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"I was determined to go out into the world to find the'medicine' to heal my community," says Lena Miller, a white woman who grew up in San Francisco's historically African-American Hunters Point neighborhood.
A school board member at the time, Miller would go on to found a number of charities based on her ideas about the role of trauma in African-American communities, the San Francisco Standard reports.
Her efforts are premised on the psychology of violent criminals, and have generated controversy amid accusations of harassment and assault by her workers, which she and her staff say is part of a bogus narrative meant to falsely villainize them.
Miller is executive director of Urban Alchemy, a fast-growing nonprofit organization at the nexus of public safety and homelessness.
Its slogan: "transforming the energy in traumatized urban spaces."
It employs former long-term offenders Miller has described as people convicted of'murder and attempted murder.' She says this makes Urban Alchemy's ex-convict workers better at interacting with people suffering the types of emotional wounds accompanying poverty, violence, or addiction.
More recently, Urban Alchemy was selected for a $2.5 million contract to replace police in responding to 911 calls relating to homelessness, the Department of Emergency Management told the Standard in a Jan...
Selected Grant News Headlines
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
People of color make up about 20% of Spokane County, Wash., but they own about 8% of the county's businesses, reports the Spokesman-Review. That's why the Spokane Workforce Council is...more
The New Brunswick Teachers Association is asking teachers and voters in the Canadian province to take a survey ahead of the next provincial election in September, the CBC reports. "We've seen a...more
The Oklahoma Arts Council has released its annual list of grant requests, and it's a doozy. This year's list includes a call for artists to "bring the arts to other statewide organizations," as...more
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A community college in Muskegon, Mich., is offering a full ride for any student willing to take a year of classes there, the Muskegon Chronicle reports. Muskegon Community College is offering a...more
When Collidescope.io co-founder and CEO Nick Lynch was looking for a new job last year, he came across an ad for a job that seemed like a no-brainer. "I am a software engineer," he wrote. "I...more
Foundation: Community Foundation of Sarasota County
There are nearly 750 nonprofit organizations in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties in Florida, providing everything from health and youth services to education and the arts, per a new...more
When it comes to giving back to their communities, employees of companies are doing more than just putting money in their paychecksthey're giving their time and energy. In fact, more than 27...more
Foundation: Daniels Fund, Colorado Trust, Denver Foundation
The new CEO of the Prosperity Denver Fund says she's "thrilled to join the team at Prosperity Denver Fund, in service to the vision of Denver's taxpayers and their investment in the future of our...more
When the Providence Performing Arts Center was looking for a new artistic director earlier this year, it was looking for someone who would be willing to take on the role of artistic director of its...more
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Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Halcyon Incubator Selects Inaugural Class of Fellows
Washington, D.C. based incubator for social entrepreneurs, Halcyon Incubator, has selected seven ventures to move into the newly renovated Halcyon House in September for its inaugural class of fellows.
