Monday, June 7, 2004: Volume #2, Issue #32
The VERB Weekly Email Digest
Edited by Sophy Pich, VERB Project Associate

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In This Week's Issue

1. Announcements
• Chasing Freedom
• Khmer Cultural Festivals
• World Refugee Day
2. Promising Practices
• Write a Superior Technology Proposal
3. News
• Asian Community to Flex Some Muscle at 'Summit'
• Vietnamese Refugee Becomes Successful Businessman
• Betty Weeth Remembered As a Friend of Hmong People
• 2nd Suspect Sought in Hmong Violence
• Lowell Cambodians Urged to Remember Their Roots
• First of New Hmong Refugees Expected This Month
• Catawba Professor Wants to Make a Difference
• Hmong Refugees Begin Arriving This Month
• Editorial: New Minnesotans/Washington's Important Role
• Hmong Soldier Is Not a U.S. Citizen But He's Going to Iraq
• Hmong Refugees May Be Early
• Grant Will Help Students Through Mentoring
• A Vietnamese Immigrant's Success Story
4. Funding Opportunities
• The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
• The Corporation for National and Community Service
5. Resources
• The BPM Family of Firms

I. Announcements

Court TV just informed us that they have scheduled two encores of CHASING FREEDOM: Saturday, June 5th at 2:00 pm ET/PT, and Saturday, June 12th at 4pm ET/PT. Visit their website (www.courttv.com) for details.

***

Khmer-Americans make up one-third of the population of Lowell, Massachusetts and carry a long resilient "wet rice" culture of Srok Khmer (Cambodia), of Asia, and of the world at large, which we wish to preserve and cherish.

For years, Khmer-Americans of Lowell, joined by friends and families throughout the United States, come together to give thanks to the Merrimack River, which now holds comparable significance to our Mekong River of Cambodia, for giving us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This year, on Saturday, July 10th and every year thereafter, at the Heritage State Park-Sampas Pavilion on Pawtucket Boulevard, we will celebrate the Khmer traditional way of expressing gratitude to the Mother Earth, Water and Sky.

See: http://www.khmerculturalfestivals.com/

***

May 25, 2004

Dear Friend,

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has proclaimed June 20th as World Refugee Day. On this day, member nations are called to remember the suffering and courage of nearly 40 million forcibly displaced persons who are seeking peace and stability and to stand in solidarity with them.

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) will host a special observance of World Refugee Day on Monday, June 21, 2004 for our friends and colleagues.

We invite you to join us.

Our event will feature, among others, the Rev. Dee Wellington Bright, a Liberian priest who was assisted by EMM and Church World Service (CWS) in bringing his family to the U.S. after he himself and his son escaped violence in Liberia. Father Bright will preach at the 12:10pm Eucharist held in the Chapel of Christ the Lord at the Episcopal Church Center. From 12:45pm to 2:00pm, EMM will host a conversation about the world refugee scene. The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, has agreed to share reflections with us about the commitment of our Church to this ministry. Following Bishop Griswold's comments, H. Roy Williams, President and CEO of The Center for Humanitarian Cooperation, will offer reflections on several present day refugee crises. Mr. Williams is widely respected for his extensive work in the refugee and humanitarian assistance fields, having served in senior positions in both the private and governmental sectors. We shall also ask Father Bright to reflect more personally on his experience as a refugee. A light lunch will be served.

My EMM colleagues and I hope that you will find time to be a part of this observance. Your presence will serve as an expression of your solidarity with the world's refugees.

Sincerely,

C. Richard Parkins
Director

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II. Promising Practices

Position Yourself to Write a Superior Technology Proposal

This article originally appeared on TechSoup.

There are many things that go into successfully raising funds for technology. Your timing and initial contact with a foundation or donor will often be the key to success. In other situations, it may be your previous track record. In some cases, some positive words from a colleague at another foundation may make the difference.

Raising funds and developing technology proposals takes time; make sure you are organized and have done your homework. The case of Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (WEB) highlights the point. WEB was one of only 9 grantees selected out of 500 applications for a grant from Hewlett Packard. WEB staff and HP representatives note that it was the strategic technology plan-in other words the homework that WEB spent time on-that made the difference and led to the award of technology equipment, services, and cash valued at $350,000. Assessment and Planning

Spend the time to assess and plan strategically for your technology acquisitions in the context of your mission and organization's work. We can't emphasize this point enough. There are many resources on TechSoup that can help you with assessing your particular organizational situation and with planning your technology strategy. See the TechSoup section on technology planning.

You cannot write a good technology proposal unless and until you understand what your organization does, how it does it, and what you want to accomplish and improve. Only then, examine how technology can help you get there faster, more efficiently, and with greater impact.

For example, ask yourself: Do you need to become more efficient in a particular area of your program so you can serve more individuals? Do you need to increase your membership in a number of key geographic areas in order to have greater political impact or diversify your base? Do you need to work more quickly with the media to inform them about specific campaign tactics? Note that the focus is on what specific technology might accomplish-not the technology itself.

Read on: http://www.guidestar.org/news/newsletter/tech_proposal.jsp

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III. News

Asian Community to Flex Some Muscle at 'Summit'
May 24, 2004
Seattle PI

***

Vietnamese Refugee Becomes Successful Businessman
May 24, 2004
Belleville News-Democrat

***

Betty Weeth Remembered As a Friend of Hmong People
May 25, 2004
La Crosse Tribune

***

2nd Suspect Sought in Hmong Violence
May 26, 2004
Star Tribune

***

Lowell Cambodians Urged to Remember Their Roots
May 26, 2004
Lowell Sun

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First of New Hmong Refugees Expected This Month
June 1, 2004
Kare 11

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Catawba Professor Wants to Make a Difference
Salisbury Post
June 3, 2004

***

Hmong Refugees Begin Arriving This Month
June 3, 2004
Minnesota Public Radio

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Editorial: New Minnesotans/Washington's Important Role
June 4, 2004
Star Tribune

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Hmong Soldier Is Not a U.S. Citizen But He's Going to Iraq
June 4, 2004
Duluth News Tribune

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Hmong Refugees May Be Early
June 5, 2004
The Post-Crescent

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Grant Will Help Students Through Mentoring
June 5, 2004
The Holland Sentinel

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A Vietnamese Immigrant's Success Story
June 5, 2004
National Public Radio

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IV. Grants

1. (Washington, DC)
   The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region

   The Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants Parent Leadership: Investing in Children's Academic Success

   The Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants (The Partnership is seeking applications from nonprofit organizations and public schools in the Greater Washington region to support projects that

   1. Strengthen the ability of immigrant parents to participate in the education of their children; and

   2. Support the ability of immigrant parents to advocate on behalf of immigrant and limited English speaking children within local public school systems.

   Successful applicants will receive a one-year grant of up to $25,000, an will be eligible to receive an equal amount of funding in the second year of the grant program. The total amount of funding in teh second year of the grant program. The total amont of funds available to support grants in year one ($125,000) and two ($125,000) totals $250,000.

   Please call 202/955-5890 for applications.

   Applications are due on July 7, 2004 by 5:00 p.m.

2. (National)
   The Corporation for National and Community Service

   The Corporation for National and Community Service has announced the availability of approximately $2.6 million in Challenge Grants for a small number of nonprofit organizations to expand or initiate new programs to engage volunteers in meeting community needs.

   Challenge Grants is a matching grant program in which applicants are required to provide at least $2 in private funds to match every federal dollar awarded. Matching funds must be in cash. The corporation anticipates making up to four grants through the program in 2004, with a minimum grant of $500,000 and a maximum of $1 million.

   Organizations receiving funds through these grants must either greatly expand service by engaging citizens in meeting community needs or offer new services through expanded citizen engagement. Applicants must propose a program with a statewide, regional (two or more contiguous states), or national (two or more non-contiguous states) focus.

   Nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations that have not applied for federal assistance from the corporation in the past, are encouraged to apply.

   See the corporation Web site for further program information and to access the online eGrants system.

   Deadline: June 11, 2004

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V. Resources

The BPM Family of Firms is a collection of Accountants, Consultants, Financial Advisors and Insurance professionals working together toward a common goal. Our unique, full-service approach creates a collaborative process that produces comprehensive solutions to meet individuals' and businesses' constantly evolving accounting, financial and business management needs.

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