(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser and the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) awarded a combined $1,543,000 in grant funding to 63 community-based organizations that serve District residents. The grants, the first awarded by MOLA this fiscal year, will support DC’s Latino community through innovative programs in education, arts, entrepreneurship, green infrastructure, and workforce development. Grants were made in amounts between $5,000 and $50,000.
“As a city that values and embraces our diversity and inclusivity, I am proud to partner with these community-based organizations to support the needs of all District residents, including our growing Latino population,” said Mayor Bowser. “We look forward to partnering with these community organizations to continue creating pathways to the middle class and expanding opportunity.”
The grant funding is aligned with the Bowser Administration’s priorities and is intended to enhance existing community programs focused on education, job and economic development, public safety, civic engagement, health and wellness, youth engagement, and arts and the creative economy. Organizations were selected based on the degree to which they meet these priorities and target their efforts toward underserved Latino communities. Current projects include: tuition assistance and one-on-one mentoring to young parents; programs that reduce truancy in support of Mayor Bowser’s “Everyday Counts” campaign; providing access to mental health; and assisting Latino entrepreneurs start and/or expand their businesses with micro business loans.
A list of the Fiscal Year 2018 Latino Community Grant awardees can be found at ola.dc.gov.