Non-Profit Assistance Center Seattle RFI Alert!

FYI

From: Barbara Fane
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 11:06 AM
Subject: FW: capacity building opportunity for small faith and community based organizations


Greetings:

Great news for capacity building for small faith and community-based organizations!

Please read below for information about Project Empower. A Request for Investment will be coming out in the next week or two. This is a great opportunity for small faith and community based organizations who have time to invest in capacity building. The RFI will be available through NAC and WCCDA and on their websites. This is all the information we have right now but NAC and WCCDA want to share information so folks will be prepared to respond to a RFI soon.

Please read carefully below to see if your organization is eligible and forward to those that may be.

Request for Investment (RFI) to Strengthen the Organizational Capacity of Small Grassroots Faith and Community based Nonprofits

Through Project Empower, the Nonprofit Assistance Center (NAC) in partnership with the National Community Development Institute and the White Center Community Development Association will be releasing a Request for Investment (RFI) targeting grassroots faith and community based organizations:

• With budgets of $500,000 or less

• Based and serving targeted low income communities in and bordering SE and SW Seattle (including White Center, Boulevard Park, Skyway, Renton, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Burien.)

• that provide services to assist:

a. Low income individuals gain greater access to state and federal benefits and tax credits.

b. Low income individuals find and retain employment, earn higher wages, and better quality jobs.

c. Low income individuals in need of financial assistance or credit counseling and help them access Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and other asset building strategies.

d. The Homeless

e. Elders in need

f. At risk youth including Native American Youth; and/or

g. Families in transition from welfare to work.

The Request for Investment (RFI) will have more detail and specifics regarding eligibility and minimum requirements to participate.

Project Empower is a 12 month collaborative project designed to strengthen the infrastructure and program delivery capacity of 15 faith and community based organizations selected through a competitive process. Organizational selected will receive a package of on-site, individualized, culturally competent capacity building support that builds on existing assets while addressing the four core areas of 1) Leadership Development; 2) Organizational Development; 3) Program Development; and 4) Community Engagement.

NAC is planning to release the RFI between December 1 and 15, 2009. Fifteen faith and community based organizations selected through the RFI will receive an array of capacity building support and a grant of $10,000 - $15,000 to address specific capacity building needs. Each organization must designate staff and board members to participate in individual technical assistance as well as group training and peer-learning activities. The RFI will be posted on the NAC website at www.nacseattle.org. For an electronic copy, please email info@nacseattle.org and write in Project Empower RFI in the subject line.

Project Empower is funded by a Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) grant award from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families’ Office of Community Services.

GREEN EXPO in Georgetown!!! October 9th!!

Save the Date!!!

Green Expo at Georgetown Campus
Friday, October 9

Greetings PSIEC Coalition Members -

Join OSPI Superintendent Randy Dorn, electric car owners, biofuel
experts, Cool Schools and your colleagues at the second annual Green
Industrial Business and Career Expo, Friday October 9, at South Seattle
Community College's Georgetown Campus.

To Register Click
Here<http://cmpgnr.com/r.html?c=1525202&r=1523861&t=1777315801&l=1&d=91206989&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eregonline%2ecom%2fCheckin%2easp%3fEventId%3d760139&g=0&f=-1>

Learn more: go to the Expo web site at www.greenexpo-wa.com

I look forward to seeing you at the event.

Joe Hauth
Director, Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center

Georgetown Campus, South Seattle Community College
6737 Corson Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 764-5838
http://georgetown.southseattle.edu/

CCEJ ANNOUNCEMENT!! TRANSIT ACCESS!!

BRING A PLAN! BRING YOUR VOICE!

Please consider attending King County's Public Transit Forum next Wednesday
evening at the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club, 4520 Martin Luther King Jr
Way S, reception at 6 pm, program at 6:30. This video is the County's official
public invitation, with a fairly objective presentation of what they intend to
say. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYavsoq90A

Environmental Justice organizations elsewhere, especially in Los Angeles and
Atlanta, have identified access to public transit as an issue of Environmental
Justice.

While CCEJ has focused on other issues here, the same questions arise
in this case:

• How fairly will the cuts be distributed?
• Will Metro try harder to retain the rich suburban riders from Redmond than they do the poor urban and suburban people from Seattle and South King County?
• Will their slick new Light Rail train displace the neighborhood service that poor people need to get around?

Please attend this forum and voice your own questions and concerns.
Thanks!
Jonathan Betz-Zall, CCEJ Board Member

Planners Action!! Housing Levy Support Tomorrow!!

A message to all members of Seattle Network

Hi Great City supporters,

I’m writing to let you know about an upcoming phone banking event on behalf of the Yes on Prop 1 campaign (aka the Housing Levy). The event runs from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and is being hosted at GGLO on September 23rd at 5:00 (tomorrow evening). This is a great cause, so please help spread the word!

Event Details:
GGLO
1301 First Ave, Suite 301
GGLO Harbor Steps (enter through door located about ¼ of the way down the Harbor Steps)
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

If you can help out, please RSVP with Pricilla:
priscilla@yesforhomes.org
206.307.9252

Thanks,

Paul Chasan

Information about the Housing Levy follows:

VOTE YES! ON PROP 1 TO RENEW THE HOUSING LEVY!

For 28 years, the Seattle voters have provided a critical housing safety net for thousands of our city's most vulnerable through the Housing Levy. Your vote to renew the Housing Levy will:
Provide 1,850 affordable homes serving thousands of families and individuals over the next 50 years.

Continue to help our most vulnerable neighbors including seniors, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence and working families.

Prevent over 3,000 families and individuals from becoming homeless and get them back on theirfeet for the long term.

Build on a successful investment that creates over 4,000 jobs and brings in additional funds to our community.

Visit Seattle Network at: http://seattlegreatcitynetwork.ning.com

--
To control which emails you receive on Seattle Network, go to:
http://seattlegreatcitynetwork.ning.com/profiles/profile/emailSettings

Is this the answer? Your thoughts?

Yesler Project Starts Tomorrow!!!

July 6th

C4C Begins the Yesler 2104 Program for the second year!!!

Community GREEN Event: April 18th

For Immediate Release:

Green Organizers Mixer & Spring Hip-Hop Fest Saturday, April 18th at the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center

The Umojafest P.E.A.C.E Center's Green Light Initiative and the Race, Justice and Sustainability Project of Sustainable Central District and Sustainable South Seattle invite you and your organization to:

Justice Brunch! Green Organizers Mixer & Spring Hip-Hop Fest Saturday April 18th at the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center at 24th & Spring in Seattle.

The brunch will take place from 10am – Noon followed by a community celebration of Earth Week featuring live performances, speakers and community organization tables and vendors from Noon – 6PM.

Scheduled performers include Yirim Seck, KHMET, Razpy & The Vigilantes, Ayron Jones the Bluesman, Geneiva Arunga, Suntonio Bandanas, Korvus Blackbird, Jamil Suleman, M. Famous, Garlandn Green, and other guest performers with music provided by DJ Kuhnex and Zecheriah the Barber and hosted by Wyking & G. Prez.

In celebration of Earth Week, this event is a networking opportunity for groups involved in environmental, sustainability, and justice work to meet, build relationships, and thereby expand the reach of our projects. All brunch participants will be provided tables to stay and share information about their programs.

Confirmed participants include: Seattle Pea Patch, Got Green, Clean Greens Project, Pursuit Of A Green Planet, African American Longshoremans Coalition, Life Enrichment Group, Hip-Hop Congress, Mothers Outreach Movement, Block Teamsters Union, Presidential Media Group, Mint Factory Clothing, The Nia Center, United For Youth Coalition, Association for Africentric Development, Feed The Body Teach The Soul and more.

Saturday, April 18th
10AM – 6pm
Umojafest P.E.A.C.E Center
2314 E. Spring St. (24th Ave & Spring St.)
Seattle, WA 98122

Potluck BBQ (No pork or soda please!).

PLEASE RSVP if you are able to bring something, volunteer or just coming to green@umojafestpeacecenter.com. The brunch has limited space. We look forward to seeing you!

The Green Light Initiative at the Umojafest PEACE Center focuses on the sustainability concerns that offer opportunities for our community to thrive. The group strives to make the resources of the green movement accessible and applicable while reclaiming our historical legacy of healthy and environmentally conscious living. Chair: Amber Croyle, green@umojafestpeacecenter.com.

The Race, Justice and Sustainability Project is an effort by Sustainable Central District and Sustainable South Seattle to build an action agenda at the intersection of justice and sustainability. Please click this link to fill out our brief questionnaire to share your experience and knowledge. Sustainable South Seattle and Sustainable Central District are volunteer-run community groups working to promote sustainability in our neighborhoods through project-based community engagement.

For more information contact: Deric Gruen, Deric.Gruen@gmail.com.

The First Round of Neighborhood Engagements Done

As the feedback and comments are being prepared by city departments, the input from the streets that are "the neighborhoods" is starting to filter in to my desk.

During the past few days reposnses, questions, and concerns are seeping up through the cracks that are being left to be unnoticed, dismissed, or just plain looked-over areas that are starting to create red flags in this "planning" process.

I have been careful how I review the Neighborhood Planning Update process, keeping my immediatists responses to thoughts or off-line conversations with fellow planners, community acitivists, and residents I talk with in Southeast.

Until know I have remained generally quiet and reserved. One, because I am new at this and this committee position is my first. I have taken time to observe, read reports, keep up with the "sides" being taken; new city staff, new residents in identified neighborhoods, city policy pushers, department workers who are trying to figure this out, old residents who are sick of the city and feelings of being tokens in this process, and slews of other stakeholders. Rich, poor, middle class, homeowners, renters, business people, ethnic groups, all trying to figure out what this second round of planning means to them and their respective communities.

I have also remained reserved because I am looking for the balance point, the ethical planner position where the "most equitable and balanced apporach is sought" and finding that this is a good place to be because a lot of people actually want something good to come out of this use of public dollars.

However the specter of hidden meanings, missed or unconsidered opportunities, gaps in planning, disorganized approaches, limited inclusion of the public realm, and plain old administrative sluggishness is starting to cause problems.

I do not know exactly what is wrong with what the city is trying to do, however there is something that is not happening. Part of the problem is a lack of community and neighborhood organization, leaving many of the players to be "the usual suspects" and those who know the game. The "included" groups are identified by their unique language or ethnicity. This is happening under the trusted advocate model developed in Oakland, CA where people from a group act as spokesperson and information gatherer to bring to the city and the plan.

(to be continued)

Come share YOUR IDEAS about change, transportation and quality of life. Please join us at the meeting in your neighborhood — where light rail service will begin this year:

MLK at Holly (Othello)
7100-42nd Avenue S.*
*Please note the address correction
Saturday, March 14, 20099 a.m. — 2 p.m.
Miracle Temple of God

N. Rainier (Mt. Baker)
Saturday March 21, 20099 a.m. — 2 p.m.
Franklin High School
3013 S. Mount Baker Blvd.

N. Beacon (Beacon Hill)
Saturday March 289 a.m. — 2 p.m.
El Centro de la Raza
2524-16th Avenue S.

Childcare and refreshments provided.

Interpreters will be available in the following languages: Oromifa, Amharic, Vietnamese, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tigrinya, Somali, Tagalog and Khmer.

These venues are accessible, please contact us as soon as possible for special accommodations.

Can’t come to the meeting? Log on, learn more and leave comments.www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/Neighborhood_Planning

For additional information on how you can be involved please contact: Kerry Wade at the Department of Neighborhoods 206.733.9088 or kerry.wade@seattle.gov
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124

Please view the full list of planning outreach liaisons including multiple languages in the attachment.

Planetizen Top 10 for 2009 "Websites"

"Top 10 Websites - 2009"

Planetizen has released its annual list of the top 10 websites coveringthe fields of urban planning, design and development.

This year's list includes mapping tools, blogs, and some of the mostinnovative ideas emerging in the broad world of urban planning.

Planetizen's Top 10 Website for 2009:

Architect's Newspaper - http://www.archpaper.com/
Arounder - http://www.arounder.com/
dc BIKES - http://www.outsideindc.com/bikes
Design With Intent - http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/
Digital Urban - http://digitalurban.blogspot.com/
Gapminder World - http://www.gapminder.org/
Infranet Lab - http://infranetlab.org/blog/
On The Commons - http://www.onthecommons.org/
Plan Philly - http://www.planphilly.com/
Zoom Prospector - http://www.zoomprospector.com/

Read more about this year's top sites:http://www.planetizen.com/websites/2009

Upcoming Opportunity

OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH YOUTH
AND URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD “TOD” PLANNING
IN THE SOUTHEAST DISTRICT – SEATTLE

11am – 1pm on March 11th, 2009 in Gould Court (Open Tables)

What: Calling interested students from the Masters in Urban Design & Planning, College of Environmental Planning Undergrads, and Interested Parties from Other Departments

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and Creative Community Builders Group are working to teach, orientate, and support a teen-focused neighborhood outreach project at four Seattle High Schools located in the SE section of town starting March 16th.

The project will use video/camera exercises to gather “youth voices” and focus groups to gather information from youth on neighborhood character, wants/needs, and visioning.

Where: A meeting will be held next week, Wednesday, March 11th in Gould Court (Ground Level) between 11:00am and 1pm as a recruitment orientation to the plan, schedule, and objectives.

Qualifications: Interested in or previous experience working with youth aged 15-18, ability to work 4-6 hours a week until June 18th for the initial project goals, ability to work with diverse economic, ethnic, and social groups in a school setting.

Pay: $16 an Hour, with Options for Independent Study Credit with Approval

For more information contact: Edward Hill, Creative Community Builders Group, 206.330.5039 or ehill65@gmail.com

Website/Blog: http://creative4community.blogspot.com/

Biking like Europeans: Event

The City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development
city green building

Invites you to:

Bicycling: A Sustainable Choice
Niels Tørsløv, City of Copenhagen

More than 36 percent of all Copenhagen commuters arrive on bikes, and cycling has become a significant part of urban life there. Now the city has even more ambitious goals -- service improvements aim to increase bicycling commute trips to 50 percent by 2015. Copenhagen's use of cycling to improve public health and reduce the city's carbon footprint inspires cities around the world. Please join us for a brown bag lunch with city of Copenhagen Traffic Director Niels Tørsløv, who is visiting a number of North American cities to share his knowledge and experience.

Sponsored by:
Seattle Department of Transportation, Cascade Bicycling Club,
& International Sustainability Institute

Bicycling: A Sustainable Choice Niels Tørsløv
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 Noon - 1 p.m.
Seattle Central Library's Microsoft Auditorium1000 Fourth Ave.Seattle, WA 98104

International District Planning Action for 2030

Anticipating significant zoning changes to South Downtown the International District community produced a plan to guide and shape growth, ID Vision 2030.

Please join us at GGLO on March 12 for a brownbag lunch presentation on ID Vision 2030 by Tom Im, hosted by Seattle Great City Initiative.

Tom Im has been a community organizer and planner for InterIm Community Development Association in the ID for the last 11 years.

-------------------------
Find details here
Time: March 12, 2009 from 12pm to 1:30pmLocation: GGLO Harbor StepsStreet: 1301 First Ave – Enter at GGLO Level A-off of the steps.Event Type: brown, bag, lunch

Beginning the Discussion of Facts

Health Effects of Gentrification

Center for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/HEALTHYPLACES/healthtopics/gentrification.htm

Gentrification is often defined as the transformation of neighborhoods from low value to high value. This change has the potential to cause displacement of long-time residents and businesses. Displacement happens when long-time or original neighborhood residents move from a gentrified area because of higher rents, mortgages, and property taxes.

Gentrification is a housing, economic, and health issue that affects a community’s history and culture and reduces social capital. It often shifts a neighborhood’s characteristics (e.g., racial/ethnic composition and household income) by adding new stores and resources in previously run-down neighborhoods.

--------------------------------------------

So we start this conversation, a deconstruction of the words, terms, and phrases that guide our economic choices, an analysis of our responses to things we lost control or direct of like urban land use, displacement, political disempowerment (outside or inside), and a littany of other factors, measureable effects/affects, all relevent and important.

However, there are two sides to every coin and a message in every middle.

2009 Agenda Actions & Think Tank Development

Welcome to Action Item #1

The Community Leadership Assessment Group, a name temporary in nature, on the heels of a historic presidential election, a radical redistribution of economics, a crippling free-market collapse, an expansion of nationalization of resources, banking, and education, and the continued failure to create a future for our children that is equitable, sustainable, and productive, is initiating a far-reaching, sustainable, strategic, and managed action plan beginning this month, February 2009.

This begins simply by sitting down and talking. The talking will coordinated the vision. The vision will provide pathways to measurable solutions. The solutions will come from a strategic application of our shared tools, skills, and abilities. Those that participate are will be working as a team to assess, review, research, and report on the state of our community from the view-point of those that are living and breathing its activities.

Representation on this body will come from all quarters of the community; institutional, non-profit, grassroots, activists, radicals, residential, commercial, retail, business, insiders, outsiders, advocates, youth, new residents, old timers, elders, and clergy of all denominations.

The goals will be set by the group and maintained by the group. The completion of a goal will allow the group to move to another goal on the list created by the fluid body of participants. The mission of the group is “to complete the goals defined by the group and represent the issues relevant to the community as defined by the needs of our children and young adults.”

If it doesn’t help the youth by improving their lives, sustaining their survival, improving their health, enriching their environment, education, or lives, then it is not dealt with by the group.
The Community Leadership Assessment Group will utilize the following tools to gather information to create and maintain a shared vision including:

Needs Assessments
Phone Calls
Town Hall Meetings
Strategic Planning Retreats
Advisory Committees
Questionnaires
Interviews
Focus Groups

This may sound familar, and it should. It has been done before and it is time to actually do it again....completely and responsibly.

Get to work. I am.