COMMUNITY PROJECTS
The purpose of the MCLP Non-profit partnership is two fold. First is to provide the MCLP Participants the opportunity to put the leadership skills they are developing into action. Second, and as important, is to assist the non-profit partner in building their capacity to meet their mission and more effectively serve their community. To date MCLP has helped more than 45 local organizations.
To submit a proposal for partnership with a future MCLP cohort, please complete this form. We look forward to working with you!
Capacity-building projects have been completed in collaboration with the following nonprofit partners.
2024 Community Project
Illinois Council on Problem Gambling
Illinois State University Multicultural Center
Mclean County Regional Planning Commission (MCRPC) on behalf of EVTown & Steering Committee
Ministry in Motion, Inc., International
2023 Community Projects
- Define and build community relationships to enhance the growth of Heartland’s Workforce Equity Initiative
Milestones Early Learning Center & Preschool
- Develop concise accessible family and employee handbooks to assure efficient business practices to create a sustainable environment for Milestones.
- Define, research, and assess services provided to Workforce 180 to provide long term sustainability and connections
Multicultural Leadership Institute
- Develop a diverse recruitment and retention volunteer plan.
2022 Community Projects
- Increase the awareness, participation and revenue for the Blue Crew program.
McLean County Health Department
- Assist in the creation of the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Collaborative, identify and establish a sustainable collaborative and analyze short term and long term deliverables.
- Create a financial sustainability plan to establish a consistent inflow of funding to support operations.
- Develop an actionable and sustainable marketing plan and communication strategy.
LIFE Center for Independent Living
- Evaluate, research and recommend a plan of action to improve community awareness of LIFE CIL.
2021 Community Projects
- Review and develop operational processes in order to more effectively create and sustain community support.
- Develop fundraising strategies to create sustainable financial support for programs and services.
- Develop and implement marketing and communications strategies to increase awareness of housing discrimination and Prairie State services related to tenant rights and legal support.
- Research and develop virtual training processes and tools for Community Navigators.
- Develop and implement tools to increase awareness of STRIVE workforce development and employment services with the local business community.
2020 Community Projects
Breaking Chains Advancing Increase School of Arts (BCAI)
- Develop a fundraising strategy to boost the revenue of the organization.
- Cultivate community awareness, financial support, a website, local grants, and to put a security system and a computer lab in place for the organization.
- Develop an employee community service day which will include a service tracking tool and a community service communication plan for HCC.
- Open West Market Street grocery store and redevelop the plaza with retail and community organizations.
- Describe activities, services, and supports being provided, and to develop standards that define what makes each town, city, or village Autism Friendly.
2019 Community Projects
- Develop a marketing plan for this organization empowering women through non-competitive running.
- Determine the feasibility of creating an online store for the Mission Mart.
- Create a volunteer training program to support the Salvation Army’s food pantry and emergency services.
Vladimir Canterbury Sister Cities Association
- Develop a fundraising plan for the organization to increase the number of exchanges.
2018 Community Projects
- Increase awareness of the online services and mobile services offered by the library, as well as increase the number of active card users; specifically in under-served areas of the community.
- Create an efficient, functioning volunteer scheduling system, and streamline the volunteer application process.
Illinois Heart and Lung Foundation
- Develop an “Attack Asthma” camp for children under age 12, in order to help reduce the need and number of medical visits necessitated by asthma attacks.
University of Illinois Extension
- Grow the community’s awareness of the U of I and the Town of Normal’s Food Forest by creating an outreach plan, developing resources for visitors, and establishing an ongoing measurement plan to measure usage.
Western Avenue Community Center
- Create a plan to expand existing events in order to increase the potential income capacity.
2017 Community Projects
Central Illinois Pride Health Center
- Open a facility with mental health services and provide medical support for the LGBTQ community.
Humane Society of Central Illinois
- Increase diversity in its adopters, volunteer base, and donors.
League of Women Voters of McLean County
- Grow its voter base and extend reach to underrepresented areas of the community moving forward.
West Bloomington Revitalization Project
- Foster a new generation of leaders for the WBRP Board of Directors.
YWCA Labyrinth Outreach Services for Women
- Begin a social enterprise, which will employ the women it serves who are in need of a supportive work environment.
2016 Community Projects
Crossroads Handcrafts of the World
- Create a manual for day-to-day operations and develop a marketing plan to establish a loyal customer base.
- Develop a plan to ensure equal service to individuals regardless of race, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender.
- Develop a marketing plan to help cultivate and diversify its audience base.
Life Center for Independent Living
- Create a plan to improve its annual fundraising efforts.
Milestones Early Learning Center
- Explore new revenue-generating options by methods such as selling milk to families to save them a trip to the grocery store.
2015 Community Projects
- Develop and execute a plan to enhance fundraising efforts of the Challenger Learning Center in order to continue to serve area K-12 schools as it faces decreased funding.
- Help Community Health Care Clinic assess the feasibility of expanding its free medical care services to include dental and oral health services.
- Work with Immanuel Health Center to generate and nurture lasting partnerships to allow Immanuel to continue to promote health and wholeness in our community.
- Develop an employee wellness program for the employees at Meadows at Mercy Creek.
- Work with the Prairie Pride Coalition to assess the needs of the LGBT community of McLean County and develop a strategic plan to meet those needs.
2014 Community Projects
- Research and determine available sources of funding to provide for long-term viability and sustainability of the Healthy Start program.
- Educate Community Cancer Center staff on cultural sensitivity and cultural differences between the U.S. and India. Provide recommendations for outreach to the Bloomington-Normal Asian Indian community.
- Develop a business plan to increase Faith in Action’s diversity among the board of directors, volunteers, care receivers, faith-based groups, and partnering organizations.
- Increase the awareness of Heartland Head Start’s comprehensive community services, partners, and families, to increase recruitment of families into the program.
- Provide the Illinois Shakespeare Festival with information and recommendations on how to diversify its audience.
2013 Community Projects
Autism Society of McLean County
- Design an Employment Mentoring Program for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in order to help individuals with ASD develop social/business networking skills, relationships, increase their employability, and access to local employment opportunities.
Center for Youth and Family Solutions
- Implement a marketing plan, including Community Outreach, Media Outreach, Fundraising, and Sustainability, in order to improve public awareness and increase financial support from the community.
- Create a marketing plan for David Davis Mansion and increase funding for the Foundation’s endowment fund.
Illinois Heart and Lung Foundation
- Evaluate its Automated External Defibrillator (AED) program in Bloomington-Normal by researching issues and challenges facing widespread AED adoption and write a final detailed report with findings and recommendations for future program implementations.
Labyrinth Outreach Services to Women
- Build community awareness of Labyrinth and its services by creating and implementing a three-pronged effort of 1) building bridges, 2) media connections, and 3) branding and marketing.
2012 Community Projects
- Quantitatively describe the value that CHCC provides to the community by creating a document that narrates cost savings analysis and a potential social return on investment framework.
- Increase outreach and environmental education within underserved areas of the community.
Habitat for Humanity of McLean County
- Develop a marketing plan to help expand advocacy and awareness of Habitat for Humanity throughout McLean County by increasing volunteers, donors, and prospective clients.
- Restructure the “Abriendo Puertas” 10-session curriculum into four focused sessions by identifying the content that would be most useful to Head Start parents.
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
- Enhance the use of technology to improve outreach and effectiveness with existing donors and to widen and diversify its donor base by working with the iCan team on an enhanced website, a social media strategy, and the implementation of community foundation software.
2011 Community Projects
- Create a non-technical vocational training program for residential clients who require job skill development in order to be successful candidates for employment, including a soft-skills “operations” guide that provides guidance for the HSHM staff while assisting clients.
- Develop a marketing plan for Marcfirst Janitorial Services aimed at helping it achieve a profit within the next year.
Western Avenue Community Center
- Streamline the operational aspects of the interpreter and counseling programs for Latinx people and families, including policies, job descriptions, and a data tracking tool.
- Help support ongoing efforts to eliminate racism by developing a diversity awareness campaign about the increasing racial diversity in McLean County, focusing on the positives that it brings to the community.
2010 Community Projects