Webinar - Accessing New Markets Tax Credits for Community Facilities

Join Hope Community Capital, Forward Community Investments, Tri-City National Bank, and Notre Dame School of Milwaukee to learn how to successfully access New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) for your community facility project. The webinar will provide participants with an overview understanding of whether and how NMTC is a possible source of project financing/funding for their community facility. Executive Directors, Board Members, Chief Financial Officers and Development Directors of nonprofits engaged in the development or expansion of a community facility will benefit most from this webinar. Note: Although this particular webinar is focused on a Wisconsin project – Notre Dame School of Milwaukee - the tips and ideas are applicable to any nonprofit across the nation considering NMTC as a source of financing/funding for its community facility project.

Congratulations to SecureFuture's Money Coach Program - FCI's Game Changer Awardee for March

The Money Coach Program is apart of SecureFutures which has a mission to provide financial literacy programs and resources that empower students to make sound financial decisions with a vision to build strong communities where teens and their families make informed financial decisions and take control of their financial future. 

FCI's Game Changer Awardee for February is Mosaicos!

Stoughton, a city located in southeast Dane County, has a population of about 13,000 that is comprised mostly of individuals with white European ancestry, but that demographic is changing. It can be seen especially in their schools where almost 17% of the students are of other races than white. However, the diversity of district staff does not reflect the increased diversity of the student population. That is one thing that Mosaicos Cultural Enrichment would like to see change.

Eisenhower Center's Ike Bites is FCI's Game Changer Awardee for January!

The Eisenhower Center is a vocational training program on the northwest side of Milwaukee that provides training and jobs for adults with disabilities that live in some of the most economically and racially distressed communities across Milwaukee County. Traditionally the Eisenhower Center has partnered with local businesses to provide packaging assembly and other fulfillment services to provide program participants valuable skills, work experience that can be used in the community, dignity, and hope.

Congratulations to Ebony Vision - FCI's Game Changer Grant Awardee for December 2019

The Men of Vision mentoring program works with African American youth in and around the Fond du Lac area to provide educational, academic, social and emotional support that promotes positive behaviors that will enhance their respect for others and themselves. 

One of the driving forces behind the Men of Vision program can be conveyed through a quote from Fredrick Douglass. “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Congratulations to Health Watch Wisconsin's Buena Salud - FCI's Game Changer Grant awardee for November 2019

Health Watch Wisconsin is creating a four-part video series, Buena Salud, dedicated to Spanish- speaking immigrant communities to inform them of their rights regarding health care coverage in Wisconsin. The series, which will be presented in Spanish, is a result of research conducted by Health Watch Wisconsin; the findings concluded that Spanish-speaking immigrant communities are selecting not to enroll in healthcare programs because they are worried that receiving coverage could negatively impact their immigration status. 

Congratulations to Fit Oshkosh's Coworking Space! FCI's Game Changer Grant Awardee for October 2019!

In response to business owners of color in the Fox Valley feeling isolated and having difficulty finding community support and resources, Fit Oshkosh created a space intended to harbor a safe space of empowerment where people of color can conduct and expand their businesses and emphasize social and community connections.

Mapping Prejudice: Visualizating Hiden Histories of Race and Privilege

In partnership with UEDA Forward Community Investments and the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, we welcomed Kirsten Delegard and her colleague Kevin Ehrman-Solberg of the Minneapolis-based research group, Mapping Prejudice for a discussion on Friday, October 11th in Milwaukee.

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The session provided attendees with an understanding of racial covenants, how they were executed, and how they shifted the racial landscape of cities like Milwaukee. During this session, Sherrill Knezel provided us with this beautiful version of her sketch notes from the session. ​

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Thanks Sherrill!

FCI's September Game Changer Award Goes to Souled Out Ministries

Souled Out Ministries Inc., based in Appleton, is an organization that works with at-risk youth through partnerships with parents and educators. Their vision is that ALL youth and young adults in Appleton have equitable access to educational opportunities, graduate from high school and can achieve their full potential. 
 

Part of achieving this vision includes their Student Assistance Program. This program assists students, families and school staff in the identification, and removal of barriers that stand in the way of student development and learning. 

FCI awards Padres E Hijos En Accion with our August 2019 Game Changer Grant!

Padres E Hijos En Accion envisions a world in which all Latino children with disabilities can enhance their quality of life and expand their participation in the community. Padres achieves their goals by engaging children and families in activities not previously available to them, including cooking, gardening, biking, and rock climbing. These activities are important to children with disabilities because they are instrumental in developing communication skills, building independence, and improving fine motor skills.

“The gardening program provides benefits that are not available in a classroom setting. We have found that gardening enhances creativity, improves self-confidence and reduces stress, anxiety and frustration in these children,” notes Hector Portillo, lead organizer for Padres 

We All Rise: African American Resource Center is the recipient of FCI's July Game Changer Grant!

The vision of We All Rise: African American Resource Center in Green Bay is to create a vibrant African American community and promote healing by targeting the root causes of systemic oppression. To do this, We All Rise uses a holistic approach to inspire a village mentality, creating safe spaces and connections in Green Bay’s African American community.
 

For We All Rise, “healing” means many things: it translates into victim and mental health services, housing, education, employment, and transportation services, and legal assistance.

One Wausau is June's FCI Game Changer Awardee!

As the Wausau area population has become more diverse, residents have had more opportunities to learn about cultures, lifestyles and views different than their own. At the same time, the community has been exposed to real ethnic cultural and gender divisions with deep roots that are rarely acknowledged, much less understood.