MCC Member News: The Partnership for Student Advancement (PSA) Wins Competition

On October 14th, 2014, the Partnership for Student Advancement (PSA) participated in a crowdfunding type event sponsored by The Funding Network and participants donated $15,000 to the charity. PSA won a competition and had been chosen as one of three charities that presented to the large group of attendees. Anne Bonfiglio, Executive Director, gave the presentation followed by a 6 minute Q&A. The web site is http://www.tfn-usa.org

The Partnership for Student Advancement (PSA) was founded in 2004 and it helps financially underprivileged high school students, particularly minorities, identify and pursue a career path. PSA’s life skills training and career development programs include skill and aptitude matching and business readiness training.

PSA provides a support system and builds self-esteem through the various one-on-one coaching sessions which help students learn about themselves, and set goals. Armed with the results of the eight hour skill and aptitude testing, students develop both knowledge and belief in self which prepares them to choose a major course of study, move forward and make a life for themselves

MCC Community Benefit Fund Grantee: The New York Jazz Choreography Project at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House

The New York Jazz Choreography Project at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House

On Sunday, February 9, 2014, Jazz Choreography Enterprises (JCE) took the New York Jazz Choreography Project to the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House as part of the Second Sundays Performance Series. The series provides high quality, affordable live performances for the

community served by the Neighborhood House on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, though all are welcome to attend.

For this program, JCE Artistic Directors Marian Hyun and Merete Muenter assembled a group of choreographers from their previous shows:

Jessica Black

Tony Fraser and Jaime Shannon

Marian Hyun

Joyce King

Christopher Liddell

Luigi

Cat Manturuk

Sue Samuels

Alan Spaulding

The Jazz Project was held in the auditorium at the Neighborhood House at 331 East 70^th Street. The performance was an hour long, and there were 12 pieces in a variety of jazz dance genres, including swing, musical theater, and contemporary. Following the performance, there was a question and answer session in which audience members could ask the dancers and choreographers about their work.

This performance was well attended and enthusiastically received by the audience members, many of whom are on fixed incomes or are low-wage earners. Thanks to a generous grant from the MCC Community Benefit Festival Grant Project and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, JCE was able to pay its choreographers for their wonderful work, which was enjoyed by many who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend a live performance. We at JCE are grateful to MCC for giving us the opportunity to keep jazz thriving in our community!

This program was made possible in part by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.  All of JCE's programs are made possible in part by contributions from its corporate sponsors, the Long Island Development Corporation and Salon Ishi.

Congratulations to MCC Member Center for Employment Opportunities on their partnership with MTV!

MTV teamed with volunteer platform Catchafire to put creative and social firepower behind a worthwhile, "tough sell" cause--the Center for Employment Opportunities, which offers comprehensive job services to people leaving prison.

“We have a very tough product to sell.” That’s Mindy Tarlow, the CEO of Center for Employment Opportunities. You can’t tell by the name of the organization, but that “tough product” is people--men and women recently released from prison. The New York-based nonprofit specializes in helping them transition into the work force and stay employed.

Read more here:http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683031/before-and-after-how-mtv-gave-one-nonprofit-a-makeover-and-got-schooled-in-social-storytelli

Citizens Budget Commission Elects New Trustees

Congratulations to MCC Partners Ron Bergamini of Action Carting and William Floyd of Google on being elected to serve as a trustees on the citizens budget commission. The Citizens Budget Commission is New York's nonprofit, non-partisan voice for efficiency in government. Learn more at http://www.cbcny.org/sites/default/files/Press_Release_10102013_0.pdf

Hearts of Gold's Summer Events Raise $123,000 for NYC’s Homeless Mothers & Children

MCC congratulates MCC Board member Deborah Koenigsburger of Hearts of Gold on her success!

Hearts of Gold's summer fundraising events have raised more than $123,000 for New York City's homeless mothers and their children. Hearts of Gold (http://www.heartsofgold.org), a not-for-profit organization that fosters sustainable change in lifestyle and levels of self-sufficiency for New York City’s homeless mothers and their children, today announced that its summer fundraising events have raised more than $123,000 in support of the organization.

The “Kids Walk for Kids” event, held in New York City’s Riverside Park on June 8, drew a crowd of walkers who traced a two-mile path through the park, along with moms and kids from the four shelters the organization supports. At the finish line, participants celebrated with games, prizes and refreshments.

Read More Here: http://www.free-press-release.com/news-hearts-of-gold-s-summer-events-raise-123-000-for-nyc-s-homeless-mothers-children-1375292598.html

MCC Member NYU Awards More than $160K in Grant Monies to Lower Manhattan Non-Profit Organizations

At an award ceremony early this summer, New York University’s Office of Civic Engagement awarded more than $160,000 in grants to 83 community-based non-profit organizations, with money raised through the NYU Combined Campaign, the T.G. White Fund, and Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

“The grant funding comes not from the University itself, but from hundreds of NYU employees, each of whom believes in the important work being done by these organizations every day,” said Bill Pfeiffer, director of the Office of Civic Engagement. “As of this year, the NYU Community Fund celebrates its 30th year of operation, proud to have awarded more than 1,600 grants totaling more than $2.5M to community groups since the program’s inception.”

Read more here:http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2013/06/18/nyu-awards-more-than-160k-in-grant-monies-to-lower-manhattan-non-profit-organizations.html

A Billion + Change

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce along with the BCLC is delighted to be a supporting resource to the pledge companies of A Billion + Change. A Billion + Change is a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based volunteer services from corporate America by 2013. Our goal is to have 500 companies from around the country take the Billion + Change pledge, using their unique skills and talents to serve the needs of nonprofits at home and around the world. Already more than 60 companies have taken the pledge, committing over $1 billion in pro bono services.

We wanted to give you an opportunity to join this growing pro bono movement and this campaign. As a pledge company, you would commit to create or expand a skills-based volunteer program by 2013. On February 27, we will celebrate the progress of A Billion + Change at an event at Morgan Stanley’s headquarters in New York City. We want you to be there as a new pledge partner.

In conjunction with International Corporate Philanthropy Day and CECP, this celebration will be a networking and a learning opportunity for pledge companies to meet industry, civic and nonprofit leaders and to learn about innovative, best-practice corporate volunteer programs. We will spotlight international corporate volunteer programs and how they are making a difference in communities around the world to solve pressing social, environmental and economic challenges. The morning celebration will be followed by an afternoon learning workshop, which will take an in-depth look at topics such as best-practice corporate volunteer models in disaster response and how to measure the impact of skills-based volunteer programs.

If you take the pledge by February 21st, we will recognize your company at this event, and in our media and event materials. Visit our website to learn more about how businesses are making a difference through pro bono work, and how you can take the pledge: http://www.abillionpluschange.org/. I’ve also enclosed a one-page fact sheet, which includes the pledge, the invitation to our Feb. 27 celebration and a list of pledge companies, for your reference.

If you are interested in taking the pledge and attending the event, please contact Jennifer Lawson  at  jlawson@pointsoflight.org or at 202-729-8189.  We look forward to working with you on this great opportunity.

Jennifer (Denney) Lawson

Executive Director

A Billion + Change

http://www.abillionpluschange.org/

(o) 202-729-8189

(c) 703-599-9873