FROM JUDITH'S DESK
I’ve been immersed in grant writing for the last couple of months as HYSN is applying for a total of 5 federal grants this spring. I’ve been writing grant applications for more years than I want to admit and I’d like to share some of the trends I’ve noticed recently.
Outcomes – It just isn’t enough anymore to tell funders how many youth you will serve or how many services you will provide. They want the “so what?.” What difference is this going to make in the lives of the people you help or in the community where you are working? And how will you demonstrate that you have achieved those outcomes? Data collection and evaluation are becoming increasingly important.
Partnerships – Funders are recognizing the power of the collective voice and the fact that we are not working in a vacuum. This trend is working in HYSN’s favor, since everything we do is in partnership.
Sustainability – Every funding announcement seems to call for a sustainability plan as part of the proposal and as an integral part of the project. And they recognize that money is only one of many factors that impact a program’s or an organization’s sustainability. Want to know what the other sustainability factors are? HYSN is planning 4 workshops on Building Sustainable Programs in 2015 – Watch for announcement of workshop on your island.
Community Involvement – We are expected to empower community members, including youth, in identifying their own needs, developing a vision, finding the right fit, and working together to make change. It isn’t about us being “do-gooders” anymore. We are becoming facilitators and capacity builders instead.
Back to my grant applications. I’ll share with you again next month.
RESOURCES
ACLU YOUTH RIGHTS GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i Foundation Youth Rights Guide (“Guide”) is a handy ”know your rights” resource for people under the age of 18 in Hawaii.
http://acluhi.org/the-rights-ofstudents-in-hawaii-public-and-charter-schools or http://bit.ly/1pV6lGi
The Guide’s initial focus is on the rights of students in Hawaii’s public and charter schools, with sections on fundamental rights like free speech, freedom of religion, protections for students’ gender expression, search and seizure by school officials and/or police, equity in boys’ and girls’ sports, and more. The Guide aims to help young people more confidently participate in school and society, with knowledge about the protections of the U.S. and Hawai‘i State Constitutions.
Plans for more sections, a printed reference version, and a touring public education presentation for schools and libraries are under consideration for 2015. Students, guardians and educators are invited to give feedback and suggestions on its utility and accessibility to all Hawaii youth.
HAWAII AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE SUMMIT
Celebrating Out-of-School and Summer Learning
Monday, May 18, 2015
9 AM - 3:30 PM
Hawaii Convention Center
1801 Kalakaua Ave
Contact Paula Adams at Hawaii Afterschool Alliance for more information.
hawaiiafterschool@gmail.com
We have a great opportunity for youth to get involved and make a difference!
Youth across the country are teaming up to take a stand against the disaster threat of home fires by generating new ideas and inspiring positive change for a chance to win $100,000 through the Paradigm Challenge.
The Paradigm Challenge is a privately funded youth challenge, supported by the Red Cross, to motive youth to learn about fire safety and take action to reduce death and injuries from home fires. For challenge entries, youth can submit ideas to save lives such as posters, videos, inventions, messages, community events, mobile apps, websites or anything else.
Across the Nation, the American Red Cross responds to about 70,000 disasters each year (about 1 every 8 minutes) and an average of 7 people a day perish in home fires. In Hawaii, we respond to disasters every 4 days. Over 90 percent of these disasters are fire-related.
Who is eligible to participate?
The challenge is open to all youth ages 7 to 18
What are the prizes?
The 100 teams with the best ideas will win cash prizes up to $100,000. Winning teams of four or more in three age divisions will share:
- 1st Place: $20,000 (One of the first place teams will win the $100,000 Grand Prize)
- 2nd Place: $10,000
- 3rd Place: $5,000
- Runners-up will receive a cash prize of $500 per team, regardless of team size
When is the deadline?
Deadline for entries is on July 1. One hundred finalists will be announced on July 11, and the public will vote from July 11-25. The final winners will be chosen on August 1, then flown to Los Angeles for an awards ceremony.
This is a great opportunity to motivate students to team up and join the fight against home fires. We encourage you to share this with your students so that we can represent the State of Hawaii in this nationwide challenge! Along with this letter is a flyer that you can distribute to students. For more information, go to www.projectparadigm.org.
FIVE NONPROFIT BLOGS WORTH READING1. Classy Blog -- Covering fundraising, marketing and news in the nonprofit community, Classy’s blog delivers great information in a straight-to-the-point, easy-to-understand format. Check them out now for help with your year-end push.
2. NP Tech for Good -- This is a great blog for social media information. From crafting content to best practices for social media, NP Tech for good will have you connecting on a deeper level with current and potential donors in no time. Check out five online communication styles for nonprofits to get started.
3. Nonprofit with Balls -- A blog with enough witty banter to provide some serious laughs along with great advice on managing a nonprofit. You can find help with board relations, community engagement, office culture -- even unicorns -- in a straight forward, just-the-right-amount-of-nonsense kind of way.
4. Wired Impact -- Here you’ll find everything you need to improve your social impact, from engaging millennials to managing an inspired nonprofit blog. The articles are brief yet detailed, making them simple to complete.
5. Not-for-Profit Accounting Help -- Nancy Church is a great accountant who simplifies complex procedures. You’ll find info on internal controls, spotting excel errors, when and how to record grants and much more.
TRAINING
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDRENby Mr. Jim Reehten, MA, MHC
Learning Objectives
Participants will increase their knowledge of the impact of domestic violence throughout a child's development
Participants will have the tools and resources available to develop strategies for assessment and safety planning
Participants will utilize the 10 Principles of Service Delivery with Survivors of Domestic Violence.
by Ms. Cheryl Jackson, MSW, LSW
Learning Objectives
Participants will increase their knowledge of the general principles of motivational interviewing
Participants will have the tools and resources available to use a client centered, change based approach to client engagement
Participants will practice and utilize the four basic strategies of motivational interviewing
Workshop Dates & Venue:
Hilo Workshop: Friday, April 10, 2015
Address: County of Hawaii Aging and Disability Resource Center
1055 Kino'ole Street, Suite #101
Hilo, HI 96720
Oahu Workshop: Friday, April 24, 2015
Address: HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union
1226 College Walk (fronting A'ala Street)
Honolulu, HI 96817
Workshop Fees
$45 per workshop, $65 for both workshops
Student Rate: $30 per workshop, $50 for both workshops
3 CEUs per session, as approved for social workers by NASW Hawaii. Six CEUs for both sessions.
**Light refreshments will be served. Lunch will not be served.
Registration & Payment
a. Pay Online:
To register for the Hilo workshop(s), please click here.
To register for the Oahu workshop(s), please click here.
INSIDE HYSN
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
May 14, 2014 (Thur) 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Compassion Fatigue-
What to Look for and How to Fight Back