Panelists Set for Nonprofit Missouri Advocacy Update

These professionals experienced with the nonprofit and political arenas will speak at the Feb. 5, 4-5:30 pm Advocacy Update from Nonprofit Missouri at Central Library:

• Kevin Drollinger, Executive Director, Epworth Children and Family Services, with a firsthand account of advocacy as a nonprofit professional;
• Ryan Barker, Vice President, Health Policy, Missouri Foundation For Health, on advocacy from a funder's perspective, and why it's important to support nonprofit advocacy; and
• Amy Blouin, Executive Director, Missouri Budget Project, on lessons learned from advocating directly with legislatures.

The program will also include an overview of how nonprofits can and cannot advocate,  Information on how to participate in Nonprofit Missouri's annual Nonprofit Advocacy Day in Jefferson City on Feb. 19, and an opportunity for Q&A. Both this free event and Nonprofit Advocacy Day are open to both members and nonmembers of Nonprofit Missouri. Docent-led tours of the St. Louis Public Library's recently renovated Central building will be available after the meeting which is cosponsored by Nonprofit Missouri and the Grants & Foundation Center at the St. Louis Public Library.

Register  here!

  

Funding Neighborhood Projects Workshop 2-8

New and seasoned fundraisers from neighborhoods in the St. Louis area are invited to learn specific tools & techniques for Funding Your Neighborhood Project, Sat. Feb. 8, from 9-1 at the UMSL campus. Sponsored by the Community Partnership Project and Neighborhood Leadership Academy, the hands-on workshop will be taught by Wendy Dyer and Kara Lubischer and will include tools for finding funders and tips on the art of grantwriting. Cost is $45. Get details and Register Online here or call (314) 516-5994.

January AFP St. Louis: "In With the New" & Small Fundraising Shops

Get details/register here for these Association of Fundraising Professionals St. Louis Chapter events:

• Jan. 28 Seminar - Small Shop Best Practices with Jim Schallom of College Summit & Rachel D'Souza-Siebert of St. Louis Language Immersion Schools, 8:30 - 11 am Norwood Hills, $75 for nonmembers
• Jan. 30 Lunch Mtg. -- In With the New with Chris Cannon - author of An Executive's Guide to Fundraising Operations (available at the G&FC) 11:30 - 1:30 Norwood Hills, $45 for nonmembers.  
  

1-15 Class Offers Helps for Creative Writers

At the 3rd Central for Creatives session tomorrow, 4-5:30 pm, Sue Greenberg of VLAA will recommend books about the legal and business aspects of publishing and promoting your writing and I'll show how to search Foundation Grants to Individuals Online and some free online funding sites. Next published author Eric Lundgren will talk about additional helpful  resources available at Central Library for writers wanting to move their careers to the next level. Then Andrea Johnson, Creative Experience specialist, will demonstrate possibilities for using the collaborative nature of the Creative Experience space, including the availability of iBooks Author and other software and tutorials, for writers. Email cexp@stl.org to sign up. Next month--Central for Creative Musicians. 

If you missed last month's session for visual artists, the list of  books recommended by Sue and fine arts subject specialist Mary Frechette is available on the Dec. 19th posting of Central's Fine Arts Room Blog!

New Year Foundation Center FIN Details

• All three Foundation Center databases (Foundation Directory Online Professional, Foundation Grants to Individuals and Philanthropy In/Sight) are currently freely accessible to the public at Central Library on a total of 8 adult reference computers here on the 2nd floor of Central Library.  Four are located in the Social Sciences Rm (near the G&FC collection) and the other four are located in the Entertainment, Literature & Biography room just west of the Great Hall.  For anyone planning a winter visit to Central to search for foundation and corporate grantmakers, these basic eight will be available during all the hours the 2nd floor is open.

• Tues. Feb. 11, we're offering a 90-minute hands-on tutorial for nonprofit fundraisers on how-to-use Foundation Directory Online Professional and Philanthropy In/Sight to the first 18 nonprofit fundraisers who sign up. The 3 pm session will be held in the 2nd floor training room. New Year's Bonus! Seven lucky attendees will receive free 24-hour gift subscriptions to the Foundation Directory Online Professional. E-mail, call (314-539-0357 is a message phone) or come by to sign up for the class.