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Social Justice Giving Network Receives $40,000 Grant
Social Justice Giving Network Receives $40,000 Grant
Published 01-30-07
Submitted by Our Giving Community
PORTLAND, ME "“ January 30, 2007 - Today the Fund for Workplace Philanthropy, a charitable investment fund established by the National Alliance for Choice in Giving, announced a $40,000 grant to Community Shares U.S.A., the only network of nonprofits that can offer U.S. corporations a social justice employee giving program in markets nationwide.
Community Shares U.S.A. (CSUSA) will use the funds to build corporate partnerships on behalf of its network of 22 social justice workplace giving federations and 1,000+ community-based organizations, which already raise a combined $9 million through workplace campaigns annually.
"Employee donors are asking for the opportunity to support human rights and social equity through their payroll contributions," said CSUSA Executive Director Greg Truog. "Partnering with CSUSA allows corporations to connect employees nationwide with local social justice giving networks."
"The next era of workplace giving will be driven by employee diversity," noted Matt Howe, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Choice in Giving (NACG), which founded and administers the Fund for Workplace Philanthropy (FWP). "There is enormous potential for employers and charities to work together to build workplace campaigns that truly reflect what matters to employees. Through investments such as this, NACG and the FWP seek to accelerate powerful trends already in motion."
NACG established the FWP in 2003 to generate philanthropic seed capital to help workplace giving funds get underway and to expand the reach and impact of established funds. Previous FWP-financed initiatives include a specialized Executive Director Training Institute for new federation and fund staff leaders. In late 2005 and early 2006, NACG used the FWP to collect and distribute $16,000 to help Community Shares of Louisiana and its member organizations rebuild their programs after Hurricane Katrina.
Since its founding in 2003, the Fund for Workplace Philanthropy has received grant support from San Francisco-based Changemakers, the Quaker Hill Foundation, The Funding Exchange and dozens of individual donors.
In 2006, NACG received a $200,000 two-year grant from the Ford Foundation to support and expand the FWP in addition to other NACG initiatives. "The Ford Foundation’s investment affirms the importance of workplace giving as a long-term strategy for community-based organizations," NACG Executive Director Matt Howe noted.
"With solid backing from the Ford Foundation over the next two years, NACG can ensure that the FWP becomes a permanent mechanism through which other funders and individuals can invest in this rapidly growing sector of community philanthropy," added Howe. "This is an exciting and entrepreneurial moment in the workplace giving marketplace."
NACG is an association of over 60 organizations dedicated to increasing choice and promoting high standards of conduct in the workplace giving arena. NACG members represent nearly 3,000 individual charities nationwide and generate over $90 million each year through on-the-job giving campaigns.
2007 National Workplace Giving Summit set for February 28 "“ March 2 in Orlando
Leaders of workplace giving organizations will convene February 28th through March 2nd in Orlando, FL for the 2007 National Workplace Giving Summit. Organized annually by NACG, the goal of this conference is to promote professional development, collaboration, dissemination of research and best practices, understanding of emerging technologies, and ongoing analysis of the forces influencing the workplace giving marketplace as it moves into the 21st century.
Plenary sessions and workshops will cover an array of topics including:
The conference is open to the staff and volunteer leaders of workplace giving organizations, employers, funders, and all others interested in the development, expansion and enrichment of employee giving.
The complete agenda, registration forms and information for exhibitors and sponsors may be viewed at www.choiceingiving.org. A special registration program for Florida nonprofits and employers offers discounted rates and the flexibility to drop in for the sessions of special interest.
Growing philanthropy for a just society
Our Giving Community
Our Giving Community
Our Giving Community (OGC) is a community of local, state, and national workplace giving federations and funds that are working together to advance social justice, environmental protection, peace, human welfare and human rights. Our member federations and funds work with employers to create annual payroll giving campaigns that serve the diverse charitable interests of employees in an efficient and manageable way. From our headquarters in Portland, Maine, we provide an array of services to support our members and to assist private and public employers with the development of workplace charitable campaigns.
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