Grantmakers Forum: Nonprofit Resource

Interested in an area resource that funders are involved in? Check out the Grantmakers Forum of New York.

VISION Grantmakers Forum of New York is the primary organization for
engaging Upstate New York funders in the quest for philanthropic
excellence.

MISSION
Grantmakers Forum of New York unites and empowers funders to achieve their philanthropic aspirations. Through Grantmakers Forum, grantmakers of diverse backgrounds and experience connect to share and increase their knowledge, improve their practice, and address philanthropic opportunities that make a positive social, economic and environmental impact.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
A. Grantmakers Forum will operate as a statewide organization;
B. Grantmakers Forum will engage funders through meaningful programs and services;
C. Grantmakers Forum will build leadership around philanthropic issues and opportunities;
D. Grantmakers Forum will promote philanthropy throughout the region.

Click here for an overview of the organization's board and members.

Nonprofit Request: Insurance for Input

My name is Nancy Turo and I am the Controller for P.E.A.C.E., Inc. in Syracuse, NY. Our Executive Director, Joe O’Hara suggested that I contact you in regards to research we are doing on umbrella insurance coverage for our Agency. He mentioned that you have a Human Services Leadership Council email group for which I could send out a general question to other non-profits in the area.

Our agency just renewed our commercial package insurance policies and our insurance agent suggested that we increase our umbrella coverage. Before we do that, we were wondering if through the Human Services Leadership Council email listserv we could pose the question to other non-profits of how much umbrella insurance coverage does your agency carry and how large your agency’s budget is. We plan to use this information in helping us make an informed decision about whether we should increase our umbrella coverage or not.

I appreciate any help that you can give me.
Thank you,

Nancy Turo
Controller
P.E.A.C.E., Inc.
315-634-3728

Community activist needs help to save her shoestring youth center in Syracuse

Syracuse.com reported that Mary Nelson has pulled off the seemingly impossible before and is trying to do it again, this time to save her new youth center.

In 2002, starting with little more than her own drive, Nelson created an annual youth day barbecue and give-away that now puts backpacks stuffed with school supplies into the hands of thousands of kids, upwards of 9,000 this year alone.

In June, she opened the Mary Nelson Youth/Community Center at 2849 S. Salina St. in a building she rents from Catholic Charities of Onondaga County. Nelson says she serves 120 children a day in her after-school program and offers services to their families and adults. The center, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, aims to help children and adults with their education and job skills.
Want to get involved?

You can contact Mary Nelson through her Web site: www.youthdaybarbecue.com or by calling her at 403-0220.

If the need is clear, the center’s future is not. Nelson says she’s behind on rent and out of money. To stay open she needs to come up with $4,000 a month, she said. She also needs another $7,500 to get caught up.

Nelson said she’s tried unsuccessfully to obtain grant money to run the center, and will continue to hunt for grants to stay open in the long run. “If I can get the community to help me until I get grant money coming in, I would have my goal every month, I would have what I need to keep that center up and running,” she said.

Nelson said she’s set up a nonprofit corporation through which she runs the youth barbecue give-away and the youth center.

In 2008, the ABC Television Show “Live with Regis and Kelly,” awarded her a $50,000 gift from Kmart for her work with the barbecue. Nelson said she set up the center with that money.

Nelson works as a billing representative for the radiology department at University Hospital.
No one who works at the youth center, including herself, gets paid, she said. Nelson says her landlord has been supportive as she tries to come up with the rent money.

Toni Maxwell, Catholic Charities director of development, said the center is just the kind of operation Catholic Charities wants to see in the building, but that it has a “business relationship” with Nelson. Maxwell declined to discuss specifics of the relationship. “We are very respectful of her work and we’re going to be very patient with her situation,” Maxwell said.

Nelson is hoping to have center finances in order by November. “I know once people see that I am reaching out, I believe that I’m going to have the support that I need. I believe in my community. I really do,” Nelson said.

Seventh Annual Best Practices for Nonprofits

November 19, 2009
Holiday Inn Liverpool

9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Concurrent Session 1
Section A
Panel Discussion
Mission Refinement: Program Prioritization/Program Reduction
Pat Leone, Contact Community Services, Inc.
Linda M. Wright, The Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area
Michael F. Melara, Catholic Charities of Onondaga County

Section B
Defining And Developing Your Organization’s Strategic Plan, Business Plan And Budget
Susan Burgess, MA, MS, True North Group

Section C
Panel Discussion
Forming Strategic Partnerships
Mary Ellen Bloodgood, Jewish Home of Central New York / Menorah Park
Dr. Thomas H. Dennison, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School Health Services Management and Policy
John G. Eberle, Central New York Community Foundation
Michael West, New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc.

10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Concurrent Session 2
Section D
Panel Discussion
Staff Issues In The Downturn – Compensation And Retention
Peter A. Jones, Esq., Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
John E. Matson, Syracuse University

Section E
Exploring Funding Streams
Speaker TBD, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Section F
Panel Discussion
Managing Volunteers From Acceptance Through The Volunteer Life Cycle/Creating “Meaningful” Work
Karen Hargrave, Vera House
Craig Collie, United Way
Nancy Stewart, Crouse Hospital

11:00 a.m.-Noon
Plenary Session
Panel Discussion
Attracting And Engaging The “40 Below” Board Member And Volunteer
Kelly Bayne, United Way of Central New York, Inc., 40 Below Civic Engagement Task Force
Sean Becker, 40 Below Civic Engagement Task Force
Brian Hoke, 40 Below, Thursday Morning Roundtable Advisory Committee
Kelly Knab, United Way of Central New York, Inc.

Agenda
7:30 am - 8:00 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Keynote Address
ePhilanthropy: Using the Web for Fundraising
Erica Campbell, Assistant Vice President, CCS Fundraising

LOCATION
Holiday Inn Syracuse/Liverpool, 411 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, NY 13088 315-457-1122

REGISTRATION
November 19, 2009 Liverpool, New York
Registration Fees: $70 – BS&K/ParenteBeard LLC Clients $85 – General Public
RSVP Deadline: November 12, 2009
Please indicate which of the Concurrent Sessions you will attend:
Session 1: A B C Session 2: D E F
Register online at www.bsk.comor complete and return the registration form below.
Name:_________________________________________________Title:_______________________________________________
Organization:________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________
City:___________________________________ State:____________________________ Zip:______________________________
E-Mail:_______________________________Telephone:____________________________Fax:____________________________
The following people will also attend:
Name:____________________________________Title:______________________________ E-Mail:_________________________
Name:____________________________________Title:______________________________ E-Mail:_________________________
Name:____________________________________Title:______________________________ E-Mail:_________________________
Refunds will only be made for cancellations received 5 business days before event.
Register online at www.bsk.com or complete and return the registration form to:
Ms. Toko Moyo, Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202
Fax: 315-218-8100 Questions: 1-800-339-8897 E-mail: tmoyo@bsk.com
Please make checks payable to Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
If anyone attending needs any special accommodation, please call Liz Poda at 315-218-8526.
This seminar is intended for the invited guests of Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, Central New York Community Foundation, Inc.,
The Gifford Foundation, ParenteBeard LLC and the United Way of Central New York, who reserve the right to deny admission to any applicant.

Gifford launches Web site where nonprofits can swap resources

Syracuse.com reported that The Gifford Foundation has launched a Web site where Central New York nonprofits can swap or sell items and services, list job openings and post information about events and programs.

Giffordslist.org is a free service for nonprofits, business and individuals who register to use it. Groups can register online.

More than 35 local nonprofits have already used the site during a two-month testing period.
“We thought it would be a great idea if the nonprofits in our community had a tool to start thinking outside the box and sharing their resources,” said Lindsay McLung, a grants manager at the foundation.

To drum up interest, Gifford is offering to provide lunch for up to 50 staff members of any organization that completes five successful exchanges on Giffordslist over the next three months.

Seward House Museum ED Search

Good afternoon,
I am contacting you in my role as a trustee of Seward House Museum located in Auburn. Seward House has just begun a search for a new Executive Director to replace Peter Wisbey, who will be stepping down at the end of the yearafter serving nine years in the position. Below is a link to the job description and application instructions. I would ask that you pass along this link to anyone you believe may have an interest in the position. Thank you for your assistance.
Dan Fessenden
www.sewardhouse.org/executivedirector

Latino Upstate Summit Set for October 23 in Syracuse

Good Afternoon,

We would like to invite you or members of your organization to attend the Latino Upstate Summit on Friday, October 23, 2009 at the Oncenter Complex from 8:00 – 4:30p.m. During these tough economic times we have allotted 20 Scholarship opportunities for students or employees of organizations that would not have the ability to attend due to financial constraints. Attached is the scholarship application and registration brochure that needs to be submitted to Shannon Ryan at execassistant@laligaonline.com no later than Friday, October 9th. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon or Rita.

The Latino community is growing nationally, and Upstate New York is no exception. The Latino Upstate Summit will offer you the opportunity to better understand the issues and trends affecting Latino’s in this region. There are many serious issues facing the Latino community. Topics such as Immigration, Youth Development, Health, Education and Economic Development are just a few of the many issues we will discuss at this event.

This forum is the ideal opportunity to enhance one’s knowledge of current issues and trends affecting Latinos and presents a unique opportunity to enhance one’s knowledge of current issues and trends affecting Latinos and presents a unique chance for networking among professionals in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors.

The third annual Latino Upstate Summit allows Latino Community Based Organizations from Albany, Amsterdam, Buffalo, Rochester, Rome-Utica, and Syracuse to come together to discuss their concerns when serving their communities. Best practices and outcome-based interventions will be showcased.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with professionals who work closely with the Latino community throughout New York and to meet the “Who’s Who” among Latinos living in this region.

Shannon Ryan
Executive Assistant
Spanish Action League of Onondaga County, Inc.
700 Oswego Street
Syracuse, New York 13204
(315) 475-6153 ext. 218
(315) 474-5767 Fax

Recession delivers a double blow to many charities

The Associated Press reported that for many social-service charities across America, the recession has delivered a staggering one-two punch. Sharp drops in donations and investment income have been coupled by soaring demand for their services.

The casualties so far include countless needy clients losing assistance and thousands of nonprofit workers who've been laid off. Some local charities have shut down; even many of the largest nationwide operations have made painful cutbacks in staff, spending and programs.

"Nonprofits are generally at the whim of the economy ... but we've never seen anything like this," says the Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. "Increasing numbers of our own volunteers and employees have been forced to become clients of our services."

The cutbacks are forcing charities to rethink how they operate and make changes that are likely to outlive the recession. Nonprofits, like regular businesses, are learning to do more with less. Those that survive will emerge more efficient. Read more here.

October 13th Candidate Forum on Disability Issues

Tuesday October 13, 2009
1:00 PM—4:30PM

Candidate Discussion Topics:
• Pedestrian safety
• Inclusion of people with disabilities on county and city committees
• Accessibility of city schools slated for renovation
• Enforcement of Visitability or basic access to new home construction
• Continued funding for the Homebound Transportation program
• The need for Defibrillators in nursing homes
• The need for a county ADA coordinator
• A plan to get younger people with disabilities out of nursing homes and into community living.

Location:
Enable
1603 Court Street
Syracuse, NY

Program:
1:00pm – 2:15pm
Candidates for Onondaga County Legislature
(10 minute break)
2:25pm – 3:15pm
Candidates for Syracuse Common Council
(10 minute break)
3:25pm – 4:30pm
Candidates for Mayor of Syracuse
Questions from the audience after each segment (time permitting).

Sponsored by:
Local disability rights advocates and consumer groups, including: ARISE’s Consumer Council, ENABLE’s Advocacy Committee, and Disabled in Action of Greater Syracuse Sign language interpreter and free refreshments will be provided.

For questions or accommodations contact Sally Johnston at (315) 410-3317