UNH's Institute on Disability Awarded Grant to Sustain Leadership Series Contact Julie Moser August 11, 2003
DURHAM, N.H. -- A statewide training initiative at risk of discontinuation
at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire will
fundraise and undergo a strategic planning process, thanks to a grant
from the NH Charitable Foundation. The Institute on Disability was recently awarded a $19,939 grant from
the NH Charitable Foundation to support strategic planning and fundraising
activities to guarantee sustainability of the NH Leadership Series. The first NH Leadership Series began in 1988 with a mission to provide
individuals with disabilities, family members and graduate students at
UNH with state-of-the-art information and leadership skills to impact
state and local organizations. Through the series, families and individuals
learn to advocate for themselves and others in the struggle for equality
– and no voice is more credible to policymakers and service providers
than the voice of those who are impacted by the policies and services
offered. However, because of the changing political climate, the reduction of
state and local agency funding, and the rising costs of accommodations,
meals, presenter fees, etc.,the Leadership Series is at significant risk
of discontinuing. The grant provided by the NH Charitable Foundation will
ensure the NH Leadership Series continues to provide individuals with
disabilities and their families with vital leadership and advocacy skills. "In the past we have relied almost exclusively on state and federal
funds to run the series," says NH Leadership Series Coordinator Beth
Dixon. "As we enter an era of shrinking state dollars, due to a climate
of budget cuts and rising operating costs, we realize the need to develop
a fundraising strategy to sustain the series in order to continue to thrive
in this new environment. This capacity to raise money is a skill that
needs to be developed." For information about the NH Leadership Series, visit the Institute on
Disability’s Web site at www.iod.unh.edu. The NH Charitable Foundation is a statewide community foundation, established
in 1962. This permanent endowment comes from gifts from many individuals,
families, corporations and organizations. Earnings from the endowment
are used to make grants and loans to nonprofit organizations serving the
state and scholarship awards to NH residents. The Institute on Disability’s mission is to promote the inclusion
of people with disabilities into their schools and communities. The Institute
works with students and faculty, conducts statewide training, participates
in grant-funded model demonstration projects, conducts research and engages
in collaborative partnerships with other statewide organizations that
are committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and
The Institute on Disability, together with the Center for Genetics and
Child Development at Dartmouth Medical School; the Institute for Health,
Law, and Ethics at Franklin Pierce Law Center; and the School of Community
Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University, comprise New
Hampshire’s University Center for Excellence on Disability (UCED). |