Friday, April 29, 2011

The Aftermath of a Tornado

Yesterday we had the chance to view some of the areas that were in the tornado path through southern Georgia. Over the years we have had the chance to live in various places, both here in the US and overseas. We have lived with complete snow caused shutdowns in Virginia and Ohio, fire threatened areas in California, and flash flood prone sections of Arizona and Texas. But, we have never lived in an area that was in a "tornado alley"....thus this is the first time that I have ever seen first hand the damage from a tornado....and it was almost shocking. When you see it on the news, you see the devastation and hear the families talk about how they lost their homes and belongings and in some cases family members...but to see it first hand is another experience. And, to see it from a real estate point of view is also astonishing, for not only do you have to re-build, but there is an entire process of demolition and removal that is both time and money consuming.

We heard of various areas where the tornados, and apparently there were a number of them spawned over a 12 hour period that moved from eastern Alabama into southern Georgia, and decided to see for ourselves the damage. In Griffin, about 10 miles from where Carrie lives, and a relatively large rural county seat, the tornado moved from west to east in about a 1/4 mile wide span in semi built up areas of farms, homes, and commercial areas located about 2 miles south of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. This particular storm area was the one that we drove through in the early morning hours after arriving late at the Atlanta airport, where we encountered downed trees and power lines and homes crushed by falling trees, but could not see the extent of the damage due to darkness. What we saw yesterday was along Highway 19 and extended from collapsed and crush commercial warehouse areas to a mobile home park with various degrees of total damage. Roofs were completely ripped off and scattered along the debris filled highway. I got a video of folks walking through the remains of what were office buildings and shops, with nothing but debris and trash left. Just amazing.
We continued on with our other activities for the afternoon and then we heard about some of the other areas, where a complete subdivision south of Griffin was hit, and had since been closed off, and the stories continued. The storm had really taken its toll....property and lives lost over a couple of hours due to a storm that no one has any control over. A new experience for me...and a new appreciation for what I will see in the future on the news shows, for we just saw the real aftermath of a terrible tornado storm. Hope I never have to go through one, or see one again.
Yesterday we had the chance to view some of the areas that were in the tornado path through southern Georgia. Over the years we have had the chance to live in various places, both here in the US and overseas. We have lived with complete snow caused shutdowns in Virginia and Ohio, fire threatened areas in California, and flash flood prone sections of Arizona and Texas. But, we have never lived in an area that was in a "tornado alley"....thus this is the first time that I have ever seen first hand the damage from a tornado....and it was almost shocking. When you see it on the news, you see the devastation and hear the families talk about how they lost their homes and belongings and in some cases family members...but to see it first hand is another experience. And, to see it from a real estate point of view is also astonishing, for not only do you have to re-build, but there is an entire process of demolition and removal that is both time and money consuming.

We heard of various areas where the tornados, and apparently there were a number of them spawned over a 12 hour period that moved from eastern Alabama into southern Georgia, and decided to see for ourselves the damage. In Griffin, about 10 miles from where Carrie lives, and a relatively large rural county seat, the tornado moved from west to east in about a 1/4 mile wide span in semi built up areas of farms, homes, and commercial areas located about 2 miles south of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. This particular storm area was the one that we drove through in the early morning hours after arriving late at the Atlanta airport, where we encountered downed trees and power lines and homes crushed by falling trees, but could not see the extent of the damage due to darkness. What we saw yesterday was along Highway 19 and extended from collapsed and crush commercial warehouse areas to a mobile home park with various degrees of total damage. Roofs were completely ripped off and scattered along the debris filled highway. I got a video of folks walking through the remains of what were office buildings and shops, with nothing but debris and trash left. Just amazing.
We continued on with our other activities for the afternoon and then we heard about some of the other areas, where a complete subdivision south of Griffin was hit, and had since been closed off, and the stories continued. The storm had really taken its toll....property and lives lost over a couple of hours due to a storm that no one has any control over. A new experience for me...and a new appreciation for what I will see in the future on the news shows, for we just saw the real aftermath of a terrible tornado storm. Hope I never have to go through one, or see one again.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

My Trip to Atlanta

I made it to Atlanta...but as we were coming into the Atlanta airport....a severe weather front hit the area and tornado warnings went off. Winds at the airport were 38 knots and maximum landing was 33 knots. We were diverted to Augusta, GA....where we sat on the ground for almost 2 hours, refuled and finally got into Atlanta 4 hours late...but made it. Then, started seeing the tornado damage on the outskirts of Atlanta....first time for me. A lot of damage....and some lives lost...but we were all safe. Quite a flight and a day, to say the least.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

United Way Health Weekend...We Need a Name

On October 1 and 2, 2011…United Way is having a special weekend event, a Health Weekend. Walking, running, biking, and all kinds of activities, vendors, a Zumba contest, street dance, food, and a lot of fun. We need a name for the weekend. Something that will fit with Live United….Live Healthy, etc……submit some names and the winner will get credit for creativity.

www.norcalunitedway.org

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Reding Christian Fellowship Easter Musical This Week

This coming Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 PM, the Redding Christian Fellowship Church, 2157 Victor Avenue in Redding, just south of Highway 44, the Church Choir, Orchestra, Drama Team, and Soloists will be presenting their Annual Easter Celebration program. This "always sold out" event is well worth attending, as the Hallelujah selection is one of the best that I have been part of in years. Great traditional numbers all with a contemporary flair...and this musical event will be a highlight of the Easter Celebration in the Redding and Shasta County area. Here is some detail, but come early for seats, and no admission charge...a nice change for a change when it comes to musical events.

"Hallelujah, He Did Just What He Said"
When Thursday and Friday April 22 and 23rd, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where 2157 Victor Ave., Redding, CA 96002 (map)

Reach out to our community and invite your friends and family to our musical presented by our choir and orchestra. What a great way to start your Easter weekend! What a great way to introduce someone to the true meaning of Easter. No tickets are needed.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Shasta Symphony Concert this Sunday

This is going to be an outstanding concert….and having played in many over my long career as a band and orchestra musician, this is one of the finest volunteer orchestras I have ever played in. This concert, featuring the outstanding and world renowned pianist Ned Kirk….is going to be a concert worth going to…hope you can make it, and here at the details:

Shasta Symphony Orchestra – Heroic Impressions
Sunday, April 17 at 3:15 P.M.
Shasta College Theatre
Admission is $10 for General, $8 for Student/Seniors and $5 with Simpson or Shasta College Student I.D.

Visions of fairies, emperors, Caesars, and ancient European cities will dominate this concert. Opening with the bold and poignant Fanfare from ‘La Peri,’ the brass will set the stage for a royal tour of Europe. Beethoven’s seminal “Emperor” piano concerto will be performed by internationally-known, yet locally rooted, pianist Ned Kirk. The full orchestra will take over with a colorful interpretation of ancient Rome with Respighi’s masterwork, Fountains of Rome.

Shasta Symphony Concert this Sunday

This is going to be an outstanding concert….and having played in many over my long career as a band and orchestra musician, this is one of the finest volunteer orchestras I have ever played in. This concert, featuring the outstanding and world renowned pianist Ned Kirk….is going to be a concert worth going to…hope you can make it, and here at the details:

Shasta Symphony Orchestra – Heroic Impressions
Sunday, April 17 at 3:15 P.M.
Shasta College Theatre
Admission is $10 for General, $8 for Student/Seniors and $5 with Simpson or Shasta College Student I.D.

Visions of fairies, emperors, Caesars, and ancient European cities will dominate this concert. Opening with the bold and poignant Fanfare from ‘La Peri,’ the brass will set the stage for a royal tour of Europe. Beethoven’s seminal “Emperor” piano concerto will be performed by internationally-known, yet locally rooted, pianist Ned Kirk. The full orchestra will take over with a colorful interpretation of ancient Rome with Respighi’s masterwork, Fountains of Rome.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Some Advice for us "Older Folks"

Some Advice for us “older folks”
Posted on April 14, 2011 by Ron Largent

My friend, and at times almost a mentor, Lou Tice…sent me this a few days ago. It is so good, and so true, as I see as I work with some of our agencies who work with Seniors.

If you’re interested in living to a ripe old age, I have some information about aging and attitude that may surprise you.

Several studies of people who are older, who have lived far beyond the norm in the United States, indicate that attitude seems to play an important role. I’m not saying that there is anything like a “longevity personality.” Living to the ripe old age of 100 seems to happen to selfish, cantankerous people as often as it does to those who are quiet and kind. But there does seem to be a common thread, and it is a sense of self-sufficiency.

The oldest of our senior citizens all seem to have a strong attachment to freedom and independence. They tend to dislike and avoid constraints and they value their autonomy highly. What’s more, most of these old-timers are also people who enjoy life. They have a high degree of realistic optimism, a definite sense of humor, and they respond to simple pleasures, seeing beauty where others only see ugliness. They are also extremely adaptable and resilient. Most of them had been hit hard by the Great Depression, but they recovered to build new futures. And while many of them cherished childhood memories, all of them preferred living in the present with its many changes.

In a nutshell, these studies found that attitude seemed to outweigh physical characteristics and what these folks thought and felt was more important than what they ate or how long their parents had lived.

So if you want to live a long, happy life, consider keeping track of your attitude as well as counting your calories and cholesterol.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

Some Advice for us "Older Folks"

Some Advice for us “older folks”
Posted on April 14, 2011 by Ron Largent

My friend, and at times almost a mentor, Lou Tice…sent me this a few days ago. It is so good, and so true, as I see as I work with some of our agencies who work with Seniors.

If you’re interested in living to a ripe old age, I have some information about aging and attitude that may surprise you.

Several studies of people who are older, who have lived far beyond the norm in the United States, indicate that attitude seems to play an important role. I’m not saying that there is anything like a “longevity personality.” Living to the ripe old age of 100 seems to happen to selfish, cantankerous people as often as it does to those who are quiet and kind. But there does seem to be a common thread, and it is a sense of self-sufficiency.

The oldest of our senior citizens all seem to have a strong attachment to freedom and independence. They tend to dislike and avoid constraints and they value their autonomy highly. What’s more, most of these old-timers are also people who enjoy life. They have a high degree of realistic optimism, a definite sense of humor, and they respond to simple pleasures, seeing beauty where others only see ugliness. They are also extremely adaptable and resilient. Most of them had been hit hard by the Great Depression, but they recovered to build new futures. And while many of them cherished childhood memories, all of them preferred living in the present with its many changes.

In a nutshell, these studies found that attitude seemed to outweigh physical characteristics and what these folks thought and felt was more important than what they ate or how long their parents had lived.

So if you want to live a long, happy life, consider keeping track of your attitude as well as counting your calories and cholesterol.
Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

Kool April Nites in Redding, CA

Kool April Nites is Here…Join In!
Posted on April 8, 2011 by Ron Largent

The Greater Palo Cedro Area Chamber of Commerce will once again bring beautiful classic cars to the east valley from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 11, 2011, for the 11th Annual Show n’ Shine located at Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel parking lot on Deschutes Road in Palo Cedro.
Over 30 trophies to be awarded by local businesses including East Valley Times—”Peoples Choice” and Best of Show sponsored by the Chamber.
Great raffle prizes that includes a vintage 1938 replica pedal car.
There is no entry charge for patrons to the event and only $5 for show car entries (first 100 entrants receives a bag filled with items from chamber members). Call 547-4554 for more information or to pre-register your show car call 547-2266. Money collected goes back into the community through several charitable events and programs.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Donor and Donor Fatigue

Donors Still Eroding, But Gifts Getting Larger

While revenue held steady at many of the major, national nonprofits during 2010, the erosion of the donor base continues, with those staying behind adding to their donations and making up the losses.

The average donor tracked by the index gave a median 1.69 gifts in 2010 with the median revenue per donor being just $59.

That among the findings of the latest Target Analytics donorCentrics Index of National Fundraising Performance. For the 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, Target Analytics evaluated direct response giving transactions of 83 organizations, including more than 39 million donors and more than 81 million gifts totaling over $2.5 billion.

Revenue growth for the index was essentially flat in 2010, increasing by a median 1 percent from 2009. Just over half of the organizations in the index had revenue increases year over year, according to the index. Of the eight sectors in the index, three (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant revenue growth. Three (arts and culture, health, and religion) had significant revenue declines. And two (environment and human services) had essentially no change in revenue from 2009 to 2010.

The sector with the greatest revenue growth, the international relief sector, had a dramatic revenue spike in January 2010, which was largely due to fundraising for relief efforts following a severe earthquake in Haiti.

While revenue has remained flat, donor numbers have continued to drop. Donors declined a median 2 percent for the index as a whole from 2009 to 2010. This continues a trend that predates the recession. Donor populations have been shrinking consistently for the past five years, primarily due to declines in new donor acquisition, according to the report.

After having been in decline for all of 2009, revenue per donor amounts increased during 2010. This growth was widespread throughout the index; 73 percent of the organizations in the index had positive revenue per donor growth during the period. These increases have allowed index organizations to maintain last year’s revenue levels even as donor numbers continue to fall, according to the report.

Overall donor declines have been primarily due to declines in new donors, which have also been in decline since 2005. New donor numbers fell a median 3.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, on top of a decline of 7.4 percent the year before, and in spite of strong disaster-related acquisition in the first quarter of the year. While three sectors (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant new donor growth in 2010, four sectors (arts and culture, environment, health, and human services) had significant new donor declines.

Median revenue per donor was $59 for the index in 2010. The international relief sector had the highest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $149. The religion sector had the lowest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $26.

Index donors gave a median 1.69 gifts each in 2010. Animal welfare organizations had the highest gift frequency of any sector, receiving a median 2.47 gifts per donor in 2010. Although sustainer or monthly giving programs are not widespread and typically account for a small fraction of giving, organizations with larger sustainer programs will drive up gifts-per-donor metrics.

The index as a whole had a median 51.2 percent donor retention rate in 2010. The arts and culture sector had the highest retention rate at a median 66.7 percent; the health sector had the lowest retention rate at a median 45.1 percent.

Donor and Donor Fatigue

Donors Still Eroding, But Gifts Getting Larger

While revenue held steady at many of the major, national nonprofits during 2010, the erosion of the donor base continues, with those staying behind adding to their donations and making up the losses.

The average donor tracked by the index gave a median 1.69 gifts in 2010 with the median revenue per donor being just $59.

That among the findings of the latest Target Analytics donorCentrics Index of National Fundraising Performance. For the 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2010, Target Analytics evaluated direct response giving transactions of 83 organizations, including more than 39 million donors and more than 81 million gifts totaling over $2.5 billion.

Revenue growth for the index was essentially flat in 2010, increasing by a median 1 percent from 2009. Just over half of the organizations in the index had revenue increases year over year, according to the index. Of the eight sectors in the index, three (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant revenue growth. Three (arts and culture, health, and religion) had significant revenue declines. And two (environment and human services) had essentially no change in revenue from 2009 to 2010.

The sector with the greatest revenue growth, the international relief sector, had a dramatic revenue spike in January 2010, which was largely due to fundraising for relief efforts following a severe earthquake in Haiti.

While revenue has remained flat, donor numbers have continued to drop. Donors declined a median 2 percent for the index as a whole from 2009 to 2010. This continues a trend that predates the recession. Donor populations have been shrinking consistently for the past five years, primarily due to declines in new donor acquisition, according to the report.

After having been in decline for all of 2009, revenue per donor amounts increased during 2010. This growth was widespread throughout the index; 73 percent of the organizations in the index had positive revenue per donor growth during the period. These increases have allowed index organizations to maintain last year’s revenue levels even as donor numbers continue to fall, according to the report.

Overall donor declines have been primarily due to declines in new donors, which have also been in decline since 2005. New donor numbers fell a median 3.5 percent from 2009 to 2010, on top of a decline of 7.4 percent the year before, and in spite of strong disaster-related acquisition in the first quarter of the year. While three sectors (animal welfare, international relief, and societal benefit) had significant new donor growth in 2010, four sectors (arts and culture, environment, health, and human services) had significant new donor declines.

Median revenue per donor was $59 for the index in 2010. The international relief sector had the highest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $149. The religion sector had the lowest revenue per donor, with each donor giving $26.

Index donors gave a median 1.69 gifts each in 2010. Animal welfare organizations had the highest gift frequency of any sector, receiving a median 2.47 gifts per donor in 2010. Although sustainer or monthly giving programs are not widespread and typically account for a small fraction of giving, organizations with larger sustainer programs will drive up gifts-per-donor metrics.

The index as a whole had a median 51.2 percent donor retention rate in 2010. The arts and culture sector had the highest retention rate at a median 66.7 percent; the health sector had the lowest retention rate at a median 45.1 percent.

Lou Tice and the Pacific Institute

Lou Tice and I go back 30 plus years…and he is always good and right on target. Goal setting is a big part of United Way, as we raise funds for over 90 programs in the northern part of California…here is his recent piece on goals:

If you’re going to get what you want in life, it is only common sense that first you have to know what you want. Even beyond that, it is absolutely essential that you take your desires seriously enough to goal-set to achieve them.

I am convinced that the reason most people fail to achieve their goals in life is that they never really set them in the first place. Most people spend more time planning a wedding or a vacation than they do planning their lives. And by failing to plan, they are actually planning to fail, by default.

You see, your mind is like the homing system in a torpedo or an automatic pilot. Once you clearly and specifically commit to a target, your mind uses negative and positive feedback from your environment, including your internal environment, to adjust your behavior.

But if you program your mind with vague desires, nonspecific goals, or fuzzy ideas, the feedback will be meaningless. For example, if you goal-set for a better standard of living, how will you know when you have achieved it? Any improvement at all will be something better. But if you have a highly specific target, such as doubling your income, you will always know when you are on track and exactly how far you have left to go at any given moment.

Remember, you have the power to achieve whatever you want in life, and commitment to specific goals is the surest way I know to tap into that power.

Lou Tice

The Pacific Institute

www.thepacificinstitute.com



Thanks for reading….. www.norcalunitedway.org

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

Lou Tice and the Goal Setting

Lou Tice and I go back 30 plus years…and he is always good and right on target. Goal setting is a big part of United Way, as we raise funds for over 90 programs in the northern part of California…here is his recent piece on goals:

If you’re going to get what you want in life, it is only common sense that first you have to know what you want. Even beyond that, it is absolutely essential that you take your desires seriously enough to goal-set to achieve them.

I am convinced that the reason most people fail to achieve their goals in life is that they never really set them in the first place. Most people spend more time planning a wedding or a vacation than they do planning their lives. And by failing to plan, they are actually planning to fail, by default.

You see, your mind is like the homing system in a torpedo or an automatic pilot. Once you clearly and specifically commit to a target, your mind uses negative and positive feedback from your environment, including your internal environment, to adjust your behavior.

But if you program your mind with vague desires, nonspecific goals, or fuzzy ideas, the feedback will be meaningless. For example, if you goal-set for a better standard of living, how will you know when you have achieved it? Any improvement at all will be something better. But if you have a highly specific target, such as doubling your income, you will always know when you are on track and exactly how far you have left to go at any given moment.

Remember, you have the power to achieve whatever you want in life, and commitment to specific goals is the surest way I know to tap into that power.

Lou Tice

The Pacific Institute

www.thepacificinstitute.com



Thanks for reading….. www.norcalunitedway.org

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

Dr. Peter Long Speaks to United Way

Wednesday, in Sacramento, CA we had the opportunity to hear Peter Long talk on the state of non-profits, and it was most interesting. He covered many subjects, and the talk was well worth the time for all attending the United Way of California Capital Day meeting. Here is the background on Peter Long:

Peter Long, Ph.D., is the president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation. He served in leadership roles at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and The California Endowment. He has extensive experience working on health policy issues at the state, national, and global levels, and has written numerous papers on a variety of health policy topics.

Dr. Long also served as the director of development and programs and then executive director of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley in San Jose. Previously, he served as a legislative analyst for the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network in Cape Town, South Africa, during the country’s transition to democracy.

He received his bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University; a master’s in health policy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health; and his doctorate in health services from the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2011, Dr. Long was inducted into the UCLA School of Public Health Alumni Hall of Fame.

If you get a chance to hear Dr. Long, please do so. You will find it very worthwhile and very interesting.

ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

www.norcalunitedway.org

United Way Meeting in Sacramento, CA

Yesterday we had the occasion to be in Sacramento to hear two great speakers….one of them Jean Ross on the California Budget Project. She was very articulate, and interesting, and here is her background:

Jean Ross joined the California Budget Project (CBP) as its first executive director in 1995. The CBP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established to promote a better understanding of state fiscal and economic policy issues and their impact on low- and- middle income Californians. Her prior professional experience includes serving as Principal Consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee; Senior Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee, where she staffed the California Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on the Changing Family; and Assistant Research Director of the Service Employees International Union in Washington, DC, where she was responsible for coordinating the union’s research on tax, budget, and employment policy issues. Ms. Ross serves on the Board of the Washington, DC-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy; the Advisory Board of the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution; the Advisory Committee of California’s Franchise Tax Board; the Technical Advisory Committee of California’s Economic Strategy Panel; and the Board of the California Tax Reform Association. Ms. Ross is a frequent speaker on fiscal and economic policy issues and has published numerous reports and articles. She has authored articles published by the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, State Tax Notes, San Francisco Chronicle, San Diego Union Tribune, UC Berkeley’s Intergovernmental Studies Press, Cornell University Press, National Academy Press, and other publications. Ms. Ross graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz and has a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning with a concentration in Regional Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Ross was selected as a Senior Fellow of the University of California, Los Angeles’ School of Public Policy and Social Research in 2000-01.

An excellent morning for all.

www.ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

www.norcalunitedway.org

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

United Way and the Strategic Plan

United Way of Northern California

Strategic Outlook

Ron Largent, President and CEO

The United Way of Northern California has a long and distinguished history in Shasta County and Northern California. Established in the 1960's, the United Way, or as it was originally known, the Community Chest, was instrumental in the initial funding and development of many of our well established non-profits in the area, such as the YMCA, Boy and Girl Scouts, and other agencies addressing the basic needs of our communities. Over the years, the agencies receiving United Way assistance has grown to the current list totaling over 50 agencies covering the 9 northern counties of the North State. This year, our goal is to help fund over 90 programs, from senior services like the Golden Umbrella to domestic and child abuse prevention programs located in Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, and Susanville. The future is indeed challenging, as meeting the basic needs in our communities continue to increase. The United Way of Northern California is not only positioned to address this challenge, but is actually expanding its fund raising philosophy to address the changing industrial makeup and workplace environments of the new technology age.

Even though the traditional United Way approach of an Annual Campaign in large private companies and state and federal government offices was most effective along side the prevalent union dues payment by workplace contributions, times have changed. Thus, United Way agencies are now adjusting to all year round company campaigns along with individualized short term fund raising activities and events encouraging employee participation not only in giving money but giving time as a volunteer. In addition, agencies are finding that income sources, such as from various Foundations, are now considering giving funds to community based programs on an individual basis. Some United Way agencies are now funded by grants that are actually enabling more programs addressing basic needs. United Way nationally has been a key player and leader in this changing environment, and we hope to continue this pattern in the North State.

Thus, the United Way of Northern California is looking at many and varied sources of revenue as we grow over the next five years. Traditional campaigns that have been successful and are projected to continue to be successful, such as in the government offices, will continue. Our National Corporate Leadership donors, such as AT&T, the Bank of America, and UPS, will continue as in the past, although there will be a local United Way presence in their local offices. Whereas local businesses have not been a major revenue source, we see this as a new and viable source of funds, and our marketing to small, medium, and large sized local companies is now being implemented. Our approach of meeting with these businesses and determining what they want to do in terms of corporate giving is very effective, for we are making it local, personal, and relevant for employees. In addition, we will continue to develop a program to enable individual donors to support United Way. This program has been very successful nationally, and now we are bringing this opportunity to local individuals that are inclined to give to a non-profit. Estate planning has not been part of United Way fund raising, and it will be. Lastly, a source of revenue for many non-profits are special events, and these functions have benefited United Way over the years. Events now will be connected to our national focus of Education, Income, and Health, and our events will not duplicate events that the agencies we support currently conduct.

Lastly, nationally the United Way, with the motto "Live United", has become the community "organizer" for many of the non-profits in their community. By bringing together many in the non-profit community to collectively address the basic needs, we are seeing great results in problem solving. This is one of our goals, for we will be seen as the organization that can bring together the various non-profits to accomplish more than that organization can accomplish by itself. Our goal is to address the many and growing basic needs, not build an empire; to provide training and educational opportunities that would otherwise not be available; to encourage creative and innovative thinking and planning by non-profits; and to bring together agencies that have similar goals but have not worked together previously to accomplish a common goal of providing services to those in need. The time is right for this approach to non-profit agency management, for we must do more with less in these economic times, especially in the coming five years.

www.norcalunitedway.org
ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

Monday, April 4, 2011

United Way and Education

United Way works to end America’s education crisis
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. But with more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces an education crisis. The cost? More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.1 These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together.

Our Goal
In 2008, United Way launched a 10-year initiative to cut the number of high school dropouts in half by 2018. It’s an ambitious goal, but by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve it.

Our Strategy
We can’t focus on high school alone. High school dropouts are 12 years in the making, usually starting early childhood education behind schedule. United Way's model focuses on supportive communities, effective schools and strong families — strategies and approaches rooted in research. Tackling the education challenge requires reframing education on a birth to 21 continuum.
www.norcalunitedway.org
ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

United Way and Education

United Way works to end America’s education crisis
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. But with more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces an education crisis. The cost? More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.1 These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together.

Our Goal
In 2008, United Way launched a 10-year initiative to cut the number of high school dropouts in half by 2018. It’s an ambitious goal, but by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve it.

Our Strategy
We can’t focus on high school alone. High school dropouts are 12 years in the making, usually starting early childhood education behind schedule. United Way's model focuses on supportive communities, effective schools and strong families — strategies and approaches rooted in research. Tackling the education challenge requires reframing education on a birth to 21 continuum.

www.norcalunitedway.org
ronlargent@norcalunitedway.org

United Way and Education

United Way works to end America’s education crisis
Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. But with more than 1.2 million children dropping out each year, America faces an education crisis. The cost? More than $312 billion in lost wages, taxes and productivity over their lifetimes.1 These trends are reversible, but only when communities and public, private and nonprofit sectors work together.

Our Goal
In 2008, United Way launched a 10-year initiative to cut the number of high school dropouts in half by 2018. It’s an ambitious goal, but by utilizing our core strengths — a national network, committed partners and public engagement capacity — we can achieve it.

Our Strategy
We can’t focus on high school alone. High school dropouts are 12 years in the making, usually starting early childhood education behind schedule. United Way's model focuses on supportive communities, effective schools and strong families — strategies and approaches rooted in research. Tackling the education challenge requires reframing education on a birth to 21 continuum.

Military Officers Association of America in Redding, CA

The local chapter of the Military Officers of America Association (MOAA) will be having their monthly meeting on Monday, April 11, 2011 at noon at the Country Waffles Restaurant on Athens Ave in Redding.
MOAA is the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization, and is open to all active duty, Reserve, National Guard, retired, and former members of the Uniformed Services of the United States.
The featured speaker for the March meeting will be Shirley Knight, the Director of the Volunteer Services at Mercy Hospital in Redding. Ms. Knight will explain the Volunteer Program and the various services that they provide to Mercy patients.
Guests are invited.
For further information, please call Ron Largent at 530-241-7521.

Military Officers Association of America in Redding, CA

The local chapter of the Military Officers of America Association (MOAA) will be having their monthly meeting on Monday, April 11, 2011 at noon at the Country Waffles Restaurant on Athens Ave in Redding.
MOAA is the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization, and is open to all active duty, Reserve, National Guard, retired, and former members of the Uniformed Services of the United States.
The featured speaker for the March meeting will be Shirley Knight, the Director of the Volunteer Services at Mercy Hospital in Redding. Ms. Knight will explain the Volunteer Program and the various services that they provide to Mercy patients.
Guests are invited.
For further information, please call Ron Largent at 530-241-7521.