MacArthur Foundation Announces 2008 Winners of Award for Creative and Effective Nonprofits

    CHICAGO, April 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The John D. and Catherine
 T. MacArthur Foundation announced today that eight organizations in six
 countries will receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective
 Institutions.
 
 
 
     Each organization will receive up to $500,000, a large sum considering
 their annual budgets are under $2.5 million. The organizations will use
 their new funding for a range of purposes, including purchasing new office
 space, developing training and research facilities, upgrading technology,
 and undertaking new research.
 
 
 
     "From its founding, the MacArthur Foundation has sought out people and
 organizations that have the creativity, energy and breadth of vision to
 change the world for the better," said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton.
 "These imaginative and influential small organizations have an impact
 altogether disproportionate to their size. They are addressing problems and
 injustices, finding fresh solutions, and proving themselves as leaders and
 innovators."
 
 
 
     The 2008 recipients of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective
 Institutions are:
 
 
 
     -- Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montana, Tlachinollan - Guerrero
 State, Mexico: By defending minority communities and bringing violators of
 human rights to justice, Tlachinollan is strengthening Mexico's civil
 society and building a stronger system of justice.
 
 
 
     -- Juvenile Law Center - Philadelphia, PA: One of America's oldest and
 most respected public interest law firms, the Center advances the welfare
 and needs of society's most vulnerable citizens: youth in the juvenile
 justice and child welfare systems. The Center advocates for the rule of law
 to provide a voice for children, ensuring fair, developmentally appropriate
 solutions through legal advocacy, policy change and public education.
 
 
 
     -- Kazan Human Rights Center - Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian
 Federation: Employing a strategy of targeted litigation, it has brought
 widespread attention to the issue of police abuse. The Center calls on
 Russia's legal system to observe the spirit of the law and defend the
 vulnerable.
 
 
 
     -- Legal Defence and Assistance Project - Lagos, Nigeria: The Project
 offers support and legal assistance to indigent prisoners and defends human
 rights for all. By reforming the administration of criminal justice, and
 training government officials, it is instilling respect for the law as a
 key element of a healthy democracy.
 
 
 
     -- Project Match - Chicago, Illinois: Project Match's workforce
 development research has provided a more complete understanding of the
 challenges faced by those trying to find work, helping to make individuals
 and families more self-reliant and secure.
 
 
 
     -- Public Radio Exchange (PRX)/Station Resource Group - Cambridge,
 Massachusetts: By gathering and distributing new programming and using
 technological innovation to expand content choices, PRX is leading public
 radio to become more interactive, diverse, and democratic.
 
 
 
     -- Sangath - Goa, India: Sangath is a leader in child development,
 adolescent and family guidance, and behavioral and mental health services,
 providing direct services to benefit Goa's 1.4 million people and
 conducting research to generate evidence to influence policies to promote
 the health of over 400 million children and adolescents in India.
 
 
 
     -- Tany Meva Foundation - Antananarivo, Madagascar: One of the most
 diverse ecosystems on the planet, Madagascar is also home to more than 20
 million people, the bulk of whom live in poverty. Tany Meva, the nation's
 first environmental foundation, seeks to increase sustainable use of the
 environment, to educate and empower communities and to save the threatened
 forests.
 
 
 
     In making these Creative and Effective Institutions awards, the
 Foundation does not seek or accept nominations. To qualify, organizations
 must demonstrate exceptional creativity and effectiveness; have reached a
 critical or strategic point in their development; have budgets of less than
 $2.5 million per year; show strong leadership and stable financial
 management; have previously received MacArthur support; and engage in work
 central to one of MacArthur's core programs. Approximately 1,000
 organizations worldwide are eligible for the Award.
 
 
 
     On June 12, winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at
 MacArthur's headquarters in Chicago. The Foundation will also host seminars
 to highlight the work of these organizations. The sessions will be open to
 other nonprofit institutions, providing an important opportunity for mutual
 learning.
 
 
 
     The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking
 institution dedicated to building a more just, sustainable, and peaceful
 world. With assets of $6.8 billion, the Foundation makes grants of
 approximately $260 million each year.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCE MacArthur Foundation