2009 Progressive Women's Voices Program

Good news for some great progressive women! The Women’s Media Center (WMC) is pleased to announce the first class of our Progressive Women’s Voices program for 2009. Now in its second year, Progressive Women’s Voices is an intense media training and outreach program that involves in-person intensive training, weekly interview practice, and ongoing WMC strategy and support.

In its first year, PWV was resounding success, with participants diversifying the media landscape by adding their intellectual, progressive, female perspectives. In 2008, PWV women were featured in high-profile outlets like CNN, MSNBC, PBS, The New York Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, as well as hundreds of other significant media outlets in print, online, radio, and broadcast.

To see the great women chosen for the program this year, click here. Interested in participating for a future program? Click here to apply.

Recycle Your Electronics Nationwide!

In the wake of Circuit City's collapse, Best Buy is poised to set itself up as the nation's leading seller of electronic goods. And it's setting a good example, too.

As of February 15, 2009, Best Buy will bring its electronics recycling program to all of its 1,006 stores nationwide. In the fiscal year 2010, the program is expected to expand to stores in Puerto Rico.

The program adds to Best Buy's growing list of recycling options. The company already offers recycling kiosks in front of every store for ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CDs, DVDs and PDA/smart phones. Best Buy also offers to trade in select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card. For more information on the trade-in program, click here.

The new program will allow consumers to bring up to two units per day, per household, for recycling at any U.S. Best Buy store. The stores will accept most consumer electronics, including televisions and monitors up to 32", computer CPUs and notebooks, small electronics, VCR and DVD players, phones, and such accessories as keyboards, mice and remotes.

A $10 recycling fee per unit will be charged for items with screens (televisions, laptop computers, etc.), though this will be offset by a $10 Best Buy gift card in exchange. Interestingly, these fees do not apply for units recycled in California stores and does not apply to any of Best Buy's Exclusive-Branded products.

Unfortunately, the program does not include everything. People hoping to recycle televisions or monitor screens greater than 32", console televisions, items containing Freon or microwaves are encouraged to find other ways to recycle.

For more information on Best Buy's recycling program, click here.

Congratulations to WITNESS

The Overbrook Foundation would like to extend its congratulations to Yvette J. Alberdingk Thijm, the Executive Director of WITNESS for being named one of Fast Company’s most influential women in technology. Thijm, a member of WITNESS Board of Directors since 2005, joined the nonprofit human-rights video community as its Executive Director in 2008, as was chosen as one of the five women who is using technology to change the world through activism.

Overbrook has supported WITNESS since 2004, specifically for its efforts at promoting video advocacy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For a full list of this year’s Women in Tech, click here. We bet you’ll recognize a few more of the names and faces listed there.

Obama set to grant emissions waiver

According to an article on Grist.org, President Barack Obama is set to reverse the Bush administration's decision to deny California's request for a waiver that would allow it to set higher fuel-economy standards for vehicles. Today, President Obama will direct federal regulators to move quickly on the request from California and 13 other states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Washington.

Mr. Obama's memorandum will order the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider the Bush administration's former rejection of the application. An article in the New York Times says that the announcement fulfills Obama's campaign pledge and signifies a change in environmental policy.

Even though a decision has yet to be made, the agency's regulators are expected to approve the California emissions waiver. Despite lobbying against the regulations by the automobile manufacturers, once the approval happens, the manufacturers will quickly have to phase-in cars and trucks that get higher mileage than the national standard.

Under the Clean Air Act, California can seek a waiver from federal rules if it can demonstrate that its own regulations are more stringent and are needed to address its air pollution problems. It is the hope that California can set the stage for other states to follow suit.

Pushing beyond this act, Mr. Obama will also direct the Transportation Department to quickly finalize interim nationwide regulations requiring the automobile industry to increase fuel efficiency standards to comply with a 2007 law. According to the Times article, Mr. Obama will avoid losing another year by ordering temporary regulations to be completed by March so automakers have enough time to retool for vhicles sold in 2011.

Less than a week in office and he's already making headway!

The Hidden Costs of Orange Juice

Ever pick up a glass of orange juice and wonder how much your morning drink contributes to global warming? It's about time we begin questioning the everyday things in our lives to see how our lifestyles are contributing to the growing climate change problem.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, in an effort to answer increasing public concern, PepsiCo, which owns the Tropicana brand, decided to use orange juice as a case study. The company became interested in determining its product's carbon footprint in England, where carbon anxiety is more apparent than in the United States. In 2007, Walkers, a PepsiCo potato chip brand, published the carbon footprint of its product on its Website and package.

The process of making orange juice seems relatively straightforward, and therefore, easy to calculate its footprint. Oranges are picked by hand, trucked to the plant, squeezed, pasteurized, packed into cartons and shipped by train to distribution points around the country. Tropicana made its own rough carbon footprint calculations before the Carbon Trust, an outside auditor, made its official calculations.

It turns out that Tropicana's initial estimate was off by more than 20 percent. Why?

Fertilizer.

According to the article, growing the oranges--and producing and applying fertilizer--accounted for about a third of the carbon produced in the entire process, which is way more than PepsiCo had predicted. Citrus groves use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer, which requires natural gas to make. The fertilizer can then turn into a potent greenhouse gas when it is put onto the fields.

Similarly, Nancy Hirshberg, vice president for natural resources at the yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm, said in the article that measuring a product's carbon footprint is a good tool for companies to pinpoint areas to reduce emissions. Stonyfield Farm, like PepsiCo, was surprised to learn that production--in this case, the production of milk--was a far bigger contributor to greenhouse gas emissions than its factory.

Although putting a number on a package can be misleading and somewhat complicated to fully comprehend, figuring out a company's footprint is a great tool for companies looking to reduce their impact on climate change.

Since figuring out its carbon footprint, PepsiCo said it plans to work with its growers and researches to find ways to grow oranges using less carbon. The company is even thinking of ways to teach the public how to interpret the carbon footprint of a product. In addition to Tropicana, PepsiCo is publishing carbon footprint numbers for such products as Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Gatorade.

Hopefully PepsiCo's work can challenge other companies to increase their transparency by publicizing the hidden costs of their products!

To see the company's news release, click here.

January 2009 Letter From The Chair And President

Today's blog is a copy of a statement from The Overbrook Foundation's President, Stephen Foster, and its Board Chair, Vincent McGee. It was written in response to the changing economic environment, its impact on the Foundation moving forward, and our grantmaking activities for 2009.

January 2009 Letter from the Chair and President

Last year, 2008, was challenging for many non-profits and foundations, including The Overbrook Foundation. We remain committed to the important work of our grantees and we look forward to continuing our support of work in human rights and the environment. However, we are very concerned about the depths of the global financial crisis and the uncertainty it brings. We would like to update you on Overbrook's response to the crisis and to the opportunities the Foundation and our grantees face as we move into 2009 and beyond.

Overbrook is a family foundation started in 1948 by Frank and Helen Altschul. Its directors are descendants of the founders and one non-family director. The family has a long history in investment banking and the Foundation has relied heavily upon equity investment growth to sustain and build the endowment and to fund grantmaking over its 60 year history. Between 1990 and December 2007, the Foundation's fair market value increased from $60.3 million to $187.3 million after paying grants and expenses, growing 6.3% annually. This growth rate does not reflect the Foundation's investment performance as it has been reduced by both grants and expenses. Over this time period, the Foundation made grants of over $100 million.Since 2001, the Foundation's payout has annually exceeded the mandated 5.0% minimum required by the IRS. Between 1990 (the year of its last significant bequest) and the end of 2007 the Foundation was able to fulfill its mission while growing its portfolio faster than inflation.When facing national crises, the Foundation has reached into capital to support emergency grant making. For example, after 9/11, the Foundation made a one-time $1 million commitment to stabilizing New York's non-profit community. More recently, it committed $2.5 million to addressing climate change. We believe the current economic and financial crisis represents another moment in time for the Foundation to step forward.Our endowment experienced great volatility and serious decline in 2008. As of December 31, 2008, the endowment totaled $111.6 million as compared to $187.3 million just one year ago. We know that our grantees have experienced similar challenges; and we are concerned about the implications for support for all nonprofits dependent on fundraising from government, foundations and individuals in 2009. We seek to respond prudently to this very serious financial situation and change in our endowment, while at the same time remaining focused on the work of our grantees around critical concerns and the likely enormous opportunities in human rights and the environment in 2009.We are taking a series of steps to manage through this difficult period that include:

	Honoring our commitments to current Human Rights and Environment Program grantees.
	Using a newly created, "by-invitation-only" fund initiated by the Foundation's Directors to take advantage of emerging opportunities for advancing human rights and environment work.
	Significantly limiting any other new grant awards to organizations not currently supported by the Foundation.
	Structuring the investment portfolio so that 2009 expenses can be met without requiring disposal of equity investments at an inopportune moment.
	Instituting a no growth administrative budget for 2009 and planning for additional cuts to administrative expense in 2009 and 2010.
	Undertaking an evaluation of all Foundation grantmaking in 2009 in anticipation of the need for further cuts and reorganization of program priorities in 2010 and beyond.
	Working with individual grantees on a case by case basis to assist them in whatever ways possible.

Beyond managing the Foundation's grantmaking, the Overbrook Board of Directors expects staff to play an activist leadership role in the philanthropic community. As such, the Foundation's program officers are heavily involved in organizing and managing funder collaborative partnerships such as the U.S. Human Rights Fund and the Civil Marriage Collaborative; creating vital new non-profit organizations to advance change; e.g., Catalog Choice, www.catalogchoice.org, and assuming leadership roles in a variety of foundation associations like the Sustainability Funders Work Group. Through these various efforts, the Foundation has been able to influence the direction of significant philanthropic resources to those issues most central to its human rights and environment mission. We will use all of these mechanisms moving forward to protect and strengthen the fields in which our grantees are active.

Despite the financial crisis and the decline in our endowment, we maintained a 6% payout rate in 2008 and expect to exceed that rate in 2009. But even with an increase in our 2009 payout rate, the Foundation anticipates significant cuts in its total grant expenditures for 2009. It is also likely that we will be forced to absorb further significant cuts in 2010. Because of these anticipated cuts, the Foundation plans to limit awards to very few new grantees in 2009, with one exception, the emerging opportunities fund that is bulleted above. The Foundation's resources will focus on maintaining its mission in support of the environment and human rights.

Our expectation and our goal is that we will preserve the viability of the Foundation and continue to advance its mission as we work through these very difficult times. Despite these challenges, we look forward to working with you in the coming year to move forward a progressive agenda for change.

Save The Date!

New America Media announced last week the dates of its 2nd Annual Ethnic Media Expo and Awards Ceremony. Save the date so that you can join New America Media and the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication for the largest convening of ethnic media in the United States. This June 4-5, 2009, New America Media will host a gala dinner, the awards ceremony, and a series of seminars and workshops designed expressly for the ethnic media.

To keep up to date on the event, click here. And to check out last year's awards so you know what to expect, click here. And to see past award winners, click here.

We'll blog on more updates on the two days as they become available. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Green Dry Cleaning?

What do you do if you care about your health and the environment but your clothing labels specify "dry clean only"? As we all know from reading the likes of Grist.org, dry cleaning may be harmful to both the environment and humans because it uses the solvent perchloroethylene (PCE). While the use of PCE is strictly regulated, some studies have linked extended exposure with the solvent to cancer and neurological troubles like vision problems.

Walking around New York City I've noticed some cleaners advertising green or organic dry cleaning methods. And apparently I'm not the only one. A recent article in the New York Times warns dry cleaning customers that marketing claims are not always what they seem.

According to the article, there is no government process to certify what makes a dry cleaner green. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says that about 85 percent of the nation's estimated 36,000 dry-cleaning shops still use PCE as their primary solvent.

This will hopefully change, however, as technology is becoming more readily available to replace the toxic chemicals. The environmentally preferable alternative to dry cleaning is wet cleaning, where garments are washed with water and biodegradable detergents in computerized machines. Most stains are water soluble and dry cleaning actually immerses clothes in a liquid solvent anyway. The quality of wet cleaning is therefore quite comparable, and should not cost more.

The problem with wet cleaning is that it requires training on new equipment and may potentially give cleaners a hard time for defying "dry clean only" labels. Furthermore, wet cleaning can damage heavy wools or suit jackets. Hopefully, new developments can solve this problem!

In the meantime, more dry cleaners are adding wet cleaning as an option. According to America's Best Cleaners, a trade association with its own quality certification program, some of its 26 affiliate cleaners already use wet cleaning for half to 70 percent of all garments.

Instead of having to avoid buying clothes with a "dry clean only" label, I hope that safe alternatives are made mandatory and that dry cleaning becomes more regulated.

State of the Philanthropic Union

It’s clear that many Foundations are looking for the best ways to make an impact in the down economy. As Foundation’s cope with the decisions they will have to make surrounding their grants appropriation for 2009, it’s important to have opportunities for organizations to come together and discuss these challenges and come up with potential solutions to some of the most glaring problems.

On Thursday, February 26th, from 8 AM to 1PM, The New York Regional Association of Grantmakers, along with The Education and Research of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York, Inc. will be hosting an event, “State of the Philanthropic Union: Meeting Effectiveness Challenges”. The agenda for the program includes an overview of the state of the philanthropic union, panels on advocacy and leadership, new challenges, and how to make tough choices around grant planning, budgeting and more. The keynote speaker for the event will be Lorie A. Slutsky, the President of The New York Community Trust.

To register, click here. The program will be held at The Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management at the Baruch College School of Public Affairs.

This program, which is designed especially for charity and foundation leaders, promises to be a good opportunity for organizations to gain insight and actionable information in these tough economic times.

A New Social Good Podcast

Looking for a new podcast to add to the ones you already listen to? Well you’re in luck! Every Thursday, Allison Fine, a nonprofit leader and expert on technology and communications, will be discussing how charities and foundations can more effectively use social-media tools to spread their messages and raise money.

Click here to listen to the podcasts. The most recent episode is titled, “Building a Network That Works” and in it, Allison, along with Lucy Bernholz, president of the consulting firm Blueprint Research and Design, and Katya Andresen, vice president for marketing at Network for Good, explores how your organization can make the most of its social networks, especially during tough economic times?

Have any ideas on what you’d like to hear on future episodes of Social Good? Do you have reactions to what you've heard in past episodes? Do you have your own success stories using social media? Ms. Fine will incorporate suggestions and questions from readers into her podcasts and invites you to send e-mail messages to her at afine@demos.org.

Carol Jenkins: A North Star News Prize Winner

The Overbrook Foundation would like to add its congratulations to The Women’s Media Center’s founding president, Carol Jenkins, who has just been chosen as a recipient of this year's North Star News Prize. The prize recognizes the achievements of journalists of color who have made a significant contribution to the public's understanding of the struggle for social justice. To see the other winners of the prize, click here.

"I am honored to see the work of The Women's Media Center recognized in this way," said Jenkins. "Since our founding by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan in 2006, we have worked on three fronts to make women more visible and powerful in the media: by publishing women's commentaries on our website, through our media advocacy campaigns, and our media training for women experts. It's so rewarding to know that our work is making a difference." The Women’s Media Center was also a leader in documenting sexism in the media during the 2008 presidential campaign.

It’s great to see the work of The Women’s Media Center, and those that have pioneered its success, be recognized!

More Drinking Fountains, Less Plastic

Britons drink nearly three billion bottles of water every year, with half a billion of them shipped or flown from overseas. To reduce its carbon footprint, the city of London is updating its urban landscape one fountain at a time.

City chiefs are currently working on plans to install a series of drinking fountains in London's Square Mile. If the plans are successful, the Corporation of London will install fountains across the City. The first standpipe-style fountain will be built close to St. Paul's cathedral early in the new year to encourage both tourists and local workers to stop buying bottled water.

The announcement is seen as a victory for the Evening Standard's Water on Tap campaign, which has persuaded 3,000 London restaurants, pubs and bars to automatically offer their customers tap water.

The fountains will provide clean Thames Water for free. The Corporation of London is also bidding for funding to restore and repair such historical drinking fountains as the Maternite in Royal Exchange, St. Dunstan's in Fleet Street and the fountains on Blackfriars Bridge and in Finsbury Square.

If London can do it, why can't New York City?

Leaving His Mark

Moments before President-elect Barack Obama will swear into office, President George Bush is making a last effort to leave his mark in the area of marine conservation.

President Bush is set to designate nine sites in three areas of the Pacific as marine national monuments. The new areas will make up the largest area set aside for marine conservation in the world. Covering 195,280 square miles--in addition to the 138,000 square miles designated in Hawaii two years ago--Bush will leave office having protected more of the ocean than any other president.

Introduced by President Theodore Roosevelt, the 1906 Antiquities Act allows presidents to use executive order to set aside public lands, such as the Grand Canyon, as national monuments. The Marine Conservation Biology Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund partnered to identify eight of the nine sights: Rose Atoll, Wake Island, Johnston Island, Palmyra Island, Kingman Reef, Baker Island, Howland Island and Jarvis Island. The Pew Environmental Fund identified the ninth site, which includes the waters around the northern Marianas and the deepest ocean canyon in the world. The sites are known for their biological diversity and are home to many endangered species.

In a presidency that has received mixed reviews especially when it comes to environmental issues, this act toward marine conservation is certainly a step in the right direction.