The North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association (NLARA) gave over $35,000 in order to provide relief during the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order. The grant money assured that youth had continuous access to programming despite the transition to virtual learning.

 

In addition to providing funding that supported over 1,500 youth in 2020, the NLARA provided consultation as organizations transitioned to virtual programming. Once organizations were able to run in-person programming, the NLARA supported each organization in securing proper PPE and materials to complete sanitizing procedures.

 

When NLARA members receive money from the NLARA, they must complete a systematic process around grant proposals, registration data and program evaluation. This allows the NLARA to speak accurately on the collective impact of youth sports in North Lawndale. Additionally, this procedural requirement provides organizations with historic, long-term impact data. This data has made NLARA member organizations competitive for city-wide grants from the Springboard Foundation, Allstate, and UpMetrics.