GW Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service’s Post

Welcome to June! Here are three things you can do this month to advocate for the girl child: 1. *Write Encouraging Letters*: Reach out to girls in your community or through organizations that support girl children. Write letters of encouragement, letting them know they are capable, strong, and valued. 2. *Support Education*: Donate books, school supplies, or even your time to tutor or mentor girls. Education is a powerful tool for empowerment, and your contribution can make a significant difference in their lives. 3. *Raise Awareness*: Use your voice on social media or in your local community to highlight issues affecting girls. Share stories, facts, and ways others can get involved in supporting and advocating for the rights and opportunities of girl children. Signed, Obi Jewel Southwest Coordinator, NiMSA Girl Child Advocacy

During the pandemic, when many grantees were forced to operate in crisis mode, College Futures deliberately aimed to foster a sense of care, support, and community, paired with stable and flexible funding. This was the start of a new policy grantmaking strategy that eventually grew to an “ecosystem” of 16 organizations, intentionally designed to advance connections, knowledge, and movement-building across higher education equity. We offer insights to the philanthropic community to strengthen equity-focused movement-building and grantmaking, especially in support of statewide policy and systems change: https://buff.ly/3WzEjuK.

In social sector Fundraising campaigns, annual Reports and in media , I see lot of people posting pictures centered around children , while I understand the larger objective is to create awareness and help children . Some questions that bug me & make me think that we should collectively be mindful of while we interact with children and post content across platforms . 1. Have we taken Consent from children(parents , guardian ) before we photograph them for our stories ? 2. Do we teach children informed consent and how to exercise it ? 3. What are the ethical practices we follow while we work with children ? 4. Can we explain informed consent to a child in simple language ? 5. Are we teaching 'Privacy' to them ? This Children's day , lets be mindful of how we create digital identities of children as right now they might not understand it and start by teaching them 'Consent'

Every night millions of children around the world go to bed hungry. Even more alarming is that nearly half of deaths among children under five are linked to undernutrition- - that’s one child dying every 10 seconds. This #GivingTuesday, I am proud to join Plan International Canada in creating a world where no child faces hunger and no family struggles with life long impact of food insecurity. Together we have an ambitious goal: raising 2,000 Food basket #GiftsOfHope. With a $50 donation - - matched 7X - you can provide $400 worth of life-saving staples for families around the world at risk of starvation. In 2023 alone, Plan International Canada distributed over 245,000 metric tons of food to fight hunger and change lives. Imagine what we do this year with your support. Visit plangifts.ca today and give the gift of hope and nourishment.

Some of us are blessed to wake up on Christmas morning with a room full of love, laughter, and family. The call of our children early in the morning, their voices full of energy and excitement. For me, it’s my very most favorite holiday for those very same reasons. I love traditions and more than anything I love my children and seeing their smiles on Christmas morning. Not everyone has this privilege. Think about children who have been recently removed from their homes, feeling uncertainty, feeling lost and a terrible feeling of grief, not knowing what has happened, not understanding why they are suddenly in a strangers home. Not understanding why “Mom” is not there, wondering where their brother or sister went, why are they not together? Confused about how nice the people are in this new home, but sad because it’s not their home, it’s not their bed, they don’t have their favorite comforting blanket and plush toy. The smell is different, the food looks different, it’s not what “Mom” cooks. Just imagine… This is the feeling of the hundreds of children placed in Foster Care and Residential homes everyday. Its not much compared to all that they have lost, but together we can help share a little joy during the most magical time of the year. Together we can make wishes come true and hope that in someway we have touch the life of a child when they need it most, together we can make a difference! Let’s spread joy together! When participating in Secret Santa you are helping a child in need, who like other children, have wishes and “maybe” a little hope. Interested? Email SecretSanta@HelixHumanServices.org with your interest. We will do our best to match your preferred age and gender. You can help by requesting one wish list and purchasing items on the list. Each wish list is written by each child/youth. I have to say - full disclosure- its fun to see how creative children can get, but sad to see wishes you can fulfill, like “I wish I could see my dad” or “I want to be with my sister”. Other ways to help is making a monetary donation (we do the shopping for you), hosting a toy drive or giving tree, or purchasing an item (or a few) from the Secret Santa Amazon Wish List. Have any questions? Lets chat! To learn more about Helix Human Services and the children and families we serve: www.HelixHumanServices.org To make a monetary donation or learn more about Secret Santa visit: https://lnkd.in/e5MEGNST To see the Amazon Wish List visit (remember as wish lists come in the list of items increases): Link coming soon. Thank you for helping make wishes come true!

- 1/3 of Americans cannot name a single branch of the Federal Government. - 19% of Americans can’t name a single First Amendment right  - Only 27% of Americans can confidently distinguish news from opinion.   - 62% of American’s don’t think people with differing views can come together to solve problems.  - 20% of Democrats and Republicans think violence is “acceptable” if committed “to achieve my idea of a better society.”  - 55% of millennials are dissatisfied with democracy as a form of government  - 46% of Americans are open to nondemocratic forms of government, including being ruled by a strong leader or group of experts A short term answer to a long term solution in restoring confidence in our democratic system and in government is building and supporting organizations like CivicLex. There is literally no other organization in the country that does all of the things that we do under one roof. Here are just a few of those initiatives that are working to improve the abysmal stats above: - We are directly educating students through our K-12 program on how government works, creating civic curriculum with teachers, providing teacher externships into local government, and hosting civic expos for students to learn about issues and connect with the local organizations that address those issues. - We provide adult education through workshops that breakdown our city’s budget, explain how our local government operates, and teaches people how to hold civil discourse.  - The CivcLex Weekly newsletter covers the happenings of 15 hours worth of city hall meetings each week. - LexVote is our robust voter resource that outlines every local race and provides information on voting logistics. This program also includes in-person forums where residents can directly ask candidates questions. - We also run pubic engagement research for community projects like the Urban Growth Master Plan and the new Kelley’s Landing park. As I said, this is just a glimpse into the many things we do to help our community participate in the decisions that affect their lives. We know that the more people participate, the stronger democracy will be. And getting people to engage with local government is far easier than getting them involved in DC. Why? Because local government is literally our neighbors. These are people that also live in our community and make decisions regarding our roads, water quality, schools, taxes, parks, etc. As we grow participation and trust in local government, the same will follow for the state and local levels as more people learn how government works and how to get the accurate information they need. All of this to say, our staff works really hard to build and strengthen civic health… but we also like to have fun. Please support our work and my t-shirt in our staff competition for the Good Giving Challenge. 🙂 https://lnkd.in/gGsqDrQ8

Despite increased polarization, most Americans support working with those holding different beliefs, and foundations are committing more of their resources to this work. In a survey of 133 foundations and 43 in-depth interviews conducted with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and New Pluralists, we found that: ✅ 85% of foundations have funded connecting across differences within the past 10 years, and ✅ Nearly a quarter allocated over half of their grantmaking budget to this work. Download “Coming Together, Not Apart: How Philanthropy Supports Connection in a Time of Dangerous Division” for free and learn more about how others in philanthropy are engaging in this work, the challenges they face, and how we can all invest in connecting across differences. https://hubs.ly/Q02SmQmy0

Join Outdoors On Purpose on Friday, September 20th, 8:30AM for "Hike Out the Vote" #NationalVoterRegistration on 9/20 to help celebrate democracy by getting every eligible American registered & #VoteReady for 2024! Register here: https://qr.link/4eJAyk As the Founder of OOP, it is my belief that nonprofits should support voter registration efforts because civic engagement directly impacts the communities we serve. By encouraging voter registration, nonprofits empower individuals to advocate for policies and leaders that align with their interests and address critical issues like healthcare, education, housing, and environmental justice. Furthermore, fostering active participation in the democratic process strengthens community voice and influence in shaping policies that affect nonprofit missions, ensuring a more inclusive and representative society. Lastly, voter registration efforts align with the broader goal of promoting equity and access to resources, as marginalized communities are often underrepresented at the polls.

Today is Giving Tuesday! At the Alex Sebahie Never Back Down Foundation, we are committed to turning tragedy into purpose and never backing down in our efforts to support the community. We give back through sponsorships, partnerships, and initiatives that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.        •      We support families in need.        •      We create opportunities for students and student-athletes.        •      We partner with local organizations to host events like blood drives. This Giving Tuesday, we’re focused on bringing joy to children who might otherwise go without this Christmas. Every effort counts, and together, we can create moments of hope and happiness for those who need it most. Where are you giving today? Are you giving at work, at home, or in your community? As it says in the Bible: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Let’s inspire each other to give generously, whether it’s our time, resources, or talents. Share your story below—let’s spread the spirit of giving and make a lasting impact together. #GivingTuesday #CommunitySupport #NeverBackDown #GivingBack Alex Sebahie Never Back Down

Join Outdoors On Purpose on Friday, September 20th, 8:30AM for "Hike Out the Vote" #NationalVoterRegistration on 9/20 to help celebrate democracy by getting every eligible American registered & #VoteReady for 2024! Register here: https://qr.link/4eJAyk It is our belief that nonprofits should support voter registration efforts because civic engagement directly impacts the communities we serve. By encouraging voter registration, nonprofits empower individuals to advocate for policies and leaders that align with their interests and address critical issues like healthcare, education, housing, and environmental justice. Furthermore, fostering active participation in the democratic process strengthens community voice and influence in shaping policies that affect nonprofit missions, ensuring a more inclusive and representative society. Lastly, voter registration efforts align with the broader goal of promoting equity and access to resources, as marginalized communities are often underrepresented at the polls.