Matching Gift Award: McKesson Foundation ($2,500)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to inform you that the McKesson Foundation awarded us a $2,500 matching gift on behalf of one of its employees. The check came with a letter that read as follows:

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Dear Mr. Hicks,

We are pleased to offer the attached donation to BDPA Education and Technology Foundation in the amount of $2,500.00, which was made possible by McKesson Foundation Matching Gift Program.

This offer will remain open for 180 days. To accept this offer, please cash the attached check within 180 days. Any donation not accepted by cashing the check will be revoked and the McKesson Foundation will send those funds to the American Cancer Society.

Part of the McKesson Foundation mission is to support our employees' community involvement efforts, and we are proud to be among your current supporters.

Sincerely,
The McKesson Foundation

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Suffice it to say that the check is being cashed right now! Christopher is the president of our BDPA Richmond chapter. He made a $2,500 donation to BETF earlier this year to support the efforts of the 2012 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by his chapter.  He worked with BETF and his company to get them to make a 100% match of his gift ... and the company cut this check in support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services.

Have you checked to see if your employer as a matching gifts program yet? If not, please do so right away!

Spoken Word: 'I Am Nerd' by Omar Holmon

I saw this young brother doing his thing recently on TV-One's 'Verses & Flow'. His name is Omar Holmon and he is a 4-time Spoken Word Grand Slam champion. I listened to this poem and thought of all of the young brothers and sisters that BDPA works with each year. This could be our anthem in BDPA -- 'I Am Nerd'



Do you have any nerds or spoken word artists in your chapter?

The Status of STEM in Your State

Change the Equation recently unveiled its 2012 Vital Signs, which measure the health of K-12 STEM learning, state by state. Created in collaboration with the American Institutes for Research, Vital Signs offer the most comprehensive available picture of STEM in your state:

• demand for and supply of STEM skills
• resources schools and teachers have to do their work
• students' access to learning opportunities
• what states expect of students

Vital Signs was made possible by generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Top Giving Foundations: California

The The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation are the top three giving foundations in California as determined by the Grantsmanship Center. [SOURCE]

There are 37 other top giving foundations listed. All of the listed foundations have a staff, issue RFPs, or otherwise indicate an interest in receiving proposals.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is willing to work with our BDPA Bay Area chapter or BDPA Los Angeles chapter leaders if they want to pursue grant proposals to any or all of these 40 funding sources!

'The Business Landscape of Cloud Computing' by Daryl Plummer

Daryl Plummer is a past member of the National BDPA Board of Directors. He served as our outside director for a couple of years. Daryl is a Gartner Fellow responsible for that companies research into Cloud Computing and Emerging Technologies. He is one of the highest-ranking African Americans in the consulting realm of the IT industry.

One of the things I always appreciated about Daryl was his ability to break down high-powered technology and leadership concepts into practical language and images that everyone could understand. He continues to demonstrate that skill with the publication of a new eBook, The Business Landscape of Cloud Computing.

He breaks down the concept of 'Cloud Computing' in the following way:

"Cloud computing means someone else runs your computers and software while you use what they deliver and focus on delivering value."

All of the most important cloud computing topics are covered including security, ROI, Cloud Services Brokerage (third party intermediaries), and the ever present question of private vs. public. Mr. Plummer even ventures into macro economic territory in looking at the impact of cloud computing, job creation, and as more companies move into the cloud, the question of whether or not some cloud infrastructure providers become Too Big to Fail?

If you are new to cloud, this is a must read. If you have been working with the cloud for a while now, it is a great reminder that the real value of the cloud is what is possible because of the cloud, or to use Daryl’s words the cloud allows you to focus on value [rather than technology].

I encourage all BDPA members to check out this eBook.

BDPA Sponsor CincyTech Invests in Black-Owned Lisnr

CincyTech became a BDPA corporate sponsor as part of their commitment to increase the level of investment in the minority community within the IT industry. As such, BDPA is very happy to report that CincyTech has invested in the interactive audio start-up company Lisnr and referred it to Centrifuge, where it is the first tenant of the new innovation hub.

The founder of Lisnr is a brother ... Rodney Williams! His company is a mobile-based application that allows artists/labels to create exclusive content and for fans to change their otherwise passive listening experience into an experience that is interactive and engaging.

Using Lisnr's patent-pending technology, the app will hear the track and unlock exclusive content for the fan. Lisnr has identified three verticals in which its product can be used: in music, in live performances, and in broadcasts, and in three different types of interactions: with consumers, with brands, and with advertisers.

Founder and CEO Rodney Williams (shown above) left Procter & Gamble to launch Lisnr with Blackbook HR founder Chris Ostoich and developer Chris Ridenour. For more information about Lisnr visit Lisnr.

Top Giving Foundations: North Carolina

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Foundation for The Carolinas and The Duke Endowment are the top three giving foundations in North Carolina as determined by the Grantsmanship Center. [SOURCE]

There are 37 other top giving foundations listed. All of the listed foundations have a staff, issue RFPs, or otherwise indicate an interest in receiving proposals.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is willing to work with our BDPA Charlotte chapter or BDPA Triangle chapter leaders if they want to pursue grant proposals to any or all of these 40 funding sources!