Neighborhood Funders Group

NFG REPORTS
SUMMER 2002 ISSUE TWO • VOLUME NINE

Resources and Publications

In April the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy released The State of Philanthropy 2002, a compendium of thoughtful analyses on the current state of affairs in the field of grantmaking. The report addresses a broad array of topics, including public accountability, poverty, race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, public policy, social justice advocacy, community foundations, venture philanthropy, foundation payout rate, progressive policy making, workplace giving programs, the aftermath of Sept. 11 and youth organizing.

Rhetoric and Reality: an Analysis of Mainstream Credit Unions ’ Record of Serving Low-Income People is the most recent publication by the Woodstock Institute. The report questions the extent to which benefits offered by Credit Unions are available to lower-income consumers. The Institute believes that the credit union movement should step up to the challenge of better serving lower-income populations.

Center for Community Change has released a new study on subprime lending: Risk or Race? Racial Disparity and the Subprime Home Refinance Market. This is the first report to rank all 331 metropolitan areas in the United States based on differences in subprime lending between white and minority homeowners. The study’s findings support the need for strengthened consumer protections and greater government oversight of the subprime market. The study and its database are available on CCC’s website at www.communitychange.org

The Aspen Institute Research Brief: Improving the Climate for Self-Employment: Policy Recommendations for TANF Reauthorization. This research brief presents findings from recent Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination research, which serves as the basis for these policy recommendations. The research details the one-year outcomes experienced by TANF recipients who pursued self-employment and highlights the policy context and issues they confronted when preparing for and engaging in self-employment.

Welfare Reform: The Next Act, edited by Alan Weil and Kenneth Finegold, the Urban Institute Press, March 2002. As reauthorization of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) moves through Congress, this new book offers the most comprehensive synthesis of research on post-1996 welfare policy available. The book informs current debate over issues such as: work requirements; access to safety net programs; TANF and child care funding levels: benefits restoration to immigrants; marriage promotion and discouragement of out-of-wedlock childbirth; state budget choices; child well-being and poverty. To order the book, call toll-free, 877-847-7377 or click on www.uipress

SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICA: What’s Already Out There. A new publication by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, a civic research organization, highlights the research findings on 19 community initiatives that are providing hometown solutions to national problems. To obtain a copy of this publication contact the Pew Partnership for Civic Change at 434-971-2073 or www.pew-partnership.org.

A Place in the Country, a new video presentation, produced by the Center for Rural Strategies and Stand-Up for Rural America, a national campaign dedicated to helping rural community developers gain the attention, resources and policy support their work deserves. Narrated by Ray Suarez of PBS NewsHour, this one-hour documentary examines the positive steps taken by communities to deal with changing economics, demographics, and public policies that affect rural America. The video comes with a companion booklet by the same title. The cost for the video and companion booklet is $10. For additional information please contact Stand Up at info@ruralamerica.org.

PEOPLE

Join NFG today

If you are a grantmaker and not yet a member of NFG, we invite you to join us.

The benefits of Membership include:
• Information and tools that help grantmakers
• Access to model programs and accomplished practitioners through site visits and educational forums, including NFG’s annual conference
• Cutting-edge, in-depth, ongoing program and policy discussions through the Rural Funders Working Group, Working Group on Labor and Community and other activities initiated and led by NFG’s membership

Our members include community, family, private and corporate foundations as well as religious funders. All are committed to providing support to improve the economic and social conditions in urban and rural communities. For more information, go to www.nfg.org, call 202-833-4690, or e-mail NFG at nfg@nfg.org.

Community Technology Foundation of California Tessi Guillermo has been selected as the new President and CEO of Community Technology Foundation of California, effective May 20, 2002. Ms. Guillermo succeeds founding President/CEO Luz Vega-Marquis. CTFC is an independent community foundation working to meet the needs of underserved communities for full and equal access to basic and advanced information technology and telecommunications services.

Katherine McFate was appointed Deputy Director of Working Communities at the Rockefeller Foundation, effective May 2002.

Carol Gallant was named Director, foundation relations at NCB Development Corporation, a Washington nonprofit financial services and development company that helps low-income people and communities access goods, services and resources.

José Carlos Montes is leaving the Edward W. Hazen Foundation after four years as Program Officer for Youth Development.

Carol Guyer, long time friend, colleague and supporter, passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2002. Carol served as President of the James C. Penny Foundation until October 2001 when she became President Emeritus. During her tenure as President Carol also established the Penny Family Fund. A memorial service will be held on Monday, August 26, 2002 at 4:00 pm at Stanford Memorial Church in Stanford, California. Donations can be made to either Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org) or the nonprofit of your choice in lieu of flowers.

Betty Kapetenakis, Executive Director, the North Star Fund passed away on Monday, July 29, 2002. Betty joined North Star in 1987 and quickly became a widely admired and respected leader, who cared deeply about equity and opportunity for all. Funeral services were held in New Jersey on August 2, 2002.
A public memorial will be held later in the fall. For additional information regarding the memorial services you may contact the North Star Fund at 212/620-9110.