$5.3 Million Allocated to New Projects in 2010

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships (LFP) joins the resources of a national foundation with local grantmakers and nonprofit organizations, so better health can take root in our communities. Together we support ambitious new community solutions that meet people where health starts—not just in hospitals or clinics, but where they live, learn, work and play.

Congratulations to these innovative community organizations and coalitions. We look forward to partnering with you and your local funders.

Peaceful Pathways - awards are announced thoughout the year.

Cyber Safety Project
Renton, WA

• $200,000 to King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
• Funding Partners: Pride Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Cyber Safety Project seeks to prevent sexual assault perpetrated online against high-risk youth, especially against youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning their sexuality. Working with local young people who are representative of the target population and recognizing the importance of technology in youth culture, the project will encourage the development of outreach strategies involving technology, including social networking. Deliverables will include a variety of youth-created prevention/outreach tools, a youth-developed cyber safety website targeting high risk youth, and a cyber safety curriculum. Learn More >

Reaching Young People in Frontier America: The Teen Dating Violence Prevention Initiative
Red Lodge, MT

• $199,676 to Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County
• Funding Partners: The O. P. and W. E. Edwards Foundation

This initiative creates a culturally appropriate prevention program to address teen dating violence in Western frontier and rural communities. Focusing on grades 7-9, the student-driven curriculum uses images and messages relevant to frontier youth living in sparsely populated, rural areas and isolated small towns. Developed by frontier youth for frontier youth, this project transforms existing urban models into an authentic prevention program for teens in farming and ranching communities. The pilot will expand from three to six Montana counties and includes extracurricular activities and a train-the-trainer component for teachers. Learn More >

 

LFP Annual Grantmaking - awards announced in July 2010.

211 Developmental Screening Project
San Gabriel, CA

• $499,984 to Information and Referral Federation of Los Angeles County, Inc. (dba 211 Los Angeles County)
• Funding Partners: W. M. Keck Foundation

Parents who call the Los Angeles county 211 hotline regarding emergency shelter, medical resources or other information are offered a subsequent free, over-the-phone, child development screening by a trained Parenting Support Specialist. Using a validated, evidence-based developmental screening tool to survey parents of children ages birth to 8, the call center staff then follows up with the family to ensure they are connected to any needed community-based early intervention services. Lessons learned may make such screening a routine 211 service in LA and a national model. Learn More >

Coming Home to Stay Program
San Diego, CA

• $500,000 to Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
• Funding Partners: The California Endowment, Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, The Parker Foundation, Price Charities

Coming Home to Stay was created by a collaborative network of local funders and engages service providers, ex-offenders and criminal justice agencies to promote successful community reintegration for individuals recently released from incarceration. A distinctive approach includes the immediate "welcome home meeting," enabling the provider Resource Team to work with participants to create and implement a personal life plan, linking the individual with health and social services. Transition Advocates and trained peer mentors provide 24/7 support for the first 72 hours post release followed by 18 months of case management and support to facilitate a more successful reentry to the community. Learn More >

Detroit-Wayne County Partnerships for Integrated Care & Health Project
Detroit, MI

• $499,961 to Adult Well-Being Services
  
• Funding Partners: Ethel and James Flinn Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Metro Health Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation

To improve health for individuals with severe, persistent mental illness who live in adult foster care homes, a mental health services provider will partner with a Medicaid managed care plan,  a community health center, 40 foster home proprietors and a food bank. Together they will address some of the conditions that are complicated by severe mental illness such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A multi-disciplinary health care team will visit the group homes, including a peer counselor to help clients develop diet and exercise plans. The local food bank will deliver fresh produce and teach cooking and nutrition classes for residents and staff, and plans include the establishment of new food-buying cooperatives by the adult foster care home owners. Learn More >

Girl Matters: It's Elementary!
Jacksonville, FL

• $499,723 to National Council on Crime and Delinquency
  
• Funding Partners: Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation

Girl Matters: It's Elementary! offers a gender-responsive intervention program to effectively address the underlying issues contributing to young girls' (grades K-5) disruptive behaviors in two Duval County, FL schools. The main goal is to reduce elementary school suspensions and expulsions and prevent the arrests and incarcerations that send girls into the juvenile justice system. The comprehensive approach includes training for school staff and three tiers of service: short-term in-school interventions; work with a mentor and community referral networks; and intensive care management, family counseling and in-home support. Learn More >

Head Start-Trauma Smart
Kansas City, MO

• $500,000 to Crittenton Center (dba Crittenton Children's Center)
• Funding Partners: The REACH Healthcare Foundation, Hall Family Foundation, Bank of America, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City

Head Start-Trauma Smart combines the strengths of the Head Start program with Trauma-Informed Therapy to combat the immediate and lifelong negative effects of repeated exposure to violence on children ages three to five. Local psychiatric professionals modified the therapy for use with preschool children and created effective education tools for non-clinical workers with minimal formal education and ethnically different backgrounds. The project's comprehensive approach includes training custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and parents about the stress of chronic trauma and practical activities they can use to help the children and their own families. Learn More >

Reentry Through a Child's Eyes
Pittsburgh, PA

• $499,604 to Allegheny County Department of Human Services
• Funding Partners: The Pittsburgh Child Guidance Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, McAuley Foundation, Heinz Endowments

To alleviate the adversity experienced by the children of incarcerated men and women, this public/private partnership works to address the child's psychosocial needs, prevent family deterioration resulting from separation, and make the experience of visitation less traumatic. Most importantly, this comprehensive re-entry program aims to reduce the number of children who experience the re-incarceration of a parent. Beginning six months before release and continuing for one year afterward, the parent and family are included as equal partners on a new Reentry Team staffed with Family Specialists, service coordinators, and a probation liaison. Learn More >

LIFE Plus
Portland, OR

• $499,939 to Mercy Enterprise Corporation (dba Mercy Corps Northwest)
  
• Funding Partners: Northwest Health Foundation, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette

With a curriculum based on a microenterprise model that teaches skills in business, healthy decision-making, communications and leadership, a multi-agency coalition aims to reduce recidivism among incarcerated women by promoting self-sufficiency and economic independence. Women may enroll up to two years prior to release and work with peer navigators (who are themselves formerly incarcerated) to bridge the pre- and post-release period. This grant fosters a multi-pronged approach to re-entry that spans economic development, criminal justice, social service and public health systems. Learn More >

The Porch Light Initiative
Philadelphia, PA

• $500,000 to Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates
• Funding Partners: Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Mental Retardation Services

The Porch Light Initiative will work to de-stigmatize mental illness, increase the awareness of mental health resources and promote support for those in recovery through community-based mural making. Deeply rooted in communities of color, mural art-making has a history of engaging vulnerable groups in beautifying their neighborhoods. The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program will lead artistic collaborations with three North Philadelphia agencies that serve a cross section of some of the city's most underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods. Participants will include homeless women and children, youth in recovery and Latino seniors. Learn More >

The Puentes (Bridges) Project: Reproductive Health and Latinos in South Carolina
Columbia, SC

• $499,930 to South Carolina Research Foundation
  
• Funding Partners: Sisters of Charity Foundation, New Morning Foundation, Knight Foundation Advised Fund of Central Carolina Community Foundation, Providence Hospitals, Palmetto Health, Lexington Medical Center

Based on successful Latin American models, the Puentes (Bridges) Project trains Latino men and women immigrants to take a leadership role as Community Ambassadors in addressing issues of reproductive health and social justice. Latinos in South Carolina lack adequate prenatal care, and have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. The Community Ambassadors will bridge the cultural and language gap between the community, health care providers and policymakers. The funders' network is extensive and involves both large hospital systems in the community. Learn More >

Transition from Jail to Community - Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, FL

• $500,000 to Lords Place, Inc.
• Funding Partners: Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc., Florida Department of Children and Families

Using an individualized approach to frequent re-offenders who cycle in and out of the county jail, re-entry coaches will work with clients during their incarceration to develop detailed assessment and discharge plans. Upon release, clients will be directly connected to housing and needed services such as job training and employment, primary and behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, and education. More than 25 community agencies actively participated in a local funder-led planning process to link separate services into a supportive wraparound system to reduce recidivism. Learn More >