4/8/11

If They Only Had More Brains

Welcome to my new blog! Here you will find posts related to one or more of these topics:


  1. People's cooperative efforts to make their corner of the world a better place (Let's call these efforts social change...);
  2. Raising money to pay for social change efforts; and
  3. Getting the word out about, and involving other people in, social change.
This blog is intended for people in the Puget Sound area of Washington, but some of the content may be of interest to the rest of you.


For this first post, I re-wrote the lyrics to the song, "If I Only Had A Brain," from The Wizard of Oz. (I didn't re-write lyrics to the chorus portion of the song. Do you know the chorus? I didn't think so.)


Here are the adjusted lyrics:


If They Only Had More Brains...

We’d have stronger regulations
On greedy corporations,
And no more holey planes.
No more radiated water,
Ecosystems getting slaughtered,
If our leaders had more brains.


Living wages for our teachers
And other human creatures
(More) Pell grants, health care, Head Start...
Bridges that are safe to drive on,
Monthly checks Gran can survive on,
If our leaders had more heart.


Maybe we’d have better health care
and much less corporate welfare
And less white collar crime.
No more tax cuts for the wealthy,
An economy that’s healthy,
If they only had more spine.


It is up to us, the masses,
To dethrone the jackasses
whose elections we rue.
And to the rest we should mention
That we are paying attention
And we will give them their due.

If you didn't click on the links in the lyrics and you want more information about the the current budget shennanigans (BS), click on the links below:


http://www.thenation.com/blog/159350/human-cost-slashonomics for more on the consequences of federal program cuts;
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=a25567ff-02c0-4730-a6df-bf1f0039ac78 for more on  corporate welfare;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/08/washington-protests_n_846659.html for more on how Washington State residents are fighting corporate tax loopholes.


Workshop on Getting Grants 

Designed for not-for-profit organizations new to pursuing grants, this two-day workshop provides an overview of the entire grant-getting process. In particular, it addresses: assessing the applicant organization’s readiness to apply for a grant, researching funding prospects, cultivating relationships with prospective/current funders, writing the grant application, and what to do after its submission. The focus of the workshop is on foundation and corporate grants.

            
When:   Thursday April 21st: 9:00 a.m. -  4:00 p.m.  (module 1);  and
                Thursday April 28th: 9:00 a.m.  -  4:00 p.m. (module 2)
Where:   Highline Community College –  Burien Community Center Annex
                425 S.W. 144th St., Burien, WA
Cost:      $79 per module          
To Register: Contact Highline Community College at 206.870.3785. 

Agenda
The Grant-Getting Process 
Grant-Getting Readiness: You Need More Than Needing Money
Researching & Cultivating Relationships With Funders           
Work Plans And Other Ways to Save Your Sanity
Completing The Grant Application
Make Your Application Stand Out
Summary of Key Concepts

About Instructor: Lisa Arnold is a consultant to not-for-profit organizations, has worked for over 20 years in the nonprofit arena, and has a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She has produced and/or taught numerous fundraising and other workshops for nonprofits throughout Puget Sound. These include a six-day training series in conjunction with the Gill Foundation (production); and workshops at the Evergreen State College, the University of Washington, Highline Community College, and South Seattle Community College.
For more information, visit www.lisaarnoldconsulting.com, or contact her:  206.755.8958 or lisaarnold@lisaarnoldconsulting.com.