One Utah woman's dream for smart philanthropy | The Salt Lake ...

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Fraser Nelson, founder of the Community Foundation of Utah, listens to questions during a "social enterprise collaborative" where people were given advice on how to do corporate philanthropy in a legitimate, sustainable way. The event was held in donated space at the Utah Food Bank.

Utah Clean Energy. Head Start. The Road Home. These are hardly fly-by-night nonprofits, but rather mainstays of Utah?s well-populated, philanthropic landscape.

But a mean recession hurt charities large and small ? the Community Foundation of Utah reports the state has lost 38 percent of its registered nonprofits since 2009, down to 3,568 from 5,754. That?s why these leaders have come on a recent Thursday to the foundation?s "social entrepreneur" workshop.

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Love Utah, Give Utah

The Community Foundation of Utah recognizes 50 do-gooders each year for their innovation, collaboration and commitment to the common good. This ?Enlightened 50? for 2012 include business and religious leaders, unsung advocates and volunteers, academics, bloggers, directors of nonprofits, and elected officials. See the list and plans for an Oct. 11 honoring them at http://bit.ly/RvaWSa.

"The age of relying on grants is gone," said Erin Trenbeath-Murray, director of Salt Lake City?s Head Start, which runs health-conscious preschools for low-income kids. "We have to be more self-sustaining and be a better custodian of taxpayer dollars. We have to act more like a business."

Launched on a shoestring budget in donated office space, the Community Foundation of Utah exists to promote what founder Fraser Nelson calls "smart philanthropy."

The foundation is first, and foremost, a grant maker. It raises money, pooling donations and grants to dispense to local nonprofits on a competitive basis. Smaller funds and scholarships can be earmarked by benefactors for a particular purpose ? and the money can be invested and managed by the foundation for a fee. And field-of-interest funds allow donors to pool and leverage their money for greater influence in a certain arena, such as health, education or poverty.

"People who give to charity when they die don?t necessarily know what the community needs are going to be in 20 years," Nelson said. "We investigate nonprofits for them. We harness the state?s entrepreneurial spirit to serve the common good."

Since opening for business in 2009, the foundation has awarded more than $1 million in grants and scholarships, matching more than 60 donors with dozens of do-gooders. It, too, survives off good will, with most of its $174,000 budget coming in the form of grants and donations.

"A lot of people thought we wouldn?t succeed," Nelson said, "but we?re really hitting our stride."

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Fierce competition ? Community Foundations, which build assets to improve the social fabric of cities, counties and states, date back to 1914. Today, there are more than 1,400 worldwide and 700 in the U.S. One of the first and largest, in Tulsa, Okla., has more than $4 billion in assets.

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Why Utah went for so long without one is a mystery to Nelson, who started the foundation after serving for a decade as executive director of the Utah Disability Law Center. It wasn?t for lack of need, she says.

Utah far outpaces other states in charitable giving, with the average household donating 10.6 percent of its annual income, but most of that goes to the LDS Church in the form of tithing.

The state also has more charities per capita than the national average, and few large benefactors, which means fierce competition for funding, Nelson said.

And it?s about to get more intense. "With the economy improving, most of our big nonprofits, such as the symphony, the ballet and University of Utah, are going to be pouring out of the gate with big fund drives and pent-up demand they?ve been deferring for years," said Nelson.

That leaves the 80 percent of the state?s nonprofits with budgets under $100,000, outgunned and undermanned, which is why so many fail.

The decline is partly due to the Internal Revenue Service?s decision in 2010 to shut down organizations that hadn?t filed income statements in three years, said Nelson. "But it has continued. The ones that were marginal are gone."

Sustainability remains the watchword for surviving charities and small start-ups, which means turning a profit ? uncomfortable ground for nonprofits, said Steve Grizzell, managing director of the venture capital company, InnoVentures.

If done well, like Girl Scouts of America?s cookie sales, the rewards are sweet, said Grizzell. "But you have to take big risks for small margins and it really creates divisions within an organization about where to reinvest the money."

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Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54971626-78/business-charities-community-foundation.html.csp

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South Park to Set Sights on Honey Boo Boo [Video]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/10/south-park-to-set-sights-on-honey-boo-boo-video/

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Afghan bomber kills 14, including 3 NATO troops

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A suicide bomber driving a motorcycle packed with explosives rammed his bike into a patrol of Afghan and international forces on Monday morning in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 14 people, including three NATO service members and their translator, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which came a day after the U.S. death toll in the war in Afghanistan reached 2,000 troops and as relations between international forces and their Afghan partners have been pushed to the breaking point by a surge in insider attacks by Afghan allies.

The bomber struck a group of Afghan police and international troops shortly after they got out of their vehicles to walk through a market area in Khost city, the capital of Khost province, said provincial government spokesman Baryalai Wakman.

Six civilians and four police officers were killed in the blast, Wakman said. He said the police officers were part of a specialized quick-reaction force.

Blood could be seen on the market road as Afghan police and soldiers tried to clean up the area after the blast. Slippers and bicycle parts were strewn about.

"I heard the explosion and came right to this area. I saw the dead bodies of policemen and of civilians right here," said policeman Hashmat Khan, who ran to the site of the blast from his job as security for a nearby bank.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Adam Wojack would only confirm that three NATO service members and their translator died in a bombing in the east on Monday, without giving an exact location or the nationalities of the dead.

The international military alliance usually waits for individual nations to announce details on deaths. Most of the troops in the east and in Khost province are American. It was not immediately clear if the translator was an Afghan citizen or a foreigner, Wojack said.

Dozens of Afghan civilians were also wounded in the bombing. The city's hospital alone was treating about 30 people injured in the explosion, said Dr. Amir Pacha, a physician working there. He added there could be other victims being treated at nearby private clinics.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in text messages to media that the insurgent group was behind the attack.

Joint patrols between NATO and Afghan forces have become more limited following a tide of attacks by Afghan soldiers and police on their international allies. Last month, the U.S. military issued new orders that require units to get approval from higher-ups before conducting operations with Afghans. Then, two weeks later, U.S. officials said most missions were being conducted with Afghans again, though the system of approvals has remained in place.

The close contact ? coalition forces working side by side with Afghan troops as advisers, mentors and trainers ? is a key part of the U.S. strategy for putting the Afghans in the lead as the U.S. and other nations prepare to pull out their last combat troops by the end of 2014.

But the rising death toll for international troops has increased calls in the U.S. and other allies to get out as soon as possible. On Sunday, a U.S. official confirmed that an American soldier was killed in a firefight that broke out between Afghan and U.S. troops, sparked by either a premeditated attack or confusion about the origins of an insurgent strike.

According to an Associated Press count, that soldier's death brought American troop deaths in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion to 2,000 ? a cold reminder of the perils that remain after an 11-year conflict.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-01-Afghanistan/id-a195202313fa4427aa68e44376e36c88

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Interview with Crisis Communications Expert Peter Roberts ...

Our next guest for our online reputation management blog is Peter Roberts, Head of Issues and Crisis Management at Bell Pottinger. A crisis PR specialist, Peter has handled a range of reputational situations for numerous blue-chip clients including insolvency, data loss, pressure group activity, television exposes, terrorist activity, kidnapping and employee fatalities. Prior to leading Bell Pottinger?s Crisis Practice, Peter was deputy Head of the Crisis Practice at Hill & Knowlton in London, and former Head of Communications for BBC News.

What is crisis communications?

The ability to ensure an organization, or individual is behaving and communicating appropriately with all stakeholders at a critical point in time.

What are the biggest mistakes you see people and companies make when dealing with the media?

Being overly cooperative. This may sound rather counter-intuitive as we need to forge good relationships with the media, but so often, company spokespeople tend to forget they are there to deliver their own story as opposed to helping the media develop theirs.

Another mistake is responding to questions with pre-agreed answers, as opposed to listening and replying with something more relevant.

How important is social media to your reputation management strategy?

Extremely. The days of the media being the sole scrutinizers of your corporate reputation are long gone. The digital explosion has, rightly, empowered a far wider range of constituents; principally consumers, and subsequently it?s vital that organizations embrace those platforms that give opportunity to both listen and engage with such groups. Relatedly, consider the effectiveness of NGOs and pressure groups in this space; notably, Greenpeace and their Nestle campaign, and the impact of the likes of UK Uncut to mobilize supporters at short notice.

What is the first thing a company should do when there is a PR disaster?

Be seen and heard. An organization won?t have the facts to hand, but it?s vital that they are visible from the outset. The Sony Playstation hacking episode last year was a case in point.

How can CEOs help build and repair corporate reputation?

In building a reputation, the CEO needs to appreciate that it may be devised at the top, but it will only flourish with the involvement and endorsement of the whole workforce. The challenge for any boss is how best to cultivate the staff to achieve a sense of brand ownership across the business. As for reparation, distinct reputational issues will, largely, be tempered if the building process has been achieved. However, there will be a need for leadership at such times and consequently, the CEO has to recognize the impact of an answerable and transformative organization in supporting the rebuild campaign.

What can employees do to help their company during and after a PR crisis?

The bulk of employees won?t be directly involved in the crisis, so it?s vital that they continue to demonstrate professionalism in their aspect of the business. This is vital with those staff members who have direct contact with consumers and/or members of the general public, who by their roles and responsibilities will be the most resonant guardians of the brand for many. After the crisis, public interest will, albeit to a lesser extent, still be leveled at the organization, so it?s important that employees continue to be mindful of how they and the organization will be perceived and to behave accordingly.

What can companies do to better prepare for a public relations crisis?

Initially, move from that mindset which says it won?t happen to us, to one that says it could and it may be at any moment. Many organizations don?t let themselves think in such terms as it supposedly belies a sense of inferiority and weakness; whereas, in fact, such an approach can only strengthen the business. Recognizing the threats and inherent flaws in the company will flush out the processes required to make it stronger, including the regular testing of systems and the training of people.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/expert-interviews/interview-with-crisis-communications-expert-peter-roberts-0290079

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Video: Loose seats add to American Airlines' woes

>>> hands. and the faa is investigating after rows of passenger seats became loose in flight, and that's not supposed to happen. one passenger said it was like a carnival ride . it comes at a rough time already for american. an awful month of delays, and now fears that their customers will make other plans. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello.

>> reporter: more trouble for american airlines . first, a boston to miami flight had to make an emergency landing sunday after several rows of seats came loose. the airline says new seats had been installed and the track may have been defective, forcing the pilots to radio in an emergency.

>> during climbout, rows, passenger seats rows 12 "d," "e" and "f" came loose out of the floor. passengers are unable to sit in that seat.

>> reporter: then today more seats came loose on a new york to miami flight that had to turn back. the airline is now pro-actively inspecting six more 757s. yet another black eye as the bankrupt airlines on-time arrival numbers plunged from 22% in september 2011 to just 58% this september. compared to 86% at southwest. and 88% at delta. american blames the slowdown on union pilots writing up trivial maintenance issues. the pilots blame the airlines' old planes. but passengers are losing their patience. from chicago --

>> if they don't fly i don't have a status on another airline. so it's a big issue for me.

>> reporter: to miami .

>> shakes my confidence as a passenger, that i'm going to be able to get to my destination on time.

>> reporter: american is concerned that all of this is starting to dodge its brand. just as it makes a major investment in planes. replacing the oldest fleet in the country with what it promises will be the youngest fleet in the country.

>> i think for american airlines time is of the essence . you're only as good as your last flight on airlines. people still have choices.

>> reporter: so far there's no sign of a slowdown on holiday bookings, but that could change. meanwhile, today an american pilot insisted the airline is still very safe.

>> you know, if i wouldn't put my kids on the airplane, i wouldn't put your kids on the airplane. and i still always feel like when i go to work, hey, i could put my kids on the airplane and we're going to be safe.

>> reporter: in a bottom-line business, that may be the real bottom line . tom costello, nbc news, miami .

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/49248930/

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Are Ashton And Demi Legally Married?! The Mystery May Be ...

Guess Demi Moore is going to have cough up those divorce papers for Ashton Kutcher REAL soon!

After questions arose regarding why the pair have never legally ended their marriage despite it being almost a year since their split and both moving on into separate relationships, sources close to the actor's new girlfriend Mila Kunis SHOCKED with the assertion that the nuptials were never legally solidified, and they had only had a symbolic Kabbalah wedding in 2005!

However, according to a Quitclaim deed on one of their properties filed in March of 2012 in the El Lay County Recorder's Office - which requires marital status descriptions on all California real estate transfers - Demi is regarded to as a "spouse" and Ashton a "married man!"

WELL.

While that confirms that these two are recognized by the state as a married couple, this still doesn't provide an explanation as to what is keeping these from OFFICIALLY calling it quits!

Especially since Ashton's calling Mila his "little wife!"

Someone might want to explain the definition of that word to him again, because something is telling us he may not 100% understand what he's saying here!

LOLz!

We kid, we kid!

But seriously - what do U guys think is going on with these two??

[Image via WENN.]

Tags: ashton kutcher, ceremony, demi moore, girlfriend, kabbalah, l.a. county recorders office, legal, marriage, mila kunis, quitclaim, real estate, transfers, wife

Source: http://perezhilton.com/2012-09-30-ashton-kutcher-demi-moore-marriage-legal-according-to-real-estate-documents

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Baboon personalities connected to social success and health benefits

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2012) ? Whether human or baboon, it helps to have friends. For both species, studies have shown that robust social networks lead to better health and longer lives. Now, a team of University of Pennsylvania researchers has helped show that baboon personality plays a role in these outcomes, and, like people, some baboons' personalities are better suited to making and keeping friends than others.

The research was conducted by psychology professor Robert Seyfarth and biology professor Dorothy Cheney, both of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences. They collaborated with the Arizona State University's Joan Silk.

Their work was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Seyfarth and Cheney, along with their colleagues and students, have spent the last 17 years observing a group of baboons living in the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana, studying the biological roots of their social dynamics. As with many other primates, baboon societies are strongly hierarchical. Females "inherit" their dominance ranks from their mothers and enjoy priority of access to food and mates. But high-ranking females do not always have greater reproductive success than low-ranking females. This suggests that, when it comes to evolutionary success, the inherited advantage of high rank can't explain everything.

"If you look at a baboon society," Seyfarth said, "and see the ranked, matrilineal families, you would think that whatever traits put an individual at the top of the hierarchy, that's what natural selection is going to favor. But that turns out not to be the case.

"In fact, dominance rank is not as good a predictor of reproductive outcomes as a close network of social relationships and stable relationships over time. So our question became 'What predicts having a strong network?'"

Baboon females actively work to maintain close social bonds, but, like humans, some baboons seemed to be better at it than others. With such traits closely tied to fitness and reproductive success, the Penn researchers wanted to get at the root of this variation.

During seven years of observations in the animals' natural habitat, the researchers measured individual female baboons on their sociability. They measured the number of grooming partners a baboon had, as well her tendency to be friendly or aggressive toward others. They also measured reproductive and fitness benefits they accrued: how long individuals and their offspring lived, as well as their stress levels, as determined by the presence of certain hormones in their droppings.

The researchers found that strength of an individual's social bonds was not fully predicted by seemingly obvious factors, such as the female's rank or the size of the family she was born into.

"Even when a female has a lot of relatives," Cheney said, "sometimes she's a loner, but some females who have no relatives do just fine. It suggests that you have to be both lucky and skilled to have these networks."

And, again like humans, these skills came down to individual personality traits. To determine a female's personality, the researchers paid close attention to grunting behavior. For baboons, grunting greases the social wheels. If a lower-ranking female grunts when approaching a higher-ranking female, the grunt acts as a kind of appeasement, reducing the chance of receiving aggression. Conversely, if a higher-ranking female grunts to a lower-ranking female, the grunt puts her at ease, increasing the chance of a friendly social interaction. And females of all ranks grunt when approaching a mother with an infant, because grunts increase the likelihood that the mother will allow the grunter to interact with her child.

Working bottom up from the trends they found in the baboon's behavior, the researchers grouped the baboons into three distinct personality profiles: "nice," "aloof" and "loner."

Nice females were friendly to all others and often grunted to lower-ranking females to signal reassurance. They formed strong and enduring social bonds with fairly consistent partner preferences over time.

Aloof females were more aggressive and less friendly, and they grunted primarily to higher-ranking females who had infants. They formed weaker bonds but had very consistent partner preferences.

Loner females were often alone and relatively unfriendly; they grunted primarily to appease higher-ranking females without infants. They formed weak bonds with changing partners.

Of the three, the loners had the highest stress levels, the weakest social bonds and the least stable social partners over time. Both of these measures were correlated with lower offspring survival and shorter lifespans. Both nice and aloof females showed the health and reproductive benefits associated with strong social bonds.

"This belies the idea that everything is competition and conflict," Cheney said.

While the mechanisms that make both "nice" and "aloof" effective strategies remains unclear, the study shows that cooperative personalities are adaptive.

"These results have allowed us to, for the first time in a wild primate, link personality characteristics, social skill and reproductive success," Seyfarth said. "By being a nice baboon, you increase the likelihood of having strong social bonds, which in turn translates to a better chance of passing on your genes."

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Leakey Foundation and National Geographic Society.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/NuFP-3DKu3s/121001151955.htm

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