Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog - Philanthropy Potluck

Articles about local grantmakers and nonprofits:

• Finding the Voice of Hope in the Struggle to Make Ends Meet
  Gary Cunningham, Vice President of Programs/Chief Program Officer, Northwest Area Foundation: At the NWAF, our experience over the years has taught us that residents of even small communities with high levels of poverty can, if assisted, marshal the ability to persevere and move forward. In our work, we have learned that hope is a critical ingredient in community efforts to reduce poverty and build long-term prosperity.
• Journeys with First Nations Puts Native Businesses on Tourism Path
  The Circle: The Anishinaabe Cultural Center and other Native organizations and businesses in Callaway, Minnesota have partnered with the new eco-tourism service Journeys with First Nations (JWFN), which was created to develop green tourism destinations in Indian Country. Startup grants from the Minneapolis Foundation and Otto Bremer were used to create JWFN.
• Northwest Minnesota Women’s Fund Awards Scholarships
  Crookston Daily Times: Thanks to the generosity of donors to the Northwest Minnesota Women’s Fund, three scholarships were awarded recently for students attending a college or university in the 12-county service area who intend to remain in Northwest Minnesota and give back to the region.
• New Detroit Lakes Public Education Foundation Off To a Good Start
  Detroit Lakes Tribune: With an eye toward improving academics and encouraging teachers to be creative and enthusiastic — in spite of years of lean budgets — a group of education-minded citizens has launched a new foundation to help pay for selected academic programs in Detroit Lakes’ public schools.
• Community Effort Drives the Success of MELF Program
  Star Tribune: Funded mostly by businesses, the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation is helping more kids get prepared for kindergarten.
• Benefit Concert Could Be Music to the Ears of Deaf Honduran Child
  Star Tribune: A new St. Paul foundation, the Help Me Hear Foundation, sponsored a benefit concert to raise money for a cochlear hearing implant for Erikson and other deaf children living in poverty.

National/international articles:

• Obama Accepts Democratic Nomination with Pledge to Help the Needy
  Chronicle of Philanthropy: Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president last night with a pledge to ensure the government helps those in need, a philosophy that is likely to please nonprofit groups working for social causes.
• Some Nonprofits Push for Increased Federal Involvement
  Washington Post: With the presidential campaign in full swing, nonprofit leaders are organizing what some call an unprecedented effort to boost the presence of philanthropy and community service in a new administration. They are calling for a White House office or an agency similar to the Small Business Administration to match nonprofit programs with government priorities, help successful community-based initiatives grow and organize a corps of service volunteers.
• A Push for Investments Instead of Grants
  Youth Today: A new financial entity – part nonprofit, part for-profit – is being pushed as the next great way to increase the philanthropic and commercial funding available for youth-serving and other social projects. The corporate structure is known as a low-profit limited liability corporation – or L3C – and it is structured to maximize the use of “program-related investments.”
• Foundations Must Enter Commercialisation Debate
  The chief executive of GuideStar International writes in the Financial Times: Much as we non-profit types hate to admit it, the fruits of commercial activity are often more nourishing of civil society than erosive. Traditional commercial ventures regularly provide vast social value – mobile phone ventures in Africa, newspaper publishing everywhere, recycling services. To the extent that philanthrocapitalism can encourage us to be more mindful of social objectives in the mix of enterprise outcomes, we all benefit.
• 9/11 Aid Groups Close or Adapt as Money Wanes
  Associated Press: Agencies are struggling to stay afloat as donations dry up nearly seven years after the attack. Several are closing, some are cutting budgets and others are rethinking their purpose as donors become harder to persuade.
• U.S. Senate Creates Philanthropy Caucus
  Chronicle of Philanthropy: Two U.S. senators have created a Senate Philanthropy Caucus to look at ways to help foundations and charities. The House set up the Congressional Philanthropy Caucus more than a year ago.
• U.S. Treasury, Muslim Charities Intensify Dialogue on Safe Giving
  NewsBlaze.com: As terrorist organizations continue to raise funds and try to gain legitimacy through charities and other means, the U.S. government and Arab and Muslim-American communities are stepping up efforts to facilitate charitable giving while preventing abuse by terrorists and their supporters.