Strategic Initiative Enhances Capacity of Youth-Serving Nonprofits in the County

The Prince George’s County Council and Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) announced the expansion of its Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative to strengthen nonprofits to better serve youth across the county.

Ready for Work is a six-year $15 million investment by VPP to help young people in Prince George’s County successfully transition to college and career ready adults. The Nonprofit Capacity Building initiative launched as a special partnership grant from the County Council in FY2018 as part of Ready for Work. With a goal of building networks of community-based organizations that can provide integrated supports for students, the Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative was developed to strengthen the capacity of nonprofits to provide more students in the County with high-quality services.

Following a competitive process, four additional nonprofits in the County were identified as organizations specifically focused on providing high school students with academic achievement, high school completion, post-secondary preparation, career readiness and healthy behaviors. The Training Source, College and Career Pathways, Inc., Liberty’s Promise and Community Youth Advance will join FY 2018 recipients First Generation College Bound, Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education, Inc. (FAME), Joe’s Movement Emporium and End Time Harvest Ministries as a part of the Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative for FY 2019.

Council Chair Todd M. Turner (D) – District 4, says the expansion of Ready for Work is an important continued investment in our County’s young people, and reaffirms the Council’s commitment to supporting local nonprofits.

“The Council appropriated funding in FY 2018 and FY 2019 to support Ready for Work, and it was important for us to continue this critical program dedicated to improving the lives of young people. We are pleased to partner again with VPP and the Council congratulates the selected nonprofit participants.”

“Venture Philanthropy Partners is pleased to continue our partnership with the Prince George’s County Council to strengthen nonprofits serving youth in the community,” said Venture Philanthropy Partners President and CEO Carol Thompson Cole. “This initiative allows more local nonprofits to increase their ability to help more young people from Prince George’s County succeed.”

Nonprofits will receive support to become high-performing organizations, and be provided the opportunity to strengthen grant writing, management and report writing skills and capacities. Each nonprofit will compete for mini-grants to further enhance select organizational and programmatic capacities. The program will also focus on strengthening the boards of the participating organizations.

-0-