Zonta Benefit Sunday at Black Star Farms : News : The Ticker

Zonta Benefit Sunday at Black Star Farms July 29, 2015

The Zonta Club of Leelanau County will present "Through the Vines – A Walk to Benefit Women" at Black Star Farms on Sunday, August 2 from 11-3pm. Attendees will enjoy wine and food pairings on a stroll through the property's scenic vineyards, with a gala ice cream social closing out the event. Tickets are $25, with a $10 ticket for children attending the ice cream social. The Zonta Club of Leelanau County provides service to the girls and women of Leelanau County through an annual Career Day for eighth-grade girls, scholarship programs for Inland Seas and college and mastectomy pillows for breast cancer patients.  Permalink

Zonta Benefit Sunday at Black Star Farms : News : The Ticker

Generosity

Although written from a Lutheran/Christian perspective, Adam Copland, Director, Center for Stewardship Leaders, Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota has excellent insights on giving in his weekly e-newsletter. His topic this month is Generosity.

e-newsletter, 28 July 2015

What is Generosity?

In a class exercise, David King asked us to stop and consider the generous people we’ve encountered in our lives. When we did so, financial giving was perhaps part of their story, but just as likely to surface were other forms of generosity. People might be generous by sharing their time, skills, knowledge, or even their gift of listening well and asking good questions.

When we address generous giving in our congregations, it’s important not to limit our imagination of those so-called “generous givers” as those who give the highest dollar amounts. Generous giving takes many forms. Plus, when it does come to financial giving, let’s not forget members who depend on relatively small incomes streams, but who give a large portion of those financial resources to ministry. These generous folk may not show up on our list of “top ten givers,” but surely we should describe them as generous.

In the book The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson describe generosity this way:

“Generosity is the virtue of giving good things to others freely and abundantly. It is a learned character trait that involves attitude and action entailing both the inclination and actual practice of giving liberally. It is not a haphazard behavior but a basic orientation to life…”

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Mourning the Grand Traverse Insider

I am mourning the passing of the Grand Traverse Insider as they published their last edition on 26 July 2015. Due to "Economic conditions" we have lost a voice in local "feel good" news and philanthropy. Dave Lein and his staff will be missed in providing sometimes the only voice for nonprofits and charities. I wish them prayers and success in all their future ventures.

Click here to see their last issue.

Dave Eitland
Philanthropy and Giving

Leelanau Conservancy publishes book on protected lands - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

By Kristine Morris

Contributing Writer

The Leelanau Conservancy has published a new book featuring photos by Ken Scott together with essays by the likes of Mario Batali, Martha Teichner and Deborah Wyatt Fellows. Courtesy photo

View and purchase photos

LEELANAU – A new book published by the Leelanau Conservancy provides a special record of its 27-year history of preserving some of the county’s most beautiful lands and farms. “Why We Preserve,” with 52 color photographs by iconic Leelanau photographer Ken Scott and seven essays by writers including renowned chef Mario Batali; CBS Sunday Morning news correspondent Martha Teichner; and Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine publisher Deborah Wyatt Fellows.



“Putting this book together was a joy,” said Leelanau Conservancy Executive Director Tom Nelson, whose essay opens the book. “Ken’s photos are simply beautiful, and each one captures the essence of these places that are so spectacular. When you look at the book as a whole, and all of the places that have been forever protected by the Leelanau Conservancy, well … it’s breathtaking!”

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Leelanau Conservancy publishes book on protected lands - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

TC Record Eagle : EPA grant helps environmental students

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 2:12 pm

Grant supports hands-on environmental education

The Greenspire School students Izzy Grice, from left, and Sydney Hall plant native plants at the rain garden on campus to help filter runoff from Kids Creek.

TRAVERSE CITY — Students at The Greenspire School will be able to continue their work to reduce erosion along Kids Creek thanks to a recent grant.

Children at the public charter school designed and planted a rain garden on school grounds near the Grand Traverse Commons last year in an effort to curb runoff pollution and erosion along the creek.

The project caught the eye of Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative officials, who awarded The Greenspire School about $2,500 from a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to buy new equipment for monitoring water quality.

Philip Girard, who teaches English and environmental stewardship at the school, said students now will have access to digital thermometers, water testing kits and hip waders so they can interact with their surrounding environment.

"You can tell as a teacher that it means a lot more when they get to be in the element, when you're outside in the environment and you're actually seeing the benefit of your work," Girard said.

The hands-on work helps students better understand the concepts in their textbooks, but it also teaches them how they can make a lasting impact on the region's watershed.

"What I love about that as a teacher is that these things don't go away," Girard said. "The efforts they make, it's not a one-shot lesson or project. It gets picked up by future students, and we can see our efforts over years and years."

Kristen Grote works closely with the school as a Grand Traverse Stewardship Initiative program coordinator and applied for the EPA grant on the school's behalf.

She said the extra resources will allow the school to collaborate with officials from the Grand Traverse Conservation District and the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay who also are working to reduce runoff pollution and erosion along Kids Creek.

"Hopefully, when they grow up they'll want to be stewards of this community," Grote said.

TC Record Eagle: Raising the curtain on 'Curtains'

BY MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS mdrahos@record-eagle.com | Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2015 9:15 am

Raising the curtain on 'Curtains'

Olivia Ursu and Luke Speicher, center, dance with their cast members during rehearsal at Ballet Etc. on Wednesday. Miracle Productions, a summer theater program, will present "Curtains" beginning July 25 at Northport Community Arts Center.

TRAVERSE CITY — Miracle Productions is getting a new home — at least for now.

The Traverse City-based company known for its Broadway musicals featuring talented college students from the area will stage its first show at the Northport Community Arts Center starting Saturday and running through Aug. 2.

“For their musicals in the past they’ve always done community theater,” said Pat Gallagher, Miracle’s director and producer. “They want to try some professional musical theater and Miracle gets to kick that off for them."

Casting the professional production company in its performing arts series is an experiment, said Lisa Drummond, NCAC operations manager. The 450-seat theater usually presents at least one community theater production per year, and all sell well, she said.

“We have the capacity to put on professional performances," Drummond said.

Still, she said, it's too early to consider equity productions.

"We're excited about what's coming up, but nothing has been decided about the future," she said. "We'll see how this goes."

Miracle, whose past homes include the City Opera House and Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City, is made up of area high school alumni who return each summer to perform with the company for experience and a stipend. Most are college students or recent graduates.

This year's cast of 19 includes graduates from schools across the Grand Traverse region.

They'll perform "Curtains," a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston. The play-within-a-play follows the fallout when the not-so-talented diva in a western show called “Robbin’ Hood” is murdered during her opening night curtain call. It’s up to Lt. Frank Cioffi, a detective and music theater wanna-be to save the show, solve the case and maybe even find love before the show reopens.

“It’s got a lot of show-business shtick,” said Gallagher, who gets help with artistic direction, choreography and lighting design from her daughter Erin Peck, director of Traverse City West Senior High musicals, Interlochen Arts Camp instructor and Dance Arts Academy teacher.

This is the fifth — and probably last — Miracle show for Sarah Mikulski, a former Traverse City Central and Western Michigan University student who will attend graduate school at Manhattan School of Music in the fall.

“I think once I get to New York, I’ll probably stay there,” said Mikulski, whose opera, musical theater and dance training made her the natural choice to play ingenue Nikki.

She said working with this summer's newer, mostly younger crop of Miracle actors is fun but bittersweet.

Gallagher calls Miracle a "training ground" for young performers, who have gone on to appear on Broadway, in regional theater in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, at theme parks and with cruise lines. One former Miracle player even has his own tour and show.

"Curtains" runs Saturday and again July 30 and Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday and Aug. 2 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available by calling 231-386-5001.

Submit Project Now For Day Of Caring : News : The Ticker

July 23, 2015
Heads up, nonprofits! If your organization has a project it could use a team of volunteers to complete, now is the time to submit it to the local United Way for its Day of Caring event on Thurs., Sept. 10. In its 20th year, the event pairs up employer groups and others with a nonprofit in need. Projects can be submitted here.

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Submit Project Now For Day Of Caring : News : The Ticker

Goodwill Executive Director Announces Retirement : News : The Ticker

July 23, 2015

Cecil McNally, leader of Goodwill Northern Michigan since 2003, has informed the board of directors of his intent to retire. No official date has been set. The board plans to begin an executive search for his replacement later this summer and anticipates a new director will be in place within the next 12 months. Following the hire, McNally plans to stay with the organization as senior advisor for an undetermined period of time to assist with the transition. During his tenure, McNally has expanded the number of retail operations in northern Michigan from three stores to nine. He also oversaw the construction of the new Goodwill Inn in Traverse City and established Patriot Place, a homeless veterans transitional living center, in Gaylord. He helped add Food Rescue and new food service and job training programs to Goodwill’s community outreach. Also under McNally's direction, the organization is building the Carson Square affordable housing development in Garfield Township. ...

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Goodwill Executive Director Announces Retirement : News : The Ticker

TC Ticker reports Pedal to Suttons Bay

Pedal 17 Miles To Suttons Bay July 21, 2015

If you've been excited to pedal your way to Suttons Bay this summer – but not as excited to pedal back – the Tour de Tart this Friday, July 24 is for you. The 15th annual event takes cyclists along the TART and Leelanau trails for an evening bike ride that culminates in a meal at the Suttons Bay Marina before a bus ride back to TC. New location for the start this year – Darrow Park – which will eliminate the need to ride through downtown traffic and to cross U.S. 31. Parking will be available at the Traverse Bay United Methodist Church and the surrounding neighborhood. This allows riders to get right on the trail and pedal the 17 miles to Suttons Bay. The event is capped at 600 participants. Complete details and registrationhere. Permalink

Keep those cards and letters coming ... through any media ...

Grand Traverse Philanthropy is intended to be a regional resource of innovation, stories, ideas and strategies for the world of philanthropy and giving in our every growing generous region.

The field of philanthropy in this region is represented by some 1,400 charities and some 80 people employed in professional philanthropy with time and talent of an expanding pool of remarkable volunteers. These people will give if we meet their individual needs for commitment and creative use of their time.

It is my contention that there is more than enough money and time that can be donated. It only lacks the innovation, creativity, and constant-continuous-mission focused communication for the professional philanthropic community to reach these busy and dedicated people.

Feel free to share your ideas, pictures stories from you charity, questions and comments to deitland@gmail.com.

Thanks for your service to change the world.

Dave Eitland

ISEA: Curiosity, Stewardship and Passion

Friday, July 17, 2015
By Kyle Kaminski,  Lead Writer
Source | Grand Traverse Insider

ISEA gears up for annual Great Lakes Celebration

SUTTONS BAY — Boat tours, children’s games, live music, food, a classic boat show and much more will be lining the coast of Lake Michigan’s Suttons Bay next weekend for the Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) Great Lakes Celebration. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 25, the event will be held at the Education Center in Suttons Bay and admission is free.

Organizers say all ages will be able to find something to do while celebrating what the Great Lakes has to offer. “At the event, there will be dockside tours,” said ISEA’s Lisa Sitkins. “There will be kids’ experiments, games and crafts – so there will be things for 1-8 year-olds and for 8-12 year-olds. We’ll have something for everybody.” The event will also be geared for adults with the inclusion of boat shop demonstrations, a nautical flea market, several display booths and multiple Great Lakes-related demonstrations.

Returning for 2015 will be the popular classic boat show that originally launched the celebration. “It used to be called the classic boat show, and I’m not sure how long ago that was,” Sitkins said, estimating it was about five years ago. “It was mostly just classic boats but we’ve been adding kids’ activities and it’s geared more toward a wider audience now.” Those interested in submitting a boat for the show need to fill out a registration sheet online at schoolship.org or contact Tom Kelly at tkelly@schoolship.org.

New to the celebration, the nonprofit ISEA will be hosting remote-operated vehicle demonstrations and a search-and-rescue demonstration involving a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. The demonstrations — along with multiple food vendors — will be operating around 2 p.m.

The Inland Seas Education Association opened in 1989 with a simple message: “inspire curiosity, stewardship and passion for our Great Lakes.” For more than 25 years, the nonprofit has provided lessons on aquatic science, environmental awareness and sailing to more than 100,000 students coming from schools throughout the Midwest. “We really rely on the Great Lakes for our economy,” Sitkins said. “It’s important to protect that (resource) and in the process of the celebration, we get our message out to the community on the importance of stewardship.”

Every year, as many as 5,000 students sail and learn about the Great Lakes aboard ISEA’s science-lab equipped Schoolship Inland Seas and chartered Manitou. The lessons taught during Schoolship programs are aligned with the Michigan curriculum expectations for science and social studies, and often go beyond what is traditionally taught in a classroom. Programs offered throughout the summer are geared for individuals of all ages and cover a variety of Great Lakes-related topics.

For more information about the Inland Seas Education Association, its programs and the upcoming celebration, visit schoolship.org. Kyle Kaminski can be reached at kkaminski@michigannewspapers.com.

St. Baldrick's Foundation Appeal

Here is one example of how one organization uses interactive media in emails to tell their story.... Katheryn, This is what it's all about! Today we get to announce something simply amazing!

Katheryn, This is what it's all about! Today we get to announce $21.2 MILLION in childhood cancer research grants, made possible by YOU! We asked a few of our volunteers to surprise researchers with the good news: "Your research is funded!" (And you get a front row seat, Katheryn...) See the video > Where does the money go? Learn more about the research you made possible — it's all here on our blog. (And we made you a handyinfographic to share!) Check out the blog > They say two heads are better than one — what about lots of heads? Thanks to a St. Baldrick's Consortium Grant, six teams of brilliant minds are working to give hope to kids with hard-to-treat leukemias. See how the research works > Grace finished treatment for a brain tumor seven years ago. Now she's helping other kids with her Grace For Good St. Baldrick's Supportive Care Grant. See how this new grant makes research happen for survivors like Grace. See how it helps > Thank you for supporting childhood cancer research, Katheryn! What's that? You want to share the good news? You're just too much...

Share on Facebook > Forward to a friend >

Sent with  from St. Baldrick's 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 400 Monrovia, CA 91016

TC Dance Project Appeal

From an email from Brent Whitney of the Traverse City Dance Project:

Thank you to those who have donated to our indiegogo campaign fundraiser for the Traverse City Dance Project.  The planning for our 2015 summer season is well under way.  We cannot do it without your support.

We have two more days to reach our goal of $5000 with only $1650 left to raise.  Please help if you can! All proceeds are tax-deductible and go directly to our amazing dance artists.  Check out tcdanceproject.org to find out more information about our ever changing and growing summer dance company.

To donate or check out our indiegogo fundraising campaign click here....https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/traverse-city-dance-project-2015#/

​

Thanks for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Brent & Jen

Artistic Directors of TCDP

More renovations for Jubilee House - Record Eagle - Traverse City

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 11:21 am

More renovations for Jubilee House

Peggy Bunn, from left, Eunice Taylor and her husband Rick Taylor are volunteers at the Grace Episcopal Church Jubilee House at 325 Washing St. in Traverse City.

TRAVERSE CITY — The Jubilee House at Grace Episcopal Church is getting another makeover.

A $21,145 grant from Midland's St. John's Episcopal Church Endowment Committee and the Vestry of St. John's will allow church officials to make the more than 100-year-old building handicap accessible, a renovation volunteers hope will help them serve more people.

"This will allow not only patrons who may be handicapped to enter and use our services, but it will allow some volunteers who have not been in that house at all who go to our church to have a chance to contribute to the ministry if they want to," Parish Administrator Ann Hackett said.

The Washington Street house in downtown Traverse City provides laundry, showers, mail, computer use and storage year-round to those who are homeless or otherwise in need. It also functions as an emergency shelter during extreme winter weather.

The house was established in 2006 and expanded this spring to include a second full bathroom, a conference room and a quiet living space separate from the social area. The next step is to build ramp access to the back door, widen exterior and interior door frames and designate handicap parking spaces.

Parishioner Peggy Bunn has volunteered at the Jubilee House since 2011. She's happy to see the renovations all come together and said she's looking forward to seeing new faces at the house.

"I think it's going to be a great thing for people who are not able to climb stairs," Bunn said. "They can get in and have the camaraderie and the social aspect."

Officials do not yet have a start date for the construction but hope to have the work completed before winter.

"I imagine before the snow flies we'll have something in front of us," Hackett said. "That will be the desirable goal."

Fundraiser Set For Hickory Hills Improvements : News : The Ticker

July 1, 2015

Deb and Brian Cairns, owners of Sleder's Tavern in Traverse City, along with fellow Hickory Hills supporters will host a day-long fundraiser in support of an improvement plan for the recreation area on Sat., Aug. 29. The day will include a 5K/10K run, a pancake breakfast at Sleder's, an 18-hole golf tournament at Bay Meadows and a disc golf tournament at Hickory Hills. An awards ceremony for all events begins at 4pm, kicking off an evening party under the tent at Sleder's, complete with live music, food, beverages and raffles and a silent auction. Proceeds from the event go toward a $1.5 million fundraising campaign. More ... Fundraiser Set For Hickory Hills Improvements : News : The Ticker