The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) presents unparalleled education and networking opportunities for green building and renewable energy professionals when it hosts its 31st annual Building Energy Conference and Trade Show at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center on March 7-9, 2006. "Building Energy 2006 is a solutions-oriented conference," says Nancy Hazard, NESEA Executive Director and organizer of the conference. "It is intentionally interdisciplinary, so as to foster systems thinking, unique networking opportunities, and solutions to the energy and climate change challenges facing us today." Full story at http://www.csrwire.com/article.cgi/4841.html

Does your organization need some training in looking for grants?
Did you know that the New Haven Free Public Library is one of only three Cooperating Collections for the Foundation Center in Connecticut, and offers free access to their database of private philanthropies and corporate giving programs? Call (203) 946-7431 to schedule a free training session for your staff or board members to learn more about the resources that are available to help you discover new funding sources.

HIPPA Rules: On Jan. 1 new rules for calendar-year health plans go into effect, imposing new reporting requirements on employers and curtailing allowable coverage exclusions. Even small health plans must comply with the security rules by April. For more information about HIPPA requirments: http://www.ctnonprofits.org/pages/NonProfitResources/hipaa.asp

A new report from the Food Research Action Center might help low-income families dealing with high home-heating costs: Heat & Eat: Using Federal Nutrition Programs To Cushion the Shock of Skyrocketing Heating Bills. Download at www.frac.org/pdf/energy_paper05.pdf.

Congratulations to several New Haven-region nonprofits that are celebrating anniversaries of 30 years or more:
American Red Cross, So. Central CT Chapter (100 years, New Haven)--provides direct relief in local emergencies, training in a variety of safety and health areas, transportation to doctor appointments, assistance to military families. www.arcsct.org.
Community Mediation (30 years, New Haven)--offers staff and trained volunteer mediators to help individuals, groups and communities resolve conflicts through mediation and other non-violent means: www.community-mediation.org.
Continuum of Caring (110 years, Wallingford)--Masonicare's broad range of services and facilities fill the needs for home care and senior living facilities, for all members of the public. www.masonicare.org.
Guilford Foundation (30 years, Guilford)--initiates and funds public assessments of community needs and ways to meet them. www.guilfordfoundation.org.
Milford Historical Soc. (75 years, Milford)--collects/preserves Milford antiquities & raises awareness of the history of Milford. www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/3831.
Schooner, Inc (30 years, New Haven)--promotes environmental awareness and personal growth through educational experiences in marine science, sailing, and learning about Long Island Sound. www.schoonersoundlearning.org/schooner.html.
Shore Line Trolley Museum (60 years, East Haven)--works to preserve the heritage of the trolley car and its era. www.bera.org.
(source: Business New Haven, Dec. 12, 2005)

Association of Fundraising Professionals' recent survey on the impact of Katrina philanthropy on US charities in general may be found at www.afpnet.org.

CT residents without health care insurance will be able to find out about their insurance options by using a new State webpage that will be up by Jan. 1, according to a story in the NYTimes CT section (12/25). State-Administered General Assistance (for low-income adults), the Municiple Employees Health Insurance Program, which self-employed adults can buy into, and the HUSKY plan for children, are among options that will be included. See also the CT Health Policy Project for more information: http://www.ct.gov/longtermcare/cwp/view.asp?a=1398&q=306736

Study Shows the Superrich Are Not the Most Generous, reports the New York Times (12/19/05). Full report: www.newtithing.org.

From lcruz@cfgnh.org:
As many of you know the EPA has proposed a rule change to the toxics release inventory (TRI). TRI is an important disclosure mechanism that the EPA is proposing to severely curtail. For those of you interested in Socially Responsible Investing here is a link to a website where you can easily send a message to the EPA voicing your concerns. http://www.savetri.org Letter and emails can also be sent to:
Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
Environmental Protection Agency
Mail Code: 28221T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20460
Attention Docket ID No. TRI-2005-0073
Email: oei.docket@epa.gov
Please take this action today and share it with your contacts. The deadline for the comment period to the EPA is January 13, 2006.

Misc. Funding notices:

• The Corporation for National and Community Service has announced the availability of approximately $40 million in grant funds, subject to congressional appropriation, to support service-learning projects in the 2006-07 school year. The focus of this funding is on ensuring that more youth (ages 5 to 17) who live in disadvantaged circumstances are able to engage in service-learning. Funds are available for intermediary organizations as well as schools, colleges, and community organizations, and may be used to create curriculum materials, support training and technical assistance activities and make sub-grants to local partnerships to carry out service-learning. The application deadlines are in February and March. Information and application instructions are at www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp or from Elson B. Nash, Asso. Director for Project Management, Learn and Serve America, at 202-606-6834.
• The competition for the next 3-year cycle of AmeriCorps funding is now underway. The Corporation plans to award approximately $69.2 million to new grantees and re-competing AmeriCorps grant programs. At least 15% of those funds will support applicants that have not received AmeriCorps operational grants for the last five years. Anyone interested in an AmeriCorps grant in one state must contact their State Service Commission for the required application and due dates. State Commissions are reviewing applications now; applications for direct grants from the Corporation are due February 14, 2006.
• Innovations in Nonpartisan Youth Voter Registration is a new national competition to identify and support innovative and replicable strategies for registering young people 18-29 to vote. The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management is coordinating this competition. They will award $50,000 to $250,000 grants to 8-10 organizations working with different subsets of the youth population and employing diverse, nonpartisan registration methods. The deadline for applications is January 13th, 2006. www.youngvoterstrategies.org or Heather Smith at (202) 994-5052 or hsmith@gwu.edu.
• Women’s Business Development Center ( WBDC) announces grant opportunity for CT small business owners who want to learn how to develop a practical marketing plan and increase their sales in 2006. The first of two 2006 WBDC grants will cover $1200 in tuition costs to attend a 4-session “Hands-On Marketing Series” that provides training and assistance for business expansion. Applications due January 13: contact Mary Laughlin at mailto:mlaughlin@ctwbdc.org/ , (203) 353-1750. www.ctwbdc.org

Good News for CT agencies working to help the homeless: New Haven Register (12/21/05, A3) reports that HUD will distribute $3.5 million in grants to locally & state-funded facilities that provide temporary or permanent housing for the homeless. These HUD Community Development block grants & emergency shelter funds will go out early in 2006. Full story: http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15790629&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=7576&rfi=6

Columbus House (New Haven) invites area nonprofits to listen in on an audio conference presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in January.

Create and Shape Your Volunteer Dream Team! is presented by dynamic fundraiser, author, trainer and consultant, Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE.
Are you effectively using volunteers in all aspects of your development program?
Learn the various roles volunteers can play that will improve your fundraising results. Participants will discuss where to find volunteers, how to recruit them and how to keep them involved and energized through orientation, support, education and recognition.

When: January 10, 2006 - 1:00 to 2:30
Where: Columbus House conference room.
Who: 14 (min.) to 20 participants from area nonprofits
Cost: $10 or less per participant (Total conference cost of $140 will be equally split among participants).
RSVP: by Thursday, January 5 to jbrooks@columbushouse.org or 401-4400 x108
Please note: Due to seating limitations, we will reserve space on a first come – first served basis.

For more information about the program, please visit www.afpnet.org/ec_detail.cfm?folder_id=888&event_id=8845

Columbus House is looking for clean coats, hats, gloves, scarves & new underwear, plus monetary donations, to help the homeless in New Haven. During December, bring donations to Sweet Relief Cafe on Audubon St. and get 50% off on any sandwich! www.columbushouse.org.

CT Association of Nonprofits (CAN) has just released its First Quarter 2006 Center For Professional Development training catalog, available at www.ctnonprofits.org/pages/Training/TrainingCatalogue.asp.

The former Yale SOM/Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures has morphed into a new nonprofit organization to promote social entrepreneurship as a way to affect positive social change. SocialReturns, Inc is led by Cynthia Massarsky, a former co-director of Yale's Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures. For more information: www.socialreturns.org.

Weiss Ratings FastLink offers access to independent, unbiased safety ratings for common stock, banks, stock mutual funds, closed-end mutual funds, life, health & annuity insurers, property & casualty insurers, HMO & health insurers. Users can access all industries or just one. Weiss Ratings were recently rated #1 by the Wall Street Journal for performance over many other independent rating firms.

The New Haven Free Public Library now offers Weiss Ratings online from your home or office computer as well as at any library computer--just visit the library's database section, and scroll down to Weiss Ratings: www.cityofnewhaven.com/library/computers.htm#databases. Problems accessing databases from your own computer? Call me at 946-7431.

Morningstar's special report, The Best Funds for 2006: top blue-chip picks, hidden gems & tax-efficient standouts, is available online at http://mfb.morningstar.com/PDF/SpecialReports/MFBOSpecialReport_Q106.pdf. Log in with cbrown@nhfpl.org, password: business.

Albertus Magnus College will offer information about its New Dimensions program and a Toys for Tots drop box in the rotunda of the New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., on Saturday, Dec. 17, 10-2, and Monday, Dec. 19, 3-8pm. Details: 777-0800 x164 or crystal.higgins@apollogrp.edu.

If you have an interest in nonprofit teaching and learning, consider attending Benchmark3: Conference on Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies, March 16-19 in Tempe, Arizona. This conference occurs once a decade (This is the 3rd in thirty years). http://www.asu.edu/copp/nonprofit/conf/2006conference_con.htm

HOLIDAY SPECIALS AT GEEKS FOR GIVERS!

Good for all orders postmarked before 12/30/2005 ­ then it’s back to regular prices!
$50 WINDOWS 98 PC’s: These systems are not quite powerful enough to run Windows 2000, but still have all the advantages we offer: a newly installed and licensed Operating System, Online & Network Security SW, Office productivity SW, etc. $50 per system, irregardless of the size of your organization.
21-INCH MONITORS ­ very helpful for visually impaired workers or clients. Free with any Windows 2000 order (must provide statement of proof of need for the visually impaired).
WINDOWS 2000 SYSTEMS: Reduced by $20! And all orders will include a free laser printer. Did you know the cost per-page for laser printer supplies is as low as 1.5 cents, where most inkjets are around 5 or 6 cents per page? Limited to one printer per order.
Reminder of our Windows 2000 System Spec’s: 400 MHz or faster, 128 Meg RAM or more, 6 Gig Hard drive minimum.
Link to order form is here: www.geeksforgivers.org/GFG_order_howto.doc

"Must-read article for anyone working toward integration and concerned about equality in education" --link sent by Lee Cruz, Senior Philanthropic Officer for the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven: http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/papers/fryer_torelli.pdf

Congratulations to 2005 CT grantees of Citigroup Employee Community Fund: The Center for Women and Families, Mercy Learning Center, Health Care Connection, & Homes for the Brave/ABRI. To find out how to be considered for these grants, contact Monica Chaves (866) 799-7985 or www.citigroup.com.