• 01 Feb 2019 12:45 PM | Deleted user

    Prosperity Indiana is excited to announce the launch of the Empower Indiana Grant Challenge in partnership with the CareSource Foundation. This grant program is designed to fund innovative solutions to unique community challenges that involve the social determinants of health.

    Along with nearly 200 dedicated members, Prosperity Indiana believes in a society where all persons are able to live and work in an environment that provides equitable access to economic and social opportunity. This exciting new program provides yet another opportunity to help inspire the Prosperity Indiana network to find new ways to strengthen Hoosier communities.

    Prosperity Indiana Executive Director Jessica Love said, “The more we learn about the social determinants of health, the more we recognize innovative interventions and partnerships with the health community are absolutely essential to changing the quality of life for our low-income neighbors. We are absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to partner with CareSource to make positive change on health outcomes in member communities and are thankful for the Foundation’s leadership in this realm.”

    CareSource was launched 30 years ago in Dayton, Ohio, as one of the only nonprofit health plans in the United States designed to address both health and life issues of low-income individuals and families. Since then, they have expanded into four other states (Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and West Virginia) providing Medicaid, Marketplace and Medicare Advantage services.

    The CareSource Foundation has committed $100,000 to fund grants to nonprofit members of Prosperity Indiana in areas of greatest need, impact and innovation.

    According to Cathy Ponitz, Vice President with CareSource, acknowledges great synergy between their organizations. “The CareSource Foundation is focused on working in parallel with our business mission by tackling critical health issues, strengthening the social safety net and developing relationships with great community partners. Prosperity Indiana and their exceptional member network are doing impressive work. We’re excited to launch the Empower Indiana strategy to continue moving forward with positive change for all Hoosiers.”

    Interested applicants are encouraged to attend a free informational webinar being held at 10 am February 28. Proposals are due April 4, 2019, and grant recipients will be announced in May. For more information about the grant program and to register for the webinar, visit www.ProsperityIndiana.org/EmpowerIN.



  • 14 Jan 2019 3:04 PM | Deleted user

    Looking for funds to do a community mural, support your town's concert series or kick start a downtown festival? 

    Then you need to check out Arts Project Support Grants from the Indiana Arts Commission - city, town and county governments are eligible and encouraged to apply!

    Arts Project Support grants may be applied to any activities that support the arts including one-time events, single theatre productions, exhibitions, educational seminars, festivals, and more.

    Last year we supported:

    Interested in an Arts Project Support grant for your town? Here are some links to help you get started.

    Download the guidelines

    Start your application

    Meet your Regional Arts Partner

    Have questions? Contact Paige Sharp (psharp@iac.in.gov) or your Regional Arts Partner representative.

  • 27 Dec 2018 12:15 PM | Deleted user

    Prosperity Indiana has lots of members-only resources that you can access simply by logging in on our website!

    Go to ProsperityIndiana.org and click on Log in. Forgot your password? No problem! It’s easy to reset it!

    Once you’ve arrived at the Member Portal, explore all of the benefits available to you! In the Resource Library you can access all kinds of resources around affordable housing, comprehensive community development, management and leadership and so much more! Search the Member Directory to connect with your peers in the Prosperity Indiana network. The Legislation Tracker gives you the latest updates on legislation related to your work. You can also get quick access to our webinar library and the most recent edition of our Piece of the PI newsletter!

    If you have any questions about logging in to the Member Portal or any of your other Prosperity Indiana Member Benefits, contact our Relationships Manager, Rita O’Donohue, at rodonohue@prosperityindiana.org.

  • 06 Dec 2018 11:54 AM | Deleted user

    The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) has opened early bird registration for the People & Places 2019 conference. The event will take place April 15-17 in Arlington, VA. 

    Join people from different regions, cultures, and national networks as we share what's working to strengthen places and advance racial equality. We'll inspire each other, strengthen our skills, unite our networks, and raise our voices on behalf of the communities we serve. 

    NACEDA will also host a pre-conference workshop, Claim the Torch: Community Organizations Advancing Racial Equity, on the morning of April 15.

    Register here 

    Scholarships are available for registration, hotel, and/or transportation. Those interested in a scholarship can contact Michelle Johnson at mjohnson@prosperityindiana.org.

    Logo

  • 06 Dec 2018 10:16 AM | Deleted user

    The future looks bright in Martindale-Brightwood as the neighborhood celebrates the groundbreaking of a permanent branch of the Indianapolis Public Library and new KIPP charter high school, as well as the official opening of Edna Martin's Leadership and Legacy Center. 

    Edna Martin Christian Center executive director Tysha Sellers said the development is a step toward fulfilling the neighborhood’s quality of life plan and “listening to residents, businesses and those who want Martindale-Brightwood to be the best place to be.”

    Read the full article in the Indianapolis Business Journal. 

  • 30 Nov 2018 11:30 AM | Deleted user
    John Boner Neighborhood Centers is co-hosting the 2019 National Alliance for Strong Families and Communities in Indianapolis October 16-18, 2019. This conference will be held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. The conference is the Alliance's largest event and provides an opportunity to showcase practice, policy, and research that advances knowledge and action in the following areas: 


    A Thriving and Vibrant Nonprofit Sector: Advancing practices and policies that ensure a well-resourced and financially sustainable nonprofit sector that is resilient, able to manage risk effectively, and positioned for innovation and growth.

    Health and Well-Being: Advancing an integrated, holistic, prevention-first health model that responds to the social determinants of health and achieves improved outcomes, particularly for populations experiencing disparities. 

    Educational Success: Advancing a continuum of educational supports from cradle-to-career to prepare children and youth to succeed in the 21st century.

    Economic Opportunity: Advancing policies, programs, models, and systems that advance living wages and pathways to financial well-being that support economic mobility and reduce poverty. 

    Safety and Security: Advancing systems working together to ensure that children, adults, and families thrive and are safe from abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation. 

    Click here for more information about content focus areas, presentation formats, and submission requirements. The deadline for submissions is December 12. 

  • 16 Nov 2018 5:21 PM | Deleted user

    Prosperity Indiana is one of many partners who collaborated to launch the Opportunity Investment Consortium of Indiana and its Opportunity Zone deal matching portal. With a $100,000 investment from Fifth Third Bank for the initiative, consortium backbone organizations and training and resource partners hosted a launch event for early adopters at United Way of Central Indiana on November 16, 2018. The portal will connect investors and Opportunity Funds looking for projects with potential Opportunity Zone developers and businesses. As a training and resource partner, Prosperity Indiana will provide in-person and webinar training opportunities related to Opportunity Zones. Watch for upcoming trainings on our events page

    To learn more about joining the consortium and accessing the online portal, visit the OIC website

    For more information on the launch, see these articles: 

    IBJ: New consortium to promote, facilitate investments in state 'opportunity zones'
    OFN: Opportunity Investment Consortium of Indiana Launches to Support Projects in Newly-Named Opportunity Zones
    Inside Indiana Business: Portal to Promote 'Opportunity Zone' Investment

  • 15 Nov 2018 1:24 PM | Deleted user

    Sens. Kaine and Hatch unveil bill to protect low-income families from housing discrimination

    November 15, 2018, HousingWire

    Ben Lane

    Two of the most notable senators on opposing sides of the political aisle are partnering to unveil a bill that would expand the Fair Housing Act to include protections for low-income families and military veterans.

    This week, Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, introduced the “Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2018,” which would prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income or veteran status.

    According to Kaine and Hatch, the Fair Housing Act currently does not strictly prohibit discrimination based on those factors, meaning that landlords may deny housing opportunities to renters using housing vouchers.

    But under Kaine and Hatch’s bill, the Fair Housing Act would be expanded to include source of income and veteran status among the other anti-discriminatory factors, which include race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.

    This isn’t the first time that Kaine has tried to expand the protected classes under the Fair Housing Act. Last year, Kaine led the effort to introduce the “Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017,” which would have prohibited housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

    The fair housing cause is one long championed by Kaine, who spent much of pre-political career as a fair housing lawyer.

    “As a fair housing lawyer, I witnessed the pain experienced by families who were discriminated against as they searched for a home,” Kaine said in a statement. “Housing decisions should be made on a potential tenant’s merits, not harmful prejudices that hurt the nation’s veterans and families in-need. The Fair Housing Improvement Act will help us continue that long pursuit to protect all Americans from discrimination.”

    Congress currently provides vouchers to help 2.2 million veterans and low-income households afford housing, and this bill would help ensure they actually are able to obtain the housing they need.

    “Helping veterans lead lives of dignity and independence has long been among my top priorities. This bill is part and parcel to that legacy,” Hatch said in a statement.

    “It will put an end to the immoral housing discrimination against veterans and others who rely on veterans’ benefits, social security disability, or other non-wage legal income,” Hatch added. “This bill will address the fact that Source of Income is not a protected class under the Federal Fair Housing Act, thereby helping to remove an unnecessary barrier facing Utah families and veterans on the path to self-reliance.”

    The move comes just a few months after the Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a push to get more landlords to accept housing vouchers, citing two studies that “most” landlords do not accept housing vouchers and therefore deny affordable housing opportunities to those who need it most.

    According to Kaine’s office, the bill is supported by:

    American Bar Association

    Housing Opportunities Made Equal Virginia

    National Fair Housing Alliance

    National Housing Law Project

    National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

    National Low Income Housing Coalition

    Paralyzed Veterans of America; Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals

    Virginia Poverty Law Center

  • 15 Nov 2018 8:21 AM | Deleted user

    Members receive all workforce housing awards

    The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority announced 19 Rental Housing Tax Credit awards on November 15, 2018.

    Prosperity Indiana members received tax credit awards in the following set-aside categories: Rural, Preservation, Workforce Housing, Community Integration, Qualified Not-for-Profit, and Small City. One member award was received in each category, except Workforce Housing, which garnered two member awards.

    Members who received tax credit allocations include The Englewood Group (Rural), Partners in Housing (Preservation), Herman & Kittle (Workforce), RealAmerica (Workforce), Milestone Ventures (Community Integration), HOPE of Evansville (Qualified NFP), and Crestline (Small City). 

    See the IHCDA website for the applicant list and full awarded and denied lists. 

    Interested in commenting on the Qualified Allocation Plan, which determines how tax credit projects are awarded? Prosperity Indiana is hosting events on December 6, 7 and 14 in South Bend, Evansville and Indianapolis. Members can register here

  • 06 Nov 2018 2:05 PM | Deleted user

    AARP is partnering with Purdue Extension to assess the age-friendliness of Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The Livable Communities Survey, which is available online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, is designed to determine attitudes and opinions of residents of Indianapolis, who are 45 years or older, regarding the current state of housing, outdoor spaces, transportation and streets, health and wellness, social participation, educational opportunities, volunteering and civic engagement, and job opportunities in their community. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. The information gathered in this assessment will be used to spur a conversation with community leadership regarding the possibility of becoming an AARP Age-Friendly Community and provide information to improve the quality of life for older citizens.

    Indianapolis residents can complete the survey by going here. Fort Wayne residents can complete the survey online here. All responses are completely anonymous, and no information will be collected that could identify any individual.

Policy News

Prosperity Indiana
1099 N. Meridian Street, Suite 170
Indianapolis, IN 46204 
Phone // 317.222.1221 
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