ETA releases WIA 2012 Advance funds TEGL

The Employment and Training Administration has issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 09-11.

This TEGL provides states with revised allotment levels for the WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Fiscal Year 2012 "advance" funds which become available to states in October 2011. The revised levels are based on the 1.503 temporary rate of operations reduction included in the short-term Continuing Appropriations Acts of 2012.

The TEGL clarifies that the Governors' Reserve is set at five percent for all Performance Year 2011 WIA funds.

The TEGL also provides examples of waivers which may be sought if the funding reductions impair the conduct of certain Statewide activities.

Chase Community Giving Program

[from Philanthropy News Digest] JPMorgan Chase has announced that it will launch the fourth round of itscommunity giving program on Facebook on November 8.

As in previous rounds, Facebook users will help determine the nonprofit organizations that will share more than $3 million in grants from Chase by casting their votes through the bank's Community Giving application. The organization that receives the most votes by November 22 will receive $250,000, while four runners-up will each receive $100,000 and the rest of the top one hundred charities will each receive $25,000. To participate, nonprofits must have operating budgets of less than $1 million.

Since the program's inception in 2009, nearly 3 million "fans" have helped direct $15 million of the bank's charitable contributions to four hundred small and local nonprofits in thirty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Funding provided through the program is in addition to the bank's regular philanthropic giving, which totals more than $150 million a year.

“Chase Announces Launch of Chase Community Giving Fall Program.” JPMorgan Chase Press Release 10/26/11.

21st Century Community Learning Center

 The Department of Education (Department) announces the availability of the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) 2011-12 Request for Proposals (RFP) and the opening of the 2011-12 21st CCLC eGrants online application for Cohort 6.

 The 21st CCLC program is authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (act) (Pub. L. No. 107-110), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The 21st CCLC program provides Federal funding for the establishment of community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for children. The 21st CCLC program targets students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools to provide them with aid in meeting State and local academic standards. Programs also offer literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

 Grantees and all sites must provide academic enrichment activities to students attending high-poverty schools to help them meet State and local standards in core content areas, such as reading, math and science.

Application Requirements

 The application for new grants are available at http://egrants.ed.state.pa.us/ and will be due no later than 5 p.m. on November 8, 2011.

Pre-Proposal Conferences To assist eligible entities in completing the RFPs, the Department hosted a series of 21st CCLC onsite and online pre-grant workshops throughout October. Pre-grant workshops were held at the following locations: Appalachia Intermediate Unit #8, Altoona; Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3, Homestead; Midwestern Intermediate Unit #4, Grove City; BLAST Intermediate Unit #17, Williamsport; Northeast Eductional Intermediate Unit #19, Archbald; and Delaware CountyIntermediate Unit #25, Morton.

 Webinar (Online): The October 17, 2011, grant webinar was recorded and archived for viewing by all applicants. The link for the recording is posted for viewing on the Department's web site at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/21st_century_community_learning_centers/7414

 • Viewable at http://vclass.cciu.org

 • No password is necessary

 • Click on the ''21st Century Community Learning Centers Pre-Grant Workshop'' link to view.

Funding

 In keeping with the 21st CCLC Non-Regulatory Guidance, that larger grants often precipitate more effective programs, applicants may request funds ranging from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $500,000, but cannot exceed $500,000 based upon the $1,200 per student funding formula, which includes administrative and transportation costs. No funds will be available for summer only applicants in this grant round.

Amount of Funding Available:	Approximately $19,000,000
Grant Awards:	Minimum $50,000; maximum $500,000 (per year for 3 years)
Period of Availability for Year 1:	December 1, 2011—September 30, 2012

Eligible Applicants

 Federal law mandates, per section 4203(a)(3) of the act, that any public or private organization may apply for 21st CCLC funding if it proposes to serve:

 1. Students who primarily attend either:

 a. Schools eligible for schoolwide programs under (Title I) Section 1114.

 b. Schools that serve a high percentage of students (at least 40 percent) from low-income families.

 2. The families of those students previously described.

Eligible Participants

 Eligible participants are public, private and nonpublic school students, both boys and girls, prekindergarten through 12th grade. Programs should target the ages and grades deemed to be at greatest risk and those students who are academically below proficiency. It is mandated that eligible entities collaborate with local education agencies when applying for funds.

Application Information

 Detailed information outlining grant terms and conditions, pertinent regulations and the application process is contained in the 2011-12, 21st CCLC RPF, which can be accessed at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/21st_century_community_learning_centers/7414, the eGrants system at http://egrants.ed.state.pa.us or e-mail a request to RA-21stCCLC@pa.gov

 For additional program information, contact Susan D'Annunzio, 21st CCLC Program Supervisor, Department of Education, 333 Market Street, 5th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, (717) 346-3186, fax (717) 783-4392 or sdannunzio@pa.gov.

National Small Business Week 2012 from SBA

Open Call for Nominations

Every year, we at the SBA honor America’s small business owners by presenting National Small Business Week in Washington, DC and across the country. During National Small Business Week, we recognize outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners and the contributions they’re making to create jobs, inspire innovation and strengthen our economy. Earlier this year, we hosted one of our most successful National Small Business Weeks. Now, we’re gearing up for next year’s National Small Business Week: May 20-26, 2012 in Washington, DC. Open Call for Nominations SBA is currently seeking nominations from the public for exceptional entrepreneurs in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to help in awarding a national winner and a winner for each state and territory. In addition, we’re also seeking nominations for the following categories: Champion Awards for individuals or organizations dedicated to supporting small businesses in a variety of categories. Phoenix Awards for individuals (business owners, volunteers and public officials) whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster. To nominate a small business owner in your community, check out our Nomination Guidelines [PDF]. Submissions will be accepted until November 10, 2011. If you have questions about the nomination process, contact your local SBA District Office. Additional Information National Small Business Week Official Website SBA’s Nomination Guidelines [PDF] National Small Business Week 2011 Highlight Video

From EDA News- Public Private Partnerships

This week, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez delivered the keynote address during the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) Conference in Arlington, Texas.

Fernandez discussed steps that the Obama administration has taken to advance public-private partnerships and support bottom-up economic development strategies. He highlighted the smart investments that the U.S. Economic Development Administration makes, saying, “We approach our investments in some of the same ways a venture capitalist would. We're looking for a good risk-return balance and a significant return on our investment; which is why for every dollar EDA puts in, taxpayers get almost seven dollars back in the form of increased economic growth and job creation.”

Click here to read speech.

Click here to read blog post - Working with the Private Sector to Create Jobs.

Cleveland mtg. on Job Clubs, community partnerships

Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM — 12:30 PM
Registration Time: 9:00 AM
RSVP: gerwitz.ashley@dol.gov or 202-693-6031

Hosted by Jobs Partnership Cleveland at

Mt. Zion Congregational Church
10723 Magnolia Drive
Cleveland, OH 44106

Please join Jay Williams, Director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers & former Mayor of Youngstown, OH and the Department of Labor's Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships for a symposium on the important role of job clubs and career ministries in getting Americans back to work. Participants and attendees will include job club coordinators, workforce development officials, faith leaders, nonprofit leaders, employers, and job seekers and workers who will discuss the various ways job clubs and career ministries support communities to help the unemployed regain their footing and transition back to the workforce.

Job Club and Career Ministry programs based at religious institutions, community colleges, and community-based organizations offer an opportunity for unemployed individuals to come together and share professional networks, learn the latest job search techniques, and receive emotional support. The Department of Labor's Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships recently launched a new project to connect with job clubs and ministries and facilitate partnerships between job clubs and the workforce investment system, including One-Stop Career Centers, community colleges, and nonprofit service organizations. (Visitwww.dol.gov/jobclubs/ for more information on the project.)

The half-day symposium will highlight the work of job clubs, provide information on the valuable resources offered by the public workforce investment system, and explore partnership opportunities among job clubs, the workforce system, employers, and other entities. This event is open to the public. Please attend if the issue of jobs is important to you, if you are a workforce development professional, if you are currently coordinating or interested in starting a job club or career ministry, and/or if you are interested in collaborations and partnerships.

Please share this invitation with your colleagues and networks.

To register, provide your first name, last name, organization name (if applicable), city, state, and email address to Ashley Gerwitz at gerwitz.ashley@dol.gov or 202-693-6031 no later than Wednesday, November 2.

Nonprofit Partnership grants

From The Nonprofit Partnership:

Process and Schedule

Letters of Interest for the next round of capacity-building grants are due by 4:00 p.m. on January 17, 2012.

• Download the Capacity-Building Grant Letter of Interest Guide (27.5 KB)

Video Story Project

The Video Story Project is beginning its next round of production with chosen applicants in August, 2011. We invite story narrative campaign ideas on the application form below by the next deadline on January 17, 2012 by 4:00 p.m.

• Download the 2011 Video Story Project Campaign Application (30.5 KB)

To assist you in generating ideas for your campaign, we invite you to download the Yes! Mediaworks Nonprofit Video Campaign Guidebook.

Communication Makeover Grants

New in 2011, The Nonprofit Partnership is pleased to introduce Communication Makeover grants. Makeovers center around a package of services and technical assistance from Nonprofit Partnership staff that help you and your organization strengthen your brand, improve your website, enhance your online communication tools, and produce a high quality annual report.

Please complete the Communication Makeover application below and return it by the deadline on January 17, 2012 at 4:00 p.m.

• Download the Communication Makeover Application (451.5 KB)

UChoose Grants open

October 10, 2011 – Today, ECGRA kicked off the UChoose Grants submission process with the launch of ErieUChoose.com, the project's official application and voting Web site.

Modeled after the nationally recognized Pepsi Refresh Project, UChoose Grants gives community members a chance to vote on which Erie County-based nonprofit organizations will receive one of three awards totaling $30,000 sponsored by ECGRA.

Nonprofit organizations can upload their projects at ErieUChoose.com through November 16. Any 501(c)(3) headquartered in Erie County can apply online for a grant in the amount of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Applications must be for a charitable, community, or educational project benefitting the people of Erie County and for projects that will be completed within 12 months from the first date of funds disbursement, approximately January 11, 2012. Complete Program Guidelines, including full eligibility, rights, and requirements, must be consulted by all participants and are available at ErieUChoose.com and ECGRA.org.

Prospective participants are encouraged to attend the UChoose Grant Workshop on October 20, 2011, from 5-6:30 at ECGRA, 5240 Knowledge Parkway, Erie. RSVP tosmckenzie@ecgra.org no later than October 18. Call 814-897-2690 with questions.

UChoose Grants are designed to empower nonprofits, embolden community members, and provide ECGRA with a larger, more diverse pool of funding concepts from which to make future grant-making decisions.

Voting begins on November 28 at ErieUChoose.com. Visit ECGRA.org for up-to-date info, or look for details from media partners Connoisseur Media, JET 24, FOX 66, andYourErie.com.

Six Thinking Hats to be offered in Erie

Mary Bula, vice president of the Growth Partnership division of the Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership (ERCGP) has earned Certified Instructor status in the Six Thinking Hats® tools for parallel thinking. These problem solving and innovation methods are used worldwide by major corporations, governments and educators to generate ideas, address challenges, develop new products and make better decisions. The Six Thinking Hats® tools were developed by Dr. Edward de Bono, a leading international authority on creative and conceptual thinking, and Ms. Bula received her training from Lifetime Master Trainer Barbara Stennes of Iowa-based de Bono Consulting.

Six Thinking Hats® promotes parallel thinking as an alternative to argument, and helps individuals and groups think about issues in a more disciplined and efficient way. Ms. Bula and the Growth Partnership have used these tools internally, and to advance a wide variety of strategic discussions and initiatives in Erie County.

B.J. Lechner, currently serving as business growth services director at the Northwest Industrial Resource Center after spending 30 years in private industry, is a firm believer in the Six Thinking Hats® methods. He says, “I think that every company should have someone trained in Six Thinking Hats® because it’s the most efficient way to think about issues and come to consensus on action. It’s also a fantastic tool to identify new product and process ideas.”

Now that she has received her Instructor Certification, Ms. Bula can offer this training toERCGP Investors and the broader community. She says, "The Six Thinking Hats® tools help individuals and groups consider issues from many angles, evaluate alternatives and define strategies and solutions that can be supported and implemented. The ERCGP is happy to bring these tools to the Erie region."

Six Thinking Hats® training courses will be offered on the following dates: Tuesday, February 15; Friday, April 8; Friday, August 5 and Friday, October 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration is now open, but seating is limited. Interested individuals should contact Mary Bula at 814-454-7191 ×130 for more information.

Education for Tomorrow's Jobs Act

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today introduced the Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs Act (H.R. 3154 and S. 1686). The Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs Act amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind, to promote meaningful integration of academics with career and technical education programs in order to better align secondary education with postsecondary education and career opportunities.

 

Currently, school districts must submit education plans to the Department of Education outlining how they intend to use federal education funding for disadvantaged students. The Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs Act provides flexibility for school districts interested in implementing proven strategies to integrate academic and technical instruction, encouraging the creation of partnerships between school districts, institutes of higher education, local industry, and other major stakeholders. 

 

“Young Pennsylvanians deserve an education that helps them build the skills they need for college or a career,” said Senator Casey, member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “The Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs Act will help our students succeed in school and secure jobs in the workforce, bolstering our economy and ensuring that America remains competitive.”

 

“This bill will complement and reinforce federal efforts to ensure that all students’ educational experiences prepare them for the real world, without duplicating current programs in a manner that respects the taxpayer and is completely budget neutral,” Rep. Thompson added.  

 

“This bill will establish partnerships between educators and area businesses to identify skill sets needed by local industry.  Those skills will be integrated into the classroom experience through hands on, project-based learning that keeps students engaged and more likely to graduate from high school,” Senator Casey added.   

 

For two terms, Rep. Thompson has served on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce. He also serves Co-Chairman of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, a bipartisan group of members committed to advocating the importance of career and technical education and advancing policies that improve skilled labor education and support tech-related small business job growth.  

 

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Casey has worked to improve and increase access to education. Senator Casey has introduced legislation to increase access to early education and childcare, proven to be one of the best ways to make a lasting impact on children’s success in school and life.  He is also pushing legislation to increase K-12 computer science education to prepare young Americans for high-wage jobs in the growing field of computer science. 

 

Bill Summary

 

Bill Text

Starbucks launches job creation fund

By Lisa Baertlein

Mon Oct 3, 2011 

(Reuters) - Starbucks Corp CEO Howard Schultz, decrying a lack of leadership in Washington, said his chain of coffee shops is helping to launch a nationwide fund designed to stimulate U.S. job creation.
Starbucks introduced on Monday the "Create Jobs for USA" fund in partnership with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), a group of private financial institutions that provide affordable loans to low-income people and communities.Schultz called small business an engine for job growth that has stalled and said entrepreneurs must have access to credit so they can hire again.

The new jobs fund announced on Monday will be seeded with a $5 million donation from the Starbucks Foundation. As of November 1, the fund will accept donations at CreateJobsforUSA.org and at the roughly 6,800 company-owned Starbucks cafes in the United States. Donors who give $5 or more will get a wristband inscribed with the word "Indivisible." Moody's Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi said the fund will be helpful to small businesses having difficulty securing loans in a tough economic climate. Starbucks, which is covering OFN's administrative expenses and the cost of making the U.S-made wristbands, said every $5 donation to "Create Jobs for USA" will generate $35 in financing for small businesses, nonprofit groups, commercial real estate projects and affordable housing.

OFN Chief Executive Mark Pinsky said the group's network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) has been making as many loans as possible during the current recession, which has cost one in six American workers their jobs.

"Our hope is that this will help kick-start a whole different attitude about what's possible," said Pinsky, who added that his group's CDFI loan portfolios are healthy.

Starbucks earned $945.6 million for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2010, according to financial filings. At that time, the Seattle-based company had about 107,000 U.S. employees.

McKnight Foundation awards $19.3M to nonprofits

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation has announced third-quarter grants totaling more than $19.3 million to eighty-six nonprofit organizations. Grant recipients include the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which was awarded $1.8 million for implementation, integration, and knowledge-sharing efforts aimed at building sustainable communities in the Twin Cities region; the University of Chicago, which received $1.22 million to boost its capacity to provide technical assistance and professional development; Ducks Unlimited, which was awarded $480,000 to conserve critical wetlands and promote policies that benefit the Mississippi River; and Emerge Community Development, which received $300,000 to create the Emerge Career and Technology Center.


The foundation also awarded $1 million to the Nonprofit Finance Fundin support of ArtPlace, an initiative of eleven U.S. foundations, theNational Endowment for the Arts, and seven additional federal agencies that is designed to accelerate "creative placemaking" — an approach to shaping the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities. The grant for ArtPlace was in addition to funding the foundation had already allocated for arts programs this year.

For a complete list of the foundation's third-quarter grantees, visit the McKnight Foundation Web site.

“McKnight Approves Over $19 Million in Third Quarter of 2011, Including $1 Million to Support Creative Placemaking.” McKnight Foundation Press Release 9/27/11.