2009-09-08_Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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J~Q~ MINty~SO -: Local Human Rights ,,. ~ Commissions Project Grant ~~~ . ~~.,~c.~ 2009 Guidelines ~~o ~~' NljfN RIGHTS ~ fs~f~vwo~ ~' OUR MISSIC)N To make Minnesota discrimination free. GP ANTMAKING PRIC)RITIES The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (Department) and League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions (League) invite local human rights commission to apply for a capacity building or civic engagement mini-grant. Requests up to $1,500 w ill be accepted on a first- come-first-serve basis. The deadlines for requests in 2009 are March 31, June 30, September 30. and December 31. In 2009, the Local Human Rights Commission Project Grant will fund projects that provide capacity building or civic engagement opportunities to local commissions to develop and implement civic engagement and social justice educational activities in the community. What Is Capacity Building? Capacity building is the development of an organization's core skills and capabilities, such as leadership, management, finance and fundraising, programs and evaluation, in order to build the organiz ation's effectiveness and sustainability. Strong local human rights com missions are not possible without proactive capacity building, which can lead to strategic and fundamental changes in the com mission's role in the community. What Is Civic Engagement? Civicengagement refers to individual and collective actions designed to ide~itify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement. It can include efforts to directly address. an issue, work with others in a com munity to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of democracy. Local human rights commissions can affect change by engaging others in its mission and expanding its reach i n the community. Why Did The Department Of Human Rights Choose This Focus? In 2006, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights completed a Needs Analysis survey of all local human rights commissions.. This survey was completed to better understand the local commissions' needs and to gain perspective as to why some areas of the state were not engaged in human rights activities in spite of having a local human rights commission. Among the things we learned are that local commissions lacked staffing, received limited support from their local government sponsors and volunteer com mission members needed training, capacity building, and networking opportunities. What We Will Fund. The grant review committee, made up of representatives from the Department and the League, seek to fund projects by local human rights commissions designed to develop the com mission's ability to govern itself, increase membership, develop its organizational capacity and sustainability, and effectively engage community members in human rights .programming. -Over- Local Human. Rights Commission Project A mini-grant program for local human rights commissions Administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in collaboration with the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions Filename: Grant Guidelines