The Lexington Local Investment Commission is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 corporation in Lexington, Kentucky. LexLinc is a partnership among private citizens, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Department of Social Services of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.
What is LexLinc’s vision and mission?
Vision: An all-inclusive collaboration of community resources that results in economically empowered families, successful youth and thriving, self-sufficient neighborhoods.
Mission: LexLinc exists to empower Lexington’s underserved neighborhoods and families. We are a neutral convener actively connecting people and organizations while mobilizing leadership across all community levels.
What Does LexLinc Do?
LexLinc puts together community-based coalitions with public and private partners to accomplish what one organization could not alone. LexLinc does not provide direct services, but is a system of community building and community organizing.
Central Kentucky Economic Empowerment Project. CKEEP is a coalition which partners with the IRS to provide free tax preparation to low-income families, raise awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit and help families build assets. Click here for more information.
Welfare Reform. LexLinc was founded in 1998 to initially help state and local governments address welfare reform at the community level. LexLinc still assists the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services internally and also with community partnerships and contracts to help families address personal and professional barriers to work. Click here for more information.
Race, Community and Child Welfare Initiative. On behalf of the state Department for Community Based Services, LexLinc convened an initial planning team for the Race, Community and Child Welfare Initiative, which addresses the disproportionate number of African American children in the foster care system. The University of Kentucky served as the host sponsor and LexLinc the organizing sponsor for a June 20, 2007, summit. Click here for more information.
The Citizen Leadership Academy. The Citizen Leadership Academy equips emerging neighborhood and community leaders with tools to organize, mobilize, develop and engage their community. Ninety-four people have graduated from the program since 2004. Click here for more information.
Back-to-School Rallies. In August 2006, in partnership with One Community One Voice, LexLinc convened nine Lexington neighborhoods to host simultaneous back-to-school rallies. Over 4,000 low-income elementary school children received backpacks stuffed with supplies that helped them succeed this past school year. The event unified neighborhoods in a way that is seldom seen in our city. In August 2007, 13 neighborhoods and 150 sponsors served 7,000 children. Click here for more information.
Central Kentucky Housing and Homelessness Initiative. LexLinc served as an incubator for CKHHI, which in 2006-2007 successfully formed its own identity and incorporation and left the LexLinc nest. The mission of CKHHI is to mobilize the nonprofit, public, faith-based and private sectors in our communities to end homelessness and ameliorate housing insecurity. Click here for more information.
How did LexLinc evolve?
LexLinc was founded in 1998 as a partnership among local citizens, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Department for Social Services of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Modeled after KCLinc, or the Kansas City Local Investment Commission, government and neighborhood partners are integrated into LexLinc’s organizational structure. Initially formed to address welfare reform, LexLinc found that its expanding network of partnerships could be used to address additional community issues impacting neighborhoods and families.
How is LexLinc structured?
Board of Commissioners. Represent business and industry, neighborhood partners, state and local governments, human service professionals and families that receive services.
Board Action Teams. A mechanism for the professional expertise within the board to actively support our community initiatives. Teams include public awareness, advocacy, community involvement, data and outcomes measurement and training and professional development.
Provider Cabinet. An open invitation for human service professionals and organizations to become directly involved in community coalitions and to network and educate each other regularly.
Neighborhood Partners. Grassroots organizations, operating in the heart of our communities, which drive LexLinc’s leadership and advocacy.
Who is on LexLinc’s Board of Commissioners?
Click here for a full list of officers and board members.
How is LexLinc funded?
Based on an agreement of the three organizing partners (local citizens, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Department of Social Services of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government), LexLinc is staffed by these partners.
The board provides resources for administrative support. State, federal and private funds that support LexLinc initiatives, such as TANF grants, are often disbursed from the federal and state agencies directly to the local service providers that provide programming. While LexLinc is responsible for monitoring grants and holding contracted agencies accountable to their outcomes, LexLinc does not typically serve as a financial agent for these grants. LexLinc does not provide direct services or programs and receives no state or federal dollars directly.
LexLinc also helps leverage and pool public and private resources, supports collaborative grants and will serve as an organizing partner or umbrella organization.
LexLinc funds its initiatives through an annual board-supported budget and also seeks local corporations and foundations as sponsors. LexLinc covers all administrative costs though its board supported budget. Community sponsorships go only to meet direct project costs.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways for individuals and groups, both public and private, to get involved through LexLinc. Click here for a few of our most pressing volunteer and sponsor opportunities. In addition, we welcome volunteers into any of our initiatives and meetings. If you are interested, simply come to a meeting posted on the calendar of events or contact the LexLinc staff that coordinates the initiative.