CCHD Strategic National Grant Program Awardees

The Strategic NationalGrant Program is a core fund of CCHD. It is discretionary, and responds to timely opportunities relevant to the priorities of the USCCB to promote human life and dignity, advance justice and address the root causes of poverty. Strategic National Grants serve as a catalyst for organizations working to promote justice and economic development on a significantly larger scale than the community-based organizations that typically receive support from CCHD. Awardees demonstrate a commitment to pursuing significant goals related to the root causes of poverty or promoting economic development on a statewide, regional or national basis.

Summary of 2016 Grants


HOPE BORDER INSTITUTE        $500,000
EL PASO, TX

CCHD has awarded support to Hope Border Institute, an innovative initiative which will bring together local CCHD funded groups, dioceses and Catholic institutions in order to promote a culture of life, economic justice, justice for immigrants and environmental justice along the Mexico-US border. HBI will work to develop the voice of local residents to advance an agenda for change rooted in Catholic social teaching.

NATIONAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST NETWORK         $500,000
NATIONWIDE

The National Community Land Trust Network is an organization of community land trusts, which provide permanently affordable homeownership to low-income families and communities. CCHD has awarded the Network a grant to support the growth of its network in order to break the cycle of poverty for more families across the country.

PICO NATIONAL NETWORK         $500,000
NATIONWIDE

The PICO National Network has been awarded support to expand its Parish Immigration Project. The Parish Immigration Project provides training and support to leaders and pastors in dioceses across the country to put Catholic teaching on immigration into practice. PICO is undertaking these efforts in partnership with the USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants Campaign.

WASHINGTON STATE CATHOLIC CHARITIES AGENCIES    $500,000
WASHINGTON STATE

Catholic Community Services of Western Washington, Catholic Charities Spokane and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Yakima have been awarded a grant to support a statewide “Life & Justice Initiative”. The Initiative includes the development of a support network for expecting mothers and their families, and a leadership development and advocacy network among Black and African as well as farmworker communities.

 

OBRIA Medical clinics of southern california     $500,000
california

Obria Medical Clinics has been awarded support to address the pressure on families due to lack of access to adequate healthcare. Through trainings for families and providing basic needs to low income-communities in California, Birth Choice is working to organize families to create community networks that provide needed healthcare for under-served communities.


california catholic conference     $500,000
california

The California Catholic Conference has been awarded support to establish and promote a Restorative Justice Network throughout the state of California. The grant will enable a supportive network and training for local leaders and community organizers in restorative justice principles, research on the impacts of the criminal justice system in California, and the creation of replicable faith-based community-based models for the integration of ex-prisoners.


democracy at work Institute     $500,000
CALIFORNIA

Democracy at Work Institute has been awarded a grant to support and scale the sustainable development of worker-owned cooperatives in low-income communities across the United States. The cooperatives supported by Democracy at Work promote worker-ownership and democratic control, where workers genuinely determine their own destiny. Worker-owners have a voice over key decisions in the workplace, setting the downtrodden free from the mercy of employers whose main concern is making a profit, often at the expense of their employees.


direct action research training institute (DART)     $250,000
florida

Direct Action Research Training (DART) has been awarded support to catalyze restorative justice in Florida, where high incarceration rates and sentencing guidelines disproportionally affect the poor. DART is working to strengthen the voice among Florida parishes and allied Catholic partners to increase the use of restorative strategies and other successful practices to divert adults and juveniles from the criminal justice system, and to address re-entry issues.


SOCIETY OF ST. VICENT DE PAUL     $500,000
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been awarded support to work for the re-integration of ex-prisoners into communities by engaging local SSVP conferences, CCHD-supported organizations and local Catholic communities.