Make a Difference in Moab Fund
- The fund awards indivituals or organizations up to $500
- Deadlines are May 1st and September 1st, 2010
- Click here for the 2010 applictation (MSWord)
- WabiSabi has been making these awards since 2004. See previous awards
Make a Difference Funding Award Workshops July 8th and August 12th
Do you have a great idea, but are unsure how to proceed? The Make a Difference workshops are available to all who are interested in applying for the fund, but want some assistance either with idea formation, program logistics, or writing the grant application. There will be a short presentation about the grant, and members of the WabiSabi Make a Difference Awards committee will be in attendance at these workshops to give feedback and suggestions. There are two workshops - come to one or both to increase your chances of being awarded money, network with other grant applicants, and make Moab a better place.
When: July 8, 5-7pm and August 12, 12-2pm
Contact Clare Cady, clare@wabisabimoab.org (435) 259-2553 with questions.
Think Small, Dream Big: About the Grants 
WabiSabi seeks to fund creative projects that promise to change the course of history...or at least our history. Show us your brilliant idea, and we will show you the money. Small dollar awards can make a big difference.
The challenge is to design a project that serves the greatest good of our community. We want to fund an idea that positively impacts our environment, our children, and our future. The project should support WabiSabi’s mission of being a “community life force that empowers people, promotes sustainability, and turns rags into riches.”
WabiSabi’s board of directors established the Make a Difference in Moab Fund to help individuals bring their innovative projects to life. The fund awards small amounts of up to $500 to those projects that demonstrate ways to improve our environment, enhance our quality of life, or increase our sustainability as individuals and a community. The fund is open to all individuals and organizations whose work is making a difference in Moab.
Spring 2010 Make a Difference Awards
Credit Recovery Project - Arches Education Center
The credit recovery project is designed to help individuals who have not completed high school to recieve the completion credits they need to obtain their high school diploma. Students in the program will recieve continual counseling and support from AEC members. The grant will provide credits for up to seven different subject areas, and will help people in our community to further their life goals through education.
Outdoor Science School Program for Grand County Middle School Students - Canyonlands Field Institute
The grant went toward sending middle school students to CFI's Outdoor Science School. Students who attend the camp get hands-on instruction in areas such as: sustainability, mineral identification, soil science, mining history, animal tracks, service learning on re-vegetation, the night sky, and land issues facing the colorado plateau.
Multicultural Community Garden - Moab Valley Multicultural Center
The grant went towards purchasing an irrigation system for the garden. The Multicultural Community Garden is a place where diverse people can work side by side and enjoy the benefits for healthy food, exercise, and a connection with the earth.
2009 Make a Difference Awards
Moab City Recreation Department – Bambino Buddy Ball
Buddy Ball is for boys and girls, ages 5-12, who want to enjoy the game of baseball regardless of their physical or mental abilities. This league allows a “buddy” to help the player swing a bat, round the bases, or catch a ball. This program helps our special-needs athletes to develop confidence, physical fitness and social skills. And the “buddies” – many of who are same-age peers – are rewarded by helping their challenged friends and making positive memories for all. Current city league recreation programs can be daunting for special-needs children who simply want to be a part of a team, play a sport like their peers and be cheered on by a crowd of spectators. The recreation department hopes to eventually expand the program to other sports and age groups. Grant money was used to acquire equipment and uniforms.
Arches Education Center – GED Adult Literacy
One of the greatest challenges in furthering the education of adults in need of high school completion, GED preparation or learning English is their lack of literacy. This can be a barrier to the fulfillment of any educational goals. Thanks to WabiSabi grant monies, Arches Education Center is now gathering materials meant to support literacy alone as a building block to greater educational milestones. These materials will be available on an as-needed basis for student and teacher use. In result, our literate community members will enjoy greater workplace success and opportunities to help their children succeed in school and life.
Student Action Group – Respect Every Student, Practice Equality, Compassion and Trust (RESPECT)
The Student Action Group of Grand County High School seeks to enact positive change in school and the community. The goal is to create a more positive culture by teaching all students to be more respectful of others. RESPECT will accomplish this goal through the efforts of students and adult mentors who organize various events. This year, SAG sponsored a Spring Sport Tailgate Party to support the spring sports teams, a movie night highlighting an utter lack of respect for others (Mean Girls), and a hike into Arches’ Fiery Furnace emphasizing teamwork. Other projects in the works include a welcoming ceremony for the new freshman class and retreats focusing on the theme of respect.
Canyonlands Field Institute – Geo Whiz Day and Base Camps
The focus of Geo Whiz is to teach appropriate and safe outdoor skills to youth. Through observation and an experiential, scientific approach, students learn about the area’s natural and cultural history, the geology and the water issues affecting the region, all while developing an appreciation for the land. Canyonlands Field Institute has four week-long day and base camps planned for local preteens, and parents are charged a nominal fee of only $100, making this program available to all youth. Thanks to WabiSabi’s help, scholarships are also available for those unable to afford the fee. This program helps students develop a greater awareness of the environment, learn science skills, become more physically active, and develop greater social and teamwork skills.
2008 Make a Difference Awards
Moab Free Health Clinic – Supplies, Equipment and Patient Assistance
The Moab Free Health Clinic opened in February 2008 to serve Moab residents who are uninsured and unable to afford doctors visits, prescriptions, lab work or x-rays. Thousands in our community have already been served. The clinic is currently striving to expand its prevention services and care for chronic diseases. Now, with an infusion of grant money, the Moab Free Health Clinic is able to offer follow-up services to those receiving diagnoses but who are otherwise unable to afford treatment.
Moab Valley Multicultural Center – Building Multicultural Bridges
The Multicultural Center’s Building Multicultural Bridges is a bilingual preschool scholarship program enabling native Spanish-speaking children to attend a bilingual preschool, allowing their parents to more easily pursue a livelihood, and engendering appreciation of diversity in all children. Not only are bridges built between children, but parents are invited to interact with one another as well at seasonal celebrations and dinner events. An infusion of money from WabiSabi made these scholarships possible.
Ride with Respect – Sovereign Trail Plaque
Just in time for the spring single-track season, Ride with Respect installed a plaque to honor volunteers of the Sovereign Trail System. Ride with Respect was established in 2002 to conserve shared-use trails and the landscape surrounding Moab. On Sovereign, hundreds of individuals pitched in to make the trail safe, satisfying, and sustainable for thousands of mountain bikers and motorcyclists every year. The plaque was a way to thank past supporters and encourage future support of our local nonprofits. It stands in commemoration of "those who have contributed toward causes beyond themselves." WabiSabi offset part of the cost of the plaque.
Youth Garden Project – Sustainable Gardening Workshops
The Youth Garden Project offered multiple Sustainable Gardening Workshops throughout the year in 2008. The workshops taught sustainable agricultural practices that empowered people to create a more sustainable food system and strengthen community by building future food security through more small home gardens. The average distance from farm to plate is 1500 miles. By encouraging people to grow or raise their own food, the workshops sought to decrease carbon released in bringing food to Moab. Workshops in the series included: “Get Going and Get Growing, Soil and Composting Basics,” “Cold-Frames and the K-11 Kutter,” “Intro to Irrigation,” “Container Gardening with Edible Plants,” “Garden Insects,” “Planning Your Fall and Winter Garden,” “Edible Garden Tour,” “Introduction to Jelly Making,” “Behind the Scenes at Castle Valley Creamery,” “Basics of Hunting/Animal Husbandry” and “Tree Planting.”
2007 Make a Difference Awards
Pat Wucherer – Moab Cancer Survivors’ Calendar
The 2008 Moab Cancer Survivor’s Calendar featured photos of 12 local cancer survivors. Sales raised funds for Relay for Life, cancer research, and services provided to local cancer patients. The calendar project also raised cancer awareness in the community and provided additional support for area cancer survivors and their families. WabiSabi assisted with printing costs.
Youth Garden Project – Outdoor Movie Night
The Youth Garden Project organized this event to contribute to “the reassuring presence of a visible community, an intimate group that enfolds us with understanding and love…” Outdoor Movie Night was a simple means of bringing the community together, encouraging families to leave the isolation of their home entertainment centers and interact with one another. Family-appropriate films were projected on the west wall of the Shafer Home that YGP occupies. WabiSabi helped cover movie licensing costs
Michelle Hill – Teen First Aid & CPR Class
Two CPR classes were held at Club Red for Moab's teens. The classes were taught by Michele Hill and provided video instruction in conjunction with hands-on skills. Grant monies covered books and the issuance of Red Cross cards. The Fire Department provided CPR Actar Training Manikins free of charge for each of the trainings days. Not only are these useful life skills, but this training aided a demographic that usually works as river guides, lifeguards and restaurant servers – professions that all require first aid training.
Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center – Spanish Prenatal Classes
Arches New Hope Pregnancy Center offered a series of 25 free Spanish pre-natal and baby care classes to the public. The lessons answered many questions that expectant mothers have concerning different stages of pregnancy and baby care. Interpreters and clients were provided by the Moab Valley Multicultural Center, and participants were able to earn baby items by attending ten or more classes. WabiSabi covered a majority of the curriculum costs. Lessons included subjects such as nutrition, prenatal care, newborn care, breastfeeding, illnesses, infant temperament and more.
2006 Make a Difference Awards
Emily Niehaus – Community Rebuilds
Community Rebuilds exists to create decent, affordable and energy efficient housing for Moab residents with homes in disrepair, and WabiSabi’s grant money covered start-up costs for the organization. Families qualify to participate in the program based on the condition of their residence – usually a dilapidated modular home – and their employment status in Moab. The organization works to remove and recycle the existing structure and rebuild a low-cost green home utilizing recycled materials and volunteer labor. Community Rebuilds also offers internship opportunities for those seeking hands-on learning in green building practices. Finally, this program encourages Moab’s families to remain in the area by assisting them in creating a healthy, affordable, local living situation.
Moab Valley Multicultural Center
The Multicultural Center is now an integral part of the Moab community. The organization works to promote intercultural understanding and appreciation, and broaden opportunities for immigrants, indigenous and other minorities through education, family support, and community collaboration. MVMC opened its doors thanks to funding from WabiSabi, and now the group offers translation and interpretation services, referrals and advocacy relating to health and quality of life, assimilation consultation, classes, Spanish-speaking workshops, and the popular Multicultural Festival.
2005 Make a Difference Awards
Lauren Annett – Teen Center
In response to certain unfavorable social and environmental forces affecting teens in Grand County, the creation of a Teen Center was made a priority. This center now provides a supportive and supervised environment for youth ages 12-18. WabiSabi was able to provide money to stock the center with art supplies. Today, it is a central location where teens can congregate and engage in arts and recreational activities, computer use, mentoring programs, tutoring, enjoy snacks, and go on exploratory outings. Qualified adult mentors and educators staff the center, contributing to the youths’ heightened self-esteem, increased interaction between teens and adults, and a decreased crime rate in the community. After-school hours are a critical time for teens, and the Teen Center’s existence positively impacts the health, safety and future of our community’s children.
Mary Ecsedy – Moab Tech Night
The informal Moab Tech Group holds monthly meetings for area residents engaged in the technology sector. Tech workers add to the business diversity of Moab and bring low impact, high paying jobs to the area. Known as “Moab Knowledge Workers,” these residents are largely invisible due to their low impact, low profile jobs, but a sense of community and support is essential if this economic sector is to thrive here. Moab Tech Night is in place to support Moab’s cleanest industry, one that moves electrons rather than trucks. WabiSabi lent its support to this group with money for meeting supplies and advertising.
Alison Kennedy – Moab Business Alliance
The Moab Business Alliance began as an informal group interested in protecting the beauty of the area while creating new jobs and diversifying the economy. The group’s interests include supporting a business energy efficiency program, networking with other organizations and nonprofits, and potentially converting the old hospital site into a nonprofit and business district. Once again, WabiSabi contributed to meeting supplies and advertising.
Wendy Newman – Moab Art Group
The Moab Art Group – now known as the Moab Arts Council – came together as a collection of area residents interested in giving Moab artists a voice in the community, making Moab an arts destination, and selling local artists’ work. The group has gone from holding monthly, potluck dinner meetings to now being a public relations force for Moab artists. Most notably, the organization is now instrumental in putting on the popular Moab Art Walk and Moab Artists Studio Tour, both of which support the arts and generate greater exposure for Moab’s many artists. WabiSabi provided money for the ads and meeting supplies that ultimately launched the group.
2004 Make a Difference Awards
Friends of the Library – English as a Second Language for Adults
A large portion of our Moab community is Latino, and many lack proficient English skills. Many of these community members come to Moab for work in the service industry, contributing to our town’s diversity and economy. In order to succeed in this line of work, conversational and workplace English skills are necessary. Thus, the need for English as a Second Language training was readily apparent, and the Friends of the Library provided these classes to adult learners otherwise reluctant to pursue educational opportunities. Grant monies covered the cost of certifying an ESL instructor. Not only did these classes help strengthen our economic base, but they helped build cross-cultural bridges, allowing Spanish speakers to share knowledge of their language and culture with others.
Moab Academy – Moab Community Bicycle Project
The Moab Community Bicycle Project – now known as the Bike Barn – supplies the Moab community with free bikes while promoting alternative transportation. Furthermore, this initiative provides community service projects to area residents in building, repairing and servicing bicycles. Area youth are mentored in these skills as well. Over the course of this project, commuter bikes have been built for the Seekhaven women’s shelter, giving women in crisis greater freedom and mobility. Moab was saturated with yellow public bikes for free, general use around town. Small bikes were built for children in need. Volunteers and young apprentices gave of enough time to earn bikes of their own. And bikes were built for resale at WabiSabi, thus generating more money for local area nonprofits. WabiSabi assisted with the start-up costs of this organization.
Canyonlands Community Recycling – In Your Face Productions
Recognizing the power of film to inform, educate and empower, Moab resident Sara Melnicoff produced three short films to be used in environmental education and outreach. These films focused on the impacts of pollution and littering on our environment. The grant paid for her purchase of a camcorder, and Sara’s filming efforts were used to great effect. Not only was she able to make educational films, but her footage convinced the City Council to back the Friends of the Parkway program that cleans and maintains the in-town trail system.
