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In the spirit of collaboration that the National Assembly represents, these member & partner ads reflect the valuable resources that exist among us, so that we are better equipped to make referrals, find partnership opportunities, and benefit from the expertise and services of one another.
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Newsbytes February 17, 2006 Newsbytes is the biweekly E-newsletter of the National Human Services Assembly that contains information for and about the nonprofit health and human services sector. Special Budget Edition Regular Newsbytes items can be found immediately following this editorial. Time for a Collective Response The President released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2007 last week to cries and howls from many in our field. The health and human services sector has been hit, and hard, but we cannot simply point fingers and shout to the rooftops that this is unfair. It is important to clearly elucidate why. While most nonprofit organizations are loath to address the other side of the budget – taxes – we need to add our voices to those who say that the budget is not fiscally responsible. And we can no longer restrict our comments to the “spend” side of the federal budget equation. The reduction in expenditures, mostly to domestic, non-defense programs, provides almost no relief to the overall federal deficit. Over the next five years, spending on both discretionary and entitlement non-defense programs is reduced by $187 billion, yet the same budget proposes $285 billion in tax cuts. And there is a proposed $79 billion increase in defense and homeland security spending over the same time period.1 Do the math: discretionary spending is not the culprit. The current budget deficit is the result of a reduction in revenue relative to the economic growth of the country’s coffers. As a sector, we need to clearly communicate that cuts to domestic spending are not the solution for the short or long term. The human cost of these “drop in the bucket” savings is hard to quantify; however, we know that programs facing cuts serve hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged Americans and put them on the road to a better life. Among the programs to be cut:
SSBG funds foster care services to more than 377,000 children; provides independent and transitional living services to more than 8,000 youth and helps 141,000 youth at risk.2
JABG provides funds to states and local governments to develop programs that promote greater accountability in the juvenile justice system and establish effective, community-based alternatives to detention; establish or expand substance abuse programs; and promote mental health screening and treatment.2
While the FY 2007 budget includes an increase of $7 billion, over the next five years the budget proposes cutting spending by $14 billion, including the elimination of administration and transportation for school-based services and stricter policies for rehabilitation.3 These are but a few of the cuts facing the human services world and the millions of people it serves. What is the solution? Finding a just balance of taxing and spending we leave to the economists and politicians. Throughout the year, not just during “Budget Week,” we must ensure that the discussion is well-informed and not based on false assumptions. Our goal must be to responsibly increase the overall budget allocations for health and human services, not simply for individual programs. The “vision” under which the National Assembly operates includes the phrase, “a just and caring nation.” That is more than a vision, it is our goal. If we are divided and pursue only our respective special interests, we may experience small successes here and there, but we will lose sight of our shared goal: a just and caring nation. The Assembly strives to be a reasoned, mainstream voice distinct from the cacophony of shouts and special interests. We have no choice but to act, but together, we can decide how. Click here to view additional resources and steps you can take to make our voice heard. Irv Katz, President and CEO Renée Carl, Director of Policy 1-Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, The President’s Budget: A Preliminary Analysis, February 9, 2006, http://www.cbpp.org/2-6-06bud.htm 2-Child Welfare League of America, FY 2007 Bush Budget and Children, http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/budgetchildren07.htm 3-United Way of America, The Bush Administration’s FY 2007 Budget, February 9, 2006. http://national.unitedway.org/files/pdf/07budgetsummary.pdf The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan will be one of the first in the nation to achieve the U.S. Green Building LEED certification. The David D. Hunting YMCA will be filled with natural light and fresh air. For more information, click here. New Girl Scout Report Features What Girls Say About Healthy Living On January 25, the Girl Scout Research Institute released a new research report entitled The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living that combined focus group research with online surveys of more than 2,000 eight- to 17-year-old girls. The report sheds light on the childhood obesity crisis by asking girls directly how they define health and what motivates them to lead a healthier lifestyle. Findings suggest that today’s girls are defining “health” on their own terms, placing the same value on emotional well-being and self-esteem as they do on diet and exercise. For more, click here. Bush Welcomes New Members of President's Council on Service and Civic Participation On Tuesday, February 14, President Bush welcomed the new members of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation at the White House. Several of the new members are closely involved in the work of the National Human Services Assembly, including Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Roxanne is also Vice Chair of the National Assembly board. Also of note are Ray Chambers of MENTOR, Evern Cooper Epps of the UPS Foundation and Jean Case of the Case Foundation. For more, click here. Connecting Displaced Children and Youth with Educational and Support Services The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is an information and technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Center equips educators, service providers, and other community agencies and individuals, to remove educational barriers and improve educational opportunities for children and youth experiencing homelessness. NCHE publications and other materials are available at no cost to assist volunteers and relief agency personnel in their understanding of the importance of continuity in education for children and youth in homeless situations. For more information, click here. We encourage all of our members and readers to circulate this special issue on the Federal Budget to networks and affiliates. New Report on Girls and Detention Reform Detention Reform and Girls: Challenges and Solutions, by Fran Sherman of Boston College Law School and published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, details new findings about girls involved in the juvenile justice system. Among the findings are that domestic violence often leads to girls being detained, and girls are chronically returned to detention for technical violations, while boys are more likely to be returned on a new offense. Read the full report by clicking here. Increase in Child Poverty Reported After nearly a decade of decline, the number of children living in low-income families has been steadily increasing, a pattern that began in 2000. This data book provides national and 50-state trend data on the characteristics of low-income children over the past decade: parental education, parental employment, marital status, family structure, race and ethnicity, age distribution, parental nativity, home ownership, residential mobility, type of residential area, and region of residence. For more information, click here. Study Reports Impact of FY 2006 Budget on Nonprofits The spending cuts enacted in the fiscal year 2006 budget will trim appropriations to programs of interest to nonprofit organizations by $1 billion, or 3.3 percent, after adjusting for inflation, a new report from the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program (NSPP) of the Aspen Institute finds. For more information, click here.
Nominations of Young Community Volunteers Invited for Kohl's Kids Who Care Program Youth Service America Announces Katrina's Kids Community Service Grants Program Enterprise Community Partners Accepting Applications for Jim & Patty Rouse Award for Excellence in Community Revitalization NEC Foundation of America to Focus Exclusively on Technology for People with Disabilities MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Add Job Openings and Events to Assembly Website for Free Post job openings and upcoming events on the National Assembly website free by visiting www.nassembly.org. Simply click on Jobs and Internships or Events and Conferences on the left side navigation. Then choose Add Jobs or Add Events. Registration is required. Initiative News & resources Family Strengthening Policy Center
Member Spotlight Camp Fire USA is serves nearly 750,000 children and youth annually. Wwith national headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., Camp Fire provides all-inclusive, coeducational programs in hundreds of communities across the United States. Founded in 1910, Camp Fire USA's outcome-based programs include youth leadership, self-reliance, after school groups, camping and environmental education and child care. For more information about Camp Fire USA, visit www.campfireusa.org National Assembly - Business Partners Program
The Business Partners Program is a service for members of the National Assembly and their affiliates that leverages their combined purchasing power to reduce costs. Click here to see the complete list of National Assembly Business Services and Discounts. The Business Partners Program is made possible through the generous support of The UPS Foundation. DID YOU KNOW?
Premiere Global Services (formerly Citizens Conferencing) provides a full portfolio of services from audio to web conferencing. Premiere, several times larger than Citizens Conferencing, has 2,200 employees in 18 countries and an established customer base of 45,000 corporate accounts. In addition to all of the web and audio based services of Citizens, Premiere can now offer local-access international conferencing and many other business services. Extremely low per-minute rate, equivalent to price offered largest customer available to all National Assembly members and their affiliates, members and local chapters. For more information, contact Calandra Jones at calandra.jones@premiereglobal.com or (866) 913-8503 . UPCOMING PEER NETWORK MEETINGS Aging Strategy Network CEOs' Perspective - A Look at Trends in the Field of Aging. February 28, 2006, 2pm - 4pm, at AAHSA, 2519 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC. For more information, click here. NOVN Conference Call (National Organizations Volunteer Network) March 16, 2006, 2:00 PM. For more information, click here. NCY Research Group Meeting Small Organization Council April 5, 2006, 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM, at the National Assembly, 1319 F St NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC. For more information please contact, ellen@nassembly.org. Family Strengthening Peer Network Meeting April 6, 2006, 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM, at NeighborWorks America, Washington, DC. For more information, please contact david@nassembly.org. COO Peer Network Meeting April 26, 2006, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, at Girls Incorporated, New York, NY. For more information, please contact david@nassembly.org. CFO Peer Group Meeting CFO Peer Group Meeting October 18, 2006, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. For more information, please contact irv@nassembly.org. PEER NETWORK RESOURCES Communications Peer Network Webpage Chief Operating Officers Peer Network Webpage National Organizations Volunteer Network (NOVN) Webpage Family Strengthening Peer Network
TRAININGS & EVENTS Audioconference to Highlight Strategies for Disconnected Youth Thursday, February 23, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Keeping Kids in the Child Welfare System After 18 Web Conference March 1, 2006 1 pm - 2 pm EST National Youth Violence Prevention Week CONFERENCES A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base Presented by Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health February 22-24, 2006 Succession Planning and Transition Workshop for Founders & Long-Term Executives "Next Steps" Baltimore, MD - February 23-24, 2006 Oakland, CA - June 5-6, 2006 Download Registration Form (.doc) 38th Annual Director of Programs and Services Senior Leadership Conference Conquering New Frontiers Sponsored by the Alliance for Children and Families San Antonio, TX Crowne Plaza Hotel - Riverwalk National Conference - Child Welfare League of America Securing Brighter Futures February 27 - March 1, 2006 Marriott Wardman Park Washington, DC 2006 National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Annual Policy Conference and Lobby Day & 24th Annual Housing Leadership Awards Reception Capital Hilton Washington, DC February 27-28, 2006 The Road Home: National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and Their Families March 16-18, 2006 Washington Hilton Hotel Washington, DC 17th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum March 20-23, 2006 Ogden, UT Nonprofit Excellence: It's a Matter of Education March 22-24, 2006 Notre Dame, IN 11th Annual Family Support America Conference “Unify Now: Never Before Has Family Support Been Needed So Much” March 26-29, 2006 Hilton Chicago Downtown Residential Education: Policy & Practice Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) National Youth Summit April 1, 2006 Girls Incorporated 56th National Conference The 2006 Avima D. Lombard Award Dinner HIPPY USA April 2, 2006 Arlington, VA Sponsored by Lutheran Services in America Adolescent Brain Development and Juvenile Justice Presented by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice May 3-7, 2006 Hyatt Regency Bethesda 2006 National Association of Planning Councils Conference May 4-7, 2006 Toronto, Canada 2006 Juvenile Justice National Symposium Building Successful Alliances to Improve Outcomes Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport San Francisco, CA Travelers Aid International 2006 Annual Leadership Conference "Surviving the Storm: Managing in Times of Change" Warwick Hotel Philadelphia, PA
National Human Services Assembly September 14, 2006 Washington, DC For more information, contact sara@nassembly.org Alliance of Children and Families National Conference St. Louis, MO CLICK HERE to post your organization's conference dates on the National Assembly's website; click on "Add Your Own Event," and follow the instructions. Got News? Please e-mail sara@nassembly.org with your news, events, and suggestions for Newsbytes.
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