Blogs

Presented at the Greater New Haven Nonprofit Resource Council meeting 9/27/11and made available complements of presenters:

Charlie Mason - Mason, Inc.: http://www.mason23.com/

Al May - Christina Community Action: http://www.ccahelping.org/ 

John Brooks- Columbus House: http://www.columbushouse.org/

Cause Marketing:Helping local NPO’s tap into this potential .ppt

http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2011/hispanic-heritage-month/

• Library of Congress

http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/index.html

• Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/hispanic_resources.html
 

• United States Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff18.htm

to local nonprofits on giveGreater.org® 

giveGreater.org® cards available for the public in November

To drive more local giving, The Community Foundation is launching a two-phase, online giving campaign in October known as I Give It Forward through which $200,000 will be available to match gifts made to local nonprofits on giveGreater.org® - the online knowledge and giving resource for local nonprofits serving Connecticut’s Greater New Haven region.

The Community Foundation is taking a different approach this year by promoting giveGreater.org® through its known donor pool and friends of The Community Foundation instead of directly through the nonprofits, as it did for the 2010 Challenge. I Give It Forward is The Community Foundation’s way of broadening the circle of people who are knowledgeable about the local community and who give locally.

During Phase I of I Give It Forward, gifts made by giveGreater.org donors and friends of The Community Foundation between October 13, 2011 to October 31, 2011 will be matched. They will receive two (2) I Give It Forward giveGreater.org® cards, one for their own use and the other to share with someone who is also passionate about the Greater New Haven community. Both cards can be used for a $50 match when accompanied by a donation of $50 or more to any organization on giveGreater.org.

Phase II of I Give It Forward begins November 7, 2011, coinciding with The Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting, to create a broad movement to give locally. At that time, I Give It Forward giveGreater.org® cards will be available to the public for purchase by making a gift to The Community Foundation. The intent is for people to pass the cards along as gifts to friends, neighbors, colleagues and others to benefit the growing number of local nonprofits on  giveGreater.org®. Phase II ends on December 31, 2011; cards must be designated to a nonprofit on giveGreater.org by January 31, 2012. Dollars not designated by the deadline will be distributed as grants.

About giveGreater.org®
giveGreater.org® was launched in 2010 as an online knowledge and giving resource provided by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven in partnership with Guidestar, a leading source of nonprofit information. The website was created to increase giving to local nonprofits by providing one searchable database for people to find, learn about and give to nonprofits serving Connecticut’s Greater New Haven region. As part of the launch, the giveGreater.org® 2010 Challenge was issued to the community encouraging gifts of at least $50 or more between November 1 – December 31, 2010 to nonprofits profiled on giveGreater.org®; to incentivize giving, The Community Foundation allocated $200,000 to be awarded as grant prizes to the nonprofits that met minimum eligibility requirements and received the most number of gifts.  More than $500,000 was distributed to local nonprofits through the 2010 Challenge; details of the Challenge are available at www.cfgnh.org. In 2011, giveGreater.org® attracted its first corporate sponsor, Higher One Inc., which conducted an employee matching gift program through the site between the months of July and September.

Since 1928, donors to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven have built the community’s endowment currently valued at nearly $300 million. In 2010, The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors distributed more than $19 million in grants from over 800 different named charitable funds, supporting a wide range of programs and projects. For more information about The Community Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org. 

these are desk chairs with adjustable arms and rollers. If you are interested or for further information contact Jack Walsh, Valley United Way

Jack.Walsh@valleyunitedway.org.

Any nonprofit in Greater New Haven may request chairs.

The 2011-12 training season at TSNE includes perennial favorites Effective Supervision and Advanced Facillitation as well as a brand new social media webinar series with Idealware and a workshop on board roles. And don't forget to save the date for this year's Be the Media! Mini-Conference on November 30.

• Full list of 2011-12 Better Nonprofit Management Training Series workshops

RFP Released, Proposals will be accepted through Oct. 31

The American Association of Museums's (AAM) Center for the Future of Museums, EmcArts and MetLife Foundation announce the launch of a major new initiative designed to enable selected museums to design, research and prototype innovations, testing novel approaches to field-wide challenges in a laboratory-like setting. The initiative is entitled the Innovation Lab for Museums, and is now accepting proposals at www.aam-us.org and www.EmcArts.org. The deadline for proposals is October 31, 2011.

The first round of the Innovation Lab for Museums is generously funded by a $500,000 grant from MetLife Foundation, a long-time supporter of the nation's museum community.

The Innovation Lab for Museums will be an 18 to 24-month program for each of the participating institutions, utilizing the expertise of CFM and the proven experience of EmcArts in incubating organizational innovations in the arts field.  In this inaugural round of the Lab, three proposals will be accepted and preference will be given to projects focusing on innovation in the realms of:

• Youth Education: exploring how museums can play a key role in a rapidly changing educational landscape
• Demographic Transformation: how museums can close this gap and serve a broader, more representative sample of American society
• Participatory Experiences: how museums can meet the desire of audiences for participatory and social activities in museums.

Proposals will be judged on evidence that applicants have clearly defined a major challenge and begun to develop responses to that challenge, on each applicant's readiness for and ability to support innovative change, their current level of community engagement, the likely value of the innovation to the organization and the field, and the capacity of the applicant to share what they learn through participating in the Lab.

"The rapid pace of change in the 21^st century makes it imperative that museums experiment with new ways of operating," said Elizabeth Merritt, director of the Center for the Future of Museums. "Historically, the museum field has encouraged organizations to stick to tried-and-true standards and best practices.  AAM sees the Innovation Lab for Museums as a significant way to encourage and reward museums that are willing to take risks, try new things and pursue a new path for the rest of the field."

The Innovation Lab for Museums has four phases:

Phase 1 – Each museum identifies a dedicated Innovation Team, which then works with EmcArts to explore new approaches, define project goals and success measures, and conduct pertinent research over four months.

Phase 2 – Innovation Teams from all participating museums attend a 5-day Intensive Residential Retreat that serves as a "project accelerator," giving teams time to focus on key decisions about their projects.

Phase 3 – The Lab grants participants $40,000 in seed money to support the prototyping and evaluation of innovative strategies over six months, before full launch.

Phase 4 – The Innovation Team and each organization's leadership works to leverage lessons learned, embed them in the organization's ongoing approach, and share learning with the field.

The program will build on EmcArts' tested framework for fostering nonprofit innovation. Piloted in 2005 as the New Strategies Lab for Orchestras (funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), EmcArts' flagship program grew into the Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts (supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation), which has now been in operation for four years.  Reports from participants have confirmed the deep impact of the program, and external evaluation has established its unique value to the arts field. 

CFM and EmcArts foresee similar success for the Innovation Lab for Museums.

"The Innovation Lab for Museums will benefit not only the organizations accepted into the program, but the museum field as a whole," notes Richard Evans, President of EmcArts. "Successful innovations developed by participants may go mainstream, becoming leading practices of the future. And the cumulative experience of Lab participants will help museums break down internal barriers to innovation, creating organizational cultures that are perpetually ready for adaptive change."

Results from the Innovation Lab for Museums will be documented, summarized and shared with the museum community, ensuring it can guide museum planning and inform the development of standards and new practices.  The knowledge derived from this national program will benefit AAM members, the national museum community of over 17,500 museums, and the international museum community.

"MetLife Foundation has a longstanding commitment to promoting the vitality of our national museum community," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We are proud to partner with these two organizations to find innovative ways to bring young people and community members from all different demographics to the rich landscape that is American museums." 

For questions or additional information, contact: Dewey Blanton, American Association of Museums, (202) 218.7704, DBlanton@aam-us.org; or Liz Dreyer, EmcArts, (212) 362.8541, LDreyer@EmcArts.org.

About EmcArts

Recognized as the leading not-for-profit provider of innovation services to the arts sector nationwide, EmcArts (www.EmcArts.org) serves as an intermediary partner for arts funders, and as a re-granting agency and service organization for the arts field around innovation.  Our innovation programs support the development and implementation of mission-centered new strategies by arts organizations of all sizes.  The programs range from directly incubating specific innovation projects to introductory programs that enable new thinking and build a culture of innovation across local arts communities. EmcArts is a 501(c)(3) organization.

About the Center for the Future of Museums

The Center for the Future of Museums (CFM) helps museums explore the cultural, political and economic challenges facing society and devise strategies to shape a better tomorrow. CFM is a think-tank and research and design lab for fostering creativity and helping museums transcend traditional boundaries to serve society in new ways. For more information, visit www.futureofmuseums.org.

About AAM

The American Association of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 18,000 individual, 3,000 institutional and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to carry on MetLife's longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement.

The Foundation is committed to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide. Through programs focusing on empowering older adults, preparing young people and building livable communities, MetLife Foundation increases access and opportunities for people of all ages.  Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has made more than $500 million in grants and $75 million in program related investments. For more information visit www.metlife.org

The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activity is available as a free download. This is the first publication designed to translate laws and regulations into approachable and applicable guidance for nonprofits:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afj.org%2Ffor-nonprofits-foundations%2Fresources-and-publications%2Fdigital_age_public_policy.pdf

The Rudd Center has just launched SPARK (Supporting Parent Advocates with Resources and Knowledge), a new website which offers advice, worksheets, definitions, studies, examples of successes, and lots of other information useful to parents who want to change the nutrition environment in their children’s schools.

Please check it out and let them know what you think.  And please forward to anyone you know who may be interested.

Moving Connecticut: A Day To Get Beyond Fossil Fuels
State-wide Action in New Haven, CT – Sat 9/24 @ 4pm – http://350CT.org/move

Our communities are ready for a clean energy future, and it’s time to rally the troops! On September 24 join people from across the state and a fast-growing coalition of civic organizations, faith communities, non-profits and businesses as we converge on New Haven with one common goal: moving past fossil fuels to a brighter future and a healthier planet. Many towns are hosting events in the morning, and then we’ll all come together on the New Haven Green at 4pm on 9/24 for a rally, critical mass bike ride, music, talkback with local/state political leaders, opportunities to get involved in your community, and a bike-powered outdoor screening of the movie Wall-E!

Around the globe glaciers are melting, crops are failing, and extreme weather is becoming the norm. Moving Connecticut is part of 350.org’s “Moving Planet” global day of action, and together with others around the world we will show our leaders on 9/24 that our state is ready to leave dirty energy behind and make the rapid, responsible transition to clean energy that our world needs. 9/24 Moving CT is about showing our numbers, showing our resolve, and showing that we are already making a real difference with solutions like cycling and sustainable transportation, saving energy, community gardens and local farming, tree plantings, and faith-based stewardship.

That’s why we need you. This is the chance for our grassroots movement to make a bold statement — one that will make waves here in Connecticut and inspire millions around the world. We need you to join us and reach out to your friends and to organizations to tell them 9/24 is not-to-be-missed! 350 Connecticut is a grassroots all-volunteer organization, and whether you can spend 10 minutes or 10 hours, your time will make a difference. Learn more, help out, or get in touch at http://350ct.org/move, or write us at organizers -at- 350CT -dot- org.

 

RSVP on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/movingct and Like our 350ct page: http://www.facebook.com/350ct
Sign up, get involved: http://www.350ct.org/signup/

From the Department of Social Services:

We have received approval from FNS to automatically mass reissue 25% of our SNAP households’ August benefits to help with food losses caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

• All Connecticut households who received SNAP when Tropical Storm Irene hit the state automatically received these additional benefits. 
• These benefits were automatically added to SNAP household’s EBT accounts and are available today. 
• JP Morgan is updating their telephone message for SNAP clients who call in to check their accounts to inform them that we’ve added these benefits to their accounts.

While this 25% automatic mass SNAP benefit reissuance will help many households with food losses, some SNAP households may have lost food purchased with SNAP valued at more than 25% of their August benefits. 

• These households can request additional individual replacement SNAP benefits above the 25% already provided. 
• The amount of the individual request must be based on the value of food purchased with SNAP that was lost due to the storm.
• The amount of the 25% mass reissuance, plus the individual replacement request, cannot be more than their August benefit amount.

2-1-1 Infoline will be the point of contact for reports of food losses and the return of Request Forms.  Effective immediately, please refer any requests for individual SNAP replacement benefits to 2-1-1 Infoline. 

• Households must report food losses to 2-1-1 Infoline no later than 4:30 pm on September 19, 2011. 
• Households must return a completed Request Form that 2-1-1 Infoline will provide to them within 10 days of the date that they reported the food loss.
• 2-1-1 is the point of return for all Request Forms. 
• Households will be directed to return Request Forms to 2-1-1 Infoline (2-1-1 will provide a prepaid return envelope).
• If a household returns a Request Form to you in error, please date stamp the form and forward it to 2-1-1 Infoline at

2-1-1 Infoline

• 2-1-1 Infoline will log reports of food losses and subsequent receipt of Request Forms.
• 2-1-1 Infoline will forward Request Forms to the C.O. Central Processing Unit (CPU). 
• The CPU will process these Request Forms, issuing individual replacement benefits to eligible households and denying requests from ineligible households.

http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/ct

The Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform is an open resource to assist nonprofits, elected officials and public policy makers, philanthropic funders and all Connecticut citizens to:

• Get Data: Provides the capacity to map Connecticut state agency, municipal and nonprofit resources against social/economic needs and trends, and assess the financial strength of assets and gaps in service.
• Communicate: Provides an effective communication tool for strategic planning and the sharing and storage of data/documents for statewide agency collaboration.
• Act: Through shared data and communication, coordinated action happens.

The Platform is supported by a grant from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority .

http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/ct

Church on the Rock's School of Life Enrichment is about to start a new semester of classes. Space is limited but classes are open to the public.

Zumba, Martial Arts, Knitting, Writing a Business Plan, and much more.....

http://www.morningglorycda.com/My_Church.html for details