Trump has changed our national narrative.

By David Brooks

Opinion Columnist

June 6, 2019

       Immigrants and their supporters marching in Los Angeles in 2017.CreditCreditDavid Mcnew/Getty Images

At New HYTEs, formerly known as New Haven Youth Tennis and Education, youth in the city learn the game of tennis and receive educational enrichment. During this year’s Great Give, they embraced an opportunity to show leadership. 

The high school and college students that make up the New HYTEs’ junior board decided to develop their own campaign for the 36-hour on-line giving event. In the end, they raised more than $5,000 of the $18,100 in total donations that the organization received to support its programs. 

“Our young volunteers believe in our mission to create healthy pathways in our community,” says New HYTEs Executive Director Mavi Sanchez. “They went out and told their stories and reached out online and on Facebook to their parents, grandparents, and teachers at school. All of the students were excited to share what we do.” Read more.

Strategies for a Growing and Inclusive Economy

When industrial factories powered the Greater New Haven economy, there was an abundance of jobs with minimal education requirements. What a worker needed to know could be learned on the job, and there was a good chance that job could support a family. Those days are long gone.

An education beyond high school is now a minimum requirement for most of the jobs that provide a base level of financial security. Many workers in low-wage occupations are forced to take second and third jobs to make ends meet. After a decade of lagging behind other regions, Connecticut’s economy is gradually improving and projected to add jobs in high paying fields such as computing and skilled manufacturing. To meet this demand, and enable the economy to grow in an inclusive way, the workforce must have access to the right education and training. Continue reading

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”- Vincent Van Gogh

Who We Are Looking For
Are you a finance professional with strong strategic thinking skills? Do you find joy in making systems run
more effectively and efficiently? Are you interested in developing staff and consultants into a team with
cutting-edge skills and a strong focus on customer service? If so, our Director of Finance and Administration
position may be perfect for you.

Position
The Director of Finance and Administration will play a critical role in partnering with the senior leadership
team in financial management, systems development, and operations. The successful candidate will be a
hands-on and participative manager and will lead and develop an internal team of staff and consultants to
support the following areas: finance, business planning and budgeting, human resources, administration,
and IT.
This is a tremendous opportunity for an experienced finance and operations leader to maximize and
strengthen the internal systems and capacity of a well-respected, high-impact organization.

Responsibilities
Financial Management
 Analyze and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicate
monthly and annual financial statements; and oversee all financial, project/program and grants
accounting.
 Coordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors and the finance
committee of the board of directors; assess any changes necessary.
 Oversee and lead annual budgeting and planning process in conjunction with the President/CEO;
administer and review all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes; and keep
senior leadership team abreast of the organization’s financial status.
 Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting.
 Update and implement all necessary business policies and accounting practices; improve the
finance department’s overall policy and procedure manual.
 Effectively communicate critical financial matters to the board of directors.
 Act as a liaison for external relationships with accountants, auditors, banks, and other financial
services.

Operations
 Manage the transition to a new donor database and develop appropriate processes between
fundraising and finance staff for data conversion, data entry, and reporting.
 Manage external vendor relationships and contracts related to operations.
 Play an active role in creating an organizational culture of philanthropy.
 Identify and analyze cost-reduction strategies (work flow efficiencies, vendor accounts, etc.) across
the organization.
 Supervise and support a customer-oriented and effective team of staff and consultants, including
outsourced support for IT and HR functions.
Qualifications
 Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
 At least 10 years of overall professional experience; ideally six-plus years of broad financial and
operations management experience, with significant experience managing complex projects from
start to finish.
 Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
 The ideal candidate has experience of final responsibility for the quality and content of all financial
data, reporting and audit coordination for a division or significant program area.
 Ability to translate financial concepts to and to effectively collaborate with programmatic and
fundraising colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds.
 A track record in grants management.
 Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations and managing
relationships with software vendors; knowledge of accounting and reporting software.
 A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills
which support and enable sound decision making.
 Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and
work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
 A multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment.
 A team player who inspires collaboration and functions decisively.
 Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of UWGNH.

Application Procedure
 Send resume and cover letter describing why you are interested in and qualified for the position to
employment@uwgnh.org with the following subject line: Application for Director of Finance and
Operations.

 Review of applications will begin by June 12.

Organization
Founded in 1920, United Way of Greater New Haven (UWGNH) brings people and organizations together to
create solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Income, and Health. We
tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone, building on our long history of
partnerships and creative problem solving. For more information about us, visit www.uwgnh.org.

On July 5, 1779, as British warships darkened the mouth of New Haven Harbor, a small militia of nineteen patriots fought back from Black Rock Fort. Perched on a rocky ledge over the city’s eastern shore, the small force held back the Redcoats for several hours before eventually becoming overwhelmed and captured. The British continued their march downtown, where they spent the next several days drinking rum and harassing the residents before suddenly leaving, declaring the city too pretty to burn.

The historic site of that battle, now named Fort Nathan Hale after the Connecticut patriot, is a unique city park that keeps history alive through the work of a longtime corps of local volunteers. On Saturday May 18, the Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Projects volunteer organization welcomes the public for its annual opening day celebration. Activities include the raising of the fort flags, military drills, and tours of the fort’s earthen bunkers. Continue reading.

Creating a Future of Opportunity

At The Community Foundation, we strive every day to honor the legacies of those who have come before in ways that build a bright future for Greater New Haven. The pull of the past and the face of the future are always with us. In 2018, this seemed especially true. To mark our ninetieth anniversary, we recommitted to the ideals that have built and sustained The Foundation: trust, connection, legacy and progress. These commitments will guide our work going forward as they have shaped our history.

Last year, The Foundation put forward a new vision of our community’s future progress. To move forward in this time of deep division in our society, we collectively must create more substantial opportunities for a greater share of our residents. We convened our community around this vision of inclusive growth in diverse groups both large and small. We ignited a new dialogue between the social sector and the business sector and both responded with enthusiasm tempered only by Connecticut’s current economic and social challenges. Most importantly, we listened. 

The highlights and stories in this Report to Our Community tell us that in our community we can create a different reality, a counterpoint to the national experience where too often growth exacerbates inequality rather than ameliorating it. The Foundation is committed to playing our role in creating a future of opportunity through growth that is more inclusive and driven by a  commitment to equity. We are developing a new strategic plan in 2019 to guide our efforts in the coming years. View The Foundation annual report.

A mosque in New Haven was intentionally set on fire on 12th May 2019, the 7th day of Ramadan. "The fire that scarred the Diyanet Mosque of New Haven Sunday was intentionally set" said New Haven, Fire Chief John Alston. See also, the Eyewitness News 3 report.

​Let's Help Rebuild

The mosque is normally packed for congregational prayers each night, after community Iftar service. This is a mosque that is a central hub to thousands of Muslims in and around New Haven. The damage caused by the fire is said to amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Help us raise money that will go towards repairing the mosque and opening its doors back to the community once again...

Continue reading and support here:

https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/united_for_new_haven_mosque#!/

#in2languages #en2idiomas is a Language Literacy TV initiative for persons learning English or Spanish which uses world, technology, arts and health news produced by German Broadcast TV Deutsche Welle in consecutively published segments Weekdays and Saturday, midday on WPAA-TV in Wallingford.

For those without cable TV, programs are concurrently streamed on the Internet at on wpaa.tv here http://wpaa.tv/watch/tvoninternet/

The initiative began in 2013. The program continued until 2016 with a no fees contract between DW.DE and WPAA-TV.  In 2017 Ion Bank underwrote the acquisition of Spanish content. Since then WPAA has matched local contributions from its program fund to keep the initiative going. As part of WPAA-TV distribution policy, a person or individual must consider content Good Enough 2 Share to be published. The Spanish Community of Wallingford has been the entity for this and has committed to helping with outreach and assessing community impact. 

Help us get news of this exceptional media resource to as many people as possible serving populations who speak Spanish and are learning English, or vice-versa so that more learners can be helped in an informing manner.

Details here: https://wpaa.tv/watch/in2languages/

Related videos are published on this page to give a hint about the quality and content of each of the four shows used in this initiative.

African-American, Native American and Alaska Native women are about three times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy, compared to white women in the United States.

A pregnant woman at a medical appointment at a clinic in Orlando, Fla. 

Credit Zack Wittman for The New York Times

By Roni Caryn Rabin

African-American, Native American and Alaska Native women die of pregnancy-related causes at a rate about three times higher than those of white women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/health/pregnancy-deaths-.html

By MEGAN HAFNER AND ELIZABETH RAMACCIA | January 5, 2018

We Love What Makes You Unique
Your perspective fuels our mission-driven work at United Way of Greater New Haven. We are committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience.

Who We Are Looking For
Are you passionate about bringing people together to be a force for good in our community? Are you a self-starter who is organized in the office and has a knack for meeting and making new friends?

If so, our Volunteer Coordinator position may be perfect for you.

What You Will Do:

• This is not a 9 to 5 job. If that statement sparks joy, keep reading. If not, this may not be for you. Each month you will be required to work some evenings and weekends to coordinate and participate in volunteer events that make a difference in the community. This also means that you will have a flexible schedule.
• Your number one job will be to make sure United Way volunteers have an excellent experience. From event planning to execution–you will need to support United Way’s big, fun signature events that draw more than 100 volunteers at a time. There are also smaller United Way volunteer projects that you will lead on your own. You will represent the values and mission of United Way and engage groups of people, big and small, before, during, and after volunteer projects to deliver a seamlessly executed and meaningful experience.
  
• You will be the point person for United Way volunteers. You will make sure we have the right amount and a great mix of options to meet different volunteer needs. You will help craft and send volunteer email communications, solicitations, and thank you cards. You are comfortable with technology and will use your skills to update volunteer postings on United Way’s website, manage volunteer registrations, and communicate with volunteers to share information, solicit feedback and have fun together. To make this happen you will keep an organized United Way volunteer database.  All of this work will help you build new relationships and deepen existing ones in the community.
• You will work as part of a team. Back in the office, you will work closely with every department at United Way. You will report to the Director of Communications, and meet weekly with the Communications and Marketing team. You’ll collaborate with our fundraising team to set up projects for local businesses looking to volunteer and lend a hand with fundraising events. You will recruit and coordinate volunteers for our community change efforts. You will need to track who volunteers and when, so that at the end of the year we know the impact United Way volunteerism has made. You will need to participate in the planning and advertisement of volunteer events. You will also maintain good working relationships with community, nonprofit and business leaders in the community. And of course, there will be other duties as assigned.

What You Need:

• A positive, team-focused, can-do attitude with a commitment to excellent customer service.
• A driver’s license and a reliable vehicle because you will need to travel throughout our region. You will be able to expense your mileage.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate to key stakeholders and staff; strong written, public speaking and presentation skills.
• Ability to problem-solve in the moment and juggle multiple priorities.
• High degree of professional integrity to deal ethically with confidential information.
• High comfort level with MS Office suite, Google apps including Gmail, and social media.
• The ability and willingness to support peer to peer, social media, digital, and volunteer fundraising efforts.
• The ability to lift 40 pound boxes to a height of 3-4 feet and load them into and out of vehicles as necessary for volunteer projects.
• Photo and video experience is a plus. 

About United Way
United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability.  We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How to Apply
Submit a cover letter telling us about your relevant experience and your interest in this position and a current résumé to careers@uwgnh.org. No phone calls, please, but we encourage you to explore uwgnh.org. The position will remain open until filled.

The New Haven-Milford area has emerged as one of the the nation’s top spots for millennials on the move.

That’s according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors....

Source: CT Post

https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/More-millenials-moving-to-New-Haven-Milford-13797749.php

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is pleased to announce the launch of a new program at The Foundation, the CFGNH Fellowship.  Starting this year, we will offer a two-year paid Fellowship with the goal of building a pipeline of future leaders of under-represented members of our community for the local nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. 

The deadline for applications is May 24, 2019. For more information and application instructions, please click here. 

Community Foundation leadership shared a vision for Greater New Haven as a place with the resources, talent and resolve to challenge and change structural inequities and create access to opportunity for everyone.

Held Wednesday, April 24 in the newly opened Canal Dock Boathouse overlooking New Haven Harbor, the event also provided many a first look inside the waterfront facility and the artifacts preserved from the historic George Adee Memorial Boathouse. 

The event culminated in the release of The Foundation’s 2018-19 Report to Our Community, "Creating a Future of Opportunity, highlighting stories of those among us who are committed to creating a more prosperous and inclusive community.  

Link to view annual meeting videos and photos.

Support for scientific research, monitoring and pollution reduction efforts in river and surrounding watershed   

New Haven, CT (April 22, 2019) – The Quinnipiac River Fund has awarded $138,000 in grants to study the Quinnipiac River and its wildlife, reduce pollution, and increase access and recreational opportunities. Eleven competitive grants were awarded to organizations working in Greater New Haven. 

The Quinnipiac River starts west of New Britain and flows through Wallingford and North Haven before spilling into New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound. The river has a long history of pollution from industry and urban development. 

The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 with a mission to improve the environmental quality of the river, New Haven Harbor and the surrounding watershed. It is a permanent fund at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and its grants and distributions are recommended each spring by an Advisory Committee and approved by The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors. The grants support studies of the water quality and ecology, studies of pollution, public access to the river, land use planning, land acquisition around the river, habitat restoration, advocacy, education, and other relevant projects.  Continue reading.

April 11, 2019; Indianapolis Business Journal

“The Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) has a new five-year plan to make Indianapolis a more inclusive city—and it involves tackling criminal justice reform, reinvesting in poor neighborhoods, and training 5,000 community leaders and residents about institutional racism,” reports Hayleigh Colombo in the Indianapolis Business Journal.

The foundation, which has assets in excess of $426 million, changed its mission last year, Colombo notes, “to reflect its new focus on equity and tackling racism.” As NPQ’s Cyndi Suarez noted a year ago in an article about Puerto Rico, increasingly community foundations face a strategic choice: Do they stick with the traditional approach of funding the good work of nonprofits, or do they forthrightly challenge structural inequality by supporting community organizing and civic groups that aim to change those conditions? In Indianapolis, CICF has opted for the latter...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2019/04/17/a-community-foundation-in-indiana-adopts-comprehensive-equity-approach/

Derby Daycare Center was founded in 1972 in order to give working parents an affordable option for high quality childcare and early education. More than four decades later, it continues offer young children in the Valley with opportunities to grow and learn in a nurturing environment that puts a focus on play.  Continue reading.