Growing Places Indy
1 in 6 people in Indianapolis face food insecurity - including children. Growing Places Indy works year-round to provide increased access to fresh local food. The organization is focused on empowering people to cultivate personal, family and community wellness through urban agriculture, access to fresh local food, and mind-body education. Learn more!
A Rising Tide / Indy Convergence
A Rising Tide is a Near West neighborhood-based initiative focused on inviting neighbors to enjoy an untapped community resource, the White River. A Rising Tide transformed the shores of the Indianapolis White River into a "pop-up theater and arts district" while creating a long-term economic benefit for Near West residents. This project is supported by Reconnecting to Our Waterways. Learn more!
A Town Center, Anderson Ind.
A Town Center is a community art center and an artist cooperative in Anderson. The center offers free studio space for artists in return for their participation in A Town Center's events and programming, as well as other community engagement projects. Learn more!
201 Studios
201 Studios is an exciting redevelopment of a 100-year-old factory on the near East side. The transformed 60,000 square foot building is now small to medium art and maker space studios hosting an eclectic group of talented artist and makers including painters, printmakers, woodworkers and more. Learn more!
GRoE, Inc. / Open Bite Night
GRoE is a non-profit leading the effort to feed children in the MLK neighborhood. In addition to providing afterschool snack packs, school supplies and coat drives, GRoE brings the community together through events such as the wildly successful Open Bite Night, which serves as a platform for emerging entrepreneurs, artists and vendors to reach a wide audience, network and expand their business while also providing a multi-faceted event for community members to enjoy. Learn more!
ReEntry Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDi)
REDi utilizes, and expands upon, Business Ownership Initiative's tools, workshops, and coaching and lending resources to help incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated individuals learn about business ownership and hopefully launch their own small business. REDi has provided more than 11,000 hours of training and coaching to more than 1,000 participants since launching in 2016. As well as helping launch 17 businesses and providing four microloans. Read more!
Artist & Public Life Housing Residency / Big Car Collaborative
The Artist & Public Life Residency offers perpetual affordable artist housing linked with community support in the Bean Creek/Garfield Park neighborhoods. The initiative provides artists enjoyable and equitable home ownership while they work - in part - to collaborate with other neighbors and boost the culture, creativity, diversity, livability, safety, health, and economy of the local and greater community. Learn More!
Near East Quality of Life Plan
Just outside the heart of downtown Indianapolis, 20 different neighborhoods with 40,000 residents form a community possessing the spirit and know how to make the Near Eastside a great place to live. Through grassroots leadership, embracing diversity and preserving culture, neighbors are encouraged to engage in educational opportunities, promote business growth within the area economy, and support affordable and attractive housing for all residents. Learn More!
Parker Place Senior Apartments / Englewood CDC
Soon after Parker Place Senior Apartments opened its doors in April 2019, its 39 units were full, serving seniors from vulnerable populations. This project addresses the need for affordable housing while bringing state-of-the-art facilities to the Near Eastside. Nine of the units are dedicated for individuals coming out of homelessness via the Continuum of Care.
RecycleForce
RecycleForce is a social enterprise delivering comprehensive and innovative recycling services in support of workforce training, development and job placement for formerly incarcerated men and women transitioning back to society. Using the revenue generated by its recycling business, they help formerly incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives by providing gainful employment and comprehensive social services. Learn more!
Oaks Academy
The Oaks Academy provides a rich classical education to Pre-K through 8th-grade students in Indianapolis. Its successful and unique school model meets several community needs including quality school options in disinvested neighborhoods, purposefully diverse environments and community partnership to maintain and improve important neighborhood assets. Over the last 20 years, that mission has grown from one school of 53 students to three schools of 940 students. Learn more!
Earth Charter Indiana
The non-profit's mission is to connect the dots of our state's biggest challenges -- poverty, racism, and a lack of democratic transparency -- within the context of the climate crisis. The program seeks to combine science with civics to achieve meaningful progress on climate impacts. By empowering youth at the juncture of civics and climate, they address two crises: climate and civic engagement, while in the process, create a more resilient community. Learn more!