8/9/2010 - Today World Connect issued a call for proposals for the next round of our World Connect Grants (WCG) Program. This will be the second grant cycle for WCG, the newest of World Connect’s programs. WCG works directly with Community Organizations who identify solutions to challenges affecting the health and wellbeing of women and children in their communities and helps them to turn their ideas into reality. Our inaugural grant cycle this past spring enabled us to impact over 38,000 vulnerable women and children through projects ranging from poultry farming in El Salvador to improvements at a rural maternity clinic in Mali.

There are several key changes this grant cycle, stemming from prior applicant feedback and our desire to further focus the WCG project type while expanding our reach.  We have narrowed our focus to solely health-related projects including the following categories: Health Education, Nutrition, Reproductive Health, Health Services and HIV/AIDS Prevention.  Additionally, we have expanded our reach to a total of 10 countries: Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mali, Morocco, Peru, the Phillipines, and Rwanda.

We will review, approve and fund another group of projects this Fall with grant awards up to $2,500 for each project. Interested Community Organizations in our target countries can submit grant applications in partnership with Peace Corps Volunteers. Application materials, including Eligibility Requirements, can be downloaded here.  Applications are due by September 27, 2010.

We are thrilled to see what the next round brings!

World Connect’s Executive Director Sarah Henry is featured in this month’s newsreel with Mothers Acting Up. In the post, Sarah talks about seeing our work at World Connect through the eyes of a new mother. To read Sarah’s article (and see pictures of her adorable little boy), click here.

Thanks to the mommy movers and shakers at Mothers Acting Up for all of your support!

Our friends at the Peace Corps office in Costa Rica recently sent Kids to Kids a care package that included coffee, chocolate, and a beautiful plaque. The inscription on the plaque reads, “Peace Corps Costa Rica wishes to recognize Kids to Kids for its unwavering support in providing unforgettable opportunities for communities and children in Costa Rica.”

Since September 2008, Kids to Kids has sponsored 44 projects in 42 communities throughout Costa Rica, bringing more arts, sports, education and environmental projects to over 1,500 kids. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting kids in Costa Rica and thankful for our wonderful Peace Corps partners.  Mil gracias!

This Monday was the celebration of the second Annual Massachusetts Nonprofit Awareness Day at the MA State House. The event was organized by the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network and the United Way of Mass Bay & Merrimack Valley.

The event was a celebration of the nonprofit sector in MA, a sector that supports the economy of the state and provides much-needed social programs to MA residents and beyond. The day opened with remarks from Governor Deval Patrick who spoke about being motivated by gratitude and generational responsibility and issued a collective call to action for all of us to give back. We saw the “world premiere” of a new PSA to air in MA in support of nonprofits by Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and his brother Paul, a social worker and nonprofit advocate. We also heard from Speaker of the MA House, Robert DeLeo and this year’s Nonprofit Excellence Awards were presented.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2010 Winners!

• Nonprofit Advocacy Award: Sociedad Latina
• Nonprofit Capacity Building Award: Jericho Road Project
• Nonprofit Collaboration Award: Growing Places Garden Project
• Nonprofit Communications Award: May Institute
• Nonprofit Governance Award: Family Health Center of Worcester
• Nonprofit Innovation Award: Project HEALTH
• Nonprofit Leadership Award: Vincent Perrone, Veterans Inc.
• Nonprofit Management Award: East End House
• Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurship Award: Abundant Table
• Nonprofit Young Professional Award: Nina Dudnick, Seeding Labs

World Connect’s own Julia Haney, co-founder of Kids to Kids, was the youngest nominee for the Nonprofit Young Professional Award. A photo of Julia with World Connect staffer Patrick Higdon is below. We’re so proud of you!

For more photos from the event, visit our album on Facebook.