Two Silver Spring-based nonprofit groups have been awarded High Impact Grants, two of the 108 recipients of awards from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, the organization announced.
The grants were part of the $3.3 million MoCo Economic Development Grant Program for Nonprofits that the MCEDC accepted applications for earlier this year.
Most of the grants ranged from $7,500 to $45,000. However, the program also offered High Impact Grants of $50,000 and $100,000 to “programs that best demonstrate a substantive impact on the Montgomery County economy in one or more of the four identified priorities,” according to the original announcement.
Community Bridges, which works in schools with immigrant and minority girls from grades 4–12, was awarded $100,000.
The funding will be used to expand the number of county school the organization serves from 16 to 22 schools, serving an additional 100–200 girls by introducing them to STEM careers and providing other support.
CREATE Arts, which provides art education and therapy programs to young people and adults regardless of ability to pay, received a $50,000 grant.
The grant will allow the group to expand its capacity to serve additional clients, and to hire additional art therapists. CREATE currently serves five county schools, with five more on a waiting list.
A total of 19 organizations were chosen to receive High Impact Grants.
“This program recognizes the importance of our local nonprofit community to the economy, not just for the numbers they employ but also how their individual missions can make an impact in critical economic development areas,” said Benjamin H. Wu, president and CEO of MCEDC in the announcement. “We’re pleased to award special High Impact Grants to selected nonprofits to fulfill the potential of their economic development programs.”
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