Obama Administration Announces 2011 Promise Neighborhood Grantees

After reviewing over 200 applications, the Obama Administration has awarded 20 Promise Neighborhood Grants.  Five organizations will receive the first round of implementation grants, while another 15 organizations will receive the second round of planning grants.  The grantees are:

Implementation Grantees

•  Westminster Foundation (Buffalo, N.Y.)
•  Northside Achievement Zone (Minneapolis, Minn.)
• Berea College (Clay, Jackson, and Owsley Counties, Ky.)
• United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, Inc. (San Antonio, Texas)
• California State University – East Bay (Hayward, Calif.)

 Planning Grantees

• Mission Economic Development Agency (San Francisco)
• Reading and Beyond (Fresno, Calif.)
• Mercer University (Macon, Ga.)
• Community Action Project of Tulsa (Tulsa, Okla.)
• Elmezzi Foundation (New York)
• South Bay Community Services (Chula Vista, Calif.)
• Black Family Development (Detroit, Mich.)
• Children Youth and Family Services (Charlottesville, Va.)
• CAMBA (New York)
• SGA Youth and Family Services (Chicago)
• Ohio University (Glouster, Ohio)
• Meriden Children’s First (Meriden, Conn.)
• Martha O’Bryan Center (Nashville, Tenn.)
• Catholic Charities of Albany (Hudson, N.Y.)
• Campo Band of Mission Indians (Campo, Calif.)

As part of the Obama Administration’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, today’s awards support the administration’s focus on developing place-based strategies that revitalize neighborhoods.  The 2011 Promise Neighborhood implementation grantees will receive up to $6 million to implement their cradle-to-career services that aim to improve the academic achievement and development of youth.  In addition, the implementation grantees will be eligible to receive funding from the Department of Justice to enhance their public safety programs. The 15 planning grantees will receive $500,000 to begin developing revitalization strategies. 

Today’s awards mark the second round of Promise Neighborhood grants.  In 2010, a total of $10 million in planning grants was awarded to 21 communities.  Between the 2010 and 2011 awards, a total of 18 states and the District of Columbia now have Promise Neighborhood strategies in place or in development.  The Promise Neighborhood will likely be in place in 2012 as Congress recently approved $60 million for the program.

For more information about the Promise Neighborhood program and the 2011 grantees, please click here.

Stayed tuned to our blog for updates on the Promise Neighborhoods Program and the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.