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Whispering Roots, Inc.
4104 S. 90th Street Omaha, NE 68127
www.whisperingroots.org
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/whisperingrootsinc/?hl=en; Twitter- https://mobile.twitter.com/whisperingroots; Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/whisperingroots/; YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/WhisperingRootsTV/featured
Gregory Fripp
Founder and CEO
gfripp@whisperingroots.org
+1 (402) 321-7228
Yes
There are two individuals in leadership positions at Whispering Roots that have a significant role in the development of this initiative, the Chief Executive Officer, Greg Fripp, and the Director of Culinary and Nutrition programming, Anna Curry. They are supported by staff members serving in roles such as Logisitics Management, Food Production, Food Distribution and Culinary and Nutrition Education. Whispering Roots’ Chief Executive Officer, Greg Fripp, founded the agency in 2010. He has 26 years of educational and hands-on experience in food logistics, aquaculture, hydroponics, project management and business management. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as both a highly rated Military Logistics Officer and Enlisted Member. After completing his military service, Mr. Fripp had a very successful career in the corporate world, ultimately achieving the position of Head of Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) for TD Ameritrade. Mr. Fripp has completed studies in supply chain logistics, M.I.S., aquaculture, culinary, controlled environment agriculture, and community engagement at institutions such as Cornell University, University of Arizona, Chicago State University, and the United States Navy. In addition, he’s designed, built, and operated 4 culinary facilities, oversaw the construction of a tribal educational/production greenhouse and oversaw the construction of an aquaculture facility in the Central Plateau in Haiti. Mr. Fripp has taken the skills he gained in his military and corporate experiences to pursue his passion for growing food and helping people who need it most. He is responsible for overseeing operational, financial, and programmatic initiatives for the organization and has several years of experience in managing government grants and contracts. Ms. Curry earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Nutrition from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and completed her Dietetic internship with Keith & Associates based in Tulsa, OK. She has worked in many areas of food and nutrition including restaurants, hospital food service, retail, and more. Most recently, she coordinated the Visiting Nurse Association’s Cooking Matters program, teaching families how to cook healthy foods on a budget. In her six years with the program, she coordinated volunteers, taught classes, led store tours, maintained community partnerships, etc. Ms. Curry is a member of the Nebraska Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and participates in several community collaboratives such as Food Day Omaha and the Community Nutrition Partnership Council. Ms. Curry is responsible for the organization’s culinary initiatives and developing healthy meals on a budget. She advises many of the organization’s program activities and partnerships with other organizations. The organization is governed by a board of directors, which contains five individuals.
Whispering Roots is governed by a board of directors. The organization’s leadership consists of the Chief Executive Officer, Greg Fripp, and a Director of Culinary and Nutrition initiatives, Anna Curry. Other employees include an Executive Chef, Nutrition and Delivery associates, an Operations Manager, and Operations Associate. Whispering Roots contracts with 12 different part-time contractors, who are in roles such as Educators, Logistics Coordinators, Garden Technicians, Chefs, Project Managers, and Native program coordinators. The agency also contracts with an Accountant and fundraising agency.
The mission of Whispering Roots is to use innovative next-generation agricultural practices to provide nutritious food, focused supply chain logistics, hands-on learning, and career pathways that cultivate healthy communities. Founded in 2010, the agency targets communities facing difficulty from an unlivable income, poor education, and marginalization including immigrants, indigenous peoples, house-less individuals, veterans, and the elderly. Major programs include STEM education, agricultural education, emergency food distribution, farm stands, nutrition education, and culinary education, indigenous agriculture and health, and a food pharmacy. Emergency Food Distribution: This program coordinates the delivery of food to communities lacking access to traditional emergency food outlets. Whispering Roots has streamlined distribution to include 30+ drop-off sites. Food Pharmacy: Low-income participants with Type 2 Diabetes receive clinical and outpatient Diabetes health management. Supplementing clinical care provided by Charles Drew medical personnel, Whispering Roots offers “outpatient” health support by preparing, coordinating, and distributing food boxes to patients and offering them nutrition and culinary education support. Farm Stands: Whispering Roots staff coordinate and run farm stands held in the parking lots of WIC clinics and senior sites on a monthly basis. Whispering Roots also partners with local farmers to supply produce. Whispering Roots not only coordinates the provision of nutritious food but also assists participants in using their food vouchers properly and maximizing their value. STEM, Nutrition, & Culinary Education: Whispering Roots exposes students to gardening, robotic farming, agricultural drones, 3D printing, encouraging careers in STEM. Chefs work with students to incorporate their crops into nutritional meals. Indigenous Agriculture & Health: Whispering Roots educates residents of Macy and Walthill on best practice horticulture techniques emphasizing STEM and next-generation agriculture in a controlled environment. Whispering Roots has been awarded numerous honors throughout its history. The organization is a 2021 Nonprofit of the Year winner and 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Drum Major for Action Community Service Award Winner. This year, the Chief Executive Officer of Whispering Roots won “Food Champion of the Year” for his work in addressing food and nutrition related issues in the Omaha metro area Since the onset of the pandemic, Whispering Roots has significantly expanded operations to meet the community’s growing need for affordable healthy food. Between 2019 and 2021, Whispering Roots saw a 7,100% increase in the number of pounds of food distributed and a 4,900% increase in the number of people served. By the end of 2022, Whispering Roots anticipates providing services to 225,000 individuals by distributing over 2,000,000 pounds of food.
South Omaha Healthy Food, Education and Logistics Hub
2769146.0
1587116.0
Combination of capital project and service/program
Whispering Roots is respectfully requesting funding in the amount of $1,587,116 to support the creation of its new South Omaha Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub, located in Qualified Census Tract 29. For the past two years, Whispering Roots has been addressing increasing food insecurity among vulnerable populations resulting from the pandemic and its aftermath. Due to the increasing demand for services and the harsh impact inflation is having on the most vulnerable members of our society, Whispering Roots has identified the need to secure more space to increase its capacity to provide healthy food and produce, emergency food aggregation, distribution, production, logistics, nutrition education and training services. In September of 2022, the organization signed a lease for a warehouse in South Omaha that will significantly expand the agency’s capacity to provide services. Grant funds will be used to refurbish and upgrades the new space, redeveloping and modifying it to contain the tools and equipment needed to carry out emergency food programming. Funding is also requested to support the development of new education and training program opportunities resulting from the increased facility space, as well as maintenance and expansion of current programs and services. Whispering Roots will move into the new space in November of 2022 and renovate the warehouse through December of 2024. Renovations will begin after contractors have been selected and designs for the space have been completed, with an estimated start date of January of 2023. Some programming will begin in the building by the end of 2022. New program opportunities will be offered as they are developed and become available.
The lease for the warehouse was signed in September of 2022. Whispering Roots plans to transition its operations to the new location in November of 2022. Upgrades, renovations, and modifications to the facility will begin in January of 2023 and continue until December of 2024. Programming will begin in the new facility by November or December of 2022. Food aggregation and distribution services will begin immediately. New programs will be offered as they are created and become available. All grant funds will be obligated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026.
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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) 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 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.)
Meeting people where they are; disseminating information to the community
The proposed project addresses the critical need for healthy food initiatives in Omaha, Nebraska. In Omaha, 12.4 percent of the population is classified as “food insecure,” an increase from previous years. Although economies are slowly recovering from the pandemic, COVID-19 has continued to drive food insecurity and create significant disruptions in food supply chains. This has resulted in increasing food prices across the globe and pushed food pantries to capacity. Food security experts have stated that while the economy may return to normal quicker, rates of food insecurity are expected to continue to rise, lasting two or more years following the pandemic. According to a community health needs assessment of the Omaha metropolitan area conducted in 2021, 19.7 percent of community residents “often” or “sometimes” worry about running out of food. A total of 16.1 percent of area adults find it “very” or “somewhat” difficult to access affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Poor dietary health often leads to chronic disease and poor health outcomes. In the Omaha metro area, 71.9 percent of adults are overweight; this number has been steadily increasing since 2011. In 2021, heart disease and cancer accounted for more than 40 percent of deaths in the Omaha metropolitan area. Further, 12.4 percent of Omaha residents report being diagnosed with diabetes. The mortality rate of diabetes in Omaha is higher than average United States mortality rates, with 26 deaths per 100,000 individuals attributed to diabetes. This has been an increasing trend over the past decade. Among Black or African American individuals who reside in Omaha, these rates are dramatically high, at almost three times as many deaths. With access to nutritious food restricted, food insecurity and malnutrition increase, and health problems grow in number in areas with limited availability of fresh food. Those who are from marginalized populations often face these challenges at a disproportionate rate. Whispering Roots targets underserved populations through its programming, striving to make healthy, nutritious food accessible to all people. The new Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub will address several of South Omaha’s needs, as indicated in the Visioning Workshop Summary, that must occur in order for transformational change and economic success to happen in the area. Specifically, Whispering Root’s proposal seeks to provide for the needs of Omaha residents in the areas of sustainable community, quality of life, and policy. Food and health have been identified by the community as high-priority areas of need that are central to a sustainable community. By increasing access and availability to healthy food, the quality of life among those served will improve, and positive health outcomes will increase. Additionally, Omaha residents have voiced concern over the lack of education and training opportunities in the community. Responding to this need will result in advanced opportunities for youth, a more skilled workforce, and economic stimulation. In order to fully address the needs of South Omaha residents, Whispering Roots must increase its capacity to provide services. Through its newly-acquired Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub, the agency will be able to increase its capacity to provide emergency food significantly. The new facility will grow capacity for cold food storage, refrigerated delivery, food aggregation, and food distribution capacity. It will also provide Whispering Roots with space to source additional food suppliers to increase culturally appropriate food options. The new hub will enable the agency to access smaller basic needs organizations, maintain current levels of supplies, increase its capacity for food logistics coordination, production, and distribution, and increase cold storage for fresh produce freezer storage for frozen items and other healthy foods and increase community training and education opportunites.
This grant proposal aligns with multiple findings in the Visioning Workshop Summary and addresses gaps and needs voiced by the community. The COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified the challenges faced by low-income, marginalized residents of South Omaha, driving rates of food insecurity higher and higher. The South Omaha SWOT Summary identifies access to quality food and produce and the prevalence of food deserts as weaknesses in the community. A lack of education around nutrition and making healthy food choices were also identified as threats. The Visioning Workshop Summary also describes workforce development and employment needs, including higher-paying STEM jobs, incomes that match increasing prices, and training centers. South Omahans have indicated that a strength of the community is its strong desire to improve the life of families. Whispering Roots’s new Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub and core programming support the wants of the South Omaha community by increasing the quality of lives through meaningful access to healthy food access, nutrition education, and food production and logistics training. The requested funding will expand Whispering Root’s efforts to meet the needs of the South Omaha community by providing the agency with the amount of space and resources needed to increase its capacity and support the community's needs. Whispering Roots distributes hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and serves approximately 40,000 individuals each year, and this proposal will allow the agency to secure the space it needs to increase its capacity for commercial food aggregation and distribution, nutrition and STEM education programming, and food production and logistics training.
LB1024 prioritizes the use of grant funds for economic recovery in communities that are in a Qualified Census Tract and have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. South Omaha has been identified as one of the communities most affected. The bill also emphasizes activities such as job training for those who reside in a Qualified Census Tract. Additionally, LB1024 discussed challenges of food insecurity in the community, particularly among low-income and minority populations. The new Healthy Food, Nutrition, and Logistics Hub will address all of these needs through emergency food production and distribution, nutrition education, and food production and logistics training. The hub is also located within Qualified Census Tract 29 and will serve community members who reside in South Omaha.
he new facility will provide the opportunity for both new and temporary jobs, as well as internships that have potential to lead to professional jobs. Whispering Roots believes that 21 jobs in total will be created through this project. Six will be permanent positions at Whispering Roots, including an executive chef, produce prescription program manager, garden manager/educator, educator, warehouse driver/technician, and warehouse technician. There will be 15 temporary construction jobs. Creating new jobs is a cornerstone of economic growth; the new job opportunities created through this project will boost the local economy, stimulate sustainable economic growth, and provide more financial stability among families in the South Omaha area. Many of the individuals who live in the surrounding area of the new facility do not receive a livable wage and are living in poverty.
6
15
The base wage levels of the permanent positions created through this grant will range from $37,440 and $85,000. Wage levels vary by experience and requirements/responsibilities of the position. All positions will receive a benefit package.
The proposed jobs include 15 construction positions. Construction will begin in January of 2023, providing immediate job opportunities for businesses or contractors that are located in a Qualified Census Tract. Whispering Roots will hire for the permanent positions as the warehouse space is developed and new programs are launched.
This proposal aligns with the focus and intention of the LB1024 package and the desires of the public as outlined in the Visioning Workshop Summary. The individuals who reside in Qualified Census Tract 29 in South Omaha are often a part of a marginalized, disadvantaged population. As voiced by South Omaha residents, healthy foods are often unavailable or inaccessible for low-income individuals. Research indicates that food pantries and basic needs service organizations are struggling to meet this unprecedented demand. Without access to nutritious food, food insecurity and malnutrition increase, and health problems grow in number in areas with no large supermarkets or other businesses providing fresh food. Although it is difficult to make causal links between malnutrition in food deserts and health issues, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine states that the highest rates of obesity are in areas with no large supermarkets, while the lowest rates are among people living near supermarkets. Limited access to healthy food, whether the reason is proximity or financial often results in a number of issues including depression and anxiety, behavioral issues, poor school performance in children, and health issues that can become chronic, including obesity, cancer, heart issues, and diabetes. Whispering Roots’ new Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub will provide a community-focused and inclusive approach to distributing fresh produce, emergency food, education and training to those in need in South Omaha. The agency will increase healthy food consumption and nutritional quality of food consumed by community members through the distribution of nutritious, culturally-appropriate meals and the delivery of healthy food and nutrition classes. The new hub will allow the agency to increase its capacity to provide commercial food aggregation and logistics, including food storage, production, delivery, redistribution, and training services.
This grant project will encourage local and regional economic resilience. The new hub will create exposure to logistics, warehousing and transportation jobs, and community members will become aware of available living wage jobs and exposed to job pipeline opportunities. This will contribute to decreases in poverty, increases in financial stability for community members, and lower unemployment rates. Whispering Roots will also support the natural environment through the development of community gardens. The organization will grow fresh food in preparation for redistribution to community organizations and members living in the gaps who are without food storage infrastructure or the ability to hold perishable food items. This will address food insecurity by providing fresh food to the community and decrease hunger.
There are numerous studies and sources that support the need for Whispering Root’s work in distributing emergency food to the community. Feeding America provides specific statistics on food insecurity in Omaha which support the need for emergency food services. Feeding America also supports the need for increased food access and describes how many people have faced significant financial strains as a result of the pandemic. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Food and Nutrition Service indicates that emergency food providers are vital in the fight against food and nutrition insecurity during the pandemic. The entity also acknowledges the disruptions in current the United States supply chains and the critical need to strengthen supply chains and make investments in those working to strengthen the food system. As part of its mission, Whispering Roots is working to address supply chain issues and improve the food distribution system. The vertical integration of food aggregation to distribution and education will provide a fundamental change within the community. Finally, an article published by the University of Georgia in 2021 discusses the role that emergency food organizations play in providing immediate food assistance to food-insecure households and the importance of providing emergency food assistance to individuals who reside in low-income areas. The new South Omaha Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub will fill a much-needed gap in commercial emergency food aggregation and distribution. The facility will invest in local foods system infrastructure and aid in the expansion of fresh, healthy foods to low-income, low-access populations. In addition, long-term plans include the introduction of next generation produce growing systems that will provide additional training opportunities for the local community.
This grant project will strengthen the food system infrastructure within Omaha, Nebraska. Whispering Roots anticipates that those who are served through the Healthy Food, Nutrition Education and Logistics Hub will experience improvements in the quality of their life, overall health, and connection to the community. This grant project will result in positive outcomes which directly address needs voiced by community members in the Visioning Workshop Summary. Some of these include decreases in food insecurity, increases in access to quality, nutritious food, increases in knowledge around healthy eating and nutrition, increases in knowledge of innovative food production techniques, decreases in food deserts, reductions in food disparities, and increases in access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Positive economic outcomes resulting from the project that address community needs will include increases in the number of permanent and temporary jobs, increased workforce development opportunities, increased access to job training, and the creation of quality jobs that have livable wages. The new hub will also help create other opportunities, such as internships that provide potential for full-time jobs, training in science, technology, engineering, and math for young people, and career paths to higher paying jobs. Additionally, the project will work to decrease the health and nutrition barriers faced by people of color in the community, resulting in decreases in food and health inequities. Whispering Roots’ programming provides help that is rooted in cultural awareness and provides for people who are living in the gaps of society.
Whispering Roots currently collects several metrics, including the number of program participants, prepared meals delivered, provided educational hours, videos created, video views, and community partners established. Other data collected will include pounds of food grown, pounds delivered, and survey feedback, testimonials, and content delivery strategies. Throughout the program, data will be used to evaluate and make changes to the program. A third-party evaluator will be used to further establish appropriate and measurable outcomes, as well as additional data collection tools. It is the goal of Whispering Roots to continually evolve to meet the changing needs and desires of the community while serving as the facilitator of health and nutrition initiatives.
Yes. Whispering Roots is currently collaborating with multiple organizations within the health industry that are interested in addressing chronic illness through increasing the amount of healthy food available to underserved communities. Organizations such as CHI Health, Methodist and Children’s Hospitals are partners with Whispering Roots on Produce Prescription Program initiatives that will housed in the new hub being created in South Omaha. In addition, Whispering Roots operates multiple summer farm stands in underserved communities that are funded by Health organizations and philanthropic entities. This work will be expanded once the new hub is fully operational. Lastly, organizations such as Farm Credit Service of America have funded and expressed an interest in additional Community Culinary and Nutrition programming offered by Whispering Roots. From an economic development perspective, Whispering Roots has met with the United States EDA regarding the purchase of Logistics/Driving simulators for the hub that can be used to provide job training and exposure to local residents thereby leading to employment pathways in the Logistics field.
Yes
Whispering Roots provides food and logistics support for over 32 organizations in Omaha while also providing culinary and nutrition education support for organizations such as Latino Center of the Midlands, Generation Diamond, Completely Kids and the like. The organization completes the extremely difficult task of providing its partners with the opportunity to choose food items most appropriate for the clients they serve while providing culturally appropriate food through a delivery program. Whispering Roots’ work includes aggregating excess food for storage and redistribution into the community at the point of consumption. This includes collaborating with food organizations not serviced by large-scale food assistance organizations that deliver by truckload. By offering deliveries via car, van, or truck, the agency can service outlets that do not have the capacity to store an entire semi-truckload of food. The organization also conducts Emergency Food Home Deliveries through a contract with Douglas County Health Department. Whispering Roots was responsible for all Douglas County Health Department COVID Positive and COVID Quarantined Emergency Food Home Deliveries during the challenging times of the pandemic. Other key partners in the project will be those who help carry out Whispering Roots’ programming, such as the American Heart Association with which Whispering Roots partners to reduce instances of heart disease through healthy food initiatives. The organization also has partnerships with Charles Drew Health Center, where it carries out Diabetes programming, community gardens and Community Farm Stands for low-income patients, and several organizations who are a part of its new Produce Prescription Program. These include CHI Health, Nebraska Methodist, Nebraska Extension, and Children’s Hospital. All of these partners will participate in activities that will take place in or be organized from the new healthy food, nutrition education and logistics hub. Whispering Roots is currently in discussions with the Salvation Army Kroc Center regarding offering Nutrition Education programming to its clients and looks forward to creating new partnerships with organizations in the South Omaha area who may benefit from its programs and services.
Whispering Roots has Memorandums of Understanding with the organizations who participate in its food pharmacy, produce prescription program, and other nutrition programming, as well as formal agreements with the entities for which it provides logistics support.
No
Located at approximately 27th and Q Street, the physical location of the facility is 2624 Edward Babe Gomez Avenue, Omaha, NE 68207, within South Omaha Qualified Census Tract 29. The warehouse is adjacent to the Omaha Housing and Canopy South Initiative. Canopy South is a nonprofit working to revitalize South Omaha neighborhoods, providing an opportunity to enhance the services that can be provided to community members living in the immediate area that is slated for redevelopment. The physical location of the warehouse aligns with strengths of the South Omaha community listed in the Visioning Workshop Summary, specifically the 30th and Q Streets corridor.
Within one or more QCTs
Included as an attachment.
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Costs for construction were estimated based on current market rates for each line item.
No
The requested funding amount of $1,587,116 is comprised of warehouse modification and upgrade costs, as well as funds for developing and expanding programming. Budget items are based on current market rate estimates. Rental costs are supported in the attached lease document.
Around 41 percent ($745,116) of the requested dollars will support warehouse rent, insurance, and operating expenses; $375,000 will be used for food storage refrigeration and freezer purchases, rent, and installation, as well as warehouse storage and shelving for food and equipment. Expenses totaling $72,000 will fund the rental of a refrigerated semi-trailer cooler and freezer. Funding in the amount of $155,000 will support the purchase of a refrigerated delivery truck, forklift, and pallet life/stacker. Diesel fuel expenses are estimated to cost $120,000. A total of $85,000 will provide new training equipment for nutrition education and food production logistics training programs. Whispering Roots is also requesting funding for security and monitoring equipment for the hub in the amount of $35,000.
Yes
Whispering Roots maintains a series of internal controls, which are used to manage award dollars. The agency ensures that government funds are used for the designated purpose, adequate documentation is maintained for grant charges, and grant objectives are accomplished. Some of the controls utilized by Whispering Roots include segregation of duties, documentation of expenditures, written policies and procedures, approval and authorization policies, routine reconciliations, risk assessments, an inventory control system, and proper record keeping. The agency minimizes the time between the transfer of funds from the granting agency and disbursement for project activities. Financial reports are submitted according to the terms of the grant agreement. Whispering Roots contracts with an outside accounting firm, Avalon Accounting, to manage its finances. Monthly financial reports are prepared and shared with leadership and the board of directors.
Funding is committed from the Sherwood Foundation in the amount of $312,000, and $205,000 from the United States Economic Development Administration is being pursued for the simulators. Funding is pending from the Kanas City Federal Reserve Investment Connection Grant in the amount of $100,000, the United States Department of Agriculture in the amount of $500,000, and the State of Nebraska’s Food Security and Innovation Program grant in the amount of $231,105. Whispering Roots anticipates exploring funding from other private and government funders, which include, but are not limited to, Sunderland Foundation, Ash Grove Charitable Foundation, Claire M. Hubbard Foundation, Hawks Foundation, Kimmel Charitable Foundation, and Moglia Foundation.
Kansas City Federal Reserve Investment Connection Grant, South Omaha Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub, December 2022 State of Nebraska Food Security and Innovation Program Grant, South Omaha Healthy Food, Education, and Logistics Hub (personnel, supplies, equipment), November 2022
All funding received for this project is critical to its development and success. Upon moving into the facility, Whispering Roots is prepared to immediately continue providing its food aggregation and distribution services, utilizing the semi-trailer freezers and refrigerators until permanent reefers and freezers can be installed. Funding will allow Whispering Roots to consolidate its programming, which is currently administered in different locations throughout the City of Omaha, and expand it once building upgrades are completed. Without reduced funding, the upgrades and modifications to the new space will be delayed, resulting in delays in the development and execution of new and expanded programming. Whispering Roots will maximize its resources through relationships with community partners; however, all financial support is vital in moving the project forward and towards completion.
Yes
The immediate need for Whispering Roots is to modify the warehouse so that the agency can expand its current services and increase the number of people who are receiving emergency food. Once the facility is upgraded for the purposes of emergency food distribution, Whispering Roots will be able to place additional focus on creating dedicated space for its new programs. The budget differentiates the costs for modification of space and programming efforts.
Whispering Roots is committed to the financial success of this project and actively seeking additional funding sources to support costs and expenses for upgrades to the facility and new program offerings. The organization is dedicated to maximizing its resources and sustaining the project through a variety of factors, including increases in donor and funder support, diversification of funding sources, and reliance on community partnerships. Every year, Whispering Roots expands its programming because of interest from the community and funders as Whispering Roots exceeds its goals and outcomes. The organization seeks donors and funders who are closely aligned with its mission and will add to its capacity to create impact for the services population. In addition, Whispering Roots actively pursues program revenue-generating activities to help decrease reliance on grants and the like. The agency will continue to employ the above strategies, diversifying funding, leaning on community partners, and increasing donor and funder support, as well as revenue generation.
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Data table of uses (breakdown of how the requested funds will be used for your proposal) 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 Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses Schedule