News

Grantee News

2010

From Rubble to Reconstruction  (Haiti)
 One year ago, the January 10, 2010 earthquake in Haiti left a nation in ruins and generated an onslaught of worldwide relief efforts and philanthropic support.  Despite the generosity of countless donors and volunteers, the beleaguered nation still faces overwhelming challenges and need in its efforts to rebuild. One year ago, the January 10, 2010 earthquake in Haiti left a nation in ruins and generated an onslaught of worldwide relief efforts and philanthropic support.  Despite the generosity of countless donors and volunteers, the beleaguered nation still faces overwhelming challenges and need in its efforts to rebuild.
     That is why the Board of Trustees of the O'Neill Foundation is pleased to announce a $100,000 grant to Catholic Relief Services, based in Baltimore, MD, for their  project, "From Rubble to Reconstruction", that will provide start-up funds for 20 Haitians to become entrepreneurs in their own rock crushing businesses. 
     Through this grant--a "lemons to lemonade" story--Catholic Relief Services will provide individuals training on small business management, including banking, business planning and human resources management.  In addition to the training, the new business owners will each receive start-up funds, all the necessary equipment, and establish a formal banking relationship.  The new rock crushing businesses will employ up to seven additional persons whose income support additional families as well as the Haitian economy.  The crushed rock, which is turned to sand, is sold to block making companies and then turned into materials that will support new construction and rebuilding efforts.
     "Simultaneously, this grant will improve the lives of Haitians that are so desperate for work and stable income, the families that they provide for as well as remove millions of tons of debris that still remain and hinders redevelopment progress," states Leah Gary, President and CEO of the O'Neill Foundation.
     Board of Trustees Chair and O'Neill family member, Timothy O'Neill, states, "It's important that individuals and Foundations alike remember the ongoing need for financial assistance that remains long after the initial influx of dollars and volunteer time that occurs immediately after disasters.  Whether it's the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Thailand or Hurricane Katrina (where five years later work still continues)--a lot of help is still needed!" 

NPR, during it's Morning Edition program on January 12, 2011, discussed this project in a section entitled:  Haitians Take rubble Removal Into Own Hands.  There is also a YouTube video produced for NPR's The World that show the project in action, demonstrating the manual rock crushing machines being used.

Credit Where Credit is Due  (New York, NY)
In March 2009, the O'Neill Foundation awarded $40,000 to Credit Where Credit is Due (CWCID) to support a Quality Initiative project. Little did they know what they would accomplish after the the 12-month grant term.  The original logic model for the Project stated that over the grant period CWCID would:
   1. Develop a new curriculum that combines CWCID's financial education expertise with the pedagogically-sophisticated dialogue education approach;
   2. Equip frontline staff of financial counselors with a comprehensive skill set that includes specialized social services and education training and a thorough knowledge of financial planning;
   3. Adhere to rigorous standards of success measured through a new logitudinal evaluation model for individual and community impact; and
   4. Establish a model for best practices and baseline benchmarks for the financial education field.
Not only did CWCID build their capacity by training their staff and developing a new curriculum, but as a result, they've also subsequently received a flurry of national media attention in recent months.  Such exposure from NBC Nightly News has brought inquiries from non-profits across the country regarding how other agencies could replicate in their communities the financial literacy programs that CWCID implements in New York City. For more information on Credit Where Credit is Due visit www.cwcid.org.

Credit Where Credit is Due  (New York, NY)
In March 2009, the O'Neill Foundation awarded $40,000 to Credit Where Credit is Due (CWCID) to support a Quality Initiative project. Little did they know what they would accomplish after the the 12-month grant term.  The original logic model for the Project stated that over the grant period CWCID would:
   1. Develop a new curriculum that combines CWCID's financial education expertise with the pedagogically-sophisticated dialogue education approach;
   2. Equip frontline staff of financial counselors with a comprehensive skill set that includes specialized social services and education training and a thorough knowledge of financial planning;
   3. Adhere to rigorous standards of success measured through a new logitudinal evaluation model for individual and community impact; and
   4. Establish a model for best practices and baseline benchmarks for the financial education field.
Not only did CWCID build their capacity by training their staff and developing a new curriculum, but as a result, they've also subsequently received a flurry of national media attention in recent months.  Such exposure from NBC Nightly News has brought inquiries from non-profits across the country regarding how other agencies could replicate in their communities the financial literacy programs that CWCID implements in New York City. For more information on Credit Where Credit is Due visit www.cwcid.org.