| Signs and Sparks It seems that most days, I am just looking for a small sign. An act of kindness. A moment of grace. A word or gesture that raises the spirit. In the chaotic and often mean-spirited world in which we live, it can be difficult to see and hear these signs. But, they are there – This morning, I was rushing from the commuter train to the Metro when a gentleman paused in his rush to hold open a door for me. Last week, a woman thanked me profusely for holding an elevator for her. Sparks of kindness and gratitude that can inspire and lead. I held the door for the next rushing commuter. The woman on the elevator gave a friendly greeting to the security guard on her way out of the building. Human service organizations are in the business of providing sparks to individuals, families, and communities. We recognize the signs, cherish the potential of each person, and build the solutions that allow more sparks to fly. Hard work, well worth doing. For all of us. Lee Sherman, President & CEO
| |
| Bill Highlight: The Families Belong Together Act Although media attention has waned on the issue of family separation, the harmful consequences of past policies persist. The NHSA closely follows immigration issues that impact families and youth, including legislation that would begin to rectify the harm caused by last year’s “zero tolerance” policy. Earlier this year, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced H.R. 883 and S. 271, which would grant lawful permanent resident status (LPR) to certain children separated from their families by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Both eligible parents and children would be able apply for lawful permanent residence, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would be required to change their statuses within 30 days. Additionally, if eligible parents or children have requested humanitarian parole, USCIS must grant it to them. In both of these circumstances, fees imposed on eligible children or parents are prohibited. Read more on our blog. For more information about immigration legislation that impacts the human services sector, watch out for PolicySource, the National Assembly’s comprehensive database of public policy impacting the sector, due to launch in May.
| |
| Youth Advocate Programs Inc. Intern Working to Address Hardships Leading Guatemalans to Seek U.S. Asylum "For the past three weeks, Gina Andrade has leaned on experiences from her childhood in one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of her young adult life. As a middle schooler, Andrade immigrated from Cali, Colombia to Elizabeth, N.J. Now a Monmouth University graduate student, Andrade is in Guatemala on an internship with Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. tackling hardships that lead families in the country to seek U.S. asylum. YAP operates in more than 100 communities 23 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, providing community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and out-of-home placements. The nonprofit also applies its model of supporting individuals and families with complex needs in Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Sierra Leone and Guatemala, where YAP works with its Guatemala sister agency, Siembra Bien... Using YAP’s innovative street soccer leadership training model, Siembra Bien has introduced mediation and peace-building to gang-affiliated and other vulnerable young people in Guatemala City’s notorious Zona 18." Read more. YAP is also seeking support for #YAPGuatemalaLove, a global social media campaign to raise awareness and funding to address the violence, extreme poverty, drug trafficking and unemployment that cause Guatemalan families to risk family separation and the lives of their children to seek asylum in the U.S.
| |
| Webinar on Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector
Building Movement Project (BMP) is hosting a free webinar on April 18th at 2pm EST on its latest report, “Race to Lead: Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector.” The report takes an intersectional approach to analyze BMP's data from over 4,000 staff in the nonprofit sector. The study reveals the systemic barriers women of color face as they ascend to leadership and the continued challenges once they get there. After a brief presentation of the findings, discussants will react to the report and discuss BMP's recommendations on how to make the sector more supportive of the leadership of women of color. Register online for the webinar.
| |
| Contribute to the Management Compensation Report Data collection is beginning for the annual “Management Compensation Report of National Voluntary Health and Human Service Organizations.” This compensation report is an essential resource for nonprofit health and human service organizations and is produced jointly by NHSA and the National Health Council. The report is a must-have reference, covering more than 80 different positions, and is an excellent source for setting compensation and benefits packages, and also for complying with the IRS 990 question that asks about the use of research data to establish leadership compensation. Participants in the survey will receive a FREE copy of the final report. If your organization is interested in participating, contact Melissa Reifler for more info.
| |
|
Opportunities and Resources
| |
|
General With Upcoming Deadlines
Funding - Encore Fellow – Individuals seeking a high-impact, flexible, time-limited, paid assignment with nonprofits and public agencies, or offering the opportunity to work in a new social-purpose environment should apply. Deadline: Ongoing via Encore.org »
- 12 unique funding opportunities each week via GrantStation Insider »
Webinars - Volunteer Perspective: Industry Insights for 2019 via PurchasingPoint and Verified Volunteers from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET on April 11 »
- Race to Lead: Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector via Building Movement Project from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET on April 18 »
- Moving Your Office Phones to the Cloud via PurchasingPoint and Votacall from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET on May 9 »
Events - ACHIEVE! Excellence in Person Centered Care: 2019 NJHSA Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA March 31–April 3 »
- Ready by 21 National Meeting in Seattle, WA April 23-25 »
- Elevate: A Virtual Conference on Workforce Trends and Equity May 1-3 »
- APHSA National Health and Human Services Summit in Arlington, VA May 19-22 »
- Essential Conversations on Human Services: 2019 NHSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC June 11 »
- Bridging the Generations in Portland, OR June 12-14 »
- Age+Action Conference in Washington, DC June 17-20 »
- 2019 Risk Summit in Leesburg, VA October 21-22 »
- Upswell 2019 in Chicago, IL November 13-15 »
| |
|
The explanatory construction metaphor is integral to a well-framed Building Well-Being Narrative because it provides the public with a more complete and productive picture of what human services are and how they work by relating them to something that is more easily and intuitively understood. This prevents the public from defaulting to inaccurate cultural models that lead to narrow views of well-being and how human services support it. Through rigorous research and testing, the FrameWorks Institute identified construction as the most helpful metaphor for: 1. Providing a complete definition of how human services, and the experts who provide them, promote well-being, and 2. Explaining how human services help when conditions, such as a struggling economy or an illness, disrupt or impede well-being. Read last week’s newsletter to learn how to apply the construction metaphor.
| |
The Volunteer Perspective Each year, Verified Volunteers reports on the volunteer and nonprofit industry, asking the people who run volunteer programs about their operations and the challenges they face — particularly in regard to volunteer onboarding and background checks. This year, Verified Volunteers turned the focus to volunteers themselves, offering the people who give their time an opportunity to share their perspective. Over 7,000 volunteers were surveyed to get their thoughts and opinions on a wide range of important topics facing nonprofits, including: background checks, recognition, donations, finding opportunities and much more. Download the full report, "The Volunteer Perspective - Industry Insights 2019."
| |
March is Social Work Month National Professional Social Work Month in March 2019 is an opportunity for social workers around the nation and world and their supporters to educate the public about the invaluable contributions of the profession. Every day, the nation's 680,000 social workers work to empower and elevate millions of people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society. See more from the National Association of Social Workers.
| |
|
