The Data Action Mini Grants are a Success
The Elkhart County Child Dashboard is drawing people to work together on improving the lives of our children — and helping fund their ideas for innovation through action mini grants.
The dashboard, which is the first of its kind in Indiana, launched in September 2021 with collaboration from dozens of organizations across Elkhart County. This child dashboard uses data indicators from both local organizations, and from public data to help gauge (consider cutting: the health of the community and) trends in child wellbeing, and will be updated quarterly. Child Dashboard data is being shared with the partner organizations who have joined the efforts. As of mid-November, 63 organizations from private and public sectors, have joined this effort as dashboard collaborating partners.
Nearly 50 community leaders attended the first Child Dashboard Action Meeting in September. Leaders from education, local government, industry and nonprofits sat together to learn and discuss key issues facing the community.
“To have such a wide-ranging group of engaged leaders gather in this way is a remarkable thing, and a hopeful sign for our communities ability to come together in support of child wellbeing,” said Rebecca Shetler Fast, director of The SOURCE, which coordinates the Child Dashboard efforts. “The discussions that happened were honest and hopeful as leaders from different sectors in our community came together to share their perspectives on child trends, and brainstorm ideas and opportunities for collective action and change.”
One participant noted, “This dashboard and the action meeting reminds us all that we are part of an ecosystem, what impacts one of us, ultimately impacts us all, and so we are all part of the solutions.”
Partner organizations are encouraged to submit simple proposals for mini grants of up to $2,000 to address indicators needs highlighted by the dashboard. 20 nonprofits, faith organizations and schools submitted proposals in the first six weeks and thirteen grants have been awarded so far, total funds dispersed $35,000. “That is a lot of innovative ideas that are seizing on this effort to do collective action,” said Shetler-Fast.
The mini grant initiative was made possible by combined funding through three organizations, The SOURCE, Oaklawn Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Elkhart County.
By: Marshall King - November 19th 2021