Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 - (Page 6)

big ideas Five-star Philanthropy Reviewing the power of nonprofits G rowing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Perla Ni didn’t have much. She got her cavities filled at the free clinic. Clothing and furniture came from the Salvation Army. She has plenty of good things to say about the nonprofits that helped her. Now, she’s counting on other people to share their experiences on her recently launched venture, GreatNonprofits (www.greatnonprofits.org), a website that hosts user reviews using a five-star rating scale familiar to savvy web surfers. “It really is the beneficiaries of nonprofit services who know who is doing a good job,” Ni says. The idea for the site, she says, came from this basic assumption: “If people are willing to write reviews of their vacuum cleaners, they’re probably also willing to write about these nonprofits that have made a difference.” In addition to rating nonprofits, site users—more than 2,300 registered members so far—share highly personal stories, dramatic examples of the power of nonprofits: A woman arrives in Tennessee with no job, no money and no home, and a local service helps her eeeee find housing and set up job interviews. A fund helps children and families in Cambodia get the health care and food they need. Stories such as these abound. The site—for which Silicon Valley Community Foundation provides funding, office space and community outreach—is growing, too. Ni, the founder and former publisher of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, started working with a group of nonprofits in Pittsburgh, but the site now includes nonprofits in the Bay Area and Washington, D.C. A new partnership with GuideStar, a searchable database of nonprofits, should help GreatNonprofits continue to grow. Starting in November, GuideStar will host profile information and review boxes powered by GreatNonprofits. GreatNonprofits also plans to publish a printed guide to nonprofits for the holiday giving season—much like a Zagat listing—that brings attention to small groups that are often overlooked in favor of bigger names. “We want to get information to the average person,” Ni says, “to get them wondering, ‘How can I give back, and how can I do it locally?’” —Chris Blose one “Kickoff to Kindergarten serves the children most in need of support: those without access to quality preschool, and English language learners,” says Michelle Blakely, director of programs for First 5 San Mateo County, a funding partner with Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s school readiness initiative. A recent evaluation of 464 KTK children yielded positive results. After the fourweek program, children showed improvements in self-care and motor skills, selfregulation, social expression and basic academics. Mauricio Palma, director of early learning and education initiatives at the community foundation, lauds KTK’s comprehensive design. “Children learn how to be part of story time, how to work with letters and numbers, and how to interact with a teacher and other children,” he says. “The program also engages families and offers them the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of school culture.” KTK helps kids and families feel comfortable, says Jeanie McLoughlin, director of the county’s Preschool for All program and advisor to the school readiness initiative. “They become familiar with the routines and expectations of school. It provides an excellent transition to kindergarten and beyond.” —Chris Blose one Ready to Learn for Preparing kids kindergarten and beyond S ince 2001, the Kickoff to Kindergarten, or KTK, summer program has helped more than 6,000 children throughout San Mateo County get the tools they need to succeed in school—from crayons and books to social skills and practice with academics. http://www.greatnonprofits.org

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Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 Contents From Emmett D. Carson The New Face of Need Five-star Philanthropy Ready to Learn Board School Civic Citizens Built to Last siliconvalleycf.org What If?

Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008

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