Foundation announces strategy grants for 107 projects

October 15, 2009

Funded projects will address long-term issues and challenges

Students at the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP)
Photo: UCAP

The 140 students at the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP) in Providence face tremendous – seemingly overwhelming – odds: poverty, broken homes, poor social skills, and low self-esteem. The school’s mission is to help them get back on track for academic success. “We have seen more than 1,500 of these kids,” said Rob DeBlois, UCAP founder and executive director. “They have enormous potential, but they need a second chance to succeed. We set high expectations, and then we help the students develop the skills and tools required to meet those expectations.”

Founded in 1989, UCAP serves urban students in grades 7, 8, and 9 who have already repeated a grade – those most likely to drop out. UCAP students receive personal attention, a rigorous curriculum, and the opportunity to collapse three years of school into two. The model has worked; UCAP students are up to 25% more likely to graduate from high school than their peers. With $50,000 from The Rhode Island Foundation, the Urban Collaborative is developing a plan to replicate its successful program in other regions of the state.

This project is one of 107 funded this year through the Foundation’s strategy grants pool of just over $4.5 million. The program’s total level of grantmaking was up 1% this year, a notable increase in an era of tight budgets and diminishing resources. Grantee organizations in Rhode Island provide services or programs in six sectors: education, health, human services, community and economic development, arts and culture, and environment. For the first time this year, the Foundation requested applications that focused on achieving particular outcomes.

“With our limited resources, we have a responsibility to be strategic about our grant investments,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Thousands of generous Rhode Islanders continue to entrust their philanthropy to us, and we take seriously our commitment to achieve the most positive outcomes throughout the state while balancing the need to be responsive to immediate community challenges.”

The stated goals for each of the six sectors are:

In education, to reduce the number of students dropping out of school and increase the number of high school graduates going on to post-secondary education or job training.
In health, to promote the development of a successful and effective system of primary care and increase the access, affordability, and quality of primary care for Rhode Islanders.
In human services, to strengthen the continuum of care for at-risk children and families.
In community and economic development, to increase affordable housing options in the state and the number of Rhode Islanders ready to enter the workforce.
In arts and culture, to ensure the vitality of the arts sector and increase participation in the arts.
In environment, to maximize the conservation, restoration, and stewardship of our natural resources and support local opportunities to address climate change.

“In each sector, we identified specific areas where we believe our funding can make a difference, and community groups responded,” said Owen Heleen, vice president for grant programs. “Nonprofits, public agencies, and the private sector are working together to address statewide challenges. Foundation grantees are bringing national models to Rhode Island and encouraging widespread implementation of best practices. That’s just the kind of synergy we hope for with our grants. Focusing our grants allows grantees to work together and helps all of us understand what works in addressing these important issues.”

Notable grants include: the BrightStars program, a quality rating and improvement system for school-age child care programs; the Newport Skills Alliance, a coalition of employers, industry associations, education and training providers, and social and government agencies working together to address regional workforce development challenges; and a project at Cornerstone Adult Services, Inc. to better serve older adults with chronic conditions.

Strategy grant recipients are listed below by sector.

Arts and Culture: Total – $513,000

AS220, Providence, $75,000. To conduct an organizational assessment and create a long-term strategic vision for the organization.
Community MusicWorks, Providence, $30,000. To develop a multi-media musical program for youth that deepens student engagement and extends the impact of local programming to educators throughout Rhode Island.
Festival Ballet/Providence, Providence, $40,000. For Learning Through Dance, an educational outreach program that supports students’ academic development.
FirstWorks, Providence, $40,000. To implement the third phase of a strategic growth plan to connect art with audiences through presentations of national significance and local impact, arts learning, and arts creation.
FosteringArts.org, Foster, $21,540. To strengthen the organization’s board, increase the number of volunteers, and raise attendance.
Island Moving Company, Newport, $30,500. To expand its innovative in-school programs.
Little Compton Historical Society, Little Compton, $11,960. To produce a publication and summer exhibit focused on the early history of Little Compton.
New Urban Arts, Providence, $30,000. To institutionalize the Arts Mentoring Fellowship program.
Providence City Arts for Youth, Inc., Providence, $58,000. To strengthen the curriculum and expand the organization’s outreach and depth of service in community youth arts programs.
Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts, Providence, $33,000. To train board, staff, and members in advocacy techniques and create a “ladder of engagement” for arts advocates and members.
Rhode Island Public Radio, Providence, $60,000. To support the station’s healthcare and education reporters.
Town of Tiverton, Tiverton, $15,000. To help the Sakonnet Arts Network reinforce school-based programs and strengthen collaborations with local arts groups.
WaterFire Providence, Providence, $68,000. For a new managing director to help make WaterFire a permanent and lasting Providence institution.

Community and Economic Development: Total – $1,145,000

Amos House, Providence, $50,000. For job training and employment programs, including the Amos Carpentry Training Program.
Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, Portsmouth, $30,000. To address two compelling needs: the redevelopment process for 384 acres described in the West Side Master Plan and the sharing of municipal services between Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth.
The ARC of Northern Bristol County, Inc., Cumberland, $12,000. To expand services for adults with developmental disabilities by providing 11 units of affordable, safe, and supportive housing.
Community Housing Land Trust of RI, Inc., Providence, $30,000. To convert foreclosed properties into affordable homes.
Corporation for Supportive Housing – New England Program, Providence, $40,000. To help end homelessness in Rhode Island through supportive housing.
Crossroads Rhode Island, Providence, $60,000. To strengthen employment readiness and job skills training for homeless and underemployed adults.
Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center, Inc., Providence, $65,000. For the Rhode Island Welcome Back Center, which provides immigrant professionals with the licensure, certification, and language assistance they need to return to their professions.
East Bay Community Action Program, Newport, $50,000. For the Newport Skills Alliance, a coalition of Newport County employers, industry associations, education and training providers, and social/government service agencies working to address regional workforce development challenges.
Grow Smart Rhode Island, Providence, $75,000. To conduct research, training, and advocacy for well-designed transit, affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and agricultural viability.
House of Hope Community Development Corporation, Warwick, $33,000. For House of Hope Boutique Originals, a microbusiness that provides formerly homeless women with meaningful employment.
Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island, Providence, $15,000. To increase tenant outreach and engagement on housing and homelessness issues.
Housing Network of Rhode Island, Providence, $50,000. For the Partnership for Community Development, a five-course certificate program at Roger Williams University.
NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Woonsocket, $60,000. To launch a sweat-equity, energy-efficient homebuilding program for 75 low-income families.
Olneyville Housing Corporation, Providence, $35,000. For the Olneyville Foreclosure Intervention Initiative.
The Providence Plan, Providence, $40,000. For advocacy and systems change work at Building Futures.
Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, Providence, $50,000. To provide homeless constituents with outreach, engagement, leadership development, and advocacy opportunities to affect change.
Rhode Island Green Building Council, Warwick, $24,000. For the Abode21 demonstration project with Community Works RI to promote energy-efficient affordable housing and workforce development.
Rhode Island College Foundation, Providence, $75,000. For the Poverty Institute.
Saint Antoine Residence, North Smithfield, $60,000. For teamHEALTH2, a training and career development program.
SWAP (Stop Wasting Abandoned Property), Providence, $35,000. To meet the needs of the community through improved marketing, outreach, and customer service.
Tiverton Library Foundation, Inc., Tiverton, $10,000. For the schematic design of a new Tiverton Library that meets local, state, federal, and LEED standards.
UNAP Education Fund, Providence, $50,000. For Stepping Up, an initiative to build a strong, diverse workforce that meets the region’s projected demand for qualified healthcare professionals.
URI Foundation, Kingston, $30,000. For the Coastal Resource Center’s Newport Harbor Redevelopment Planning Initiative.
Washington County Community Development Corporation, Wakefield, $25,000. To help towns in Washington County implement their affordable housing plans.
Washington County Regional Planning Council, Wakefield, $40,000. To analyze and implement regional projects that cross town boundaries.
West Elmwood Housing Development Corp., Providence, $50,000. To increase the organization’s capacity to convert foreclosed properties into affordable homes.
Westerly Area Rest Meals - WARM Inc., Westerly, $16,000. To help the organization transition from a traditional shelter to a provider of permanent supportive housing.
Women's Development Corp., Providence, $35,000. To expand the organization’s capacity to provide affordable housing and recapture foreclosed properties statewide.

Education: Total – $897,550

Brown University, Providence, $45,000. To explore how urban and suburban students navigate their education pathways and how relationships with adults mediate their choices.
City Year Rhode Island, Providence, $40,000. To work with at-risk inner-city middle school students to improve academic achievement.
The College Crusade of Rhode Island, Providence, $25,000. To sustain and institutionalize the organization’s model and programs.
The Compass School, Kingston, $40,000. For a coordinated fundraising effort.
Cranston School Department, Cranston, $30,000. For a credit recovery high school program at the New England Laborers'/Cranston Public Schools Construction Career Academy.
The Greene School, Greene, $30,000. For the planning and development of a proposed public charter high school with an environmental focus.
Harmony Hill School, Chepachet, $40,000. To support professional learning communities and arts integration in special education and therapy.
Learning Community Charter School, Inc., Central Falls, $50,000. To pilot a sustainable school-based professional development group.
Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, Providence, $30,000. To improve math literacy through support systems and process change, curriculum and staff development, and experiential math projects.
My Turn, Inc., Bristol, $30,000. For Keys 2 Success, a social entrepreneurship youth development and drop-out prevention program.
The Providence After School Alliance, Providence, $50,000.To implement Providence Hub, a network of after-school services for high school students that has been developed by a team of ten after-school organizations and 30 youth.
Pawtucket School Department, Pawtucket, $14,550. For The Walsh School, a partnership with RISD that introduces eighth graders to college and careers in art and design.
Providence School Department, Providence, $60,000. To improve teaching quality and student learning by improving the department’s curriculum and professional development.
Rhode Island Campus Compact, Providence, $38,000. To build and maintain effective PK-16 partnerships that increase achievement for middle and high school students and deepen partnerships between schools and higher education.
Rhode Island Center For School Leadership, Providence, $35,000. To create a system of support for high-quality leadership within the educational community.
Rhode Island Instructional Leadership Academy, Providence, $35,000. To build a statewide continuum of professional development for Rhode Island school leaders and teacher leaders.
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority, Warwick, $75,000. For the Latino College Access Coalition.
Sophia Academy, North Providence, $40,000. To deepen teaching and learning practices.
Textron Chamber of Commerce Academy, Providence, $40,000. For the Health Careers Pathways project, which provides students with practical, hands-on experience and college-level coursework in the healthcare field.
Trinity Restoration, Inc., Providence, $40,000. For a new charter school to serve up to 204 Providence youth in grades 7-12.
Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program, Providence, $50,000. To plan for replication of the successful UCAP acceleration model.
Wheeler School – Providence Summerbridge, Providence, $15,000. To transition to a new organizational model and launch a strategic planning process.
Young Voices, Providence, $45,000. To provide 120 youth from Rhode Island’s core cities with leadership and advocacy training.

Environment: Total – $448,750

The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living, Providence, $45,000. To grow the Rhode Island Sustainable Schools Network.
Clean Water Fund, Providence, $40,000. For the Producer Responsibility Campaign to establish policies that encourage the manufacturing of less toxic and easier to recycle products.
Conservation Law Foundation, Boston, $35,000. For work in Rhode Island to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.
Environment Council of RI Education Fund, Providence, $60,000. To form a Coalition for Transportation Choices to develop an expanded vision for transportation in Rhode Island.
Environment Northeast, Rockport, ME, $40,000. To advocate for increased funding for energy efficiency and clean energy policies in Rhode Island.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island, Providence, $43,750. To develop and evaluate a culinary training program that produces a line of high quality preserved foods with ingredients from local farmers in partnership with the Rhode Island Training School.
The Nature Conservancy, Providence, $35,000. To ensure adaptability in the face of climate change by mapping threats, developing adaptation models, and bringing federal funds to Rhode Island.
New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Montpelier, VT, $30,000. For Rhode Island grassroots initiatives around local food systems, sustainable agriculture, and energy systems.
Sakonnet Preservation Association, Little Compton, $50,000. For a collaborative conservation project encompassing nearly 1,000 acres of land and water in Little Compton and Tiverton.
Salt Ponds Coalition, Charlestown, $20,000. To support the protection and restoration of the salt ponds in southern Rhode Island.
Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter, Providence, $25,000. For Transportation Choices 2020, a project to establish a statewide 21st century transportation plan for Rhode Island.
Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Providence, $25,000. To build on the successful River Ranger program, which provides youth job skills training and fosters community stewardship.

Health: Total – $806,308

Cornerstone Adult Services, Inc., Warwick, $69,932. To better serve older adults with chronic conditions through collaborations with the primary care community.
East Bay Community Action Program, Newport, $50,720. To increase the participation of at-risk senior citizens in the Rhode Island Food Stamp Program.
IN-SIGHT, Warwick, $50,000. For independent living and diabetic education programs.
Kent Hospital, Warwick, $35,000. For the Warwick Wellness Collaborative, a partnership with the Warwick School District that aims to reverse the alarming trend of childhood obesity.
The Providence Center, Providence, $71,800. To teach overweight and obese children and their families behavioral approaches to reduce weight.
Providence Clubhouse Development Group, Pawtucket, $40,000. To provide Rhode Islanders with severe and persistent mental illness services for employment, education, and housing.
Psychological Centers, Inc., Providence, $67,500. To fully integrate behavioral health expertise into a team approach to medical care.
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, $71,500. For the hospital’s new navigation program for patients with cancers of the lung, head, and neck.
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, $52,116. To demonstrate improved health outcomes for adults diagnosed with diabetes and improved efficiency in delivery of care by engaging patients in a group-based medical visit and education program.
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, $28,000. For the Adolescent Leadership Council of Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
Rhode Island Parent Information Network, Pawtucket, $50,000. To develop a comprehensive plan for reforming the health care delivery system in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Quality Institute, Providence, $65,000. To increase the rate of electronic medical record adoption among physicians.
Ronald McDonald House of Providence, Inc., Providence, $10,000. For the Adopt-a-Room program, which permits the House to operate at full capacity, year-round.
Thundermist Health Center, Woonsocket, $75,000. To develop a “patient portal” that will allow patients to become more engaged in the management of their chronic illnesses and preventive health activities.
YMCA of Greater Providence, Providence, $69,740. To expand the LiveStrong at the YMCA program for cancer survivors.

Human Services: Total – $773,000

Boys & Girls Club of Newport County, Newport, $75,000. To help six Boys & Girls Clubs in Rhode Island develop a more comprehensive approach to youth development.
Boys Town New England, Inc., Portsmouth, $35,000. To promote coordination among the five child care agencies providing kinship foster care to children in Rhode Island.
Children's Friend and Service, Providence, $36,000. To improve the language and communication skills of children birth to five.
Families First Rhode Island, Providence, $40,000. To expand services in southern Rhode Island.
Family Service of Rhode Island, Providence, $75,000. To replicate the acclaimed Harlem Children's Zone in the Chad Brown and Admiral Terrace public housing projects.
Federal Hill House Association, Providence, $25,000. To provide quality child care with family support services for children with behavioral and emotional needs.
Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, Providence, $75,000. To hire youth as trainers and leaders of a nonviolence movement.
John Hope Settlement House, Providence, $50,000. For organizational quality improvements in preparation for reaccreditation.
Lucy's Hearth, Middletown, $32,000. To incorporate the acclaimed Nurturing Parenting Programs into the organization’s array of services.
Providence Youth Student Movement, Providence, $40,000. To institutionalize sustainable practices and broaden the organization’s impact.
Rhode Island Foster Parents Association, East Providence, $40,000. To expand the reach of proven programs for teens in care.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Providence, $75,000. To finalize the BrightStars Quality Rating and Improvement System for licensed school-age child care programs.
Tannerhill, Inc., Pascoag, $40,000. For a community-based and family-centered program that supports families who are at risk for child abuse and/or neglect.
Tides Family Services, West Warwick, $25,000. To implement a web-based client information database and electronic document system.
Youth In Action, Inc., Providence, $40,000. For the Youth 4 Change Alliance.
YWCA of Northern Rhode Island, Woonsocket, $70,000. For the Rhode Island Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition.