6.22.15 US Nonprofit News

Jun 22, 2015 | News, Philanthropy Journal

WaterStep sends 100 M-100 water purifiers to Nepal, Citi celebrates 10th annual Global Community Day, NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network opens registration for the 2015 Leading Change Summit, and more.

News about grants, gifts

Urban Resource Institute (URI) is pleased to announce that it has received a $75,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®, in support of URIPALS, New York City’s only program that shelters domestic violence victims with their pets. This is the second consecutive year that the ASPCA has awarded the grant to URI.

ScottsMiracle-Gro donated over 800,000 Miracle-Gro(R) Gro-ables(R) Seed Pods(TM) to Feeding America, the nation’s leader in the fight to end hunger. This single donation has the potential to harvest over five million pounds of food to help fight hunger.

The New York Community Trust, one of the largest funders of the city’s nonprofits, today announced two multi-year grants to support the LGBT Center and the New York City LGBT Historic Sites Project. The Trust will provide $150,000 over two years to the Center’s new substance abuse treatment program targeted to help LGBT adolescents and young adults – “Serving Adolescents in Need of Treatment”. The New York City LGBT Historic Sites Project will receive $50,000 over two years for a coordinator to survey and document city historic and cultural sites reflecting LGBT history.

Smithfield donated more than 12,000 pounds of protein this week to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank to help feed Hampton Roads-area families in need. This donation is part of Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes program, the company’s nationwide initiative to help alleviate hunger across the country.

As part of it’s Ready. Set. PLAY. initiative with national non-profit KaBOOM!, NASCAR driver Aric Almirola surprised Bear Creek Community Charter School guests with a $1,000 giant gift card towards the purchase of free groceries, courtesy of Nathan’s Famous.

Planned Systems International, Inc., a leading provider of Health IT solutions to the federal government, has donated $22,900 to assist with disaster relief and humanitarian efforts following the devastating earthquake in Nepal and the surrounding region.

The KeyBank Foundation has granted $2 million to Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University which will support a combined effort to enhance and expand medical students’ interprofessional education experiences.

Louisville-based non-profit WaterStep is sending 100 of its innovative M-100 water purifiers to Nepal in order to provide safe drinking water to communities affected by the recent earthquakes.

The Detroit area Planet Fitness owners and their employees, club members, and vendors rallied together to raise more than $50,000 for Make-A-Wish Michigan. More than 4,000 walkers attended the Make-A-Wish Michigan‘s 17th Annual Walk for Wishes on May 2.

Service Corporation International (SCI), through its brand, “Dignity Memorial”, is proud to announce its title sponsorship for the seventh straight year of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Dignity Memorial Tour de Cure Houston. Since partnering with the ADA, SCI has contributed over $4.5 million to fund critical diabetes research, education, and advocacy programs to support children and adults living with diabetes. The annual cycling event will take place on September 26th, 2015.

News about people, groups

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals will honor the collaborative efforts of SUS, United Cerebral Palsy-NYC and HeartShare Human Services with a 2015 Moving Mountains Award that will be given at this year’s Reinventing Quality Conference.

As a way to better reflect what it is and does, the Parelli Education Institute has announced that the organization has been renamed the Parelli Foundation. Executive Director Lori Northrup explains that they will now “be able to exclusively focus on our mission: programs and philanthropy for youth, horse welfare, therapeutic horsemanship and equine talent and career development scholarships.”

Exceptional Minds, a non-profit vocational center and working production studio for young adults on the autism spectrum, saw seven exceptional individuals with autism graduate on June 14th to pursue careers in visual effects and digital animation.

Honoree Sofia Vergara accepts the Inaugural Actors Inspiration Award

Honoree Sofia Vergara accepts the Inaugural Actors Inspiration Award

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Foundation kicked off their 30th Anniversary festivities with the star-studded Los Angeles Golf Classic on June 8th in Burbank, CA. The 6th annual fundraiser, presented by Integrated Wealth Management, benefited the SAG Foundation’s Catastrophic Health Fund and Emergency Assistance programs.  Since its inception in 1985, the non-profit SAG Foundation has granted more than $17 million for its financial and medical emergency assistance to SAG-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists families.

The El-Hibri Foundation is delighted to announce that Farhan Latif has been named the new President effective June 8, 2015. Mr. Latif comes to the Foundation with a breadth of experience in peacebuilding, policy development, higher education, social entrepreneurship, and interfaith leadership.

Baltimore-area nonprofit Vehicles for Change, Inc. (VFC) recently launched Maryland’s first-ever sector-specific prison reentry program to provide automotive training to previously incarcerated individuals with the goal of transitioning them to unsubsidized employment. Full Circle Service Center is the second phase of VFC’s Center for Automotive Careers which launched an automotive detail training program in 2013. VFC opened Full Circle Service Center to the public on June 17th—a repair shop open to the public and serviced by program trainees under the supervision of on-staff Master Mechanics.

Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey, a full-service direct marketing firm serving global nonprofit organizations, received the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association Package of the Year Award on June 3rd for Guide Dogs for the Blind’s “Letter from a Guide Dog” campaign.

Corporation for Enterprise Development and nearly two dozen of our partners launched the Campaign for Every Kid’s Future, a five-year effort to connect 1.4 million kids with savings accounts to help them go to college and secure a stronger future. The Campaign formally kicked off with an announcement from President Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative America Conference in Denver on June 9th.

ScoutComms announced that B Lab, the B Corporation certification body, has recognized the company as a B Corporation(TM). By becoming a certified B Corporation, ScoutComms is publicly committing to using the power of its business to solve the social problems facing veterans and military families.

The 2015 Fidelity Charitable® Giving Report—the organization’s third annual edition—offers new insight on the role of donor-advised funds amid other giving methods, such as direct giving and private foundations, and also analyzes the charitable giving approach and patterns of the organizations 119,472 donors. Fidelity Charitable is an independent public charity with a national donor-advised fund program.

America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth, announced today that Rasheed Merritt, a leader on the State Farm Human Resources team, has been elected to its board of directors. He replaces Kathy Payne, the senior director of education leadership at State Farm, who is retiring from her post.  Ms. Payne has served as an America’s Promise trustee and board member for more than a decade.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) recently welcomed Valeria Sanchez, a 2015 graduate from Mount Saint Mary’s University, as its communications assistant. Valeria previously interned with NHMC.

In a critical step toward the commitment to quality care and quality jobs for families and caregivers, the Fair Care Pledge was unveiled at the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America meeting by Care.com Founder, Chairwoman and CEO Sheila Lirio Marcelo and National Domestic Workers Alliance Director and Macarthur “Genius” Ai-jen Poo. An initiative between the growing domestic worker social movement and the world’s largest online family care marketplace, the Pledge is one of CGI America’s featured Commitments to Action.

Kerri Burns, President of the almost 80-year-old Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, is retiring from the post after the successful two-year turnaround of the organization under her leadership. Burns, who is leaving the organization effective July 2, 2015, is pursuing personal goals and is not continuing professional service in the animal welfare field.

The Foundation for a National AIDS Monument has gained three new members on its Board of Directors. Actor and activist Zachary Quinto has joined the Board, as has William Morris Endeavor Board Member Mark Itkin and marketing executive Tom Whitman, all of whom add a wealth of knowledge, leadership and experience to support the growth and development of the AIDS Monument, located in West Hollywood, CA.

Deborah Wolfe

Deborah Wolfe

SUS, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Deborah Wolfe to the Board of Directors. Wolfe is a partner at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz, PC in the Corporate & Finance Group as well as a founding member of the Women for SUS.

Arizona-based online marketing company Blue Global Media announced its support of 200 children on a monthly basis through PlanUSA’s child sponsorship program. PlanUSA is a global organization committed to working side-by-side with communities in 50 developing countries to end the cycle of poverty for children while developing solutions to ensure long-term sustainability. Their goal is sponsor 500 children by the end of 2015.

Citi celebrated its 10th annual Global Community Day on June 13th, as more than 77,000 Citi volunteers in 487 cities spanning 93 countries and territories engage in service activities to benefit their local communities. In the days leading up to and including Global Community Day, Citi colleagues, alumni, clients, family and friends worked side-by-side on more than 1,200 service projects ranging from urban revitalization to literacy and education, career readiness, environmental conservation and disaster relief.

News about opportunities, initiatives

New online giving platform Webithon™, debuted earlier this month, to offer members of the public a new way to donate to their favorite charitable causes. Built on existing webinar, or online meetings technology including voice and video images over the internet, Webithon™ seeks to create an environment whereby anyone can setup a fundraiser, for any cause, anywhere, anytime.

Alliance for Nonprofit Management, in partnership with the Nonprofit Association of Oregon and Portland State University’s Institute for Nonprofit Management, will be hosting their National Conference “Building the Capacity Pipeline” on October 6th-8th in Portland, Oregon. Interested parties still have the chance to register, become a presenter or sponsor, and volunteer.

Registration is now open for a free Carolina Public Press training webinar to help journalists, public officials and community members understand when, according to North Carolina state laws and guidelines, government agencies and officials may close public meetings. The “Behind the Door” online-only webinar will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, June 26.

National Hispanic Media Coalition will hold its 3rd Annual Latino Scene Showcase on October 21st at El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, CA. The showcase will highlight talented Latino writers and actors, and provide the opportunity for industry professionals to discover diverse talent.

The Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC) 2015, Greater Public’s signature event, has recently published its full schedule of events. The PMDMC 2015 Conference will take place in Washington D.C. on July 9th through the 11th.

Threads will be hosting Threads MCON on June 23rd from 1-2pm, a conversation about what the next 20 years will look like for every person and organization working to improve the common good.

On July 1st, the Rasmuson Foundation Artist Residency Program will begin accepting applications from Alaska artists and writers interested in fully-funded, two-month residencies in the Lower 48. A free information session detailing the program, eligibility requirements, and application process will be held June 26th, at 6pm in the Anchorage Museum’s Reynolds Classroom. Potential applicants are invited to attend in-person or by teleconference.

NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network has opened registration for the 2015 Leading Change Summit to take place in Washington, D.C. on September 12th-16th. #15LCS is the personal strategic planning retreat, taking raw ideas and turning them into a plan of action.

Asking Matters will host the first Fundraising Masters webinar of the year with 40-year fundraising leader and author of the best-selling book Asking, Jerry Panas. This free webinar will take place Monday, June 22nd at noon.

Animal Planet, with special support from AT&T U-Verse, PAWS Chicago, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and DogVacay, is hosting WOOFSTOCK: ROAD TO PUPPY BOWL, a free festival in Chicago on June 27th to celebrate pet adoptions.


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.

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