FN&C Now

Volume 5, Number 30 – July 30, 2004 IN THIS ISSUE IN MEMORIAM: Remembering John Corbally NEWS COVERAGE: Two foundations for seriously ill children merge; The Wallace Foundation funds largest study on influence of school leadership on student learning NOW ONLINE: Grantmakers In Health's website wins national award AT THE COUNCIL: Register for the 2004 Fall Conference for Community Foundations; sign up for Breaking News ON THE MOVE: Kathryn L. Jensen and James Krile (Blandin); Katie Hong (Gates); George R. Flores (The California Endowment); Kaye Black et al. (Community Foundation of the Lowcountry); Robert C. Onorato et al. (Hilton Head); Charles T. Cole, Jr. et al. (Central Carolina) IN MEMORIAM FIRST MACARTHUR PRESIDENT: On July 23, John Corbally, the first president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, died of brain cancer. Corbally was president of the Chicago-based foundation from 1979 (shortly after its founding) until 1989. While serving as president, Corbally helped the directors fashion the foundation's early program, including support for the MacArthur Fellows, public radio, peace and security, mental health and the environment. He also served on the foundation's board for 13 years, including as chairman from 1995 to 2002. Read more from the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/chi-0407260153jul26,1,7684881.story . NEWS COVERAGE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATIONS MERGE: The Starlight Children's Foundation and the Starbright Foundation, two Los Angeles-based children's charities, announced that the groups have merged to create the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. Paula Van Ness is the new foundation's CEO. The Starlight Children's Foundation was founded in 1983 by actress Emma Samms and film producer Peter Samuelson. In 1990, Samuelson co-founded the Starbright Foundation with director Steven Spielberg. Both foundations served seriously ill children. Samuelson, chairman of the new foundation's board, says the merger creates a platform for new services. Read more about the merger (PDF): http://starbright.org/merger.pdf . Visit the new foundation's website: http://slsb.org . SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: Excellent schools require effective leadership, but the actual influence of leadership on learning is not well understood. To address that question, The Wallace Foundation awarded two grants totaling nearly $5 million. Kyla Wahlstrom of the University of Minnesota and Kenneth Leithwood of the University of Toronto received $3,500,000 for a five-year study on how school leaders' actions improve learning. According to Leithwood, the project is the largest field-based leadership study of its kind in the world. In a related three-year, $1,245,000 study, Linda Darling-Hammond and Debra Meyerson of Stanford University, along with The Finance Project in Washington, DC, will assess how training and ongoing education programs can strengthen school principals' effectiveness. The resulting publication, "Successful Education Leadership, And How It Influences Student Learning," will be made available later this year at http://www.wallacefoundation.org . Read more about the grants: http://www.wallacefoundation.org/WF/NewsRoom/NewsRoom/ PressRelease/WallaceFoundationCommissionsTwoStudies.htm . NOW ONLINE GIH WEBSITE AWARD: Grantmakers In Health's redesigned website, launched in February 2004, was awarded a silver medal in the Association/Professional Society category in the World Wide Web Health Awards. The semi-annual awards, which honor the best health-related websites for consumers and professionals, are organized by the Health Information Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for consumer health information. Find out more: http://www.gih.org/newsletter2679/newsletter_show.htm?doc_id=233733 . AT THE COUNCIL FALL CONFERENCE: Join your community foundations colleagues for the 20th Fall Conference for Community Foundations, held October 11–13, 2004, in Minneapolis (pre-conference activities begin October 7). The conference's theme is "Delivering on Our Promise: Impact, Innovation and Integrity." One new conference feature is The Tool Shop, which will provide comprehensive information about Community Foundation Leadership Team products and services. It will also include software and database demonstrations, tutorials and help sessions. Read more or register: http://int2.cof.org/conferences/fall2004/registration.htm . FREE NEWS SERVICE: Breaking News is a free, daily e-mail newsletter summarizing the top articles—mostly from national and regional newspapers—about philanthropy. Breaking News is available to Council members only. Subscribe by e-mailing your name, title and foundation name to media@cof.org. ON THE MOVE KATHRYN L. JENSEN stepped down as senior vice president for leadership programs after 25 years at the Blandin Foundation. JAMES KRILE is acting as interim director for leadership programs. Read more (PDF): http://www.blandinfoundation.org/html/documents/Jensen%20FINAL%20%20072604.pdf . In late September, KATIE HONG will join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as deputy director of the Pacific Northwest giving program. Read more: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/PacificNorthwest/Announcements/Announce-040727.htm . The California Endowment appointed GEORGE R. FLORES senior program officer for the Disparities in Health program. The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, Inc. elected new officers and trustees: KAYE BLACK, chairman; JOSEPH B. FRASER III, vice chairman; WADE J. WEBSTER, treasurer; and DIANNE K. GARNETT, secretary. New officers of the Hilton Head Island Foundation, Inc. are: ROBERT C. ONORATO, chairman; JULIUS S. SCOTT, JR., vice chairman; DOROTHY G. PERKINS, treasurer; and DIANNE K. GARNETT, secretary. JAMES P. COLEMAN, GAIL A. QUICK and JAMES N. RICHARDSON, JR., were elected to three-year terms as trustees. The board of the Central Carolina Community Foundation elected CHARLES T. COLE, JR., president; CLAUDE M. WALKER, JR., vice president; and RUSSELL L. BAUKNIGHT secretary-treasurer. MICHAEL R. BRENAN, D. CHRISTIAN GOODALL, DAISY W. HARMAN, KATHERINE "KAPPY" HUBBARD, SALLY T. MCKAY and FRANK A. FLOYD, JR. were elected trustees. SUBSCRIBE FN&C Now is published by the Council on Foundations to keep you in the loop by sharing news between bimonthly editions of Foundation News & Commentary magazine (FN&C Now Web archive: http://www.foundationnews.org/now/index.htm ). Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and colleagues who might enjoy it. To subscribe (it's free) to FN&C Now, send an e-mail to fncnow@cof.org . Questions or comments about FN&C Now? Contact Paula J. Kelly at 202/467-0261. To contribute a news item for consideration, please e-mail fncnow@cof.org . To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to leave-fncnow-4832R@int1.cof.org . To subscribe to Foundation News & Commentary, an award-winning magazine, please send an e-mail to fncsubs@cof.org , or visit our website at http://www.icnfull.com/cgi-bin/cobolscript.exe?cof/cofmain.cbl . Council on Foundations 1828 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202/466-6512 webmaster@cof.org last update: 8.03.04