2021 Grant Recipients

InterConnection’s Computer Grant Program awards computers to under-resourced nonprofit organizations three times a year. This year, we received over 400 applications and have distributed 40 computers to 9 amazing organizations across the country!

The grant committee reviewed each application carefully and based their decisions on the following criteria:

30% – Impact and Reach
25% – Technological Capacity of the Grantee
30% – Ability to Execute, Financial Capacity, and Plan for Sustainability
15% – Organizational Need

We would like to congratulate the following organizations on being chosen as our 2021 Grant Recipients:

SKIP Georgia Chapter, Inc. Tucker, Georgia

Save Kids of Incarcerated Parents (SKIP) provides a network of supportive services and educational programs for children of incarcerated parents and their families in an effort to stop the cycle of generational incarceration while increasing public awareness of the problems these children face as victims.

The awarded computers will be used by SKIP Georgia’s staff to support distance learning programming provided to 60 students each week. Their �Youth and Family Literacy’ program makes learning fun, engaging, interesting, and effective for students and families while increasing students’ self-confidence and time management skills.

Seas the Day Mobile Library, Inc. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Seas the Day Mobile Library provides resources and services that nurture personal growth and lifelong learning to an estimated 1,700 elementary and middle school-aged children in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Oklahoma City. To encourage an interest in reading, Seas the Day provides convenient access to books via their unique library on wheels, which also provides tutoring services to daycare centers, community centers, schools, churches, and housing communities. The awarded computer will be used to provide mobile tutoring to students in need.

Save Ancient Studies Alliance Teaneck, New Jersey

Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) was founded in March 2020 as a reaction to the decline of ancient world studies in high schools and universities. SASA believes ancient studies enable an empathetic understanding of other cultures and people—both past and present. Their mission is to reverse the current downward trend by bringing students and scholars together to share their passion for the study of the ancient world, thus encouraging a new generation of learners.

Their �Inspire Campaign’ reached over 50,000 individuals by educating, inspiring, and engaging the public online. SASA’s first major initiative, their free virtual �Text-in-Translation Reading Groups’ drew over 200 participants last year. The awarded computer will be used by SASA’s staff to host live-streamed events, archeogaming events, reading groups, and fundraisers.

reNOUNce deNOUNce Gang Intervention Program Cleveland, Ohio

The reNOUNce deNOUNce Gang Intervention Program is a 10-week gang prevention and intervention program designed to decrease crime and behavioral issues among at-risk youth in Northeast Ohio. To help youth understand how being involved in gang activity can affect their families, communities, and themselves, reNOUNce deNOUNce Gang Intervention Program’s staff provides mental health education, mentoring, community service opportunities, and more.

The awarded computers will be used to enroll youth in their job readiness and driver-education courses, as well as by students who don’t have access to computers at home.

Reclaiming Our Greatness Renton, Washington

Reclaiming Our Greatness is working to combat housing instability among families in Seattle’s historic Central District—a community with a strong African American historical backdrop—by providing whole-family case management and resources that meet their continuous housing needs. The diversity of the Central District parallels the population most at risk of homelessness. Extreme homelessness in Seattle has been attributed to economic disparity, racial inequity, mental health, addiction, and increasing housing costs—all of which exacerbated by the COVID-19 global health pandemic. In response to COVID-19, Reclaiming Our Greatness has intervened between the families they serve and evicting landlords, while also providing academic and social-emotional resources to support 39 students in need.

The awarded computers will allow caseworkers to serve additional youth receiving their Student Support Services, which include tutoring, virtual learning, and more.

Lakeway CASA Morristown, Tennessee

Lakeway Court Appointed Special Advocates (Lakeway CASA) recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers who serve as advocates for abused and neglected children. Volunteers are appointed by the Juvenile Judge to provide fact-based, objective reports on the best interests of the child. Lakeway CASA’s goal is to find safe, permanent, and loving homes for each youth they advocate for. Their volunteers research all facets of the case and get to know the child so that they can provide the most accurate report to the judge. Recommendations include health care, mental health, education referrals, and more.

The awarded computer will be utilized by their Volunteer Coordinator who oversees 25 volunteers. Lakeway CASA anticipates being able to serve 120 children in the counties they serve with the additional laptop.

KNOX, Inc. Hartford, Connecticut

KNOX is improving the environment and building a green, sustainable, and healthy Hartford by connecting people with horticulture, reestablishing the urban forest, providing job skills and development in green jobs industries, establishing community gardens, and beautifying neighborhoods to help build a stronger community. Currently, KNOX manages and maintains 20 community gardens that provide fresh food to over 300 families, offers training so beginning farmers can start farming businesses, provides 1,000 children with environmental education, equips 22 underserved young adults with green job skills, and plants 500 trees annually.

The awarded computers will be used to increase KNOX’s capacity to provide job training in green and urban agricultural jobs to Hartford residents via their newly redesigned three-year farmer training model. With the new model, KNOX will train underemployed, beginning farmers for successful careers in farming business and agricultural business.

Fiesta Educativa, Inc. Los Angeles, California

Fiesta Educativa’s mission is to address the needs of economically marginalized Latinx monolingual families of children with disabilities. As a Community Parent Resource Center, Fiesta Educativa has successfully managed multiple bilingual educational programs, support groups, and multicultural events to educate families in special education. Using a family-centered approach, they empower family members to improve their advocacy skills and support services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Fiesta Educativa’s main collaborators are California regional centers, mental health professionals, special education professionals, and community officials.

Fiesta Educativa will use the awarded computers to provide low-income families access to a computer lab for their beginner’s technology and �Individualized Education Program’ workshops and their resource directory. They plan to impact 300 families by providing them with appropriate education to help to bridge the gap between technical disparities and disability services.

Do you know of a nonprofit organization in need of technology?

Interested 501c3 nonprofit organizations that feel they embody what we are looking for are encouraged to apply.