Bridget Donoghue’s Post

Donna Custard, the president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation and, as such, the head of JAG — or Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) New Jersey — fully admits that the nonprofit is not well-known. “We’re not a household name, but we should be,” she said. That’s important, now more than ever before, for two big reasons: - The program has helped more than 4,000 at-risk high school seniors from at-risk communities graduate and move into postsecondary education and career training that changes the course of their life and their extended family; - The program is in line to get a massive funding cut in the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 state budget. JAG New Jersey, which is present in 18 high schools this year — and has plans to be in 21 next year — had its allocation cut a whopping 86%, from $350,000 to $50,000. Custard is beside herself. “The whole purpose of the program is to go into underrepresented communities, find the students that have the most obstacles and challenges that could prevent them from graduating from high school, and get them to the finish line,” she said. “Why would we want to cut that?” The JAG New Jersey program costs approximately $3.3 million to run, with the foundation responsible for raising $1.1 million — 75% of which comes from major foundations and companies, including AT&T, Deloitte, Withum, Public Service Electric & Gas, Walmart and others. Follow the link below to continue reading:

Legacy scholarships provide peace to family members that a loved one's memory continues on – it cascades benefits to those fortunate enough to receive a monetary gift. Chair of our Trusts and Estates Practice Group, Tracy Adler Craig, discussed the multiple ways families can set up either a one-time gift or ongoing scholarship, and how being proactive can open up more opportunities in the Next Avenue article, “How to Leave a Legacy Scholarship.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eqdDa2sc #charitablegiving #estateplanning

More reporting on the potential clash btw anti-DEI activism and donor choice (and, at the root of it, charitable pluralism). https://lnkd.in/e3rq8KyQ

At the beginning of May, I launched Death + Stuff, a substack of exceedingly brief, weekday reflections on where I'm finding more in mortality. Bucking the pay-for-access norm, people with free subscriptions get all the same content and perks as do the paid subscribers. So why have enough people chosen to pay for their subscription that Death + Stuff has passed its first $1,000 in revenue? Because the moneys collected there go into a scholarship program meant to buck another norm: That coaching is an advantage that almost exclusively goes to already-advantaged people. As my contribution to the scholarship, I've created a lower fee schedule for scholarship awardees and so this first $1,000 more than covers the first scholarship which will include: * 6 coaching sessions * Between-session support and check-ins * The verbal equivalent of a jetpack shooting people toward their bigger and badder Keep an eye out here for more info on how the scholarship works and how to apply. I'm so excited to see how many scholarships we can collectively fund! #biggerbadder #strongertogether #scholarship #coaching #community #deathnstuff

Okay so FAFSA is still a mess for our students, and on top of this news like this really makes things that much harder for students. I don’t have any Scholars attending here, but St. Katherine’s is located in San Marcos and is listed as both a HSI and minority-serving institution, which also means there are a lot of first gen students attended a college that is closing a week before finals. They are WASC accredited so that’s good, but in optimal (and I’m using that term loosely) situations when a college closes there is a plan to connect those students to other local public institutions. However, in a situation like this it’s all chaos. If you know of any students that attend there, please see if they can get a SEALED transcript that they can bring to their next college. If you work at a local institution, let’s start putting info out there to help guide these students your way. Sending love to all that have been affected by the closing. Side note: if any parents are concerned about sending their student to a small private school, if they are nonprofit institution, you can easily look at their 990s to see their financials. Another good indicator is how large of an endowment they have. If both of those things are strong, then you should be in a good spot. if neither of those are good, plan accordingly because more and more of these institutions have closed in the last couple years.

Did you know that 85% of alumni donations directly support student scholarships and educational programs? Alumni support has also led to a 40% increase in funding for innovative teaching methods and new technology in classrooms. See how these contributions are making a real difference and learn how you can get involved. Read the complete blog here: https://lnkd.in/de4D6FQr #EducationMatters #AlumniImpact #FutureOfEducation

Check out “Signals of Financial Sustainability: Exploring Organizational and Board Factors as Correlates of Having Endowment Reserves and Conducting Audits for Three Types of Smaller Arts-oriented U.S. Nonprofits” by Alexander Klein, Gary Blau, and TL Hill now available online in Public Administration Quarterly (PAQ). The authors find that endowment reserves and audits are correlated but independent measures of financial sustainability, and that the association between these indicators of financial health and organizational and board attribute signals varies across three sub-sectors: Support/Advocacy/Community (SAC), Arts Education (AE), and Museums. More specifically, board size was associated with both audits and endowment reserves for the SAC segment and with audits for the AE segment. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eNR53i7b Sage Fox School of Business at Temple University Harcum College

Today marks the start of Leave a Legacy Month. Let's take some time to explore what planned giving truly is. 🌟 Unlocking the Future: The Power of Planned Giving in Ontario’s Post-Secondary Institutions 🌟 As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education, there’s a quiet force that has the potential to transform lives long after we’ve left the classroom. Planned giving, often overlooked, is a remarkable way to leave a lasting legacy—one that echoes through generations of learners. What is planned giving? It’s the thoughtful act of including a charitable gift in your will. By allocating a portion of your estate to support education, you become a beacon of opportunity for future scholars. Whether it’s establishing scholarships, funding research, or enhancing campus facilities, your legacy becomes intertwined with the very fabric of learning. 🌱 Why consider planned giving? Impact Beyond a Lifetime: Imagine the ripple effect—your generosity shaping minds, igniting passions, and empowering students to reach for the stars. Accessible to All: You don’t need vast wealth to make a difference. Every contribution counts, whether it’s a small percentage or a specific dollar amount. Inspiring Others: When you share your commitment to planned giving, you inspire others to join this noble cause. Together, we can build bridges to knowledge and opportunity. 🎓 Let’s envision a future where education thrives, where dreams are nurtured, and where the torch of knowledge burns brightly. Consider making a gift in your will, and let your legacy echo through the hallowed halls of Ontario’s institutions. #MayisLeaveALegacyMonth #PlannedGiving #EducationMatters #LegacyOfLearning #PlantingtheSeed #LeaveALastingLegacy *AI-Generated Image

Check out this Inside Higher Ed article to learn more about our work with Ithaka S+R on a pilot to better serve transfer students not only in South Carolina, but across the country! #TransferExplorer #transferstudentsuccess

Help needed for a state-level high school business competition! (Please share with your followers and like/comment so it stays at the top of the feed!) We are asking you to donate your valuable time as a judge at this year’s FBLA conference. This year’s conference will be held March 11-13, 2024, at the Davis Conference Center in Layton. Fear not, you will NOT be needed all three days. :) I would plan on a full morning/afternoon on one of the days, depending on what event you judge.   If you are willing to donate your time as a judge or would like to know more about the schedule, please contact Kristen Di Stefano at Wasatch High School. You can email her at kristen.distefano@wasatch.edu. Also, if you have a coworker, friend, or someone you know who might be able to come judge with you, please pass this info on! This is such a fun event to be a part of and you will seriously be amazed at what these future leaders can do; they are so talented! Reach out to me if you have questions! Any of my student interns who are still reading this...if you like and share this post by Thursday you will get extra credit in class. Yay for bonus points! #education #students #fbla #judges #competition #highschool #futureleaders #business #marketing #advertising #careers #cte #ctemonth #schoolcommunity #extracurricular #cocurricular