FN&C Now

Volume 7, Number 2 – January 11, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE AT THE COUNCIL: Time's running out to register for the Institute for New Grantmakers; call for sessions for 2006 Fall Conference; sign up for Breaking News NEWS COVERAGE: Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation's assets nearly double since 2002; Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation announces recipient of social-justice award JUST PUBLISHED: Book offers clarity on nonprofit chief executive responsibilities NOW ONLINE: Watch a video on how to build strong Native communities ACT NOW: Register for teleconference on practices of effective families ON THE MOVE: Richard Rapson and John E. Marshall (Kresge); Irene Y. Hirano and J. Clifford Hudson (Ford); Karl Stauber, Karen Kelley-Ariwoola and Richard Scott, et al. (Minnesota Council on Foundations); George Penick (RAND Gulf States Policy Institute) AT THE COUNCIL TIME'S RUNNING OUT: The Council on Foundations and Washington Grantmakers are cosponsoring the Institute for New Grantmakers, January 19–20, 2006, in Washington, DC. The institute is designed to introduce newcomers to the nuts and bolts of grantmaking. Led by experts in philanthropy, attendees will learn the core competencies of grantmaking practice, new trends and best practices, ethical decisionmaking and foundation stewardship. The institute also offers new grantmakers an excellent opportunity to speak with seasoned grantmakers in a small, collegial setting while networking with other foundation staff. Council members may register for the Washington Grantmakers member rate of $675. Find out more: http://www.washingtongrantmakers.org//WG//Programs/Planning/Planning_Institute.asp . CALL FOR SESSIONS: The 2006 Fall Conference planning committee is seeking sessions on the theme Revolutionary Ideas for the 22nd Fall Conference for Community Foundations, which will be held September 18–20, 2006, in Boston. The theme encourages the sharing of creative ideas, promising theories and practical experiences in order to advance the community foundation field. All Council members, nonmember grantmakers who are eligible for Council membership, affinity groups, regional associations and colleague organizations are invited to participate in the call for sessions. Deadline for proposals is Friday, February 3, 2006. Submit a proposal or find out more: http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/Conferences/2006FC/2006FC_CallForSessions.doc . 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, as well as members and staff of our colleague organizations. Subscribe by e-mailing your name, title and foundation name to media@cof.org. NEWS COVERAGE ASSET GROWTH: In less than four years, the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation has nearly doubled its assets, to $115 million, with $19 million coming from new donors in 2005 alone, according to a report in the St. Louis Business Journal. The foundation awarded approximately $10.4 million in grants in 2005, compared to $6.8 million in 2001. "As our asset base grows, our grantmaking will increase," said foundation President and CEO David Luckes, who joined the foundation in November 2001. Luckes, who drew up a new business plan and met with professionals who worked with approximately 200 wealthy families in the region, was given credit by incoming Board President Les Buechele for changing a "sleepy organization." Read the article: http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2006/01/02/story1.html . NOYES AWARD: The 2005 Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation Award was given to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), an international coalition of 275 faith-based institutional investors that merge social values with investment decisions. ICCR, which receives $100,000, was selected for its leadership on corporate responsibility and shareholder activism. The Noyes award is designed to strengthen and sustain key organizations working to advance social justice. Victor De Luca, Noyes foundation president, said, "ICCR challenges corporations to be good stewards of economic and environmental resources and we want it to continue to do so in the future." Read more: http://www.noyes.org/orgawards.html . JUST PUBLISHED TEN RESPONSIBILTIES: BoardSource released The Nonprofit Chief Executive's Ten Basic Responsibilities to help clarify a chief executive's responsibilities, particularly those involving the board. Written by Richard L. Moyers, the book discusses a chief executive's primary functions, including overseeing operations, supporting the board and developing future leadership. It also acknowledges the breadth and complexity of the chief executive position and offers direction in balancing the dual role of manager and leader. The book was created as a companion publication to Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards. Find out more or purchase the book: http://www.boardsource.org/ViewBookStoreItem.asp?ID=190 . NOW ONLINE NATIVE PHILANTHROPY: Native Americans in Philanthropy has available on its website the video Building Strong Native Communities, which includes clips of a fall 2005 convening of Native philanthropic leaders to discuss how to better support the development of Native foundations and philanthropy. The video features Forest County Potawatomi Community Foundation and other tribal and Native foundations.View the video: http://www.nativephilanthropy.org . A companion report, Strategic Philanthropy: Assessing the Needs of the Philanthropic Sector, is also available. Download the report (PDF): http://www.nativephilanthropy.org/uploads/Strategic_Philanthropy_Report_12.15.05%20FINAL.pdf . ACT NOW EFFECTIVE FAMILIES: The National Center for Family Philanthropy will hold a teleconference, The Practices of Effective Families, January 12, 2005, from noon to 1:30 p.m., ET. Charles W. Collier, senior philanthropic advisor at Harvard University, will present seven practices of effective families through the lens of family systems theory. He will also provide fresh insight on developing the four basic components that comprise true family wealth—human, intellectual, social and financial capital. Register or find out more: http://www.ncfp.org/program-teleconferences.htm . ON THE MOVE In June, RICHARD "RIP" RAPSON will become president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation. He will succeed JOHN E. MARSHALL, who is retiring. Read more (PDF): http://www.kresge.org/CEOPressRelease.pdf . The Ford Foundation appointed IRENE Y. HIRANO and J. CLIFFORD HUDSON to its board. Read more: http://www.fordfound.org/news/view_news_detail.cfm?news_index=162 . KARL STAUBER, Northwest Area Foundation president, was elected chair of the Minnesota Council on Foundations. KAREN KELLEY-ARIWOOLA was elected secretary and RICHARD SCOTT treasurer. New directors are GLORIA EDIN, DAVID ETZWILER and BARBARA KAUFMANN. Read more: http://www.mcf.org/MCF/about/mcfnews/board_051229.html . In March, GEORGE PENICK, president of Foundation for the Mid South, will become director of the new RAND Gulf States Policy Institute, created to develop a long-term strategy for recovery in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Penick will serve as part-time consultant until he finishes his service at the foundation in March. Read more: http://www.rand.org/news/press.05/12.21.html . 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: 3.27.06