On the short road into the Golden Briar housing project, a sign reads No Exit.

There are no doubt some in the surrounding suburbs would prefer to keep it that way for Golden Briar and its low-income residents – out of sight, out of mind, out of their big backyards.

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Nice post from New Voices Of Philanthropy about how you can go about finding support and develop a network.

As I have been developing my network of support in my new role at Headwaters Foundation for Justice, I have found that it is difficult, if not impossible to find women of color in leadership roles in philanthropy. It would be great if I could find another young African American woman running a community foundation that is passionate about social justice so we could compare notes and bond over our similar challenges (if you know that woman let me know). What is more realistic and what I have done for most of my career is to find a varied network of support. I have a variety of roles in this new position: fundraiser, manager, strategic planner, chief networker, spokesperson, and administrator. I have found a lot of amazing women and men with experiences in each of these roles and have relied on them to give me good advice and lots of encouragement as I chart new paths and try new ideas out. For me, there has never been just one great mentor. My mentors are in lots of different fields and have a variety of experiences. Most wouldn't call themselves my mentor if you asked them but they have always been available when I have needed help.

My advice to you is to not wait around for your fairy godmentor either, there are lots of great people already in your network who would be willing to fill that role if you only asked.

New Voices Of Philanthropy: Fairy Godmentors and other urban legends.

A new foundation for charitable giving should be awarding its first grants by the end of the year.

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Though located in Council Bluffs, the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation is set up to assist the entire county.

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The Hancock County Community Foundation says the Emergency Economic Stablization Act of 2008 extends the Charitable IRA legislation for two years. The law allows taxpayers 70-and-a-half years and older to give their retirement savings directly to charity and bypass income tax. The law is designed to help charities that are experiencing the effects of the tough economy. It is slated to expire at the end of 2009.
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Animal Rescue Foundation of Bartlesville joins the list of non-profit organizations that have successfully established endowment funds with Bartlesville Community Foundation, Bartlesville Community Foundation Executive Director Julia Crouch said this week.

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The Community Foundation for the National Capital Area, one of the region's biggest charitable grantmakers, said its endowment lost about $40 million during the three months that ended Tuesday. "We've never seen anything quite like this," said Kenny Emson, a senior vice president who oversees the foundation's investments. ". . . It's been a pretty shocking quarter."

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A $7.5 million grant from the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation to a Dallas Foundation fund will benefit thousands of North Texas servicemen and servicewomen and their families.

The grant will provide increased emergency assistance, mental and physical health services, and other programs.

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Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes President Randi Hewit, alongside Carl Hayden, chairman of the Chemung County School Readiness Council, has been invited to speak at the fourth annual Equity Symposium on Nov. 17 at Columbia University in New York City.

The symposium brings together some of the nation’s leading experts to review current research and examine the experiences of pilot projects. Hewit will be participating in the Promising Delivery Models Roundtable and will be talking specifically about the Chemung County School Readiness Project; the ground-breaking early childhood system designed to help more of Chemung County’s children start kindergarten with a solid foundation for learning.

Community Foundation president to speak at NYC symposium | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette.

Kay M. Marquet, president and CEO of Community Foundation Sonoma County announced plans Thursday to leave the nonprofit she has led for nearly 17 years.

“It’s the right time for a change, for me and for the Community Foundation,” she said in a statement.

Under her leadership, the foundation grew from $4 million in assets to its current $136 million and its staff has expanded from four to 15.

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The Advance Library was recently awarded a $13,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Boone County.

The funds were used to purchase a new heating and air conditioning unit and will be used for a new front door. With the upgrades and many donations, the building has been opened to the community. A number of volunteers and donors have come together to make this facility a reality.

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