
Infographic: Veterans Could Use a Hand-Up
With 22 million veterans living in the U.S., efforts to provide a hand-up to vets are much needed, as they are at risk for homelessness, PTSD, suicide and other struggles.

Chanowk Yisrael Talks About Changing the ‘Hood for Good
Founder of Yisrael Family Urban Farm wants more urban farming
Chanowk Yisrael wants to change the ‘hood for good. That’s his motto. But what does it take to truly transform a community through gardening?

PG&E Summer Jobs Program Helps Teens Gain Experience
Company partners with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento
PG&E piloted the Summer Jobs Program in Fresno in 2012, then expanded it to Sacramento and Bakersfield in 2013. Since the program’s inception, PG&E has invested nearly $4 million to help 900 high school students find summer jobs.

Effective Philanthropy Means Getting Ahead of the Crowd
Across the country, generous donors contribute about $335 billion a year to support more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations, both large and small, according to recent surveys from Giving USA and the National Center for Charitable Statistics.

A Friend In Need
The Mercer Clinic for Pets of the Homeless sees that homeless animals get the care they need and deserve, too.
Founded by UC Davis students in 1992, and located at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento, the Mercer Clinic for the Pets of the Homeless serves not only animals, but the people who love them and the community as a whole.

Action Advocates
The Active 20-30 Club of Sacramento cultivates community service from one young generation to the next
Thanks to the Active 20-30 Club of Greater Sacramento No. 1032, a little crab means a lot of dough for two local charities.

Bringing Art Where It Isn’t
YoloArts helps students find their voices
Danielle Whitmore, YoloArts’ executive director, tells a story about a student named Diana. When Diana — a pseudonym — was a student in a local continuation school, she wouldn’t even get out of bed to attend classes.

Second Act
After years of financial turmoil and uncertainty, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera wraps up its most successful season in a decade
If the recent history of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera has felt like a symphony — with cresting highs, plunging lows and, as was the case last year, overwhelming silence — then this past season reached a long-overdue crescendo.

Seeing The Possibilities
Sacramento’s Society for the Blind helps workers stay working beyond vision impairment
Since 1953, Sacramento’s Society for the Blind has been serving employees and employers who have been affected by vision impairment. As one of their services, the Society’s trainers will come to an office or workplace to assess how circumstances can best be adapted for a visually impaired employee.

Tweeting the Classics
The Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera takes an innovative chance on live-tweeting performances — and wins
Unbeknownst to most of those attending the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera’s Sergei Rachmaninoff performance in February, a cohort of fans relegated to the back rows were on their phones the entire show. They tweeted jokes about the concert, without shame. Because on this evening they were simply doing as asked.

More Than A Feeling
In the quest for funding, charitable organizations need more than a mission — they need a plan
For more and more investors and would-be funders, nonprofits need to have more than a worthy cause and a compelling mission: They need a plan. Specifically, they’re now being asked to showcase the same mindset that’s required of for-profit organizations, meaning that spreadsheets, metrics and core competencies can matter just as much as pulling the heartstrings.

Systems for Success
Nonprofits use measurable outcomes to demonstrate success and shore up support
Saint John’s Program for Real Change is part of a growing national movement of nonprofits designing programs that include new ways to monitor outcomes and quantify success for those they serve.

Friends with Tents
Tent Pals lets buyers donate temporary housing to those in need
While studying abroad at the London School of Economics, UC Davis grad Alex Aguiar befriended a young homeless girl. He found her sleeping beneath an overpass, using folded cardboard to keep the cold concrete from chilling her body. Aguiar could not get the girl’s plight out of his mind. To understand his market, Aguiar spent the night with the homeless community, learning their stories and about what might help them. That’s when the idea for Tent Pals was born

Private Efforts for Public Good
Auburn citizens turn defunct prison into needed shelter
A wearisome, vicious cycle was emerging with Auburn’s homeless population: Greater numbers were congregating on the streets by day and filling the DeWitt minimum security prison by night. Neither the city nor the county had adequate housing or facilities to deal with the situation, so the problem persisted. Residents were frustrated, but nothing was done. A group of community members vowed to act and started a grassroots effort that has culminated in turning the partially vacated barracks at DeWitt into a fully-staffed, round-the-clock facility open to Auburn’s homeless.

Philanthropy that Makes an Impact
How to ensure your dollars to do work this giving season
If you really want to make a difference, it is not a matter of how much money you give, but how well you give it. Many donors want to make a large impact, yet surprisingly, those who want to truly make a difference may want to focus on a smaller scale. Here are three suggestions for donors who are interested in making a direct impact:

Status Check: Common Cents
Sacramento Steps Forward pilot program finds initial success
Last January we reported on Sacramento Steps Forward, the region’s lead agency coordinating efforts to address homelessness, and their Common Cents Program, which is aimed at connecting Sacramento’s homeless to the appropriate housing services. We recently checked in to find out how the program has done this past year.

From the Publisher: Ballet is Back
Snap Shots offers an intimate look at the art of dance
Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of being one of about 30 “thought leaders” invited to a private performance by the Sacramento Ballet as they proved that, indeed, ballet is back.

The Business of Charity
Unwise antiquated thinking is handicapping the nonprofit sector
Over 20 years ago, Peter Drucker, the American management consultant whose writings contributed to the foundations of the modern business corporation, said it was time America changed the way it addresses our ever-increasing social problems. Unfortunately, little has changed since then.

Lessons from a Community Kitchen
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op teaches healthy eating on a budget
When Leah Yadon saw a flier for the Sacramento Natural Food Co-Op Community Kitchen sessions at Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento, she signed up immediately. Food has always played a big part in her life, Yadon says, but no one ever taught her the basic building blocks of a healthy lifestyle.

Let’s Get Functional
3 tips for better board performance
Most board members join an organization for the right reasons, but many fail to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, executive directors complain their board lacks engagement and makes unreasonable demands. Obviously, a disconnect exists, but this scenario has a solution and can be fixed. Here’s how: