Indy Nonprofits Awarded $700K in Grants
The John H. Boner Community Center on the east side of Indianapolis received funding from Lilly Endowment.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe New York-based Citi Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corp. in Indianapolis have announced $700,000 in grants to four local nonprofits. LISC says the funding will be used to help connect unemployed and underemployed residents with quality jobs in growth industries.
The funding comes from the Bridges to Career Opportunities initiative. It is part of a three-year, $10 million effort to expand the reach of the initiative and spur economic opportunity for thousands of families nationwide, including 700 workers in Indy.
The recipients will use the grants to provide services to job seekers that will help them increase their incomes, improve their credit and raise their standards of living. Some of the services include personal finance coaching, continuing education courses and securing child care and housing arrangements, which can hinder employment for many residents.
The recipients include:
Edna Martin Christian Center
- To enhance its job and employment services for residents by adding opportunities to achieve advanced credentials in construction and culinary services, as well as explore entrepreneurship through a micro-enterprise model.
John H. Boner Neighborhood Center
- To add an innovative career pathway in maintenance work. Participants can earn a certificate as an apartment maintenance technician focused on electrical, HVAC, plumbing and interior/exterior building maintenance.
Southeast Community Services
- To add a Bridges program focused on in-demand sectors such as transportation, distribution and logistics, manufacturing and construction trades.
Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
- To add higher-skilled pathways to its curriculum in metalworking, control systems technology, and LEAN certifications.
"This partnership between the Citi Foundation, LISC, and our neighborhood partners will directly impact economic mobility in Indianapolis neighborhoods," said Tedd Grain, executive director of LISC Indianapolis. "By blending industry training and financial coaching, Indianapolis residents can take the reins of their economic and professional lives. This grant opportunity builds on the exciting, collaborative momentum for inclusive growth in our city, enabling residents to take advantage of the significant economic development occurring in Indianapolis."
LISC says the Indy recipients all have long and successful track records of connecting neighborhood residents to opportunity.