Applied Materials Foundation

Applied Materials Foundation has a number of programs that are dear to its corporate heart, including:

• Applied Materials Education Initiative: Focuses resources and strategic investments over sustained periods of time toward students in underserved communities. Using a comprehensive approach, the Education Initiative targets the entire educational pathway of students - from pre-school to college completion - in communities that have lower levels of student achievement and opportunities.
• The Tech Museum of Innovation Awards: The global program recognizes and works to extend the reach of breakthroughs in applying technology to improve the quality of life around the world.

Applied Materials makes grants to selected organizations and programs whose goals are closely aligned with the Company’s values and interest. They direct approximately 65% of grants to the area of Education, 25% to Civic Engagement and 10% to Arts & Culture. Applied targets up to 25% of all grants toward projects that contribute to environmental awareness and sustainability.

Grants are made for one year and may be renewed for up to two additional years based upon results. Applied Materials does not award grants for general operating expenses.

To be considered for funding, all grant proposals must meet the following guidelines:

1. Generally, Applied Materials supports programs or projects that are based in, or directed toward, a city or region where Applied Materials has operations. For grant consideration outside of the U.S., please send an e-mail to community_affairs@amat.com with a brief description of the request and it will be forwarded appropriately.
2. Grantees must be a school or a charitable organization that is classified as 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service.
3. Requests for $2500 or more must be submitted through their online grant application tool.
4. Requests for $2500 or less may be submitted through their simplified online grant application tool.
5. Proposals will be reviewed to ensure they meet the specific criteria for the four grant making categories: Education, Civic Engagement, Environment, and Arts & Culture.

Applied Materials will review grant requests semi-annually, with the deadlines of January 15 and June 15. Applications should be submitted through their online tool. Their focus areas and grant guidelines remain the same as does our ongoing commitment to make a positive social contribution in communities where their company does business.

Grant Proposal: CDW Foundation (Chicago)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Chicago chapter submitted an online grant proposal to CDW Foundation. We requested $5,000 grant funding to support the Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Chicagoland.

Wish us luck!

Grant Award: Raytheon Charitable Foundation ($5,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to learn that Raytheon Charitable Foundation approved our grant proposal on behalf of BDPA Los Angeles chapter. As a result, we have $5,000 to support full implementation of the chapter's 2010 Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

Kudos to BDPA Los Angeles chapter president John Malonson for working tirelessly with BETF on this grant opportunity. It was his personal touch that made the difference in the end.

We look forward to seeing a great performance by BDPA Los Angeles chapter in this year's national HSCC championships!

Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation is in the business of improving lives in literacy, knowledge and a readiness for the 21st Century.

Eligible organizations seeking grants from the Verizon Foundation must be prepared to track and report program outcomes as well as specific results that demonstrate measurable human impact. In the grant application, organizations must indicate what outcomes are targeted through programming and what results, as specified on the grant application, the organization will measure.

The Verizon Foundation targets their philanthropic investments to partners and programs that achieve meaningful outcomes and measurable results in specific areas within each of their Funding Priorities. Grant applicants are required to select one or more outcomes and results for grants in each of their Funding Priorities.

It is best if your chapter has Verizon employees in your membership. However, BETF is willing to partner with any interested chapter. Please review the website to determine if this funding source is a good fit for your chapter.

Grant Recipient: National BDPA ($5,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) approved a $5,000 grant request submitted by National BDPA to support their 2010 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

National BDPA VP-Member Services Paulette Johnson-Davis and I began a dialogue last month on ways that BETF could support her efforts to improve member services for BDPA's K-12 youth education program. She identified some specific ways that she would use the funding with us ... and her efforts led to this $5,000 grant award.

BETF was created in 1992 by National BDPA. It is nice to see that this 19-year old strategic alliance is still paying dividends for African Americans in the IT industry who seek to advance their careers from the classroom to the boardroom!

Will Obama's Urban School Grants Create Opportunities for BDPA Entrepreneurs?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, President Obama has recently announced $900 million in grants as a part of his 2011 budget to help improve student achievement at 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools. Most, if not all, of the schools are in urban areas.

The budget includes a $100-million program aimed at increasing college-level, dual-credit and other accelerated courses in schools, allowing students to earn a high-school diploma and an associate's degree simultaneously.

What does this mean for BDPA entrepreneurs and business owners?

This means that local businesses that sell educational services and products can benefit too. The grant money will be allocated in many ways, such as to hire tutors, to buy educational software and materials, to upgrade old technology (computers, etc), to hire local motivational speakers, to hire scholarship experts and college consultants, and more.

The grant money may even be used to hire interior decorators and architects to make the schools look more modern. Do your research, and find out if there are schools in your area that will receive assistance from the grants. If so, find out what the schools' needs are and position yourself to offer relevant services. There will, no doubt, be many contracting and purchasing opportunities in the near future.

Here is a listing of other 2010 business grant opportunities that you might find useful.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a leading voice and catalyst for innovative solutions to the region's most challenging problems. Their mission, vision and values reflect our commitment to serving the vibrant and diverse community that makes up San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

Serving all of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a partner and resource to organizations improving the quality of life in that region, and to those who want to give back locally, nationally and internationally.

The community foundation has developed a series of Requests for Proposals, or RFPs, that address five grantmaking strategies: Economic Security; Immigrant Integration; Education (Closing the Middle School Achievement Gap); Regional Planning (Land Use and Transportation Planning); and a Community Opportunity Fund focused on safety-net issues and innovative ideas.

BDPA Bay Area chapter has the best chance of funding from the Education strategy.

Six Flags Friends Scholarships

Six Flags Friends Scholarships (Deadline: April 30) -- DoSomething.org has teamed up with Six Flags Friends to award college scholarships to young leaders who are taking action to make their community a better place.

Scholarships will be awarded based on past, current and planned action in the community as well as the applicant's passion, commitment and proven leadership skills. Six winners will receive a $1,500 college scholarships.

Grant Declination: Goodrich Foundation

We learned this week that our grant proposal to Goodrich Foundation on behalf of BDPA Los Angeles chapter was turned down.

The declination letter read as follows:

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Dear Mr. Hicks :

Thank you for your interest in the Goodrich Foundation. We received your Goodrich Foundation Application request for Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program.

Your proposal does not fit or meet our giving objectives at this time and we must decline your request for funding. The Foundation does support qualified 501 c 3 organizations like yours in a variety of ways, and these could be helpful to you as you continue to seek new revenue. Those are:

• We support organizations with matching funds under the company's Partners in Giving Program. This is an employee benefit program, and employees personal contributions are matched 1:1.


• Volunteers who also happen to be Goodrich employees can double this donation through the Partners in Giving program.


• Additional possible funding could be available in the sponsorship budget in one of our local facilties.

A full description of our giving focus and giving guidelines can be found on our website. You can also find our business unit locations on the website for your review.

We wish you success in your future activities and search for funding. We appreciate the good works you provide in your community.

Sincerely,
Kelly Chopus, Secretary
Goodrich Foundation

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BETF will continue to seek funding for BDPA Los Angeles chapter and the other 44 local chapters around the country. You can help. Do you know anyone that works at Goodrich who is also a supporter of BDPA?

Sempra Energy Foundation

The Sempra Energy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation based in San Diego, California, USA. The foundation was founded by Sempra Energy, a Fortune 250 energy services company that serves the largest customer base of any energy utility in the United States. With 13,800 employees worldwide, the Sempra Energy companies develop energy infrastructure, operate utilities, and provide related products and services to more than 29 million consumers worldwide.

Sempra Energy Foundation supports educational programs that help educate children and communities in the following areas:

1. Environment
2. Math and science
3. Technology

The Sempra Energy Foundation uses a four-step process to evaluate applications and award grants. The process may take between four to six weeks, so please keep that in mind when submitting your proposal. In 2010, the Sempra Energy Foundation will accept applications from April through October.

Film Your Issue 2010 Competition

The Film Your Issue 2010 Competition (Deadline: April 19) seems like a good opportunity for BDPA chapters to consider as they conduct weekend computer camps.

Think you have a solution to problems with the environment, economic recession, education, healthcare, human/equal rights, national security/defense, poverty, public service or technology? Film Your Issue or submit it through a song.

The Film Your Issue competition, in its 5th year, is looking for solution-project ideas to front-burner issues from young adults 14 to 24 in a 3-minute video format, with accompanying one-sheet description.




Winning solution-projects will be presented to senior officials in the Obama administration, broadcast on screens in every Best Buy store on the planet, presented at a VIP reception in Washington, DC. Winners will be flown to Los Angeles for the Awards ceremony co-hosted by Sony Pictures Studios. Prizes include an Apple MacBook and iPod Touches, and Sundance Film Festival 2011 Film School Pass.

Do you know any young people that might be interested in this challenge?

President Profile: Carter Hill (Atlanta)

BDPA's success in the 21st century will be determined by a new generation of leaders. We need to find new ways to reach out to members, IT professionals, students, entrepreneurs, executives and sponsors. One of the new generation of leaders is BDPA Atlanta chapter president Carter Hill. We thought you would like to learn more about this powerful young brother!

Name: Carter Hill (Turner Broadcasting Systems)
President, BDPA Atlanta Chapter

Address: PO Box 50462Atlanta, GA 30302-0998
Phone: (678) 677-5428

Website: http://www.atlantabdpa.org/ or LinkedIn or Twitter.

Newsletter: BDPA Atlanta Newsletter (Jun 2009)

Professional Background - Mr. Hill has over seventeen years of Information Technology experience working in several Fortune 500 companies in the metro Atlanta area. During his career, he has worked as a Software Developer, a Business Analyst and a Project Manager. Currently Mr. Hill works as a Business Analyst for Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

In addition to his leadership role with BDPA Atlanta, Mr. Hill is a member of the Multicultural Advisory Council which develops diversity initiatives for Turner Broadcasting's technology division. He is also a member of the National Black MBA Association and the Project Management Institute (PMI). He is often called upon to speak at community events dealing with education and career choices.

BDPA - Carter Hill serves the Atlanta Chapter as its President. In this role he is responsible for guiding chapter direction, presiding over all meetings and acting as the primary chapter spokesperson. Mr. Hill formerly held the office of Vice President of Business Management for the Atlanta chapter. In the mid 1990s, Mr. Hill was founding member of the BDPA Omaha chapter and served as its Treasurer.

Education - Mr. Hill holds two academic degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Morris Brown College and a MBA in Information Systems Management (with distinction) from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Favorite Quote - Be the change you wish to see in the world. -=[ Ghandi ]=-

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BDPA Atlanta is the 4th largest chapter in the nation. The sky is the limit for this chapter under the leadership of a powerful nubian -- Carter Hill. I hope that you will take a moment to share some 'BDPA-Love' with Carter in the COMMENTS section!

McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program

McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program (Deadline: April 10) gives one-time funding of $12,000 to women with original ideas to create new websites, mobile news services, or other entrepreneurial initiatives that offer interactive opportunities to engage, inspire, and improve news and information in a geographic community or a community of interest. These can be solo ideas or team projects spearheaded by women.

Earl Pace Discusses Evolution of BDPA (Video)

Earl Pace is founder of National BDPA. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). He shares his thoughts on the evolution of BDPA since his initial vision in 1975.





What are your thoughts about your thoughts on BDPA's evolution?

Grant Declination: Amgen Foundation

We recently learned that our letter of inquiry to Amgen Foundation did not result in an invitation to submit a full grant proposal. Our request sought funding to support the youth education programs of BDPA Los Angeles chapter. Here the response that we received:

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Dear Mr. Hicks,

The Amgen Foundation carefully considered your letter of inquiry regarding support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program; however, we will not request a full proposal at this time.

The Foundation receives many more requests than our resources will permit us to support. This leads to difficult decisions, and in establishing funding priorities the Foundation is unable to support a number of important activities, such as yours.

We thank you for the excellent work of your organization to improve people's lives and appreciate the time and effort expended in informing the Foundation about your work. Although the Foundation cannot be of assistance, we wish you success in securing the funds from other sources.

Sincerely,
Amgen Foundation Staff

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BETF will continue to aggressively seek funding to support BDPA programs in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Please share with us any of your ideas or thoughts on how we can successfully raise funds for BDPA!

Grant Recipient: BDPA Chicago ($3,700)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) approved a partial grant request from BDPA Chicago chapter today.

BETF agreed to send $3,700 to BDPA Chicago in support of their Student IT Education and Scholarship (SITES) program.

The SITES program in Chicago, open to students from 6th to 12th grade, is designed to introduce underrepresented youth in the Chicago area to the field of Information Technology. They are exposed to the concepts of computers and trained to develop web-based applications. The program encourages them to seek higher levels of education and grooms them to become the next generation of IT professionals.

BDPA Chicago worked with the 7-step funding process used by BETF to successfully obtain this $3,700 grant. BETF is hopeful that the funding will be helpful. We also hope that the other 44 chapters will contact us by email, LinkedIn Network, YahooGroup, Facebook, YouTube or our Groupsite!

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) learned that we have donors making payroll deductions via the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. We are very pleased to see more BDPA members taking advantage of the United Way to support our programs and services.

Have you considered the idea of payroll deductions to support BDPA?

Anheuser-Busch Foundation

Anheuser-Busch Companies has two philanthropic arms: The Anheuser-Busch Foundation and the Anheuser-Busch Corporate Giving Program. Both funds are operated by the same people, out of the same office in St. Louis, MO. Both concentrate giving in the 16 communities where the company has plenty of employees and a high-visibility community presence. The geographic areas of interest are: Fairfield, Los Angeles, and San Diego, CA, Fort Collins, CO, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa, FL, Cartersville, GA, St. Louis, MO, Merrimack, NH, Newark, NJ, Baldwinsville, NY, Columbus, OH, Houston and San Antonio, TX, and Williamsburg, VA.

Both the Foundation and the Corporate Giving Program give to both general charitable purposes and to support the company's business goals. However, the Corporate Giving Program's grantees are more closely and clearly alligned with the company's business operations.

The Anheuser-Busch Foundation, established by the Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., supports a variety of organizations. The foundation was established in Nov. 1975 and is located in St Louis, Missouri. The foundation's primary purpose is to support education, the environment, arts and culture, health and human services, minorities, and youth. The Foundation gives to United Way agencies and higher education; support for youth, community development, the arts, and health agencies.

If we do not hear from a local chapter interested in partnering with us on a grant proposal to Anheuser-Busch in support of 2010 SITES program ... then we will submit a proposal to them in support of the Bemley Scholarship Fund. It appears that our BDPA chapters in Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, St. Louis, New Jersey, Columbus and Houston are on the clock.

This Week in BDPA (Mar 14-20)

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.

Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar:

• Mar 16: Greater Birmingham - Program Meeting, 'Job Market in Today's Economy'


• Mar 18: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'Financial Mastery 101: Getting Your Financial House in Order'


• Mar 20: Los Angeles - Program Meeting, 'Wordpress ... Do It Yourself Websites'

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.

Grant Proposal: EMC Corporate Community Involvement (Los Angeles)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Los Angeles chapter submitted a grant application to the EMC Corporate Community Involvement team in accordance with their funding practices. We hope to have a response within the next six (6) weeks or so.

Our request was in support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in southern California. Wish us luck!

Grant Declination: Starbucks Foundation

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) recently learned that our letter of inquiry to Starbucks Foundation was unsuccessful.

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Dear BDPA Education and Technology Foundation,

Thank you for submitting a letter of inquiry. We appreciate the time you and your organization took to complete the online letter of inquiry.
Unfortunately, your organization was not selected to submit a full grant application.

As we receive many more letter of inquiries than we are able to fund each cycle, this grant review process has become increasingly competitive and we regret that we cannot support every worthy organization.

We thank you for your interest in the Starbucks Foundation. We wish you ongoing success in your efforts to improve the lives of those you serve.

Sincerely,
The Starbucks Foundation Team

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BETF will continue to seek funding to support BDPA programs on both a national and local (45 cities) basis.

Letter of Inquiry * Wal-Mart Community Grants

BDPA Triangle talked with Wal-Mart store managers in the Raleigh/Durham NC area about their SITES program. BETF agreed to partner with the chapter to complete community grant applications to each store. The cover letter and community grant application is being hand-delivered by the chapter leadership.

Has your chapter approached the local store manager in your area about funding? Let us know if you want BETF support in your efforts to obtain a community grant from your local Wal-Mart store manager.

Personally, I think that all 45 chapters should be going after this one!

Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison (SCE) places a high priority on enhancing the ability of individual communities to come together and address their needs and create opportunities for their future. SCE is particularly supportive of organizations that are rooted in their communities and whose boards and staffs are drawn from them. Community-based organizations take many forms and address many needs. What they have in common is a dedication to helping the vulnerable or underserved and in celebrating the diversity and possibilities of their communities.

Funding Cycles -- Applications will only be accepted during the following funding cycles in 2010:

• Application Cycle 1 — February 1 through February 28, 2010
  
• Application Cycle 2 — May 1 through May 31, 2010
  
• Application Cycle 3 — August 1 through August 31, 2010

Funding requests generally take between six and eight weeks to review. Edison's corporate giving priorities are: education (math, science and engineering); environment; and underserved populations.

Make sure to review contribution guidelines before submitting a request.

Fluor Foundation

The Fluor Foundation has a long history of investing in communities, nonprofit organizations, and education. Since its inception in 1952, the foundation, along with Fluor Corporation, has contributed more than $125 million to projects around the world. In 2007, Fluor Corporation and the Fluor Foundation contributed a combined total of $6.5 million to community organizations and educational initiatives in 17 countries.

Fluor considers requests for operating, program, capital, or endowment support. Priority is given to organizations that feature employee volunteer participation.

Application Process -- Nongovernmental organizations or educational institutions wishing to request funding should make an initial inquiry in the form of a two to three-page letter. If the proposal is of interest to Fluor, additional information will be requested. Requests are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Fluor Corporation receives many more worthwhile requests than can be funded. Consequently, contributions can only be made to a percentage of organizations considered. Up to two months should be allowed for a reply.

The letter should be sent to the local Fluor community relations contacts. All other proposals:

Suzanne Esber, Executive Director
Fluor Foundation
3 Polaris Way
Aliso Viejo, CA 92698

Is your nonprofit interested in exploring this funding opportunity?

Harris Foundation

The Harris Foundation plays a primary role in Harris Corporation's philanthropic activities in their commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. While each of their offices and facilities worldwide supports local efforts in their individual communities, the Harris Foundation provides funding from a corporate perspective.

Quality education is Harris Corporation's primary philanthropic platform. In non-educational fields, the Foundation gives priority to requests from local community organizations that serve the health, welfare, civic and cultural needs of Harris employees and families.

Support from the Harris Foundation is provided to organizations through employee gift matching programs and direct contributions.

• Employee Gift Matching Programs -- The Harris Foundation offers two gift matching programs to Harris employees to support their contributions to qualified educational institutions and approved community organizations. These programs allow employees to multiply their contributions, providing organizations with additional funding.


• Direct Contributions -- The Harris Foundation does not advertise or solicit requests for giving. Employees are encouraged to advise Harris Corporate Relations or their management of charities in which they are involved or knowledgeable. To apply for funding, an organization whose purpose is consistent with the objectives of the Foundation must submit a written proposal. Proposals are then reviewed and decided upon by the Foundation's Board of Trustees.

In general, organizations and projects should be located in communities where Harris employees live and work. Each organization is limited to one contribution per year, except in unusual circumstances. Applicant organizations should have active, diverse boards, effective leadership, continuity and efficiency of administration. Support for capital campaigns ("bricks and mortar") are given priority.

Proposals should be received by the Foundation in the February-March timeframe to be considered for funding for the next fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Proposals will be accepted throughout the year, however funding is limited for those contributions not included in our annual budget. You will be contacted once a decision has been made.

Proposals need to be clear, concise and include the following information:

1. Date
2. Name, address, telephone number, and fax number of the organization making the request
3. Name and direct phone number of a contact person at the organization
4. Amount requested of Harris. Is this a yearly or one-time request?
5. Brief description of the organization and its goals
6. Purpose of project or campaign, total goal, portion of the total already on hand, who will benefit from the project and a brief description of how the funding will be used. Note: The Harris Foundation does not fund operational costs: Salary, travel, accounting, license fees, maintenance and repairs, office expenses, utilities, insurance, and property management and taxes
7. Why this is a critical need in your community
8. How this project or service relates to the fields of math and science
9. Why Harris should contribute to this cause. What is the benefit to Harris. How will Harris be recognized. Is there an opportunity for Harris employees to volunteer/participate
10. What other organizations are providing similar support and how
11. How many Harris employees or family members are members of the organization
12. How many Harris employees or family members might benefit from this project and how
13. In addition to this campaign, are funds also being sought or obtained from others such as governmental bodies, United Way, etc. If so, to what degree.
14. 501(c)(3) non-profit status. Please provide a copy of the Federal IRS 501(c)(3) letter of authorization

Submit proposals via e-mail to harris.foundation@harris.com or via U.S. Mail to:

The Harris Foundation
1025 West NASA Boulevard, M/S A-11P
Melbourne, Florida 32919
Does your BDPA chapter have any Harris Corporation employees in its membership? In any case, it appears that Harris headquarters' are co-located with BDPA chapters in Albany, Cincinnati and Orlando.

Classroom to the Boardroom: Jose Santiago (2005 HSCC Alumni)

I'm convinced that BDPA is an organization that should be part of the toolkit for anyone ... especially people of color ... that seek to advance their careers in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom.

Jose Santiago is a prime example. Jose was a member of the 2005 high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA New Jersey chapter. His team took home the bronze medal from the national HSCC championships held that year in Detroit.

Jose graduated from Science High School in 2006 ... and he is on target to graduate from the New Jersey Institute of Technology later this year. In the meantime, he became an entrepreneur. Jose is owner of Binary Development, a web development company.

He recently entered a competition called 'Campus CEO'. This competition pits current and aspiring entrepreneurs in high school and college against one another for the opportunity to win cash, prizes, and free consulting for the growth of their company, as well attention from potential investors.

Jose was one of 10 semi-finalists. We should learn shortly if he became one of the five (5) finalists that will present an elevator pitch at an awards luncheon scheduled for the last day of March in a last ditch effort to out do one another before the winners are announced that day.

The list of competitors links to the details of each one, with his submission being 6th on the list under the name Binary Development.

Share some 'BDPA-Love' with our HSCC alum! Are there other examples of 'classroom to boardroom' around the nation?

Second Chance Mentoring Grants

Grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded under the FY 2010 Second Chance Act Mentoring Grants to Nonprofit Organizations, administered by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Call (877) 464-2066 for additional information.

Letter of Inquiry * IBM (Eastern Region)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Baton Rouge sent a 2-page letter of inquiry to the IBM corporate citizenship manager in their Eastern Region. Our submission was in accordance with IBM guidelines.

IBM has been a leader in corporate social responsibility for nearly 100 years, contributing technology, talent and cash to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions around the world. Their activities are designed to help people to become smarter, and to develop future leaders capable of improving the quality of life for themselves and their communities — making for a smarter planet.

We are hopeful that IBM will smile favorably on our inquiry. Do we have any BDPA supporters working at IBM?

Volunteer Grant: Microsoft Employee Giving Campaign

Stephanie Lampkin works for Microsoft and she represented BDPA Washington DC in the 2000 national BDPA HSCC championship. I had a chance to see Stephanie at the 2009 BDPA technology conference held in Raleigh, NC (that's us in the photo).

We were pleased to see that Stephanie still supports BDPA as evidenced by the Microsoft Volunteer Grant that she processed on our behalf. Her volunteer hours were converted into a cash grant provided to us by the Microsoft Employee Giving Campaign.

We wish much success to Stephanie as she continues her career progression within Microsoft! And we hope that other BDPA leaders at local and national level will explore possibility of applying for a Volunteer Grant with their employer.

BAE Systems

BAE Systems supports charitable programs and activities that promote the well-being and quality of life of their employees and of the members of the armed forces and their families, and invest in the communities where their employees live and work.

To be considered for funding, an organization must be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity. Priority consideration will be given to national-level programs or local activities with an established presence in a BAE Systems community.

Here is the contact for more information on BAE Systems North America's corporate giving programs:


Public Affairs & Communications Office
BAE Systems North America
1601 Research Boulevard
Rockville, Maryland 20850

In addition to their national corporate programs, there are many local organizations that have captured the hearts of BAE Systems employees and play important roles in their communities. By and large, the majority of their charitable and sponsorship activity takes place in the local communities where their employees live and work.

It appears that we have BDPA chapters co-located with BAE Systems in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Grant Declination: Walgreens Foundation (BDPA Baltimore)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Baltimore chapter on a grant proposal to Walgreens Foundation. We recently learned that our proposal was declined.

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March 2, 2010

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for submitting your proposal to the Walgreen Company.

Due to Walgreen's commitments to numerous single disease agencies, social services agencies, and educational programs, we are unable to provide funding for your project.

This certainly is no reflection of your efforts, but is simply a decision based on increasing demands and limited funds. Sincerely,

Amy S. Lytle
Walgreen Company
Administrative Assistant

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We will continue to aggressively pursue funding for BDPA on a local and national level. We are open to your ideas and suggestions. What say u?

Payroll Pledge: WellPoint Associate Giving Campaign

Members of the BDPA Richmond chapter that work for WellPoint are taking advantage of payroll deduction process to support the youth education program in Richmond. We are grateful to Yiddy Chaves, Corlon Ford, Wanda McGee, Justine Turner and Eric Wingate. These five WellPoint employees are making donations to BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) that are being deposited into restricted fund used for Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Richmond VA.

The best thing about this funding strategy is that WellPoint Foundation adds an additional 50% matching gift to the payroll deductions from its employees.

We truly hope that all BDPA members and supporters who work for WellPoint will consider following the lead of Yiddy, Corlon, Wanda, Justine and Eric!

Does your employer allow for you to make tax-deductible payroll deductions to the nonprofit of your choice?

Grant Proposal: Goodrich Foundation (Los Angeles)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) partnered with BDPA Los Angeles chapter on a grant proposal to the Goodrich Foundation. We requested $4,000 in funding to support the Student Information Technology & Scholarship (SITES) program in southern California. We hope to have a response within 90 days.

The Goodrich Foundation was formed in 1988. The Foundation's principal was established through a contribution by Goodrich Corporation. The Foundation considers proposals that help junior high and high school students and teachers understand the relevance of math and science to society. The Foundation is supportive of efforts to link math and science taught in classrooms to application of these disciplines in the workplace.

The Foundation provides support to charitable organizations serving the needs of the public in Goodrich Corporation's United States headquarters and plant communities, to selected educational institutions and selected national groups. BDPA chapters are co-located with Goodrich sites in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Dayton, Gr. Columbia, Gr. Tampa Bay, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, No. Virginia, So. Florida and Twin Cities.

The Goodrich Foundation staff reviews grant requests quarterly. Deadlines for proposals are March 1 and August 1. Decisions are made by the members of the Goodrich Foundation Board of Trustees, who meet several times per year. Proposals funded in one year are not always assured of future funding.

Because the Foundation receives far more proposals than it can possibly support, many requests are declined and every effort is made to provide notification of the Foundation's decision within 90 days.

Please let us know if you are aware of any other corporate foundations that we should reach out to for funding support.

Grant Declination: Darden Restaurants Foundation

BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Atlanta chapter submitted a grant proposal to Darden Restaurants Foundation in support of the chapter's youth education programs. We recently learned that Darden Restaurants Foundation was not going to be able to financially support our grant proposal. They wrote:

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Thank you for your recent request for a Darden Restaurants Foundation grant.

We wish we could fund every request we receive, but due to budgetary restrictions, we are unable to respond favorably to your request at this time.

Thank you for thinking of Darden Restaurants Foundation!

Sincerely,
Patty DeYoung
Executive Administrator

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Despite this grant declination ... we still encourage all BDPA supporters to eat at Darden-owned restaurants when you have inclination to do so. However, next time you are there speak with the manager about donating some vittles to your local chapter's weekend traning efforts!

PG&E Corporation Foundation

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Foundation’s goal is to be the leading corporate citizen in the diverse communities they serve. In recent years PG&E Corporation Foundation donated about $19 million to charitable organizations, representing 1.2 percent of pre-tax earnings from operations. The company’s charitable contributions program are funded entirely by shareholders and have no impact on electricity or gas prices.

Their goal is that 75% of total grant-making dollars assist underserved communities. In general, this includes:

1. Persons with low incomes
   
2. People of color
   
3. Senior citizens
   
4. Persons with disabilities
   
5. The LGBT community

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, Mar 2010)

BDPA took a positive step towards “Taking Membership to the Next Level” when Mildred Allen was appointed to serve as National BDPA Vice President (Membership Management).

I have known Mildred for a number of years. We served together on the National BDPA Board of Directors when she was president of the BDPA Greater Columbia chapter. We also worked together when she served in other national leadership positions within Membership Management, Member Services and on a number of conference teams. Mildred has been successful in BDPA because of her passion for its mission and her personal skillset. She will be a wonderful asset to BDPA in her new role.

Mildred's appointment comes at a critical time for our organization. We have less members than at any time since Feb 2002.

The 45 BDPA chapters in BDPA-nation average 37 members (down 2 from last month).

There is some good news in the membership numbers. We welcome BDPA Richmond (president, Jamar Arvin) back into the top ten list for first time since January. In addition, BDPA New York (president, Judaea Lane) moved up four spots in the rankings since last month.

BDPA Detroit (president, Markita Payne) and BDPA Dallas (president, Chris Johnson) each dropped one spot in the rankings since last quarter.

BDPA Cincinnati (president, Wanda Gray) dropped off the top 10 list this month.

Finally, we celebrate the fact that BDPA Chicago (president, Pamela Sexton) maintains its place as the largest chapter in the nation for the 35th month in a row!

The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 3/1/2010 are:

1. Chicago
   
2. Triangle
   
3. Philadelphia
   
4. Atlanta
   
5. Southern Minnesota
   
6. New York - (jumped 4 places since last month)
   
7. Detroit(dropped one place since last month)
   
8. Dallas - (dropped one place since last month)
   
9. New Jersey
   
10. Richmond - (jumped one place since last month)

The first three (3) chapters on this list are in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 263 members!

Feel free to ask about the ranking of your chapter. In the meantime, we would love to know what you think about membership in BDPA?