News about grants, gifts

A multi-million-dollar gift from the estate of the late D.C. philanthropist and horticulturalist Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon, and generous gifts from Heather and Andy Florance and the employees of CoStar Group have enabled design and construction to begin on a 7,200-square-foot outdoor Healing Garden, which will allow children being treated at Children’s National Health System to enjoy fresh air and inspiring views of the nation’s capital. The garden will be called the “Bunny Mellon Healing Garden Dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States.”

The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers plans to establish a national center to improve care for high-need patients who experience poor outcomes despite extreme patterns of hospitalizations or emergency care. AARP, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are collectively providing $8.7 million to fund the center.

The Chanda Plan Foundation has received a $500,000 Colorado Health Foundation grant for capital support of a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The PCMH, slated to open this year in Lakewood, Colorado, will provide a single point of service for the health needs of people with long-term physical disabilities.

Nearly $1 million to support United Way of New York City’s ReadNYC initiative, an initiative to boost literacy and improve educational outcomes for low-income New Yorkers by focusing on grade-level reading, was raised at United Way of New York City’s Women’s Leadership Council’s tenth annual Power of Women to Make a Difference Award Luncheon.

Over the next two years, Dr. Marc Edwards and other staff from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech, will conduct ongoing tests of water safety and quality through the Flint, MI community. That work will be supported by a $250,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint through funds received from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Over $572,000 was raised for Artist Trust at its annual gala art auction, on Saturday evening, February 27th.

The Dannon Institute awards $15,000 to New York Area Girls for Ideas to improve health and wellness in their schools.

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans: The “Launch PT-305” Kickstarter campaign was fully funded in just three days. Well-known actor and veteran activist Gary Sinise personally donated $50,000 to help launch PT-305 after seeing the momentum generated by the campaign.  Also this week, The Pritzker Military Museum & Library in association with the Tawani Foundation made a $100,000 commitment to the PT-305 project.

Henry Schein, Inc. awarded the inaugural Henry Schein Cares Medal for medical health—an award that will be given annually to one organization that demonstrates excellence in expanding access to medical care for the underserved—to Hands Up for Haiti. Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc., presented the humanitarian organization with the medal at the Company’s national medical sales meeting in Dallas.

News about people, groups

During the 2016 South Carolina Nonprofit Summit held at the Spartanburg Marriott today, Eugene “Gene” Cochrane Jr., president of The Duke Endowment was presented the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. State Rep. Rita Allison of District 36 and Ted Hendry, chair of the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations, gave the award to Cochrane on behalf of Governor Nikki Haley.

Picaboo launched several special programs for non-profit organizations. The programs are designed to make high quality photo products more accessible, to help incentivize donors to support their favorite charities, and to assist non-profit organizations in raising funds for their causes.

Common Threads appointed Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to its national board of directors as the first public official.

The Vera Institute of Justice’s new guidebook series, “Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation”, as part of the launch of the second phase of her National Community Policing Tour. Vera developed the guidebooks—written by police officers, for police officers—to help agencies build trust with the diverse communities they serve.

Astellas has nominated Katie Leaman, assistant general counsel, regulatory, and David Cole, senior corporate attorney, litigation, for Leadership Council on Legal Diversity‘s landmark Fellows Program. 

Beth Nathanson has been named Chief Development Officer of New York City’s Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, reporting to Chief Executive Officer David Rivel.

At a California Board of Education hearing Thursday afternoon, the state approved a new nonprofit Rocketship elementary school for the Monument Corridor community. Parents in the Monument Corridor attended the hearing and wrote letters of support that were delivered to the California Board of Education.

The Islamic Scholarship Fund application deadline has been extended to April 4th, 2016. You may apply here.

Veterans from around the nation and Washington, D.C. Region, with post traumatic stress, found relief at Melwood‘s “Operation: Tohidu  Retreat” in Maryland, from March 14th to 17th.

Carson Long Military Academy announces the selection of 2005 graduate, Virginia Tech Massacre Hero Matthew Joseph La Porte, into the US Army Cadet Command JROTC 100th Anniversary Hall of Fame.  La Porte, who died defending classmates against the armed intruder during the 2007 attack, was a sophomore Reserve Air Force ROTC officer, attending Virginia Tech on an ROTC scholarship.

News about opportunities, initiatives

Applications are now being accepted for the Aetna Foundation’s 2016 Cultivating Healthy Communities grants program which will award up to $2 million in grants to support communities’ efforts to become healthier places to live, work, learn, play and pray. The deadline for Stage 1 applications is April 15, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Several Owens Corning manufacturing facilities are working with Hose2Habitat to reuse fire hose, brushes, cardboard and more at zoos and animal sanctuaries. The items become toys and feeding and learning tools that enrich animals’ lives. Currently, 10 Owens Corning facilities in North America donate manufacturing items to zoos and sanctuaries through Hose2Habitat.  

The Individual Donor Benchmark Survey is now open. Organizations with budgets below $2 million are invited to participate in Third Space Studio’s annual survey that aims to collect specialized data to enhance fundraising strategies for small and mighty nonprofits. 

If you are interested in having your organization’s news announced in the next News Bits, please send announcements or press releases to news@philanthropyjournal.com.