Photo by: Thomas Hawk

SBA`s Deadline for Physical Damage Disaster Loans for Private Non-Profit Organizations is November 25. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds eligible Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) of the November 25 deadline to submit disaster loan application for damages caused by severe storms and flooding that began September 18. PNP’s located in Carroll, Catoogsa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Dooley, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Houston, Newton, Paulding, Peach, Rockdale, Stephens, Taylor and Walker counties in Georgia are eligible to apply to SBA.  Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges. To read the entire article/notice, please follow then hyperlink to the Reuters web-page.

The New York Times Magazine article describes in detail how a for-profit hospital chain dealt with its patients during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrinia.  The allocation of health care during a crisis that may have resulted in the death of individuals.  What everyone  should learn from these past mistakes is a protocol must be in place showing that a hospital evacuate safely regardless of their medical condition people in its care.  If not then the hospital should not be able to function in providing care until such time.  The safety of an individual is not to say that the same level of care can be performed but that the individual can be transported to another location in a responsible amount of time to minimize the risk to their health.  Memorial Hospital clearly did not send an adequate  distress call that people were dieing and clearly government was not prepared to respond.

A health care system must not tie individuals to anyone system of care because even in diasters it is hard to see which entity will exceed and which will fail to achieve success in the care its provides.  The Memorial Hospital failure shows how even when resources were available an inadequate response can result in death.

Health care reform will makes it easier for the market place to punish those whom provide a level of care that the price is more afforadble somewhere else.  The highest quality at the best price only works when the customer is informed of results and can conduct comparative pricing.    Health care is considered a big ticket item and in most cases reviewed by the customer.

The is a good opportunity under a cooperative health care cooperation for many health care professionals and entities to join together and yet be stand alone organizations.

Nonprofits over the next few months should join the conversation and see how they can participate and improve health care for their organization and community.

pic from Graela

President Obama says innovation is the key to getting America out of this recession. That sounds awesome but what kind innovation will make the economy stronger that won’t cost us billions of dollars in  research?  Health care reform is not the only answer to leaving this recession in the dust. We need more change than just health care.

Nonprofits do not hide from problems, they sometimes get too friendly which prevents them from making tough choices.  Innovation comes with making tough choices.

Read more by checking out this article.

 From the Wall Street Journal:

Would people feel more secure about the possible health care overhaul if non-profit companies provided the health insurance rather than the government? When this fall comes around there will be a final vote whether or not to pass the health bill proposed by the Obama administration. Personally, I want to see less government interaction as opposed to more government interaction.

 Let us know your opinions on this topic.

 LED lights are certainly within our future. Savings of electricity, decreasing in carbon admissions, and the length of life for the LED lights prove that they are  more efficient then your basic bulb . Only problem is that their much weaker in light strength. But thats nothing a few million dollars in research cant fix, right? The only question now is how can we get them into every single house across the globe within the next five years?

Click here to read more on this article.

pic by Chloe John

Ford Foundation Focus Supplements Federal Foreclosure Purchases

Wall Street Journal reported that the Ford Foundation is providing an initial $50 million to help municipalities buy foreclose property.  The Foundation will provide an additional $100 million over the next five years.

Check out the article with this link.

Nonprofits whom are working with local and state agencies should keep this funding source in mind.

pic by jjsink

Read the Wall Street Journals article called “Moment Is Ripe for President to Fix Health Care”   Link to Wall Street Journal

With over 17.6% of the GDP being spent on health care and each percent of GDP equaling about $140 billion, the economic health of the US is at risk.   It is time to support Obama’s efforts to make change and decrease the effect that health care has on the economic health of individuals, businesses and government.

Obama is the new Sheriff in town and he is not taking it slow.  He has chained together health care reform and the reduction of the deficit as one task.  He has formed his work gang to resolve said task in a timely manner.  The details of the work to be forthwith in the current congressional session.

The cost of a college education, the need to lower health care costs and a budget deficit need to be resolved together.  The nonprofit community can help with the three components.

1. First is the linking of jobs that are eligible for loan cancellation to those attending college.
2. The second is working with government to create a national health insurance system since many nonprofits depend on federal and state funds for portions of their programming or donations.
3. The third component as it relates to budget deficits needs to be dealt with by those organizations whom own large amounts of property exempt from taxation.  Local services are very dependent upon property taxes and certain organizations such as universities, churches and medical facilities are some of the largest landlords. Congress should pass a bill that allows for a user fee to be set per thousand for any community where any net holdings worth above $10,000,000 are controlled by any one organization regardless of federal ID number.

by empyreau

1. Has the financial market got you stressed out?
2. Has your older neighbor been dupe into a mortgage they never wanted?
3. Has your definition of conservative investing still resulted in funds being invested in high risk?

Facts:

• The mortgage industry created no income verification loans and the manipulation and fraud took off.
• The financial institutions created financial products promoting liquidity and cash equivalents.
• The federal and state government stood by and watched.

Fraud on the consumer is just wrong and should be dealt with sharply by the courts.  If the deal was fraudulent, the loan should be terminated and the investor should lose.

Individuals and organizations have the right to be angry and express to their government representative how they feel and have been effected.  So propose legislation that makes Greed a penalty too high to risk.

 pic by jessamyn

No you cannot have housing if you abandoned public housing without good cause.
No you cannot have housing if your not meeting the 30 hour a week work requirement.
No you cannot have housing if you have not saved 30 % of your income.
No you cannot have housing if you have been evicted from public or subsidized housing.
No you cannot have housing if your household has someone with an outstanding default or arrest warrant.
No you cannot have housing if you rejected one offer of housing without a good reason.
So what if there is a 5-8 year wait list for section 8 housing vouchers.
So what that you are waiting for a section 8 voucher that is worth thousands of dollars.
So what that the minimum wage of $8 at forty hours a week provides at 30% income only $416 to use towards rent.
So what that public housing area crime statistics are higher than most other locations.
So what that you feel your life is at risk in public housing.
So what that your child must experience a life cycle that includes gang recruitment.
So what that the economy is in a recession, no one hires you while in a shelter and you do not know where your going to live in order to know how you will get to the job.
So what that you did not know that someone in your household has an outstanding warrant.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of without good cause.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of a good reason.
So what that the interpretation of life consequences can be random.

Your homelessness is not about measuring the fact that your attaining the goals jointly agreed upon.

Your homelessness is necessary so that government can serve as many as possible knowing that the majority will succeed just by the fact that human nature drives people to overcome obstacles.

Nonprofits need to balance what the government will pay for and what their private funders will pay for.

The strategy to overhaul the Homeless Shelter system by more quickly moving the homeless into more permanent housing only works if there is sufficient subsidized housing or housing within 30% of a persons income will fail unless there is a large increase in subsidize and truly affordable housing. The traditional service model of serving long-term needy families and individuals in emergency housing is evolving to separate the chronic families/individuals from short term needy families/individuals. I question whether a more medical services model is necessary to better target those whom want treatment and those whom refuse treatment.

Maybe the new government motto should be “Be an Active Participant or Get Lost”

If you want real answers check your local nonprofits since they are usually available even when the government is not.