F.Y.I.

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  The American Chemical Society gets a big boost from the Hach Scientific Foundation. The ACS got a $33 million donation to foster high school chemistry education. The Hach S.F. is the philanthropic outgrowth of the Hach Company, which is a chemical company founded in 1947.
  


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  How do you fight graffiti in DC? You let nonprofits teach kids the art of aerosol painting on selected areas of the city. DC is teaming up with local nonprofits to reach kids through graffiti:
  

  "the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities teamed up with the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Department of Public Works to sponsor the D.C. Creates Public Art project. The project was funded by the Committee on Public Works, chaired by Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. The project aims 'to replace illegal graffiti with artistic works, to revitalize sites within the community and to teach young people the art of aerosol painting.' The project was headed by The Midnight Forum, another D.C. organization focused on youth empowerment through hip-hop. After an application to select the participants, the project resulted in murals created throughout the spring and summer in D.C. communities."

  
  Read the whole article for dissenting views about state/government involvement in graffiti culture.
  



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  Blogger Michael Seltzer offers advice to nonprofits in these hard economic times. His advice highlights many of the differences between nonprofits and for-profit companies. It's not too often that we see for-profit executives setting examples by cutting their own pay during layoffs. Among nonprofits, the ethos is much different. However, sometimes "appreciation" of employees doesn't pay their bills!
  



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  Hugo
  Chavez is at it again. The Venezualan leader is partnering up with Boston-based nonprofit Citizens Energy Corporation. Citizen's is dedicated to
  

  "help make life's basic needs more accessible and affordable. At the same time, Citizens Energy seeks to use market opportunities to help the poor and needy."

  
  Here's a great example of how actions in the nonprofit world are highly political (relating to the debates and struggles in civil society): the philanthropy of Chavez is scorned by some in the US because of Chavez's vocal opposition to US policies.
  




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  Pew Research - a nonprofit research group - has discovered that Americans don't want to move to Detroit. They released their latest survey on which cities Americans want to live in and which they do not. I, for one, would move to Detroit in a heartbeat.