Finance Committee Agenda and Packet 2024 09 19

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CITY OF LOUISVILLE, COLORADO GRANT APPLICATION FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS 1. Organizational background: What is the mission of your organization? Briefly present the strategies you use to achieve your mission. What is the source of information used to verify the need for the services your organization provides? Mission: The Association for Community Living promotes and protects the rights of people with intellectual and development disabilities to be included as a natural and integral part of community life. The source of information used to verify the need for our services is the 2018 IDD Needs Assessment done by Boulder County HHS. The identified needs from this Assessment are outlined in the Assessment Report Brief. The ACL fills the following gaps prioritized in this report: Housing & Health, Advocacy, Self Advocacy, Engagement, & Social Connections, Community Education and IDD Awareness. The Association for Community Living (ACL), an advocacy organization, was founded in Boulder in 1962, incorporated as a chapter of The Arc in 1974, and is the affiliated chapter of The Arc of the United States serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties. We were created by families of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD), and the people we serve provide leadership on the ACL Board of Directors to this day. The ACL has been instrumental in achieving the right to access public education and community -based support services, for people with IDD, in our community. These rights are now protected by law, yet without advocacy services, people with IDD still experience significant barriers to access. Without independent advocacy it is very difficult for people with IDD to access complex and fragmented health and long-term care systems, public assistance programs, public schools, higher education systems, employment opportunities and the community. People with IDD are excluded from community arts, music, recreation and leisure activities and it is difficult for people with IDD to feel welcome at community activities. Our vision for the future is that communities welcome and value the contributions and participation of people with IDD. Many of the problems people with IDD face are created by system change and require hundreds of hours of individual advocacy to resolve. In 2024, case management agencies will change dramatically, a process which has been very challenging in the communities who are already making the transition. While change is inevitable, it can leave out the voices of the people and families whose lives are most impacted by it. ACL is helping our community to voice their ideas, hopes and concerns, and to understand and brace for change. The following goals reflect our strategic planning to achieve our mission and vision and are rooted in the Social Determinants of Health, pillars of family stability & healthy thriving communities. The ACL strives to... • Advocate for and protect the human rights of people with IDD • Amplify the voices of people with IDD • Actively Engage families and allies in the lives of people with IDD • Support people with IDD to create fulfilled lives • Change cultures, attitudes and systems through partnership • Share expertise and advocate in the community • Model professionalism, adaptability and responsiveness to the needs of people with IDD 2. Program description: What are the specific activities/programs for which you are requesting funding? If requesting general/operating support, provide an overview of the organization's activities. 15/251