Success Story: American Muslim Senior Society
Capacity Partners client the American Muslim Senior Society (AMSS) has been building its capacity and impact by winning significant grant support, with assistance from CP Partner Consultant Barbara Wille.
AMSS’ mission is to empower the diverse seniors and caregivers in Montgomery County, MD, by giving them access to culturally sensitive tools and resources to improve their quality of life and the opportunity to live with dignity. The organization is quite small. With just three staff members, AMSS is relying on grants to expand its reach and programming.
One of the keys to AMSS’ grant success is recognizing that its mission aligns closely with Montgomery County’s strategic goals and commitment to encouraging multicultural approaches to address health equity issues, creating new opportunities for support.
Another key has been recognizing its limited staff capabilities, pointing to the need to contract for grant research and writing services, rather than adding to core staff workload.
The results speak for themselves. The organization is punching above its weight in terms of outcomes and impact, said Wille, thanks to a process that works. Working with an experienced grant writer who can ask the right questions and synthesize the information needed to win grants frees up staff to focus and execute on core programs. "It's a very effective process.”
Through this collaboration, AMSS is winning both "tiny organization" grants and "big organization" grants that support a vital mission and expanding programming, she said.
This includes funding to address senior food insecurity, which was an intense need during the pandemic and unfortunately remains an issue today. The organization serves 500 meals a week thanks to gifts from Montgomery County as well as private foundations. Another key part of AMSS’s mission is expanding culturally competent delivery of caregiving for seniors in Montgomery County, especially for those who are low income.
Grant wins include:
- An award of $80,000 to feed Afghan refugees in Montgomery County and offer wraparound services to the senior refugees among them. The grantor is Montgomery County’s Asian American Health Initiative, in partnership with the Primary Care Coalition, a nonprofit that seeks to improve the health of vulnerable individuals and families by building partnerships and strengthening systems.
- A $50,000 grant from the Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Food for Montgomery Fund to purchase a delivery vehicle and help pay for a food storage and packaging space for food.
- A major grant from WorkSource Montgomery, a County-supported program that links local and regional economic development and workforce efforts, with the support of the Primary Care Coalition and Nexus Montgomery, a consortium of hospitals that partners with community organizations on innovative projects to reduce hospital visits. This award is providing scholarships to expand the pool of culturally diverse students seeking their Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) credential.
- A Carl Freeman FACES (Freeman Assists Communities with Extra Support) grant, which prioritizes smaller nonprofits, and a generous award from the William S. Abell Foundation, both for AMSS’ work to feed more people in difficult times.
Thanks to these grants and others supporting AMSS initiatives, "they are doing amazing things” with a tiny staff, Wille said.
