  
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Monday, November 30, 2020
|
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 10 years of VISIONS on December 1, 2020, virtually.
The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These men and women are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious, and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without, and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great men and women as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the event, we will spotlight each of the honorees.
Michael Brose has been serving as the Chief Empowerment Officer at Mental Health Association of Oklahoma (MHA-OK) since 1993 and plans to retire in December 2020.
Under his leadership, MHA-OK has grown from five to 180 employees. Their programing provides housing, mental health education, support groups, pro bono counseling, mental health screening and referral, suicide prevention, peer-to-peer recovery services, employment placement and support, integrated mobile medical intervention, criminal justice advocacy, and more.
When they first started providing housing, they had eleven beds in the Walker Hall Living Center. Their Housing First model has grown to provide access to safe, decent and affordable housing with 133 units Oklahoma City and 1,433 units in Tulsa. The housing is available to individuals who have experienced mental illness, homelessness, substance use and justice involvement.
Throughout his career, Michael has not only taught and mentored social work practicum students, he has empowered them to advocate for change when the system has failed those who experience mental health issues or homelessness.
Because of his dedication to social work, Michael was inducted to Oral Roberts University’s Social Work Hall of Fame, as well as the University of Oklahoma’s Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work Hall of Fame.
Michael is being honored with the Pat Potts Visionary Award. Named in honor of the founder of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, this award will go to an individual executive leader who, through focus, tenacity and leadership, has inspired the success of a singular organization in carrying out its charitable mission.
Past honorees include Pam Newby, Miki Farris, Albert Gray, Rodney Bivens, Lauren Branch, Danny Cavett, Kevin Evans, Joanna Trimble Smith and Jean Winfrey.
For more information about Visions 2020, visit: https://oklahomacenterfornonprofits.site-ym.com/page/Visions
Tags:
VISIONS
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Nonprofit Sector News,
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, December 1, 2020
|
Governor Stitt and Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits
Announce December as Oklahoma Nonprofit Month
OKLAHOMA CITY - Governor Kevin Stitt today proclaimed December as Oklahoma Nonprofit Month. In December, nonprofits and philanthropists from throughout the state will celebrate the work of charitable organizations along with the donors and volunteers who help provide the resources to change communities.
Marnie Taylor, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, thanked the Governor for the proclamation.
"This year especially, we know the power of the nonprofit sector," Taylor said. "Our organizations have come together in a huge way to enhance, change and save the lives of Oklahomans. This year has been very challenging, but our nonprofits not only met those challenges but have been innovative and resilient despite the Pandemic."
"Our state cannot succeed without strong community partners," said Gov. Stitt. "Oklahoma’s nonprofits work tirelessly every day to positively impact our communities and improve the lives of Oklahomans. I am proud to declare December Oklahoma Nonprofit Month as we recognize the organizations that selflessly serve the most vulnerable populations in our state."
Taylor says she hopes to celebrate nonprofit month in December going forward. She noted this was traditionally the month of giving and hoped the extra focus on nonprofits would spur giving and volunteerism.
"We are wired to give in the month of December," Taylor said. "This year is no different. I'm thankful to individuals, foundations and corporations who have made giving such a big priority for Oklahoma."
The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits will feature 31 nonprofit members throughout December to celebrate the great work of the sector.
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Jerry Wright,
Monday, November 23, 2020
|
In this crazy year of the global pandemic, you might want to call Ghostbusters to rid the world of the wild ups and downs of 2020. With all of the challenges nonprofits have faced in 2020, most of us cannot wait to ring in a new year. Bring on 2021! Since Ghostbusters is a classic 1984 movie and not reality, who else can you call?
The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits is the place to call. OKCNP provides a toll-free helpline for any nonprofit in the state of Oklahoma for simple, to the most complex situations. On the other end of the phone, will be a nonprofit professional with years of experience to assist you with your questions. With a staff with over 125 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, we truly live out our mission every day; “Empowering Nonprofits to Achieve Excellence in their Missions.”
When a small nonprofit called in a state of panic because they had been notified that their nonprofit status was about to be revoked, we provided guidance on how to keep their exempt status in place. When a long-term executive director called in tears because she was having difficulty with that “one” board member making her life miserable, OKCNP was able to provide guidance on how to deal with conflict in the board room. Many times our helpline calls turn into a simple listening session. Nonprofit leaders often feel like they are alone on an island. Public charity work is difficult and complex and each of us need a place to be heard, appreciated, and advised. Mission fatigue is real. Working with difficult challenges and sometimes difficult people, can be exhausting. We want you to know that you are not alone. Oklahoma Center for Nonprofit professionals are just a call away and ready and anxious to help.
We cannot count the number of times nonprofit professionals have reached out to OKCNP for a sample of a policy, internal form or a “best practice” guide to help them in their time of need. We are always willing to help you achieve excellence in your mission. OKCNP may not have all of the answers, but we can be your first and perhaps best resource for the help you need.
Here are just a few of the topics we can help with:
- How to deal with COVID in the workplace and continuing your mission
- Fostering a productive and connected remote work force
- Human resource issues
- Board development and keeping your board members engaged
- Budgeting and financial questions
You don’t have to be a member of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits to call. Any nonprofit public charity can call to receive assistance or guidance. If you need assistance beyond a 15-20 minute conversation, we can also help with full service, professional consulting services.
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Helpline
1-800-338-1798
Tags:
Consulting
Helpline
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Updated: Monday, November 23, 2020
|
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 10 years of VISIONS on December 1, 2020, virtually.
The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These men and women are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious, and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without, and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great men and women as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the event, we will spotlight each of the honorees.
Frank Merrick formed Foundation Management (FM) in 2000 with the knowledge and perspective needed to assist others with their philanthropic goals. When he started FM, there was one staff member and three clients. FM has since grown to a staff of 10, serving over 17 management clients and more than 250 nonprofit consulting clients.
Their private foundation management programming includes police development, administrative services, asset management, grantmaking, regulatory matters, foundation accounting and board retreats. In addition, they provide public charity management, hospital conversion foundation management, corporate philanthropy management and consulting.
In 2001, the first clients of FM (Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, Philip Boyle Foundation and The Merrick Foundation) gave 252 grants totaling $936,541. In 2018, their 17 clients gave $11 million and managed $254 million in assets.
The grants they gave in 2018 supported arts, culture, humanities, animal welfare, community development, education, health and wellness, human services, religious institutions and others.
Frank is being honored with The President’s Award. This award goes to an individual(s) as a special recognition of the President and CEO of OKCNP.
“Frank is one of those people that everyone needs to have on speed dial,” said Marnie Taylor, president and CEO, OKCNP. “He is a friend, a mentor, confidante and a really great community partner. His expertise in nonprofits, governance, philanthropy and Oklahoma communities is like no one else’s. Frank has taught me so much. We can share, collaborate and even commiserate. Frank is a blessing – for me and the sector. I couldn’t think of a better recipient of this award.”
Past honorees of The President’s Award include Dr. Robert L. Spinks, Beth Short and Bill Citty.
For more information about Visions 2020 visit: https://www.oklahomacenterfornonprofits.org/connect/visions/
Tags:
VISIONS
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Marnie Taylor,
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
|
It was only 35 years ago when many of us didn’t wear seatbelts. Car seats for babies and children weren’t the norm. We laugh about the days when family road trips included riding in the rears of station wagons untethered. America had a problem — high death rates in accidents. Safety was a big issue. And the only solution was to get people to wear their seatbelts.
It was the nonprofit sector that came together to challenge policymakers to enact laws that protected people, particularly our children. Just think, without nonprofits, people would likely still be smoking in offices and we would not have the Americans with Disabilities Act. Today, every nonprofit in Oklahoma could have a “seatbelt story.” Whether that is strengthening laws to protect families from domestic violence or ensuring every child has access to food, health and education services, nonprofits have the power to create lasting change.
But these “seatbelt stories” don’t come without work or seats at the table to create this important change.
This election, especially in Oklahoma, means that like our recent past, our legislative composition, budget issues and policy challenges will remain. Therefore, the nonprofit sector continues to need a bigger seat at the table. We are an incredibly large employment and business sector, yet we often continue to be unheard at these tables — even when we pull up our folding chairs. I’m urging our Legislature and governor to invite us wholeheartedly to the table, and to please listen and consider the importance of our sector in decision-making.
While we will welcome a number of new and eager policymakers, the challenges we face at the state level — particularly with regard to the state budget — will dominate the work of nonprofits in the next year. I always tell nonprofits that the time to meet with legislators is not when we are in the middle of a session or facing a crisis. I urge all nonprofit leaders and particularly board members to reach out to current and newly elected members of the House and Senate now. Introduce yourself if you haven’t already. And most of all, fill them in on what your nonprofit is doing and why it is so critical to the needs of your community and our state. Establish yourself as the expert on your mission. Legislators will rely on you for your stories and impact data.
On the federal level, central Oklahoma will have a new congresswoman in state Sen. Stephanie Bice. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits worked with U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn on nonprofit issues the past two years and we look forward to working with Bice. Additionally, we expect to also work closely with Sen. James Lankford and his staff on stimulus for nonprofits and furthering charitable giving incentives.
Finally, I am asking nonprofits — particularly board members and leadership — to put politics aside and to engage in real policy work. We will come to the table together and be vocal on the issues and policy positions that we stand for as a sector. This is our time to be leaders. This is our time to create those “seatbelt stories.” This is our time to be bold and effect change in Oklahoma.
Build relationships. Advocate. Change the future. This is a perfect time for all of us to work hand-in-hand to create the lasting change that Oklahoma needs. To all of our hardworking nonprofits and the people who empower them through leadership, volunteerism and philanthropy, I say thank you.
*Read the original post on Oklahoman.com
Tags:
Marnie Taylor
OpEd
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
|
By the time this is published, I’m very hopeful most of us living in Central Oklahoma will have power back to our homes. Last week was a record storm for Oklahoma. Our friends at OG&E and PSO worked tirelessly to restore power to hundreds of thousands without. Neighbors came together to clear ice storm debris and to check in with one another for our well-being. This is the Oklahoma Standard at work. For that, I am so very grateful.
In my time without power or internet, business was not “the usual.” With COVID-19 issues still lingering, the ice storm was a bit of a tipping point for all of our stress. Yet, we came through. Resilient and moving forward. This is a lot like our nonprofit sector in Oklahoma. When life hands us lemons, we don’t just make lemonade, but lemon merengue, lemon bars and lemon candy. Our sector has jumped through so many hoops this year to take care of our citizens. No matter what curves balls are thrown, nonprofits have stepped up to feed our hungry, give shelter to our homeless, treat our ill, entertain and educate us, empower us and take care of us. And for that, I am so grateful.
This week, our citizens went to the polls. At the time I write this, I won’t know the outcomes from the elections, but I do know that our nonprofits were front and center to engage citizens to get informed about the issues and to exercise their rights to vote. I saw one nonprofit leader spending three full days in their agency van taking people back and forth to ONE OK Field in Tulsa for early voting. I saw other nonprofit groups handing out snacks and drinks to people in line. Our nonprofits are well-engaged in the democratic process. And once again, for that I am grateful.
November is traditionally a big month for gratitude. We celebrate Thanksgiving. I, personally, have kept a gratitude journal for several years, noting what I’m grateful for each day. This year, I believe we need to take a moment to reflect and communicate gratitude in a big way. That gratitude extends to our nonprofits who work each and every day to do good and transform our communities. That gratitude extends to our loyal donors – individuals, foundations and corporations – who provide the fuel for our missions to take flight.
And this year, my gratitude is to Oklahoma. Every year, there’s a surprise. This year, Oklahoma has stepped up in big ways. From our nonprofits and businesses engaging in a challenging Census to citizens coming together to take care of one another in truly unprecedented times. I urge all Oklahomans to take a moment right now to count blessings and express their gratitude. To quote my dear friend and mentor, Pat Potts: Thanksgiving is Thanksliving.
Tags:
Marnie Taylor
OpEd
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
|
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 10 years of VISIONS on December 1, 2020, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These men and women are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious, and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without, and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great men and women as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the event, we will spotlight each of the honorees.
Lance Lang has been serving as the Chief Hope Dealer at Hope is Alive Ministries (HIA) in Oklahoma City since 2012, when he founded the nonprofit. HIA’s mission “is to radically change the lives of drug addicts, alcoholics and those that love them.”
Lance saw a need and found his calling after he received treatment for his own struggles. As he was immersed in the Oklahoma recovery community, he found there was not much structure for newly sober individuals.
HIA is an eighteen-month, three-phase program for men and women that focuses on mental, spiritual, physical, emotional and financial health for newly sober individuals.
HIA has grown to support 174 individuals in eighteen homes across three states: Oklahoma, Kansas and North Carolina. Though their program provides housing for the individual, HIA prides themselves in supporting the family unit as a whole. Over 1,000 families have utilized the HIA program, with a 100% success rate, according to their website.
“Many people have been and will continue to be positively impacted because of Lance’s decision to live out his calling and help those struggling with addiction,” said Blake Wieland, graduate and director of development, HIA. “I know, because I am one of them.”
Lance is being honored with the Rodney Bivens Innovation Award. This award goes to a visionary leader(s) or volunteer(s) in the charitable sector who has burst on the scene with a new, dynamic and innovative idea that inspired groundbreaking changes, bringing newfound success to the mission of an organization or pioneering, exciting program that changes lives.
The honoree will receive a $10,000 award, thanks to a generous contribution from the Donald W.
Reynolds Foundation in honor of Rodney Bivens’ lifetime achievements with the Regional Food Bank.
Past honorees include Christy Counts, Bob Ross, Tim McLaughlin, Jennifer Abney, Desiree Doherty and Christie Luther.
For more information about Visions 2020 visit: https://oklahomacenterfornonprofits.site-ym.com/page/Visions
Tags:
VISIONS
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Friday, October 30, 2020
|
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 10 years of VISIONS on December 1, 2020, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These men and women are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without, and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great men and women as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the event, we will spotlight each of the honorees.
Lori Blumenthal, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), is being honored with the Shirley Shanker Volunteer Award. Volunteers are the life-blood of nonprofits, rolling up their sleeves day after day to provide that important set of helping hands. Named after an Oklahoma legend of volunteering, the late Shirley Shanker, this award honors the ongoing work of a champion volunteer in the nonprofit sector. This year is the first year an honoree will receive the Shirley Shanker Volunteer Award.
Lori has been a CASA Advocate since 2003. During this time, she has served on the board and as board president. She has also been named National CASA Association Board Member of the Year. Even during her time on the board, Lori has maintained at least two cases.
CASA for Children of Oklahoma City trains adults to “advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect,” according to their website. “CASA volunteers get to know their children and communicate with all parties in the case and people in the child’s life in order to provide complete information and sound recommendations to the court.”
In addition to her service at CASA, Lori has served as President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City, Council Member for Family and Children Council, President for Citizens for Children and Families, and Treasure for Junior League of Oklahoma City.
For more information about Visions 2020, visit: https://oklahomacenterfornonprofits.site-ym.com/page/Visions
Tags:
VISIONS
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Monday, October 26, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2020
|
OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR NONPROFITS RECOGNIZED
AS SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
RECERTIFICATION PROVIDER
October 26, 2020
Contact:
Jeremy Hoffpauir
Director of Creative Marketing
Jhoffpauir@okcnp.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oklahoma City, Okla.–The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) announced they are recognized as a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Recertification Provider. Being a Recertification Provider allows OKCNP to award SHRM professional development credits (PDCs) for human resource knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (BoCK).
“I am so excited to hear we will be offering SHRM credit hours,” said Matt Cordray, vice president of operations, OKCNP. “Finding PDCs at an affordable rate is vital to SHRM certified individuals, especially to the nonprofit sector. It is required to have a minimum of 60 PDC hours annually to maintain certification, so you can imagine the time and finances required to stay current.”
OKCNP began the application process of becoming a Recertification Provider in August 2020 and competed the process in September 2020. The application process required OKCNP to provide documentation of the HR courses they have been providing for at least a year that meet the SHRM BoCK standards. OKCNP is approved as a SHRM Recertification Provider through September 2022.
According the SHRM website, “The SHRM BoCK organizes eight behavioral competencies into three clusters: Leadership, Interpersonal and Business. Additionally, the SHRM BoCK organizes 15 areas of HR knowledge which comprise the technical competency HR Expertise into three domains: People, Organization and Workplace.”
List of courses, class dates, how many PDCs are offered
- Standards for Excellence: October 28, 2020 – October 29, 2020, 12 PDCs
- Embark Coaching Academy: November 3, 2020 – December 10, 2020, 18 PDCs
- Boot Camp for Boards: November 4, 2020, 6 PDCs
- The Partnership: November 5, 2020, 4 PDCs
- Standards for Excellence: December 2, 2020 – December 3, 2020, 12 PDCs
- Cultural Consciousness: December 2, 2020 – December 3, 2020, 12 PDCs
- The Partnership: December 16, 2020, 4 PDCs, 4
To learn more about SHRM PDCs offered through OKCNP contact the OKCNP Training Department at training@okcnp.org or visit the OKCNP website www.OKCNP.org.
###
About the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits
The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits is the state’s preeminent organization convening charitable entities from throughout the state for training, consultation, networking, advocacy and recognition. Comprising more than 1,000 members from throughout Oklahoma, OKCNP’s primary mission is empowering nonprofits to achieve excellence in their missions. Since 1981, the organization has assisted thousands of individuals and organizations through various programs designed to build capacity and positively impact the lives of Oklahomans. www.OKCNP.org
Tags:
HR
Professional Development
SHRM
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, October 20, 2020
|
by Linh Sasser
Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 10 years of VISIONS on December 1, 2020, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
The Visions Awards honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve. These men and women are thoughtful, passionate, tenacious and creative in seeking out solutions to problems that affect change. They inspire others with their conviction and drive, give a voice to those without and act with the highest integrity to provide Oklahomans with resources otherwise not available. Visions recognizes these great men and women as passionate champions of service to Oklahoma.
Over the next few weeks leading up to the event, we will spotlight each of the honorees.
Maria Rosales-Lambert, bilingual forensic interview and program director, Oklahoma Interviewing Services, Inc. (OIS), is being honored with the Inasmuch Special Recognition Award.
This award goes to a nonprofit employee that has exhibited excellence throughout the past year. It could be any nonprofit practitioner who has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the everyday work of a charitable organization. This employee has demonstrated a dedication to mission above and beyond his or her call to duty, changed lives of those they serve and shown leadership to peers. Sometimes working with limited resources in difficult circumstances, the recipient of the Special Recognition Award is a selfless and tireless employee that exemplifies service to community and constituents. Wherever possible, this is a person that isn’t regularly recognized for their service, so that we may honor those everyday heroes that make Oklahoma and our citizens thrive.
Maria has worked tirelessly traveling to rural areas of Oklahoma to work with children whose families do not have the means to access child advocacy centers. Maria also understood this was a hardship on law enforcement agencies that have limited personnel. In 2016, Maria and OIS developed the mobile forensic interviewing unit.
The mobile forensic interviewing unit is child friendly, culturally sensitive and allows a fully functional forensic interviewing unit to be on site within 24 hours anywhere in the state of Oklahoma. The unit assists local law enforcement by providing a team of specially trained forensic interviewers and a family advocate while working with children. In addition, it allows the child to be interviewed in a place where they feel comfortable and safe, instead of having to enter the courthouse to testify.
Since the unit has been in operation, OIS has provided over 714 interviews and driven over 67,320 miles. OIS continues to build relationships across the state and hopes to add another mobile forensic unit to their team to meet the increasing demand.
In addition to her work with OIS, Maria has served as a faculty member with ChildFirst/Finding Words Oklahoma, DHS and Oklahoma Commission on Children & Youth. She has worked with C.A.R.T. House, served as a patrol officer with Fort Smith Police Department and as an immigration accredited representative. She has served on the boards for Rural American Ministries, Catholic Charities and Oklahoma CASA State Association.
Maria has trained for the National Children’s Advocacy Center, Oklahoma Child Abuse Training & Coordination, and the American Professional Society on Child Abuse. Her work has led her to not only work with children in Oklahoma, but also to train professionals in Canada and Guatemala to work with children who have been maltreated.
Past honorees who have received the Special Recognition Award include Pat McKinstry, A. Jaye Johnson, Nina Daylor, Sharon Gallagher, Shannon Luper, Anne Roberts and Paula Gates.
For more information about Visions 2020, visit: https://oklahomacenterfornonprofits.site-ym.com/page/Visions
Tags:
VISIONS
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
|
Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation from OKCNP on Vimeo. The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) hosted the 2020 Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards on Thursday, August 27, 2020 (rescheduled from Friday, April 24, 2020). The event took place virtually and can be viewed on the OKCNP ONE Awards page. We are spotlighting the 21 finalists in seven categories.
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation has served United States veterans in all 77 Oklahoma counties, 45 states and 4 countries, including more than 19,000 total individuals, since their founding in 2016. The Foundation has followed the lead of Vietnam War veteran, Lance Corporal Dale K. Graham, U.S. Marine Corps.
Graham has personally been helping veterans file benefits claims for 30 years. He started volunteering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 1990, learning the rules of veteran benefits procedures. He has since become a federally accredited agent.
“Our mission is to serve military veterans and their families,” according The Foundation’s website. “Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation’s primary focus is to share its collective knowledge and experience to help with the Veterans Administration claims process. The Organization also provides assistance and guidance for temporary sources of food, rent, utilities, shelter and transportation to and from medical facilities when necessary for veterans and their families.”
The Foundation is run completely on a volunteer basis, allowing it to offer services free of charge. Services include helping veterans and their families file claims, temporary food services through their food pantry and assisting veterans with medical testing.
“This is a way of opening doors and providing opportunities to others,” said Stanley L. Evans, retired US Army Colonel and board member. “The way we make others self-sufficient is to provide them with the opportunity and resources to build for successful and strong lives.”
To learn more about Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, visit their website: https://dalekgrahamveteransfoundation.org/ or view their ONE Awards video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7509642/video/454075640.
The Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards is dedicated to honoring the outstanding work of Oklahoma nonprofits statewide. The ONE Awards also serves as the primary fundraising event for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. Proceeds from the ONE Awards enable OKCNP to serve communities throughout Oklahoma.
To learn more about the OKCNP ONE Awards or to watch the event, visit: https://www.oklahomacenterfornonprofits.org/connect/one-awards/
Tags:
ONE Awards
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Updated: Tuesday, October 13, 2020
|
by Marnie Taylor, president and CEO, OKCNP
I cannot believe it is already October. I believe we are all looking forward to a hopefully beautiful fall. Change is definitely in the air.
But with the changing of the leaves our nonprofits are facing a number of challenges based on the incurrent political and social climate in the United States. The upcoming elections and U.S. Census results will have repercussions for years for the nonprofit sector which is why nonprofits are closely following the processes. We have a major general election ahead of us with hotly contested races. Money from donors is pour into campaigns this fall, potentially having an effect on charitable giving. Get-out-the-Vote campaigns are underway, and we have only a short time left for voter registration. Mail-in voting has been a significant topic in the news because of the fulfillment problems with the U.S. Post Office. Needless to say, the elections will dominate the news for the next several weeks.
And of course, the Census is wrapping up in days. Oklahoma, in particular, has been struggling with its response rate. Two weeks ago, the national director of the U.S. Census Bureau visited Oklahoma and relayed they had dispatched more than a hundred extra enumerators as part of our sprint to the finish. I will be anxious to see how the response ends.
With all of the political issues happening seemingly at once, and Americans going into a seventh month of the Pandemic, nonprofits have many hurdles ahead. One of those is another stimulus package from the federal government. There have been a number of starts and stops over the past three months on various plans. In the moment I write this, the House has released a $2.2 trillion package that will have nonprofit relief as part of the bill. Nonprofit clientele are in need of further stimulus, particularly unemployment benefits, direct payments and continued student loan relief. While the student loan relief was extended through the end of the year, the others will require legislative action. With further COVID relief needed, I also know the Supreme Court confirmation process is already underway and will take much of the Senate’s energy in the next several weeks.
Most importantly, nonprofits continue to need stimulus of their own. More direct cash could help organizations stabilize during a challenging year of fundraising. Fair and equitable contracting along with more money for operations and loosening of restrictions will also give nonprofits relief. Sen. Lankford has continued to push for greater deductibility of charitable gifts to encourage more personal philanthropy from Americans.
It is my hope that not only nonprofit leaders, but that all community and business leaders will let their policy makers know that now is a crucial time for nonprofits and the people we serve. We know that elections and other political factors will be a distraction, but the hour for nonprofit support is upon us.
Tags:
Marnie Taylor
OpEd
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Monday, September 28, 2020
Updated: Friday, October 16, 2020
|
You’ve already heard that Kuma Roberts, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the Tulsa Regional Chamber, will be our main event for the upcoming Members’ Meeting. We’re asking our nonprofits to “Be Bold” as we talk about equity and how to fight racism and bias. And Kuma is the right woman to lead the charge.
But we thought we needed to highlight Kuma for another reason. She took the #venmochallenge recently and surprised various food workers and delivery drivers with some impressive tips.
Kuma raised more than $1,000 for the viral challenge and then set off to make the days of several people. Showering them with big tips, she made big differences for many of the recipients. One in particular had just moved and the extra tip will help greatly for her settling in.
Kuma was all smiles in her videos as she watched people take envelopes of cash from her front door.
That’s some serious heroism and “doing good,” Ms. Roberts!
To learn more about Kuma and the heroic work she does, join us on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, for the 2020 OKCNP Virtual Members Meeting. Kuma will share how TOGETHER we can BE BOLD and take steps toward action and strengthen the future of nonprofits by building an inclusive, diverse and equitable community.
Tags:
Hero Highlights
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Updated: Friday, October 16, 2020
|
September 30 is our final deadline for the 2020 Census. I urge Oklahomans to rally hard until the end. Currently, we are in the bottom ten states for response. I hope that we will all find energy for a final push to the end of September to get as many people counted as possible.
While I continue to be disappointed in the response rate, it is not for lack of effort. More than a year before the Census began on April 1, 2020, nonprofits and the Department of Commerce were busily preparing us for the Census. Last summer, a group of Oklahoma leaders spent two days in Dallas learning about the Census and strategizing for the event. In October, the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits invited my colleague from Michigan, Donna Murray-Brown to Oklahoma to visit with nonprofits, philanthropists, city and state leaders and Census Bureau representatives to get us fired up about the work.
By the end of the calendar year, we had a strong statewide complete count committee (where I served as the vice-chair along with chair Brent Kisling, ODOC director), a nonprofit complete count committee and a count committee in ever county. That’s a lot of counting. In the spring, the Department of Commerce launched “OKLet’sCount,” on the web, on social media and on air. Nonprofits such as Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and the Oklahoma Policy Institute were launching audacious campaigns around the state. Additionally, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, the Tribes and a number of small cities further afield would launch their own campaigns.
The Census officially opened up on March 12, but by March 17 – the onset of COVID-19 – the news cycle would forever be dominated by the Pandemic, pushing the Census to the side. This was one of a few of the many issues that have challenged our Census work in 2020.
Many populations in Oklahoma have been repeatedly undercounted in the past. This includes Black and Indigenous populations in Oklahoma. Additionally, rural populations, the Latinx population, other minorities and various neighborhoods in our urban areas have lacked participation. We knew this information going into the Census, but these systemic issues will not be erased overnight.
We also had few to no resources to underwrite this work. There was no allocation from the state. The Department of Commerce found funds to develop a robust campaign but lacked resources to purchase advertising space. Our nonprofits were not well-funded for the work, but prioritized it anyway. We know that these will be lessons learned going forward. Many of us have committed to working on the 2030 Census, and we will be starting that work long before the first postcards hit the mail.
I would especially like to thank our colleagues at the Department of Commerce led by Sec. Sean Kouplen and Director Brent Kisling. Their teams worked around the clock in the most unorthodox of circumstances to make this Census happen. I’d like to thank our nonprofits, especially OICA and OKPolicy, for their tireless efforts. And I’d like to thank you. If you filled out your Census, thank you. If you helped someone else fill it out, a double thank you.
And now I ask one more task – please ask everyone you know if they’ve filled out the Census during September. It’s so important for the federal funding to the state. As we have seen with COVID-19, it will be doubly important to ensure enough federal dollars come to Oklahoma. Thank you.
Tags:
Census
Marnie Taylor
OpEd
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Linh Sasser,
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Updated: Friday, October 16, 2020
|
The Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) hosted the 2020 Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards on Thursday, August 27, 2020 (rescheduled from Friday, April 24, 2020). The event took place virtually and can be viewed on the ONE Awards page. We are spotlighting the 21 finalists in seven categories.
Tulsa Habitat for Humanity has been serving Tulsa families since 1988 by building safe, quality, beautiful homes with affordable, low-interest mortgages for families who cannot afford a traditional mortgage. They are able to ensure housing expenses are not a burden on the family through home sponsorships, individual donations and volunteer work, which includes volunteer time from the homebuyer.
“With so many Oklahoma Nonprofits doing such meaningful work, it is an honor to know that our peers recognize the impact and value of the services we provide to low-income Oklahomans,” said Cameron Walker, chief executive officer, Tulsa Habitat for Humanity.
The Habitat for Humanity program not only provides affordable 30-year home loans at a fixed below market rate, they also provide homeownership and financial literacy educational programs. They ensure housing costs do not exceed 30 percent of the monthly household income.
In order to qualify for the program, participants must be first-time homebuyers, have twelve months of steady income, be a legal U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, be willing to complete educational equity hours, need adequate housing, be willing to partner with Tulsa Habitat for Humanity, be able to pay for the home and earn 30-80 percent of the area median income.
The financial literacy curriculum includes home education in two parts. The first includes: credit and budgeting, mortgage process, shopping for a home with a realtor, fair housing, homeowner insurance, closing day, title company and home owner counseling. Part two includes: appraisal, home inspections, walkthrough, home repair, lawn care and Tulsa County Assessor.
“I still use strategies I learned in Tulsa Habitat Homeowner Education – How to Handle Finances and Save Money,” said Tiona Bowman, 2014 Tulsa Habitat for Humanity homeowner.
Additional educational programs, include Money Management I and II, taught by MidFirst Bank staff, where participants complete modules such as Money Value, It’s Your Money, Building Your Spending Plan, It’s Your Credit, Mortgage Financing Process, Fraud/Identity Theft, Financing a Car, and How to Choose and Finance the Right Car.
In addition to homeowner and financial literacy, Tulsa Habitat education teaches how to be a good neighbor, maintain well being and other basic banking services to ensure the homeowner’s overall success.
“Thanks to Tulsa Habitat for Humanity, our children now live in a safe home with space to play and grow,” said Lun Lal, 2019 Tulsa Habitat for Humanity homeowner.
To learn more about Tulsa Habitat for Humanity, visit their website: https://www.tulsahabitat.com/
The Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence (ONE) Awards is dedicated to honoring the outstanding work of Oklahoma nonprofits statewide. The ONE Awards also serves as the primary fundraising event for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits. Proceeds from the ONE Awards enable OKCNP to serve communities throughout Oklahoma.
To learn more about the 2020 ONE Awards or to watch the event, visit https://www.oklahomacenterfornonprofits.org/connect/one-awards/
Read the 2020 ONE Awards winners news release.
Tags:
ONE Awards
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
Blog Home
All Blogs
RSS