The Capital Region Partnerships Council is pleased to provide funding to help support activities that promote understanding across racial, ethnic and religious communities. The Council assists groups by providing seed money to support collaborative projects that will benefit the capital region.

In 2002, the Capital Region Partnerships Council created the Building Bridges of Understanding mini-grant program to support grass-roots collaboration among individuals and groups from diverse racial, religious or ethnic backgrounds.  ICP is pleased to acknowledge the funding support of Highmark Blue Shield, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, Giant Foods, and Capital Blue Cross which makes the Building Bridges of Understanding mini-grants possible.

Grant Amounts and Deadline

Grant awards are non-matching and will range from $100.00 - $500.00. Organizations may receive only one award per year.

Deadline for the 2003-2004 Building Bridges of Understanding grant requests will be announced shortly. Please visit us again in the upcoming weeks for further details.

Mini-Grant Guidelines

The program is targeted to community- based organizations and groups in the Greater Harrisburg Area (including Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties) which bring together individuals and groups from diverse racial, religious and cultural backgrounds to work toward gaining a greater understanding of their commonalities and differences. Priority considerations will be given to project activities that achieve one or more of the following:

• Demonstrate the formation of a new collaborative effort across racial, religious or ethnic communities to carry out the proposed project activity.

• Focus on initiating sustainable activities with other groups to promote understanding and positive inter-group relations.

• Promote grassroots leadership and team building across racial, cultural and religious communities.

• Involve inter- generational activities or youth focused initiatives.

• Involve individuals or groups from different geographic areas (for example, urban, suburban, rural; East shore, West shore; etc.)

• Expand the scope of the programs offered by an existing collaboration among a group or organization.

Consideration will not be given to one-time events or activities which do not have planned follow-up or on-going relationships with the collaborating groups or organizations.

How to Apply

If you have questions or would like to discuss your project idea, contact Fredrika McKain (Telephone: 238-1770)

To apply, applicants should sent a letter to ICP at the address below providing brief responses to the following:

1. Briefly describe your group/organization and the community served by the group.

2. Describe the main activities for this project and the anticipated outcomes or impact it will have on the communities that will be interacting.

3. Briefly describe how you will use the money to support this proposed activity.

4. Proposed time line for this activity.

5. Describe the collaboration arrangements with other groups or organizations to implement this initiative. Please attach letter/s of support from collaborating group or organization.

Submit application letter to:
Building Bridges Mini-Grant Program
Institute for Cultural Partnerships
3211 N. Front Street - Suite 104
Harrisburg, PA 17110