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Category Archives: National

A Great Variety

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But the forming a new System of Government, for so numerous a people, of very different views, and habits, spread upon such a vast extent of Territory, containing such a great variety of soils, and under such extremes of climate, was a task, which nothing less than the dreadful apprehension of losing our national existence, could have compelled the people to under-take. We can be known to the world, only under the appellation of the United States.

— statesman John Hancock, born today in 1737

It is not enough to know your craft; you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more.

— painter Edouard Manet, born today in 1832

In The News …

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Montgomery tries to spur affordable housing (Washington Post): “Over the next few months, county planning and housing officials will propose broad policy changes intended to improve the local housing market […] Yet the county, which has seen year after year of budget shortfalls, also must deal with less funding. The housing department budget for the current fiscal year is 50 percent of what it was two years ago […] The shift in county demographics, as well as the nationwide foreclosure crisis a few years ago, has led to increased demand for affordable housing, county officials said.” You can learn more about Catalogue nonprofits focused on housing and homelessness in Maryland right here.

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21 (Nonprofit) Questions

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Ever wondered about your 501(c)3 IQ? Test your knowledge of all things nonprofit with this quiz from the Wall Street Journal. A few good sample questions:

1. The Urban Institute says volunteering can be just as important as cash or goods for many nonprofits. What percentage of American adults volunteered for or through an organization in 2010?

A. 5%
B. 14%
C. 26%
D. 32%

17. Which community foundation gave away more than $183 million in 2009, making it the largest community foundation that year in terms of giving?

A. New York Community Trust
B. Silicon Valley Community Foundation
C. Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta
D. Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

21. Charities, of course, vary in size by both revenues and assets. But one sector was by far the largest in 2009, garnering 60% of revenues and holding 41% of assets. Which sector was that?

A. Education
B. Health
C. Arts, culture and humanities
D. Public and social benefit

(Answers: 1 – C, 17 – D, 21 – B. Take the whole quiz here. How did you do?)

Outside Voices

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Via “Helping Nonprofits Benefit From Fresh Ideas,” published on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Mission: Innovation blog yesterday:

Nonprofits that are tackling big questions about their mission benefit greatly from seeking ideas from people outside their organization — including those who work in other fields, says Jeff Leitner. The former advertising executive has started a charity to help organizations do just that.

Insight Labs, in Chicago, brings business executives, scholars, government officials, and others together with a charity’s leaders for a three-hour strategy session to thrash out possible solutions to a tough issue the group faces.
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Early Economics

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Back in April, we talked about Elmo’s take on financial literacy for all ages. Namely, should (and how could) financial literacy be taught alongside traditional literacy to Sesame Street’s target demographic? Today, here’s another take from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (not a furry red monster), “Teaching kids financial literacy? Don’t forget entrepreneurship:”

You teach them the value of hard work and the importance of telling the truth, how to be a loyal friend and a good citizen. But you might be overlooking one of the most important lessons you can teach your children to help ensure they do well in life — financial literacy. […]

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In the (Halloween) News …

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Happy Halloween, Greater Washington! Just doing a quick “In The News …” a couple days early this week, as we stumbled upon some ghoulish news items.

“Halloween Charity Treats For Those In Need” (Huffington Post): “When it comes to choosing your costume this Halloween, try this one on for size: go as a do-gooder. Even though Halloween typically takes the back seat to Thanksgiving and Christmas when it comes to charitable holidays, this festive day has plenty of potential to serve as an opportunity to help those in need.” The article highlights UNICEF, Operation Shoebox, and OneSight. What are your (perhaps local?) suggestions.

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Collaborating with Shakespeare

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From “Shakespeare gives the latest strategy in anti-bullying in schools” in The Denver Post:

Shakespeare is the latest strategy in combating bullying in America’s schools, but the idea was not an immediate hit. “When we first told people, they said, ‘What? That’s weird. How do those two things go together?'” said Jane Grady, assistant director for the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado.

But after a month of performances of “Twelfth Night” in 25 schools across Colorado, which were followed by workshops in which kids talked about the character Malvolio and other bullies in the play, the results surprised the experts. […]

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Reading Early

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From “More than 100 cities, counties agree to push early literacy” in yesterday’s Post:

Washington DC, Baltimore, and six communities in Virginia are among the more than 150 cities and counties across the country that are pledging to concentrate on early literacy efforts to ensure that children can read by the end of third grade.

The Campaign for Grade Level Reading is a collaborative effort by dozens of funders to make sure that all children, especially those from low-income families who often enter kindergarten already behind, learn to read. Signing onto the campaign are big cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta, and the entire state of Arizona. […]

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Moving Outward

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From “The Suburbanization of Housing Choice Voucher Recipients,” published by The Brookings Institution on October 11, 2011:

Just as the suburbanization of poverty has gathered momentum, Americans who use housing choice vouchers (HCV) to help pay for their housing have increasingly moved into suburban areas as well.

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In The News …

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Go Big on Education: Five Big Ideas for the Senate to Put in Federal Education Law (Center for American Progress): “Next week the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote on a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act” and CAP here outlines “five big policy ideas the Senate should put in its bill to ensure the next ESEA is big and bold enough to improve the education system, and thus our nation’s economy.” The fifth and final recommendation? Encourage and reward bold thinking by educators, authorizing “competitive programs such as Race to the Top, the Investing in Innovation Fund, or the Teacher Incentive Fund, to spur states and districts to innovation.” Do you agree?

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