CUMMING, GA – The JAMS Foundation and the National Association for Community Mediation are pleased to announce a new round of grant funding and support for community mediation centers that are working to address long-standing tensions between law enforcement and local communities across the country.
The JAMS Foundation-NAFCM mini-grant program provides multiple, simultaneous grants to qualified community mediation centers to create or expand conflict prevention and dispute resolution programs in areas of pressing concern. Selected mediation centers receive up to $15,000 per year, for up to two years, and work together as a learning community to develop and refine programs that can be replicated by other centers nationwide.
The current round of mini-grants provides financial and technical assistance to four community mediation centers: Community Mediation in Baltimore, Md.; Dayton Mediation Center in Dayton, Ohio; Piedmont Dispute Center in Warrenton, Va.; and Community Mediation Services in New Orleans, La. The grants will aid these centers in their efforts to promote communication, transparency and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
The focus of this initiative will be to:
- Assess the needs of local communities and law enforcement with regard to issues of reconciliation, procedural justice and implicit bias;
- Strengthen capacity to address unmet needs by engaging stakeholders to help develop constructive approaches to transforming and reducing police-community conflict; and
- Pilot and refine sustainable programs that can be replicated nationwide, maximizing the reach and impact of local pilot projects.
The JAMS Foundation is proud to partner with NAFCM in addressing some of the historic tensions between the police and communities across the country. We believe community mediation centers are uniquely situated to provide a safe space for establishing dialogue and trust between law enforcement and local communities throughout the country.
- David Brandon, JAMS Foundation Managing Director
We are honored to continue our partnership with JAMS. The development of a learning community focused on policing will allow us to develop strong sustainable evidence based practices that can be adapted to fit the specific needs of individual communities.
- Victoria Tobin, NAFCM Executive Director
About NAFCM (www.nafcm.org)
In communities around the globe, programs and volunteers share their expertise to help others constructively engage, transform, and resolve conflict. NAFCM supports these peacemakers by aggregating their wisdom, amplifying their voice, and advancing their critical work. An active advocate for constructive conflict-assistive services, NAFCM supports the over 400 community mediation programs across the U.S. and many others internationally.
About the JAMS Foundation (www.jamsfoundation.org)
The non-profit JAMS Foundation is the largest private provider of ADR-related grants in the world. The Foundation was established in 2002 by JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide, and is funded by JAMS mediators, arbitrators and employee associates who contribute a percentage of their income. The JAMS Foundation has provided more than $5 million in grant funding since its inception. Founded in 1979, JAMS and its more than 300 fulltime mediators and arbitrators are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s most important cases.
