Community Change Grants Awarded
The Foundation awarded two Community Change Grants in the second half of 2022.
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Excellence in Youth Treatment and Recovery. This three-year grant in the amount of $1,749,130 will support the creation of a center, under the direction of leading prevention specialist Dr. John Kelly, charged with the development, testing, and dissemination of innovative and more effective models of care to help young people with substance use disorders.
- City of Newburyport – Supporting our Youth: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Youth with Disabilities. This four-year grant in the amount of $450,000 will continue the work of a regional asset-building network, improve access to mental health supports for young people while exploring the root causes of mental health issues, and help to develop a therapeutic recreation program in the community.
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Community Experts Fund Awards $200,000
In September, the hard work of the Tower Advisory team culminated in grant awards to 12 organizations in support of their mentoring and counseling work with youth. The ten members of the team independently reviewed a total of 26 applications, then came together to deliberate across two dynamic evening sessions. All the applications were strong, so final decisions were not easy.
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Opportunity to Explore Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in a Cohort Model
A recent Tower Foundation grant supports Centerboard’s work to bring inclusion training and culture change work to nonprofits in the Essex County MA area. Centerboard will host one cohort per year made up of five local nonprofits. In this three-year project, they will have the opportunity to reach 15 nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits participating in this program will receive an organization-wide DEI assessment, then learn and practice inclusion tools via 20 weeks of DEI training centered around the work of VISIONS, Inc. Cohort participants will provide each other support throughout their DEI journey.
To learn more, click the button below.
Email khopkins@centerboard.org by November 30th
to express your interest in the FY23 cohort.
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Nowhere to Turn: A Comprehensive Approach to Treatment-Resistant Behaviors
For the past five years, leaders across the disability services and health care fields in Western New York have come together to work to bridge a gap in services for young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders who are in crisis.
To read more about the important work of this consortium to get to the bottom of the issue, click the button below.
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GRANT PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
The Family Dinner Project
This year, the Tower Foundation awarded a grant to The Family Dinner Project, a program affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. The grant supported the development of The Welcoming Table, a special series of resources for families with unique mealtime needs and challenges. Family members who are on the autism spectrum, or who have ADHD, learning disabilities, feeding disorders, or sensory processing issues need family dinner to be a safe and welcoming space. The Family Dinner Table worked with a team of experts to help gather tips, advice, and support to help make family meals fun and nurturing for everyone.
Click below to visit their website to access the free resources.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY and INCLUSION
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In this space, we will share what we learn, what inspires us, and - in the spirit of transparency - what new actions we take in pursuit of a more equitable approach to our role as grantmaker both internally and externally.
What we are reading:
The Center for Effective Philanthropy recently interviewed Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, on their podcast, Giving Done Right. Worth a listen!
Click here to access the podcast.
What we are doing:
As we enter the fourth quarter of the year, we are working to reflect on our DEI progress during 2022. What gains have we made? Where did we fall short? And what can we do differently next year?
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