Copyright © 2005 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Washington, DC ~ August 1, 2005 - Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designed to help faith-based and community organizations build capacity and effectively apply for federal funding, the Institute for Youth Development (IYD) announces sub-awards for its ninth round of grant making.

To date, IYD, the largest grantee under the President’s Compassion Capital Fund Program, has made a total of 130 sub-awards totaling over $4.2 million that range between $5,000 and $50,000.

These grants have been awarded in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) that was issued by IYD for organizations that need capacity building assistance to support youth development, healthy marriages and families, and HIV prevention programs. Due to an overwhelming response to RFP 05-303, IYD has divided the more than 500 applications into three separate grant competitions.

The five sub-awards announced today are the result of the second of these competitions. The third remaining competition will take place in August. The average award for this competition is $32,654.

Recipients of sub-awards for the youth development, healthy marriages and families, and HIV prevention programs RFP include:

# LAUNCH, Inc., Jackson, OH
# Madison County Coalition for Healthy Marriages, Huntsville, AL
# The Queen Center, Cedar Hills, UT
# Taller Salud, Inc., Loiza, PR
# Zoe Institute, Inc., Tahlequah, OK

In addition to issuing sub-awards, IYD is hosting a series of educational conferences nationwide to teach faith-based and community organizations how to win federal grants. Registration information can be found on the IYD web site located at www.youthdevelopment.org.

The conference and sub-award program is part of the historic Faith-Based and Community Initiative created by President Bush. It is designed to level the playing field for faith-based and community groups so they may participate in the myriad opportunities to receive federal grants.

"The President has designed a program that allows for the full participation of faith-based and community groups while also allowing those groups to remain true to their beliefs, whether faith-based or not,” said Shepherd Smith, IYD president. "These organizations are helping those with the greatest needs across this country by focusing on their local communities. The Compassion Capital Fund Program will help these organizations enhance their capacity by competing for federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements so they can become more effective at meeting community needs."

While the primary focus of the program is on faith-based and community organizations that have not received federal funding in the past, participants may include partners that are helping to provide the social services and/or educational activities for which they are seeking funding. However, the faith-based or community organization must be the fiscal agent as well as the lead partner. Examples of such partners include but are not limited to institutions of higher learning, state and local education agencies, private industry and other faith-based and community groups.

IYD is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes a consistent, comprehensive risk-avoidance message to youth for five harmful risk-behaviors that are inextricably linked: alcohol, drugs, sex, tobacco, and violence. To learn more about IYD and the Compassion Capital Fund program, visit or e-mail your questions to info@youthdevelopment.org.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org