Nonprofit Leadership: A Sampler of Networks, Fellowships, and Workshops

The Leadership Working Group of the Nonprofit Congress (a major initiative of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations) began meeting in February 2007 to examine the status of leadership development throughout the nonprofit sector and attempt to draw conclusions based on what they observed. The product of their research is the report Nonprofit Leadership: A Sampler of Networks, Fellowships, and Workshops. The purpose of this document is to provide information and guidance to those building or growing leadership programs. It includes qualitative reviews of 12 leadership programs throughout the country. This report was just the first step in a larger effort to identify the leadership needs of the sector and provide resources to help fill those needs. The Leadership Working Group has also developed curriculum pieces for nonprofits to use in encouraging intergenerational dialogue and building leadership among all staff. This document, titled "Work With Me: Intergenerational Conversations for Nonprofit Leadership," seeks to provide a means for nonprofit staffers of all generations to discuss the organizational, structural, and emotional barriers to true leadership transfer. For more information on that document, please visit our website: http://www.nonprofitcongress.org/workwithme

United States Nonprofit Sector 2003

The nonprofit, voluntary, civic, or charitable sector in the United States comprises a vast and diverse set of organizations. From soup kitchens, daycare centers, environmental, advocacy, and civil rights groups; to hospitals, educational institutions, theatres, and faith based organizations, charitable organizations exist to serve and promote the common good. In most corners of the United States you will find hard working and committed individuals coming together to make their communities stronger, safer, and better for all.Nonprofit organizations are probably best known by the services they provide to people in need. But it is important to remember that charitable organizations also create the space and opportunity for individuals to engage in volunteerism and become actively involved in civic life. By connecting people, inspiring altruism, and giving voice to local and far-reaching concerns, nonprofits weave an uninterrupted web of connection that binds communities together.This report summarizes the most current data available on the nonprofit sector and highlights the amazing breadth and scope of the sector. Through this report we aim to build awareness of the vital role that nonprofits play in society and to educate policymakers, journalists, and the public about the charitable sector.While this report focuses on reporting nonprofits -- those charitable organizations that are required to file annually with the IRS and provide much of the data available on the sector -- it is important to note that the overwhelming majority of registered charitable nonprofit organizations (66 percent or 548,777) are small in size and often volunteer-led. They are not reflected in the data because their revenues did not exceed $25,000 in 2003. From your local PTA to youth sports leagues to rescue squads, these organizations are at work every day. Your community is enriched by the role and presence of these critical nonprofits.The National Council of Nonprofit Associations is pleased to present this report on the United States charitable sector. We hope that it will enable you to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our nation's charitable nonprofits. Charitable organizations are beacons of hope and a cherished American resource for bringing together communities, states, and the nation

Late Miocene Exhumation of the Western Cordillera, Ecuador, Driven by Increased Coupling Between the Subducting Carnegie Ridge and the South American Continent

The subduction of bathymetric highs, such as aseismic ridges, leads to far‐reaching changes in the dynamics of subduction zones with increased plate coupling and deformation in the upper plate. Subduction of the submarine Carnegie Ridge on the Nazca Plate has fundamentally impacted late Cenozoic magmatism and tectonic activity in the northern Andes. However, the timing of onset of Carnegie Ridge subduction has been a matter of debate. Time‐temperature inverse modeling of new thermochronological data from the Western Cordillera of Ecuador reveals two phases of cooling separated by isothermal conditions. The first cooling phase postdates early and middle Miocene magmatism in the Western Cordillera and is attributed to post‐magmatic thermal relaxation. The second cooling phase started after 6 Ma. Inferred to record the onset of tectonically controlled rock uplift and exhumation in the Western Cordillera, this phase is coeval with the last cooling phase recorded in the Eastern Cordillera. Based on these findings, we suggest that the onset of subduction of the Carnegie Ridge at ∼6–5 Ma increased plate coupling at the subduction interface, promoting shortening, regional rock uplift, and exhumation in the northern Andes. Overall, our results highlight the essential role of bathymetric highs in driving regional upper‐plate deformation at non‐collisional convergent plate margins.Plain Language Summary: Topographic growth and morphology of the Andes have been influenced by subduction processes, tectonic inheritance, and climate. Here, we investigate the role of subduction of high topography on the ocean floor in driving deformation in the upper plate at the Nazca‐South America ocean‐continent plate margin. The subduction of the Carnegie Ridge, a linear, topographically high sector on the Nazca Plate, has impacted magmatism and deformation processes in the Ecuadorian Andes. However, the timing of onset of ridge subduction is debated. We employed radioisotopic dating techniques to evaluate the uplift of the Andes. These techniques record the cooling of rocks as mountain ranges are uplifted and eroded. The thermal histories of rocks from the Western Cordillera in Ecuador reveal two distinct cooling phases. The first cooling phase occurred shortly after Miocene magmatic bodies were emplaced in the Western Cordillera. The second cooling phase began at ∼6–5 Ma, coeval with the last cooling phase in the Eastern Cordillera. We attribute this cooling phase to the onset of uplift and erosion in the Western Cordillera. Based on these findings, we suggest that the onset of subduction of the Carnegie Ridge increased plate coupling and promoted shortening and rock uplift in the northern Andes.Key Points: Thermochronological data reveal two cooling phases in the Western Cordillera of Ecuador, during the Miocene and after 6 Ma. The onset of cooling at 6 Ma was associated with shortening, rock uplift, and exhumation in the Western Cordillera. Mio‐Pliocene exhumation was related to stronger coupling of the subduction interface due to the initial subduction of the Carnegie Ridge.Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001655Potsdam University Graduate SchoolYachay Tech UniversityArizona LaserChron Centerhttps://zenodo.org/record/7311529#Y4YTYYLMIT

Lifestyle transitions in plant pathogenic Colletotrichum fungi deciphered by genome and transcriptome analyses

Colletotrichum species are fungal pathogens that devastate crop plants worldwide. Host infection involves the differentiation of specialized cell types that are associated with penetration, growth inside living host cells (biotrophy) and tissue destruction (necrotrophy). We report here genome and transcriptome analyses of Colletotrichum higginsianum infecting Arabidopsis thaliana and Colletotrichum graminicola infecting maize. Comparative genomics showed that both fungi have large sets of pathogenicity-related genes, but families of genes encoding secreted effectors, pectin-degrading enzymes, secondary metabolism enzymes, transporters and peptidases are expanded in C. higginsianum. Genome-wide expression profiling revealed that these genes are transcribed in successive waves that are linked to pathogenic transitions: effectors and secondary metabolism enzymes are induced before penetration and during biotrophy, whereas most hydrolases and transporters are upregulated later, at the switch to necrotrophy. Our findings show that preinvasion perception of plant-derived signals substantially reprograms fungal gene expression and indicate previously unknown functions for particular fungal cell types

Genome sequence and analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans.

Phytophthora infestans is the most destructive pathogen of potato and a model organism for the oomycetes, a distinct lineage of fungus-like eukaryotes that are related to organisms such as brown algae and diatoms. As the agent of the Irish potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century, P. infestans has had a tremendous effect on human history, resulting in famine and population displacement(1). To this day, it affects world agriculture by causing the most destructive disease of potato, the fourth largest food crop and a critical alternative to the major cereal crops for feeding the world's population(1). Current annual worldwide potato crop losses due to late blight are conservatively estimated at $6.7 billion(2). Management of this devastating pathogen is challenged by its remarkable speed of adaptation to control strategies such as genetically resistant cultivars(3,4). Here we report the sequence of the P. infestans genome, which at similar to 240 megabases (Mb) is by far the largest and most complex genome sequenced so far in the chromalveolates. Its expansion results from a proliferation of repetitive DNA accounting for similar to 74% of the genome. Comparison with two other Phytophthora genomes showed rapid turnover and extensive expansion of specific families of secreted disease effector proteins, including many genes that are induced during infection or are predicted to have activities that alter host physiology. These fast-evolving effector genes are localized to highly dynamic and expanded regions of the P. infestans genome. This probably plays a crucial part in the rapid adaptability of the pathogen to host plants and underpins its evolutionary potential

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

Background Measuring disease and injury burden in populations requires a composite metric that captures both premature mortality and the prevalence and severity of ill-health. The 1990 Global Burden of Disease study proposed disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to measure disease burden. No comprehensive update of disease burden worldwide incorporating a systematic reassessment of disease and injury-specific epidemiology has been done since the 1990 study. We aimed to calculate disease burden worldwide and for 21 regions for 1990, 2005, and 2010 with methods to enable meaningful comparisons over time. Methods We calculated DALYs as the sum of years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs). DALYs were calculated for 291 causes, 20 age groups, both sexes, and for 187 countries, and aggregated to regional and global estimates of disease burden for three points in time with strictly comparable definitions and methods. YLLs were calculated from age-sex-country-time-specific estimates of mortality by cause, with death by standardised lost life expectancy at each age. YLDs were calculated as prevalence of 1160 disabling sequelae, by age, sex, and cause, and weighted by new disability weights for each health state. Neither YLLs nor YLDs were age-weighted or discounted. Uncertainty around cause-specific DALYs was calculated incorporating uncertainty in levels of all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, prevalence, and disability weights. Findings Global DALYs remained stable from 1990 (2.503 billion) to 2010 (2.490 billion). Crude DALYs per 1000 decreased by 23% (472 per 1000 to 361 per 1000). An important shift has occurred in DALY composition with the contribution of deaths and disability among children (younger than 5 years of age) declining from 41% of global DALYs in 1990 to 25% in 2010. YLLs typically account for about half of disease burden in more developed regions (high-income Asia Pacific, western Europe, high-income North America, and Australasia), rising to over 80% of DALYs in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1990, 47% of DALYs worldwide were from communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, 43% from non-communicable diseases, and 10% from injuries. By 2010, this had shifted to 35%, 54%, and 11%, respectively. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of DALYs worldwide in 2010 (up from fourth rank in 1990, increasing by 29%), followed by lower respiratory infections (top rank in 1990; 44% decline in DALYs), stroke (fifth in 1990; 19% increase), diarrhoeal diseases (second in 1990; 51% decrease), and HIV/AIDS (33rd in 1990; 351% increase). Major depressive disorder increased from 15th to 11th rank (37% increase) and road injury from 12th to 10th rank (34% increase). Substantial heterogeneity exists in rankings of leading causes of disease burden among regions. Interpretation Global disease burden has continued to shift away from communicable to non-communicable diseases and from premature death to years lived with disability. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, many communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders remain the dominant causes of disease burden. The rising burden from mental and behavioural disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes will impose new challenges on health systems. Regional heterogeneity highlights the importance of understanding local burden of disease and setting goals and targets for the post-2015 agenda taking such patterns into account. Because of improved definitions, methods, and data, these results for 1990 and 2010 supersede all previously published Global Burden of Disease results

Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990-2010:a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

BACKGROUND: Non-fatal health outcomes from diseases and injuries are a crucial consideration in the promotion and monitoring of individual and population health. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies done in 1990 and 2000 have been the only studies to quantify non-fatal health outcomes across an exhaustive set of disorders at the global and regional level. Neither effort quantified uncertainty in prevalence or years lived with disability (YLDs).METHODS: Of the 291 diseases and injuries in the GBD cause list, 289 cause disability. For 1160 sequelae of the 289 diseases and injuries, we undertook a systematic analysis of prevalence, incidence, remission, duration, and excess mortality. Sources included published studies, case notification, population-based cancer registries, other disease registries, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, hospital discharge data, ambulatory care data, household surveys, other surveys, and cohort studies. For most sequelae, we used a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR, designed to address key limitations in descriptive epidemiological data, including missing data, inconsistency, and large methodological variation between data sources. For some disorders, we used natural history models, geospatial models, back-calculation models (models calculating incidence from population mortality rates and case fatality), or registration completeness models (models adjusting for incomplete registration with health-system access and other covariates). Disability weights for 220 unique health states were used to capture the severity of health loss. YLDs by cause at age, sex, country, and year levels were adjusted for comorbidity with simulation methods. We included uncertainty estimates at all stages of the analysis.FINDINGS: Global prevalence for all ages combined in 2010 across the 1160 sequelae ranged from fewer than one case per 1 million people to 350,000 cases per 1 million people. Prevalence and severity of health loss were weakly correlated (correlation coefficient -0·37). In 2010, there were 777 million YLDs from all causes, up from 583 million in 1990. The main contributors to global YLDs were mental and behavioural disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and diabetes or endocrine diseases. The leading specific causes of YLDs were much the same in 2010 as they were in 1990: low back pain, major depressive disorder, iron-deficiency anaemia, neck pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, anxiety disorders, migraine, diabetes, and falls. Age-specific prevalence of YLDs increased with age in all regions and has decreased slightly from 1990 to 2010. Regional patterns of the leading causes of YLDs were more similar compared with years of life lost due to premature mortality. Neglected tropical diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and anaemia were important causes of YLDs in sub-Saharan Africa.INTERPRETATION: Rates of YLDs per 100,000 people have remained largely constant over time but rise steadily with age. Population growth and ageing have increased YLD numbers and crude rates over the past two decades. Prevalences of the most common causes of YLDs, such as mental and behavioural disorders and musculoskeletal disorders, have not decreased. Health systems will need to address the needs of the rising numbers of individuals with a range of disorders that largely cause disability but not mortality. Quantification of the burden of non-fatal health outcomes will be crucial to understand how well health systems are responding to these challenges. Effective and affordable strategies to deal with this rising burden are an urgent priority for health systems in most parts of the world.FUNDING: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.</p