Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF)

Program Name: West Philadelphia Recovery Opportunities Coalition,
West Philadelphia Recovery Opportunities Coalition Kollege
Point of Contact: Min. Malcolm T. Byrd, Associate Director

Program Description

The Mayor’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives has been awarded a grant in the amount of two hundred and forty nine thousand and three hundred and thirty three dollars ($249,333) by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services. The funding originates with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, and is designated as the Strengthening Communities Fund…Local Government Capacity Building Program, CFDA Number: 93.711 The primary focus of the grant includes:

• Conducting outreach and education aimed at increasing the involvement of West Philadelphia situated faith and community based nonprofit organizations in the economic recovery initiatives consistent with the City of Philadelphia priorities and ARRA initiatives.
• Providing training and technical assistance aimed at building the capacity of nonprofit organizations to address the broad economic recovery issues present in the neighborhoods of West Philadelphia.

Why Apply for this Grant?

Community and faith based organizations can further contribute to local economic recover of low-income residents and the communities they service by enhancing their capacity and collaboratively leveraging resources. MOFI’s eight year track record of engaging and resourcing faith and community based organizations best positions it to benefit the anti-poverty and economic recovery priorities of the Nutter administration and the President.

Project Objectives

• Contract with up to seven established local nonprofits to provide leadership coaching (to all) and technical advisement to up to 20 developmentally promising community and faith based organizations serving low-income residents residing in Zip Code Areas 19104, 19139, 19131 and 19151
• Provide over project duration of two years, 9 hours per quarter of class room instruction and seminars on nonprofit leadership, management and programming toward capacity building and sustainment of the 24 participating community and faith-based organizations
• Provide initial leadership and administrative support of an economic recovery related coalition for local faith and community based organizations

Job Creation

It is anticipated that this grant will create one >.50 fte, and further generate small contracts with seven local established nonprofit organizations to provide professional services and; contract as many as 5 professional trainers.