Oracle Scholarship Winner in Baton Rouge

BDPA recently announced that 11 students from around the nation were BDPA/Oracle Scholarship winners this year. Melvin Givens, a BDPA Baton Rouge student member, is one of those scholarship winners.

Melvin Givens

Melvin is an active participant in the BDPA Baton Rouge computer training class. In fact, during the summer of 2010, he became one of the youngest people in the state of Louisiana to to earn his A+ Certification as a Computer Technician.

Melvin began on his list of impressive achievements at a young age. He began playing soccer at age 7, and continues to do so. At age 8, he won the state wrestling championship. He received multiple football awards during his school football career, which began in 2nd grade and continued until he opted to retire after his junior year to focus more on academics.

Melvin has been quite busy academically, as well. In the 8th grade, he was presented the Student of the Year award at Crestworth Middle School in Baton Rouge. He is a member of the National Honor Society, has been presented the Most Outstanding Award in Algebra II, the Most Outstanding Award in Advanced Math I, an Engineering Award, and maintains a 4.3 GPA. Earlier this year, he earned the honor of 'valedictorian' of his senior class at Scotlandville Magnet High School.

While keeping busy with sports and academics, Melvin has not neglected his community. He is a member of the Team Spirit at school, a group whose goal is to assist in the prevention of underage drinking, the use of drugs, impaired driving, and violence on campus. He is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Explorer, which allows him to assist paramedics in providing medical services, and volunteered at the Helouin Veterinarian Clinic during the summer of 2010.

Melvin does currently have unfinished business. In addition to facing graduation and a valedictorian speech, Melvin has been recommended for Louisiana State University’s La-STEM Research Scholars Program. The purpose of this program is to examine those factors which contribute to the success of high ability students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas. He is currently awaiting news of his acceptance.

And, finally (for now), Melvin is a member of Scotlandville Magnet High School’s Moon Buggy Team. The team created a two-member vehicle to be used in NASA’s moon buggy competition. This is a competition in which high school and college students across the country build two-man vehicles to use on an obstacle course provided by NASA that is supposed to simulate the moon. The main point of the competition is to see which team can complete the course the fastest. High school and college participants are separated into two categories and each vehicle must be operated by a male and female. He leaves for NASA on March 30, 2011 with his team for this, his second, competition. We wish them luck!

As you can see, Melvin keeps busy and excels at all he does. It is the belief of BDPA Baton Rouge chapter that he is very deserving of this $5000 BDPA/Oracle scholarship. Melvin, though his plate is full, is a very committed member of BDPA. He attended last year’s conference in Philadelphia, and is making plans to go to Chicago this year. Melvin is one of BDPA’s bright and shining stars, and we are very proud of him!

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NOTE: You can help us raise college scholarship money for Melvin and other students in our BDPA Baton Rouge chapter by clicking here --> http://www.crowdrise.com/BDPABatonRouge!

BDPA Founder Earl Pace Named to CompTIA Hall of Fame

Earl Pace is the newest member of the Information Technology (IT) Hall of Fame administered by CompTIA. Earl's selection into the IT Hall of Fame is a result of his visionary leadership that resulted in racial diversity within the IT industry.

Previous inductees into this IT Hall of Fame include Michael Dell (Dell), Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Steve Jobs (Apple).

In addition to Earl, the IT Hall of Fame Class of 2011 includes the late Phil Katz, creator of the .ZIP file format, and the CompTIA A+ Originators, the group that guided the development of CompTIA A+ certification, which has become the de facto industry standard benchmark for core skills and knowledge required of entry-level IT workers.

The 2011 IT Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the CompTIA Annual Member Meeting on April 7 in Chicago.

Building on the legacy of an earlier hall of fame established by the respected industry publication CRN, the new IT Hall of Fame consists of two wings: the IT Channel Wing for individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided outstanding service to the IT channel; and the IT Innovators Wing, recognizing individuals responsible for outstanding technology innovations. Any individual, living or deceased, who has pioneered or uniquely helped the IT channel flourish or who is responsible for a major IT innovation, is eligible for induction.

Please join all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating our founder, Earl Pace, for this glorious honor!

Black Faces in White Places: Becoming a Game Changer in a Competitive World

Randal D. Pinkett, PhD, MBA, and leaders in philanthropy, education, community building, and social entrepreneurship gathered earlier this year to discuss strategies for Black men and boys to "redefine the game" at work, at home, and in their communities.   Here is a video of the entire event:





The event was hosted by the Open Society Campaign for Black Male Achievement, in partnership with the Association of Black Foundation Executives, the 21st Century Foundation and the Schott Foundation for Public Education Black Male Donor Collaborative.

In their book Black Faces in White Places, authors Randal D. Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson seek to answer the question "What happens once you break past the glass ceiling?" Based on interviews with dozens of prominent African Americans and the authors' considerable experiences in business, in the public eye, and in the minority, the book offers 10 "game-changing strategies" for learning, playing, mastering, and redefining the game for the current generation. Ultimately, it is about changing the very concept of success itself.

Panelists

• Nicole Sharpe, Director, Schott Foundation for Public Education Black Male Donor Collaborative (moderator)
• Susan Taylor Batten, President/CEO, Association of Black Foundation Executives
• Chandra Anderson, Interim President, 21st Century Foundation
• Roger Blissett, Managing Director, US Strategy, RBC Capital Markets
• Michael Lewis, Member, Hunter College's Black Male Initiative Program

Grant Recipient: BDPA New York ($500)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to award $500 grant funding to BDPA New York chapter as part of the disbursement of our $25,000 American Honda Foundation grant. BDPA New York chapter earned this funding as a direct result of the college scholarships that they provided to Cazemba Richards and Alan Rosales.

Cazemba and Alan

Cazemba competed in four (4) National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships between 2007-2010.   Alan joined Cazemba in the last three (3) championships between 2008-2010.  Both earned Jesse Bemley Scholarships as a result of the high performance by their team in the 2009 HSCC championship held in Raleigh, NC.    

The American Honda Foundation grant is partially funding the scholarship that Cazemba is using to study computer science at Clarkson University as well as the scholarship used by Alan to study biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester.

BDPA New York chapter president Renetta English and chapter VP-Finance Wanda Jackson approached BETF for this $500 funding and it was approved within a two weeks. BETF looks forward to helping all 45 local BDPA chapters with fundraising for their STEM-based programs.

Matching Gift: MillerCoors

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to learn that an anonymous employee at MillerCoors made a payroll pledge to us during the company's employee giving campaign. The payroll pledge was collected by the United Way of Rockingham County.

The pleasant surprise is that MillerCoors provided a 50% matching gift bonus on top of what the employee donated!

Very cool!

Cleveland Foundation

The Cleveland Foundation is the community foundation serving Greater Cleveland, including Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties. It is comprised of more than 800 funds representing individuals, families, organizations and corporations. Its mission is to enhance the lives of all residents of Greater Cleveland, now and for generations to come, by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking and providing leadership on key community issues.

The Foundation's assets total more than $1.6 billion and as the region's largest grantmaking organization, more than $83 million were distributed annually to nonprofit organizations, mainly in Greater Cleveland. Grants are made through various funding approaches, which include: Greater Cleveland's Vital Issues, Community Responsive Grants, and Donor Engaged Grantmaking.

Grantmaking: The Cleveland Foundation makes most of its grants to tax-exempt (private agencies classified as 501(c)(3) organizations) public charities as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Some grants are also made to government agencies. Grant to organizations fall within two categories:

1. Proactive: About two-thirds of grantmaking dollars are awarded proactively in areas judged most vital to Greater Cleveland's future. Grants in these areas are generally made to their long-term partners with the goal of creating significant, widespread impact.
2. Responsive: The rest of The Cleveland Foundation grants are made in response to direct requests from the community. In general, responsive grants are made (but not restricted to) the areas of Arts and Culture, Civic Affairs, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health and Social Services.

The BDPA Insider - March 27, 2011

The BDPA Insider - March 27, 2011 

What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:

1. 2011 National BDPA  Conference Registration Now Open
2. BDPA Columbus Students Go Virtual in Their Computer Camp Training
3. Earl Wilkerson Named 'Outstanding Volunteer of the Year' by Media General
4. IT Boot Camps Teach New Ideas and Technologies
5. Navy to Build a Fleet of Robots with 3D Printers
6. Sid the Science Kid

Find the buzz on Twitter BDPA: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=BDPA

Grant Recipient: BDPA Richmond ($4,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) recently approved a $4,000 grant request from BDPA Richmond chapter. The funds will be used to cover chapter expenses involved in training the high school computer competition (HSCC) students that will travel to Chicago later this year to compete in the 2011 National BDPA HSCC Championship.

BDPA Richmond chapter works aggressively with BETF to raise funds. They encourage their chapter members and leaders to make payroll deductions via United Way of Greater Richmond and other employee giving campaigns. As a result, there is a regular flow in payroll deductions that flow into BETF treasury to support BDPA programs and services in the greater Richmond area.

Also, the chapter took advantage of BETF suggestion to create a HSCC Scholarship Fund on Crowdrise to increase online donations. BETF looks forward to seeing a strong team from Richmond in the national HSCC championship later this year!

Earl Wilkerson Named 'Outstanding Volunteer of the Year' by Media General

BDPA member Earl Wilkerson has been named 2010 Outstanding Volunteer for Media General’s Richmond headquarters. The award was established to reward the employee who contributed the most time to company-sponsored events in 2010. Earl is shown in this photo accepting his award from Media General's CEO Marshall Morton.

Earl consistently and enthusiastically participated in the volunteer projects conducted last year and his dedication to volunteering led him to be nominated for the Richmond headquarters Employee Involvement Team.

“It is easy to understand why Earl has so many friends at MG. Just talk to him for a few moments and you’ll realize he genuinely cares about people and his community,” said Rich Husick, intranet web manager.

Earl was presented with a certificate and a gift card to The Boathouse restaurant. In addition, the company will make a $500 donation to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).

In addition to being a valued member of the Media General information technology department ... Earl is also a valued member of BDPA Richmond chapter. Earl was the lead instructor last year for the team of students trained by BDPA Richmond chapter to compete in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships held in Philadelphia PA.

BETF joins with all of BDPA-nation to congratulate Earl on this wonderful recognition!

And we encourage you to demonstrate your appreciation for his volunteer efforts by making a donation to the BDPA Richmond HSCC Scholarship Fund!

Regions Bank Community Foundation

Regions Bank Community Foundation is committed to education as a means of helping young people prepare for the future. They sponsor financial literacy programs in grades pre-K through 12, with preference given to schools serving low and moderate-income communities. Also included in this focus are higher education initiatives, teacher training programs, and capital campaigns, particularly those relevant to business or the banking industry.

Sponsorships that do not support a nonprofit organization may be considered as marketing initiatives and not part of the Regions Charitable Giving Program.

Each organization considered for the Regions Charitable Giving Program must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and be located in a state where Regions does business. For full consideration, the requesting organization should direct a written proposal to the Regions city president in the area being served. Proposals should include:

• A copy of the organization's 501(c)(3) determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
  
• A one- to two-page letter, on the letterhead stationery of the organization, explaining the request and its purpose.
  
• A current list of board members for the requesting organization.
  
• The organization's most recently audited financial statement.
  
• Any additional information or documentation supporting the request.

Proposals are considered throughout the year, with decisions made in approximately 30-45 days.

Since this funding source operates in a decentralized fashion ... BETF is comfortable submitting multiple grant proposals on behalf of multiple chapters. However, it is up to your chapter to identify the Regions city president in your area. We need contact information for that local Regions president in order to submit our grant proposal.

Do you know BDPA members or chapters that do their banking with Regions Bank?

Campbell Soup Foundation

The Campbell Soup Foundation is providing community support grants to local champions that inspire positive change in communities throughout the United States where Campbell Soup Company employees live and work. Two of the focus areas for the Foundation are education and community revitalization.

Geographic focus includes:

1. Camden, New Jersey – The Foundation invests in Camden initiatives that not only bring positive change to the people they serve, but also improves the quality of life for the entire Camden, New Jersey, community.
2. U.S. Plant Communities – The Foundation supports the communities where Campbell Soup Company has facilities by funding programs that provide tangible results for local residents.

There is no formal deadline for submitting grant proposals as they are accepted year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis. The Foundation limits grants to nonprofit organizations which are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

All submitted proposals are screened by the Foundation’s staff to determine whether the requests fall in the defined focus areas and meet the evaluation criteria. Proposals meeting the criteria are reviewed in detail. Qualifying proposals are then presented to the Board of Trustees for final determination.

The review process for restricted grants may take up to three months. If longer, the applicant will be notified.

BETF is willing to partner with eligible BDPA chapters or national BDPA business area that is a good match for this funding source. Are you interested?

Raytheon Charitable Giving Through Payroll Deduction

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is grateful to the employees of Raytheon who are making donations through payroll deductions. Raytheon encourages its employees to make contributions to the communities in which they live and work. These payroll deductions make up a significant portion of Raytheon’s community impact.

BDPA Los Angeles chapter president John Malonson is a member of the Raytheon team. He is using their payroll deduction program to support programs and services provided by his chapter.

BETF is hopeful that all BDPA supporters that work in Corporate America will consider making payroll deduction donations in the coming weeks and months.

BP Fabric of America Fund

In the US, the BP Fabric of America Employee Fund is a program that provides a tangible way for BP employees to engage in giving personally and make a difference in their communities. Under the program, employees in communities across the country request that BP America make a $300 contribution to a non-profit organization. Donations are made on the employee's behalf, subject to the non-profit organization meeting BP’s selection criteria, and do not require any matching contribution by the employee.

This is a fundraising ‘no-brainer’. Does your chapter have any BP employees in it?

BDPA Columbus Students Go Virtual in Their Computer Camp Training

Philena Rush

BDPA Columbus chapter member Philena Rush is using her knowledge of virtual reality to create a new venue for computer science training for middle school and high school students in Ohio. We decided that it made sense to create a virtual reality landing place for BDPA inside of Second Life -- the major virtual reality platform on the Internet.

I asked Philena to share some insights on how BDPA supporters who have never been in a virtual reality platform could go to their computer and see what is taking place within BDPA Columbus chapter.

This is what she had to say:

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1. The first step is to Join Second Life
• One of the steps in the process involves downloading and installing the Second Life Viewer program. This is what allows you to access the Nonprofit Commons and our virtual island location inside Second Life.
• Simply download the software when you are taken to the page where it asks you to download it and click on it and it will walk you through its installation.
2. Once it is installed and you open it, use the login name you chose to log into the software.

• You will be taken to a location where you will have your starting point.
  From there, to get to the Nonprofit Commons, go to Aloft Gateway
• Or check out my picks BETF Afterthought.
• For extra pointers, read the Quick Start Guide.
3. A collection of official video tutorials for beginners is available on Second Life's YouTube Channel.
4. Tips and Tricks:
If you are accessing Second Life from your place of employment, please check into your firewall policies, as your workplace firewall may prevent access.
• Choose your Second Life name wisely, as this will be how people will identify you and refer to you as you interact with Second Life.
• The way your avatar appears when you start is completely modifiable. Don't fret about the default avatar you choose.
• The Second Life Wiki is your best friend, search it when you have any questions about Second Life, it is where we look when we are asked questions about it.
5. Here's a jog I made for BDPA Teens in Virtual Worlds

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This blog has shared insights about Second Life in the past. I was surprised to learn that so few BDPA members or supporters were on Second Life.

Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation

Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation is committed to a program of philanthropy that supports the Corporation’s strategic business goals and invests in the quality of life in the communities where their employees work and live. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the Corporation employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Lockheed Martin’s philanthropic activities are administered by the communications representatives at the Corporation's operating units around the country and through the Corporation’s foundation at corporate headquarters.

In general, philanthropic contributions to national initiatives and organizations are made from corporate headquarters and contributions to local programs are made by Lockheed Martin sites close to the program.

Applications are accepted year-round. Evaluations are quarterly at corporate headquarters and many facilities. Some facilities prefer receiving applications in the second half of the year to consider for the following year's budget.

To be considered for grant funding, organizations must:

1. Have a non-profit tax exempt classification under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or be a public elementary/secondary school, or be a qualifying US-based institute of higher education
2. Align with one or more of Lockheed Martin’s focus areas: Education, Customer & Constituent Relations, and Community Outreach
3. Be located or operate in a community in which Lockheed Martin has employees. Company operations in: MD, AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, LA, MN, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA, AR, HI, IL, MA, NE, NV, NH, OK, SC, WA, WV.
4. Each organization is limited to one grant per year, except in unusual circumstances
5. Demonstrate fiscal and administrative responsibility and stability and have an active, diverse board, effective leadership, continuity and efficiency of administration

Lockheed Martin will provide consideration to requests that best address the focus area targets and reflect the organizations effective leadership, fiscal responsibility, and programmatic success.

Is your chapter, business area or nonprofit organization interested in exploring this funding opportunity?

Federal Government's CIO Vivek Kundra Explains How 'Sunshine = Savings'

Federal CIO Vivek Kundra takes to the White House White Board to talk about Good Government. He uses this video to explain how the IT Dashboard website helped save $3 billion in taxpayer funds through transparency.







Have any BETF-Blog Readers found value in the IT Dashboard?

Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation

Since 1948, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation has played an integral role in the philanthropic efforts of the company. Their mission is to release the potential in people to strengthen their communities and advance sustainability.

Weyerhaeuser made the company's first charitable contribution in 1903. Since the creation of the foundation in 1948, company employees who serve as advisers of the foundation have carefully directed more than $206 million in donations.

The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, through its employee advisory committees, designates a portion of its charitable giving to community organizations in Weyerhaeuser locations who are working to create better places to live, work and play. These advisory committees make funding recommendations to the foundation, ensuring their grant recommendations are aligned with the mission of the foundation. Funding priorities include a variety of education, health and human services, arts and culture, civic, environment or community improvement efforts.

To be considered for funding by a local advisory committees, a program must serve the community within a 50-mile radius of a major Weyerhaeuser facility.

BETF research shows that we have co-located BDPA chapters in the following cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Seattle, St. Louis, Triangle, Twin Cities and Washington DC.

Microsoft Curriculum Donation Program

Microsoft Community Affairs worked with a number of BDPA chapters (Chicago, Greater Columbia, Memphis, New Jersey, New York, Seattle and Twin Cities) in their Curriculum Donation Program.

Despite incredible advances in innovation and the proliferation of personal computers over the past decade, 90 percent of the world’s population still lacks access to the technology tools they need to compete in today’s “knowledge economy.”

To address this issue, Microsoft actively seeks to partner with non-governmental organizations, governments, and others to find innovative product or community investment strategies that can increase technology access and software availability for individuals and communities around the world.

There are 2 choices of curriculum.

1. Unlimited Potential Curriculum
2. Digital Literacy Curriculum

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

IBM Announces Smarter Cities Challenge Grant Recipients

IBM has selected twenty-four cities to receive inaugural Smarter Cities Challenge grants. The grants will provide each city with IBM technology and services valued at $400,000.

Over the next three years, the Smarter Cities Challenge initiative will award a total of $50 million to one hundred cities around the world. Officials of the winning city will receive recommendations designed to support successful growth, better and more efficient delivery of municipal services, and increased citizen engagement. Issues to be examined include health care, education, safety, transportation, communications, sustainability, budget management, energy, and utilities. Applicants in this funding round proposed a wide range of projects, though a consistent theme was the desire to collect, share, analyze, and act on data such as school test scores, crime statistics, foot and vehicle traffic counts, library usage, and tax revenues.

To address that need, IBM experts will help familiarize recipients with its City Forward Web site, which uses urban statistics to rate cities' comparative performance across a range of categories. According to a 2008 United Nations report, more than half the world's population is now living in cities, making the need for effective urban management greater than ever.

"We selected these cities because of their commitment to the use of data to make better decisions, and for their desire to explore and act on smarter solutions to their most pressing concerns," said Stanley S. Litow, vice president of corporate citizenship and corporate affairs at IBM. "The cities we picked are eager to implement programs that tangibly improve the quality of life in their areas, and to create road maps for other cities to follow. The stakes have never been greater, but we're excited at the prospect of helping cities tackle the most pressing challenges of our time."

For a complete list of Smarter Cities Challenge grant recipients, visit the IBM Web site.

Any thoughts on how BDPA can get engaged with IBM on this Smarter Cities Challenge?

BDPA Richmond Chapter Overview

This is the PowerPoint presentation shared by BDPA Richmond chapter president Christopher Parker at the chapter's recent program meeting.

BDPA Richmond Chapter Overview

View more presentations from BDPA Foundation

Anything that you would like to see added, deleted or revised in this presentation?

The BDPA Insider - March 20, 2011

 

The BDPA Insider - March 20, 2011

What better way to start the day than with your weekly message from BDPA!

In this issue:

1. BDPA Cincinnati Announces New Board Leadership
2. bdpatoday – Chapter Edition – March 2011
3. How to Export Your Facebook Contacts To an Email Address Book
4. HP Slate 500: Touching & Rubbing on Windows 7
5. Message from BDPA Atlanta Chapter President
6. Message from BDPA New York Chapter President
7. Message from BDPA Richmond Chapter President
8. Multicultural Youth Study

Click here to visit the "The BDPA Insider" Archives.

Spokeo is a Spooky Application That Threatens Your Privacy

My cousin sent me a warning yesterday about a website called Spokeo. It is essentially a 'Big Brother' version of the old fashioned Yellow Pages. You input the name of anyone that you know ... and Spokeo responds with basic contact information, information about your real estate property, satellite photo of your house, estimates your net worth and pulls in photos and comments from various social media platforms.

Spokeo had two entries for me. One was from a work address and the other was from my personal address. I took the steps needed to have my name removed from the Spokeo directory ... and I suggest that all villagers do the same.

Spokeo gives away almost everything about you to any Tom, Dick or Harry that wants to learn about you. All of your private information and net worth along with location of your home, complete with contact information and your social network can be made available for as little as $2.95 per month for all of the sophisticated bill collectors, crooks, degenerates and robbers out there. Not cool.

Removing your name from Spokeo is not difficult:

1. Search for yourself on Spokeo
2. Find and copy the URL to your Spokeo page
3. Click on the 'privacy' link at the bottom right of the Spokeo page
4. Follow the privacy instructions to remove your information from Spokeo
5. Paste the URL, your name and type the security phrase.
6. Then go to your e-mail (might go in your junk e-mail) in-box and confirm (or validate) your removal request.

Spokeo may be spooky ... but, I do appreciate the ease in which they allow you to remove your information from public view.

Wells Fargo Foundation

The Wells Fargo Foundation provides Community Needs Grants to support organizations working to improve communities with low- to moderate-income. In particular, the Foundation strives to improve education, community development, and environmental health, ensure access to health and human services, and to bolster civic engagement.

Award amounts may vary.

Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3), have broad community support, and can demonstrate fiscal and administrative stability.

Grant Proposal: Procter & Gamble (BDPA Cincinnati)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Cincinnati chapter submitted an online grant proposal to Procter & Gamble earlier this month. 

The joint grant proposal seeks $5,000 funding to support the chapter's computer camp and the upcoming Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition and IT Showcase that is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

We hope to have a response within the next 30 days.

PacifiCorp Foundation

The PacifiCorp Foundation is one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The Foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.7 million customers as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, and as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington and California. The Foundation allocates grants that best serve community interests. Grants generally are less than $10,000 with most between $2,000 and $5,000.

The PacifiCorp Foundation, through its charitable investments, will support the growth and vitality of the communities where PacifiCorp and its businesses have operations, employees, or interests.

Since 1988, the Foundation has awarded more than 7,870 grants totaling approximately $47.8 million. Last year, the Foundation awarded more than 490 grants totaling more than $2 million.

The PacifiCorp Foundation operates as the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation and the Pacific Power Foundation.

The Conference Board identifies four major categories of beneficiaries for its analysis of corporate giving trends. Following The Conference Board's categorization, the Foundation classifies and reviews grant proposals according to the nature of recipient organizations (rather than according to the purpose of each grant).

Requests for funding from education organizations should be postmarked by March 15 -- this includes funding requests for K-12 and higher educational institutions, literacy organizations, scholarship funds through intermediary organizations (e.g., United Negro College Fund).

An applicant should submit only one proposal copy on unbound 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper, with each interior page numbered and identified, to the Foundation at 825 NE Multnomah, Suite 2000, Portland, Oregon 97232. Proposals sent by fax will not be accepted.

7 Principles for Building Better Relationships Online

Soulclap to Jocelyn Harmon & Katya Andresen for writing this article and publishing it on the Network For Good Learning Center.

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It's not news that online giving is skyrocketing, but what really thrills us is all the different ways donors can give online now - websites, donation portals, social networks. There are so many options for donors now!

While all of these options are new and exciting, the reasons people give online are not that different from the reasons they give elsewhere. And just like offline, online relationships and the strength of those relationships will ultimately determine your success as a fundraiser.

Here are a few tips to help cultivate those relationships.

1. Be Interesting. Create great content. Think of new ways to tell your great stories, like using video instead of a written testimony. Try to inject humor if it's appropriate. Engage your supporters and create conversations. This should not be a one-way street.

2. Be Interested. In your supporters. Make sure their online experience is easy and built for them. Personalize and segment your communications. Don't send an email about volunteering for an event to a donor who lives in another state. Let them know you care about them and their lives.

3. Be Generous. Focus on what you give your supporters, not on what they give you. Give them the chance to do extraordinary good through your organization. Give them credit for the good that happens. Give them memorable stories about the difference they made.

4. Be Honest. Share both your successes and your failures. Make sure your financial records are easily accessible as well. Transparency should not just be a buzz word.

5. Be Clear. People need to know what to do when they get to your site. Make it easy for them to sign up for a newsletter or donate or contact you. Provide actual contact information and not just a contact form. Have a person outside the organization test your site to see if it's as easy to use as you think it is.

6. Be Brave. Try something new - whether it's a new fundraising campaign or experimenting with mobile giving. Be innovative. Don't be afraid to fail or put yourself out there.

7. Be Grateful. Say "Thank you." A lot. Call, write and email your donors. Find your champions and show them extreme love.

Finally, we want to share a very eye-opening statistic from the Network for Good and TrueSense Marketing Online Giving Study: Repeat giving by donors is 66.7% lower for generic non-branded donation pages than it is for those who have a clearly branded donation page. In other words, they may give once, but they aren't coming back.

When you give donors a sterile commercial transaction as part of the donation process, you take away the feeling that the donor is directly conversing with your organization and making a difference. This will diminish the effect you have on the donor and therefore, the amount you fundraise.

Donors need to feel closely tied to your organization and not feel like a walking ATM. Show who you are in your entire donation process to make the most of and further the relationship you have worked so hard to build.

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Did you find any information in this blog post that you can put into action for your local BDPA chapter or other nonprofit organization?

Message from New York Chapter President

Renetta English

It’s 3 months into the new year and I, along with the rest of the BDPA New York Executive Board, have been working very hard to make sure BDPA is no longer the 'best kept secret' in New York.

February was a very busy month for our chapter. As a new President, I learned so much by attending BDPA’s 1st quarter board meeting in Chicago. There, I had the opportunity to network with the officers on the National BDPA Board of Directors. Yvette Graham, our National President, and the National Executive Committee have a number of goals that have been met to “Take BDPA To The Next Level.” One of the goals was to implement our new website. Have you logged on and updated your profile?

On February 3rd we were featured on the TV program “Caribbean Classroom”. I, along with Denise Hamilton, Director of Education & Community Outreach, were interviewed by the host, John Crow, to discuss the importance of our organization to IT professionals, small business owners and students alike. BDPA NY was also recognized in print on BlackSci-Fi.com and in the February/March 2011 edition of Diversity Careers Magazine.

Moira Jack represented BDPA-NY as a presenter for Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) – Minority Student Day. Guy Duggins, Bilal Muhammad and Moira also represented BDPA at the Computer for Youth Family Computer event. Lastly, I along with members of the board represented the chapter at the Pace University Career Fair and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Martin Luther King and Black History Month events.

On February 26th we hosted our first community event for 2011 - Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW) at Abundant Life Christian Center in Brooklyn, NY. All in attendance felt BFTAW was an awesome and informative event. I was also pleased that BDPA members Bilal Muhammad, Guy Duggins, Jasmine Miller, Daniel Jean-Toussaint, Terence Hall, Minta Royster-Burke, and Cheri Jack volunteered their time.

IT Showcase Training Session

On March 5th we launched our IT Showcase Program at the Brooklyn Business Library. I would like to thank Carol Anthony, Director of IT Showcase for her hard work in recruiting our students. Please contact Carol at itshowcase@bdpa-ny.org if you are interested in being a mentor.

Again, I want to remind everyone that we are actively seeking volunteers for our committees and 2011 events and initiatives. We need volunteers to lead or serve on committees in the following areas: Education, Membership, Community Service and Fundraising. I hope that many of you step up to volunteer in some capacity.

Finally, the National BDPA Conference will be held from August 3-6 in Chicago, IL. Have you registered? Register now!

Renetta English, President
BDPA New York Chapter

Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (Mar 2011)

Newsletter: BDPA Washington DC (Mar 2011)

View more documents from BDPA Foundation

CACI Project Philanthropy

CACI is proud of their 46 years of service to the federal government and America. From the first innovative services they provided, through today's professional services and IT solutions, CACI has made significant contributions to the defense of American freedoms and the wellbeing of our country.

CACI has another very important mission, one that goes beyond their business driven initiatives. It's summed up by what they call Project Philanthropy - a company-wide effort focused on promoting and advancing charitable activities that best reflect CACI's unique culture and business.

Through this comprehensive program, CACI serves national and local communities with corporate and employee donations of funds, time and expertise. CACI and its people are always ready to help preserve national treasures for future generations, assist our wounded military personnel, expand educational opportunities for our youth, take the lead in good citizenship endeavors and support numerous special initiatives.

Education is a key component of CACI's Project Philanthropy program. Educational achievement offers personal satisfaction and broadened career opportunities, ensures a well informed public and helps build a strong foundation for a growing, resilient nation. It helps guarantee that our young people, as one of America's most important natural resources, will have the opportunities to excel in their lives and make lasting contributions to our nation.

CACI's philanthropic efforts provide broad based education support nationally and locally. Employees have a long history of participation in educational initiatives, assisting with reading programs, tutoring, mentoring programs and other projects to help young people achieve their educational goals.

Program Guidelines and Criteria

• Recipients must be IRS approved 501(c)(3) organizations
• The activities of recipient organizations must support educational causes, charitable initiatives or the preservation of national treasures

Please contact CACI Project Philanthropy first with a written summary of request - submission of a standard application may also be requested. Contributions are restricted to specific projects or programs only, not general operating accounts.

Please submit a summary of your request that includes a description of your organization and project, your contact information and any relevant program history to CACIPhilanthropy@caci.com.

Does your BDPA chapter have an CACI employees? In any case, BETF is willing to partner with BDPA on a local or national basis to submit a 'letter of inquiry' to CACI Project Philanthropy. Who is interested in pursuing this funding opportunity?