Detroit Hives for World Honey Bee Day on National Nonprofit Day

Happy World Honey Bee Day! Today is also National Nonprofit Day — a double celebration! The best way I found to combine the two is to feature nonprofits that benefit bees, particularly honeybees. I found one based in Detroit, Detroit Hives. Watch Lightbeam tell their story in Detroit Hives: Transforming Vacant Detroit Lots into Urban Bee Farms.

The work of Detroit Hives is simple. They are transforming vacant Detroit lots into urban bee farms. The mission is three-fold: Conserve the bees, educate others about how hard-working bees really are, and revitalize the community.

Not only are they rebuilding the bee community, but they are rebuilding the beautiful city.

Detroit Hives connected what they are doing to urban agriculture in Detroit, a major topic during the early years of this blog. It was about time I revisited it.

WDIV/Click On Detroit also told Detroit Hives' story in Detroit nonprofit organization educates students about importance of bees nearly five years ago.


This was much more about education and redevelopment than urban agriculture, but it's still a positive story about the Motor City.

I close with CBS Detroit's Science of Weather: Detroit Hives.


The Brightmoor location looks even more interesting than the one featured in the first two videos and I'm glad CBS Detroit used it to discuss the effect of weather on bees.

By the way, Detroit Hives has a Charity Navigator page, which means I can include the nonprofit among those I recommend to my students. That means that I learned something new and useful today, so today's a good day. It's always a good day when I learn something new.

That's a wrap for today's double celebration. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature.

The history of Giving Tuesday

Happy Giving Tuesday! I'm going back to the creation of the holiday with PBS NewsHour describing How Henry Timms was inspired to create Giving Tuesday in 2018.

Henry Timms is the creator of Giving Tuesday and co-author of the bestselling book “New Power,” which explores how people gather and galvanize today, often via social media. For this week’s That Moment When, Steve Goldbloom speaks with Timms, who explains why “we need to stop seeing people as donors and start seeing them as owners.”

As The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (92NY), the 92nd Street Y is a member of Bridge Alliance, which I have volunteered for since it absorbed the Coffee Party in 2021. Knowing that a member organization helped create this day gives me a warm feeling about my involvement.

That was the past. WUSA gave an update on the tenth anniversary of the day's creation in VERIFY: What's the history of Giving Tuesday?.

On the 10th anniversary of the holiday following consumer holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Verify looks at how Giving Tuesday changed donation habits.

The categories Woodrow Rosenbaum named that showed the most growth during the pandemic remind me of the ones Charity Navigator uses. Since I'm a big fan of Charity Navigator, that pleases me, too. I recommend my readers use that site to look for worthy nonprofits to contribute to.

Speaking of nonprofits and the pandemic, watch as the Michigan Nonprofit Association explains Michigan’s Unsung Heroes: How Nonprofits Stepped Up During the Pandemic.

When 2020 began, no one imagined the challenges Michigan’s residents and its economy would face. Especially nonprofits. But in the face of pandemic-induced hardships, nonprofits stepped up and played a pivotal role in keeping Michigan afloat during difficult times. They provided essential services, aid, and unwavering support to communities in need. Nonprofits were the safety net.

Take a look at their remarkable story of survival and service.

I listed some Michigan charities worthy of donations last year.

I like this list, which includes food banks like Forgotten Harvest, animal welfare organizations like the Michigan Humane Society, and political advocacy groups like the ACLU of Michigan. As I wrote nine years ago, Detroit has great charities.

After a week of holiday posts, it's time to return to current events. Stay tuned.

Hey, I'm an environmentalist. I recycle!

Emmy-nominated documentary 'Escape from Kabul' for the fall of Kabul two years later

Today is the second anniversary of my posting Colbert and Meyers take closer looks at the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, which inspired me to return to awards show coverage. Watch Escape From Kabul | Official Trailer | HBO, which promotes a documentary with two nominations at next month's News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

Escape From Kabul, an HBO original documentary featuring never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews from Afghan citizens, U.S. Marines, and the Taliban during the 2021 withdrawal, premieres September 21 on HBOMax. #EscapeFromKabul

What a tragedy. Since today is National Nonprofit Day, I did some research on Charity Navigator to find a nonprofit that assists the evacuees. The organization I found with the most complete information is #AfghanEvac, "a coalition of organizations working with US government partners on sustained relocation and resettlement efforts to fulfill the United States’ duty to at-risk Afghans." Here is the link to their site. If my readers want to support our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, I recommend the USO. Do something useful to alleviate the horror of the situation for those who escaped and survived.

Follow over the jump for the nominees against which Escape From Kabul is competing in two categories, Outstanding Investigative Documentary and Best Documentary.

Avoiding scams and finding good charities on Giving Tuesday

Happy Giving Tuesday! I begin today's post with a note of caution from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids telling its viewers Avoid scams this Giving Tuesday with tips from BBB.

On the eve of Giving Tuesday, you may want to take into consideration some tips to make sure your donation is going to a legitimate place. (Nov. 28, 2022)

All good advice.

NBC 10 Philadelphia (WCAU) gave more positive counsel in Tips on Finding Legit Charities on Giving Tuesday.

Donations can make a great impact on someone’s life this Giving Tuesday. NBC10 Responds reporter Valeria Aponte Feliciano has a few tips to help you be sure your money is being used for good during the holiday.

I'm a big fan of Charity Navigator and I'm pleased to see others recommend it. This includes WDIV/Click On Detroit, who posted Giving Tuesday 2022: 60+ Michigan charities who deserve your donation to its website.

Giving Tuesday is upon us and the season of charitable giving is in full swing.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

So, if you're looking to donate to a local charity, here are some options:

I like this list, which includes food banks like Forgotten Harvest, animal welfare organizations like the Michigan Humane Society, and political advocacy groups like the ACLU of Michigan. As I wrote nine years ago, Detroit has great charities.

After a week of holiday posts, it's time to return to current events. Stay tuned.

Giving Tuesday in Michigan

Happy Giving Tuesday! I'm focusing on news reports about giving to Michigan charities this year, beginning with WXYZ's Giving Tuesday 2021: Metro Detroit organizations look for donations, volunteers.*

You've heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – two days of deals and shopping. But Tuesday marks Giving Tuesday, a day that has become one for generosity when people give to their favorite charities.

Forgotten Harvest is one of the charities I recommended four years ago and mentioned in At least Detroit has great charities, Detroit Zoo director's salary goes up along with zoo's rating as a charity and Forgotten Harvest's farm. I still recommend it, as my wife and I have donated to them before. I also recommend the rest of the charities I listed in those entries.

Follow over the jump for three reports from the west side of the state.

For Giving Tuesday 2017, I recommend some of my favorite nonprofits

Happy #GivingTuesday 2017!


National Day Calendar has more on National Day of Giving/Giving Tuesday.

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Quite simply, take advantage of all the holiday deals to add to your charitable giving. Combined with your family, friends, local and national organizations and through the power of social media, National Day of Giving can become a tradition worth passing on. Use #GivingTuesday to post on social media.

HISTORY

In 2012, 92nd Street Y in New York City created National Day of Giving to bring focus to the charitable season in the wake of the commercialized Black Friday and Cyber Monday. More commonly referred to as #GivingTuesday, National Day of Giving harnesses the power of social media to give back around the world and throughout the year.

Follow over the jump for the nonprofits I've given to and others I recommend.

Colbert and Meyers examine the Trump Foundation

Early last week, Paul W. at You Might Notice a Trend did some research on the Clinton Foundation Vs. Trump Foundation.

Where I work, I have access to a foundations/grants database.

On a whim, I took a look at the two foundations currently in the news...

The governing board for the Clinton Foundation has CEO, CFO, executive Director. The only Clinton family member I see active with the non-profit is Chelsea Clinton.

The governing board for the Trump Foundation is all Trump: Donald himself, two of his kids, one of his grandkids, and I think his son-in-law. I know I shouldn't suspect *cough* nepotism *cough* but still...

The database I use didn't show on the records the foundations' rating scale, it may have been under a different part of the directory. But for what I know, the Clinton Foundation is vetted and graded and the Trump Foundation isn't.

My comment summarized the information in the last two links.

I'm a regular user of Charity Navigator. That site has a wealth of data many charities, including both foundations. The Clinton Foundation has a 4-star rating. The Trump Foundation is not rated at all!

The day before, Paul quoted a Washington Post article in A Serious Scandal For a Deadly Serious Election Year that reported that the $25,000 donated to a political group connected to Florida Attorney General Pan Bondi came from the Trump Foundation.  The two stories came together again this week when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert posted The Trump Foundation Needs Your Help to its YouTube channel.

Can you find it in your heart to give? For just pennies a day you too can pay off a Florida attorney general.

Colbert wasn't the only late night television host to examine the Trump Foundation.  Seth Meyers did so as well in A Closer Look: The Trump Foundation and tied it into other controversies surrounding Trump, his not paying contractors to his business and vendors to his campaign and his not releasing his tax returns.

Seth examines whether Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns is related to controversy surrounding his personal foundation.

Meyers did a good job of closing the circle on this segment, so I'll follow suit by returning to Paul W., who concluded his blog entry on the two foundations with the rhetorical question, "And the Beltway media only wants the CLINTON Foundation to close down?  Screw them."  I second this emotion and see it and raise with this graphic.


Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment entry, which will be about the speculative fiction and music winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.

Forgotten Harvest's farm

The big local environmental story of the day is the algal contamination of Toledo's water supply.  It's right up my alley, but I'm in an "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood, so I'll concentrate on something more positive that fits in this month's theme about memory by my using this blog as a reminder of material to use in my classes.  In this case, it's WXYZ posting Forgotten Harvest, which fits right in with At least Detroit has great charities.


I mentioned Forgotten Harvest before in Detroit Zoo director's salary goes up along with zoo's rating as a charity.

The local charities ranked higher than the zoo are Helping Hand for Relief and Development in first with a score of 69.25, Forgotten Harvest in second with a score of 67.82, Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society in third with a score of 67.73, and American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association in fourth with a score of 67.35.  Among the local organizations my students would write about for their assignments, that places the zoo in third behind Forgotten Harvest and the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society.  That's something to be proud of.

Now I have a positive video to show my students about a top-rated local environmental charity.  Cool.  Also, I have something more up to date than the promotional video of Greening of Detroit in Student sustainability video festival, part 2: Greening of Detroit.  I was getting a bit bored with it.

Detroit Zoo director's salary goes up along with zoo's rating as a charity

In At least Detroit has great charities, I described the work that some of Detroit's top charities do.  I concentrated on those fighting hunger and food insecurity, such as Forgotten Harvest, Gleaner Community Food Bank, Yad Ezra, then explained how I use non-profits in my teaching.

I have my students research sustainability-related charities in Detroit every semester and I’m amazed how how many high-quality charities there are here. In fact, Charity Navigator rates Detroit’s charities as better than those of New York and Washington, D.C. I’ll have to write up that research and post the link.

I don't have time to do a complete write-up right now.  Instead, I direct my readers to the site's Metro Market Study 2013.  It shows Detroit's charities rank 11th in the U.S., while Washington, D.C.'s rank 17th and New York City's rank 18th.

One of the non-profits that contributed to Detroit's high ranking was the Detroit Zoological Society, which ranked fifth out of the region's top 45 charities in financial stability, accountability, and transparency with a score of 67.28.*  One of the ways the zoo got such a high ranking was cutting down on administrative costs, which raised its rating from only two stars four years ago to four stars today.  Now, WXYZ reports that salaries are going up, starting with the man at the top, Ron Kagan.

Director of the Detroit Zoo takes big pay raise


As long as administration's share of the budget doesn't go up and the program services continue to improve, the zoo's Charity Navigator rating shouldn't be harmed.  In fact, Kagan's salary has gone up at the same time the zoo's ratings have improved, so I'm not too worried.  Just the same, I'll keep an eye out for next year's ratings to see if the zoo's score goes down and brings Detroit's ranking down with it.  Only then will I think that WXYZ's concern was justified.

*The local charities ranked higher than the zoo are Helping Hand for Relief and Development in first with a score of 69.25, Forgotten Harvest in second with a score of 67.82, Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society in third with a score of 67.73, and American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association in fourth with a score of 67.35.  Among the local organizations my students would write about for their assignments, that places the zoo in third behind Forgotten Harvest and the Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society.  That's something to be proud of.

At least Detroit has great charities

Over at Kunstler's blog, frequent commenter Janet asked a rhetorical question.

So let’s see if the private sector steps up to fight hunger in Detroit.

I decided to demonstrate to Janet why asking a rhetorical question about Detroit around me is not a good idea if one wants it to remain a rhetorical question.

If by the “private sector” you mean the for-profit sector, forget about it except for private security, which is already looking after enclaves like Indian Village, which one of the few places outside of Downtown and Midtown where wealthy people still live in Detroit. Then again, you know that already.

If you were including the non-profit sector, which you probably weren’t, then they are trying to step up to fight hunger, mentor young women, and fix up homes.

As if on cue, WXYZ promoted Gleaners summer food drive to its YouTube channel today.


See, the non-profit sector is stepping up to fight hunger in Detroit, in this case by supplementing the food aid that government gives through the school lunch program.

Gleaners  Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan isn't the only local charity doing so.  Charity Navigator lists at least three non-profits dedicated to fighting hunger among its top charities in Detroit.  Immediately before Gleaners in alphabetical order is Forgotten Harvest, which Charity Navigator rates even higher in financial stability, accountability, and transparency than Gleaners.  Another is Yad Ezra, which specializes in "feeding the Jewish hungry."  That list doesn't include either the smaller food banks or the charities that provide food aid as part of a larger human and social services mission.

Speaking of Charity Navigator, I mentioned it in the rest of the comment.

I have my students research sustainability-related charities in Detroit every semester and I’m amazed how how many high-quality charities there are here. In fact, Charity Navigator rates Detroit’s charities as better than those of New York and Washington, D.C. I’ll have to write up that research and post the link.

I don't have time to do a complete write-up right now.  Instead, I direct my readers to the site's Metro Market Study 2013.  It shows Detroit's charities rank 11th in the U.S., while Washington, D.C.'s rank 17th and New York City's rank 18th.

That written, I acknowledged that Janet's point about the private sector stands.

Of course, they’re inadequate for the task even if they were the best charities in the country, and you know that, too.

Speaking of posting topical items on cue, Warren Buffet's son Peter posted The Charitable-Industrial Complex in the New York Times yesterday.  That makes the point that all the charity in the world, literally, will not compensate for lack of government action on behalf of the poor.