Philanthropic response to the cyclone in Burma (nat’l conference call)

Monday, May 12 at 3pm ET. Click here for information.

A fifth “New Community” in D.C.? [News, 5/9]

A new “New Community” in D.C.? (subscription)  - “Carver Terrace and Langston Dwellings, some of the District’s oldest public housing projects, would become the fifth neighborhood included in D.C.’s New Communities initiative under legislation submitted May 6 by Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., D-Ward 5.” … But one of the initiative’s key funding sources, the Housing Production Trust Fund, ”faces possible deficits in fiscal years 2008 and 2009.” (WBJ, 5/9 - pg.33)

FORECLOSURES
Five Michigan foundations are collaborating to address Detroit’s foreclosure crisis (CMFNewswire, 5/8) - Food for thought?

NONPROFITS
- Hunting for new heroes (subscription) - “Many nonprofit leadership stars are ready to pass the torch to a new generation. But the organizations they built may not be ready for them to leave.” (WBJ, 5/2)
- Political and business leaders honor the winners of the (confusingly named) Hoop Dreams Scholarship. (WaPo, 5/8)

PHILANTHROPY
- At the philanthropy summit, Microsoft and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced multimillion-dollar support for the National Fund for Workforce Solution (WaPo, 5/8)
- General Mills Foundation awards D.C. $100,000 grant to help fight childhood obesity. (WaPo, 5/9)

ECONOMY
- Va. - Using sales or excise taxes to fund the state’s transportation needs could hit the neediest residents the hardest (WaPo, 5/9)

EDUCATION
School districts spending big bucks to promote successes to public (Examiner, 5/9) - Most of the bucks reportedly go to communications with parents and students, which seems reasonable to me.

“Foundations urged to drop jitters over public-policy work” [News, 5/7]

“Foundation boards are far too timid about trying to influence lawmakers, mistakenly fearing it would jeopardize their tax-exempt status…” (Chronicle Summit blog, 5/6). If you couldn’t go to the Summit but want to know what you’re missing, start with TacticalPhilanthropy.com. (Don’t miss the “failure is fine” post.)

HEALTH
CareFirst: D.C. universal health care plan ‘isn’t financially sustainable’ (WBJ, 5/6)

Note to WG members: At the Public Education Working Group meeting last week, Abigail Smith, who directs the DCPS high school transformation work presented the top DCPS priorities over the next five years. The presentation, distributed to all WG members, was an informal sharing of a ‘working document’ — not a formal announcement or final plan ready for wide distribution. Sharing the draft was part of the Chancellor’s effort to get feedback from the community. Please send your thoughts and questions to Lucretia Murphy (lmurphy@jff.org), WG consultant for the working group. We will compile the comments and circle back with Ms. Smith. A conference call will be set up to share any feedback we receive.

EDUCATION
- DC Schools-“The decision to close Stevens illustrates how Rhee’s operating style both inspires and alienates.” (WaPo, 5/7) - At Stevens, ”just 27 percent of the students tested at proficient or better on the DC-CAS math exam last year…” Rhee: “These decisions [to close schools] were not made about real estate and development…You can choose to believe me or not to believe me.”  (I believe her.)
- To Save Money, Some Schools In Region Plan Bigger Classes (WaPo, 5/7)
- @WG: May 19 - “The Effect of New DCPS Policies on Out-of-School-Time Programs”

CORPORATE
Marc Benioff, CEO, Salesforce.com: “Too many corporate philanthropic efforts occur in isolation, with little relationship to their community, employees, or corporate missions.” (HuffPo, 5/6)

PEOPLE
[Md.] Elected to take David Harrington’s seat on the Pr. George’s County council, Andrea Harrison “campaigned on a promise to continue Harrington’s community outreach efforts.” (WaPo, 5/7) - One such effort was the Partnership for Prince George’s County.

ENVIRONMENT
With eye on future, Md. goes green despite tight budget (Examiner, 5/7)

BUDGET
DC shortfall grows as projected revenues fall again. (WaPo, 5/7)

________________________________________
@ WG:
- May 15: When the Giving Gets Tough: Corporate Giving in Today’s Economy
- May 16: HWG presents: In Sickness and in Wealth

New on the WG Job Board

 (Post/find jobs here. WG members post at a discount–find code on “30-second Update” page.)

Donor Services Assistant - The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region (District of Columbia)

Manager Foundation Relations - Alliance for Justice (District of Columbia)

Mortgage crisis will affect 90,000 children in DC, Md., Va. [News, 5/6]

Over 90,000 children in D.C., Md., Va. live in families that will lose their homes at some point in the next two years, according to a new report from First Focus. (Note that this figure is includes statewide totals Virginia and Maryland.) Nationally, they estimate that 2 million children are living in families that will lose their homes–and that doesn’t include the rental market. Here’s the report, which goes into the behavioral and health consequences for children. (release, 4/30)

COF just found that 15 percent of foundations surveyed are supporting activities specifically related to the subprime mortgage crisis. Are you? Let me know–I’d like to let everyone else know about it.

PHILANTHROPY
- As the September 11 Survivors’ Fund winds down, a report from the Community Foundation on lessons-learned: “Process for Disaster Recovery: Lessons for Foundations and Other Partners”–a tool for communities facing disasters. (wire, 5/5)
- The Case Foundation has announced the Final Four grantees in its Make It Your Own Awards (wire, 5/5)
- Interview: Lynn Brantley, CEO of Capital Area Food Bank (Examiner, 5/6)

HEALTH
D.C. Universal Health Care Bill–Provider, Doctors May Pull Out of Program (WaPo, 5/6)

DC SCHOOLS
- Mayor Fenty names two choices for school reform watchdogs (Examiner, 5/6) 
- Rhee Moves To Dismiss Up to 30 Principals (WaPo, 5/6) - presumably, they are no longer her pals…

________________________________________
@ WG:
- May 15: When the Giving Gets Tough: Corporate Giving in Today’s Economy
- May 16: HWG presents: In Sickness and in Wealth

Pr. George’s County gets $6M in foundation grants for education [News, 5/5]

EDUCATION
Prince George’s County gets $6M in foundation grants to track performance beyond test scores. (Examiner, 5/5) - Dell Foundation, Broad Foundation make grants to develop “an accessible database of small factors that lead to larger success.”

D.C. Schools Blitzed With Paint and Plants (WaPo, 5/4) - The projects were sponsored by Fannie Mae and Greater D.C. Cares. “Siobhan Canty, head of Greater D.C. Cares, said her organization would like to do more for the schools. But she said she hasn’t received as much cooperation as she would like from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee.” Canty: “We hope today is the start of a conversation with the city about how we can be an asset to their efforts to revitalize the D.C. school system…Real work is needed to develop partnerships.”

PHILANTHROPY
- 9/11 Charity Held Up as Model Of How Best to Help Bereaved (WaPo, 5/4) - “Over the first seven months after the attacks, the Survivors’ Fund spent just $800,000 of its [$25 million in] donations. This was by design.” The Surivors’ Fund is an LLC of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region [WG member].
- The head of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds David Rockefeller’s choice to give $100M to Harvard “terribly sad.” (NYTimes, 5/2)
- Thousands of Philanthropists Convene to Develop Philanthropy’s Future at Historic Summit (wire, 5/4)
- Charities feeling the effects of economic slowdown (LATimes, 5/2)

HEALTH
- Speakers Express Division on Bill To Mandate Health-Care Coverage (WaPo, 5/3)

________________________________________
@ WG:
- May 15: When the Giving Gets Tough: Corporate Giving in Today’s Economy
- May 16: HWG presents: In Sickness and in Wealth

The philanthropists have landed! (Summit-related items)

There’s more going on with the Summit than I can hope to keep track of, but I’ll post things here as I hear about them. It looks like some events–including several EPIP events–don’t require conference registration to attend.

HIGHLIGHT:
Tuesday Breakfast Plenary-”The Power of Partnership”
“Collaboration can spark innovative and lasting change in communities.” With NPR’s Kojo Nnamdi; Viki Betancourt, WG board chair and manager of the World Bank Community Outreach Program and Community Connections Fund; Maryland State Senator David Harrington; and Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote.

BLOGS covering the conference (news up to the minute!):
- COF Conference Notebook
- Tactical Philanthropy
- EPIP

NOTED:

• Site visits! …which so many in our community have worked overtime to prepare. (These do require conference registration.)
• Emerging Leader Salon:
  Featuring Julie Rogers, President, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation
  MONDAY, MAY 5TH, 2:00PM - 3:00PM
  Free tickets available at Registration Desk
• EPIP party–Monday night–click the flyer
  

Honors for Women’s Foundation, Stepping Stones, & Fannie Mae’s Stewart [News, 5/2]

HONORS
The Women’s Funding Network will honor the  Washington Area Women’s Foundation tonight for being one of its “most innovative, dynamic members,” and Fannie Mae’s Stacey Stewart for her work with the Foundation’s Stepping Stones economic justice program. (release, 5/2)

CORPORATE
Bank of America (WG member) announces foreclosure prevention efforts and a new 10-year, $2 billion national corporate philanthropy goal (wire, 4/28). Separately, BofA’s Philanthropic Management department adds a searchable listing of all grant opportunities from foundations it serves as trustee, co-trustee or agent. (NMBW, 4/28)
________
@ WG … May 15: When the Giving Gets Tough: Corporate Giving in Today’s Economy

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
- Economic Troubles Multiply Requests for Help in D.C. Area (WaPo, 5/2) - ”Spikes in gas, food and energy prices are having a devastating effect . . . on poor, working families.”
- Red ink in D.C.’s affordable housing fund growing (WBJ, 5/2 - subscription)

HEALTH
WaPo covers Maryland eCare, $3M investment from CareFirst (5/1)

DATES & MILESTONES
- May is National Foster Care Month
- Happy 10th birthday to GEO

Form 990 redesign–resources for nonprofits

Plenty of Form 990 resources on the Meyer Foundation’s website, including a podcast from Price Waterhouse Cooper on steps nonprofits should be taking right now to prepare.

WG Event: “The Effect of New DCPS Policies on Out-of-School-Time Programs”

(Public Education Working Group; Children, Youth, & Families Working Group)

When: May 19th, 2008, 10:00am – Noon
Where: The Moriah Fund, 1634 I (EYE) St. NW, Suite 1000, Wash., DC
WG Members: Register here

Find out how new DCPS policies will affect out-of-school-time providers who operate in the schools.  Our guests are: 

- Robin Minter, Executive Director, Heads-Up
- Lindsey Buss, Executive Director, Martha’s Table
- Max Skolnik, Executive Director, Kidpower DC
- Amy Nakamoto, Executive Director, DC Scores
- Eshauna Smith, Executive Director, DC Alliance of Youth Alliance