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Naledge In Action (NIA) is a Georgia nonprofit talent solution company that helps student leaders (ages 16-24) define a purpose-driven career pathway by developing their Social and Emotional Intelligence, workplace soft skills and providing opportunities to hone their skills through internships. NIA’s mission is to cultivate a pipeline of Top Talent Millennials to meet the current and future employment and entrepreneurial needs of business and industry in order for America to maintain its competitive economic edge.

The mission of Maryland Community Connection is primarily to establish, operate, and maintain services in the community for individuals with developmental disabilities. Through trained, qualified, and fairly compensated staff, Maryland Community Connection services will assist each person to achieve a greater degree of social and economic independence and reduce the need for subsidized lifestyles. Maryland Community Connection policy requires that these services be provided to eligible Maryland participants without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, or marital status.

SosteNica promotes sustainable economic and community development in Nicaragua. Our loan programs strengthen Nicaraguan communities. The training and technical assistance programs we provide ensure the success of our rural borrowers. Our housing program embodies environmental values while affording low-income families a dignified place to live. In the U.S., SosteNica offers socially conscious investors an opportunity to use financial resources constructively, to have a positive impact on one of the poorest nations in the Americas, while preserving their capital and earning annual interest. Thanks to SosteNica, many of the productive poor of Nicaragua -- small farmers and micro-enterprises -- have access to credit that would be otherwise unavailable. The combination of thoughtful First World investment and careful socially conscious lending to Nicaragua's poorest creditworthy borrowers creates an opportunity for sustainable growth. We dream of rural Nicaraguan families owning their own land, and on that land, growing everything they need to lead healthy, happy lives. We dream of communities of Nicaraguan families supporting one another in good times and in difficult times, celebrating together, and grieving together. We dream of a verdant Nicaraguan landscape, an intact ecosystem free of toxins and pollutants, rich with biodiversity, clean air and fresh sweet water. We dream of ordinary Nicaraguan families having enough resources locally that they never think of emigrating to another country in search of work, families who love where they live and what they do. We dream of young families living in ecological homes built with their own hands out of locally available materials that are both beautiful and sustainable. We dream of a world in which people with resources in one country reach out their hands of support to people in another country struggling to make a sustainable life. We dream of a community of people in the US whose investments reflect their values, where doing good does not conflict with doing well. SosteNica gives US investors an opportunity to achieve their social and environmental as well as their financial dreams and values. With a portfolio of both invested and donated funds, SosteNica promotes natural building for low-income families, organic agro-ecology and reforestation for rural small landholders, and micro-credit for small credit-worthy businesses. More than just "socially responsible", SosteNica gives investors an opportunity to have an impact in a way that says: "I care about the future, as well as about the present."

Create food security by educating underserved communities on how to use Regenerative Climate Smart Agriculture to replace carbon emitting farming and reforestation practices. Focus on training women and youth on sustainable farming practices to help create long-lasting livelihoods. Reduce the importation of foreign food and increase the export of healthier organically grown food. Collaborate with international corporations to help fund the reduction of carbon through Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies to support underserved farming communities. Reduce crime and poverty by creating opportunities.

The mission of the Community Habilitation Center is to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities by providing specialized training, activities, and experiences that empower them. CHC is focused on helping individuals become independent, active, employed, and socially responsible members of the community. CHC provides life and work skills training, a computer lab, art program and ceramics, fitness classes, daily fieldtrips out into the community, and a music therapy program. All activities are designed to reinforce pre-selected goals chosen by the individuals and increase their independence and understanding of their role within the community.

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) serves the holistic needs of immigrants, refugees, and mainstream community members in Oregon and SW Washington. As a community-based organization, we empower children, youth, families and elders from around the world to build new lives and become self-sufficient by providing more than 150 culturally and linguistically specific social services. Our vision is to be a leader of community driven, innovative programs delivered by compassionate staff who create equitable services that empower immigrants, refugees and underserved communities.

Step Up delivers compassionate support to people experiencing serious mental health issues, and persons who are experiencing chronic homelessness, to help them recover, stabilize, and integrate into the community. Through dynamic partnerships, we provide positive social and learning environments, vocational training, permanent supportive housing opportunities, and recovery services to empower individuals to cultivate lives of hope and dignity. We exercise innovative leadership and advocacy to increase public understanding, support and acceptance of all people living with serious mental health issues.

Research shows that employment is a chief "trigger" in aiding those with the greatest barriers to work in their transition from poverty to productivity and greater prosperity. Nearly three-fourths of poverty spells end with a rise in earnings and employment occurs twice as frequently as any other event associated with an exit from poverty. Employment also encourages social mobility in addition to providing an economic benefit. A job strengthens human capital, facilitates access to financial capital, builds interpersonal skills, and enhances social networks. Having a job boosts employees' self-confidence and is source of dignity and pride. But entering and staying in the workforce is extremely difficult for many people who live in protracted poverty and have also confronted homelessness, health problems, fragmented families, incarceration, and inadequate access to a good education. The private sector is often unwilling to hire employees facing these barriers or provide adequate support to address the many challenges that can undermine their success once on the job. Few workforce development programs have achieved positive outcomes preparing those workers that are most disconnected to jobs, or creating durable pathways to employment. MDRC, one of the premiere researchers in this area, summarizes this consensus: "For at least three decades, policymakers, researchers, and program operators have developed and studied strategies to help people who face serious obstacles to steady work. Despite the broad policy interest in serving the hard-to-employ, knowledge about effective program strategies is still relatively undeveloped." REDF is uniquely positioned to address this problem. Our successful track record of building the capacity of nonprofits to operate social enterprises and the success those businesses have demonstrated in employing, retaining and advancing their employees is a solid foundation to build on as we invest in our new portfolio and expand the role we play with the organizations that we intensely supported for many years.

Who We Are: The need for a grassroots organization that would galvanize communities across Africa to positively contribute towards sustainable management of natural resources was an idea born out of a discussion by a group of environment and natural resource management practitioners gathered in Arusha Tanzania in 2010. The idea was subsequently shared with other like-minded individuals and culminated in the formation and subsequent registration of Africa Nature Organization as Non-Governmental Organization on the World Wetlands Day 2nd February 2012 in Kenya. Our focus has been to promote sustainable environmental and natural resource management best practices among grassroots communities working closely with civil society organizations, private sector actors and Government. Our Vision: A well-managed environment and natural resource base benefiting People and Wildlife. Our Mission: To enhance sustainable management of environment and natural resources by empowering grassroots communities, supporting development of effective natural resource management instruments, promotion of green innovations and the advancement of wise-use practices. Programmes: Our work is organized around three themes. These are conservation, people's organizations and livelihoods. 1. Environmental Education and Awareness Sustained environmental education and awareness campaigns have been known to change the behavior and attitudes of stakeholders towards environment and natural resources. Africa Nature Organization environmental education and awareness campaigns target both the young and the old through targeted campaigns such as the Young People4Nature Initiative, environmental demonstrations, environmental days, cross-site visits, workshops and seminars are some of the activities in this category. 2. Conservation of Species and Habitats With the threat of species extinction and habitat loss aggravated by climate change, Africa Nature Organization has taken a special interest in the conservation of species and habitats through rehabilitation, restoration and protection. Afforestation on terrestrial areas, coral transplant in marine ecosystems, dyke construction, development of management plans, support for community guards to protect and monitor species and habitats are some of the activities undertaken to reduce species and habitat loss. 3. Enterprise-led Conservation (ECO) Communities for ages have depended on natural resources for their livelihoods. However, with dwindling natural resource base due to extraction of natural resources for commercial purposes, population increase and climate changes, communities have trapped in a vicious cycle of destroying environment and natural resources for survival. To stem this downward spiral, Africa Nature Organization works with grassroots communities to empower them with business skills and knowledge to initiate nature-friendly enterprises and link them with markets. 4. Research and Innovation for Conservation (RI-Conserve): Relevant information to undertake important decisions regarding natural resources has been an impediment to sustainable management of environment and natural resources. This has been more profound with grassroots communities and organizations, including government, working to empower them to sustainably manage environment and natural resources. To bridge the information gap, Africa Nature Organization undertakes research and develops innovative ways of overcoming environmental challenges facing communities, civil society organizations, private organizations and governments. Baseline surveys, environmental impact assessments, documentation of indigenous knowledge on biological resources, and innovative mobile technology for conservation are some of the activities undertaken in this category. 5. Conservation Communication (COCO): Communicating conservation information to relevant stakeholders is key in to their engagement and involvement in our conservation effort. Conservation Communication maintains stakeholder interest through: Newsletter, Development and distribution of environmental documentaries, Production of other education, information and communication materials.

Have Dreams is a local organization with global impact, serving the autism community. Have Dreams is a leader in resources for individuals and their families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They understand the complexities and uniqueness of each person with ASD and focus our programming and services on the core deficits: social skills, communication and independence. For 25 years, we have recognized the unmet needs of individuals living with ASD and responded by creating programs and services for children, teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Considered a partner for the entire lifespan, Have Dreams meets people where they are with innovative programming and compassionate care.

Safer Foundation, a nonprofit social impact organization based in Chicago, Illinois, was founded in 1972. Its mission is to reduce recidivism by supporting, though a full spectrum of services, and advocacy, the efforts of people with arrest and conviction records to become employed, law-abiding members of the community. If people with records are provided with direct service support focused on job preparedness and placement, and are also linked to other critical supportive services their reentry challenges will be addressed and, as a result, their likelihood to recidivate (return to prison) will be reduced. Safer's evidence-based programs are geared toward addressing barriers that impede employment and providing services that support clients' abilities to successfully acclimate into society.

To promote the empowerment and independence of adults affected by mental illness or disorders with or without co-occurring substance-abuse by providing opportunity for social involvement, job skills, and self-directed recovery. The Gainesville Opportunity Center improves the lives of members and the greater Gainesville Community by 1) operating a work ordered day model that relies on the voluntary participation of its members; 2) supporting member employment and education; 3) developing innovative programs, research, and shared knowledge; 4) collaborating with others to inspire and teach about living with mental illness and disorders; and 5) advocating for people living with serious mental illness and disorders to improve perceptions and practices.