FBB announces Q1 2017 Humanist Grants beneficiaries

At the beginning of 2016, we made a commitment to Q1 beneficiaries to give a grant in 2016, and then a potential renewable grant in 2017 in order to show a longer term commitment, supply steady grant income, and to develop long-term relationships with beneficiaries to serve them better. Successive, unrestricted grants are viewed as best philanthropic practices, and while Foundation Beyond Belief is unable to practice this in every quarter, we are showing its value with these grants in 2016 and 2017.

Our successive grant beneficiaries are Lighthawk, Starfish, SquareOne Villages, and DC Central Kitchen. We are proud to be able to continue to support these organizations in an ongoing manner. There have been some changes. For instance, due to the change in the Humanist Grants Program, the Challenge the Gap category selection in 2016 (Buddhist Global Relief) was no longer eligible, although they were a reliable and superb organization. We also chose to not renew our grant with DSNI. Instead, we replaced them with a previous beneficiary, DC Central Kitchen.

Natural World

Lighthawk takes research to the skies. By connecting scientists and planners with volunteer small plane pilots, they enable systematic monitoring, research, and planning of natural areas and animal populations.

Lighthawks’s work and research collaborations provide photographs, video, and images to aid scientific research. Lighthawk’s story is best told in pictures. Research topics span the reaches, from bird migration surveys to protected area monitoring. The volunteer pilots, in their safe, methodical, and skillful flying, achieve their mission of finding answers to research questions and directing future research.  

Lighthawk is the connection between on the ground research and satellite research – in the sky research. Stop reading and start watching.

Lighthawk was also our Natural World beneficiary in Q1 2013 and Q1 2016.

Education

Starfish is a powerful model of education and student support focused within the native Mayan community in Guatemala. Throughout their history, they have a track record of empowering Girl Pioneers, increasing student and parental literacy, encouraging traditional education, and strong mentorship for girls after the sixth grade.

Unfortunately, while their students experience education far beyond their peers, the education was not as effective as Starfish was ready to accept.  Starfish is making things change,  they are opening a private school (NEXT WEEK!) to raise the quality of education for Middle school and High School Students.  Opportunities for advance are evident by the experience of their students.  Learn about Ana Teresa’s opportunities, they are truly meaningful.

Starfish received our Compassionate Impact Grant in Spring of 2015 for Teacher training for their new school.

The also received a grant as aa recurring beneficiary in Q1 2016.

Human Rights

SquareOne Villages is a collaboration between the housed and the unhoused providing stable, safe, and sustainable places to live through alternative, cost-effective approaches for transitioning the unhoused to more permanent living situations.  Housing availability is not only an economic issue but a dignity and human rights issue.  

Opportunity Village accommodates about 30 individuals and couples who would otherwise be homeless in small houses built by volunteers. Cooking, gathering space, restrooms, laundry, and utilities are communal to lower costs in these self-governed communities. SquareOne Villages is focusing on becoming a model of tiny house villages for those needing transitional housing options across the country.

Their second development, Emerald Village, will provide an affordable low-cost permanent housing option.  Twenty-two homes were designed by teams, with footprints around 250 sq ft, costing $1500 per house. SquareOne is a recurring beneficiary, receiving a grant in Q1 2016.

Poverty and Health

DC Central Kitchen tackles food distribution availability in Washington, DC., where there is a significant lack of chain groceries located in specific neighborhoods. Many of the small grocers, on which the neighbors depend, do not supply healthy options or take SNAP benefits. The areas identified have been studied by public health officials in Washington DC, based on the statistical realities of population, average income, grocery store per resident, SNAP benefits. The areas in the three wards are clearly identified as food deserts. The program developed by DC Central Kitchen supplied neighborhood groceries with additional refrigeration ability, subsidized wholesale healthy products, and training for grocery staff and recipes. The staff of DC Central Kitchen followed up with grocery owners.

The data collection by DC Central Kitchen is a regular and vital part of their operations, "DC Central Kitchen produces a lot of data," DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin said, "The effort over the last couple years has been to bring that data together, use software systems and really create meaning out of that data. We needed to track it, we needed to monetize it, and we needed to put it in terms that people could understand."

DC Kitchen also provides vocational training, local jobs, and food distribution network to food banks and soup kitchens. They are not simply a charity, they work on a social enterprise model. Not only do they supply directly to food based pantries, grocery stores, they made sure that there was training available to some of those that needed to be fed, so they could feed themselves and others.

Our commitment to providing successive recurrent grants to our beneficiaries is a development as we learn how to best serve our beneficiaries needs with the funds we have available.