Mdc Inc

MDC PROJECTS OVER FIVE DECADES HAVE HELPED SOUTHERN LEADERS AND COMMUNITIES ADVANCE ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR PEOPLE ON THE MARGINS THROUGH EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC SECURITY, AND STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY.

EDUCATION IS A FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY. WE WORK WITH COMMUNITIES TO IDENTIFY AND OVERCOME BARRIERS TO EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS SO THAT MORE STUDENTS CAN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, EARN A POST SECONDARY CREDENTIAL VALUED IN THE MARKETPLACE AND ENTER A CAREER THAT PAYS A LIFE-SUSTAINING WAGE OR SALARY.GREAT EXPECTATIONS: MDC SERVES AS THE ACTIVATING AGENCY FOR THE KATE B. REYNOLDS CHARITABLE TRUST'S GREAT EXPECTATIONS EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE, A $40 MILLION, 15-YEAR INVESTMENT FOCUSED ON HELPING CHILDREN IN FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. SUCCEED BY THE TIME THEY COMPLETE KINDERGARTEN.LEARNING FOR EQUITY (A NETWORK FOR SOLUTIONS): MDC IS PARTNERING WITH THE OAK FOUNDATION TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE, EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, AND LEARNING DIFFERENCES BY BUILDING A LEARNING AND ACTION NETWORK ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA.MY FUTURE NC: MDC IS ADVISING AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF MY FUTURE NC, A COMMISSION OF NORTH CAROLINA'S LEADERS TO IMPROVE POSTSECONDARY COMPLETION RATES IN THE STATE AND FIND WAYS TO HELP ADULTS WITH SOME COLLEGE BUT NO DEGREE CROSS THE POSTSECONDARY FINISH LINE.TRANSFERRING SUCCESS: REPORT BY MDC TO THE ECMC FOUNDATION WHICH EXAMINES TRANSFER PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES AT FOUR SOUTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, OBSERVING HOW INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES, FEDERAL AND STATE POLICIES, AND STUDENT MINDSET AND BEHAVIOR AFFECT TRANSFER STUDENTS.

MDC DEVELOPS PROGRAMS THAT ENABLE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO WEATHER HARD TIMES AND SUSTAIN ECONOMIC PROGRESS. FOR INDIVIDUALS, THAT MEANS GAINING ACCESS TO THE WORK SUPPORTS THAT EMPOWER THEM TO RISE OUT OF POVERTY WITH RESOURCES TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES, GROW THEIR SAVINGS, AND STAY IN SCHOOL. FOR COMMUNITIES, IT MEANS BUILDING THE CAPACITY AND SUPPORTING FRONT-LINE, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WITH TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO REACH PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE MAY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FINANCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS AVAILABLE TO THEM.SOUTHERN PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE DEBT: MDC IS A NATIONAL PARTNER IN THIS INITIATIVE OF THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION FOCUSED ON TACKLING CONSUMER DEBT ISSUES THAT PERPETUATE WEALTH AND INCOME INEQUALITY.INTEGRATED SERVICES DELIVERY AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: RECOGNIZING THAT ECONOMIC INSECURITY IS A MAJOR BARRIER FOR FAMILIES TRYING TO MOVE UP THE ECONOMIC LADDER, MDC IS HELPING COMMUNITIES (SUCH AS GUILFORD COUNTY) DEVELOP NETWORKS OF NONPROFIT AND PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDERS TO EMPOWER FAMILIES WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, FAMILY-SUSTAINING INCOME AND FINANCIAL STABILITY--ALSO IMPROVING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH.OUR 50 YEARS OF WORK IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HAVE FOCUSED ON ONE IMPORTANT OUTCOME: DEVELOPING PATHWAYS THAT ALLOW PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO CONNECT WITH JOBS THAT PAY FAMILY-SUPPORTING WAGES.WE WORK WITH LOCAL, STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL PARTNERS TO ENVISION, DEVELOP AND SCALE PROGRAMS THAT PREPARE YOUTH AND ADULTS, ALIGN COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRAINING WITH LOCAL EMPLOYMENT NEEDS, CREATE ASSISTANCE NETWORKS, AND SHAPE SUPPORTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES.NETWORK FOR SOUTHERN ECONOMIC MOBILITY: MDC PROVIDES COACHING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FACILITATED PEER-LEARNING SERVICES FOR LEADERS FROM SEVEN SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO INCREASING UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN THE LOWEST INCOME BRACKETS.

OUR STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY PRACTICE HELPS FOUNDATIONS AND GRANT-MAKING ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP THE FOCUS, STRATEGY, CAPACITY, AND CULTURE THE SOUTH REQUIRES TO REDUCE POVERTY BY ADVANCING EQUITY IN EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, AND FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY.RURALEAD (STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP TO TRANSFORM RURAL COMMUNITIES): FUNDED BY THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION, RURALEAD IS DESIGNED TO HELP FUNDERS AND THE FIELD OF STAKEHOLDERS INTERESTED IN HELPING RURAL PLACES UNDERSTAND HOW TO BETTER SUPPORT RURAL LEADERSHIP. MDC SEEKS TO LEARN WHAT LEADERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH; WHAT THEY SEE AS NEEDS AND GAPS; AND WHAT THE ROLE OF NATIONAL PLAYERS AND FUNDERS COULD BE.PASSING GEAR PHILANTHROPY: WE'VE WORKED SINCE 2004 TO HELP FOUNDATIONS AND OTHER GRANT-MAKING ORGANIZATIONS DEPLOY PHILANTHROPIC CAPITAL TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND CATALYZE SHARED WELLBEING BY ADVANCING EQUITY IN EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, AND FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY. OUR 2007 THE STATE OF THE SOUTH REPORT, "PHILANTHROPY AS THE SOUTH'S "PASSING GEAR, AND ITS 2017 ITERATION, "PHILANTHROPY AS THE SOUTH'S PASSING GEAR: FULFILLING THE PROMISE," CALLS UPON THE REGION'S PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS TO THINK MORE CREATIVELY AND ACT MORE BOLDLY TO HELP THE SOUTH ADDRESS ITS DUAL CHALLENGES OF EQUITY AND COMPETITIVENESS.PASSING GEAR PHILANTHROPY INSTITUTE: AFTER 15 YEARS EQUIPPING INDIVIDUAL FOUNDATIONS TO INCREASE THEIR IMPACT, MDC OFFERS ITS PROVEN APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY TO COHORTS OF SOUTHERN FOUNDATIONS THROUGH THE NEW PASSING GEAR PHILANTHROPY INSTITUTE. THE GOAL: CREATE A NETWORK OF AT LEAST 30 SOUTHERN GRANTMAKERS ACTIVELY EMPLOYING PASSING GEAR PRINCIPLES AND DEPLOYING PHILANTHROPIC CAPITAL TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND CATALYZE SHARED WELL-BEING FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH.RURAL FORWARD (RFWD): RFWD SUPPORTS INDIVIDUAL LEADERS, THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE COUNTY COALITIONS THAT ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO MAKE THEIR RURAL COUNTIES HEALTHIER AND MORE THRIVING. RFWD ENVISIONS HEALTHIER, MORE SUSTAINABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH INCREASED CAPACITY TO SOLVE THEIR OWN HEALTH PROBLEMS. WITH AN OVERALL GOAL OF IMPROVING THE MAJOR HEALTH INDICATORS IN NORTH CAROLINA OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS, RFWD CARRIES OUT ITS MISSION TO BUILD CAPACITY AND DEVELOP RESOURCES THAT AMPLIFY THE IMPACT OF RURAL LEADERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COALITIONS.NC INCLUSIVE DISASTER RECOVERY NETWORK (NCIDR): NCIDR IS A COLLABORATIVE OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT, AND FAITH ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING AVENUES FOR COMMUNITY VOICE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES IN A DISASTER RECOVERY SYSTEM. WORKING WITH THE NETWORK IS A GREAT WAY FOR STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO BE GOOD ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN ON-THE-GROUND DISASTER RECOVERY. RURAL FORWARD, A PROGRAM OF MDC SERVES AS CONVENER FOR NCIDR.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: COMMUNICATIONS: STATE OF THE SOUTH REPORTS AND BLOGAUTRY FELLOWSHIP: MDC RECRUITS A TALENTED AND PASSIONATE RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE EACH YEAR TO WORK ONE FULL YEAR AS A PAID STAFF MEMBER AT MDC. THE AUTRY FELLOW WORKS ON A RANGE OF PROJECTS ADDRESSING PRESSING ISSUES OF EQUITY IN THE SOUTH.DAN BROUN INTERNSHIP: EACH YEAR, MDC SELECTS ONE COLLEGE STUDENT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO MDC'S MISSION AND AGENDA DURING SUMMER AND TO TAKE AWAY SKILLS AND INSIGHTS THAT WILL SHAPE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE SOUTH.