Public Welfare Foundation awards social justice grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C., has announced twenty grants totaling more than $5.7 million to social justice organizations around the country.

Awarded through the foundation's workers' rights and criminal and juvenile justice programs, the grants will be used to help organizations provide and expand their services. In addition, two companion projects received a total of $570,000 through the foundation's Special Opportunities Fund to enhance civil legal services for the poor.

Grants announced by the foundation included $250,000 over eighteen months to the Boston-based Crime and Justice Institute to boost its capacity to provide expert technical assistance and training to local criminal justice government agencies and help two California counties reform their pretrial services; $250,000 over two years to the Chicago-based Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, which works to protect youth against wrongful convictions in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems; $500,000 over two years to the American Rights at Work Education Fund in Washington, D.C., in support of its efforts to support the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively; and $200,000 over two years to the MomsRising Education Fund in Bellevue, Washington, for general operating support.

For a complete list of grantees, visit the Public Welfare Foundation Web site.

“Public Welfare Foundation Announces New Grants.” Public Welfare Foundation Press Release 2/17/12.

Foundation Center Orientation

Friday, January 20, 2012  

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

This session introduces attendees to the kinds of resources and services available through the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Foundation Center, a Cooperating Collection of The Foundation Center in New York City. This session is recommended specifically for those who are new to grantseeking or just unfamiliar with what we offer.

Please call the Foundation Center at 412-622-6277 to register for this program. Email registrations will not be accepted.

Location:

International Poetry Room - 2nd Floor

4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Contact:

Foundation Center

(412) 622-6277

Immigrant Integration Awards

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy has announced that it is accepting applications for the 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes.

The J.M. Kaplan Fund provides support for the awards in order to focus attention on successful integration initiatives and to model programs for others around the United States who might also undertake such efforts.

The national awards program provides $50,000 prizes annually to exceptionally successful immigrant integration initiatives. The program is designed to highlight and reward outstanding efforts that help immigrants and their children join the mainstream of U.S. society or that bring immigrants and native-born Americans together to build stronger, more cohesive communities.

The program is open to individuals, nonprofit and community organizations, businesses, religious groups, and government entities, agencies, and officials operating in the United States. Awards are given for existing initiatives that can be evaluated according to the award selection criteria (significance, impact, and influence) based on their operations to date. The awards are not intended to support the launch of new initiatives. Prize money must be used by each awardee to advance their integration initiative. Complete program information, selection criteria, and application instruction are available at the awards program Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Coca-Cola announces $17.9M in grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Coca-Cola Foundation has announced grants totaling $17.9 million to eighty-three organizations around the world, including $4.8 million to twenty-nine nonprofits in Canada and the United States.


In the fourth-quarter, the foundation awarded a total of $3.7 million in support of fitness and nutrition programs; $3.6 million for water stewardship projects; $3.9 million in support of education programs; and $1.6 million for recycling initiatives. In addition, the foundation allocated nearly $5 million to support local priorities, including HIV/AIDS prevention, disaster relief, youth development, arts and culture programs, and civic initiatives. The grants bring the foundation's 2011 giving for community initiatives around the world to more than $70 million, including $24.2 million to 115 organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

"As a local company in more than two hundred countries, The Coca-Cola Company has a role to play in building sustainable communities," said Coca-Cola Foundation chair Ingrid Saunders Jones. "Our consumers increasingly expect us to be part of their community's solution, and through our support of these eighty-three programs, we are making a powerful difference to improve lives and help communities thrive."

“The Coca-Cola Foundation Ends the Year with More Than $24.2 Million in Giving to Communities Across North America.” Coca-Cola Foundation Press Release 12/06/11.

Where's the Money?: Revenue Planning for Your Start-Up Nonprofit

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 4:00 to 7:00 pm at WQLN, 8425 Peach Street, Erie.
Presented by Barbara Ward, Business Management Consultant, Small Business Development Center at Gannon University

In today's economy, one of the most difficult feats of nonprofit magic to accomplish is how your start-up begins to develop a revenue base when you have no track record, little visibility, and you are just learning the ropes in this business. This practical session will walk through how you can be successful at raising money despite the many challenges we face in our environment. The small group atmosphere in this session will allow participants to share their successes, challenges, and ideas with each other. A light dinner will be served.

(More information on the Nonprofit Partnership website)

Small games bill impacting nonprofits passes in the Senate

[from Senator Scarnati's website] WARREN--The State Senate today approved legislation (46-4) that would help non-profit organizations, including volunteer fire companies and veterans clubs, raise more money for community activities and keep their operations running, according to State Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), who strongly supported the measure.

Senate Bill 444 amends the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act to provide for increased prize limits. The bill would increase the daily cash payout from $500 to $1,000, and weekly payouts from $5,000 to $25,000. Under an amendment Scarnati voted for, clubs would be allowed to keep 30 percent of the proceeds for operating expenses.

Scarnati said that payouts for small games of chance have not increased since 1988, and many organizations and social clubs are struggling to make ends meet as a result. Expanding the prize limits and allowing them to keep a portion of the proceeds would help them raise money and pay general operating expenses.

"These volunteer organizations are vital to our communities and do wonderful work, but many are facing funding challenges because of the increasing cost of insurance, utilities and other day-to-day expenses," Scarnati said. "In Pennsylvania, which has one of the strongest and longest traditions of volunteerism, we need to help these community organizations continue to fulfill their mission."

Senate Bill 444 now goes to the House for consideration.

Public Relations Challenge

[reposted from The Erie Community Foundation's website] Do you have an operating budget of $250,000 or less AND a public relations challenge at your organization? Then, this is the opportunity for you!

As part of their mission of “giving back,” the board of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) NWPAChapter voted to create an exciting competition among the local nonprofit sector. PRSA members will donate time to tackle a public relations challenge for a local nonprofit.

The following criteria must be completed by November 4th; the PRSA board will choose the winner on November 10th and the public relations challenge will be tackled in December. All you need to do is fill out the following information:

Name of Nonprofit:_______________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________

Phone Number:__________________ Web Address:___________________________

Name of Director:______________________________________________

Name of Contact for this PR challenge:_____________________________

Size of Board:_________________

Size of Nonprofit staff:___________

Size of Nonprofit budget:_________

Size of Public Relations budget:________

Please note: The applying nonprofit should preferably not have a paid public relations person on staff.

In 500 words or less, describe your Public Relations challenge. Please provide as much detail as possible. Where is your nonprofit now and where would you like to see it in the future. (Please attach a form with this application). Please mail to Erin Fessler, Marketing and Public Relations Director, The Erie Community Foundation, 459 West 6th Street, Erie PA 16507 or via email by clicking here.

To learn more, visit the PRSA website by clicking here.. You can also like them on Facebook.