In its board meeting in early September, the Deaconess Foundation trustees approved grants to several new grantees. While we are highlighting Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation in the email newsletter Grantee update, here are two other new programs Trustees found adding significant value to the workforce ecosystem:
LISC: LISC is a national non-profit with operations in 38 cities covering 49 states it delivers its work through local offices. LISC
operates in many program areas to include workforce development, real estate investment, housing, small business development and lending, policy and advocacy, and others.. A Cleveland LISC office opened in fall of 2021 under the leadership of Kandis Williams and is now working with local non-profits to launch a Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) network in Cleveland. Financial Opportunity Center sites bundle financial counseling support together with employment counseling, enabling individuals to plan and manage for personal financial issues related to work, such as managing the benefits cliff. In addition, these financial coaching services are combined with other resources that build credit, savings, and assets, and connect individuals to income supports such as food stamps. Deaconess is supporting LISC in adding up to four neighborhood agencies with technical assistance and capacity building to explore incorporating the FOC model in the Cleveland market.
The Literacy Cooperative: The Literacy Cooperative (TLC) has become the local expert in supporting systems to help individuals improve their literacy and math skills, enable them to support their families, secure good employment, and improve the quality of their lives. While TLC supports a number of programs, it is an intermediary supporting many other non-profits in increasing literacy and numeracy. Deaconess is excited to partner with TLC in a new pilot, teaching literacy and numeracy skills in high school through a “contextualized curriculum” approach. “Contextualized curriculum”, which teaches needed reading and math skills within the context and curriculum of occupational skills training, is proven to improve literacy and numeracy skills with adults. TLC will work with stakeholders to design a high school pilot focused on manufacturing to improve the skills of students and see if this is an approach which can work for other industries.
We are always thrilled to see the creativity and partnership of non-profits in Cuyahoga County!