| Organization information | |
|---|---|
| Organization Name | Arbor Circle |
| Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event. | $10,000 |
| If your organization received Aware funding in the previous years, how many clients were serviced and/or how many services were provided with those funds. If you receive Aware funding this current year, how many clients will be serviced and/or how many services will be provided with these funds? | When paired with existing funds, last year’s dollars helped us support the 70 children served through our Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programming with an optimal level of care and resources, ensuring continuation of current CASA volunteers and our ability to onboard new ones. |
| Please provide a listing of the Officers and Board members of your organization. | • Mark Nettleton, Chair – Mika Meyers PLC |
| Your Contact Information | Taylor Greenfield |
| Phone | 616.745.6325 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Scoring Criteria | |
| 1. Description of the Organization (maximum 5 points, please limit to ½ pages) | Arbor Circle began in 1996, the result of six non-profit organizations joining together to better serve the community. Today, it has services in 12 counties in West Michigan. The operating budget of over 21 million supports the work of over 280 social workers, psychologists and other employees who annually serve over 12,000 children, youth, adults and families. The organization is accredited by the Joint Commission, a nationally recognized accrediting body and undergoes an annual independent financial audit. Arbor Circle services include mental health, substance use counseling and prevention services, foster care and adoption, shelter and supportive services to runaway/homeless youth and a continuum of early childhood and family services that offer seamless care to families with young children. Arbor Circle is well established in the West Michigan area with deep roots in our community. In addition to our five physical locations in five counties (Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa), we serve an additional seven counties through the Great Start to Quality Program (Ionia, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Oceana, and Osceola counties). Across our 50 programs, Arbor Circle continues to put our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of our work. |
| 2. Funding Request (maximum 35 points, total, please limit to 1 page) | A generous grant of $10,000 from West Shore Aware would strengthen Arbor Circle’s mental health counseling services specific to youth seeking services through The Bridge, Arbor Circle’s shelter for youth ages 10-17 experiencing homelessness or housing instability. These funds would be used to support and sustain counseling/therapy services for youth working with and staying at The Bridge, bolstering staffing resources specific to these services while providing an initial connection to engage these young people with the potential for long-term support when needed. The Bridge, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves youth in both Kent and Ottawa counties. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) notes that youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, or queer-questioning (LGBTQ+) often experience severe family conflict stemming from their sexual orientation or gender identity. Recent estimates provided by NAEH state that LGBTQ+ youth represent almost 40% of homeless youth. Local data shows that roughly a third of all Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) identify within the LGBTQ+ community; their identity often a contributing factor to their episode of homelessness due to a lack of family acceptance. These funds, when paired with other existing funding support, will strengthen staffing resources, critical to the success of this program in meeting the needs of our community’s young people. • $10,000 would support 100 counseling sessions, serving 50-100 youth depending on the depth of care required (average cost per session: $100) Ensuring accessibility, trust, and maintaining our commitment to providing quality and inclusive services is the foundation of this request. Our relationship with our clients is of the utmost importance, and Arbor Circle staff encourage clients to express their needs, concerns and successes throughout the entire process. Staff are trained on how to illicit and welcome that feedback. Clients are also provided with formal surveys quarterly to obtain information on their experience; in 2022, 94% of clients experienced overall improvement and satisfaction with services. |
| 3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page) | Arbor Circle is seeking funding to strengthen accessibility to services, specifically for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability, by supporting staffing costs. Sustainability for mental/behavioral health services remains a challenge because traditional reimbursement rates and/or other existing funding do not fully cover the cost of the service. In order to maintain the current level of services, additional funding from local, state and federal grants is regularly sought out, in addition to long term organizational advocacy to eliminate these concerns. This request would be paired with existing funds to support services for between 50 and 100 youth over the course of 12 months, fully expending the funds in one year. Requested funds would pay for a portion of this project, the remainder already secured through existing government funding. Government Funding : 52% |
| 4. Summary | This funding request is in support of The Bridge of Arbor Circle, a no-cost 24-hour shelter for youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Arbor Circle’s services include mental health, substance use counseling and prevention services, foster care and adoption, and a continuum of early childhood and family services in addition to shelter and supportive services to youth in crisis. This funding request, when paired with other existing funding support, will strengthen staffing resources critical to the success of The Bridge program in meeting the mental health needs of our community’s young people, specifically those in crisis and experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The needs of youth are complex, with youth of color and/or those identifying as LGBTQ+ individuals facing greater risk for mental health concerns. Recent estimates provided by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) state that LGBTQ+ youth represent almost 40% of homeless youth, their identity often a contributing factor to their episode of homelessness due to a lack of family acceptance. The over-representation of LGBTQ+ youth amongst youth experiencing homelessness illustrates the importance of strengthening inclusive and responsive mental health services. These funds will support critically needed staffing resources and related counseling services for youth staying at and working with The Bridge; a generous gift of $10,000 would support 100 counseling sessions, serving 50-100 youth depending on the depth of care needed. |
| Application Agreement | This is an application, otherwise known as a Request for Funding (RFF), from
West Shore Aware. This RFF is a request from your organization to Aware, for Aware to host a
Fundraising Event for your organization. By completing this RFF, your organization is requesting to be considered by Aware’s membership for an Aware fundraising event to be held during the summer of this year, also known as the White Party.
If your organization is chosen for a fundraising event by the Aware membership, your organization will agree to the following terms and conditions for the said fundraising event. 1. Aware will be given and provided full credit for the fundraising event in all of you organization’s publicity and advertising for said event, to include but not limited to event posters, newspaper advertising, handouts, radio and television advertising for the event, and organizational announcements concerning the event. 2. Your organization will only use the funds raised by Aware from said event for the purpose described in the RFF submitted to Aware. 3. Your organization understands that West Shore Aware is a philanthropic organization of LBGTQ+ individuals and their supporters, and that the funds your organization receives from Aware will be coming from the West Michigan lakeshore community. 4. The funds received from Aware as a result of the fundraising event will be net, after expenses for said fundraising event are paid. 5. Aware may use the name of your organization in its own advertising and publicity as a recipient of funds.. 6. Your organization will supply Aware with written approval to hold, or be part of a fundraising event held by Aware. 7. West Shore Aware reserves the right to audit any organization that receives funding to determine whether the funds were used as described in its RFF. 8. Your organization will allow West Shore Aware to use you organization’s name on the West Shore Aware website. In addition, if your organization has a website, you will link that website to the West Shore Aware website and allow West Shore Aware to link to your organization’s site. West Shore Aware’s web site link must remain on your web site for a full year from the date of the monetary disbursement. Failure to do so will disqualify you from requesting future funding. Once you have completed the RFF and agreed to the aforementioned, please submit it. Please sign this document below, indicating acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions. By signing the document, you acknowledge your organization is a registered 501(C) 3 Charitable organization. |
| Signature | |
| Date | 04/26/2023 |
| Ready to Submit |
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