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August 12, 2011
New homeless shelter leader fired after three months
Front Steps Executive Director Jim Ormand has been fired after just three months on the job.
Ormand, who relocated from Medford, Ore., to accept the position, started work in early May. Previously, he had managed nonprofit disability and community service organizations in Oregon, California, Florida, Texas, and North Dakota, according to the Front Steps press release issued when Ormand was hired.
Front Steps is the nonprofit that runs the city-owned Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.
According to Front Steps spokesman Mitchell Gibbs, “It was not a good fit and he was released from his duties here last Friday. The board will be looking at what they can do in the interim.”
Mitchell also added that “There were no financial improprieties. It was just personalities and not a good fit.”
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July 22, 2011
Imposter seeks money for Meals on Wheels
If someone knocks on your door asking for money for Meals on Wheels in Williamson County, he or she is a fraud.
According to WBC Opportunities in Williamson County, which administers the program, someone is going around Leander asking for donations on behalf of the nonprofit.
“While our Meals on Wheels program is always in need of donations and community support, we do not have any authorized staff or volunteers going door to door seeking donations,” WBC development director Scott Ferguson wrote in a press release. “The person is reported to carry a clipboard and writes things down, trying to look “official.” One elderly person reported to us that he requested permission to enter her home to discuss her support.”
WBC asks that anyone who sees this person call the police.
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July 19, 2011
Recovery workshop this weekend
Here’s a guest essay from Communities For Recovery, a nonprofit that helps people with substance abuse and mental health problems.
The organization will be hosting a workshop this weekend. Read on to learn more.
Following in the footSTEPS of Dr. Bob and Bill W., founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Wally P has been sharing the message of recovery, nationally and internationally, for the last 22 years. As an archivist, engaged by and on behalf of the family of Dr. Bob, Wally set out to document and archive the lineage of AA history by studying and cataloging all the paper notes, journals and writings stored in Dr. Bob’s attic.
It all started in 1989.
“I traveled to Akron, Ohio on a whim” Wally noted. “It was then that I discovered 8 others participating in a meeting as they were held in the 1940s. On my visit I had a conversion experience in Dr. Bob’s living room,” he said. “I had been divinely directed to be at that place at that time…That’s when I decided to carry the message for the rest of my life.”
He began to research the early beginners’ meetings and found that back in the 1940s people were taken through all 12 Steps in four-one hour sessions, as they came into the program. The years of research and findings were translated into a book written by Wally P called “Back to Basics” in 1997.
Over these last 22 years Wally has shared the message of Recovery and “Back to Basics” with 500,000 people, and estimates that 300,000 people are alive today because of it.
Wally P will be in Austin, Texas this weekend, Saturday, July 23rd in what is being billed as “Wally’s Farewell Tour”.
He will be presenting the “Back to the Basics of Recovery” workshop, enacted exactly as it was in the 1940s, on Saturday, July 23rd from 9am - 4pm. Sunday, July 24th he is presenting a special one hour session on Step 11 and How to Listen to God from 10 - 11am.
Both events are being held in the All Faith’s Chapel on the campus of the historic and beautiful Austin State Hospital and is co-hosted by Communities for Recovery.
There is a suggested donation of $35 per person that includes Saturday’s workshop to include breakfast breads, coffee, lunch, beverages, handouts and a guidance journal. Seating is limited! You can register online at www.cforr.org or call Communities for Recovery at 512-758-7686.
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July 7, 2011
Camp Fire USA wins grant
Press release:
Camp Fire USA Balcones Council has received a $62,000 grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation for the Afterschool Science and Literary Skills clubs.
The generous grant supports youth in Austin, Del Valle and Pflugerville school districts to enjoy science and literacy based curriculum in a non-traditional setting. Camp Fire has been serving youth for over 100 years, and remains dedicated to transforming lives through providing experiential learning to young people and families.
In the 2010 / 2011 school year, Camp Fire reached over 1,600 kids in the afterschool programs. Some of the lessons the children experienced were in the fields of water conservation, camping, astronomy, wildlife of Central Texas and even how to cook outdoors using a hand crafted solar oven.
“The kids seem to be the most engaged and really soaking in the information when they are in small groups, outside learning about something tangible that they can put their hands on and have a part in creating. Many of the kids in the program have never had the chance to set up and sit in a tent before, let alone think about the technology that goes into designing a tent. Our instructors do such a wonderful job of making learning fun and relevant through connecting it to current events. Seeing or touching a rock, a tree, a cloud or a tent makes them far more interested in reading and learning more about those things,” says Camp Fire USA Balcones Council Executive Director Rebecca Benz.
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May 12, 2011
Can nonprofits talk about the contract process?
Can nonprofits talk to the media about the City of Austin’s ongoing bid process for $13.2 million in social service contracts?
Yes, they can, city officials say.
Since the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department released its recommendations on which groups should get city money in 2012, nonprofits involved in the process have reacted differently to media inquiries about the details of their projects.
Caritas and Workforce Solutions, who are spearheading two separate collaborations recommended for more than $7 million in funding, say that the city’s anti-lobbying ordinance bans them from speaking to the media. Others — such as Meals on Wheels and More, LifeWorks and Capital Idea — did talk to reporters.
So what’s the rule? Are nonprofits putting their potential contracts in jeopardy if they speak publicly about the process?
No, said health department spokeswoman Carole Barasch. The ordinance is silent on that issue and nonprofits can not be disqualified for talking about their projects. According to the rules:
“If during the no-contact period, a respondent makes a representation to a member of the City Council, a member of a City board, or any other official, employee, or agent of the City, other than to the authorized contact person for the solicitation, the respondent’s response is disqualified from further consideration except as permitted in this article. This prohibition also applies to a vendor that makes a representation and then becomes a respondent.”
The nonprofits’ concern isn’t unwarranted. The city is very serious about its rules. In fact, Barasch said, AVANCE — a nonprofit that works with low-income Hispanic families — was disqualified from this very application process for violating the ordinance.
AVANCE Executive Director Sofia Casini says that violation was unintentional. The nonprofit asked for a letter of support from a someone who works at a local library, not making the connection that it could be seen as lobbying, she said.
“It wasn’t anything done behind the scenes,” Casini said.
AVANCE has written to the city to protest their disqualification, but has not yet heard back.
UPDATE The Workforce Solutions spokesman Weston Sythoff says he is aware that talking about the project with reporters is not a violation of the ordinance. The organization just doesn’t want to until they officially get the contract, he said.
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May 11, 2011
Nonprofit application scores released
How did local nonprofits do in the competitive bid process to secure 2012 contracts from the City of Austin? Nonprofits are getting their scores today. Click the link.
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Tons of bad nonprofits? Prove it.
I’ve been covering nonprofits for eight years and I can’t think of a time when a story I wrote didn’t generate at least one comment like this:
“Many of these do-good charitable orgs are only able to exist and look good in the shower with the use of free tax-payer money. That isn’t charity, it is gvt hand-outs. These good folks need to suck it up and actually raise their own money rather than stand around with their hands out to gvts.”
That sentiment - posted in the comments section of today’s story on Austin’s proposed social service contracts - is apparently a popular one. People say this stuff all the time. And here’s my response:
Prove it.
That may sound snarky or rude, but I am dead serious here. I’m not saying “prove it” because I don’t believe it. I’m saying it because I really want to know. And I want proof. Let me explain.
Most of the feedback I hear about nonprofits is very positive. I get calls and emails from people who say local charities have changed their lives and inspired them to be better people. A recent story about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas generated quite a few of these.
On occasion, I’ll get a phone call about someone complaining about a nonprofit. They’ll say an executive director stinks, that the board is lazy, that they’re spending their money on stupid stuff and that clients hate the place.
But the complainant won’t go on the record because they’re scared or don’t want to lose their jobs. They can’t offer any proof, like emails or documents that clearly show malfeasance. Public records don’t back up their claims (990s, audits, funder assessments). And the nonprofit leaders deny everything.
So as a reporter, I’m in a dilemma. While I may believe the tipster, I can’t do much about it. The paper very rarely allows us to use anonymous sources. And if there’s no proof that anyone is even questioning the nonprofit, all that happens is that the organization ends up on my radar. I keep an eye out for anything that seems fishy.
That’s frustrating. In a community facing as many problems as we are, there’s no room for bad charities.
There’s no conspiracy here to protect crummy nonprofits. But there’s a difference between someone who hates their boss and someone who has legitimate, provable complaints about a weak charity. This isn’t Twitter or Facebook. We can’t just throw out accusations without serious consequences.
I’ve spent months - in one case six months - dredging up everything I could find on one local nonprofit. I was absolutely convinced there was something funky there. But in the end, there was no story because the evidence I collected did not meet our reporting standards. (And yes, we have standards.)
This brings me back to my original point. If you know of a nonprofit that is behaving in a suspect manner, tell me. Call. Write. Send a telegram. But be prepared to point me to proof because throwing around unfounded allegations about a nonprofit doesn’t help anyone. Such rumors can taint a nonprofit’s reputation and scare off potential funders. And in the end, the true victims are the people who need help.
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April 19, 2011
Adoption Coalition wins $162,500
Per the press release:
The Adoption Coalition of Texas was recently selected from among 807 applicants as the recipient of the 2011 Collaboration Prize, a $162,500 national award funded by the Lodestar Foundation, a grant-making organization that supports nonprofits by encouraging philanthropy.
The Adoption Coalition of Texas, working with the Austin Community Foundation and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, collaborates with five child-placing agencies to verify and approve foster and adoptive families: CPS, Arrow, Lutheran Social Services (LSS), Marywood, and Pathways. The Coalition is founded on the belief that children should not age out of foster care without the support of a family system.
The Collaboration Prize shines a spotlight on collaborations among two or more nonprofit organizations that gain greater impact by working in partnership. Bruce Thompson, current executive director of the Coalition, and Karalyn Heimlich, who recently retired after 35 years as LSS director of adoption services, were in New York City for the Collaboration Prize announcement.
Most people in the Austin nonprofit world associate the Adoption Coalition with the Heart Gallery project, which features professional portraits by renowned documentary and portrait photographers of children in foster care who are waiting to be adopted. The Coalition focuses on increasing the number of adoptions among hard-to-place children of all ethnicities, including teens, sibling groups, and the medically fragile. In the early days of the Coalition, adoptions in Texas Region 7 averaged 370 per year. They are now up to 780. It is noteworthy that many older kids who were in the system for a long time are included in this group.
“The Collaboration Prize is a tremendous honor,” said Tracy Eilers, executive director of the Adoption Coalition for its first seven years, now a member of the board of directors. “It means that our collaborative approach, focused on doing what is right for the children, has a ‘seal of approval’ from national corporations and foundations. But the legacy that keeps us going every day is the number of kids that now have and opportunities for the future.”
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March 22, 2011
Cost of AGE's burst pipes: $100,000
Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) ended up paying with $100,000 in damage when its pipes burst in February due to frigid weather.
Insurance has covered most of it, said spokeswoman Nicole Daspit. But the nonprofit will have to eat $15,000 to $20,000 in out-of pocket, deductible and depreciation costs.
AGE, which owns the 100-year-old building at 3710 Cedar St., rents space to more than 20 other local nonprofits. Flooding damaged an office at Texas Parent to Parent, nonprofit that provides support for families with special health care needs, and the AGE computer room on the floor below it.
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March 14, 2011
Japan-America Society using site as resource
The Japan-America Society of Greater Austin is using its website as a resource for those seeking loved ones or other information about last week’s earthquake.
The site offers tips on how to find relatives, where to donate for relief efforts, links to Japanese news stations, and directions to sites that provide updates
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February 23, 2011
Capital Area Food Bank names new leader
The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas has a new leader.
Hank Perret, who has been serving as the organization’s interim CEO, was tapped for the top job permanently, the nonprofit announced this afternoon. Perret has been filling in as executive director since September, when former CEO David Davenport resigned.
Before stepping into the interim job, Perret was a member of the food bank’s board of directors.
Here’s the nonprofit’s press release on the change.
The Board of Directors of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB), announced today the appointment of Hank Perret as the new CAFB President & CEO. Perret has been acting as the Food Bank’s Interim President and CEO since September 2010.
Perret has been a CAFB board member since 2003, and prior to joining the Food Bank was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Communication Products Group for Zarlink Semiconductor.
“We could not be more pleased to have Hank stay and continue to lead the Food Bank team,” said Matt Dow, President of CAFB’s Board of Directors. “Hank brings more than 30 years of executive experience in the corporate world and a great passion for ending hunger. CAFB staff and the Board are very excited about moving forward with Hank at the helm.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with the incredibly talented Food Bank staff to fulfill the mission of this organization and to lead the community in ending hunger in Central Texas,” said Perret.
Perret also announced the promotion of Joanna Linden to Chief Development Officer from Senior Director of Resource Development. “The Food Bank is very fortunate to have a person of Joanna’s caliber in the role of Chief Development Officer” said Perret. He continued “her extensive background in fundraising and prior executive experience, brings significant capability to this extremely important role. I’m very excited to have her in this position and look forward to great accomplishments with Joanna and the entire CAFB team.”
Prior to joining the Food Bank, Linden was the President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas. Both appointments are effective immediately.
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February 21, 2011
How would state budget cuts hit local nonprofits?
Austin nonprofits are bracing themselves for potential budget cuts that could eliminate services to thousands of people.
One Voice Central Texas, a coalition of nonprofits that provide social services to low-income or needy people, recently pulled together information on how some groups would be affected by the cuts, which would be realized in ways such as reduced Medicaid rates, the loss of federal funds and reductions to state program money.
Troubled youth, abused children
Austin Children’s Shelter: $200,000 cut, 1,000 shelter bed days for children
The Settlement Home for Children: 12 percent cut to foster care reimbursement rates, eight fewer beds
Early Childhood Intervention Services
Combined cut of $600,000-$800,000 to Easter Seals of Central Texas, Any Baby Can and Austin Travis County Integral Care. Services to 500 fewer children and infants.
Health care
Hospice Austin: $150,000 cut in Medicaid reimbursements
People’s Community Clinic: $50,000 cut in Medicaid reimbursements; $300,000 cut in state family planning funding.
Mental Health
Austin Travis County Integral Care: Services to 1,750 fewer adults and 250 children
Youth
Communities in Schools: $800,000 cut; services to 9,000 fewer youth
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: $90,000 cut; services to 69 fewer children
People with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities
Arc of the Capital Area: Services to 450 fewer people
Austin Travis County Integral Care: Services to 600 fewer people
Housing
Combined $1.9 million cut over two years to Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, Caritas of Austin, Foundation Communities, LifeWorks, Saint Louise House an SafePlace
Loss of 46 units of permanent supportive housing; employment services for 235 individuals; financial assistance for 235 survivors of domestic violence; case management services for 235 homeless people.
For more information, go here.
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February 10, 2011
Conference: African Americans and Mental Illness
Per the press release:
The 11th annual Central Texas African American Family Support Conference will be held Thursday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 11 at the Hilton Austin Hotel (500 E. 4th St.). Already more than 500 people have registered to attend this Conference, whose mission is to address health disparities for African Americans living with mental illness by providing key resources and opportunities of available health care services—behavioral and physical—through culturally sensitive and relevant education, supports, and partnerships. The two-day event is free and open to the public.
This year’s conference theme, Resources to Empower Consumers, Youth and Families, will feature nationally recognized keynote speakers Dr. Alvin Poussaint and Ruthie Garrison. Dr. Poussaint is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, as well as a friend of Bill Cosby, contributing as a consultant on “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World.”
Garrison, the author of Thirty Thieves of Innocence, will share her personal story to bring attention to the sexual violations of persons with developmental disabilities.
More than 15 session topics—including principles of holistic living, teen dating violence, ensuring treatment success, a panel discussion on mental health and its effects on ex-offenders—and workshops by Pastor A.J. Quinton, Minister Joseph Collins and the American Heart Association’s “Ask the Doctor” will round out the comprehensive agenda. To register, visit www.ctaafsc.org.
Sponsors for the conference include New Milestones Foundation, Office for the Elimination of Health Disparities, Seton Family of Hospitals, The Wood Group, and Hilton Austin Hotel.
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February 7, 2011
DPS: We're not begging for donations
Don’t you just love phone calls from “charitable” groups claiming to represent law enforcement agencies?
Personally, I enjoy them because when I start grilling these fools about their mission, services and administrative costs, they crack like a walnut. It’s fabulous.
The Department of Public Safety sent out a press release today telling people to beware of anyone soliciting money in their name. Check it out.
The Department of Public Safety is warning Texans to be wary of any private charitable solicitations by telemarketers on behalf of the department.
“It should be absolutely clear that the Department of Public Safety will never solicit financial contributions from private citizens. DPS is funded by tax dollars and will never call your home or business to solicit donations,” said Steven C. McCraw, director of DPS.
DPS has received a number of complaints over the years from citizens complaining of rudeness and high pressure tactics being used by individuals using the good name and/or logo of the department and often times in conjunction with the untimely death of a state trooper.
Private organizations cannot use names, symbols or statements that are similar to those used by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers or other police agencies in a manner that is intended to confuse or mislead a person being solicited. Violations are criminal offenses and punishable by a fine of up to $4,000, a jail term up to one year, or both.
DPS advises citizens not to give money to these groups as the funds are not likely to go to the causes that are claimed. Some groups include in their names the terms, “Texas Rangers,” State Troopers,” “Texas Highway Patrol,” or “Department of Public Safety.”
While some current or former officers may be members of some of these associations on their own time, these organizations are not affiliated with the DPS nor do they represent the department. Many of these organizations provide only a small percent of their donations for good causes, with the majority of the donations going to administrative and operational purposes.
Some of these organizations suggest that official looking decals placed on personal vehicles that resemble official DPS affiliation may somehow keep the individual from receiving a traffic citation from law enforcement. There is also a lack of public accountability and transparency by many of these organizations.
If you are contacted by a group you believe is misrepresenting itself as part of the Texas Department of Public Safety, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-621-0508.
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February 4, 2011
Meals on Wheels delivery canceled
Meals on Wheels and More, which delivers prepared meals to seniors and disabled people, has canceled delivery for today.
“This is not a decision we make lightly,” MOW President Dan Pruett,said in a press release. “However, because our distribution area is so wide and our kitchen opens at 2 a.m. on Fridays, we are expecting the impending storm to affect our operations in many areas. Over the past two days, our staff members have worked vigorously to check in on the people we serve and make sure that they are safe and that they have the resources they need to remain safe.”
The nonprofit had been expecting the cancellation for a few days and had delivered extra meals to clients to carry them over until deliveries could resume.
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February 3, 2011
ARCH dealing with frozen pipes
The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) is struggling with frozen pipes for the second day in a row.
Yesterday, people at the 500 East 7th St. shelter could not shower after the facility lost water due to frozen pipes. Staffers managed to get water running last night, but then the pipes froze again.
Here’s today’s update from spokesman Mitchell Gibbs:
“Late yesterday afternoon, we had patched and gotten back a portion of our hot water so we were able to have some showering last night. But I’m told that the heat lamps we rigged yesterday tripped a breaker overnight, went out and we have frozen pipes again this morning. If all goes well, we should have showers available again by late afternoon.
The backup is that Salvation Army has agreed to let us shower some of our overnight folks there if we need.”
Yesterday, folks at Texas Parent to Parent and Austin Groups for the Elderly suffered flooding at the hands of a broken pipe in their 3710 Cedar St. building.
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January 18, 2011
Damage to nonprofit building: $100,000
The WBC Opportunities Bagdad Senior Activity Center and Meals on Wheels kitchen suffered $100,000 in damage last week after an electrical fire caused smoke and fire damage.
The Leander building, located at 351 N. Bagdad Road, caught fire Wednesday afternoon. Initially the damage was estimated at about $50,000. Now it’s double that.
The facility is used to prepare meals for more than 100 home-bound senior citizens. In 2010, about 10,000 meals were prepared there. The building is also used as an activity center.
The meals are now being cooked at another WBC building in Round Rock, said Scott Ferguson, director of development for the nonprofit. Other senior activities are being housed at the Leander Library.
“We were not going to stop working,” Ferguson said. “People were counting on us.”
WBC Opportunities is soliciting donations to help with the repairs. To contribute, go to www.wbco.net or call 512-763-1400. Checks may be made out to WBC Opportunities, 604 High Tech Dr., Georgetown, TX 78626
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January 7, 2011
Pepsi Refresh contest: Cheating at Play?
One charity trend I’ve noticed over the last year is the proliferation of online popularity contests.
In most of them, a private company promises to give away cash to a charity that receives the greatest number of votes at a designated website. But it’s not always a business. I Live Here, I Give Here has its own version of this with its annual Big Give event.
But one of such giveaway has come under fire for purported funny business that may be skewing the results.
According to this New York Times story:
“Pepsi Refresh, the online fund-raising contest with a $20 million giveaway for charitable causes and nonprofit groups, is again receiving complaints that its results are being manipulated.
A few nonprofit groups say that recent winners have used a mysterious service to propel themselves into the winning ranks, and complain that the practice breaks Pepsi’s ban on proxy voting and on votes from international locations.
“I feel like we were cheated out of a win,” said Ann Goody, a founder of the Three Ring Ranch, an exotic-animal sanctuary in Kona, Hawaii, that participated in the contest for many months. “We worked our hearts out with e-mails, phone calls, Facebook, kids handing out candy canes at Wal-Mart and then we find out our win was stolen from us by people breaking the rules.”
What do you think about these kinds of contests? Are they worth the time and effort it takes to get the word out there? Are they run fairly?
UPDATE
Someone just pointed out to me this article, which details the mess caused by Walmart’s online contest. Very interesting.
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December 29, 2010
Austin Pets Alive! open on holiday
From the press release:
Austin Pets Alive!, a non-profit dedicated to making Austin a “no-kill” city, will be open on New Year’s Eve and will offer “name your own price” adoption rates on New Year’s Day.
While Town Lake Animal Center will close at 5 p.m on December 31 and remain closed for the holiday on January 1, the APA! Adoption Resource Center at 2807 Manchaca Road will be open for adoptions until 7 p.m on New Year’s Eve and will open at 11 a.m on New Years Day for Austinites who have decided to start the new year off by opening their home to a rescued pet.
“We are excited to host a discounted adoption event to celebrate the new year and we hope to bring out additional adopters with our special pricing,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! “Our animals are a part of our APA! family, and we’ll continue to develop creative ways to ensure they find loving homes within the community. ”
While many hospitals will report their first birth of 2011, APA! is looking forward to hosting the first pet adoption of the new year at its headquarters.
The organization is optimistic that many of its animals will find forever homes with the reduced adoption rates and new year’s spirit, and is setting a goal of 100 adoptions for the weekend. Specifically, Daisy, a seven-year old Blackmouth Cur mix, is searching for a family to call her own. This good-natured pup fits right in with kids, cats and dogs alike. Additionally, Frankie, a buff-colored tabby with big golden brown eyes, is a lovely companion for humans, but really, truly shines around other cats. He loves the grumpy adult cat or even the rambunctious kitten that might be in his new home.
New Year’s Adoption Event
- Dog and Cat Adoptions: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the APA! Adoption and Resource Center, 2807 Manchaca Rd, December 31 - January 2.
- “Name Your Own Price” adoption fees for pets six months and older at the APA! Adoption & Resource Center on New Year’s Day, with a minimum adoption donation of $25.
- A bottle of champagne will also be given with each adoption through the whole weekend. (note: while supplies last, adopters 21 years of age and up only).
- Additional gift given to adopters of first pet adopted on New Year’s Day, along with a special post to our social media outlets about the adoption and animal.
- Chance to win a two-night stay at any Kimpton Resort for anyone who visits the APA! Adoption & Resource Center Friday-Sunday and enters the free raffle.
For those searching for a belated holiday gift, APA! is always offering sponsorships of its pets (available on the website). Sponsorships greater than $50 will be sent a photo of the sponsored pet in a magnet frame and all sponsorships, regardless of donation level, will be sent a card by APA! with a message designated by the donor.
In addition to hosting adoptions, volunteers will be at building during regularly scheduled hours on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to ensure the animals are well taken care of throughout the holiday weekend.
About Austin Pets Alive!
Austin Pets Alive! is a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to making Austin a no-kill city. The organization’s purpose is two-fold: to provide the services needed to save the lives of the thousands of pets killed every year at the City of Austin Town Lake Animal Center and to prevent them from getting there in the first place. The volunteers of APA! believe Austin’s kill rate is unacceptable and does not reflect the progressive spirit of its city’s residents. Visit www.austinpetsalive.org for more information.
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December 27, 2010
Volunteer of the Year winners
In case you missed it, the Statesman announced the winners of the Volunteer of the Year contest this weekend.
The big winner was Betty Hendrix, who has volunteered for the Red Cross for 66 years. But we also gave a nod to six other people who selflessly give their time to good causes around Central Texas.
Lastly, we have posted an online photo gallery of all the nominees whose pictures we received. If you sent us a picture of your nominee and do not see it in the gallery, email me at aball@statesman.com. We did our best to get them all in, but it’s definitely possible that someone fell through the cracks.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated and I’m looking forward to next year’s contest!
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December 15, 2010
St. David's Foundation awards $14.1 million in grants
AUSTIN - St. David’s Foundation announced today that it is awarding $2.48 million in grants to help provide innovative educational opportunities in the health care arena for local students.
“Investing in a strong educational future for the next generation of Central Texans is one of the most important goals at St. David’s Foundation,” said Earl Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. “All of us benefit when we provide area students with the best health care education and training available. These grants help assure that future health care professionals can get specialized training in a variety of settings.”
Austin Community College’s Round Rock campus will receive $2,030,000 for the newly named St. David’s Health Sciences Building. Open for classes in August, 2010, the 92,000 s.f. Health Sciences building holds classes for the ACC nursing program, as well as other health care professions. Over 2,400 students in all health sciences took classes in the building this semester.
“St. David’s Foundation and Austin Community College have forged a unique partnership that will bolster health care educational opportunities right here in Central Texas,” said Dr. Stephen Kinslow, ACC President/CEO. “The generosity of St. David’s Foundation will have an enormous impact on the lives of our students for many years to come.”
$250,000 will be invested by St. David’s Foundation in creation of a state-of-the-art videoconference facility for nursing students at Concordia University Texas. With this new technology, students will attend virtual guest lectures from the country’s top health care professors and seasoned health care practitioners, all while pursuing their studies on the Concordia University Texas campus.
Last but not least, St. David’s is awarding $200,000 to Capital IDEA to provide funding for recipients pursuing nursing degrees. Capital IDEA is a Central Texas non-profit focused on uplifting working families through educational sponsorships. The organization works to support low-earning adults with the challenges that can interfere with pursuing training for health care professions, including lack of transportation and childcare.
In addition to these educational grants, St. David’s Foundation is also awarding $11.7 million in grants to nonprofits, improving access to health care for low income Central Texans (see chart below for detailed grant information).
St. David’s Foundation provides funding each year through grants in six areas, including Healthy Aging, Healthy Futures, Healthy Living, Healthy Minds, Healthy People and Healthy Smiles.
A complete listing by category of the grants follows:
St. David’s Foundation Grants for Healthy People
PRIMARY CARE
El Buen Samaritano $615,000 Wallace Mallory Clinic
Lone Star Circle of Care $1,800,000 LSCC—A patient-centered health care home
People’s Community Clinic $2,250,000 Healthy Kids medical care and general operations
Samaritan Health Ministries $80,000 Health care for the uninsured of Williamson and Travis counties
UT School of Nursing $349,099 Family Wellness Center and Children’s Wellness Center
Volunteer Healthcare Clinic $67,250 Medical services
SPECIALTY CARE
AIDS Services of Austin $122,000 Jack Sansing Dental Clinic
AIDS Services of Austin $107,000 Medical case management
Any Baby Can $40,000 Assist children with audiological impairment
Breast Cancer Resource Center $202,688 Comprehensive breast cancer patient navigation
Cancer Connection $50,937 Care partners in clinical settings
CommuniCare Health Centers - Kyle $264,683 Dental operations
Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, Inc. $140,000 Expansion of dental clinic in Luling, TX (Caldwell County)
Easter Seals Central Texas $60,000 Rehabilitation Clinic-Sliding Fee Scale program
Lone Star Circle of Care $134,000 Expansion of Medical Assistance Through Community Health Care (Match) program
Manos de Cristo $30,000 Dental care for low-income Central Texans
People’s Community Clinic $300,000 Tandem Teen Prenatal and Parenting program
SafePlace $280,000 SafeHealth: health care services for SafePlace clients
TOTAL HEALTHY PEOPLE $6,892,657
St. David’s Foundation Grants for Healthy Aging
Austin Groups for the Elderly $157,500 Supportive services to enhance independent living for seniors
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas $60,000 Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE)
Capital City Village $55,000 Program operations
Care Communities $66,183 Expansion to serve clients and recruit volunteers
Austin Groups for the Elderly $88,330 Caregiver University
Combined Community Action $30,000 Homemaker and handyman program
Faith in Action Caregivers $125,000 Support services for seniors
Family Eldercare $175,000 Aging in Place program
Hospice Austin $140,000 Hospice Austin charity care
Meals on Wheels and More $200,000 Primary and secondary meals and Mike’s Place
New Connections $47,672 Program operations
Round Rock Area Serving Center $130,000 Senior assistance and case management
Texas Ramp Project $55,000 Program operations
Williamson-Burnet County Opportunities $112,000 Senior nutrition program
TOTAL HEALTHY AGING $1,441,685
More grants from St. David’s Foundation
Healthy People Capital Grant $482,000 Expansion of Community Health Centers of South Central Texas, Inc. dental clinic in Luling
Healthy Living Capital Grant $1,838,536 Commercial kitchen buildouts at KIPP ($522,536) and UT Elementary ($1,316,000)
Healthy Minds $459,662 Psychiatric service pilot project with LifeWorks, CIS, and SafePlace
Miscellaneous Capital Grants $185,728 Improvement projects at AIDS Services of Austin, Austin Groups for the Elderly, Boys & Girls Clubs, Easter Seals, and People’s Community Clinic
Miscellaneous Capital Grants $427,205 Improvement projects at AIDS Services of Austin, Boys & Girls Clubs, Hospice Austin, and WEBCO
TOTAL $3,393,131
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December 14, 2010
PFLAG adds new Austin support group
Press release:
PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is expanding in the Austin area.
The nonprofit organization is adding a satellite support group for residents of South Austin, East Austin and nearby areas. PFLAG’s only existing support group in the Austin area currently meets in Cedar Park.
The new group will meet the second Thursday of each month, beginning Jan. 13, 2011. The first gathering will start with a meet-and-greet at 6:45 p.m., with the meeting set to start at 7 p.m. All meetings will be held at Faith Presbyterian Church, 1314 E. Oltorf St., across from Travis High School.
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, as well as their families and friends, through support, education and advocacy. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
For more information about PFLAG’s new satellite support group, call 512-302-3524, email pflagaustin@gmail.com or visit www.pflag-austin.org.
The Austin chapter of PFLAG became affiliated with the national PFLAG organization in 1995.
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December 2, 2010
Aponte accused of hot check to Casual Corner
Looks like Louanne Aponte is facing another theft charge — and this one has nothing to do with Family Connections.
When Aponte was sent to the Travis County Jail yesterday, she was booked on an outstanding arrest warrant from 1982 for theft by check. According to court documents, Aponte — then charged under her maiden name, Louanne Shetter — allegedly bounced a check for $182.69 to Casual Corner, a chain of women’s clothing stores that has since closed.
The charge is a misdemeanor. Bond was set at $300.
Aponte is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow at 9 a.m. in the courtroom of state District Judge Julie Kocurek. Contrary to rumors, she does not already have a plea agreement with the state, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
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December 1, 2010
Family Connections' Aponte arrested
Louanne Aponte, the former Family Connections executive director accused of stealing more than $500,000 from various nonprofits, has been arrested and is on her way to jail in Travis County.
Aponte arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston from Caracas, Venezuela earlier today and is in custody of Travis County officials. Aponte surrendered to law enforcement officers.
Larry Kolvoord AMERICAN-STATESMAN
She is being taken to the jail where she will be booked on charges that were filed against her this spring. She has been charged with two counts of tampering with a governmental record. She is expected to arrive at the jail later this afternoon.
Aponte is suspected of having misappropriated more than $327,000 from the organization between 2004 and September 2009, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by the Travis County district attorney’s office.
Family Connections, which provides early childhood education services for young children and their families, closed in April — shortly after the discovery of the missing money — and laid off its more than 30 full time employees.
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Family Eldercare names new leader, buys building
Angela Atwood has been named the new executive director of Family Eldercare.
Atwood, who has served as the agency’s interim leader since former executive director. Karen Langley retired last year, joined Family Eldercare in Sept. 2007 as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer. Before that, she worked for nine years at SafePlace, where she served as deputy director of community affairs.
Family Eldercare has also announced that it has purchased a 23,000-square-foot building at 1700 Rutherford Lane. The building, which was previously owned by the American Heart Association, will allow the nonprofit to expand its professional trainings and accommodate workshops and seminars for its 100-plus care attendants and approximately 50 employees.
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November 12, 2010
Street Cat Rescue fundraiser coming soon
From the press release:
Looking for some fun and want to support a Humane Program for the Community Cats of the Austin Area? Get dressed up for the holidays and stroll down the decorated streets of downtown Round Rock and into the Beautiful Bella Notte on Main for Street Cat Rescue’s 3rdnd Holiday Fundraiser Event, “Long Tails and Little Whiskers” - Dinner and Dance.
The event will be held Saturday, December 4th at Bella Notte on Main St., 6-10 p.m.
Street Cat Rescue is an all-volunteer 501©3 non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to trap/neuter/return feral and stray cats, and adopt out socialized cats/kittens getting them off the streets and into loving homes.
In addition, Street Cat Rescue educates the public on the pet overpopulation problem and TNR- a humane solution to the feral and stray cat population. Trapping classes and other training is also offered. Street Cat Rescue also helps the underprivileged and elderly community by supplying food to compassionate folks to help feed their feral/stray cat colonies.
Music will be provided by the fabulous StratKat (a variety of great dancing music!) There will be a fantastic Raffle, Silent Auction and door prizes. Raffle Tickets may be purchased in advance by phone, online or at the event. Drawing will be held at 8:30pm.
A $75 donation cover charge includes: Italian Cuisine, Cocktails/Beer/Wine, Dance and a Raffle Ticket (great Prizes!), Enjoy an awesome Silent Auction too!
Suggested RSVP Date : November 20th. Call 762-3597 or contact streetcatrescue@earthlink.net. Visit the website http://www.streetcatrescue.com for more info on the event, prizes and rules!
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November 11, 2010
Homeless shelter leader resigns
Helen Varty, who spent 12 years leading the homeless advocacy group Front Steps, has resigned to take another job.
Varty will become the administrator for the Rebekah Baines Johnson apartments for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. The 250-unit complex is owned by the Austin Geriatric Center, which is a nonprofit. About 100 units are Section 8, while the others are rented on a sliding scale rent structure, Varty said.
Varty has led Front Steps since 1998, when the group was known as the Capital Area Homeless Alliance. Today, the nonprofit has a $3.5 million budget, employs 60 people and operates the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.
Varty is working part time at Front Steps while training interim executive director Mike Abkowitz. Abkowitz was president of the Front Steps board of directors.
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Magic camp ditches nonprofit status
The Kent Cummins Magic Camp is dissolving its nonprofit status and going back to the for-profit world.
This isn’t unchartered territory for the camp. The organization — a day camp that builds self-esteem in children through juggling, puppetry and magic — was founded as a typical business in 1993. But in 2007, in an effort to reach more kids through donor and foundation support, Cummins went nonprofit.
Yet the nonprofit status hasn’t attracted the kind of financial support the group had expected, Cummins says. Fees for services have been its primary income.
Here’s the press release with more details:
The Kent Cummins Magic Camp has been helping children in Central Texas for eighteen years, since it was founded as a simple additional DBA by Kent in 1993. As the camp has grown, so has the need for a larger organizational structure.
Five years ago, Kent investigated converting the camp into a nonprofit entity, in keeping with its goal of helping children. (Kent says that he never intended for the camp to make a profit, and consistently used any surplus from operations to expand the camp and increase the number of scholarships available.)
Effective January 1, 2007, “The Kent Cummins Magic Camp” became a Texas nonprofit corporation, with the IRS recognition as a 501(c)(3) public charity coming in September of that year. Kent was hopeful that the new organizational structure would attract additional funding, and allow him to gradually reduce the need for his constant oversight.
After four years as a nonprofit, however, it became obvious that traditional funders didn’t really understand the camp’s role in the nonprofit world. The vast majority of its income remained fee for services, with a few generous funders willing to donate regardless of the nonprofit status.
As a result, the Board of Directors has approved dissolving the nonprofit structure, effective December 31, 2010. Any donations made before the end of the year will still be tax deductable, but starting in 2011 there will be a new management group, operating the camp with an eye towards continued expansion of its proven programs.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have already accomplished,” said Kent, “and I look forward to a future full of magic!”
Magic Camp continues to use the fascination and fun of magic, juggling, and puppets to raise self confidence and build self esteem in school-age children throughout Central Texas. In addition, the Magic Camp Youth Leader Training Academy continues to offer what has been called “the best training for young teens anywhere in the world!” The magic words are, “CAN DO!”
Watch our award-winning web site, www.MagicCamp.com, for new information as it becomes available.
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November 8, 2010
Children's shelter chef recovering after hit and run
John Simpson, who was critically injured in hit-and-run while riding his bicycle to work last month, is on the road to recovery.
Simpson, 51, was on his way to the Austin Children’s Shelter on Oct. 24 when he was struck from behind by a vehicle at Berkman Drive and 51st Street. Simpson is a chef at the shelter, which provides residential care for children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
After several weeks at University Medical Center Brackenridge, Simpson has been moved to Texas Neuro Rehab Center, where he will receive treatment for a significant brain injury.
Simpson’s wife, Cynthia Colpaart, is detailing her husband’s progress at http://mychefjohn.com/Home_Page.html. No one has been arrested
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November 3, 2010
Marywood adopted by Catholic Charities of Central Texas
Marywood, a 90-year-old nonprofit focused on adoption and foster care, is now a part of Catholic Charities of Central Texas.
Marywood will operate as a program of Catholic Charities, which provides programs for needy people, including disaster assistance, legal services, literacy classes and life skills training. It also runs a food pantry and helps connect low-income people to state assistance programs such as food stamps and Medicaid.
The merger comes after years of financial problems for Marywood. We’ll have more on this story in tomorrow’s Statesman, but for now, here’s the press release issued by Catholic Charities.
AUSTIN - Marywood Children and Family Services has formed a partnership with Catholic Charities of Central Texas to provide adoption services and foster care placement services. Catholic Charities is the direct service component of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin.
The final agreement became effective Sept. 16 and was announced by Bishop Joe S. Vásquez on Nov 2.
“As a church, we are committed to protecting life. With Marywood becoming an agency of the Church, we can now offer adoptions and child placement services to our repertoire of pro-life activities. We invite all those who need these services to contact Marywood,” Bishop Vásquez said.
For most of its almost 89-year history, Marywood has worked very closely with the Diocese of Austin, even though it has been an independent charity since 2000. This new agreement represents a reunion of Marywood with its Catholic heritage. Marywood was founded by the Ladies of Charity of Austin, an association of Catholic lay women called to perform charitable works among the poor, under the name “Home of the Holy Infancy.”
“We are very excited about our new partnership with Marywood,” said Melinda Rodriguez, executive director of Catholic Charities of Central Texas. “A decisive factor for the partnership is the compatibility of our missions. Catholic Charities’ mission to strengthen families and individuals and Marywood’s mission to provide programs that protect and support children and families form a natural synergy that makes this union even more significant.”
The new partnership will not change the mission and scope of services currently offered by Marywood, but heralds new opportunities for the expansion of programs, which connect pregnant and parenting women with resources, place children in loving homes and provides protection through foster homes throughout the 25 counties that encompass the Diocese of Austin.
Marywood’s offices are at the Diocesan Pastoral Center at 6225 Highway 290 East in Austin. The phone number is (512) 472-9251. Catholic Charities headquarters are at 1817 E. Sixth Street in Austin.
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October 28, 2010
Holiday volunteer opportunities
Every fall, I start getting emails and phone calls from people who want to volunteer on Thanksgiving. Mostly, they want to serve meals to the homeless, help out at a shelter or do something with children.
It’s a generous thought and there definitely are some opportunities — Operation Turkey is probably the biggest one out there. But if that doesn’t work for you, the choices can be limited. Volunteer jobs at the Salvation Army, Front Steps and other places fill up fast.
So what’s a do-gooder to do? Consider volunteering the week before Thanksgiving.
Service Austin, a project by the Rotary Club of Austin, is coordinating dozens of volunteer opportunities for Nov. 20.
The group is offering a decent variety of options. You can help build a nature trail, clean up a park, sort library books, build a wheelchair ramp, beautify a cemetery, ring bells for the Salvation Army, work at a church reception, paint at the Austin Fire Department training facility or participate in other activities.
Volunteering on a holiday is great. We love the idea of giving thanks by showing compassion to others. But maybe you’re going out of town on Thanksgiving. Maybe you can’t find just the right opportunity for your kids. Service Austin is definitely worth checking out.
For more information, go here: www.serviceaustin.org.
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October 26, 2010
Seniors protest electric bills, get changes
Don’t expect the crowd over at Lyons Garden to take injustice lying down.
When residents at the seniors-only apartment complex saw their that October electric bills had nearly tripled, they sprung into action. They called Austin Energy. They contacted the billing company.
But no one could get a straight answer about what happened, said Nicole Munoz, manager of the apartment complex.
“We basically haven’t gotten anywhere,” she said on Monday. ” They’re saying that’s the amount of energy that was used. We’re stuck. We don’t have anywhere to go.”
Lyons Garden is a senior living complex developed by Family Eldercare, which provides services to senior citizens. The 54-apartment complex houses low income people, many of whom live only on their social security benefits.
This week, the residents stepped up their efforts. They contacted the Statesman, called their legislators, and considered staging a protest at Austin Energy.
“My bill went from $71 last month to $202 this month,” said resident Lee Villasenor, 77. “Most people here don’t have a lot of money.”
This week, their persistence paid off. On Tuesday, after inquiries from the Statesman, Austin Energy said they’d made a mistake. It turns out a broken meter at the apartment complex was giving the energy company false readings, said spokesman Ed Clark.
The company should have caught that, he said. Typically, when a customer has an unusually high bill, an employee will go check the meter. That didn’t happen in this case, Clark said. And Austin Energy plans to figure out what went wrong.
“We’ll determine why we didn’t do a better job.” Clark said.
The apartment complex will get a corrected bill and has received an extension in which to pay it.
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October 25, 2010
Sammy's House recovers from robbery
When Sammy’s House was robbed last month, Austin residents flooded the nonprofit with help.
The Texas Burglar and Fire Association helped the charity secure a free security system, including a motion detector and cameras. A random stranger walked into the charity’s office and gave them $750. People donated computers and printers.
Local kids set up a lemonade stand and sold treats to raise money for the nonprofit, said Sammy’s House founder Isabel Huerta.
“They raised $140 off of freaking Rice Krispy treats,” she said.
Sammy’s House, located at 2415 Twin Oaks Drive, is a nonprofit daycare that provides services for disabled and medically fragile children. In late September, thieves broke in through a window and stole computers, a printer and other items.
After Charity Chat and multiple television stations ran stories on the robbery, dozens of people came forward to help, Huerta said.
A few vultures showed up, too. Several security companies arrived at the office, offering to install the system for free but requiring the nonprofit to pay “exorbitant” monthly fees, she said. But overall, the nonprofit was overwhelmed by the support it received.
“It was just incredible,” Huerta said.
(And was anyone charged with this crime? Not sure yet. Huerta says she hasn’t heard anything and I’m still waiting for information from the Austin Police Department. I’ll update this as soon as I know.)
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October 21, 2010
Austin Child Guidance Center picks new exec
Today must be Name A New Executive Director Day.
Austin Child Guidance Center announced today that it has chosen Russell Smith — the former head of Youth Launch — to lead the organization. The news hit my inbox right after Austin Recovery, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment center, released the name of its new executive director.
Here’s the formal ACGC announcement:
Russell Smith, LMSW has been selected to fill the position of Executive Director at the Austin Child Guidance Center. Prior to his selection Russell was most recently the Executive Director of Youth Launch, a local non-profit agency dedicated to empowering young people through participation in community service activities. “We are extremely pleased to have found someone with Russell’s knowledge, experience and proven track record in successfully leading non-profits in Texas to now lead our agency, ”said Dr. James Maynard, President of the Board of Directors of the Austin Child Guidance Center. “We look forward to working with Russell and his leadership as we continue our commitment to meeting the mental health needs of children and families in Central Texas,” said Maynard.
Smith was previously the Director of National Service for the One Star Foundation, the Head Start Director in Harris County Department of Education, and the Interim Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Houston Chapter. Smith has a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Houston, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He is the grandson of Bert Kruger Smith, an Austin icon who started Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE). Russell currently serves on the board of directors at AGE.
Smith is replacing Dr. Donald Zappone, who is retiring after having led the agency for the past twenty nine years.
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October 19, 2010
United Way taking requests for $3.4 million in grants
The United Way Capital Area is seeking proposals for $3.4 million in grants for projects focused on education, financial stability and health.
The grants, which will be awarded next spring, include $1.8 million for education, $675,000 for financial stability efforts and $975,000 for health programs.
The major change this year comes with United Way’s education strategy. Out of the $1.8 million devoted to education, $778,000 will go to programs that help three middle schools: Decker Middle School in Manor ISD and Mendez and Webb Middle Schools in Austin ISD.
United Way will also use some of the health money to provide behavioral health services at those schools.
Currently, the United Way funds programs in 17 local campuses. Now the organization wants to try a more targeted approach in order to create more concrete results, said Emily De Maria, vice president of community development.
“We recognize we have limited funding and need to demonstrate community level change,” she said.
Nonprofits who want to apply must submit a Letter of Intent to United Way no later than noon on Friday, Oct. 29. UWCA also will require applicants to submit an administrative/fiscal application by noon on Nov. 19; and a program application by noon on Dec. 15.
For more information, go here.
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October 7, 2010
Meals on Wheels phone system down, then up
Did you try to call Meals on Wheels this morning, but couldn’t get through? The nonprofit’s phone system was temporarily down.
Callers were greeted by a phone message that said that, due to construction, the nonprofit was closed for business. Not true, says MOW president Dan Pruett. It was a phone glitch through Grande Communications.
The lines are now up.
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October 5, 2010
Nonprofit hub hosts grand opening
For the City Center, a church-owned nonprofit hub at 500 E. St. John’s Ave, opened today with speeches, a ribbon cutting ceremony and a performance by the Reagan High School marching band.
The center was created by The Austin Stone Community Church, a nondenominational church that draws about 6,000 people to services each weekend at Austin High School. Because of its growing membership, the church needed another campus, said Dave Barrett, pastor of operations.
But rather than purchasing a building solely for its own use, the church decided to renovate an old nursing home in the St. John’s neighborhood and lease office space to Austin nonprofits. The nonprofits currently in the building are Capital Area Food Bank, Austin LifeGuard (a sex education nonprofit), Communties in Schools (a dropout prevention program) and Caring Family Network (a foster care agency).
For the City Network — a nonprofit created by the church to foster collaboration among existing charities — is also in the building.
Want to know more about this? Check out my column this weekend. I’ll be writing about the new effort in more detail.
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October 4, 2010
Integral Care to Offer Primary Care Services
Per the press release:
Austin Travis County Integral Care was awarded $494,900 from Health and Human Services to integrate primary and behavioral health treatment at local mental health facilities operated by Integral Care.
In collaboration with CommUnityCare (local Federally Qualified Health Clinic), Integral Care developed a unique approach that will allow Travis County to expand and enhance health care services for individuals with severe mental disorders, substance use disorders and chronic disease. Using the “Chronic Care Model” to assist in change efforts in addressing health care needs within this vulnerable population - a population-based model - Integral Care will work to create meaningful and effective interactions between an informed, enabled patient and a prepared, active provider team.
More than $26.2 million in grants were awarded to 43 community behavioral health agencies integrate primary care into their services. These grants are primarily funded by the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund to improve health status by improving the coordination of healthcare services delivered in publicly funded community mental health and other community-based behavioral health settings. “CommUnityCare is very excited to hear of the awarding of this grant. We currently work with Integral Care through the E-Merge program which brings behavioral health counselors to our primary care delivery sites,” said David B. Vliet, CEO of CommUnityCare.
“These awards represent a long overdue investment in the health of some of our most vulnerable populations,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said. “The long-established split between “mental” and “physical” health is not justified in research and should not be perpetuated in health care.” Sebelius added that these grants are to prevent and reduce chronic disease and promote wellness by treating behavioral health needs with equality to other health conditions.
Up to $500,000 per year will be available for four years to each grantee, depending on the availability of funds, need and the progress achieved by the grantee. The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare in Washington D.C. will receive the remaining $5.3 million in grant funds to establish a national resource center dedicated to integrating primary and behavioral health care. The center, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources Services Administration, will provide training and technical assistance to community behavioral health programs, community health centers and other primary care organizations.
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September 30, 2010
UT sociologist wins grant to study generosity
From the press release:
University of Texas at Austin sociologist Pamela Paxton has been awarded a $148,000 grant from the Science of Generosity Initiative at the University of Notre Dame to study how social, economic and political structures affect individuals’ generosity towards one another.
Paxton’s study is one of 13 research projects to receive funding from the initiative, which promotes research on generosity, altruism, philanthropy and related issues and shares those findings with corporate, civic, religious and philanthropic communities.
“We are hoping to identify not only the individual characteristics associated with generosity but also the larger social forces that shape generosity,” says Paxton, the Centennial Commission Professor in the Liberal Arts who is also on faculty at the university’s Population Research Center.
She will examine data from two cross-national surveys to study generosity from an intercultural perspective. She will be among the first social scientists to look at both the personal factors and larger societal forces that drive generosity.
Among other things, Paxton will examine how the social, economic and political structures of nations affect generosity — for example, whether welfare states “crowd out” individual generosity or promote it by modeling generous behavior.
The year-old Science of Generosity Initiative is distributing $1.4 million to nine projects in this round of grants. Four other projects were funded earlier this year.
“In two rounds of competition, we received almost 700 research proposals, and these 13 projects gradually emerged as the most scientifically rigorous and promising we have seen,” said Christian Smith, the William R. Kenan Professor of Sociology at Notre Dame and director of the generosity initiative. “They are led by top-notch researchers and address a variety of important questions from diverse perspectives.”
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September 23, 2010
Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards announced
From the press release:
OneStar Foundation: Texas Center for Social Impact is proud to announce the winners of the 27th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards.
“The winners of the 27th Governor’s Volunteer Awards are dedicated, innovative and passionate about addressing Texas’ toughest challenges, and I’m proud to recognize and thank this year’s winners for their ongoing service and commitment,” Gov. Rick Perry said. “I also commend the OneStar Foundation for its continued work to make Texas home to the country’s strongest and most impactful nonprofit sector, which begins with selfless and committed volunteers.”
The winners are: · Social Innovator Award: Joe Icet, The Last Organic Outpost. Mr. Icet founded The Last Organic Outpost, which is an inner-city urban farm project in Houston using regenerative agriculture to restore the fertility of unused land. · Corporate Community Impact Award: Citi. The economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, so that they can improve their standard of living, is the driving force behind Citi’s involvement in the community. · Community Collaborator Award: Knowbility, Inc. Knowbility introduced a new program named AccessWorks which assists veterans with an innovative job training and employment program. · Community Collaborator Award: Dallas Blueprint for Leadership - Center for Nonprofit Management. Since its first class, Dallas Blueprint for Leadership has trained and matched over 350 ethnic minorities with boards of nonprofits in Dallas and Collin counties. · Community Motivator Award: Ann Park. Ms. Park was instrumental in the development of the Family Promise of Bryan-College Station, which helps homeless families with children become self-sufficient by providing shelter and assisting with job readiness, networking and case management. · Community Motivator Award: buildingcommunityWORKSHOP. The bcWORKSHOP is a Dallas-based nonprofit architecture and community design/build center seeking to improve the livability and viability of communities through the practice of thoughtful design and making. · First Lady’s Rising Star Award: Victoria Acker. At age 16, Ms. Acker has already made a tremendous positive impact on her community, including volunteering over 400 hours at several community nonprofits since 2007. · Governor’s Lonestar Award: William Sinkin. Mr. Sinkin has dedicated his life to community activism and civic issues, as well as founding a nonprofit with the mission of creating community outreach and education on the importance of renewable and sustainable energy through the use of solar power.
“The individuals, organizations and corporations honored through the 27th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards have truly gone above and beyond to help their fellow Texans in times of need,” said Elizabeth M. Darling, President and CEO of OneStar Foundation. “They are stellar examples of the good that can be found in all of us when we become engaged in solutions to social challenges.”
The winners will be honored at a ceremony on September 23, 2010, in Austin with their invited guests and attendees of the Texas Nonprofit Summit. Former Under Secretary of State and dedicated Texan, Ambassador Karen P. Hughes will serve as the evening keynote speaker. Each winner will receive two roundtrip tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines.
About OneStar Foundation: Texas has thousands of nonprofits, each with a different mission, but all working toward the goal of helping improve the lives of Texans. OneStar supports the nonprofit sector and its stakeholders through initiatives that increase civic engagement, research, rigorous evaluation and nonprofit organizational excellence. OneStar’s goal is to achieve sustainable social impact throughout the larger nonprofit infrastructure. The nonprofit sector is comprised of many groups, together they are stronger, more dynamic and more effective in achieving positive impact on the social challenges of Texas communities. For news about OneStar Foundation, visit www.onestarfoundation.org/news. Read OneStar’s blog at blog.onestarfoundation.org.
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September 20, 2010
Thieves hit daycare for sick children
Thieves broke into Sammy’s House this weekend, stealing about $10,000 in donated computers and printers, said executive director Isabel Huerta.
Sammy’s House, a nonprofit that provides daycare to disabled and medically fragile children, was robbed either Saturday or Sunday night, Huerta said. The thieves broke in through a window, then stole three printers and two computer systems, she said. They also took some old computer equipment that the nonprofit was about to trash.
But the criminals left behind some evidence that could end up incriminating them, Huerta said. They put a burning cigar in a desk drawer. They also spilled printer toner on the floor and left footprints around the building, she said.
Sammy’s House, located at 2415 Twin Oaks Drive, is now searching for someone to donate a security system to them. The nonprofit — whose teachers arrive at 6:30 a.m. — can not afford to buy one, Huerta said.
“We have to get security because my girls are terrified because they come in in the dark,” she said.
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September 17, 2010
Family Connections files for bankruptcy
Family Connections, the nonprofit agency from which former director Louanne Aponte is accused with embezzling as much as $1 million before fleeing to Venezuela, has officially filed for bankruptcy.
According to the filing earlier this month, the organization listed $260,000 in assets and $9.6 million in debts. The vast majority of the money owed — $9 million — is a claim the city of Austin has made against Family Connections to recover money Aponte is alleged to have stolen.
“As of right now we do not have a suit on file, but we are protecting the city’s interest by filing the notice of claim,” said city spokeswoman Samantha Park. “Currently the city is still investigating to see whether we have any damages.”
The rest of the listed debt is money owed to the Bank of America for a commercial loan ($356,000), the Internal Revenue Service ($88,000), former landlord Child, Inc. ($36,500), credit card bills ($40,000) and payments still owed to former employees in unpaid vacation time and mileage reimbursement, among others.
Louanne Aponte is listed as a co-debtor on seven separate credit cards.
Aponte disappeared from the offices of Family Connections, which received nearly all of its budget from government grants, in late February after a state investigators discovered that the organization’s financial audits had been fabricated. The nonprofit closed its doors soon after when the city and state agencies that provided its funding withdrew their support.
Aponte has since been charged with siphoning more than $300,000 from Family Connections over the past five years and using it to help pay for her $388,000 Circle C home, a ski boat and a Mercedes convertible, according to court filings. She is also suspected of having taken money from at least one other non-profit organization for which she worked as treasurer.
Her husband, Marco Aponte, has been charged with money laundering because his name was on bank accounts in which Louanne Aponte purportedly deposited stolen money. He is contesting those charges in Travis County District Court.
The two recently divorced. In court documents filed in June at the Travis County Courthouse, Aponte signed the divorce papers before a notary in Anzoátegui, Venezuela, where her husband’s family is from.
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September 14, 2010
CARY speaker to discuss bullying prevention
Per the press release:
The Council on At-Risk Youth (CARY) will host a luncheon with bullying prevention expert and bestselling author Barbara Coloroso on Wednesday, October 20, at the Hilton Austin Hotel, 500 E. 4th St., from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Coloroso’s topic is “The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander.” For 38 years Coloroso has been an internationally recognized speaker on bullying, school discipline, positive school climate, nonviolent conflict resolution, restorative justice, parenting and teaching. Coloroso’s website is www.kidsareworthit.com.
Coloroso will be introduced by Honorary Chair Greg Hamilton, Travis County Sheriff.
Music preceding the luncheon will be provided by the UT String Project Facility Quartet. Raffle tickets will be available to benefit CARY’s programs.
There will be a book-signing following the luncheon. Coloroso is the author of four international bestsellers: kids are worth it! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline; Parenting Through Crisis - Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief and Change; The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander and Just Because It’s Not Wrong Doesn’t Make it Right. Her most recent book is Extraordinary Evil: A Brief History of Genocide.
Sponsorships are available and can be purchased online at www.councilonatriskyouth.org or by mailing a check to CARY, 3710 Cedar St., Box 23, Austin, TX 78705. Individual tickets are $100.
Proceeds will benefit CARY’s Aggression Replacement Training, which is offered to middle school students referred for bullying or fighting.
The Council on At-Risk Youth is a 501-(c)-(3) nonprofit organization that helps youth promote safe schools and safe communities. CARY youth advisers provide a 12-month program of social and cognitive skills training, emphasizing violence prevention, to at-risk youth. For more information, please contact Adrian L. Moore, Executive Director, at 451-4592 or amoore@councilonatriskyouth.org.
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September 13, 2010
Rappel off a building for charity
Talk about extreme fundraising.
Special Olympics Texas is hosting one of the craziest, sweat-inducing fundraisers I’ve ever heard of. Essentially, people who raise $1,000 or more for the nonprofit will be allowed to rappel down the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel on Nov. 2.
Holy. Moly.
Here’s the press release:
AUSTIN - Calling all adrenaline junkies… do you have what it takes to rappel 15 to 22 stories down a high-rise hotel? If so, Special Olympics Texas wants you! Over the Edge, presented statewide by Subaru, is a Special Olympics Texas FUNdraising event that is geared toward the fearless or those looking to overcome their fears! Premiering in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Austin this fall, participants will raise funds (a minimum of $1,000), and their heart rate, for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of rappelling 15 to 22 stories down the InterContinental Hotel. Businesses and organizations can raise funds in order to “toss their boss” for the cause.
The event kicks off in Dallas/Fort Worth at the InterContinental Dallas Hotel on October 27, drops on the InterContinental Houston Hotel on October 30, and the final descent is in Austin at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel on November 2.
Over the Edge participants should be 18 years or older by the day of the event, and weigh between 110 to 300 lbs. Each participant agrees to raise a minimum of $1,000 at least two days prior to the event. Every friend, family or co-worker donating $50 to help send participants Over the Edge will be entered for a chance to win a 2011 Subaru Outback. To learn more or to register to go Over the Edge, visit www.specialolympicstexas.org today!
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September 9, 2010
What ever happened to the Family Connections library?
When Family Connections closed in April, one of the biggest disappointments to parents was the loss of the nonprofit’s large lending library.
While the organization provided many other services — such helping people find child care, providing day care vouchers and supporting mothers of newborns — Family Connections’ public face was its 13,000-volume library.
So what happened to it? For now, it’s in a state of limbo.
Child, Inc., a nonprofit that provides childhood development programs to low-income families, recently put a lien on the library, said Glenda Overfelt, Head Start program director for Child Inc.
Family Connections owes Child, Inc., which rented the nonprofit office space on 53 1/2 St., $35,000 in back rent and utility payments, she said. Child, Inc, filed the lien on the library to satisfy that debt.
The nonprofit hopes to take control of the library later this month and reopen it to the public, Overfelt said.
“It’s just sitting there collecting dust, taking up a good part of the building and not doing any good,” she said.
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September 8, 2010
Groupons for charity
The Austin Business Journal has a nice story about a new website called GivShop.com.
According to the story, “GivShop.com offers users discounted deals while giving 50 percent of the profit to a local organization selected by the customer. The company has teamed up with about 15 area non-profits, including the Austin Humane Society, Boys and Girls Club of Austin, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas, Emancipet and Ballet Austin, company officials said.”
This could be a pretty good thing. Groupons are all the rage this days.
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September 7, 2010
Wanted Family Connections exec signed divorce papers from Venezuela
Louanne Aponte — an Austin woman accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a local nonprofit — recently signed her divorce papers from Venezuela, according to court documents.
Travis County prosecutors have long maintained that Aponte, who was the executive director of the now-defunct Family Connections, fled to Venezuela after state auditors discovered Aponte had filed phony audits with the state.
In court documents filed in June at the Travis County Courthouse, Aponte signed her divorce papers before a notary in Anzoátegui, Venezuela. The papers list her email address. She also directs the court not to enter any judgments or orders without notifying her first, according to the documents.
The divorce papers were filed in June by Marco Aponte, who has been charged with money laundering because his name was on bank accounts in which Louanne Aponte purportedly deposited stolen money.
Louanne Aponte, faces criminal charges accusing her of siphoning more than $300,000 from Family Connections over the past five years and using it to help pay for her $388,000 Circle C home, a ski boat and a Mercedes convertible, according to court filings.
She has not been seen in Austin since early March.
More details to come in tomorrow’s Austin American-Statesman.
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September 3, 2010
Food bank CEO leaving agency
Capital Area Food Bank CEO David Davenport is leaving the agency.
Details are still fuzzy, but several sources have confirmed that Davenport will no longer be working at the agency. Davenport says he’ll be able to discuss the situation in detail later today.
The food bank is having a press conference at 3 p.m.
Hank Perret — vice chair of the food bank board of directors — has taken over as acting executive director.
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August 30, 2010
Volunteer of the Year contest update
It’s been a busy few months here at the paper, so I wanted to give you an update on the Volunteer of the Year contest that religion reporter Joshunda Sanders and I are hosting.
We’ve read through the more than 80 nominations, but have not yet sat down to choose a winner due to conflicting schedules and a heavy workload. The nominations, I can say, are incredible. There are so many generous people in our community, people who selflessly give their time and money to great causes. It’s inspiring.
Joshunda and I expect to choose the winner in the next few weeks. We’ll be honoring more than one person, though exactly what form that will take has yet to be determined. We’ll also be featuring all the nominees in an online photo gallery.
We expect to run stories on the winners sometime in October.
Thanks so much for your patience. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.
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August 23, 2010
Volunteers annoy Washington police
It’s interesting how a well-intentioned idea can quickly become a political hot potato.
In Washington, the city of Vancouver has decided to use volunteers to fill in the gaps that planned budgets cuts are expected to cause. According to a story in The Columbian, the city is allowing volunteers to use license plate scanning equipment to recover stolen cars. But that’s upset the Vancouver Police Officers Guild, which has filed a grievance because the city is using non-union workers to do what they consider to be a union job.
According to the story:
The guild maintains that the work is for police officers only, and the equipment should be mounted on patrol cars.
“Our main concern is not that volunteers are taking our work away from us,” said ( police guild president Ryan Martin). “But they could be in a confrontational situation with felons who are using stolen vehicles. … We shouldn’t be putting volunteers in that type of situation.”
I’m not buying that.
I absolutely agree that civilians shouldn’t be doing jobs that put them in contact with potentially dangerous criminals. But the guild is also against the idea of volunteers staffing the front counter at the police department or helping recover stolen items at pawn shops.
That kind of opposition tells me that the guild’s concern has little to do with safety and more to do with protecting their jobs. And that’s just wrong. If there are reasonable ways to use volunteers — ways that don’t put them in the line of fire — then the guild should stop being selfish and start looking hard at the possibilities.
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August 19, 2010
Donate food at hot sauce festival
Per the press release:
AUSTIN, TX, August 19, 2010 - What started as a friendly contest between Austin and San Antonio has become one of the largest annual contests in the world, the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.
FREE to the public (with a donation of three healthy, non-perishable food items or a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas), the event draws upwards of 15,000 spectators and more than 350 entries every year.
The 20th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival takes place on Sunday, August 29 at Waterloo Park, 11:00a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Last year’s Hot Sauce Festival raised $14,000 and 29,000 lbs of food for Central Texans in need. In July, 2010, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas distributed 2.7million lbs of food, the most in the history of the organization, so we need all attendees help us raise even more food and funds this year to help the hungry in our community.
The event will be hosted by KGSR’s Bryan Beck and scheduled musical performances include local favorites: David Garza, Uncle Lucius, El Tule, Distant Lights and Aftermath. But the biggest draws are the salsas. Gallons and gallons of hot sauce are consumed at the event every year. Area restaurants show off their hot and spicy foods at booths, and vendors from across the Southwest set up shop to sell hot and spicy cookbooks, fresh peppers, and chili pepper memorabilia.
Purchase raffle tickets at the festival to be included in the drawing for this year’s Sizzlin’ Summer Raffle prize packages (up to 5 packages available with a value of up to $1,000 each). There’s no limit - purchase as many as you’d like! $1 each or 6 for $5. Here’s a taste of what you could win:
The “Sizzling Summer Spree” package includes two three-day passes to the SOLD OUT Austin City Limits Music Festival and much more.
The “Warm Weekend Getaway” package includes a round trip ticket from JetBlue and much more.
The “Red Hot Sports and Recreation” package includes a round trip ticket from Southwest Airlines, a free round of golf at Horseshoe Bay Resort, a one month pass at Castle Hill fitness and much more.
The 20th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is presented in conjunction with the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and sponsored in part by 93.3 KGSR, H-E-B, Ziegenbock, Silicon Labs, Time Warner Cable, Champion Scion, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Car2Go, Sustainable Waves, Texas Natural Rainwater and Planet K. Special thanks to Don’t Mess With Texas.
About Capital Area Food Bank of Texas: The mission of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. In its 29th year of service, the Food Bank currently provides food and grocery products to more than 350 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. In 2009, CAFB distributed more than 23 million pounds of food. For more information on the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and its programs, visit www.austinfoodbank.org or call 512.282.2111.
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August 16, 2010
Win school clothes at Goodwill
A press release from Goodwill Industries of Central Texas:
Goodwill Industries of Central Texas is launching its ‘Brand U’ shopping campaign for Central Texans searching for a back-to- school wardrobe that expresses their unique style—without breaking the budget. Beginning July 30-August 22, shoppers looking for the perfect first day outfit at their local Goodwill retail store can also register for a chance to win a complete makeover, shopping spree and bragging rights for the rest of the school year.
The Brand U campaign sends the message to the community that “It’s not what you wear; it’s how you wear it.” With the endless combinations of new and vintage clothing and accessories offered at Goodwill, shoppers have a cost-effective way to be unique and brand their own style this school year. Shoppers that visit their nearest Goodwill can also register for the Brand U makeover, which gives them a chance to win a $100 Goodwill shopping spree with a personal shopper, a hair cut/style/coloring, eyebrow shaping, a before and after photo shoot, and the chance to be a model in Goodwill’s next ‘Brand U’ shopping ad, courtesy of Salon Keriz’ma and Almost Impatient Productions.
Goodwill offers back-to-school shoppers the opportunity to get the brand name and vintage clothing they want at a fraction of the cost, while funding Goodwill’s mission of providing employment training and services to help Central Texans find jobs in the community.
When: July 30-August 22, 2010; the campaign coincides with tax-free weekend on Aug. 20-22
Where: Register for the Brand U Makeover at any of Goodwill’s retail stores around Central Texas. Visit www.AustinGoodwill.org for a list of locations.
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August 9, 2010
Laura Bush to speak at book festival gala
Per the press release:
The 2010 Texas Book Festival’s (TBF) First Edition Literary Gala will be held Friday, October 15 at the AT&T Conference Center. This annual event is always filled with literary stars, prominent guests, and this year’s gala is no exception.
TBF founder, honorary chair and former First Lady Laura Bush, author of Spoken From the Heart, will return to the gala stage to celebrate the organization’s 15th anniversary. The success of the Texas Book Festival inspired her to launch the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Additionally, two prestigious authors who have new books being released this fall will be speaking at the gala. The Hours author Michael Cunningham is releasing his new novel, By Nightfall, in October, and National Public Radio’s Michele Norris will release her first book, The Grace of Silence: A Memoir, in September.
“This year’s gala line-up is extraordinary,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Book Festival. “We treasure these priceless moments when authors reveal their personal thoughts and reflections. What a great way to celebrate the Book Festival’s Quinceañera and kick-off the literary weekend!”
The First Edition Literary Gala is not only extraordinarily fun-filled, but it also makes it possible for TBF to offer a FREE weekend Book Festival, as well as provide grants to Texas public libraries, literacy outreach to economically disadvantaged schools and year-round author events and happenings. Gala tables can be purchased at texasbookfestival.org or by calling 512-477-4055. The Texas Book Festival will take place on October 16 and 17 in the State Capitol and venues nearby.
BACKGROUND: The 2010 Texas Book Festival commemorates 15 years of celebrating authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas and imagination. Founded in 1995 by Laura Bush and a group of interested volunteers, the Festival is held every year on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. It features readings and discussions from more than 200 renowned Texas and national authors. With the help of the Texas community, a statewide advisory committee and hundreds of volunteers, the organization has grown each year.
Texas Book Festival:
*Has donated $2.5 million in grants to Texas public libraries
*Has reached more than 35,000 children in economically disadvantaged central and south Texas schools, providing for many the first book they’ve ever owned through its Reading Rock Stars program
*Sponsors a statewide middle and high school fiction writing contest
*Entertains and informs more than 30,000 festival attendees, adults and children alike, free of cost, with author events, engaging discussions, children’s authors and entertainment, cooking demonstrations, local foods and live music
*Connects authors and readers through events year-round
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August 4, 2010
Thirty-eight billionaires pledge billions to charity
The Philanthropy Twins strike again.
About a year ago, philanthropy soul mates Warren Buffett and Bill Gates set out to convince some of the richest people on the planet to give most of their fortune to charity. Today, the pair announced that they have convinced 38 other billionaires to sign The Giving Pledge, according to a story on msnbc.com.
So who’s on the list? According to the story, “They include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entertainment executive Barry Diller, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, media mogul Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, film director George Lucas and investor Ronald Perelman.”
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August 3, 2010
Could doping scandal hurt Armstrong's foundation?
The federal investigation into doping allegations against Lance Armstrong could hurt the cyclist’s cancer foundation, according to a story today by The Associated Press.
According to the article:
The foundation has not been accused of wrongdoing, but it is so closely linked with Armstrong it could be hurt.
“They are not going to be able to thrive if the person who is the spirit behind it is in trouble,” said Ken Berger, CEO of Charity Navigator, which analyzes more than 5,000 nonprofits in the U.S. “It is just going to devastate them.”
Just the mere juxtaposition of Armstrong with prosecutors seems to already be harming his image.
Although the investigation is ongoing, public opinion may be starting to shift. Words such as “scandal” and “lie” and “steroids” are now the most popular phrases used to describe Armstrong, according to Zeta Interactive, a marketing firm that tracks online sentiments. In 2008, when Armstrong was the fourth-most talked about athlete, words used to describe him included “hero” and “legend” and “Nike” — a reference to one of his main sponsors.
The story also says that 58 percent of online sentiments about Armstrong remain positive, down from 86 percent at the beginning of July.
Let me offer a couple of thoughts here.
Clearly, Armstrong is the face of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. And yes, that foundation has been hugely successful because of his cycling career.
But Armstrong’s foundation isn’t focused on cycling or athletics. It’s about about helping people with cancer. While some people may have initially been drawn to the organization because of the cyclist’s celebrity, many remain involved because of their commitment to the cause — not Armstrong.
By all accounts, LAF is a solid organization.The foundation is rated three out of four stars at charitynavigator.com. It’s one of the biggest cancer charities in the country. And the group hasn’t suffered from the same criticism faced by other celebrity nonprofits (see Yele Haiti).
So will LAF be affected by the investigation? Well, anything associated with Armstrong’s name right now might raise an eyebrow in some circles. But Armstrong also has legions of supporters — as does the foundation itself.
“The foundation is as strong as it has ever been, just not financially, but in terms of the impact that we are having,” foundation CEO Doug Ulman told The Associated Press. “Lance has been, and continues to be, this beacon of hope and inspiration for millions of people around the world.”
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Catholic Charities of Central Texas names new leader
Catholic Charities of Central Texas has a new leader.
Melinda Rodriguez, who served as director of development for El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission for three years, took the top spot at the organization this week.
Catholic Charities of Central Texas focuses on helping individuals, families and communities through direct services, community collaboration and social justice advocacy.
Before working at El Buen, Rodriguez held jobs at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary Cathedral Parish in Austin and St. Louis, King of France Parish in Austin.
“I am grateful that Melinda Rodriguez is bringing her wealth of knowledge of the nonprofit sector to Catholic Charities of Central Texas. Her leadership and experience will help us to continue the mission of the church in caring for the needs of the poor,” said Bishop Joe S. Vásquez in a press release.
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August 2, 2010
Felines find new homes
The Austin Humane Society’s Feline Free Fur All adoption event resulted in new homes for 150 cats and kittens.
On Saturday, the nonprofit waived all adoption fees for the felines because the shelters were over capacity. The adoptable animals came from the Williamson County Regional Shelter, Bulverde Area Humane Society, Woodville Humane Society, Town Lake Animal Center and the Austin Humane Society.
But don’t think think the nonprofit was just handing out animals at the door. The new owners have to go through the usual adoption process, including paperwork, counseling and spay or neutering.
Check out some video at News 8 Austin.
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July 29, 2010
Gladish leaving ACF, heading to Seton
Austin Community Foundation Executive Director Ken Gladish is heading over to the Seton Foundations.
Gladish will leave ACF in November. In his new role, he will run the Seton philanthropic and fundraising team that serves all of the hospitals and programs of the Seton Family of Hospitals.
More details to come, but here’s a statement sent to Seton staffers from Charles J. Barnett, CEO of Seton Family of Hospitals:
Ken Gladish has accepted the position of president and CEO of the Seton Foundations. Ken is a nationally recognized leader in charitable and philanthropic endeavors. Since 2008, Ken has been president and CEO of the Austin Community Foundation (ACF). During his tenure, ACF received over $65 million in contributions and disbursed nearly $60 million to a wide range of charitable causes in Central Texas.
Immediately before coming to Austin, Ken served as the president of the YMCA of the USA and in academic leadership roles in Michigan and Indiana. He will begin his new role in November of this year.
The Seton Foundations are comprised of The Seton Fund, the Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, the Seton Williamson Foundation and the Seton Hays Foundation. In partnership with generous donors, these fundraising foundations raised nearly $19 million last year to support Seton’s health care ministry in Central Texas. These funds help pay for charity care, new infrastructure, technology, programs and services. For example, philanthropy funds nearly one-third of the Seton Community Health Centers’ operations, which provide services to 12,600 low-income families.
The Seton Family of Hospitals provided more than $430 million in charity care and community benefit during last fiscal year, according to reports with the State of Texas. Philanthropic support will continue to be critical to Seton’s success as we expand medical education and innovative research across Central Texas as part of our partnership with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and The University of Texas System.
As Seton welcomes Ken Gladish, we again recognize the remarkable achievements of Gene Attal, who left Seton recently after 35 remarkable years of service. Under Gene’s leadership, Seton’s fundraising efforts supported the opening of the region’s first neonatal intensive care unit, the region’s only heart transplant center and Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. In addition, we thank Gerald Hill, the Seton Foundations interim president, for his exceptional leadership during this transition.
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July 26, 2010
Oakley hits $5 million in giving to LIVESTRONG
Three years after launching a philanthropic partnership with LIVESTRONG, Oakley, Inc. — the California-based sunglasses maker — has donated a total of $5 million to the cancer nonprofit.
The company has a special line of LIVESTRONG sunglasses and prescription frames. With each sale of eyewear in that that line, Oakley contributes $20 to the nonprofit, which provides support for cancer survivors, funds nonprofits and supports research.
Oakley reached the $5 million mark in contributions earlier this month.
Oakley CEO Colin Baden said in a press release, “We have reached this important milestone in our history with Lance and LIVESTRONG because of the countless customers who have shown their support by purchasing Oakley’s LIVESTRONG collection. It is an honor to be a part of such a worthy cause.”
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July 22, 2010
Last call for volunteer contest nominations
The deadline is looming for entries into the Statesman’s Volunteer of the Year contest.
Nominations are due by the end of the day tomorrow. We’ve gotten lots of submissions and all of them have been awesome, but we’d certainly love more. So send your nominations via e-mail to aball@statesman.com and put “great volunteer” in the subject line.
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Hogg Foundation awards grants
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has awarded more than $325,000 in grants to train people to advocate for people with mental illness.
The grants will allow five nonprofit advocacy groups — three in Austin and two in Houston — to hire an in-house fellow, who will receive intensive training, education and experience in policy and advocacy work. Fellows will focus on specific efforts to improve mental health policy in Texas.
The grant recipients are:
Advocacy, Inc., Austin, $63,596
ChildBuilders, Houston, $66,234
Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc., Austin, $67,944
Mental Health America of Greater Houston, $68,250
Texans Care for Children, Austin, $60,825
“Texas needs more advocates who understand the state’s complex mental health system and who know how to improve it through public policy work,” Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the foundation, said in a press release. ‘These five fellows have a rare opportunity to learn the art of public policy work from seasoned experts.”
Interested in applying for a fellowship position? Contact the grantees directly.
The grants come at a time when Texas’ public mental health system is being targeted for millions of dollars in funding cuts due to state budget problems. To read more about that, go here.
“This is a critical time for mental health in Texas,” said Eileen Garcia, CEO of Texans Care for Children. “Proposed budget cuts in the tens of millions threaten vital programs for children and adults who struggle with mental illness, and the state struggles with severe shortages in its mental health workforce.”
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July 21, 2010
New leadership at BCRC
The Breast Cancer Resource Centers (BCRC) of Texas has hired Kathleen Coggin as its new executive director.
Coggin — who last served as as director of in-home care and caregiver services for Family Eldercare — replaces former executive director Vivian Smith, who retires this week.
According to a BCRC press release, “She led and managed a $2 million program of 140 employees that served over 1,500 clients and caregivers. She has a bachelor of arts in human services and a certificate in nonprofit management and leadership from St. Edward’s University. Kathleen is a 2010 Leadership Georgetown graduate and in 2009 received a certificate in gerontology. She completed the executive MBA program at Crummer Graduate School of Business and the management program in Europe at Darden Graduate School of Business.”
BCRC also hired a new chief development officer. Bonnie Welch, who was the director of development for Care USA, a humanitarian organization, will now serve in the position.
According to the press release, “As director of development for Care, USA, Bonnie Welch identified, researched, cultivated, and solicited donors in a 12 state region. … Prior to Care, USA, Welch served as the director of development for La Casa Norte where she initiated fundraising efforts and secured the organization’s secure financial standing. Welch’s professional experience includes being senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP, vice president of affiliate operations at Provident Health Services Inc. and independent consultant work. Welch received a master of public administration and bachelor of science in political science from Georgia Southern University.”
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July 20, 2010
Meals on Wheels starts waiting list
Meals on Wheels and More has instituted a waiting list for seniors who need home-delivered meals.
About 140 people are on the list, which was created in June due to overwhelming demand for services, said spokeswoman Sarah Andrews. The nonprofit has not had a waiting list for home-delivered meals in at least three years and it has never been this large, she said.
Currenty, the group delivers meals to 2,500 people a day. Last year, it distributed 1 million meals.
Traditionally, the Austin-based nonprofit has seen its client base grow about six percent per year. But over the last two years, it’s jumped by 10 percent. According to the agency’s press release, “Budget constraints brought on by the economic decline have forced us to limit the number of people we can currently serve.”
Meals on Wheels staffers are trying to prioritize people on the waiting list according to the most critical need, Andrews said.
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July 15, 2010
Zoo names sea lion after donor
Margaretta Taylor has a very special namesake: A sea lion.
Yep, it’s true. And fabulous, really.
According to this story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Taylor (a New York philanthropist) gave $5 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo.
So what better way to thank her but to name a baby sea lion after her? The animal was recently born at the Bronx Zoo.
You gotta give the conservation society a hand for creativity. It’s a fun way to say thanks.
If I give Meals on Wheels and More $5 million, will they name one of their meals after me? Mama Andrea’s Fiesta Casserole has a nice ring to it…
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June 30, 2010
Facebook creator: Charities can't change the world
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thinks that businesses, not nonprofits, are better equipped to change the world.
In an interview on the blog Inside Facebook, Zuckerberg says:
“I think building a company is the best way to change the world, because it’s the best way to align the interests of a lot of smart people and a lot of partners to build something that’s great and that serves people. You can’t do that if you’re an individual because it’s just you and there’s no one to align, and you can’t do it if you’re a nonprofit because you have no resources and you’re constantly out trying to raise money instead of generating it and being self-sufficient.”
So businesses are not constantly trying to raise money? Since when?
I don’t know what Zuckerberg means by “change the world.” He doesn’t say. Maybe he’s talking about the stock market. In that case, yes, businesses would be best equipped to ignite change.
After seeing this item today, I scoured the web to find out exactly how Zuckerberg views philanthropy. The only thing I found right off was on this site, on which Zuckerberg was quoted as saying:
“There are a lot of really big issues with the world that need to be solved and what we’re doing as a company is basically building an infrastructure on which some of those problems can be solved.”
And who is going to solve these problems? Facebook? I’d be happy if Zuckerberg would start with protecting my Facebook account from spammers. That would be nice.
There’s no doubt businesses play a role in attacking societal problems. Every day I hear about companies that give back to their communities by donating money and services.
And you know who they’re giving that money to? Charities. You know, the groups that can’t change the world.
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June 29, 2010
Grant funds breast cancer screenings for low-income women
Planned Parenthood just issued this press release:
Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region is now accepting appointments and providing affordable and timely breast health education and evaluations for low-income, low-risk women ages 18 to 34. This service is partially funded by an $18,728 grant from the Austin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Clients seeking appointments should call 1-800-230-PLAN for the nearest Planned Parenthood health center or go to www.ppaustin.org.
Young women often fear the worst regarding their breast health. When they detect an unusual lump or thickening, they may not be able to distinguish between normal tissue and suspicious masses. These women often seek out complex diagnostics, creating an unnecessary expense for the patient as well as the health care system. Planned Parenthood health center staff will interrupt this sequence of events by providing prompt and affordable breast evaluation and management services to low-risk women. The breast evaluation and management services will include a breast cancer risk assessment, a breast exam, breast education with nutrition and health counseling, a follow-up exam, and referral when needed.
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Fix the BP spill, get rich
Know how to fix the BP oil disaster? The X Prize Foundation is planning to offer $10 million to the person whose big idea can get it done.
According to the Chronicle of Philanthopy, “Francis Beland, a vice president of the foundation, announced the proposed contest Monday at a conference. The organization, which has previously given out prizes for designing DNA-sequencing technology, a super-fuel-efficient vehicle, and a spacecraft, has already received 35,000 unsolicited proposals for ways to stop the spill.”
You reading this, Michael Riester? Here’s your big chance.
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June 24, 2010
St. David's awards grants
Statesman reporter Mary Ann Roser has a story today about the St. David’s Foundation’s growing profile in the community. It’s chock full of details about the group’s work and how it compares to others in the area. If you haven’t seen it, you should give it a look.
Today, the foundation announced that it has awarded $3.85 million in mental and physical health grants to 24 area nonprofit organizations. Below are the winners and the amounts granted.
Grants for Community-Based Mental Health Services
Any Baby Can: $215,000, No Estás Solo Counseling Program
Austin Child Guidance Center: $176,575, Children’s Psychological Services Unit
Austin Recovery: $349,500, Recovery Step Down (Year Three) and Austin Detox Dollars
Austin Travis County Integral Care: $145,800, North Austin Outpatient Service Center
Center for Child Protection: $70,000, First Steps Program
Capital Area Mental Health Center: $85,000, Counseling Services
Family Crisis Center: $42,000 Counseling Program
Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center: $96,091, Professional Counseling Services and Training Program for Community Counselors
Lifeworks: $150,000, Youth and Adult Counseling Program
SafePlace: $120,000, Counseling Services Program
SIMS Foundation: $100,000, SIMS Clinical Services
Waterloo Counseling: $149,687, Project Open Door
Wonders & Worries: $20,000, General Operating Support
YWCA of Greater Austin: $36,752, YW Counseling & Referral Center
Grants for Integrated Behavioral Health Services
Lone Star Circle of Care : $650,500, Behavioral Health Program
People’s Community Clinic: $229,539, Healing the Body and Mind Program
Grants for School-Based Mental Health Services
Communities in Schools - Central Texas: $375,000, Campus Program Support and Expansion to Manor Independent School District
Interagency Support Council of East Williamson County: $182,540, East Williamson County School-Based Mental Health Project
Leander Independent School District: $63,010, School-Based Counseling Program
Grants for Community-Based Programs
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cap. Area: $60,000, Healthy Habits and Kids’ Café Programs
YMCA of Austin/MEND: $250,388, MEND: Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do It!
Grants for Clinic-Based Programs
Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas: $50,000, Healthy Living, Happy Living Program
Friends of Public Health: $70,000. Get Fit, Get Healthy, Get Movin’
Grants for School-Based Programs
Marathon Kids/Sustainable Food Center: $166,000, Sprouting Healthy Marathon Kids
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June 23, 2010
Thieves steal $7,000 from nonprofit
Thieves stole $7,000 last weekend from Eastside Community Connection, an Austin nonprofit that serves thousands of people each year through its food pantry and educational programs.
Executive Director Sly Majid said someone broke into the charity’s office at 5810 Berkman Dr. sometime between June 19 and June 21. The thieves stole the group’s lockbox, which contained about $7,000 in donations.
The Austin Police Department is investigating. No charges have been filed.
Eastside Community Connection was created in 2002 as a way to help Austinites while teaching college students about volunteerism. Each year, the group’s food pantry serves up to 1,500 familes. The nonprofit also provides computer literacy and English as a Second Language classes to about 40 people.
The organization employs one full-time staffer and uses up to 400 volunteers per year. The annual budget generally runs between $70,000-$100,000, Majid said.
“That’s about 10 percent of our budget somebody decided to walk off with,” he said.
Typically, the nonprofit doesn’t have so much money lying around the office, Majid said. But a series of unusual events made the burglary possible.
The donations came in a few weeks ago while Majid was on vacation, so the student volunteers put them in the lockbox, Majid said. Then, when he returned, all the donations had to be recorded by the students. That did not happen until Friday afternoon.
By then, it was too late to go to the bank, Majid said. So the group put the money in the lockbox and planned to bring it to the bank on Monday. By then, however, the lockbox was gone.
No one is exactly sure how the thieves got in, Majid said. One theory is that they picked the lock. But it is also possible that a volunteer unintentionally left the door unlocked, he said.
The nonprofit is reviewing all of its policies and procedures to ensure nothing like this happens again, Majid said.
“I’ve been retracing my steps and there are a lot of things we could have done differently,” he said. “You wish you could go back and change everything. And part of me is angry that someone would do this to us.”
Donors have been notified and have been very understanding, Majid said.
Anyone with information is asked to the Austin Police Department at 974-5491.
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Obama's homeless plan: Will it work?
If you’re interested in homelessness issues, you’ve likely heard about a new federal initative to target the problem.
“Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness” proposes to end child and family homelessness in 10 years and eliminate chronic homelessness and homelessness among veterans in five years. The administration plans to do this with tactics such as bolstering civic engagement, increasing access to stable and affordable housing, and expanding meaningful and sustainable employment.
This article sums up the plan rather well. And this report by the Texas Tribune and KUT offers a nice interview today on the subject with Richard Troxell of House the Homeless.
The White House approach certainly is ambitious and admirable. However, I’m skeptical about the timeline.
In September 2004, the Austin City Council adopted the “Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Austin/Travis County.” And while progress has been made, this city isn’t even close to defeating chronic homelessness.
And let’s not forget the George W. Bush administration’s push to solve the problem, which in 2002 set a goal to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. Clearly that’s not working. One recent government report showed that nearly 1.6 million people spent time in homeless shelters last year.
What’s stopping us from beating this seemingly insurmountable problem? There’s no easy answer to that question. The lack of adequate funding for affordable housing, mental health care and substance abuse programs are often cited as the culprit. Then there are those who believe that the chronically homeless will always be on the streets because they’re lazy and like living off the public dole.
Whatever the reason, let’s hope Obama’s promises result in real action. Enough is enough already.
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June 22, 2010
Release: Family Eldercare Looks to the Future
Family Eldercare, an Austin nonprofit that serves local seniors, has put out a press release expanding on its decision not to merge with Meals on Wheels and More. Below is the full statesment.
The Board of Directors of Family Eldercare recently decided not to merge with Meals on Wheels and More. This decision was made with the best interests of our clients and staff in mind, and with a strong commitment to the future of our programs. This was not an easy decision and was based on a long and careful analysis of both organizations. Family Eldercare has a long history of helping older adults and adults with disabilities live as independently as possible, with a good quality of life. The Board of Family Eldercare has determined that we are in a better position to expand our critically needed services as an independent organization.
When we began exploring the opportunity of merging, both Family Eldercare and Meals on Wheels and More committed to conducting thorough due diligence. We appreciate the funding provided by a local foundation that allowed both organizations to conduct an in-depth financial and organizational analysis. This was critical to making an objective decision regarding the best direction for Family Eldercare and our clients.
We have come to admire Meals on Wheels and More, and Dan Pruett’s leadership of that organization. Each of our agencies shares a passionate commitment to service. We look forward to our continued work with Meals on Wheels on projects such as our Aging in Place Initiative and our Summer Fan Drive, which provides fans and air conditioners to clients of both organizations. It is our hope that our increased understanding of one another will allow these two great organizations to collaborate even more effectively in the future.
At Family Eldercare, our expertise lies in promoting the full continuum of care for older adults, adults with disabilities and their caregivers. These services are provided through our In-Home Care & Caregiver Services, Guardianship, Money Management and Service Coordination programs. Our continued focus and dedication to this mission will ensure that thousands of clients are able to age with dignity and maximum independence and our quality programs will continue to thrive.
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June 17, 2010
Why are Danny and Maggie panhandling again?
Dearest readers, I have been most remiss in my posts and for this I sincerely apologize. I got really sick at the end of last week and have just returned to work today. Many thanks to the brave physicians who pulled me from the brink of death, a condition caused by something like strep throat.
While on my sickbed — between watching parts one through six of the A & E miniseries, Vanity Fair — I came across this KXAN story about Danny and Maggie, a formerly homeless couple who received a mobile home through Mobile Loaves and Fishes in May.
According to the story, despite now having a home, Maggie and Danny are still panhandling. In the story, the couple says they need money to pay their bills.
The KXAN story generated lots of comments on the issue and some people were very angry. People called Maggie and Danny “ungrateful bums” and “morons.”
I’m not going to get too into detail on this issue right here, as I hope to write my column on the complexities of the situation. But you might take a look at this blog by Mobile Loaves and Fishes founder Alan Graham. It is certainly thought provoking.
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June 9, 2010
Impact Austin awards grants
Impact Austin has awarded its annual grants. Here’s the press release detailing the winners and their projects.
Impact Austin, a local philanthropic group of women, announces the five Community Partners for its 2010 grant cycle. There are 525 women in Impact Austin for 2010, which results in five $105,000 grants. With these grants, Impact Austin will have put over $2.6 million to work in the community to benefit local area projects since 2004.
“When you think that in just seven years, 25 Austin area nonprofits have received a grant of no less than $100,000, makes you stop and realize that the power of collective giving can be life changing for not just one life, but thousands. And despite the challenging economic climate Impact Austin membership is at an all time high, reinforcing the commitment of 525 Central Texas women who believe in the nonprofit community and what they are doing by supporting high-impact programs,” said Rebecca Powers, Impact Austin’s Founder and CEO.
Each year Impact Austin considers proposals in five focus areas: culture, education, environment, family, and health and wellness. The finalists are chosen by focus area committees who evaluate proposals and conduct site visits before making their recommendations to the general membership.
The check presentations for the five Community Partners will be throughout the day on Monday, June 14th at the headquarters of the five Community Partners. (For media purposes, the times and locations of each check presentation will appear on the Impact Austin website, www.impact-austin.org by Friday, June 11th.)
The five 2010 Community Partners and their proposed use of Impact Austin’s grant money are:
CULTURE Organization: Badgerdog Literary Publishing Project: It’s Elementary! Badgerdog Literary Publishing’s program, “It’s Elementary!” will bring the art of creative writing and the joy of seeing their work in print to all 4th graders at the eight East Austin elementary schools that feed into Eastside Memorial High School. Each school will be assigned a paid “Writer in Residence” (a published author) who will work with each class for 25 weeks, teaching the children to use a wide variety of literary forms such as; poetry, playwriting, fiction and creative non-fiction.
EDUCATION Organization: Communities in Schools of Central Texas Project: XY-Zone The XY-Zone is a nationally recognized leadership development and peer support program for high school age boys at-risk for school dropout. The XY-Zone challenges and empowers young men to aim high, get an education and break the cycle of poverty. Impact Austin’s grant will fund expansion of XY-Zone to the Bastrop High School Campus.
ENVIRONMENT Organization: Austin Parks Foundation Project: Barton Creek Trail Corps The Austin Parks Foundation’s Barton Creek Trail Corps addresses environmental issues through a restoration and improvement project for the Barton Creek Greenbelt wherein young adults gain professional experience in the green job sector. The program incorporates a multifaceted approach to educate the public, raise awareness, increase financial donations, and thus continue to fund the Barton Creek Trail Corps into the future.
FAMILY Organization: CASA of Travis County Project: Transitioning Youth Program CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County’s Transitioning Youth Program expansion will provide support to an estimated 100% of the cases assigned by the courts for youth ages 14 to 18 who are at risk of aging out of foster care. The program emphasizes education, preparation and connections to prepare the youth for independent adult living.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS Organization: Austin Groups for the Elderly Project: Resources for Caregiving for Seniors The Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) project, Resources for Caregiving for Seniors, will expand the durable medical equipment lending program, currently serving a critical and unmet need in Travis and Williamson counties. Program expansion will increase the equipment available in addition to improving access to the equipment by increasing public awareness of the service; efficiency of storage, retrieval, and distribution of equipment while also optimizing volunteer activity and community cooperation.
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June 1, 2010
The Most Charity-Conscious Cities in America
So which cities have the healthiest nonprofits?
According to a recent study by Charity Navigator, nonprofits in Pittsburgh, Houston and Dallas are the most financially robust in the country. Who’s not so hot? Baltimore, Detroit and Indianapolis.
So how did Charity Navigator come up with these findings? According to the organization’s press release:
In its study, Charity Navigator compared the median performance and size of the largest nonprofits in the 30 largest metropolitan markets (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Washington, DC).
Those markets account for 55% of the 5,500 charities evaluated by Charity Navigator and they generate 64% of the total revenue and 66% total spending.
According to the report, the top five cities are: 1) Pittsburgh, 2) Houston, 3) Dallas, 4) San Francisco and 5) Kansas City.
The bottom five cities are: 30) Baltimore, 29) Detroit, 28) Indianapolis, 27) Milwaukee and 26) Nashville.
Hungry for more details? The study is full of them. It includes other factors including market size, CEO compensation, fundraising efficiency, annual growth, and donor privacy polcies.
The whole study can be see here.
Too bad Austin’s not on the list.
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May 28, 2010
Marco Aponte indicted
A Travis County grand jury has indicted Marco Aponte on two counts of money laundering.
Aponte knowingly acquired, concealed, possessed and transferred between $20,000 to $100,000 in stolen money from a brokerage account into a joint account he held with his wife, the indictment states.
Aponte is the husband of Louanne Aponte, the former executive director of now-closed Family Connections. She is accused by Travis County prosecutors of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Family Connections, Hyde Park Christian Church and the Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
Marco Aponte’s lawyer Joe Turner says his client is innocent and that prosecutors are just using Aponte as leverage against his wife. Marco deposited money from his job into that account, Turner said.
“The government is going to have to prove he knew the money was stolen when he moved it,” Turner said. “Absolutely he didn’t know it was stolen.”
Marco Aponte has lost his job because of the scandal, but still living in the Circle C house prosecutors seized last month, Turner said. He is contesting the seizure of the boat, car and joint bank account.
Louanne Aponte has been charged with multiple counts of theft, but has not been arrested. Prosecutors believe she is in Venezuela, her husband’s native country.
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May 25, 2010
Therapists learn about trauma and disaster response
This is a bit of a different blog for Charity Chat, but I have a soft spot for mental health efforts.
The American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) hosted in Austin on Saturday an educational session on trauma and disaster response. More than 80 Austin-area professionals learned how the organization applied group interventions after terrorist attacks, natural disasters, school mental health crises, and military combat.
According to the press release:
AGPA members have lead groups and provided consultation to help thousands of trauma victims, their families, and first responders cope with terrorist attacks on 9/11 and in Mumbai, India, recent earthquakes in China, Italy, and Haiti, wildfires in California, a school mental health crisis in New Jersey, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We are now intimately linked to a global community that faces war, terrorism, natural disasters, and atrocities with uncertain outcomes. We can no longer deny we all share an existential darkness and collective trauma,” said Dr. Suzanne Phillips, one of the presenters. “As mental health professionals, we are faced with the possibility of being both victims and caregivers.”
In addition to Adelphi University professor Phillips, AGPA President Dr. Jeffrey Kleinberg and Past-President Dr. Robert Klein described how AGPA protocols helped Chinese mental health professionals treat children traumatized by the destruction of schools in the 2008 earthquake, as well as victims of last January’s earthquake in Haiti.
A major theme of the event was that group changes lives. Group interventions of many kinds help heal trauma, improve individual, family, and workplace relationships, treat addictions, deal with grief and loss, and aid the military and their families in dealing with the psychological impact of war.
“Group is the basic unit in which we accomplish things. If you know how to get along in a group, you know how to succeed in life,” said Jeff Hudson, M.Ed., CGP, one of the local organizers of the event.
Speakers highlighted AGPA’s website, which provides a practical guide for recognizing trauma, directions on how to find an appropriate caregiver, and outlines personal coping strategies. The website also provides mental health practitioners with protocols on using group psychotherapy for treating trauma, guidelines for working with first responders, and information on how caregivers can care for themselves.
AGPA publications and training curricula are also available, including Group Interventions for the Treatment of Psychological Trauma, and Public and Mental Health Service Delivery Protocols: Group Interventions for Disaster Preparedness and Response.
This event also highlighted the Group Psychotherapy Foundation (GPF), AGPA’s philanthropic arm, which supports group psychotherapy training, research, community service, and education about group interventions. The GPF has been instrumental in AGPA’s trauma and disaster response efforts.
Austin professionals have been especially supportive of the foundation’s education and scholarship fund. This fund provides financial assistance for students, new professions, and agency clinicians to receive expert training in group.
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May 24, 2010
Graphic IV model: Stable, expected to recover
The Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas just sent out this press release on Saturday’s incident in which a model and cancer survivor collapsed during the group’s fashion show:
An overwhelming tone of sisterhood and support swept over the Bob Bullock State History Museum this Saturday evening at the Breast Cancer Resource Centers (BCRC) of Texas’s 4th Annual Art Bra Fashion Show and Art Auction. GRAPHIC is a moving, annual event that was created to celebrate those who have triumphed over this disease as well as to honor and remember those who have sadly lost their battle.
Early in the runway show at Saturday night’s event, one of the models, a breast cancer survivor herself and client of the BCRC, collapsed on stage.
“As difficult and as sad as it was, it was so moving to see such a quick response,” said Vivian Smith, Executive Director of the BCRC. “One of the reasons she is doing as well as she is, is because of the immediate care and support from everyone there and we couldn’t be more thankful.”
It is unclear at this time what events led directly to her collapse. Her oncologist, Dr. Debra Patt, was present at the event and rushed to help her as soon as she collapsed, along with her husband who is a cardiologist. Dr. Patt continued to give her CPR and stayed by her side when the ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital.
Dr. Patt comments on her current condition: “I think that we are very fortunate that her incident was handled so appropriately and rapidly, because she is in a stable condition and expected to make a complete recovery. Though I’m sure this was frightening for many people to witness, we are lucky it happened as it did with so many quick medical responders to lend a helping hand. She is being evaluated extensively to determine the cause of Saturday’s events.”
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May 18, 2010
Komen hires new executive director
Last week, the Austin Children’s Shelter named Kelly White as its new director. Now Komen has hired its new leader. Read the press release for details.
The Austin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r) announced today that is has named Christy Casey as its Executive Director. This is the first change in leadership for the Affiliate in its 10-year history.
Casey brings to Komen Austin significant management and administrative experience. She most recently worked at GSD&M Idea City as Supervisor of Client Services, responsible for the management and operations of the department. Prior to that Casey directly managed client accounts which included AT&T, 7-Eleven and the Texas Lottery with budgets ranging from $2 million to $50 million. She began her career at the agency more than 13 years ago as an executive assistant and rose through the ranks to oversee a department of nearly100 employees.
Casey is a familiar face to Komen Austin, having served as its Race Operations Manager since 1999. Under her direction, Casey has helped the Austin Race for the Cure grow in size from 500 to more than 21,000 participants.
“We are pleased to be able to hire someone so dear to our heart,” said George Noelke, chairman of the board of the Austin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. “Christy has significant business experience and respecterelationships within the community that will support and benefit the work done at the Affiliate.”
Casey will oversee the Affiliate’s $2 million dollar budget, five full-time and three part-time employees. Last year, Komen Austin released a community profile that highlighted a significant need for increased access to services in Austin’s surrounding rural regions. Casey will be focused on growing the Affiliate’s scope and geographic area of its mission, specifically aiding the underserved populations of Bastrop and Caldwell Counties.
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May 12, 2010
Kelly White to lead Austin Children's Shelter
The Austin Children’s Shelter has named Kelly White as its new executive director.
If the name Kelly White sounds familiar to you, it should. White ran SafePlace from 1993-2003. In 2004, she ran for the Texas House, losing narrowly to Todd Baxter. She is currently the executive director of Chicago Foundation for Women.
White replaces Gena Van Osselaer, who resigned from the organization in February.
Below is the shelter’s press release, which was issued a few minutes ago.
The Austin Children’s Shelter is pleased to announce that Kelly White will be the Shelter’s new Chief Executive Officer.
White, who spent over 25 years growing and leading community-based, non-profit corporations, will lead the agency during a period of exciting growth. Austin Children’s Shelter moved into its new 13 acre, eight building campus to serve abused and neglected children of all ages this past October.
In the new facility, the Shelter is increasing staff and expanding programs, adding new services such as long term care for teens. The expansion enables ACS to grow from a 30 bed emergency shelter to an agency with the ability to serve up to 78 children at a time and the ability to have a deeper impact on children and youth. Ms. White will join the Shelter staff in July.
“We are thrilled to have someone with Kelly’s experience lead the Shelter at this time when we are entering an exciting expansion phase,” said ACS Board Chair Ann Benolken. “We wanted to find a strong, visionary leader who understands the Austin community and also has the knowledge and skills to successfully expand the continuum of care offered to Austin’s most vulnerable children. We believe that Kelly is that leader.”
Kelly White has spent her entire adult life in public service, working on behalf of families, businesses, schools and communities. She began her career as an occupational therapist for infants in Wyoming then became the executive director for a non-profit developmental preschool.
She spent a decade, from July 1993 through November 2003, serving as the executive director of SafePlace, the domestic violence and sexual assault services program for Austin and Travis County. In 2004, White took the skills and passions gained in the non-profit community and ran for the Texas State Legislature, losing the race by only 147 votes. Currently, she serves as executive director of Chicago Foundation for Women, one of the largest women’s funds in the world.
“Austin Children’s Shelter is the premier program providing emergency shelter for abused children in Central Texas,” Kelly White stated, “and I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with the dedicated staff, Board, donors and volunteers to help move the Shelter into the future.”
As the executive director of SafePlace, White led one of the largest and most recognized organizations of its type in the nation. She grew the budget from $1.4 million to $8 million and the staff from 44 to over 150. She worked to develop national model programs to address issues such as bullying and teen dating violence prevention.
Since 1984, the Austin Children’s Shelter has provided emergency shelter, high quality care and hope for the future to the abandoned, abused and neglected children of our community. In October 2009, ACS opened its new campus to ultimately serve up to 78 children at a time and provide expanded programs to better meet the needs of children and youth in its care.
The Shelter provides a variety of critical services and programs to children and teens in need of a safe haven. Each child is assessed to ensure they receive the services they need, including: medical and dental care, group and individual therapy, educational support, formal testing and evaluation as well as full assessments.
Through these programs, ACS lays a foundation of hope for the future of the children in its care. To learn more about the Shelter, visit the website at www.austinchildrenshelter.org or call (512) 499-0090.
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May 11, 2010
City to determine new home for FC money
The City of Austin will vote Thursday on whether to give a $300,000 contract once held by Family Connections to Workforce Solutions.
If approved, Workforce Solutions would pick up the city contract abandoned last month when Family Connections folded amid accusations that its former executive director stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit.
The city would give Workforce Solutions $331,000 to fund things including college scholarships for teachers, intensive training for directors and teachers, education materials for child care providers and mental health/therapeutic consultations for providers serving children with challenging behaviors.
The contract would run from May to September, with an option of a 12-month renewal. Payments for that contract would not exceed $513,000.
Workforce Solutions is an Austin nonprofit that offers financial assistance for job training, work education and other support services.
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May 8, 2010
Marco Aponte: Examining trial?
Marco Aponte — an Austin man whose wife has been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from local charities — may be headed to court soon.
Attorney Joe Turner, who is representing Aponte, says he has asked the court for an examining trial. An examining trial requires prosecutors to show they have probable cause to bring Aponte’s case to a grand jury. It also forces the state to show some of its evidence against Aponte.
If a judge grants Turner’s motion, Aponte could be in court within the next week, Turner said.
“If they’re going to arrest him and take everything from him, I say we get this thing in court,” Turner said.
Aponte, 47, was charged in late April with money laundering because his name was on bank accounts into which prosecutors say his wife, Louanne Aponte, funneled money stolen from three nonprofits: Family Connections, the Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, and Hyde Park Christian Church.
Louanne Aponte, who has been charged with theft, has not been seen since early March. Officials think she may be in Venezuela.
Since Louanne Aponte was charged last month, authorities have seized the family’s $388,000 Circle C house, $50,000 Mercedes-Benz and $44,000 boat.
Prosecutors have not indicated in publicly filed court documents that Marco Aponte knew that the money was stolen. Turner says that his client had no idea there was a problem and that he deposited his own work checks in those accounts.
Since being charged in the case, Aponte has lost his job at Toppan Photomasks, Inc., Turner said. Aponte is innocent of all the charges and prosecutors are only targeting him to get to his wife, Turner said.
“They don’t have her, so they’re prosecuting him,” Turner said.
Prosecutor Gregg Cox could not be reached for comment.
Marco Aponte is free on $300,000 bond. Authorities took his passport and have outfitted him with a GPS device to monitor his location.
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May 7, 2010
Aponte bank accounts seized
Authorities have seized Louanne Aponte’s personal bank accounts, claiming that they held money that she stole from two nonprofits.
According to a search and seizure warrant filed by Travis County prosecutors Friday afternoon, officials have seized two JP Morgan Chase bank accounts held by Aponte and her husband Marco.
Last month, authorities seized the family’s Circle C house, Mercedes-Benz and boat.
Louanne Aponte is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two nonprofits with which she worked: Family Connections and the Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
Aponte, who prosecutors believe has left the country, has been charged with several counts of theft. Marco Aponte has been charged with money laundering because his name was on bank accounts that held the purportedly stolen money. Prosecutors have not publicly claimed he had any knowledge of his wife’s alleged crimes.
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April 29, 2010
Arrest in Family Connections scandal
Police have arrested the husband of Louanne Aponte, the Austin woman accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from local charities.
Marco Aponte, 47, was charged tonight with one count of money laundering, a third-degree felony. His bond was set at $300,000.
According to an arrest warrant, Marco Aponte’s name appeared on several bank accounts believed to have been used to move money stolen from at least three charities: Family Connections, the Texas Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies and Hyde Park Christian Church.
Louanne Aponte, who served as Family Connections’ executive director for 16 years, has been charged with felony theft and records tampering. She has not been arrested. Authorities believe she may be in Venezuela, where her husband has family.
Read more in tomorrow’s Austin American-Statesman.
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April 27, 2010
Danny and Alan hanging out on a billboard
Notice anything odd today about the 50-ft billboard on Woodland and I-35?
There are two guys hanging out on the platform up there. Mobile Loaves and Fishes founder Alan Graham and Danny, a local homeless man, are periodically standing up there over the next two days as part of the I Am Here campaign. The effort is designed not only to bring attention to homelessness, but to raise money for a home for Danny and his wife, Maggie.
According to the I Am Here website, “Texting “Danny” to 20222 makes a $10 donation to help get Danny into a home through Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ Habitat on Wheels program. Just 1,200 text messages will get Danny and Maggie off the streets, into their own mobile home, and on the way to a new life.”
Glad they’re not afraid of heights. I’ll keep you posted on how the effort goes.
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Gnomes to promote clean water
Gnomes: Good or evil?
I don’t know. Gnomes are a little scary. And if you’re on the fence this movie might just push you over the edge.
But the kooky gang at Well Aware is calling on gnomes to travel the world and promote clean water.
You remember Well Aware, don’t you? Last summer, volunteers with the nonprofit — which raises money to dig wells in Kenya — went on a shower strike to generate cash for their cause.
That certainly got them attention. Some Charity Chat commenters lost their minds at the idea of someone shunning the shower for a week.
Now the charity is using garden gnomes to push their passion. According to the AfriGnome website:
“We have received six beautiful AfriGnomes from the generous and talented artists, Rick Deleny and Zoe Charlton, for the important task of traveling the word to spread the message of the importance of clean water in areas of Africa that have none. Moja, Jambo, Kwaheri, Pilipili, Majo and Asante have very important things to say about how Well Aware is constructing water wells in rural Kenya to alleviate the suffering there and how others can help.
Each AfriGnome has been prepping for their journey and is ready to venture from Austin, Texas through the adoption of generous and capable “Adoptive Parents” to anywhere on the globe for the next SIX MONTHS.
Each new Adoptive Parent has the responsibility of taking nurturing care of their AfriGnome during the time that they are in their possession, as well as providing for him the proper exposure he needs to deliver his message.
The AfriGnomes must remain in circulation so that more people can learn of their mission, so Adoptive Parents relinquish their mini-crusaders to the next capable Adopter within ten days.”
So essentially, people pay a fee to host garden gnomes in their homes. The gnomes are like ceramic exchange students. (At least I assume they’re ceramic. Maybe they’re made out of metal. Or, God forbid, human flesh.)
Will they be gnomes be good houseguests? Or will they chew with their mouths open and leave their towels on the bathroom floor? I shudder to think of what could happen when cultures collide.
If you’d like to meet the gnomes before they embark on their arduous journeys, you’re in luck. Well Aware is hosting a party for the gnarly gnomes from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at Kung Fu Saloon in Austin.
Be kind to the gnomes. They are an inspiration to us all.
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April 26, 2010
Authorities seize Aponte's boat
Travis County authorities have seized Louanne Aponte’s 20-foot Mastercraft pleasure boat, according to a search and seizure warrant filed this morning.
The red and white fiberglass boat, which cost $44,000, was purchased, in part, with money stolen from two charities: Family Connections and the Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the warrant states.
Aponte used stolen money on the boat, court documents state.
Aponte could not be reached for comment.
The latest seizure comes as part of the criminal investigation into Aponte, 51, who has been charged with two counts of theft and two counts of misapplication of fiduciary duty.
Aponte served as executive director of Family Connections from 2004 to March of this year. Aponte was treasurer of TACCRRA and had control of the books for nearly a decade, according to the nonprofit’s IRS documents.
Prosecutors say between September 2004 and September 2009, Aponte stole $327,000 from Family Connections and routed it into several personal bank accounts.
During roughly the same time period, prosecutors allege, Aponte stole more than $130,000 from TACCRRA. She took nearly $100,000 of that by writing checks to herself and making cash withdrawals, court documents state.
Aponte then used that money to pay for personal items, prosecutors say. According to court documents, Aponte spent more than $140,000 in stolen money in mortgage payments to her $388,000 Circle C house and $11,000 on her black Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Both the house and Mercedes have also been seized.
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April 22, 2010
Family Connections: More phony audits?
As the criminal investigation into Louanne Aponte continues, more seemingly fraudulent Faske Lay audits have popped up.
The federally-funded Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities recently discovered that it received three phony Faske Lay audits from the Texas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (TACCRA), said Roger Webb, executive director of the agency.
Aponte — who is accused of falsifying years of audits in her capacity as executive director of Family Connections — served as TACCRRA’s treasurer for at least a decade. She was in control of the books since 2003, according to 990s filed with the IRS.
Prosecutors have said in court filings that Aponte doctored Family Connections’ annual audits, claiming they were written by Faske Lay and Co, a local accounting company
Between 2004 and 2009, the council gave TACCRRA $500,000 to provide training on how to deal with kids with challenging behaviors, Webb said. TACCRRA sent the council audits for 2005, 2006 and 2007. None of them were performed by Faske Lay, he said.
At first blush, it does not appear the grant money was misused, Webb said. Most of the funding was allocated for salaries and the group has verified that that money was paid to the correct people, he said. Now the organization is digging deeper, looking at whether money earmarked for training, rent, utilities and other expenses actually paid for those things, Webb said.
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April 19, 2010
Family Connections update
The fate of services once provided by Family Connections may become clearer as the week goes on.
The Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services Department will discuss the issue tomorrow at its 3 p.m. meeting at Austin City Hall, said spokeswoman Carole Barrish.
The Austin Child Care Council is also having a special meeting 6 p.m. at Austin City Hall to deal with the Family Connections’ fallout. The first 30 minutes are reserved for citizen communications.
Meanwhile, if you want to keep up with efforts to keep Family Connections’ services alive, there’s a Facebook page providing updates on the situation.
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March 24, 2010
Girl Scouts of Central Texas cuts staff
The Girl Scouts of Central Texas has laid off 15 percent of its staff and cut the salaries of its executives.
The nonprofit, which provides character-building activities for girls in 46 counties, laid off 16 people on March 11, said spokeswoman Kandace Fierro. Those staffers held positions including directors and administrative staff.
Fierro said the reductions came because the nonprofit is struggling financially due to the economy.
The nonprofit now has 85 employees. The organization’s executive staff also took pay cuts, Fierro said. Programs will not be reduced or eliminated, she said.
Below is a copy of an email sent to community members on the cuts.
Dear Girl Scout Families:
Due to the recession and the economic strain faced by most non-profit organizations, Girl Scouts of Central Texas made the difficult decision to reduce our operating budget in order to maintain a strong financial future for our Council and enable us to continue providing the premiere leadership experience for the girls in central Texas.
We recently announced that 16 positions would be affected by a layoff- an estimated 15 percent of our workforce. Each service center was affected with either layoffs or vacant positions not filled. The layoff was unprecedented in the history of Girl Scouts of Central Texas and its legacy Councils, and this process was difficult to say the least. We have many issues to reconcile, and appreciate your patience as we deal with each one individually.
We have also unveiled a reorganization plan which realigned responsibilities in all departments and within specific positions. Reflective of our commitment to use resources wisely, we are determined to provide service and program to over 20,000 girls in a streamlined, customer service oriented approach. Our membership and program departments have been combined and Girl Scout professionals will work together to ensure a quality experience for our girls. We will not waiver in our determination to build girls of courage, confidence and character.
Our volunteer board of directors, representing our 46 county area, supports these efforts to strengthen the financial health of our Council. The board has approved cost cutting measures such as a reduction in travel expenses and voluntary executive staff salary reductions. We are viewing operational expenditures with a very critical eye, and plan to make further changes as necessary.
With regard to service to our girls and volunteers, troop activities, outdoor programming, local and council-wide events will continue as planned. Mission delivery associates will continue to respond to volunteer needs and will maintain offices at our 6 program centers.
We are challenged to regain a strong financial footing and there are several ways you can help: register for summer resident and day camps, volunteer within a troop or serve as a council volunteer, financially support Girl Scouts of Central Texas with a monetary donation - a small contribution multiplied by our strong membership would make a significant difference.
We want to assure you that our primary focus remains on providing the best leadership development experience for girls. Though positions and titles may have changed, our dedication to serving girls and volunteers has not. Even in these trying times, we can move forward with your support.
Thank you for all you do to provide opportunities for our girls in Central Texas. Our strong partnership will ensure those opportunities continue and reflect the interests and needs of our membership.
Sincerely,
Etta Moore CEO, Girl Scouts of Central Texas
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March 18, 2010
Nonprofit pay: A PR problem
If there’s anything that drives nonprofit leaders wild, it’s when people question their pay.
They hate it — I mean really hate it.
Ask a simple question and they’ll get defensive. Or whiny. Or, better yet, mute. Every awkward exchange screams “WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY ME??”
Sounds suspicious, right? Like they’ve got something to hide?
They don’t. After seven years of writing about local nonprofits, I can honestly say that the vast majority of nonprofit employees I have met are hardworking people devoted to making the world a better place. They love their work.
But when it comes to nonprofit salaries, charities have a PR problem. They have not effectively been able to communicate the fact that they deserve good salaries for good work. Why?
There are probably a million reasons why nonprofit leaders hate talking about their salaries. Here are the ones that have crossed my mind more than once.
One: Talking about money is a cultural taboo. No one wants to reveal how much they pull in. It feels crass and weird. Yes, nonprofit leaders’ salaries are funded by donors and, therefore, public record. But that doesn’t make it any less socially awkward.
Two: Nonprofits think we put too much weight on salaries. And we do. Looking at a single number — one that makes sense in the context of our own lives — is a whole lot easier than really researching a charity. Who has time to collect audits, investigate programs, talk to clients, make site visits or speak to board members? Does anyone even know where they can get a salary compensation study? (I got mine from the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations.) Understanding charity is hard work and, frankly, most of us have better things to do.
Three: Donors can be unreasonable. We gave our dollar and we want it all to go to a poor person. Talking about salaries just reminds us that it didn’t. Nevermind that it takes money to hire staff/buy supplies/rent buildings to provide those services. The heart wants what the heart wants.
Four: People are jealous. Petty, yes, but true. The median per capita income in this country is about $30,000. We see a $100k salary, compare it to our own, fall short and get irritated. And since we haven’t researched the charity, we have no clue what the executive director is doing to earn that money. So we criticize.
Five: Nonprofit leaders know the public is jaded. Who wants to paint a target on their back?
Roxanne Skillett — the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America — is currently feeling the wrath of that cynicism as donors express outrage over the fact that she received almost $1 million in compensation in 2008. And it’s not just that year. A look at the nonprofit’s 2006 and 2007 records show she got more than $900,000 both those years too.
Yes, Skillett has her supporters. But a lot of people (even other executive directors) are appalled at that number.
When stuff like this hits, local nonprofit leaders know they’re going to be scrutinized too. So of course they’re defensive. Anyone would be. That’s life.
Nonprofits will never be free of public scrutiny — and they shouldn’t be. They have a duty to use our dollars wisely.
But the salary issue doesn’t have to be so divisive. Nonprofit leaders need to be ready to talk about their earnings. Yeah, it’s uncomfortable, but honesty and forthrightness go a long way when communicating with the public. Acting like you have something to hide makes people think you have something to hide.
And the general public? We need to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking logically. This is a complicated issue. We need to treat it like one.
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March 17, 2010
Notes on a charity scandal
UPDATE 2:09 PM One commenter suggested that people get the facts before they judge Roxanne Spillett’s salary. I agree that people should. So I’ve posted a link to the nonprofit’s 990. You can see it right here
EARLIER By now, I’m sure most of you have heard about the salary flap involving the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
At issue is the salary of chief executive officer Roxanne Spillett, who earned more than $900,000 in compensation in 2008. Meanwhile, clubs across the country have had to shut their doors due to the poor economy.
Now several Republican senators are asking for detailed information on what the nonprofit spends on executive compensation, lobbying, perks, travel, and other items. (The Boys and Girls Club chairman has responded to the controversy here.)
Of course, some people are outraged.
Others, however, are jumping to Spillett’s defense. Two recently written columns illustrate the heated debate over the issue.
Author and nonprofit blogger Dan Pallotta says in his blog that he is furious senators would challenge Spillett’s salary. She’s done good work, he says, and for-profit CEOs make a ton. Why should we devalue the work charity leaders do by paying them badly?
“The money paid to a valuable CEO is not money taken away from the cause,” he writes. “It’s an investment in the cause. How many clubs would have had to close if the organization had been without an effective CEO, or if it paid a person half as much and only got half as much productivity?”
Chronicle of Philanthropy writer Rosetta Thurman ain’t buying it. In her column — entitled “Nonprofit CEOs Who Want For-Profit Salaries Should Work at For-Profit Companies” — Thurman disputes the widely-spouted notion that big salaries mean good leaders and says that excessive pay takes money away from the causes these nonprofits were established to help.
Then she takes a slap at nonprofit leaders who defend such salaries.
“Have you noticed how so many people in the sector always come to the defense of the highly paid nonprofit CEO?” she writes. “Part of it is self-motivation. They rush to defend partly out of fear that their earning potential will be affected by arbitrary salary caps, but the truth of the matter is that most of us will never be put into a position of even coming close to earning a salary that would need to be capped.”
Exactly. And this is what nonprofit leaders in this situation always seem to forget — their donors.
Big givers like Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Warren Buffett give but a fraction of the total dollars donated to charity each year. The vast majority comes from individuals.
And most individuals don’t make the big bucks. The median household income for the United States is about $52,000. In Austin, it’s pushing $60,000.
When these people give to charity, it can be a real sacrifice. But it’s a choice they make because they believe in a cause and want to help.
I’m not saying charity leaders should live in the poorhouse. Salaries for nonprofit executive directors in Austin generally run between $80,000 and $110,000, depending on their budget, number of employees and scope of operations. You won’t see a lot of outrage about that. I think donors understand that you need to pay your leaders well.
Just not too well. And this gets to the crux of it.
I’ve said this before and I always get dirty looks when I do, but I’m gonna say it again: Most donors do not believe that nonprofit leaders are entitled to hefty paychecks simply because they might get more in the private sector.
Because we don’t see charities as businesses. We see nonprofits as something closer to government. We want our money to be used frugally, effectively, sensibly. Austinites would lose their minds if City Manager Marc Ott — who earns a base pay of about $240,000 to run a $2.7 billion operation — made $900,000.
This isn’t business. We’re not buying Cokes or iPods. We’re buying hope — hope that someone’s life will be a little better because of our donation.
Donors want to see every dollar possible go toward helping needy children or homeless people or arts for disabled adults. They don’t want to hear that they should be grateful to have purchased Spillett’s services for a bargain-basement $900k because she could have gone to Pepsi and made more.
Nonprofit work is a calling. People who are drawn to it are usually true believers dedicated to changing the world — or at least their small corner of it. Money isn’t the motivating factor. To act like it is trivializes the sector.
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March 11, 2010
Volunteers, Front Steps wants your opinion
Ever volunteered at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless? If so, Front Steps — which runs the facility — wants your opinion.
The nonprofit is asking people to fill out this volunteer satisfaction survey. From the looks of it, it’s pretty short and shouldn’t take long to fill out.
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March 9, 2010
Survey humanizes homeless
In this line of work, you come across a lot of studies. And while some of them have some pretty good information — oddly enough — many fail to break new ground. A lot of them are akin to “Researchers discover eating more makes you fat.”
You know. The “You-Spent-A-Year-Studying-THAT?” study.
But I’ve got to tell you, there’s a new one out there worth reading. Seeds for Change Consulting has just wrapped up a survey of local homeless folks. The report, sponsored by Mobile Loaves and Fishes, included interviews with more than 200 homeless people.
And yes, we get the usual demographics info: age, race, sex, marital status and so on. And there are few intriguing tidbits, such as religious beliefs and where they grew up.
To me, however, the most fascinating stuff comes from personal questions such as:
What do you miss most about your life before homelessness? Today, what would a home look like to you? Where do you picture yourself in the next 6 to 12 months?
The full results of the report will be released next week at a symposium on helping Austin’s homeless community. The event will be March 17 at St. Edward’s University. Tickets are $18. For more information, call 328-7299 or visit www.homemarch2010.org.
Below, I’ve posted one of the questions and answers in the survey. It’s an interesting read.
What is the greatest challenge you face as a homeless person today?
The data presented in (this question) left no question as to the primary challenge facing Austin’s homeless population: in a word, survival. The majority of respondents interviewed, at 62.7% (approximately 136 of the 217 interviewees who answered this question), stated that among the prevailing issue was lack of employment and/or financial stability, thereby causing the inability for an individual to meet his or her most basic of needs - food, clothing, shelter, etc.
More narrowly segmenting the data shows that the largest segment of respondents, at approximately 33.6% (73 of the 217), stated that the lack of employment opportunities held precedence over all other matters including basic and aforementioned (survival) necessities, which 29% (approximately 63 of the 217) gave as their most leading challenge.
In what may be another testament to the hard work of the many organizations and individuals that struggle to uphold and maintain Austin’s social safety net, one could infer from the data that lack of employment held precedence over basic needs, because the most basic of needs are being met (of course, other than housing). There seems to be accessible, if only temporary, shelter in times of dire need. Likewise, one would not need to search far to find availability, even if limited, to the most essential of human needs such as clothes, food, and water as organizations like Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF), Caritas, Austin Baptist Chapel, and the Salvation Army work to make food a secondary concern. It could be further extrapolated from the data that there is a direct correlation between unemployment and homelessness, and given the opportunity, the majority of the individuals would want to work; again, provided that there was any opportunity out there.
Further investigation of the data shows that there were (two) other predominant concerns that respondents of this question had regarding their current (homeless) situation. As correlated with other data from previous questions, healthcare and drugs/alcohol were also cited as major challenges associated with the homeless lifestyle.
Approximately 12% (26 of the 217) of the respondents of this question provided that access to affordable health care, for both physical and mental ailments, was a main concern.
Another 7% (15 of the 217) stated that drugs/alcohol and fear of police/jail were among the most pressing challenges facing the homeless population in Austin. The remaining 20% (43 of the 217) were resigned to an “other” category, which included responses such as lack of transportation, “discrimination,” lack of accessibly/availability to basic services, “being white,” “carrying around my possessions,” etc.
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Wonders & Worries Ball
From the press release:
Wonders & Worries, an Austin-based non-profit organization dedicated to helping children cope when parents or adult family members are fighting chronic or life-threatening illnesses, has announced its annual Wonder Ball daddy/daughter dance fundraiser April 10, 2010, from 6-9 p.m., at the Palmer Events Center. This year’s event features a “fairy tale” theme.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available, for more information, call 512.329.5757 or look online at http://www.wondersandworries.org/wonderball.html.
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March 8, 2010
Fliers to homeless: Be good neighbors
The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless is urging people to stop standing outside its building at East Seventh Street.
Shelter employees are passing out fliers asking people not to stand on the streets, sidewalks or patio of the ARCH. The flier, in part, reads:
“Two housing programs for homeless people were defeated last year — one of the main reasons is that neighbors were afraid that people would be hanging around as they do at the ARCH.
“Also, people standing on the streets can serve as a “cover” for those who are selling drugs. Some homeless people are afraid to come into ARCH to receive services because the number of people standing outside the building is intimidating.
“Please be a good neighbor and go into the ARCH lobby or garage.”
Click here to read the full flier.
Loitering outside the building has always been an issue at the facility, said Helen Varty, executive director of Front Steps, which runs the shelter. But Varty says she has mixed feelings about asking her clientele to move along.
On one hand, she said, keeping the area clear sends a message that affordable can blend into traditional neighborhoods and that the clients won’t cause any problems.
On the other, it’s insulting to tell homeless people to get out of sight because no one wants to look at them, Varty said.
“There’s a real mixed reaction,” she said. “The majority of clients are agreeing with it. Some clients are offended by it.”
So far, the fliers seem to be working, Varty said. There are fewer people hanging around outside. But whether or not that will last remains to be seen.
“We’re trying to romance the clients into doing it,” she said. “We don’t want to get into a power struggle with them because we’ll lose. It’s not illegal to stand out there.”
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March 5, 2010
Another one bites the dust: Elaine Acker
And in our continuing series on executive directors fleeing Austin’s nonprofit sector, here’s some more news: Elaine Acker is resigning as head of the American Red Cross of Central Texas.
Less than a year ago, Acker replaced former exec direc Derrick Chubbs after Chubbs moved up the Red Cross ladder to become division vice president for the national organization. That was May 2009.
Now Acker says she and her retired husband are moving to New Mexico. As she puts it: “Beautiful light, cool summers… ahhhh.”
Can’t argue with that.
Who’s next in the top spot? Marty McKellips, the organization’s current chief marketing officer. According to Acker:
“Marty has extensive experience in almost every area of Red Cross service. She began as a Disaster Action Team volunteer more than eight years ago; she has deployed to national disasters; she previously served on the board of the Central Texas Chapter where over the years she led both the volunteer services and financial development committees; and she was chair-elect when she accepted the chapter’s offer to become a full-time staff member.”
So there you have it. Another leader going, going, gone.
The rash of departures isn’t surprising to Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, a nonprofit that helps local charities with development, training and management services. Last year, I wrote a column that said this:
“A 2007 report by Greenlights for Nonprofit Success showed that 67 percent of 223 local nonprofits surveyed thought their executive directors would leave by 2012. Reasons for the expected departures included a desire to retire, take a different nonprofit job, become a consultant or take on government work.”
In short: it ain’t over yet.
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March 3, 2010
Krazy Quest for the Cure bike ride
OK, I’ve really got to hand it to New Braunfels High School Senior Mackenzie Neel. Not only is the teen raising money to help a local kid with cancer through her nonprofit Krazy Quest for the Cure.com, but her press release is better than many of the ones I get around here. Kudos to the Katherine McLane at the Lance Armstrong Foundation, who knows Mackenzie and taught her some serious skillz.
By the way, if you want to know more about why Mackenzie is doing this, check out this story from the Herald-Zeitung, which talks all Mackenzie’s inspiration.
And now for the press release.
WHAT: KQFTC holds kid’s bike ride fundraiser for local child with cancer.
WHEN: March 7, 2010, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
WHERE: TbarM Sports Camp located at 2549 State Highway 46 W, New Braunfels TX 78132
WHO: Hunter Townsend, pediatric cancer patient, Michelle Sonnen, mother of Hunter Townsend, Mackenzie Neel, founder of KQFTC
BACKGROUND: Krazy Quest for the Cure was established in the summer of 2009 to promote cancer awareness and raise money for pediatric cancer patients. This year cancer has risen to the number one cause of death, with over 100,000 deaths of children alone due to this epidemic.
Furthermore, with the current economic and health care crisis, the founder has taken the initiative to assist a local family who has been directly affected by the disease as well as the repercussions associated with it. The event utilizes the direct involvement of the community through businesses, volunteers, participants and many other individuals who have joined together to help combat cancer locally, nationally and world wide.
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Shower strikers dig well
Remember last summer’s shower strike by members of Well Aware, a nonprofit that raises money to bring water wells to Kenya? I know you do.
Well, the nonprofit has just returned from the country and have some news to share. Here’s their press release:
Members of local nonprofit, Well Aware, returned last week from a well-drilling expedition to Kenya, Africa. The team of young and innovative philanthropists made a name for themselves nationally during last Summer’s First Annual Well Aware Shower Strike, during which, participants raised almost $25,000 in one week for a water well in Oltinga, Kenya, to help alleviate some of the suffering caused there from the most severe drought in recorded history.
They departed for the dig on January 20th and returned on February 6th with countless stories and adventures, as well as much video and photography of the water well and the people of Oltinga.
“It is difficult and painful to fathom how these people survive there, if they do survive, without access to our most basic human necessity.” — Bobby Robert, Kingdom Drilling, Kenya, Africa
Well Aware was formed in 2006 by native Kenyan, Brio Yiapan, and friend, Sarah Evans, to address the water crisis and resulting dire need in Africa.
“I was shocked to realize the hardship of life that my family and people in Kenya live with on a daily basis and that that could have been my life.” — Brio Yiapan, Well Aware Cofounder
Well Aware consists of a growing number of directors, officers and eager volunteers. Well Aware has also turned heads with their use of viral fundraising, spending little-to-nothing on marketing.
Due to its success, the Shower Strike will go national this June and expects to double last year’s proceeds to go directly to their next water well projects in rural Kenya.
For more information on Well Aware, please visit: www.wellawareworld.org or peruse their blog at http://blog.wellawareworld.net.
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February 26, 2010
Austin Autism Awareness Bike Ride
The third Austin Autism Society Bike Ride — which raises money for the Autism Society of Greater Austin (ASGA) — will be held in Georgetown on April 11.
The ride offers distances between 2.5 and 62 miles. The fee is $35 for those who register before March 28 and $40 for people who register later.
The event starts at 9 a.m. at Berry Springs County Park and Preserve.
For more information about the local Autism Society, go here.
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Winner: MCubed
Thanks to all of you who gave me story suggestions yesterday. There were some great ideas and I hope to follow up on some of them.
As promised, I put all of your names in a hat provided by Austin American-Statesman Environmental Guru Asher Price and the winner of the contest is MCubed. MCubed is now the proud owner of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers. I know her life will be fuller because of it…
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February 25, 2010
Uncharitable
The moment I opened the door of my 1997 Saturn, I realized something was wrong.
The battered old car was a mess. The glove compartment was hanging open. CDs and papers were strewn across my front seat. My garbage bag had been dumped on the floor.
At first, I was bewildered. You know how the brain can be when trying to process bizarre situations. It fumbles around, trying out all possible and impossible answers before finally settling on reality.
“Did I do that?” I thought. “Did my husband rifle through my car? If the kids did this, I will kill them, twice.”
It didn’t take long for me figure out my car had been burglarized. They’d also gone through my husband’s car.
And the only thing I could think was, “What a bunch of (expletive-expletive-expletives).”
I like to think of myself as a compassionate person. I’ve been around the social services community for a while and have learned about the factors that can lead to crime: poverty, drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness. I try to understand why people do things and tailor my reactions to the totality of situation.
That’s not what I did this time.
I wasn’t enraged. Nothing of value had been stolen — in fact, nothing at all was gone, as far as I could tell. I don’t keep anything worth losing in my car. The wanna-be thieves had left my colorful umbrella, dirty sneakers and Backstreet Boys CD. Good enough for me.
But I was pretty irritated. I didn’t care what had led these jerks into their lives of crime. I didn’t care if they had a mental illness or heroin addiction to feed. I just wanted them punished.
In the grand scheme of things, I know my attempted burglary doesn’t even rate a mention. I can only imagine how people of violent or serious property crimes must feel.
I was, however, a little surprised at how quickly I abandoned my understanding nature when I was the one on the receiving end of the crime.
This is the part where I should say, “Then I realized we’re all human and while the criminals must take responsibility for their actions, we as a society must also take responsibility for not meeting whatever needs these criminals may have.”
No. I’m just mad. I’ll get over it.
But I must admit that I take a certain amount of pleasure knowing that when the criminals opened my husband’s glove compartment, they came face to face with a pair of our toddler’s old training pants. Too bad they weren’t dirty.
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Contest!
Charity Chat is hosting an AMAZING contest in which you can win… a copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers.
Oh yeah. You know you want it.
To compete, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what kind of stories about social issues (homelessness, poverty, mental illness, etc) you’d like to see in the paper. The more specific, the better.
After the three or so of you leave your comments, I’ll put your names in a hat (yes, I actually have one here) and pick a winner.
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February 24, 2010
Add another grant to the list
Southwest Key joins the ranks of nonprofits getting big grants. Here’s their press release on the gift.
“We are happy and proud to announce that Southwest Key Programs were awarded a new $100,000 grant from The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, one of only seven youth-picked grants statewide.
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board passed out $442,775 to a total of seven Texas organizations for programs addressing access to higher education, disaster preparedness, financial literacy, drivers’ safety and environmental responsibility.
The 30-person board of 17-20 year-olds picked grant winners from more than 1,100 applications totaling nearly $80 million nationwide.
“It was extremely difficult to narrow it down to just these seven since Texas saw a growth of 152 percent in grant applications received this last round. As a Board we review proposals and chose the programs that will ultimately have the greatest impact on their community, the most significant need, and are led by youth,” said Greg Weatherford, Senior Youth Advisory Board member for Texas.
Southwest Key received $100,000 for our “breaking barriers through success” program that raises awareness about gaps in higher education access and provides tools for closing them. This grant will greatly help our East Austin College Prep Academy students, and help Southwest Key Programs fulfill our mission to open doors to opportunity so young people can achieve their dreams.”
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February 23, 2010
Grants galore
So I’m home on this fabulously snowy day, dealing with one of the painful plagues floating around this city. I’d tell you what I have, but it’s gross. And, honestly, as much as I know you all enjoy my delightful personal anecdotes, that’s not why you’re reading this blog, is it?
Since we’re all here, I may as well tell you about some of the recently awarded grants. Please hold your applause until the end of this presentation.
St. David¹s Foundation and the Georgetown Health Foundation have made a $100,000 donation to Capital IDEA, a Central Texas non-profit that funds tuition, books and childcare for low income families . The grants will allow adults to pursue a two-year degree in a health care profession.
The New Milestones Foundation — the fundraising arm of Austin Travis County Integral Care — recently received a $150,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation. The grant will be used to refurbish two facilities that provide up to14 days of psychiatric crisis services.
Integral Care provides services for people with mental and intellectual disabilities
And finally, Samsung Austin Semiconductor gave American Red Cross $11,040 for the organization’s relief efforts in Haiti. Workers collectively gave more than $6,000 in one week and Samsung matched the contributions with another $5,000.
You may now applaud.
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February 17, 2010
And now, your Women of Distinction
Here come the Women of Distinction.
Each year the Girl Scouts honors women in the community who have “distinguished themselves as outstanding members of their community through individual excellence and high levels of achievement.” This year’s winners are:
Suzanna Caballero, senior vice president of business banking for Wachovia.
Carolyn Gallagher, former CEO of Texwood Furniture Corporation and current director of Home Therapy Specialists.
Dianne Mendoza, vice president of business and community development for Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Patti Patton Bader, founder of Soldiers’ Angels, a nationally recognized nonprofit to meet the needs of soldiers, veterans and their families.
Rebecca Powers, founder of Impact Austin.
Martha Smiley, a lawyer who served six years as a Board of Regents member for the University of Texas and helped begin the university’s Center for Women in Law.
Kris Whitfield, a city councilwoman for Round Rock.
The Girl Scouts has also named SafePlace the 2010 Distinguished Workplace for Women for supporting women’s leadership and professional success.
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February 16, 2010
Executive Director Exodus, part 2
There are so many people coming and going in nonprofits these days, I can hardly keep up. But let me give it a shot.
Margo Weisz from PeopleFund — a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and services for small businesses — is stepping down later this year, as is Sheryl Cates of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Vivian Smith from the Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas is leaving this spring
Rachel Muir resigned from Mothers Milk Bank at Austin a few weeks ago and Ramona Magid left Komen Austin. Gena Van Osselaer from the Austin Children’s Shelter worked her last day on Friday.
And let’s not forget the executive directors who resigned or announced their departures last year:Charlotte Hale of Project Transitions, Gete Attal of Seton Foundations, Lee Manford of AIDS Services of Austin and Karen Langley of Family Eldercare. That’s just to name a few.
So what the heck is going on?
You never really know. Or I don’t, anyway. Some people said they were ready to retire. Others decided to try something new.
The economy could be a part of it. Raising money for nonprofits in this town is always stressful, even when times are good. No one ever says that, though. Just like they don’t say, “I left because I hate my board of directors.” (And that’s probably a good thing.)
What’s certain is that charities are going through big changes right now and it will be interesting to see how they’re affected.
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February 12, 2010
2-1-1 sees increase in calls
It’s been Press Release Central around here lately and for that, I apologize. It’s been busy.
Stop accusing me with your stony silence! Let’s move forward, shall we?
So, according to the United Way Capital Area, calls to 2-1-1 are surging in Austin.
The 2-1-1 Texas/United Way Helpline — a free phoneline and online database that provides information and referrals to health and human service agencies, churches, disaster relief resources, and volunteer opportunities — received 247,000 calls in 2009. That’s up 30 percent from 2008.
There was a 50 percent increase in health and dental requests, a 26 percent hike in food and housing requests and a 20 percent jump in mental health referrals.
United Way officials say the increase in calls stems from the fact that many people have been laid off or had their hours at work reduced because of the slow economy.
A January survey showed that 86% of 2-1-1s across the country reported receiving more calls from callers who have never used 2-1-1 before. About 90 percent said they had received more calls from people who have never used any form of basic needs services, such as food, rent help or utility assistance.
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February 9, 2010
United Way gives $3.4 million in grants
Press release from the United Way
AUSTIN, Texas - Feb. 9, 2010 - United Way Capital Area (UWCA) announced today it will award $3.4 million in Community Investment grants (CIG) this year. The grants will fund community programs that make a long-term impact on critical issues in education, financial stability and health. The grant money comes directly from donors to the annual campaign run by UWCA.
“We are proud of the results we’ve seen from these grants. More than 67,000 Central Texans are now more educated, financially stable and healthy thanks to the programs and services we have funded,” said Debbie Bresette, president of the United Way Capital Area.
Among the results reported by UWCA and its partner agencies:
Impact Area - Financial Stability: 37,000 Central Texans received services in the areas of employment, housing and financial management to help them become more financially stable
Impact Area - Education: 15,000 children or parents received educational services focusing on early childhood and middle school programs
Impact Area - Health: 15,000 people in Central Texas received health-related services focusing on physical and mental health for older adults, low-income and minority individuals and those at-risk.
UWCA will renew financial support for one year for all CIG programs it funded during the previous grant process in 2008. This year, UWCA also will suspend the community-wide request for grant proposals. Acknowledging the decrease in giving due to the shifting economy, Bresette said this year’s grants are slightly less - 15 percent - than in years past. Like most area nonprofits, UWCA saw contributions drop in 2008-2009.
“We are all weathering the shifting economy together and we, along with our partners, are continuing to make a long-term impact on our community,” said Bresette. “UWCA, like other nonprofits, has had to make hard choices including dipping into net assets and reducing our budget and staff by 20 percent to continue these vital programs for the past 2 years.”
In the past three years, UWCA’s fundraising efforts through workplace giving campaigns resulted in approximately $40 million being invested in community programs and services. For more details on the CIG results, please visit http://www.unitedwaycapitalarea.org/ourwork/resultsindex.php .
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February 4, 2010
Breakthrough recruiting kids
Press release:
Winner of the Austin Chronicle’s “Best Education Money Can’t Buy” award. Breakthrough Austin’s mission is to increase the number of first-generation college graduates in the Austin area. Breakthrough’s students and families make a six-year commitment, beginning in 6th grade, by participating in summer sessions at the University of Texas at Austin and a variety of school year programs, including tutoring, college counseling, and family workshops - all at no cost to students and families.
Today Texas is 48th in high school completion rates, and only 7% of low-income students earn college degrees. Breakthrough works to overcome these odds through a personalized, intensive, and sustained approach with proven results: in May 2009, 92% of Breakthrough’s seniors graduated from high school, more than doubling the amount of graduates at their home campuses, and they have been admitted to 44 colleges and universities across Texas and the country.
Jennifer Rivera, a middle school Program Coordinator at Breakthrough, says of the program, “Breakthrough creates a safe community where it’s cool to be smart and to have college aspirations.”
Breakthrough is currently recruiting its newest class of 6th-grade students. The program seeks students who are academically motivated and willing to work hard toward the goal of becoming first-generation college graduates. Applications are accepted now through February 17.
To learn more about applying to Breakthrough please visit our website, call 512.692.9444 x21, or stop by our office at 1605A East 7th Street, Austin, TX 78702. Community information sessions will also be held at the following times and locations:
February 11 from 5:30-6:30 pm at Ruiz Library; February 13 from 10:30-11:30 am at Cepeda Library; February 13 from 12:00-1:00 pm at Cepeda Library
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February 1, 2010
WSJ: Nonprofits closing, merging, cutting back
Here’s an interesting article by the Wall Street Journal about the effects of the economy on nonprofits.
In a nutshell, the story says:
“The once-booming nonprofit sector is in the midst of a shakeout, leaving many Americans without services and culling weak groups from the strong. Hit by a drop in donations and government funding in the wake of a deep recession, nonprofits—from arts councils to food banks—are undergoing a painful restructuring, including mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, cutbacks and closings.”
We’ve seen some of that here in Austin. And you can expect to hear about at least one more merger in the coming weeks.
What I haven’t heard about is closures or cutbacks to services. Have you?
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January 29, 2010
Children's shelter exec director stepping down
Press release:
AUSTIN - After more than nine years of distinguished service heading the Austin Children’s Shelter and its recent expansion to a new 13-acre campus, Chief Executive Officer Gena VanOsselaer is stepping down to pursue new interests.
“This has been the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished for so many children in crisis,” Gena said. “The Shelter’s mission is one I believe in and I’ve given it my heart and soul. With the successful completion of the new campus now behind us, I believe the time is right for me to pursue personal endeavors and new ways that I can serve this community.”
VanOsselaer notified the Board of Directors of her desire to seek out fresh opportunities, and her last day as chief executive officer will be February 12. Her departure caps nearly a decade at the helm of the non-profit founded in 1984 to care for abandoned, abused and neglected children.
VanOsselaer said she leaves confident that the Shelter is on strong footing for her successor to lead it to an even greater level of service for more children throughout Central Texas.
Ann Benolken, Chair of the ACS Board, applauded VanOsselaer, saying: “Gena has been an integral part of ACS’s success and her leadership helped position the Shelter for a new, more dynamic phase of growth and service to the children of Central Texas. We all wish her well in whatever she chooses to pursue next.”
“Although final details have not yet been formalized,” Benolken said, “plans are underway for a celebration honoring VanOsselaer’s distinguished service to the Austin Children’s Shelter.”
Long-time ACS Board member Wes Peoples said VanOsselaer always kept the best interests of the children front and center. “Gena’s tireless dedication and passionate voice for the needs of the children have left a lasting legacy to build upon,” said Peoples. “Our community is richer for her service.”
The Board has engaged Greenlights for Non-Profit Success, an Austin organization that provides guidance to non-profits, to assist with the transition. Through Greenlights, the Board has identified a veteran in the field of child welfare and social services, Kathy McCarrell, M.S.W, to serve as interim chief executive officer of ACS during the search for VanOsselaer’s replacement. McCarrell served for 12 years as executive director of a child abuse prevention non-profit organization. Currently she works with Greenlights to provide interim executive director services to non-profits.
About the Austin Children’s Shelter Founded in 1984, the Austin Children’s Shelter provides emergency shelter, high quality care and hope for the future to the abandoned, abused and neglected children in Central Texas. ACS offers a variety of critical services and programs designed to reduce the emotional trauma in a safe and nurturing environment, laying a foundation of hope for the future of the children in its care.
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Seniors to compete in Olympic-style games
Here’s a press release on The Games for Life.
Austin, Texas - An Olympic-style event for Texas nursing home and assisted living residents will challenge misconceptions about aging, competition and life in long-term care. On March 27, over 500 adult residents from long-term care facilities will compete in the 2010 Games for Life at the University of Texas Recreational Sports Center.
Now in its 28th year, The Games for Life is the longest running event of its kind in the US. Teams from across Central Texas will participate in a series of adaptive competitions that test their athletic, creative and intellectual skills. Events include balloon volleyball, wheelchair racing, discus, spelling and arts and crafts.
“Life doesn’t end when you enter a nursing home. And nor does the competitive spirit”, says Jeff Brown, President of CASACA. “Right now, residents are practicing, training and challenging each other. Every team wants to bring home the Grand Champion trophy.”
The Games for Life is open to all adult residents of assisted living facilities and nursing homes. At the 2009 Games, competitors ranged in age from 23 to 105, with an average age of 75. For information on participating or volunteering, visit www.casaca.org/gamesforlife.
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January 27, 2010
Trinity Center gets new executive director
The Trinity Center, a nonprofit that helps people who are homeless or living in poverty, has a new executive director. According to the press release:
“This month, Irit Umani became the new executive director of Trinity Center. Irit brings to the job an extensive background serving those in need; specifically, victims of domestic violence. As Executive Director of the Haifa Women’s Crisis Shelter in Israel, she established that organization’s first fully diverse (Jewish - Arab) staff and board of directors.
She most recently served as Director of Intervention Services and Regional Director of Stand! Against Domestic Violence, in Concord, California. Irit is passionate about the importance of everyone taking action to help those in need. She can speak about issues regarding non-profits, homelessness, and serving disadvantaged populations.”
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January 23, 2010
$1 million in Haiti med supplies stuck in Austin
More than $1 million in donated medical supplies collected for Haiti are sitting in a downtown parking garage because drive organizers have not figured out a way to get them to the battered country.
Annie Carr, an Austin woman who organized a medical supply drive at Antone’s nightclub Tuesday, said multiple efforts to ship the cargo through FedEx and a private jet have fallen through. Carr had expected to move the 18 pallets of medical supplies — including sutures, surgical kits, antibiotics, IV tubing, saline, blood transfusion kits, insulin, bandages, potassium, catheters, syringes and chest tubes — by yesterday.
But when plans fell through, she and volunteers moved the boxes out of Antone’s and into a nearby parking lot. Antone’s hired a security guard to watch over the items last night, Carr said.
Now Carr is scrambling to get the medical supplies to Miami, where she says they will be handled by a city organization coordinating shipments to Haiti. But as of right now, no one knows what is going on, she said.
Carr would prefer to send the shipment by plane to either Miami or Port au Prince, the location of the clinic she is working with. But driving the supplies to Miami is also a possibility. It would cost about $3,000 to do so, but she does not have the money to pay for that, Carr said.
“I want to get them there by Monday, even if we have to walk them there,” Carr said.
For more information, call Carr at 413-7657
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January 21, 2010
Tell your Haiti stories
I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people wanting to tell me their experiences with Haiti — people who were there during the earthquake or who have since participated in the recovery efforts.
Sadly, we can’t fit all those stories in the newspaper. But I would love to put some of them here.
If you’ve got something to share, please send me an email at aball@statesman.com and hopefully I can get them online. Please include your phone number and the organization (if any) you were affiliated with during your visit.
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January 20, 2010
Texas cable operators pitch in for Haiti
Press release:
The five major cable operators serving Texas have agreed to donate air time to run public service announcements (PSAs) to raise money for the Haiti earthquake relief effort.
PSAs will be viewed by Texans who subscribe to Cable One, Charter Communications, Comcast, Suddenlink Communications and Time Warner Cable. The five companies are members of the Texas Cable Association.
Among the PSAs for Haiti relief are the 30-second spot featuring First Lady Michelle Obama that calls for donations to the Red Cross and a spot featuring former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to raise contributions to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.
“Texas cable operators did not hesitate when asked to help spread information on how Texans can help those whose lives were devastated by the earthquake in Haiti,” said TCA Chairman Ray Purser. “Communicating is what cable does best, and there is no more worthwhile use of our communications network than helping to bring relief and aid during a major disaster.”
TCA (www.txcable.com) is the primary trade organization for cable operators in Texas.
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January 15, 2010
Yele Haiti and the Smoking Gun
The Smoking Gun has a story on Yele Haiti and it ain’t pretty.
In an article right here, the organization posts the group’s IRS documents and says founder Wyclef Jean has financially benefited mightily from his foundation.
According to the story, “Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting for its finances, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean’s appearance at a benefit concert.”
The 990s are right there on the site and there are a few eye-popping details. Check it out.
The Smoking Gun also has a story detailing the foundation’s previous troubles.
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January 13, 2010
Local disaster-relief group going to Haiti
While groups across the country drum up financial support for Haiti recover efforts, at least one local nonprofit is heading to the country: Thirst No More.
Thirst No More is a Cedar Park-based nonprofit that provides disaster relief across the world. After 9/11, the group went to New York to distribute food and water to emergency workers around Ground Zero. It has also done work in Russia, Sudan and other areas, according to the group’s website.
Craig Miller, (pictured at right) who formed the Christian aid organization 14 years ago, booked a flight to the Dominican Republic and is expected to arrive tomorrow morning. He plans to drive to Haiti and team up with other nonprofits already on the scene.
“The situation there is much worse than originally thought.” he said. “There’s widespread devastation according to our people on the ground.”
Thirst No More will purchase medical supplies and assistance kits, Miller said. Those kits will include items such as rice, beans, cooking utensils, soap, flashlights and matches. The nonprofit’s work will evolve as the needs become clearer, he said.
“When you lose everything, you just need to get those basics to get through the initial disaster,” Miller said.
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January 11, 2010
MLF's Bunky Patterson dies
Mobile Loaves and Fishes board member Rita Joan “Bunky” Patterson died this weekend. She is the wife of MLF co-founder Pat Patterson.
Here’s the obituary on the MLF website.
Mrs. Rita Joan “Bunky” Patterson, of Austin, Texas, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on January 10, 2010.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated for her on January 12th, at 10:00 am at St. John Neumann Catholic Church (www.sjnaustin.org). Following the Funeral Mass, burial will take place at Our Lady of The Rosary Catholic Cemetery in Georgetown, Texas (www.olotr.com). Instead of purchasing flowers, her family has requested that a donation be made to Mobile Loaves & Fishes in her honor. You can make a gift here
Additionally, Bunky will lay in state in the Worship Space at St. John Neumann beginning today January 11 at 6:00 pm until the start of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 am Tuesday January 12. You can sign-up to spend an hour in Vigil in the Worship Space by clicking on the link.
Bunky was born in McKinney, Texas to Roy Phillip and Maurine Duncan. She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and later transferred to The University of Texas, Austin and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She attended Law School at The University of Texas obtaining her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.
On September 1st, 1957, she was married to Jo Patrick Patterson. Together, for more than 52 years, they shared a faithful and fruitful marriage and life mission. Bunky was not only a loving and supportive wife and mother, she was a pioneer of bible studies in the Catholic Church. As a student of the scriptures, she was one of the first Bible teachers in the Austin Diocese to teach at the high school level. Bunky went on to teach adult Bible study and established “The Upper Room,” a designated classroom and gathering room, at St. Ignatius Catholic Church.
Bunky shared her gift of hospitality generously with all, opening her life, her home and her kitchen to neighbors, friends, students and those in need. One of her true callings was to be a “leader and feeder”, with unusual passion and flair. She had a knack of making everyone feel welcomed and completely at ease. Bunky also shared her beautiful gifts of delightful humor and quick wit with all she met. She would share hilarious stories of her wonderful and sometimes zany life with Pat and the kids and have you laughing at loud at her zest for life.
She was survived by her loving husband Pat and their 6 children: Roy Patterson and wife, Pearl, residing in Maui, Hawaii, and their children; Lindsey, Schell, Sebastian and Nolan; Maury DeLuca and husband, Jim, residing in Austin, Texas; Shannon DeCraene, residing in LaRue, Texas; Schell Sells and husband, Byron, residing in Allen, Texas and their children Schelby, Alec and Bowman; Jamie
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November 20, 2009
Is Austin stingy? Is it generous? Who knows...
UPDATE
Alright, alright, I take it back!!
Apparently the Men’s Health press release that came my way last week didn’t tell the whole story.
Here’s (in part) what the press release said:
“To determine which cities were the most philanthropic, the magazine factored in who made the largest online charitable donations with data from Convio, a software provider for nonprofits. Compiled from 2008 data, Men’s Health calculated the number of donations given to Goodwill Industries International for December, and the amount collected by the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. Finally, the magazine looked at the number of toys donated to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.”
Frankly, that seemed pretty lame to me. But, alas, I have been proven wrong in my premature assessment!
After e-chatting with Tad Druart from Convio, I learned that while Men’s Health looked at donations to Sallie’s, Goodwill and Toys for Tots, they also used Convio’s stats detailing online giving to more than 1,200 charities.
Well then. That certainly changes things, doesn’t it? That’s a whole lot more comprehensive than just looking at three charities.
So here I am. Eating crow. Just in time for Thanksgiving.
And as for you, Yonkers, NY? Nothing I can do for you.
Is Austin stingy? Is it generous? I just can’t keep up.
Around town, Austin is generally assessed as a volunteer-rich community that could be giving a whole lot more money to charity. An often-cited 2003 survey by the national Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Austin 48th out of the country’s 50 largest cities in the percentage of discretionary income donated to charity.
But now comes a new report by Men’s Health Magazine, which dubs Austin the fifth most charitable city in the country. The “study” based its assessment on three factors: the number of donations given to Goodwill Industries International for December, the amount collected by the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign and the number of toys donated to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
The magazine announced its results today in a press released labeled “MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE REVEALS AMERICA’S MOST CHARITABLE CITIES.”
OK then.
I’m not saying Austin isn’t generous, but honestly? I’m not buying it. Now if they wanted to issue a press release that said “MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE REVEALS WINNERS OF WHO GIVES MORE TO THREE BIG CHARITIES IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER,” I’d be down with that.
Poor Yonkers, NY got slammed as the county’s least charitable city based on this?
I realize this report wasn’t meant to serve as someone’s doctoral thesis, but really. A better measure of generosity might be using IRS data comparing charitable donations by city (like the Chronicle of Philanthropy did). Or they could compare the amount of money in local community foundations.
Still, who am I to complain? We’re number 5! We rock!
In case you’re interested, here is the magazine’s ranking.
1.) Madison, WI
2.) Richmond, VA
3.) Seattle, WA
4.) Cincinnati, OH
5.) Austin, TX
6.) Spokane, WA
7.) Columbia, SC
8.) Pittsburgh, PA
9.) Tampa, FL
10.) Norfolk, VA
11.) Charlotte, NC
12.) Salt Lake City, UT
13.) Omaha, NE
14.) Cheyenne, WY
15.) Wilmington, DE
16.) Portland, OR
17.) Atlanta, GA
18.) St. Louis, MO
19.) Birmingham, AL
20.) Burlington, VT
21.) Indianapolis, IN
22.) Louisville, KY
23.) St. Petersburg, FL
24.) Rochester, NY
25.) Grand Rapids, MI
26.) Orlando, FL
27.) Denver, CO
28.) Houston, TX
29.) Washington, DC
30.) Durham, NC
31.) San Antonio, TX
32.) Minneapolis, MN
33.) Miami, FL
34.) San Diego, CA
35.) Bangor, ME
36.) Providence, RI
37.) San Francisco, CA
38.) Raleigh, NC
39.) Fort Wayne, IN
40.) Jacksonville, FL
41.) Greensboro, NC
42.) Colorado Springs, CO
43.) St. Paul, MN
44.) Boise, ID
45.) Anchorage, AK
46.) Milwaukee, WI
47.) Lincoln, NE
48.) Charleston, WV
49.) Boston, MA
50.) Lubbock, TX
51.) Las Vegas, NV
52.) Memphis, TN
53.) Detroit, MI
54.) Des Moines, IA
55.) Nashville, TN
56.) San Jose, CA
57.) Aurora, CO
58.) Manchester, NH
59.) Sacramento, CA 60.) Wichita, KS
61.) Billings, MT
62.) Baton Rouge, LA
63.) Lexington, KY
64.) Toledo, OH
65.) Honolulu, HI
66.) Albuquerque, NM
67.) Arlington, TX
68.) Fort Worth, TX
69.) Hartford, CT
70.) Tucson, AZ
71.) Dallas, TX
72.) Chicago, IL
73.) Fargo, ND
74.) Tulsa, OK
75.) Oakland, CA
76.) Modesto, CA
77.) Montgomery, AL
78.) Bakersfield, CA 79.) Sioux Falls, SD
80.) Corpus Christi, TX
81.) Fremont, CA
82.) Philadelphia, PA
83.) Buffalo, NY
84.) Baltimore, MD
85.) Phoenix, AZ
86.) Anaheim, CA
87.) Cleveland, OH
88.) Kansas City, MO
89.) Little Rock, AR
90.) Jersey City, NJ
91.) Jackson, MS
92.) Columbus, OH
93.) Riverside, CA
94.) Oklahoma City, CA
95.) Los Angeles, CA
96.) New York, NY
97.) Fresno, CA
98.) Newark, NJ
99.) El Paso, TX
100.) Yonkers, NY
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November 4, 2009
Bank of America hands out grants
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation today announced it is providing $2, 250,000 in unrestricted funding to ten nonprofits in Texas communities to address critical issues through the bank’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative (NEI).
Since introducing the program in 2004, Bank of America has invested $12 million throughout the state to help nonprofits increase their long-term viability and most recently to help sustain them during this challenging economic environment.
Each organization, named 2009 Neighborhood Builders®, will receive $200,000 in unrestricted grant funding and participate in Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Leadership Program® with other nonprofit leaders from 45 communities across the country and London.
“Nonprofits and community leaders are instrumental in providing critical neighborhood services and Bank of America is proud to support their work through the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative and other lending, investing and community development programs that align with our overall corporate social responsibility efforts,” said Kim Ruth, Texas President at Bank of America. “Not only does this program recognize some of the truly stand-out organizations and leaders in Texas, but it also offers valuable unrestricted financial support and professional development opportunities - critical to the long-term success of our communities.”
In addition, Bank of America honors two other categories of community leaders through the NEI program: Local Heroes, individuals who contribute significantly to the health of their neighborhoods, will direct a $5,000 donation from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to an eligible nonprofit of their choice, and Student Leaders®, exemplary high school juniors and seniors with a passion for improving their communities.
The 2009 Texas Neighborhood Builder and Local Hero awardees are:
AUSTIN
Neighborhood Builders
· Caritas of Austin provides a service continuum for those experiencing poverty that begins with a safety net and links them to resources to achieve self-sufficiency · Communities in Schools of Central Texas supports and leverages community resources for schools, students, and their families, helping young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life
Local Heroes
· Lew Aldridge will donate his grant to Foundation Communities · Albert Almanza will donate his grant to LifeWorks · Johnny Limon will donate his grant to HousingWorks Austin · Julie Weeks will donate her grant to Hope Fest in care of Austin Bridge Builders Alliance · Hester Weigand will donate her grant to Capital Area Food Bank - Kids Cafe
DALLAS
Neighborhood Builders
· North Texas Food Bank distributes food and grocery products to feed the hungry in 13 North Texas counties · Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance is committed to ending homelessness through advocacy, planning and education
Local Heroes
· Omar Jahwar will donate his grant to Vision Regeneration · Dr. Bobby Lyle will donate his grant to Center for Nonprofit Management · Rawly Sanchez will donate his grant to Junior Achievement of Dallas · Mark Speese will donate his grant to Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center · Clarice Tinsley will donate her grant to USA Film Festival
FORT WORTH
Neighborhood Builders
· Helping Other People Excel (H.O.P.E.) Farm aims to break the cycle of violence and criminal activity for inner-city boys by providing them an opportunity to acquire fundamental life skills and values, planting the seeds for enriched and empowered lives · Women’s Center of Tarrant County provides rape crisis and victim services, such as employment solutions, adult literacy classes and counseling sessions, which help build better futures for women and their families
Local Heroes
· Peggy Bohme will donate her grant to The WARM Place · Jerry Hughes will donate his grant to Texas Christian University · Father Stephen Jasso will donate his grant to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra · Joan Dover Katz will donate her grant to the Jewel Charity · Jane Sykes will donate his grant to the United Community Center of Fort Worth
HOUSTON
Neighborhood Builders
· San José Clinic is the only full-time clinic in the Greater Houston area dedicated exclusively to serving the uninsured, providing quality healthcare and education to those with limited access to such services in an environment which respects the dignity of each person · Houston Area Women’s Center is dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as providing prevention education to youth and the community
Local Heroes
· Juan Antonio “Tony” Castilleja, Jr. will donate his grant to Rice University · Carla Ehlers will donate her grant to Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County · Eddy De Los Santos will donate his grant to Child Advocates, Inc. · E.C. “Bud” Simpson will donate his grant to the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council · Hunter Souders will donate his grant to The American Diabetes Association
SAN ANTONIO
Neighborhood Builders
· City Year San Antonio unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service as tutors, mentors and role models, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world · AVANCE - San Antonio provides support and education services to low-income families, strengthening the family unit, enhancing parenting skills, promoting educational success and fostering the personal and economic success of parents
Local Heroes
· Robert Anguiano will donate his grant to Los Vecinos de Las Misiones Community Development Corporation · George Garcia will donate his grant to Texas Family Action Center, Inc. · Craig Grubbs will donate his grant to Urban Connection · Silvia Pena will donate her grant to Northside Education Foundation for Business Careers High School Mentor Program · Mike Schroeder will donate her grant to Say Si
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October 29, 2009
GivingCity Austin
In a Macy’s-Gimbels sort of move, I’m going to plug GivingCity Austin.
GCA (as I’ve just decided to dub it for the purposes of not having to type so much, which I just did anyway, defeating the purpose of the acronym) is an online magazine about local philanthropy. And let me tell you, it’s pretty terrific.
Monica Williams — the editor/publisher/queen poobah of GCA — really has her finger on the pulse of the charity scene. The latest edition includes articles such as the Texas Tribune’s new work, Sara Hickman’s thoughts on volunteering with children and the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s local work.
Check it out.
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September 25, 2009
divine canines wins grant
Here’s a press release from divine canines, a nonprofit that trains therapy dog. Lest you should think that we here at the Statesman hate punctuation, you should know that divine canines is not spelled with capital letters.
Divine canines (www.divinecanines.org) has received a grant for $1,500 from the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to expand its award-winning therapy dog training program. The grant monies help the group train and certify dogs, many of which have been rescued from shelters.
Each divine canines therapy dog and its handler receive 20 hours training to prepare for visits to some 15 facilities throughout Central Texas, such as Title 1 elementary schools, state and privately-funded institutions, nursing homes and Ft. Hood Army post. In addition, each team is required to complete three hours of continuing education. This training enables the dogs to help children learn to read, help adults with multiple disabilities in state mental hospitals engage with visitors and help injured veterans recover from the trauma of battle.
“Divine canines training extends nationally-recognized standards,” said Paul Mann, animal behaviorist for the Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior and divine canines board member. “The 10-step AKC Canine Good Citizen® Certification is the starting point for divine canine trainees. Each dog and its handler must pass a rigorous on-site test, then re-test each year.”
The divine canine training program emphasizes special skills such as working with wheel chairs and walkers, what to do when people act out, and a wide range of tricks to engage reticent patients. Currently, over 25 dogs are waiting to be accepted into the training program, which is provided at no cost.
Divine canines was founded in 2003 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has expanded to include over 60 volunteers who put their specially-trained dogs to work helping people face challenges that range from developmental disabilities, war-related injuries, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and mental and physical abuse. divine canines provides its services at no charge to organizations who request its help. The group has been awarded the New Millenium Foundation’s Champions Award (2007), Austin State Hospital Statewide Volunteer of the Year (2009) and and Volunteer Group of the Year at St. Elmo Elementary School (2009)
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September 16, 2009
Volunteers sought to clean up river.
The City of San Marcos will host a river clean up on Saturday. The event starts at 10 a.m. at San Marcos Plaza Park.
Volunteers should meet at the stage across from the Grant Harris Building at 401 E. Hopkins St. to register, pick up trash bags, and grab a breakfast taco.
Woody’s BBQ will serve lunch at 1 p.m. The event is sponsored by the San Marcos Lion’s Club and the city’s parks and recreation department.
For more information please call Julie King at the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation at 512-393-8448.
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September 14, 2009
Seton Foundation president to resign
Seton Foundations President Gene Attal will resign from the group’s top job early next year.
Attal will step down Jan. 4. He will then become assistant to the president and will oversee the recruitment of his successor.
The Seton Foundations is the umbrella group for the four foundations that raise money for Seton’s local hospitals: Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, the Seton Fund, the Seton Williamson Foundation and the Seton Hays Foundation.
Under his reign, Attal — who has helmed foundation efforts for the Seton Family of Hospitals since 1981 — helped raise $300 million. That money funded projects such a neonatal center at Seton Medial Center Austin and three community clinics. He also guided efforts to raise $86 million for the construction of Dell Children’s Medical Center.
Gerald Hill, executive director of the Seton Hays Foundation, will step in as interim president of the Seton Foundations.
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August 28, 2009
Philanthropy for really little kids
Is your little kid into philanthropy? Check out the press release:
The Chinese believe that a person’s character is formed before the age of five. With that in mind, the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) wants to recognize children who have accomplished outstanding deeds before the age of 5 with the Exceptional Character Award.
The AACC is calling for nominations for the Exceptional Character Award, due by August 31. The winner will be recognized during the Center’s special Harvest Moon Festival and Center Anniversary Celebration on September 12 and will receive a $500 check to be donated to his or her charity of choice.
This is the second year for the award. Amy Wong Mok, AACC CEO and director, created the award last year when she head about Joel Griffin, a four-year old boy who wanted to help earthquake and tsunami victims in Asia. Griffin, with help from his mother, came up with the idea to sell all of his toys to raise money for children in need.
He said he wanted to give his toys to the little boy in one of the photos “so that he wouldn’t be sad anymore,” said Joel’s mother Susan.
Rep. Elliott Naishtat, along with Rep. Mark Strama and then Austin City Council Member Lee Leffingwell, presented the award to Joel during the Harvest Moon Festival in 2008 and spoke about the significance of the award.
“The Harvest Moon Festival is an occasion for celebrating family and humanity,” Naishtat said. “Joel’s generous spirit demonstrates the capacity of people, especially young people, to extend care and assistance to children beyond national borders.”
The award is open to all children age five or under. Nominees do not need to be affiliated with the Asian American Cultural Center or the Center’s Magic Dragon Preschool. For details, contact the Asian American Cultural Center, 512-336-5069, www.asianamericancc.com.
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August 24, 2009
More foundation and government grants?
This weekend, I wrote a story on the state of Austin’s nonprofits, as detailed in a new study by Greenlights for NonProfit Success and United Way Capital Area.
The report contained a few interesting tidbits that intrigued me.
In the Greenlights survey, 95 percent of charities said they believe they will receive the same or more funding from government agencies in the next year. More than 60 percent think they’ll get the same amount or more money from foundations.
This surprised me. A lot.
Perhaps nonprofits think they’ll be getting lots of government stimulus money. Several local charities — such as Caritas and LifeWorks — already have. But experts say most nonprofits won’t see a penny of that money because they’re too small to hit the government’s radar.
Then there’s the perception that foundations will continue to dole out the cash. That one really surprised me because I’ve heard many charity experts predict that 2010 is going to be a crummy grant year because of the hit many foundations took in the stock market.
Are these charities right on the money or are they deluding themselves? I guess we’ll find out.
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August 13, 2009
From Central Market to ReStore
Central Market recently donated recycled materials from a deck renovation to Austin Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
The company hired Austin Deck Company to replace an existing deck at the North Lamar store and preserve the original lumber. According to Central Market’s press release:
“We were able to salvage a large percentage of the old deck, allowing Central Market to donate over 10,000 square feet of cedar to Habitat for Humanity,” Jim Dailey, manager of Austin Deck Company. “Purchased new, this amount of material would cost over $25,000.”
Habitat for Humanity builds homes for low-income people. It operates the ReStore, located on 310 Comal St., which sells new and gently used building materials.
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August 7, 2009
Survivor celebrity's charity robbed
How low can you get?
According to this story a charity founded by Survivor celebrity Rupert Boneham was broken into this week. The thieves stole $5,200 in electronics.
Clearly I can’t vouch for the quality of Boneham’s nonprofit, which helps troubled kids. Until today, I’d never even heard of it.
What I can say is it takes an extra-special kind of person to steal money from a charity. Maybe the culprits didn’t know they were hitting a nonprofit? Whatever. Doesn’t matter.
Hope the cops catch them soon.
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August 3, 2009
Wanted: Your stories about charity
For those who didn’t see my column in Sunday’s paper, I am hoping to regularly run guest columns by people who have had great experiences with philanthropy.
It could involve a local charity or a neighborhood effort. It could be a kind act by an unsung hero that affected your life.
So here are the submission guidelines:
Essays must be no longer than 400 words and include the author’s name, address and phone number. They must not include requests for money, volunteers or goods. Authors must live in Central Texas. Essays from people in cities outside of Austin are encouraged.
Please e-mail submissions to aball@statesman.com and put “Guest Column” in the subject line. No e-mail? No worries. Send your snail mail submissions to the Austin American-Statesman c/o Andrea Ball, P.O. Box 670, Austin, TX 78767. Write “Guest Column” on the envelope.
There is no deadline for these submissions because the guest columns will be featured regularly.
Questions? Give me a shout: aball@statesman.com or 912-2506
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July 28, 2009
Bye bye, Charlotte
In case you didn’t know, Charlotte Hale — executive director of Project Transitions — is retiring.
The silver-haired, nonprofit maven has worked with the AIDS services organization for 20 years and is retiring to… well, she’s not quite sure yet. She says she’ll probably travel and garden. Apparently Ms. Charlotte is one of those official master gardener types.
Did you know that if you take a frisbee, fill it with beer and place it around a plant, it will kill pill bugs? Charlotte told me that. I believe her.
Anyway, Charlotte’s last day is Friday.
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July 16, 2009
AIDS Services of Austin wins $1.6 million grant
AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) has won a $1.6 million grant to provide substance abuse and HIV prevention services to African Americans in Travis County who have been released from prison or jail in the past two years
The nonprofit won the five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ASA will also provide services to the sexual and drug use partners of the target population. The nonprofit expects to serve more than 9,000 people during the lifetime of the project, which will include community outreach, risk reduction counseling and educational support groups.
The project will be launched in September.
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July 15, 2009
David Arquette living in a box
When I saw the headlines stating that movie star David Arquette is living in a box to bring attention to hunger, I thought they meant a real box. Like a cardboard one.
But no. Apparently David is hanging out on top of Madison Square Garden in a specially constructed plastic structure complete with fancy furniture. The New York media is singing his praises for sweating it out as temperatures “soar” above 85 degrees.
Props to David for the effort (he’s trying to raise $250K for Feeding America). It’s creative and fun and certainly generating lots of publicity.
But, dude, really? A furnished box? How about hitting H-E-B for an old wooden pallet?
And 85 degrees? That’s spring in Texas, man. Come on over to Austin. We’ll show you what sweating is all about.
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June 11, 2009
Charitable donations down in 2008
An Associated Press story story printed in today’s Statesman reports that charitable giving is down.
According to the article, “Charitable giving by Americans fell by 2 percent in 2008 as the recession took root, only the second year-to-year decline in more than a half-century, according to an authoritative annual survey released Wednesday.
Particularly hard hit were social-service charities, which suffered a 12.7 percent drop in donations at a time when most of them were reporting increased demand for their services.”
Nobody wants to see donations take a dive — especially nonprofits that help the needy.
On the other hand, a quote at the end of the story also rings true.
Summing up the findings, Martin urged nonprofit leaders to be upbeat.
“Consider the year we lived through wouldn’t several American industries be delighted if their profits had dropped only 2 percent? Or even 5.7 percent?” wrote (Del Martin, chair of the Giving USA Foundation.) “Automakers and lending institutions would certainly rejoice at figures like that.”
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June 9, 2009
Texas Baptist Children's Home reunion
Hey readers —
Sorry I’ve been MIA over the last week. Things have been crazy here at the Statesman and I’m just getting back to this blog. I should have some good bits for you over the next week, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, here’s something from Texas Baptist Children’s Home…
ROUND ROCK - Alumni from three decades of the Family Care Program at Texas Baptist Children’s Home are invited to attend the biennial reunion on Saturday, July 25, on the Round Rock campus.
This year’s reunion will have special meaning because it marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Family Care in 1979. Since then, hundreds of single mothers and their children have used the nationally recognized program to build successful, productive lives.
Family Care started when a TBCH alum who was struggling to raise her own children came back to the only “family” she had ever known, the staff at TBCH. Starting in one cottage, Family Care now has seven cottages serving over 100 mothers and children.
The Reunion will start at 10 a.m. with cottage tours. A free lunch in the TBCH Activity Center begins at 11:30 a.m. The after-lunch program will include door prizes, presentation of special awards, and a testimony from recent Family Care graduate Brandi Harrison. A group photo also will be taken.
There will also be a number of family-oriented outside activities, including face painting, inflatables and more, so bring the entire family. The reunion concludes at 2 p.m.
Family Care alums can RSVP by calling (512) 255-3682 or sending an email to jeanette.eck@tbch.org no later than July 22nd.
Texas Baptist Children’s Home is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1950 and affiliated with Children at Heart Ministries. TBCH programs include Campus Life, Family Care and HOPE. CAHM ministries also include Gracewood, Houston; Miracle Farm, Brenham; and STARRY, Round Rock.
For more information about TBCH, visit www.tbch.org.
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June 2, 2009
Word spreading about recognizegood.com
So it’s been a few weeks since I wrote about recognizegood.com, a free Web site where people can honor friends, family members and strangers for acts of kindness.
It looks like the word is slowly spreading. When my story ran on May 19, there were about 60 notes thanking people for being do-gooders Now there’s 114.
Clearly recognizegood.com isn’t all the rage, but it’s coming along.
Check out a few of the entries:
Lisa is a wonderful listener with a head full of creative ideas. She listens to me every day- and I mean hears every word and processes our conversations. She is great!
I am very proud of you for making fabulous grades this last semester and for having a 3.6 grade point average at Texas A&M! I know you worked very hard this past year. Congratulations on being a Junior. I am very proud of you!!!
It’s always nice to hear thank you, right?
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May 27, 2009
Men vs. woman in philanthropy
Do men and women approach philanthropy differently? Apparently so.
A story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy says that female donors have specific characteristics that differentiate them from men.
“Among them: women often come to their cause through personal experiences; they like to build ties among grant makers, nonprofit groups, advocates, and others; women use philanthropy to enrich their family life; and women are more willing to be perceived as novices when they begin learning about the world of philanthropy,” the story states.
I can’t say whether or not this is true, but we know that, in general, men and women differ in their communication and leadership styles. It certainly makes sense that they would see philanthropic giving through different eyes.
Thoughts?
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May 19, 2009
AIDS ride, health clinic fundraisers raise money
The economy may still be crummy, but some nonprofit fundraisers are still pulling in some big dollars.
The Hill Country Ride for AIDS — which provides money to nonprofits that help people with the disease — raised $690,000 this year, $40,000 over goal.
Organizers give part of the credit to social networking. Charity Dynamics, an Austin company that provides software and services to nonprofits, donated to the ride a computer application that allowed cyclists to put a link on their Facebook page directing people to a donation site.
Meanwhile, People’s Community Clinic recently raised $208,000 at the annual “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch” Luncheon. The clinic, founded in 1970, provides health care, health education, and social services for uninsured or low-income people.
“I am truly honored by the generous gifts and commitment our supporters have given to the Clinic even during this tough economic time,” said Regina Rogoff, Chief Executive Officer of People’s Community Clinic.
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May 18, 2009
At Central Texas Red Cross: Bye bye Derrick; hello Elaine
Derrick Chubbs, who has served as chief executive officer for the Red Cross of Central Texas since December 2006, is moving up and out.
Chubbs has been named division vice president for the American National Red Cross. He will be responsible for managing operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Chubbs will continue to live in Austin and maintain an office at the Central Texas Chapter.
Oh Derrick. How could you? You’re the fourth executive director to leave the local Red Cross chapter since 2002. You let me scream at you during Hurricane Ike. Of course, you did return the favor. A win-win!
Chubbs will be replaced by Elaine Acker, who has been the chapter’s director of development and communications for the past year. She also founded Pets America in 2005, collaborating with nonprofits, government agencies and emergency management officials to promote pet-friendly sheltering options in disasters.
I can’t tell you much about Acker’s leadership skills because I’ve never worked for her. But I can tell you this: Acker worked very closely with the media during Hurricane Ike. She answered her phone day and night. And she didn’t punch me in the face when I continually harassed her about the lack of cots for Ike refugees staying in local shelters.
She may, however, punch me in the face for bringing it up again. But I do so to point out that the woman has a lot of patience, which is a big deal when managing people.
So bye bye Derrick; hello Elaine. May the disasters be with you — but hopefully not.
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May 11, 2009
Memories for Surviving Kids
I recently heard about a neat organization called Memories for Surviving Kids.
Its concept is pretty simple: to encourage friends and family of deceased parents to share their memories by writing letters for the children.
Now the group is hosting a fundraiser at a local comedy club. The money will be used to develop literature, spread the word, and provide ‘Letter Request Kits’ for surviving parents and guardians.
The comedy show with Robert Mac will be held at the Cap City Comedy Club on Friday May 22nd at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling Bob DiPasquale at 789-8608.
For more information, go to http://www.mfsk.org
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Charity's fundraising down $150k: Can campign help?
Any Baby Can — a nonprofit that helps sick children and their families — is hoping a monthlong campaign will help the organization make its fundraising goals.
According to a press release from executive director Ellen Balthazar, “Simply stated, we’re behind in fundraising goals for our fiscal year by $150,000. While we’ve reduced costs, we’re doing our best to avoid reducing services at this time when families need them the most.”
The “30 x 30” campaign asks people to recruit 30 people to donate $30 in honor of the charity’s 30th anniversary. (That’s a lot of 30s in one sentence, no?)
ABC’s leaders hope the effort will generate $60,000 by the end of May.
For more information, go to www.abcaus.org
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May 1, 2009
Register early, earn $10,000 for AIDS ride
Thinking of tackling the Hill Country Ride for AIDS next year?
A ride supporter has offered to give $10k toward the event if at least 100 riders sign up by today.
Interested? Go here for details.
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March 13, 2009
Junior League of Austin to close resale shop
After 75 years, the Junior League of Austin is closing its resale shop on May 31.
The nonprofit, located at 6555 Burnet Road., runs the store with volunteers. But over the years, the charity has found it increasingly difficult to adequately staff the shop, said Junior League spokeswoman Amber Brabham. Unlike the women who created the shop more than seven decades ago, most of today’s members now work full time jobs.
“We don’t have women who can come and work there during the day,” she said.
A smaller factor in the decision to close was declining revenue, Brabham said. Although the operation is still profitable — it raises more than $300,000 a year — revenue has been declining over the last several years.
But Brabham isn’t blaming the economy. Instead, she said, the resale shop is facing more competition other local thrift shops and big box stores such as Wal-Mart and Costco.
“It was a very difficult decision for us make.”
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March 3, 2009
Canyon Creek kids to learn about charity
Students at Canyon Creek Elementary School will learning all about philanthropy next week.
Starting next Monday, the school will host a “Pay It Forward” campaign that teaches students about volunteerism and charity.
Kids will watch a video that show how projects including canned food drives affect lives. Throughout the week, parents will make short presentations about their volunteer work and students will be writing papers about charity.
The kids will also be collecting change for the March of Dimes.
“This is to broaden their minds about what charity means and how we all have a part to play in making the world a better place,” Kelli Kelley, a PTA member who helped develop the program
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February 19, 2009
United Way wins grant
Per the press release:
United Way Capital Area recently won a $250,000, three-year grant that will allow the nonprofit to strengthen its volunteer programs.
The grant was awarded by the national Hands On Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service. The money will be used to bolster the efforts of Hands on Central Texas, a United Way program designed to mobilize local volunteers.
“This award will allow us to increase the momentum around creating real community engagement and change,” said Hands On Central Texas Director Armando Rayo. “We will be able to continue to innovate, educate, inspire and engage more people.”
The money will help fund efforts including: large volunteer impact days, volunteer project leader training, workshops and a film series about social issues.
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January 9, 2009
More trouble for Bernie Madoff
Looks liker Bernie Madoff is in more hot water.
According to this federal authorities are seeking to revoke Madoff’s bail and send him to jail for apparently mailing jewelry, watches and other valuables to relatives and friends shortly after his Dec. 11 arrest.
Madoff — who is under house arrest on $10 million bond — says he didn’t know the court order freezing his assets applied to such valuables.
Really? He didn’t know giving away diamond jewelry while in the throes of a criminal investigation would be a bad thing? Ok then.
So, to recap.
Here’s a guy who is accused of orchestrating a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that has battered some nonprofits, trashed foundations and hurt individuals. And then instead of sitting tight while under scrutiny — if authorities are to be believed — he runs off and tries to protect his assets.
Oh and, by the way: investigators say that at the time of his arrest, Madoff had 100 signed checks for $173 million in his New York office and was ready to mail them out to friends, family members and employees.
Since Madoff was placed on house arrest last month, critics have screamed and yelled that the alleged scammer should be in jail. Now, if prosecutors get their way, that’s exactly what will happen.
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January 5, 2009
Trouble reaching Greenlights? Here's why
Greenlights for NonProfit Success — an organization that provides training and support services to local charities — is in the middle of moving its offices and is having some technical problems. Read the following press release to learn more.
As you are aware, Greenlights is in the process of moving to a new location. Unfortunately, during the transition we have experienced some technical difficulties with our email and systems. If you have sent an email to someone at Greenlights in the past two weeks, you may have received a “bounce back” message and/or it may not have gone through.
All emails sent to us after the 1st are being held in an external queue and will be forwarded to us once the matter is rectified. We expect to have the issue resolved by the end of this week.
In the meantime, if you need an immediate response from us, please call 477-5955. Our phone extensions have remained the same, but may take a couple of tries to go through.
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December 30, 2008
Turkey Trot raises $176,500 for Caritas
Turkey Trot runners pulled in some big money for Caritas again this year. Check out the following press release:
The season of giving has been very generous for Caritas of Austin. The nonprofit agency fighting hunger, poverty, and homelessness in our community (has) received a check for $176,500 from the 18th Annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. That translates to a $60,000 increase over last year.
Executive Director of Caritas Beth Atherton was thrilled.
“Mike Haggerty and ThunderCloud Subs did a phenomenal job this year helping raise awareness and funds for Caritas of Austin. We are so fortunate to have the support of such a dedicated and caring business. Their generosity will help Caritas carry on its mission of assisting those with the greatest needs in our community.”
The significant increase in money raised is due in part to the phenomenal turnout at the event.
It seems the Turkey Trot has truly become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for many in Austin with a record breaking 13,300 people participating this year.
“We we’re blown away by the tremendous turnout at the Turkey Trot this year,” says ThunderCloud’s Mike Haggerty. “The 40% increase in participants was great but our greatest satisfaction is the huge donation to Caritas. Even with the attendance increase we had concerns about actually giving Caritas a smaller donation this year because the event was hit with substantial increases in expenses from the City.”
Caritas of Austin is a non-profit organization that fights hunger, homelessness, poverty and fear. They provide food, shelter, education and other services directly to those struggling with poverty and homelessness, as well as documented refugees. This year, Caritas will serve over 20,000 adults and children. Caritas of Austin is Travis County’s largest source of non-governmental assistance for low-income families. Find out more at www.caritasofaustin.org.
ThunderCloud Subs has owned, managed, and produced the Turkey Trot in Austin for the past 18 years. The home grown sub shop not only contributes all proceeds from the event to Caritas, but also makes a significant in kind donation, and allows employees to volunteer for the event. ThunderCloud Subs has raised $800,000 to date for Caritas of Austin through the Turkey Trot.
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December 23, 2008
Christmas Bureau left with record in unsponsored families
More than 1,800 families won’t get gifts from the Christmas Bureau of Austin and Travis County this year.
That’s the largest number of unsponsored families the agency has had since its 1964 inception.
“I think the economy is what kicked us in the pants this year,” said Christmas Bureau President Clift Bowman.
The Christmas Bureau is a nonprofit that recruits sponsors willing to provide an uncooked holiday meal and toys or gifts to a needy family. The charity is usually able to serve 99 percent of its applicants. This year, they matched about 84 percent, Bowman said.
The Bureau is no longer accepting sponsorships, Bowman said. But monetary donations that will help replenish the coffers for next year are still welcome. People can donate here.
But it’s certainly not all bad news this holiday season. Just recently, the Bair Foundation — a non-profit Christian foster care agency — realized that they did not have sponsors to give presents to 50 of the foster children in their care.
According to Bair social worker Lindsey R. Stockton: “Staff went in pairs to local business, churches, school, and fire stations and God’s amazing grace fell graced our office as the donations continued to pour in. Within twenty-four hours our office raised seven hundred dollars in monetary donations and three times this amount in toys and gifts for our children.”
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: charity news
December 17, 2008
Chips down for charities?
Seems like some charities are having a hard time meeting their holiday fundraising goals.
The Salvation Army, for one, is lagging behind its kettle donations and will be keeping the red pots out longer this year to try and make up the difference. The Capital Area Food Bank isn’t meeting its goals either.
The cause, of course, is no big surprise: the economy. Studies may show that people give more to charity during economic downturns, but so far, that theory doesn’t seem to be panning out in Austin.
David Davenport, executive director of the food bank, has an interesting take on the situation here.
You folks hearing anything out there? Anyone doing really well?
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December 15, 2008
Summer jobs for kids
Per the press release:
The Work-Based Learning Program/Summer Youth Employment (WBLP/SYE) is a joint venture of the City of Austin and Travis County Health & Human Services Departments that targets youth between the ages of 14 and 18 (14 and 22 for youth with disabilities) who reside in the City of Austin and/or Travis County, and attend school in Austin and/or Travis County. Youth are recruited and referred through a number of avenues such as faith-based, non-profit, and community-based organizations. Other referrals are made though advertisement, public service announcements, schools and the community-at-large.
The Work-Based Learning Program/Summer Youth Employment provides the opportunity for young people to develop competence and confidence as well as workplace skills in a “real-world of work” environment. Youth will be exposed to career awareness and exploration while developing their career plans and a commitment to lifelong learning. The program expands young people’s choices in life by preparing them with necessary workforce skills needed to succeed as citizens and productive employees. Youth have the opportunity to learn academic subjects by seeing knowledge applied in the “real world of work” and learn job-specific skills while being offered interaction with positive, successful adult role models who provide guidance in setting and achieving goals.
A key prerequisite of WBLP/SYE includes Job-Readiness Training. Youth will gain the experience of applying for a job and earning a paycheck in a nurturing environment with adult support and supervision. Youth have the opportunity to work an average of 96 hours in one of two sessions during the summer. Each youth employee is provided with a broad range of projects in work settings within the City of Austin and Travis County, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.
Parents can register youth for Job Readiness Training beginning January 5, 2009 by calling 854-4590.
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November 24, 2008
Bad times = more charity?
So I just got this press release from A Good Cause.com, a Denmark-based company that allows shoppers to contribute to charity while buying stuff online.
According to a study the company recently sponsored, people are feeling more generous toward charity. Out of the 1,000 people polled in the U.K., 73 percent said economic gloom gives them more empathy and 69 percent said they’d cut their spending on luxuries before cutting contributions to charity.
OK, so how does that play out in the real world? How can all these local charities be worried about declining donations if everyone is feeling empathetic and generous?
Kent Burress, executive director of Austin’s Ronald McDonald House, recently wrote an email to supporters that said the nonprofit will end this year in the black. But he also wrote this:
Now, you know I have always been direct and up front with you, so I want to say something here. We know that many of our friends are being impacted by the economic upheaval right now. Many have made multi-year financial commitments to this House that are hard to meet right now. That’s just a financial reality. If any of our friends need to revise the terms of those commitments, I am asking that you please just let me know. The last thing I want to happen during this time is for our friends to hide from us or avoid us because a financial situation has changed. While we certainly rely on our friends to keep this House financially healthy, the key words here are “our friends”, and at the very heart of what we do here at the House is helping our friends out when they are struggling - ask just about any of the families that have stayed with us over the decades.
Experts always cite studies that show Americans upped their charitable giving after 9/11. If that’s the case, nonprofits shouldn’t be worried, right?
But they are. And the mixed message confuses me.
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October 23, 2008
Book festival folks to help Ike schools/libraries
Per the press release:
The Texas Book Festival and Austin-area Barnes & Noble Booksellers are joining forces to assist schools and libraries in the areas along the Texas Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Ike.
During the annual Texas Book Festival, November 1-2, 2008, patrons and customers shopping in the two main festival tents will be able to purchase available book festival titles and special children’s books for donation to schools and libraries in the affected areas. Barnes & Noble will have special donation bins in each tent and will arrange delivery of all donated books to schools and libraries in the Galveston and Santa Fe Independent School Districts (ISD).
“This effort fits perfectly with our mission,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, Executive Director of The Texas Book Festival. “Over the years, the Texas Book Festival has benefited hundreds of literacy and book collection programs in public libraries and economically disadvantaged schools throughout the state. We are pleased to be able to focus attention on the needs of the schools and libraries in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.”
Schools that will benefit from this book drive include Burnet Elementary School, Scott Elementary School, and Central Middle School in the Galveston ISD and R.J. Wollam Elementary School in the Santa Fe ISD.
This coordinated effort will also benefit the Texas Book Festival organization. The Texas Book Festival receives a percentage of all sales made during the festival weekend to benefit its year-round programs in public libraries and economically disadvantaged schools in Texas.
The Annual Texas Book Festival is free to the public. For more information on the Festival, visit www.texasbookfestival.org.
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October 21, 2008
Lifeworks program loses 41 percent of its funding
LifeWorks, an Austin nonprofit that helps troubled youth and their families, recently lost 41 percent of its funding for its Street Outreach program.
Street Outreach, which began in 1993, provides services such as counseling, food, phone and computer access, voicemail services and other things to homeless and runaway youth.
For years, the program has been largely supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (informally known as HUD). This year, HUD provided $140,000 of the program’s $341,000 budget.
But the nonprofit won’t get that money for its 2009-10 budget. HUD is now giving such grants to organizations focused solely on housing, according to Stephanie Bazan, the nonprofit’s marketing director.
Now LifeWorks is scrambling to replace that money through donations and other grants.
For more information or to make a donation, call 735-2400 or go here.
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October 17, 2008
Down Home Ranch needs help
Down Home Ranch is a working farm and ranch for people with special needs.
Here’s a call for help on their website:
Help! We need an army of volunteers to come out this Saturday, Oct. 18.
Here’s why.
A few years ago a neighbor’s brush fire gave us a good scare and started us on the path to working on fire prevention and protection. With help from the Texas Forest Service we are working diligently to trim trees, enlarge our “defensible space” and do all we can to make the ranch safer, cleaner, more accessible and more attractive.
The Texas Chainsaw Manicure is designed to help us do just that. We’ll have people with chainsaws thinning trees and cutting brush, while others load trailers, take them to the burn pile, unload them and, if we get the burn-ban lifted, burn everything.
At the Manicure the Forest Service will honor Down Home Ranch as we become a “Fire Wise Community,” recognized for our long-term commitment to fire safety and prevention. We’re told the Director of the Texas Forest Service may be present for the award.
South Side Market is providing a catered b-b-q lunch, volunteers will get a great, commemorative tee-shirt. Plus, we’ll all enjoy the day.
Y’all click on our website for more information and directions and come join us on Saturday.
http://www.downhomeranch.org/eventschainsawmanicure.shtml
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October 15, 2008
Blog about poverty
So it’s Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day.
This year’s focus is on poverty. All day long, people across the globe talking about poverty electronically.
You can learn more about the effort here.
Today I’ll be posting a running list of local bloggers/sites talking about poverty. Here’s what I have so far
RE Revealed.com/blog-action-day-green-ocity
Austin City Councilman Mike Martinez
Austin City Councilwoman Sheryl Cole
Know of any more? Let me know and I’ll get it on here.
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October 14, 2008
Run for Red Cross
Per the press release:
This year, IBM chose the American Red Cross of Central Texas to be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the 2008 IBM Uptown Classic on Sunday, October 19.
“We are delighted to have been chosen as IBM’s partner this year. We have marshaled all our forces, including our terrific roster of volunteers, to help make this year’s event the most successful ever,” said CEO Derrick Chubbs. “After the last several weeks of serious disaster responses, from apartment fires to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, this is a great opportunity for people to come out and have fun with the Red Cross.”
The 2008 IBM Uptown Classic boasts the flattest, fastest 10K course in Austin, hands down, and is the first race in the Distance Challenge series, one of six races leading up to the AT&T Marathon. This year, IBM added a 5K option better suited for walkers and families. The race begins at the IBM campus and winds through the Domain before finishin back at IBM. More details, including race maps and parking maps can be found online at http://www.centex.redcross.org/events/ibmuptownclassic.php.
The races begin at 8:00am; over 250 volunteers and staff will begin to set up the event as early as 6:00am to manage the 3,000 runners anticipated to participate.
Volunteers and runners are also encouraged to take part in the pre-race dinner “CARBIN’ UP FOR THE CLASSIC!” hosted by McCormick & Schmick’s http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/ at the Domain on October 18. Please call (512)-836-0500 for reservations, mention the Uptown Classic for special seating and carb loaded menu. All runners and volunteers will receive a free runner friendly appetizer.
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October 7, 2008
Monica makes it happen
Four years ago, Monica Williams and I were eating lunch at Zen on Congress Avenue when she told me she wanted to get into the philanthropy scene.
Williams was the media flak for a local nonprofit at that time. But she had other goals. She wanted write about local charities issues, explore ideas and give organizations a forum to discuss community needs.
So she did.
More than a year ago, Williams launched GivingCity, a blog known until recently as GoodCause. Now Williams and her partners have launched their first print magazine.
You can see it here
Way to go Monica!
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October 1, 2008
Children's museum gets bloggy
So much stuff is flying into my inbox these days that I’m just posting a lot of press releases. I know you all so desperately miss my witty prose and I’ll try to get back to that soon.
In the meantime, here’s something from the Austin Children’s Museum:
Austin, Texas (October 1, 2008) — Is your child bored at home? Trying to find activity ideas that are both fun and educational? Then check out the new online resource for kids and parents developed by Austin Children’s Museum. ACM launches a new blog today linked from the Museum’s homepage at www.austinkids.org. Users will find experiments, design projects and at-home explorations to try, links to relevant online resources and a behind-the-scenes look into the Museum’s exhibits and programs.
“The blog allows us to extend our reach beyond our walls,” said Christina Soontornvat, Science Content Developer at ACM. “We can share ideas for fun, innovative, informal learning experiences with new audiences and provide a resource for our current audience to delve deeper into some of the topics we cover at the Museum.”
The ACM blog is designed for parents and children to look at together. Content will be developed by ACM Education staff or guest contributors, related to Museum exhibits and educational programming and updated regularly. The blog will also serve as a forum for users to share their own experiences through comments, photos and video submissions.
The ACM blog is made possible by support from The Dell Foundation.
ABOUT ACM The mission of the Austin Children’s Museum is to create innovative learning experiences for children and families that equip and inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers. Located at the Dell Discovery Center downtown at the corner of 2nd Street and Colorado, the Austin Children’s Museum is one of the city’s popular cultural attractions with 210,000 visitors annually. Founded in 1983 as a non-profit organization, the Austin Children’s Museum delivers its mission through a variety of exhibits, programs and outreach activities. For more information, please visit www.austinkids.org….
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September 29, 2008
Women of Distinction
Per the press release:
The Girl Scouts of Central Texas is now accepting nominations for their Women of Distinction events in Austin, Brownwood, Killeen and San Angelo. The deadline for submitting nominations for the San Angelo and Killeen events is November 30. The deadline for the Austin and Brownwood events is January 8.
The coveted award honors women who have distinguished themselves as outstanding members of their community and who can serve as role models to all Girl Scouts, girls and adults alike.
“Women of Distinction events allow Girl Scouts to formally recognize women who illustrate the values of Girl Scouting: courage, confidence and character,” says Etta Moore, CEO for the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. “Their accomplishments motivate volunteers to remain committed to our girls’ futures and inspire girls to set and achieve ambitious goals. Together this is how we build strong communities.”
Central Texans are strongly encouraged to nominate women leaders from their community as Women of Distinction. Past honorees have excelled in the areas of business, education, government, communications, health care, sports, volunteer services, multicultural activities, and Girl Scouting.
Nomination forms can be completed online at www.gsctx.org or downloaded as a PDF from the Web site. Forms are also available in all Girl Scouts of Central Texas offices. To request forms by mail, call (800) 733-0011. Completed nomination forms should be returned to the nearest Girl Scouts of Central Texas office.
For more information about Women of Distinction events, visit www.gsctx.org or call the Girl Scouts of Central Texas headquarters at (800) 733-0011.
About Girl Scouts of Central Texas: Girl Scouts of Central Texas serves nearly 20,000 girls in grades K-12 and more than 12,000 adult volunteers in 46 Central Texas counties. Headquartered in Austin, Girl Scouts of Central Texas has program centers in Brownwood, Bryan, Killeen, San Angelo and Waco. Through outcomes-based leadership opportunities, girls discover their own potential, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouting offers an array of fun, educational programs focusing on fine arts, science and technology, math, the environment, community service and life skills. Girl Scouts lead with courage, confidence and character, to make the world a better place. For more information, visit www.gsctx.org.
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September 23, 2008
Yam Jam for turkey
The Austin Yam Jam will host its second annual concert Sunday, Oct. 5th from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Threadgills at 301 West Riverside Dr.
The Yam Jam raises money for Operation Turkey, a community organization that gives out free meals on Thanksgiving.
Yam Jam acts include, Mingo Fishtrap, Carolyn Wonderland and Guy Forsyth.
Tickets are $12 advance and $15 at the door. Tickets are tax deductible.
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Dell family foundation hands out grant
Per the press release: The Settlement Home for Children today announced it has received a $112,840 grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The Home is a private, nonprofit, 24 hour care facility dedicated to the needs of abused and neglected children.
Founded in 1916, The Settlement Home for Children is one of Austin’s oldest charities. What started as a child care facility for poor working families has evolved over time to meet the ever changing needs of the community. The Home currently serves as a Residential Treatment Center, Therapeutic Group Home, and Foster Care and Adoption Program. The main goals are to break the cycle of abuse and violence in families, to nurture and heal the children and to send them into the world equipped to lead more productive lives.
“The Settlement Home for Children makes a significant contribution to this community every day with the work they do and the support they give to some of the most vulnerable children in our community,” said Zeynep Young, program director, Texas at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. “We are proud to provide this grant to help The Settlement Home continue with the highest level of care and therapy available for the children, so that they can reintegrate into society as happier and healthier individuals.”
The grant funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will provide the salaries for three experienced, certified, master-degreed Therapists/Supervisors. These therapists will provide 9500 hours of individual, group and family therapy to approximately 60 children entrusted to their care.
“The need for the type of care that the Michael &Susan Dell Foundation grant will provide is overwhelming. Annually, over 250 children are treated at the Settlement Home and even more are referred,” said Linda Addicks Kokemor, Director of The Settlement Home for Children. “With an on-campus school, as well as vocational, recreational ad therapeutic programs at a 1:4 staff to child ratio, these therapists not only help our children, but they also supervise and offer guidance to the rest of the staff.”
The Settlement Home is designed to help stop the movement of victimized children from placement to placement and to keep them with adults who are familiar with their needs. Strong and consistent relationships are the key to The Settlement Home’s success with emotionally distraught children.
About the Settlement Home for Children The Settlement Home for Children was established in 1916. What started as a child care facility for poor working families is now a nonprofit Residential Treatment Center, Therapeutic Group Home and Foster Home Program. Over 250 children every year are helped through these programs.
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September 11, 2008
Shoes for Ike victims
Soles4Souls, a Nashville nonprofit that helps distribute shoes to needy people, is ready to donate shoes to Ike victims.
For a limited time, Soles4Souls and Total Relief Footwear will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to a person in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone’s life.
“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” said Cam White, Owner of Total Relief Footwear. “We need Central Texans to ‘STEP UP’ and get behind our call for action. It’s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times,” he said.
Drop Off Your New/Gently Used Shoes at:
Total Relief Footwear The Woodland Shopping Center 13492 US Hwy 183N, Suite 250 Austin, TX 78750 996-0002 www.totalrelieffootwear.com
Starting Thursday, September 11, you may drop-off your new or gently worn shoes at Total Relief Footwear for distribution to Soles 4Souls. Please also consider dropping off canned and non-perishable food items for the Capital Area Food Bank.
People and companies interested in donating can visit the organization’s website
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September 5, 2008
Capital Area Food Bank receives $100,000
This year’s Help End Hunger campaign raised $100,000 for the Capital Area Food Bank through the generous donations of H-E-B customers. From May 21 through August 15, tear-off coupons in the amounts of $1, $3 and $5 were located at H-E-B checkout stands, where customers could add the desired donation amount to their final grocery bill. A formal check presentation will take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the H-E-B store located at 5800 West Slaughter Lane in Austin, Texas.
This year H-E-B invested $45,000 toward the program and H-E-B customers raised $302,500 marking 2008 as a record year, which will benefit 16 Texas food banks. Help End Hunger is a component of H-E-B’s Food Bank Assistance Program that began in 1982. The program supports 26 food banks throughout Texas and Mexico, which in turn serve more than 5,000 organizations. In 2007, H-E-B donated more than 25 million pounds of products, valued at $35 million.
H-E-B’s Help End Hunger is a successful program, giving customers the opportunity to help their local food bank fight hunger and malnutrition facing thousands of children, elderly and needy families in communities throughout Texas.
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September 3, 2008
Meals on Wheels will benefit from Statesman Cap 10K
Meals on Wheels and More has been named the beneficiary of the Statesman Cap 10K, an annual race that raises money for local charities.
Meals on Wheels distributes 4,000 meals and reaches 3,100 clients each business day. The charity operates 10 programs in addition to its meal delivery program, such as social and mental health services.
“The growing need for our services, due to the increase in elderly residents in Austin, is a stark reality, and we must expand our kitchen and production capacity if we want to continue serving the homebound elderly and disabled individuals in our community,” CEO and President Dan Pruett said in a press release. “Now, through the generous help from the Austin American-Statesman and the race’s presenting sponsor Guaranty Bank, MOWAM will be much closer to reaching our fundraising goal for this important project.”
The race, which will be held on Sunday, March 29, began in 1978 and has grown to become the largest 10K in Texas and the fifth largest in the country. Since race sponsorships became available in 1993, the race has raised $2 million for 11 Austin-area nonprofits.
For more information about the Cap 10, contact Renet Presas at 445-3596 or go to statesman.com/cap10k.
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August 26, 2008
Web savvy folks fill up food truck
It took less than six hours to stuff a Capital Area Food Bank truck with 35,000 pounds of food, thanks to a special offer by Tyson Foods.
On Monday, the food conglomerate pledged to donate 100 pounds of groceries to the food bank for every comment left on this company blog.
More than 550 people commented on the post within six hours.
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August 14, 2008
Goodwill and your taxes
Per the press release:
During this tax-free weekend, Goodwill is offering back-to-school shoppers a cost-effective way to be unique and brand their own style this school year.
Goodwill’s Brand U campaign, which encourages individuals to be creative and express themselves through the clothes they wear, is offering a ‘Brand U Makeover,’ where the public can register for a chance to win a complete fashion makeover at any of Goodwill’s 21 retail stores around Central Texas.
Everyone that registers between August 2-17 has the opportunity to win a $100 Goodwill shopping spree with a personal shopper/designer, hair cut/style/coloring, manicure/pedicure, a before and after photo shoot, and the chance to be a model in Goodwill’s next ‘Brand U’ shopping ad, courtesy of Salon Keriz’ma and Almost Impatient Productions.
Shopping tax-free weekend at Goodwill offers back-to-school shoppers the opportunity to get the brand name and vintage clothing they want at a fraction of the cost, while funding Goodwill’s mission of providing employment training and services for disabled and disadvantaged Central Texans.
When: August 2 - 17, 2008
Where: Any of Goodwill’s 21 retail stores around Central Texas
About Goodwill Industries of Central Texas is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated Goodwill: to the mission of providing job-related services for people with barriers to employment. Revenue generated through the sale of donated goods is used to fund job training and employment programs for Central Texans. For more information about Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, visit www.austingoodwill.org.
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August 13, 2008
Tropic Thunder hatred gets hot
Looks like the opposition to Tropic Thunder — a Ben Stiller movie that includes some pretty crass references to people with mental retardation — is growing louder.
Tonight at 6 p.m., the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas will lead a protest of the movie at the Regal Westlake Theater, 4477 S. Lamar.
For those who haven’t heard, Tropic Thunder is a movie about a bunch of self-centered actors (must we really make the distinction?) making a movie in the jungle. Part of the film focuses on Ben Stiller’s previous movie called “Simple Jack.” In an obvious, shallow and poorly executed attempt to win the Oscar, Stiller plays a man with mental retardation.
The word “retard” is thrown around pretty liberally.
“Our country has drawn the line at hate speech in any form, whether said in anger or disguised as comedy,” said Lori Tullos Barta, president of the local Down Syndrome organization, said in a press release. “Stiller and company are no different than actors Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Isaiah Washington, or Charlie Sheen, who have been very publicly criticized for using derogatory comments against minority groups including African-Americans, Jews, and gays. That it is still permissible to use the “R” word against a portion of our population who cannot defend themselves is incomprehensible.”
Wednesday’s protest will be coordinated with other disability groups in the Central Texas region.
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August 12, 2008
Big Stink over Tropic Thunder
In case you haven’t heard, a new movie called Tropic Thunder is making quite a stink among disability rights advocates.
The Ben Stiller flick (which opens tomorrow) focuses on a few self-centered actors lost in the jungle while making a war movie. In a film within a film, Stiller’s character chases Oscar glory by playing a character called “Simple Jack,” a man with mental retardation.
Apparently Stiller does not get the Oscar and his jungle-trapped costars repeatedly refer to him as a “retard.”
As you can imagine, this is making disabilities rights advocates really mad. They’re hosting protests all over the country, demanding respect for people living with disabilities.
Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas has joined those angry voices. In a statement issued by the organization, president Lori Tullos Barta said:
“People with intellectual disabilities, including those with Down Syndrome, are among the most vulnerable in our society. They should be encouraged, nurtured, and respected, not nationally humiliated in the name of a buck and laugh. The Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas hopes others will join with us in sending Hollywood a message that such words, depictions and scenarios are offensive to the disability community and will not be tolerated.”
But will people stay away from the movie? Maybe some, but probably not many. These protests only seem to give such movies free publicity.
What do you think?
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August 5, 2008
Habitat celebrates new neighborhood
Big day for Habitat for Humanity coming up. The nonprofit — which provides affordable housing to low-come families — is kicking off the development of a neighborhood comprised solely of Habitat houses.
Per the charity’s press release:
Who: Austin Habitat for Humanity What: DEVONSHIRE VILLAGE INAUGURAL BLITZ BUILD WALL RAISING When: FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 8 a.m. Where: End of Devonshire Drive, Austin, TX (see directions below)
Join us on Friday, August 8, at 8 a.m. as we raise the walls on the first of 31 Austin Habitat for Humanity homes at Devonshire Village, a new single-family community located in beautiful East Austin, which will eventually provide homes for 43 low-income families. Building the dream of energy efficient and affordable homes at Devonshire Village would not be possible without house sponsors Lowe’s and the 2008 Pride Build, and the support of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation and Rodman Construction.
We invite you to join Austin Habitat the morning of August 8 as we kick off Devonshire Village with a blitz build that will fully frame three houses in three days! Over 400 volunteers will come out to donate their time to the effort. These homes will eventually be inhabited by the J Garcia, R Garcia and Carter families, who will earn their dream of homeownership by helping build their homes as they earn 400 hours of “sweat equity” and complete extensive homeowner education as part of the Austin Habitat program.
The houses are possible thanks to the generosity of Lowe’s Corporation and the Second Annual Pride Build, celebrating Bettie Naylor.
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August 4, 2008
New leader for Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas has appointed Brent Fields as CEO.
Fields follows former CEO Kenny Taylor, who resigned earlier this year to pursue other opportunities.
Fields comes from American Heart Association’s Texas branch, where he was vice president for research. He will lead the agency in its efforts to increase volunteer recruitment and child services, plus the recently launched major donor campaign.
Both efforts aim to provide mentoring services to 5,000 youth by the year 2015
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August 1, 2008
Lone Star Circle of Care gets $50,000
Per press release:
The Dell Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Lone Star Circle of Care to support pediatric services for medically underserved children in Central Texas.
“Lone Star Circle of Care is a place where underserved adults and children can receive care for everything from acute care to regular check-ups. We are grateful to the Dell Foundation for investing in our mission to provide quality, affordable healthcare to more of our underserved neighbors,” said Dr. Larry Fane, Lone Star Circle of Care Pediatrician.
This is not only an investment in children’s health, but also education. Children who are healthy miss fewer days and perform better in school than those who suffer from unmet healthcare needs. Nearly 30 percent of children in Williamson County are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program at school, highlighting the need for affordable healthcare for our children. Due to the support of the Dell Foundation and others in the community, Lone Star Circle of Care is able to provide care to more underserved children in Central Texas.
The grant from the Dell Foundation will be awarded in two payments of $25,000 over the next two years.
About Lone Star Circle of Care
Since opening its first clinic in 2002, Lone Star Circle of Care, a private 501c3, has delivered nearly 185,000 primary care visits to the most vulnerable populations in Williamson County, helping keep children in school, adults gainfully employed and tens of thousands of individuals out of local emergency rooms and the criminal justice system. Lone Star Circle of Care has brought in more than $15 million in net new funds to Williamson County from outside sources to provide these services. Lone Star Circle of Care’s eight clinics provide care for medically underserved individuals from Central Texas, including individuals with Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, other forms of public insurance, or no insurance. Services include adult and pediatric care; dental care; mental health services; women’s health services, including prenatal and delivery; discounted medications; and wellness classes. For additional information, please visit www.lscctx.org.
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July 31, 2008
Do you need your space?
We all need our space, don’t we? Mine is the garage apartment at my house (which is where our office is). That’s where I hide from my children or work on stories for the Statesman.
Well my in-laws are moving in. (Yes they are and I’m happy, so I don’t want to hear anything negative, do you UNDERSTAND?) So there goes my space.
But wait! Austin Groups for the Elderly owns and operates building for non-profit organizations. And they’ve got some space to rent.
Check out the email I received from AGE yesterday:
We currently have a new office space open. This is one large room (high ceilings) with hard wood floors. It is 650 square feet and will run $832.00 a month.
In addition to the office space all non-profits in the building have access to: Copies Postage machines Meeting rooms volunteers free furniture access to other non-profits
We are located right in Hyde Park not far from UT. 3710 Cedar Street. We are in between two large bus routes (Speedway 38th and Guadelupe and 38th).
In order to become a tenant of our building you will need:
Liability Insurance Proof of 501-C3 (IRS letter) Security Deposit
Might this be an option for me? I definitely need to launch a nonprofit for myself. I think I’ll call it Give Andrea Space Before She Has A Nervous Breakdown.
I’m sure the IRS will be delighted.
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July 30, 2008
Keeping Austin pretty with $10k
Keep Austin Beautiful — a nonprofit devoted to… well, you know — has doled out some cash to keep our city pretty. Here’s the press release detailing the grants.
Keep Austin Beautiful awarded nine grants totaling $10,000 along with thousands of dollars worth of trees donated by Austin Energy to support neighborhood associations and community groups in efforts to beautify and improve public spaces. Winning groups were selected from more than forty applications.
“KAB is dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and providing the resources and education citizens need to get involved and improve their local environment,” said Brian Block, Executive Director of KAB, “The grants give us the opportunity to help community groups beautify and restore public spaces, and by focusing on native plants, recycled materials, local artists, and collaborative ideas the funded projects promote environmental sustainability and community building.”
Now in its forth year, the KAB beautification grants program has funded 33 projects, investing over $40,000 to support Austin communities with projects such as wildlife gardens, creek and habitat restorations, community greenspaces and landscape installations using local and/or recycled materials.
”It’s inspiring to see these volunteer-led projects bring neighbors together.” said Jessica Wilson, KAB Programs Manager. “Volunteers feel a renewed sense of pride in their neighborhood, and continue to look for ways to improve it.”
2008 KAB Grant Recipients Casa Marienella (trees) - will plant 40 native trees in the neighborhood surrounding their immigrant and refugee shelter to foster a sense of community pride.
EcoTexas ($1,500) - A group of young energetic volunteers will continue their work fighting invasive plant species in parks, preserves, and greenbelts around Austin.
French Legation ($1,600 + trees & dillo dirt) - Volunteers from the Native Plant Society, Master Naturalists, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Stewards, and Wildlife Austin will collaborate to transform an uninspiring landscape into a vibrant habitat demonstration garden.
Friends of McKinney Falls State Park ($750) - will enhance their habitat garden’s pond with natural stone edging, native plant border, and native aquatic plants.
Homewood Heights Neighborhood Association (trees) - will accent their new community garden with two beautiful big tooth maple trees.
Northeast Walnut Creek Neighborhood Association (trees)-The NEWCNA Garden Club will add native trees to the North Oaks Park to add shade and seasonal color.
Northfield Neighborhood Association ($1,150) - will continue their work to transform an overgrown abandoned lot into a community gathering spot by building a stone sitting wall, path, and patio out of locally quarried, donated stone.
People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources ($2,500 + trees) - PODER will continue their restoration work at Oak Springs by increasing the number and diversity of native plants, creating stone edged planting beds, and installing educational signage.
University of Texas at Austin Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture ($2,500)- students will design bus stops emphasizing the culture and energy of the stops’ location in the city, sustainable and recycled materials, and native drought tolerant plantings.
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July 28, 2008
Kin and kindness
Many people use charity to honor a deceased relative.
If you check out this story in today’s Statesman, you can read about how Austinite Tom Sweazea donated $20,000 of his mother’s estate to the Talking Book Program. The free state program provides audio books and other services to blind and disabled people.
Sweazea, of course, is hardly alone in his tribute. Earlier this year, William R. Dickson donated $60,000 to Breast Cancer Services in memory of his sister Elizabeth Dickson Brennan. Elizabeth died of breast cancer, leaving behind four young sons.
Breast Cancer Services is a regional collaboration of survivors, service providers, the medical community, advocates, government and business leaders working under the umbrella of the Leadership Project of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas.
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Austin: volunteerism capital of the world?
One of Austin’s pride and joys is its much-heralded rate of volunteerism.
According to a recent study by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Austin had the fifth highest number percentage of people ages 16 and older who performed community service in 2007. Our percentage: 35.3.
The top four cities were:
1) Minneapolis-St. Paul, 39.3 2) Salt Lake City, 37.2 3) Portland, Ore., 35.6 4) Seattle, 35.5
Texas overall ranked 33 out of 50 states.
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July 24, 2008
Blood = Goodness
Ordinarily, I’d prefer not to talk about blood. It’s kind of icky and stuff. Espcially on Law and Order.
But, of course, everyone knows donating blood saves lives. I personally had three blood transfusions not so long ago and without them, I would have died.
But I digress.
Earlier this week, the Blood Center of Central Texas opened its new Cedar Park center at 920 N. Vista Ridge Blvd. Here are the hours of operation:
Sunday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday - Wednesday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday - Friday: Closed Saturday: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
So if you’re up north one of these days and feel like doing a good deed, stop by the center.
For more information, call 206-1266
By the way, in case you hadn’t noticed, staff writer Mary Ann Roser has a new health blog called Salud. It’s interesting and well written, and I’m not just saying that because she sits near me.
If you want to check it out, go here.
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July 18, 2008
Any Baby Can adopts hearing program
Here’s a press release of a two local charities that have joined up…
Any Baby Can Child & Family Resource Center has strengthened its continuum of services to children and families by “adopting” Children’s Hearing Aid Texas (CHAT).
CHAT provides auditory services and hearing aids for children in Central Texas with permanent hearing loss who have no financial alternatives to meet these needs. CHAT was founded on the belief that hearing aids are essential for the development of cognitive and social skills in infants and children with permanent hearing loss. “I am so proud of CHAT’s service to our community thus far and look forward to its future with Any Baby Can,” said Caroline Caven, Founder of CHAT.
At CHAT’s inception in 2003, the Austin Community Foundation helped incubate the project under their 501 (c) (3) status. Now, as a program of Any Baby Can, CHAT will continue to provide high quality services while reducing administrative costs. CHAT will also benefit from Any Baby Can’s larger outreach and referral network. The “adoption” will allow Any Baby Can and CHAT to reach even more children and families in need. “CHAT is an important project with an excellent track record. We are excited to increase the impact of its services in Central Texas by joining forces,” said Ellen Balthazar, Executive Director of Any Baby Can.
“Austin Community Foundation is happy to work with people in the community to get ideas under way, and we are thrilled when those ideas find a permanent home. CHAT and Any Baby Can both do great work and we wish them tremendous success in this new venture,” said MariBen Ramsey, Vice President & General Counsel of Austin Community Foundation.
About Any Baby Can Any Baby Can’s mission is to ensure that all children reach their potential through education, therapy and family support services. Each year, Any Baby Can brings help and hope to more than 5,000 of our community’s youngest, sickest, and poorest children-the youngest through prenatal care and intervention services when children are born with developmental delays; the sickest when children experience chronic or critical illness like childhood cancer; and the poorest children who may experience neglect or abuse. Any Baby Can offers tools and training so families can provide a better life and brighter future for their children. Learn more at www.abcaus.org.
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July 17, 2008
Party on, nonagenarians!
Gotta love those rockin’ seniors.
Three 90-year-olds will be the guests of honor at the Senior Activity Center’s weekly dance Friday.
The big party — which celebrates the 90-year birthdays of Carlos McCarty Lloyd Fry and John Emburgen — will be held at the activity center at 2874 Shoal Crest Ave.
So what’s on the food and activity menu? Three cakes (one for each birthday boy), beverages including root beer floats, a 10-piece band and plenty of dancing.
This isn’t a one-time thing, said Ruth McCarty, a senior who helps organize center events. The facility hosts dances three times a week, plus all sorts of other activities she said. Center supporters hope the birthday fiesta will attract newcomers.
“We all become kind of a family there.” McCarty said. “It’s just a wonderful place for them to be with their peers.”
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July 15, 2008
Charities stressed, report says
U.S. News & World Report has an interesting article today about donations drying up as the economy tanks. Meanwhile, the story says, more and more people need help. You can see that story here.
We’ve talked about this a lot in Austin. Just last week, the lovely and talented Andrea Lorenz wrote a story about tough times at the Hays County food pantry.
You can see that story here.
But are all local nonprofits feeling a drop in donations? Just yesterday, I talked to Dan Pruett of Meals on Wheels and More (and, yes, there is more). He said donors and volunteers are staying committed in the face of high gas prices.
So what do you know? Is the trend discussed by U.S. News & World Report playing out here?
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July 14, 2008
Way to go, Mary!
Gotta love when a do-gooder gets her due. Check it out:
BookSpring is proud to announce that Mary Reynolds has received the “Champion of Children’s Health and Literacy Award” for Outstanding Reach Out and Read Advocate. This award is an honor which recognizes individuals who make singular and outstanding contributions to the Reach Out and Read program in Central Texas.
Mary Reynolds, President of Around Austin, Inc. and member of the Rotary Club of Austin, was presented the award at her Rotary meeting in July by Mindy Gomillion, Executive Director of BookSpring. Ms. Reynolds, who passionately believes in the power of literacy and the importance of book ownership, is being recognized for phenomenal volunteer participation and for single-handedly donating many thousands of gently-used children’s books to ROR clinics each year.
Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national program that trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at health check-ups from six months to 5 years. For more than a decade, studies have indicated that parents who get books and literacy counseling from their doctors and nurses are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often, and provide more books in the home. In addition, low-income children exposed to Reach Out and Read show improvements in language scores, a critical component of school readiness.
Through Reach Out and Read, doctors at 26 participating healthcare clinics in Austin and the surrounding communities are expected to give more than 34,000 books to more than 25,000 of their youngest patients each year.
BookSpring, created from the merger of Capital Area Reach Out and Read Reading Is Fundamental of Austin in March 2008, instills children with a love of reading and promotes books as a means to success. By offering a range of programs that support early literacy, BookSpring champions the value of reading and encourages parents to read to their children from birth on, resulting in stronger families and increased life-long opportunities for every child. For more information, visit www.caror.org and www.rifaustin.org.
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July 11, 2008
Texas Freedom Network gala
It’s never too early to to plan your fall party schedule. Personally, I’m booked (yeah, right), but maybe you have space in your calendar for this event…
The work for true Texas values continues as the Texas Freedom Network [TFN] celebrates its 13th year with a fundraising gala on Saturday, October 4, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at La Zona Rosa in downtown Austin.
“This annual gathering is of great importance not only because it raises funds, but also because it brings people together in support of a worthy cause - supporting the truly mainstream values Texans share,” said Kathy Miller, President of TFN. “The passion and energy in one room will be truly inspiring.”
The event, open to members and nonmembers, will include live music, a silent auction, award ceremony, and more. Ticket prices start at $50. Proceeds from the anniversary celebration and auction will go toward funding TFN programs. Austin musician , Ruby Ruby Jane will headline the evening’s entertainment.
Founded in 1995, the Texas Freedom Network is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization of nearly 30,000 religious and community leaders. TFN exists to protect and preserve the individual worth and dignity of all people by promoting public education, religious freedom and civil liberties. The organization believes in basic human rights and freedom for all; a free and open society, where every individual’s religious rights are honored and protected; the separation of religion and state; quality public schools, as the foundation of a free and just society; and the democratic process, the importance of a well-informed public and the value of political engagement.
For more information about gala sponsorship opportunities or tickets, please call Laura Schroeder at 512.322.0545 or visit www.tfn.org.
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July 10, 2008
Want to be a fundraiser?
If nonprofits made a list of their most important employees, fundraisers would have to be in the top three.
Now let’s not start with that “Everyone Is So Critical To Our Organization” thing. That may be true, but the bottom line is that every charity needs money. And you can’t get it without a development director/fundraiser/grant writer/professional schmoozer looking for the big bucks.
It’s a big job, especially in a town loaded with nonprofits.
Sound like a challenge? I got an e-mail today from Austin Sunshine Camps, a nonprofit that — among other things — serves 1,000 at-risk and disadvantaged children every summer. The camps are owned and operated by the Young Men’s Business League of Austin.
Now the group is looking for someone to join the grant-writing team. Check out the e-mail.
Unfortunately, Austin YMBL Sunshine Camps will be losing our wonderful Fundraising Administrator. If you all know of anyone that is looking for a job that is a great writer, and has excellent communication and organizational skills, please have them send Brandy Kinder brandy@sunshinecamps.org a resume. We are looking to hire someone as soon as possible!
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July 9, 2008
Hungry for hunger news
The Texas Food Bank Network — an umbrella group for the state’s 19 food banks — has launched a blong. Want to see? Go to
http://texansagainsthunger.blogspot.com
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July 3, 2008
Twitter me this
Forget social media as a way to keep up with your college buddies and far away (thank God) relatives.
The 501 Tech Club of Austin and the Austin Social Media Club are promoting a Twitter Blood Drive today, asking people to give blood today at the Blood Center of Central Texas. Check it out:
www.fispace.org/home/2008/07/twitter-blood-d.html
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July 1, 2008
Food bank blog
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas has launched its own blog. You can check it out here:
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June 30, 2008
Georgetown Junior Forum donates $12,000
The Georgetown Area Junior Forum recently donated $12,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown. Check out the press release:
This donation was a result of GAJF’s annual fundraiser, Nite at the Races, held in early May. Nancy Cocanougher, GAJF President, praised the efforts of the Junior Forum membership as well as the generosity of local sponsors for making this year’s event a success and more than doubling the amount donated last year. The Boys and Girls Club provides a safe, supervised environment after school and during the summer for 160 youth from ages 7-17.
We also donated $1,000 to the Ride On Center for Kids (ROCK). In addition, we welcomed 24 new members to GAJF in May. That’s double our previous membership.
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June 25, 2008
Hogg Foundation names new leader
University of Texas officials announced today that Dr. Octavio N. Martinez Jr., a professor and clinical psychiatrist with experience in finance and banking, has been named executive director for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.
Martinez replaces former executive director King Davis, who resigned in May to teach at UT’s School of Social Work. The Hogg Foundation, created in 1940, provides grants, education and support to mental health organizations across the state.
Martinez will take office on Aug. 11.
Martinez, a native Texan, has served as a clinical psychiatrist at the Albemarle Mental Health Center; an associate professor at the Brody School of Medicine in North Carolina; and an assistant professor and psychiatrist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He has also worked in commercial real estate, banking and finance in Austin.
Martinez’s academic credentials include a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University’s School of Public Health, a doctor’s degree in medicine from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from UT.
Martinez is licensed to practice medicine in Texas and in North Carolina .
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June 24, 2008
New supportive housing for low-income Austinites
Foundation Communities — a nonprofit that provides housing for low-income people — will officially open for its newest apartment complex tomorrow morning.
Skyline Terrace, located at 1212 W. Ben White, rents efficiency apartments for 100 adults who make $24,900 a year or less. Residents include low-wage workers, veterans, people with disabilities and others who were formerly homeless.
Residents began moving into the building in April. Nonprofit staffers support services for residents, such as helping them gain employment and finding them healthcare.
Skyline Terrace is Foundation Communities’ third supportive housing complex in Austin. Garden Terrace in South Austin has 103 apartments. Spring Terrace in North Austin has 142.
Rents run $330-$500 for most residents. That includes utilities.
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St. David's Foundation awards $2.3 million for mental illness
St. David’s Community Health Foundation has awarded $2.3 million in grants to local nonprofits that help people with mental illness.
The grants, a substantial increase from the $1.2 million awarded to such programs last year, will support efforts such as in-home counseling, therapy and case management in schools, training for foster parents and psychiatric services in residential treatment centers for children.
Nonprofits awarded grants include Easter Seals-Central Texas ($75,627 ), Leander ISD ($52,470 ), LifeWorks ($61,000), Helping Hand Home for Children ($9,800), Waterloo Counseling ($112,812) and Safe Place ($50,000 ).
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June 23, 2008
AGE expands to Williamson County
Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE), a nonprofit that provides services to 3,000 elderly adults and their caregivers each year, has a new home in Williamson County.
Today, the nonprofit took over a Round Rock licensed adult day care center previously run by Williamson-Burnet County Opportunities, a nonprofit that serves people with low and moderate incomes. The Round Rock center serves 15-30 clients from Williamson County cities including Taylor, Georgetown and Hutto.
AGE also operates Elderhaven, a similar facility for seniors in Austin.
For more information on AGE, go to www.ageofaustin.org
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New executive director for Con Mi MADRE
Sandy Segura Alcala has been named the new executive director of Con Mi MADRE, a non-profit devoted to increase the number of Hispanic women in higher education.
According to the press release:
Ms. Alcalá is a native-born Austinite and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics-Interior Design. She is an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin’s Community MBA Program and Leadership Austin. She is a Past President of the Austin Area Texas Exes, Past President of Con Mi MADRE’s Board of Directors, Past Chair of The Junior League of Austin’s largest fundraiser, A Christmas Affair, and Past Community Vice-President of The Junior League of Austin. Ms. Alcalá was the Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program Chair in 1998, served on the Advisory Board from 1999- 2002 and was a founding Board member of Con Mi MADRE in 2007.
Ms. Alcalá was recognized in 2006 and 2007 by the Austin American-Statesman XL as one of the top 500 Austinites making an impact on our local community in the areas of Charity and Education.
Con Mi MADRE targets 6th through 12th grade Hispanic girls enrolled in the Austin Independent School District and have a 2.5 or better GPA. The organization was originally founded in 1992 by The Junior League of Austin as the Hispanic Mother Daughter Program. More than 1,827 mothers and daughters have participated to date and 707 mother-daughter teams participated this past school year.
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Glimmer of Hope expands work
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been off a week and haven’t updated Charity Chat. But now I’m back and better than ever!
So let’s kick things off with some charity news…
A Glimmer of Hope, an Austin foundation that provides grants and support to small charities in East Austin, is expanding their operation. According to the organization’s recent press release:
The foundation has extended its funding to include projects for disadvantaged seniors and increased its annual program budget by 50 percent. These services for this underserved and growing population are in addition to the award-winning programs it already provides to the city’s at-risk youth.
Seniors are a new area of focus for the foundation and $250,000 has been budgeted for this initiative for 2008. Services include helping seniors with their physical and mental well being; housing; transportation; and, legal services.
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June 9, 2008
Another thrift store!
As longtime readers of my column know (hi Uncle Arnie!), I adore thrift shops.
I never buy anything new. I’ve furnished most of my house through austin.craigslist.com And one of the most popular shirts I own was purchased from Goodwill. I can’t even remember which one. I’ve been to so many.
So, as you can imagine, I’m thrilled to see that St. Vincent de Paul Stores of Austin, Inc. is opening a new store! Check out their press release…
The St. Vincent de Paul Stores of Austin, Inc. will open a new north location with the recent acquisition of The Storehouse, a non-profit thrift store in Round Rock.
The store is located at 1601 S. IH 35, #305.
The Storehouse had been in operation since 2002, the creation of Tim and Chris Abels, who saw the need for a store that could provide basic needs assistance serving the North Austin area.
After a job-related relocation to Portland, Oregon, the Abels were looking for a business to take over the store. They approached the St. Vincent de Paul Stores of Austin, Inc., which currently operates a successful thrift store in the popular SoCo district of South Austin, to consider the opportunity.
Transfer of ownership took place on June 1st, with the new store owners enthusiastically embracing the challenge of furthering their own mission of upholding the teaching of the Catholic Church through the method developed by St. Vincent de Paul, to serve each needy person as we would Christ Himself. As a Christian community, we respect the dignity and needs of each other as together we strive for excellence in service to the poor.
The SVdP Store, Round Rock location is open Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Donations of gently used furniture, clothing, and household items, along with art, collectables, and toys are accepted during regular business hours. Please call 238-6737 to arrange large item pick-ups. The SVdP Store on South Congress is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
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June 5, 2008
Any Baby Can Wins Telly Award
Looks like Any Baby Can — a nonprofit that provides support and education for chonically ill or disabled children — is collecting some kudos for their video work.
Here’s the press release from the nonprofit:
The Any Baby Can video “Tears of Hope”, produced by Atherton Pictures’ Carolyn Krawczyk, is honored with a Bronze Telly Award. The video showcases Any Baby Can’s home based services and the agency’s mission to ensure that all children reach their potential through education, therapy and family support services.
“This video has proven an invaluable tool for our agency and truly conveys the essential, life changing and heartfelt work of Any Baby Can,” said Executive Director, Ellen Balthazar. “We are thrilled that it has been recognized with such a distinguished honor.”
Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition and receives more than 13,000 entries annually.
WATCH the Tears of Hope video at www.abcaus.org.
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June 3, 2008
Departure of FLDS kids leaves room at local shelter
When the FLDS children left the Austin Children’s Shelter this week, they left more than a dozen slots for other children suffering from abuse and neglect.
The shelter, which houses both infants and teens in state custody, turned away several children during the month in which they hosted 13 children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said shelter director Gena Van Osselaer.
But whether the nonprofit turned away more kids because of the FLDS children is unclear. The shelter is routinely full and local children often must be housed in other parts of the state, Van Osselaer said.
Last year, the shelter turned away more than 900 kids.
And here’s an interesting tidbit:
Today’s statesman.com currently has a photo of a little girl staring out the window of the Austin Children’s Shelter.
The girl wasn’t looking for her parents, as some people might think, Van Osselar said. She was watching the throngs of reporters standing outside the shelter.
“They’re as curious about us as we are about them,” she said.
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May 19, 2008
Marathon Kids wins $750,000 Dell grant
Marathon Kids — a nonprofit that provides free exercise and nutrition programs for grade school children — has won a $750,000 grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.
The grant will be distributed over two years, with $400,000 to be used to study whether Marathon Kids’ work improves the health, eating habits and self-perception of the children they teach. The remainder will help support the nonprofit’s educational and physical fitness efforts.
The research will be conducted by the Michael & Susan Dell Center for the Advancement of Healthy Living.
Marathon Kids serves 106,000 children in six cities, including Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
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April 21, 2008
Creepy, but kind
A century-plus old dog known for his charity is on display at the Natural History Museum in London.
Now ordinarily, I don’t go for preserved canines. In fact, I find the whole pet taxidermy industry rather spooky.
But who am I to disparage the memory of London Jack? This philanthropic dog worked in London’s Paddington station from 1894 until 1900, raising money for orphans of railwaymen killed during the early days of steam trains. London Jack walked around with a coin box on his back, collecting spare charge from passing passengers.
I can’t even get my dog to stop eating her frisbee.
Want to zip off to England to check out this kind canine? For more information, go
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April 16, 2008
KUT raises $750,000
Apparently Austinites like their public radio.
KUT 90.5 FM — which, among other things, features news from National Public Radio and Public Radio International — raised more than $755,000 during its spring fundraiser. The event began April 2 and ended nine days later.
The money, which will go toward programming, was raised by 6,000 listeners and community organizations.
More than 200 volunteers answered phones from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Nearly 30 local restaurants donated food and beverages to sustain the volunteers.
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April 14, 2008
Oh to drive a BMW
I’ve never owned a BMW. And I probably never will.
You know what I drive? A 1997 Saturn with stained seats (Seriously, who carries a used car battery in the back seat until it overflows? Me.) and a moonroof that I haven’t been able to open since 2000.
I couldn’t even dream of owning a BMW. But if I wanted to drive a one, now would be the perfect time. Check out this press release from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit that raises money for breast cancer research:
It’s time to rev up the engine at the BMW Ultimate Drive® supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Tuesday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at BMW of Austin, located at 7011 McNeil Drive.
A fleet of 25 BMW vehicles will be available to test drive, and for every mile driven, BMW is donating $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The goal is to raise $1 million. The funds will go towards supporting breast cancer research and outreach programs. Now in its 12th year, the program has donated more than $11 million to Komen since inception.
Participation is easy and free. Anyone with a driver’s license can test drive the vehicles as many times as they want. The more miles driven means more support for a great cause.
Well there you have it. My chance to drive like the Beautiful People.
For more information about the event, go to www.komenaustin.org.
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