It is hard to make good decisions without good data. From the scale of nationwide efforts to improve education and healthcare to the day-to-day decisions faced by boards and staff of the smallest nonprofit organization, access to data that can be trusted to be true is critical. We trust those who collect our history and data—organize it and make it available—to do their jobs with integrity and a commitment to guarding its accuracy and completeness. We trust them to protect it from those who may have a reason to twist, hide, or destroy facts and stories they do not like...
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Your input is requested. Please Take a Survey of Community Needs!
The City of New Haven is seeking input for its 5-Year Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development for 2020-2024.
Click here to go to this breif survey: https://buff.ly/2UMERxe ;
Today we are celebrating and honoring, Shaun King, who is a husband, #father, #activist and journalist. He is also a columnist for The Intercept and the Writer-In-Residence at Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project.
#NHHSCelebratesBHM #BHM #Activist
Learn more: http://bit.ly/2UIOQnq
Today we are #celebrating and #honoring, Michelle Alexander, who is a highly acclaimed civil rights lawyer, advocate, legal scholar and author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
#NHHSCelebratesBHM #BHM #NewHaven #HealthyStart #CivilRights
Learn more about Michelle: http://bit.ly/2SpYW9X
Watch her Ted talk on the future of race in America: http://bit.ly/2UxYTeR
Today we are #celebrating and #honoring, Bryan Stevenson, who is the founder and Executive Director of the #Equal Justice Initiative, a human #rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama
#NHHSCelebratesBHM #BHM #NewHaven #HealthyStart #EqualRightsJustice
To learn more about Mr. Stevenson: http://bit.ly/2OCYVhE
To read more on his bestselling book, Just Mercy: http://bit.ly/31zKXm0
Today we are #celebrating and #honoring Mari Copeny, who at only 12 years old is already an #activist fighting for the children in Flint, Michigan during the water crisis.
#NHHSCelebratesBHM #NewHaven #Flint #LittleMissFlint #BHM
Learn more about Mari at: http://bit.ly/2Ouc4tj
And watch her on Good Morning America: http://bit.ly/381VDMM
Across many measures, New Zealand appears to be doing well: Its people are relatively healthy, well educated, and socially connected; material standards of living are high; and the unemployment rate is trending downward and is just below 4 percent.
But the country still faces significant challenges: Tens of thousands of children are living in poverty; young people in particular are struggling with their mental health; the rates of family violence are among the worst of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations; and its Māori and Pacific populations face inequalities in health, education, and employment.
When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern came to power two years ago, she committed to tackling these problems. In May, she and Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced their first Wellbeing Budget, as the national budget. Instead of simply pegging the country’s success to traditional economic measures, like GDP, they want policymaking to be driven by what will make the biggest difference to the well-being of people, their communities, and the environment. It’s been dubbed the “well-being approach.”
Today is the first day of February and New Haven Healthy Start will be celebrating and honoring black activists during Black History Month. #NHHSCelebratesBHM #BHM
Let's kick it off with learning about HRSA #Maternal and Child Health and the 101 #Healthy Start sites around this country.
Click here to learn more about HRSA: http://bit.ly/2UgHnvl
Today's activist that #NewHaven Healthy Start is honoring and celebrating is Dr. Tiffany Wiggins. She is the Director of the Division of #HealthyStart and Perinatal Services within the #Maternal and #Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
To learn more about Dr. Wiggins: http://bit.ly/38X5raM
Keecha Harris and Ali Webb
January 30, 2020
While diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI as the terms are collectively known, are discussed at almost every philanthropic gathering, what accompanying action is needed? Are these the building blocks destined to historically reshape the foundation playing field? Or are they just the latest foundation fig leaf for inequitable practices that started with the birth of the paternalistic, charity mindset?
“We have to be honest about the sources of wealth and how wealth was accumulated in this country—a great part of it was on the backs of people of color, and now those communities are benefiting from just a very small percentage of dollars,” writes Edgar Villanueva, a respected expert on social justice philanthropy. “Once you know, how can you not be equitable about how you’re distributing the money?”
The two of us have engaged in a series of cohort-based learning efforts with foundations of differing budget sizes, funding priorities, geographic areas of focus, and leaders on almost every level of a foundation organizational chart. Since last year, we have engaged foundation presidents and CEOs through the Presidents’ Forum on Racial Equity. These leaders, whose foundations control 15 percent of all US philanthropic assets, have participated in a series of in-person sessions and webinars that center racial equity in their professional development. As one participant said, “I’m trying to understand my own white privilege from a foundation where we are the recipients of extreme white privilege.”
The following are six leadership imperatives (and guidance for navigating them) for leaders who want to lead in ways that center racial equity and justice...
A new Yale study predicts that a transition to timber-based wood products in the construction of new housing, buildings, and infrastructure would not only offset enormous amounts of carbon emissions related to concrete and steel production — it could turn the world's cities into a vast carbon sink...
With proper treatment and a wide range of support, people with serious mental illness can maintain their independence and lead productive lives.
On a typical day, Fellowship Place offers this broad support to more than 150 people who visit the campus for meals, case management, and other activities such as working in community gardens courses. Clients can also receive job skills and employment assistance. The career development office annually works with more than 200 individuals.
A recent multi-year grant from The Community Foundation helped Fellowship Place sustain its operations during a time when its state funding was cut. Continue
SERVING ON NEW HAVEN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS -
A USER’S GUIDE TO THE PROCESS
by New Haven Votes Coalition (www.newhavenvotes.org)
Did you know that New Haven has over 40 different volunteer boards and commissions? Being on a City board or commission is a great way to serve your community while developing civic knowledge and leadership skills. The following user's guide leads you through the process of applying, getting appointed and confirmed.
Step 1: What are you interested in? Review the list of Boards and Commissions and see which ones have vacancies. https://www.newhavenct.gov/gov/depts/comm/listed/default.htm (Please note: this list is often out of date so don’t give up if you don’t see any vacancies on the board/commission of your choice.) Find one (or more) that you are interested in. You may want to attend one of their meetings before committing yourself. Contact the chair and let them know you are interested in possibly serving on the board. |
Step 2: Applying: fill out the application form and submit it to the mayor’s office: |
Step 3: Contact your Alder (Who’s my alder? https://www.newhavenct.gov/gov/depts/alders/list_of_alders.htm) and tell them you are interested in serving on a board/commission. Ask them to write a letter of support for you to the mayor’s office. |
Step 4: Follow-up: contact the mayor’s office to make sure they received your application. Maria Melendez, mmelendez@newhavenct.gov, (203) 946-7680 |
Step 5: Appointment: you receive a letter in the mail from the Mayor saying you’ve been appointed. Congrats! |
Step 6: Confirmation: you will be asked to appear before the Aldermanic Affairs Committee of the Board of Alders to be confirmed. PLEASE DO NOT MISS YOUR HEARING. The mayor’s office will help you understand the expectations for this hearing and what kinds of questions you will be asked by the committee. |
Step 7: After the Aldermanic Affairs Committee votes to support your confirmation, the nomination will be sent to the full Board of Alders for approval. This may take a few weeks. |
Step 8: You are confirmed by the Board of Alders! That’s it -- you are a city official! |
Step 9: Fill out and submit a conflicts-of-interest disclosure form. Start attending your meetings! |
Position Title: Executive Director
Organization: CitySeed
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
About CitySeed
CitySeed is a dynamic, community-based nonprofit organization based in New Haven, Connecticut, whose mission is to engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development, and sustainable agriculture.
From its beginning, CitySeed has worked to address structural barriers to accessing local, healthy food while supporting the viability of farming in Connecticut and inclusive economic growth in the community.
Our values include:
1) supporting community rights to access healthy and culturally-appropriate food and recognizing the know-how, celebration, and/or history that each community member brings to food and cooking;
2) dismantling privilege, oppression, and racism in the food system;
3) collaborating with community partners on food justice and inclusive growth projects and to leverage resources and programming to better serve the community at large.
CitySeed’s programs work together to support its mission.
- Farmers Markets are foundational to our engagement in the community and support of CT farm viability. We run the Wooster Square market in New Haven, one of the most acclaimed Farmers Markets in Connecticut, as well as a three-season market at Edgewood Park, a summer market on the Downtown New Haven Green, a summer market in Fair Haven, and in Indoor Winter Market.CitySeed Farmers Markets have one of the highest redemption rates of federal, state and local food assistance benefits in the state of Connecticut. We additionally support a Mobile Market, operated by Common Ground High School, which acts as a farmstand on wheels, bringing local produce to neighborhoods across New Haven with limited access. Through our markets we also offer a range of cooking education and other activities.
- CitySeed Incubates delivers wraparound food business incubation services for early-stage food entrepreneurs, providing mentorship and training, making connections to local farmers, and offering resources, including shared commercial kitchen space, to help businesses succeed. CitySeed Incubates aims to remove barriers to food entrepreneurship for all, supporting leadership by people of color and immigrant food entrepreneurs, and strengthening our local food system. We offer affordable access to shared commercial kitchen space, and run a 12-week Food Business Accelerator, an in-depth training and mentorship program aimed at supported equitable food-oriented development.
- Sanctuary Kitchenprogram was launched by CitySeed in 2017, partnering with immigrant and refugee chefs to build economic opportunity and intercultural understanding through food. We facilitate immigrant-led culinary events, and run a catering social enterprise that offers employment and professional development opportunities for rising chefs and food entrepreneurs.
- The New Haven Food Policy Council(NHFPC), a volunteer, advisory commission of the City of New Haven that advocates for healthy food for all New Haven residents, was founded and is supported by CitySeed. The NHFPC seeks to encourage the community at large and legislators to enact positive policy changes that will build a more just food system. CitySeed also offers fiscal administration to the Council and programmatic support to the Master Cooks Corps program, run by Global Local Gourmet, which operates in cooperation with the NHFPC’s Working Group on Cooking & Food Education. These cooks from within the community are peer-based educators trained to teach culturally relevant, affordable, healthy cooking across New Haven.
For more information about our organization and our work, please see: www.cityseed.org
Opportunity
CitySeed seeks a dynamic, mindful, and entrepreneurial leader who is both inspired and inspiring. We seek someone with creative ideas for how to evolve and support the organization so that we keep growing to meet our mission.
Position Summary
The Executive Director (ED) will be responsible for the consistent achievement of CitySeed’s mission, values, strategic priorities, policies, programs, and financial objectives. The ED will formulate and recommend to the Board strategic, business, operational plans, and budgets. They will directly manage and work with the Director of Operations in the design and implementation of specific programs, initiatives, and actions. They will directly lead the development effort and participate actively in all development events and activities. This position reports to the Board of Directors.
Professional Qualifications
The successful candidate will have one or more of the following:
- Significant experience in managing an initiative, department and/or organization with responsibility for planning, fiscal controls, revenue generation and community relations or related relevant experience
- Experience with social enterprise, equitable food-oriented development, and/or food entrepreneurship
- Experience in raising funds, developing strategic fundraising programs and expanding development efforts
- Strong financial management skills and knowledge of the fundraising and investment landscape that can support our work
- Strong public relations skills
- Passion for social justice, agriculture, community organizing, or food system work
- Excellent listening, facilitation, and analysis skills
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the ED include, but are not limited to the following:
Strategy & Planning
- Works with the Board, staff, and partners as necessary, to develop, fund, and execute a strategic plan defining the future direction of CitySeed
- Develops long-range income streams, annual budgets, and program plans based on priorities, strategies, and measurable outcomes in collaboration with the Board, Director of Operations, and relevant partners
Development and Public Relations
- Drives an overall fundraising strategy to raise money from individual donors, foundations, corporations, and the government
- Cultivates and stewards individual and institutional donors
- Oversees all grant-writing and grant reporting for the organization
- Explores innovative earned revenue opportunities to further diversify and strengthen CitySeed’s fiscal wellbeing and sustainability
- Manages all fundraising, public relations, and marketing activities, with Board and staff
- Serves as lead representative and spokesperson for CitySeed to all media, government agencies, and community partners
- Establishes and nurtures intentional, diverse, and collaborative relationships with other organizations to further food access and justice
Management
- Evaluates all CitySeed plans, programs, activities and procedures with regard to their purpose, sustainability and impact on the organization and community
- Ensures compliance, at all levels, with CitySeed’s policies and procedures as well as federal, state and local laws
- With the Director of Operations, hires, trains, supervises, evaluates and reviews performance of staff in accordance with CitySeed’s personnel policies
- Leads and nurtures a strong staff, building relationships with social justice, trust, responsibility and accountability for optimal partnership and cohesion within CitySeed
- Promotes effective, consistent, and inclusive communications, internally and externally, to ensure cooperation and collaboration between staff and community to support CitySeed’s work
Finance
- Recommends an annual budget for Board review and approval
- Ensures adequate funding raised to operate the organization and to maintain a solvent financial position
- Maintains the implementation of a sound fiscal management and accounting system that includes budgeting, accounting, reporting and auditing activities, ensuring that appropriate fiscal controls and procedures are in place to ensure transparency and accountability
Governance
- Fosters Board relationships and overall Board effectiveness in concert with the Board leadership
- Provides support for the Board’s oversight and fiduciary responsibilities
- Recommends policy for Board review and action and implements the Board’s policy decisions
- Works with and supports the Board President and Governance Committee in mobilizing the Board committees and is present on all appropriate standing and ad-hoc committees
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time position that reports to the Board of the Directors. Competitive salary and benefits including vacation, sick, and holiday time. Benefits and salary are negotiable commensurate on skills and experience.
Equal Opportunity Employer
CitySeed is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to the recruitment and retention of staff that is reflective of communities we work with.
To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter, and three contacts for reference including name, email and relationship/relevance to you to: jobs@cityseed.org. Inquiries may be also directed to jobs@cityseed.org.
Please apply by AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
(CNN)Greta Thunberg has become a household name since she began her climate strikes in 2018, inspiring thousands of students to walk out of class and demand action on the climate crisis.
The 16-year-old Swede recently appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," met with Barack Obama and delivered a fiery speech this month to world leaders at the United Nations.
And she has company. Around the globe, young people are sounding the alarm on climate change and environmental issues by organizing rallies and confronting policymakers.
Meet five others who are leading the fight...
In August, the nightmares start.
Every teacher experiences the excitement, worry and sometimes dread as the first day of school approaches. It’s a combination of Christmas Eve and April 14.
Like most teachers, I spent my summer carefully crafting lesson plans. I spent weeks reading YA books and worked diligently on creating a week’s worth of team building activities to start the year with a positive classroom environment.
claimed
A cheerful, clean, safe, and reliable place to eat is not a privilege but a human right. Community Soup Kitchen been guided by that belief for more than four decades, serving regular meals to our hungriest neighbors at churches and other locations in New Haven. A recent general operating support grant from The Community Foundation helped Community Soup Kitchen sustain its operations and plan for the future. #InspirationMonday
Learn more about Community Soup Kitchen on giveGreater.org.
Did You Know?
More than one in ten people in Greater New Haven, and 20 percent in the city of New Haven are food insecure, according to the 2019 Greater New Haven Community Index, the senior population.
New Haven, CT (January 8, 2020) - The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the region’s permanent endowment and largest grantmaker to local nonprofits, announces the opening of several grant application processes for 2020. For complete details and links to all grant applications, visit www.cfgnh.org/grants.
Seyfarth synopsis: ADA Title III lawsuits flooded federal courts in 2019 and will likely continue to do so in 2020 with new theories for the courts to consider.
We are still tallying up the end-of-year numbers, but the number of ADA Title III lawsuits filed in federal courts by the end of November 2019 (10,206) exceeded the number of such lawsuits filed in all of 2018 (10,163). California courts continue to be the busiest with roughly 43% of the lawsuits, with New York and Florida courts taking second and third place with 24% and 18% of the market share, respectively. With plaintiffs and their lawyers constantly conjuring up new claims, businesses are not likely to see any relief from these types of suits in 2020...
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ada-title-iii-litigation-a-2019-review-66637/
