The Daily Tell

Pangea Global AIDS Foundation received a two-year $2.4 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to help the Chinese government and China-based nonprofit organizations support HIV prevention programs.

The grant will help Pangea continue its AIDs prevention efforts in China, which began in 2004. Programs supported by the grant will target 15 cities across China where government officials have determined that populations are at high risk HIV infection.

"The ultimate goal of the program is to improve health outcomes for HIV-positive persons in high-risk and under-served populations and to reduce HIV transmission linked with these populations," said Pangea chief medical officer and grant principal Dennis Israelski.

According to Pangea, the group’s main focus in China over the next two years will be on delivering HIV tests and results, linking HIV-positive people with quality treatment in hospitals and ensuring access to psychosocial counseling and supportive case management for HIV patients in order to improve their quality of life and prevent future transmission.

A number of Pangea’s services will be delivered in partnership with service-based nonprofit AIDS Care China. Pangea has worked closely with AIDS Care China, as well as the Yunnan Bureau of Health and the Clinton Foundation in AIDs prevention efforts over the past four years.

"Pangaea’s support will focus on bringing HIV-positive persons into a system of care that is equipped to provide a continuum of prevention and treatment services with linkages between NGOs and government health care providers," said Israelski.

The AIDs epidemic has hit China particularly hard in recent years. A Chinese government report released in February 2009 found that AIDs accounted for more deaths in the country than any other infectious disease in 2008, claiming 7,000 lives during the first nine months of 2008.

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, announced a $12-million gift from Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel through the Mandel Supporting Foundations. This gift marks the completion of the museum’s $100-million capital campaign to support the comprehensive transformation of its 20-acre campus.

The Mandel gift supports the reconstruction, reinstallation, and endowment of the Museum’s Jewish Art and Life Wing, housing the world’s preeminent collection of Judaica and Jewish Ethnography, the Israel Museum said. The Wing will be named the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Wing for Jewish Art and Life.

"A central goal of our campus renewal project is the complete reworking of all of our collection galleries, so as to enable our visitors to navigate intuitively through the history of world culture, from prehistory to contemporary times," said James S. Snyder, Anne and Jerome Fisher Director of the Israel Museum. "Our newly reconstructed Mandel Wing for Jewish Art and Life presents objects from secular and religious traditions in an integrated display, offering a comprehensive view of the practices of Jewish communities from around the world. We are tremendously grateful to the Mandel family for its support for this endeavor."

The reconfigured and reinstalled Mandel Wing, which will utilize about $7 million of the donation, will explore the aesthetic value of the objects as well as their religious, social, and historical contexts.

The additional $5 million from the Mandel Foundations is being dedicated to endow and support the wing’s future programming, operations, and acquisitions.

Reports estimate that 600,000 adults in the Chicago area read below the ninth grade level and/or have low or limited English language proficiency. In addition, approximately 25 percent of adults in the greater Chicago area do not have a high school diploma, and 66 percent of Chicago Public Schools students cannot read at grade level.

To help counter those staggering numbers, The McCormick Foundation has announced $880,000 in funding through Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund, that will help 38 local agencies assist Chicago’s adults, children and families with the literacy skills.

Through partnerships with media outlets, such as the Chicago Tribune, the McCormick Foundation continues Robert R. McCormick’s legacy of service by encouraging local giving, inspiring civic involvement and addressing human needs.

"Literacy empowers people and literally opens worlds of opportunity closed to those who are unable to read" said David D. Hiller, president and CEO of the McCormick Foundation. "It is essential to successful, fully engaged lives and a vibrant democracy. Thanks to people’s generosity and the critical in-kind support provided by the Chicago Tribune, the McCormick Foundation can fund quality organizations that help vulnerable individuals develop their knowledge and potential and become active and engaged citizens."

The 2009 literacy grants will be awarded to agencies providing high-quality services in the following program areas.

The charity committed $399,000 to 20 programs supporting the education of functionally illiterate adults, including Adult Basic Education (ABE) for English-speakers and English as a Second Language (ESL) for non-English speakers.

The organization also targeted children’s literacy with $135,000 given to 11 in- and after-school programs promoting literacy for students who are at risk of illiteracy or are reading below grade level.?

Over the past 22 years, Chicago Tribune Charities has committed more than $12.5 million to nonprofit organizations strengthening literacy in Chicago and the suburbs.

VENICE, FL (December 29, 2009) – Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice recently awarded more than $1.2 million in grants from its Florida BRAIVE Fund to seven nonprofit organizations that serve military personnel of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families. The funding supports everything from financial assistance for injured troops’ families to job training and counseling for returned veterans trying to reintegrate into their communities.

The following grant awards from the Foundation’s Florida BRAIVE Fund will help military personnel in central and southwest Florida and beyond:

* American Red Cross – Tampa Bay Chapter – $500,000 to provide assistance, including direct emergency financial relief, to soldiers and veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families

* Florida National Guard Foundation – $243,792 to provide emergency financial assistance to personnel of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom

* Haley House Fund – $60,000 to provide temporary lodging to the families of active-duty military personnel being treated for life-threatening injuries and diseases at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Polytrauma Unit in Tampa

* Operation Helping Hand – $50,000 to support and assist wounded or injured active-duty military patients being treated at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, and their visiting families. Support includes welcoming kits, monthly dinners, and day-to-day needs of patients, as well as air travel and other expenses for immediate family members who are visiting in Tampa.

* Seminole Behavioral Healthcare – $49,479 to provide treatment and early intervention services for troops with mental health or substance use issues

* State College of Florida Foundation – $219,775 to create a globally accessible, multimedia Web site to help veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families prepare for and access postsecondary education

* Welcome Home, Vets – $125,000 to provide counseling and other clinical services for returning veterans and their families, care packages to overseas troops, and outreach to improve community sensitivity to the needs of veterans

Since 2003, more than 1.8 million American troops have served in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thousands have been deployed multiple times. “We know the future is uncertain for our military heroes, even when they have returned home,” said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “The BRAIVE Fund is our signal to those men and women that we care and want to help them as much as we can.”

The $5-million Florida BRAIVE Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation was created in 2008 to assist military personnel and the families of military personnel who are serving or have served in Afghanistan and Iraq from a 25-county area in central and southwest Florida. The fund was established with a generous gift from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF) of the California Community Foundation.

The California Community Foundation has released a new report on the achievements of IADIF and the ongoing needs of our military community, which is available online at calfund.org.

For information about making a contribution to The Florida BRAIVE Fund, visit gulfcoastcf.org.

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice

Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice builds strong communities through leadership, partnership, and endowed philanthropy. A public charity committed to improving the quality of life in the communities it serves, it is the largest community foundation in Florida. The Foundation was founded in late 1995 and has awarded more than $93 million in grants in the areas of arts and culture, health and human services, education, civic affairs, and the environment. The Board of the Foundation envisions a region known for endowed philanthropy, a vital nonprofit community, and the ability to address emerging issues. For more information about the Foundation, visit gulfcoastcf.org.

Additional Media Contacts:
For more information on individual grant awards and the projects they support, please contact:

American Red Cross – Tampa Bay Chapter
Janet McGuire, Chapter Disaster Communications Officer
727.967.8351

Florida National Guard Foundation (St. Augustine)
Roger Williams, Executive Director
904.827.8519

Haley House Fund (Brandon)
Dave Braun, Director of Finance and Administration
813.310.8513

Operation Helping Hand (Tampa)
Captain Robert J. Silah, Chairman
813.963.1854

Seminole Behavioral Healthcare (Fern Park)
Laurie Reid, Director of Veteran Services
407.831.2411

State College of Florida Foundation (Bradenton)
Peg Lowery, Executive Director
941.752.5390

Welcome Home, Vets (Melbourne)
Colonel Nathan Thomas, Jr. (Retired), President
321.987.9181

New year’s resolutions often revolve around trimming waistlines – a goal that Whole Foods Market, with their organic food options, could likely help Americans reach. But the food retailer has set its own resolution to help nonprofit food organizations, and this is a goal Facebook users can help it reach.

Whole Foods Market has launched a Facebook application called "This is My Year to…" that gathers support for three nonprofits dedicated to developing organic gardens and feeding those in need. Their efforts will help support the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s goal to make more than 90 percent of the U.S. population food secure in 2010. This is an ambitious goal as 14.6 percent of Americans – or 17 million households – were food insecure in 2009.

The Facebook contest will directly benefit three organizations that provide healthy food options to as many Americans as possible. One organization – Growing Power – is committed to providing equal access to affordable food. It offers assistance in developing food communities and tries to distribute food in a sustainable manner.

The Non-GMO Project is dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of farms that do not produce genetically modified products, and Mission Organic 2010 helps create farming jobs to meet the demand for organic food. Both organizations hope to put rural residents – who are at the greatest risk for food hunger – in more economically secure positions while simultaneously increasing the amount of food available to Americans.

To participate in "This is My Year to…" Facebook users can download the application and vote for their favorite charitable food organization. Each nonprofit will receive $10,000 from Whole Foods Market, but the winning organization will receive an addition $10,000 prize.

The campaign, which runs through January, highlights a major shift in charitable giving this year. Even as charities report that donations fell this year, online giving and third-party giving through social media have skyrocketed.

This giving season, the economic recession seems to pull at the heartstrings of Americans as much as their purse strings. According to a survey from Tiller Social Action, 90 percent of Americans said they will donate as much or more than in previous seasons.

Still, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund reports that more than 30 percent of Americans don’t participate in charitable endeavors as much as they would like because they can’t find organizations that are a good fit.

This is where Universal Giving can make a difference. The nonprofit website connects people with vetted programs around the globe that best match their philanthropic interests. By searching the Universal Giving site, potential donors can find organizations around the world that will give them the chance to make the difference they want to see in the world.

Moreover, 100 percent of donations go to the nonprofit of their choice. This might be especially important to the majority of Universal Giving’s donors as the average donation is between $25 and $75. Universal Giving believes that everyone should be able to contribute in some way, and all donors should have the resources to make the greatest impact possible.

CEO and founder of Universal Giving, Pamela Hawley, explained to CBS News that the site is meant to help people find organizations that can best put their resources to use. She says she "wanted to help people see and trust" where they could give money and time, and where they could "change lives and have their own lives be changed."

Universal Giving also works directly with companies to ensure that philanthropic giving meets its full potential. In a Facebook interview, Hawley described the 10-stage quality assurance model Universal Giving performs on its nonprofit partners, including verification of financial information and confirmation of evidence provided by the organizations.

Hawley hopes her organization can make charitable giving easier in these difficult times. She also believes it can bring people peace of mind in the midst of their own financial struggles. "Through giving, we become humbler about what we have," she says.

The Knight Foundation announced that it will donate $200,000 to the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, a nonprofit group that pays a small staff of journalists to deliver online investigative reports.

The Washington-based Huffington Post Investigative Fund provides open source stories that can be republished by any site at the same time it is published on the Huffington Post. Its mission is to provide high quality investigative reporting that combines the watchdog function of the press and traditional journalistic values with new media channels.

"It’s a worthy test of a new idea, and since we really don’t know how investigative reporting is best supported in the future, an interesting experiment," Knight Foundation journalism program vice president Eric Newton.

The fund’s staff of 11 investigative journalists has delivered 50 stories since its opening this fall, including 20 video reports. The group operates on a budget of $2 million.

Directors of the fund have been drawn from a number of different online and print publications, including the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly and the Huffington Post, and include multiple Pulitzer Prize winners. Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, chairs the fund’s board of directors.

"Everyone who understands the vital role good journalism plays in our democracy is looking for ways to preserve and strengthen it during this time of great transition for the media, and Knight is playing a lead role in this effort," said Arianna Huffington.

The steady migration of readers from print to online news sources has raised concerns over the future of investigative journalism in recent years, as fewer publications seem willing to keep an adequate number of full-time reporters on staff to support investigative reporting efforts. Newspapers eliminated approximately 15,000 jobs in 2009, according to Paper Cuts, a website that tracks newspaper layoffs.

Historically, economically trying times have proven periods of spiritual renewal. According to officials at Belief.net, the recession provides people with an opportunity to "recess" from the economic doom around them and find riches in a more faith-based life. With unemployment rates at 10 percent, many jobless Americans are turning toward spirituality to cope.

The UJA Federation of New York is one of many nonprofit organizations that helps people deal with the economic downturn while also striving to give them a sense of spiritual fulfillment. More than 4.5 million people a year benefit from their work "to help Jews overcome crisis." Now, the organization might be able to help an even larger number in their community in the current economic crisis thanks to donations exceeding $19 million at the organization’s annual Wall Street Dinner.

Among the leaders in the financial industry who contributed to the nonprofit, Marc Lipschultz of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts was honored for his standout commitment to UJA Federation’s work. Henry Kravis introduced Lipshultz commending his exemplary efforts in keeping with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts’ commitment to addressing social, economic, and environmental issues through their investments.

Moreover, Marc Lipshultz said Henry Kravis has been a "tremendous role model." He said, "[Henry] clearly sees supporting the community as a part of his commitment and his life. He’s been a role model for my aspiration to be part of the community and to give back."
Another inspiration for Lipshultz’s commitment to UJA Federation is a keen understanding of the struggles of Americans, even if those at the Wall Street Dinner had been fortunate. "We live in a world at a time when many people are not so lucky," he said.

Lipschultz has been making contributions to the organization since his childhood days of attending Mount Zion temple. Now, his contributions will hopefully reach countless other temple-goers this year.

University of Mississippi Health Care announced the start of a new nonprofit high-tech intensive critical care program designed to connect top-notch doctors and nurses with critically ill patients in rural Mississippi.

The academic medical center will use the new Philips VISICU eICU program to connect ICU patients and bedside care teams in the rural Mississippi Delta with expert critical care physicians and nurses from located miles away. The remote teams will monitor patients from offsite and alert beside care providers of potential problems before they occur.

"It is rewarding to see a health system like UMHC use the eICU Program to leverage its critical care resources to improve the health and well-being of the rural Delta region and surrounding Mississippi communities," said Philips VISICU chief executive Frank T. Sample.

The program will begin with monitors on 83 beds, including four beds for stroke patients and four beds for transplant patients, in the Delta Regional Medical Center in Greenville, Mississippi. It will then spread to other rural hospitals throughout the state, using funds from the nonprofit Delta Health Alliance.

Each remote monitoring team will include a doctor specially trained in intensive care, as well as nurses providing 24-hour support for bedside critical care teams. Organizers said the program will improve the abilities of rural doctors to provide early intervention, as well as optimal care.

"Our mission is to provide the highest quality care to our communities," said University Hospitals and Health Systems interim chief executive David Putt.

Health inequality is a chronic issue for the U.S. health care system, as rural and inner-city communities often lack access to the highest quality medical services. About 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, while just 7.7 percent of the nation’s doctors work those areas.

With the exception of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and perhaps Drew Carey, Cleveland has had little to brag about over the years. But one thing the community has had to brag about is being known as a community that works to better the lives of all – especially its youth.

Continuing in that tradition, the board of directors of the Cleveland Foundation recently authorized $15 million in grants to support a wide range of important issues in Greater Cleveland, including youth development, education, economic development, and neighborhood renewal.

A large portion of the grants will be directed toward the area’s youth in the form of education and development.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District will receive more than $1 million dollars in grants as part of the foundation’s education initiative.

A grant of $750,000 will be available to help the CMSD implement its transformation plan, which is likely to address such issues as establishing new schools, promoting academic achievement and accountability, and putting the district on sound financial footing.

Outside of education, three grants were made to lead partners of MyCom, the youth development initiative that serves Cuyahoga County children from kindergarten through college, as part of the foundation’s efforts to impact youth development.

A grant of 450,000 was given to Starting Point to continue its out-of-school-time activities, $300,000 to Youth Opportunities Unlimited to offer summer job opportunities for youth and $270,000 to the Cuyahoga County Family and Children First Council to oversee day-to-day operations and management of MyCom.

Additional grants were also awarded to healthcare and social service organizations as well as business development with organizations such as Team NEO, Shorebank Enterprise Group Cleveland, Emerald Development and Economic Network and Neighborhood Family Practice and Care Alliance.