The Kresge Foundation’s Human Services Program has awarded $5 million in grants to 10 human services organizations committed to advancing the social and economic mobility of children and families living with low incomes in America’s cities. These organizations will make up the second cohort of the foundation’s national Next Generation initiative.

The Next Generation (NextGen) initiative is designed to support private nonprofit and public human services organizations committed to person-centered, outcomes-based, data-driven work that advances racial equity using two-generation, whole family approaches.

Through this initiative, Kresge seeks to partner and learn with organizations that go beyond traditional human services delivery methods and move toward new ways to create permanent pathways out of poverty.

The second national cohort of Next Generation organizations includes:

• Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Hispanic Unity of Florida, Hollywood, Florida
• Jeremiah Program, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Maricopa County Department of Human Services, Phoenix, Arizona
• Martha O’Bryan Center, Nashville, Tennessee
• The Mary Center for Maternal and Child Care, Adelphi, Maryland
• Metropolitan Action Commission, Nashville, Tennessee
• Olmsted County, Rochester, Minnesota
• Root and Rebound/Time for Change Foundation, Oakland, California
• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Everett, Washington

In addition to receiving a $500,000 grant, cohort partners will also participate in a two-year learning and collaboration program.

“Over the next two years, this dynamic group of leaders will have the opportunity to learn from each other and national experts around the country and develop a network that collectively works to transform the sector and transform lives,” Joelle Jude-Fontaine, Kresge Human Services senior program officer, said.

The organizations will be supported by Leadership for a Networked World, which serves as the learning partner for the initiative. Founded in 1987 at Harvard University, Leadership for a Networked World delivers cutting-edge research and exceptional learning experiences for leaders transforming outcomes and value.