In a recent issue of Social Work Today, Kate Jackson reported this troubling statistic:

Teacher strikes are spreading across the country. In states where they are still woefully underpaid like Oklahoma and Arizona it is amazing that teachers can afford to go to work at all. But teachers in California and New York, on the other hand, are not striking strictly for pay increases. They are demanding more funding for education in general and are striking on behalf of their students who, they say, are being under-served in aging buildings without up-to-date technology, proper textbooks, or fundamental teaching aides. In other words, teachers are revolting against a perennial lack of proper funding for education across the country. How can the wealthiest country in the world fail to prioritize the education of its youth, when it is that very educational system that made it the wealthiest country in the world?

The Jewish Federations of North America brings together a network of 148 local federations which collectively raise and allocate more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services, and educational needs. The JFNA has spent three decades in an effort to create an ongoing mechanism that would productively connect local federations to a group of national Jewish organizations. Its mission was “to bring together seven national Jewish agencies and the Jewish federation network into a common space, promoting deeper relationships and creating synergy among them.”

Tesla - “Oh…and it’s all electric”

A recent encounter with an eager, young representative (don’t call them salesman) in a Tesla store (not a showroom) first amused me, but then alerted me to the fact that I was guilty of a similar oversight in my own business.  

Case management software options abound in this day and age of cloud-based technology. It seems as though lots of attractive options are being released by vendors and consulting companies alike. Knowing what to expect when working with each group can help an agency decide which approach works best for their goals as well as their budget.

The Family First Act has become law! This is a very big deal for our caseworker colleagues who work in teen pregnancy and parenting. It represents the biggest change to the structure of federal child welfare finance since the establishment of the Title IV-E entitlement in 1980.

Do you ask your donors discovery questions?

I’m certain you do. But, you may not be asking them in the most effective way. Rachel Muir has some great tips and examples on how to ask donors questions.

Came across an interesting guide last week that I wanted to share with you. The Ultimate Parent Guide for Child Safety on the Internet is a concise guide with great tips on protecting our children from the dangers of the Internet and protecting their safety.  As a boy scout leader - we teach the scouts how to be aware of online predators and other people who try to get a hold of your private information.  The guide covers some of those things and more.

This week's Movie Monday's fundraising tip is in from the folks at Movie Mondays.

Would you like to raise more money with your newsletters, website, annual report, direct mail, and your other donor communications?

Nonprofit's Role

There are 640,000 students currently registered in the Los Angeles Unified School District and 480,000 (75%) of them are Latinos. The LA. School Report reminds us that this past March 1st was the 50th anniversary of the big “blowout” when “thousands of young Latinos marched out of their East Los Angeles classrooms…for their right to be educated.”