The University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program has been chosen as the host institution and Hartford as the host city for the 42nd international conference of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action to be held Nov. 13-16, 2013.
The international conference will bring over 700 nonprofit scholars and practitioners from around the world (one-third of attendees are from Europe and Asia) to Hartford for four days.
The association brings together interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners dedicated to strengthening the research community in the emerging field of nonprofit and philanthropic studies.
“Hosting this seminal conference in the field of nonprofit sector research is a tremendous opportunity for the Connecticut nonprofit sector, the Hartford economy, the University of Connecticut and its educational partners,” says David Garvey, director of UConn’s three-year-old Nonprofit Leadership Program.
This fall, the UConn Nonprofit Leadership Program is launching bachelor degree-completion program in nonprofit leadership.
GE targets education
The GE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of GE, has made an $18 million grant to Student Achievement Partners, a nonprofit organization to provide critical implementation support for Common Core State Standards across the U.S. The four-year grant is the largest corporate commitment to date for the Common Core State Standards and reflects GE’s longstanding dedication to preparing American students for an increasingly competitive workforce.
To date, the nation’s governors, chief state school officers, and other stakeholders across the political spectrum have come together to adopt Core Standards in 46 states. The standards set common, rigorous expectations for students in literacy and mathematics.
The grant will allow Student Achievement Partners to offer national support to teachers.
GE Foundation support continues the legacy of its education investments in its seven Developing Futures districts, which include Stamford. Teachers in these districts will participate in intense, multi-day training and will receive ongoing support as they implement the standards, shift from current instructional practices, and ensure they are reaching all students.
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Tasting benefits MS
A group of Greater Hartford restaurants will partner with the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, for the sixth annual Greater Hartford MS Taste of Hope on Thursday, Feb. 23, at The Society Room in Hartford. The wine, spirits and gourmet food tasting will benefit the more than 6,000 Connecticut residents living with multiple sclerosis.
More than 200 guests attended last year’s event at The Society Room to raise more than $16,000 for the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter. Roughly two dozen Hartford-area restaurants and beverage vendors participated. The 2012 MS Taste of Hope features honorary chair Renee DiNino of radio station The River 105.9 FM, who will perform with Cyndi Simms in their group Mermaid Martini.
Individual tickets are $75 and are available for purchase online at www.ctfightsMS.org.
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Prudential contributes $60,000
The Prudential Foundation has committed $60,000 to Our Piece of the Pie in Hartford to help urban youth become successful adults by gaining economic independence through education and employment programs.
The Prudential Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. Its grant-making strategy is focused on education, economic development and arts and civic infrastructure; and it supports community engagement efforts of Prudential employees through matching gifts and other programs that recognize their volunteer work.
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Food delivered to Foodshare
Closeout retailer Ocean State Job Lot raised over $1 million for local food banks through a holiday in-store charity drive. Job Lot matched the first $100K of donations made by shoppers at its 104 stores in seven states. Leveraging its buying power, Job Lot purchases and donates food valued at up to four times its retail cost. Job Lot also provides all purchasing logistics and delivery services.
On Feb. 2, Ocean State Job Lot’s 18-wheeler tractor trailer truck delivered 26 pallets of food to the Foodshare in Bloomfield.
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Hospital extras Haiti-bound
St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center is donating supplies — including hospital beds, blood pressure cuffs, operating room lights and other clinical monitoring supplies left over from the relocation of St. Francis’ Emergency Department to its new John T. O’Connell Tower — to Haiti for use in a hospital under construction. A devastating earthquake destroyed the area’s former facility.
Volunteers from IMECamerica, a nonprofit agency, handled transfer of the equipment.
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Colt donates pistol
Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC in West Hartford assisted in raising $7,025 for the USA Shooting Team through the donation of a custom Wiley Clapp Colt Commander pistol. The auction, hosted by GunBroker.com, opened with a starting bid of one penny on Jan. 17 and closed the evening of Feb. 5, with more than 22,000 views and 75 bids.
The USA Shooting Team will represent the country in the upcoming summer Olympics.
The donated pistol is a Series 70 Lightweight Commander chambered in .45 ACP with design features by Wiley Clapp and numerous customizations by premier metalsmith, Pete Single. This unique gun is designated with a special serial number and the USA Shooting Team’s logo engraved on the slide.
