In 2010 the Elias Foundation is proud to support the Westchester-serving community organizations below. This year we continued to fund core community-led organizations in Westchester County that are committed to the long-term pursuit of systemic change for social justice, focusing on short-term, small seed grants, as well as organizing training opportunities and other program support for the community.
Community Voices Heard
Yonkers, NY $30,000
www.cvhaction.org
This program grant continued support for an outreach worker to organize residents of Yonkers' low-income housing projects to advocate for their unmet needs. Includes $5,000 support for office move.
FairVote, Port Chester Votes
Port Chester, NY $5,000
www.portchestervotes.com
A grant in support of a project to enhance the Voter Education Program in Port Chester.
Grandpower Advocates / Family Service Society of Yonkers
Yonkers, NY $15,000
www.fssy.org
This project trains and supports older Yonkers residents who are caring for their dependent grandchildren, to advocate for entitlement parity with non-relative caregivers.
Groundwork Hudson Valley
Yonkers, NY $32,000
www.groundworkhv.org
This grant supports ongoing community development work in Southwest Yonkers as well as a new Neighborhood Builders program to expand community outreach and advocacy training in the Nodine Hill neighborhood.
Hudson Valley Community Coalition
Hudson Valley, NY $30,000
www.hvccoalition.net
This grant supports a new organizing, outreach and advocacy organization dedicated to re-creating communities where immigrants' contributions to the community are recognized and where they are fully represented in government.
Hunger Action Network New York State
Mount Vernon, NY $20,000
www.hungeractionnys.org
This grant supports the mobilization of Mount Vernon residents to improve the quality of services provided by the Mount Vernon Department of Social Services.
Jacob Burns Film Center, Reel Change for Nonprofits
Pleasantville, NY $18,000
www.burnsfilmcenter.org
This grant supports the participants of the Reel Change for Nonprofits workshops to enhance the advocacy work of grassroots organizations in Westchester.
Neighbors Link / Building Blocks Program
Mount Kisco, NY $15,000
www.neighborslink.org
This grant supports a program promoting dialogue, respect and cooperation between immigrants and local police personnel in Mount Kisco.
Neighbors Link
Mount Kisco, NY $15,000
www.neighborslink.org
This general operations grant supports building critical paths to economic and social development for immigrant workers by teaching basic organizational skills, community building and empowerment.
Parent Leadership Institute / Ossining Union Free School District
Ossining, NY $30,314
www.ossiningufsd.org
This is the fourth year Elias has given a grant for the Parent Leadership Institute, an innovative program developed by the public school system, involving minority parents in the life of their children’s schools through service leadership and social justice organizing.
Steppin' Up Yonkers
Yonkers, NY $10,000
www.groundworkhv.org
This grant supports a project to operate “Chat n’ Chew” luncheons, building partnerships among groups and individuals working on related problems that negatively affect progress in our communities in order to lead to specific on-the-ground collaborative projects to address these issues.
Westchester Children's Association, Inc.
Mount Vernon and White Plains, NY $10,000
www.wca4kids.org
This grant supports a County-wide organization that informs and trains parents to advocate for needed changes in their communities.
Westchester Hispanic Coalition
White Plains, NY $10,000
www.hispaniccoalition.org
This grant supports a community organizer to develop and implement grassroots advocacy networks and coordinate mobilization of Latino-serving agencies, volunteers and initiatives.
WESPAC Foundation
White Plains, NY $30,000
www.wespac.org
This general operating grant supports WESPAC’s continuing growth and efforts to promote peace and justice activism locally.
2010 Program Support
Community Design
$1,000 each to WESPAC, Groundwork Hudson Valley and GrandPower to cover the cost of printed materials that were developed by community design students at SUNY Purchase College.
Community Training
Elias coordinated trainings and gave a total of $11,500 to support grantees and other Westchester activists to attend. These trainings included fundraising, youth and community organizing workshops.
March for America
A total of $7,700 emergency support given to Westchester organizing groups to attend the March for America, March 21, 2010, in Washington DC to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform.
US Social Forum
A total of $10,400 support given to Westchester organizing groups to attend the United States Social Forum in Detroit in 2010 along with orientation during the forum and networking opportunities in Westchester before and after the event.