by LaStar Matthews

The Northwest Area Foundation, through its newly established Great Strides Award program, has awarded $100,000 to each of four communities that have already taken important steps to reduce poverty in the long term.  In addition to receiving the award, the communities were invited to share lessons learned with other communities throughout the region.

The winners were:  the Heartland Community Action Agency, Willmar, Minn.; the North-Missoula Community Development Corporation; Missoula, Mont.; CHARISM project, Fargo, N.D.; and the Lakota Fund, Kyle, S.D. The monetary award will go to a community organization to be used for the community's benefit.

Forty-four communities from the Northwest Area Foundation's eight-state region (South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon) applied for the award. Six finalists hosted on-site visits by the foundation, at which point the four winners were selected.

Each of four winners was chosen because of the steps taken to date to implement poverty-reduction programs that are inclusive, have regional impact, use an asset-based approach, incorporate existing economic engines and nurture community leadership.  The foundation felt that each one of these elements adds value to a community and positions it to create assets and wealth, build the community's capacity to address poverty, increase economic opportunities, and increase inclusive decision-making.

"As we work with communities - especially rural communities - to face today's economic challenges, we've been impressed and encouraged by the innovative strides they've taken to address poverty at its roots," said Karl Stauber, president of Northwest Area Foundation. "It's heartening to see community-driven progress, and it's an honor to be able to publicly recognize their success stories."

The following examples are the winners of the 2005 Great Strides awards.

Heartland Community Action Agency, Willmar, Minn. (pop. 18,351): Heartland Community Action Agency was selected for its implementation of the "Circles of Support" model, which builds relationships across class and race lines to bolster support, and to end the isolation, of people living in poverty. Every participating family is matched with three "allies" who befriend the family. Along with staff support, the "circles" provide intentional relationships that help people who are poor deal with practical matters of transportation, job searches, housing, childcare and other challenges.

North Missoula Community Development Corporation (NMCDC), Missoula, Mont. (pop. 57,053): NMCDC was selected for its success in using a community land trust model to lower the cost of home ownership. The land trust is a nonprofit corporation that holds land in a commonwealth for the community, thereby lowering the cost of home ownership by separating ownership of housing from ownership of land. NMCDC also was recognized for encouraging community members to participate in its programs, with 50 percent of its board of directors comprised of neighborhood residents and at least one-third board membership made-up of leaseholders in the land trust. NMCDC also has initiated neighborhood revitalization projects and supported community-owned businesses.

CHARISM, Fargo, N.D. (pop. 90,599): CHARISM, or Community of Homes And Resources In Service to Many, was selected for its New Immigrant Women's Initiative, which helps new American women become more self-sufficient by learning the language, basic life skills and job skills needed in this country. CHARISM is a non-profit, neighborhood-based family resource center offering youth enrichment programs, adult computer and professional development training, and community events and programs for individuals and families. Its New Immigrant Women's Initiative grew from the requests of women participating in its programs.

The Lakota Fund, Kyle, S.D. (pop. 970): The Lakota Fund is the first and only financial development institution on Pine Ridge Reservation. It was selected for developing a culture of entrepreneurship and nurturing a collaborative approach with other financial institutions on the Reservation. The Lakota Fund is community-owned and promotes socioeconomic sustainability of the Oglala Lakota Oyate (people) through business loans, technical assistance and targeted community and business development. In recent years, The Lakota Fund has helped with start-up costs of the Pine Ridge Chamber of Commerce and has developed an Individual Development Account (IDA) program, which helps people who are poor save money and receive matching federal funds for those savings.

Details:  Applications for the next Great Strides Awards will be accepted until October 7, 2005. 

For additional information on the Great Strides Awards and the Northwest Area Foundation, see www.nwaf.org or call 651-224-9635.

The Northwest Area Foundation, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., helps communities reduce poverty in its eight-state region. Although the Foundation does not accept grant requests, it does provide technical assistance and financial resources that help identify, share and advocate for community-focused strategies for long-term poverty reduction.