Local Business Extends “Fostering Hope” Program Providing Backpacks for Foster Children

In honor of National Foster Care Month, locally owned and operated advertising specialty and marketing company The Perfect Promotion collected new duffle bags, backpacks and luggage to supply to children in foster care as part of the Fostering Hope Program that they launched in 2010.

Through donations made  by the community, factory suppliers and The Perfect Promotion, hundreds of bags have been donated since the initiative was launched, including more than 200 this year. The bags were donated in May to the Rocky Hill-based Connecticut Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents, Inc. (CAFAP) and were distributed statewide to children in the care of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF).

According to the Connecticut DCF, as of February 2012, there were a total of 4,515 children in foster care.  The average age is 9-years-old.    The placement breakdown includes 1,953 children in direct foster care, 1,221 in congregate care, 996 in relative care, 131 in independent living and 30 in a trial home.

“When I first learned that children in foster care oftentimes use a trash bag to carry all of their worldly belongings when they move from placement to placement, I knew we had to do something,” said Jody Ferrer, president of The Perfect Promotion. “It is my goal that the Fostering Hope Program will provide every child in foster care in the State of Connecticut with a bag to call their own, and a dignified means to move their possessions.”

More information about foster care is available from the state Department of Children and Families in a pamphlet, “A New Beginning” which tells the stories of the impact of foster care on the children and their foster families.

In  an ABC Primetime report telecast in 2006, it was reported that “Children have on average three different foster care placements. Frequent moves in and out of the homes of strangers can be profoundly unsettling for children, and it is not uncommon to hear of children who have been in 20 or 30 different homes.”

All families providing foster care and pre-adoptive care for children in Connecticut are licensed or approved according to the regulations of the Connecticut DCF.  The first step is to attend an open house offered by one of 14 area offices around the state. At the open house, staff provide an overview of the agency’s mission, philosophy of foster care, and the licensing process and requirements. To begin this process, or to learn more, call 1-888-KID-HERO or check the Open House Schedule.

The Perfect Promotion uses a consultative approach the focus is on the needs and goals of the client. Imprinted apparel and promotional products are used as tools to help businesses and nonprofits achieve their goals and maintain a positive, top-of-mind presence. For more information, visit www.theperfectpromotion.net.

Leadership Greater Hartford Initiative Selected for National Recognition

The Association of Leadership Programs, a national organization with affiliates across the country, will present Leadership Greater Hartford with its first "Excellence in Innovation" award for the implementation and success of the Leaders on Board program.  The presentation will take place during the 2013 National Leadership Conference to be held in Arlington, Virginia later this month.

Leaders on Board is an ongoing program that strengthens nonprofit organizations by training and connecting participants with boards of directors seeking new members.  The program attracts individuals who want to serve on a board, develop their leadership skills and serve the community.

Leaders on Board has successfully matched nearly 300 individuals with more than 75 nonprofit organizations throughout the region since its inception in January 2009.  The list of organizations that have placed members on boards through the Express Match process is quite impressive – and a who’s who of community organizations.

Potential board members receive training in nonprofit organizational structure and management. They are introduced to the role and responsibilities of board members and are encouraged to explore their skills and interests.  Then nonprofit board leadership and prospective board members interview each other, and “matches” are pursued by the organizations and the individuals.

In announcing the recognition, LGH said the success of our Leaders on Board program is not only due to the hard work of the LGH staff, but also to the commitment and time that the participants and nonprofits invest in making sure the program is a success. "We are delighted to share this award with everyone who has been involved with Leaders on Board since 2009, especially the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, our funding partner. Thank you for making Leaders on Board the best it can be." Leaders on Board is a program created by Leadership Greater Hartford with support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and in collaboration with the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Corporations and businesses also participate in the program by offering board governance training to encourage their employees who are interested in serving the community.

Also during the conference in Virginia, longtime LGH president Ted Carroll will be leading a workshop for conference participants, entitled “Building Community by Transforming Local Government.” The workshop description highlights that “As Leadership Greater Hartford’s consulting and training activities have increased, our most important, and most profitable client has become our city government. This workshop will provide insights into how community leadership programs can apply their services and expertise to help municipalities develop more collaborative, participatory cultures.”

Upcoming "Leaders on Board" Express Match The next Leaders on Board “Express Match” program is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, June 11, 5:30 – 8:30 at Asylum Hill Congregational Church (814 Asylum Avenue) in Hartford.  Pre registration required, on the Leadership Greater Hartford website.

Overwhelming Support Spells Defeat for Creation of Social Benefit Businesses in CT

Despite being introduced with the backing of Governor Malloy, overwhelming support in the House of Representatives where it passed by a lopsided 128-12 on May 20, and co-sponsorship by the legislature’s four top leaders, legislation establishing the “benefit corporation” as a new type of corporate entity never came up for a vote in the State Senate.  And thus it died when the legislative session ended on Wednesday.

“Despite a great deal of effort, we lost. It is a sad day for Connecticut that we couldn't get something so unequivocally positive done. I personally find it hard not to be disheartened by the whole process, but I guess that's politics,” said Kate Emery, founder and CEO of reSET, the Social Enterprise Trust.

Similar legislation has already been passed and signed into law in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. It is pending in nine other states.

The bill (HB 6356) would have allowed businesses to legally incorporate as benefit corporations in Connecticut and was described as the most comprehensive piece of social enterprise legislation ever proposed in the United States.  It was designed to help social entrepreneurs protect their organization’s social mission, and provide a transparent, accessible, and simple mechanism for defining their business’s social goals.  Supporters said the legislation would also help drive job creation and increase the number of community-based partners committed to solving some of Connecticut’s most pressing social issues without requiring additional state funding.

Here’s how Hartford Courant business editor Dan Haar described the bill in a column the day prior to legislative adjournment:  “The bill has few if any opponents, it would make it easier for private firms to do some good in the world and it wouldn’t cost the state any money (okay $62,000, once, to reprogram the computers).

Firms organized this way, known as type-B corporations, would have a stated social goal beyond profits for the owners — public health, perhaps, or promoting the arts or restoring the environment or creating economic opportunity for disadvantaged people. It’s the kind of stuff nonprofits tend to do, but allowing for-profit companies to set up with a social purpose simply adds an avenue.”

The bill not only required benefit corporations to publicly state their social mission within the business’s articles of incorporation, but it also would have created a culture of accountability within Connecticut’s social enterprise community by requiring that those businesses publish an annual benefit report detailing the public benefit that they have actually created, and make that information publicly available on their website.

It also would have given owners of social enterprises the option of locking in their commitment to the social mission that their business is designed to serve by electing to adopt its legacy preservation clause after a waiting period of two years. This would allow shareholders to ensure that their commitment to the creation of public good is maintained, even if ownership of that company changes over time.  But it was not to be.

“We did everything we could possibly do and we had a lot of great people working very hard to make it happen,” Emery said in an email to supporters of reSET across the state.  “It was a well fought battle and sooner or later we'll get it passed but for now we will have to take heart in knowing we did all we could.”

The broad coalition of supporters – all of whom submitted testimony during a public hearing on the bill -  included AARP, the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges and AT&T.  As Haar noted this week, Connecticut Innovations, the state’s technology investment arm, and the state Department of Economic and Community Development both supported it actively.  The Connecticut Bar Association, which opposed a similar bill last year, also supported this year’s revised version.

Benefit Corporations are a new class of corporation that 1) creates a material positive impact on society and the environment; 2) expands fiduciary duty to require consideration of non-financial interests when making decisions; and 3) reports on its overall social and environmental performance using recognized third party standards.

In her public hearing testimony, state Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith said Connecticut “is poised to realize many benefits” from passage of the bill, which would “leave a lasting social and financial impact on our state for years to come.”

Connecticut Well Represented in National Mental Health Dialogue

Keeping a commitment made in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders last December, President Barack Obama launched a national mental health dialogue at the White House Monday aimed at increasing understanding and awareness of mental health, and Connecticut organizations are involved in the efforts from the outset.

Among the initiatives announced during the day-long conference was a new national website, www.mentalhealth.gov, and a series of public meetings to be held around the country under the “Creating Community Solutions” rubric.  Two of those community conversations will be in Connecticut – in Hartford and Norwalk – and one of the six national organizations coordinating the initiative has its headquarters in East Hartford.

The Center for Civic Engagement at the Hartford Public Library will organize the Hartford event as part of the National Dialogue on Mental Health. In response to unprecedented need for civic engagement, Hartford Public Library created the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). The CCE aims to create a community change process, foster development of a community vision, contribute to a stronger, more successful community, and establish a civic engagement model.

The dialogue in Norwalk will be co-sponsored by the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Southwest Regional Mental Health Board.  The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes philanthropy to build and sustain a vital and prosperous community where all have the opportunity to participate and thrive.  The Southwest Regional Mental Health Board is dedicated to ensure a quality system of comprehensive, recovery oriented mental health and addiction services that enhances the quality of life and well being of all residents of Southwest Connecticut.

The Creating Community Solutions initiative will allow participants to learn about mental health issues - from each other and from research - and to develop plans to improve mental health in their own communities, according to officials.   The national dialogue is to include young people who have experienced mental health problems, members of the faith community, foundations, and school and business leaders.

Among the six national “deliberative democracy” organizations involved in developing the Creating Community Solutions program is East Hartford-based Everyday Democracy, according to federal officials.  Everyday Democracy helps people organize, have dialogues, and take action on issues they care about, so that they can create communities that work for everyone. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of a strong, equitable democracy that values everyone's voice and participation.    Details about Everyday Democracy's role in the initiative and how partner communities and organizations can get involved will be available on the organization’s website in the coming days.

Details regarding the date, location and registration information for the Hartford and Norwalk sessions will be available on a new website, at www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org.  The site is part of the national mental health website, which was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.   Thus far, community dialogues have been scheduled in New Mexico, California, Alabama, and Arizona, and an additional 29 sites – including the two in Connecticut – are making plans.   A Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CreatingCommunitySolutions, has also been launched.

Materials to support the conversations are being developed and will shortly be available for download, including an Information Brief, Organizing Guide and Discussion Guide.  In addition to Everyday Democracy, the organizations working together to design and implement Creating Community Solutions are America Speaks, Deliberative Democracy Consortium, National Issues Forums, the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

In addition, a number of national associations are asking their members or affiliates to organize local events. These groups include the United Way, American Bar Association, National League of Cities, YWCA, National School Public Relations Association, 4-H, Grassroots Grantmakers, Alliance for Children and Families, National Physicians Alliance, Association for Rural and Small Libraries, and the International Association for Public Participation, among others.

Data Emerges on $20.4 Million Raised by Charities After Sandy Hook Shootings

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and State Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein have made public information collected from dozens of charities related to the shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.  The data collected thus far indicates that 43 charities have collected nearly $20.4 million and have distributed nearly $2.9 million.

Among their charitable purposes, as reported by the organizations, are:  to provide direct financial support or other assistance to the 26 families who lost loved ones; to create scholarships and an endowment to support Newtown’s children and youth; to purchase memorial trees; pay for  construction of a physical memorial to those lost; and to recognize, support and inspire acts of kindness.

 The information was provided in response to a request for information by the Attorney General and Commissioner. The letter and short survey were sent March 28 to 69 charities either registered with the state Department of Consumer Protection, or publically identified as having accepted donations related to Sandy Hook Elementary, where 20 children and six adults were killed on Dec. 14, 2012. The charities were asked to respond by April 12.

 “This request was an initial step to provide information to the public, Newtown community and other charitable organizations trying to meet the needs of those affected by this tragedy,” said Attorney General George Jepsen.

There were 22 organizations that have not responded to the letter of inquiry as of April 15, and Jepsen said his office will be following up with each of them. The collected information is available on the Attorney General’s and Consumer Protection websites as a service to the public, however, the postings should not be considered an endorsement of any charity by the agencies or by the State.

Commissioner Rubenstein said, “We see this as a good first step toward providing transparency to the activities of the various funds, and guiding future donors who may wish to make a contribution.”  Among those outlining their fundraising and spending are the United Way of Western Connecticut, Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, Newtown Pride and the University of Connecticut Foundation.

 The charities were asked about their organization, services and funds, including the dollar amount of any donations and pledges to date; and the purposes for which money was being collected.  “Our offices may reach out in the future to all the charities to determine how the donations were expended and the steps taken to prevent fraud or misuse of funds,” Rubenstein said.

 Links are available to view:

 Survey results     Survey Questions       List of charities

 In addition, the Attorney General and Commissioner also asked charities and members of the public to refer names of other organizations collecting donations for Sandy Hook-related purposes.

 The Attorney General’s Office website also notes that Connecticut law requires groups that “ask in our state for anything of value to benefit a charitable purpose or charitable organization to register, or claim an exemption from registration, with the Public Charities Unit” of the office.   Companies that are paid to solicit on behalf of charities, usually by telephone, are also required to register.  The website explains that “registration is mandatory and does not imply that the state endorses any particular organization or paid soliciting company.”

The Public Charities Unit receives annual financial reports for registered charities.  According to the website, “Information on how the charity spends its money may help you decide whether you wish to support the organization with your donations.   If you have been solicited by telephone, we will also tell you how much of your donation goes to the charity and how much will stay with the paid solicitor.”

Regardless of the charity’s location, if the group intends to ask in Connecticut for anything of value to benefit a charitable purpose or other charitable organization, it must register to solicit (or claim an exemption from registration) by filing a form with the Public Charities Unit.

Students Want Financial Education Before High School Graduation

While more than 3 of 4 teens (76%) believe the best time to learn about money management is before graduating high school, less than 3 in 10 (29%) reported programs currently in place, according to a national survey of teens.  Those statistics stand out  in the latest Junior Achievement USA^® (JA) and The Allstate Foundation 2013 Teens and Personal Finance Poll. The gap between students who want financial education and those who receive it  is precisely the gap that JA volunteers seek to fill - which explains why more volunteers are needed.  JA is a partnership of educators and volunteers from business and the community. The survey also found that 25 percent of teens think they will be age 25-27 before becoming financially independent from their parents, up from 12 percent in 2011. Concurrently, parents are also expecting their children to be in their mid-20s by the time they are financially independent, as the economy, availability of jobs and societal norms now indicate a longer dependence on parents.

More than one-third (34%) of teens said are somewhat or extremely unsure about their ability to invest money.  Even as credit cards are aggressively marketed to teens, 20 percent remain somewhat or extremely unsure about their ability to use credit cards. And of the 33% of teens who say they do not use a budget, 42% are "not interested" and more than one-quarter (26%) think "budgets are for adults."

JA provides volunteers with everything they need to be successful in the classroom, including comprehensive classroom materials, step-by-step lesson plans and training, a choice of grade (K-12) and a school location close to home or work and a connection to an individual teacher to coordinate times during the school day for as few as five lessons, each lasting approximately 45 minutes.   Providing children with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our economic system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.

”JA delivers specific, effective programs in the classroom that respond to the knowledge gap,” said Louis J. Golden, President of JA of Southwest New England.  “Far too many teens lack a fundamental understanding of how to manage their money.  The poll reminds us that students recognize that.  JA provides young people the knowledge, tools and inspiration to understand our economy and their own finances, and make their way in the world.”

Last year, more than 2,500 volunteers - business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students – offered JA programs to more than 34,500 students in schools throughout Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, Windham, Tolland, New London and Middlesex counties.  There are ongoing programs at the elementary, middle school and high school level, as well as afterschool programs.

“Classroom volunteers make economic concepts relevant, fuel the entrepreneurial spirit, and challenge the students to excel,” Golden said.  “They help provide the financial knowledge before college that students are seeking.”

To learn more about the JA volunteer program, contact 860-525-4510 or visit www.jaconn.net for details.

National BRAIN Research Initiative Good News for Connecticut

The BRAIN Initiative — short for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies — announced this week by President Obama, calls for historic investments in research and development to fuel innovation, job creation, and economic growth.  In Connecticut, where scientific research – from stem cells to bioscience – has been advocated and advanced by government and a roster of companies home-grown and imported, the proposal to push yet another scientific envelope should be good news. The Initiative “aims to bring together nanoscience, engineering neurology,” said Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, who described the initiative as “bold and audacious.”   It is an effort to revolutionize understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

The announcement came on World Autism Day, created to bring attention to the group of developmental disabilities known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).   In Connecticut, Autism Speaks, part of the national organization, offers connections to 120 resources to support and assist families.  Recent stats indicate that autism effects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys .

The Alzheimer's Association, the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research said it “looks forward to working with the administration on this ambitious new project.”   The Connecticut chapter holds its annual education day on April 16 in Berlin.  More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, including 200,000 younger than age 65.

The President highlighted the BRAIN Initiative as one of the Administration’s “Grand Challenges” – ambitious but achievable goals that require advances in science and technology to accomplish. The President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropies to help create the jobs and industries of the future while improving lives.  The BRAIN Initiative is launching with approximately $100 million in funding for research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

In January, Governor Malloy proposed the Bioscience Innovation Act which, over ten years, would establish a $200 million fund here to strengthen Connecticut’s bioscience sector, to be administered by Connecticut Innovations, the state quasi-public economic development entity.  Private organizations also promote and advance research in the state, as well as responding to individual dealing with brain-related diseases or injuries.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Connecticut (BIAC) sponsors approximately 30 support groups throughout Connecticut. All provide information, support, and encouragement to survivors and their loved ones.  The organization has events planned in May (bike-a-thon) and June. As a partner in prevention, BIAC works with individuals, organizations, schools and government to educate people in Connecticut about the causes and realities of brain injury. As a resource in recovery, BIAC is the only non-profit organization in the state dedicated to providing brain injury survivors and their families.

Also among the numerous organizations in Connecticut with a particular interest in brain-related research is The Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the disease, providing hope and support for those living with brain tumors in Connecticut and raising money “to support and advocate the cutting-edge research we all know someday will find a cure.”  The organization has major fundraising events planned for May (at CitySteam in Hartford) and July (at the New Britain Rock Cats).  The organization is led by “nine individuals whose lives were changed forever by the five words, ‘you have a brain tumor,’” according to the Alliance website.

Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities of the brain called ventricles.  The Hydrocephalus Association's mission, including a chapter in Connecticut, is to eliminate the challenges of hydrocephalus by stimulating innovative research and providing support, education and advocacy for individuals, families and professionals dealing with hydrocephalus. More than one million Americans live with the challenges of hydrocephalus every day. Anyone, at any time, may be diagnosed with hydrocephalus.  The organization will hold a fundraising walk in Middlebury in September.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut is dedicated to improving the lives of people with epilepsy and their families. They are Connecticut's only affiliate of the national Epilepsy Foundation. Approximately 60,000 people in Connecticut have epilepsy, and 1 in 10 people will experience a seizure at some point in their lives, the organization emphasizes.

The new national BRAIN Initiative promises to accelerate the invention of new technologies that will help researchers produce real-time pictures of complex neural circuits and visualize the rapid-fire interactions of cells that occur at the speed of thought. Such cutting-edge capabilities, applied to both simple and complex systems, will open new doors to understanding how brain function is linked to human behavior and learning, and the mechanisms of brain disease, according to The White House.

Survey Reveals Teens Unprepared for Costs of College, Uncertain About Future

As prospective college students receive word this month on whether they’ve been accepted to their preferred institution – and how much financial aid they’ll be receiving - the greater challenge begins.  That’s the grueling exercise to crunch the numbers to try to come up with ways to afford the impending and imposing tuition bill. That reality makes the findings of the Junior Achievement USA^® (JA) and The Allstate Foundation's 2013 Teens and Personal Finance Poll ring alarm bells for teens and their families, as they look ahead to the financial impact of college:

• Only 9% of teens report they are currently saving money for college.
• More than a quarter of teens (28%) haven’t talked with their parents about paying for college.
• More than half (52%) of teens think students are borrowing too much money to pay for college.

JA is helping students understand the importance of saving and planning for future financial needs, working with students from kindergarten through 12^th grade.  That’s at the core of JA’s work, driven by volunteers who provide a real-world view for students.  To meet the need reflected in the latest data and reach more students, JA has opportunities right now – often at a school close to home - for volunteers to participate.

The increasing cost of college, difficult job market and sluggish economy appear to be affecting teens’ views on the timetable for attaining financial independence, and the prospects for their long-term financial security.  According to the poll, during the past two years the percentage of teens who:

• Think they will be financially dependent on their parents until age 25 has more than doubled – from 12% in 2011 to 25% in 2013.
• Say they don’t know or are not sure at what age they will attain financial independence from their parents jumped from a mere 1% in 2011 to 11% in 2013.
• Don’t know or who are unsure if they will be financially better off than their parents has risen significantly, from 4% to 28%.

Teens’ uncertainty about their financial future is also a reflection of their lack of financial knowledge and understanding.  More than one-third (34%) are somewhat or extremely unsure about their ability to invest money.  And of the 33% of teens who say they do not use a budget, 42% are "not interested," and more than a quarter (26%) think that "budgets are for adults."

“Today’s teens expect to be financially dependent on their parents longer, and the number who can’t even predict when they might gain financial independence has jumped ten-fold in just the past two years,” said Louis J. Golden, President of JA of Southwest New England.  “The economy certainly plays a role, but part of the uncertainly is because far too many teens lack a fundamental understanding of how to manage their money.  JA delivers specific, effective programs directly to the classroom that respond to that knowledge gap.”

JA's unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to build student skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Last year, more than 2,500 volunteers - business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students – offered JA programs to more than 34,500 students in schools throughout Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, Windham, Tolland, New London and Middlesex counties.

The volunteers use their personal experiences to make the JA curricula practical and realistic. Providing children with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our economic system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.  Individual interested in learning more about the JA volunteer program should contact 860-525-4510 or visit www.jaconn.net for details.

Hartford Is Top-50 City for Volunteers, Survey Finds

A survey of the level of volunteering in 75 American cities  places Hartford in the top 50, finishing in a tie for 47^th, with 26 percent of adults having participated in volunteer work, volunteering programs or volunteering organizations in the past 12 months.  That’s just slightly below the national average of 27 percent.  Hartford, which tied with Albany, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Greensboro and Sacramento, was the only Connecticut city on the list, developed by Scarborough Research. The top local markets were Salt Lake City, UT (42%); Minneapolis, MN (34%); Des Moines, IA (34%); Portland, OR (34%) and Grand Rapids, MI (33%).

The generational breakdown of volunteers, according to the survey: Millennials (20% of adults participated in volunteer work in the past 12 months), Generation X (27%), Baby Boomers (34%) and the Silent Generation (18%).

The survey also revealed additional demographic information about volunteers. Adults who are self-employed or small business owners are 12 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to be volunteers. While 43 percent of volunteers are employed full-time, they are 16 percent more likely to hold white collar employment and 34 percent more likely to have a college degree or higher.

Volunteers are not only generous with their time; they are financially charitable as well. They are:

• 84 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to have contributed to an arts/cultural organization in the past 12 months,
• 61 percent more likely to donate to an environmental organization and
• 60 percent more likely to contribute to a political or social care/welfare organization in the same time period.

Fifty-seven percent of volunteers contributed to a religious organization in the past year.

For nonprofit organizations seeking to communicate with and reach out to potential volunteers, the survey suggests where and how to do so.  The survey reported that 56 percent of volunteers read the local news section of their newspaper and 38 percent read the international/national sections.

Regarding television and radio habits, the survey found that volunteers are 17 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to tune in to HGTV, 16 percent more likely to watch PBS and 13 percent more likely to watch TLC. The top radio formats for volunteers are Adult Contemporary (26% of volunteers listen), Pop Contemporary (26%) and Country (25%).

The survey was conducted in November 2012, covering the previous 12 months.  Scarborough Research, based in New York City, is a joint venture between Arbitron Inc. and The Nielsen Company.

After-School Network Highlights Accomplishments, Fights for Budget

The lengthy corridor between the State Capitol building and the Legislative Office Building routinely hosts informational poster displays on its walls, in two-week cycles, from a broad range of agencies, organizations and associations, highlighting their work and the impact it has on the state.  Reservations for the space are routinely made weeks in advance. One of the current displays, coordinated by the Connecticut After School Network, comes at a time when they – like many other nonprofit organizations and state agencies – are facing a potential budget cut from the state, at the urging of Gov. Malloy.  Ultimately it is the state legislature that will determine the parameters of the budget, a debate underway throughout the Capitol complex amongst legislators who pass by the posters each day, with messages and statistics that are hard to miss.  Among them:

• After-school programs cut the risk of juvenile crime by as much as 75%
• In Connecticut, 19% of children under the age of 18 experience food hardship.  Many rely on the meals they get at school and in after-school programs as a primary source.
• $1.7 to $2.3 million is saved by putting one high-risk youth on the right path.
• 73% of working parents miss less work when their children attend an after-school program.
• Students in after-school programs are 50% more likely to finish high school
• One in five Connecticut children (21%) regularly spends time after school unsupervised. This translates to more than 80,000 Connecticut children
• Children and youth involved in after-school programs have fewer absences from school.

March 7 was “After School Day at the Capitol.” The organization released a major report "Supporting Student Success in Connecticut: A BluePrint for Expanded Learning Opportunities".   The report calls on the state to make “7 smart, strategic investments,” reflecting that “after-school not be an after thought.”  The recommendations include addressing the issues of summer learning loss, incorporating expanded learning opportunities into the state’s education reform strategies, increasing alignment between systems and funding sources, rethinking the relationship between time and learning, and strengthening quality and accountability.

Their website currently features a petition urging restoration by legislators of the $4.5 million proposed cut and is promoting the organization’s 7th Annual Literacy Essentials Conference, to be held on Saturday, April 6 in conjunction with Central Connecticut State University.

The organization’s web site also points out that “every dollar invested in after school programs will save taxpayers approximately $3, not including the savings from reduced crime.”

The Connecticut After School Network is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization originally founded in 1989 and incorporated in 1990 under the name Connecticut School Age Care Alliance (CSACA). In 1990, CSACA became affiliated with the National School Age Care Alliance (now the National After-School Association).

Following similar action by the national organization, CSACA changed its name and broadened its mission in 2006, becoming the Connecticut After School Network.  It is a partnership of individuals and organizations working to ensure that every Connecticut child and youth will have the opportunity to participate in high quality, affordable after school programs.

The State Department of Education is a significant partner and major funder of the Network, providing leadership, support and technical assistance. SDE also oversees the CT After-School Advisory Council which provides advice and direction to the Network.