Register for the 2009 GNLC!

July 29th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

We are excited to announce that registration has officially opened for the 2009 Governor’s Nonprofit Leadership Conference (GNLC)!

This year’s GNLC is the second part of a three-year series on social impact. Bearing the theme “Where the Rubber Meets the Road,” this conference boasts two keynote speakers who really understand the importance of social impact:

  • Andrew Wolk, founder of Root Cause. Among Andrew’s many accomplishments are launching the Social Innovation Forum, and developing Social Impact Research Reports and writing the business plan for the first statewide Office of Social Entrepreneurship. He has consulted for nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations. Read Andrew’s blog at AndrewWolk.com.
  • Robert Egger, president of the DC Central Kitchen, which combats hunger while giving people employment opportunities. Robert’s book, Begging for Change, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. He has received numerous additional awards and serves on myriad nonprofit boards. Read Robert’s blog at RobertEgger.org/blog.

Until October 5, 2009, you can get a discounted registration rate. Just go to the Regonline Web site and use the following code: EARLY

You can also get a discounted hotel room from now through November 7, 2009. Get this special rate of only $100 per night, per person, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel here.

Don’t forget—this year, we will honor Texas’ most dedicated volunteers at the 2009 Governor’s Volunteer Awards (GVA) during GNLC. The nomination deadline is August 28, 2009. You can download the nomination packet and instructions on our GVA Web site.

We’ll see you at GNLC and GVA!

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Announcing the Community Solutions Agenda

July 1st, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

As we mentioned on our Web site today, President Barack Obama recently announced the Community Solutions Agenda, which includes focusing $650 million of the Recovery Act toward the What Works Fund at the Department of Education. This fund will, in the president’s words, “be investing in the most successful, highest-impact initiatives in our school districts and communities.” At the announcement, the president highlighted several nonprofit organizations that have been achieving quantifiable levels of social impact.

Our colleague Andrew Wolk of Root Cause has a great blog post up here where he describes his experience being present for the Community Solutions Agenda announcement. Wrote Wolk about the program name, “I like the way that sounds. It focuses the conversation on two core elements of this work: ‘community’ and ‘solutions.’”

What did you think of the president’s announcement? What programs do you feel are exceptional examples of social innovation and impact? Be a part of the conversation at Wolk’s blog or in our comments section below.

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Nonprofit News: “State Offices of Social Innovation?”

June 3rd, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

Last Friday, Andrew Wolk of Root Cause wrote a blog post that discussed his recent Boston Business Journal article—an article in which he argued for the creation of a state social innovation office in Massachusetts. In his blog, he took his argument further, asking if a social innovation office that links federal and state activities can be created in every U.S. state.

OneStar: Texas Center for Social Impact was listed in his blog post as one example of a state social innovation office that, in his words, is organized “similar to the way state-based Service Commissions have been set up,” including being “connected to AmeriCorps and the CNCS at the federal-level.”

We want to thank Andrew for recognizing OneStar and for considering us to be an organizational model for social innovation offices!

Do you think that states should utilize social innovation offices?  Do you think they are ready to implement such an office? Share your thoughts in the comments section of Andrew’s blog post, or in our comments section below.

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Nonprofit News: “Nonprofit groups might find 6,300 is a crowd, study says”

May 29th, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - No Comments

Earlier this week, The Austin-American Statesman published an article that raised questions about Austin’s large number of nonprofits. The article stemmed from a study done by Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, which revealed that the greater Austin area—Travis County and the four surrounding counties—has over 6,300 501(c)(3) organizations.

The article is receiving national coverage. On Wednesday, The Chronicle of Philanthropy mentioned it in their “Philanthropy Today” section. In addition, article author Andrea Ball wrote a blog post asking more questions about why so many charities are drawn to Austin. Is it because the city is the state’s capital? Or, as Andrea writes, is it because Austin is “an educated city with a high rate of volunteerism?”

What do you think of this study? Do you think 6,300 nonprofits are too many? Where should the line be drawn—or should it be drawn at all? Let us know in the comments section.

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So Many Nonprofit Blogs, So Little Time

May 1st, 2009 - Posted by OneStar Foundation - 5 Comments

Now that OneStar is actively blogging, we wanted to spotlight some other nonprofit-related blogs.  We hope you find them as interesting as we do:

  • Robert Egger: Founder and president of DC Central Kitchen and award-winning author Robert Egger maintains an engaging blog about the nonprofit sector and legislation that affects it.
  • Give and Take: “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” features a “roundup” of nonprofit-related blogs and their current subjects.
  • AndrewWolk.com: The founder and CEO of Root Cause writes about how public, private and nonprofit partnerships can work together to advance social innovation.
  • Philanthropy 2173: Named a “best blog” by Fast Company magazine, this blog contemplates the future of philanthropy.
  • PhilanTopic: Philanthropy News Digest and the Foundation Center manage a blog that features several lengthy, perceptive posts daily on philanthropy issues and news.
  • Giving City: This online magazine about philanthropy and volunteering in Austin features a blog on local nonprofit events and topics.
  • Nonprofit Blog Exchange: This social bookmarking blog links to new posts from other nonprofit-related blogs.
  • Idealist News: A social bookmarking site filled with links to nonprofit news gives readers the opportunity to vote and comment on its links.

What nonprofit-related blogs do you read on a general basis? What do you find interesting about them?

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