Interested in public policy, the DC budget, research and information to inform and improve the caliber of public policy discussions or advocacy? This is the place for you: information and intelligence that improves advocacy is the stock in trade of this blog.
Friday, August 31, 2012
The Happiness Project
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Like the sound of rain?
A gem of an outreach and event promotion tool
the guesswork out of the DC social scene. From fundraisers to fashion shows, embassy events to eateries, happy hours to hotel happenings---this site highlights fabulous and fresh functions that you won't find listed just anywhere.
But the site is also great for promoting your organization's event. If you are having a fundraiser or other event, email the details to Greg, the Greg's List guy. To increase your chance of having your event included, send all the details in text. Feel free to send a link to the event announcement online, but be sure to do all the work for this great bunch of GL volunteers! GL does not guarantee that all submissions will be posted; but I think it's worth a shot.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Channel 16 gets a facelift and new name
DC OFFICE OF CABLE TELEVISION REBRANDS TV-16 AS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NETWORK (DCN)
DCN COMBINES NEW LOOK AND PROGRAMS WITH OCT’S AWARD-WINNING CONTENT(WASHINGTON, DC) – The DC Office of Cable Television (OCT) announced today plans to refresh TV-16's programming and brand by embracing a new name and bold new look that appeals to residents who seek government, public affairs and lifestyle programming. Building on 27 years of government programming and strong audience growth, TV-16 is evolving into the District of Columbia Network (DCN).
"The District of Columbia is vibrant and thriving, and that is reflected in DCN’s bold new look, feel, and content," said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. "The rebrand of the channel was a collaborative process involving feedback from District residents, government and education programming experts, and the OCT team. Together, we created a product that is informative, educational and entertaining."
Formally known as TV-16, the District of Columbia Network (DCN) will provide visual content regarding the many programs, services, and opportunities made available by the District of Columbia government. DCN will supply its viewers with an all access pass to the District government by presenting Mayoral press conferences, agency policy statements, and current discussions around the Washington region. The channel will also explore history, education, entertainment and arts and culture in the nation’s capital.
The new DCN logo is a strong, classic red circle with the word "DCN" accented on a clean white background. The logo was retooled to fit more effectively in multi-platform campaigns like holidays, current events, and special occasions in the District. The channel rebrand will go into effect on-air and online on September 5 with all-new productions including The Sound, The District Dish, and The Kalb Report. New programs focused on public affairs and current events will also premiere, including Uptown/Downtown, a new series featuring positive stories about people, communities and businesses in the District that are the life blood of our city; yet they often flourish without recognition behind the headlines. Additionally, DCN’s tagline will be "All DC. All The Time."
"This rebrand positions DCN as the destination for all things Washington and will enhance our ability to be a trusted resource for residents, the business community, and tourists," said OCT Director Eric E. Richardson.
WAMU is looking for great policy ideas
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Exciting event about client engagement at Bread for the City
The Front Line: The Emergence of Client Engagement at Bread for the City
Thursday, September 6, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Bread for the City Northwest Center (1525 7th St NW)
Shaw/Howard Green Line, G2, G8, 64, 70s, 96
Come from 4:30 - 5:30 pm to enjoy networking, refreshments, and interactive displays on Client Engagement. From 5:30 - 6:30 pm, Bread for the City's Community Researchers will lead a presentation and discussion of what they learned from six months of research to answer the question, "What does engagement, empowerment, and assistance mean to clients and how do we do that?"
RSVP to Judy Hawkins via email or (202) 587-0533. Child care and bus tokens are available if requested.
Mayor Gray takes on campaign finance reform
According to the advisory:
BACKGROUND: Earlier this year, Mayor Gray asked Attorney General Nathan to draft comprehensive campaign-finance-reform legislation to provide additional safeguards against even the appearance of corruption. In June, Attorney General Nathan testified before a D.C. Council committee on the Mayor’s views on reform legislation. He said a package of proposed reforms would address "pay-to-play" issues, strengthen disclosure requirements, ban lobbyists’ bundling contributions, establish regulations designed to stop evasion of campaign-finance rules through the use of money orders, and call for greater enforcement resources to be provided to the Office of Campaign Finance. The Mayor and Attorney General will release and discuss the draft legislation, which will be sent to the Council next month after a period for public comment.
If you are unable to make it to the Wilson Building, you can watch the event live on the District of Columbia Network (DCN), formally known as TV-16. (More on the TV-16 to DCN transition on the blog August 29.)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Information sessions on Deferred Action start August 28
Empower DC organizing to save public schools
The 2012-2013 school year will be a telling year for the future of Public Education in D.C. Many schools are threatened with closure and the Privatization of Public Education continues to grow unchecked. Students, Parents, Teachers and Community members need to continue fighting for control and improvement of our Public Education System.At this meeting we will plan what we need to do this year to fight school closures. We will also be talking about opportunities to connect with grassroots organizations from around the country that are calling for a National Moratorium on any school closures and plan to have a day of action here in DC.
When: Tuesday September 4, 2012
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: Dorothy Height/Benning Library (3935 Benning Rd NE)Contact Daniel with any questions or concerns (202) 234-9119 ext. 104 or via email.
DCPS beautified August 25
Friday, August 24, 2012
Washington Peace Center has resources for you
What does WPC offer? Full color printer/copier, sound system for activist events, stages for events, bullhorns and small portable speaker for marches and smaller rallies, political movies to borrow for activist events, geodesic Yurt dome, and a projector for movie screenings or making banners (details here).
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012
The report has been published each year since 1997 by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
Amazing brownies
Picture from Smitten Kitchen's My Favorite Brownies recipe.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Have you told the DC government what you think?
The DC government has two surveys open. The first is about improving the utility of the annual Children’s Budget report. The second is about your experience calling 211 on a cell phone (available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Amharic, and Vietnamese).
There's also a survey inquiring about what residents and stakeholders want to know about the city's budget process.
The surveys close by mid-September so be sure to participate soon.
Community meetings about the history of Ward 8
Wednesday, August 22 at 6:30 pm
Department of Housing and Community Development (Housing Resource Center, 1800 Good Hope Rd SE. This is at the corner of Good Hope Rd and MLK Jr. Ave SE.)Wednesday, September 5 at 6:30 pm
Hadley Hospital (4601 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave)Thursday, September 20 at 6:30 pm
Emmanuel Baptist Church (2409 Ainger Pl SE)
The map was created by Dcmacnut.
Monday, August 20, 2012
August 30 forum "Secure Communities & Deferred Action"
"Secure Communities & Deferred Action" features a discussion about forum to discuss the mayoral mandate on secure communities and the presidential mandate on deferred action for childhood arrivals.
RSVP here for this free event.
Hone your advocacy skills with Communications for DC Advocates
This 40-page guide is full of how-tos, tips, and advice about writing letters and testimony, participating in meetings with DC Council and executive branch staff, and making phone calls. But there's much more in the guide; take a look at the table of contents:
Section I: Writing to the Mayor and members of the DC Council, and ANCs
Section II: Writing to appointed officials
Section III: Preparing testimony and statements for the record
Section IV: Delivering testimony
Section V: After the hearing
Section VI: Executive branch agency hearings
Section VII: Commenting on proposed/emergency regulations
Section VIII: Fact sheets
Section IX: Meeting with elected and appointed officials
Section X: Briefing elected and appointed officials
Section XI: Meeting with legislative and executive branch staff
Section XII: Phone calls to elected officials
Section XIII: Facility tours
Section XIV: The value of nice
Section XV: Conclusion
Section XVI: Resources and extras
Start honing your skills today. Buy the guide here for only $35.
Friday, August 17, 2012
What do you think about shelter and housing in DC?
Talk about shelter August 21 and about housing August 23. Details about the events, including how to RSVP and request accommodations, are in the event flier.
Be sure to share this information with clients.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Got an idea to expand broadband in DC?
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) has just announced a funding opportunity for the DC-BETA project (DC Broadband Education, Training, and Adoption). According to the announcement,
The DC-BETA subgrant will support OCTO’s Digital Inclusion Initiative—also known as Connect.DC—by funding projects aimed at OCTO seeks applicants that provide creative and strategic solutions to increase sustainable broadband adoption among the small business community. DC-BETA is made possible by the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The RFA will be released August 20 and the submission deadline is September 20.
The SpeedMatters piece Survey: Wireless No Substitute For Wired Broadband highlighted the challenges associated with cell phone use for non-call uses identified in the April 2012 Pew report Mobile Phone Problems. Pew reported nearly 90% of Americans own mobile phones and more than half use the phones for Internet searches, reading email, and the like. However,
"77% of cell internet users say they experience slow download speeds that prevent things from loading as quickly as they would like. Of those cell internet users, 46% face slow download speeds weekly or more frequently."Most surprising is the racial and ethnic divide.
"Non-white cell owners confront all four problems at somewhat higher weekly rates than do their white counterparts… For instance, more than half of Hispanic cell internet users (53%) face slow download times at least weekly or more often, compared with 44% of white cell internet users who report this problem."
It may be that these groups, which include a higher proportion of low-income people, purchase cheaper, poorer service. But Pew offered another explanation. The phenomenon:
"… might be tied to the fact that African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than whites to rely on their cell phones as their primary or exclusive phones for calling and for internet access."
Mayor Gray on NewsTalk August 16
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Make a call for Parkinson's
The Parkinson's Voice Initiative is collecting voices of those with and without Parkinson's Disease. Test creator Max Little explains how the voice test works in the TED Talk video below. But know that all recordings are non-identifiable and no personal information is stored.
The initiative's goal is to gather 10,000 recordings from around the world. Let's help this project reach its goal.
Two senior level positions open at Safe Shores
The Clinical Services Director
is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and functions of the Clinical Services Program and for implementing its goals of providing trauma-focused mental health interventions with child victims, their siblings, and non-offending family members and providing clinical consultation to the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) that investigates child sexual and physical abuse cases in the District of Columbia. As a senior level manager, the Clinical Services Director is expected to guide and advance the mission of the organization in all ways, including communications -- with volunteers, staff, MDT members and individuals outside the organization -- and to contribute to creating and maintaining a positive, productive and constructive working environment.
The Victim Services Director
is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Victim Services Program and for achieving its goal of ensuring the highest quality of advocacy and services to child victims, their siblings, and their nonoffending caregivers/family members. As a senior level manager, the Victim Services Director is expected to guide and advance the mission of the organization, particularly in all communications with volunteers, staff, multi-disciplinary team (MDT) members, donors and other community members, and to contribute to maintaining a positive, productive and constructive working environment.
Details about the jobs, including deadlines for applying, are on the Safe Shores employment opps page.
CM Brown guests on NewsTalk today at 10a
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ivy City protest at Union Station August 15
This is a Call to Action as we move forward with our lawsuit against the Mayor and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation to HALT the construction of the parking lot for 65 Charter Buses at the historic Alexander Crummell SchoolJOIN US AS WE PROTEST THE UNION STATION MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE "BILLIONS FOR UNION STATION, BUS FUMES FOR IVY CITY" JOB TRAINING NOT BUS PARKING AT CRUMMELL SCHOOL
The Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, Amtrak and Akridge Development will be holding a Public Open House for the Union Station Master Plan, which includes the location of "offsite" charter bus parking in Ivy City
Wednesday August 15th
We will meet at Union Station, outside in front of the metro escalators
AT 5:30 PM
RSVP to Andria Swanson via email or (202) 234-9119 x 107
Wear your Empower DC Tshirt!FOR MORE INFO ON THIS CAMPAIGN:
VIEW THE VIDEO
SIGN THE PETITION
Some history on the issue is in this Grassroots Media Project blog post.
Make sure foster kids have school supplies
An example of a service provider doing more
Is your organization engaged in empowerment and engagement activities? Leave a comment so we can learn more about this work.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Improve your advocacy skills August 15
Topics at the one-hour workshop are:
- How to testify most effectively at community and board meetings
- Persuading and recruiting others to our smart growth vision
- Why it's so important to get involved and make your voice heard right now
The workshop is in preparation for a advocacy around a progressive zoning update and numerous neighborhood issues.
*Pro-DC is a collaborative project of Coalition for Smarter Growth and Greater Greater Washington.
The government wants to hear from you
The DC government has two surveys open. The first is about improving the utility of the annual Children’s Budget report. The second is about your experience calling 211 on a cell phone (available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Amharic, and Vietnamese).
There's also a survey inquiring about what residents and stakeholders want to know about the city's budget process.
The surveys close by mid-September so be sure to participate soon.
Free training for those with multiple employment barriers
The three-month career development and mentoring program helps low-income individuals realize their career potential by delivering high-impact professional development services and providing one-to-one career mentoring by volunteer business professionals in corporate settings. In Career Ventures, trainees identify their professional strengths and viable career options; understand and practice essential workplace skills; map and utilize an expanded employment network; hone interview skills and create a marketable resume; and build public speaking and office computer skills. Mentors also provide individualized guidance and support as trainees set and execute against a career work plan.
Interested individuals can submit an application on the StreetWise Partners website. Interviews will be held at the end of the month for programs starting in mid-September.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Report on community-based efforts to reintegrate juvenile offenders
New reporting areas for this DC YouthLink include re-conviction rates (often referred to as recidivism), workforce development, and educational outcomes. Some of the findings are:
- Re-Conviction Rates: Since DYRS began tracking arrests in April 2011, 83% of DC YouthLink enrollees have been in community-based placements without being found guilty of a new offense.
- Workforce Development Outcomes: In the first quarter of FY 2012, 15 youth earned new, unsubsidized employment. The measure means "youth attaining employment, youth maintaining employment, youth earning professional certifications and youth participating in internships."
- Educational Outcomes: During the reporting period, seven youth earned a high school credential. The measure means "youth achieving a high school credential and youth enrolling in post-secondary education."
- Continued downward trajectory in abscondence rates.
- Nearly two fold increase in the number of youth receiving mental health and substance abuse services.
Thoughts about the report? Leave a comment.
DC YouthLink is a coalition of nonprofit organizations. They've partnered with DYRS to reintegrate juvenile offenders into their communities by providing a host of services and supports to the youth and their families.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Essential info for nonprofits from DC Bar Pro Bono Program
Every nonprofit corporation operating in D.C. must have a registered agent. The registered agent is the person designated by the nonprofit to receive important notices addressed to the nonprofit organization. This includes notices from the D.C. government, including the biennial return form, and any tax or other administrative notices. In addition, the registered agent is the person who is served with any legal papers if your nonprofit organization is sued.Since so much of this information is time sensitive, it is important that whoever receives the information passes it along to the responsible person within your nonprofit as soon as possible. That is why it is important to pick the right person as your registered agent.
Who May Be a Registered Agent?
Under the previous Nonprofit Code, a registered agent had to be a resident of the District of Columbia. The residency requirement could be a problem if an individual serving as the registered agent, such as the executive director or Board chair, worked in D.C. but lived in Maryland or Virginia.Now this problem has been solved. Under the new Nonprofit Code, which went into effect January 1, 2012, the rules regarding who can serve as a registered agent have been changed. Under the new rules, a nonprofit may designate either a commercial registered agent or a non-commercial agent.
A commercial registered agent is a business that will serve as the organization's agent for a fee. There are a number of corporations that are listed with the D.C. government and which will serve as a nonprofit's registered agent. Under the new law, these commercial entities can serve as registered agents provided the commercial entity maintains an office in D.C.
In addition, a nonprofit that does not employ a listed commercial registered agent, may designate as a registered agent any other corporation or an individual that serves in D.C. as the registered agent. The nonprofit may also use an individual who is:
- An officer, director or employee of the nonprofit provided the nonprofit maintains an office in D.C.; or
- An attorney licensed to practice law in D.C. who maintains an office in the city.
As you can see, in all cases, the important point is not where the person lives, but where he or she maintains a business office. Since legal papers are typically served during the day, where the person can be found during business hours is critical. As a result, most nonprofits will have greater flexibility in selecting a registered agent.
Verifying Your Registered Agent
Therefore, every nonprofit should take the opportunity to review who is serving as its registered agent. You can verify this information by going to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs website and checking your nonprofit corporation's latest corporate registration. Go to the website's main page, click on the CORP ONLINE icon, and it will direct your organization's registration.Once there, check to see who is listed as your organization's registered agent and also look at the address of the person listed. If the person is no longer with your organization, or if the address listed is not the agent's current business address, you should file a form with DCRA changing the information about the registered agent. You can do so by filing a form with DCRA. There is a $40 filing fee.
It is important that you keep the information about your registered agent current. If your organization fails to do so, and it does not receive notice of a filing that is due or that your organization has been sued, your organization may be found in default, and may suffer significant financial penalties as a result. Keeping your registered agent filing up to date is an important way to avoid such penalties.
If you have any questions, contact Regina Hopkins via email or Darryl Maxwell via email at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program.
Hearing what Latino youth have to say
Survey results will inform the work being done on the Mayoor's Latino Youth Town Hall taking place later this year.
Photo from OLA's Facebook page.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Mayor Gray's August 8 sked
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Recipe for nice, light, moist, soft cookie
Free hair cuts for kids in August
Monday, August 6, 2012
A resident's view on engagement and outreach
CONSIDER THIS AN INTERVENTION criticizes government interactions with residents of Ward 8.
You can't Google the East of the River experience. My blog may bridge part of the gap but it doesn't come close to filling the void. East of the river engagement is an "on the ground" and "in the streets" type of operation. It involves many different perspectives and skill-sets (and maybe a confrontation or two). The strategies and tools that may be successful in Columbia Heights may not translate in Congress Heights. You can't expect a community that has been disenfranchised for a generation to come running at the first mention of a community meeting. It will take more than free hotdogs to get people excited about the Saint Elizabeths project. And you can not, for the love of all things holy, continue to engage people to do community outreach east of the river who do not live or work east of the river.
Because East of the River Outreach Should Be More Than A Flyer takes a similarly direct approach, this time using a nonprofit as an example of things gone wrong.
Not that I don't like paper flyers, I have enough of them to wallpaper my house twice over but there really needs to be a more diverse (and green) outreach strategy when it comes to connecting East of the River. Yes, there is the serious issue of the "digital divide" but the internet is here to stay and people (even older people) are cruising the information super highway. Don't sleep, my 85 year old neighbor sends me emails and my mother follows my blog religiously (she was following me on Facebook but I had to shut that down quick - sorry Mom!). The problem with some outreach efforts are that they are homogenous one way or the other (either purely paper or purely electronic).Despite the many benefits of flyers, internet, and social media let us not forget that nothing beats a "personal touch" and whenever possible that is the way to go, but sometimes the challenge is reaching the people in order to touch them (that sounded much better in my head).
How many times have we heard about a good community meeting after it happened or went to one that had more government representatives than community residents? It's kind of like throwing a party and only your grandma shows up. When it comes to East of the River outreach efforts, especially those involving the DC and Federal government there needs to be a combination of off and online tools in the community outreach toolbox. I can't recommend enough that East of the River organizations get in the social media game. Newsflash: the internet is here to stay and Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are free and are for the most part pretty user friendly. We need to do a lot of different things in order to reach a lot of different people.
We have seen the fallout of what happens when organizations either intentionally or accidentally (depending on who you ask) skip that all important step of community outreach -- BTW you have to get "out" in order to "reach." The old saying may be, "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission" but outraged community advocates (especially in Ward 8) will make you feel both and twice over if you try to prevent than from having their say. Please don't let Ms. Rose think you were trying to shut her out - she will go off!
Friday, August 3, 2012
NewsTalk gets full-hour replay!
If you miss the same-day replays, watch on TBD.com.
Art and poetry contests for kids
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Comment now on city's winter plan for those who are homeless
An essential back-to-school supply
Yup, ‘tis true.
The whole world is available to young and old at the library. At the DC Public Library, you can check out books and movies. Young children are exposed to stories, the excitement of language during story hour. Young people can get homework help and some teens even can get a job at the library. Older folks can get assistance with resumes and job searches.The library opens up a whole new world. So visit your library today, get a card and start checking out the world―here and very far away.
Getting a library card is easy. You can do it online at dclibrary.org or in person. School-age children may apply for a card; young children may receive one upon request by a parent. [Note: A child’s record cannot be reviewed by the parents under the "District of Columbia Confidentiality of Library Records Act of 1984" (DC Law 5-128). The child must initiate such a request.]
If you are running a back-to-school supply drive, be sure to include information about how children can get a library card. And remember the parents; they need a card, too!
Have you called 211 using a cell phone?
Please take—and if you’re a service provider, have your clients take—this brief and confidential survey. It’s available in English, Spanish, French, Amharic, Vietnamese, and Chinese. All surveys are available on the website of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Note that English and Spanish are available online and in PDF (scroll down) but we encourage you to use the online version!
The survey closes September 14.
211 is the District’s social services referral system available by phone and Internet. Anyone can call any time to find out about health services, government programs, help for families, and much more!
A shout out to So Others Might Eat (SOME) for suggesting a survey be done for clients who may use their cell phones to call 211.
Wild Apricot's August 2012 list of free webinars
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Natural linkages between sustainability and social services
Any skepticism about the relationship between these four issues and sustainability was quickly put to rest. Environmental, planning, and other sustainability experts chatted effortlessly with social services folks about important issues. We chatted about food, learning, volunteering, leadership development, health, and much more. Those topics demonstrating special synergy have been captured in the selected tweets Storified in Sustainable DC's relevance to low-income advocacy and services.