moving from welfare to work.

In addition, this phase of the initiative will teach agency professionals how to create system- and agency-level changes, such as how to create programs that serve clients most efficiently, how to best train staff, and how to effectively collaborate with other agencies.

United Way’s Community Initiative Fund supports innovative approaches to address important human care issues in Onondaga County. Selected initiatives typically address gaps in services or underserved populations.

For more information about the Community Initiative Fund, contact Doug Mouncey at 428-2229 or dmouncey@unitedway-cny.org.

Community Schools Hoped to Transform Near West Side
United Way helps Transform Near West Side

A century ago it was one of Syracuse’s most vibrant and affluent neighborhoods, home to the city’s preeminent families. Elm trees and expensive homes lined brick-paved streets; factories along the outskirts of the neighborhood employed many neighborhood residents.

Today, the elm trees are gone, the factories long-closed, the homes in disrepair. Once one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods, the Near West Side of Syracuse is now one of America’s poorest. But despite high unemployment and crime rates, residents take great pride in their neighborhood and have hopes for the future. Much of this hope rests in their children.

United Way began its support of the innovative Community School Initiative in 2001. The concept is simple but effective: neighborhood schools become a center of community life,  providing a host of services to children and their families in a familiar and trusted environment.  The barriers of removed

“The concept of Community Schools as a form of education reform is being implemented in local ‘experiments’ around the country,” said Laurie Black, Policy Assistant with Syracuse 20/20, the lead agency in the Westside Community School Strategy. “There is growing consensus that education reforms must engage the entire community.”

With funding from United Way of Central New York’s Initiative Fund, the first phases of the Westside Community School Strategy will establish a database to track all students attending six Westside schools. The information will be used to help identify the needs of families in the area and evaluate how well those needs are being met by the school district, government assistance programs and local non-profits.

“This project is extremely important for the future of the Near West Side,” said Jennifer Bartholomew, Vice President of United Way’s Community Impact Division, “but it also has the potential to serve as a model of collaboration for the rest of the community.”

United Way’s Initiative Fund was created to help grow new programs and partnerships. Applications for Initiative Fund grants are currently being accepted.

Stunning rise in violence—in a most unexpected place
United Way grant helps curb violent behavior in a surprising population

Punching, hitting, kicking, biting. Angry threats of violence: I’ll stab you, shoot you, beat you up. The behavior of gang members or out-of-control teens? Think again. These are the acts of pre-schoolers, and the problem is growing.

The idea of daycare conjures images of a pastel world filled with cuddly stuffed animals and storybooks. Most people would be shocked to learn that child care environments have become increasingly dangerous. The culprits are toddlers and young children who act violently toward other each other and their teachers. And we’re not talking about normal behavior of the two year-old who bites. Today’s aggressive pre-schooler mirrors adult violence. The behavior scares teachers and many seek help to stop it.

“We’ve been worried about these behaviors them for awhile. Now we see them all the time.” said Peggy Liuzzi, Executive Director of Child Care Solutions, a child-care resource and referral agency. “We’re living in a world where kids seem to be exposed to more and more violence, so we’re doubly concerned.”

Child Care Solutions sought help from United Way of Central New York to launch their new Second Step Violence Prevention program. They were awarded a $52,000 Community Initiative grant to support this innovative program that will help teachers prevent violence by teaching children important social and emotional skills.

Teachers will help children develop empathy, impulse control, anger management and problem-solving skills using colorful lesson cards and posters, fun videos, and sing-along CDs. Second Step lessons are designed to be fun for kids and the stuffed animal characters such as “Impulsive Puppy,” “Slow-Down Snail” and “Be-Calm Bunny” help engage kids in the activities.

Violence prevention strategies have traditionally focused on adolescents and adults. But aggressive behavior in children has been linked to many problems later in life: substance abuse, higher school dropout rates, early parenthood, depression, and escalating aggression. Research has shown that violent behavior can be influenced by many factors in early childhood, but that violence-prevention programs that focus on children aged five and younger can help reduce violent behavior throughout life.

There are a number of programs in the Syracuse area designed to reduce youth violence and gun violence, but the Second Step Violence Prevention program is the first to target very young children, according to Liuzzi. This year, the program will be taught in 24 classrooms at 10 childcare centers and will reach more than 330 children in Syracuse neighborhoods where violence is a daily concern, Liuzzi said.

Although new to Onondaga County, the Second Step program is widely regarded as one of the finest violence-prevention programs for young children. It was created by the Committee for Children in Seattle and received a prestigious “Exemplary” award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Panel on Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools.

“This program is unique in our area,” said Jennifer Bartholomew, Vice President of United Way’s Community Impact Division. “But United Way’s Initiative Fund was specifically designed to support innovative ideas like the Second Step program get started in this community.