The Daily Tell

The financing phase in an attempt to beautify the city of Dallas and provide a central meeting place for outdoor exhibitions, festivals and gatherings moved closer to completion on February 1. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. donated $3 million to the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation. The park will span 5.2 acres and create a green space in the middle of downtown Dallas. It will include several walking trails, a playground and a restaurant. One of the primary goals of the park is to increase walkability between three of the city’s most populated areas – uptown, downtown and the arts district. The...

According to the National Arts Index from Americans for the Arts, the recession has generally been unkind to the national arts sector. Arts funding recently reached a 10-year low, and one in three arts institutions failed to even break even last year. More, the demand for arts education is increasing as many organizations have had to cut back on learning programs and set higher fees for visitors in order to keep their doors open. In a moment when art institutions nationwide are struggling to stay afloat, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has made it a priority to maintain its free public admission....

The Mississippi Delta region has an important place in American cultural history; it’s known as the home of the blues. Unfortunately, people who live in one of the 18 counties of the region might be able to tell you exactly why Delta natives sing the blues. The region has one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates and – especially in the current recession – it is faces concentrated poverty, according to a report from the Community Affairs Offices of the Federal Reserve System and the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. The Southern Bancorp has...

Aaron’s, a specialty retailer of residential and office furniture, consumer relations, home appliances and accessories, announced Friday that it will donate two solar-powered electric systems to the Haitian relief effort through its charitable arm, Aaron’s Community Outreach Program. While most of ACORP’s charitable outreach extends to nonprofit organizations in the United States, the need for donations to the struggling Haitian infrastructure outweighs most domestic obligations to many at the moment. The solar units are strong enough to power two full medical centers and 34 treatment...

Even in the arts, it is vital to have professionals that can act as leaders and provide management and direction to nonprofits that help cultivate and promote the arts. Unfortunately, recent research by The James Irvine Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation found that the arts sector faces "critical leadership challenges during the next 10 to 15 years." This is due to older arts leaders entering retirement age during that time, according to the study. To help offset this shortage of arts leaders, the two foundations are giving organizations working toward developing...

In a case of gamers giving back, video game accessory provider Mad Catz has recently pledged its support to Teenage Cancer Trust, which funds and develops teenage cancer units within hospitals that enable young people to be treated together. But Mad Catz isn’t supporting Teenage Cancer Trust alone, having teamed with rock legend, Roger Daltrey. Daltrey, lead singer for The Who, has been a long-time supporter of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Daltrey has signed two Mad Catz Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster Guitar controllers to be auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds of the autographed...

A $3 million grant handed out over three years from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation will be used to support microfinance initiatives and technology-for-development projects as part of Bankers Without Borders (BwB) and the Grameen Foundation, a global nonprofit organization aiming to improve access to technology that aids financial development in the world’s poorest nations. Since its inception in 1997, 3,000 banking and finance professionals from around the world have helped develop financial and economic infrastructure programs aimed at eliminating global poverty. Volunteers have contributed...

The Raynier Institute & Foundation, a group that funds charitable organizations, has donated $7.75 million to a pair of Seattle-based organizations charged with aiding homeless young people. YouthCare focuses on homeless people aged between 12 and 24, while ROOTS provides emergency shelter to young adults between 18 and 25. According to a 2002 study by NightWatch, an interdenominational Christian ministry based in Seattle, there are roughly 7,980 homeless people in Seattle/King County. The Seattle Office of Housing found in a 2009 study that 9 percent of homeless people in Seattle/King County...

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and many Americans are starting to pick out the cards they will send to loved ones. Now, Facebook users can use Target’s Super Love Sender to send personalized greeting cards to friends and family and simultaneously support charities. The two week-long giving campaign is part of Target’s effort to send a little love to educational and children’s programs this holiday. Target’s partnership with five charities will provide a portion of $1 million – based on Super Love Sender users votes – to each nonprofit. The funds will...

The Sangari group, a Brazil-based company dedicated to advancement and innovation in science education, and the National Science Teachers Association have announced that Sangari has donated $1 million to the construction of the John Glenn Center for Science Education in Arlington, Virginia. The Glenn Center will be an LEED-certified green building and is scheduled to open in late 2011. It will enable science teachers throughout the world to gather in house and online to discuss methods and innovation in science education. Toyota has sponsored the top floor of the building, which will be used to...