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Mary’s Center is proud to announce that the Kresge Foundation has selected their organization for the second cohort of its national Next Generation Initiative. Mary’s Center will join nine other private nonprofit and public human services organizations advancing the social and economic mobility of children and families with low incomes around the country in this two-year learning program.
The Next Generation (NextGen) initiative is designed to support private nonprofit and public human services organizations committed to person-centered, outcomes-based, data-driven work that advances racial equity using two-generation, whole family approaches. Through this initiative, Kresge seeks to partner and learn with organizations that go beyond traditional human services delivery methods and move toward new ways to create permanent pathways out of poverty.
In addition to receiving a $500,000 grant, cohort partners will also participate in a two-year learning and collaboration program.
“We are so excited to be part of the NextGen Initiative,” said Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary’s Center. “This award is extremely important at our 30-year mark. It will allow us to financially step up our efforts to address policy issues impacting social and economic mobility and provide us the opportunity to meet and collaborate with the other organizations with similar missions and goals. At Mary’s Center, community is at the core of everything we do, and this initiative allows us to expand our community by adding more partners we can share ideas with, learn with, and grow alongside.”
Mary’s Center’s mission underscores the importance of offering comprehensive care, consisting of healthcare, education, and social services, to their participants. Their involvement with NextGen will allow them to share their own models and programs, which can be adapted to serve a diverse array of communities under social and economic stress. Mary’s Center is excited to learn from other cohort members who have expanded to serve new populations.
Through engaging with like-minded organizations, Mary’s Center will learn the different leadership styles that have made other organizations successful in their work. They will also gather information and tactics that they can share with partners across the Washington DC and Maryland region as they continue to evolve their model across new jurisdictions. Participation in the Next Generation Initiative will ultimately enhance Mary’s Center’s ability to serve more diverse communities in the Washington, DC region.
“Over the next two years, this dynamic group of leaders will have the opportunity to learn from each other and national experts around the country and develop a network that collectively works to transform the sector and transform lives,” Joelle Jude-Fontaine, Kresge Human Services senior program officer, said.
For more information about the Next Generation Initiative and its impacts, visit Kresge.org.
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About Mary’s Center Founded in 1988, Mary’s Center is a federally qualified health center that provides healthcare, educational, and social services to more than 53,000 individuals from over 50 countries. Using a holistic, multipronged approach, Mary’s Center helps participants access individualized services that set them on the path toward good health, stability, and economic independence. For more information, visit www.maryscenter.org.
About The Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org. | 
