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For classrooms in need...

Public school teachers have a new way to fundraise for their classrooms, and those wishing to contribute to regional schools can easily donate online to a special project. DonorsChoose.org allows teachers to post the story behind the need in their classrooms to request assistance with funding.

Local legislators urge support for manufacturing jobs

A group of local legislators, including Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper and Senators Specter and Casey, recently submitted a letter to Congress advocate for funding for manufacturing jobs. The focus of the advocacy is on rail investments.

Unemployment benefits extension program passes in Congress

Although it's not the six-month extension that had originally been hoped for, the unemployment benefits extension legislation passed yesterday, and it is expected that the President will sign before the New Year. The extension will be related to each State's unemployment rate and will cover eligible individuals until February 2010. More details are available here.

Update on the Jobs Bill

(from the Chronicle of Philanthrophy)
December 17, 2009
House Jobs Bill Provides $200-Million to AmeriCorps

The House of Representatives passed a $154-billion jobs bill on Wednesday that includes $200-million in fresh money for AmeriCorps, the national-service program.

The money, provided in the Jobs for Main Street Act, H.R. 2847, would allow AmeriCorps to add 25,000 members as part of a broader effort to tackle the country’s high unemployment rate by creating and saving public-service jobs.

“AmeriCorps members conduct vital services for nonprofits and communities including financial counseling, disaster response, housing support, and after-school programs,” says an explanatory note about the legislation.

The jobs bill would also pay for public-works projects; help states hire teachers, police officers, and firefighters; and extend federal unemployment benefits and other safety-net measures. About half of the money, including the AmeriCorps allocation, would come from a federal fund that was originally set aside to bail out troubled banks, much of which has now been repaid.

The Senate is not expected to consider the jobs bill until early next year.

If the AmeriCorps money is approved, it will be on top of a spending increase for the program that Congress has already passed for the 2010 fiscal year. Lawmakers approved a budget for the Corporation for National and Community Service that will allow AmeriCorps to grow to 85,000 members — up from the current 75,000 — as the first step in a seven-year effort to triple participation in the program.

AmeriCorps also gained almost 14,000 new members on a temporary basis under economic-stimulus money that was allocated earlier this year

Conference Call for Wind Grants: Dec. 17

Harrisburg – Potential large-scale wind energy project developers looking for guidance and assistance on how to apply for $19.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are invited to take part in an informational conference call for the Green Energy Works! Wind grant program from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Dec. 17.

The Department of Environmental Protection will conduct the call, which will be accessible by dialing 866-469-3239 and entering the access code 21331162.

Play games for social change

A new way that nonprofits are providing education and outreach (and making some money) is through online games. Commonly, advertisers will pay to be placed on websites that they know that web users will frequent, and these pages are no exception. To see examples, (or to waste some time without a huge deal of guilt), a listing of 50 games for social change has a nice sampling.

Other nice social change games include Free Poverty, (learn world geography to earn donations of water to third world countries), and Free Rice, where you can strengthen your vocabulary, math, art, or foreign language knowledge and earn rice donations to countries in poverty.