Hotep! BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) exists to provide financial support for BDPA. We share information about fundraising, funding sources and BDPA programs on this blog. The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent BDPA’s positions, strategies or opinions.
BETF is a valued partner of Guidestar. We participated earlier this year in a survey measuring the impact of the economy on the nonprofit sector.
Public charities and private foundations continued to take a beating during the first five months of 2010. Some 40 percent of participants in GuideStar's first nonprofit economic survey for 2010 reported that contributions to their organizations dropped between January 1 and May 31, 2010, compared to the same period a year earlier. Another 28 percent said that contributions had stayed about the same, and 30 percent stated contributions had increased.
Eight percent of respondents indicated that their organizations was were in imminent danger of closing.
In order to balance budgets, 17 percent of respondents reduced program services, and 11 percent laid off employees.
More than 60 percent of participants reporting decreased contributions attributed the drop to a decline in both the number of individual donors and the size of their donations.
Among organizations that use volunteers, 17 percent used one or more in what had formerly been paid positions.
About a third (32 percent) of organizations increased their reliance on volunteers, whereas 9 percent experienced a decline.
Chuck McLean, GuideStar's vice president for research, and research assistant Carol Brouwer conducted the survey, analyzed the results, and prepared the survey report.
We are asking for permission to provide a full-fledged $10,000 grant proposal to PepsiCo Foundation in support of the chapter's Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program.
PepsiCo Foundation evaluates requests on a rolling basis. Consideration regularly takes several months during peak times. We look forward to a positive response!
BDPA has 45 chapters around the nation. You can always find programs, services or networking activity here or here. BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you will continue to support Our Cause!
Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :
We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events! Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed. Most importantly, let us know if you plan to attend any BDPA events this week.
For years, betting on real estate and tourism to carry the local economy was not much of a gamble. But with a housing market decline and now an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, community and business leaders are pushing more math and science in schools to bolster a technically skilled work force that can prepare for jobs in industry and health care. About 9,000 students in Charlotte and Sarasota counties will have a chance to do internships, earn college scholarships and take more in-depth science classes thanks to a $2.5 million grant to area schools from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
However, Twitter is driven by individuals. As such, I thought it would be interesting to share with you our pick of the top 10 BDPA-nation Twitter users (in alpha order) that you should be following:
Billy Cunningham - Billy Cunningham is one of the unsung heroes of BDPA Chicago chapter. He is at every national conference and is very supportive of BDPA on a local level. Most recent tweet: I'm at CompUSA. http://4sq.com/cKA7yw
Milt Haynes - Haynes is past national BDPA president and a long-time BDPA leader. His focus on Twitter is to promote social networking to help African Americans in IT stay connected. Most recent tweet: The BDPA Insider – August 15, 2010 #BDPA http://ow.ly/2pRn0
Callie Herd - Callie is a member of BDPA Memphis chapter. She wants to be part of the future growth and expansion of the BDPA vision in Tennessee. Her passion is getting scholarship information to young African Americans. Most recent tweet: The Hickory Hill Community Redevelopment Corporation Youth Reformation Initiative’s FREE after-school ... http://tinyurl.com/2678flf
Wayne Hicks - Hicks is executive director of BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) and a long-time BDPA leader. He uses Twitter to share information about fundraising, nonprofit finances, BETF grants and such. Most recent tweet: Re: The role of Black inventors in the Computer and Data Processing.: Wayne said: "Keith - I've not read your book... http://bit.ly/d3W0qv
Reginald Hillery - Reggie is president of BDPA Columbus chapter. I have watched Reggie quietly and effectively building the strength of his Ohio chapter. His tweets are primarily focused on BDPA. This is an African American IT professional who should be followed on Twitter by others in BDPA. Most recent tweet: I'm attending BDPA Columbus August I/E Meeting - Embracing Technology: Virtual Reality -- http://august2010exchange.eventbrite.com/
Michael Holman, Sr. - Holman is a long-time member of BDPA New York chapter. Michael was one of the SysOps that created BDPANet back in the early 1990s. He was a visionary when it came to taking BDPA into cyberspace. Most recent tweet: Your next move in God, like a Surfer and that next Wave. Do not try to MAKE it happen! Be alert and when you RECOGNIZE it, you just RIDE!
Kevin Minus - Kevin is an HSCC alumni. He competed in the 2004 national HSCC championships as a member of the team trained by BDPA Dayton chapter. He now lives and works in the greater Cincinnati area and is very active within the Blacks In Technology network. Most recent tweet: Man I slept to long. Time to read a little, map out my plan for the week and go to bed. See you later all.
John Malonson - John was one of the first BDPA leaders that I saw on Twitter. He is president of BDPA Los Angeles chapter. Most recent tweet: I'm going to use the "smurf" equivalent for all of my future expletives
Pablo More - Pablo is the president of BDPA Orlando chapter. He is a business analyst for major bank with an interest in politics, technology, economic development, law, green technology, Black studies and Latin America. Most recent tweet: WSJ: Brands Are Friending Social Gaming. http://tinyurl.com/22re2et
Keith Warrick - Keith is a member of BDPA Atlanta chapter. He is a master networker, especially on the LinkedIn Network. His conference workshops have been heavily attended over the past two years. Most recent tweet: recommends reading The Skinny on LinkedIn Recommendations...a good primer for writing the perfect LI recommendation! http://lnkd.in/hDkGn3
Are you on Twitter? What BDPA Twitterer do you follow that should be in the Top 10?
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to acknowledge receipt of the largest single grant award in our 19-year history from the American Honda Foundation (AHF). AHF agreed to provide $25,000 funding to support our national Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.
Our grant proposal was written in conjunction with the National BDPA Member Services business area. The grant proposal was good enough to earn us a site visit. The visit was conducted by AHF's Donna Hammond-Cotton. She traveled to Rochester, Minnesota to see an example of our SITES program. Past chapter president Betty Hutchins organized the visit. Mrs. Hammond-Cotton was able to meet with chapter students, alumni, corporate sponsors and the local school board. Mrs. Hammond-Cotton wrote,
"Your Southern Minnesota chapter really impressed me, they displayed such professionalism, dedication and possibilities for our next generation of leaders."
The contents of our grant proposal along with the evaluation by Mrs. Hammond-Cotton were provided to the AHF Board of Directors in late July. Mrs. Hammond gave us the informal results when she wrote,
"Congratulations! I'm hopeful by now that Betty has informed your organization that the American Honda Foundations' Board of Directors has decided to partner with the BDPA in its efforts of making a difference in the lives of our youth. In fact, the SITES program ranked number one out of the top 15 finalist! Not to mention that there were over 500 other proposals that we had to review for consideration this quarter."
About a week later we received the formal notification from the president of the American Honda Foundation:
Dear Mr. Hicks,
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, it is my pleasure to acknowledge to you our check in the amount of $25,000. It is our understanding that thsi grant will be used towards our partnership with the 'SITES: Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship' program.
We are pleased to contribute to the meaningful endeavor that the BDPA (Education and Technology) Foundation is making in the field of education. We wish you continued success.
Sincerely,
Gary Kessler, President
American Honda Foundation
BETF is very excited about this successful grant effort. The grant funds will be used for the SITES program. It will assist in supporting the administrative operation of the National BDPA efforts to support its 45 chapters in preparing and bringing students to the National High School Computer Competition held at the national BDPA Technology Conference each year. A portion of the funding will go to BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter to support the exceptional work they are doing with the youth in Minnesota.
BETF will provide quarterly progress reports on the expenditure of these funds. Our quarterly progress report will include a financial summary and a narrative comment on development of the SITES program.
We want to give thanks to National BDPA VP-Member Services Paulette Johnson-Davis, BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter president Charlie Perkins, BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter past president Betty Hutchins and other members of the BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter for their support in processing this grant proposal.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) received a $1,000 check as a result of the IBM Community Grant program. Our efforts to secure this funding was made possible by BDPA Chicago chapter member Curtis Cade.
BETF submitted a letter of inquiry to the IBM community affairs leadership in Chicago under the company's IBM Community Grant program. We would love to work with other IBM employees to seek funding from the IBM Community Grant program in support of their local BDPA chapter.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) received our second gift from the matching gift program donation to support the BDPA Baton Rouge chapter from BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA). Glenda Chappell is the BCBSLA associate who made the donation that was matched by her employer. Glenda truly leveraged her donation with this 100% matching gift program.
Does your employer have a matching gift program?Have you leveraged it to support your BDPA chapter?
The event and workshops I was able to attend were great and extremely informative. However, the best part of attending the convention was being able to spend some time with Deborah Prince and the kids here representing the BDPA Cincinnati High School Computer Competition (HSCC). Deborah Prince, Frank Hill and others did a wonderful job of getting the kids prepared to compete in the HSCC. The competition was fierce. Although Cincinnati did not win the top award, our kids worked very hard and did an excellent job in the work they presented here at the conference.
I'd like to thank the kids and their parents for being so dedicated. Also, a heartfelt thanks to the Procter & Gamble folks who donated frequent flyer miles and funding so that our HSCC team could attend this event.
ALSO...the BDPA Cincinnati won two awards -- the Community Service Chapter Award AND we took home recognition as the 1st Runner-Up as Chapter of the Year!!!
I'd like to thank everyone involved with the BDPA Cincinnati; especially, the chapter's Board of Directors (BOD) and our Corporate Advisory Council (CAC). We certainly would not have been able to win without the effort our BOD, CAC, BETF and volunteers.
Special, special thanks to Janice Lee and Patrick Nelson for all of the work you do and continue to do to support the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter.
Also, another note... HP (formerly known as 'Hewlett Packard) was named Corporation of the Year by National BDPA! HP was the national corporate sponsor for the 2010 National BDPA HSCC Championships. The company provided all of the technology for the HSCC and they also gave each and every member of the winning team (BDPA Southern Minnesota) a laptop computer.
Wayne Stein is the HP representative on our chapter's CAC. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Last, but not least, I'd like to give a personal THANKS to Kevin Murray and Jack Cassidy of Cincinnati Bell for sponsoring my attendance at the annual BDPA Technology Conference.
Thanks again team... I appreciate the support you give me in leading the BDPA Cincinnati Chapter.
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a coalition of more than 200 corporations, academic institutions, government agencies and nonprofits working to increase women’s participation in IT. Each year NCWIT’s “aspirations in computing” awards honor high school women for their computing-related achievements and interests.
Awardees are selected for computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history and plans for post-secondary education. Sponsors include Bank of America, the Motorola Foundation, Microsoft and Google.
Students can apply for the awards between September 6 and October 15, 2010. The 2011 national awards ceremony will take place next March 1 at Bank of America HQ in Charlotte, NC. More information, applications and a listing of competitions are available at http://www.ncit.org/.
In addition to the national awards program, a growing series of affiliate awards with regional and local partners is planned. For information on hosting an affiliate event contact Ruthe Farmer, ruthe.farmer@colorado.edu.
Kunle Roberts was a member of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) teams trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota in 2006-2008. He was part of two national HSCC championship teams (2007-2008) and the other team took home a silver medal (2006).
Kunle earned many scholarships for his efforts within BDPA including the Jesse Bemley Scholarship issued by the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).
Soulclap to BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter president Charlie Perkins for providing us with this video clip. I encourage other BDPA leaders to take some time to capture testimonials on video ... and share them with us when you have 'em!
LexisNexis employees pool their contributions to fund grants in their local communities. Employees who contribute to this fund also determine the focus areas for grant-making. One hundred percent (100%) of collected funds are distributed with any administrative cost being absorbed by LexisNexis.
Employee Funds are available in four locations: Albany, Charlottesville, Colorado Springs and Dayton
The LexisNexis Employee Fund does not support the following:
Organizations without 501(c)(3) or IRS recognized tax-exempt organizations
Grants to individuals (including scholarships)
Fraternal, religious, school extra-curricular activities, other athletic, social or veterans' organizations
Political or labor parties, candidates or lobbying activities
Capital campaigns or annual and drives, and deficits
Events (golf outings, walk-a-thons, tables at annual events)
Proposals may be submitted any time during the year.Proposals will be reviewed in June and November. In order to be considered at an upcoming quarterly meeting, we need to submit our completed grant proposal by May 30 or October 31.
National BDPA announced the winners of chapter awards at the Opening Ceremonies of the 32nd Annual BDPA Technology Conference. We are proud to share the good news on these four chapter awards:
The Community Service Award is bestowed upon an individual chapter and its members for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the mission and objectives of maintaining/establishing Technology Learning Centers in their chapter city and influence and augment their educational system.
The Management Award is bestowed upon an individual chapter and its members for their outstanding achievements in the operational and organizational management of their chapter.
The Membership Award is an award bestowed upon an individual chapter and its members for their outstanding achievements in increasing the National organization, being “a member-focused organization” and ensuring that each member of BDPA feels valued as a member of the association.
The Professional Service Award is an award bestowed upon an individual chapter and its members for their outstanding achievements in providing professional development programs and services to position its members at the forefront of the information technology industry.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins with all of BDPA-nation to congratulate these four chapters on their outstanding performance over the past year!
Our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program includes any youth education program that promotes science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) for young people in the Kindergarten thru 12th grade. One subset of the SITES program is our High School Computer Competition (HSCC) which is holding its 25th annual national championships in Philadelphia later this month.
BDPA Hampton Roads made a decision this year to take the SITES program to the next level with their Zenith Challenge Project. The Zenith Challenge provides students with a chance to create and compete with unmanned aircraft. BDPA Hampton Roads chapter, co-founded by Joe McMahon and Wayne Cross, worked with 15 high school students ... known as the Zenith Challengers.
The fifteen high school students came from seven area schools – (Menchville HS, First Colonial HS, Aviation Academy DHS, Smithfield HS, Kempsville HS, Heritage HS, and Landstown HS). The team was led by student co-captains: Deonte White (Mission Commander - Graduating Senior, Menchville HS, Newport News, VA) and Zak Johns (Pilot in Command - Junior, First Colonial HS, Virginia Beach, VA)
The Student Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) Competition is aimed at stimulating and fostering interest in unmanned systems, technologies and careers. The focus is on engaging students in systems engineering a total solution to a challenging mission, requiring the design, fabrication and demonstration of a system capable of completing a specific autonomous aerial operation. Opportunities for interaction with top UAS designers, engineers, scientists and leadership will be provided. The principal thrusts of the competition are the safe application and execution of Systems Engineering to develop autonomous operation in successful mission accomplishment.
In their first six-months together, the Zenith Challenge Project's high school team completed all phases of the 2010 Student UAS Competition. Thirty (30) teams registered to compete in the competition held June 16-20, 2010 at Webster Field, St Inigoes, Maryland. BDPA member, Justin McMahon, a rising high school Junior is on the autonomous programming team. Justin is in the picture on the right with the team's demonstration aircraft. The Zenith Challengers ranked in the top 20, amongst some of the world's top engineering universities.
I've watched Ahmed Mahamad over the past few years as he came to the annual BDPA Technology Conferences. He has been a student representative of our BDPA chapter from Rochester, MN. He began his BDPA legacy as a high school student ... and continued it this year as a student participant in the college division of the BDPA IT Showcase.
As a University of Minnesota student, majoring in Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, Ahmed Mahamad finds tremendous satisfaction helping his peers achieve their own successes. In 2006 Ahmed joined the BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter Youth Computer Training Program (YCTP). The YCTP class is focused on teaching advanced web programming to high school students. BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter trains over sixty students each year, meeting for three hours each Saturday over nine months. At the end of a rigorous training season, the top five students are chosen to represent Southern Minnesota chapter at the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Championship.
In Ahmed's first year participating in YCTP he immediately excelled in the class, quickly learning each programming language that was taught, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP server side scripting and MySQL relational databases. What stood out most about Ahmed was his intense effort and motivation. He eagerly met every challenge and displayed immense creativity. Ahmed was awarded a spot as an alternate on the chapter’s National HSCC team, a rare achievement for a first year student.
After his successful “rookie” season in YCTP, Ahmed continued to grow in confidence, ability, and leadership. By his 2nd year in the program, Ahmed’s technical abilities and natural charisma drove him to become a leader among his peers. He served as a role model and mentor to other students, putting aside his own ambitions to help others succeed in this difficult course. His leadership and technical knowledge earned him a position on the 2007 National Competition team.
To prepare for the National HSCC Championship in 2007, the students worked with trainers for up to 30 hours per week throughout their summer vacations, practicing computer programming, project management, presentation, and teamwork. Ahmed's hard work paid off as he helped guide BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter to a first place finish in the nation at the 2007 National BDPA HSCC Championships in Washington D.C.
Ahmed continued to demonstrate leadership and technical acumen as he again earned a position on the 2008 National Competition team and guided the chapter to its second consecutive first place finish at the National BDPA HSCC Championships held in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon returning to Minnesota, Ahmed's endearing personality made him a favorite among local reporters.
After two consecutive first place finishes at the Nationals, Ahmed was determined to lead his chapter to their third consecutive national championship at Raleigh, North Carolina. BDPA Southern Minnesota has earned its place as one of the most respected chapters in BDPA nation.
This year Ahmed competed in the BDPA IT Showcase with a paper, presentation and poster on Robotics Bioinformatics and Medicine. It is the first time in BDPA Southern Minnesota history that a student has participated in this challenging event. At the same time, Ahmed served as Southern Minnesota’s first student instructor.
Our hope is that BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) will be able to provide scholarships for IT Showcase students in the future ... and we would love to provide full 4-year scholarships to HSCC champions. Please contact us if you have ideas on how we can 'make it so'!
The note from the community relations folks was as follows:
Dear Mr. Hicks,
Thank you for your message and proposal.
Our plan for charitable giving provides significant emphasis on Camden initiatives. While we are pleased by the excellent results achieved by many of the groups with which we participate here, we recognize that the needs and opportunities significantly exceed the funding capability of any single entity.
Your request is among a number of impressive proposals we receive. It obviously seeks to address an area of real need, however, we can fund only a limited number of such excellent initiatives and at this time we are not able to support your proposal.
Best Regards, Wendy Milanese Grant Administrator Campbell Soup Foundation
The reality is that our best hope for funding BDPA programs exist within our membership. Have you made a tax-deductible donation yet?
Today, the President will present the 2010 Citizens Medal to 13 winners from across the country. How cool would it be to see Dr. Jesse Bemley nominated for this award in 2011?
The recipients of the 2010 Citizens Medal are:
Roberta Diaz Brinton Los Angeles, CA
Roberta Diaz Brinton has devoted her time and talents to improving science and technology education for Los Angeles students. As Director of the University of Southern California’s Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Program, Brinton has opened the doors of opportunity for thousands of disadvantaged and minority inner-city youth. Brinton receives the Citizens Medal for encouraging America’s next generations to reach for the stars.
When a pregnant teenager with no place to stay arrived at her door, Daisy Brooks welcomed the young woman in. What followed was a lifelong commitment to helping many of North Chicago’s young mothers and their infants. Brooks opened Daisy's Resource and Developmental Center to serve as a dormitory, school, and catalyst for young women to improve their lives. Brooks receives the Citizens Medal for offering guidance and support to young women across Chicago.
Betty Kwan Chinn Eureka, CA
Touched by childhood tragedy, Betty Chinn brings hope to those who have fallen on hard times. Left homeless as a child in China, Chinn became mute. When she came to America, she found both her voice and her mission: aiding those without shelter on our own shores. Today, Chinn provides meals twice a day as expressions of gratitude to a welcoming nation. Chinn receives the Citizens Medal for renewing America’s promise by serving those in need.
Cynthia M. Church Wilmington, DE
Cynthia Church turned a personal battle with cancer into a force for progress and change. Dismayed by the lack of resources for women of color with breast cancer, Church founded Sisters on a Mission, Inc, an African-American breast cancer support network in Delaware. Church receives the Citizens Medal for confronting the scourge of this terrible disease and working to halt its spread.
Susan Retik Ger understands the importance of empowering women touched by personal tragedy. After losing her husband on September 11, 2001, she found cause in educating and training Afghan widows and their children. Her strength of spirit has healed hearts, fostering mutual understanding and brightening our common future. Retik Ger receives the Citizens Medal for advancing women’s rights and demonstrating the power of America’s ideals.
Mary K. Hoodhood Grand Rapids, MI
Physical limitations have not hindered Mary K. Hoodhood’s determination to strengthen her community. Though a car accident left her paralyzed, Hoodhood began volunteering to feed the hungry through her local Meals on Wheels program. In 2001, Hoodhood founded Kids’ Food Basket which provides meals to thousands of children in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Hoodhood receives the Citizens Medal for her remarkable efforts to nourish our nation’s children.
Kimberly McGuiness Cave Spring, GA
Parent and advocate, Kimberly McGuiness has been a true champion for deaf students. Her persistent letters, phone calls, and visits to state legislators helped spur the passage of Georgia’s Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights. She has led workshops, counseled parents, and changed lives, raising awareness and support for deaf education. McGuiness receives the Citizens Medal for demonstrating the results one citizen can achieve for an entire community.
Jorge Muñoz New York City, NY
Jorge Muñoz recognizes that we all have a stake in one another. By giving his time, energy, and resources to feeding the hungry, he has demonstrated the enduring American values of sacrifice and kindness. Muñoz receives the Citizens Medal for his service and dedication to creating a more hopeful tomorrow for the less fortunate among us.
Beginning with a wagon full of coffee and sandwiches, Lisa Nigro’s mission to aid those living on the streets of Chicago has inspired us all. Her wagon gave way to a restaurant for homeless men and women, expanding with partner organizations to provide housing, job training, and vital support to Chicagoans affected by poverty. Nigro receives the Citizens Medal for her tireless service to her fellow citizens.
MaryAnn Phillips Star Valley Ranch, WY
Caring for America’s injured service members, MaryAnn Phillips embodies strength and grace. An American citizen living in Germany, Phillips volunteers with Soldiers Angels at Landstuhl Air Force Base. She spends countless hours at the bedsides of our wounded warriors and their families, caring for them, encouraging them, and grieving with them. Phillips receives the Citizens Medal for putting her patriotism into action on behalf of our troops and our nation.
Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam Shaftsbury, VT
Devoted to preserving our nation’s public lands, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam has inspired thousands of America’s youth to protect our natural bounty. Her vision to offer land restoration and maintenance service opportunities became a reality with the birth of the Student Conservation Association. Putnam receives the Citizens Medal for helping ensure that our nation’s treasured public lands are enjoyed by future generations.
Myrtle Faye Rumph Inglewood, CA
For decades, Myrtle Faye Rumph has lent her talent and compassion to impacting the lives of at-risk youth. Her commitment to reducing gun and gang violence in her community has steered countless young people away from dangerous habits, and altered the course of their futures. Rumph receives the Citizens Medal for replacing violence and despair with a beacon of hope and humanity.
George Weiss, Jr., a veteran of World War II and the United States Marine Corps, reflects our nation’s generous and selfless heart. In 1979, he founded the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad, which today consists of more than 125 volunteers who have performed final military honors for more than 55,000 deceased veterans. Weiss receives the Citizens Medal for his extraordinary service to our nation’s veterans and their families.
Since his historic election, President Obama has been inundated with a barrage of venomous criticism. From the first cries calling for the failure of his administration by Vitter and Limbaugh to the media critique of his handling of the BP oil spill, his critics are unequivocal in telling us that he can do no right.
An overwhelming number of Americans elected President Obama and millions still support him, but too many of us do so silently. If the progressive agenda we elected the President to achieve is to be successful, we must help the President achieve it. We cannot allow the media to report from negative positions without challenge. Just as others demonstrate their hatred and disrespect of President Obama, we must actively demonstrate our support.
We call on ALL who support President Obama to take action. Today ... on August 4th ... the President’s birthday, we ask those who support him to wear any campaign item from the Presidential election as a demonstration of our ongoing support. Bring out your old campaign paraphernalia.
If you don’t have caps, buttons or tee shirts, wear a red, white, and blue tri-color ribbon or clothing on August 4th. If nothing else, this simple demonstration of support for our President will provide a counteraction to the negativity that spews forth daily. We can do this. YES WE CAN. YES WE WILL.
Research In Motion (RIM) is the designer and manufacturer of the award-winning BlackBerry® smartphone, used by millions of people around the world. The company also creates solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market, including the software that allows the BlackBerry smartphone to provide mobile access to email, applications, media and the Internet.
RIM believes that it is important to give back to the local, national and global communities in which we operate. The primary focus of RIM’s corporate philanthropy program is outreach to students in science, engineering and business programs.
All of RIM’s corporate philanthropy contributions are evaluated via an online application process. Please complete the RIM Corporate Philanthropy Application Form to provide information about your organization, your government-registered charitable or not-for-profit number, the purpose or goal of the funding and contact information. Each application will be assessed as quickly as possible. It usually takes a minimum of six weeks between submission of the online request and the date funding is required.
All organizations requesting donations from RIM should review our Corporate Philanthropy Eligibility Criteria to determine if their project or organization are a good fit for the focus of RIM’s program.
Due to the number of requests received, RIM can only respond to successful funding requests.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) was accepted as a Blue Corps Community Partner by Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC). The success of this HCSC corporate volunteer program, known as Blue Corps, depends on the many BlueCross BlueShield employees who volunteer their personal time to support an array of worthwhile causes. Our hope is that together, we can build upon our heritage of making a positive difference in the lives of others, thereby helping to create a brighter future for us all.
This means that members of the HCSC who live in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma or Texas will have the opportunity to volunteer for BDPA and for every verified hour, HCSC will provide a matching donation of $20 per hour up to a combined possible total of $2,000 per year.
HCSC is also willing to post volunteer opportunities on their Blue Corps website. For any individual volunteering, the volunteers will submit a participation form that would need to be co-signed by the BETF executive director, chapter president or national vice president upon volunteer completion.
The HCSC Volunteer Plan coordinators are:
Illinois: Regina High, (312) 653-6000 New Mexico: Tamra Pena, (505) 291-3500 Oklahoma: Pia Lupeika, (405) 841-9525 Texas: Debbie Cox, (972) 766-6900
For more information, please contact:
Lydia Ashanin,
HCSC Director of Corporate Community Involvement:
Health Care Service Corporation dba Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, NM, OK and TX
5700 Balloon Fiesta Parkway
Albuquerque, NM 87113 Phone: 505-816-4292 E-mail: Lydia_Ashanin@hcsc.net
Do you have any members of the BlueCross BlueShield team working as volunteers in your chapter?If so, please reply to this post so we can figure out how to leverage this corporate volunteer grant program!
BDPA Baton Rouge student members Travis Lee and Ericka Plant were each awarded $1,389 in scholarship funding from Oracle Corporation to pursue degrees in the fields of science and technology. There were two presentations of the scholarship in Baton Rouge.
The original presentation was made during a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Baton Rouge. The dais for this presentation was shared by Baton Rouge mayor-president Kip Holden.
The second presentation was at Scotlandville Magnet High School ... the school attended by both Travis and Ericka. Chapter president Randy Powe made this presentation ... which included the scholarship checks ... during a Black heritage celebration hosted by the student body.
You can learn more about the BDPA Baton Rouge chapter here.
We seek the funding in support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The objective of our SITES program in Philadelphia is to effectively use technology to stimulate and sustain the interest of young people in science and technology.
The Lucky Brand Foundation will fund as many projects as its annual resources allow. Applications are accepted throughout the calendar year with the final deadline of December 31. All applications will be reviewed and a determination will be made no later than April 30 of the following year.
To be considered for a contribution from the Lucky Brand Foundation, an organization must be certified as tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All applications must be in writing and should not exceed five pages. Any materials submitted with proposals will be retained by the Lucky Brand Foundation.
Included in the proposal should be the following: A brief description of the organization's purpose, objectives and programs plus a detailed description of the project and the amount of support being requested. Please include the number of children impacted by the project and any relevant deadlines.
Submit to:
The Lucky Brand Foundation
c/o The New Philanthropy Group
1334 Third Street Promenade, Suite 308
Santa Monica, CA 90401 Phone: 310.899.9191 Fax: 310.899.5516 Email: newphilgroup@aol.com
The Lucky Brand Foundation will consider requests from charitable organizations that meet the following criteria:
Donations made to a charity must benefit and have a direct impact on children in need.
Donations made to a charity must not be used for administrative or support functions.
Although the Lucky Brand Foundation considers every application to be worthwhile, it has a specific mission in mind, to make a difference in a child's life. The Lucky Brand Foundation will give every consideration to each application received but reserves the right to earmark funding for specific budgetary items to declines funding for budgetary items which are not consistent with its grant guidelines.
RESTRICTIONS ON GIVING -- The Lucky Brand Foundation does not make grants for the following:
Administrative Costs
Capital Campaigns
Special Events
There doesn't appear to be a geographic limit for this funding source.
BDPA's Washington, D.C. Chapter (BDPA-DC) congratulates National BDPA's 2010 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team from Southern Minnesota (BDPA SMN) for successfully defended their National HSCC Title for the fourth year in a row!
BDPA 's Washington, D.C. 2010 Regional Champions (in above photo) finished second place during the 2010 National HSCC. Students from the top five teams in the United States will receive scholarships toward their college education in STEM related fields of study from the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF). This year's top five teams are: BDPA Southern Minnesota, BDPA Washington, D.C., BDPA Chicago, BDPA Detroit, and BDPA St. Louis.
Pictured (L-R) Dr. Anthony Junior, Office of Naval Research (ONR); Victor Holt, CEO V-Tech Solutions, 2010 Sponsor; Hassan Moustafa, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni; Theresa Thomas, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni and Chaperone; Airrick Woolen, BDPA-DC HSCC Alumni and Chaperone; Mira Cruz, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Team; TurKenya Herring, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Co-Captain: Titus Thomas, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Team; Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO); Francisco Nunez, 2010 BDPA-DC HSCC Co-Captain; Naomi Mathews, 2010 BDPA-DC Team; Roderick Edwards, CONCUR, 2010 Sponsor and HSCC Instructor; Edward Yeldell, QinetiQ North America, 2010 Sponsor and HSCC Instructor; Perry Carter, Regional VP/CIO Tec-Masters, Inc., 2010 Sponsor and BDPA-DC Chapter President; and Louis Shack, DC Courts System, 2010 Chapter Sponsor of the Year and Chapter HSCC Program Director. All three of the D.C. chapter's high school seniors, Herring, Nunez, and Thomas, will be attending HBCUs this fall.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and National BDPA Vice President Paulette Johnson-Davis worked together on a $25,000 grant proposal to the Siemens Foundation. We hope to get funding for the High School Computer Competition that can be used to support the youth education training in our 45 local BDPA chapters.
We don't expect any answer on our proposal until May 2011.
BDPA just completed its 32nd annual conference. Hopefully, that will provide momentum for membership growth in the coming months.
We entered August 2010 with a membership total that was exactly the same as the prior month. In other words an exactly even number of people joined as expired in July 2010. I wonder what the odds are for that numerical oddity?
Membership is the lifeblood of any organization. The 45 BDPA chapters in BDPA-nation average 35 members (no change from last month).
BDPA Chicago (president, Pamela Sexton) continues to demonstrate excellence in the area of recruitment and retention of its membership. This chapter has been #1 in membership for the 40th month in a row. It may be time to get some insights from the Chicago chapter leadership team on how they keep growing their membership -- their chapter total is over 200 right now.
BDPA Philadelphia (president, Hayward West) is taking advantage of the buzz from the annual conference to grow the chapter. The chapter is now the 3rd largest in the nation. This is the same positive trend experienced by the host of the conference last year (BDPA Triangle). Hmmm, the next annual conference is in Chicago ... watch out y'all ... methinks that Chicago chapter may have 1,000 members by this time next year!
The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 6/1/2010 are:
The top three chapters on this list are in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 209 members!
Leave a comment if your chapter isn't listed above. We're happy to tell you where your BDPA chapter is ranked if you want. In the meantime, we would love to know what you think about membership in BDPA?
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with National BDPA VP-Member Services Paulette Johnson-Davis on a letter of inquiry (LOI) sent to the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Our LOI asked permission to submit a full grant proposal for our 2011 SITES program in three areas:
1. BDPA IT Corps – is an information technology “peace corps” concept that addresses the interests and direct participation of young adults aspiring to succeed in the IT industry in the United States. The BDPA IT Corps responds to the effect of globalization and for the urgent needs of developing countries to obtain more technology awareness, education and skills.
We plan to recruit students from the 45 BDPA chapters to serve in the IT Corps. These students will be sent to an African country to participate in an international program that focuses on education, software development, “real-world” problem solving, as well as competitive social activities. After returning to the United States the IT Corps students will continue to foster online relationships with the African students via blogs and other acceptable forms of online communication.
2. BDPA IT Showcase - allows student presenters from educational institutions all over the United States to present and demonstrate their research. The presentations will represent advanced computing topics presented by highly motivated high school and college students to an audience of students and IT professionals. Recent presentations from these young people were on topics such as: computer graphics technologies, computing curricula, intelligent technologies (e.g., smart toys, machine learning or genetic algorithms), parallel computing technologies, wearable computing technologies and web technologies.
3. High School Computer Competition – This program celebrates its 25th year anniversary in 2010. Throughout the year, local chapters conduct SITES training programs for the youth in their communities. These programs are designed to expose our youth to the concepts of computers and give them the expertise to develop web applications. The program introduces our youth to the field of Information Technology. Our volunteers around the nation encourage these young people to seek higher levels of education, and groom many of them to become our next generation of IT professionals.
Our hope is for a positive response from Goldman Sachs Foundation.Wish us luck!
