On September 25th, the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center was overflowing with excitement as we distributed this year’s African American Unity Fund and Futuro Latino Fund awards. In addition to cake and kids, the room was abuzz with congratulations and talk of potential collaborations as representatives from organizations around the community united.

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In total, $280,000 was awarded to 24 organizations. In order to further support their work, awardees also received a membership to the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM) and are invited to participate in four professional development opportunities, jointly hosted by NAM and OCF, that will focus on Guidelines and Principles, Nonprofit Financial Management, Communications, and Social Media, and Evaluation.

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African American Unity Fund Awards

IMG_0112The mission of the African American Unity Fund is to involve more African Americans in philanthropy and to provide support to emerging nonprofits that improve the quality of life for African Americans in Omaha. The following organizations were awarded grants from the African American Unity Fund:

  • Compassion in Action, Inc. – $5,000 to fund the R.A.W. D.A.W.G.S. Youth Corps gang prevention program.
  • CW Youth Resource Center  – $10,000 to offset the expenses for programming and equipment.
  • Good News Bears Club of Omaha, Inc. – $10,000 to help cover the costs of operating afterschool programming.
  • Great Plains Black History Museum – $10,000 to improve organizational capacity by adding staff to increase curatorial efforts, provide more exhibits and increase exhibit hours of operation.
  • J’s Braintrust Consulting Services Inc. – $15,000 to assist with the design, implementation and year-over-year curriculum/outcome analysis of the Youth Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurial Training Program.
  • Legacy Sports – $5,000 to support two girls basketball teams.
  • North Omaha Area Health (NOAH) Clinic – $12,000 to help with operating expenses to make the transition into a larger space, expand services around preventative health and wellness and expand current hours of operation.
  • North Omaha Foundation – $5,000 to support a Jazz workshop at Northwest High School.
  • North Omaha Neighborhood Alliance – $20,000 to implement a 3-year marketing program to encourage North Omaha Neighborhood Associations to partner with North Omaha Neighborhood Alliance and to assist the AAA Bank market with it’s Low-Cost Home Loan Program.
  • Omaha FC Academy – $10,000 to assist with job training, league fees, field fees, travel and equipment.
  • Omaha Branch #4091 NAACP ACT-SO Program – $7,000 to support the Afro-Academic Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) program.
  • Pear Tree Performing Arts  – $11,000 to support general operating expenses.
  • Voice Advocacy Center – $20,000 to support general operating expenses.
  • You are Not Alone Ministries Inc. – $5,000 to offset the medical and healthcare expenses for individuals returning from incarceration.
Futuro Latino Fund Awards

IMG_0100The mission of the Futuro Latino Fund is to provide philanthropic support to improve the quality of life of Latino families and communities in Omaha. The following organizations were awarded grants from this fund:

Congratulations to all the awardees and thank you for your participation in the ceremony!