Now that we’re parents ourselves, the tables have turned. We’re faced with myriad of decisions about where to send our kids to school, which play dates to organize, where we should spend extra money in the store’s organic section or what to do when our little one is bullied. Why do our childhoods seem like the ancient past, and how did our parents survive this constant decision-making process without completely sabotaging our development?

Parents have important choices to make regarding their kids’ education—and these decisions are coming sooner and sooner. Kindergarten is seen as the new first grade and academic rigor is increasing. This means it’s even more important for parents to make sure their kids are on a good developmental footing. One of the best ways to do this is through a quality preschool education program.

But there are still plenty of people who don’t believe preschool is important or are otherwise skeptical of its benefits. We’ve asked early childhood education experts to weigh-in on some of the commons myths or misunderstandings about preschool and help explain exactly why preschool is so important...

More: https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/why-preschool-important-myths/

The Progreso Latino Fund recently convened a group at Gateway Community College to explore the intersection of the LGBTQ and Latinx communities. Gateway’s Student Government President, Monica Maldonado co-hosted the event. 

Maldonado and three other panelists shared their personal journeys as Latinx and LGBTQ persons. They included Jeremy Cajigas (Lead School Organizer for the Citywide Youth Coalition), JuanCarlos Soto (a community organizer at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and an artist) and the Reverend Edwin Perez Jr. (who leads a bilingual contemporary worship at the United Church of Christ at United Church on the Green in New Haven). Jesus Morales Sanchez, an organizer with Unidad Latina en Accion and Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, facilitated the event. Continue reading.

LGBTQIA+ Organization Latest to Join Slate of Nonprofit Partners

New Haven, Conn. (June 26, 2019) – At The Community Fund for Women & Girls’ annual meeting, newly appointed Chair Karen Peart announced grant awards totaling $130,000 to 12 nonprofit partner organizations working to advance gender equity in the region. Among the grantees is the New Haven Pride Center, which is the first LGBTQIA+ organization to receive a grant from The Fund.

“These grantees are working on the front lines of gender equity and economic security and you will also find a deep commitment to inclusiveness,” said Peart. “All of the grant awards are related in some way to economic security and inclusive growth and all of them are made possible by women’s philanthropy – the generous sharing of time, talent and treasure.” Continue reading.

A visual exploration of how a critical piece of social infrastructure came to be.

Editor’s note: CityLab’s visual storyteller Ariel Aberg-Riger shares the story of how America’s public libraries came to be, and their uneven history of serving all who need them.

How can it be that, in 2019, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates was forced to give testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee that sounded like it could have been given in front of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction in 1866? How is it that, more than a century and a half after the end of the Civil War, a black man had to instruct members of the United States Congress on the rudiments of slavery and its legacies?

How can it be that, rather than participating in a national reckoning like those provided by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or Germany's many post-war acts of national self-reflection and atonement, America is barely humoring the idea of paying reparations to the descendants of former slaves?

Most importantly, why oh why are powerful white men still pretending to listen instead of saying what needs to be said? When will a white man sit where Coates sat yesterday and address black people in the manner he spoke to those white representatives, and by extension white America: without the buffer of mediating, academic language, bluntly, poetically, vividly, humanely and unforgivingly, eye-to-eye, person-to-person, unafraid of the truth?

Continues...

https://theweek.com/articles/848174/when-white-man-say-what-tanehisi-coates-said?fbclid=IwAR1igi3Y0x7RdTpKxdBplCnEAjQLLtIYZnwB2dyKZG8X1oOx96wmq_78lxg

The United States, unlike the rest of the industrialized world, does not guarantee workers paid time off to care for newborns. For many families, the resulting loss of income forces them take on debt and turn to public assistance. The lack of paid leave is also a major contributor to the wage and wealth gap between men and women.

That situation is about to change in Connecticut, thanks in large part to the advocacy leadership of The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund. (CWEALF), the leader of the Connecticut Campaign for Paid Family Leave. Years of advocacy work succeeded this month when the legislature approved legislation guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid family leave in one of the most generous paid leave bills in the country.

“This is a critically important part of women’s economic security, which is at the core of CWEALF’s public policy agenda,” said CWEALF Deputy Directory Catherine Bailey.

Bailey added the new legislation helps the state compete for young workers because Connecticut is surrounded by states with paid family leave protections.

“This is also a policy that Millennials say is important to them,” says Bailey. “We have to compete to keep them here.”

The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund. (CWEALF) is a longtime nonprofit partner of the Community Fund for Women and Girls, a leadership initiative of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. A recent grant from the fund to CWEALF is supporting the Bi-lingual Community Advocacy Project, which provides under-served Latina populations with legal information, referrals to partner agencies, cooperating attorneys and community education. CWEALF also coordinates the Connecticut Collective for Women and Girls, a statewide partnership that works to address gender inequity. Continue reading.

Diversity Matters at United Way

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 committed to creating meaningful change in greater New Haven? Do you enjoy leading and developing teams, both internal and external, to design and implement effective solutions for community issues? Do you get excited about collaboration, innovation, and community mobilizing?  If so, our Vice President of Community Impact position may be perfect for you.

Position

The Vice President of Community Impact is responsible for driving the strategy and execution of United Way’s multi-faceted work in the community. This leadership position will co-create with staff, board, partners, and volunteers the strategic directions, investments, infrastructure, and culture necessary for the organization to maximize its impact in the areas of education, financial stability, and health.

This is a tremendous opportunity for an experienced program professional to deepen and expand the community results of a well-respected, high-impact organization.

Responsibilities

Leadership of Community Impact Department

• Develops community impact strategies based on an assessment of community need and opportunity, internal capacity, knowledge of best practices, and ability to galvanize resources.
• Provides oversight of all department staff and consultants.
• Oversees the decision making process about use of program resources, in conjunction with staff and volunteers.
• Administers the department, including responsibility for developing and monitoring department budgets and meeting grant and contractual obligations.
• Oversees efforts to assess the impact of United Way in the community and supports continuous learning and improvement efforts.
• Represents the organization on community collaboratives and advisory groups and at public meetings related to United Way’s community initiatives.

 Organizational Leadership

• Serves as a member of the leadership team, which includes participating in policy development and management decisions, strategic planning, supporting the board of directors, and supporting and modeling the core values of the organization.
• Supports developing a strong team culture that models the mission of United Way and creates a culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity within and outside the organization.
• Works to align efforts across departments.
• Communicates with internal and external partners to promote the work of United Way.

Resource Development

• Assists United Way senior staff and board of directors in developing and executing strategies to capture revenue and retain and grow our investor base, including from workplace campaigns, public and private grants, and the United Way donor base.
• Develops and stewards positive relationships with donors and funders.
• Works in conjunction with other United Way departments to develop innovative ways to share the story and impact of United Way’s work and respond to investors’ needs.

 Qualifications

 Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.

• At least 10 years of non-profit experience, with at least 5 years’ experience leading teams and/or managing complex community initiatives.
• Substantive knowledge in one or more of United Way’s focus areas (early childhood, homelessness, hunger, poverty, children’s mental health).
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills which support and enable sound decision making.
• Excellent relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working with individual donors and foundations a plus.

• 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 Vice President of Community Impact.
• Position open until filled.
• Review of applications will begin by June 26.

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.

The business world is abuzz with mindfulness. But perhaps you haven’t heard that the hype is backed by hard science. Recent research provides strong evidence that practicing non-judgmental, present-moment awareness (a.k.a. mindfulness) changes the brain, and it does so in ways that anyone working in today’s complex business environment, and certainly every leader, should know about.

We contributed...

https://hbr.org/2015/01/mindfulness-can-literally-change-your-brain utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=hbr

DERBY, CT (June 13, 2019) - The Valley Community Foundation has awarded a total of $17,275 in its Community Grants Program to eight community groups serving the Valley. These grants will support youth, seniors, historical endeavors, and wellness initiatives in the region. 

“With more than $17,000 in grant funding, these eight community groups are doing meaningful work in the Valley,” said Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO. “We are proud to be able to offer funding through our Community Grants Program to responsively support volunteer groups and nonprofits with very limited staff in our Valley’s five towns.” 

Applications for the Valley Community Grants Program are considered through a request for proposal process. These grants are responsive to community groups that are volunteer or nonprofit in nature, serve Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and/or Shelton, and have less than two full-time or four part-time staff. Community Grants range from $250 to $2,500, and can be for new or recurring programs to support civic and community engagement efforts. 

2019 Community Grant Recipients:

Annual Thanksgiving Basket Program - $1,250 to support the purchase of perishable and non-perishable food items and supplies for distribution of Thanksgiving baskets to families in need. 

Derby Historical Society - $2,500 to support Valley schools to defray the partial cost of their transportation to “A Day in 1762", a hands-on living history program at the General David Humphreys House. 

Music Mends Minds (Valley Chapter) - $1,500 to support the improvement of the lives of patients with dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and PTSD through the healing power of music. 

Oxford Senior Center Singers - $2,110 to support the purchasing of a keyboard/synthesizer and accessories so that the Senior Center Singers will have accompaniment during their rehearsals and performances. 

Seymour Soccer Association - $2,500 to support an indoor winter activity that promotes physical activity, education, and soccer foot skills such as dribbling and ball handling. 

Shelton Historical Society - $2,415 to support an exhibit of rarely seen artifacts, photographs and documents throughout the Shelton History Center for the 50th anniversary of the Historical Society’s founding as well as the 100th anniversary of the naming of the City of Shelton. 

Shelton Youth Service Bureau - $2,500 to support sending high school students to the Youth to Youth Eastern States Conference in Rhode Island. The conference focuses on a comprehensive approach to drug education and information, personal growth through decision making, environmental change, and drug free fun. 

Southford Falls Quilters, LLC - $2,500 to support demonstrations of techniques by members, and promotion and display of personal and charitable quilt making. 

About The Valley Community Foundation

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes approximately $1.6 million in grants each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. In addition to grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF), to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton and receives funding from The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF that benefit the Valley. For more information, visit www.valleyfoundation.org.

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Photo Caption: Southford Falls Quilters Guild quilts on display at the Quilt Show and Tea in Seymour

To view this press release on our website click here. 

We currently have multiple employment opportunities available. For more information please visit our website at www.tccoh.org

The Children's Center of Hamden is a private nonprofit organization providing services to children who suffer from one or more of a variety of problems; psychological and social problems; physical and/or sexual abuse; learning disabilities; substance abuse and family trauma.

NHR is hiring an Outreach Director to manage all of our volunteer programs! Read the full job description and learn how to apply below.

Outreach Director Job Description

Location: 45 Bristol St, New Haven CT

Exempt – Full time

Job Reports to: Executive Director

Job Summary: The Outreach Director is responsible for overseeing all volunteer management at New Haven Reads, including volunteer intake, data, and events. Additionally, the Outreach Director manages the Outreach Assistants.

Major Responsibilities and Duties: 

• Recruit volunteers from the greater New Haven community, screen applicants, and provide initial volunteer orientation.
• Manage all volunteer data in Salesforce database, including tutor assignments across all four sites.
• Manage the Outreach Assistants.
• Manage all volunteer events, including six annual tutor trainings, NHR book club, and site socials.
• Coordinate Volunteer Appreciation Month at NHR.
• Recruit and schedule work-study students and interns from local universities.
• Represent NHR at community events when appropriate.
• Help establish a Tutor Advisory Committee.

Requirements:

• At least one year of experience working with volunteers and planning events
• At least one year of experience working with a database, preferably Salesforce
• Proficient in Word and Excel, and proficient in or able to learn Box
• Ability to relate well to a diverse population
• Superior communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work independently
• Flexibility

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Spanish

Hours: Flexible 40 hours per week, M-F between the hours of 9 AM to 7 PM, with occasional evening or weekend hours.

Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience, within NHR's annual operating budget.

To apply: Email a completed NHR Employment Application, cover letter, and resume to hr [at] newhavenreads [dot] org.

New Haven Reads is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Catholic Charities is seeking both full and part time case managers and behavioral health clinicians at our New Haven, Milford and Ansonia Family Service Centers to work with adult and child victims of crime in our Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funded programs.

It is preferred that candidates for the case management position have an associates or bachelor's degree in social work, human services, or related field. Candidates must have experience working with victims of crime.

Behavioral health clinicians must have a master's degree in a license eligible field (i.e. counseling, social work).

Please forward resumes to Suzanne DeRosa, LPC, Director of Behavioral Health at SDeRosa@ccaoh.org

Catholic Charities Inc., Archdiocese of Hartford is in compliance with all applicable discrimination laws. All hiring, promoting, and transferring is done on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to membership in any protected class. EEO/ AA/ M-F/ VET/ DISABLED.

There are horse barns in New York City. A lot of people don't realize this, but I'm lucky enough to have uncovered this secret through volunteering at a therapeutic riding program for children with disabilities. A couple of Sundays a month, I get up early, drink my coffee on the train to Forest Hills, and spend a few hours helping kids with their riding lessons...

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a37nvk/volunteering-is-the-best-kept-secret-for-mental-health-stressweek2017?utm_campaign=sharebutton&fbclid=iwar0fq8d3f9q2e8z_vhsij4zhruzwj0tyvxgrw7fkdzbqd_jx7jplcwaszcy

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.