Grants 2006

In November 2005, the Eleanor Foundation launched its Self-Sufficiency Initiative, committing to award at least $2 million in grants over three years. Grants are being made under a model that offers working women the resources and services with which to address any of four core barriers faced to achieving sustained economic self-sufficiency, through a single point of access or “hub.”

On April 5, 2007, the Foundation announced the award of the first five grants under the Self- Sufficiency Initiative. These grants, made to seven organizations and totaling over $1.5 million, include two “hub,” one planning and two “resource” grants. Progress made under the Self-Sufficiency Initiative will be tracked under a performance measurement tool developed by the Foundation in consultation with its grantees and others.

The five grant awards made in April 2007 were:

  • $750,000 (over three years) to the Heartland Human Care Services (HHCS)
     This project centers on building partnerships with employers of women in our target population. Through them, HHCS will offer workshops, mentoring and access to services to qualifying female employees. Specifically:

    • Monthly workshops will be offered on-site at the partner employers. The workshops will cover financial literacy, housing, employment and computer skills to employees. 20 employees per workshop (i.e., 720/year; 2160 over the 3 years of the grant) are expected to attend.
    • More intensive, longer term consultations with 135 female employees per year are aimed at increasing their income, improving financial status, education and housing.
    • Direct linkages to housing, educational, financial management and childcare services will be provided as needed and requested by the women participating in consultations.
  • $593,000 (over 3 years) to the CARA Program & The Enterprising Kitchen (TEK)
    This award formalizes a working relationship between CARA and TEK and will create a seamless program for women who have been successfully placed in private sector jobs through CARA or who have advanced within TEK's social enterprise into transitional supervisory positions designed to prepare them for supervisory work with other employers.

    This initiative will offer 107 women who are employed graduates of the CARA program and TEK Team Builders an additional two years of continuing counseling and services, with an emphasis on educational and job advancement, along with linked access to housing, credit cleanup and childcare.

  • $6,100 to the Bickerdike Development Corporation & Association House
     This award is for planning and outreach efforts expected to culminate in the submission of a fully developed program and proposal to the Foundation by June 2007. This award seeks to leverage Bickerdike's access to working women who are either members or who are tenants of the over 1000 units of affordable housing it manages and Association House's services and recent designation and funding as a “Center for Working Families.”

    The Eleanor Foundation will fund a survey and focus group interviews to determine the specific needs of working women in the West Town, Humboldt Park and Logan Square communities, which in turn will enable the two groups to create a set of resources and services tailored to meet these needs with an emphasis on increasing income, education and employment levels.

  • $67,147 (through December 2007) to the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing (Lawyers Committee)
    This award provides continuing support for the Home-sharing program that was launched with an Eleanor Foundation grant in 2003. The Home-sharing program carefully pairs homeowners (primarily seniors) with working women in home-sharing arrangements throughout the south side of Chicago. Post-match follow-up, including dispute resolution if needed, is also provided. This award will further allow the Lawyers Committee to coordinate its efforts with others by:

    Supporting its work with a parallel effort covering the north side of Chicago to offer more seamless home-sharing opportunities to women throughout Chicago. Serving as a partner agency with the Eleanor Foundation's “hub” grantees that will offer home-sharing opportunities to women being assisted through the Foundation's other grants.

  • $80,000 (over two years) to the Community Economic Development Law Project (CEDLP)
     This award provides continuing support to CEDLP's work under the Choose-to-Own program. Choose-to-Own is a five-year-old federal program that allows Housing Choice Voucher (formerly Section 8) holders to convert their vouchers into a mortgage payment stream and become first-time homebuyers. Chicago's is considered a model program, and has the most closings of any other program in the country (195). CEDLP provides all closing related-representation, and other counseling, including on inspections, avoiding predatory lending and estate law. Most of this one-on-one work is handled pro bono by volunteers who are trained by CEDLP.

    This award is expected to help 100-120 female homebuyers over the next two years. To date, there have been no foreclosures on homes purchased through Choose-to-Own.