ACS News & Events September 2021

ACS News & Events
September 2021

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

                                                                                 ~Margaret Mead

ACS News

September will be a Virtual Month

 Out of caution and concern for our members and staff,
ACS meetings will continue to be held
virtually through the month of September.

See What’s New in the Racial Equity Toolkit

Since launching our Racial Equity Toolkit in June, ACS has added new resources to support your racial equity journeys. Log into your ACS account, go to Members Only, and check out what’s new – from terms and definitions to new podcasts and articles – plus several helpful nonprofit resources.

If you have samples of policies, procedures, documents, etc. that incorporate racial equity and/or resources you’d like to see on the toolkit, feel free to submit them to policy@acshoco.org (along with any relevant citations for the resources).

Strategic Plan Survey Coming Soon!

We want every member to have the opportunity
to shape our future at ACS.

Check your inbox later this month for the 2021 ACS Strategic Plan Survey.

ACS Howard County Funders Forum

In order to share their latest funding priorities and grants criteria, the Community Foundation of Howard County, Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, Howard County Department of
Housing and Community Development, the Horizon Foundation, and United Way of Central Maryland will conduct a brief panel
presentation on Wednesday, September 15th.
Funders’ representatives will be available afterwards for breakout rooms, to answer questions, and to provide guidance on grant
eligibility and how to write a successful grant proposal. Register here.

September 15, 2021
9:00 am to 10:30 am (EDT)

Members: Free     Non-Members: $35

ACS Exec to Exec Forum
(Members Only)

Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 9:00 – 10:30 AM

Discussion Topic:
Post Pandemic Programming and Board Development

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with your peers to discuss items, issues, and best practices that all Nonprofit Executive Directors share. Register here.

ACS hosts this free quarterly forum exclusively for Executive Directors from ACS member organizations in order to share and learn from each other. Please remember this forum is for Executive Directors only. If your executive director cannot attend, please do not send a different person from your organization.

MD Nonprofits
Educational Partnership

ACS and Maryland Nonprofits have renewed their educational partnership program for FY22 to provide ACS members and other nonprofit sector leaders learning programs that foster effective nonprofit management, governance, and capacity building.

Selected classroom and/or virtual style courses and workshops led by Maryland Nonprofits top experts in nonprofit management and governance will be offered to ACS members at the reduced Maryland Nonprofit member rate, and ACS members will be given a one-week advanced registration period before each workshop is publicly promoted. Topics and class details are currently being confirmed, so be sure to watch your email for more information on specific offerings.

Howard County Housing Affordability Coalition
COALITION MEMBER MEETING

Wednesday, September 8, 2021  3:30-5:00 PM

Agenda Highlights

Analysis of the potential impact on affordable housing of the HoCo By Design (General Plan) scenarios.

Housing Opportunities Master Plan implementation update.

ACS Member News

Dr. Tiffany Manuel:
The Case Made for Affordable Housing 

Howard County Library System and Horizon Foundation are partnering on a multipart series, Racial Equity and Local Action, focusing on the importance of racial equity in Health, Education and Housing, and how communities can act and be involved in change at the local level.

In this installment of the series, we hear from Dr. Tiffany Manuel on how to strategically communicate when advocating for affordable housing – with lessons that apply to advocacy on many equity topics. Register here.

We’ve Moved!

The Community Foundation of Howard County starts the next chapter of its story at the beautifully renovated and restored Athol Manor. As of August 30, 2021, The Apple Ford Center at Athol Manor is officially the home of the Community Foundation of Howard County!

HoCo By Design Draft Plan Community Workshops

Learn how the ideas have been shaped by scenario planning, discussions with the Planning Advisory Committee, meetings of the Strategic Advisory Groups, feedback from technical experts, and community input.

If you are unable to attend in-person or virtually, visit our website for a recording of the virtual workshop. Or, take the survey anytime–prior attendance at a meeting is not required. Click here for more details

Your Voice Matters!

Howard County Government is conducting an Equity Audit in three key areas: racial & social equity, opportunity, and quality of life. The goal of the community equity audit is to identify institutional and structural practices that produce inequities in services, policies, and access.

The Equity Audit matters because every resident (child, youth, family, individual) in Howard County matters. We are doing this audit because we are on the path to building a more caring, compassionate, and inclusive county. Take the survey now.

Howard Community College
Special Student Funding Partner Toolkit

As we begin to move forward from a difficult year, we recognize that members of our community may need assistance to afford college. We are working together with Howard Community College (HCC) to help spread the word about opportunities now available to help students fund their future and pursue their educational goals.

New funds are now available for fall 2021 so that cost is not an obstacle to attending Howard Community College. This can be for students who may not have access to financial aid with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Please share with any clients who would like to attend HCC and any partners who may be interested.

Feeling Overwhelmed?
Join us for a fall series on grief, loss and trauma.

The uncertainty of 2020 continues into 2021, leaving many feeling overwhelmed, which can lead to anxiety, isolation, anger, sadness and stress as we learn to adapt to our ever-changing world.

The Horizon Foundation, in partnership with Gilchrist and the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, is hosting a fall series on grief, loss and trauma. This virtual series will include four 1-hour sessions that frame the losses we have faced – and continue to face – as a grief experience. We will discuss grief responses and provide realistic strategies to sustain yourself and support others in the face of grief and trauma exposure.

Topics include:

“Caring for Yourself” – Tues, Sept. 14, 10 AM

“Caring for Youth” – Tues, Sept. 21, 10 AM

“Caring for Older Adults” – Tues, Sept. 28, 10 AM

“Caring for Each Other” – Tues, Oct. 5, 10 AM

Our community – and our world – have suffered losses, injustices, fear and inequities this past year which can impact our mental health. Come learn more about what it means to grieve as a community, and how we can best support each other through times of trauma.

Who should attend? Everyone.             Register

New Nonprofit: Home of Our Own

Home of Our Own is celebrating two landmark accomplishments for this organization that for years has quietly supported organizations working to end homelessness in Howard County. Effective May 28, 2021, Home of Our Own became an approved nonprofit organization, and in July, Home of Our Own, secured its first grant.

VISION: Helping individuals and families transitioning from homelessness make their new residence a warm, healthy home in the quickest possible time.

MISSION: To provide a centralized storage and distribution center for household goods in support of all programs/agencies aimed at ending homelessness in Howard County. Look for our website coming soon!

ACS Member Resources

SBA launches
Paycheck Protection Program Direct Forgiveness Portal

On August 4, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans $150,000 or less through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA.

This new change will help rush relief to the over 6.5 million qualified small businesses. Lenders are required to opt-in to this program here.

Read SBA’s full statement here.

COVID-19 Vaccine and Delta Variant

Resources to Keep You in the Know

As the COVID-19 Delta variant surges and nationwide vaccine efforts continue, the U.S. Chamber has resources and events to help keep you and your networks in the know, such as:

Considering what you need to know about mandating vaccines for employees?  How to Host a Vaccine Event for Employees / Six Common / Covid-19 Myths Debunked

For additional resources, go to the COVID Vaccines Digital Resources Center

SDAT Conducts Tax Credit Awareness Campaign
Marylanders Encouraged to Apply Online

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) has announced the implementation of its 2021 Tax Credit Awareness Campaign, urging Marylanders to consider whether they may be eligible to receive a homeowners’ or renters’ property tax credit.

The quickest and easiest way to find out more information and submit an application is by accessing the innovative online tax credit application system, which strengthens SDAT’s ability to continue processing all tax credit applications in an accurate and timely manner.

The deadline to file for both tax credits is October 1, 2021.

Census Population and Redistricting Data Released

The U.S Census Bureau has released detailed population and redistricting data that show a more racially and ethnically diverse population than ever before. These data provide a complete picture of the nation’s population, including how the ethnic, racial, and voting age makeup of neighborhoods have changed since the 2010 Census. Specifically, this initial set of data gives the first look at the demographic characteristics of the nation by state, county, and city — all the way down to the census block level. Details include race and ethnicity, population for ages 18 years and over, occupied and vacant housing units, and people living in group quarters like college dorms, military barracks, nursing homes, and prisons. Click to view.

Eight Tips for Facilitating Nonprofit Hybrid Meetings

Give your remote participants a seat at the table

As the pandemic continues, most nonprofit workplaces will become a combination of virtual and on-site work. A recent McKinsey survey suggests that 90% of organizations will adopt some version of the hybrid workplace. The hybrid workplace will have a huge impact on the way we design and facilitate meetings, the primary method of how many organizations get stuff done.

Download a free copy of UST’s latest eBook, Workforce Management Tactics that Strengthen Nonprofit Brands, to discover 3 key strategies that can help your nonprofit create (and sustain) a resilient workforce. In this eBook, you’ll discover:

The importance of refreshing your hiring & onboarding strategies

Tips for building creative and competitive employee benefit packages

Innovative processes that help combat preventable terminations

You’ll uncover new strategies that will encourage your current (and future) workforce to carry out your mission for years to come.

JHU Nonprofit Employment Data

Nonprofit employers added nearly 70,000 jobs in July, reflecting 10% of the private non-farm jobs added nationwide during the month, according to new analysis from the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Including adjustments to June jobs data, nonprofits still have not filled 615,000 of the estimated 1.64 million jobs lost during the pandemic.

These positive results were recorded, however, before the surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant. Therefore, the report warns, the recovery of nonprofit jobs may “stall or reverse — especially in fields like the arts and education, where capacity limits and shut-downs can have significant impact on employment.”

Build a #GivingTuesday Campaign That Inspires and Converts

Make the most of the year-end giving season and learn how to optimize your #GivingTuesday campaign. In this webinar, you’ll gain tips and techniques for designing a standout #GivingTuesday campaign that drives donor engagement and online conversions.

This complimentary webinar is brought to you by Classy. For more information, visit the website.

War for Talent – How to Differentiate Your PTO Benefits

With a tight job market, employers are looking for any edge to lure candidates and fill positions. One of the newest things in the benefit world, employers wanting to stand out with a highly differentiated benefit that lets employees convert some of their unused vacation into retirement, student loan payments, emergency cash and more.

Join this SIG U webinar to learn about some of these strategies and a partner to help support you!

ACS Membership Renewal

ACS continues to help you overcome your challenges, uncover your talents and introduce you to others who can help you achieve your mission.

As you continue your important work, rely on the strength that comes when we join together. Go here, select “Renew Membership” and enjoy all of our member benefits for the coming year!

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