We Raise Foundation Awards Two $100,000 GrantsPlus Grants

Itasca, IL – We Raise Foundation recently awarded two $100,000 grants that will assist Christian organizations working to build healthier communities through education, workforce development, or criminal justice programs. GrantsPlus grants support new and innovative projects in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Oakland/San Francisco working at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality.

In addition to the grant award, We Raise also provides critical capacity building services in the area of resource development to help strengthen and sustain the programs we fund. For each grantee, we conduct a resource development assessment, incentivized crowdfunding campaign, and research. GrantsPlus recipients also participate in webinars, convening events, and workshops.

“We Raise is pleased to award these grants – the largest we have made in over 25 years – because we believe the issues of poverty, violence, and inequality are the primary inhibitors to healthy communities,” said Paul Miles, President and CEO, We Raise Foundation. “Our financial investment, combined with the unique value-add services from We Raise, represents our commitment to the solutions offered by these two dynamic and effective organizations. We are proud to stand with our new partners.”

The two new grant recipients are:

Partners in Hope
Community Warehouse, Milwaukee, Wis.
Grant Amount – $100,000

Partners in Hope is a prisoner re-entry program offered through Community Warehouse, a nonprofit building supply store. The purpose of Partners in Hope is to assist participants in leaving behind the decisions that led them to prison and to overcome barriers through positive mentoring relationships with law enforcement, faith, and business communities. Partners in Hope will also provide accountability, employment, and resources necessary for men and women to succeed in creating a new life. Upon release from prison, participants attend a one-week intensive pre-vocational workshop that covers many of the basics needed to succeed in the workplace. If they complete the intensive, they graduate into an 18-month workforce development program, during which they are provided a case worker to oversee their re-entry success plan.

Path2Math
Faith Network of the East Bay,
Oakland, Calif.
Grant Amount – $100,000

Path2Math is a child-centered math tutoring program that develops foundational math understanding and critical reasoning abilities for children in the second grade – the age a vast majority of educators now believe is key for determining future educational success. Path2Math will replicate the best practices of Faith Network’s successful reading program, providing in depth pre- and post-assessments of participating students, tutor training and coaching, and a math curriculum closely aligned with the common core math curriculum implemented at the schools. The program will eventually be available to all 19 schools currently partnered with Faith Network and will provide crucial interventional tutoring to hundreds of second graders who are viewed by their teachers as most at-risk of falling through the cracks at such a precious early age.

About We Raise Foundation
We Raise Foundation identifies innovative ideas, people, and programs that raise consciousness, community leadership, and capital. Motivated by the belief that freedom is grace in action (Galatians 5:1a), We Raise provides grants and assistance with resource development to organizations that work at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality. We Raise supports Christian nonprofit organizations and emerging leaders and has a preference for funding solutions within the areas of education, workforce development, and criminal justice. To learn more, please visit weraise.org. You can also find We Raise on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.