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Status of 2007-2008 Program
Results of 2006-2007 Program
Results of 2005-2006 Program
Read about all of the Rural Maryland Council's grant programs.
Strengthening the Well-Being of Rural Families
An Initiative of the Rural Maryland Council with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Update (April 2008): The Rural Maryland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, voted to undertake a fundraising campaign for the FY 2009 Strengthening the Well Being of Rural Maryland Families Program. The Foundation's goal is to raise $25,000 by Fall 2008 when the next grant cycle begins. For the past three years, the Rural Families program has been completely funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Despite the enormous need, no taxpayer dollars have ever been requested or used for the Rural Families program.
- For more information on how you can help, see the Rural Maryland Foundation's Fact Sheet.
- Also, see the Rural Families Fact Sheet
Background
During FY 2008, the Rural Maryland Council and the Annie E. Casey Foundation have joined together for the third year in a row to offer the Strengthening the Well-Being of Rural Maryland Families. This direct services grant program awards a limited number of grants to not-for-profit, community-based or community-serving organizations that help disadvantaged families living in rural Maryland enhance their economic success. Eligible counties are: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worchester.
Program Purpose: Family Economic Success
Children do well when their families do well; families do better when they live in supportive communities. However, many families living in rural areas are disconnected from the opportunities and supports they need to succeed. This grant program is committed to helping families in rural Maryland gain access to economic opportunities, find support through formal and informal networks, and have access to effective services that meet their needs. The Family Economic Success (FES) initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation helps low-income working families build strong financial futures by integrating three key components:
- Workforce development – helping families obtain the skills and education necessary to get good jobs and build careers;
- Family economic support – information, resources, policies and strategies to help families stabilize their income and build wealth assets; and
- Community investment – investments and grant making in housing, facilities and business, and commercial development
Family Strengthening Orientation
The Family Economic Success approach is grounded in a family-strengthening orientation toward service delivery. This orientation is captured in the statement that children do well when their families do well; families do better when they live in supportive communities. Program activities emphasize helping vulnerable families become self-reliant and succeed over time. The family strengthening orientation highlights the importance of family, location and connection in providing services to families, as described below.
- Families Matter. Families are the focus of service and educational activities which are designed to help families acquire the confidence, capacity and opportunities they need to achieve aspirations for themselves and their children. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that embrace parents as partners, to help those parents achieve the goals they have for their families. Project directors should also involve targeted families in planning, executing, reporting and evaluating the proposed initiative.
- Place Matters. The circumstances and conditions in which rural families live, including the availability and access to appropriate opportunities, supports and services, influence the ability of families to succeed. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that are “place-based” and located in, or clearly tied to, the targeted rural community it is designed to serve. Activities should also address for specific barriers of accessing services in the target community.
- Connections Count. Families need connection to economic opportunities and to jobs that provide income, assets, and an economic future; to the social networks of kin, neighborhood groups, and other informal ties; and to high-quality, effective services and formal supports. This principle is demonstrated by program activities that help families build a solid base of support and a web of connections to formal and informal supports that can help them be self-sustaining.
Core Results: Earn it, Keep it, Grow it
Programs funded by the Strengthening Rural Maryland Families grants program must strive toward any of the following core results of the Annie E. Casey Foundation Rural Family Economic Success (RuFES) initiative. This initiative pays particular attention to the unique and specific needs of rural families living in Maryland and across the nation. Applicants should focus their proposals to these core results and propose an evaluation plan that will use indicators of progress and achievement consistent with the core results.
- Earn it – families have increased income
- Keep it – families have more stable financial lives
- Grow it – families acquire assets and build wealth
Family Economic Success (FES): Proven Programs
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has identified several model programs for helping families achieve economic success. These include the: Centers for Working Families, Working Poor Families Project, Jobs Initiative, and EITC/Free Tax Assistance. Applicants can learn more about these programs and the Family Economic Success and Rural Family Economic Success initiatives on the Annie E. Casey Foundation website: http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/FamilyEconomicSuccess.aspx
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible for consideration for the Strengthening Rural Maryland Families grants program, an applicant must be not-for-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, community-based or community-serving organization or agency.
- A "community-based organization or agency" is located in the rural community or neighborhood it serves with local, rural residents playing an active part in the governance and operation of the organization.
- A "community-serving organization or agency" may or may not be located in the rural community it serves. However, families and their children from disadvantaged rural communities must have access to, and benefit from, the services and programs being offered, and must be the primary beneficiaries of the programs or services to be supported by the grant.
The application review process is coordinated by Grant Director Bonnie Braun, who is a member of the Rural Maryland Council Board and a Cooperative Extension faculty member of the Department of Family Studies, University of Maryland in College Park. Applications are screened by a panel of reviewers to determine if they meet the eligibility criteria and for completeness of application. Check this website for information about subsequent grant cycles.