Eight South Florida Nonprofits Receive Project Innovation Grants at NBC 6, Telemundo 51 Event

Over $315,000 in grants were given to eight nonprofit groups across South Florida as part of Comcast NBCUniversal's Project Innovation program.

The winning organizations feature programs that address local community issues in the areas of community engagement, culture of inclusion, next generation storytelling and youth education and empowerment.

The eight winners took part in the reception at the NBC 6 / Telemundo 51 studios in Miramar Tuesday.

“Each year I am inspired and educated by the Project Innovation grant applicants. It is amazing to see the innovative and inclusive programs these organizations are creating to help improve the lives of people in our community,” said Jorge Carballo, President and General Manager of NBC 6 and Telemundo 51.

This year's recipients include:

Achieve Miami - $70,000. Achieve Miami was launched in 2015 with the purpose of increasing educational opportunities and outcomes for low-income youth and connecting diverse students from all parts of Miami. Their main goal is to close opportunity gaps for students throughout Miami-Dade by providing meaningful educational and enrichment programs that demonstrate the power of students learning with and from each other. Grant funding will go towards “Achieve Summer,” a six-week summer enrichment program focused on increasing educational outcomes for underserved students in Miami-Dade.

Jorge M. Perez Art Museum (PAMM) - $25,000. PAMM’s mission is to be a leader in the presentation, study, interpretation, and care of international modern and contemporary art, while representing and cherishing the diversity of Miami-Dade. Grant funding will go towards the PAMM Teen Arts Council (PTAC), a teen-led, museum-facilitated program for youth interested in all things creative. PTAC members help fulfill Pérez Art Museum Miami's (PAMM) mission to encourage everyone to see art as an incentive for genuine human interaction, communication, and exchange.

Ladies Empowerment and Action Program (LEAP) - $40,000. LEAP's mission is to empower women who have experienced incarceration through programs, services, and advocacy. Their purpose is to provide the resources for every woman who has been released from prison and is committed to change to achieve her full potential. Grant funding will go towards two programs. The first one is an e-learning version of their classes, with the goal of serving many more justice-involved women. And their second program will provide tablets to help the women successfully reenter the job market and the community.

Miami Homes for All - $50,000. Since 1985, MHFA’s mission has been to end and prevent homelessness in Miami-Dade. That includes everyone from those struggling to make ends meet to those experiencing homelessness. Their vision: a Miami-Dade where everyone has a safe and stable place to call home. Grant funding will go towards the Miami-Dade Eviction Task Force (ETF) program, which works to ensure that rental assistance is reaching low-income, BIPOC households, who not only experience cost-burden at significantly higher rates than white households, but also experience serious systemic barriers in accessing resources.

Museum of Discover and Science - $50,000. The Museum's mission is Connecting People to Inspiring Science. They fulfill their mission through four educational content pillars: Early Childhood Education, Health & Wellness, Environmental Stability and Physical Science. Grant funding will go towards their MODS STEMobile program, which is a community-based mobile makerspace for ages 3 and up, launched during the pandemic in response to the COVID educational slide. The STEMobile brings cutting-edge equipment and experiences often unavailable to youth, especially those residing in low-income communities, transforming them from passive receivers of knowledge to real-world makers.

PERIOD - $10,000. PERIOD distributes millions of menstrual products to those in need, provides menstrual health educational resources for students and educators, and advocates for systemic change through policy and legislation to make period products affordable and accessible for all. Grant funding will go towards their Miami program, to ensure that all Floridians aren't forced to miss out on school, work or dignity because of a natural need.

VOICES FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION- $50,000. Voices’ mission is to raise funds to ensure that every abused and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem (GAL), and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their health, educational and social needs. Grant funding will support Voices and the Miami GAL Program’s advocacy services enhancement with a permanency specialist, an innovative position that is laser-focused on achieving the fastest permanency for children 0-5 years old. This child welfare professional identifies and removes barriers to expedite children’s permanent placement in safe, stable homes to mitigate trauma to these vulnerable children.

WOMEN OF TOMORROW MENTOR AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - $20,000. Women of Tomorrow's mission is to inspire, motivate, and empower at-risk young women to live up to their full potential through a unique group mentoring program with highly accomplished professional women and scholarship opportunities. At-risk students are paired with women who inspire, motivate and teach critical life skills during school hours. Grant funding will go towards providing these critical student programming elements to more than 3,000 young women in the 2022-23 school year, helping them become prepared, through their own planning, to achieve career and, ultimately, life success.

This is the fifth consecutive year that NBC 6, Telemundo 51 and Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation has awarded Project Innovation grants. Since 2018 NBC 6, Telemundo 51and the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation have presented a total of $1,305,000 in Project Innovation grants to 35 nonprofits in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.