Inland Seas seeks Volunteer Coordinator with Deckhand Duty

From NorthSky Nonprofit Network Job Listing - Click here

POSTING CLOSES FEBRUARY 9, 2015

Inland Seas Education Association (SEA) seeks a volunteer coordinator/ educator. The Volunteer Coordinator/Educator works under the leadership of the Executive Director and is responsible for managing the recruitment, training, recognition, evaluation, and scheduling of all ISEA volunteers. This position also works with the ISEA Lead Scientist and Education Committee to develop, implement, and evaluate all educational programming at ISEA. The position will serve as a deckhand aboard Inland Seas as needed, and is responsible for assisting the captain in the safe and efficient operation of the vessel.

More information.


Employment application

Employment Opportunity - NMC

From Michigan NonProfit Association Job Listing
28 January 2015

Director of Alumni Relations (Traverse City)

Posted 1/7/2015 by MNA

Northwestern Michigan College is seeking a Director of Alumni Relations Department: Resource Development Reports To: Executive Director of Resource Development & NMC Foundation Anticipated Starting Date: 3/30/2015 Expected Starting Salary: $46,070 JOB SUMMARY The position is responsible for launching and coordinating meaningful programs and activities that will engage NMC’s alumni. Building a sustainable alumni program that will build alumni pride, increase affinity and connectedness to NMC; assist in increasing alumni philanthropic resources and donors across all programs and operating units of NMC. TO APPLY: Applications submitted by 4:30 pm 1/26/2015 will receive first consideration. Join NMC for a career where you will be part of an organization with history, a legacy, and possibility! Applications must be submitted online. For more information, visit NMC on the web at http://www.nmc.edu/jobs For assistance call 231-995-1377 or 1-800-748-0566 x51377 or email hr@nmc.edu. Non-Discrimination Policy Notice Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities and admissions. nmc.edu/nondiscrimination Michigan Law requires that a person with a disability or handicap requiring accommodation for employment must notify the employer in writing within 182 days after the need is known.

Father Fred Food Drive Volunteers Needed : News : The Ticker

January 27, 2015
The Father Fred Foundation is in need of volunteers for its upcomingFrostbite Food Drive in Traverse City. The food drive runs Feb. 6-15. There are various opportunities for co-workers, church groups and families to volunteer together. To learn more or sign up, contact Sue at 947.2055. Permalink

Father Fred Food Drive Volunteers Needed : News : The Ticker

Swingshift Raises $300k, Breaks Record : News : The Ticker

The official, bank-verified donation totals are in. The 7th season of SwingShift and The Stars raised more than $300,000 – a record-breaking $301,984 to be exact – for six local charities. Leelanau Christian Neighbors raised $129,362, the most money raised by any of the 44 charities that have participated in the local fundraising dance competition. The other 7th season participants and their totals follow: Mariposa Pathway – $53,757 BrickWays – $46,988 Conflict Resolution Services – $26,250 Building Bridges With Music – $26,083 Justice For Our Neighbors – $19,543 Permalink

Swingshift Raises $300k, Breaks Record : News : The Ticker

From the IRS Tax e-Newsletter

New Online Resource Available for Your Clients: Publication 5187, Health Care Law: What’s New for Individuals & Families

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Publication 5187 provides information to help you and your clients understand the Affordable Care Act and its effect on their taxes. This publication explains how taxpayers satisfy the individual shared responsibility provision by maintaining minimum essential coverage, qualifying for an exemption from coverage, or making a shared responsibility payment. It also provides information about the premium tax credit, which helps make health coverage more affordable for eligible taxpayers. You will also find a glossary that defines terms related to ACA.

Programs, events seek to inspire social justice and equality - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Programs, events seek to inspire social justice and equality - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Bequests: A Gift Anyone Can Make - Webinar

Gayle Union, CFRE with Viken Mikaelian

From PlannedGiving.guru

Bequests: A Gift Anyone Can Make Thursday, January 29 @ 2:00 PM EST

Majority of gifts to charity are bequests. They are the largest gifts prospects can make. And bequest-giving continues to grow, even in a down economy. Why? Because it's a real simple gift to make that does not affect the donor's cash flow.
This webinar will address the questions:

• If you're not marketing bequests, why not?
• How are you marketing and promoting them?
• How do you communicate with donors, and vice versa?
• Who are your most likely donors?
• How do you ask?
• What objections will there be?

Venues for marketing (examples):

• Benefits-driven messaging
• High-impact messaging
• Multi-channel marketing
• Personalized marketing

If you ask typical donors, "Would you consider placing a charity in your will?" Majority will say yes. Yet if you ask, "Have you already put a charity in your will?" Majority will say no.

Click here for more informaton

Token Benefit; Limitations for 2015 Charitable Contributions

Interesting article from the Planned Giving Design Center ...

By Richard L. Fox, Esquire


When a donor receives goods or services in consideration for a contribution, only the excess of the amount of the contribution over the value of the goods and services received in return is deductible for income tax purposes.  In addition, where the amount of the contribution exceeds $75, the charity is required under the “quid pro quo” rules of IRC § 6115 to provide a written statement to the contributor providing a good faith estimate of the value of the goods and services provided.

In Rev. Proc. 90-12, 1990-1 COB. 471, the IRS provides specific “safe harbor” rules for situations where “token benefits” received by a donor in the context of a fund-raising campaign will be treated as having such insubstantial value that they will be disregarded for purposes of the foregoing rules under IRC § 6115.

Where these safe harbor rules are met, the benefit received by the contributor is also disregarded for purposes of the “contemporaneous written acknowledgment” rules under IRC §170(f)(8) applicable to contributions of $250 or more.


More ... Token Benefit - Limitations for 2015 Charitable Contributions

See your tax adviser before implementing any tax strategies.

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity : News : The Ticker

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity January 14, 2015

The CherryT Ball Drop - an annual nonprofit New Year's Eve celebration held in downtown Traverse City - raised $13,500 for local charities this year, organizers announced Tuesday. Between 10,000-12,000 attendees braved the frigid temperatures to participate in the holiday event, donating dollars and food products in lieu of admission. Donations were distributed to area nonprofits as follows: $3,000 to Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency/Meals on Wheels $2,000 plus 350 pounds of food to the Father Fred Foundation $8,500 to Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan This was the sixth year of the CherryT Ball Drop. Permalink

CherryT Ball Drop Raises $13k For Charity : News : The Ticker

Goodwill Opens Eighth Store : News : The Ticker

Goodwill Northern Michigan www.goodwillnmi.org will open a donation and
retail store this week in Charlevoix, its eighth location in the region. The store will be located just north of the Charlevoix Bridge at 402 Petoskey Avenue, formerly an IGA grocery store.

A grand opening will be held this Fri., Jan. 16, at 9am, following
months of renovation and remodeling work. Store hours will be Monday
through Saturday, 9am to 7pm and Sunday, 11am to 6pm.



Goodwill also has locations in Alpena, Gaylord, Acme, Traverse City, Cadillac and Petoskey.

Permalink

Goodwill Opens Eighth Store : News : The Ticker

TC native working to improve the world - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

By Karin Beery
Contributing Writer

Courtesy photo Rick Paid climbs a tree in the Amazon as part of Big Tree Adventure Tours. The new business venture has allowed Paid to help preserve a portion of the Amazon forest.

TRAVERSE CITY – Thirty years ago, Rick Paid was dismantling old buildings when he had an idea. If people were interested in buying used barn beams and siding, maybe they would be interested in exotic
hardwoods.

Today he owns Rare Earth Hardwoods, an umbrella company that not only provides exotic hardwoods to northern Michigan, but has also inspired new business ventures while helping Paid fulfill his desire to preserve the environment where he lives and works.

Traverse City native and Northwestern Michigan College graduate Rick Paid started his company after selling the lumber and large timbers reclaimed from old buildings and barns. His curiosity about the availability and usability of rare hardwoods led him to the Amazon.

“If you’re looking for water, go to the lake,” said Paid. “I just bought a ticket for Brazil and spent a month looking in remote areas for suppliers.”

He found the right suppliers and founded Rare Earth Hardwoods. REH produces everything from decking to custom cabinetry from exotic species of hardwoods. Zero Impact Brazil is REH’s production facility, allowing the company to supply wood directly to customers.


More ...

TC native working to improve the world - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

SwingShift and the Stars celebrate milestone - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

By Karin Beery
Contributing Writer

Photo by Windborne Photography 2014 champions Troy Broad and Pam McCormick danced a bolero last monthand held on to the lead, taking first place in the dance portion of the competition. They also topped the leader board in fundraising with more than $126,000 for Leelanau Christian Neighbors.

TRAVERSE CITY – Another successful season saw new records set during the 2014 SwingShift and the Stars Dance-off for Charity. Though the dance portion of the event is over, there’s still time to donate and
participate in this fundraising event.

Season seven saw new and returning dance professionals taking the floor during four nights of competition. Veteran instructor and former champion Hans Benghauser suffered the first injury of the event, but everyone was prepared for such an emergency.

“Immediate attention was given to address the situation, allow for recovery time, and put in back-up plans if needed,” said Leslie Haskin, event coordinator. “Our number one focus was the health and well-being of our injured cast member.”

Benghauser recovered and returned to the dance floor with partner Beth Footh for Brickways Foundation. It was the team of Troy Broad and Pam McCormick dancing for Leelanau Christian Neighbors (LCN), however, that danced away with the win. They took an early lead by one-tenth of a point and never looked back, winning the overall championship by eight-tenths of a point.

More ...
SwingShift and the Stars celebrate milestone - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Charitable Giving Set to Rise, Americans Say

Slightly more Americans say they plan to increase giving to charitable causes this year than last year, according to a new national survey conducted by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

This year, 67 percent of Americans say they plan to give as much or more to charities as they did last year, according to the survey. A year ago, 59 percent of people planned to give the same or more to charity as they did the previous year.

“This may be another indication of not only an improving economy, but of increasing confidence in people’s own economic security,” said Dr. Susan Kinsella, department chair of human services at Saint Leo University.

More results - Click here

Nominate For Humanitarian Award : News : The Ticker

January 8, 2015

The Traverse City Human Rights Commission is accepting nominations for its annual Sara Hardy Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes an individual who promotes understanding and respect among all people and discourages discriminatory practices. Recent recipients include Jim Rowlett, Brian Simerson, Eugene Fox, Susan Odgers, Joe Lada, Helen Cook, Gladys Munoz and Jane Hayes. Written nominations must include the nominee's name and contact information and the humanitarian activities they are involved in. The nominator should include name and contact info as well. Nominations may be sent to: Traverse City Human Rights Commission, 400Boardman Avenue, Traverse City, MI, 49684 or faxed to the Human Rights Commission, 231-922.4476. Deadline is February 2. Permalink

More ... Nominate For Humanitarian Award : News : The Ticker

Janis Is Chamber's Distinguished Service Award Winner : News : The Ticker

January 3, 2015: TC Ticker

Susanne (Susie) Janis is the recipient of the 2014 DistinguishedService Award from the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. Janis is recognized for her nearly four decades of volunteer service. Thatservice includes Northwestern Michigan College's Foundation Board –where she oversaw a $6 million fundraising campaign to build the Dennos Museum Center and development of its membership program – the Grand Traverse Pavilions Foundation Board and the Traverse Symphony Friendsboard. She was also among the first women to serve as a director for the Traverse City Area Chamber and was instrumental in the development of the Smith Family Breast Health Center. Janis was also involved in several endeavors outside the Grand Traverse region, including the Michigan Community Economic Excellence Board,Michigan's Bureau of History and the Michigan Humanities Council. Today she's involved with the Grand Traverse Community Foundation, BigBrothers Big Sisters of Northwest Michigan and the Front Street Writers group among other organizations. Janis says she's both "honored" and "humbled" by the recognition,adding that she's been the real beneficiary of her years of volunteer service. "It's introduced me to such a wide range of really fabulous people,from both genders and of all ages," she says. "I tell everyone that I've gotten a PhD in people … it's enlightened me so much." Janis will be presented with the award during the Chamber's AnnualCelebration on Fri., Jan. 23, at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. The event starts at 6:30pm with the award presentation starting at 7:15pm. The celebration is open to the public. Ticket information is available here. Permalink

More ... Janis Is Chamber's Distinguished Service Award Winner : News : The Ticker

New wine tasting event to benefit LCN food pantries - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Grand Traverse Insider > News 4 January 2015

By Kristine Morris, Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy Wikimedia
A new Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail event, “Sips & Soups,” is also a
benefit for the Leelanau Christian Neighbors’ food pantries. Two dates
are available, Jan. 10 and Jan. 24, and tickets are only $10 per person.

LEELANAU – The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail has announced a newwine tasting event that’s sure to warm both body and soul this winter.

The new event, “Sips & Soups,” will pair hot soups with Leelanauwines at 22 wineries along the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, and is abenefit for Leelanau Christian Neighbors’ food pantries, with donations helping to re-stock the shelves after holiday needs are met.


Sips & Soups will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10 and again on Saturday, Jan 24. Tickets are $10 per person and include a wine glass and a featured wine and soup pairing. From each ticket sold, $3 will be donated directly to Leelanau Christian Neighbors (LCN).


“We love that our community always joins together to get things done,” said LCN President Mary Stanton. “We do have poverty in our county, even though the beautiful views and large vacation homes make it seem
otherwise. We couldn’t be happier that the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association has chosen to donate to us, and we’re excited for what will surely be an incredibly fun event!”

More ...

New wine tasting event to benefit LCN food pantries - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing