SUMMARIES OF JOLI PROJECTS
FY 1991
1. Women's Initiative for Self-Employment (WISE) in Ann Arbor, Michigan is operated by the Ann Arbor Community Development Corporation, a local economic development corporation founded in 1984. The Executive Director is Michelle Richards and Lendell McEwen is the WISE Director. The WISE program combines business education, technical assistance and start-up capital to assist AFDC recipients cultivate marketable service skills into self-employment. The project proposes to produce training opportunities for 60 AFDC recipients, 42 self-employment (full- or part-time) jobs, and 30 individuals to generate incomes at least $20,000 per year. Strategies utilized include an action oriented business planning workshop series, "hands-on" technical assistance, start-up capital loans and equipment leases, and networking. The cost per job will be $7,030, totalling the grant of $421,843. The evaluation will be conducted by Dr. Crystal S. Mills.
2. The Self-Employment and Economic Development (SEED) is operated by the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED), a private, non-profit organization. Dr. John F. Else, is the President; Margaret Showers is the Program Director. The SEED program will provide training and technical assistance to 300 AFDC recipients in a seven county area in central Iowa (Des Moines). A 14-week structural participating business training and technical assistance project complete with a technical assistance goal (TEP mentors). Each participant will be matched with a business mentor and assisted in obtaining a loan, if needed. Special attention will be given to self-esteem, family problems and personal financial management. With a JOLI grant of $500,000, ISED plans to create 75 new businesses and 25 additional employment opportunities for a year per job cost of $5,000. The evaluation will be conducted by Dr. Catherine F. Alter from the University of Iowa.
3. Capital Opportunities, Self-Employment and Asset Development, in Boseman, Montana, is operated by Human Resource Development Council, Inc. (HRDC), a non-profit corporation. Jeffrey K. Rupp, is the organization's Executive Director; Lynn Robson, is the Program Director. The project's multi-level approach includes business training, technical assistance and business loans for new entrepreneurs, matching funding for individual development accounts, family health insurance grants, support services for families during business start-up, youth services and coordination with JOBS mandatory activities in basic education and job skills training. The project plans to provide training and technical assistance to 330 AFDC recipients, create 100 businesses and 156 related jobs for a per job cost of $3,200. The project grant is $499,923. The third party evaluator is Beatrice Sapp.
4. Business Assistance for Self-Employment (BASE) in Brooklyn, New York, is operated by Local Development Corporation of New York, a not-for-profit organization. The Agency's Director is Jeffery Post-Stern; the Program Director is Sherry Roberts. BASE is a comprehensive program of self-empowerment, business training and counseling designed to increase the self-esteem and business managerial and technical capabilities of AFDC recipients. This program will provide training to 60 individuals, and will create 25-30 new businesses and 18 related job opportunities. The cost per job will be $5,328 for business training. The project had requested $499,133 but received $223,779. The evaluation will be conducted by John Cardwell, Evaxx, Inc.
5. JOLI through Bullfrog Culturing/Marketing Business Development is operated by the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, a private, non-profit corporation in Hilo, Hawaii. The Executive Director is George Yokohama. The project will create 63 permanent jobs by developing a new small industry involving the cultivation and marketing of bullfrogs for human consumption and for medical research. Participants receive pre-employment and on-the-job training and family support services. The cost per job is $7,936 totalling the grant of $550,000. The evaluation will be conducted by Bill Cook.
6. Job Creation Demonstration Program in Indianapolis, Indiana, is operated by Eastside Community Investment, Inc. (ECI) a not-for-profit, neighborhood community development corporation. The Agency's Director is Dennis West; the Program Director is Linda Gilkerson. Through a combination of entrepreneurial training, technical assistance, and access to revolving loan fund, the project plans to create 36 new jobs. Of the 36 new jobs, 24 will be created by individuals starting up self-employment and 12 additional jobs will be created through expansion of existing small businesses. The project requested a grant of $475,000; the grant awarded was $175,000. The evaluation will be conducted by Deborah Bonnet, President, D. Bonnet Associates.
7. Project S.O.A.R. in Wiscasset, Maine, is operated by Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a non-profit community organization. Ronald L. Phillips is President of the organization; Kathleen Kearney is Project Director. Project SOAR will create 50 employment and self-employment opportunities for women at an average cost of $9,800 per job through delivery of intensive training and technical assistance and investment of 20 new businesses. The project is characterized by three key features. First, the project will be implemented through a collaborative mechanism that will coordinate and deliver client-centered services. Secondly, the project will pursue a dual strategy that includes both enterprise development and job creation. Third, the project will offer a client-centered continuum of services designed to provide personal development and skills training. The evaluation will be conducted by Charles Morris.
8. Expansion of Wings 'n Things in Kansas City, Missouri, is operated by the Community Development Corporation of Kansas City, a not-for-profit community economic development corporation. The agency's President is Donald L. Maxwell; the Project Director is Carole L. Herron. This project involves establishing a street and indoor vending business that will sell food products supplied by Wings 'n things, a minority-owned restaurant chain and caterer. Job readiness and entrepreneurial training will be provided to two cycles of AFDC recipients, with a goal of 60 new vending cart ownerships and 94 new job opportunities with the potential annual income level of $22,500 per year. The project will provide training to 154 participants. The cost per job is $3,179, totalling the grant of $490,000. The evaluation will be conducted by Adele Fleet Bacow.
9. Project Success in Memphis, Tennessee, is operated by a collaborative partnership of six social service, housing and economic development agencies. Free the Children, Inc., a non-profit corporation is one of the collaborative partners; Malcolm Wallace is the Project Director. The project operates in Hurt Village, a public housing development and receives funding under the HUD/HHD program. The joint goals of project success are to establish resident management of Hurt Village and to create resident enterprises and job opportunities. With the grant of $500,000 project success will obtain full-time employment for at least 100 Hurt Village residents and assist in establishing 4 new businesses in the target area at a projected cost per job of $5,000. The project will be evaluated by Dr. John Gnuschke.
10. The Montgomery County Private Industry Council (PIC) in Rockville, Maryland, operates its JOLI project in conjunction with HUD/HHS funds. The Project Director is Dr. Janice Lohmann. In partnership with the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County and the Montgomery Community Action Agency, the PIC will assist 38 AFDC recipients in the Middlebrook Square housing development to obtain jobs or to create new businesses. Training is provided in personal empowerment, job preparation, and in business planning and development. Extended follow-up and integrated community services also will be provided to participants. The total OCS grant is $499,950; the per job is $7,894. The third-party evaluator is Dr. Mary Ellen Kiss.