FEATURED RESOURCE FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: ConferTel Web Conferencing and Audio Conferencing Services - Experience the best combination of price, features, and ease-of-use for your communication needs, visit http://www.tele-conferences.net/NASSEMBLY.htm for more information or call toll-free (800) 804-8076. Be sure to indicate you are a National Assembly member. This offer is also available to your affiliates.

FEATURED CONFERENCE: Assembly Member Discount on Timely Nonprofit Economics Conference--Deadline December 31, 2003. Members of the National Assembly---and their affiliates---may attend "Wise Economic Decision-Making in Uncertain Times: Using Nonprofit Resources Effectively," January 16-17 at the Washington DC Marriott at a discount, if they register by December 31 and use the code, NA3850, on the invoice. The conference fee is $350; Assembly members & their affiliates can deduct $50. The conference is sponsored by the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise, a leader on the economics of nonprofit organizations. For more information and to register, visit www.nationalcne.org. To register by phone, call Sarah Masters or Nicole Lester at 703-993-4994.

NEWS
World's hungry rising by 5 million per year, says U.N. report - About 842 million people worldwide are undernourished, with the number of chronically hungry people growing at a rate of nearly 5 million a year, according to a report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The report, released Nov. 25, said the fight against world hunger was being lost and that countries would not meet the goal stated at the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome to reduce by 50 percent the number of undernourished people by 2015. To read the full story, visit http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20031125.htm.

Confidence in Nonprofits Lags - A new survey shows that the number of people expressing strong confidence in nonprofit organizations has risen recently but remains below where it was before the September 11 terrorist attacks, which inspired both record charitable giving and increased scrutiny of how donations are used, the New York Times reports. To read the full story, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/27/national/27CHAR.html.

Nonprofits Expect IT Spending to Increase in 2004 - A recent survey finds that 66% of nonprofits indicate their organization plans to increase their technology budget in 2004, while only 34% believe that their IT spending will be less in 2004 than in 2003. The Web poll was conducted by software as a service provider Kintera Inc. from October 16 through November 7, 2003. To read the full story, visit
http://www.kintera.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=9qLQKYNGE&b=7799&content_id={032623A3-8444-4531-8603-EAE03554300E

IRS Reminder on Charitable Giving (Share this story with your donors) - Taxpayers need to keep in mind some simple steps to make sure they benefit from their donations to tax-exempt charitable and religious groups, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The tax benefit for charitable contributions is only available for taxpayers who itemize deductions — about one-third of all filers. To read the full story with all of their guidelines, visit http://www.webcpa.com/WebCPA/index.cfm/txtFuse/dspShellContent/fuseAction/DISPLAY/numContentID/41700/numSiteID/12/numTaxonomyTypeID/0/numTaxonomyID/0.htm.
January 2004 Designated Cervical Cancer Screening Month. The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is organizing a series of events in January to highlight Cervical Cancer Screening Month. Every year in the United States, approximately 15,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 5,000 women die of the disease. For more information, go to http://www.hispanichealth.org/event_schedule.lasso

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NEWS
Bill Nelsen, President of Scholarship America was quoted in The New York Times article, “Two Years After the Attacks, the Response Shifts Gears.” To read the full article, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/17/giving/17FESS.html.

”I Have a Dream” Foundation names San Antonio Spurs’ Anthony Carter as their first-ever national spokesperson. To read the full release, visit http://www.ihad.org/news_detail.php?news_id=24.

FUNDING, GRANTS, AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES
* Active Living Research is a $12.5 million national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created to stimulate research that will promote active living among Americans. Up to $3 million is available for this round of funding and they are seeking proposals. For the full information, visit http://www.rwif.org/cfp/activelivingresearch.

* Community Partnerships for Older Adults is an eight-year, $20 million grant initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In this second round of funding, a maximum of 17 communities will receive development grants of up to $150,000 for 18 months. Letters of intent are due January 9, 2004. This national program fosters community partnerships that will improve long-term care and supportive services systems to meet the current and future needs of older adults. For information on how to apply, visit http://partnershipsforolderadults.org.

* The Good-Neighbor Service-Learning Awards are available to youth, teachers and service-learning coordinators, providing 100 grants of $1000 each to implement spring service/volunteering projects that include events during National Youth Service Day, April 16-18, 2004. The grant application deadline is December 8th, so placement in the next month or so is ideal. For more information, visit http://www.ysa.org/Awards/overview_parent.cfm.

* The President's Volunteer Service Award is a Presidential recognition program for Americans of all ages who contribute a significant amount of time to volunteer service. The Award is given to individuals, families, and groups that have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period. The awards are delivered through a variety of local, state, and national organizations that are registered as "certifying organizations." To learn more about the President's Volunteer Service Award and to register as a certifying organization, please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov

* A program of Eli Lilly and Company, the Welcome Back Awards is designed to fight the stigma associated with depression and promote the understanding that depression is treatable. Nominations for the 2004 Welcome Back Awards can be submitted by anyone wishing to recognize an individual for outstanding contributions to the depression community. Anyone may be nominated, including mental health consumers, advocates, physicians, research scientists, and employees of corporate, civic, or academic institutions. For information, visit http://www.lilly.com/about/excellence/we_honor/awards.html.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PEER NETWORKS
*The National Collaboration for Youth Research Group will meet on Monday December 8th at Communities in Schools offices in Alexandria, VA. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org

* The National Assembly Research Council will meet on Tuesday, December 9th at Communities in Schools offices in Alexandria, VA. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org

* The Human Resource Directors Council will meet in New York City on Thursday, December 11th at the offices of Mutual of America. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org

* The Senior Policy Council's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 15th at 1319 F St NW, Washington, DC in the 4th floor National Network for Youth Conference room. For more information, contact njean@alliance1.org

* The January meeting of the NCY Washington Group will be on January 6 from 1:30-3:00pm. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org.

* The National Collaboration for Youth Program Group will meet in Indianapolis, IN on Friday January 9th from 8am - 3pm at the Girls Inc. offices. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org

* The Resource Development Peer Network will meet on Tuesday, January 27 from 10:00am – 12:00pm at the National Crime Prevention Council, 1717 K Street, NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC. For more information, contact lisa@nassembly.org.

* The Training Peer Network will meet on Friday, January 30 in Washington, DC. Specific location and time TBD. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org.

* The NCY Washington Group’s February meeting will take place on February 3 from 1:30 – 3:00pm. For more information, contact marissa@nassembly.org.

* The Communication & Marketing peer network will meet on Wednesday, February 4 from 1:00-3:00pm in Washington, DC. The specific meeting location is TBD. For more information, contact lisa@nassembly.org.

* The VP’s of Programs Peer Network will meet on February 10 from 1:00-3:00pm in Washington, DC. The location is TBD. For more information, contact lisa@nassembly.org.

* The National Assembly Board meeting will be in Washington, DC on February 19th. For more information, contact irv@nassembly.org.

* The Legal Council Peer Network will meet in Washington, DC on February 19th from 1:00-4:00pm. Location TBD. For more information, contact lisa@nassembly.org.

* The National Collaboration for Youth CEO’s will meet in Washington, DC March 10-11. For more information, contact irv@nassembly.org.

CONFERENCES, TRAININGS, & EVENTS
* You are invited to attend a book signing with Alma Powell, author of America’s Promise and My Little Wagon, at Union Station on Wednesday, December 10, 2003. The book signing will take place from 3:00-4:00pm at B. Dalton Books and a concert will follow in the Main Hall from 4:00-5:00pm. For more information, visit http://www.americaspromise.org.

* January 2004 is National Mentoring Month. The Harvard Mentoring Project and MENTOR are organizing a range of activities during January to highlight the importance of mentoring. The Harvard Mentoring Project is working with the media to heighten awareness of mentoring and prompt individuals to volunteer to mentor. For more information, visit
http://www.mentoring.org/mentoring_month/index.adp?Menu=nav_left_home.adp&Entry=whatsnew

* 2004 National Summit on Designing and Managing Youth Workforce Development Programs: Innovations for Aiding the Employment and Economic Independence of a Young Workforce is January 21-22, 2004 at the US Grant Hotel in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit http://www.performanceweb.org.

* Child Welfare League of America’s National Conference, February 23-25, 2004, Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.cwla.org/conferences/.

* On March 31, 2004, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids will hold its ninth annual Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative that makes kids leaders and advocates in the fight against youth tobacco use. For more information, visit http://www.tobaccofreekids.org.

* The joint conference of the American Society on Aging and The National Council on the Aging will be held in San Francisco, April 13-17, 2004. Among the session of interest to National Assembly members may be a daylong program on Civic Engagement and a pre-conference intensive on NCOA’s BenefitsCheckUp Program. For more information visit www.agingconference.org

* Cover the Uninsured Week will take place from May 10-16, 2004 and feature more than 1,000 community events in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including health fairs for the uninsured, seminars for business owners, interfaith gatherings and more to make certain the issue of the uninsured is central to the national discussion. For more information, call (202) 572-2928 or visit www.CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org.

Post your organization’s conference dates on the National Assembly’s web site at www.nassembly.org, simply scroll to the bottom, click on “Add Your Own Event,” and follow the instructions.

RESOURCES
* Subscribe to the National Youth Development Learning Network’s Professional Development Series e-newsletter by e-mailing pam@nassembly.org. This month’s issue focuses on Competencies for Youth Development Workers.

* Subscribe to the Family Strengthening Policy Center’s e-newsletter by e-mailing Hannah@nassembly.org. This issue’s topics include Mentoring the Children of Prisoners, Earned Income Tax Credit Update, Resource for State-by-State Income, Policies and Population Statistics, and more!

* "Connected By 25: Improving The Life Chances of the Country's Most Vulnerable Youth," written by Michael Wald, formerly of William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Tia Martinez. This paper and other relevant reports exploring a range of possible approaches to improving services and outcomes for highly disadvantaged youth, in particular those aged 14 to 24, are now available on the Foundation's Web Site at http://www.hewlett.org/Archives/. They are available in PDF format to read, print, or download.

* The Office on Women's Health (OWH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has worked with its Young Women's Sounding Board to develop its Pick Your Path to Health pocket planner filled with simple action steps and current health resources for girls ages 10-16. They are looking for non-profit partners who may be interested in either distributing materials or posting info in newsletters or on web sites. The planner will be available for free, beginning in early 2004, and can be ordered by calling 1.800.994.WOMAN (9662). You can also visit www.4girls.gov website.

* Web Site Started to Aid Electronic Filing of 990s - Beginning in early 2004, the IRS will allow nonprofits to electronically file their comprehensive annual returns (Forms 990 and 990EZ). Get the latest news and tools on e-filing from the Electronic Data Initiative for Nonprofits (http://www.EDINonline.org), a national partnership led by Independent Sector with the Council on Foundations, GuideStar, National Council of Nonprofit Associations, and OMB Watch. To receive a free monthly e-newsletter, subscribe to EDINews (http://www.independentsector.org/edin/news_subscribe.asp). For more information, contact EDIN Project Director Claudia Holtzman at edin@IndependentSector.org.

* Order National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy publications between now and the end of the year (12/31/03) and receive 25% off on your order. Simply enter "80" in the coupon code box when checking out. Go to https://www.teenpregnancy.org/store/default.asp to visit the National Campaign store.

* Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Bibliography - This bibliography contains citations for all the out-of-school time (OST) program evaluations that Harvard Family Research Project is currently tracking. To access the document, visit http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/bibliography/index.html.

* Safety Net or Tangled Web?: An Overview of Programs and Services for Adults with Disabilities - This paper examines the role that government safety net programs play in the lives of low-income adults with disabilities. To download the PDF file, visit http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/310884_OP68.pdf.
* Trends That Impact Nonprofit Organizations: Trend Report 2003 was released from the Alliance for Children and Families. The Trend Report provides an overview of trends, issues and concerns affecting nonprofit, human service organizations. Readers find it helpful for grant preparation, interviews with the media, program planning, staff training, strategic planning, etc. The cost is $35.95, plus shipping and handling: $4.00 for the first copy and .50 for each additional copy. Must be prepaid. Checks should be made out to the Alliance for Children and Families and mailed to: Severson Center NA, 11700 W. Lake Park Dr., Milwaukee WI 53224. Phone: 414-359-1040, ext. 3615. Fax: 414-359-1074. Online orders may be placed at: www.alliance1.org/Publications/ordertrend.htm. Receive a 10% discount when you mention the Health & Human Services Newsbytes newsletter.

* The Center for Law and Social Policy’s newsletter is now available. Topics include welfare, TANF-WIA integration, and legal aid. To download the PDF file, visit http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1068229608.92/Nov03_Update.pdf.

* The More Things Change? Children’s Living Arrangements Since Welfare Reform; Snapshots III, No. 10; Gregory Acs, Sandi Nelson; October 2003 -- The share of children five and under living with single parents declined from 21.0 percent in 1997 to 17.3 percent in 2003. The share of young children living with married parents increased by 2.5 percentage points between 1997 and 2002. The share living with unmarried parents increased by 1.2 percentage points. To read the full document, visit http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=8599.

Post your organization’s job openings on the National Assembly web site. Go to http://www.nassembly.org/job_display.cfm?type=nassembly&mode=view and click on “job listing form.”

Post your organization’s youth development related jobs on the NYDIC web site at http://www.nydic.org.

CALL FOR PRACTICES, PRESENTERS, AND FEEDBACK
*United Way of America is soliciting letters of interest from organizations interested in an irrevocable exclusive license to the publication of Youth as Equal Partners, a Guidebook on Youth Involvement. The Youth as Equal Partners guide was written to help organizations work with youth as equals with the belief that organizations and communities can genuinely benefit from the ideas, perspectives, skills, commitments, and connections of young people. For more information, please visit http://national.unitedway.org/programs/yep.cfm

* The Pathways to Adulthood 2004 National Independent Living Transitional Living Conference is seeking presenters and exhibitors for this April 13-15 event in Washington, DC. For full information, visit http://www.nrcys.ou.edu.

* The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is developing a publication that highlights the important connections between after school programs and efforts to reduce teen pregnancy. They are currently looking for compelling examples to highlight in this guide. If you operate or know about an after school program that helps to prevent teen pregnancy, or other risky behaviors, please fill out a survey at http://www.teenpregnancy.org/formgen.asp?surveyid=209.

* Leadership for a Changing World is seeking nominations of community leaders across the country who are successfully tackling tough social problems. Seventeen outstanding social justice leaders and leadership teams who are not broadly known beyond their immediate community or field will receive awards of $100,000 to advance their work, plus $15,000 for learning activities that will support their efforts. To download a nomination brochure, or for more information, visit http://www.leadershipforchange.org/

* The editors of the Journal of Community Practice: Organization, Planning, Development, & Change invite manuscripts that relate to community youth participation. They expect that this issue will develop knowledge of youth-led, adult-led, and intergenerational initiatives that focus on youth participation, and they seek manuscripts from practitioners, researchers, and educators from diverse disciplines and fields. For more information, call 313-577-8969 or e-mail jcp@wayne.edu

* PLEASE send your youth development news, funding announcements, training and conference dates, publications or job openings in the youth development field to info@nydic.org or call us at 1-877-NYDIC-4-U (toll-free).

Got News? Please e-mail Lisa@nassembly.org with your news, events, and suggestions for Newsbytes.

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