News about grants, gifts
The fourth annual Piaget Hamptons Polo Cup raised a record $1,000,000 for the Robin Hood Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Piaget, Team Sponsors Credit Suisse and St. Regis Hotels and Resorts, Car Sponsor Bugatti, along with support from the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation and Zen Air, 100% of every dollar raised goes to fund job training programs, schools, food pantries, medical services, emergency shelter, and other vital services that provide New Yorkers with the tools and support they need to build better lives.
The #BEgood program, an overarching marketing activation developed to inspire student-athletes, fans and students to “BE good” and “do good” in the community, supported by New York Life, the BIG EAST Conference, and Fox Sports, concluded on Sunday, August 9th with the donation of more than 250 pieces of sports equipment to After -School All-Stars.
To honor the life of Peter “Cato” Estrada, Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) has partnered with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor to supply Haitian orphans with backpacks, pencils, notebooks and other supplies needed to attend school this year. BHG has raised nearly $5,500 to purchase 345 backpacks filled with school supplies and is currently fundraising for an additional $5,000 donation to provide the students lunches for one full school year.
On August 4th, C.R. England donated over 850 backpacks, along with $15 school supply vouchers, to students in the Laredo and United Independent School Districts in Laredo, TX.
In an ongoing effort to provide school children, families and residents in Mid-Michigan with opportunities to enjoy the visual arts, live music, dance and theater, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has granted $4.9 million to the Flint Cultural Center Corporation, Flint Institute of Arts and Flint Institute of Music. A regional hub for the performing and visual arts, the Flint Cultural Center welcomes more than 610,000 children and adults to its campus each year. In addition to offering national touring artists and exhibitions, the campus is home to Michigan’s largest domed planetarium, one of the few remaining professional symphony orchestras in the state, a school for the performing arts, and art and historical collections of national significance.
The Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) is proud to announce its 2015 ISF scholarship recipients. This year our 39 recipients from 27 universities represent 14 of the ISF supported fields including film, Islamic studies, public interest law, public policy, journalism and international affairs. For 2015, ISF have reached our goal of awarding $140,500 in scholarships and grants to allow young, talented, and enthusiastic Muslim men and women to follow their aspirations and become the agents of change for our community.
There was a celebration in Cincinnati for more than just Kroger employees on August 4th. Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, hosted NASCAR driver Aric Almirola at Kroger’s headquarters. While making the visit, Eckrich and Almirola surprised medically retired Army Specialist John Dietz and his family with one year of free groceries at Kroger.
National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, announced the awarding of $12,000 in educational scholarships to four dependents of current NASE members. The NASE Dependent Scholarship Program is an educational scholarship awarded to the dependent of NASE members to help ease the financial burden of tuition and other costs associated with attending college. This year, four winners were chosen and each will receive $3,000 scholarships from the National Association for the Self-Employed.
The Northwest Area Foundation approved 14 grants worth $2,343,500 in the second quarter of 2015. The grants support the Foundation’s new strategic framework to increase good, local jobs and improve the financial capability of low-income communities that have been denied the chance to thrive on their own terms – with a special focus on those that are Native, communities of color, or immigrant – as they move from poverty to shared and lasting prosperity.
Members of the OppenheimerFunds Distribution team took time to support the local community during this week’s Distribution Symposium in San Diego. Attendees assembled 75 wheelchairs for Support the Enlisted Project and stuffed 100 teddy bears for the local Ronald McDonald House, both based in San Diego. Both non-profit organizations also received a $10,000 grant.
Pine River Capital Management completed Midnight Madness 2015 in first place in 16 hours; beating the other twenty teams and helping to raise $3.1 million for Good Shepherd Services, a nonprofit that helps young people growing up in poverty find opportunities for success. Midnight Madness, an urban puzzle-solving contest experience that raises money for Good Shepherd Services, returned to New York City on August 8th and 9th. This year’s event will help underwrite the cost of construction of a new state-of-the art community center in East New York. This new facility will serve 1,000 children, youth, and families each year through a range of programs and services that promote community development with a goal of contributing to the social capital, strength, and vibrancy of the whole neighborhood.
The San Diego Foundation announced it has received a $750,000 grant to support Opening the Outdoors, a program that increases access to outdoor and natural spaces throughout San Diego, particularly in underserved communities.The funds are part of a $3 million, 3-year Community Partnership Grant from the Satterberg Foundation to San Diego Grantmakers.
In celebration of the August 7th race weekend in Watkins Glen, Smithfield donated 25,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier in partnership with Tops Friendly Markets and Richard Petty Motorsports to help serve the Watkins Glen community. This significant donation was part of Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes tour, the company’s coast-to-coast effort to help families and individuals become more food secure.
During the weeks of June 15th to June 30th, employees from UHY LLP’s Michigan practice in conjunction with UHY Cares, purchased and sported nearly 200 pairs of red and white socks to be a part of the “Ronald Sock Challenge”. The challenge is both an awareness campaign and fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeast Michigan. The certified public accounting firm raised over $3,000 in employee donations in just over a week. With UHY adding to the success of the challenge, the total amount raised by companies across Michigan is close to $20,000.
The University of California, Davis-Humanities Institute recently received a $400,000 award from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to launch a new program that will support humanities graduate students in leading community-based research projects beginning this fall. With the award, the institute will invite 10 graduate students at UC Davis to participate in a quarter-long seminar that will cover all aspects of public humanities scholarship — from research methods and practices to project management, fundraising and marketing. Each student will be paired with a faculty mentor whose research connects to a community organization or public agency. In the summer, each student will serve in a paid internship with the organization to translate their research into action.
News about people, groups
Artist Trust is pleased to announce that Brian McGuigan has been hired as its Program Director. As Program Director, McGuigan will oversee all aspects of Artist Trust grantmaking, career development programs and resources to serve individual artists of all disciplines in Washington State.
Charity Navigator, America’s leading charity rating service, announced that its board of directors has approved the appointment of Michael Thatcher as president and chief executive officer. Mr. Thatcher joins Charity Navigator with a successful track record as a technology executive with a reputation for achieving desired results and a passion for using technology as a tool to advance social good.
The HealthWell Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, announced its launch of a new fund to assist people living with Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD). Through the fund, the HealthWell Foundation will provide copayment assistance for UCD treatment to eligible patients who are insured and have annual household incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
Integrity Windows and Doors, the manufacturer of fiberglass window and door products made with Ultrex® pultruded fiberglass, announces a formal partnership with Make It Right. Founded by Brad Pitt in 2007, Make It Right builds sustainable, affordable homes for people in need around the country. All Make It Right projects are LEED certified and Cradle to Cradle-inspired—meeting the highest standards of green building.
Inwood House, one of New York City’s most historic charities leading the way in teen family services since 1830, has announced it has sold its East 82nd Street residence and Teen Family Learning Center in Manhattan. To that end, Inwood House entered into a partnership with The Children’s Village in January and will be known as Inwood House at The Children’s Village. Services and residential living for the pregnant and parenting teens will be moved from East 82nd street to The Children’s Village newest location, 127th street in Manhattan as well as small residential settings in the Bronx and in Queens.
Kjristine Lund, Anthony McGill, Alan Pierson, David M. Roth, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Matthew VanBesien, and Jonathan Weedman have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras. The League is a membership organization comprised of hundreds of orchestras from across North America.
Reflecting the commitment of the consulting firm’s leadership and staff, Raffa received its re-certification as a B Corporation and boosted its “B Score” in the process. Founded more than 30 years ago by Thomas Raffa, the firm has thrived as it has met its goals of strengthening the nonprofit business sector and proving that companies dedicated to social good can thrive. The nonprofit organization B Lab uses a customized assessment for each B Corp certification, based on industry, location and size. In order to become certified, the company must meet strict standards of social and environmental impact, accountability and transparency.
News about opportunities, initiatives
Childhood hunger lives in communities large and small across the country, with no regard for geographic or demographic boundaries. In an effort to raise awareness to this issue and help end childhood hunger in America, Arby’s® restaurants are teaming up with their guests to make a difference. Starting August 3rd through September 13th, the Brand is hosting the 2015 Arby’s Foundation National Restaurant Fundraiser, where guests can make in-restaurant donations to support the Arby’s Foundation and its mission to end childhood hunger in partnership with No Kid Hungry.
Join the Audre Lorde Project as they discuss the background of the climate crisis at their Climate Crisis Workshop on August 19th from 6pm-9pm at their Manhattan Office. This workshop is open to folks who identify as LGBTSTGNC POC and Allies.
The Evanston Community Foundation is currently seeking proposals from small to mid-size nonprofits in Evanston for its root2fruit grant program. The deadline for 2016 grant applications is Oct. 12. Three new organizations will be selected for grants of up to $10,000 each, and each organization that receives a grant is eligible to receive grants for the following two years, up to a maximum of $30,000.
August 12th marks Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada’s volunteer kickoff. Currently with more than 4,700 Girl Scouts and 2,000 volunteers, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada’s goal is to grow participation to 20,000 girls and 9,000 adults by 2025. The Girl Scouts Open House for new volunteers will take place August 18th – 20th at the Girl Scouts Leadership Center on Harris Ave.
Greener Fields Together™, the sustainability and local produce initiative created by PRO*ACT, the produce supply-chain management company, is proud to announce Cultivating Change, a grant program for local California farms. Through Cultivating Change, local growers are eligible to apply for grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. The grants will be funded on an annual basis to qualifying growers through an online voting platform and industry review panel.
Nonprofit Tech for Good is hosting “How to Create Visual Content for Your NGO”, a free webinar to take place on Tuesday, August 25th at 1-2:30 EDT. In a world of constant social media coverage, it’s important to appeal to your reader visually, not overwhelming them with large block of texts. Some NGOs struggle with visual content, however, and this webinar will provide tips and tricks on creating visual content on a small budget.
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