2019 Grant Recipients
In 2019, the Beacon group made grants totaling $150k to 13 nonprofit organizations.
The Alex House Project
Located in Brooklyn, the Alex House Project supports young, pregnant, and parenting mothers and fathers. The Project aims to increase long-term family-stability and economic well-being by providing parenting-leadership development with a peer-group approach. This includes supporting access to education, and access to employment. Started in 2013, the Projects focuses on young parents aging out of foster care. The Beacon grant will be use for general support.
City Living NY
City Living, based in Brooklyn, works with youth aging out of foster care at a critical time as they begin life on their path to independence without the typical support structure in place most youth have. City Living helps them set up their first apartments and continues to support them with services until they turn 26. Started in 2015, they have a wait list youth who need services. The grant will provide operating support to supply the critical social work.
Custom Collaborative Inc.
Based in New York, Custom Collaborative serves low-income women (esp. immigrants) with training and support to equip them to succeed in the women’s apparel industry as seamstresses, pattern makers, and designers. This includes fostering fashion entrepreneurs who create and sell well made custom-fitted sustainably sourced garments and accessories. Founded in 2015, CCI includes a training institute and a Business Incubator Model. The grant will be used to support access to a network of skilled professionals, trainings, equipment and marketing resources, including pop-up shop locations, coaching in business, marketing, and product development.
Kings County Tennis League
Located in Brooklyn, the League brings tennis directly to children 5-18 years old as an instrument for youth development and community building. Tennis sessions are paired with an educational program to improve attitudes and behaviors around math and literacy as well as social and emotional wellness/development. Started in 2010, the League expects to serve 200 children in six public housing location, including building or renovating courts at the developments. The grant will be used to purchase equipment and to train and recruit additional volunteers and staff.
Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT)
Operating in all five Boroughs, LIFT serves children and families by providing legal information, community education, and guidance. LIFT also promotes system-wide reform of the courts and public agencies by establishing “go-to” locations in New York City’s Family Courts to provide on-the-spot help for unrepresented litigants struggling to make their way through the Courts. Established in 1996, LIFT services low-income parents, grandparents, or caregivers residing in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, most self-identifying as people of color. The grant will support efforts to implement a new series of community-based legal education workshops and legal clinics for two key populations in New York City: 1) immigrant parents, grandparents, and kin caregivers; and 2) survivors of domestic violence and abuse. This effort aims to provide services on site, where the clients already live.
Made in Brownsville
Based on Brooklyn, this youth-led creative agency seeks to increase diversity in design and tech professions, lower youth unemployment, and build civic leaders to disrupt cyclical poverty. Programs include paid apprenticeships, afterschool programming and public digital media literacy workshops. Started in 2017, the program includes apprenticeships in a range of activities. The grant will underwrite the stipends of two cohorts (16 youth) for the Creative Apprentice Program and underwrite a much needed “Success Manager.”
Musicambia
Musicambia brings music learning and ensemble performance to prisons throughout the United States. The program works with incarcerated individuals on performance, music theory, ear training and composition. Through performance and creation, participants develop self-confidence, positive self-image, and communication skills. They use the study of music as a creative means for lowering rates of aggression and recidivism. The Alumni Program provides lessons and opportunities for paid musical performances to their alumni in New York City each year after re-entry in society. It began as a pilot program in Sing-Sing in 2014. The grant will provide general operating support.
Opening Act, Inc.
Operating in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx, Opening Act offers an accessible, free high-quality arts education program to students in schools with the lowest graduation rates and lack of comprehensive arts programming. Students take part in improv, acting games, and writing exercises to unleash creativity, foster collaboration, and develop professional acting techniques. Started in 2000, the program serves public high school students. Since inception, it has reached more than 3,000 teens at 56 schools who each attend 30 weekly 2-hour sessions. A new Middle School Initiative which will pilot in fall 2019 for 20-30 students, aims to foster an interest in and appreciation for dramatic writing, increase students’ confidence both in and out of school and help students navigate the transition from middle to high school. The grant will support this initiative which will include feeder middle-school to a current Opening Act high school.
Power of Two
Operating in Brooklyn, Power of Two addresses intergenerational poverty at its root by using Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC), an evidence-based, in-home, parenting program, specifically designed to promote responsive parenting as a way to mitigate the negative effects of toxic stress in mothers and children, creating a strong foundation for them to thrive and reach their full potential. Initiated in 2016, the program provides coaching to parents with babies. The grant will enable the program to expand to new families in the South Bronx.
Staten Island Urban Center
The Urban Center, started in 2016, seeks to strengthen Staten Island neighborhoods by helping youth and families seek a sustainable quality of life for themselves and exposing participants to opportunities that expand social consciousness, personal, and community economics. The program’s Young Women’s Leader-ship Program serves youth leaders-in-training from Staten Island. The grant will assist the program in purchasing equipment, securing more space, and engaging specialized teaching artists and special guests.
UpBeat NYC, Inc.
UpBeat uses the pursuit of musical excellence and ensemble performance to bring about positive change in the lives of South Bronx children through transformative musical experience. Programs include Pre-Orchestra for 5-7 year olds, Violin classes for 6-10 year olds, and Youth Orchestra, String Orchestra, Latin, and Jazz Big Band, Choirs and Small Ensembles for ages 9 and up. Started in 2009, UpBeat now operates year-round, five days/week with 150 students free of charge The grant will provide general operating support to cover costs including musical teaching artist fees, instruments, supplies, facility rental, and administrative costs.
You Gotta Believe
You Gotta Believe is part of the Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement and operates in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan. The program connects vulnerable foster youth facing the prospect of aging out to permanent families, a majority of whom come from residential homes and treatment centers; , have been in foster care for years; or are part of special groups including LGBTQ youth, pregnant/parenting youth, and youth with mental health/ behavioral challenges. The program aims to connect the most vulnerable youth to family significantly reduces the high risk they face in their adulthood of poverty, homelessness, criminal justice system involvement, survival sex or sex trafficking, poor health and unplanned pregnancy. Started in 1995, over the last three years, 85% of the youth worked with were connected with permanent parents. The grant will provide general support of program services including: 1) parent search and recruitment, training and certification, (2) youth support, preparation and family connection, (3) long-term pre & post support services for families and (4) demonstration project with the Children’s Village.
