New Report: Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out
 The Meyer Foundation, together with partners CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Idealist.org, are releasing a new report, Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out, in March.
A follow-up to the 2006 Daring to Lead which focused on the current generation of leaders, this study of close to 6,000 respondents and six focus groups conducted in four cities, asks the question, "How will the nonprofit sector attract the most committed and talented Gen X and Gen Y leaders?" The report will be presented at the Grantmakers for Effective Organization Conference on March 10 in San Francisco and will be available as a download on the Meyer website in early March.
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Catalogue for Philanthropy Deadline
The application deadline is February 22 for The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington, an annual publication (and accompanying website) that features high-performing nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia and nearby Virginia and Maryland counties. A collaborative project of foundation, corporate, and individual funders, the Catalogue introduces potential donors to new charitable opportunities. It has helped raise more than $4 million in four years for featured nonprofits. Learn more
Internal Revenue Service Announces New Filing Requirement
Beginning in 2008, small organizations have a new filing requirement. Tax-exempt organizations that normally have annual gross receipts of $25,000 or less and do not have to file Form 990 or 990-EZ now must file a new electronic form – Form 990-N, more commonly known as the e-Postcard. The e-Postcard is due by the 15th day of the fifth month after the close of the organization's tax year. The IRS will revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that fails to file the e-Postcard for three consecutive years. More information is available online.
Additionally, the IRS plans to release a revised tax form for 2009. An in-depth review of expected changes is available in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
View a comprehensive compliance guide for charities that was released by the IRS in October of 2007.
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WAMU Features Exponent Award Honoree Michele Booth Cole
WAMU 88.5 FM's Rosiland Jordan interviewed Safe Shores Executive Director Michele Booth Cole for a series on the Meyer Foundation's 2007 Exponent Awards recipients. The feature aired on Friday, February 1 during WAMU's Metro Connection. Learn more
LifeStarts (formerly East Capitol Center for Change) Featured in Washington Post Article
Curtis Watkins, founder and executive director of LifeStarts (formerly known as East Capitol Center for Change), a nonprofit organization in Southeast Washington that administers the Violence-Free Zone program, was featured in the Washington Post in an article about youth advisers helping at-risk students. Learn more
Class Acts Arts, Inc., Featured in Post and Montgomery County Gazette
The Montgomery County Gazette and Washington Post featured Meyer grantee Class Acts Arts, Inc., in articles on the nonprofit's Project Youth ArtReach, through which it brings arts programming to the county's incarcerated youth. Learn more
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Exponent Award Nomination Deadline
The nomination deadline for the 2008 Exponent Awards is Monday, April 7, 2008. For nomination criteria, click here.
Next LOI Deadline
The deadline for submitting a letter of intent for the upcoming grants cycle is Friday, June 6, 2008. Click here for eligibility and application guidelines. |
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Rebecca Wagner
Executive Director, Interfaith Works (formerly Community Ministry of Montgomery County)
www.communityministrymc.org
 This is the third in a series of interviews with the Meyer Foundation's 2007 Exponent Awards recipients.
Q: What does Interfaith Works do?
A: Interfaith Works is a coalition of 140 congregations, working together to meet the needs of Montgomery County's low income community. With more than 7,000 volunteers we shelter homeless men and women and families; offer free clothing, new school supplies, and baby layettes to low-income individuals and families; mentor at-risk families; provide a wide-range of day services for homeless adults; and provide prescription assistance, rent and utility assistance, and other emergency expenses.
Q: You have undergone a name change recently. How did you come about the decision to change your name?
A: Over two years ago, we met with stakeholders regarding our name and the feedback was that many people assumed we were a "Christian-only" group. After thoughtful discussions with member congregations, our Board determined that moving toward an inclusive name – which speaks to our faith roots and better defines what we do – was a worthy goal. We believe Interfaith Works better reflects our energy, can-do culture, and the breadth and scope of both the work we do and of our stakeholders.
Q: Montgomery County is one of our country's wealthiest counties. What do we need to know about poverty and homelessness in our suburbs?
A: It is a myth that rich counties don't have poor people.
- More than 50,000 people in Montgomery County – a third of them children – live in poverty.
- A person working full-time at the minimum wage $6.15/hour earns just $12,792 a year.
- There are 17,000 people on the waiting list for rental assistance; we are 27,000 units short of affordable housing.
- More than 25% of our 36,000 school children are on Free and Reduced Price Meals, which means that on Monday, your child or grandchild has at least a one in four chance of sitting next to a child who has not had a balanced meal since Friday at lunch.
Q: As a current nonprofit executive, how important is your role as a mentor?
A: If we think it is important enough to devote our lives to our mission, we need to develop new leaders and have a vision for succession. I have had the pleasure of mentoring a diverse group of individual leaders – diverse in age, organizational mission, size, ethnicity, or experience. I have always learned from the experience, and have developed new, important, and deep relationships. EDs have a keen responsibility to support work cultures that offer good salaries, benefits, and staff development opportunities. An open door and a welcoming leadership style invites growth for all of us, which ultimately results in solutions to critical community challenges.
Q: What do you see as your organization's major opportunities and challenges in 2008?
A: Primary among the challenges is our budget challenge as we work to provide quality and effective programs in a time of diminishing public spending for human services. Montgomery County has a $400M deficit and the cuts for human services are first on the chopping block. We'll be investing in staffing and infrastructure. With the assistance of the Meyer Foundation, we will be bringing on board a new deputy director to ensure the quality of our financial controls, communications, personnel and administrative operations. In addition, we will be enlarging our headquarters.
Learn more about Rebecca Wagner and Interfaith Works here.
Learning Opportunities
Rise Above the Noise: Online Strategies and Tools for Success
Center for Nonprofit Advancement
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Being online, a prerequisite in today's connected age, requires that all organizations and people engage in a very different way. In this two-hour workshop with Jocelyn Harmon, Director of Development & Marketing, NPower, learn the six strategies for online success and review the many online tools – such as blogs, RSS feeds, and charity widgets – that are available for little or no money and can help your organization reach its marketing goals. Learn more
Executive Transition Clinic
Center for Nonprofit Advancement
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Are you an executive director who is thinking it might be time for retirement or a job change? Are you a leader of a board whose executive director has announced his or her intention to resign? Or is your organization ready to just begin succession planning? This free, 90-minute session is for nonprofit executive directors who are considering retirement or a career change and nonprofit board members who are facing a chief executive transition. Learn more
Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
Foundation Center
Friday, February 29, 2008
This free Foundation Center course will teach representatives of community groups without nonprofit status, or new nonprofits with little grantseeking experience, the fundamentals of foundation fundraising. The course includes a step-by-step checklist approach to help participants determine an organization's readiness for foundation fundraising. Advance registration is required for this program. Learn more
Funding Opportunities
Grants To Reduce Alcohol Abuse
U.S. Department of Education
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Department of Education announces funds for local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop and implement innovative and effective programs to reduce alcohol abuse in secondary schools. Learn more
HIV/AIDS Prevention for High-Risk Women of Color Grants Program
U.S. Council of Mayors
Monday, February 25, 2008
The U.S. Council of Mayors (USCM) plans to award grants totaling approximately $420,000 to local health departments, nonprofit community-based organizations and Native American tribes for implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention projects for high-risk women of color. Learn more
Affordable Housing Projects
Home Depot Foundation
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to creating healthy, livable communities through the integration of affordable housing built responsibly, as well as the preservation and restoration of community trees. Preference is given to proposals that include community engagement resulting in the production, preservation, or financing of housing units for low- to moderate-income families. Learn more
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