119
Black & Pink National
2406 Fowler Ave #316 Omaha, NE 68111
https://www.blackandpink.org/
https://www.instagram.com/blackandpinkorg/ https://twitter.com/BLACKandPINKorg https://www.facebook.com/blackandpinknational/
Andrew Aleman
Deputy Director of People Power & National Partnerships
andrew@blackandpink.org
+1 (402) 650-7698
Yes
attached
attached
Black & Pink National brings a variety of programming and service delivery to our communities across the country. Our Bail Fund supports our members in accessing their bail amount and enables our system of comprehensive bail support; our Sex Worker Liberation Project provides for the safety, health, and wellness needs for LGBTQIA2S+ sex workers; our Chapter Network furthers the mission and vision of Black & Pink; and our legacy programs - the Newsletter and PenPal Programs - keep our incarcerated members connected with resources, education, and community members. Additionally, the programming specific to this proposal includes: Our REAP (Restore. Embolden. Amplify. Power.) Program directly invests in people who are impacted by violent and oppressive systems (i.e. white supremacy, anti-Blackness, transphobia, incarceration, etc.) and provides wrap around support services tailored specifically to each individual's needs (ex. housing support, grocery support, healthcare services support, etc.). Workforce Development programming supports members in achieving immediate employment while building towards long term career goals. Our TRANSitions Program provides a pathway toward safe housing for system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people. TRANSitions houses our Lydon House initiative, the first of its kind in the nation, which is a house for LGBTQIA2S+ people exiting incarceration and offers housing, services, and an affirming and nourishing environment for Black & Pink’s members. The Young People Living with HIV/AIDS (YPLWHA) Programming that Black & Pink National is building will invest in the leadership development of YPLWHA who are impacted by such carceral systems as incarceration, detention, foster care, and family surveillance; this project will center the needs and visions of Black and Brown YPLWHA, as Black and Brown YPLWHA are most impacted by these violent systems. The first of its kind in the nation, Black & Pink’s Lydon House is a community home for LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are exiting incarceration and offers housing, wrap around support services, and an affirming and nourishing environment for our members. Black & Pink National’s Opportunity Campus will be a housing and community space in Omaha, Nebraska for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults who are system-impacted. We understand system-impacted to include individuals who have been impacted by such violent carceral systems such as incarceration, detention, foster care, and family surveillance. This initiative will provide housing, wrap around support services, mental health support, daily drop-in services (such as hot meals, showers, food pantry, and laundry), and community programming to system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ youth, young adults, and their families. The support services provided at the Opportunity Campus will be grounded in caring for each persons' full wellbeing, and tailoring wrap around support services to fit each person's individual needs. Throughout the organization’s history, Black & Pink National has served adult members, but in the past couple years we have expanded our programming to serve young members as well. The lessons we have learned through navigating service provision and community programming with our adult members have strengthened our understanding of how to best show up for our young members in ways which honor their autonomy while ensuring they are crucial players in achieving their goals.
Opportunity Campus & Youth Programming
3599190.0
500000.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
The Opportunity Campus will be a housing and community space in North Omaha on 24th and Evans for LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults who are system-impacted. We understand system-impacted to include individuals who have been impacted by such violent carceral systems as incarceration, detention, foster care, and family surveillance. This initiative will provide housing, wrap around support services, mental health support, daily drop-in services, and community programming to system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ youth, young adults, and their families. The Opportunity Campus will function in its entirety by 2025, by which point we will have housed all youth-centered programming within the space and offer community programming in addition to residential support services. Before gaining access to the Opportunity Campus and conducting all youth-centered programming out of the space, we are providing youth-centered services and developing programming and infrastructure, including hosting community feedback sessions to implement additional tailored supports specific to the needs of our local communities. In addition to supporting young members in gaining access to housing, wrap around support services, and employment, we invest in our young members' leadership and professional development to support them in achieving their goals, as defined by them.
Barring any funding or unexpected barriers, capital developments to the residential space of the Opportunity Campus will be completed by the end of 2022 and we will be able to begin welcoming in our first residents. After which, we will continue to the next phase of the project of completing capital developments in the community space of the Opportunity Campus - This will include installing accessible and ADA-compliant structures, an industrial kitchen, a laundry room, and additional bathrooms, along with making improvements to office and classrooms spaces as well as an auditorium. The final phase of the capital project would include making external changes to the building. Given that everything goes according to plan and there are no delays due to labor, supplies, or funding, we anticipate completing the Opportunity Campus by 2024 and fully operating the space by 2025.
1.0
Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)
Other Infrastructure (i.e., develop or improve broadband, business districts, roadways, sewer, etc.) Policy (i.e., develop or improve context-sensitive education, finance, health, training, zoning, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)
This youth- and young adult-serving initiative will provide housing, wrap around support services, mental health support, daily drop-in services (such as hot meals, showers, and laundry), and community programming to system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults. 8 system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young adults (ages 19-24) will have access to private, safe, affirming housing; and 15-20 additional system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults (ages 14-24) and their families will be served daily through wrap around support services, drop-in services, and community programming. Our youth programming provides for our young members' immediate needs while building towards their lifelong wellness and sustainability. We do this through a housing-first model, which achieves safe, affirming, sustainable housing for our members before then moving through their other needs such as healthcare (including mental and sexual healthcare), employment, education, legal name changes, food/nutrition, and affirming clothing. We understand that only by achieving access to foundational needs are our members able to then engage in leadership development opportunities and really engage in spaces of dreaming for their lives - When someone has to worry about where they are going to rest or find their next meal, they do not have the tools they need to dream up their best life. We seek to create space for our young members to dream of what their best life is, and then to support them in achieving it. This is what all young people deserve, and this is what system-impacted young trans and queer people and people living with HIV/AIDS will receive when they come to Black & Pink National for support. By building programming which is dedicated solely to providing for the needs of system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ youth in Omaha, we are filling a crucial service gap which exists in our community and ensuring that those who have been historically pushed to the margins have their needs, experiences, and leadership centered and amplified. Sustainable Community: By investing in system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people, we are inherently investing in their families, their communities, and the families they will go on to have. Increasing access to safe and affirming housing, education which is affirming and relevant, resources like mental healthcare and gender affirming care, and leadership development opportunities for these young folks invests in their lifelong health, wellness, and success, and inherently invests in community sustainability and success. Infrastructure: By infusing local economies to make capital developments to an already established fixture in North Omaha, we are investing in the city’s infrastructure and maintaining its history, and signaling the strength and power of the Black queer community. The space will be a central place where folks can feel safer and receive services and programming. Quality of Life: By supporting system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people we are investing in their lifelong health and wellness, improving quality of life not only for these young folks but for their families, their communities, and the families they will eventually build. We know that investing in ecosystems of support allows us to invest in improving quality of life for everyone, we are simply accomplishing that through centering the ecosystems of system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people. Policy: By increasing access to tailored services and programming for system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people who have specific needs, and sharing these learnings and programming with our community, we are contributing to the knowledge of how to provide care for this specific group and expanding infrastructures of support for system-impacted trans and queer young people. In building data and evaluation in ways which allow us to show the impact of conducting programming in this way, we hope to increase funding and investment into initiatives such as the Opportunity Campus.
Black & Pink National’s Opportunity Campus contributes to many of the community-identified needs listed in the Visioning Workshop Summary. Our Interim Executive Director, Tena Hahn-Rodriguez, attended one of these workshops and was glad to be part of community voice during this process. Our organization has long been embedded within community and because of that have an intimate understanding of our communities’ needs, and we were excited to see many of the things we already know reflected in the LB1024 funding priorities and community visioning workshops. In choosing to invest in and develop infrastructure which already exists in North Omaha, we are building upon the rich history in the city and adding our own footprint. When we first saw the space on 25th and Evans, situated within the historically Black area of the city, we knew that we had an opportunity to add to the city’s revitalization and bring further representation to Black queerness within North Omaha, building upon the community power which has existed here for decades. In this way, Black & Pink National has taken one of the identified “weaknesses” of the city and shaped it into a radical possibility - A possibility for growth and an infusement of resources and funds within our community. Through investing in local infrastructure and community revitalization and wellbeing, we are investing in the possibilities of North Omaha to provide the resources, jobs, and housing which our neighbors need. The Opportunity Campus will invest in the leadership development of our young members, propelling them into their professional aspirations and resulting in increased employment attainment and retention; in addition to providing financial competency programming to support our young members in building smart, sustainable financial plans. The Opportunity Campus has thus far been able to capitalize on these listed opportunities which exist in North Omaha, and we look forward to adding our own mark in the city’s uniqueness and diversity. Not only does the Opportunity Campus center the needs of Black youth, it centers the specific needs of Black LGBTQIA2S+ young folks - Amplifying the rich and diverse communities which call North Omaha home. The church building which we are renovating for the Opportunity Campus has been vacant for years and has fallen into disrepair, as a result of lack of equitable investment in our city’s infrastructure. Through community investment, we have purchased this once vacant and bare bones space with the vision of bringing beauty, abundance, and modernity to the neighborhood’s infrastructure, proving to young Black trans and queer kids that they deserve to receive services and support in a space which feels welcoming, nurturing, and new. We are certain that as we continue to develop the space and show the impact of leveraging the opportunities in North Omaha, further investments will be made in the city to support the growth and sustainability of our neighborhoods and families. Once we have made capital developments to the space, the Opportunity Campus will be an example of ways in which investing in aging infrastructure supports the health and quality of life for North Omaha communities. We have seen how the negative and racist perceptions of North Omaha have resulted in lack of investment in our city for decades, creating systemic barriers to our neighbors’ abilities to succeed and thrive. In developing the Opportunity Campus and bringing a building of light, innovation, and beauty to North Omaha, we are challenging the stigmas which people associate with our city. There are many threats to the success of initiatives such as the Opportunity Campus - from lack of investment from funders to the rising costs in capital developments under COVID-19 and the current recession - but our passion and confidence in the space remains firm, because we know how transformative this initiative will be for the trans and queer youth of color in our city.
Black & Pink National’s Opportunity Campus aligns with LB1024’s priorities in many ways. The people we serve were severely impacted by the pandemic, and the impacts of COVID-19 along with the current recession have created an environment where many of our members need support to gain access to foundational resources such as housing, employment, and healthcare. For many of the people we serve, Black & Pink National was and continues to be the one of the few places they can turn to receive support through the global pandemic - due to stigma and policy-based discrimination of folks with felony convictions, transphobia and queerphobia, and anti-Blackness and white supremacy. Throughout our COVID-19 Response programming, we supported 32 local community members - 100% of whom were LGBTQIA2S+, 84% of whom were Black, 81% of whom were formerly incarcerated, and 100% of whom were system-impacted - in gaining access to necessary funds in order to pay for rent, utilities, food, and healthcare. These numbers highlight how we serve community members who are most impacted and that we have been deeply in community these past several years and understand our communities’ needs. Black & Pink National is ready and motivated to complete the capital developments to the Opportunity Campus and begin serving young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ folks out of the space. We are on track to complete these capital developments - adhering to all federal, state, and city regulations and processes along the way - and begin operating the Opportunity Campus by 2025, which is in a QCT and will serve folks who live in QCTs. We have been diligently working to develop the Opportunity Campus, and we are motivated and ready to continue developing the space alongside our partner construction company, Blair Freeman Group. While we await capital developments to the space, our team is building out programming which will live at the Opportunity Campus and hosting community listening sessions to better understand the specific components which must be incorporated into this youth-centered programming. We are confident that the Opportunity Campus will be successful because we have seen the successes of our programming over the past years and have felt the impact of our services on our members. Black & Pink National takes our responsibility as stewards of funds very seriously, and as such, we are committed to being a receptacle which recycles any investment from us within North Omaha and the Opportunity Campus. An investment in the Opportunity Campus is an investment in the economic stability and growth of system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people and their families; this investment is what will set our young members up for success throughout their lives. Not only will the Opportunity Campus create temporary jobs throughout construction and permanent jobs through the operations of the space, but our workforce development programming and leadership development programming will connect members with sustained employment and income, while building towards their long term professional goals. By investing in our members’ ability to secure and sustain employment, and plan their next career moves, we are ensuring their continued autonomy and ability to provide for themselves free from having to lean on support services, such as those at Black & Pink National or other service providers in our community. As we develop and evaluate our programming and gain a deeper understanding of the best ways to implement this work for our community, we will be learning lessons which can be shared nationwide in order to support our national community’s understanding of the comprehensive ways to support system-impacted trans and queer young people. In sharing our findings and showing the success of what we will have accomplished in the Midwest, in an area which rarely sees outside investment, we are confident that additional investments will come to the Opportunity Campus and North Omaha.
Through the capital developments to the Opportunity Campus, temporary construction jobs have been and will continue to be created for our local community. We are grateful to be working with Blair Freeman Group, who strives to create jobs for Black and Brown folks through their projects, investing in local economies. Permanent jobs will be created through the Opportunity Campus once the space is functioning, as we will need folks to operate the space and conduct programming and service delivery. We will also be partnering and contracting with local businesses and organizations for programming out of the Opportunity Campus, in addition to conducting workforce development programming for youth and young adults who will be served by the space, ensuring their sustained access to employment and income beyond the Opportunity Campus.
3
29
above living wage in NE - $35,984 +
Black & Pink National is proud to have hired Blair Freeman Group to manage the construction for the Opportunity Campus for many reasons, one being that Blair Freeman is the only construction company in Omaha which is owned by two Black women. We wanted to utilize a Black owned business who was aligned with our values and who was familiar with North Omaha - As it has been an intentional decision from the beginning to house this space in North Omaha and bring greater representation to the North Omaha community. Working with Blair Freeman Group, we have intentionally built this relationship to create construction jobs for Black and Brown folks in North Omaha - For as long as the capital developments and renovations to the Opportunity Campus takes, this project will need workers from our community to fuel it and we are grateful that the space is being built by neighbors and community members.
In developing the Opportunity Campus, one of our main priorities has been to ensure that system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people and their families will have access to the specific resources they need to be healthy and safe in our community. We strive to ensure that our members have access to the things they need in the neighborhoods they live in, because no one should have to leave their community in order to gain access to the resources they need to live healthy and safe lives. An investment in the Opportunity Campus is an investment in enabling our young people to stay living in North Omaha and not be forced to leave because access to the resources they need does not exist here. In creating real, meaningful access in our city, we aim to support our community members in establishing their lives and building their families in North Omaha - Which results in transformational, long lasting economic growth and fundamental positive change, all while centering the needs of system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people. Through investing in the healing, leadership, and specific needs of system-impacted trans and queer youth, we are creating transformational change which will impact generations to come, and which we believe will positively shape North Omaha. The Opportunity Campus will invest in economic improvement and stability for our young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ members, which inherently improves quality of life for their families and communities. Our young members are disproportionately impacted by systems like prison and homelessness, which create even more barriers to them achieving economic stability - Which is why our programming gains these young folks access to skills, knowledge, resources, and exploration opportunities in order to achieve economic stability in their early life, leading to their continued economic stability and improvement throughout their lives. We know that an investment in young people is never just an investment in that individual - It is an investment in their families, their communities, and the families they will go on to have. An investment in these young people and in their immediate economic stability is inherently an investment in their long term livelihood, economically and otherwise. The Opportunity Campus will be strong and successful because of the many partnerships and collaborations which will make it possible - We envision the space to be a central community resource for Black and Brown LGBTQIA2S+ folks in Omaha, and we want to be able to connect our community members with all the resources and information they need within the space. We know this will require deep collaborations with our community partners, and we are excited to build alongside them to strengthen the programming and service delivery which will live at the Opportunity Campus. This is an additional way which we know the Opportunity Campus is aligned with community-identified needs - Black & Pink National is proud to be deeply embedded within the community and to partner with other community-rooted organizations. Housing the Opportunity Campus in North Omaha is a signal of the strength of the Black queer community, because we want Black queer kids to see themselves and their strength embodied within their neighborhood in a way which is new and exciting. We hope the Opportunity Campus and our youth-centered programming creates space for the young folks we serve to continue living in and contributing to Omaha, rather than feeling forced to leave our city in pursuit of an area where they might feel more seen and affirmed and have access to additional resources - We hope the Opportunity Campus provides our young members with an enriching experience so they do not feel as though they are missing out, an experience where they feel as though a buffet of options and opportunities have been presented to them.
The Opportunity Campus and our youth-centered programming will contribute to community sustainability in a variety of ways. In choosing to purchase and develop an unused building in North Omaha, we made an active and meaningful decision to invest in an already established neighborhood structure and infuse it with vibrance and abundance, ultimately in the hope of signaling to the predominantly Black neighborhoods in North Omaha that access to vibrance and abundance is inherently their right. We seek to create a space which is nurturing and welcoming, and where our members can feel comfortable, safe, and familiar. In choosing to develop the space in this way, we are investing in our members’ and neighborhood’s quality of life, and showing our members the type of robust and affirming services they deserve. Black & Pink National along with our partners and community members will host community events out of the Opportunity Campus, including trainings, workshops, screenings, etc, which we believe enriches the offerings and opportunities open to the neighborhood. Lastly, through our leadership development programming, we will invest in our members’ economic stability by achieving sustained employment and autonomy, which therefore contributes to community economic stability and quality of life for the families in North Omaha.
Black & Pink National programming is built upon information gathered by our members about their experiences and needs. In 2015 we conducted a nationwide survey with our incarcerated members called "Coming Out of Concrete Closets" which has created the foundation upon which we have built and grown our programming, and conversations with our members and community have only strengthened our approach. Additionally, we are working in spaces of data collection which center people more than numbers, and working on building evaluation processes which can speak to the impact of our work and approach to service delivery. While we are building out proven processes and working to document those processes, we can certainly point to the impact in our work simply by looking at the people we serve - We have seen how the way we approach our work has impacted our members, and that data simply lives in the people who have been impacted by our approach to service delivery. Black & Pink National programming is inherently created to respond to diverse member needs, simply because all of our members have needs which are specific to their life and experiences and we tailor our support to these specific needs. We do not dictate needs or outcomes for our members, we listen to our members needs and wants and ask how they would like to receive support from us and then we do our best to rise up and meet their needs in the ways they deserve. We offer various options which we believe are suited to each members' needs, and then our members make an informed decision about which option best suits their life. We collaborate with each member to develop their own individualized plan towards stabilization and success. We do not provide a single standardized work plan or goal plan because we know each person has specific needs which deserve to be addressed in their own specific way, and we develop these plans based on each person’s needs and desired outcomes. This centers each member’s autonomy and power, and honors and leverages the specific skills and knowledge each individual already holds to build towards their personal and professional plans. What makes Black & Pink National’s work innovative is that it is fully centered in people, even when it is challenging - Existing within the nonprofit industrial complex, and supporting our members in the ways they need and deserve, requires constant re-navigation and strategizing. Our approach to service delivery, to program development, even to our funding, are all centered around our members. Our organization is proof that you can be innovative, impactful, and focused on your people - We are a living, breathing theory of change as an agency that people need and deserve to be centered. As long as we center people, we will always get the impact we are looking for. The Opportunity Campus and our youth-centered programming are specifically innovative, as they invest in system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people’s lifelong health and wellness, creating transformational change for themselves, their families, and their communities. In having a strong mental health and healing justice focus, the Opportunity Campus will provide a safe and affirming space in which LGBTQIA2S+ youth will feel supported, loved, and empowered, allowing us to disrupt the harm of violent systems and address the years of trauma these young people have experienced, providing paths toward individual and collective healing. In this way, the Opportunity Campus will create opportunities for transformational healing which will be felt by generations to come.
The measurable goals of the Opportunity Campus and our youth-centered programming include: Supporting young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS in accessing safe, affirming, sustainable housing and comprehensive wrap around support services which are tailored to their specific needs. Supporting young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS in accessing employment, education, and leadership development resources that reflect what they see as the tools they need in order to access what their best life looks like. Building ecosystems of support for young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS by supporting the trusted adults in their lives to best show up for their young loved ones.
Outcome 1: Supporting young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS in accessing safe, affirming, sustainable housing and comprehensive wrap around support services which are tailored to their specific needs. Progress will be measured on this goal by tracking the number of young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people we are able to support in accessing housing and wrap around support services, in addition to tracking the number of these young people who are able to maintain consistent access to these services beyond their time working with Black & Pink National's support services team. We will support young people in building towards accessing their ideal living situation, and build achievable plans and timelines to support them in reaching their goals - Creating another measure of progress, which is someone's ability to complete their plan and reach their self-identified goals. We will also support young people in accessing comprehensive wrap around support services such as healthcare (including sexual healthcare and mental healthcare), legal name changes, gender marker changes, food/nutrition, and affirming clothing; these support services will also be built into each members' personal plans, allowing us to measure progress on these foundational goals. Outcome 2: Supporting young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS in accessing employment, education, and leadership development resources that reflect what they see as the tools they need in order to access what their best life looks like. Progress will be measured on this goal by tracking the number of young members who are able to gain access to employment, education, and leadership development opportunities which will ultimately support them in building towards their personal and professional goals and dreams. Our approach allows us to encourage young people to engage in their autonomy by dreaming up what they envision as their best life, and then supporting them in taking steps towards achieving that life. Progress will be measured by members moving through their personal plans, including reevaluating plans as needed to accommodate emerging needs. This approach allows us to build towards our members having full control over their lives and futures, and is a direct investment in their sustained livelihood. Outcome 3: Building ecosystems of support for young system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS by supporting the trusted adults in their lives to best show up for their young loved ones. Progress will be measured on this goal by tracking the number of trusted adults in our young members' lives who are actively seeking to support their young loved one and are willing to engage in the support structures provided by our community and family programming. We must build ecosystems of support for our young members if we wish to disrupt the violence these systems have enacted in their lives, and we know that families play a crucial role in these support ecosystems. In addition to adults attending programming and committing their support to their young loved one, progress will be tracked through measuring how well our young members feel supported by these adults and the lasting impacts of intentionally investing in familial relationships and ecosystems of support.
No
Yes
Service provision partners: Nebraska AIDS Project Charles Drew Health Center Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP) Whispering Roots Advocacy partners: Women's Fund of Omaha Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative (MSHRC) GLSEN Omaha Young Black and Influential ACLU of Nebraska I Be Black Girl Women's Center for Advancement General Contractor/Owner’s Representative: Blair Freeman Group
Blair Freeman Group
Yes
When we first looked at the space on Evans and 24th, we were aware that there were three people currently living in the residential area - This was top of mind for us throughout this process, as we wanted to make sure that they would have housing before we took ownership of the space. By the time we took ownership of the space, there was still one person living in the residential area and we went above and beyond to ensure they were taken care of and were able to transition to different housing.
2443 Evans St, Omaha, NE 68111 The area includes the land as well as two buildings, one of which is a residential building which is set up as a duplex (4 rooms, 1 bathroom, community areas in each) and the other building was a church set up with offices, classrooms, kitchen, and auditorium.
Within one or more QCTs
attached
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Black & Pink National has been impacted by COVID-19 in similar ways to every other service organization in our community and across the country - The economic impacts of this pandemic are trying their best to hold us back from carrying out the work that we know we must. But as a Black-led, queer-led, woman-led organization which does not have access to the same resources and support that many other local service organizations do, Black & Pink National has likely felt the economic impacts of COVID-19 more acutely than our peers, and our members certainly have been impacted disproportionately to community members who have had historic access to resources and wealth. We launched this capital campaign at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, not knowing what we were entering into, and we have encountered additional and unexpected barriers throughout this process - We have not been able to receive as much funding from private institutions or donations from community investment as we initially thought we would be able to gather, because limited funding is being stretched even further than it was before the global pandemic. We are in a position where we need additional, increased funding in order to ensure the successful development and implementation of the Opportunity Campus initiative, and we feel that this initiative is fully deserving of an investment from the Economic Recovery Act and LB1024 because investing in the Opportunity Campus is a direct investment into the community and residents of North Omaha.
LB1024 grant funding will be used to support the capital developments to the Opportunity Campus space in addition to supporting our youth-centered programming. By the end of 2022, barring any funding or unexpected barriers, we will have welcomed our first residents into the residential building and will be providing housing and wrap around support services and programming to these residents and their families, which grant funding will support with in addition to continued programming and service delivery for our young members. While a good chunk of these funds will be used for the capital developments to the Opportunity Campus, a sizable portion of funding will also be utilized to provide for immediate programming and service delivery which invests in our young members' needs and building towards their lifelong health and sustainability.
Yes
If the Opportunity Campus were to receive a significant investment through LB1024 funding, that would be just the type of financial push our project and team would need to boost it into its next phase of growth and stability. This project has thus far been financed through investment and donations by community members and community-centered donations, as we strongly believe that this projects needs to be community-led and -centered; but we have continually run into funding barriers due to the lasting impacts of COVID-19, not only on our organization, but on our partners, our communities, and our members. For the past three years, funders have needed to invest more in their grantees, and community members have needed to donate more to their local service organizations which have been providing additional services to even more members - This has meant that donations and financial investment has spread even further than it was being distributed before the pandemic, and most organizations have funds to do a fraction of the work they must. Black & Pink National has experienced this donation fatigue and dissipated distribution of funding, but remains steadfast in our vision and mission to bring Opportunity Campus alive for our community. If we were to receive a significant one-time investment of funding, we are confident that we could sail more smoothly through the rest of this capital project and bring the Opportunity Campus to our community without delay.
We will continue to explore funding partnerships with private institutions, family foundations, and community members to ensure the success of this project. We have secured the following funds: Weitz Family Foundation, $65,000 Omaha Community Foundation Equality Fund, $20,000 Community Justice Exchange, $42,500 Sherwood Foundation, $125,000 Community Donations, $105,000 B&P Programs Endowment Fund, $300,000
Pending funding: Weitz Family Foundation, $100,000, expected decision December 2022 Lozier Foundation, $50,000, expected decision November 2022 Sherwood Foundation, $400,000, expected decision December 2022
Without necessary funds for the construction and capital developments to the space, we will be unable to move to the next phase of the capital project - The phase where we develop the community space to allow for community programming and drop in services.
Yes, the Opportunity Campus is scalable - Black & Pink National envisions a time where we can bring Opportunity Campus’s to communities across the country in partnership with other LGBTQIA2S+ youth-serving organizations. We are building out our youth-centered programming with the intent to replicate it nationwide alongside our partners, with the hope of bringing further awareness and opportunity to system-impacted trans and queer youth across the country. We look forward to sharing the impact of our work, along with the specifics of our programming and lessons learned, in order to increase the number of competent service providers who are able to provide affirming and relevant support to system-impacted LGBTQIA2S+ young people. Additionally, the Opportunity Campus has already been completed in smaller components - We focused our initial efforts and funding into the residential space because we take a housing-first approach to our work, and the residential space is nearly completed, at which point we will begin work on the larger community space.
In the attached timeline, Blair Freeman Group has shared a projected outline of the capital project broken out into its different phases, including the necessary funding associated with each phase.
Black & Pink National is fully committed to developing the Opportunity Campus. We have contributed funds from the organization’s Programs Endowment fund to ensure we could secure the space on Evans and 24th. We have also continually invested more into this project to ensure the space will meet all accessibility needs, usability needs, and safety needs for the betterment of our residents and community. We are not cutting corners as we develop this space, and we are wholly invested in ensuring the development and success of this initiative.
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1.0
1.0
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Documentation of site control (proof of ownership, option, purchase contract, or long-term lease agreement) Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Pro Forma Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Schedule