Lincoln Financial Foundation is promoting adult literacy, financial education and job training in New Hampshire through $96,000 in grants to eight local nonprofit organizations. These grants are a portion of nearly $500,000 in charitable funds that the Foundation has allocated for New Hampshire in 2014.
Families in Transition received $19,000 toward its new Employment Learning Collaborative, designed to engage key stakeholders in collective conversation and action focused on workforce innovation for vulnerable populations. Employment challenges in New Hampshire have been found to be rooted in deep structural issues and larger public policy problems, rather than within individual agencies. Meaningful change within the employment sector will require broad cross-sector coordination and cooperation.
The initial phase of the Learning Collaborative will center on employment training within Manchester and Concord, bringing together a wide range of people who work in various ways and with various populations within the employment services umbrella. The Learning Collaborative will provide a space for employment professionals to critically analyze their own programs and to develop a collective plan for the future. This forum will help create new types of partnerships and stimulate ideas for program development that will enhance the state’s current employment programs. The Learning Collaborative has wide-ranging implications for New Hampshire, and the potential to improve employment outcomes for clients served by Families in Transition, as well as other homeless, low-income and vulnerable populations.
Lincoln Financial Foundation helped fund exploratory work on this project in 2013.
Other economic and workforce development grants awarded include:
- $20,000 to New Hampshire Humanities Council for the Connections Adult Literacy program, which prepares illiterate New Hampshire adults to enter the workforce by improving their reading, writing and verbal skills.
- $15,000 to American Red Cross of New Hampshire for its Nurse Assistant Training program for low-income and underemployed women.
- $10,000 to More than Wheels for its Credit Repair program, which helps individuals address their credit issues and establish a positive payment history.
- $10,000 to Concord Area Trust for Community Housing (CATCH) to support HOMEteam NH, its collaboration with NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire to streamline homeownership educational services provided to low- and moderate-income families.
- $10,000 to New Hampshire Food Bank for its Culinary Job Training program, an eight-week skills training course designed for people who are unemployed or underemployed. Participants engage in experiential training in food preparation and cooking and nutrition education.
- $7,000 to Ascentria Community Services for workforce and economic opportunities for new Americans, which combine traditional English-as-a-second-language classes with vocational training.
- $5,000 to Rubia for the Sewing Confidence program, which provides women from refugee families with opportunities for integrated education in sewing, literacy and business development.
About Lincoln Financial Foundation
The Lincoln Financial Foundation, established in 1962, is a nonprofit organization formed and supported by Lincoln Financial Group. Under the Foundation guidelines, grants are made in the areas of arts, education, human services and economic/workforce development. The Foundation awarded almost $500,000 to support nonprofits in New Hampshire in 2013. Since 2006, the Foundation has contributed nearly $3.45 million to New Hampshire nonprofits.
About Lincoln Financial Group:
Lincoln Financial Group has set aside almost $10 million of its pre-tax earnings for charitable causes that support philanthropic endeavors in the communities where its employees work. Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower Americans to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $215 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2014. Learn more at www.LincolnFinancial.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter (@lincolnfingroup), LinkedIn and YouTube.
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