The Learning Center  which exists to provide on-going training, resources, and education to current and prospective board members and staff has been holding trainings on a variety of topics designed to support Walla Walla’s non-profit community for a number of years.

2012 Session Dates held from 11:30am-1:30pm at the William A Grant Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College are:

April 17 & 18 - Lawson Knight of Blue Mountain Community Foundation. Lawson will share practical insights into how best to involve board members in the process of financial development. He also will address:

• What do board members need to know?
• How can board members be involved and feel comfortable doing it?
• What is the donor engagement cycle and how do you connect to the community?

May 15 & 16 – Jan McGowan of Jan McGowan Nonprofit Consulting.  This highly interactive session will build on Jan’s 2010 presentations concerning strategic, business, and financial development plans. Specifically, Jan will focus on the importance of fundraising action plans and address the following:

• What are the essential components of a financial development plan?
• How does the development plan relate to the strategic and business plans?
• Why is it critical to develop a culture of fundraising?

June 12 & 13 – Bruce Toews, CPA/MBA, Associate Professor of Accounting/Finance at Walla Walla University. The topic for this session will be shaped around the interest of local nonprofits. Possible subjects include understanding a Statement of Activities and the importance of internal accounting controls.

September 18 & 19 – Kay Sohl of Kay Sohl Consulting, Portland, Oregon.

October 23 & 24 – Session will focus on the importance of Social Media.

November 27 & 28 – Susan Newton of Development Strategies Plus

Sessions are duplicated on second date. More information about the center and these sessions can be found at the Learning Center’s website at: http://www.wwcc.edu/CMS/index.php?id=3149

“This celebrates our 20 year history serving the Walla Walla Valley,” said Board President Oliver von Birkenwaldau.  “And, our continued commitment to serve at-risk and vulnerable populations in the region for another 20 years.  We are proud to work with such a respected institution to help establish a long-term fund in our own community,” stated Acting Executive Director Everett Maroon.

For the Blue Mountain Community Foundation’s part, Executive Director Lawson Knight shared, “it is gratifying whenever one of our nonprofit peers chooses to work with us.  We believe we have a fine endowment program and an easy-to-implement method for local nonprofits to manage their endowment.  The Foundation has been supporting the work of Blue Mountain Heart to Heart for many years through its grants program.  Now, we have one more way that we are helping advance their mission.”

Blue Mountain Heart to Heart’s mission is to prevent new HIV and Hepatitis C infections & provide compassionate care and assistance for those infected and affected by these diseases and to encourage an environment of dignity and improved quality of life for the entire community.  It has been active in this work since 1991.  To learn more, visit www.bluemountainheart.org.  Contributions to the Blue Mountain Heart to Heart Endowment Fund are tax-deductible and may be made directly to either organization.

Blue Mountain Community Foundation is a collection of charitable funds that awards grants and scholarships across the Blue Mountain area.  Of the 266 funds held at the Foundation, 64 are agency funds like the one created by Blue Mountain Heart to Heart.  Last fiscal year the Foundation eclipsed $30 Million in assets and nearly $2 Million in grants and scholarships.

The Walla Walla Leaders Network has a listing of local Non-Profit Board volunteer opportunities. If you have been looking for a way to engage with your community serving on a Non-Profit Board is an excellent way to do it!  Find the current listings under the “How to Participate” tab on the WW Leaders Network webpage.

Non-Profit Boards can request that their current volunteer opportunities be listed on the site as well.

The purpose of the WW Leaders Network is to identify, engage and develop Walla Walla’s emerging leaders for nonprofit boards and organizations. To get involved or to find out about upcoming events visit their website at http://wallawallaleadershipnetwork.ning.com/

One application form will qualify applicants for consideration for a variety of scholarships.  While most awards are for need-based aid to graduates of Walla Walla County high schools or individuals who have resided in Walla Walla County for at least three years, there are additional scholarships available to students in Columbia and Garfield Counties and northern Umatilla County.

Plus, there is an array of scholarships for student who meets special requirements.  For example, the Northwest Grain Growers Robert Abbey Memorial Scholarship is available to students whose families are members or employees of Northwest Grain Growers, Inc.  The Betty Rae and Luetta Anderson Scholarship is for students who study foreign language in college, with a preference for German students.  In all, there are fourteen scholarships that are unique to students from backgrounds that include 4-H participation to a parent in public safety, in addition to need-based scholarships.

For full details, download an application or call the Foundation office at (509) 529-4371.  The deadline for consideration is March 1, 2012.

Since its inception in 1984, the Blue Mountain Community Foundation has enhanced and improved the quality of life in Southeastern Washington through the annual award of scholarships to individuals and grants to local nonprofit organizations

The meeting is open to anyone interested in issues concerning Youth and Families in the Touchet Valley.

For more information contact Rea Culwell at 382-1197 or Nancy Butler at 382-1511.

Meeting dates are as follows:

• January 19
• February 16
• March 15
• April 19
• May 17
• June 21
• July 19
• August 16
• September 20
• October 18
• November 15
• December 20

Professional Entry Winner: Park Plaza, creator Bonnie Blum

The Park Plaza Gingerbread House, a replica of the Historic Train Depot in Dayton, received $164 in donations. This beautiful house was a favorite throughout the competition. Park Plaza will be given a trophy to display for the year.

Amateur Entry Winner:  Power House Theater, creator Colleen Monette

This darling entry, a replica of the newly opened Powerhouse Theater, was chosen as the amateur entry winner by the staff of the Marcus Whitman Hotel. Notice the tiny peanut butter cup seats! Colleen won a gift certificate for two for dinner at the Marc.

Most exciting is that the event raised a total of $600 that will be given to Catholic Charities of Walla Walla to help meet the needs of Homeless Teens. According to Jennifer Northam of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation, donations were 3x higher than last year!

If you haven’t yet visited the Marc to see the houses time is running out. They will only be displayed until 12 noon, Friday December 30th.

A special thanks to all the participants who entered houses this year:

Frosted, The Cupcake Shop
Park Plaza Retirement Home
Powerhouse Theater
Olive Marketplace & Cafe
Marcus Whitman Hotel

Girl Scout Troop #3717
Colleen Monette
Sage & Elijah Kline
Symone Leal & Rachel Nicholas
Emily Wickham

To view the photos of all the entrants visit the BMCF Facebook page.

The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation’s Annual Gingerbread Contest hosted by the Marcus Whitman Hotel is always a fun family event. While the Professional entries are always impressive, each year there are a number of fun entries which are often created by children. This year, one such entry was created by Girl Scout Troop #3717. The troop of Daisies and Browines, lead by Tiffany Jenes, has 15 Kindergarten through 2nd graders.

Each girl built and decorated a house which makes up the village. The houses are made from graham crackers and frosting and were decorated with candy donated by Bright’s Candies, which Tiffany owns with her husband Paul. This darling display was a fun holiday activity for the troop and the girls have been delighted to see their creations at the Marc!

Voting for professional entries is coming to a close. Friday, December 22nd will be the last day you can cast your vote for your favorite professional entry.

The Gingerbread Houses will be on display in the lobby of the Marcus Whitman Hotel until December 30th. Voting is by donation for your favorite entry. To date $400.55 has been raised all of which will go to help our area’s homeless.

Take this opportunity to visit the Marc and see the houses on display and cast your vote to help our area’s homeless!

To date we have already raised $169.40, all of which will go to help our area’s homeless. Additionally, dollars raised will be matched up to $202.

The entry that currently has the most donations was created by Bonnie Blum, Activities Director at Park Plaza Retirement Home. It is a replica of the historic train depot in Dayton. The beautiful design has all the best features of a traditional gingerbread house. Bonnie Blum, the house’s creator says she researched local buildings for inspiration. When she found a picture of the historic depot online she knew she had found the inspiration she was looking for. Amazingly, this was the first gingerbread home she has ever made. Overall, from baking to final touches, she estimates it took 70 – 80 hours to create!

There are still two weeks left to get your votes in. Stop by the Marc and make a donation in support of your favorite entry!

The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Annual Gingerbread House Competition has begun! This fun competition features Gingerbread houses created by professionals at local business as well as entries by amateur designers.

As with any competition there will be a winners. You can cast a vote by donating money to your favorite Professional entry. Bring your bills and spare change to the lobby of the Marcus Whitman Hotel and place them in the jar of your favorite entry. The Professional entry with the most votes (money donated) at the end of the competition will be awarded a trophy to display proudly all year. Proceeds from the voting will be used to help the homeless in Walla Walla through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation and will be matched up to $202!

The amateur entries will be judged by the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation and the winner will be awarded a dinner for two at the Marc.

Make a plan to stop by the lobby of the the Marc to cast your vote to help the homeless in Walla Walla. You have until December 23rd to donate. You can check out our Facebook Album of the event at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151047278580508.792585.298194080507&type=1

A special thank you to the following business that have entered this year:
Frosted, The Cupcake Shop
Park Plaza Retirement Home
Powerhouse Theater
Olive Marketplace & Cafe
Marcus Whitman Hotel

Apply

Check to see if you are eligible for a scholarship.  If so, complete the application.  You won’t get a scholarship if you don’t ask for it.

Study

Don’t slow down!  Take rigorous classes through your Senior year.  People who review your scholarship application look at your transcript to see what you are taking.

Start Now

Procrastination is the enemy of successful scholarship applicants.  Waiting leads to incomplete applications and pressure-filled deadlines.  Consider timelines of others, like the registrar’s for official transcripts.

Write Well

Most scholarship applications require at least one essay.  Be able to write about yourself.  Draft.  Revise.  Edit.  Proof read.  Check spelling.  Don’t wait until the last minute to start writing.

Do more

Don’t be satisfied with just going to class.  Join a club. Or, have a job.  Or, help your parents.  There is more to life than going to class and playing video games to the folks who review scholarship applications.