Fundraiser: Kroger Plus Community Awards

We are pleased to report that BDPA is approved for the Kroger Community Awards Program. This means that BDPA can make money every time that you shop at Kroger or buy gas at a Kroger gas station. Are you a Kroger customer? If so, we hope you will take a moment to help BDPA.

All you need to do is register your Kroger Plus Card so that BDPA receives credit for the money you spend at Kroger. If you are a Kroger shopper and don't have Kroger Plus Card, you can pick one up at the customer service desk of any Kroger store.

Follow these steps:

1. Be sure to have your Kroger Plus Card handy when registering with Kroger.
2. Go to http://www.krogercommunityrewards.com/
3. Click on Sign In/Register
4. If you are a brand new online customer (which almost everyone is), you must click SIGN UP TODAY in the new customer box.
5. Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on your favorite store, and entering your e-mail address, creating a password and agreeing to terms and conditions.
6. You will then get a message to check your email Inbox. Click on the link within the body of that email to have your browser go to the next signup webpage in the process.
7. Click on My Account and use your email address and password and proceed to the next step.
8. Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus Card number. It is the long number under the Bar Code on the back of of the Kroger Plus Card.
9. Update or confirm your information.
10. Enter BDPA's Non Profit Organization (NPO) number: 85104, or BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. Select organization from list and click on confirm.
11. To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see BDPA's name on the right side of your information page.
12. If you use your phone number at the register (instead of a card), you can call (877) 576-7587 to get your Kroger Plus Card number.
13. When you shop, please swipe your registered Kroger Plus Card or use the phone number that is related to your registered Kroger Plus Card for your purchases to count for credit.

REMEMBER, purchases will not count for BDPA until after you register your card. Thank you for going through this important process so that we can continue to benefit from this generous Kroger Community Rewards Program!

What say u? Will you register your Kroger Plus Card for this fundraiser?

Mobility Showdown: Android vs. iPhone (BDPA Los Angeles)

BDPA Los Angeles chapter had a great professional development meeting earlier this month. The presenter, John Malonson, engaged the audience in a discussion designed to inform anyone that has a smart phone, tablet, or is in the market for one.

John was kind enough to share his presentation with us for posterity.





What did you learn from this 'Mobility Showdown' presentation?

The BDPA Insider - May 29, 2011

 

 
The BDPA Insider - May 29, 2011

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

In this issue:  

1. Announcing 2011 BDPA Individual Epsilon Award Winners
2. Announcing 2011 Best Companies for Blacks in Technology Award Winners
3. Black Family Technology Awareness Week (New York)
4. National BDPA Conference Career Fair Registration Now Open
5. National BDPA Conference Registration Now Open
6. President Profile: Michael Tyson (BDPA Baltimore)
7. Take Five: Steve Gutter (BDPA Cincinnati)
8. The Ugly Truth About Jobs

Please let us know which of these stories is your favorite this week?!

U.S. Cellular Charitable Giving

U.S. Cellular is committed to building strong relationships with its customers, communities and associates. For nearly two decades, the company has helped improve the quality of life for its customers by providing monetary donations and free wireless phones and service to programs in areas where U.S. Cellular has a solid business presence. Through the "U.S. Cellular Connecting With Our Communities Program", the company will expand its role as a socially responsible corporate citizen by targeting, selecting and supporting organizations and programs that enhance community life.

While U.S. Cellular recognizes that there are many worthwhile causes and organizations to support, the company is focusing its limited monetary contributions on those projects or programs that have significant relevance within its operating communities and that relate to the following strategic areas of concern:

• Civic and Community
• Education
• Health and Human Service
• Environment
• Arts and Culture

Organizations that meet the program’s requirements and fall within U.S. Cellular’s five targeted areas of funding that wish to apply for a charitable contribution must submit an application, proposal and support documentation to:


U.S. Cellular
Public Affairs & Communications Department
C/O: U.S. Cellular's Connecting With Our Communities Program
8410 West Bryn Mawr, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60631

I hope that is helpful for your fundraising efforts.

AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign

BETF proudly received pledged payments through the AT&T Employee Giving Campaign made by Gibran McDuffie. Our foundation is proud to be part of the annual giving program for AT&T. The donation made by Gibran will be used to support BDPA Chicago programs and services.

Our hope is that other BDPA members will consider making payroll deductions during annual giving campaigns put on by United Way, Combined Federal Campaign or the company itself. Others may simply want to make a one-time donation directly to BETF in support of the youth education programs taking place all over the country.

Please share some 'BDPA-Love' with Gibran in the COMMENTS section below!

Staples Foundation

Staples provides charitable donations to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations engaged in educational and youth–focused projects and events.

Your chapter needs to visit your local Staples store and speak with the general manager about how they can support your community organization. All requests are evaluated by your local Staples store and decisions are made at the discretion of store management.

1. In-Kind Product Donation - Staples stores are able to donate eligible product to help your organization’s administrative needs. Your local store manager can answer any questions about product availability and eligibility. You can also request in–kind support from Staples Home Office by filling out an online donation request. Please note, Staples will only consider online requests and will not accept or review unsolicited faxed or mailed requests.
2. We Care Gift Cards - Staples stores are able to support nonprofit organizations making a positive difference in the local community through We Care gift cards. These gift cards enable nonprofit organizations to obtain supplies from Staples needed to make a community event or program a success!

Please let me know if your chapter would like to explore local giving option from Staples Foundation. Is there a Staples store in your chapter city that you want to approach?

Black Family Technology Awareness Week (New York)

BDPA New York chapter is truly reaching out to the community in their effort to provide access to technology education for everyone. This was never more evident than earlier this year when the chapter had the most powerful BDPA program in the nation during Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW).

Here is a video review of the chapter's BFTAW program:





I encourage all chapters to make the commitment now for the 2012 BFTAW program. It should be something we engage in within all 45 local BDPA chapters. For now, we congratulate BDPA New York chapter president Renetta English and the chapter BFTAW chairperson Damon Holmes for what they accomplished this year! Well done!

AfterSchool.gov

Afterschool.gov is a remarkable web portal that provides information on federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school hours. This web portal includes grants, best practices, and a clearinghouse.

I encourage all BDPA chapters and other nonprofit organizations with after-school youth education to check out this unique web portal.

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

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that we've won a $5,000 grant award from Raytheon Charitable Foundation in support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program implemented by BDPA Los Angeles chapter.

BETF worked closely with BDPA Los Angeles chapter president John Malonson on this grant proposal. John works for Raytheon and the company appreciated his involvement as a leader with BDPA. The chapter will use the funding to support the training of over 20 high school students every Saturday on programming and web development.

BDPA Los Angeles chapter continues to work with BETF on grant proposal to other funding sources ... including our efforts to raise college scholarship money for LA chapter high school students.

Please share some BDPA-Love for the folks at Raytheon for their commitment to community service and to ensuring that our young people have the science, math and technology tools to be successful in the coming century!

Grant Award: Discovering Your Potential (20 Laptop Computers)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to announce the successful effort to obtain in-kind donation of 20 laptop computers (value: $8,000) from Discovering Your Potential to the BDPA St. Louis chapter.

Toni Love

"Yes, we did receive the computers. We are using them for our High School Computer Competition (HSCC) students. Right now we have borrowed software for the operating systems from Monsanto. We hope to get donation of software licenses from Microsoft to donate us the software," said BDPA St. Louis chapter president Toni Love.

The mission of Discovering Your Potential is to serve as a resource for educators and parents who seek to improve academic skills for at risk children by offering an after school program focused on math and reading.

This is great news for BDPA St. Louis chapter. The chapter is also working hard to raise college scholarship funding for their HSCC students.

Take Five: Steve Gutter (Cincinnati)

We are reaching out to various volunteers to get their thoughts on BDPA. One of those volunteers is Steve Gutter. Steve is a developer for The Kroger Company. He joined BDPA Cincinnati chapter in 2002 as a volunteer for weekend technology training provided to local high school students. He took the leadership role in the annual BDPA Midwest Regional conferences held in Cincinnati, OH from 2003-2007. He was elected by the membership to serve as the chapter’s VP-Finance from 2006-2010. Steve has won a number of awards with BDPA, including Member of the Year, Executive Officer of the Year and a Community Service Award.

Steve was recently appointed to serve as BDPA Cincinnati chapter's VP-Strategy & Planning. He shared his thoughts as part of our Take Five interview series.

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Steve Gutter

1. How did you get involved with BDPA? - I became involved with BDPA in 2002 when one of the senior IT people at my company asked for volunteers from the IT sector to help with the Saturday High School Computer Camp. I am a big believer in helping other people to learn, so I volunteered to help. At the first week a class, there was a very stirring presentation given to the parents and to the students by Wayne Hicks. Wayne outlined very specifically what was expected from the students and their parents, and what the students and their parents could expect to receive the program in return: a mini-memorandum of understanding (MOU). The excitement and devotion I could sense in the classroom that day from speaking with the other volunteers made me realize that this was definitely an organization I wanted to be part of.
2. What do you see as the biggest benefit of your BDPA membership? - I’m going to have to go with a tie for two on this one.
   • First, the satisfaction of helping other people learn. I still remember to this day the wonderful feeling I received from a young student when I was teaching how to use radio buttons on forms. She was having trouble with forms in general, and had to work at it a lot more than the other students. She student called me over for what I thought was another of a long line of questions I’d already (patiently) answered. Instead, it was to show me how the form she had made had radio buttons working exactly as per the class instructions: the smile on her face and the feeling of achievement in her voice: priceless!
   • Second, the chances to learn from various leadership roles. I’ve had two leadership roles so far (in charge of the Midwest Regional and VP-Finance), and I’m now embarking on VP-Strategy & Planning. My career has mainly been a programmer, with some stints in Management positions. These opportunities in BDPA have shown me how I can do things I thought I couldn’t do, how to work with people to get things done, and the inter-personal skills needed to work as a team to accomplish goals.
3. What future evolution or change would you like to see in BDPA? - I would like to see the National competition run like a true business: one project leader and four developers, with each having a work station instead of sharing one work station. The current approach is probably meant to teach team development, but it is so unnatural that it defeats the purpose from the start. To truly teach team development, you need all five people having the ability to do the same thing at the same time: the challenge is to organize those skills so that you are accomplishing five work-hours per hour, not just one.
4. What would you like Corporate America to know about BDPA? - Corporate America needs to know that BDPA works with students at all skill levels: as long as the student has the desire to learn, that is the key ingredient to being successful. When we selected the individuals for the National competition team, it was not necessarily always the five with the best skills: the first choice was often who showed the most dedication and perseverance. Of course, skills are important, but what is most needed are students willing to go the extra mile to get things done.
5. Any advice for people considering a donation to BETF? - The BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has a truly noble objective: helping minority students advance in the IT industry. There is no lack of volunteers: the problem is a lack of money to help achieve this goal. The IT industry is once again booming, more than in the ‘DOT COM’ boom years, and this is the time for minority students to make their mark. As with most endeavors, the plain physical reality is that it will take donations to achieve this goal in order for the proper training tools and competitions to be made possible.

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) seeks to increase the number of people that are making donations to support BDPA programs and services. We figure that it helps to hear about BDPA from some of our leaders around the nation.

Steve shared some insights. Please feel free to reply to this blog post if you have any reaction to what's been said in this Take Five interview. Or you can follow Steve's suggestion and make an online donation to support college scholarships for students trained by BDPA Cincinnati chapter.

Safeway Foundation

The Safeway Foundation works with existing and new partners that they proactively seek out and identify as collaborators to achieve their mission and goals. Due to limited financial and human resources, the Safeway Foundation cannot accept or respond to unsolicited proposals.

If you believe your organization’s mission is aligned with their priority areas of giving, please send a brief letter of introduction to the appropriate operating area. They will contact you if there is interest in receiving more information from your organization.

Non-profit organizations must be able to prove their non-profit status and must also serve the community where we operate stores.

The Safeway Foundation generally does not fund:

• Individuals and for-profit organizations
  
• Political organizations or activities
  
• Religious organizations for religious purposes
  
• Capital or building campaigns
  
• Advocacy programs
  
• Meetings, conferences or workshops
  
• Sports teams or athletic competitions
  
• Fundraising dinners, gala and events
  
• Other foundations or granting organizations

It appears that the following BDPA chapters might be eligible to work with BETF to submit a 'letter of inquiry' to Safeway Foundation ---> Bay Area, Central Illinois, Chicago, Dallas, Hampton Roads, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, No. Delaware, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Seattle and Washington DC.

Do you work or shop at Safeway?

President Profile: Michael Tyson (BDPA Baltimore)

BDPA Baltimore chapter was chartered in June 1987. Some of the most accomplished BDPA Baltimore chapter members include past national president Denise Holland (Amtrak) and current BDPA Education and Technology Foundation director John Eckenrode (CPSI). The chapter also trained a team of high school students who finished in 6th place at the 2009 national High School Computer Competition championships held in Raleigh, NC.

The best is yet to come for BDPA Baltimore chapter ... they are the proud host of the 2012 National BDPA Technology Conference. The leader of BDPA Baltimore chapter is its president -- Michael Tyson.


Michael Tyson, President
BDPA Baltimore Chapter

Address: PO Box 7646
Baltimore, MD 21207
(443) 928-0182

Michael is a senior applications engineer with Lockheed Martin. He has been an IT Professional for over 20 years and is a graduate of Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD. He has worked in various capacities in the IT field and currently supports Lockheed Martin as a Microsoft SharePoint Architect and Implementer. He has been a member of the Baltimore Chapter for almost ten years working in increasingly responsible positions before becoming Chapter President.

Favorite Quote: "If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

Please use the POST COMMENT link below to share some BDPA-Love with the president our BDPA Baltimore chapter!

Allstate Foundation

Founded in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent charitable organization funded by contributions from subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. The Allstate Foundation invests millions of dollars annually in communities and issues to protect and prepare Americans.

In 2009, The Allstate Foundation donated more than $18.2 million dollars to make their communities a better and safer place to live.

Partnership Agreements -- Recipients of grants of $25,000 or more will be required to enter into an agreement that details, in a collaborative way, program activities, timetables, planned communications, and program evaluation measures.

Agency Hands in the Community Grants -- Allstate agents find many ways to reach out to the communities where they live and work. To honor their involvement, The Allstate Foundation awards $1,000 grants to nonprofit organizations where Allstate agents volunteer.

Helping Hands Grant Program -- The Foundation offers special Helping Hands grants to charitable, social or humanitarian organizations where employees volunteer. Allstate volunteers can benefit the organization with a monetary gift through this program.

Does your chapter have any Allstate employees in it? Does your chapter have any Allstate agents in its city? If so, this may be a tremendous funding opportunity. The 'Agency Hands in the Communty Grants' appear to be open to multiple BDPA chapters.

Let us know if your chapter is interested in exploring this funding source for SITES funding.

Grant Proposal: Regions Bank Community Foundation (BDPA Charlotte)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA Charlotte chapter worked together on a grant proposal to Regions Bank Community Foundation. We are asking them to provide funding support for the Student Information Technology & Education (SITES) program in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Our proposal will be reviewed by the president of the Regions Bank in Charlotte. We are hopeful that he will smile favorably on our request. However, we encourage our blog readers to support BDPA Charlotte with a secure online donation to their college scholarship fund. Doable?

ITSMF Executive Protege Program

If you are looking for a way to build your leadership skills, seriously consider the Executive Protégé Program (EPP). This program is the brainchild of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF). ITSMF's mission is to fill the executive pipeline with the next generation of African American executives. One way that the mission is accomplished is through the Executive Protégé Program.

EPP is the only national mentoring program focused on cultivating executive talent among IT Professionals of color. EPP offers:

• Exposure and interaction with high-level IT executives
• Training and development of leadership skills through assessments and workshops
• A confidential relationship with a senior-level mentor
• Guidance on career-related issues which are unique to African Americans in leadership
• An opportunity to elevate leadership skills through insightful executive coaching

For additional information you can visit the ITSMF website or call (630) 406-1918.

Perhaps if we are lucky, we can encourage some ITSMF members or EPP alumni to share a COMMENT below about the program with us.

The BDPA Insider - May 22, 2011

The BDPA Insider - May 22, 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. Ask Not What The iPad Can Do for You, Ask What You Can Do for The iPad
3. bdpatoday – May 2011 Digital Edition
4. Eli Lilly Scholarship for BDPA Students, Deadline: July 1, 2011
5. Health Care Service Corporation, 5/21/2011 (National BDPA)
6. Malware attack on Mac OS X
7. Mobility Showdown (iPhone vs Android) on Vimeo and YouTube
8. National BDPA Career Fair Registration Now Open
9. National BDPA Webinar: 'Organizational Risk Management' - June 1, 2011 @ 7:00 PM EST
10. Seeking TECHie Camp Instructors in Cincinnati, Dallas and Philadelphia
11. Take Five: Ricardo Wilkins (Columbus)

Which of these stories did you enjoy the most this week?

Matching Gift: BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) worked with BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) to process a matching gift check. The company's community relations department wrote:

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Glenda is at far right

Dear Mr. Hicks,

We have completed processing of the matching gift request recently received from Glenda Chappell and Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). I am pleased to inform you that BDPA has met all of the qualification requirements for the matching gift program, and our check is enclosed.

As you know, BCBSLA will match personal contributions from eligible participants to qualified non-profit organizations as outlined in our matching gift program guidelines. More information can be found on our website, www.bcbsla.com, in the Community section at the top of the screen.

We appreciate the efforts you are making in our state and wish you success.

Sincerely,
Paula M. Neck
Employee Giving Administrator

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BETF thanks BDPA Baton Rouge co-founder Glenda Chappell for her generosity. It is great that Glenda took the time to leverage her donation with her employer's 100% matching gift program. Our hope is that our readers will research existence of matching gifts programs to see if the same potential exists at your workplace.

Another option is that our readers reach out to support our efforts to raise funds for college scholarships to support the young people being trained by BDPA Baton Rouge.

The World's Biggest Givers

Luisa Kroll has spent over a decade tracking the billions that people have given away for philanthropic causes. Our dream is that one day a BDPA entrepreneur will be on the list ... and she will be famous for giving millions to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).

But, I digress...

Kroll recently identified the 19 people who have already donated at least $1 billion each to charities or foundations. That is five more than she found two years ago. More than two-thirds of these philanthropists (13 to be exact) are from the U.S. and all but one is a self-made entrepreneur.

Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is the most generous person on the planet in dollar terms, having gifted $28 billion to his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has become the preeminent philanthropic institution in the world. He has given away more than three times as much as his good friend Warren Buffett, who moves up two spots to number two, ahead of George Soros ($8 billion) and Intel co-founder Gordon Moore ($6.8 billion).

Click here to read bios of the World’s Biggest Givers

Take a moment to read the full Forbes article written by Luisa Kroll.

Young Scientist Challenge

Hat tip to The Urban Scientist for telling us about the Young Scientist Challenge. It seems that Discovery Education and 3M sponsor a national science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. The Young Scientist Challenge is designed to encourage the exploration of science among America’s youth and to promote the importance of science communication.

In 1999, Discovery Communications launched the competition to nurture the next generation of American scientists at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline. Over the past nine years, more than 540,000 middle school students have been nominated to participate in the competition, and winners have gone on to speak in front of members of Congress, work with the nation’s top scientists, and pursue academic careers in the sciences.

Perhaps it is time for BDPA to expand our SITES program down to the middle school by participating in a program like this one. What say u?

National BDPA Webinar: 'Organizational Risk Management' - June 1, 2011 @ 7:00 PM EST

National BDPA

2Q11 National Program Meeting

Disaster and Your Organizational Readiness

Organizational Risk Management

Featuring

Dr. Linda Hunt King,PhD.

President/CEO of Hunt-King & Associates, Inc. and Firestorm Principal

Abstract

The 9/11 Commission concluded that the United States was not prepared for disasters.  America’s experiences in Katrina and other natural disasters like the flooding we are now experiencing have reinforced this conclusion, and a renewed sense of urgency exists for creating a national culture of preparedness. Is your organization prepared? 

The statistics for failure in a disaster are staggering. The United States Department of Labor states that 40% of those companies who are in a disaster never re-open, and 25% of those who do, close within two years. FEMA confirms a 40% to 60% failure for businesses after a disaster.  Could your organization survive?

Additionally over the past few years, some of the most wide-ranging and demanding financial management and disclosure regulations in U.S. history have been enacted including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley and Sarbanes-Oxley Acts. Failure to comply with these regulations may have serious consequences for you and your company. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security is implementing a certification program for the private sector that promotes preparedness, including disaster management, emergency management and business continuity programs.  Does your organization have policies, procedures, and practices in place to respond successfully?

Dr. King works closely with organizations to get them prepared for the eventual disaster.  She will share her finding and thoughts on what organizations need to be doing to protection the operations.  Join us for this informative presentation.   

Learning Objectives

1.  You will learn what is required for proper disaster planning
2. You will learn about Public Law 110-53, Title IX and how to be in compliance 
3. You will learn how to craft a culture of preparedness in your organization
4. You will learn how preparedness saves money and time for organizations

About our Presenter

Dr. Linda Hunt-King holds an A.S. Degree in Marketing from The College of William & Mary (Richard Bland College), B.S. in Business/Marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University, M.S. in Counseling from Cornerstone University, MBA from Hamilton University and PhD in Pastoral Counseling from Jacksonville Theological Seminary. She is also AMA (American Management Association) Certified in Executive Speaking and the founder of a faith-based, not-for-profit organization.   

Prior to joining Firestorm, Dr. Linda Hunt-King was a Senior Underwriting Officer with Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and has more than 25 years of experience in Commercial Insurance and Business Continuity Risk Management.

Presentation Details

• Who: Dr. Linda King PhD. Principal at Firestorm
• What: Disaster and Your Organizational Readiness - Organizational Risk Management
• When: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 7:00 PM EST

• Who should attend? 
• Business leaders, audit professionals, business process owners, and risk management professional
• You need not be an Information Technology professional to get value from this presentation
• All members are welcome, but space is limited to the first 35

• Cost: Free to first 35 BDPA members and partners as a membership benefit. 

• Registration: Registrants must email Clifford Clarke, AVP of Technical, Professional, and Executive Development at CliffordClarke@CliffordClarke.com with “Disaster Preparedness” in the subject line then and participant link with be mailed to you prior to the event.  A copy of the Firestorm Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America ebook (for home use) and business attendees a No-Fee Business Continuity Self-Assessment would be made available to attendees.  This is typically a $1500 service.

One of the benefits of membership in BDPA is the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge policies and technologies.   It seems as if there are new natural disasters in the news every single week.  Perhaps it is time for BDPA members to take a moment to learn something new about business continuity and disaster preparedness that might add value for you at your workplace or on your resume.   You can't be the cost ... so we recommend that all BDPA members reach out to Clifford Clarke to get more information on this June 1st webinar!

Abbott Employee Giving Campaign

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very happy to be recipient of the generosity from employees at Abbott Labororatories.

Giving back is an essential part of Abbott's culture, and their employees' generosity mirrors that of their company. Abbott employees contribute more than $12.6 million annually through their Employee Giving Campaign and Matching Grant program, and these donations were matched by $4.6 million in contributions from the Abbott Fund. At a time when employee giving campaigns at most large corporations experienced diminished participation, employee participation in the Employee Giving Campaign rose to 73 percent from 65 percent the previous year.

Our hope is that the number of Abbott employees that choose to support BDPA programs and services via payroll deduction will continue to increase. Are there any Abbott employees in your local chapter?

Take Five: Ricardo Wilkins (Columbus)

Ricardo Wilkins is a member of our BDPA Columbus chapter. He has been a frequent workshop presenter at local and national level. Ricardo has been involved with the training of the high school computer competition (HSCC) team that represented Columbus, Ohio in the past few national BDPA HSCC championships. It is worth noting that his team was the most improved last year ... moving up 10 spots in the national rankings from 2009 to 2010.

We are pleased that Ricardo agreed to participate in our Take Five interview series.

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1. How did you get involved in working with BDPA? - A few years ago I got hit with the epiphany that I needed to stay connected with the IT community beyond the walls of my 9-to-5 job. I wanted to be able to share my experience with others in my field, as well as learn from other fellow IT professionals. In addition to a couple of other organizations, BDPA proved itself to be a good fit for my goals. Once I got involved, I heard about the HSCC program, and since I had experience teaching computers to elementary and middle school kids, I thought that might be a good fit. I think it was a good decision - I enjoy volunteering.
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of working with BDPA? - I love it when I feel I've played a part in helping someone figure out 'What's In It For Me' - i.e. how to take some knowledge and make it practical and useful for your own situation. I saw it happen when I gave a talk on social media techniques during a chapter meeting, and several folks came up to me weeks later to thank me and say that they had successfully put my ideas into practice. But I especially enjoy when I help the HSCC young people get to this moment. One moment I'll never forget was right after I finished a lesson on building websites, and one of the students asked a follow-up question - when I answered, I saw him rubbing his hands together like a mad scientist! It was obvious to me that he had just learned something that he could use in a practical way - let's all hope he uses his new powers for good, not evil. :)

3. Do you have a favorite student that you've worked with in BDPA? Why? - No way can I have a favorite - each one has their own special talents and abilities. But if I wanted to choose a favorite, I'd certainly have plenty to choose from. Maybe my student who, as a freshman, outscored all his peers with a score of 27 on the ACT? Or my student who won a national award for women in technology? Or my student who does web design work as a part-time business? Nope, I can't choose - they're all great in my book.
4. What would future evolution or change would you like to see in BDPA's STEM-based training? - I would love to see a Requirements Elicitation component in the competition - in the real-world, I think these students will find that the skills needed to figure out what their customers or clients need in the solutions they build will be just as important as the ability to build it. I'd also like to see us expand into the mobile development space, particularly Windows Phone 7, which utilizes a platform requiring skills that students can also leverage in the browser and desktop application space.
5. Any advice for people considering donation to BETF? - Do it. :) Investing in youth and technology has a great ROI.

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I gotta admit that I don't quite understand the 'requirements elicitation' stuff ... but, I hope that some of y'all that are truly experienced IT professionals do ... and perhaps you can let us know how we can get 'er done within BDPA.

You can follow Ricardo on Twitter or through his blog. Also, you can share your appreciation of Ricardo in a number of ways --- one of which is making a secure online donation to the BDPA Columbus HSCC Scholarship Fund!

Seeking TECHie Camp Instructors in Cincinnati, Dallas and Philadelphia

We are still looking for Techie Camp instructors willing to earn $1,000 for a week's worth of work with some 3rd-8th graders.

• Cincinnati -1 instructor, web development (3rd-5th graders)
• Dallas - 4 instructors, web development and programming (3rd-5th graders)
• Philadelphia - 2 instructors, web development and programming (5th-8th graders)

Interested?

Apply Immediately -- http://techcorps.org/jobs/99-techie-camp-instructor

We are hopeful that this is a great opportunity for a BDPA entrepreneur interested in contract work ... or one of our unemployed or under-employed BDPA members. 

Please share this opportunity with anyone who could benefit from this contract opportunity?

TECHie Camp 2011: Educating, Exciting and Empowering Students With Technology!

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) teamed with TECH CORPS to pilot a wonderful technology experience for elementary and middle school students in Cincinnati, Dallas and Philadelphia.  We are proud to announce that TECHie Camp Registration is now open!

We encourage all of our blog readers to take a close look at this opportunity to get this STEM-based training to 3rd-8th graders in your household, your neighborhood or your community. 

TECHie Camp is a full-day, week-long technology experience designed specifically for elementary and middle school students. The goal of TECHie Camp is to engage students in activities that can stimulate a deeper interest in technology; as well as provide opportunities for them to express their imaginations.

TECHie Camp topics include:  Programming, Robotics, Web Development and Android App Development! 

TECH CORPS will host more than 20 Techie Camps in Ohio via partnerships with colleges, universities, K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations.

Ohio Camp Cities:  Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Gahanna, Hiram, Oberlin, Reynoldsburg and Upper Arlington.  TECHie Camps are also scheduled for Dallas and Houston, TX and Philadelphia, PA.

For additional information and to register visit www.techiecamp.org

There are a limited number of partial and full scholarships to cover the $350 tuition costs – visit www.techiecamp.org for details and scholarship application.

Grant Award: Christ Church Cathedral ($500)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) received a $500 grant award from Christ Church Cathedral. The funds are a direct result of request made by a parishioner of the church to support the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Upon receiving the funds we were told that our grant proposal is still under consideration by the church's community grant initiative. We made it past the first round of consideration and should have an answer on our full funding proposal soon.

Corporate Board Census Shows Significant Decline in Seats Held by African Americans

I have served on a number of nonprofit boards in my time. I have not had a chance to serve on a corporate board in my career. It appears that very few people of color are getting the opportunity to serve on corporate boards.

At least that is the conclusion reached in the corporate board census by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD).


ABD reported a surprising decline in the combined number of seats for women and people of color on the boards of the nation’s leading corporations. The largest decline was among Blacks. This year’s report found that in the Fortune 100 between 2004 and 2010, African Americans lost over 40 board seats while white men increased their presence on corporate boards, adding over 30.

Overall, women did not see an appreciable increase in their share of board seats. The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), an independent, non-profit corporation founded in 1986, is a founding partner in the Alliance for Board Diversity. ELC members are African American senior executives of Fortune 500 companies and equivalents. Considering the hundreds of board seats that became available during the six year period, ELC sees the combined decrease for all underrepresented groups and the steep decline for Blacks as disconcerting.

“It is troubling groups already severely underrepresented on corporate boards have collectively experienced a decline over the last six years,” ELC president and CEO Arnold W. Donald remarked in his assessment of the available data. "Most business leaders recognize that inclusion and the diversity of thinking that results from it creates real value. Shareholder value for most of the companies listed in the census is being compromised by the lack of board diversity. A decline in any single group of minorities or women is not good, a collective decline is troubling."

The ABD has worked collaboratively for more than six years to encourage corporations to increase the diversity of their boards. Catalyzed by sponsoring companies Altria and Kraft, the ELC has recently begun its own Corporate Board Initiative. ELC identifies and offers development opportunities to its members who are “board ready” and those who are nearly ready to assume the rigors of corporate board responsibilities. The organization has assembled an elite cadre of members prepared for board leadership and has worked with leading search organizations such as Heidrick & Struggles to prepare candidates and match them with opportunities.

Recent U.S. Census data shows that women and men of color comprise 66 percent of the U.S. population. Yet the ABD report indicates that more than 325 of the Fortune 500 have less than 25 percent representation, nearly 100 have less than 10 percent, and 37 companies have no women or minority representation whatsoever.

"Few will debate that inclusion and the diversity of thinking that it brings to business challenges creates real shareholder value," further stated Mr. Donald of ELC. "That's why the decline in the collective presence of underrepresented groups on the boards of America’s largest corporations as reported in this study is more than a little concerning. We at ELC, together with our ABD partners, plan to make a meaningful contribution in helping America's corporations address this missed opportunity."

Of course the first step towards serving on a corporate board is becoming a corporate executive. BDPA members who are currently serving in management positions within Corporate America are encouraged to consider applying for the Executive Protege Program *or* seeking out elected office at local, regional or national level within BDPA.

Do you have any thoughts on why there are so few African Americans on the corporate board of directors? It would seem that Corporate America could do better in the 'age of Obama', don't you think?

The BDPA Insider - May 15, 2011

The BDPA Insider - May 15, 2011

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

In this issue:

1. 10 Things HR Won't Tell You About Your Resume
2. 2011 National BDPA Conference Registration Now Open
3. BDPA Washington DC Newsletter (May 2011)
4. Corporate Board Census Shows Significant Decline in Seats Held by African Americans
5. Eli Lilly Scholarship for BDPA Students, Deadline: July 1, 2011
6. Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion; creates new business division
7. Multiple Personalities in Social Media
8. Take Five: Will Bundy (BDPA Rhode Island)

Grant Proposal: Xerox Foundation (BDPA New York)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) and BDPA New York chapter worked together on a substantial grant proposal to the Xerox Foundation. We asked for funding to support the 2012 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in New York.

While we wait to hear from Xerox Foundation on their thoughts about our grant proposal we hope that our blog readers will support the BDPA New York Chapter college scholarship fund.

Grant Proposal: Connecticut Natural Gas (BDPA Hartford)

Connecticut Natural Gas has a broad-based charitable giving program. They review and act upon written requests as they are received. They have a particular interest in programs focused on the needs of the communities and people served by Connecticut Natural Gas.

BDPA Hartford chapter and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) combined on a joint grant proposal seeking $5,000 funding.

We hope that our blog readers will support BDPA Hartford chapter as they work to provide STEM-based training for high school students.

Kroger Neighborhood Reward Program

A great way to earn money for your non-profit organization with minimum selling and solicitation required.

Here's how:
• Send your completed application and copy of your 501(c)3 to Kroger Gift Services
• Place a gift card order with Kroger Gift Services
• Sell the cards to your supporters for full value
• Encourage your supporters to reload their card

Simple Reloading . . .
• The card can be reloaded for ANY amount up to $250.
• Pay for the reloaded card with cash, check or major credit card.
• When your non-profit organization reaches $5,000 with its initial order plus reloads in our four-week cycle, we will send a check to your organization for 4% of the total.

Total Purchase Earnings Your Organization Earns
$5,000 X 4% = $200

• If your organization doesn't reach $5,000 the money will carry over into the next four-week cycle.

IT'S THAT EASY

Call Gift Services for Details
1-800-294-4438

For more information:

• Neighborhood Reward Program Frequently Asked Questions 
• Kroger Neighborhood Reward Program Application