Dear Kristyn,

A reflection for today: “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." - Shirley Chisholm. This Women's History Month, learn more about trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm!

Please continue to keep us informed of what's happening with you in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. The information here comes from you, with links to our website for more complete information and resources. Send your events and updates to Kristyn: [email protected]. Thank you!

Warmly,

Kristyn DiDominick, Executive Director

Payal Mohan, Associate Director

Board of Directors

Trauma 103: Recognizing Vicarious and Secondary Trauma for Caregivers



March 27, 2-4pm, Zoom

Facilitated by: Melissa Groden and Shushma Patel

Open and free to all members

Share the flyer

The Criminalization of Homelessness and How to Help the Unhoused

April 4, 11:30am-1:00pm, Zoom

Register Here

Presentation & Discussion with 

Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Access Services

At this virtual presentation, legal advocates will explain the current issues around the criminalization of homelessness, including new developments at the US Supreme Court and how they will impact people in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

We will also cover common legal issues experienced by unhoused people, how Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Access Services can help, and opportunities for collaboration. Join us!

The Haws Avenue and Chain Street Trailheads planning team is seeking input from the community to inform the design for new trailheads that will connect neighborhoods to the Schuylkill River Trail, Riverfront Park, and many other destinations. The design will approach these spaces as small community parks. They invite you to be a part of this process by filling out a brief online survey. Share your ideas and needs, with your input helping to shape the Norristown community!

English Version

En Español

Employee Sharing Interest: NPO Survey

Tri-County Community Network

What are your needs and interest in shared staffing? Let TCN know with communication following. Take this survey.

Making the Most of Online Giving

Tuesday, March 19, 10:00-11:00am

What if your nonprofit could retain just 10% more than the industry average of recurring givers? Not only would this help you raise more funds and meet your fundraising goals, but it’s possible to do simply by focusing on online giving tools and best practices.

Learn more and sign up!

Insider Strategies for Executive Directors: Growing Audiences that Love & Support Your Cause

Tuesday, March 26, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Department store magnate John Wanamaker famously said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” Perhaps you’ve had a similar thought about your organization’s marketing efforts. And you just don’t know how to fix it, especially while you’re busy running your organization. If it’s worth correcting so that you have a steady stream of donors, volunteers, and clients who love your organization and want to support your mission, don’t miss this session with revenue strategist Gail Bower.

Webinar: Register Here

Virtual Standards for Excellence Implementation Series

Every Other Wednesday,

April 10 - June 19 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join this 6-Part Virtual Standards for Excellence Implementation Series! Starting April 10, each workshop will take a deep dive into the six Guiding Principles of the Standards for Excellence, sharing promising practices, legal requirements, and recommendations for meeting the highest standards of nonprofit governance, management, and operations.

PANO's Standards for Excellence Director, Heather Giampapa, and various Licensed Standards for Excellence Consultants will provide tools and resources to help you move from information to practical application, including:

• Sample Policy on Strategic Partnerships

• Sample Remote Work Policy

• Sample Employee Handbook

• Sample Code of Ethics

• Sample Social Networking Policy

• Form 990 Checklist

• Sample Advocacy Policy

• Checklist before Releasing Materials to the Public

• A whole lot more!

Learn more and sign up!

Family Service Community Festival

Family Service Association of Bucks County

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 8^th, 2024, from 5:00pm to 7:30pm for a free evening packed with family fun including food, bounce house, face painting, entertainment, community resources and more. Providers are welcome to join with this free provider registration form. Please join them for their annual community festival!

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity - Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Could Lead to Eviction Crisis, New Study Suggests

“In 2005, the Tennessee Medicaid program called TennCare disenrolled, essentially overnight, about 190,000 beneficiaries. And what we do is link that disenrollment to what happened to eviction rates and eviction filing rates in Tennessee as compared to other southern states. We found that Tennessee experienced a 25% increase in evictions and a 28% increase in eviction filings relative to the other southern states. And so, if that disenrollment is reflective of what we could expect to happen nationally with the current Medicaid unwinding, we could see a wave of evictions, which is going to exacerbate the issues that already come along with losing your health insurance coverage.” Read more!

Free Board Training with Dow & ALBC - The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University

Seeking a customized training session for your organization's board? This focused two-and-a-half-hour workshop covers essential board roles and responsibilities, including governance, culture development, executive obligations, and community-centered fundraising. Through pre-session analysis and interviews, they ensure the training aligns perfectly with your board's needs, empowering participants to make significant contributions. Apply now!

In early 2023, The Housing Alliance of PA conducted a survey of landlords and property managers to better understand landlord business challenges, screening criteria, and attitudes toward homelessness assistance programs. They heard from 660 landlords and found that over two-thirds of landlords show a willingness to work with programs and negotiate screening practices if given their top choice landlord incentive. Learn more!

Client-Centered and Trauma-Informed Data Collection Virtual Reality Resources Now Available

New resources to assist communities in training workers to take a client-centered and trauma-informed approach to data collection are now available. The FY 2024 HMIS Data and Technical Standards provided first-time guidance on how data collection should be approached: “Communities [should also] employ a person-centered approach to the review and use of the HMIS Data Manual with a clear foundational understanding of racial trauma and trauma-informed practices, cultural humility, and a person first, data-informed perspective.”

Immerse Yourself in this Virtual Reality Experience: The Client-Centered Data Collection Approach: Virtual Reality Series resources help support this directive. Access this here!

Five Virtual Reality (VR) videos provide an immersion experience to increase empathy. The immersion, accessible through any smartphone, provides a first-person view into trauma-informed approaches to data collection. Before engaging with the VR videos, they recommend that you start with the Facilitator’s Guide which provides helpful information to support the use of the VR videos as part of a group training curriculum. Additionally, there is a brief Human-Centered Approach to Intake video that provides helpful context and reviews why identifying questions, such as those about race and gender, might be stressful to answer and suggests strategies that minimize or eliminate potential frustration or disenfranchisement at the point of intake.

Innovations in Cross-Sector Collaborations: An Approach to Increase Ecosystem and Place-Based Impact



The journal is seeking short (1,000 - 1,500 word) case study articles to describe cross-sector collaborations. The article submission deadline is March 20, 2024. Learn more about the article guidelines and submit your innovative work!

How the Next Generation of Megadonors is Giving

Philanthropy Today



“Racial justice, the environment, and scientific research are getting an influx of money from wealthy people seeking tangible change.” Read more!

Women’s Way unveils the latest addition to their toolkit in the fight for gender equity: the Gender Wealth Gap Learning Module!

This interactive, online resource aims to dispel five prevalent myths perpetuating wealth inequality and shed light on the driving factors contributing to the gender wealth gap. By integrating data from their Gender Wealth Index Research Project with the compelling stories of 6 Philadelphia women, the Gender Wealth Gap Learning Module explores the systemic issues at play and their tangible, real-life impact. Visitors to the learning module will encounter a dynamic and engaging learning experience, featuring audio narratives, interactive graphs, and a variety of additional resources.

SEPTA Key Card Update!

In February, SEPTA announced the new multi-rider feature will allow up to 5 riders to use the same Key card when taking a SEPTA bus, trolley, the Broad Street Line, the Norristown High-Speed Line, the Market-Frankford Line, and Regional Rail. All riders will still be able to transfer twice, and Regional Rail trips two-hour ride limit will still apply. To use the SEPTA Key Card, it must have Travel Wallet autoload turned on with a minimum amount of $10, and the card balance also must exceed the trip’s fare.

Get more information.

Thank you to the Partnership TMA of Montgomery County for sharing!

Help for Veterans Facing Homelessness: New Centralized Number

Veterans facing homelessness can contact the Veterans Multi-Service Center for the SSVF program or the VA Homeless Outreach Team. There’s a new central number (610-278-3522) to connect with a specialist who can guide you through the coordinated entry process, which prioritizes cases based on need. Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges need to explore civilian programs. If you’re facing potential homelessness within 30 days, you’re considered “imminently homeless” and qualify for assistance.

Thank you to Senator Pennycuick for sharing!

Bucks County Conversations is a podcast that captures real conversations happening within Bucks County's government. Each episode features topical, important discussions about the county, including key points of the Bucks County Commissioners’ meeting, and discussion of new projects, initiatives and upcoming events. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Bucks County was the first county in Pennsylvania to enact a comprehensive plan in 1961. At that time they were planning for 1980, now they’re planning for 2040. In this episode, Evan Stone, Executive Director of the Bucks County Planning Commission and Mike Roedig, Director of Planning Services, break down what exactly a comprehensive plan is, specifically Bucks2040, and why it's needed. Margie McKevitt, the county’s Chief Operating Officer, talks about top priorities from the plan and how the department we think has an obvious name does a lot more than you may think. Tune in!

Leading Organizations From Burnout to Trauma-Informed Resilience: A Vital Paradigm Shift

“The US health care system faces unprecedented rates of burnout and employee turnover. Although burnout is conventionally viewed as a byproduct of unmanaged, occupational stress, its symptoms often overlap and coexist with manifestations of traumatic stress. Understanding the role of trauma in our health care environment may elucidate underlying causes of our current crisis and aid in finding solutions.” Read more.

Shared by the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP)

Montgomery County Announces Launch of Whole Home Repairs Program

Through this program, homeowners whose household income is less than 80% of the Area Median Income can apply for up to a $50,000 grant to make essential improvements to their homes. Updates could include addressing safety concerns, improving energy or water efficiency or making units accessible for individuals with disabilities. Learn more! Applications must be received by April 12, 2024.

Montco launches new commission supporting women and girls



Just in time for Women's History Month, Montgomery County is proud to launch a new commission focused on the concerns and needs of girls and individuals who identify as women. The Montgomery County Commission for Women is committed to representing the interests of women of all races, ages, ethnic and social backgrounds, religious convictions, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability/ability, and social circumstances. Its members will also advocate for the lives and well-being of women by building strong collaborations, sharing available resources, and educating and empowering women and girls throughout our County. Interested in being part of these efforts? Apply today! All applications must be received by March 28.

HealthSpark Foundation is accepting applications to the Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund through March 21^st!

The Dr. Frank E. Boston Black Justice Fund addresses the historical exclusion of Black leaders and Black community-serving organizations from tackling the challenges and opportunities facing Montgomery County residents. In honor of its namesake Dr. Frank E. Boston, a Black medical doctor and social entrepreneur who created a hospital and ambulance corps in Lansdale nearly a century ago, the Fund invests in emerging Black leaders in Montgomery County, supports positive storytelling of Black communities across the County, and builds community infrastructure and power in Black communities to advance justice and liberation for all County residents. Learn more and apply!

ATTN Grant Seekers

Here is a list of 22 grants with upcoming deadlines. If you are looking for funding, please take a look at this downloadable list and please share with your resources.

Thank you to Representative Greg Scott or sharing these opportunities!

The Montgomery County Drug & Alcohol Community Prevention Program is an initiative of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Drug & Alcohol. This project is coordinated through Family Services of Montgomery County.

This initiative provides mini-grants to community organizations for youth substance use prevention events and projects. A maximum amount of $5,000.00 (some limitations apply; see Step 5 of the application process for more information) can be awarded to implement primary prevention activities that are specifically designed to prevent first use. This year, all mini-grant applications should include a strong emphasis on promoting positive mental health among youth and/or youth substance use prevention. This initiative aims to support a county-wide program called Keep It Safe. This mini-grant project will allow for greater reach through partnerships with grassroots organizations who are interested in promoting the Keep It Safe messaging. Learn more and apply by March 15! If you have additional questions please contact [email protected].