The Daily Tell

The Everything Channel, a technology marketing and sales firm, conducted a "technology makeover" at a California elementary school with the help of a local nonprofit volunteer action center, the organization announced recently.

As many public schools struggle to meet student needs in a difficult economic period, members of the marketing firm along with volunteers from the nonprofit L.A. Works installed six new library computers and updated the operating systems of 34 others as well as provided new keyboards in the elementary school’s computer lab.

Administrators at Dayton Heights elementary school said that without the employee volunteer initiative, the school’s computer system wouldn’t be able to adequately serve its students.

The new technology was presented to students, school officials and community leaders during a ribbon cutting ceremony.

"We are very grateful for the business community’s generosity in helping us revitalize the library and computer lab at Dayton Heights Elementary School," said Brutchey. "Everything Channel and members of the technology industry have set aside valuable time to help us improve the facility of one of our community partners. We appreciate this tremendous support of our mission to increase volunteer participation and build the capacity of our nonprofit partners."

Also involved in the IT makeover partnership are several technology companies, such as Microsoft, which was the underwriter of the program. Samsung, a major electronics company, donated a printer, two monitors and two projectors for classroom audio visual presentations.

In addition to the technology makeover, Everything Channel employees helped beautify areas around the school and one volunteer painted a mural nearby.

Other initiatives to help under-served students by supplying technology are sprouting up in other parts of the country as well.

Take Stock in Children, a nonprofit based in Florida that supplies mentors and college scholarships to low-income and at-risk students, recently distributed 10 anonymously donated laptops to the children it serves.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence, a leading nonprofit advocate for victims of abuse, recently released the findings of a 24-hour survey that shows that although domestic violence experts answered more than 23,000 emergency hotline calls daily, 9,280 requests for help went unmet.

The snapshot study, taken last fall, also shows that in one 24-hour period 65,000 victims of domestic violence and their children received life-saving services. The results were submitted by 1,648 domestic violence programs that participated, which account for 83 percent nationwide.

Sue Else, president of NNEDV, said that numbers show that the economic problems of late are exacerbating domestic violence and at the same time limiting services to victims of domestic violence. But despite the difficulties, she said, advocates and volunteers are giving back to the community more than ever to address the issue.

"I am in awe of the grassroots victim advocates who served more than 65,000 victims in one day alone," said Else. "But I’m saddened that more than 9,000 times the same day, limited resources forced these tireless advocates to say, ‘I’m sorry we can’t provide what you’re asking for, but we’ll do whatever we can to help. We have come a long way, but these numbers remind us that we still have a long way to go."

This is the fourth annual survey that NNEDV has conducted in an attempt to analyze domestic violence services.

The project was supported by Intelius – one of the top 100 most visited websites on the internet, which specializes in background checks and identity theft protection – as well as the Mary Kay Foundation and the Allstate Foundation.

Others hoping to support NNEDV in its mission to stop domestic violence may want to sign up for action alerts, which allows the nonprofit to let supporters know when there is political action that can be taken to support legislation to aid life-saving services for victims.

Clean Out Your Office, a Massachusetts company that specializes in the disposal of electronic waste, is donating dozens of discarded computers to an after-school program based in Boston.

Through a partnership with Victory Generation, a faith-based nonprofit organization with a mission to build and sustain after-school services in low-income communities, the company delivered nearly 100 PCs to 11 schools and church centers. COYO plans to supply more computers to the after-school sites and has also made the goal of the partnership to give each of the 543 after-school students in the program a computer for their home by June 30, the Daily News Tribune of Waltham reported.

Janine Spinola Taylor, director of education for Victory Generation, called the charity donations from Clean Out Your Office a "win-win" situation that will surely be a benefit to society by giving less fortunate students a more equal playing field.

"It shows an after-school program meeting another business and collectively they serve the needs of children who do not have a computer," Janine Spinola Taylor, director of education for the partnership, told the news provider. "Without a computer, they are not able to compete in school and do the after-school work. The computer divide would have only increased."

If it were not for the company’s charity, the after-school program would have to pay from $200 to $300 for a refurbished computer, according to COYO’s cofounder.

COYO picks up its computers from small corporate customers – universities, law firms, and IT companies – that pay for the removal and recycling of monitors, copiers, printers and servers. COYO now waves $17.50 in recycling fees to customers who will donate their computers to Victory Generation.

For businesses and organizations in other areas who would like to donate, computerswithcauses.org offers to pick up computers and donate them to a school, veterans center, homeless shelter, or another cause affiliated with its global computer education program.

With Haiti continuing to suffer the aftershocks of an earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, leaving half a million homeless, the nonprofit charity organization UNICEF is working in full force to collect donations large and small to aid the children in the grief struck country.

Now, American Airlines has heeded the call, helping UNICEF by taking in a record-breaking $1.2 million for the charity in 2009 through change collections from travelers who choose to donate unused coinage to the Change for Good program.

Since the earthquake, all of the Change for Good funds collected have been earmarked to Haiti’s relief, rebuilding and recovery. On select international flights, as well as in the airline’s admirals clubs and flagship lounges, the American Airlines employee volunteers collect the change.

Every bit counts, according to UNICEF representatives.

"A little change goes a long way," said Caryl Stern, president of the U.S. fund for UNICEF. "American Airlines and its participation in the Change for Good program is invaluable to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for its ability to bring both funding and attention to UNICEF’s work. We are so thankful for the generosity of American Airlines customers and the dedication of the committed American Airlines employee volunteers who choose to help improve children’s lives."

The program solicits donations, much of it from foreign currency that passengers couldn’t use before entering the US, and some visitors from afar also left their dollars with the Change for Good program on their way out to help the cause. The American Airlines effort is supported by Airline Ambassadors International, a relief organization organized by American Airlines flight attendants.

Change for Good was established in 1987. American Airlines has been participating in the program since 1994, and has deemed its employee volunteer group that gathers the donations "Champions for Children."

When it comes to marketing a product, companies selling consumer products sometimes aren’t afraid to act a little kooky, whether it be car dealerships yelling at you through the television or seafood restaurants taking advantage of multiple meanings for fresh in their advertisements to fish for a laugh.

Now, one brand is using those same strategies to bring benefit to society.

Paper towel brand Bounty is giving back to the community – and perhaps trying to promote its brand at the same time – by traveling around the country with an oversized shopping cart holding a six-foot Bounty roll in an attempt to raise awareness of hunger problems in five states.

Bounty, owned by Procter and Gamble, says it will donate one roll of paper towels to a food bank in each state whenever someone becomes a fan of its Facebook page. The company has pledged a total of $50,000 worth of paper towels to the food banks.

"Our goal through this campaign is to make a huge difference in the lives of those in need," said Chris Brown, a marketing executive for Bounty. "Local food banks are critical to serving people in need in communities across the country, and our hope is to incite people into action so together we can make a difference."

Last fall another product-sponsored charity used similar social media-based strategies in its own campaign.

Pantene, a hair products brand that is also owned by Proctor and Gamble, informed visitors in a Facebook status update posted in October that for each new fan their page received by the end of the year, they would donate 10 cents to their Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. The program facilitates hair donations to women suffering from cancer.

With its wide array of interactive exhibits, thought-provoking shows and cultural features, along with a steady stream of young students and families coming in everyday since 1830, administrators at one of Boston’s biggest museums feel they could use an upgrade to their computer systems.

Now Microsoft has made it happen.

The computer tech company, known for its long history of contributions to charity, gave $1.9 million worth of software and other support to the Museum of Science in Boston, the museum announced recently. The endowments include the most up-to-date Microsoft Office programs as well as server and development tools.

In a statement, leaders at the museum celebrated a continuing partnership with Microsoft that has comprised of not only financial charity but corporate volunteerism involving Microsoft’s 1,000 Boston-area workers.

"This is a milestone partnership," said Ioannis Miaoulis, president and director of the museum. "We all look forward to the collaborations Microsoft will make possible, from corporate volunteer programs to new exhibits that showcase the latest innovations in technology."

The museum has been a beneficiary of Microsoft ’s philanthropy since 1997, according the statement. The computer company is not alone: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and MathWorks, both of Massachusetts, stand along with Microsoft as what the museum calls its premier partners.

"We are pleased to support one of Boston’s most vital institutions," said Ted MacLean, general manager of Microsoft’s strategic alliances division. "The museum is undergoing exciting changes in the ways it presents information and delivers educational information. We are thrilled to help make these shifts a reality."

Microsoft founder and board member Bill Gates has made education the focus of his philanthropy, giving back to the community by recently pledging $335 million in grants to enhance the performance of teachers in four major cities around the country, Tampa Bay’s St. Petersburg Times reported.

It’s not every day that big corporations just give away the costly, high-class art they own. But in the case of Safeco, giving back to the community along with protecting the heritage of its paintings and sculptures goes hand in hand.

Safeco, a national insurance agency owned by Liberty Mutual, donated $3.5 million worth of fine art from its private collection to a nonprofit art consortium in Washington state, where the company is based.

Among the 800 pieces of art are works from globally-renowned artists, including Fay Jones, George Tsutakawa and Jacob Lawrence, all of whom reign from the northwest U.S.

Safeco is proud to put its artwork in the hands of the nonprofit, the Washington Art Consortium, by putting the pieces in museums all over Washington.

"The Washington Art Consortium is our perfect partner, and we look forward to watching the collection come to life in museums across our state," said Safeco president Michael Hughes. "Safeco has a rich legacy in art investment expanding more than 30 years, so it was important to find a donation partner that could preserve the collection in such a way that would honor the rich history of the Northwest and its art."

The Washington Art Consortium claims to be the first group of its type in the country: an educational cooperative that engages in a partnership with seven art institutions to secure photos, paintings on paper and other works by distinguished artists of the last century. The partnership aims to encourage an appreciation for art among the public.

In Washington’s neighbor to the south, Oregon, Bank of America was also giving back to the community through art last month by offering a $600,000 corporate donation to the Portland Art Museum, and also planned a permanent endowment, to allow children and teenagers to visit for free.

Actress Demi Moore’s selected cause, Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) will be awarded the top prize of $250,000.

GEMS is the nation’s largest non-profit organization designed to empower American girls and young women, ages 12-21 who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.

A long-time anti-trafficking advocate, Demi Moore unleashed the power of her social media network to get out the vote for her cause to benefit GEMS. “The Pepsi Refresh Grant will allow GEMS to train 10 former victims as outreach workers and employ them to go back to their community and refresh the lives of thousands of victimized girls. I believe the work that GEMS is doing is nothing short of heroic!,” says Demi Moore, who along with her husband, Ashton Kutcher, launched The DNA Foundation committed to protecting the freedom of the world’s most vulnerable citizens by forcing sex slavery out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

“I am thrilled that GEMS has gained powerful allies in Demi Moore and The DNA Foundation and honored to be the beneficiary of a Pepsi Refresh Grant. The grant will support us in the important work of transforming survivors of domestic trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation into future leaders. This transformation is most evident with GEMS Outreach workers, young women who advocate for legislation to protect other young victims, challenge misperceptions of survivors and educate and support peers and at-risk girls,” says Rachel Lloyd, GEMS founder/Executive Director.

“I am excited that GEMS won the Pepsi Refresh grant. As a GEMS Outreach worker, I travel to juvenile detention facilities, group homes, and schools, to educate girls on the issues of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. This is very important to me because often girls have no idea what really goes on and if I can reach them before an exploiter ever does they will know the truth of what that life really offers. I let them know that if they have been a victim of trafficking, GEMS is a place where they can get help and wont be judged,” says Shaquana, also a survivor who with the support of GEMS, graduated as high school valedictorian and is now a college sophomore.

Pepsi will also award $100,000 to support Kevin’s cause, SixDegrees.org, which will distribute thousands of $20 SixDegree.org Good Card, a gift card which they can use to support a charity of their choice. Demi and Kevin’s ideas are one of hundreds that have been submitted from around the country for a chance to win some of than $20 million available from the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Media Inquiries:
Muhammida El Muhajir | 718 496 2305 |
muhammida@suninleo.com

For more info on GEMS: www.gems-girls.org

For more info on Pepsi Refresh: www.refresheverything.com

For more info on Demi and Ashton Foundation: www.demiandashton.org.

The Daily Tell recently featured an article written by Rachel Lloyd, founder of GEMS.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is giving back to the community in California through $1.2 million of grants designed to help dozens of disparate campaigns and nonprofit organizations that serve economically disadvantaged areas.

The endowments, which will aid 54 organizations that are giving back to society in a variety of ways – from battling teen pregnancy, to improving the performing arts – were approved by the foundation’s board this past November and were announced last week.

The foundation awarded a grant to the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation, a nonprofit human services agency, based in San Francisco. It aims to use the $150,000 grant to open a youth center and clinic that offers pregnancy prevention and mental health services.

On another note, two grants were given by the foundation to two music-oriented causes, also based in San Francisco. The Hewlett Foundation gave $100,000 to the EXIT Theatre, for the expansion of its four-venue, 250-seat "theatreplex," which provides constant opportunities for any willing actors and low cost rentals of performance areas to production crews. A $250,000 grant was given to the Music National Service Initiative as well, a national nonprofit with a team of 20 music teachers in four major cities – deemed a "musical Peace Corp" by the organization – to teach music full-time in hospitals, public schools, public schools and parks.

Adding an environmental aspect to the well-rounded set of endowments is a $250,000 grant to the Coalition for Clean Air, of Los Angeles, that will work to lessen the level of air pollution in Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

As the result of other Hewlett Foundation contributions to the RAND Corporation, a study published today revealed striking connections between two different fields: health and the environment. California’s pollution has caused more than $193 million in hospital care from 2005 to 2007, according to the report.

When Geena Davis took on the role of the first female U.S. president in the ABC television series Commander in Chief, she was taking a step toward changing the way American women are portrayed in the media. Now, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is advocating action to empower women internationally through its participation at the recent UN event, Engaging Philanthropy to Promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

According to the New York Times , the U.N. event garnered the support of countless foundations, corporate leaders, and international female icons – including Miss USA Kristen Dalton and Sweden’s Princess Madeline.

The U.N. Economic and Social Council chose to focus on women’s rights and gender equity on International Corporate Philanthropy Day to serve as a reminder that women need economic opportunity in order to be empowered. United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged the private sector to promote women to all levels of corporate responsibility.

The myriad women in attendance brought up a number of other issues that women face globally and offered ways to solve these problems. Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson suggested that women need role models and offered a "Mother’s Army" plan to encourage women to inspire girls.

Mary Quinn, manager of the Avon Foundation for Women, talked about the problem of violence against women. She announced her foundation will give $250,000 for programs to conquer gender-based violence in Mexico.

Geena Davis gave the keynote address about the continued issue of hyper-sexuality that plagues females in the media. "In a world that is over 50 percent female, the message that the media sends is that women and girls have far less value than men and boys," the New York TimesNew York Times quotes her as saying.

The event had an impact on the women and men in attendance. World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists founder Tariq Cheema announced he will start an "Empowerment Through Enlightenment Initiative" to continue to develop solutions to the discussed issues. Ban Ki Moon hopes the initiative will raise awareness and offer skill-building opportunities for girls around the world.