An exploration of community-based organizations' information management challenges

Introduction: Community-based organizations are struggling to manage their current, historical and archival information assets, which impact on the information practices and seeking behaviour in these communities. This paper explores what these challenges are and proposes sustainable solutions with the help of cultural institutions. Methods: Research data were gathered from student projects, participant workshops and a case study with the motor sport community. Analysis: This study draws on the qualitative analysis of a range of sources. Results: The findings scope the information management challenges experienced generally in community-based organisations with detailed insights into the difficulties evident in the motor sport community. Conclusion: A common system to register, capture, access and preserve community-based information assets is recommended to be hosted by an Australian cultural institution in their capacity as ‘keepers’ of Australia’s history, archives and heritage

Nonprofit Mergers: An Assessment of Nonprofits' Experiences with the Merger Process

An increasing number of nonprofit organizations are exploring mergers -- the process by which at least two nonprofit corporations join to form one legal entity. Yet, little is known about nonprofits' experiences with the merger process. What leads nonprofits to explore a merger and what outcomes do they expect to achieve as a result? Who within the organization is typically involved in facilitating the merger? How long do mergers take to complete, what do they cost and, above all, what are the results? Drawing on the experiences of 22 nonprofit organizations in Allegheny County that explored, attempted or completed a merger, combined with a comprehensive literature review, this report seeks to answer those questions and provide recommendations that nonprofits and funders can use to inform their conversations about the merger process

Gaining Perspective: Lessons Learned From One Foundation's Exploratory Decade

Ten years after launching an ambitious strategy, the Northwest Area Foundation asked FSG to identify lessons learned from a decade of community-based work. In the period from 1998 to 2008, the Northwest Area Foundation made a big bet on an innovative approach to reducing poverty. Before that time, the Foundation awarded relatively short-term grants in a variety of program areas. In 1998, the mission was sharpened to a single purpose: to help communities reduce poverty. At the heart of the new strategy was a set of placebased, long-term commitments that were conceived as partnerships with entire communities.

Climate Justice Partnership Linking Universities and Community Organizations in Toronto, Durban, Maputo and Nairobi

This paper describes a project based at York University in Toronto, funded through the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program of the International Development Research Centre and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which is working to increase the participation of marginalized groups, especially women, in urban water governance.Students and faculty members from the University of Nairobi, Kenya; Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique; and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa are working with civil society organizations in the three cities and with York University researchers to show how organizing in local communities can help the vulnerable to deal with climate change.As people in marginalized communities begin to address collectively the impacts of climate change, this summons political attention and allows those with direct experience to influence government policy. Civil society organizations, with support from local and international faculty and students, facilitate and focus this activism. University students help to document the NGOs’ work during internships with the NGOs. They also learn community development skills and make contacts. Faculty members publish and disseminate ideas about grassroots climate change adaptation and resulting political responses through presentations, publications and the project’s website (www.ccaa.irisyorku.ca)This research was supported by the International Development Research Centre, grant numbe

Towards the Final Frontier: Using Strategic Communication Activities to Engage the Latent Public as a Key Stakeholder in a Corporate Mission

Private corporations that do not normally interact with, nor regularly communicate with, the public often do not perceive the public as a relevant or active stakeholder. The public may not view themselves as a stakeholder, particularly when they are unaware of, have no direct dealings with, or do not have any problems associated with such a corporation. The current study, utilizing a national survey of the United States public (N = 424) found that through directed strategic communication activities of a private spaceflight corporation, utilizing social and new media tools, a latent public can perceive a corporation and its mission in a positive manner, and transition it towards a status of an aware public and possible active public. Positive perceptions were found regarding corporate credibility, brand awareness, public engagement, communicating a corporate mission, educating the public, and influencing public opinion

Briefing on meetings at & reports by the 65th & 66th United Nations General Assembly

Briefing on meetings at & reports by the 65th & 66th United Nations General AssemblyNo relevant differences are observed or identified after perusal of the space-related resolutions and documents issued by the UN System between 2010 and 2011. The most remarkable statements remain virtually unchanged in this time period. For instance, the UN GA recognizes the common interest of all mankind in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and reaffirms that these shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of development. Also, the growing use of outer space increases the need for greater transparency and better information on the part of the international community. Again in 2011, the UN GA stated that it is deeply convinced of the important role that science and technology play in promoting sustained economic growth and sustainable development and that their use and applications in areas such as telemedicine, tele-education, disaster management, environmental protection and other EO applications, contribute to achieve the objectives in various aspects of economic, social and cultural development and welfare, particularly poverty eradication and mitigation of the consequences of disasters. It is necessary to continue to examine how space science and technology and their applications could contribute to achieve the UN MDG, since space tools are indispensable not only in areas linked to disasters, but also in climate change, food security, opportunities for education and global health. In 2011, 12 April was declared as the International Day of Human Space Flight to celebrate each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of States and peoples, as well as ensuring the realization of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes. We congratulate SGAC people working on the project YGNSS as their contribution [8] to the 2011 HLS AMR of the UN ECOSOC was accepted for distribution to all participants of the HLS in Geneva, July 2011. In this a written statement, the YNSS team informed the HLS AMR that SGAC “is focused on cultivating the next generation of space leaders and increasing awareness of the educational and societal benefits of space technology” and that “Within SGAC, the project YGNSS aims to present to youth the benefits of GNSS and how various such systems applications are able to benefit a nation’s economy and society”. Also, it is mentioned that “YGNSS has supported the educational outreach of GNSS applications”, that YGNSS has spread “the word that GNSS can be used for precision timing, agricultural and disaster management, and a wide variety of items that need accurate positioning, navigation, and timing”, that YGNSS has recommended “that the international community continue to foster the education of GNSS and the utilities of space technology”. Finally, the written statement informs that SGAC “is committed to providing a network for university students and young professionals in the international space sector to collaborate and contribute their international knowledge and skills to foster development”. As per the report from the IAF GEOSS Workshop, Space Sensors for Climate Monitoring [9], it is worth noting that satellite data are required to effectively monitor, characterize and predict changes in the Earth system, and particularly in the climate. Earth Observation (EO) satellites are essential as they provide the only realistic means to obtain the necessary global coverage. With well-calibrated measurements, e.g. using in situ data, space-based sensors will become a critical contribution to global observations for climate.Preprin

Employment Program Components: Considerations for Modifying Programming for People Experiencing Homelessness

Employment programs typically include assessment, job search assistance, work readiness training, occupational training, job placement, and retention services. Research and experience suggest that programs can best meet individual needs, strengths, and interests by modifying these elements to ensure flexible services that support each individual's personal and developmental needs as they transition to employment. This best practice brief highlights a menu of enhancements and examples that programs may consider in providing supportive, flexible services for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness

Optimizing Talent: The Promise and the Perils of Adapting Sectoral Strategies for Young Workers

The new report from JobsFirstNYC and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, highlights national examples of effective sectoral employment programs for youth. It lays out strategies for developing and maintaining strong partnerships among industry experts and youth development practitioners, to boost employment rates among young adults and improve business outcomes. Finally, it details lessons learned from JobsFirstNYC's Young Adult Sectoral Employment Project (YASEP), a successful, first-of-its-kind pilot to test whether sector strategies could be specifically effective for young adults who are out of school and unemployed.Drawing on the promising results of several sector-based employment programs for young people throughout the nation, this report explores how:By expanding and deepening access for young people to sectoral employment initiatives, policymakers and funders can help young people find alternative pathways to jobs, job stability, and advancement;Community-based and young-adult-serving organizations can play a critical role in connecting young people to employment;Collaboration across organizations is essential, and financial incentives to support partnerships must be built into future efforts; andSectoral strategies can yield even greater gains when they go beyond strategies focused on job placement to partnering with employers to identify ways to improve workers' conditions while also supporting business success

Small Community Oil Spill Preparedness Research Project

A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Project ManagementAs transportation through the Arctic becomes more prevalent with tourism and oil exploration, small communities within the Arctic are susceptible to oil spills from fuel barges, passing ships, tank farms, and oily discharges. Oil spills threaten both humans and animals that co-habitat these Arctic regions. Little has been done to prepare these small communities in preparation for an oil spill and as a result they are not well protected. As the notion of globalization is incorporated into the Arctic it will be imperative to protect these small communities. To better understand this topic, the researcher took an analytical approach to identify and benchmark best practices, define the elements of preparedness, and then build the foundation for the overall project. An integral component of this research project was to build and deploy a self-assessing questionnaire to provide small communities the ability to self-assess their oil spill preparedness level. The results of the questionnaire will be used to derive a preparedness index value. The preparedness index value will be overlaid an interactive map to provide Arctic governments a better view of the level of preparedness of their small communities.Title Page / Table of Contents / List of Exhibits / List of Appendices / Small Community Oil Spill Preparedness Project / Abstract / Introduction / Research Methodology / Literature Review Results / Recommendations for Further Research / Reference