Mystic Mamas | Application Preview
Mystic Mamas is seeking government grants to enhance their 'Healthy Wealthy Her' program, focusing on supporting BIPOC mothers by providing essential resources and collaborating with local partners. A significant portion of the funding would be allocated for a vehicle to facilitate group activities, as many mothers lack personal transportation. Additionally, the funds would be used to purchase a nearby city lot to expand urban farming capabilities and implement aquaponics, ensuring a sustainable supply of fresh food for the community.
Over the next five years, Mystic Mamas aims to hire program participants and strengthen community ties. The renovation of their office will create a space for educational activities and training on topics like urban farming and animal care. They also plan to establish a joint brick-and-mortar location with other community organizations.
The organization argues for funding approval by highlighting its role in addressing food apartheid in the area. Mystic Mamas collaborates with local groups to offer resources and education on food sustainability and emotional support.
Rather than viewing local businesses like Soil Sisters, Royally Fit, and What's Growing as competitors, Mystic Mamas sees them as essential collaborators. Their unique position as a 501c3 organization allows them to promote collaboration over competition, focusing on the urgent needs of their community facing hunger. Any funding received will be shared with these partners to further expand their collective impact.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 84-5118965
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
We would use this funding to expand our programing of "Healthy Wealthy Her" to include more bipoc mothers and resources. I want to be able to distribute the funding to my local collaborators to provide many of the resources needed. We also really need a vehicle for our organization, because most of our mothers do not have personal vehicles. It would be beneficial in doing more things together as a group. We would use some of the funds to purchase the city lot next to our office to expand our urban farming capabilities. This will allow us to add aquaponics to our site and provide a major source of fresh grown food for our community.
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Business Plan
In the next 5yrs, Mystic Mamas plans to be able to hire thru our program participants. It's important to us to grow intentional community with the families and mothers we work directly with. Our office space is currently being renovated and will provide a space for educational activities, short-term stays for training (urban farming, chicken keeping, egg incubation). We are also in the process of purchasing a city lot adjacent to our office to expand our urban farming program and add aquaponics. Within the next 5yrs, another goal is to get a brick and mortar space collectively with other organizations and businesses in my community who are doing connecting work. Investors should invest in our organization because we help provide a solution in a community experiencing food apartheid. Mystic Mamas works closely with other local organizations to provide resources, and education in the areas of food sustainability, urban farming, and emotional support thru care of animals and gardening.
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Self Identified Competition
As far as competitors, there are definitely businesses in my area doing similar work. I prefer to look at them as collaborative opportunities, and I have worked with all that I am going to list. Soil Sisters is an LLC located in the same community as Mystic Mamas. They provide resources to help people start gardens and learn about growing. They provide many low cost and free services. We have hired them to do workshops in our community garden many times, and we have provided healthy lunches for their summer camp for 2 summers. Another local collaborator is Royally Fit LLC. They are also local and provide wholistic education, meal planning, community potlucks, and gardening resources. We have collaborated to bring farm to table and gardening workshops to our community garden. What's Growing LLC is also a local business within the Pittsburgh community that I see as a collaborator. They provide farm to school opportunities and focus on exposing our inner city youth to urban farming. We have also worked together to expand the reach in specific neighborhoods. What makes me different than my "competitors" is mainly our structure. As a 501c3 organization, it's our aim to work with and utilize them as collaborators so that the reach for our overall aligning missions are met and growing. As I mentioned earlier, our community is listed as a food apartheid area, so there is no time for competition. Our neighbors are truly facing hunger. Any funding received by Mystic Mamas would be distributed amongst many of the collaborators mentioned to ultimately expand our reach as a community.
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