News about grants, gifts
Artist Trust’s annual Benefit Art Auction raised over $500,000 at this year’s event, a 30% increase from last year. Click here.
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company announced that for the third year it will provide more than $100,000 to Junior Achievement USA to provide financial literacy programs to young people in 12 communities across the United States. Visit www.ja.org for more information.
StreetWise Partners, a non-profit organization that works with low-income individuals to help them overcome employment barriers, raised over $275,000 at the 2015 Raising the Ante Charity Poker Tournament and Casino Event at Capitale in New York City. Visit the StreetWise Partners’ Career Ventures Program to learn more.
Dr. Vasu and Lisa Pandrangi gifted Saint Louis University $500,000 which will fund an endowed professorship to promote the translation of clinical and basic research to patient care through research in the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Click here for more.
Hyundai Capital America has partnered with Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Orange County (CCCS-OC). HCA donated $40,000 to CCCS-OC to become the primary sponsor of the nonprofit’s new program, Financial Futures for Youth and Young Adults. To learn more, follow the link.
The Center for Spiritual and Social Transformation at Pacific School of Religion has been awarded a grant by the Ford Foundation to make theological education more attainable for students from diverse and non-traditional communities and to create innovative new trainings in spiritual practice for social transformation. Read more.
Blue Shield of California Foundation announced $6.3 million in first-quarter grantmaking. Funds aim to support promising new ideas with the potential to transform healthcare delivery and domestic violence services for the Californians most in need. This includes a 3.2 million-dollar grant to help safety net providers deliver high-value care and enhance patient experience and engagement.
The University of California, Davis, University Library and the California Digital Library will lead a major new project, with an $800,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to help define the future of open access to scholarship. “Pay It Forward: Investigating a Sustainable Model of Open Access Article Processing Charges for Large North American Research Institutions” is a yearlong effort to study the implications of new funding models for scholarly communications, particularly the use of article processing charges, and determine their sustainability for research universities in the United States and Canada.
Papa Murphy’s Holdings, Inc. the world’s leading take ‘n’ bake pizza franchise, has announced a new partnership with Urban Gleaners and a $5,000 donation to support the organization in its efforts to alleviate hunger. Read more.
Slide the City is proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds from the 2015 tour will benefit Generosity.org. Slide the City has joined together with Generosity.org with the goal of helping the humanitarian organization fund 20 wells in developing countries, providing clean water for 10,000 people.
News about people, groups
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County ribbon cutting ceremony
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County held a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting on Sat., Mar. 28, 2015, at its new headquarters facility at 1801 E. Edinger Ave. in Santa Ana. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a unique nonprofit organization that helps youth realize their potential and build productive futures through one-to-one mentoring and other youth development programs. Read more.
HomeAid America, a national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals for more than 25 years, has re-established HomeAid in the Seattle-Tacoma area with the creation of HomeAid Puget Sound.
Ford Foundation has appointed Chris Cardona as the new program officer for the philanthropic sector in the U.S. Cardona joins the Ford Foundation from TCC Group, where he leads philanthropic services for the consulting firm specializing in strategy, capacity building, and evaluation for the social sector. For more on the Ford Foundation, click here.
Middlesex Water Company has been named a “Champion of Good Works” by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) at its recent Chairman’s Reception saluting corporate philanthropy. Middlesex Water Company is involved in numerous charitable efforts including serving as a major sponsor of the Bowl for Hunger, an event conceived by New Jersey’s 19th Legislative District Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin as a way to raise community awareness and funds to support local food banks.
Inventor Mike Adams, holder of several pending patents and executive director of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center, has launched a campaign to raise funds for the nationwide donation effort that would put Food Rising grow systems into classrooms across the country.
United Way Worldwide recently appointed Maria Mas Blet, a Miami-based philanthropist and CEO of Goldstein Schechter Koch (GSK), to chair the organization’s National Women’s Leadership Council. For more information about United Way, please visit: UnitedWay.org.
AbilityFirst teamed up again with the Los Angeles Rotary Club (LA5 Rotary) for their 15thannual bowling party for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and epilepsy on March 21st. Follow the link.
Just Born Quality Confections, makers of Peeps, Mike and Ike, Hot Tamales Brand candies, partnered with BAMKO, a global sourcing company focused on providing safe ethically made products. Just Born, together with BAMKO, donated Peeps plush bunnies to Starlight Children’s Foundation, a leading global charity that partners with experts to improve the life and health of kids and families around the world, for every Peeps plush toy purchased through March 31.
Voya Financial, Inc. announced that eight nonprofit organizations located throughout the country will receive grants in the first quarter of 2015 through the company’s charitable giving arm, the Voya Foundation. This quarter, Voya has initiated two new relationships which support its ongoing giving priorities of children’s education and financial literacy.
The Joni and Friends Christian Institute on Disability announced that its online academic course “Beyond Suffering: Advanced Studies: A Christian Perspective on Healthcare Humanities” has been approved by the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) to offer up to 92 continuing medical education units to healthcare professionals – including nurses, physicians and physician assistants – for completing the course. Click here, for more.
Alliance For Justice’s annual Justice First! luncheon is headed to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on April 28. The Champion of Justice this year is Tefere Gebre, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO. For more, follow the link.
Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey (CCAH), a full-service direct marketing firm serving global nonprofit organizations, is proud to announce that it has been awarded seven coveted Pollie Awards, the industry’s highest honor bestowed on political consultants at the national and international level, from the AAPC. CCAH was recognized in four separate categories – sweeping one entire category – for its exemplary work during the 2014 political season.
Mental Health America of Colorado (MHAC), the state’s leading advocate for mental health, has named Andrew Romanoff as its new president and CEO. Read more.
Children’s Mercy honors Dr. James Daniel, Dr. James O’Brien and Dr. James St. Louis with Endowed Chairs. All three physicians received their honor during an investiture ceremony on Monday, March 23. Endowed chairs provide ongoing financial support for research and education and are of strategic importance in elevating the hospital’s academic profile and stature as a national leader in clinical care. Investment of the original gift to establish a chair generates income annually. For more, click here.
Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) has announced Tamra Wright, former Director of Turnaround Schools for the City of Indianapolis, has joined the Indianapolis-based national nonprofit as its new Vice President of Programs. Learn more at www.syf.org.
Association Forum of Chicagoland announces the appointment of the incoming Board of Directors who took office on April 1. Joining the board for a three-year term are regular directors Mitchell L. Dvorak, MS, CAE, account executive, Bostrom Corporation; Matthew Hornberger, MBA, CAE, associate executive director, American Society for Healthcare Risk Management at the American Hospital Association; and supplier partner director Andrea Wright, CPA, partner, Johnson Lambert, LLP. Click the link for more information.
SkillsUSA has appointed Montez King, director of credentialing for the National Institute for Metalworking Skills Inc., as a volunteer Expert for the Manufacturing Team Challenge students competing at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition, Aug. 11-16 in São Paulo, Brazil. Read more.
Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, has received the 2015 Women’s Initiative Award during the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey’s (UWGPSNJ) Women’s Initiative Gala at the Crystal Tea Room.
Peter M. Small, MD, Deputy Director of the Tuberculosis Delivery Program for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been appointed as Founding Director of the Stony Brook University Global Health Institute (GHI) effective August 1, 2015.
Maddie’s Fund has announced that its president, Rich Avanzino, will retire this summer. For more, follow the link.
Hyundai Motor America and its nonprofit organization Hyundai Hope On Wheels has announced that singer, Melanie Fiona, will join the 2015 national grant program. Fiona will serve as a Hyundai Hope On Wheels Celebrity Hope Ambassador in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Animal Defenders International (ADI) and government agencies are working around the clock to rescue a bear in northern Peru called “Cholita.” ADI is working to get Cholita onto a flight to a sanctuary in Colorado and to complete Operation Spirit of Freedom. To learn more, please visit the ADI website.
Tahirih Justice Center has announced that Mayer Brown LLP and Caterpillar Inc. will be honored as the Corporate Partners of the Year during the nonprofit’s 18th Annual Gala, “Saving Lives, Celebrating Courage,” in recognition of their exemplary service in the fight against forced marriage in the United States. Read more.
News about opportunities, initiatives
A dozen companies and foundations have sponsored more than 80 nonprofit organizations from across the country to participate in “New Strategies,” a nonprofit revenue management program recently launched by the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Voting is now open for the National Philanthropy Day Honors, awards that recognize the best in philanthropy, generosity, dedication and selflessness. National Philanthropy Day, celebrated every year on Nov. 15, is the day set aside to give thanks to everything that philanthropy—and those involved in the philanthropic process—have made possible in the world.
The Los Angeles Chapter of the Information Systems Security Association is offering executives and IT personnel of nonprofits to attend, at no charge, the Seventh Annual Information Security Summit on June 4 – June 5, 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s Summit, The Growing Cyber Threat: Protect Your Business, will highlight practical solutions every organization can implement to better secure their sensitive information from cybercriminals.
Sysco Corporation launched its second “Share My Plate” Instagram promotion and photo contest, which runs through April 30 and benefits Share Our Strength, a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Visit the Share My Plate webpage for more.
Planet Water Foundation, a US-based non-profit organization focused on helping solve the global water poverty crisis, launched Project 24, a bold initiative to provide 24 rural communities in Siem Reap, Cambodia with clean, safe water during World Water Day, which spanned a 24-hour period from March 21-22, 2015. For more, click here.
Register now for Advisors in Philanthropy’s Conference on Philanthropy on April 27-29 in Rosemont, IL.
Drink Local, Drink Tap is hosting its annual four mile run, four mile walk 4 Miles 4 Water in Cleveland, OH on May 9th. Visit drinklocaldrinktap.org for more information.
At the March 19th City Council meeting, Councilman At-Large W. Wilson Goode, Jr. introduced a Resolution developed in partnership with Philadelphia Jobs with Justice, calling upon the Nutter Administration to pursue PILOTs (Payments In Lieu of Taxes) from the city’s large nonprofits institutions. The resolution indicates that these payments could “generate tens of millions of dollars” to address Philadelphia’s school funding crisis. For more, click here
Foundation Center, has launched Foundation Maps Professional 2.0. The Foundation Maps data visualization platform, which illustrates the distribution and purposes of funding around the world through maps and charts, has incorporated two new major features. The geographic “Area Served” functionality outlines on maps the places where grant dollars are targeted apart from the locations of organizations receiving the grants. “Constellations” is a new hub-and-spokes view of the philanthropic universe that reveals funder-grantee networks in an innovative visual format.
March 28th marked the 5th Annual Good Neighbor Day in the City of College Park, Maryland – a collaboration between the University of Maryland, City of College Park and Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPP-C). Good Neighbor Day is a day of service learning and community building that engages UMD and City of College Park residents, through beautification projects, workshops, health screenings and more. For more, click here.
The Vera Institute of Justice has announced that it has selected five state and local corrections departments to participate in its Safe Alternatives to Segregation (SAS) initiative aimed at reducing their use of solitary confinement and other forms of segregated prisoner housing.
Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog chain, is proud to announce the Hot Dogs For Homeless Tour in partnership with non-profit, Skate for Change. The tour is a month-long philanthropic adventure to feed the homeless and empower youth.
The PeacePlayers International’s Fifth Annual “Dropping Dimes for Peace” fundraiser party will be held at the Bounce Sporting Club on April 6th. For more, follow the link.
FENTRESS CrossFit held the Second Annual Barbells Against Bullies Charity Workout on Saturday, March 28, 2015 to support bullying prevention in the local schools in Hampton Roads. Click here.
The American Parkinson Disease Association‘s 2015 Optimism Walk campaign is open for registration and will take place in more than 20 locations throughout the United States. To find a walk near you, click here.
The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls in partnership with Minding Your Mind will host Girl Talk, a workshop open to girls ages 11 to 16, and their parents on Sunday, April 19, 2015 from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Westtown School in West Chester, PA . For more, click here.
The Blue Ridge Foundation New York has announced that it was joining forces with the Robin Hood Foundation to create Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood, a new initiative to support technology-based ventures that advance opportunity and upward mobility for low-income Americans. Read more.
The National Association for the Self-Employed , an advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, has extended the deadline for the association’s scholarship program until April 30th, 2015.
On Wednesday, April 15, the Museum of American Finance will open “America in Circulation: A History of US Currency Featuring the Collection of Mark R. Shenkman.” The collection will be on view through March 2018 in the Museum’s money gallery. Read more.
MSG Entertainment and The Garden of Dreams Foundation‘s sold-out comedy event, Garden of Laughs, raised nearly $1.4 million to aid the Foundation’s efforts to make dreams come true for children in need, making it the most successful fundraiser in Garden of Dreams’ history. Click here fore more.
ONE DROP‘s Project Odisha, India, was awarded the “Water for Life” UN-Water Best Practices Award in the category “best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices” during a ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York City. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding best practices that ensure sustainable long-term management of water resources and contribute to achieving the access to safe water and basic sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAPOC), operating the OC Food Bank, is hosting a brews and bites festival in the Farmers Park at the Anaheim Packing House on Saturday, April 11th from 1-5pm to end poverty in Orange County.
This year B’nai B’rith will distribute more than 2,600 kosher-for-Passover packages through its Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Everywhere) program. Click for more.
A group of national leaders in planned giving and philanthropy have formed the Charitable IRA Initiative, an organization with the sole purpose of encouraging members of the U. S. Congress and the President to enact permanent legislation enabling owners of IRAs to transfer their IRA assets to the American charities. Read more.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Nationwide and GM Foundation has announced 21 days of activation, which began April 1st and working with PowerTalk 21 Day, April 21st, the national day for parents to talk with their children about alcohol.
The University of Texas at Austin invites alumni, students, faculty members, staffers and friends to rally during its 40 Hours for the Forty Acres fundraising campaign on Wednesday, April 8, through Thursday, April 9. Read more.
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.
