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Question: To whom it may concern, I am an intern with Sustainable Tompkins of Ithaca, New York. My organization got a grant to create a program to support community activism with mini grants. We are just at the beginning of this process and your website was really helpful for formatting and general guidance. I was wondering if you knew about some successful mini grant programs so that we could see how they got off the ground, what common problems were, how long their program has been running, what types of changes they have seen in their community as a result, etc. Would you be able to help me find answers to these questions? Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon! ~Kendra Chatburn
Answer: Hello, thanks for your question and congratulations on the grant to support activism with mini-grants. I'd have a look at the Kellogg Foundation's website that highlights the "Yes We Can!" mini-grant project in Battle Creek Michigan. This program has met with some success and I imagine that their learning thus far may be of use to you. Also, if you can get a hold of an article entitled: "Mobilizing Residents for Action: The Role of Small Wins and Strategic Supports" by Pennie G. Foster-Fishman, Katie Fitzgerald, Cherise Brandell, Branda Nowell, David Chavis, Laurie A. Van Egeren (American Journal of Community Psychology, Volume 38)- you can read about their evaluation of the first phase of the Yes We Can! project and their insights.
Question Date: Fri, 05/23/2008