The Dallas-based Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) and Fort Worth-based Funding Information Center (FIC) recently merged to expand their reach and effectiveness for area nonprofits. The combined organization, called the Center for Nonprofit Management, has offices in both Fort Worth and Dallas. The vision in merging the two organizations is to create a larger pool of affordable resources for nonprofits of all sizes throughout North Texas, according to CNM President Cynthia B. Nunn. “As community needs grow larger and more urgent in the current economy, the nonprofit sector is more critical than ever before,” Nunn said. “We now can guide more staff and boards to implement best practices and provide more tools and resources to nonprofits so they can effectively serve their communities. The result is great people serving great nonprofits, working together with great donors, partners and resources, to have a much greater impact on the quality of life for everyone in North Texas.” Founded in 1980, the Center for Nonprofit Management annually helps the staff and boards of more than 2,500 nonprofit organizations develop better management and governance skills through consulting and education programs. CNM, a nonprofit itself, covers 50 percent of direct costs to provide services through donations and grants. Also created in 1980, FIC connects nonprofits with information, education and other resources, including funding information; with nonprofit management best practices; and with the online Foundation Directory, a database of more than 100,000 grant makers and 3 million grant opportunities nationwide, to ensure the success of charitable organizations in the local community. For information on CNM, visit CNMconnect.org or call 214-826-3470.
BioBlitz beckons researchers Volunteers are needed to join scientists from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas to conduct a BioBlitz in Eagle Mountain Park in northwest Tarrant County on June 8. Participants will work with BRIT scientists to record the various grasses, wildflowers, trees and birds of the park’s ecosystem. A BioBlitz is a species inventory in which teams of volunteers, each led by a scientist or naturalist, find, identify, photograph and map as many species as possible in a single day. The data will provide a baseline for future studies on urban biodiversity, the spread of non-native species, changes in community assemblages and climate change. This is the second BioBlitz that BRIT scientists have conducted as a part of the institute’s larger Urban Landscape Discovery project. The results are expected to help Tarrant County residents with neighborhood-specific plant information so they can decide how to manage their residential landscapes while being mindful of water resources. Participants will meet at the covered picnic area at Eagle Mountain Park at 9 a.m. for morning hikes and 1 p.m. for afternoon hikes. Volunteers do not need to have a science background. For more information or to participate in the BioBliz contact Kim Taylor at ktaylor@brit.org or 817-332-4441, ext. 256, or visit www.brit.org/research/bioblitz. For directions to Eagle Mountain Park: www.trwd.com/EagleMountainPark.
Camp Fire opens dining hall, salutes kids Camp Fire First Texas dedicated its new dining hall complex at Camp El Tesoro on June 1 with a ribbon cutting and tours of the new facility. The event marked a milestone in the public phase of campaign fundraising. The Campaign for El Tesoro has raised $7.8 million of the $10.7 million goal and is now looking to the larger community for financial support. Completed projects include a new equestrian center, a health house, a sports court, and an office and camp store. Projects that are funded but not completed include eight new cabins, a Welcome & Outdoor Education Center and an Arts Village. Other projects that require funding include 15 new cabins, lodge renovations, a pool area expansion and new hiking trails. Camp El Tesoro is celebrating its 80th summer this year, making it one of the oldest camps in North Texas and the only Camp Fire camp in the state. For information or to donate to the Campaign for El Tesoro, visit CampFireFW.org or call 817-806-5451. More than $25,000 was raised for Camp Fire First Texas’ programs in North Texas at the 2013 Camp Fire Absolutely Incredible Kid Luncheon. Camp Fire honored children, adults and alumni at the luncheon, including: Absolutely Incredible Alumni, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price; Absolutely Incredible Child Care Provider, Monicha Neal; and Absolutely Incredible Kids, Rebecca Flores, Diamond Hill Station, Bradley and Ava Hastings, Camp Fire Camp El Tesoro, and Lupe Nieto, Step Up. Cook Children’s Health System was recognized with the Ella C. McFadden Service to Youth Award for its dedication to the children and families of Fort Worth and the surrounding community.
Local family establishes endowment A $350,000 charitable gift to Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County from James H. Webb of Plano has allowed for the Marcia Fisher Webb Memorial Fund to offer sustainability for the organization’s long-term growth. Webb presented the gift in honor of his wife, Marcia, who died of cancer in 2012. The fund is the organization’s first endowment. CIS is placed in 40 schools across nine Tarrant County school districts this year, serving students who are identified by their schools as most at risk of dropping out. CIS serves not only students, but their families, assessing their needs and working with more than 80 community partner organizations to connect the students with the resources they need.
Hill gives $50 million to cancer research Dallas philanthropist and businesswoman Lyda Hill has pledged $50 million to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Moon Shots Program. In recognition of her gift, the largest single private philanthropic contribution to the effort, the institution will name the Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center in her honor. The Moon Shots Program comprises six teams of MD Anderson researchers and clinicians initially focusing on eight cancers: acute myeloid leukemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, melanoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and triple-negative breast and high-grade serous ovarian cancers. The ultimate goal is to apply knowledge gained from this process to all cancers. Moon Shot efforts will help support all other cancer research at MD Anderson, particularly with improved resources and infrastructure.A senior member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors, Hill is a longtime proponent of scientific research and biomedical advancement. She is president of LH Holdings and the Lyda Hill Foundation, which supports initiatives that increase the understanding of nature and science. As a member of The Giving Pledge, established by the Bill Gates Foundation, Hill has pledged to donate the majority of her wealth to charity.Hill earned a degree in mathematics from Hollins University in 1964 and received its Outstanding Alumnae Award in 2009. Among her other numerous awards and honors are the Junior League of Dallas Lifetime Achievement Award, 2011; Association of Fundraising Professionals Fundraiser of the Year, Dallas, 2007; Leadership Dallas Outstanding Alumni Award, 2004; Headliners of the Year Award, Fort Worth Press Club, 1993; Newsmaker of the Year Award, Fort Worth, 1992; and Governor’s Award, Outstanding Volunteer in Texas, 1988.
Send nonprofit news to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net