As promised, I'm working on posting some new diaries. I appreciate my new TU status and willl continue to engage with the DKOS community. In addition to electing more and better Democats city and statewide, I'll continue to include information about Houston, Texas community, business, and nonprofit news.
COMMUNITY
What Is The Entire Cost Of Living For Your Location?
A new study shows that neighborhoods considered as "affordable" may turn out to be a lot more expensive when you factor in the cost of transportation. According to the figures, some people in the Houston area find themselves paying more to get around than they do for a place to live.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
Houston Democrats seek alternative funding for women's program
The Medicaid Women's Health Program is due to end in Texas on March 31, the result of the state's decision to exclude clinics affiliated with abortion providers, even those that do not provide abortions. Federal regulations say a state can't exclude qualified providers from the program. Coleman and Lee said the alternative might involve the federal government allocating money to local entities, such as counties, hospital districts or federally qualified health clinics. They noted that school districts have been allowed to apply for federal grants independently rather than through the state.
http://www.chron.com/...
Dionysus Theatre opens summer camp for performers with disabilities
The Dionysus Theatre hosts productions, theatre classes and sends a touring group to perform at schools. They are one of the few theatres that runs a year-round production schedule. The award winning theatre welcomes both special needs teens and adults and those without disabilities, and has had blind, deaf, mobility challenged, those with hidden disabilities such as autism and mental health issues and the learning challenged as performers and actors. Dionysus Theatre currently operates out of the Jewish Community Center in Houston, but they will soon need a bigger space.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/...
Use of Homeless as Internet Hot Spots Backfires on Marketer
Which product at this year’s South by Southwest technology conference received more attention than perhaps any other? Homeless people as wireless transmitters. A marketing agency touched off a wave of criticism and debate when it hired members of the local homeless population to walk around carrying mobile Wi-Fi devices, offering conferencegoers Internet access in exchange for donations.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Houston PBS, library help Mayor Parker explore ancestry
Parker puzzled over her father's past. Who were his people? What did they do? How did they get along? But Ivy Parker wouldn't talk, and, in 1989, he died. Now, thanks to Houston PBS affiliate KUHT-TV and the city's Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, Parker, at age 55, stands a good chance of getting at least some of her long-deferred questions answered. KUHT is preparing a short production documenting Parker's genealogical quest to accompany the PBS series "Finding Your Roots," a cross-country ancestor-tracing endeavor hosted by Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.
http://www.chron.com/...
BUSINESS
Manpower: Houston Hiring Will Slow In Second Quarter
Houston area employers expect the pace of hiring to slow between April and June. That's according to the latest employment outlook survey by staffing firm Manpower. Manpower expects Houston-area hiring to exceed layoffs in the second quarter by 10%. That’s down from January through March, when net employment is set to hit 14%. Manpower client relationship manager Gerry Burns explains the reasons for the slowdown.
http://app1.kuhf.org/...
Tax Breaks for Sporting Events Raise Questions
Hoping to pull in visitors from out of state who spend their money in Texas, the state comptroller has spent millions of tax dollars to help defray the costs of sporting events and conventions. But critics are raising questions about spending on events that originated in Texas and don’t appear to be leaving the state anytime soon.
http://www.texastribune.org/...
The ultimate guide to Facebook fan engagement
Even though it feels like Facebook has been part of our lives forever, Facebook "pages" for business have only been with us for just three years. Businesses are still learning the most effective ways to engage with fans. The questions often being asked are: 1. How often should we post? 2. What type of posts will drive fan engagement? 3. When should we publish our wall updates?
http://www.prdaily.com/...
NONPROFIT / OTHER
Connections among causes, consumers, and companies
One of the biggest challenges facing non-profit organizations is creating sustained relationships following a donation. For example, a person may make a donation once, but never returns to a website. This is a situation not unlike what we face as brand marketers in attempting to establish sustained engagement post-transaction. One where we strive to move the customer relationship from one of transaction to one of loyalty, driving not only repeat purchases, but active consideration and advocacy.
http://www.prweekus.com/...
Nonprofits Get Their Own PAC
Thanks to the new political action committee (PAC)CForward , nonprofit organizations now have a voice on Capitol Hill. Nonprofits have long lived in a strange political limbo. Despite the fact that a huge percentage of us exist to provide a social safety net for citizens in our community, by law nonprofits must be nonpartisan or else they risk losing tax-exempt status. And while changes in public policy arguably impact nonprofits more than for-profits, nonprofits can't officially back a candidate or political view. Instead, they're limited by law during campaigns to the impartial presentation of facts about each candidate.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
The CARS Model: Time for a Nonprofit Test Drive?
When a charitable donor wants to do “due diligence” on a potential grantee, there are a number of sources for researching potential recipients. Guidestar provides access to some basic information, largely drawn from grantees’ IRS Form 990 submissions. Rating services such as Charity Navigator, the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance evaluate and grade thousands of nonprofits based on a few standardized measures of organizational efficiency. There has been much criticism of the charitable rating services, though sometimes the findings and observations can be very useful in explaining some financial aspects of troubled nonprofits. What about someone interested in investing in community development financial institutions (CDFIs)?
http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/...
Mentor Like You Mean It
Being a great mentor requires more than experience and time. Learn to weave the right web. Five steps. This occurs when experienced veterans (mentors) focus not on making each individual entrepreneur better, but on making the system as a whole stronger. Mentors must be open and willing to (a) connect with people beyond only those with the right "credentials" and (b) focused on the development of "web-like" interconnectivity to other mentors and other entrepreneurs. This can be accomplished by mentors actively engaging in this set of critical behaviors:
http://www.inc.com/...