Having a great idea is one thing; actually making it happen is quite another. Ten diverse organizations that have demonstrated an ability to combine innovative ideas with effective action today were awarded the 2014 Bush Prize for Community Innovation.
The Bush Prize honors and supports organizations with a proven record of creating innovative solutions that address community challenges and opportunities. Winners are chosen for using inclusive, collaborative processes that make the most of community assets, and for developing innovations that are more effective, equitable or sustainable than existing approaches.
“Each of this year’s Bush Prize winners has a remarkable story of innovation to share, and collectively they are a testament to the power of inclusive, collaborative and resourceful problem-solving,” said Bush Foundation President Jennifer Ford Reedy. “We are thrilled to provide them with creative capital to tackle their next big idea.”
The 2014 Bush Prize winners are:
Minnesota
Breaking Free – St. Paul, Minneapolis & RochesteR
Led and driven by women who are survivors of prostitution and sexual exploitation, Breaking Free has helped more than 6,000 women and girls escape sex trafficking, breaking a cycle of poverty, addiction, rape, abuse and degradation that often passes from one generation to the next.
Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP) – Northfield
CRWP has prevented 94 million gallons of untreated sewage from entering the state’s rivers and streams over the past decade through its collaborative work that brings residents and wastewater professionals together in 21 southeast Minnesota communities.
Lanesboro Arts – Lanesboro
Developed through an extensive and inclusive community-wide planning process, Lanesboro Arts has played a major role in revitalizing a small town on the Root River in southeast Minnesota and has become a national model for arts-focused rural development.
Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) – Minneapolis
The only entity of its kind in the country, NACDI employs an asset-building approach to reposition the American Indian community in Hennepin County as an engine of economic growth. Its work has spawned homeownership opportunities, youth entrepreneurship training, and creation of the American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Avenue.
North Dakota
Community of Care – Arthur
Ensuring that rural, older residents can “age in place” is the work of Community of Care, whose model has proven to save money, reduce isolation, promote wellness and provide a promising solution for similar rural communities.
Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC) – Minot
To meet the escalating demand for its services brought on by increases in the population associated with the oil boom, DVCC has tripled the number of families it can serve through establishment of its multi-service New Beginnings Campus.
Legal Services of North Dakota (LSND) – Bismarck
LSND has increased legal service delivery for low-income, disadvantaged and elderly populations across North Dakota by transforming its chaotic intake process into a nationally recognized, streamlined system.
South Dakota
Destination Rapid City – Rapid City
Through the creation of Main Street Square, Destination Rapid City has transformed downtown Rapid City from a collection of empty storefronts and porn shops to a beautiful, buzzing village green that has revitalized the business community and welcomed hundreds of visitors with family-oriented events and activities.
Face It TOGETHER Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls
This revolutionary, highly collaborative, community-based strategy helps people with drug and alcohol addiction get well through a non-clinical, peer-to-peer addiction management support that is privately sustained by area employers.
First Peoples Fund – Rapid City
First People’s Fund empowers Native artists to be culture bearers and leaders of social change in their communities through a combination of financial support, entrepreneurship opportunities and mentoring. The program helps revitalize cultures while providing artists with tools to emerge from poverty.
Winners receive a package that includes promotional support and materials, and an unrestricted grant equal to 25 percent of the organization’s prior fiscal year budget, up to $500,000.
“Bush Prize winners are deeply invested in new ideas, new ways of approaching problems and new ways of involving the community,” said Mandy Ellerton, Community Innovation Manager. “Their track records speak volumes, and we look forward to seeing what their continued creativity and leadership can mean for the future of their communities.”
The Foundation received 164 applications for the 2014 Bush Prize. Panels of community members within each of the three states chose the winners from their respective state. Meet the selection panels from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.