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

The Prince George’s County Council and Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) announced the continued expansion of its Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative, an intensive three-year program and investment to strengthen nonprofits to better serve youth across Prince George’s County, and help these students become college and career-ready adults.

Council Chair Todd M. Turner (D) – District 4, says Ready for Work is an important investment in the County’s young people, reaffirming the Council’s continued commitment to supporting local nonprofits. “The Council is pleased to continue its support of the Ready for Work initiative for a third consecutive year. We welcome the opportunity to partner again with VPP and congratulate the new cohort of nonprofits selected to participate in this fiscal year.”

VPP’s President and CEO, Carol Thompson Cole, remarked, "VPP is excited about our continued partnership with the Prince George’s County Council for the Ready for Work Nonprofit Capacity Building initiative. We know that this current crisis presents even more challenges to nonprofits in our region, and this program is poised to help strengthen nonprofits in Prince George’s County to navigate it and continue to serve our most vulnerable children and youth." 

 Nearly $10 million has been raised for the Ready for Work initiative in partnership with Prince George’s County. Following a competitive process, four additional nonprofits in the County have been identified as organizations specifically focused on serving children and youth through early childhood development, middle school, and high school with kindergarten readiness, academic achievement, middle and high school completion, post-secondary preparation, career readiness and healthy behaviors.

FY 2020 nonprofit recipients Side by Side, WeTATI, Ivy Community Charities, and Liberty’s Promise will join previous recipients - The Training Source, College and Career Pathways, Inc., Community Youth Advance, First Generation College Bound, the 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.

Through the Ready for Work program, nonprofits will be provided the opportunity to strengthen grant writing, management and report writing skills and capacities to become high-performing organizations. Each of the participating nonprofits 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.

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