Northwest Area Foundation Great Strides Award! 4 Communities will receive up to $100,000

August 15, 2007

The Northwest Area Foundation http://www.nwaf.org is pleased to announce the Great Strides Award, an exciting opportunity to recognize and celebrate communities working to reduce poverty. The Foundation will select up to four communities from its eight-state region: MN, IA, ND, SD, MT, ID, WA, and OR. At least two awards will go to rural communities. Each award recipient will receive up to $100,000. Communities will be selected for the award based on their innovative approaches to poverty reduction, willingness to share their experiences with a broader audience, and identified uses for the award funds to continue their poverty reduction work.

The Foundation is now taking applications for this award program. Successful applicants will meet specific criteria. These may be found at the following address: http://programs.nwaf.org/cmp.asp?c=48201O610O56O584O1000 Questions about the award and the application process will be processed through this web site. Applications are due by Friday, September 21, 2007. Finalists will be notified by e-mail and / or telephone by October 12, 2007. Two-day site visits will be scheduled to meet the members of the community program during the time period of October 15, and November 16, 2007. Award recipients will be notified by January 10, 2008.

Please share information about the Great Strides Award with communities who have successful approaches to poverty reduction. Last year participants indicated the time required to complete the application process ranges from two to eight hours.

Thank you,

Northwest Area Foundation Great Strides Team

llafontaine@nwaf.org