Common Ground Coffeehouse, 2009-2010

THE COMMON GROUND MICROCREDIT FUND
Since its founding, one of Common Ground’s missions has been to not only present great music from a diversity of artists in different genres, and to build a relaxed family-friendly community, but to also raise awareness of organizations that are doing some amazing things to make the world a better place. Common Ground has raised over $20,000 for local, regional, national and global charities, environmental groups, social service agencies, and economic justice organizations. On the local front, we’ve provided donations to Midnight Run, The Beczak Environmental Center, The Sharing Community, Concerned Families of Westchester, and the Westchester Martin Luther King Institute for Nonviolence.

In Fall 2005, we established the Common Ground Microcredit Fund, through which we have made direct donations and low interest microcredit loans to organizations in Westchester, hurricane-stricken Louisiana, and also the developing world. In the past two years alone, Common Ground has provided:

$5,000 to Southern Mutual Help Association in New Iberia, Louisiana to assist families still recovering from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina;

$1500 to Midnight Run for its continuing work in bringing dignity and human connection to New York City’s homeless;

$1,000 to fund a Women’s Grain Bank project in the village of Tonkassare, Niger;

$1,000 to Oikocredit International for microcredit loans to low-income entrepreneurs in Latin America,

$500 to assist Afya Foundation of America in its efforts to collect medical supplies from major New York City hospitals and other organizations and deliver them to communities in Africa and the Caribbean.

$500 to Just Food, the New York organization that works to bring a healthy, sustainable food system to underserved populations in New York City.

Profits generated during the 2008-2009 Concert Season, will be donated to the following organizations:

The Leviticus Fund, Inc., a not-for-profit that offers provides capital and financial services for the development of affordable housing and community facilities, especially child care centers, throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Project Bone Fide, a non-profit organization working toward sustaining culture through organic agriculture, community correlated outreach, and re-forestation projects in Nicaragua. Project Bona Fide has been created out of a need to support rural Nicaraguan farming communities so that they may gain self-empowerment and economic stability. In addition to offering farmers financial and technical support toward gaining international organic certification, Project Bona Fide focuses on establishing much needed fair trade export market opportunities, preserving natural environments, and focusing on local health and nutrition projects.

The FUSW Green Sanctuary Committee, for its efforts in minimize the First Unitarian Society’s ecological footprint on the Earth through energy-saving and educational programs.

The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Tornado Fund, which was set up to contribute to the extensive recovery costs from the tornado that struck the Falcon Ridge Festival in 2008. Each year for the past 6 years, the Falcon Ridge Emerging Artists Showcase has appeared at Common Ground, helping us immeasurably in our efforts to grow Common Ground from its fledgling years to where we are today. It’s only right that we give back.

In addition, Common Ground is continuing its annual donations to Midnight Run.