34 Organizations Receive Community Innovation Grants
New opportunity for arts organizations
The Bush Foundation, through its Community Innovation Grant program, will award nearly $5 million to 34 organizations pursuing breakthrough solutions to community problems – from poverty to human trafficking to economic development.
“Community Innovation Grant recipients are tackling community problems in a way we believe most likely to result in real breakthrough solutions. They are engaging the community, collaborating with other organizations, and making the most of existing assets; in short, all of the things it takes to create a true community innovation,” said Molly Matheson Gruen, Bush Foundation community innovation manager.
Established in 2013, the Community Innovation Grant program is designed to inspire and support communities to use problem-solving processes that lead to more effective, equitable, and sustainable solutions. Projects receiving Community Innovation Grants can be at any stage in the problem-solving process, which includes: identifying the need, increasing collective understanding of the issue, generating ideas, and testing and implementing solutions.
The Foundation is now accepting applications for the next round of Community Innovation Grants. The application deadline is October 9, 2014. The Foundation awards Community Innovation Grants between $10,000 and $200,000. To learn more about the Community Innovation Grant program visit BushFoundation.org/CIGrants.
A new opportunity for arts organizations
The Bush Foundation is also accepting for the Community Creativity Cohort, a one-time program designed to both recognize and learn from exemplary organizations that meaningfully engage people in the arts and integrate the arts into public life.
“Support for the arts has been an important part of the Foundation’s work for most of its history,” said Allison Barmann, vice president for strategy and learning. “As we consider a strategy for our future work in the arts, we look to the Community Creativity Cohort to inform how we advance our significant arts legacy. Going forward, we want to provide support to the arts community that is truly innovative in addressing current needs and challenges.”
The Foundation will select as many as 10 organizations to participate in the Community Creative Cohort. Each organization will receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000. The organizations will also help the Foundation develop a deeper understanding of the key challenges associated with their work, specifically efforts to engage the community, build and support leadership, and advance racial and economic equity.
The application deadline is October 16, 2014. Learn more and apply at BushFoundation.org/CCC.