We have offered to serve as a fiscal sponsor for a handful of agencies over the year, and we have been pleased to do so. Its a tricky business  since we are in essence giving use of our coveted nonprofit status to another group. But it we understand that not everyone needs a 501 c 3 and for those that do, the approval may be long in coming.

Some organizations are too small, or do not have the financial capacity to ever gain their own entity, and there are organizations who specialize in providing those people and their work a fiscal sponsorship. The Tides Foundation has a great service, and there are some national standards. Of course, not everyone follows them. 

Here is a scary article about one such entity that may have stolen more than $1 million from small organizations across the US. It makes me wonder what services we should provide in this area - and reminds me of how important keeping an eye on the bottom line is in these troubling times, even when we think we know and trust our partners. 

Hull House, the Chicago social services organization that Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams founded in 1889 to help thousands of immigrants adjust to life in America, will close this spring because of financial reasons. Many of us were first introduced to social work and community organizing by reading about this extraordinary woman and the hundreds that followed in her footsteps. 

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Chicago-s-Jane-Addams-Hull-House-to-close-2642568.php#ixzz1k2jvqmFL

Good news from Harvard! It turns out most social entrepreneurs are not focused on changing the world, but on changing things in their own communities and organizations, and are funding their social ventures through commercially generated revenue rather than charitable donations.

Most attention (academic and otherwise) has been on 'heroic' social entrepreneurs, bent on tacking huge, global issues. Think Grameen Bank. We at the Community Foundation know that there are many of you working to improve things here in Utah, in meaningful and (in our minds) heroic ways, that will not necessarily get you a Nobel Prize or on the cover of Fast Company. 

We have begun organizing the Utah Social Enterprise Collaborative to support you, and we hope you'll join us.

The Utah Social Enterprise Collaborative (USEC) is dedicated to building and supporting social enterprise in Utah through networking and educational opportunities, peer support, and strategic partnerships. USEC was formed to find sustainable and innovative solutions to social, environmental, and economic challenges facing Utah through fostering enterprises that increase employment for Utahns, reduce the dependence of nonprofits on annual giving, and provide a solid return on investment.

Members include nonprofit organizations, social purpose businesses, grant makers, lenders and investors, educators, corporations, and individuals. We actively connect members with potential clients, sources of capital, marketing opportunities, informational resources, and expertise.

Our intended impact

• A creative fusion of people, institutions, ideas, and action offers tremendous potential to shape a new, vastly improved model for sustainable, economic development and positive social impact in our community.
• Charity will be complemented by long-term economic self-reliance for people in need, the nonprofit organizations that serve them, and the community that supports them.
• Collaboration and partnerships that address social challenges in efficient, financially sustainable, and market-competitive ways.
• Maximization of community assets and knowledge in support of social enterprise efforts.
•  Demonstration that social enterprise is a viable means of strengthening organizations and communities. 

How to get involved

Give us a call or email! Our first meeting will be in February. 

In a list my 14 year would appreciate, these two and  are the top charitable celebrities of 2011. Read it here in Hollywood Reporter, which you may not get to as frequently as the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  And for the rest of us, George Clooney came in third.  

In a list my 14 year would appreciate, these two and  are the top charitable celebrities of 2011. Read it here in Hollywood Reporter, which you may not get to as frequently as the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  And for the rest of us, George Clooney came in third.  

In a list my 14 year would appreciate, these two and  are the top charitable celebrities of 2011. Read it here in Hollywood Reporter, which you may not get to as frequently as the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  And for the rest of us, George Clooney came in third.  

http://kcpw.org/blog/cityviews/2011-11-08/city-views-110911-election-round-up/

Bring your toughest problem.

The Utah Harvard Alumni Association knows that changing the world takes guts and smarts, and they want to help. Twenty nonprofits will have the chance to meet one-on-one with local alumni to share strategies and networks the evening of Tuesday, November 29.

Registration now open

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZWNJGWL

"The most American thing in America", according to Teddy Roosevelt. Chautauqua's are part of our country's traditional ways of sharing information and developing civic dialogue. One of the most important roles a community foundation plays is as a neutral convener, and one of the most contentious topics in Utah is our most natural common heritage - our land, water and air.

We hope you'll join us to build an enlightening, open and civil, civic dialogue on November 30th.