Situation

Outreach is a nonprofit that works alongside youth, ages 14-24, facing homelessness in Central Indiana. Founded in 1996, Outreach works with over 800 youth and young adults each year at their Program Centers. They have three Program Centers, one on the Near Eastside, another on the Southside, and a third on the Northeast side. These centers provide essential services such as meals, showers, laundry services, clothing pantry, and so much more. In addition, Outreach uses a highly relational model of coaching to connect youth to resources for employment, life skills, educational programming, and housing, such as its YouthLink Program. YouthLink is made up of two components: Diversion, which prevents youth from entering the homeless system, and System Navigation which connects them to eligible housing programs.

Lettera Consulting has worked with Outreach since 2021, and in 2023, guided by research and youth engagement, Outreach began fundraising with the intent to open a new Program Center in the Haughville neighborhood on Indianapolis’ west side. The new center will anchor services provided through Outreach’s Advocacy, Relationship, and Case Management in High Schools (ARCH) program to students at the nearby IPS George Washington High School. This expansion will enable Outreach to serve youth experiencing homelessness more efficiently and to provide enhanced stability for those needing services, particularly those who cannot access other Program Center locations. This project will also position Outreach for further growth as it expands across Central Indiana, in alignment with its new strategic plan.

Result

In partnership with Outreach’s Development Team, Lettera Consulting submitted applications to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, the IU Health Community Impact Investment Fund, and the Lilly Endowment’s Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana grant competition. These three proposals resulted in $1,791,754 in funding over three years, which will support expanded access to Outreach’s ARCH programming and Program Centers among youth in Haughville and beyond. Since working with Lettera Consulting, Outreach has grown its annual budget from $1.4 million in 2021 to $2.7 million in 2023 and its grants income from $150,000 in 2021 to over $855,000 in 2023, not including the award totals above. With additional awards from the Indianapolis Foundation, the Elevation Fund, and other community partners, Outreach has been able to sustain its operations while growing to meet the rising demand for its services.

Situation

Warren Arts and Education Foundation (WAEF) is a mission-driven organization that seeks to generate funding and resources in support of Metropolitan School District of Warren Township strategic priorities, empowering students and educators with recognition and opportunities related to fine arts, academic enrichment and experiences, and college and career readiness, as well as removing barriers to learning in support of the whole child. WAEF works in partnership with the district, the Moorhead Community Resource Center, Firefly Children and Family Alliance, the Department of Child Services, and others to ensure students and families have the resources and support they need to reach their goals.

The Warren Township district serves a population of 11,612 students, 81.1% of whom are students of color. Warren Township families have frequently been exposed to traumatic events, toxic stress, and other factors associated with juvenile justice system involvement. In response to these issues, WAEF sought to sustain substance abuse prevention programming and scale the district’s Evaluation Support Program by adding Restorative Justice Circles to reduce both new and ongoing justice involvement among students. Simultaneously, WAEF continues to work with the district to end policies contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline and to provide alternatives to expulsion, including restorative justice procedures and other programs designed to eradicate racial disparities in educational outcomes.

Result

Lettera Consulting has worked with WAEF since February 2023, and over the course of 2023, Lettera submitted applications totaling over $2.3 million to support WAEF’s varied programs and initiatives. Alongside WAEF’s Executive Director and school district support staff, Lettera Consulting submitted applications to the Elevation Fund and the Mental Health America of Indiana Vitality Grants program, which resulted in $434,500 in funding to support students in developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills for substance use prevention and to divert students and families to mental health and support services to address the root causes of behavioral issues while empowering individuals and strengthening supportive relationships within the school and community.

Situation

As lead applicant of a coalition that secured EPA Solar for All funds, the Indiana Community Action Association (IN-CAA) recognized the need for additional capacity to conduct post-award activities, including budget and narrative modifications, the development of coalition-wide data and reporting infrastructure, and facilitation of a Year One planning period. IN-CAA works to strengthen the capacity of Indiana’s Community Action Agencies to address community needs and poverty. As a statewide agency managing a variety of federal funds, IN-CAA was well-positioned to serve as lead applicant in an effort to ensure low-income and disadvantaged communities could benefit from solar power and assembled a broad coalition of partners to achieve the grant’s environmental impact, market transformation, and technical assistance goals.

Result

Lettera Consulting worked with Racek Consulting and Laker Verbal to secure the initial $117 million awarded from the US EPA and has been retained in Year One to assist with narrative modifications and Year One planning, including Quality Management Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan development, statewide intake and income qualification process development, and the development of strategies to scale Solar for All programming and benefits to Phase II cities and rural communities. These activities are ongoing and will be completed in partnership with IN-CAA leadership and staff and the Solar Opportunities Indiana coalition in 2025.