NCVA eREPORTER - August 29, 2005

The National Congress of Vietnamese Americans' NCVA eReporter is a regular email newsletter containing information on grant/funding opportunities, events/forums/conferences, available internships and news items pertinent to the Vietnamese American and Asian Pacific American communities.

In this NCVA eReporter:

EVENTS

• The Peninsula Silicon Valley Funders Fair – Sept 15, 2005
• Beyond Refugees: From Flight to Setting Roots – Sept 17, 2005
• New York Life Career Opportunity Seminar – Sept 30, 2005
• NAPALC Community Partners Conference 2005 – Oct 14-15, 2005
• Opening Doors to New Immigrants in NYC: Combating Predatory Lending and Promoting Consumer Rights in NYC’s Immigrant Communities - Oct 19, 2005
• An Evening in Saigon – Oct 22, 2005

 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• Corporation for National and Community Service Announces $4 Million in Challenge Grant Funds Available to Nonprofits to Expand the Number of Baby Boomer Volunteers
• Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program - Sabbaticals for Minority Activists
• Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund Supports Health Education Programs
• National Gardening Association: Youth Garden Grants
• Funding for Space Science Education
• Nominations Invited for Disney Teacher Awards
• New York Women's Foundation Announces 2006-07 Grant Cycle
• Gleitsman Foundation Invites Nominations for United States Citizen Activist Award
• SAMHSA Practice Improvement Grants for Nonprofits
• KCCD Announces Sub-Award Funding Opportunity Competition

LEGISLATIVE

• Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
• NAKASEC Ad Campaign- Call to Sponsor – National Immigration Reform AD

TIPS/RESOURCES

• Legal - Charitable disclosure requirements
• Human Resources - Elements of a diversity plan
• Online - A dozen Web site ideas
• How Organizations Can Create Social Value

NEWS

• From Refugees to Americans: Thirty Years of Vietnamese Immigration to the United States (Immigration Policy Center)
• Two generations under one roof (Mercury News)
• OCA Announces 2005 OCA-AXA Achievement Scholarship Winners (Press Release)
• Georgia's voter ID law approved (Associated Press)
• OCA Announces 2005 Avon Scholarship Winners (Press Release)
• Dallas County Requires School Administrators to Learn Spanish -- or Else; Texas Plan Gives Principals Three Years, Makes No Request of Parents (Press Release)
• Mormon Missionaries Learn Vietnamese in Little Saigon (Nguoi Viet Daily)
• Minority businesses growing fast (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• For pioneer office-holder, a campaign in a campaign (Mercury News)

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EVENTS

THE PENINSULA SILICON VALLEY FUNDERS FAIR

Thursday, September 15, 2005 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City.

For the seventh year, Peninsula Community Foundation and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services are proud to produce the Peninsula Silicon Valley Funders Fair.

Featuring 15 sessions, the Funders Fair provides an opportunity for nonprofits to hear directly from funders, attend skills-building workshops, and get hands-on assistance in addressing their organization’s fundraising challenges.

Location: Crowne Plaza Foster City

Reality Grantmaking Session: $1000 will be Awarded to One Organization. You’ve experienced reality TV, now get ready for Reality Grantmaking. In this workshop, participants will witness proposal review and decision-making as a panel of real grantmakers review proposals. The agency with the highest scores will receive a cash grant at the end of the workshop. If you would like to submit a proposal for consideration at this session, see the RFP at: www.compasspoint.org

All finalists must be present for the Reality Grantmaking workshop session. Submit your proposal before September 1st!

Click here for more information: (http://www4.compasspoint.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=443&Profile_ID=219157)

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BEYOND REFUGEES: FROM FLIGHT TO SETTING ROOTS

September 17, 2005

In 2004, SEARAC celebrated its 25th year advancing the issues of Americans with heritage in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.  This year marks the 30^th year of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement to the US and the 25^th Anniversary of the Refugee Act.  In this time, SEARAC has come a long way, hitting many milestones.  On Saturday, September 17, 2005, SEARAC will stage a benefit dinner in Washington, DC - Beyond Refugees:  From Flight to Setting Roots - to commemorate these milestones.

Across the country, Southeast Asian Americans now number over two million. They are artists, professors, meat-packers, shrimp farmers, state senators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.  While the community still faces many challenges, they face them with the knowledge that SEARAC is there to develop emerging leaders, advocate for important issues on the Hill, and lead the way in groundbreaking academic and community-based research - ensuring that Southeast Asian American voices are heard loud and clear. After thirty years of resettling to the US, they are taking the refugee experience beyond the legacy of war, genocide, and instability.  They are setting roots in the US - their new homeland.

Join SEARAC as we honor individuals and organizations that have supported the Southeast Asian American communities and SEARAC over the years.  Plus, enjoy a night of entertainment by Southeast Asian American performers.

September 17, 2005 from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Tony Cheng's Restaurant, 619 H Street, NW, Washington, DC

To receive more information regarding sponsorship, placing an advertisement in the gala program, or purchasing a ticket, please contact Tong Lee at (202) 667-4690 or tong@searac.org

(http://www.searac.org)

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CAREER OPPORTUNITY SEMINAR

New York Life Insurance Company In Cooperation With
National Congress of Vietnamese Americans

Attend The CAREER OPPORTUNITY SEMINAR and Make An Informed Decision

The New York Life Insurance Company Training

Allowance Subsidy Plan can add up to $50,820 (maximum for 3 contract years) which will help you start your career with confidence.

New York Life cordially invites you to a Career Opportunity Seminar to help you find out more information about the above opportunity. The seminar will be held on:

Friday, September 30, 2005

6:00pm - 8:30pm

at: Democracy Center
6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20817
301-214-6600

Seats are limited. Please call 1-877-NYL-VIET (1-877-695-8438) to reserve your seat.
Your guests are also welcomed.

(http://www.ncvaonline.org/archive/NYLIC_RecruitingSeminar_DC_093005.pdf)

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NAPALC COMMUNITY PARTNERS CONFERENCE 2005

"Building Bridges"
October 14-15, 2005
Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Save the Date!

What:  NAPALC Community Partners Conference

When: October 14-15, 2005

Where: Washington, D.C., Phoenix Park Hotel

Why:   To learn about policies affecting Asian Americans, including immigration, language rights, voting rights, anti-Asian hate crimes; to network with national groups and local groups from across the country. To learn skills for increasing and sustaining capacity in your organizations.

Who Should Attend: Staff of community-based organizations, social service organizations and legal organizations that serve Asian Americans.

Agenda and registration materials available at www.napalc.org/conference

***Register by Sept. 9 to be eligible for travel/lodging scholarships***

For more information, contact Pang Houa Moua at pmoua@napalc.org or 202-296-2300, ext. 122.

(www.napalc.org/conference)

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OPENING DOORS TO NEW IMMIGRANTS IN NYC: COMBATING PREDATORY LENDING AND PROMOTING CONSUMER RIGHTS IN NYC’S IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

October 19, 2005
9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
at Deutsche Bank

Please join us for a Panel Discussion with leading New York City fair housing community activists to discuss strategies for fighting predatory lending and promoting consumer rights in immigrant communities.  The panel discussion will be hosted by Chhaya Community Development Corporation (Chhaya CDC) on October 19, 2005 in New York City.

“Predatory lending and consumer law abuses are rampant in immigrant communities, and we hope to raise awareness of the rights of immigrants and to discuss collaborative strategies for fighting these abuses,” said Manab Chakraborty, Director, Chhaya CDC.

Panelists include:

*  Diane L. Houk, Executive Director, Fair Housing Justice Center
*  Sarah Ludwig, Executive Director, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
*  Deyanira Del Río, Director of Programs, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
*  Josh Zinner, Director, SBLS Foreclosure Prevention Project
*  Kevin Squires, Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City

Moderator:  Charu A. Chandrasekhar, Board of Directors, Chhaya CDC & author of, “Can New Americans Achieve the American Dream?  Promoting Homeownership in Immigrant Communities,” Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Winter 2004.

The panel will take place on Tuesday, October 19th, from 9:00 to 11:30 at Deutsche Bank, 60 Wall Street.  Breakfast will be served.

Chhaya CDC is a community-based organization committed to addressing community development needs and encouraging civic participation among South Asian Americans. Chhaya CDC focuses on tenant rights, eviction prevention, and referral services.  Chhaya CDC seeks to accomplish these goals through education and outreach, one-on-one counseling, organizing, research, advocacy, and strategic partnerships with other organizations and other ethnic and minority populations.  Chhaya CDC works with South Asian Americans citywide and provides services in Bengali, English, Hindi, and Urdu.

Opening Doors to New Immigrants in NYC:

Combating Predatory Lending and Promoting Consumer Rights
In NYC’s Immigrant Communities

October 19, 2005
9:00 to 11:30 at Deutsche Bank, 60 Wall Street

RSVP
By email:  manab@chhayacdc.org
By fax: 347-438-0061

Name:
Organization/Affiliation:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Others attending from your organization:

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AN EVENING IN SAIGON

Immerse yourself in the deep mysteries of the Vietnamese aura.
Let your skin be imbued by the soft glow of silk lanterns.
Let your eyes be dazzled by sensuous colors.
Let your palate indulge in exotic flavors.

“An Evening in Saigon”

Join Viet Heritage Society for its leading fundraising event to an unforgettable cultural experience.

Saturday October 22, 2005
Westin Hotel Santa Clara
6:00 PM - 12:00AM

*        Vietnamese jazz band
*        Ensemble of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments
*        A historical fashion show of original designs by QC Designs
*        Auctions
*        Dancing
*        Casino and prizes
*        Tantalizing fare from acclaimed restaurants: Ana Mandara, Tamarine, Straits Caf?, Three Seasons, Sino, Lavanda, and 19th Market.

Don your fineries and kick up your heels at one of this year’s premier events.

Contact:

Helen Duong helenduong2002@yahoo.com; 415-740-4009
Tiffany Tran tiffany.linh.tran@gmail.com; 408-489-4801
www.vietheritagesociety.com

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCES $4 MILLION IN CHALLENGE GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR NONPROFITS TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF BABY BOOMER VOLUNTEERS

Summary: The Corporation for National and Community Service has announced the availability of approximately $4 million in Challenge Grants for a small number of nonprofit organizations to expand or launch new programs that encourage the baby boomer generation [born between 1946 and 1964] to become volunteers to help meet important community needs.

Challenge Grants is a matching grant program in which applicants are required to provide at least $2 in private funds to match every federal dollar awarded. The Corporation anticipates making up to eight Challenge Grants this year, with a minimum grant of $500,000 and a maximum of $1 million.

Organizations receiving funds through these grants must focus on engaging baby boomers in full-time, part-time, or episodic community service. Applicants must propose programs that will operate in three or more states.

Nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations that have not applied for federal assistance from the Corporation in the past, are encouraged to apply. Since 2003, the Corporation has awarded a total of $8.5 million in grants to fourteen nonprofit organizations to recruit and train new volunteers to handle tasks ranging from tutoring children to serving in health care centers.

The Corporation expects to announce its selections by early December. For further information, contact Marci Hunn at (202) 606-5000, ext. 420, or ChallengeGrants@cns.gov. The TTY number is (202) 565-2799. Upon request, this information will be made available in alternate formats for people with disabilities. A more detailed description of the funding opportunity is available at http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

*Application Deadline:* September 27, 2005, 5:00 p.m. EST

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ALSTON/BANNERMAN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – SABBATICALS FOR MINORITY ACTIVISTS

The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists of color. The program honors those who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic and environmental justice. Each year, ten Fellows receive an award of $15,000 to take sabbaticals of three months or more for reflection and renewal. The sabbaticals may be used to explore new interests, travel, relax, visit with other activists, or do whatever the Fellows think is necessary to prepare for their future work. The application deadline is December 1, annually.

(http://www.alstonbannerman.org)

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AVON FOUNDATION BREAST CARE FUND SUPPORTS HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund provides support to community-based programs that conduct outreach, provide breast cancer education and link medically underserved women, including low-income, older, and minority women, to clinical screening services. Successful programs should have culturally-competent educational strategies; dedicated staff with specialized communications skills; and participation from members of the targeted community. Approximately $2.18 million in grant funds will be awarded to 50 community-based programs and/or health-care agencies. To ensure that smaller community-based organizations receive support, the Fund will award at least 50% of the grants to organizations with operating budgets under $2,000,000. The application deadline is September 16, 2005.

(http://www.avonbreastcare.org/)

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NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION: YOUTH GARDEN GRANTS

The National Gardening Association supports programs across the U.S. that actively engage kids in the garden. Through the 2006 Youth Garden Grants program, 150 schools and community organizations with child-centered outdoor garden programs will receive Home Depot gift cards of $250-$500 for the purchase of gardening supplies particular to the needs of their program. Priority is given to proposals emphasizing an educational focus and/or curricular ties; nutrition or plant-to-food connections; environmental awareness/education; entrepreneurship; or social aspects of gardening such as leadership development or service-learning. The application deadline for the 2006 grant program is November 30, 2005.

(http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants.asp)

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FUNDING FOR SPACE SCIENCE EDUCATION

The Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS), administered by the Space Telescope Science Institute and coordinated by the Office of Public Outreach on behalf of NASA, is a grant program that that strives to enhance science, mathematics and technology education in the U.S. The program provides start-up funding to explore new ways to translate astronomy and space science into contexts that will educate K-14 students, teachers and the general public through partnerships between the astronomers/space scientists and education professionals. The application deadline is October 21, 2005.

(http://ideas.stsci.edu/)

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NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR DISNEY TEACHER AWARDS

Deadline:  October 15, 2005

Since 1989, Disney Teacher Awards have been presented to  teachers in the United States who construct learning environments where students and teachers alike explore, imagine, and engage in a variety of stimulating ideas and experiences. Specifically, the program honors those teachers whose approaches exemplify creativity in teaching and who inspire a joy of learning in their students. The Disney Teacher Awards program is part of DisneyHand (http://www.disneyhand.com), worldwide outreach for the Walt Disney Company (http://www.disney.com).

Only nominated teachers who complete the application are eligible for selection as a DisneyHand Teacher Awards  Honoree. The national selection committee chooses three  applicants in each of ten categories to be honorees. The honorees will be celebrated at an awards gala in July.  During the gala, four honorees will be selected as Outstanding Teachers and one will be named the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year.  In addition, the honorees each receive $10,000, a $5,000 grant for their school, and a six-day professional development institute with their principal at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Only full-time teachers are eligible for the awards program. Applicants must be available for all events and activities.

(http://www.disneyhand.com)

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NEW YORK WOMEN’S FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 GRANT CYCLE

Deadline: October 14, 2005

The New York Women's Foundation (http://www.nywf.org/) funds organizations and programs within the five boroughs of New York City that have developed strategies to move low-income women and girls toward long-term economic security.

The foundation's specific program areas of interest are community organizing and advocacy, economic security, girls' positive development, violence against women and girls, and women's health and reproductive rights.

Grants usually range from $10,000 to $40,000.

Beginning September 1, 2005, projects meetings the foundation's criteria are welcome to apply by submitting a proposal. Funding area definitions, grant criteria, application instructions, and lists of current and past grantees are available on the foundation's Web site.

(http://www.nywf.org/grant.html)

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GLEITSMAN FOUNDATION INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR U.S. CITIZEN ACTIVIST AWARD

The Gleitsman Foundation works to encourage individual commitment and leadership by recognizing the exceptional achievement of those who have initiated positive social change. The foundation seeks nominees for the 2006 Citizen Activist Award.

The 2006 Citizen Activist Award will honor individuals who have struggled to correct social injustice in the United States (international activists are the focus of the foundation's award program in alternate years). The honorees will share $100,000 and each will receive a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, creator of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The award is not presented posthumously, nor is it granted to groups or organizations.

The nomination process is open to any and all activism in the United States. The Board of Judges will assess the merits of a nominee based on the materials provided and responses to the questions in the application. Self-nominations cannot be considered.

(http://www.gleitsman.org/)

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SAMHSA PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS FOR NONPROFITS

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is offering $1.9 million in grants to develop research capacity in community-based organizations that treat alcohol and other drug abuse and/or co-occurring mental-health disorders.

The grant program is aimed specifically at practice-improvement research for scientific and business operations, especially among organizations that have typically been the object rather than initiator of research-to-practice inquiries.

Approximately eight to 12 grants of $150,000 or more will be awarded. Eligibility is limited to public and private community-based providers of alcohol and other drug abuse and co-occurring mental-health services in a nonacademic environment.

Deadline for application is Dec. 19; for more information on application and eligibility, read the full announcement online.

(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-06-001.html)

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KCCD ANNOUNCES SUB-AWARD FUNDING OPPORTUNITY COMPETITION
RFP Announcement Date: September 6, 2005
Bidder’s Conference Date: September 9, 2005

Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) invites you and your organization to apply for KCCD’s Department of Labor (DOL) Youth Workforce Program Grants.  It is expected that six organizations will be awarded an average of $65,000 grants per organization for serving at-risk and adjudicated youth.  Please see below for detailed information.  The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be available to download on KCCD’s website (www.KCCD3300.org) on September 6, 2005.  KCCD will host a Bidder’s Conference on September 9, 2005 from 9-11:30 am, 1-5 pm.  All organizations interested in applying for the grants are highly encouraged to attend. KCCD will provide detail guidelines and orientation.

The RFP will be available on our website on September 6th and is due by 4pm on October 5th.

Qualified participants are those organizations who provide a minimum of three the following services to at-risk and adjudicated Asian youth (ages 14-34):

*       Adult or peer mentoring;
*       Alternative secondary school offerings (GED preparation);
*       Comprehensive guidance and counseling, including drug and alcohol abuse counseling, as well as referral to counseling, as appropriate to the needs of the individual youth;
*       Life skill development and conflict management (i.e. interpersonal communication, financial literacy, hygiene, sex education, violence reduction, and stress coping techniques)
*       Leadership development opportunities;
*       Occupational skills training or referrals to on-the-job training with CVS/pharmacy or another career ladder employer;
*       Entrepreneurial skill development for starting up businesses;
*       Paid and unpaid work experiences, including internships and job shadowing;
*       Summer Employment Opportunities linked with strategic learning goals;
*       Supportive services (i.e. bus passes, interview clothing, fees for GED testing, etc.);
*       Tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to secondary or vocational school completion, including dropout prevention strategies; and
*       Recreational and cultural enrichment activities with adult participation.

Background Information on KCCD Youth Workforce Program

The definition of at-risk: Korean, or other Asian, at-risk youth are defined as youth who fall within one or more of the following categories:
*       Deficient in basic literacy skills (below grade level 8.9);
*       Lack of basic job readiness skills;
*       Homeless, runaway, foster child, or high school drop out;
*       Pregnant or parenting;
*       Live in a home where neglect, abuse, drug addiction or gang violence is prevalent;
*       Sibling of an adjudicated youth;
*       Child of an offender or ex-offender; and
*       Other locally defined barriers.

Today, there are more than 1.3 million Korean Americans living in the United States.  Despite the prevailing notion of Asian-Americans in general as a model minority community group, Korean Americans in particular are the fourth poorest ethnic group in the United States (after African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans).  An estimated 75 percent of Koreans are believed to have arrived after the 1970s, and both these first-generation adults and their children face significant language and cultural barriers.

Eighty-five percent of US born Korean Americans are under the age of 19, and also experience cultural barriers in relation to their own parents due to limited fluency in Korean.  As a result of this dual dis-enfranchisement from both American and Korean culture, Korean and other Asian youth have become an emerging at-risk population for delinquency.  Although national trends show that juvenile arrests have decreased in the last 20 years, when examined by ethnicity, Asian youth are the only group to show an increase in arrests (11.4 percent).  Asian youth also have the highest adjudication (conviction) rate (34.2 percent) among all races.

The KCCD Youth Workforce Program seeks to address these and other barriers faced by Korean and other Asian-American youth by serving as an intermediary for strategically supporting and strengthening local Korean churches and Faith-Based Community Organizations (FBCOs) serving Korean and other Asian-American communities in their efforts to reach this at-risk population. As a non-profit faith-based organization, KCCD serves as a bridge between the Asian-American community and the greater community-at-large through private and public collaborations. In addition to their track record for implementing initiatives in the areas of financial literacy, homeownership and the promotion of healthy marriages, KCCD is already partnering with the local workforce development agencies. KCCD has its office co-located with Work Source, the One-Stop Career Center located in Koreatown in Los Angeles, CA.

The purpose of this task order is for KCCD to partner with the US Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (USDOL/CFBCI) to launch an innovative workforce development program to improve the employment outcomes for Korean and other Asian-American at-risk youth. Specifically, KCCD will:

*       Conduct educational campaigns for Korean and other Asian-American parents and families, targeting Los Angeles and two other project sites (to be determined), to help them serve as effective advocates and support for their at-risk, adolescent youths;
*       Develop collaborations with employers, including CVS/pharmacy, to provide clear career pathways and on-the-job training opportunities;
*       Competitively sub-grant Korean and other Asia-American FBCOs at the three sites to help them foster partnerships with local workforce system and criminal justice agencies;
*       Work with selected sub-grantees to provide counseling, peer support and other life skills services necessary to support long-term employment retention; and
*       Also work with selected sub-grantees to offer or coordinate educational and vocational training, as  well as work experience opportunities (e.g., internships) to assist youth in acquiring skills leading to successful careers.

Don’t miss this great opportunity.  We hope to see you there!

KCCD is a non-profit faith-based organization, which serves as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community at large in connecting and creating private and public collaborations. Our mission is to maximize the capacity of Asian American faith-based organizations and other community non-profits to remove the cultural, language and economic barriers by increasing their access to resources and funds in order to assist low income individuals and revitalize neighborhoods.

(www.KCCD3300.org)

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LEGISLATIVE

URGENT ACTION ALERT: VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT (VOCA) Funds at risk now!

Dear Friends:

Your help is needed today. We need lots of calls!

The next few days are crucial ones for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund. The Senate Judiciary Committee is about to consider a proposal to rescind the VOCA Fund as part of the budget reconciliation process. This poses the most serious threat to VOCA in its history and would be disastrous for the millions of crime victims who receive VOCA-funded compensation and services. It is critical that your voice be heard.

If your Senator is one of those listed below, please call immediately and ask him or her to oppose any attempt to take away any VOCA funds (Crime Victims Fund) as part of the pending budget reconciliation.  The staff person to talk is included below.

Additional background information about the VOCA Fund, if you need it, is available on the public policy section of our Web site, www.ncvc.org/policy.  If you have any questions, please contact Susan Howley, Director of Public Policy, at showley@ncvc.org or (202) 467-8700, or Ilse Knecht, Deputy Director of Public Policy, at iknecht@ncvc.org or (202) 467-8723.

Thank you for your action on such short notice.

Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa) * Rita Lari * 202-224-3744
Sen. Jeff Sessions (Alabama) * William Smith * 202-224-7572
Sen. Mike DeWine (Ohio) * Pete Levitas * 202-224-9494
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kansas) * Ajit Pai * 202-224-5225
Sen. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) * Mary Chesser * 202-224-5754
Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) * James Galyean * 202-224-5972
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) * Reed O'Connor * 202-224-7840
Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) * Bruce Artim * 202-224-5251
Sen. Arlen Specter (Penn) * Joe Jacquot * 202-224-5225
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) -- Steve Cash -- 202-224-3918

Ilse Knecht
Deputy Director, Public Policy
National Center for Victims of Crime
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 480
Washington, D.C.
Cell: 703-732-2446
202-467-8700
202-467-8701
www.ncvc.org

(www.ncvc.org/policy)

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Date:   August 23, 2005

To:      Interested Immigration Advocates

From:  Vanessa Cárdenas

Re:      NAKASEC Ad Campaign- Call to Sponsor

The National Korean American Service  &  Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is spearheading a campaign to post ads calling for immigration reform in the Washington Post this fall.

The following announcement calling for organizations to sponsor the campaign is being sent at their   request. Please note the deadline for singing on to this campaign is September 16, 2005. 

For more information see below or visit their website at www.nakasecactionfund.org

Dear Friends,

Please consider joining the "Dollar-A-Person" National Immigration Reform AD Campaign, a national grassroots mobilization campaign to realize comprehensive immigration reform.  National and local organizations across the country have come together to launch this ambitious and important campaign to raise funds and collect endorsements to strategically place a prominent ad in the Washington Post in late September 2005.  The AD will clearly communicate to our elected officials the public's support for comprehensive immigration reform and state that the recently introduced McCain-Kennedy bipartisan bill, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005, is an important first step towards achieving much-needed immigration reform.

Our efforts will send a clear message to lawmakers that comprehensive immigration reform must include: 

**  A path to legal permanent residency for hard-working immigrants who are now forced to live and work in the shadows;

**   Reform that reunites families by reducing the immigration backlogs;

**   A plan that manages the future flow of migrant workers, prevents abuse and exploitation of workers, and allows those who grow roots here to apply for permanent residency;

**   Features that strengthens and protects worker rights so that our immigration laws can no longer be used as a tool to reduce wages and working standards;

**   Provisions to defend and protect immigrants' civil liberties and civil rights; and

**   Immigration relief for undocumented students who have grown up in this country and for farmworkers whose work feed our nation.

The time is now and the need is urgent!  If an immigration reform bill passes, this new law will have a fundamental impact on all Americans - not just the more than 35 million immigrants living in the U.S. today.

In cities across the country, diverse communities in numerous cities are holding "Dollar-A-Person" drives collecting contributions from tens-of-thousands of community members to support the National Immigration Reform AD Campaign.  We are inviting all stakeholders, including community based organizations, social service agencies, hometown associations, all forms of organized religion, sports associations, alumni associations, labor unions, and professional groups to support comprehensive immigration reform and endorse the campaign by contributing $50, $100, or more. All endorsing organizations will be listed in the final AD in The Washington Post.

*To Become an Endorsing Organization:

1.      Visit www.nakasecactionfund.org and click on Support the National Immigration Reform AD Campaign or Pledge Now;
2.      Complete the attached endorsement form (PDF file) and fax it to NAKASEC at 323-917-3526; OR

3.      Provide the information below and email it to campaign@nakasec.org.

***Endorsements Must be Received by Friday, September 16, 2005***

For more information, visit www.nakasecactionfund.org or contact the NAKASEC Action Fund at campaign@nakasecactionfund.org or 323.937.3703.

Campaign Initiating Organizations [List in formation]: American Immigration Lawyers Association Center for Community Change ** Coalition for the Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles ** llinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights ** Laborers International Union of North America ** Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition ** National Alliance of Latin aerican & Caribbean Communities National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium ** ational Council of La Raza ** National Immigration Forum National Immigration Law Center ** National Korean American Service & Education Consortium ** New York Immigration Coalition ** Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del Noroeste ** Service Employees International Union ** UNITE - HERE.

(http://www.nakasecactionfund.org)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

LEGAL – CHARITABLE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

One of the major trends affecting development of the law of tax-exempt organizations is the expansion of disclosure requirements. In his The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations Planning Guide, Bruce R. Hopkins attributes this expansion to two reasons: abuses that have been reported in the nonprofit world and transparency, the view that intense disclosure of exempt organizations' operations is necessary. The view is especially prevalent in government circles.

The regulations that cover tax-exempt organizations in this country are many and complicated, and they require a great deal of study for anyone intending to file for tax-exempt status as well as for organizations that already have it.

Hopkins offers a quick summary of some of those rules in an attempt to illuminate some of the more pertinent features of the regulations.

Some of the elements of these rules that an organization might be required to consider are:

* Whether the organization has principal, regional or district offices.

* Whether the organization has copies of its application for recognition of exemption ready to respond to in-person requests to see it.

* Whether the organization is able (if necessary) to avail itself of the unusual circumstances exception.

* Whether the organization will charge a fee for providing copies of the document.

* Whether the organization is able (if necessary) to avail itself of the harassment campaign exception.

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

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HUMAN RESOURCES – ELEMENTS OF A DIVERSITY PLAN

Although most people have heard of diversity and make a commitment to putting it into practice, many managers are unsure that they are putting the best diversity practices into operation.

Diversity Officer, a Special Report from Diversity Best Practices, offers the 14 elements that are necessary for a "Best in Class" diversity report.

* A strong senior diversity officer with key staff support.

* Commitment from CEOs, boards of directors and top management. There must be commitment and an understanding of the effect diversity has on the bottom line.

* Drive for the Business Case and engagement of the "C Suite" and business units. The diversity officer is not relegated to a broom closet in the basement but has access to top-level decision makers.

* A executive diversity council that reviews broader diversity goals and measures progress regularly.

* Integrated organization operating under a cross-functional model. Diversity is applied throughout the organization in processes as well as appointments.

* A strategic program with measurable, quantifiable goals.

* Measurement and benchmarking systems.

* Innovation.

* Innovative training and education.

* Communications initiatives.

* Multicultural marketing for those with customer base and all those with suppliers.

* Community and philanthropy ties.

* Supplier diversity.

* Globalization.

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

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ONLINE – A DOZEN WEB SITE IDEAS

Careful design of an organization's Web site is an important consideration.

In his chapter "Inspiring Donors Online" in the book Nonprofit Internet Strategies, Todd Baker offers his Baker's Dozen of ideas:

* Establish an overarching goal for your organization's Web site. Usually it's raising money.

* Make an impression. People will remember how you made them feel.

* Write to connect on an emotional level. Embrace clarity, engage the reader and encounter the heart.

* Select the most interesting perspective from which to tell your story.

* Find your organization's voice: a unique blend of charisma, courage, and concern.

* Be persuasive by first making clear the specific action you want the reader to take.

* Be human; don't be an organization. Show the donor that you're people who support a worthy cause and you're looking for folks just like you.

* Illustrate your mission through images and pictures.

* Present a virtual tour of your mission.

* Write in an active and conversational style.

* Stop spending 90 percent of your organization's resources on technology and only 10 percent on the message.

* Give your headlines soul. Headlines that work seize the reader's attention, affect the reader on an emotional level and spark curiosity.

* Understand online human behavior. People who are online read differently than they would with a printed text. Make a good first impression, do not think of a book-reading atmosphere and make each page of the site have an objective with the reader in mind.

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

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August 29, 2005

HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN CREATE SOCIAL VALUE

by Manda Salls