Madison Community Foundation: Awards $593,000 in grants

Contact: Robin Reid, Communications Director

Madison Community Foundation

608-232-1763 or rreid@madisoncommunityfoundaion.org

Madison, WI, April 28, 2011 – Madison Community Foundation (MCF) led its spring grant cycle with a gift of $100,000 towards the Neighborhood Center for the Resilient Research Center project as part of more than $593,000 the MCF Board of Governors recently awarded to twelve Dane County nonprofits.

This Center, the first of its kind, will function as a living laboratory integrating culture, food, and education for three distressed communities in Madison, providing a resilient, multicultural and multi-generational hub for 5,500 residents.

“This project brings together a unique blend of partners who understand that integrating resources and providing interaction on every level for distressed neighborhoods is the key to building a resilient urban atmosphere,” said Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation President. “The neighborhood center will provide the space for socialization and sharing of cultural relationships so crucial to a healthy community. The collaboration of businesses and groups in this undertaking is extraordinary and we at Madison Community Foundation are proud to be part of it.”

The other 2011 Spring Competitive Grants awarded by MCF are:

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin – $32,421 for a neighborhood-based program to increase Alzheimer’s and dementia counseling and screening in the African American community.

Boys and Girls Club of Dane County – $100,000 to provide rigorous, long-term support for 150 students; designed to double the number of students of color advancing to college from all four Madison high schools.

Center for Families – $30,000 to facilitate the merger of four agencies into the Center for Families, providing a stronger and more efficient agency to serve the community’s most vulnerable families.

Community Action Coalition – $50,000 to build long-term capacity of the Dane County food pantry network with purchase of major equipment, refrigeration and re-usable “green” grocery bags.

Habitat for Humanity of Dane County – $30,000 to help initiate Habitat Young Professionals (HYP) of Dane County, providing young professionals the training opportunities for leadership normally held by high ranking executives while providing homeownership for a deserving low-income family.

Natural Heritage Land Trust – $25,966 to Natural Heritage Land Trust for a parking area, trailhead kiosk and interpretive signage on a recent 206 acre acquisition of land east of Waunakee.

Northside Planning Council – $55,000 towards the Food Enterprise and Economic Development (FEED) Center, a new food business incubator and community kitchen space on Madison’s Northeast side.

RSVP of Dane County, Inc. – $35,000 to recruit, train and support 150 new volunteer drivers for transport of military veterans and senior citizens, providing services they need to stay independent.

United Way of Dane County – $35,000 for comprehensive screenings to curtail adverse drug events for low-income elderly, reducing major causes of emergency room visits and hospitalizations by seniors.

Village of Deforest – $55,000 for the Upper Yahara River Trail Improvement project, which will provide a three-mile trail linking the Village’s north and south neighborhoods, parks, and schools.

Wisconsin Historical Foundation – $50,000 for a series of new historical exhibits, including the major exhibition “Wisconsin Innovations: From the Iconic to the Unexpected,” which features a fascinating array of ideas, inventions, arts and culture that originated in Wisconsin.