The Lake County Community Foundation Announces Grant Awards
Coalition of County’s Health and Human Services Agencies Benefits
Waukegan, IL—June 22, 2011—The Lake County Community Foundation, an affiliate of The Chicago Community Trust, announced $213,600 in grants to local nonprofit organizations that serve the urgent needs of the most vulnerable individuals and families in the county. The Foundation’s priorities of alleviating hunger, homelessness, and stemming the cycle of poverty were highlighted in the grant awards, along with workforce development and efforts to strengthen the nonprofit sector.
“The Foundation’s grant making continues to respond to the county’s immediate needs, while proactively facilitating collaboration among human services providers in order to build a more robust sector that can effectively and efficiently meet community challenges,” stated Sylvia M. Zaldivar-Sykes, executive director of The Lake County Community Foundation.
The Leadership Task Force was the recipient of the single greatest investment by the Foundation since it began making grants to Lake County nonprofits in 2004. The Task Force, a coalition of twenty Lake County health and human services agencies, was launched by the Foundation in 2010 to explore opportunities to enhance Lake County’s health and human services delivery system and increase the sector’s capacity to serve residents of the county.
“The Lake County Community Foundation has been a strategic investor in the Lake County human services sector for many years. The Foundation’s recent initiative to convene and fund the Leadership Task Force is another example of how the Foundation continues to systematically improve the safety net by funding community demographic research, fostering inter-agency collaboration, providing leadership training and education, and facilitating strategic planning,” said Jim Zimmerman, executive director of HealthReach and
chair of the Task Force’s steering committee. “Without the encouragement, funding, and support of the Foundation, opportunities like the Leadership Task Force, which are designed to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of support to the underserved populations in our community, would be missed.”
The Foundation’s award of $135,000 to the Leadership Task Force and its coalition of organizations will fund the next phase of work as it transforms into a viable human services council. Both Donors Forum and Executive Service Corps of Chicago will provide technical assistance and planning support during the coalition’s yearlong process. Additionally, with the use of a countywide case management and client referral database—ServicePoint, the Task Force will begin to implement and sustain a unified system of human services delivery in Lake County.
Aaron Lawlor, Lake County board member (R-District 18) and chair of the County’s health and community services committee, stated that, “The County joined with the Foundation in this public/private partnership around ServicePoint implementation in order to create a more efficient and effective system across our county. Solving the county’s growing social issues requires that leaders from all different sectors come together around a common agenda.”
Ultimately, the coalition seeks to ensure that all Lake County human services agencies have the resources and capacities to effectively meet the needs of the county’s diverse communities. “Through the Foundation’s eight years of grant making and numerous nonprofit convenings, we have contributed to improving and supporting individual agencies, developing individual leaders, and now, with this singular investment, helping to transform the sector as a whole,” added Peg Moreland, chair of the Foundation’s board of directors.
Organizations participating in the Leadership Task Force include:
Arden Shore Child and Family Services, A Safe Place, CareerPlace, Boys and Girls Club of Lake County, Catholic Charities, CREW, HACES, HealthReach Incorporated, I-Plus, Lake County Health Department, Lake County, Planning and Development, LOVE Inc., Mano a Mano, Most Blessed Trinity, NICASA, PADS Crisis Services, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Waukegan Public Library, Youth Conservation Corps, and YouthBuild Lake County.
In addition to the Leadership Task Force grants, the Foundation made the following awards:
BENNU Legal Services: $9,600 to support the customization of CRM fundraising software.
Chicago Botanic Gardens: $5,000 to support the North Chicago Green Youth Farm program.
Employee Connections: $9,000 to support job skills training, life skills coaching, and job placement assistance to the unemployed in the county.
Family Network: $5,000 to support fitness and nutrition programming for low income Latino children and adults.
Heartland Alliance-National Immigrant Justice Center: $10,000 to ensure access to justice for vulnerable immigrants in Lake County.
IFF: $5,000 for the completion of phase 2 of the countywide nonprofit mapping project.
Northern IL Food Bank: $25,000 to enhance the sustainability of Lake County partner agencies and to increase the distribution of nutritious foods to residents in need.
St. Martin de Porres High School: $10,000 in support of the Bridge Program.
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About The Lake County Community Foundation
Since 2003, The Lake County Community Foundation, an affiliate of The Chicago Community Trust, has partnered with donors to leverage and guide their philanthropy to help transform the lives of the most vulnerable people across our county. Together, we have contributed nearly $2 million to nonprofit organizations that support basic human needs, community development, education, and health throughout Lake County. By connecting the generosity of donors across Lake County with the most pressing needs of the community, we ensure that our county thrives today and for generations to come.