Photo courtesy of New Haven Independent

A community center springs to life through the work of neighborhood volunteers.

Sitting abandoned for nearly two decades, the community center affectionately known as the “Shack” is once again a haven for young people and families in New Haven’s West Hills neighborhood. The reopening is the result of neighbors of all ages coming together to fundraise and volunteer their time to renovate and staff the center.

“It is a beautiful success,” said West Hills Alder Honda Smith, who led organizing efforts to reopen the center and is now a daily presence as a volunteer. “The game room is up and running and kids are utilizing the space tremendously. We have over 500 residents come through a month.”

The community-driven project began with neighborhood meetings and a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit created to run the Shack - 333 Valley Street Center, An Intergenerational Organization. The Community Foundation provided the project’s first grant, $30,000 made available from Stepping Forward, the $26 Million initiative to advance equity and address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of New Haven committed $135,000 to upgrading the building’s HVAC system and the state of Connecticut contributed a $550,000 grant to build a music production and recording studio in an abandoned storage room. Continue reading here.

by Ginny Monk May 19, 2022

Connecticut schools will soon be required to teach climate change as a part of the science curriculum, a move state legislators and advocates say will mean changes at a small percentage of schools that aren’t yet bringing the subject to the classroom...

https://ctmirror.org/2022/05/19/ct-schools-will-soon-be-required-to-teach-climate-change/

Organized philanthropy, like most things, looks different on the inside than it does from the outside. “Philanthropy” comes from the Greek for “love of humanity,” and public perceptions of it have usually centered on donors and how humanity-loving they really are. The good guys are generous rich people who give to causes we all approve of, like combatting climate change; the bad guys give in order to launder their reputations (like the opioid-promoting Sackler family) or to advance unsavory goals (like the anti-environmentalist Kochs). Either way, the salient questions about philanthropy, for most people, have to do with the size and the quality of a donor’s heart and soul...

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/30/would-the-world-be-better-off-without-philanthropists-paul-vallely-emma-saunders-hastings

May 12, 2022

You want to help Ukrainians in need. Should you donate to UNICEF, UNHCR, Red Cross, World Vision, Caritas, Save the Children or some other charitable organisation?

There are so many charities, and charitable causes, to choose from...

https://theconversation.com/we-all-lose-when-charities-compete-with-each-other-they-should-join-forces-182754

We need your help! Earlier this year, we published Connecticut’s Path to Equity – a draft framework of state-level policy changes to promote health equity in Connecticut. While this draft included feedback from partners and a survey, HES wants to be sure the next version reflects even more Connecticut residents’ priorities for achieving health equity.

Why did HES create this framework? Health equity is complex AND achievable. The Path to Equity lays out the concrete, feasible steps our state can take to achieve equity. This will allow us (advocates, residents, policymakers…everyone!) to work together towards a set of shared goals.

How can you get involved?

• SHARE your ideas and experiences about what is required to get to health equity
• LEARN from other participants about their goals and experiences
• CO-CREATE a shared framework for advocacy

Please register below for the date and time that works best for you:

• Monday, June 6th, 2022 at 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
• Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 at 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
• Thursday June 9th 2022 at 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Workshops will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes long and are open to community members and partner organizations. Each session will have a maximum of 20 people. Community members attending on their own time will be thanked with a $20 gift card.

Ways to stay engaged:

• Would you like to share this opportunity with others? Please find the flyer here!
• Follow the hashtag #Path2Equity & follow us on social media! Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
• Can’t attend or know someone who is interested but unable to attend? Fill out this survey and share your thoughts and ideas.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to get engaged in health equity work! A series of community conversations is coming soon.

For more information or to arrange a conversation with your organization, please contact hwebley@hesct.org

HES is a non-profit organization located in Connecticut. Our mission is to promote policies, programs, and practices that result in equitable access to health care, increased quality in the delivery of health care, and improved health outcomes for Connecticut residents. Our mission is motivated by the vision that every Connecticut resident will obtain optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Our work is fueled by the belief that increasing health equity requires leadership, advocacy, and collaboration to advance systems-level policy change to transform the lives of those most affected by health disparities in Connecticut. This translates to work focused on policy change driven by the needs of the uninsured, persons of color, and economically disadvantaged individuals in the state. HES does its work with a three-pronged focus to educate, agitate, and advocate.

We often have volunteer, intern, and employment opportunities available. Currently, we are seeking:

• Fund Development Director
• Policy & Advocacy Manager
• Training and Outreach Intern
• Training and Outreach Program Manager

A Note to Potential Candidates:

Studies have shown that women, BIPOC, and other people from marginalized groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all the qualifications described in the job description. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. HES is committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse work experiences and backgrounds. You may use your cover letter to express your interest in the role and what you hope to bring to this role.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Investment Associate. The application deadline is May 27, 2022. 

For more information and to apply, click here.

¡Si es así, puede ser elegible para participar en nuestro estudio de habilidades cognitivas!

• El objetivo de este estudio es mejorar las pruebas cognitivas para los Hispanos/Latinos que viven en los Estados Unidos. Buscamos adultos que no tengan condiciones neurologicas. Los datos que se obtengan a través de este estudio mejorará nuestra habilidad para detectar y diagnosticar con precisión la demencia y otros trastornos cognitivos. 
• Si es elegible, la compensación será una tarjeta de regalo de $25. 
• Si está interesado/a en participar, por favor contacte a Carmen I. Carrión, PsyD: carmen.carrion@yale.edu : 203-430-5353

https://medicine.yale.edu/ycci/trial/cognitive-assessment-norms-among-spanish-speakers/?tab=volunteer ;

Sponsored by Multi-Health Systems; HIC#: 2000025423

DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

We Love What Makes You Unique

Your perspective fuels our mission-driven work at United Way of Greater New Haven. We are committed to building a team that is inclusive across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and lived experience. As an organization, we are committed to addressing systemic racism and injustice in our community, our partnerships, and our practices. 

Who Are We Looking For?

Are you a goal-oriented problem solver who enjoys working with data? Do you want your work to help create positive change in our community?

United Way of Greater New Haven (UWGNH) is seeking a Development Operations Coordinator who is comfortable with deadlines and data management to support the administrative components of our fundraising and donor stewardship activities. This person will be a critical part of helping UWGNH reach its annual fundraising goals.

This is a full-time salaried position that includes benefits with a salary range of $40,000-$44,000.

What You'll Do

Process revenue

• United Way is privileged to have the support of thousands of individuals and companies in our community. It will be your responsibility to record gifts from various donation streams (including mail, online giving platforms, stock gifts and third-party vendors) in the database in a timely and accurate manner that conforms with United Way's accounting standards.

Provide exceptional customer service

• You will play an integral role in building and maintaining the trust of our donors through exceptional customer service. You will work closely with fundraising staff to troubleshoot donor data issues and make sure that donations and donor inquiries are handled in a professional manner and are resolved quickly.

Become a database expert

• You will become an expert on larger-scale data entry, data management and reporting. With training and support, you will be able to anticipate how fundraising strategies will impact data entry, reporting and analysis.

Support the fundraising and finance teams

• You will work cross-functionally to support the operational components of fundraising activities including mailings, events and donor stewardship, and work with the finance team to reconcile gifts recorded in CRM with accounting systems and bank records. You will also support administrative projects that further our organization’s mission.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience with data entry and working with strict deadlines
• Proficiency with Microsoft products including Word, Excel, and other Office 365 applications
• Knowledge of Excel lookup and database formulas, pivot charts, Power Query
• Experience working in cross-functional settings and/or meeting the needs of multiple people or departments.
• Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms or other databases; Salesforce or fundraising platforms preferred
• Ability to make use of available resources to solve problems on the fly
• Comfort in summarizing and transforming data
• Willingness and ability to learn new workflows and an openness to change

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

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 grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

This position will work in our New Haven office and staff currently work in a hybrid environment.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To apply:  United Way Of Greater New Haven Inc - DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR (paylocity.com)

New Haven, Conn. (May 9, 2022) – Greater New Haven once again showed its spirit of generosity during The Great Give 2022, raising $3.46 million for local nonprofit organizations. The 36-hour online giving event created by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (The Foundation) also featured its highest ever number of sponsors.

By the close of the event on Thursday, May 5, a total of more than 13,700 donors and multiple sponsors raised $3,461,949 for a record number of 501 nonprofits. Continue to full release and complete results.

No, it’s not your imagination — New Haven really does make it harder than most cities do to let the public know basic information about crime and policing.

At least that’s what the Vera Institute concluded in an in-depth study that produced a ​“Police Data Transparency Index.”

The institute, which performs research about the criminal justice system, dived deep into the policies and performance of 94 local police departments representing over 25 percent of the nation’s population...

https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/new_havens_pd_among_nations_least_transparent

Updated at 6:00 p.m. ET on April 29, 2022.

Development projects in the United States are subject to a process I like to call “whoever yells the loudest and longest wins.” Some refer to this as participatory democracy...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/04/local-government-community-input-housing-public-transportation/629625/

On April 6th, Dr. Peter Kalmus, NASA climate scientist and author, walked up to the JP Morgan Chase bank building in Los Angeles, pulled a pair of handcuffs out of a cloth bag and chained himself to the front door. With tears in his eyes, he spoke about the climate crisis to a group of supporters. ..

https://www.salon.com/2022/05/08/prognostic-myopia/

In the best creative scenarios, the mind and hand engage in a back-and-forth of impulse and revision, allowing the artist to step back metaphorically and watch, remaining open to the surprise of what unfolds. You can see the results of this process yourself at the City Gallery exhibit IN MIND AND HAND featuring new fiber work by Jennifer Davies, on view May 6 - May 29. There will be an Opening Reception on Saturday, May 7 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Davies is an accomplished and admired fiber artist who has exhibited her work across the country in galleries and museums. What sets her work apart is her ongoing inquisitive nature and her willingness to be the observer, to translate what she sees into both the making of paper and the creation of art.

She makes her own Japanese paper from mulberry branches which she cooks, cleans, and beats into a fluffy pulp. She then fashions this into artwork using techniques such as pulp painting, direct casting, and indigo dyeing. “Collage is another technique I use to build up layers of paper that have been painted or dyed with either indigo or persimmon. The impetus can be scraps and leftovers from other projects that beg to be assembled,” explains Davies, who also incorporates translucent sheets of kozo fiber, printed calligraphic shapes, and woven and sewn materials.

“Much of my work refers to natural forms, the surfaces of bark, boulders, or water,” says Davies. “Living by Long Island Sound, I see waves sliding onto the beach almost daily. I have tried to capture that feeling by pouring and splashing translucent pulp in layers over black paper. The smooth river rocks, long my companions for holding paper down in the breeze, I have honored by pouring pulp around them to suggest their silhouettes.”

Davies’ work was most recently featured at the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Lexington, MA, and at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA. In 2019, she was awarded Best in Show at the Surface Design Association’s exhibit Context: Language, Media, and Meaning at the Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA). She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design and the Rome Honors Program, has studied and taught papermaking at Women’s Studio Workshop and Creative Arts Workshop, and has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows at museums and galleries including Hygienic Gallery (New London), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg, TN), Artspace (New Haven), Center for Contemporary Printmaking (Norwalk), Hockaday Museum of Art (Kalispell, MT), Morgan Conservatory (Cleveland, OH), and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking (Atlanta, GA). Davies’ work is included in numerous corporate and private collections. She is a long-standing member of the City Galley.

IN MIND AND HAND is free and open to the public, and runs May 6 - 29, 2022. City Gallery is located at 994 State Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Gallery hours are Friday - Sunday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment (203-645-1404). City Gallery follows New Haven City’s mask mandate policy. For further information please contact City Gallery, info@city-gallery.org, www.city-gallery.org.