SD Grantmakers Update

Today, the role of philanthropy is expanding and so are its responsibilities. This online SDGrantmakers Update is published by San Diego Grantmakers to help you meet the challenge. Our mission is to connect, educate, develop, and inspire a diverse group of foundations and corporations to stimulate effective philanthropy in the San Diego region. For more information, visit www.SDGrantmakers.org.

"In charity, there is no excess." --Francis Bacon

Welcome New Members:
Cymer, Inc.
U.S. Bank

Member News

Alliance Healthcare Foundation has launched a new website: click here to check it out.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. played a large role in this month's American Diabetes Association 2006 Women of Valor Gala Awards Dinner in Boston. Lynn Allen-Biros, Amylin's Community Affairs Coordinator, served on the planning committee and introduced her sister, acclaimed actress Joan Allen, as the evening's emcee. The President and CEO of Amylin, Ginger L. Graham, was
honored for her work as a trailblazer in the fight against diabetes.  Ms. Graham was honored alongside fellow awardee Patti LaBelle!

The California Endowment received a Gold Council on Foundations Wilmer Shields Rich Award for Excellence in Communications in recognition of their special reports. Additionally, the Endowment's chief executive, Robert K. Ross, penned a recent commentary in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. In the piece, Dr. Ross discusses community-based "focus funds" as an approach that can be used by philanthropic organizations to support people and causes that are often ignored. Click here to read the article.

Casey Family Programs’ San Diego office celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 27 at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse on Harbor Island. The event honored the foundation’s community partners, collaborators, youth and families. In keeping with its 40th Anniversary theme, One Family Can Change the World, Casey Family Programs focused on the importance of caring for our nation’s most vulnerable population – children and youth in foster care. Highlights of the event included entertainment by Eveoke Dance Theatre whose performers were youth in foster care; honoring Mr. & Mrs. Martinez who will be retiring from foster parenting after more than 40 years in San Diego County; recognizing the 15-member San Diego Foster Care Coalition; and, a special recognition to a foster youth who led a campaign to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Seattle-based Marguerite Casey Foundation, created by Casey Family Programs in 2001 to help expand its outreach and further develop its 40-year record of leadership in family well-being, is seeking a Director of Programs & Evaluation. Click here for the job description.

Change a Life Foundation received two Council on Foundations Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for Excellence in Communications: a Gold Award for their website and a Silver Award for their Annual Report.

Laura Galinson is being honored as one of San Diego's most-recognized female philanthropists at the YMCA Youth & Family Services "To Honor Our Champions" 2006 Gala Event on June 8, 2006. 

The Jewish Community Foundation recently announced that it has awarded more than 1,400 grants totaling more than $20 million through its donor advised fund program since January 1, 2006. Almost 70% of the grants were distributed to programs in San Diego, with the remainder directed to national organizations, projects in Israel and around the world. Thirty-five percent of grants supported programs in the Jewish community while 65% were to the secular community. Education continues to be a funding priority for JCF donors as demonstrated by more than half of the grants focused in this area, followed by Health and Human Services, Foundations and Federations, Religious Organizations, Arts and Culture, and other areas of giving.

Price Charities has added Hamilton Elementary School to their School in the Park initiative, which is an innovative program that shifts the location of "school" from a traditional classroom setting in an inner-city school to the resources and educational opportunities available at museums in Balboa Park.

Chris Weil, Chair of the Patricia and Christopher Weil Family Foundation, is presenting at a June 2 AFP San Diego Workshop on how to get from “No” to “Yes” using 10 Relationship Principles.

San Diego National Bank is celebrating its 25th year of operations by continuing its relationship with the greater San Diego community. In late April, the bank made a $500,000 gift to the capital fundraising efforts of STAR/PAL, a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged youth throughout San Diego County.  By Nov. 12, 2006, the 25th anniversary of the bank’s opening, two additional $500,000 gifts will be made to youth-serving nonprofit San Diego programs. 

SDG Members Win 2006 LEAD San Diego Visionary Awards! Congratulations to Murray L. Galinson (Chairman of the Board at both San Diego National Bank and California State University), Irwin Jacobs (Co-founder & Chairman, QUALCOMM), The Joe and Vi Jacobs Family (The Jacobs Family Foundation), and Richard Kiy (International Community Foundation). For more information about the June 6 awards event, or to register online, click here.

COF Conference Highlights

At the Annual Meeting of the Council on Foundations, a roster of
speakers that included Newt Gingrich and George Soros assailed
participants with advice on how and where to direct their philanthropy. Click here to access conference highlights. Chronicle of Philanthropy subscribers can also click here for an article.

New California Health Reports

Spotlight on Health Grantmaking in California
The Foundation Center-San Francisco's new report, Spotlight on Health Grantmaking in California, provides a mini-directory of important health grantmakers in California, statistical charts, and data tables. Download the free report.

Estimated Cost and Coverage Impacts of Four Proposals to Expand Health Insurance Coverage for Children in California
This summary report compares four proposals to expand health insurance coverage for children in California using a standardized methodology. The California Endowment asked The Lewin Group, a leading national health care consulting firm, to conduct this assessment in order to provide policymakers with an independent and unbiased analysis of the different policy options. Click here for more information.

Studies Reveal Success of Local Children's Health Initiatives
Two new studies released by The California Endowment highlight the tremendous success local Children's Health Initiatives have had in plugging the health care coverage gap for more than 165,000 kids in California. Click here for more information.

New Resources

Giving USA, the Annual Report on Philanthropy, is published by Giving USA Foundation, a public service initiative of the Giving Institute. The 2006 version will be available on June 19: click here for more information.

Conference Calling Discount

Through the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, SDGrantmakers can extend a lower-cost conference calling option to our members. A+ Conferencing offers a variety of services including the convenient and easy to use Reservationless Conferencing, Operator Assisted Conferences and Web Conferencing. Click here for details on the service, or click here to download the service contract (PDF). Effective Monday, May 15, 2006, A+ Conferencing will be lowering the rate to 6 cents per minute per line for toll free reservationless service.

Congressional Update

From the COF: As Congress approached the Memorial Day recess, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas continued to discuss whether charitable reform and incentive provisions will be a part of a tax extenders package. The decision to include charitable provisions in the extenders package will likely be made in June. Pension reform legislation is still the likely legislative vehicle, though pension reform conferees have been unable to come to an agreement on a final bill. If pension reform negotiations continue to drag, congressional leaders could attach the extenders package to another bill. For more information, visit the Council’s Charitable Reform Resource Center.

The Senate Finance Committee has revised a number of the reform provisions in its charitable package and there are significant improvements. However, the Council on Foundations continues to work with committee staff to revise a number of problematic provisions that remain in the bill, including a provision creating special rules for gifts of illiquid assets to donor-advised funds.   

Highlights from May's SDG Event with Rep. Susan Davis

On May 1, SDG members socialized and networked before hearing from Congresswoman Susan Davis about the ways in which grantmakers and government can work together to improve life in San Diego. Rep. Davis discussed a wide variety of topics, including tax incentives for charitable giving, regulatory reforms, the desire for accountability but concern that revisions may stifle giving, the delicate balance between oversight and flexibility, and public private partnerships. She also stressed that grantmakers should communicate their stories--including success stories and potential problems caused by government intervention--to her and other elected representatives, so that they may use specific examples to illustrate effects of proposed legislation.

Upcoming SDG Programs

Education Outlook: Education Challenges & Funder Opportunities
Dr. Carl A. Cohn, Superintendent San Diego City Schools; Dr. Paula Cordeiro, Dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, USD; Richard Thome, Assistant Superintendent, San Diego County Schools
June 6, 2006, 8:30 – 11:00       
Location: Mission Federal Credit Union
Sponsored by: Mission Federal Credit Union  

Forum Advocacy Teleconference Series Part 2: "Mission Possible - Evaluating Advocacy Grants"
June 8, 2 PM EST
Please click here to register and to receive call-in information. Cost of this call is $25.

The Conrad Hilton Foundation & the City of Los Angeles Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness: A Collaborative Approach
Jeff Schaffer, Senior Program Officer
June 12, 2006, 10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Alliance Healthcare Foundation
Breakfast Provided

Outcomes Thinking & Management for Grantees   
Sponsored by NMS and The Foundation Center
Presented by the Center for Outcomes at The Rensselaerville Institute
June 15, 2006, 9:00am-4:00pm
Location: National University Spectrum Building
Lunch Included, $195, RSVP at www.npsolutions.org or the Foundation Center at 800-424-9836

Outcomes Funding for Grantmakers  
Presented by the Center for Outcomes at The Rensselaerville Institute
June 16, 2006, 8:30am-10:00am
Location: United Way

Keeping San Diego’s Children and Teens SAFE
Laura Spiegel, First 5; Sandra McBrayer, The Children’s Initiative; Roseann Myers, The Commission for Children, Youth and Families
June 22, 2006, 8:30am – 10:30am
Location: Market Creek Plaza Conference Room 401 
Breakfast Included

N2: Networking at Northern Trust
A FEW 4th WEDNESDAYS
June 28, 4 - 5:30pm
August 23, 12 - 1:30pm
September 27, 4 - 5:30pm
October 25, 12 - 1:30pm
Location: Northern Trust
Network with and learn from your SDG member colleagues!

Keeping San Diego’s Children and Teens HEALTHY
Laura Spiegel, First 5; Sandra McBrayer, The Children’s Initiative; Roseann Myers, The Commission for Children, Youth and Families
July 13, 2006, 8:30am – 10:30am
Location: UCSD Preuss School
Breakfast Included

San Diego Grantmakers Annual Conference: 
Grantmakers as Change Makers
October 4, 2006
8am-3pm
Location: NTC Promenade
$100 for SDG members, $150 non-member grantmakers
Breakfast and Lunch Included

Distinguished Speaker Series: Mayor Jerry Sanders
A Philanthropic Lens for San Diego’s Future
November 1, 2006, 11:30am-1:00pm
Location: TBD
Lunch Included

All programs are free for SDG members except where indicated. To RSVP, please call (619) 744-2180 or email programs@sdgrantmakers.org.

Grantmakers Without Borders' 6th Annual Conference
June 8-10, 2006
San Mateo, CA

Join GWOB for "Just Giving: Global Social Change Philanthropy." Click here for more information.

NCG's Corporate Philanthropy Institute 2006
“Building and Sustaining Corporate Community Partnerships"
June 13, 2006
San Francisco, CA

Please contact Judy Berger, Director of Member Services at NCG or Erik Tvede for more information.

Education Commission of the States and Grantmakers for Education: 2006 ECS National Forum on Education Policy
July 11, 2006
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Attend a special pre-conference forum for grantmakers entitled "A Decade of Standards-Based Education: What Should Be Next?" View the entire program on ECS Web site. The registration fee for the special grantmakers sessions and reception on Tuesday is $50. ECS is also offering grantmakers a significantly discounted conference registration rate of $250. For more information, please contact Jennifer Kramer-Wine at 303.299.3672.

Stanford Center for Social Innovation
Executive Program for Philanthropy Leaders
July 30-August 5, 2006

This program focuses on leadership development for high-level foundation executives with a special emphasis on vision, power and trust, governance, and collaboration. Click here for more information.

Independent Sector 2006 Annual Conference
Many Voices, Shared Purpose:  Working Together to Improve Lives
October 22-24, 2006
Minneapolis/St. Paul

Click here for more information or to register.

Grantmakers in Aging 2006 Annual Conference
October 25-27, 2006
Milwaukee, WI

Click here for details about the conference.

Association of Small Foundations 2006 National Conference
October 26-28, 2006
New Orleans, LA

Click here for details about the conference.

American Association of Grant Professionals Annual Conference
November 8-11, 2006
Nashville, Tennessee

Click here for more information.

Feel free to comment, suggest article ideas, or submit news items to nancy@SDGrantmakers.org -- We're always happy to hear from you. This online update is a service to San Diego Grantmakers members. Copies of past editions are archived here: News You Can Use.

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