NCVA eREPORTER - June 14, 2005

In this NCVA eReporter:

EVENTS

• Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference – June 22-25, 2005

• Film Critic Workshop – June 25, 2005

• Housing Conference Addresses Sustainable Communities –July 14-17

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• Do Something Invites 2006 Brick Award Applications From Youth Community Leaders

• Maine Community Foundation Seeks Nominations for Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence

• Applications Invited for Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

• Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Invites Workforce Development Organizations to Apply for Inclusion in Spirit of Giving Guide

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Invites Applications for Tobacco Policy Change Round Two

• Funding for Music Education

• Grants Promote Neighborliness

• Grants for Youth Community Service

• Tucson Electric Power Offers Grants to Area Charities Serving At-Risk Youth and Families

• Andrew Family Foundation Announces Grant Initiative to Benefit Disadvantaged Youth

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

• APAICS Executive Director

• NCLR State Advocacy Coordinator

• Election Verification Network (EVN) Facilitator

• Call for Papers: Asian American & Pacific Islander Art & Cultural Museums

TIPS/RESOURCES

• Fundraising - Integrating your solicitation efforts

• Online - Your group's Internet strategy

• Donors - Implementing a recurring giving program

• Management - Motivation from inside and outside

NEWS

• Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Names National Leader Daphne Kwok to Head Organization (Press Release)

• S.J. poised to elect Vietnamese councilwoman in runoff (Mercury News)

• Ethnic communities fond of foreign-language media (Mercury News)

• A Dollar in Any Language (Washington Post)

• Strings Attached: Restricted raffle winnings (The NonProfit Times)

• TV gains Asian flavor (Chicago Tribune)

• First-time candidate claims Austin City Council seat (Austin American-Statesman)

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EVENTS

[Note: This leadership program is open to all young students and young professionals, not just Vietnamese Americans.]

VIETNAMESE AMERICAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

The Vietnamese American Community is growing in both population size and political clout. From 1990 to 2000, the number of foreign-born Vietnamese increased 82%. As the Community matures, it needs dynamic young people with leadership skills and the vision to lead.  Young Vietnamese Americans will need to hone their talents, understand the complex national and local issues that affect their communities, bridge the generation and cultural gaps, and effectively lead by example.

 Recognizing the emergence of this young population and its impact on the political, economical, and social spectrums, the Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC) seeks to harness this energy by bringing young Vietnamese American and Asian & Pacific American students and young professionals to Washington, D.C. for a summit on June 22-25, 2005.

OBJECTIVES
* Develop leadership skills for young Vietnamese American and Asian Pacific American (APA) students and young professionals.
* Provide a forum for young Asian Americans to discuss national and local issues and establish a network for young leaders to meet and exchange ideas.
* Promote Vietnamese American values, culture, and heritage.
* Prepare young professionals and students to become public leaders in their communities.

WORKSHOPS
The following is a partial list of workshops:
* Political Empowerment & Involvement: Getting Involved
* Understanding Your Cultural Values: Devise solutions to rectify stereotypes and misperceptions
* Community Service: Making a Difference
* Cool Careers: Beyond the 9-5 Jobs
* The Art of Networking: Get things accomplished and help build a sense of community
* 21st Century Leader: Be comfortable with your identity and operate effectively
* Funding Resources: Show Me the Money

BANQUET DINNER
On Friday, June 24, 2005 a multi-course Banquet Dinner will be held at:

Fortune Restaurant
Seven Corners Plaza
6249 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA 22044, (703) 538-3333
6:30 pm Check-in / 7:30 pm Dinner

Keynote Speaker: Ms. Ngoan Le, Senior Program Officer, Chicago Community Trust, former appointee to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Special Assistant to Mayor Daley of Chicago

During the dinner, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans will recognize a community leader for his/her work in advancing the issues and promoting awareness of the Asian Pacific American community. There will be over 400 guests at this dinner. Guests will be entertained by cultural performers. Banquet dinner tickets for non-conference attendees are $25 each.

For more information, email rsvp@ncvaonline.org or call (202) 691-6592.

VAYLC is funded by our generous donors and sponsors:
 American Legacy Foundation, AnviCom, Bao Nha Magazine, Catholic University of America, Citibank, Eden Center, Inc., Federal Asian Pacific American Council, Freddie Mac, International Leadership Foundation, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Moonlight Group, National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies, National Marrow Donor Program®, Spectrum Knowledge, State Farm Insurance®, Vietnamese American Communication Network, Vietnamese Professionals Society - DC

(www.ncvaonline.org)

(www.vaylc.org)

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FILM CRITIC WORKSHOP – JUNE 25, 2005

Purpose: While Asian Pacific American (APA) Youth Films will compete with all submissions for a time slot in the 2005 DC APA Film Festival, we have reserved a special venue to show local films for youth to foster and support their creative output and the artistic development. By providing an outlet for APA youth (under 25 years old) to display their films, we hope that more APA youth from the DC/Baltimore area will express themselves through film.

To encourage submissions and increase APA youth's capacity to produce high quality films, the DC APA Film Festival Board and members of DC Chinatown Service Center's Resilient Young Asian Network is offering a FILM CRITIC WORKSHOP on June 25, 2005, tentatively schedule from 10 am to 4 pm in Chinatown.  The purpose of the workshop is to expose youth to the different aspects that critics evaluate when selecting films, so youth can be attentive to these elements when making their own films.  Some time will be spent critiquing youths' films, so please bring them with you. This workshop is designed to help youth increase their capacity to create high quality films.  All attendees' films will automatically be shown in the reserved venue for APA youth films during the festival in October 2005. The workshop is free of cost, and lunch will be provided.  If you are interested in attending the Film Critic Workshop, please email Danny Teraguchi at dt@aacu.org or call 202-884-7429.

How to qualify:  Films must be directed, produced, or principally acted by Asian Pacific American youth (under 25 years old) from the DC/Baltimore metropolitan area.  All films must be 15 minutes or less. Please contact Gene Huh, Director of Programming, at genehuh@apafilm.org or (202) 421-6590 if you have any questions about the admissibility of your film.

(www.apafilm.org)

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HOUSING CONFERENCE ADDRESSES SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials Summer Conference {http://www.nahro.org/conferences/summer_prog.cfm} The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials Summer Conference, “Cornerstone for Success: Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Communities” will bring together housing agencies, nonprofit and for-profit developers, funders and other stakeholders.

The conference will also include a Public Housing Symposium, "Breaking New Ground: Entrepreneurial Approaches for Housing Authorities," which will focus on the opportunities housing authorities and their partners have in their communities, and how to make the most of them. The conference will be held in San Francisco on July 14-17, 2005.

(http://www.nahro.org/conferences/summer_prog.cfm)

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

DO SOMETHING INVITES 2006 BRICK AWARD APPLICATIONS FROM YOUTH COMMUNITY LEADERS

Deadline: November 1, 2005

Each year, through its Do Something Brick Awards, Do Something ( http://www.dosomething.org/ ), a national not-for-profit organization that inspires young people to believe that change is possible, honors six outstanding leaders age 18 and under and three outstanding leaders between the ages of 19 and 25 who use their talents to take action that measurably strengthens their communities in the areas of community building, health, or the environment.

Each of the 18 and under winners is awarded a $5,000 higher education scholarship and a $5,000 community grant, to be directed by the award winner to the not-for-profit organization of his or her choice. Winners in the 19 to 25 category each receive a $10,000 community grant. All winners receive pro bono  services, and all winners attend the annual Brick Awards Gala event in New York City, where their accomplishments will be celebrated. In addition, Do Something works closely with Brick winners to generate local and national media coverage of their work, and to spotlight what young people can achieve.

Do Something will only accept online applications for the program, and will not accept nomination applications (applicants must apply on their own behalves).

(http://www.dosomething.org/awards/brick/application-2006.php?PHPSESSID=8627026dad97d295e60a9b661120a091)

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MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR NOYCE AWARD FOR NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE

Deadline: July 15, 2005

The Maine Community Foundation ( http://www.mainecf.org ) is requesting nominations for the 2005 Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence.

The award annually recognizes a Maine nonprofit organization's exceptional leadership and service to the community and includes a $10,000 unrestricted grant.

Each year, the foundation focuses on a different theme and area of interest. The 2005 Noyce Award will honor a nonprofit organization that exemplifies excellence in developing partnerships between youth and adults for the purpose of addressing community issues or seizing opportunities for community enrichment.

The 2005 winner will demonstrate innovation, use of best practices, and success in implementing programs that develop partnerships between youth and adults for the purpose of addressing community issues or seizing opportunities for community enrichment. The Noyce Award committee will also consider service-learning projects that are the result of partnerships between schools and community-based organizations.

Eligible organizations for the award include any Maine nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.  Any individual knowledgeable about an exceptional program meeting these criteria (including community and board members, staff, volunteers, and clients) can nominate an organization for the award.

(http://www.mainecf.org/html/aboutus/news/noyceaward.html)

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APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR TOYOTA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES GRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: July 8, 2005

Toyota Motor Corporation ( http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/ ) is accepting applications for the FY2005 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant, a program designed to support environmental revitalization and conservation activities, both in Japan and overseas, for the purpose  of sustainable development.

The program was established in commemoration of Toyota's receipt of the Global 500 Award in 1999 from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and has been implemented every year since FY2000 as part of the company's  environmental philanthropic activities.

The program provides general grants to support practical projects in the areas of environmental education activities and experience-based learning, or creating/providing the opportunities for such activities, as well as projects aimed at the localization of experiment-based environmental technology at the community level. Projects are to be conducted by NPOs and other nonprofit private groups, with no restriction regarding the implementation sites or limit on the grant amount per project.

(http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environment/ecogrant/)

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COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION INVITES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY FOR INCLUSION IN SPIRIT OF GIVING GUIDE

Deadline: July 1, 2005

The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region ( http://cfncr.org/ ) is inviting organizations to apply to be featured in the foundation's fourth annual Spirit of Giving Guide, a special publication designed to encourage support for and raising awareness about effective nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C., region.

This year's guide will provide an in-depth look at workforce development and the efforts of nonprofit working in the region to transition low-income adults and youth to economic self-sufficiency and stability. Organizations selected for the guide will be eligible for up to $10,000 in funding directly from the foundation; additional funding may be leveraged from area donors. The foundation will distribute the guide to a wide audience in November 2005, and will work over the next year to build awareness about the highlighted organizations.

To be eligible for the program, applicant organizations must be not-for-profit under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or have an appropriate nonprofit financial sponsor; have an operating budget of $2 million or under; and be operating workforce development efforts serving residents of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region.

Preference will be given to programs that: 1) work with low-wage populations with special needs in seeking, obtaining, and retaining employment; 2) are grounded in a strong understanding of the region's employment sectors and able to demonstrate relationships with employers; and 3) provide a comprehensive range of services to support individuals transitioning to self-sufficiency.

(http://cfncr.org/newsarticle.cfm?articleID=87035&PTSidebarOptID=6251&returnTo=index.cfm&returntoname=Home&SiteID=1642&banner1img=banner_1h.jpg&banner2img=banner_2h.jpg&bannerbg=banner_bg_h.gif&pageid=13826&sidepageid=13816)

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ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR TOBACCO POLICY CHANGE ROUND TWO

Deadline: August 1, 2005

Tobacco Policy Change: A Collaborative for Healthier Communities and States is a national initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (http://www.rwjf.org/) that provides resources and technical assistance for local, regional, and nationally based organizations and tribal groups interested in implementing effective  tobacco prevention and cessation policy initiatives.

The program seeks to engage diverse organizations and professionals in sustainable tobacco-control activities to decrease the prevalence of tobacco use in the United States. Toward that end, the goals of the program are to: 1) support innovative projects designed to positively change tobacco policy through partnerships with or collaboration among groups that are most affected by tobacco use; 2) maintain tobacco policy gains and momentum in communities, states, and regions; and 3) strengthen and sustain the state and national tobacco policy change infrastructure (policy research, advocacy, and communications).

Grant awards will be up to $150,000. Grants above $50,000 up to $150,000 will require a 1:1 match in hard cash. Applicants are expected to secure these matching funds from sources other than RWJF and its grantees. Grants for $50,000 will not require matching funds unless the applicant was awarded funds in Round One.

To be eligible, applicant organizations must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a federally recognized tribal group; have demonstrated success in policy advocacy and grassroots organizing (particular attention will be given to applicants working in communities or states most affected by tobacco-related disease and exposure); not currently accepting funds or other support from tobacco companies or have any tobacco industry employees or board members involved in decision-making positions within the organization; and be able to provide proof of hard-cash matching-fund commitments for grants over $50,000.

(http://www.rwjf.org/applications/program/cfp.jsp?CFPCODE=PAD)

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FUNDING FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

The Mockingbird Foundation

The Mockingbird Foundation, which generates charitable proceeds from fans of the rock band Phish, offers grants to schools and nonprofit organizations that focus on music education for children. The Foundation gives priority to projects that encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form. Of special interest are programs that benefit disenfranchised groups, including those with low skill levels, income, or education; with disabilities or terminal illnesses; and in foster homes, shelters, hospitals, prisons, or other remote or isolated situations. The geographic focus is on the U.S, with an interest in geographic diversity throughout the country. The next deadline for letters of inquiry, which must be submitted online, is August 1, 2005.

(http://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/funding/)

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GRANTS PROMOTE NEIGHBORLINESS

Safeco Community Grants Program

The Safeco Community Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations that promote neighborliness by bringing people together in and around the fifteen U.S. metropolitan areas where company employees live and work. Safeco funds programs focused on building an economic foundation for strong neighborhoods; protecting the foundation of strong neighborhoods; and helping neighborhoods flourish and thrive. In all cases, priority is given to programs serving disadvantaged and diverse populations. The remaining 2005 application deadlines are August 12 and October 31.

(http://www.safeco.com/safeco/in_the_community/corporate_giving/community_grants.asp)

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GRANTS FOR YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE

MTV Think Venture Grants

MTV and Youth Venture are teaming up to offer Think Venture Grants of up to $1,000 to young people who are making a difference by creating their own organizations, clubs or businesses that address a need in their community. Think Ventures must focus on one of the following issue areas: discrimination, education, environment, global issues, or sexual health. Each week, one grant will be awarded to a group of young people (two or more) who submit the most compelling and sustainable Think Venture application. Applications, which will be accepted through December 31, 2005

(http://www.youthventure.org/index.php?tg=articles&idx=More&article=1276&topics=368)

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TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER OFFERS GRANTS TO AREA CHARITIES SERVING AT-RISK YOUTH AND FAMILIES

Tucson Electric Power Co. is inviting local charities with programs serving at-risk youth and their families to apply for $75,000 in grants.

The fifth-annual Grants that Make a Difference program will award grants of between $2,500 and $10,000 to programs that offer prevention, intervention, and treatment for issues faced by at-risk youth. The programs may incorporate services designed to improve the health and well-being of several generations in the same family.

To be eligible, agencies must have 501(c)(3) charitable status; a record of reliability, fiscal health, and volunteer involvement; and be based in TEP's service territory. Schools, churches and governments are not eligible to apply.

(http://www.tep.com/index.asp)

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ANDREW FAMILY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANT INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT DISADVANTAGED YOUTH

The Chicago-based Andrew Family Foundation has announced its latest philanthropic initiative, Opportunity Knocks.

The mission of Opportunity Knocks is to partner and collaborate with other organizations and individuals, enabling the foundation to leverage its financial, intellectual, social, and human capital to create, foster, and support self-sustaining programs that positively affect and enhance the lives of disadvantaged youth and their families. The program's geographic focus includes Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, or Texas.

The foundation seeks to provide expansion capital to established organizations to build a new program or to enhance an existing program focused on providing educational, mentoring, and enrichment opportunities that will build character in those individuals, assist them in reaching their full potential, and enable them to become productive citizens who in turn will give back to society.

The foundation will award grant(s) of up to $450,000 over a three-year period through the program. The financial support will be restricted to a specific purpose or project and can include operational support. In addition to financial support, the foundation desires to play a critical role by providing expertise and resources necessary to ensure the success of the program. Preference will be given to organizations that focus on collaborating with other organizations to replicate proven solutions and utilize mentoring to assist disadvantaged youth and families.

Applicant organizations must be a U.S. nonprofit (federally tax-exempt) organization as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Preference will be given to those organizations and/or programs with budgets of less than $2 million, and government funding must not exceed 50 percent of the organization’s total budget. In addition, the organization's geographic focus must be Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, or Texas; the organization must have two or more years of operating experience; and the organization must be able to provide opportunity for significant involvement for Andrew Family Foundation board members.

The foundation will be accepting Letters of Inquiry through August 15, 2005. For those organizations that are invited to submit a full proposal, an online application will be available for them to complete by October 15, 2005.

Visit the Andrew Family Foundation Web site to download the Request for Proposals. Potential applicants will be asked to complete an online eligibility quiz. If they qualify, they will then be asked to complete an online Letter of Inquiry.

(https://online.foundationsource.com/public/home/andrewfamily)

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

APAICS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Applications are immediately being accepted for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Executive Director position, located in Washington, DC.

APAICS Mission
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is dedicated to increasing participation of individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage at all levels of the political process, from community service to elected office.

Duties of the Executive Director
* Manages the overall operation of the organization.
* Fundraises for the organization.
* Develops and implements programs.
* Spokesperson for the organization
* Reports to the Board of Directors.
* Works with the Executive and Legislative branches of government

Skills & Experience
This position requires an experienced executive with an outstanding track record of working at a national level, with elected and appointed officials, donors, and students.  Experience in fundraising is needed.  Strong management experience and excellent communication and presentation skills are required. 

The ideal candidate must have/be:

* A passion for increasing political participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans
* A bachelor’s degree required.  Advanced degree preferred.
* Leadership ability
* Visionary thinker
* Coalition builder
* Experience working with the media/press
* Work with board members
* Ability to travel
* Experience in budget management
* Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
* Knowledge about the Asian Pacific Islander American community
* Fundraising ability
* Non-profit management

Compensation
Commensurate with skills and experience

Deadline
Immediate

Contact

Send resumes to:

Mo Marumoto
Interface Group
3015 M Street, NW, Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20007

Resumes may be emailed to: momarumoto@aol.com

Or faxed to:  202-342-7204

Applications will be held in the strictest of confidence.

APAICS is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

(www.apaics.org)

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NCLR STATE ADVOCACY COORDINATOR

The State Advocacy Coordinator will manage efforts to advance NCLR's public policy agenda in California, focusing on increasing advocacy on health, education, and immigrant issues. The coordinator will be principally responsible for reaching out to NCLR's network and the broader community on selected issues, strengthening an infrastructure conducive to greater Latino participation in the legislative process and policy debates, and creating linkages among advocates working on various issue areas. The coordinator will report to the Director of State/Local Public Policy, work in partnership with Sacramento policy staff, and coordinate with DC policy staff and other NCLR components as appropriate.

Description *BACKGROUND*
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) exists to improve opportunities for Hispanics in the U.S. A nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization incorporated in 1968, NCLR serves as an advocate for Hispanic Americans and as a national umbrella group for more than 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve Hispanics in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

NCLR's Policy Analysis Center, which is part of the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation (ORAL), serves as a think tank on public policy issues, generating information for public- and private-sector decision-makers, the Hispanic community, the media, and the general public. In 2001, NCLR launched its California Field Advocacy Project, with the goal of influencing state-level public policies affecting Latinos, concentrating on health, education, and immigrant issues. NCLR's nonpartisan legislative advocacy in the state is conducted principally by ORAL staff based in Sacramento, in collaboration with DC-based policy staff and the California NCLR Affiliate Network (CNAN).

*SALARY:* Mid to Upper 30's Commensurate with experience

*RESPONSIBILITIES*
   - Develop and implement short- and long-term strategies to advance NCLR's public policy agenda, build Latino CBO participation in state policy affairs, and improve coordination in advocacy efforts among state- and federal-level advocates.
   - Continue to develop and cultivate relationships with existing state coalitions and advocacy organizations working on similar public policy objectives.
   - Link Latino CBOs to broader legislative efforts and other key players in various sectors.
   - Build local advocacy capacity by developing teams of spokespeople on various issues, assisting them with media outreach, and conducting periodic conference calls as needed.
   - Coordinate the advocacy efforts of CNAN; organize annual policy briefings; advocacy days; and related activities; document progress; and provide follow-up as appropriate.
   - Facilitate network communications through regular email updates, conference calls, direct conversations, support for local and regional trainings, meetings and conferences, and other methods.
   - Coordinate development and dissemination of updates on legislative developments and advocacy materials including talking points, bill analyses, target lists, and similar tools. Also, identify effective existing materials and disseminate them when appropriate.
   - In collaboration with policy staff, develop position statements and public information materials, including journal articles and opinion editorials.
   - Manage website-based advocacy tools, preparing and disseminating materials, soliciting feedback, and keeping them updated.
   - Prepare written internal and external reports.
   - Assist in preparing proposals for and meeting with existing and prospective funding sources.
   - Carry out other duties and organizational activities as assigned.

*QUALIFICATIONS*
   - Knowledge of, and experience working with, community-based organizations (CBOs) required.
   - Exposure to or substantive knowledge of the legislative process, and some exposure to health, education, and/or immigration policy.
   - Excellent, well-developed writing skills and the ability to synthesize information from different sources and present it in a variety of written formats and styles for various audiences (e.g., research briefs, academic articles, testimony, data fact sheets).

   - Strong ability to develop work plans, set deadlines, work with minimal supervision, manage multiple projects and duties simultaneously, and prioritize among assignments.
   - Ability to represent NCLR and communicate effectively in various settings (internally and with coalition partners, CBOs, legislative staff, the media, foundations, and academics) on selected issues.
   - Good skills in planning, preparing, and delivering written and oral remarks.
   - Ability to make sound judgments.
   - Strong organizational and administrative skills and attention to detail.
   - Strong sense of self-motivation; able to function effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
   - A lifelong learner, motivated to learn new skills in order to respond to changing conditions/needs.
   - Knowledge of computers essential, including strong competency in word processing skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Internet and email use required.
   - Willingness to carry out a wide range of activities, including both professional and logistical tasks.
   - Flexible in regards to schedule, working hours, travel, and work assignments, including ability to work overtime or on weekends when necessary. Reliable job attendance essential.
   - Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability strongly preferred.

*Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.*

*MAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL COVER LETTER, RÉSUMÉ AND WRITING SAMPLE TO:*

National Council of La Raza
Attn: Ana Gamiz
926 J Street, Suite 905
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 448-9823
Email: agamiz@nclr.org
No phone calls please!

Location Sacramento, CA
Date posted 19 May 2005
Region California - Sacramento
Contact Name Ana Gamiz

(http://www.nclr.org/content/jobs/detail/?id=31501)

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ELECTION VERIFICATION NETWORK (EVN) FACILITATOR

Location: Location flexible

Time Commitment: Part-time

Length of Project: 12 month contract, potentially open to extension

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Position Description: The Election Verification Network is a coalition of member organizations seeking to improve transparency and accountability in U.S. elections by advancing publicly verifiable elections. EVN is seeking a Project Facilitator to help coordinate collaborative projects and activities; organize, draft, and oversee joint fundraising proposals; and to generally facilitate communication between coalition members. Specific tasks include:

* Gather information from member organizations about their planned projects and funding.
* Plan and facilitate regular teleconferences.
* Organize bi-annual EVN conferences at which members will discuss project progress and plan future action.
* Share information with EVN member organizations as necessary to assist in fundraising coordination.
* Facilitate presentation of EVN member proposals to funders and explain how specific proposals fit into the overall shared agenda of EVN.
* Share information as necessary in order to foster a consistent message when member organizations address the media, voting groups, Congress, state legislators, and local grassroots groups.
* Follow up with EVN members to ensure that they are completing their planned activities and report significant events to the network and to funders.

Required Skills and Background: The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and background:

* Strong writing and oral communication skills.
* The ability to self-manage and work independently.
* Experience with coalition building, project planning and execution, and fundraising and proposal writing.
* Proficiency with standard office productivity software (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.) and familiarity with standard Internet applications (e.g. e-mail, basic web research, etc.).

Applicants should send a resume, cover letter, and three references to jobs@electionverification.net

EVN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex/gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship status, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.

Lillie Coney
Associate Director
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(p) 202-483-1140 x 111
(f) 202-483-1248

(www.epic.org)

(www.electionverification.net)

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CALL FOR PAPERS: ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER ART AND CULTURAL MUSEUMS
AAPI Nexus: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice and Community

AAPI Nexus is a peer-reviewed, national journal published by UCLA's Asian American Studies Center focusing on policies, practices and community research to benefit the nation's burgeoning Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The journal's mission is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and research findings that strengthens the efforts through policy and practice to tackle the pressing societal problems facing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Since the inception of ethnic studies, the goal of "serving the community" has been at the heart of Asian American Studies and Pacific Islander Studies.

Previous issues have focused on Community Development, Civil Rights, Voting and Community Health. The table of contents and editors' notes for can be found at:

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/nexus/index.html

AAPI Nexus is planning to publish a special collection of articles focusing on issues, challenges and opportunities facing Asian American and Pacific Islander art and cultural museums. Dr. Franklin Odo, Director of Asian Pacific American Programs at the Smithsonian, serves as the Guest Editorial Consultant for the special collection of Articles.

Our objective is to share information and insights to enhance the ability to take action in the areas of advocacy, strategic planning, policy development and programming. Articles may address the following questions, but are not limited to these:

* How well are AAPIs represented among and within art and cultural museums?
* What are the challenges and opportunities for AAPI staff and constituencies in "mainstream" art and cultural museums?
* What are the unique challenges and opportunities for AAPI art and cultural museums?
* Who are the attendees and supporters of AAPI art and cultural museums?

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript, please submit a letter of intent with the itle and a very short descriptive paragraph to the editors for review. We invite academic researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to submit manuscripts. Along with articles based on original research, AAPI Nexus publishes essays from professionals and community leaders, and "almanac" articles that present new statistics on AAPIs or discuss applied research methods. For submission guidelines, please visit:
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/nexus/index.html and click on STYLE SHEET for Article Submissions (PDF Document).

Deadline for Letter of Intent: September 30, 2005.

Deadline for Submissions: March 31, 2006.

Please send letter of intent to AAPI Nexus. Internet communication is preferred. The Journal's email address is:
Melany Dela Cruz (nexus@aasc.ucla.edu)
and send an electronic copy to:
Paul Ong (pmong@ucla.edu)
Dr. Franklin Odo (FODO@OP.SI.EDU)

For regular mail, send all correspondence to:
Melany Dela Cruz, Managing Editor
AAPI Nexus
UCLA Asian American Studies Center
3230 Campbell Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546

(http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/nexus/index.html)

(www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

FUNDRAISING – INTEGRATING YOUR SOLICITATION EFFORTS

Depending on their size, many nonprofits have a variety of departments and levels, some of which may function together and others that operate as if they were different organizations.

At a recent conference on fundraising, the leaders of nonprofits learned of the need to integrate development, marketing and communications for fundraising success.

This need has arisen because, as these various functions have become increasingly complex, nonprofits have reacted rather than developing proactive strategic plans. The result is a disjointed, fragmented effort that can even cause confusion about an organization's image.

Integrated communication, on the other hand, helps convey a consistent and unified image and mission.

Marketing, for example, means influencing behavior and exchanging relationships. It pertains to advertising, sales promotion and such efforts as trade shows. Public relations, on the other hand, means influencing attitude, an information relationship. It includes relationships with the media and keeping a positive profile. Yet, there are benefits from the two components working together.

If integration is going to work, however, there are key components that must be in place and working together. They are:

* A compelling mission and case for support.
* A strong board with an organizational vision.
* The commitment and engagement of the CEO.
* Strategic fundraising, communication and marketing plans and processes.
* Capable, sufficient staff and resources.
* Organizational support and integration.

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/fundraise.html)

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ONLINE – YOUR GROUP’S INTERNET STRATEGY

The Internet is growing as a resource for nonprofits in a variety of ways, but successful use of the Net still requires an intelligent approach.

In the book Nonprofit Internet Strategies, Ted Hart suggested utilizing an ePhilanthropy strategy, which he defined as a set of efficiency-building Internet-based techniques that can be used to build and enhance relationships with stakeholders interested in the success of a nonprofit.

Five strategies are therefore fundamental to success on the Internet:

* Integrate all supporter messages. This means integrate technologies, systems, organizations and processors to enable your organization to deliver meaningful experiences to deepen supporter relationships. Synchronize information across various communication channels. Integrate data from all over the organization.

* Give supporters a reason to visit you online. Understand your supporters' needs. Give access to information about mission and services; make it convenient; make it possible for supporters to notify family and friends; and, maintain online stewardship and accountability.

* Interact with supporters, don't just send messages. The Internet's value is measured by its ability to give convenient and quick access to what supporters want when they want it.

* Communicate using multiple methods. Think of your online and offline presence as a series of experiences that intersect with supporters' activities and preferences.

* Assess and improve performance. When reviewing data on Web   activities and email donor or advocacy campaigns, for example, it is critical to measure both the immediate actions taken and long-term effect on future supporter activity.

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/onlinefund.html)

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DONORS – IMPLEMENTING A RECURRING GIVING PROGRAM

The concept of recurring giving is simple: donors make a commitment to give a donation that is paid regularly – most often monthly, but occasionally bi-monthly or quarterly. This technique works for organizations of all sizes and easily works within your current integrated fundraising strategy. In doing so, it is important to focus on three key areas -- people, process and technology.

* People -- According to Liz Marenakos, product line manager, Financial and Business Solutions at Blackbaud ,in Charleston, S.C., as with any fundraising technique, people are vital to   your success -- both the staff implementing the program and the constituents who respond by making a gift. Educate your staff and donors about the benefits of recurring giving. Ensure donors know that paying by credit card or directly from bank accounts is not only safe, but also creates operational efficiencies for your organization.

* Process -- Establishing new processes for handling recurring giving is critical to your success. Good planning up front will ensure you have a reliable, scalable way to identify, reach out to, and manage recurring gift donors as well as keeping an eye on your overall progress.

Develop a plan for recurring gift appeals, incorporating this fundraising method into existing strategies, such as your annual telemarketing campaign and standard response cards, in addition to new appeals focused specifically on recurring giving.

* Technology -- The more successful your efforts, the more data you will need to manage. Having the right technology in place to manage your recurring giving program is critical. But just looking for a system to specifically handle recurring giving is not the answer.

If you want to implement a recurring giving program as a new fundraising strategy, assess the solution you have in place to ensure it also allows you to record high volumes of recurring gift payments, identify missed payments and credit cards that are about to expire, and analyze success using a wide variety of metrics. Equipped with a technology solution that minimizes the burden of handling high volumes of data -- and helps you analyze success -- your organization can join others who have turned recurring giving into a critical component of their fundraising success.

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/donors.html)

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MANAGEMENT – MOTIVATION FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

Motivated staff and volunteers are essential to a successful organization and it is imperative for leaders to identify the difference between internal and external motivation, according to Joseph Albert, Ph.D., associate dean, School of Professional Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

During a recent American Institute of Certified Public Accountants conference in San Francisco, Albert described external motivation as something outside of a person to which the person attributes the cause of their behavior. People who are externally motivated will persist in the task as long as the external motivator is present and the quality of the externally motivated behavior is akin to being "pushed" to do something, he added.

Internal motivation occurs when the person attributes an internal experience to the cause of their behavior, and that valued experience occurs while pursuing the task. Albert said that, in a sense, people experience a "pull" by the nature of the task itself. People who are internally motivated exhibit higher levels of motivation, effort, creativity and persistence in accomplishing the task, he added.

External motivation and internal motivation is an example of control (external) versus commitment (internal).

Externally motivated behavior persists as long as the reward or punishment is apparent. In a sense, workers are "controlled" by the external stimuli.

Internally motivated behavior requires no threat or reward. The reward is the feeling that comes with accomplishing the task.

Commitment is greater.

Internal motivation includes:

* Pride in workmanship

* Joy of work

* Persistence in the face of obstacles

* Creative approaches to problem solving

* No need to be reminded, pushed pressured, or rewarded by superiors

* Reduced stress

* High levels of job satisfaction

* Low rates of absenteeism

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/management.html)

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NEWS

June 3, 2005

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

Press Contact: Charles Greene, Interim Executive Director (415) 561-2161

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION FOUNDATION NAMES NATIONAL LEADER DAPHNE KWOK TO HEAD ORGANIZATION

San Francisco, CA-- Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) announced today the appointment of Daphne Kwok, nationally-known Asian/Pacific Islander American leader, as its new Executive Director.

"I am deeply honored to have been selected to work with AIISF as it embarks on an exciting journey to raise the status of Angel Island to the national prominence that it deserves in our American history," said Kwok.

Kwok, currently the Executive Director of the Washington D.C.-based Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), a national non-partisan, non-profit organization established to increase Asian Pacific American participation in public policy and the political process, will take the helm of AIISF on July 1, 2005.

"We're very excited to have a person of Daphne Kwok's stature lead our organization as we restore and preserve the Angel Island Immigration Station as a national landmark and the Ellis Island of the West," said Forrest Gok, outgoing AIISF Board President.

Kwok brings over 20 years of experience in building and leading national Asian/Pacific Islander organizations and developing national coalitions and networks.  Prior to her stint at APAICS, she served as the longtime Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a non-profit civil rights organization with more than 10,000 members in 45 chapters throughout the United States.

Kwok also served as the first elected Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a network of national APA organizations.  She currently serves on the boards of a wide range of organizations including the Asian and Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, National Coalition of Asian Pacific American Community Development and the Asian Pacific American Caucus of the American Political Science Association.

One of the most prominent Asian/Pacific Islander Americans in the nation, Kwok was named as one of A. Magazine's 100 Most Influential Asian Americans of the Past Decade and received The Women at the Top of the Game Award in 2001.

She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies and Music and later became the first Asian American member of the university's Board of Trustees.  She also received a Master of Public Administration degree from Baruch College of the City University of New York.

"I will be focusing my energy and passion into helping develop the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation to national prominence," said Kwok.  "This is a challenge and opportunity that I am honored to undertake."

AIISF is a non-profit organization. The mission of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation is to promote a greater understanding of Pacific Coast immigration and its role in shaping America’ s past, present and future. Through an array of interpretive programs and educational partnerships, the Foundation preserves the Immigration Station site, a National Historic Landmark, as a place that honors the complex story and rich cultural heritage of Pacific Coast immigrants and their descendants.

For more information about the work of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, please call the AIISF office at (415) 561-2160 or access the website at www.aiisf.org.

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June 7, 2005

S.J. POISED TO ELECT VIETNAMESE COUNCILWOMAN IN RUNOFF

By Rodney Foo
Mercury News

For the first time in San Jose history, voters will put a Vietnamese-American on the City Council, the only sure result of Tuesday's landmark District 7 election.

But which candidate will it be?

Will it be Franklin-McKinley school board member Madison Nguyen, who gathered 43 percent of the absentee vote and leveraged it into an impressive first place showing?

Or will it be her rival, attorney Linda Nguyen, who spent $85,000 on her campaign to pull enough votes to make the September run-off election?

Both Nguyens, who rode the crest of a solid Vietnamese-American voter turnout, finished far ahead of the seven other candidates. With 100 percent of the precincts tallied, Madison Nguyen had garnered 44 percent and Linda Nguyen, 27 percent. Beth Gonzales, an Oak Grove High School teacher, followed with 13 percent, according to unofficial results on the county Registrar of Voters Web site.

``Oh my God, I am overwhelmed,'' said Madison Nguyen, who was at a campaign party at the Paloma Cafe to celebrate her strong showing. ``The thing is we worked hard -- really, really worked hard.'

```I'm really happy that we met our campaign goal,'' said Linda Nguyen, referring to making the run off.

The two Vietnamese-American candidates' success represents a new level of political maturation for Vietnamese in San Jose, where they comprise 8 percent of the population, the highest concentration in any major U.S. city.

``After 30 years, it's time to let the city of San Jose know we're here to make a difference and help accomplish things,'' Madison Nguyen said.

``I definitely think the Vietnamese community needs a voice at city hall,'' said Linda Nguyen. ``I hope to run another positive and strong campaign and be that person.''

Behind the Nguyens and Gonzales were Ed Voss with 9.3 percent and Rudy Rodriguez, 4.7 percent. An immediate vote tally for write-in candidate Bob Dhillon was not available Tuesday evening. A manual count will be conducted today of the write-in precinct votes but will not substantially alter the outcome, said a representative for the registrar.

Candidates Timothy Lauwers (1 percent), Andrew Abraham Diaz (0.5 percent) and Mahealani (0.5 percent) -- who all ran modest campaigns -- followed.

The stage for Tuesday's election was set when former Councilman Terry Gregory stepped down in January after being indicted on 11 misdemeanor counts of failing to report a loan and gifts, and using his influence for personal gain. Once he departed, the city council decided against making a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy. Instead, council members set the June 7 election date to fill the reminder of Gregory's term, which expires Dec. 31, 2006.

But this election meant more than just selecting a new council member.

For the Vietnamese-American community, Tuesday was a historic chance to see one of their own become a council member for the first time in San Jose history.

For Voss, this election was a chance for redemption. Voss had lost to Gregory in a bitter campaign in 2002 that resulted in city's election commission imposing $5,000 fines on one of Voss's campaign workers and a contributor for ethics violations. Those complaints filed with the commission plagued Voss's campaign.

For Dhillon, this election was a chance for the improbable: to win as a write-in candidate. Dhillon, a San Jose planning commissioner who lost in the 2002 District 7 primary, failed to properly complete his nomination papers this time.

Voters expressed a variety of reasons for choosing their candidate.

Outside a polling station at the Windmill Springs Elementary School, Rick Leyva, 38, and Michele Degonia, 34, both said they voted for Voss because they believed he could best balance the interests of the district's ethnicities. More than 80 percent of the district's population is either Latino or Asian.

Leyva recalled the divisive debate that pitted older and largely white and Latino residents against Vietnamese-Americans over the naming of the new $11 million Tully Community Branch Library. Eventually, a Vietnamese-American campaign to name the building the ``Tully-New Saigon Library'' was dropped because of the friction.

Leyva said he didn't want the district to be a ``Little Mexico'' or a ``Little Vietnam.'' ``I want this to be the `Little San Jose' I grew up in for 37 years,'' he said.

Nga Thuy Doan, 54, had just left the polling station at R.F. Kennedy Elementary School, and said she'd voted for Madison Nguyen. Doan thought Madison Nguyen could solve the area's gang problems and help the schools. Doan, who is Vietnamese, said she did not cast her vote for Madison Nguyen out of ethnic pride.

``I don't care if they're Vietnamese or American or Spanish -- someone who'll do a good job, I'll vote for; that's the main point,'' Doan said.

Meanwhile, the two Vietnamese candidates continued skirmishing Tuesday. Madison Nguyen's camp alleged that an unidentified woman outside the Yerba Buena High School polling place had either been handing out money or gift certificates to get voters to vote for Linda Nguyen.

Ann Nguyen, a campaign volunteer for Linda Nguyen, denied the accusation. Linda Nguyen, who was campaigning, could not be reached for comment.

``We don't know anything about this,'' Ann Nguyen said. ``This is ridiculous. We ran a really positive campaign.''

County registrar Jesse Durazo said he had not heard of any complaints about the alleged incident.

Contact Rodney Foo at rfoo@mercurynews.com or (408) 975-9346.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/11841364.htm)

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June 8, 2005

ETHNIC COMMUNITIES FOND OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE MEDIA

By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News

One in four Americans turn to non-English radio, television and publications for information and entertainment, testament to the powerful but often overlooked reach of ethnic media in the United States, according to a national, multilingual poll of ethnic Americans released Tuesday.

``It's a remarkable portrait of the role that ethnic media play in American journalism landscape,'' said Sandy Close, executive director of the New California Media, a San Francisco-based, national non-profit group of 700 ethnic-media companies.

Close's group commissioned the 10-language poll of almost 1,900 Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Arab Americans and American Indians to gauge their use of media in languages other than English.

Based on survey findings, pollster Sergio Bendixen concluded that 29 million Americans, or 13 percent of the adult U.S. population, were ``primary consumers,'' who preferred ethnic media and used it frequently. An additional 22 million prefer mainstream media but turned to ethnic media routinely, according to the poll.

Nationally, ethnic media reaches 51 million Americans, Bendixen said.

``We believe it's very important to try to connect to all the threads of the American public,'' said Mark Lloyd, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a co-sponsor of the poll.

``Ethnic media is a key to accomplishing that,'' he said.

In 2002, Bendixen did a similar poll in California that showed most of the state's ethnic community -- which make up a majority -- preferred to get their news in a language other than English.

In the national poll released Tuesday, Bendixen found that among Latinos, 87 percent prefer or turn to Spanish-language television, radio or newspapers. Among other ethnic groups, the reach ranges from 70 to 74 percent.

Said Ellen Endo, managing editor of Rafu Shimpo, a 102-year-old, Los Angeles-based Japanese daily that circulates to 45,000 readers, ``It's a good barometer of how much ethnic media impacts the lives of people of color.''

Thuy Nguyen, 40, a student at San Jose City College who reads both English and Vietnamese, prefers reading Vietnamese-language newspapers. Nguyen, who participated in the poll, said he reads Viet Mercury, a Vietnamese-language newspaper published by the Mercury News.

``They translate articles from the very best publications and I read those,'' said Nguyen, who emigrated from Vietnam in 1992.

The poll found that for news on U.S. politics and government, ethnic readers like Nguyen turn to mainstream media. For news from their homeland and about their communities, ethnic communities prefer media in their own language.

``The lesson here is that ethnic media needs to make a much more aggressive approach in covering American politics and policies,'' Bendixen said. ``And it also speaks to the need for government to take ethnic media seriously.''

Contact Jessie Mangaliman at jmangaliman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5794.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/11842074.htm)

Bendixen Report (http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=0443821787ac0210cbecebe8b1f576a3)

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June 10, 2005

A DOLLAR IN ANY LANGUAGE
Ethnic Media Outlets Struggle to Lure Big-Money Advertisers

By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer, Page D01

NEW YORK -- A workshop to help ethnic media secure more national advertising was titled "Pitching Advertisers: How to Get Through the Narrow Door."

As it turned out, many gathered here Thursday couldn't even get through the workshop door, spilling into the hallway and straining to catch a few tips.

The program's popularity underscored why more than 1,400 editors, marketers, sales representatives and others turned out for a national expo of ethnic media, which organizers hail as the first of its kind. Whether they work for organizations that have become staples in their communities or for struggling start-ups, officials from ethnic media outlets said that gaining advertising from major corporations often feels like an uphill, if not impossible, climb.

The landscape of ethnic media has grown more crowded in recent years, reinforced by the same immigration patterns that are driving the nation's population growth. It has been particularly dynamic in the Washington area, with small outlets -- a newspaper that covers the Ghanaian community, for example, and a polyglot mix of local cable shows -- and major operators. The Washington Post Co. now owns the Spanish-language daily El Tiempo Latino; local companies like Black Entertainment Television parent BET Holdings Inc. and Radio One Inc. have grown into major corporations.

The dozens of companies showcased here offered evidence of several trends. More outlets are targeting the children of immigrants, for example. Niche publications are further narrowing their target markets, with specialty magazines for Muslim women, Indians in Silicon Valley and Arab American business leaders.

Ethnic media's surge comes as mainstream newspapers struggle with declining readership and network news with fewer viewers. In that context, conference organizers celebrated a recent poll showing that ethnic media reaches 51 million adults in the United States. Conducted by New California Media, which represents ethnic media nationwide and helped sponsor yesterday's conference, the poll surveyed 1,895 people and concluded that consumption of media varies by ethnicity.

For example, while blacks prefer ethnic radio, the study found, South American immigrants prefer Spanish-language newspapers. About 80 percent of Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese respondents read an ethnic newspaper on a regular basis. Internet access for Arab Americans is higher than for other ethnic groups studied.

"These media are only going to get more important," said Sandy Close, executive director of New California Media. She said that while most media tend to view issues through two sides, black or white, Republican or Democrat, "these media have tremendous capacity to open things up."

"You're not just talking about red or blue. You're talking about a new sensibility in a globalized world. This is the new America."

She, like others at the conference, lamented an estimate that less than 4 percent of all advertising dollars are invested in ethnic media.

"It should be 24 percent since one out of every four adults are reached by ethnic media," Close said.

The dollars, though, can be hard to lure when Nielsen ratings don't broadly sample niche markets and census data count some communities as a mere fraction of the overall population.

At the workshop, ad agency representatives suggested newspapers audit circulation and networks conduct viewership surveys before making sales pitches -- moves that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

"It has not been easy," said Juan Guillen, publisher of DTM, a Latino lifestyle and trend magazine. "We don't have the money to get audited."

The publication started out as Dominican Times magazine, but Guillen changed the name to an acronym so young Puerto Ricans and Columbians might take a second look, too. Carrying a stack of magazines with this month's cover girl, Jennifer Lopez, Guillen said even Spanish-language agencies have been slow to embrace bilingual publications like his.

"We can market to other Latinos, but our core is the second generation, the English-speaking Latino," he said. His comments came as the U.S. Census Bureau announced that half of America's 41.3 million Hispanics are under age 27, and that the number of births outpaces immigration.

Rather than just citing population growth, multicultural strategist Saul Gitlin advised slicing demographic data so it is relevant to the company being wooed.

"Twenty percent of purchasers of Mercedes, BMWs and Acuras are Asian?" asked Gitlin, who works for Kang & Lee Advertising, which focuses on marketing to the Asian American community. "Now I have permission to speak."

During a break in the day, DTM's Guillen wandered over to India-West, a Bay Area-based newspaper, and flipped through its latest venture, a lifestyle publication that seemed the South Asian counterpart to his magazine.

In the course of conversation, it came up that India-West had broken the story about McDonald's french fries containing animal flavoring, which led some vegetarian Hindus to file a lawsuit.

"Wow," Guillen said. "Is McDonald's an advertiser?"

"They were after our story," editor Bina Murarka responded.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060901818.html)

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June 10, 2005

STRINGS ATTACHED: RESTRICTED RAFFLE WINNINGS

The Sisters of Saint Joseph since 1873 have been tending to the needs of Bostonians with a discerning eye on the importance of education. From those educational roots has sprout a fundraiser designed to support the continuation of the Sisters' mission as well as provide an educational opportunity for one lucky household.

For $100 the Sisters offer the chance to purchase a raffle ticket in which the prize is $100,000. The organization sells only 3,000 tickets, thereby increasing the players' odds of winning.

There is a catch.

The winner receives the $100,000 in the form of a scholarship for educational purposes only. Accredited schools K-12, technical schools, and universities and colleges in the United States all qualify. The winner has up to 10 years to begin using the scholarship but once disbursement has begun, the winner must use the money in four consecutive years, with a limit of $25,000 per year.

"This isn't a lottery -- a take the money and run with it kind of thing," said David Faulkner, director of development for the Sisters of Saint Joseph. "This is designed to make sure that people go to school. It also helps to keep people who are going to school, focused. If someone goes and then after a semester decides not to return, it's pretty foolish because they lose the money."

For example, if a child or an adult went to a private school such as Harvard University, that entire amount of $25,000 would be paid directly to Harvard since the institution's tuition is higher than that $25,000 per year threshold. If the person chose a state school or a school where the costs were not as high, the organization would pay the costs up to $25,000.

"If they went to a school where tuition, board and books came to $20,000 a year -- that's great," Faulkner said. "It's great for them and it's great for us. They don't have a bill and the money that goes unused comes back to the Sisters."

The Sisters hold on to the money until which time the winner decides to access the scholarship. The Sisters' finance department places the money in an interest-bearing account to help offset costs, Faulkner added.

This is the second year that the education scholarship raffle is being held. Last year, the Sisters advertised the drawing via the Internet, sent mailings to donors and advertised in local newspapers and radio, according to Faulkner. Tickets were available by telephone or at the Sisters' Web site, www.bostoncsj.com.

That first event sold 2,500 of the 3,000 available tickets and raised approximately $125,000 for the organization. That figure was slightly less than the $150,000 goal that the organization had originally set, Faulkner said. The winner was a 14 year-old girl whose father had purchased a ticket in Weymouth, Mass. Ticket sales for the 2005 raffle concluded on June 10.

The raffle has made one significant modification since its inception. Last year the scholarship was designated to a single winner. This year the winnings can be split as long as the recipients reside in the same household. Now two children in college in the same family can divvy up the $25,000 per year limit. Once again, the pay-out must take place during four consecutive years.

The rules are in place to ensure that the money is spent directly on education rather than indirect peripheral items such as a new car to make the commute to school. Faulkner said that the Sisters recognize that mitigating circumstances do arrive, including personal and family illness, and that those instances would be reviewed on a personal basis. There is no wiggle room when a person simply decides not to return to school. In those cases, the remaining scholarship money is forfeited.

After spending more than a year researching all of the legal ramifications and options, the Sisters are more than satisfied with the raffle, which has become a modest moneymaker and a breakout mission-maker, he said.

"It's one of those programs that cuts across every barrier that you want to talk about -- economic, social, age, gender, race," Faulkner explained. "If someone wins and they want to go to rabbi school that's fine. It's the education that's important here. Wherever they want to go to school, as long as it's accredited, that's fine. You know, we can't have Uncle Joe's Hairstyling Salon that just started next door. As long as it's an accredited school we'll be happy to fund them."

(http://www.nptimes.com/instantfund/Jun05/sreport_9jun05.html)

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June 12, 2005

TV GAINS ASIAN FLAVOR
As emigrants and their descendants become more numerous in the U.S. and build household incomes, more stations are tailoring programming to their tastes

By Ameet Sachdev
Tribune staff reporter

As a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., in the 1980s, Richard Chun watched as his father helped build a television station for Koreans who had recently immigrated to the area. WKTV featured news from Korea broadcast in the native language and some imported shows to ease the homesickness of new arrivals.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Chun, 36, is following in his father's footsteps by starting a Korean cable TV station in Chicago, which he plans to launch by Aug. 1.

His efforts are part of a broad push on cable and satellite television to reach the burgeoning Asian population in the United States, including people like him who were born in America.

But this isn't your father's international television. The first language of these networks tends to be English and some of the content focuses on the unique experiences of Americans of Asian descent.

Over the past year, at least a half-dozen networks have started or announced plans, from Comcast-owned AZN Television to the American Desi channel (desi is a slang term for South Asian), that are all-Asian all the time.

The numbers tell the story. The nation's Asian population has surged 66 percent in the last decade to more than 12 million; the Chicago area has roughly 380,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The audience is highly desirable to advertisers. Asians are more likely than their white, Hispanic and black counterparts to have household incomes above $75,000. An added bonus: Asian pop culture is in vogue. Think Yao Ming, pad thai and Pokemon.

But the challenge lies in getting a South Asian who speaks Hindi to watch a martial arts film in Mandarin. Without offering content with crossover appeal, these start-up channels will not be able to attract enough viewers and advertising dollars to survive.

"We look at this and are just excited to see our media environment expanding," said Saul Getlin, executive vice president of Kang & Lee Advertising, one of the largest Asian marketing agencies in the U.S. "But the jury is still out on pan-Asian programming."

Still, one of the strongest signs of growing Asian media clout came in March when the International Channel was renamed AZN, short for Asian.

The International Channel was the United Nations of networks, featuring fare aimed at Russian, Italian, French and Arabic viewers in their own languages, as well as a nightly three-hour "Asia Street" block. But business began to stall as pay-channels catering to each ethnic group, such as TV Asia (South Asian) and SBTN (Vietnamese), began appearing on cable and satellite systems.

The network, which is available on Comcast digital cable in the Chicago area, decided to overhaul its programming to target Asian-Americans, primarily second-generation viewers and the group of emigres, known as Generation 1.5, who came as children and grew up in America.

"In a very competitive environment, you have to take a look at where the opportunities are," said Dave Watson, an executive vice president of Comcast Cable, whose parent company purchased the International Channel from Liberty Media a year ago. "This community was underserved."

AZN's content includes a heavy dose of movies, dramas and Japanese animation, known as anime. Its weekend programs are devoted entirely to South Asians, with Bollywood flicks, cricket matches and business news.

"South Asians are the hardest market to cross over to East Asian programs," said Steve Smith, managing director of Colorado-based AZN, who has extensive experience in Asian media.

AZN's lineup closely resembles that of another Asian television start-up, ImaginAsian TV, which debuted in August and is not available in Chicago. Like AZN, its content is either subtitled or in English.

The channel, though, is taking a different tack than AZN, said Michael Hong, chief executive officer of ImaginAsian Entertainment.

"AZN is looking to be the Asian equivalent of BET (Black Entertainment Television)," he said. "That's a very narrow market.

Hong is trying to appeal to white Americans, too, with programs like "Uncle Morty's Dub Shack," which portrays four young Asian-American men who work at a dubbing facility for B-movies.

"My argument is you get the second generation Asian by getting the general market," said Hong, a former Nielsen Media Research executive. "They don't want to communicate in a vacuum anymore."

Serving Asian-American viewers is a facet of ongoing fragmentation of the American television audience that began in the 1990s. New technologies allow cable systems to add highly focused programming, such as the Food TV Network, the History Channel and the Golf channel.

As the TV dial rapidly expands, broadcasters are dicing the Asian population into smaller segments.

MTV has announced the launch of three new music and entertainment channels aimed at audiences of Indian, Chinese and Korean origins who live in the U.S. The new channels would use music programs and other shows from its international channels as well as original shows and promotions created in the United States.

MTV and others are copying some pioneering efforts by Asian-Americans, like Chun's father, to create ethnic-based channels. WKTV (Washington Korean TV) began in 1986 and was on air for 3 1/2 hours a day. In 2001 it expanded to 24-hour programming and includes news, talk shows, music, dramas and children's programs.

Chun, who moved to Chicago about five years ago, plans to bring the same format to this region, which is home to about 45,000 Koreans, according to the 2000 census. The channel, Korea One, will be offered for $14.99 a month on Comcast.

He's entering a competitive Korean media market, with two daily newspapers and a number of weeklies published in the native language. Television programming is also available on Channel 28, a low-power station.

About 90 percent of the programs on Chun's channel will be English subtitled so that second-generation Koreans like his 2-year-old son can watch. Chun said: "I want something for my kids to look at and be able to bond with the culture."

- - -

Assessing the Asian market

As the Asian population in the U.S. continues to increase, advertisers are hoping to cash in on the growth with new TV stations and programs catering to the group.

 U.S. COUNTIES WITH HIGHEST ASIAN POPULATION In 2000
 Los Angeles, Calif. 1.12 million
 Santa Clara, Calif. 426,771
 Honolulu, Hawaii 396,531
 Queens, N.Y. 389,303
 Orange, Calif. 383,810
 Alameda, Calif. 292,673
 Cook , Ill. 257,843
 San Diego, Calif. 245,297
 San Francisco, Calif. 238,173
 King, Wash. 186,615
 HOUSEHOLD INCOME ABOVE $75,000 In 2000*
 Percent of total U.S. households within each group
 Asian 32.6%
 White 24.8%
 Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
 Black or African-American 12.5%
 *Based on 1999 income
 Source: 2000 U.S. Census
 Chicago Tribune

asachdev@tribune.com

(http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0506120152jun12,1,4130760.story?coll=chi-business-hed)

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June 12, 2005

FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE CLAIMS AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SEAT
Jennifer Kim touted her energy, brains and résumé.

By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Novice candidate Jennifer Kim, who entered the race as a young unknown but outraised and outsmarted three competitors, landed a seat Saturday on the Austin City Council.

She beat former Sierra Club employee and 2003 candidate Margot Clarke in a race observers say boiled down to a battle between the staunch environmentalism of the past and the moderate, business-friendly slant of today's council.

Kim, a computer business owner and former aide to state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, won 53.5 percent of the vote, a dramatic boost from the 27 percent she received in the May municipal election. Clarke received 46.5 percent Saturday.

On June 20 Kim will replace veteran Place 3 Council Member Jackie Goodman, and former pilot Lee Leffingwell — who won the Place 1 seat in May — will replace nine-year Council Member Daryl Slusher.

Clarke pitched herself as a natural successor to Goodman, a loyal neighborhood and environmental advocate. Kim argued the council needed a new breed of leader who could carefully manage growth and still protect the environment.

"Austin is a very progressive city, and I love that voters were really able to keep an open mind and embrace a young candidate with a fresh perspective," Kim said Saturday night.

It was a tough race from the start, as Clarke and Kim fought to emerge from a field that included longtime social services volunteer Mandy Dealey and health care lobbyist Gregg Knaupe. Clarke racked up early support from environmental groups and the anti-toll-road Austin Toll Party. But Kim surprised everyone by raising the most cash, running the only TV ads and squeezing into the runoff behind Clarke.

Kim will be the council's first Asian American member, but she rarely touted that on the campaign trail. Instead she plugged her energy and smarts as a Princeton University grad who served in the federal Economic Development Administration and had experience in the Capitol.

As in 2003, when she lost to Council Member Brewster McCracken, Clarke rallied around the longtime Austin causes of environmental protection, public participation and the dangers of special-interest cash at City Hall.

She sought fresh support by latching onto a modern controversy, toll roads, casting herself as the only candidate to refuse cash from toll-friendly groups.

Both Clarke and Kim pledged not to toll existing highways, but Kim offered a broader, more moderate slate of ideas, from creating more affordable housing to sharpening Austin's economic development strategy to implementing a water-quality plan.

Clarke had seemed poised to win Saturday. Vowing not to repeat mistakes from 2003, she jumped into the race early, hired veteran campaign staffers and made savvy decisions.

She was the only candidate to truly tap into Austinites' ire over toll roads and the only one to sign the city's Fair Campaign Finance contract, making herself eligible for the whole fair-finance fund: $91,000. She also pounded the city's police association and developers for pumping huge sums into Knaupe's campaign, making it hard for Kim to accept their cash in the runoff.

"My message wasn't that much different from two years ago," Clarke said Saturday night. "I think I had a much better organization and ran a much stronger campaign."

Kim had almost no cash after the municipal election but spent night and day on the phone and raised more than $72,000 in a few weeks.

The candidates mostly steered clear of bashing each other. But Saturday's outcome sets the stage for a much bigger battle next year, when three council seats, including the mayor's slot, will be up for grabs.

scoppola@statesman.com; 912-2939

(http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/06/12auscouncil2.html)

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