It’s time to start a broader conversation about how government can support the capacity of Not for Profits to engage with philanthropy writes Krystian Seibert, Policy and Research Manager with Philanthropy Australia.

In policy debates about growing philanthropy in Australia, we often focus on the ‘supply-side’ how new taxation arrangements or improved regulatory frameworks could encourage more giving. It’s like an aquifer running under your land it’s great to know it’s there but unless you can dig a well then the flowing water isn’t much use to you.

An innovative, vibrant, sustainable and independent not-for-profit sector can only benefit from philanthropy if they know how to tap into it more importantly, this is also the only way for our community to benefit from philanthropy.

That’s why building the capacity of Not for Profits to engage with philanthropy needs to be a priority.

Many organisations are geared towards building this capacity. This will in turn inhibit their ability to grow and innovate.

It’s a bit of a vicious circle you need investment to grow and innovate, but without the funds that come from growth and innovation, it’s hard to make the investment!

Governments of all political persuasions talk about the benefits of a vibrant and sustainable Not for Profit sector, and for good reason.

But Government also has limited funding which it can direct towards Not for Profits , and in any event neither Government nor the Not for Profit sector wants a situation where organisations are too dependent on any one source of funding, including government funding.

The ‘under-supply’ of capacity building investment within the Not for Profit sector provides an argument for some form of government support for capacity building, to enable Not for Profits to engage more effectively with philanthropy. Funded by the Australian Government, it continues to invest in the professional and business development of cultural sector organisations to maximise their partnership potential and long-term growth, and by working with business and philanthropists to facilitate partnerships and investment.

If Government supports capacity building initiatives within the cultural sector, it’s reasonable to ask why such support couldn’t be replicated in other parts of the Not for Profit sector.

One area in particular where such capacity building initiatives could be of particular benefit is the disability sector. Of course, there are also other areas which could merit consideration as well.

In any event, it’s time to start a broader conversation about how Government can support the capacity of Not for Profits to engage with philanthropy because at the moment it’s the side of philanthropy equation which doesn’t receive enough attention.

About the author: Krystian Seibert is a regular columnist for Pro Bono Australia on philanthropy, public policy and research.

GM Arlington Assembly presents $100,000 to various community agencies

The GM Arlington Assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, has announced that it will be donating a total of $100,000 in grants to local organizations and community initiatives. “This year, we’re planning to provide $2 million in funding to hundreds of organizations that provide critical resources and programs that families and neighborhoods rely on each and every day.”

GM Arlington Assembly has revealed that the $100,000 in grants will be distributed to the following organizations:

Arlington Independent School District Foundation $10,000 will support teacher grants, bringing new opportunities for innovation and technology into classrooms across the Arlington ISD.
Community Food Bank of Fort Worth This $10,000 grant will help feed more than 450 local families and support the operational expenses for the food bank’s mission.
InspirED (Higher Education Servicing Corporation) A $5,000 grant will support programs to encourage students and families to be college ready and to provide detailed guidance on such things as admissions, testing, scholarships and the intricacies of applying for financial aid.
Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail A $10,000 grant will support this high school activity-based, interactive instruction, which focuses on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and college readiness.
Arlington Independent School District Foundation $7,500 will support the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) program, which brings hands-on education outdoors.
Mansfield Independent School District Foundation $7,500 will support the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) program, which brings hands-on education outdoors.
River Legacy Foundation A $10,000 grant will support the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) regional programs and help reach more than 1,000 students through its water monitoring events.
Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME) A $10,000 grant will provide an opportunity for Remynse Elementary School to host the “TAME” trailblazers, a one-of-a-kind science museum on wheels, for its students.
United Way of Tarrant County A $20,000 grant will help support its mission to help the community learn well, earn well and live well in Tarrant County.
University Crossroads (University of Texas Arlington) A $10,000 grant will help local students navigate the road to higher education.

“We are thrilled to give back to a community that has been home to us for more than 60 years,” said Arlington Assembly plant manager Juan Carlos Jimenez.

Champions for Healthy Kids: $1 Million in Grants Awarded by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Champions for Healthy Kids: $1 Million in Grants Awarded by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation

Newswise CHICAGO The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2015 Champions for Healthy Kids grants, provided through an educational grant from the General Mills Foundation.

As part of the Academy Foundation’s Kids Eat Right program, the Champions for Healthy Kids grants support nonprofit organizations to implement new or expanded programs that encourage good nutrition and physical activity for kids and their families. All programs must utilize the expertise of a registered dietitian nutritionist or dietetic technician, registered who is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The 2015 Champions for Healthy Kids grant programs will reach children and families of different ethnic backgrounds, primarily African-American and Hispanic. In 2015, for the second year in a row, the General Mills Foundation committed to awarding 50 grants of $20,000 each.

“We thank the General Mills Foundation for recognizing the value of locally based programs that draw on the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists and dietetic technicians, registered in helping children get and stay healthy,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Foundation Chair Terri Raymond.

“Programs funded by Champions grants are an integral part of improving the health of our nation’s children,” Raymond said.

Kids Eat Right is a two-tiered campaign mobilizing Academy members to participate in community and school childhood obesity prevention efforts and to educate families, communities and policy makers about the importance of nutrition. Kids Eat Right also provides Academy members with resources to become more recognized leaders in childhood obesity prevention and to raise awareness of the need to help children meet their nutrient requirements.

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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity devoted exclusively to nutrition and dietetics.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which earns about $10 million annually from its Golden Globe Awards, is pledging $2 million to Los Angeles City College’s cinema and television department. As a nonprofit, the journalists organization has handed out more than $20 million in grants to various industry charities, but the commitment to LACC which will be paid out over multiple years through the LACC Foundation is the largest gift it has ever made, surpassing the previous record of $350,000 that it donated to The Film Foundation.

“The LACC Foundation is truly honored to be the recipient of this extraordinary gift from the Hollywood Foreign Press,” said Robert Schwartz, executive director of the foundation. “This donation will be transformational in its impact, not only in the upgrade of facilities at the college’s cinema and television program, but also in the effect that this will have on the lives of the more than 1,500 students who will study at the HFPA Center for Cinema and Television each semester.”

Additonally, as part of a deal struck last year between the HFPA and Dick Clark Productions which produces the Golden Globes for the HFPA and handles licensing to international broadcasters DCP, and its parent company, Guggenheim Partners (which also owns THR), will donate $7.5 million over six years to match HFPA’s charity efforts beginning this year.

This experienced fundraising leader will have the opportunity to spearhead ambitious fundraising goals in a metrics-driven environment, while managing a team of highly qualified professionals during one of the most exciting times in healthcare fundraising.

Reporting directly to the Corporate Chief Development Officer, the Assistant Vice President provides leadership in achieving identified fundraising, meeting, solicitation and engagement goals for the RWJ University Hospital Foundation, the RWJ Hamilton Foundation and the Somerset Health Care Foundation, while interfacing with a number of hospital executives and multiple Boards of Trustees. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills; a passion for the mission of RWJ University Hospital and healthcare; and a collegial work style.

Organizational Profile:
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 965-bed hospital with campuses in New Brunswick and Somerville, offering Central New Jersey residents expanded access to the highest quality of medical services and a wider array of innovative therapies available at only a small number of elite academic medical centers nationwide. More broadly, the RWJ Health System is composed of four acute care hospitals (RWJUH, RWJ Somerset, RWJ Hamilton and RWJ Rahway) and Childrens Specialized Hospital.

Apply online: https://www.healthcaresource.com/rwjuh/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.jobDetails&template=dsp_job_details.cfm&cJobId=101217

EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability

HANCOCK – Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly will be able to expand its medical transportation program, thanks to two grants it received.

LBFE Executive Director Cathy Aten said the elderly-service organization recently received a $21,750 grant from Marquette-based Superior Health Foundation to help pay for a $43,500 van equipped with a wheelchair lift. It is a stand-alone corporation and is not affiliated with Duke LifePoint or Marquette General, now called UP Health System – Marquette.

The Portage Health Foundation was established in November 1990 with the purpose of supporting charitable and philanthropic activities within the Portage Health Hospital system. In December 2013, majority ownership of Portage Health hospital was acquired by LifePoint Hospitals.

At that time, the PHF was converted from a hospital foundation to a charitable organization with the purpose of supporting the charitable health needs of the community and surrounding four-county area – Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw & Ontonagon counties.”

Aten said the Little Brothers medical transportation program is popular with the organization’s elderly friends. Without it, many of them either would have a great deal of difficulty getting to medical care or they would go without.

“It’s a huge service,” she said.

Aten said Little Brothers also received a small grant from the Baraga County Community Foundation to help with medical transportation to and from Baraga County.

GuardianJobs

PROGRESS 2015: Spotlight on education Artful Living Program – News – The Independent – Massillon, OH Share with us a brief history of the program.The Artful Living Program is a community supported, innovative outreach sponsored by the Massillon Museum and Stark County Educational Service Center. Learn more at www.massillonmuseum.org/artful-living.Originally designed at the Massillon Museum in 2006-07, the program now provides arts lessons to preschool children in Massillon City Schools, Canton City Schools, and in 10 local districts countywide.What is your program’s greatest accomplishment of the past year?The Artful Living Program is providing arts lessons to over 1,000 preschool children throughout Stark County.Why is your program important to western Stark County?Providing lessons in the arts to children at the earliest time in their intellectual development has been shown to enhance creativity and to improve academic achievement.Tell us something that most readers would not know about your program.The Artful Living Program is a grant-funded program and has received 28 grants over the last seven years. mainImageContainerInnerHTML_sm += ”+mainImageData_credit+”; mainImageContainerInnerHTML_sm += ”+htmlencode(mainImageData_caption)+”; $(‘#art-main-image-credit-container_sm’).css(‘width’,smimgwidth).css(‘padding’,’3px ‘+(mainImageData_leftPadding – 3)+’px 0 0’); $(‘#art-main-image-caption-container_sm’).css(‘width’,sm_img.width).css(‘padding’,’5px 0 0 ‘+(mainImageData_leftPadding + 3)+’px’); $(‘#art-main-image-caption-container’).css(‘width’,img.width).css(‘padding’,’5px 0 0 ‘+mainImageData_leftPadding+’px’); $(‘#art-main-image-credit-container’).css(‘width’,img.width).css(‘padding’,’5px ‘+(mainImageData_leftPadding)+’px 0 0’);

Give Local Piedmont rallies donors for funding – Star-Exponent: Culpeper Star Exponent

Rhonda Simmons/Star-Exponent

Michelle Powell, an artist with The Windmore Foundation of the Arts based in Culpeper, answers several questions from Sarah Johnson, 6, during Tuesday’s Give Local Piedmont campaign held at the State Theatre in downtown Culpeper.

Residents of the local four-county region dug deep into their pockets Tuesday to help the second annual Give Local Piedmontas 24-hour online fundraiser garner money for non-profit organizations that provide various services to people close to home.A A

Part of the national Give Local American campaign and sponsored by the Piedmont Community Foundation“>Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, Give Local Piedmont kicked off its online drive sharply at midnight and concluded at 11:59 p.m.

Although the majority of donors submitted contributions online, nearly 40 people gathered inside the State Theatreas black box upstairs to watch the automatic leader board move toward the $1 million goal.

Addressing the crowd around 6 p.m., Community Foundation Chairman John McCarthy pointed out that this yearas number of donors had surpassed last yearas numbers early in the campaign.

aWe are really excited about being part of the Give Local campaign,a said Langston-Harrison.

Give Local Piedmont Communications director Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire kept the community informed with several updates posted on the organizationas Facebook page.

Griffin-Bonnaire also added that although aCulpeper is a relatively small county, itas filled with big-hearted people.aaNot only will Give Local Piedmont donations benefit its nonprofits, residents continue to learn about the many wonderful organizations at work here.aA

NPCF Culpeper board member Eugene Triplett, representing Culpeper, said Give Local Piedmont is an opportunity for local people to support local organizations.

aItas also a way for someone living in California or out of the country to support the local organizations,a Triplett added.