June 2011 Newsletter

Greetings from Voices for Philanthropy!

Break out the sunscreen and the lemonade, summer is right around the corner. The persistent cooler temperatures for some may mean that the idea of baseball, barbecue grills and campground seem out of reach. Nonetheless, there are some people we celebrate every June that we highlight this month - Dads and Grads!

Before we get too far into June, we want to share an op-ed written by one of our Tri-Chairs, Gary Yates, that ran in the Washington Examiner on May 28 acknowledging the dedication and passion of organizations that support American veterans and their families. Click here for the full op-ed.

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.
~ Celia Thaxter
 

FOLLOW-UP: The Economic Opportunity Road Tour sponsored by The Philanthropy Roundtable is featuring projects supported by inspiring donors and outstanding nonprofit leaders who are helping individuals and communities achieve self-reliance and economic success. Last month, we highlighted Michael Holthouse and his ‘Lemonade Day 2011,’ which is a part of the Economic Opportunity Road Tour.

On June 8, the Road Tour will be in Boston, Massachusetts, where it will feature Year Up, a one-year, intensive training program providing 18-24 year olds with opportunities to develop technical and professional skills, earn college credits, an educational stipend, and/or a corporate internship. Visit www.yearup.org to learn more about this organization and for more information on the Road Tour please contact Elizabeth Isele at The Philanthropy Roundtable at: 202.822.8333 or by email at: eisele@philanthropyroundtable.org.

Congratulations Graduates!

As we move further into the 21st century the importance of education and its role in ensuring competitiveness in the global economy increases exponentially. Education is a critical priority at every stage of a person’s life. Early childhood development is emphasized as critical for brain development in children under six years old. Post high school education offers an ever-expanding range of opportunity – from two or four-year college degrees to vocational or technical training for new graduates and re-entry students. While June is a month traditionally tapped as the culmination of academic pursuit for so many students, we would like to celebrate Graduation Day as representative of learning as a lifelong activity for so many Americans and the philanthropic generosity that supports and sustains it at every level.

While we could certainly fill this newsletter with examples of philanthropic innovators tackling issues in education, selected below is a snapshot of the diversity of these efforts and the impact they are having on students’ lives.

Denver, Colorado: The American Indian College Fund transforms Indian higher education by funding and creating awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills, and cultural values which enhance their communities and the country as a whole.

Dayton, Ohio: The Kids In Need Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need.

Portland, Oregon: Tucker-Maxon Oral School educates children with typical hearing and children with hearing loss together in small, collaborative classes. The school operates three primary programs including the school for deaf and hearing children, a graduate program preparing teachers of deaf children, and the Technology Center for Oral Education.

New York, New York: Teach for America, in its mission to build a movement eliminating educational inequity, supports a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors and career interests who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.

Have a favorite educator or story of student success? Share it on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/voicesforphilanthropy throughout the month of June.

Honoring Fathers

Voices for Philanthropy would like to kick off a month honoring the power of fathers everywhere by highlighting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) founded by John Walsh and his wife Revé in 1984. There is a common perception that NCMEC is a government agency. But in actuality, it is Mr. Walsh’s unwavering dedication to raising national awareness of child abduction that resulted in NCMEC, an invaluable resource to law enforcement and families. Mr. Walsh has fought for victim’s rights and the relentless pursuit of criminals as host of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ which will end its weekly run after 23 years, having captured 1,151 fugitives.

It was the abduction and murder of his son Adam in 1981 that motivated Mr. Walsh to found NCMEC and to push relentlessly for state and federal legislation devoted to supporting families and law enforcement in their search for missing children. In 2006, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which is to protect children and the public from violent sex offenders via a comprehensive nationalized system for registration of sex offenders. Code Adam is a program for helping lost children in department stores and is named in young Walsh's memory.

As a tribute to fathers and fatherhood, Voices for Philanthropy encourages you to visit our Facebook page to share with us your stories of philanthropic endeavors founded/run by fathers or in honor and support of fatherhood. The opportunity to highlight a range of diverse causes with fatherhood in common is one we couldn’t pass up and we look forward to reading and sharing your stories throughout June.

Pack Your Bags: It’s Time For Camp!

This American Life is a weekly public radio show broadcast that airs on more than 500 NPR stations across the country. An episode titled “Stories of Summer Camp” features campers and counselors discussing the magic of summer camp. One counselor is adamant, “…Camp is number one with everything I do…I would not be who I am without camp.”

Since it is the beginning of summer it is apropos to acknowledge two of the largest organizations that run summer camps across the country – the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America.

Among many other programs, Boy Scouts of America operates 420 Scout camps, 60 council high-adventure programs, and three national high-adventure bases. Incorporated in 1910, the Boy Scouts has a history of over one hundred years of providing programs focused on building character, teaching the responsibilities of citizenship and developing personal fitness. Chief Scouting Officer for Boy Scouts of America, Bob Mazzuca, is also a Voice for Philanthropy. Click here to learn more about Mr. Mazzuca’s thoughts on philanthropy.

Girl Scouts of America is dedicated solely to girls and programs that build character and skills for success in the real world. And their programs go well beyond cookies! In addition to camping opportunities all over the country Girl Scouts programming works to instill confidence and promote leadership in girls all over the world.

Voices for Philanthropy Profile

Cynthia Lazarus and Flying Horse Farms

We couldn’t begin to cover the depth and variety of camps available to children across the country. But one of our Voices for Philanthropy, Cynthia Lazarus, is CEO of Flying Horse Farms , a program in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, that provides a comprehensive summer camp experience for children dealing with medical conditions including arthritis, asthma, cancer, bleeding disorders, gastrointestinal disease, heart disease, and kidney disease. Flying Horse Farms is also part of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps , founded by philanthropist and actor Paul Newman, which is “an international family of camps and programs that provide life-changing experiences to children with serious medical conditions, always free of charge.”

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These monthly e-newsletters are designed to provide a snapshot of American philanthropy; highlighting events, acknowledging important dates, and profiling individuals, organizations and others making a difference.

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