Monday, November 1, 2005: Volume #2, Issue #94
The VERB Weekly Email Digest
Edited by Sophy Pich, VERB Project Associate

Note: Documents on this page or in this section may be in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. In order to read them, you require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is downloadable free from Adobe.

In This Week's Issue

1. Announcements
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Advocacy Limits
• Conference on Nonprofit Research
• Kids' Caucus Essay Contest
2. Promising Practices
• Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings
3. News
• Traffic Court Ids Are Target of Probe
• Ethnic Beauty Pageants Show America's Diversity
• Mosaics Will Tell Immigration Stories
• Pro-Life Group Displays Graphic Images on Campus
• Compelling Tales Well Told
• Can Immigration Save the Cities?
• News Tracker: Hmong Community Center
• Health Care Sees Racial Disparities
• Sale of Viet Mercury Troubles Bay Area Vietnamese
• Hmong Artist Uses Talent to Teach
• Nation Briefs
• Resurrecting the Church After Katrina
• Asian-Americans Debunk Stereotypes
• New Organization Helps Orphans in Cambodian Interior
• Early Look at Medicare Drug Plan Marketing Finds It Unduly ...
• Minorities Registering -- But Will They Vote?
• Hmong Mutual Assistance Association Director Stepping down
• Advocacy Group Will Monitor Voting Process
• Yer Yang Column: Hmong New Year Celebration Filled with Tradition
• Holiday Basket Project Returns to Point
• Generations under One Roof
• Does Diversity Matter?
• Clinical Briefs for November 2005
4. Funding Opportunities
• Hitachi Foundation
• Balance Bar Food Company
• The Brookdale Foundation's (CA & DC)
• Youth Venture
• Deluxe Corporation Foundation
5. Resources
• QuestionPro

I. Announcements

Information for FBCOs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published fact sheets with key information about influenza, including fact sheets about avian influenza, or bird flu. These fact sheets, as well as printable materials and educational posters for workplaces, schools and places of worship, can be accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

****

ADVOCACY LIMITS: The House of Representatives last week passed legislation that would prohibit charities from receiving federal money from a new housing fund if they have lobbied or carried out any other advocacy activities -- such as voter registration -- within 12 months of applying for a grant.

****

Conference Focuses on Nonprofit Research

Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Annual Conference Each year the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) holds an annual conference which brings together researchers, scholars, and practitioners from around the world to present and discuss papers related to issues in nonprofit studies, voluntary action, and philanthropy. The theme of this year's conference is "Nonprofits, Philanthropy and the Public Agenda: Linking Research, Practice and Policy." The conference will be held November 17-19, 2005 in Washington DC.

****

Box Tops Support for Parental Involvement Programs

Box Tops for Education: Kids' Caucus Essay Contest Box Tops for Education is offering the Kids' Caucus Essay Contest, which invites students in grades 5 to 8 to submit an essay describing what they would do to increase parental involvement in their school if they were made principal for a day. In February, 52 finalists will be selected, one from each state, Washington, DC and either a U.S. territory or U.S. military based school located outside the U.S. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 grant that will be used by their schools to make their ideas a reality. Ten Grand Prize winners will then be selected to go to Washington, DC, where each student will have the opportunity to share their ideas for parental involvement in education programs with members of Congress. The application deadline is December 1, 2005.

[-back to list-]

II. Promising Practices

Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings

by Jan Masaoka

When we think about the boards we're on, we usually think about the board meetings-which says a lot about the importance of having good meetings. Make a new year's resolution to implement one of the following ideas each month:

1. Name tags for everyone, every meeting. It's embarrassing to have seen people at several meetings and wondered what their names are . . . and later it's REALLY hard to admit you don't know their names.
2. Post an acronym chart. Make a poster of frequently used external and internal acronyms (such as CDBG for Community Development Block Grants or DV for domestic violence) and post it on the wall of every meeting. (If you distribute the list on paper it is soon lost.)
3. Write an "anticipated action" for each agenda item. Examples: "Finance Committee report, brief questions and answers: no action needed." "Volunteer recruitment and philosophy: Anticipated Action = form committee of 3-4 board members." "Public Policy Committee: Anticipated Action = approve organizational statement to city council on zone changes."
4. Make sure that each person says at least one thing at every board meeting. This is the Chair's responsibility, but everyone should help! "Cecilia, you haven't spoken on this issue. I'm wondering what you're thinking about it?" "Matt, at the last meeting you made a good point about finances. Are there financial issues here that we aren't thinking about?"
5. No one-way communication from staff. If you have a regular Executive Director's Report on the agenda, or if a staff program director is giving you a briefing, be sure that such presentations need a response from the board. If not, put them in writing in the board packet and just ask if there are any questions.

Read on...

[-back to list-]

III. News

Traffic Court Ids Are Target of Probe
Philadelphia Daily News
October 24, 2005

***

Ethnic Beauty Pageants Show America's Diversity
Daily Review Online
October 24, 2005

***

Mosaics Will Tell Immigration Stories
Pioneer Press
October 25, 2005

***

Pro-Life Group Displays Graphic Images on Campus
Louisville Cardinal
October 25, 2005

***

Compelling Tales Well Told
St. Petersburg Times
October 25, 2005

***

Military Artifacts Posted
Waukegan News Sun
October 25, 2005

***

Can Immigration Save the Cities?
E/The Environmental Magazine
October 26, 2005

***

News Tracker: Hmong Community Center
LaCrosse Tribune
October 26, 2005

***

Health Care Sees Racial Disparities
Columbia Missourian
October 27, 2005

***

Sale of Viet Mercury Troubles Bay Area Vietnamese
New California Media
October 27, 2005

***

Hmong Artist Uses Talent to Teach
Sheboygan Press
October 27, 2005

***

Nation Briefs
Asian Week
October 28, 2005

***

Resurrecting the Church after Katrina
Asian Week
October 28, 2005

***

Asian-Americans Debunk Stereotypes
Salt Lake Tribune
October 28, 2005

***

New Organization Helps Orphans in Cambodian Interior
PR Web
October 29, 2005

***

Early Look at Medicare Drug Plan Marketing Finds it Unduly ...
SeniorJournal.com
October 29, 2005

***

Minorities Registering -- But Will They Vote?
Lowell Sun
October 29, 2005

***

Hmong Mutual Assistance Association Director Stepping down
LaCrosse Tribune
October 29, 2005

***

Advocacy Group Will Monitor Voting Process
Boston Globe
October 30, 2005

***

Yer Yang column: Hmong New Year celebration filled with tradition
Sheboygan Press
October 30, 2005

***

Holiday Basket Project Returns to Point
Stevens Point Journal
October 31, 2005

***

Generations under One Roof
Indianapolis Star
October 31, 2005

***

Does Diversity Matter?
Charlotte Observer
October 31, 2005

***

Clinical Briefs for November 2005
U.S. Medicine
October 31, 2005

[-back to list-]

IV. Grants

1. (National)
   Hitachi Foundation

   The Hitachi Foundation aims to enhance opportunity and quality of life for economically isolated people by investing in path breaking practices to address community problems. Through the Business and Communities Grants program, the Foundation will support business and community partnerships that enable economically isolated people to retain and advance in their jobs, earn living wages, and accumulate savings and assets. Proposals may only be submitted at the Foundation's invitation. However, the Foundation offers a web-based system for organizations that may meet the criteria for the Business and Communities Grants and want to share initial information.

2. (National)
   Balance Bar Food Company

   As part of its commitment to helping people enjoy a healthy active lifestyle, the Balance Bar Food Company offers grants to help individuals, teams, and community organizations pursue their goals.

   Balance Bar Individual/Team Grants provide financial support to enthusiasts and amateur athletes who passionately pursue activities that enrich their lives. Individuals and teams can apply for a grant amount ranging from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $10,000. (Deadline: March 15, 2006.)

   Balance Bar Community Grants provide financial support to enable communities and organizations to passionately pursue physical activities that enrich their lives. The grant must be dedicated to a project that will provide organization members, as well as community residents, with opportunities to lead healthy, active lifestyles. Organizations with 501(c)(3) status can apply for a grant amount ranging from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000. (Deadline: August 30, 2006.)

   Deadline: Various

3. (California and the District of Columbia)
   The Brookdale Foundation

   The Brookdale Foundation's Relatives as Parents Program is designed to encourage and promote the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting when the biological parents are unable to do so. The program awards seed grants of $10,000 over a two-year period in two categories: local agencies and state public agencies.

   The RAPP Local Initiative enables local agencies to: provide accessible support groups and other supportive services to relative caregivers and the children in their care; encourage cooperation and collaboration among various service delivery systems (i.e., child care, mental health, aging, family services, education, legal, and health care); ensure the development, expansion, and future continuity of local services; and create replicable models of service. Up to fifteen local and three regional programs will be selected through this RFP process from within the United States. Each selected organization will receive a mini-grant of $10,000 over a two-year period. On-going technical assistance will also be provided. The sponsoring organization must have a 501(c)(3) or equivalent tax-exempt status. (Deadline: January 12, 2006.)

   The RAPP Statewide Initiative requires state grantees to: initiate five new relative support groups in different parts of the state, under the sponsorship and support of local agencies; develop a statewide network of local organizations that link current programs and interested agencies; provide guidance and information to local communities; stimulate the expansion of services to grandparent caregivers and their families; and establish or expand an inter-system "Task Force" or committee of public state agencies and statewide organizations on the issue of relatives as surrogate parents. The initiative provides $10,000 in funding over a two-year period for up to five State Agencies that have demonstrated a commitment to relative caregiving activities, especially for relative caregiving families outside of the formal system. Each state has to match the seed grant 100 percent in cash or in-kind.

   The following states are eligible to apply for this initiative: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Puerto Rico. (Deadline: February 9, 2006.)

   Deadline: Various

4. (National)
   Youth Venture

   MTV will award 33 grants of up to $1,000 each to youth-led community-service programs.

   The Think MTV Youth Venturer grants will support projects that focus on discrimination, education, environmental, international, or sexual-health issues. Individuals ages 13 and older may apply.

   For more information, contact Youth Venture, 690 Eighth Ave., Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10036; 212-278-8930; e-mail: thinkventures@youthventure.org

   Deadline: December 31, 2005

5. (National)
   Deluxe Corporation Foundation

   The Deluxe Corporation Foundation is accepting letters of inquiry from nonprofits that work in a variety of areas, including youth programs and other social-services groups.

   Only 501(c)3 nonprofits may apply.

   For more information, see the foundation website or contact Jennifer A. Anderson, DFC, P.O. Box 64235, St. Paul, MN 55164; 651-787-5124.

   Deadline: November 15, 2005

[-back to list-]

V. Resources

QuestionPro, a leader in online survey hosting and delivery since 2002, announced today the QuestionPro Nonprofit Waiver Program. This new program gives registered nonprofit organizations one free account at the Professional license level of QuestionPro free of charge for up to a year.

[-back to list-]

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