arizona community foundation 2011--arizona organizing project grant application

8/6/2019 Arizona Community Foundation 2011--Arizona Organizing Project Grant Application

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Arizona Organizing Project - Arizona Community Foundation

Grant Application

Description of Project and Services:

A. SummaryMission: Develop andnurture healthy, effective andpowerful peerorganizationsof homeless and

formerly homeless individuals by utilizing tools drawn from the best community organizing and

recovery model curriculum. AZOPs beliefisthatthe combinationofthese two formsof education,

united with targeted community resources and heightened attention to peer development

unleashes humanspirit, dignity, and value in each personinpartnershipwith communities.

In 2009, Arizona Organizing Project (AZOP) begangatheringsupport andresourcestodemonstrate

a popular education approach to end chronic poverty while building a healthier and thrivingpopulation in Arizona. With a specific focus on people who live in chronic poverty and suffer

homelessness AZOP aims to find and strengthen these human resources by teaching and

developingskillsto create power. With increased confidence andgenuine tools, formerly homeless

individuals can anddo take action to change anddramatically improve theirdestiny. Ourmodel

places homelessparticipants atthe centeroftheirsuccessionplan andrelievedthemofthe label

andjob of being recipient. Animportantstage ofrecovery inourprogramisthatthe expertsin

homelessness advance to serve as Interns and teach leadership skills that help others build a

sustainable and independent life. Thisunique formatofpeer education andsupport hasproven

successful notonly insaving lives, but has created a strong and lastingsocial fabric ofmeaningful

support. Ourprogram has assisted formerly homeless individuals reach the goal ofgenuine selfsustainability while yielding a renewed and viable commitment to community. Continued and

consistent financial support for AZOP will transform lives in Arizona communities, reduce the

numberof chronically homelessindividuals andincrease the employmentrate amongthe formerly

homelesspopulation, which will resultingreaterstability to Arizona ingeneral. We aimtoreduce

the number of chronically homeless in Phoenix by 10% by the end of 2012, while creating a

strategic coordinated community-wide planto end homelessnesswithin 7 years.

Fieldworkthrough these programs accomplishesourmission:

1. Internship Program2. Neighborhood Leadership Institute3. Recovery Model Services & Housing for Formerly Homeless Interns4. Direct Services: Food, Kitchenspace, Referrals & Computer access5. Social Enterprise (currently in development are a bicycle repair business, community

gardens, raising fresh produce, sewing and crochet creations)

6. Peer Group Organizing (5 groups)-Jefferson Street Gentlemans Association - Seniormen

-Madison Street Veterans Association - Veteransgroup


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-Capitol Mall Fellows - Formerinmates

-Womenof Wealth, WOW - Homeless and formerly homeless Women

-Phoenix Street Life - Homeless Street Leaders

B. Project PurposeThe opportunity we have isto create viable pathwaysoutof chronic homelessness. We believe that

the solution toourproblem lieswithin the shared experiencesofordinary people: the homeless,

those who work to aid the homeless, and their collective wisdom. We use a recovery

empowerment model curriculum that provides an opportunity for those with behavioral health

issues, mental illness, orthe affectsof homelessnessto heal andgrow. By generating community

partnershipswith those dedicatedto end homelessness, we lead community organizing effortsof

people who are homelesswith those whowantto help. We use a recovery model curriculumthat

provides anopportunity to heal areasof human frailty that allowed homelessness tooccur. We

teach and fortify skills in all participants, to listen, learn, and foster an environment of

empowerment, respect and dignity for themselves and others. Where we restore and rebuildcommunity involvement by engaged citizenswhowere formerly homeless andthose in a positionto

provide support, knowledge increases for everyone, peer involvementdevelops, andour Arizona

communities advance from a positionofweaknesstostrength.

Arizona Organizing Projectneeds financial support todo thiswork and respond to the increasing

numbersofparticipants. Aswe have advanced awarenessinthe general community we have found

there has been a greaterdemand forourtraining, development, andsupportservices. Our efforts

are working andwe are buildingour capacity tokeepour commitmentto assist homelesspeople we

meet, but this success has upped the ante for our stakeholders in the community. We have

transformedouroffice space into an Internresidence and helpdeskwhile still tendingtothe needsofnewmembers;we provide direct assistance with servicesto a growingnumberofpeople daily.

Assuch, ourstaff isinneedofoffice space. Some programs are operating andgrowing, while our

Social Enterprise Developmentprogramneeds financial supporttoreach completion. Inpartnership

with the Recovery EmpowermentNetworkwe seekto expandour effectivenesstomeetthe needs

ofourmembersinrecovery, yetwith every stepof expansionthere are newobligationsofsupport.

Ouroutreach must continue andtodosowe need financial partnerstoshare responsibilities, build

programs, and expandour accessibility with another location.

AZOPspathwaysoutofthe homeless conditiondependon core programs:

1) Internship Program: Designed to provide a stable living environment for people who arecurrently homeless, we incorporate hands on leadership development in neighborhood

organizing and public and private life skills development. Responsibilities include conducting

relational meetings throughout the neighborhood, participating as peer support specialist,

leadershipdevelopmenttraining, and creating and leading community service projects.

2) Neighborhood Leadership Institute: The cornerstone ofthe institute is an internshipprogramwhich develops a cadre of neighborhood leaders and organizers who will create grassroots


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neighborhoodorganizationsthattransformthe health andwell-beingoftheir communities and

itsmembers.

3) Recovery Model Services and Housing for Formerly Homeless Interns: Personal discovery andempowerment are essential for holistic wellness and healing fromthe inside out. Through

modeling and coachingpeople insupportive listening andresponsible leadership, ourinterns

learnthe importance ofrecognizingtheir core gifts anddeveloptoolsnecessary for healthy

esteemofself andothers. Recovery empowermentpractices a peer-run approach torecovery

from homelessness and all thatit entails.

4) Direct Services: Food, Kitchen Space, Referrals and Computer Access: We offerreferrals forpeople experiencing homelessnesstosocial service organizationsthatprovide accessto food,

clothing, health, mental health, housing andotherservices. We provide weekly wellness checks

through the sponsorshipof ASU Nurses. We alsooffer accessto computers, the internet, and

printing forinterns andparticipants. We offerinstructionin careerdevelopmentskills, such as

resume-building, interviewreadiness, and assistance tosecure public benefits.

5) Social Enterprise Development: We view social enterprise development as a uniqueopportunity forindividual and collective leadershipto cause economic social change. We work

with people currently living in chronic poverty with a desire and aptitude to be social

entrepreneurs and create partnershipswith companies and community leaderstomentor and

teach job skills. The workofsocial entrepreneurpartnerships create enterprisesthat improve

the commongood and solve a social problem in a new, lasting, and effective way thatoffers

greatersustainability than traditional approaches. AZOP peers have launched a bicycle repair

business, community gardens and fresh produce, (thanks to Tigermountain Foundation and

Phoenix Clean and Beautiful) and sewing and crochet classeswith assistance from WOW and

ASU Fine Arts.

6) Peer Group Organizing: We organize and support peer groups for people living in chronicpoverty and currently associated with social service agencies. While well intended, social

service agencies become increasingly dominantinthe livesof homelesspeople and clientsoften

feel that agencies are not accountable tothem. Peergroups are the platform fromwhich the

chronically poor can speak and act on matters important to them. These groups build a

foundation formembersto effectively partnerwith the social service agenciestoworktogether

to end chronic poverty and build healthy andthriving communities.

C. AssessmentOur primary objective is to end chronic poverty in Arizona by providing a participative and

inclusive environment where peer groups of people living in chronic poverty successfully

collaborate with social service agencies and actively transform our Arizona communities to

sustainable health andprosperity. Inordertoreach thisgoal we mustorganize the people most

affected by the conditionsofpoverty and balance the power between those who are paid to

manage andpaidto live, with those whopay.


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We intendtomeasure oursuccessintwo broad areas: 1. Health andwell-beingofpeergroup

participants. 2. Transformationofpolicies andpracticesofsocial service agencies andsystems

chargedto endpoverty and build healthy, thriving communities.

Inmeasuring the individuals health andwell-beingwe will create a system todocument the

length oftheir homeless andotherkey indicatorsoftheir health andwell-being and howthoseindicators change through the life oftheirparticipation. We are currently doingweekly wellness

checkssponsored by ASU Nurses. We intendtopartnerwith a social service providerwho has

anunderstandingofourpeergrouporganizing and educationmodel. This agency would assign

a social workeror sociologist toperiodically observe and record the conditionsof health and

well-beingof at least 50 peergroupparticipants. We plantoutilize standard health indicators

already developed, howeverone ofthe key indicatorsofsuccessisthe number andpercentage

ofparticipantswho find andsustain housing for at leasttwo years.

In measuring the transformation of the policies and practices of social service agencies and

social systems affectingthe livesofthe homeless, we will track changesthat the peergroups

intentionally causedinthose agencies andsystems. Atthistime the peergroups are considering

actionsinthe following areas:

1. Successfully move intonew headquartersthatiswithin easy reach and accessofourmain

targetpopulationin central Phoenix and build a 3 yearsustainability plan forpresent and future

growth.

2. All 5 peergroups have credible business anddevelopmentplans by year end.

3. The successful completionofstrategic plans and executioninitiated for 4 new enterprises,

including a bicycle business; community gardens;womenssewing and crochet business by

March of 2012.

4. A legal services and counselingservice launched for all ourpeerpartnersin English and

Spanish by Octoberof 2011.

5. The completionof a written curriculumthat combines AZOP andRecovery Empowerment

Network's unique approach to community organizing andrecovery empowermentmodel

curriculum by March, 2012 forpossible national franchising anddistribution.

6. Implementationof assessments by variousschools at Arizona State University and Grand

Canyon University insocial work, nursing, behavioral health andsocialjustice by September,

2011.

7. Become a nationally recognizedmodel program by January of 2012.


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D. Organizing StatusIn the relatively short time that the Arizona Organizing Project has been establishedwe are

proudtosay thatour efforts have been effective in connectingwith and engaging hundredsof

people currently homelessin beinginvolvedinsustainable solutionsto endtheir homelessness.

We have been effective at communicating anddemonstratingourservices and commitmentto

ending homelessness in Arizona, with that success, the need for those same services has

escalatedwell beyondourprojections. We needto expandour campus, addoffice space, and

intendto create a multipurpose community space forourprogramming. With growth we face

the need for expansionsince demand forservices hasoutgrownour 2010 facilities. We believe

this move is sustainable due to our partnership with Recovery Empowerment Network and

otherorganizations and because we have dedicatedstaffof two employees, one partner, and

one interntosecure this funding. However, ifwe findthatwe are not able tosustainthis level

ofgrowth we wouldgoto a smalleror virtual office arrangementtosubtractoverhead before

we would cut funding fromservices.

E. BudgetThe budget funding we have committed to AZOP for this fiscal year is $463,000. We have

engaged in a grant writing campaign to request for the project/program expenses

approximately $700,000.includingthe Pakis Family Foundation

Expenses forthe project/programincluding line items are locatedonthe attached budget.

Priority funding forourorganizationis alwaysprogram andservices.

Attachments:

a. IRS determination letterb. IRS Form 990 taxreturnc. Organizational operating budgetd. Listof current Boardof Directors

arizona community foundation 2011--arizona organizing project grant application

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