Smooth Event Logistics for Better Bidding: Maximizing Live and Silent Auction Revenue

Friday, September 17, 2010
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM CDT
Texas Center for Grant Development
6300 Irvington Blvd Rooms 100 A -B
Houston TX 77022

Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO) is hosting this training session that will streamline your event planning process and day-of-event activities. It will also maximize staff resources, save you time, and further reward you with increased revenue. Join TANO's benefit event expert for this half-day seminar to address all of this and more.

Cost: FREE. Refreshments compliments of Greater Giving

Speaker: Patricia Borders, Area Marketing Executive for Greater Giving (formerly Auctionpay), has over 20 years of fundraising experience working with schools and nonprofits. She has held volunteer positions of PTA president, auction chair, and school fundraising chair, as well as sitting on nonprofit boards. Patricia now works with Texas schools and nonprofit organizations to implement Greater Giving solutions.

Register at http://www.tano.org/en/cev/1173

The Four R's of Volunteer Management: Recruiting, Recognition, Retention = Revenue!

Friday, September 17, 2010
1:00 AM to 4:00 PM CDT
Texas Center for Grant Development
6300 Irvington Blvd Rooms 100 A -B
Houston TX 77022

TANO is also hosting this training session that will help Volunteer Managers, Coordinators, and Executive Directors fully appreciate how volunteers can strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of nonprofit organizations!

Sessions can be designed to fit into a breakout session as part of a conference or developed as a three hour intensive and interactive staff workshops to get organizations excited about using volunteers! Contact the presenter on how TANO can design the session to better fit your needs.

Cost: FREE

Speaker: Mary Beth Harrington currently serves as Director of Community Outreach for TANO. Prior to working at TANO, Harrington was Executive Director of the Austin Public Library Foundation and Director of Agency Relations at the Volunteer Center of North Texas (VCNT).

Register at http://www.tano.org/en/cev/1174

Notice of Funding Opportunity - AmeriCorps*State 2011-2012

Through AmeriCorps*Texas, OneStar Foundation administers grants to place members in service in local communities in order to:

• Meet critical needs through service and volunteerism.
• Strengthen the capacity of local communities.
• Engage Texans in a lifetime of service and civic leadership.

This notice of funding opportunity is for three types of AmeriCorps*Texas programs: Operational, Education Award Program and a Fixed Amount Pilot. All organizations applying for these funds must operate solely in Texas. To learn more about this funding opportunity including eligibility requirements, deadlines and other important information, visit the OneStar Foundation's website.

Texas Nonprofit Summit

This year, the Governor's Nonprofit Leadership Conference has partnered with Greenlights' Crossroads Conference to present the Texas Nonprofit Summit in Austin on September 23-24. The summit will bring together more than 600 nonprofit professionals to explore and experience collaboration, innovation, accountability and effectiveness.

Conference attendees will learn about leading theories and practices impacting the nonprofit sector from Dan Pallotta, a nonprofit innovation leader and author of Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, and Vinay Bhagat, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Convio, Inc., as well as other nationally recognized experts in the nonprofit sector.

The early bird rate of $160 for registration ends on July 15. Don't forget to take advantage of this special rate! To register for the Summit, visit http://www.onestarfoundation.org/page/tns.

Austin and Houston Win Cities of Service Grants and OneStar to Host Texas Cities of Service Summit

Today, the Cities of Service Coalition announced the winners of the second round of Cities of Service Leadership Grants. Austin and Houston were among ten cities that were selected to receive a $200,000 grant over two years, funded jointly by the Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Austin and Houston are among eight cities in Texas that have committed to be a City of Service including: Arlington, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Grand Prairie and San Antonio.

The grants will allow cities to hire a Chief Service Officer - a senior city official who will develop and implement a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and target volunteers to address their city's greatest needs.

OneStar is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Texas Cities of Service Summit for all Texas Cities of Service Coalition members. It is scheduled to take place in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, September 21st and Wednesday, September 22nd. The summit is open to all cities willing to make the commitment to be a "City of Service" and will provide each delegation with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to develop a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy for volunteer generation in each of their communities.

Cities of Service is a bi-partisan coalition of the mayors of large and small cities from across our country who will work together to engage citizens to address the great challenges of our time. Currently, 100 American cities have chosen to be a part of Cities of Service. We encourage other Texas mayors to join them and lead our communities in this great partnership.

For more information about the Texas Cities of Service Summit and how to become a City of Service, visit http://www.onestarfoundation.org/page/cos-summit.

CNM Grant-related Classes

The Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) is offering the following grant-related training in Dallas.

• Managing the Development Office: August 17, 2010
• Grantseeking 2: August 24, 2010

Link to event & fee info.: http://my.cnmdallas.org/source/Meetings/cSeminarList.cfm

A New Era of Partnerships: Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Presents Final Report of Recommendations

The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships presented its final report of recommendations to senior Administration officials. This White House advisory group made up of diverse religious and community non-profit leaders was appointed by President Obama last spring to develop recommendations on how the government can better partner with faith and neighborhood based organizations. The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be working with Administration officials to assess the recommendations, and you may review the entire Council report (PDF).

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Online Tool for Grant Applicants

The U.S. Department of Labor launched an online suite of resources for grant applicants. Created by the department's Employment and Training Administration, the new site introduces potential grantees to ETA grants and provides examples to guide applicants through the process of applying. Included on the site are an Annotated Sample Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA); an interactive, self-paced tutorial on the ETA grant-making process; and a compilation of resources to help prospective applicants develop competitive grant applications. To view the tool, visit: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

"The Bush Faith-Based Initiative and What Lies Ahead"

The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, a project funded by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government has released a report entitled, "Taking Stock: The Bush Faith-Based Initiative and What Lies Ahead." The report provides an overview of the "faith-based initiative" under George W. Bush and provides insight into President Obama’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect those of the Texas Workforce Commission.

Taking Stock: The Bush Faith-Based Initiative and What Lies Ahead (PDF)

White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships

President Obama has signed Executive Order 13498 establishing the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the President's Advisory Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will focus on four key priorities, to be carried out by working closely with the President's Cabinet Secretaries and each of the eleven agency offices for faith-based and neighborhood partnerships:

• The Office's top priority will be making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete.
• It will be one voice among several in the administration that will look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion.
• The Office will strive to support fathers who stand by their families, which involves working to get young men off the streets and into well-paying jobs, and encouraging responsible fatherhood.
• Finally, beyond American shores, this Office will work with the National Security Council to foster interfaith dialogue with leaders and scholars around the world.

Links:

• Federal Register posting: February 9 (PDF)
• White House Press Release: February 5
• Amendments to Executive Order 13199 and establishment of President Obama's Advisory Council for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Release of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Final Report

On January 12, 2009, the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) released Innovations in Compassion - The Faith-Based and Community Initiative: A Final Report to the Armies of Compassion. The report details the accomplishments of former President George W. Bush's FBCI and highlights the various initiatives in numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Labor.

For a copy of the report, go to:

The Faith-Based and Community Initiative: A Final Report to the Armies of Compassion (PDF)

Reentry Partnerships: A Guide for States & Faith-Based and Community Organizations

The U.S. Department of Labor, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Council of State Governments Justice Center, announce the release of Reentry Partnerships: A Guide for States & Faith-Based and Community Organizations.

Reentry Partnerships is written for state government officials and representatives of faith-based and community organizations who want to create and sustain collaborative efforts to reduce recidivism and to help people returning to the community from prisons or jails lead productive and law-abiding lives. Project staff is in the process of developing a concise companion tool as a checklist for guide implementation and to facilitate discussions between government agencies and community-based providers to overcome barriers to coordinated reentry efforts. The toolkit will also be posted once it becomes available.

New Publication: Intermediaries and Faith Based and Community Organizations Working Together

This new publication discusses how intermediaries can help faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) more effectively provide services to communities. Workforce intermediaries play an important role in connecting businesses to jobseekers and incumbent workers. Intermediaries are also able to help FBCOs develop deeper connections with area businesses. The report highlights the key characteristics and effective features of intermediary organizations, as well as strategies intermediaries use to connect FBCOs with businesses. The publication gives a broad overview on different types of intermediaries and how they can help, as well as specific examples of successful partnerships with FBCOs and can be accessed via the following link: http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/intermediaries.pdf

Directory of Foundation Workforce and Economic Development Grants

Organizations that focus on workforce development and job training are a significant asset to their communities. Many corporate and private foundations see the value in these community organizations reaching their neighbors and want to help. This new resource can help bridge the gap between funding and services for many community organizations.

The Directory of Foundation Workforce Development Grant Opportunities booklet is a resource for these organizations looking for funding opportunities for their workforce development or economic development programs. This directory provides a detailed list of private and corporate foundations that provide grant opportunities to Faith- and Community-based Organizations in order to give these organizations a clear and concise tool to pursue grants. The directory provides a detailed explanation of each grant and contact information to more easily determine eligibility.

Directory of Foundation Workforce Grant Opportunities (PDF)

Texas Legal Services Center Provides Assistance

The Texas Legal Services Center is a non-profit organization providing assistance to all Texans, especially those of modest means. One of their current projects is to inform Texans about the Earned Income Tax Credit and I Can E-file, a tax-filing website that can be accessed from any computer and is free to all. Additionally, the Texas Legal Services Center sponsors several programs that would directly benefit clients of charitable, faith-based, and community based organizations, such as the Legal Hotline for Older Texans; the Victims Initiative for Counseling, Advocacy and the Restoration of the Southwest (VICARS), which provides direct legal assistance to victims of identity theft and financial fraud in Texas; Texas Health Law, which provides assistance with healthcare access and payments; and the Texas Law Help, which provides free online resources and low-cost civil legal assistance.

Please contact the Texas Legal Services Center at 512-477-6000 with any questions.

Collaborating with Faith- and Community-Based Organizations: Lessons Learned from 12 Workforce Investment Boards

The Department of Labor (DOL) has posted online Mathematica's final report Collaborating with Faith- and Community-Based Organizations: Lessons Learned from 12 Workforce Investment Boards, by D. Paulsell, et al. (May 15, 2007) ETAOP 2007-16.

Lessons learned include:

• FBCOs can leverage other community resources to meet clients' needs.
• One-stop centers and FBCOs have different organizational cultures, which must be bridged before partnerships begin.
• Partnering with intermediary organizations - which have experience with both One-stop centers and FBCOs - will facilitate successful relationships.
• Designing a liaison for client referrals at the One-stop center or co-locating FBCO staff at the One-stop helped build strong relationships between the two.