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Karl Gentles selected as 2011 Piper Trust Fellow
December 9, 2011
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Recognizes Nonprofit Leaders with the Gift of Time
Piper Trust Selects its 2011 Piper Fellows
PHOENIX, Ariz.—Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has named its 11th class of five Piper Fellows—leaders that work daily on the frontlines to improve quality of life for people in Maricopa County’s diverse communities. Through the Piper Fellowship, these dedicated nonprofit leaders will participate in self-designed professional development sabbaticals to further strengthen their skills and bring new knowledge back to the organizations they lead and serve.
The 2011 Piper Fellows are: Barbara Fenster, executive director, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona; Karl Gentles, executive director, Back to School Clothing Drive; MaryLynn Mack, deputy director, Desert Botanical Garden; Darlene Newsom, chief executive officer, UMOM New Day Centers; and Jared Sakren, producing artistic director, Southwest Shakespeare Company.
“Piper Fellows are afforded time and resources to invest in themselves and their fellowship experiences have proven to be transformative. This investment in ‘human potential’ comes back to nonprofit organizations by way of new programming, new relationships and networks, and reenergized leaders— all of which ultimately strengthens and benefits the community at large,” said Judy Jolley Mohraz, Ph.D., president and CEO of Piper Trust.
The newly selected Piper Fellows, chosen via a competitive process, will complete individual sabbaticals in 2012 and will become part of the enduring Piper Fellows “alumni” group that meets regularly to discuss ideas, challenges, and sensitive leadership issues. Up to five new Piper Fellows are selected each year; 46 nonprofit leaders have participated in the program to date.
Fellows’ field work during the fellowship has ranged from study with some of the world’s most renowned thinkers and innovators (e.g., Dr. Peter Senge on leadership and learning organizations) to immersion programs that expand cultural knowledge and insights. Fellowships have led to outcomes such as: team-building that aided an organization with building capacity; and, leadership development that fostered risk-taking and creativity resulting in new programming.
A Piper Fellowship offers each selected organization potential awards up to $90,000; the first $30,000 is intended to provide selected professionals with expenses for study, travel, and opportunities to visit best practice sites around the country. The Trust also awards up to $10,000 for new or increased professional development for the staff of each awardee organization. In addition, Fellows are eligible to apply for a $50,000 Organization Enhancement Grant to implement some aspect of their fellowship projects.
A committee of three community leaders, including one Piper Fellow from the previous year’s class, made Piper Fellow recommendations from among 18 applications. Judges this year were: Sunnee O’Rork, executive director, Arizona Museum for Youth and 2010 Piper Fellow; Lois Savage, president, Lodestar Foundation; and John Whiteman, president, board of directors, Whiteman Foundation.
About Piper Trust:
A private independent foundation, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust honors Virginia Galvin Piper’s philanthropic commitment to changing lives and strengthening community in Maricopa County (Arizona). By investing in nonprofits and encouraging strategic planning for the future, Piper Trust strives to make Maricopa County a stronger, more nurturing and vibrant community. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested $285 million in local nonprofits and programs. The Trust had total grants paid of $21.6 million in fiscal year 2011. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education and religious organizations. For more information, visit www.pipertrust.org
KGPR to Celebrate Five Years in Agency, 25 years in Public Relations
December 2, 2011
Thank you to our clients and friends for a great year! Now its onto 2012 and KGPR is set to celebrate a major milestone. On February 12, 2012, KGPR marks a major milestone – five (5) years of delivering successful public relations counsel to a variety of clients in Phoenix, San Francisco, Houston and elsewhere. While we will celebrate our 5th year as an agency, the KGPR team and partners celebrate several decades of professional experience and successful track records in corporate public relations, government relations and public affairs, political consulting, creative and artistic direction, interactive and digital communications, event management, and more.
Here’s to a great 2012 and best wishes to KGPR Clients, our Partners: Wright Event Management Group, Catalyst Design, Goode Creative, Amy Wolff PR, Wayne Parham Photography, and other close friends and associates. Let KGPR help you achieve your goals in 2012 and beyond.
Black Women and Men with Breast Cancer is Focus of new Coalition
August 31, 2011
Black Women and Men with Breast Cancer is Focus of new Coalition
Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer addresses unique circumstances
Black patients face
Kickoff event set for September 23, 2011
August 29, 2011 — (Phoenix, AZ) — A new initiative is gearing up to increase awareness and understanding of the health care disparities facing African-American breast cancer patients. Although greater Phoenix is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country there remains a void of information specifically focused on the unique circumstances Black patients face pathologically, culturally, and physically. The Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer’s (CBBC) goal is to change that.
“Our vision is that every person of African descent who is a breast cancer survivor in the Phoenix area will have access to high-quality information, support, and resources to assist in their journey,” said Michele Halyard, M.D, an Oncologist at the Mayo Clinic and a co-founder of the Coalition. “As a result of the Coalition’s efforts, we hope that people of African descent will become more educated about breast cancer prevention, screening, and treatment.” (more…)
Luis Gonzales, Jennie Finch “Give Like an All-Star” to help 5,800 Valley School Kids
July 6, 2011
$1.8 million in new school clothes, 10,000 backpacks filled with school supplies, 2,500 volunteers
Baseball will fill the air during this year’s Back to School Clothing Drive “New Clothes, New Beginnings” annual distribution event when thousands of children receive backpacks, school supplies and hygiene items with the help of Arizona Diamondback All-Star Luis Gonzales, University of Arizona and USA softball player Jennifer Finch, and more than 2,500 dedicated volunteers.
Backpack stuffing day featuring Gonzales and Finch takes place July 8, 2011, and the week-long distribution clothing follows next week, July 11 – 15 ,2011 at ASU Preparatory Academy.
Click here to download the full press release.
Back to School Clothing Drive and Bank of America Invite Fans to “Give Like an All-Star” During the 82nd MLB® Midsummer Classic in Phoenix
June 28, 2011
Bank to Collect School Supplies at 120 Valley Banking Centers for Local Students in Need
Enlists Support of 2010 MLB All-Star Chris Young, Five-Time MLB All-Star Luis Gonzalez and World Champion Softball Pitcher Jennie Finch
PHOENIX – As the city of Phoenix prepares to host the 82nd MLB Midsummer Classic, Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball®, is celebrating with the spirit of giving back and teamwork by inviting the community to “Give like an All-Star” and join the bank in its support for local schoolchildren in need.
Through Monday, July 11, customers, employees and baseball fans, can donate school supplies at 120 Valley Bank of America banking centers and worksites. The campaign supports Back to School Clothing Drive (BTSCD), an Arizona nonprofit that Bank of America has supported for nearly a decade, and provides new school uniforms, outfits, backpacks and school supplies to Title 1 schools and students who truly need assistance. Each participating Bank of America banking center will house a large baseball-themed donation box for the collection of needed supplies. Consumers are invited to donate items such as child-safe plastic or metal scissors, 24-count boxes of crayons, No. 2 pencils, colored pencils, 12-inch wood or plastic rulers, glue sticks, single-subject, spiral-bound notebooks, pencil sharpeners and rubber erasers. (more…)