Enchanted April Showers

Yes, April is still bringing us showers, but I'm calling them enchanted, not only because of the petals on pathways, but because I have learned that La Niña is fading into the sunset. I'm referring, of course, to the colder than normal temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean waters that have shifted the Pacific Northwest into a weather pattern characterized by green tomato summers and long, cold, wet springs.

And let's admit that our complaints about the weather seem trivial when compared with the epic weather tragedies other parts of the country have enountered in recent days. Today, our hearts go out especially to Alabama. :(

Pacific Ocean temperatures are returning to normal and the forecast predicts that we will see a less-than-normal rainfall pattern emerge in Oregon over the next three months and by mid July, experience some real heat. Don't just take my unofficial word for it, see the official report of Oregon's official climatologist.

Now we're going to shower you with newness and other news:

NEW PROGRAM

Today MMT is issuing a Request for Proposals for a new grant program: Community Food Systems Planning and Implementation Grants. This program emerges directly from the study of Community Food Systems MMT commissioned in 2010. We are seeking proposals that help increase food security, improve health and nutrition and create economic opportunity. Grants will be available for both planning (up to $50,000) and implementing (up to $300,000) projects. Our website has much more information about the program, including detailed application instructions. READ MORE

Dates to know:

• Applications open May 2, 2011.
• The deadline for proposals to plan projects is July 1, 2011.
• Implementation grants have two stages of application. The deadlline for Initial Inquiries to implement projects is June 1, 2011. If selected for further study, the deadline for proposal submission is July 1, 2011.

NEW PROJECT

Today CEO Doug Stamm announces a bold new project to build a community platform for Oregon, an interactive website to serve as a kind of virtual town square where Oregonians meet to solicit the best thinking in the state work and take action to address community issues and implement innovative ideas. MMT developed this project in direct response to the many great ideas that came our way in ideas4oregon.

In essence, this is a plan to develop a way for Oregonians to connect with one another and work together to get things done for the common good. It's not just conversations about what needs to change or how badly change is needed, but about being and doing the change. READ MORE

The other two ideas4oregon projects also have progress to report:

• Economic Development:  To develop an effective and holistic response to ideas for economic development that were submitted our ideas4oregon forum, MMT has retained Kipp Baratoff as a Meyer Fellow. Kipp will evaluate opportunities for deploying risk capital (through grants, program related investments and endowment capital) and potential partnerships across public, private, foundation and civic sectors. His work will identify potential economic development strategies for MMT and determine how our foundation can best make investments in the Oregon economy. In addition, FSG has provided us with an overview of economic development strategies at other foundations.
  
• Leadership among Communities of Color:  Since the selection of leadership development among communities of color as a winning idea from ideas4oregon, the Coalition of Communities of Color has made substantial progress on the design of its leadership development initiative to consolidate and advance current leadership, better integrate younger leaders to build the leadership pipeline, develop programs that are both culturally-specific and supportive of the CCC as a whole and serve the collective good of communities of color.  Project goals and objectives, evaluation and budget will be discussed at MMT's board of trustees meeting in May. We will report next steps following that meeting.
  

NEW STAFF

We'd like you to meet new staff members Brian Molony and Sophia Aguinaga. We're very happy to have them! Executive Assistant Cathie Glennon read all 590(!) resumes and cover letters submitted for our two open positions and was delighted to find so many wonderful candidates. It's hard to say no to so many people, we wish the best to the remaining applicants.

NEW INFORMATION

Program Manager Candy Solojovs has posted a message intended to help prospective grant applicants understand what we mean when we say we are interested in innovative projects and programs. And, she gives examples! :) READ MORE

NEW UPDATES

Status updates have been added to our Willamette River Initiative and Chalkboard Project pages.

NEWS ABOUT MONEY

• Foundation Grants:  The Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: 2011 Edition reports that foundation giving held steady in 2010, with some $45.7 billion awarded. More than half of foundations surveyed expect to increase their giving this year. READ MORE
  
• Individual Giving:  Data just released from the IRS indicates that individual donors fell more sharply during the Great Recession than first thought, with preliminary figures suggesting a 14 percent year-over-year decrease. READ MORE
  
• Property taxes:  Does your organization know that nonprofit organizations may be exempt from paying property taxes? Even if you rent or lease your space? Do you know if your landlord is including property taxes in your rent? Some landlords don't even know renting space to a nonprofit organization makes their property exempt from taxes. Might be worth checking out...

Okay, enough about all that philanthropy business. Let's take a ride on the wild side and be witness to amazing human ingenuity. GO HERE

With that, we bid you adieu and wish you a weekend without showers, even enchanted ones.

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