Monday, May 16, 2005: Volume #2, Issue #74
The VERB Weekly Email Digest
Edited by Sophy Pich, VERB Project Associate

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In This Week's Issue

1. Announcements
• What Nonprofits Need to Know About the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Leadership as a Life Skill
• 5/20 Web Seminar on Human Trafficking
• Principles of International Charity
• Georgetown University Law Center
• NAPAWF Leadership Institute and Membership Gathering
• Informational Conferences for Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative
• CAN's Transform Your Board
2. Promising Practices
• All You Have to Do Is Ask
3. News
• Kem Censure Backed by Cambodians
• Author's Odyssey Mirrors Changes Within Vietnam
• Students Help Cambodian Women Market Their Wares
• Cambodian Refuge's Life a Lucky One in Her View
• Program Raises Cancer Awareness for the Hmong
• ACLU's Anthony Romero to Discuss Homeland Security and Civil ...
• Stranded Vietnamese a Concern to Local Community
• Irondale Receives Grant to Aid College-Bound
• Corrections and Clarifications
• US and Vietnam Reach Agreement on Religious Freedom
• Press Advisory: Lao & Hmong Veterans 30th Anniversary Wreath ...
• Company Town
• A Sample of the Latest Ethnic Magazines
• Vietnam Refugees Look to New Life
• Vietnamese Reap Fruits of Endurance
• Laos, Lao Veterans of America (LVA) National Recognition Week ...
• Hmong Put Us Soldiers First
• Detained Vietnamese Christian Released After Nearly 11 Years
• Lao Hill Tribes Open Community Center
• SJ Weighs Recognizing Flag of Old S. Vietnam As Immigrants' Symbol
• Laotians Worry About Losing Their Culture
• Celebration of the 2nd Annual Lao and Hmong American Veterans ...
• Veterans Bring Celebration of Peace to Alaska
• 'Secret War' Echoes
• Worshipers Celebrate Birth of Buddha
• A Leadership Void
• Chopper Star of War Film
4. Funding Opportunities
• The Archstone Foundation
• The James Irvine Foundation
• The Sullivan Foundation
• The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, Inc.
• North Carolina's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
• American Academy of Dermatology
• The Department of Labor
• RadioShack Corporation
• The Presbyterian Hunger Program
• The Tides Death Penalty Mobilization Fund
• Nasdaq Stock Market Educational Foundation
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• The Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation
• The National Service Corporation
5. Resources
• Cause Communications
• Urban Institute

I. Announcements

What Nonprofits Need to Know About the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

6/7, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fee: $45 members/$90 nonmembers

Held at the Silver Spring office of Maryland Nonprofits
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 303, Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulates how corporations should conduct financial transactions and establishes rules and standards for internal financial procedures and processes. Some of these regulations specifically apply to nonprofits, and nonprofits can adopt others to demonstrate compliance with best practices.

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Leadership as a Life Skill

Center for Nonprofit Advancement training

This workshop will focus on the importance of leading well through change, continually challenging yourself to be a better leader, and staying on a leadership development track.

Gain a deeper understanding of your own leadership and of the importance of learning to "ride the whitewater" of change, and learn how to flexibly respond to situations, regardless of your leadership role.

6/7, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Held at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement
1666 K Street, NW Suite 440
Washington, DC 20006

Cost:

• For organizations with annual expenses of less than $1 million: $55 for nonmembers/$40 for CNA members.
• For organizations with annual expenses of $1 million or more: $80 for nonmembers/$55 for CNA members.

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5/20 Web Seminar on Human Trafficking

Register Now for the Upcoming Web Seminar on Human Trafficking Web Seminar:

Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking

Date: Friday, May 20th 2005

Time: 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. EST

Featured Speakers:

Steven Wagner, Director, Trafficking in Persons Program, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Cherie Sammis, Clinical Administrator, The Perry Family Health Center of Providence Hospital Registration

Registration for this webcast is required. We encourage you to register as soon as possible. To register, please go to http://www.mchcom.com/. The event will be open on a first-come-first-served basis. The webcast will also be archived following the event at www.mchcom.com

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A working group of more than 40 U.S. charitable sector organizations and advisors have completed development of eight fundamental "Principles of International Charity" in response to the U.S. Treasury Department's "Anti-terrorist Financing Guidelines: Voluntary Best-Practices for U.S.-based Charities" issued in November 2002.

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A free conference brought to you by Ayuda, Inc., Boat People SOS, and the Georgetown University Law Center's Office of Public Interest and Community Service

June 9th-10th, 2005
Georgetown University Law Center
Washington, D.C.
see: MetroDC ACTS

This two-day conference is designed to increase your capacity, as a service provider or anti-trafficking professional, to serve victims of human trafficking in the DC Metropolitan area (spanning forced labor and sexual exploitation). Objectives include: (1) deepening your understanding of human trafficking, (2) providing a broader perspective to place human trafficking in relation to overlapping issues, such as labor exploitation and domestic violence, and (3) providing opportunities for strengthening collaborations and collective problem-solving for local area agencies.

Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 26, 2005

Cost (including breakfast & lunch for both days): $ 0 (free)

E-mail or fax the enclosed form to: lory.nguyen@bpsos.org (301) 439-6644

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NAPAWF Leadership Institute and Membership Gathering

How can public advocacy strengthen your mission?

Come learn about this and much more at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) Leadership Institute and Membership Gathering!

July 22 - 23, 2005
University of Washington Women's Center
Seattle, Washington

Chapter leaders, members, and activists around the country will convene on the UW campus to attend skills-building and substantive issue-based trainings, share strategies and project ideas, and more importantly, discuss the direction of NAPAWF. Discussions and workshops will center around NAPAWF's advocacy work, building strong chapters and members, and the direction and future of NAPAWF. We encourage all members and activists to join us for this exciting event!

Child care services will be provided.

Download a Registration Form and Agenda from NAPAWF's website or contact Tong Lee at Tlee@napawf.org or (202) 293-2688.

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Dates and Locations of Informational Conferences for Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative SGA/DFA PY-04-08

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced $19.8 million dollars to fund faith-based and community organizations that can help transition released prisoners into employment. (Please see The Department of Labor website for details.)

If your organization is interested in applying, your organization can attend one of three informational conferences about the Prisoner Reentry Initiative Solicitation for Grant Applications.

May 26, 2005—Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area,
Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel,
480 L'Enfant Plaza,
Washington, D.C. 20024
Tel: 202-484-1000

Preregistration Deadline Is Monday, May 23 for DC Conference

For registration and logistical information on the informational conferences, please visit http://www.pri-conference.com or call 301-589-2547. We encourage you to register online for the informational conferences. You can also register for one of the conferences by fax at 301-589-2546. To register, please include the following information: Full Name, Title, Organization, Address, Phone, Fax, Email, and which conference you will be attending. Please identify any special needs. You will need to make hotel reservations on your own. The room blocks for the three hotels are under "DOL PRI Conference," but you will have to pay for rooms on your own.

Please call the above number or visit the website for information on the hotels in which the informational conferences will be held. Each conference will start promptly at 8:30 am and will last until 5 p.m., with registration from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Each individual's travel expense to the informational conferences is not a reimbursable activity, the federal government will not assume costs associated with travel to these conferences.

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This Wed, May 18, is the Early Bird deadline for CAN's Transform Your Board! workshop. After 5:00 pm Wed, registration fees will go up by $50 per person.

Check the website for a full workshop schedule, online registration, and a PDF brochure.

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II. Promising Practices

All You Have to Do Is Ask

Campaign Center Cultivates Big Donors with Simple Methods

The Campagna Center in Alexandria, Virginia, receives well over $200,000 a year from individuals and families who commit to give at least $1,000. Donations from all individual givers and businesses combined total more than one million dollars a year. How does the Campagna Center raise money so successfully? Simply by asking.

The Center, which serves 1,500 children from infants to 12-year-olds, has been an Alexandria institution for 60 years. Only since 1997 has the Center formalized a special group for generous donors-called the Circle of 1,000-that guarantees such a healthy and dependable income stream.

"When we started the Circle of 1,000, people wanted to be a part of it," said Mary M. Myers, vice president for fundraising and communications for the Campagna Center. "There was a buzz in the community. People wanted to be recognized for their generous giving."

To launch the Circle, Myers first approached the Center's board members, all of whom applauded the idea and committed to join. Then Myers looked to donors who were already giving at or around the $1,000 level and asked that they formalize their commitment. When these initial donors joined the Circle, Myers widened her target audience to donors who might have given $500 or $750 in the past. The Center published newsletters with the names of those who had already joined, holding up the Circle members as good examples of givers.

Read on at the Meyer Foundation Website.

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III. News

Kem Censure Backed by Cambodians
Lowell Sun
May 9, 2005

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Author's Odyssey Mirrors Changes Within Vietnam
San Jose Mercury News
May 9, 2005

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Students Help Cambodian Women Market Their Wares
William and Mary News
May 9, 2005

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Cambodian Refuge's Life a Lucky One in Her View
96730.xml
Cleveland Plain Dealer
May 10, 2005

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Program Raises Cancer Awareness for the Hmong
Stevens Point Journal
May 10, 2005

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ACLU's Anthony Romero to Discuss Homeland Security and Civil ...
PR Newswire
May 10, 2005

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Stranded Vietnamese a Concern to Local Community
Houston Chronicle
May 10, 2005

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Irondale Receives Grant to Aid College-Bound
Pioneer Press
May 11, 2005

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Corrections and Clarifications
OCRegister
May 11, 2005

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US And Vietnam Reach Agreement on Religious Freedom
ChristianityToday.com
May 12, 2005

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Press Advisory: Lao & Hmong Veterans 30th Anniversary Wreath ...
I-Newswire.com
May 12, 2005

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Company Town
San Antonio Current
May 12, 2005

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A Sample of the Latest Ethnic Magazines
San Jose Mercury News
May 12, 2005

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Vietnam Refugees Look to New Life
BBC News
May 12, 2005

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Vietnamese Reap Fruits of Endurance
Washington Times
May 13, 2005

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Laos, Lao Veterans of America (LVA) National Recognition Week ...
I-Newswire.com
May 13, 2005

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Hmong Put Us Soldiers First
Pioneer Press
May 14, 2005

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Detained Vietnamese Christian Released After Nearly 11 Years
Christian Post
May 14, 2005

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Lao Hill Tribes Open Community Center
Seattle Post Intelligencer
May 14, 2005

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SJ Weighs Recognizing Flag of Old S. Vietnam As Immigrants' Symbol
San Jose Mercury News
May 14, 2005

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Laotians Worry About Losing Their Culture
Fort Worth Star Telegram
May 14, 2005

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Celebration of the 2nd Annual Lao and Hmong American Veterans ...
I-Newswire.com
May 16, 2005

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Veterans Bring Celebration of Peace to Alaska
Anchorage Daily News
May 15, 2005

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'Secret War' Echoes
Pioneer Press
May 15, 2005

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Worshipers Celebrate Birth of Buddha
San Jose Mercury News
May 15, 2005

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A Leadership Void
San Jose Mercury News
May 15, 2005

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Chopper Star of War Film
Monterey County Herald
May 15, 2005

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IV. Grants

1. (National)
   The Archstone Foundation

   The Archstone Foundation, a private grantmaking organization whose mission is to contribute toward the preparation of society in meeting the needs of an aging population, has announced the release of its Elder Abuse & Neglect Initiative's Request for Proposals.

   The foundation is committed to investing $8 million over a five-year period through the program, with the goal of improving the quality and coordination of elder abuse and neglect services in California.

   The initiative is open to addressing all types of elder abuse and neglect as defined by California law, including abuse and neglect by others as well as self-neglect; abuse and neglect in long-term care settings, such as skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities for the elderly; and issues related to the clinical and criminal treatment of the abusers.

   The initiative will be divided into two major phases. In Phase 1, the foundation is soliciting Letters of Intent from eligible applicants for the following three areas: Education & Training Grants; Multidisciplinary Team Development; and Innovative Projects.

   The funds being made available are intended to support organizations with a demonstrated capacity to serve their target populations and address elder abuse and neglect in the State of California. Only nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and governmental agencies are eligible to apply.

   Deadline: June 20, 2005 (Letters of Intent)

2. (National)
   The James Irvine Foundation

   The James Irvine Foundation's New Connections Fund provides open, competitive funding for California-based organizations that have not previously received a grant from the foundation.

   The fund makes grants of up to $50,000 for one- or two-year periods, and organizations from all regions of the state, with projects in any of the following areas, are encouraged to apply:

   Arts/Artistic Creativity: Funding the creation and reinterpretation of art and innovative arts programming.

   Connection Through Cultural Participation: Funding projects in the Central Valley, Inland Empire, and Los Angeles County that foster cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect among Californians from all backgrounds.

   Film Festivals for Cultural Connection: Funding film festivals that expand awareness and understanding among diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

   California Perspectives: Funding projects that foster dialogues between people in underrepresented communities and public officials.

   Youth: Funding programs that expand the awareness and knowledge of low-income youth and their families about college opportunities.

   Small and mid-sized organizations (budgets between $25,000 and $2 million) are encouraged to apply. Priority is given to applicants from the Central Valley, Los Angeles County, and Riverside/San Bernardino counties.

   Deadline: July 5, 2005

3. (National)
   The Sullivan Foundation

   The Sullivan Foundation seeks to identify talented young singers and help them develop professional careers through a unique program providing continuing financial support over a period of five years.

   The foundation provides a number of $7,500 cash awards to gifted singers in the early stages of professional careers to be used for any career-related purpose. Winners may also receive role-preparation assistance for a period of five years to help defray expenses incurred in musical, dramatic, vocal, and language coaching for specific professional engagements. The number of awards given each year varies according to the resources of the foundation.

   The foundation seeks exceptionally talented young singers who are taking the first steps in their professional careers. Applicants must be in the early stages of their careers and have completed their academic training. They should have sung at least one engagement with a known opera company, symphony orchestra, or other organization utilizing full orchestral accompaniment, and must submit a copy of a contract for a professional engagement with full orchestra following the foundation's November auditions in New York.

   Deadline: September 15, 2005

4. (National)
   The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, Inc.

   The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, Inc. is accepting proposals from nonprofit organizations for projects that meet one of the foundation's two basic purposes:

   1. To contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of knowledge about new and innovative organizations and/or their programs designed to benefit youth; and
   2. To contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of knowledge already possessed by well-established organizations, to the end that such information can be more adequately used by society.

   Grants, which are awarded for a period of one year, range from $1,500 to $70,000 and average about $22,000.

   Grants must have the potential to help American children in a large geographic area (more than one state), and are awarded only to nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations.

   Applications are mailed to requesting organizations only from April 1 through July 1, inclusive of the current year. Requests received after July 1 will be held for the next grant year. Deadline for receipt of all applications is July 15 of the current year.

   Deadline: July 1, 2005 (Request for Application)

5. (North Carolina)
   North Carolina's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives

   North Carolina's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives (http://www.ncemcs.com/) have dedicated at least $500,000 for classroom-based projects through funding of the Bright Ideas Education Grant Program for 2005-06.

   All North Carolina certified K-12 teachers are eligible for a Bright Ideas grant. The grants finance innovative and creative classroom projects that would otherwise go unfunded, including hands-on projects involving activities in music, art, history, language, reading, science, career-planning, and information technology.

   Grants of up to $2,000 are available.

   Deadline: September - October 2005

6. (National)
   American Academy of Dermatology

   Applications for the American Academy of Dermatology's shade structure grants are now available for schools, park districts, religious institutions, or other organizations in need of shade for outdoor locations.

   This year, the academy will award seven grants to community-based, nonprofit organizations in need of shade for an outdoor location. Locations can include any area where children and adults gather and are exposed to the harmful rays of the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, bleachers, and eating or recreation areas. In order to be considered, organizations must complete an application that demonstrates a commitment to sun safety and is accompanied by a letter of support from an academy member.

   The Academy Shade Structure Grants are only available for properties in the United States. Each shade structure grant is valued at a maximum of $8,000.

   Deadline: June 17, 2005

7. (National)
   May Department Stores Company Foundation

   The Department of Labor announces funds to address the specific workforce challenges of youth offenders and to support strategies that prepare them for new job opportunities in high-growth, high-demand, and economically vital industries and sectors of the American economy.

   Eligible applicants include public, private for-profit, and private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. The applicant will be the lead agency representing a partnership of the public workforce system, business and industry representatives from high-growth/high-demand industries, the education and training community, and the juvenile justice system.

   Applicants must demonstrate the existence of a partnership that includes at least one entity from each of four categories:

   1. the publicly-funded workforce investment system, which may include the State Workforce Board, State Workforce Agency, local Workforce Investment Board, or a consortium of neighboring local Workforce Investment Boards;
   2. the education and training community, which may include the state agencies overseeing secondary and post-secondary schools, local school districts, local community and technical colleges, four year colleges and universities, or other training entities;
   3. employers and industry representatives in high-growth/high-demand industries; and
   4. the juvenile justice system, which may include the State juvenile justice agency or the local family or juvenile court system.

   Approximately $15 million is available to fund 15 awards, ranging from $800,000-$1.2 million. For further information, contact Jai B. Johnson at 202-693-3296 or Johnson.B.Jai@dol.gov.

8. (National)
   RadioShack Corporation

   RadioShack Corporation is the nation's most trusted consumer electronics specialty retailer. We are dedicated to strengthening the American way of life by helping families protect their children from abduction, violence and abuse. Through the power of prevention education and the use of technology, RadioShack helps improve the quality of life for America's families.

   The RadioShack StreetSentz Community Grant program is designed to offer answers - answers that bring community impact through programs or projects conducted by local nonprofit organizations. Our program currently focuses on two areas: prevention of family violence/abuse and/or child abduction.

   Deadlines: Four cycles

9. (National)
   The Presbyterian Hunger Program

   The Presbyterian Hunger Program provides grants to programs addressing hunger and its causes in the United States and around the world. Grants support efforts in the five PHP program areas:

   1. Direct Food Relief
   2. Development Assistance
   3. Influencing Public Policy
   4. Life-style Integrity
   5. Education and Interpretation

   General and specific criteria, based on the Common Affirmation on Global Hunger, are used to evaluate grant applications. Please review criteria before applying.

   Deadline: July 31, 2005

10. (National)
    The Tides Death Penalty Mobilization Fund

    The Tides Death Penalty Mobilization Fund is an initiative supporting strategic collaborations of local, regional or national nonprofits working on the abolition of the death penalty in individual states and as a national policy. Rapid Response grants support short-term, concrete projects, including media campaigns, polling leading to a larger community education and organizing strategy, components of legislative campaigns, and public education campaigns and speaking tours at the local, state or national levels. Up to $5,000 is generally given, but there is no absolute maximum grant size.

    Deadline: the first business day of each month.

11. (National)
    Nasdaq Stock Market Educational Foundation

    The mission of the Nasdaq Stock Market Educational Foundation is to promote learning about capital formation, financial markets and entrepreneurship through innovative educational programs. The Foundation offers the following types of grants: Academic Study or Research, Ph.D. Dissertation Fellowships, Curriculum Development, and Educational Programs. Target audiences include college/university students, high school students, and adults. Pre-high school audiences may be included in proposals that also serve an older audience; however, programs designed solely or predominantly for a pre-high school audience will not likely receive funding.

    Interested applicants must submit a one-page letter of inquiry. Invited proposals are due September 1, 2005.

12. (National)
    US Department of Health and Human Services

    The Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families announced that applications will be accepted for new grants to help build the capacity of faith-based and community organizations that address the needs of distressed communities. Priority areas for the Targeted Capacity-Building Program include: at-risk youth, the homeless, healthy marriage, and rural communities.

    Deadline: May 31, 2005.

13. (National)
    The Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation—2005

    Applications and guidelines are now available for the 2005 Peter Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. The Award is presented annually to three nonprofit organizations in recognition of innovative, existing programs that have made a difference in the lives of the people served.

    Deadline: August 12, 2005

14. (National)
    Funding Available to Engage Boomers in Service, Mentor Disadvantaged Youth

    Washington D.C.—The Corporation for National and Community Service is encouraging organizations to apply for approximately $1.5 million in grant funds to support "the next generation" of national service programs. The special competition will support organizations meeting community needs that have not previously received Corporation support. "We are committed to finding new ways to use national and community service to capitalize on untapped resources and respond to critical national problems," said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation.

    The Corporation will make grants as seed money to help selected organizations plan and implement innovative new programs that have the potential to become national in scope, or that propose a model that could be replicated in other locations. Each program selected must contain innovative strategies for engaging volunteers in community service activities, and must be designed so as to achieve measurable outcomes to both program participants and beneficiaries. Proposals must fall under one [or both] of two areas:

    • Programs that engage adults age 50 and above ["baby-boomers"] in full- or part-time service; and
    • Improving the lives of disadvantaged youth through mentoring and service.

    The competition is open to new and existing organizations that work in education, the environment, health and human services, homeland security, public safety, and other critical areas. The Next Generation Grants competition is being conducted outside of the Corporation's usual grant-making streams in order to encourage flexibility and the development of new models of service.

    Eligible applicants include public and private non-profit organizations, including faith-based and other community-based organizations. Intermediary organizations may apply for this grant opportunity to perform the fiscal, administrative, and resource development activities for affiliated local sites which may lack the capacity to carry out these roles. Applicants other than individual schools and intermediaries will generally have an annual operating budget of $500,000 or less.

    Applications for this competition are due to the Corporation no later than June 7, 2005. Complete application materials for the Next Generations Grant competition are available on the Corporation's web site at: www.nationalservice.gov/funding_initiatives. For further information or for a printed copy of this NOFA and application instructions please call (202) 606-5000 x 309, or send an e-mail to NextGeneration@cns.gov. The TDD number is (202) 565-2799.

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V. Resources

Cause Communications has published a resource called Communications Toolkit - a Guide to Navigating Communications for the Nonprofit World. This toolkit can help nonprofit newcomers, veterans, and anyone in between find the resources they need to wage more effective communications campaigns.

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The 990 Online, developed by the nonprofit Urban Institute, provides nonprofit organizations with a simple and completely free way to prepare their returns and electronically file them with the IRS.

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If you wish to contribute to the VERB Weekly e-Digest, please send all materials to sophy@searac.org