Since the first Community Action Grants were awarded in 1993, our Branch has given out 92 grants totaling $75,350. We are pleased to continue this tradition annually.
Today, the Longmont Branch of the American Association of University Women offers one or more Community Action Grants to local projects that help break down barriers among people of all ages, ethnic origins and gender. In general, $2,500 or more is available in grant monies and may be divided among several applicants. Depending on the applications, all or a portion may be awarded.
Qualifying projects should:
- Promote education and equity for women and girls
- Be nonpolitical
- Benefit the public
- Respond to a community need
- Fall within the geographical boundary of the St. Vrain Valley School District
Application forms and procedures are posted on the Longmont Community Foundation website by mid-March with deadline of mid-April.
For information, contact Sue Hughes, 720-979-3542, or Sherry Cross, 303-772-0732
Congratulations to our three 2024 Community Action Grant recipients, receiving a total of $3,600 to support their programs.
Recipients from Brύjula Comunitaria Caro Neri and Iris Preito along with Debbie Unruh from Pearl Promise (L-R) gave branch members a moving understanding of how this year’s grants wil help build financial well-being skills in Latino women and self-sufficiency in single mothers in their two nonprofits.
“I want to thank everyone for helping me and my classmates to have the opportunity of this wonderful program. It is my goal to give back to this program by becoming a teacher and help others achieve their goals.” ~ 2024 Open Door graduate, Dunia
2024 Grant Recipients
Brύjula Comunitaria, an empowerment group of women representing the Latino community, was awarded $1,300 to support the Mindful Finances: Workshop for the Financial Well-Being of Latin Women workshop. The main objective of this workshop is to address the intersectionality of financial education and mental well-being among Brújula members by providing education, and support and resources with the goal of empowering participants to make informed financial decisions. This initiative will be supported by Brújula’s multifaceted array of skills and competencies crucial to its overall mission of fostering community engagement and addressing challenges surrounding social and economic justice.
Details about Brύjula Comunitaria programming and the community it serves can be found on their website.
Open Door was awarded $1,000 for continued expansion of its English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. This expansion is supported by a new challenge – a drastic increase of young people, both Spanish-speaking and native English-speaking students ages 16-24 needing services. The increase in this age group, prevalent throughout the community, is a result of the number of young people who dropped out of high school since the COVID pandemic. Needs such as learning academic English, and working on high school equivalency preparation and the associated testing are significant in this age group.
Details about Open Door programming and their educational programs can be found on their website.
PEARL Promise was awarded $1,300 to add an intensive career development component to its mentorship program. This program is crafted specifically to assist single mothers working toward self-sufficiency through the creation of workshops and one-on-one intensive case management with the purpose of moving its clients off government funding and more towards self-sufficiency with a clearly defined career path. The workshops and case management process will focus on resume building, interviewing skills, and the creation of individualized case plans with the goal of furthering clients’ education to include certification programs and GED courses.
Details about PEARL Promise programming and their community focus can be found on their website.
CONGRATULATIONS!
to the 2023 grant and scholarship recipients
From left to right: Rylie Nelson representing El Comité de Longmont; Anastasia Ware from Open Door; CSU undergrad student Ashley Livingston; former Open Door student Sarahi Gutierrez; and Ashley Flynn from Forward Steps; Not able to be with us was Mohika Nagpal, medical student at the University of Michigan.
“Never forget that you are strong, capable, and deserve to achieve each and every one of your dreams. There will always be challenges and difficulties, but these are what make us stronger.” ~ Former Open Door student, Sarahi Gutierrez
2023 Grant Recipients
El Comité was awarded $1,000 to support the expansion of English as a Second Language classes to include a 3rd class on Friday evenings. As the number of students wanting this educational opportunity increased significantly over the past year, so did the waitlist. This grant will help El Comité retain a talented instructor, reduce the waitlist more quickly, and provide an alternative class time for students who can not attend the other classes being offered.
Details about El Comité programming and community focus can be found on their website.
Forward Steps received a $1,000 grant to work with teenage students at the Longmont Youth Center. Their individualized career decision-making program, Realizing Aptitudes, focuses on identifying aptitudes, strengths assessment, and career exploration and planning. It promotes student self-discovery supported by personalized coaching, This program will supplement the Youth Center’s ASPIRE and CU Pre-Collegiate programs for career and postsecondary readiness making a real difference for all participating students.
More information can be found on the Forward Steps website.
Open Door was awarded a $1,000 grant for the purchase of student materials to support their locally-designed, standards based curriculum for the adult English-learning and career and college readiness programs. curriculum. Open Door is expecting at least 100 new students this year. This grant will help offset the $25+ cost of materials provided to each student, making the programs offered more affordable and attainable for interested students.
It was our great pleasure to hear from one of Open Door’s former students, Sarahi Gutierrez, at the Spring Fling. Click on her name to read her moving remarks on learning English and the value of the Open Door programs.
2022 Recipients
El Comité was granted $1,000 to support its English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. These unique classes include an assessment test to determine the level placement of the student, use laptop computers in the classes, and implement Civics Lessons into the sessions. All of the classes are taught by accredited ESL teachers and use a state-certified curriculum. Many of the students in these classes are focused on getting their GED or becoming a US citizen. Women make up 75-80% of the participants in these programs.
From Nest to Wings was awarded $750 to expand their video library that focuses on terms and issues for 1st generation college applicants as part of the varied educational offerings to these students by Nest. This nonprofit educates on how to maximize high school, the different forms of higher education, the college application process, financing college, and the first-year college experience. Expanding the video series to help students more easily understand the language created around the high school to college experience through the online media they are so used to accessing is crucial. This nonprofit is particularly sensitive that their products support all women in education.
Open Door was granted $1,000 to support childcare expenses for students at their facility. Open Door provides affordable ESL academic classes. Students in these English classes receive college-prep instruction as well as job enhancement skills, like interviewing, resume and scholarship essay writing, and computer skills. Open Door offers a unique High School Equivalency program, with both paper and computer options, in both English and Spanish. The center sees education as the great equalize and offering childcare during the classes offered equalizes opportunities even further, particularly for women.
Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley received a grant of $750 to support the Athletes as Leaders (AAL) program, within its multi-pronged Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program, to address the root cause of teen dating violence. AAL applies a Positive Youth Development approach for female youth to participate in education, awareness raising and leadership development. Coaches who participate in this program will nominate an exceptional female athlete who not only completes the program, but also excels in positively changing their environment. These monies will be offered to the student as an educational scholarship.