Alcoa Foundation

Alcoa Foundation is a nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of more than half-billion dollars. Its mission is to actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. Throughout it history, Alcoa Foundation has been a source of positive community change and enhancement, with over $570 million invested since 1952.

A significant percentage of their grants originate in Alcoa communities. The Foundation's focus for funding is around four distinct Areas of Excellence: Conservation and Sustainability, Safe and Healthy Children and Families, Global Education and Workplace Skills, and Business and Community Partnerships.

They give priority consideration to programs and organizations in or near communities where Alcoa plants or offices are located. Organizations interested in applying for a grant should contact the Alcoa facility nearest them. Local Alcoa contacts in their communities will then make recommendations to Alcoa Foundation for funding.

Unsolicited proposals are discouraged and are not likely to be funded.

For all grant inquiries, it is recommended that a concept paper be submitted via e-mail to the local Alcoa grant contact or to Alcoa Foundation before a formal grant proposal is prepared. The concept paper will be reviewed by the Alcoa location contact or by an Alcoa Foundation staff member, and they will contact the organization.

If the local Alcoa contact or Alcoa Foundation staff member is interested in the proposed project, a discussion will be initiated with the organization in order to agree on the specific project and grant amount which will be recommended for funding to Alcoa Foundation. Once agreement is reached on these items and all other details of the grant request, the organization will be given specific instructions on how to submit an on-line application to Alcoa Foundation.

The submission of a concept paper does not guarantee funding from Alcoa or Alcoa Foundation.

Let us know if you are interested in partnering with BDPA on grant proposal to Alcoa Foundation. It would be helpful if your chapter has Alcoa employees in its membership *or* if you are co-located with an Alcoa facility.

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• Alcoa Foundation announces more than $300,000 in community grants

Long Story Short: LaDonna Crum (BDPA Greater Birmingham)

LaDonna Crum is an applications support analyst. She took on another critical role last year as the president of our BDPA Greater Birmingham chapter and she has been lighting things up in Alabama with a fervent roar about the benefits of membership in BDPA. She is attracting new volunteers and funding ... and she is planning an aggressive schedule of programs and services for both students and IT professionals in Birmingham. Her chapter is currently the 34th largest in the nation.

This blog has shared LaDonna's profile with its readers in the past. This time we wanted to get a more personal look into the personality of this rising BDPA leader. We asked LaDonna to give brief answers to some odd questions. We hope you enjoy this new feature that we simply call, 'Long Story Short...'

LaDonna Crum

1. Favorite way to exercise? - My favorite way to exercise would be to ride the bike. This is the only exercise that motivates me to 'keep going'. This is the exercise that I benefit the most from in terms of 'no pain-no gain' and at the end of my workout, I always go back to the bike to finish the workout.
2. How do you kill time in airports? - I kill time at the airports by preparing myself for any future events and organizing my professional life. I will updating my 'to-do' list, create mental notes to remind myself of deadlines or think of creative way to approach my professional life. Sometimes, I just read the new 'Around The World'.
3. Least favorite chore? - My least favorite chore is cleaning the bathroom, despite the fact that I am very proud of myself afterwards. It appears to be the sloppiest cleaning job in existence based on the sheer number of cleaning tools and cleaning solutions for different parts of the bathroom.
4. Simple things that make you happiest? - The simple thing that makes me the happiest is when people say, 'thank you'. It makes my day when I help someone and I receive a sincere 'thank you'!
5. Who you'd like to meet? - I would like to meet Taraji P. Henson. Several people have said that I resemble her and over time I have come to admire her.

Hey LaDonna --- THANK YOU!

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• Message from BDPA Greater Birmingham President
• BDPA iRadio Show - March 25, 2014

BDPA Brotha on Promoting Your Chapter to Local Media

I have been in BDPA since 1988. Some of y'all refer to me as the BDPA Brotha! One of the constant concerns that I hear expressed by most local chapters is that they are the 'best-kept secret' in their community and industry. Perhaps it it time to remember that there are still ol' school marketing opportunities with your local media.

Media are constantly looking for new stories and information that will interest their audiences. Chances are, your town has at least one major newspaper, several smaller papers, a few TV stations, a bunch of radio stations, and at least one cable company. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Local media like to cover local stories. You have a much better chance of getting free publicity from a reporter in your area than from national media.
2. Local talk radio stations and programs are constantly in need of interesting guests. Watch for times when your area of expertise fits with a breaking story, holiday, or issue the media is covering.
3. Send your local media a press release when you have something new to announce: a new board member appointment, new chapter service, public service program, or alliance with another business.
4. Local chapters often make good feature stories. Work up a sheet of helpful tips related to your chapter. Make sure they are things the media audience will be interested in.
5. Work with local charities and blow your own horn.

I hope that these chapter marketing tips are helpful to you. Feel free to contact me by email or phone (513.284-4968) if you would like to discuss additional ways to market your nonprofit business.

In the meantime, You I will continue to share these 'BDPA Brotha' tips on a semi-regular basis!

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Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation

Rockwell Collins is known around the world for its quality, reliable aviation products. They are also known as a corporate citizen with a commitment and involvement in education, especially supporting science technology, engineering and mathematics. Whether it's mentoring a FIRST LEGO League team, tutoring a disadvantaged student or donating computers, Rockwell Collins and its employees are making their communities better places to live and work. They believe in inspiring the next generation of engineers and innovators and building strong, vital communities as a way to ensure the success of our business.

Rockwell Collins makes charitable contributions to a variety of nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and around the world. The Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation was established for the exclusive purpose of supporting qualified non-for-profit organizations in the communities where their employees live and work. These grants are targeted for major projects and programs and generally total $5,000 or more. Priority funding areas include Education, especially Math, Science, Engineering and Technology, and Arts & Culture, especially projects involving youth.

Grants are available in geographic areas of the United States where Rockwell Collins has facilities and a substantial number of employees (generally 100 or more). All grant requests submitted for regions outside of Rockwell Collins' headquarter community should be coordinated though the local Rockwell Collins Human Resources manager.

Budgeting for these grants is done annually, with approval in October. They request that grant applications are submitted prior to September 1, preceeded by an email or phone call notification or inquiry. Approved grants are paid quarterly.

My research of Rockwell Collins locations shows that they are co-located with BDPA chapters in Atlanta, Bay Area, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, No. Virginia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, So. Florida, St. Louis, Triangle (Raleigh), Twin Cities and Washington DC.

Is your chapter interested in partnering with BETF on a grant proposal to Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation? Are there any Rockwell Collins' employees active in BDPA?

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Happy Birthday: Diane Davis (Past National BDPA President)

Today is the birthday of past national president Diane Davis!

Diane Davis will be one of the charter members of the BDPA Hall of Fame when it is created. I went to my first BDPA program meeting in 1988 while living and working in Detroit. Diane Davis was president of the BDPA Detroit chapter. She sat up in the front of the meeting and shared her insights on BDPA. I was hooked. I joined BDPA that day ... attended my first national conference later that year in Chicago. Diane appointed me as Program Committee Chairperson for the BDPA chapter ... and recommended me for National BDPA Membership Director a few months later. BDPA Detroit chapter won back-to-back Chapter of the Year Awards under her leadership. Suffice to say I think Diane is a major part of the BDPA story...

Diane has over 25 years experience in the technology industry. Her work as a consultant with Hewlett-Packard’s Managed Services Division utilized her knowledge of local and global engagements in the manufacturing, government, and health care industries. She advised C level management teams of Fortune 500 corporations on infrastructure support practices, organization design, and the implementation of strategies, technology and principles to meet their specialized business requirements. Before this position, Diane was a Program Manager for multi-million dollar worldwide accounts and served as the CIO for a major automotive supplier.

Diane has lived and traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and South America as a software engineer and consultant in the design and implementation of management systems. Her technical career began developing robotic systems for the automotive industry. Later, she led the artificial intelligence development and implementation teams responsible for the support of corporate executives with “state of the art” technology including voice activation and annotation.

In 2003, Diane established her own consulting firm that provides strategic, organizational, and leadership services. In 2004, she expanded her business to include a robust Wellness Program established to help people improve their health, quality of life, and become financially independent. Diane has volunteered her time and supported several professional, community based, and educational organizations during her career, including BDPA. She has worked as an instructor at University of Detroit Mercy, led numerous strategic, leadership, quality, and team building workshops internationally for both profit and non-profit organizations.

Diane Davis was ol' school BDPA. Please share your remembrance of this powerful sister if you have time or inclination to do so.

Wordless Wednesday: Liz Hicks, BDPA Los Angeles Chapter President (1993-1994)

Cairo Queen's Taste of Technology: Derrick Brown (April 8, 2014)

BDPA Atlanta chapter president Derrick 'DS' Brown was a guest on this Internet radio show hosted by Cairo Queen! The show gave a rare background into his various sides that include his work as an author, an IT professional and his work as the leader of BDPA Atlanta chapter.

Listen and enjoy his interview.

Check Out Entertainment Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with WXRP on BlogTalkRadio with WXRP RADIO on BlogTalkRadio

Cairo Queen is doing some remarkable work and I encourage all of our BDPA Foundation blog readers to check out her burgeoning interactive network!

Subrena Robinson (State Farm) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for 'Community Service'

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. The 'Community Service' award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside. One of the 2013 Epsilon Award winners in this category is Subrena Robinson, IT director with State Farm.


Subrena used her leadership skills to add structure to the BDPA Central Illinois chapter. Her efforts led directly to the chapter becoming a more effective organization. As a mentor to BDPA members, she willingly shared her knowledge ... particularly with those who were new to the IT industry.

Subrena played a lead role in the facilitation of a health, drug prevention and self-esteem enhancement program for girls aged 8-17. The program was designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that would enable early adolescent girls to reach their full potential

After the success of the girls program, she implemented a similar program for young boys. The program was aimed at boys aged 11-18 and helped them deal with many of the challenges they faced on a daily basis. Each young man was provided mentors from the community who served as positive role models.

Partnering with her Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Subrena established an annual scholarship program that provided scholarships to deserving students including a single parent pursuing a four year degree.

Community involvement includes:

• National African American Women’s Leadership Institute, Fellow * 2008;  Application committee * 2011
• Mount Moriah Christian Church,  Trustee * 2004-present
• Project Management Institute, Central Illinois Chapter, Monthly Meeting Facilitator * 2004-2009
• SMART Girls,  Program Leader * 2003-2011
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Soror * 2002-present
• Central Illinois Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Chapter, Committee Chair * 2001-present

Soul clap to Theonnie Shields, founder of our BDPA Central Illinois chapter, for submitting the 2013 Epsilon Award nomination for Subrena Robinson.

You can follow State Farm on Twitter: @StateFarm

Related articles

• Dr. Shaundra Daily (Clemson University) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award as 'Most Promising Technologist)
• Dr. Kyla McMullen (Clemson University) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for 'Professional Achievement'
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• Zack Garbow (Funeral Innovations) Wins 'Most Promising Technologist' Epsilon Award

Message from BDPA Cincinnati Chapter President

As we start the first month of the 2nd quarter for 2014 – Your chapter is working hard!

Hadiya Harrigan

The weather is warming up for April and BDPA Cincinnati chapter has a another full month of activities planned. But first, we want to congratulate our student member and High School Computer Competition (HSCC) alum Hadiya Harrigan for accepting her 2014 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award in Charlotte NC last month. From a membership perspective, our chapter grew its membership by more than 60% so far this year, making it the 3rd-largest chapter in the National BDPA organization! This growth is testament to the renewed interest in the VALUE the organization brings to its members, corporate sponsors and the communities in which we live and work.

For the month of April, we encourage and invite all members and the community to join us as we 'Explore Entrepreneurship', with our guest speaker, Crystal Kendrick (owner, The Voice of Your Customer). Also, we want to say a special THANK YOU to our corporate sponsors who have come on board in the past quarter to support our BDPA vision and mission. Thank you to Brown Mackie College, Cincinnati Bell, Cincinnati State Technical College, GE, Kroger, Northern Kentucky University and Procter & Gamble. As an organization of volunteers, we cannot be successful without the support of our corporate sponsors. We continue to drive the value-proposition in a positive director for members and sponsors, giving each of them powerful return-on-investment.

Dalric Webb

For our adult members and the technology professionals in our communities, we are planning several professional development workshops this year! Look for the marketing material that is coming out THIS month as these small sized classes will quickly fill up!

We want to welcome new volunteer leaders who came on board last month:

• Carmen Byes (Fifth Third Bank) - Director, Communications Department
• Carl Matthews (Group Three Systems) - Project Leader, BDPA Midwest Regional HSCC and IT Showcase
• Brenda Gunn Hogan (Duke Energy) - Project Leader, Annual Banquet

Again, it takes these dedicated volunteers to step forward and drive our goals and objectives into execution and reality so that we can meet the needs of our community. Welcome aboard and thank you for your service!

That being said, BDPA Cincinnati needs YOU to step forward and lend a hand as there is much more work that we need to accomplish and "many the hands make lighter the load". We need to fill our remaining open board positions in the coming months. If you are not ACTIVELY participating on the BDPA board of directors, please consider lending your time and talent to the success of this organization.

We need you. Your community needs you. Our students need you. The time commitment is roughly 4–6 hours a month when we are at full board strength. Can you lend a hand? Contact me directly if you are interested and visit our Chapter landing page to see which open positions interest you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the 36th annual National BDPA Technology is set for Indianapolis, IN on August 5-9, 2014. We plan to take a strong team of high school students to WIN the national HSCC championship this year. Supporting the dreams and technical growth of these students is a large part of what BDPA strives to accomplish. If you find value in investing in the technical growth and development of our youth then perhaps it is time for you to connect with BDPA. BDPA engages our youth, college students and professional on their developmental journey 'from the classroom to the boardroom'!

As always, we want your feedback! How is your BDPA membership working out for you? How can we improve the value of your membership? Send me a note or pull me to the side at the monthly program meeting. This is YOUR chapter. Are you feeling engaged?

Lastly, are you a member of the BDPA Cincinnati online community on Groupsite? Take a moment to join now and stay connected with what is going on with the chapter. Keep a look out for our upcoming BDPA “Members Only” events and outings! We want to see you soon at these very unique opportunities to connect with other active chapter members.

Sincerely,
Dalric Webb, President
BDPA Cincinnati Chapter

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• Call for Assembly of 36th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference
• Cincinnati.com, 1/6/2014 (Hadiya Harrigan)
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Wordless Wednesday: National BDPA Board of Directors (2012-2013)

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, March 2014)

The lifeblood of any nonprofit association is its membership.  We are proud to announce that membership has grown for the 3rd straight month.  In fact, the total membership increased by 12% in the first quarter of the year ... and up 48% from this time last year!  The membership growth is a direct result of efforts by local, regional and national leaders to provide a value proposition to members (and potential members) with its programs, scholarships and services.  Kudos to the National BDPA VP-Membership Management Adrienne Thomas and her team for their continued positive trending in this core metric.

Dalric Webb

For the second month in a row we pay homage to BDPA Cincinnati chapter for its continued success in terms of membership retention and recruitment.  The chapter added more members in March than any other chapter in the nation.  BDPA Cincinnati chapter president Dalric Webb continues to provide the leadership necessary for the chapter to grow over 263% in the past 12 months!  The chapter is leveraging its corporate sponsors as part of its strategy to grow memberships.   

Two other chapters deserve recognition for their membership growth in 2014.   BDPA chapters in Huntsville (president, Carol Bell) and Greater Birmingham (president, LaDonna Crum) managed to grow their chapters by 40% and 30%, respectively in the first quarter of the year.

We believe in the management maxim -- you get what you measure.  Let us assess the numbers in order to honor those local BDPA chapters who are demonstrating success in their efforts to recruit and retain members. Let's take a look at the ten largest chapters in BDPA-Nation:

1. Chicago - president, Reggie Rush
2. Washington DC - president, Perry Carter 
3. Cincinnati - president, Dalric Webb
4. Philadelphia - president, Eileen Gadsden
5. Atlanta - president, Derrick Brown 
6. New Jersey - president, Goldie Bonney
7. Dallas - president, Chad White (up 1 spot from last month)
8. Los Angeles - president, John Malonson (down 1 spot)
9. New York - president, Tyronne McKinney
10. Detroit - president, Beverly Moore

The top five chapters on the list remain in the 'BDPA Century Club'! The benefit of having powerful leadership is obvious when we see that Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Washington DC each have over 100 members. One of the common denominators for each of these chapters is that they place a high premium on the delivery of quality programs and services to their members. These chapters work hard to ensure that there is a strong return on the $100 investment that each member makes thru annual dues.

What are your thoughts about the value of BDPA membership? What can your local chapter do to improve the value-proposition for you on a personal or professional level?

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• Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, February 2014)
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Call for Assembly of 36th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference

By virtue of the authority vested in me as National BDPA President and in accordance with the mandates of Article VIII, Sections §8.1 and §8.2, of the National BDPA Bylaws; it is my distinct pleasure to announce the call for assembly of the 2014 Annual Delegates Meeting and your 36th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference.

Our site for this year’s National BDPA Technology Conference shall be Indianapolis, Indiana - with BDPA Indianapolis serving as our Host Chapter. The JW Marriott Indianapolis is the official headquarters hotel for our assembly, Career Fair, Technology Expo, National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship, National IT Showcase, and our annual Youth Technology Camp. Said National BDPA Technology Conference shall take place August 5-9, 2014 - with our formal Banquet and Awards Gala on the evening of Saturday, August 9th.

BDPA Chapters, BDPA members, Corporate Sponsors, and stakeholders are hereby notified of the time and place for the 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair. Take full advantage of your annual memberships, discounts, and color sponsorships available to your organization in this year’s portfolio.

BDPA Chapters are directed to make appropriate plans to ensure their Executive Committees, Delegates, new members, student members, participating High School Computer Competition teams and IT Showcase teams have successfully preregistered prior to next quarter. I look forward to our next reunion and industry meetings this August in Indianapolis!

Dr. Craig Brown, president
National BDPA

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Dr. Kyla McMullen (Clemson University) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for 'Professional Achievement'

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. The 'Outstanding Professional Achievement' award is presented to individuals who have reached or realized a significant milestone in their career, corporate or otherwise, that is noteworthy. One of the 2013 Epsilon Award winners in this category is Dr. Kyla McMullen, assistant professor in the Human-Centered Computing Division at Clemson University.

Dr. Kyla McMullen is the first African American woman to earn a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. At Michigan, she served in various graduate-level mentorship roles through AGEP (The Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate) and WISE (Women in Science and Engineering). Further demonstrating her commitment to the minority graduate community, she served as the President of SMES-G (The Society of Minority Engineers and Scientists – Graduate Component) and Vice President of both MUSES (The Movement of Underrepresented Sisters in Engineering and Science) and SMES-G. She is committed to increasing the number of African American scientists and engineers who possess academic excellence, professional success, and seek to spread their knowledge to help future generations. When Dr. McMullen received her PhD from the University of Michigan, it was a major step forward for all Blacks in technology.

Her technical prowess is shown through her numerous publications, which further contribute knowledge to computer science and engineering. In addition to her fellowship from the Horace. H. Rackham Graduate School she also earned a three-year fellowship through the Office of Naval Research.

Kyla accepts Epsilon Award from BDPA prez Monique Berry

Kyla is both a knowledgeable and committed asset to the information technology industry. She was a featured presenter at the 2013 BDPA Technology Conference ... in fact, she was a 'rock star' to all members of the BDPA family as they learned about her pioneering efforts at the University of Michigan. Soul clap to Dr. Juan Gilbert, winner of the 2008 Epsilon Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution, for submitting the 2013 Epsilon Award nomination for Dr. McMullen.

You can follow Dr. McMullen on Twitter: @Dr_Kyla

Related articles

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• 1st Black Female Computer Science PhD Student at Univ. of Michigan Reveals Lack of Role Models
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