FN&C Now

Volume 7, Number 24 – June 6, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE NEWS COVERAGE: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation reveals after five years the names of first Young Scholars; Johnnetta B. Cole to receive 2006 Gardner Leadership Award JUST PUBLISHED: Funder guides on supporting microenterprise in the U.S. available; survey says consumers place more value on treatment of employees than on corporate philanthropy NOW ONLINE: Community knowledge portfolio to help your community foundations build its brand and relationships; tool gives grantseekers information on corporate giving ACT NOW: Submit information for giving circles project; register for conference call on net neutrality; sign up for learning forum on reconstructing the Gulf Coast ON THE MOVE: Robert Long, Mandivamba Rukuni and Malusi Mpumlwana (Kellogg); Jacob Harold (Hewlett); Michael Bailin and Lisa Richardson Jackson (Center for Effective Philanthropy); Deborah Berndt (Hogg); Angela Carr Klitzsch (Clowes); Madia Logan (Arizona Grantmakers Forum); Erica Avery, Jane Webster and Sarita Venkat (Council on Foundations) NEWS COVERAGE SCHOLARS REVEALED: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation revealed the names of its first group of Young Scholars, after keeping them secret for five years. Thirty-five high school seniors from across the United States have been supported by the foundation since they were eighth-graders, without anyone outside the foundation besides their parents and guardians knowing their identities. The scholars are high achievers from financially needy families. The foundation kept the students' names confidential because of their ages and to help them grow outside the limelight. The foundation tailored services for each student, including an educational adviser from the foundation's staff and individualized supplementary activities. Each scholar also received a computer and Internet access. In some cases, the foundation helped students select high schools that best fit their talents. Now supporting more than 200 Young Scholars across the country, the foundation will help pay college tuition for its first group. "There is no other program like it in the country," said foundation Executive Director Matthew J. Quinn. Read more: http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/jkcf_web/content.aspx?page=3293293 . LEADERSHIP AWARD: Independent Sector announced that Johnnetta B. Cole will receive the 2006 John W. Gardner Leadership Award. Cole, the president of Bennett College for Women, is a scholar, author, humanitarian and community leader. She will be recognized for her lifelong commitment to advancing social justice domestically and internationally at the 2006 Independent Sector Annual Conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul, October 22–24. The award—$10,000 and a replica of Frederick Hart's bust of John Gardner—is sponsored by The William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Read more: http://www.independentsector.org/media/20060531gardneraward.html . JUST PUBLISHED FUNDER GUIDES: The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, a longtime supporter of microenterprise in the United States, produced a series of guides to help funders better understand the domestic microenterprise industry and the role philanthropy can play in small business development. Each of the guides examines a different aspect of microenterprise. The series was developed by Mott grantee FIELD (Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination), which also is providing the staff for an informal Microenterprise Funders Group. The newly formed funders group is open to any funder interested in microenterprise development in the United States. Download the free guides (PDFs) or find out more: http://www.fieldus.org/Projects/donorresources.html . CONSUMER VIEWS: Nearly one in two Americans believe the most important proof of corporate social responsibility is treating employees well, rather than corporate philanthropy, according to a survey from the National Consumers League and Fleishman-Hillard International Communications. The survey found that 76 percent of American consumers agree that to be socially responsible, companies should place employee salary and wage increases above making charitable contributions. Also, 76 percent said a company's treatment of its employees plays a big role in consumer purchasing decisions. Read more: http://www.nclnet.org/news/2006/csr_05312006.htm . NOW ONLINE COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE: How can you use your knowledge to build relationships with donors and encourage more unrestricted gifts? Use tools from the Community Knowledge Portfolio: case statements, invitations, presentations, philanthropy profiles and more. Discover the six stages of donor development; establish the differences between a self-directed giver, an engaged donor and a strategic philanthropist; celebrate giving milestones; document your donors' relationships and capture their philanthropy profiles; articulate local needs; state the case for community-based, Field of Interest Funds; engage donors strategically; share the diverse needs and interests of donors with professional advisors; and host engaging, interactive events. This portfolio, which is available to community foundations that have agreed to comply with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, joins a series of National Marketing Action Team (NMAT) portfolios that will help your community foundation build its brand and advance its relationships with existing donors, prospective donors and professional advisors. NMAT is a collaboration of the Council on Foundations and Community Foundations of America. Download the materials (PDF) at: http://www.CFMarketplace.org . CORPORATE INFORMATION: The Foundation Center created Corporate Giving Online to help grantees access corporate grants as well as corporate donations of equipment, products, professional services and volunteers. The subscription-based service is updated weekly and includes three searchable databases with key facts about more than 3,700 corporate donors. Find out more: http://cgonline.foundationcenter.org . ACT NOW SEEKING GIVING CIRCLES: New Ventures in Philanthropy, a project of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, is conducting a second national scan of giving circles. Last year, the initiative published Giving Together: A National Scan of Giving Circles and Shared Giving, a broad, exploratory look at the launch of giving circles. The new scan will focus on identifying giving circles created in the past two years, researching mature giving circles that have demonstrated sustainability, tracking how involvement in a giving circle affects donors' giving patterns and documenting techniques and tips for organizations hoping to host giving circles. If you know of a giving circle in any stage of operation, let the forum know. Forward the name and contact information (with e-mail address) of the circle's representative and a brief description of the group to Scott Simpson at ssimpson@givingforum.org or 202/467-1127. NET NEUTRALITY: The Innovation Funders Network will hold a teleconference for grantmakers on net neutrality June 9, 2006, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., ET. Net neutrality refers to the principle that all data traveling over the Internet be handled in the same way, no matter which telecommunications service delivers it. Proposed legislation in Congress would allow telecommunications companies to promote or demote online traffic as they see fit and give priority to data sent by customers who pay extra. John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress, and Mike McCurry, a partner with Public Strategies, Inc., will participate in the teleconference. The teleconference is cohosted by Grantmakers for Film and Electronic Media, the Surdna Foundation and the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN) Register or find out more: http://www.nten.org/webinar-ifn . LEARNING FORUM: Although some areas along the Gulf Coast are rebuilding, a disproportionate number of low-income urban and rural residents face innumerable hurdles in reconstructing their lives. The New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG) Gulf Coast Recovery Task Force will hold a series of learning forums to discuss effective long-term reinvestment strategies for the Gulf Coast. The first learning forum, Voices of the Gulf Coast: Strategies for Hope & Change, will be held Wednesday, July 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in New York City. Ambassador James A. Joseph, chair of the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, is keynote speaker. Other speakers include leaders in housing, community organizing, civic participation and community development. Corporations, foundations, individuals, elected officials and the media are invited to attend. Funding for the program is provided by the Ford Foundation. Register or find out more: http://www.nyrag.org/calendar_info2332/calendar_info_show.htm?doc_id=366505 . ON THE MOVE The W.K. Kellogg Foundation named ROBERT LONG director of Greater Battle Creek Programming and senior program officer. Read more (PDF): http://www.wkkf.org/DesktopModules/WKF_DmaItem/ViewDoc.aspx?LanguageID=0&CID=6&ListID=28&ItemID=5000200&fld=PDFFile . MANDIVAMBA RUKUNI was appointed regional director of Africa programs. He succeeds MALUSI MPUMLWANA, who remains senior policy advisor to the foundation. Read more (PDF): http://www.wkkf.org/DesktopModules/WKF_DmaItem/ViewDoc.aspx?LanguageID=0&CID=6&ListID=28&ItemID=5000199&fld=PDFFile . JACOB HAROLD is now program officer for philanthropy and regional grants at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Read more: http://www.hewlett.org/Programs/Philanthropy/News/jacobharold.htm . The Center for Effective Philanthropy appointed MICHAEL BAILIN to its board. LISA RICHARDSON JACKSON will join as associate director on July 5. Read more: http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org/news/newsletters/2006-spring.html . The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health hired DEBORAH BERNDT as program officer. ANGELA CARR KLITZSCH is now program associate at The Clowes Fund. MADIA LOGAN joined Arizona Grantmakers Forum as director of membership and communications. The Council on Foundations hired ERICA AVERY as copy editor in Marketing and Publications and JANE WEBSTER as web producer in Technology and Information Services. On June 12, SARITA VENKAT, written resources coordinator in Corporate Services, will join Member and Executive Communications as communications writer. SPECIAL OFFER The Council on Foundations has a special offer made possible through the Building Strong and Ethical Foundations program. New foundations can receive a half-priced non-member registration rate at any Council conference. In addition, they can also join the Council and receive half-priced membership dues. Your foundation may qualify—even if you've been grantmaking for several years. For specific eligibility information and more details, please contact the COF Membership Department at 202/467-0291. 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: 9.20.06