Open Society Institute Expands U.S. Programs Initiative

One of the projects of the Open Society Institute is 'Katrina: An Unnatural Disaster'

The Open Society Institute has recently announced that it will expand its U.S. Programs Initiative by $75 million annually.

Under the leadership of human rights advocate Ann Beeson, the U.S. program
will work to promote equality, ensure transparency in government, and reform
criminal justice and national security policies. To that end, OSI's new

Criminal Justice Fund will work to improve the administration of justice in
the U.S. and reduce the country's over-reliance on mass incarceration and
increasingly harsh punishment, while its

Transparency and Integrity Fund will work to restore credibility to key
government agencies, revitalize congressional oversight, and increase the
military's accountability. Other initiatives include the

Equality and Opportunity Fund, which provides support for communities of
color, immigrants, women, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
community; and the

Democracy and Power Fund, which will work to mobilize youth and communities
of color across a range of progressive issues.

In addition, OSI has announced the launch of two three-year initiatives:

Black Male Achievement, which will work to confront the stigmatization,
criminalization, and exclusion of African-American men and boys from the
economic and political mainstream; and

National Security and Human Rights, which will challenge U.S. policies on
torture, surveillance, arbitrary detention, and racial profiling.

"In shaping these programs, we have tried to capture the sense of urgency and
optimism that our grantees bring to today's formidable challenges," said Beeson.
"U.S. Programs will use its resources to ensure that democracy can flourish and
that everyone in this country can participate fully and equally in society."

More info here:

“Recognizing Profound and Urgent Threats to Democracy, the Open Society
Institute Charts New Direction for Its Work in the United States.” Open
Society Institute Press Release 6/12/08.

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The Caruth legacy continues to shape Dallas' non-profit scene

Portrait of a Donor: Mabel Peters Caruth (click here for full story)

Thanks to the far-ranging vision of lifelong philanthropist Mabel Peters Caruth, who passed on her estate to the Communities Foundation of Texas in 2000, the amazing legacy of her family's generosity will continue to grow.

The Caruth family, which has been a leading part of Dallas since 1948, donated much of the land that is now the home of the Southern Methodist University (SMU). Now, thanks to Mrs. Mabel Peters Caruth's final act of generosity, the family's house will become the new home to two of Dallas' most pretigious benefactors: the Hoblitzelle and Summerlee foundation, which are both currently housed in the same building in Preston Center.

The long partnership between all three of these foundations can only be enriched and deepened by this move, which bodes well for all non-profits in Dallas. Thanks to Brent Christopher and his staff at CFT for leading the charge to forge a better future for Dallas.

Here is an article with the details:
Dallas Morning News: Foundations to occupy restored Caruth home

United Way gives $46M to N. Texas nonprofits

The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Business Journal both released stories on the big news of May for nearly 100 of the largest and most effective non-profits in Dallas:

United Way gives more than $46 million to 93 area charities

I am proud to say that Central Dallas Ministries received the largest increase of any of the 93 agencies, increasing its allocation to over $800,000 this year.



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Uh oh... Tax Exemptions of Charities Face New Challenges

The New York Times reports that "Tax Exemptions of Charities Face New Challenges."

Could this be trouble for the sector?

Or is this another positive step towards better stewardship?



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Worlds Collide

Two of my favorite people in the world -- Catherine Cuellar and Pam Gerber -- apparently know each other. See Catherine's profile of the incredibly awesome Pam here:

People you s"hood" know: Oak Lawn's Pam Gerber | Dallas | pegasusnews.com

And yes, this is the ONLY picture I can find online of Pam. Amazingly elusive, that one! More about her here:

http://www.efnt.org/content-about-staff.asp?type=1&id=90

And more on Catherine here:
http://www.catherinecuellar.com/

And here:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/contributor/catherine-cuellar/

And here:
http://www.peoplenewspapers.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=&AudID=3E017068694948C3BE75FD51480D8A7D&tier=4&id=FC93B1255CF74A44AE4138E7B3A8315D

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Honoring the Fallen on Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. Formerly known as Decoration Day, today we remember the soldiers who died in service to our country.

One of the facts that is constantly overlooked on Memorial Day is that "about one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services" according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1

As we celebrate those who have lost their lives in service to our country, one of the best ways that we can honor them is to care their comrades who still carry the memory of their lost brothers and sisters with them.

Consider donating to one of your local homeless ministries today in honor of our fallen heroes, and those who survived to struggle under the burden of homelessness.

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Dallas after the Great Flood of 1908

Thanks to Back Talk Lakewood/East Dallas for linking to this article about "the history of Dallas and how our city developed, 100 years after the Great Flood of 1908":

Ever wondered just why it is the Trinity looks the way it does downtown or who came up with the idea to have a White Rock Lake Park in the first place? The Morning News published an interesting historical look at the development of Dallas after what is now known as the great flood of 1908. Among the things you'll find out by reading the story is why Central Expressway goes north but not south (a dispute over land prices with the railroads), how Union Station came to centralize Dallas' rail service, and who came up with the designs for Turtle Creek Boulevard and Stemmons Corridor. It's an informative look at how things came to be the way they are here in Dallas.

See the full article in The Dallas Morning News here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/052508dnmet1908flood.3b52dfb.html


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More on the new HAC

Thanks to PegasusNews.com's Catherine Cuellar and Scott Guthrie for posting the first story from the actual event cited below: Dallas celebrates opening of long-awaited homeless assistance center


I had the fortunate opportunity to stand next to Scott during the event and speak to him briefly about my perspective on the affair. I am grateful for his honest approach to the event -- pointing out both its highs and its lows. Kudos for his bravery.

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The Opening of "the Bridge"

Congratulations to the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance for today's wonderful announcement: the grand opening of The Bridge, Dallas' homeless assistance center. The event drew hundreds of neighbors together to celebrate this wonderful step forward.

But let us remember: this is a mighty step forward, but we have not reached the end of our journey to end chronic homelessness. The road ahead is long, and we must walk it hand-in-hand with our neighbors... those who are homeless and otherwise.

I was greatly encouraged by the editors of The Dallas Morning News, who made a similar statement in their editorial this morning: Editorial: A step toward ending homelessness.

Ending homelessness in Dallas is a marathon event, not a 100-yard dash. Today's opening of The Bridge homeless center in downtown marks an innovative change in the way this city confronts the homeless problem. But it's important to remember that this is still just an initial step in a long and arduous slog.

Thanks also to one of The Dallas Morning News' finest reporters, Kim Horner, for prefacing the event with this piece: $21 million downtown Dallas facility will focus on chronically homeless

The Associated Press also covered it here: New homeless center opens in Dallas

It was also good to see Our Girl Friday, Catherine Cuellar, at the event for Pegasus News, which covered the event here: The Bridge, Dallas' new homeless assistance shelter, opens Tuesday. PegNews is a gracious host of Larry James' Urban Daily. In fact, one of his recent blogs that they cross-posted was "The Business Case for Ending Homelessness".

Again, congratulations to the MDHA for this momentous event.

And congratulations to Judy Noble, wife of my dear friend and college mentor Peter Noble, for launching the MDHA's new Web site:

http://www.MDHADallas.org/

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United Way's New Goals

Thanks to Foundation Center's Philanthropy News Digest for this important update on one of the country's largest funders of health & human services:

The United Way of America has announced that it will direct most of its giving toward a ten-year effort to halve the high school dropout rate and number of working families struggling financially while increasing by a third the number of youths and adults considered healthy, the Washington Post reports.

Locally, I am very interested to see how Gary Godsey and team are going to respond to this challenge... particularly in light of the rumor that I've heard about them opening up their system to a broader designation-based funding model through which non-partner agencies can receive gifts.

Oh the times, they are a'changin'.

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The Wages of Vice and Virtue

If the wages of vice is death, then the wages of virtue -- in the form of community service -- is apparently a better life. A new study finds the following:

Alumni of AmeriCorps are more civically engaged, more likely to pursue public service careers in government and the nonprofit sector, and more likely to be happy and satisfied with their lives than those who do not serve in AmeriCorps, a new report from the Corporation for National and Community Service finds.

The full article is here.

FYI, Central Dallas Ministries runs its own AmeriCorps program (the largest in Dallas). More info on that here:
http://www.CDMAmeriCorps.org/

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New Laws for Organizations that Accept Online Payments

Thanks to TechSoup for publishing this important article:
New Laws for Organizations that Accept Online Payments

Nonprofit organizations that accept credit card donations should pay particular attention to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and state identity theft and breach notification laws.

Most nonprofits process fewer than 20,000 transactions and will fall into Level 4. The standard consists of 12 requirements that cover a broad range of security issues, from network protection to access controls to creating an information security policy.

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.
   
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
   
3. Protect stored cardholder data.
   
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.
   
5. Use and regularly update antivirus software.
   
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
   
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know.
   
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
   
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
   
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
    
11. Regularly test security systems and processes.
    
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security.

Sounds like quite a change -- but don't be worried. There is an alternative that you can consider:

"The simplest and cheapest way to get compliant with PCI is to not have the data," said David Taylor, Vice President of Data Security Strategies at Protegrity, which provides data security products and consulting to Fortune 2000 clients.

Learn more here:
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/page6432.cfm

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Hey, grant writers -- new Web site provides data on Texas economy

The Dallas Business Journal reports that the State of Texas has launched a new Web site to assist with economic development:

"A newly launched Web site aims to connect businesses, local governments and economic development officials with data and resources for expanding economic opportunity in Texas.
The site, operated through the Texas Comptrollers Office... offers a variety of economic data and analysis including snapshots of key Texas industries and economic sectors, detailed explanations of tools available to assist local governments in economic development initiatives and rankings of where Texas falls in comparison to other states in key arenas.

Read more here.

Or, just visit the site at :
www.TexasAhead.org

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Queue up your donors with EDS connections

The Denton Record-Chronicle reports that Hewlett-Packard Co. could buy the Plano-based computer services firm Electronic Data Systems Corp. for as much as $13 billion as soon as Tuesday.

Time to cross-check your donor records to see who has stock in EDS, and prepare to meet with them to figure out what to do with their newfound wealth.... especially if one of them is on this list.

FYI, EDS has committed to be the title sponsor of a little charity golf tournament here in town all the way through 2014.

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Emmitt Smith raises $559K for Shelton School

The Dallas Morning News reports that "Pat and Emmitt Smith served as the honorary chairs of the April 12 Shelton School Stampede Benefit Auction, which raised the largest amount of funding in the auction’s 19-year history, $559,430."
More here:
http://neighborsgo.com/stories/15148

The 32-year old Shelton School is the largest private school in the world for students with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, speech, and language disorders.

Way to go, Emmitt and Pat.

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Dallas County's homeless population

Related to the story below, Dallas County's homeless population growing.

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DMN says "Keep your dollar, help the homeless"

The Dallas Morning News ran an op-ed that said "Keep your dollar, help the homeless." It's an interesting read.

I am torn.

If you take away all my money, my home, my family -- every support system I have -- I am sure that I would really appreciate all that you could give to the Stewpot or the Bridge.

I am pretty certain I could also really use a nice drink or two, preferably in your company.

What do you think?



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Update on V3 Campaign

The DC Central Kitchen's inimitable leader, Robert Egger, sent the following to subscribers to the V3 -- Voice, Vote, Value -- Campaign. I encourage you to subscribe.

We've made some really great strides in getting the word out about the V3 Campaign. They include:

1. A great op-ed in the
   
   Financial Times, where I was able to speak to the broad strategies we are
   employing to get candidates to understand the economic value that nonprofits
   bring to every community.


2. A great one hour podcast on the V3
   Campaign and the future for nonprofits, thanks to an amazing friend and
   stellar, young leader, Rosetta Thurman, who runs
   
   Perspectives from the Pipeline.


3. We launched a new
   
   Facebook page for the V3 Campaign, which has made it real easy for younger
   nonprofit colleagues to forward information to their networks. If you haven't
   joined, please do!! 


4. The Chronicle of Philanthropy
   just initiated a
   
   Campaign 2008 page on their website, which is packed with great info on
   the how and whats of election work. The V3 Campaign and the Primary Project
   are both listed (and are the only two efforts that speak to the broad work of
   the sector).

Learn more here:
http://www.v3campaign.org/

http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/

http://www.robertegger.org/
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