Blogs

by Paul Schmitz, CEO of Leading Inside Out and Senior Advisor to The Collective Impact Forum

Does change come from the bottom up or top down?

The simple answer is both — it often happens when there is collective leadership creating pressure on the outside of an institution, and allies inside the institution or with the power to influence the institution leveraging that pressure to create change. These two groups of leaders, however, are very different. As our social, political, economic, and media bubbles move further apart and become less porous, creating linkages among them has become more challenging. We must understand the dynamics that allow bottom-up and top-down to work together: the need for people to believe in their ability to lead and the need for leaders in positions of traditional power to share or give up power...

http://johnsoncenter.org/top-down-bottom-up/

Need funding for your environmental project?  The Greater New Haven Green Fund may be able to help!

Request for applications (RFA) is now open for the Greater New Haven Green Fund's 2019 grants cycle. Funding up to $10,000 is available. Visit the website and download the application.

Deadline for submitting your application is Jan. 11, 2019, 5 PM. Contact us with questions at info@gnhgreenfund.org.

http://www.gnhgreenfund.org/

Achieving A Better Life Experience for Connecticut Residents

BACKGROUND

 The federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act became law in 2014.  It gives individuals with disabilities the opportunity to establish tax-deferred savings accounts to maintain their independence.

Connecticut Public Act 15-80 was passed in 2015 to implement the federal law.  Summary: PA 15-80 requires the state treasurer to (1) establish a federally qualified Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program and (2) administer individual ABLE accounts.  The program must encourage and help eligible individuals and families save private funds to pay for qualifying expenses related to disability or blindness.  To run the program, the act establishes the Connecticut ABLE Trust to receive and hold funds intended for ABLE accounts. It generally exempts money in the trust and interest earnings on it from state and local taxation.  Under the act, funds invested in or distributed from an ABLE account must be disregarded when determining an individual's eligibility for assistance under federally funded assistance or benefit programs. The act also prohibits the state's public colleges and universities from considering funds invested in ABLE accounts when determining eligibility for need-based institutional aid.

https://www.ott.ct.gov/about_ABLEAct.html

THE "B" FOUNDATION

Now accepting grant applications from Internal Revenue Service qualified 501 (C) (3) organizations which seek assistance consistent with the goals of the "B" Foundation

to help feed, care, or educate society.  The grants will range from $1,000 to $10,000 and will be awarded by the end of the calendar year.

Please submit your written requests only by:

November 15, 2018 to:

The "B" Foundation

P.O. Box 3709

Woodbridge, CT 06525

Less-educated African American women who report experiencing high levels of racial discrimination may face greater risk of developing chronic diseases, says a new study by UC Berkeley researchers.

https://news.berkeley.edu/2018/10/05/racial-discrimination-linked-to-higher-risk-of-chronic-illness-in-african-american-women/

In 1996, on a cold Sunday in March, thirty-six concerned residents and service providers gathered at the home of Randi Rubin and Sergio Rodriguez to identify how they could fill the void in services for children in foster care and their parents. The problem? Families who had had their children removed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) had less than a 50/50 chance of reunifying; in part due to issues of substance abuse, domestic violence, unmet mental health needs and parents’ own histories with the child welfare system. As a result, children were residing in foster care for years on end. 

Sergio and Randi had come from strong, intact families, and were motivated to see children have what they believed was their birthright — a permanent, stable family to call their own. The group agreed it was time to stabilize the lives of children in the DCF system; whether through reunification, transfer of guardianship or adoption. Continue reading.

The Ford Foundation was once described as “a large body of money…completely surrounded by people who want some.” It’s easy to look at a big pile of silver like a major foundation and think that’s what American philanthropy is all about.

But, actually, philanthropy in the U.S. is not just a story of moguls and big trusts. In fact, it’s not primarily about wealthy people at all.

https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/philanthropy-magazine/article/the-power-of-small-givers

Nonprofits have a unique relationship with cybersecurity. They often work with smaller budgets than for-profit companies, so sometimes fewer resources are available to keep things as secure as they could be. There is also sometimes a feeling that since they are doing social good, they aren't prime targets for criminals. For these reasons, nonprofits are demonstrably more vulnerable to data loss.

https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/a-guide-to-a-selection-of-techsoups-security-products?utm_campaign=Cybersecurity

My 5th grade Fair Haven School newcomers honor Hispanic Heritage Month, sharing their perspectives via two videos: "Families Belong Together" and "Remembering Maria." https://photos.app.goo.gl/wCXT9z4dg3G27mkJ8. Thanks to Yale UNCIEF for their powerful production, Arte Inc. for their collaboration and support. If you ever have a creative idea for a collaboration/project with my class, email me david.weinreb@nhboe.net

Funding to create opportunity and respond to community needs  

New Haven, CT (October 29, 2018) – The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven has announced its responsive grant awards for 2018, totaling $2,670,527 to nonprofit organizations working throughout Greater New Haven.

The grants will support 51 local programs and institutions, including health services to vulnerable residents, public libraries, homeless shelters, and efforts to expand economic opportunities for residents of all ages. The grants were selected from a pool of 97 applications seeking a total of nearly $8.2 million

“The nonprofits supported by The Foundation are leading the way in how our community is addressing many of its central challenges,” says William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “At the same time, widening inequality is the defining issue of our time and a tremendous challenge for our community. Our grantees are helping more local people access the skills and opportunities they need to secure a foothold in this changing economy. Our community needs to do everything possible to ensure that as the economy grows, its benefits are widely shared.” 

The annual responsive grant cycle is open to nonprofits serving Greater New Haven and is funded by unrestricted and preference funds established by donors at The Foundation. In addition to its competitive grantmaking, The Foundation also makes grants throughout the year from designated and other funds. In 2018, The Foundation will make a total of about $28 million in grants and distributions. Continue reading.

Connecticut is holding elections for one U.S. Senate seat, five U.S. House seats, governor and five other state executive offices, all 36 state senate seats, and all 151 state house seats. Two statewide measures are on the ballot.

This is a link to a helpful guide that includes information about:

- Voter Registration

- Who is running

- Issues on the ballot

- Who can vote 

- Absentee voting

- Early voting and much more

https://ballotpedia.org/Voting_in_Connecticut

Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. 

With the construction of the Q House slated to start in coming months, a campaign has begun to raise $3 million to make sure that it never closes its doors again.

The fund for the new Dixwell Community “Q” House has been established at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to support the on-going programming and investment in the Q House after the initial construction to ensure its stability as an institution. 

Bricks are available for a $100 donation to the Fund for the Dixwell Community House through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Make your contribution here.

October 12

It is amazing the number of ways that voters’ names have quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) been removed from the rolls as we approach the midterm elections. States with contentious, close political races seem particularly prone to this. At this point, it might be hard to pick an exemplar, the leading state in voter suppression, but Georgia would be high on the list. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2018/10/16/voter-suppression-may-become-synonymous-with-the-midterm-elections/

Since 1928, Foundation funds have started and sustained successful nonprofits and created and funded crucial collaboratives and inclusive coalitions. On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its founding, The Community Foundation is proud to present a series called “From the Start” — a history of investing in good ideas and talented people. 

As part of the series, The Foundation is also honoring donors in their nineties.This week features Dr. Hal Bornstein Jr., a philanthropist with the motto: “There are no pockets in caskets. You can’t take the money with you.” Read more about Dr. Bornstein and other "From the Start" stories.

They’ve eclipsed boys in political participation and shown incredible moral clarity.

By Reshma Saujani

Ms. Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/10/11/opinion/sunday/11saujani/merlin_145134453_ad8baf58-4f93-4183-96f3-642f547f803a-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp 1024w,https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/10/11/opinion/sunday/11saujani/merlin_145134453_ad8baf58-4f93-4183-96f3-642f547f803a-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp 2048w" sizes="((min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 1004px)) 84vw, (min-width: 1005px) 60vw, 100vw" itemprop="url" itemid="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/10/11/opinion/sunday/11saujani/merlin_145134453_ad8baf58-4f93-4183-96f3-642f547f803a-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale" />

One hundred twenty five years ago, a group of amateur musicians in New Haven began gathering to play classical works by Bach, Beethoven, and other European composers. The orchestra was comprised of German immigrants who had been missing the music of their home country. Within a year, they staged a concert to share the best of their culture with America. The New Haven Symphony Orchestra was born.

Now the 4th oldest symphony in the country after New York, Boston, and Chicago, New Haven Symphony Orchestra turns 125 this year, and is celebrating a long tradition of making high quality orchestral music available to all. Continue reading.

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger | 10/1/2018 2:31:22 PM

San Francisco’s Chinatown faces a number of challenges, stemming back to its origins: Chinese immigrants to the city were often limited to living in the neighborhood due to discriminatory policies and practices, reinforced by a natural desire to seek out supportive environments. Over time, a strong sense of community developed. Today, however, residents face a constant threat of eviction and displacement due to San Francisco’s hot real estate market.

https://www.neighborworks.org/Blog-IdeaWorks/Putting-creativity-into-community-development-facilitates-many-goals

It’s up to us to teach our boys about enthusiastic consent and the gray areas that put girls and women in danger. Below, we discuss how to educate our sons on respecting the agency and safety of both themselves and others.

Content warning: General discussions on rape culture and sexual harassment.

http://www.booksforlittles.com/toxic-masculinity/