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Ballmer Group Welcomes New Grantees for December 2024

Ballmer Group shares its most recently announced grants as of December 2024

Filed under: Announcements,

Ballmer Group is pleased to share some of our recently announced grants:

Recidiviz builds technology that reduces the number of people in prison, increases re-entry success, and makes communities safer overall. Through greater use of software and data solutions, our grant will help more states' Departments of Corrections leaders identify incarcerated people eligible for release, connect those in need of support, and analyze policy impact with data – to create a smaller, fairer, more equitable criminal justice system.

The Aspen Institute's Financial Security Program helps illuminate and solve the most critical financial challenges facing American households, aiming to build a more inclusive economy with shared prosperity. Our grant supports creating a network of state leaders working to improve public benefit delivery, to help drive and scale best practices, and to develop tools.

Center for Nonprofit Management fosters thriving communities in Southern California by ensuring that nonprofit leaders and organizations have the knowledge, skills, and resources to fulfill their mission. Our support will launch new and strengthen existing engagement and collaborations between nonprofits and government, philanthropy, and economic leaders.

The Washington State Department of Health's Birth Equity Project invests in community-based organizations to improve the health of birthing parents and babies. The investments seek to address and reduce the racism faced by birth workers and families of Black/African American, African immigrant, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities; ensure that BIPOC birthing people can access the services of birth workers in their community; and that these trusted organizations can sustain services and grow to meet their community's needs.

Pritzker Children's Initiative works collectively to increase investments in families with children prenatal to age three to address and eliminate disparities and to ensure equitable access and participation in culturally relevant, high-quality, responsive early childhood services.

Mindful Philanthropy recognizes that mental health impacts every part of our lives - our work, our families, and our communities - and plays a central role in every major social issue. Mindful works with funders to make bigger, bolder investments that fill unmet needs and spur innovation in the mental health field, and it facilitates collaboration with businesses, practitioners, and government partners so that all people have equitable access to the tools and resources they need to be well.

Spartanburg Academic Movement in South Carolina works to build equitable systems and inclusive economic mobility for children and teachers through cross-sector partnership, collaboration, and data-driven improvement. Our grant supports its efforts to build organizational core strength through local talent pipeline development by improving students’ career exposure and training in operational roles, especially finance and marketing/communications.

Children's Funding Project helps communities and states expand equitable opportunities for children and youth through strategic public financing. Our grant allows Children's Funding Project to implement and spread learnings from 15 successful local ballot measures that approved children’s funds, which generate sustainable funding for high-quality early care and education.

National Committee for Quality Assurance exists to improve the quality of healthcare and is the nation's largest accreditor of health plans. Our grant supports its Birth Equity Accountability through Measurement initiative to close the nation's persistent, significant, and increasing mortality gap between non-Hispanic Black and all other birthing people by developing new quality measures that reward health plans and clinicians for improved care.

Zero To Three works to ensure all babies and toddlers benefit from the family and community connections critical to their wellbeing and development. Our grant supports the expansion of its Safe Babies program, a proven model of care that helps transform child welfare, prevents maltreatment and neglect of babies and toddlers, reduces stress for caregivers, and keeps families together.

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) aims to end intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem with wraparound programming that builds up opportunities for children, families, and community members to thrive in school, work, and life. HCZ's Wealth Builds program combines the organization's holistic pathway of cradle-to-career services with financial education and capital investments at every stage of life to close the wealth gap.

Family Impact Network facilitates a better system that transitions under-resourced children and families from crisis to healing. Reaching 20 counties in Eastern and Central Washington, Family Impact Network smooths processes and builds stronger connections between service providers and government, so that families can get the care they need quickly and easily, and so social workers can spend more of their time helping families.

TalkingPoints uses accessible technology to close education gaps and improve connections between schools, teachers, and families. Their technology platform eliminates barriers—including language, time, and capacity—to strengthen family engagement and increase students’ academic success. The platform has been proven to positively impact underserved student populations where English is not the primary language.

Kindering's CHERISH program offers free screenings, therapy, and support services for the youngest children (ages zero to five) involved in the child welfare system to minimize trauma, stabilize placements, and facilitate healthy transitions. Our grant supports expansion to offer services to more children and families before they reach out-of-home care, helping more families in crisis and preventing removals.

The Children's Partnership advances child health equity through research, policy, and community engagement, increasing the influence of marginalized voices in advocacy. It harnesses the power of partnerships to create and implement policies that address systemic inequities and contribute to healthy children, resourced families, and safe and welcoming communities.

Sobrato Early Academic Language Program provides California educators and schools with research- and evidence-based tools that help dual-language and multilingual learners succeed. Our grant expands professional development so that more educators in the Los Angeles region can effectively support the diverse learning needs of underserved dual-language and multilingual students, using a proven approach that centers their cultural and linguistic brilliance.

City Year Los Angeles partners with LA and Inglewood Unified School Districts to create equitable learning opportunities for all students, supporting educators to deliver instruction that is responsive to diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic needs. City Year Los Angeles AmeriCorps members help the students of Los Angeles thrive by serving as tutors, mentors, and role models - and more than 76% of students working with City Year LA improved their test scores.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation harnesses the power of business to create solutions for the good of America and the world. Our grant enables partnerships between businesses, early childhood policy experts, and government to generate legislative, funding, and programmatic solutions for childcare to benefit working families.

Washington Council for Behavioral Health provides education, training, technical assistance, and advocacy for its 40+ member agencies that deliver behavioral health services in every region in WA State. Our grant supports the Council's work to prepare behavioral health providers for an upcoming change in service delivery and reimbursement, which will better ensure access to coordinated and comprehensive behavioral healthcare for everyone, regardless of ability to pay, residence, age, or diagnosis.

UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools is dedicated to advancing systems change in education through humanizing research, validating practices, and transforming policies to support equitable educational outcomes for historically underserved students. Our grant helps to identify Los Angeles Unified School District's schools that successfully address systemic academic inequities faced by Black students and to elevate best practices to families, the district, and the county.

The University of California at Berkeley's School of Education and its departments of economics and labor are working to ensure that young children and families furthest from opportunity reap the benefits of California’s recent investments in early childhood care and education. Our grant will help train district and school leaders serving underinvested communities in Los Angeles County, bolster and provide upward mobility for experienced teachers of color, and spread best practices of what’s working in L.A.

Parents as Teachers is an early childhood development program offering research-based curricula that help caregivers build a child's foundation for lifelong academic success. Parents as Teachers reaches families with young children through in-home and virtual visits, and their work is proven to facilitate early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect, increase school readiness and success, and improve maternal and child health.

OpenResearch draws on the strengths of traditional academic research and the creativity and problem-solving characteristics of startups by asking big, open-ended questions and gathering comprehensive data to fill pivotal knowledge gaps. Our grant helps disseminate learnings from its study of unconditional cash transfers, which will enhance understanding of economic insecurity in America, gaps in the existing social safety net, and how to promote a more equitable distribution of benefits.

Pontiac Community Foundation connects residents, business owners, civic leaders, and nonprofit organizations together for one goal: building a brighter future for Pontiac, MI. Our grant helps Pontiac Community Foundation to expand Pontiac's economic development work, strengthen its leadership, and build sources of sustainable funding.

The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform works to reduce incarceration and violence, improve the outcomes of system-involved youth and adults, and increase the capacity and expertise of the organizations that serve these individuals. Our grant supports the development and pilot program of a safety measurement system called SafeStat. This system is designed to support community violence intervention programs and evaluate their impact and effectiveness.

Once a symbol of Detroit’s struggles, the renovated and reopened landmark Michigan Central Station now serves as a beacon to the city’s bright future. Michigan Central Station Children's Endowment Initiative will build on this resurgence by helping secure the future of ten youth-serving organizations within 15 miles of the Station. Our grant will support funding and technical assistance to set these nonprofits on the pathway to sustainability.

UpMetrics' cohort-based programs, in partnership with Data for Good Fund, provide nonprofits with tools and training to collect and use data more efficiently to measure, improve, and report on their impact. Our grant provides a cohort of 30 nonprofits serving Southeast Michigan free access to UpMetrics' data platform, professional services, and peer-to-peer learning sessions to drive and accelerate social change.

Energy Overflow is dedicated to bridging gaps in access to education, resources, and opportunities for communities in Southeast Michigan. Our grant launches its Automotive Innovation Hub pilot program, allowing youth to explore careers in the automotive and mechanical fields while incorporating music therapy and sound engineering, fostering skill-building, emotional wellness, and supportive pathways to vibrant careers.

The Black Economic Alliance Foundation helps diagnose the obstacles to Black economic mobility, and prescribes practical solutions to improve work, wages, and wealth for Black Americans. Our grant supports its Center for Black Entrepreneurship, designed to help Black business owners grow their enterprises via technical assistance, access to capital and markets, and policies promoting economic growth within Black communities.

Los Angeles Room and Board works to ensure California’s community college students realize their postsecondary education goals by providing affordable transitional housing designed to end homelessness. The organization also offers a residential education program designed to promote persistence, retention, and completion of students' degree programs.

Economic Security Project connects thousands of low-income families to tax credits for which they are eligible, fostering financial relief and economic mobility. Our grant supports the "Claim Your Cash LA" pilot program to expand, improve, and build more durable collaboration between local government and nonprofit organizations to broaden benefits access more equitably.

Black Women for Wellness (BWW) advances the wellbeing of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment, and advocacy. Our grant will help BWW monitor, evaluate, and strengthen the implementation of the many policies it has assisted in passing, all of which aim to dismantle barriers to accessing healthcare and support the elimination of health disparities faced by Black women, birthing people, and girls.

The Milken Institute leads the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), which aims to break down barriers to capital for entrepreneurs of color and create a more inclusive economy. IIE is pivotal in bridging the gap between public and private funding to ensure that capital reaches small, BIPOC-owned businesses that need it most.

Operation Refuge provides both essential family services and rich, engaging experiences for youth in and around Inkster, Michigan. Our grant will enable Operation Refuge to increase its reach and establish long-term sustainability for its emergency food assistance and youth development programs, promoting educational enrichment, career education, and community leadership.

SER-Metro-Detroit is a vital Detroit resource, enhancing the lives of thousands across the city each year. Through a series of education, job training, and job placement programs, along with youth development and education initiatives, SER equips Detroiters with the skills, resources, and opportunities they need to achieve self-sufficiency.

Michigan Science Center is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum located in the Midtown neighborhood of Detroit that inspires children to explore science, technology, engineering, and math in a creative, dynamic learning environment. Our grant will expand programming and exhibits focused on aviation and space, helping Michigan students take advantage of growth in the aerospace field and consider careers in science.

The Ignite the Classroom initiative is a partnership between Huntington National Bank and Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy (RCA), a nonprofit middle school recognized for creating a loving, dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence and fosters leadership. Ignite the Classroom will send 400+ Southeast Michigan educators to an immersive, two-day training to observe RCA's best practices and to participate in hands-on workshops - all of which intends to give educators a spark in their approach and to discover new ways to make the classroom fun and impactful for students.

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive.

Golden State Opportunity is dedicated to ending poverty by providing all Californians with the tools to build financial wellbeing. Our grant supports its outreach to more than one million low-income Angelenos, helping them to claim hundreds of millions of dollars from tax credits and improve their financial situations.

Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) offers youth in Los Angeles' most overlooked neighborhoods exceptional, free, integrated programs and personalized guidance in a trusted, nurturing environment. Our grant supports expansion so more kids and communities can benefit from Heart of Los Angeles’ comprehensive array of after-school and summer academic, arts, athletics, and wellness programs.

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