SAN FRANCISCO, January 26, 2010 – As nonprofits continue to face an increasingly challenging economic climate, Tides (www.tides.org), one of the country’s leading nonprofit infrastructure providers, today released Shared Services: A Guide to Creating Collaborative Solutions for Nonprofits – a new guide that helps nonprofits increase their operational efficiencies by establishing and operating shared services programs.

Shared services programs help nonprofits consolidate their “back office” operations and administrative functions. Fostering collaboration among multiple organizations allows nonprofits to streamline and minimize overhead costs through shared workspaces, financial and human resources operations, and IT support. This in turn enables nonprofits to increase their purchasing power and operating efficiency, and focus more resources on delivering high-quality services and achieving their missions.

The first publication for nonprofit executives looking to create shared services programs, Shared Services is filled with step-by-step guidelines, case studies, and sample documents. Based on the best practices of professionals across the nonprofit and philanthropic world, the 84-page guide helps nonprofits build their own successful shared services program, achieve greater financial stability in their cost-saving and planning measures, and thrive in changing and uncertain markets.  

“In these challenging times, effective infrastructure and operations is not merely a matter of convenience, but a matter of survival for nonprofits,” said China Brotsky, Tides Senior Vice President. “Tides is delighted to serve as a resource to the nonprofit sector and provide this Shared Services guide to help nonprofits increase their operational efficiency, focus on their core competencies and create economies of scale through innovative, long-term strategies.”

Shared Services was developed by The NonprofitCenters Network – a program of Tides – in collaboration with Third Sector New England with support from The San Francisco Foundation and the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Shared Services: A Guide to Creating Collaborative Solutions is available for purchase at: www.nonprofitcenters.org/shared-services-guide.

The cost for the one-of-a-kind guide is $24.00 for NonprofitCenter Network members and $56.00 for non-members. A special early purchase discount rate is available until February 12, 2010 at $18.00 for NonprofitCenter Network members and $42.00 for non-members. Enter the discount code SSGUIDE2010 at www.nonprofitcenters.org/shared-services-guide. A free 11-page preview of Shared Services is also available for download.

Tides provides grantmaking services, nonprofit management services, and strategic consulting to nonprofits, social innovators and institutional and individual funders across the country and around the globe. Tides is the largest fiscal sponsor in the U.S. offering its 200+ fiscally sponsored projects a comprehensive suite of shared back-office services, a legal framework, and capacity-building support to enable them to operate more efficiently and effectively.  More information about Tides’ nonprofit infrastructure resources and services is at www.tides.org.

More information about the NonprofitCenters Network, which publishes guides, studies, and reports based on best practices gathered from an international community of nonprofit center leaders and shared services providers, is at www.nonprofitcenters.org.
 

About Tides
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Founded in 1976, we offer an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers, and granted more than $101 million in 2009 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

About The NonprofitCenters Network
The NonprofitCenters Network – a program of Tides – is a community of leaders and professionals from the nonprofit, philanthropic, financial, real estate, and public sectors. Offering training, consulting, educational resources, and connections to help nonprofits create and operate shared facilities and services, our mission is to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector by supporting the development and ongoing operations of multi-tenant nonprofit centers and other quality nonprofit workspaces. Our vision is a future when every nonprofit organization has access to the workspace it needs to support and sustain healthy, vibrant communities. To find more information, articles, and sample documents, please visit our Resource Center at www.nonprofitcenters.org/resources.

Contact: Diana Samarasan, Director

Telephone: 617-261-4593

Email: dsamarasan(at)disabilityrightsfund.org

BOSTON, MA – The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) – a collaborative among donors and disability activists to support the human rights of people with disabilities around the world – announces 65 new grants totaling $1,382,050 to Disabled Persons' Organizations in eleven countries; 27 of these grants are to current grantees. Since its founding in 2008, DRF has gifted over $2.7 million to 87 different organizations in fourteen countries. DRF currently supports work in: Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru; Ghana, Namibia, Uganda; Bangladesh, India; and 14 Pacific Island countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The grants support Disabled Persons' Organizations to raise awareness about the rights of people with disabilities, build coalitions and networks, and develop advocacy and monitoring activities, in connection with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  

DRF grantees share the goal of advancing the rights of people with disabilities at the country-level. Recent recipients include:

• A grassroots organization of women with disabilities addressing violence against women in Northern Uganda.
• An emergent Nicaraguan group of deaf blind people.
• A national umbrella organization in Papua New Guinea, campaigning for CRPD ratification.

The full grantee list will be posted on the DRF website, www.disabilityrightsfund.org/grantees.html and is available upon request.

"The CRPD is creating opportunities for the disability rights movement around the world; this new funding will significantly augment those efforts," stated DRF Co-Chair, William Rowland. DRF Director, Diana Samarasan, added "People with disabilities and DPOs around the world are raising their voices to claim rights long denied to them. DRF grants support and strengthen these calls for ‘nothing about us without us."

All grantees are selected after a rigorous review process which includes review by DRF’s Steering Committee, a committee composed of donor representatives and people with disabilities from the Global South.

DRF's donors include: an anonymous founding donor, Aepoch Fund, American Jewish World Service, the Australian Government’s International Development Assistance Agency – AusAID, the UK's Department for International Development, Open Society Institute, and The Sigrid Rausing Trust.       

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The Money Well Spent Fund issued an open call for letters of inquiry in May 2009 and received more than 150 applications.  After a rigorous review process, the following six organizations were ultimately recommended for funding:  

• East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA - HC): A $1,060,000 grant to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of funding for FP/RH in East, Central and Southern Africa by increasing political commitment; strengthening donors and partners’ collaboration, coordination and contribution; integrating family planning with other health services; and strengthening health systems and service delivery mechanisms.
• Equilibres & Populations (E&P): A $353,000 grant for advocacy to increase UNITAID’s contributions to FP/RH. E&P will work closely with French stakeholders and the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition to convince UNITAID to allocate more resources to reproductive health supplies and services and to improve the efficiency with which those funds are used.
• Gender Action: A $200,000 grant to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of World Bank and African Development Bank funding for FP/RH and HIV/AIDS. Gender Action plans to produce an in-depth monitoring report and an online tracking database that will facilitate civil society advocacy focused on improving World Bank and African Development Bank funding and eliminating harmful user fees and loan conditionalities.
• IPAS, Inc.: A $300,000 grant to demonstrate, through research and policy dialogue, the significant health-system and hospital savings of providing safe abortion care services in Nigeria and Malawi. Ultimately, this work will offer care that respects women’s reproductive-health needs and reproductive rights; reduce the number of women’s deaths and disability from unsafe abortion; and improve the use of resources within health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Pathfinder International: A $800,000 grant to improve the funding environment for family planning in Tanzania, with the overall goal of higher modern contraceptive prevalence and improved reproductive health indicators in Tanzania. Pathfinder will pursue three overarching strategies: increasing national focus on FP/RH within key policies and strategies; capacitating district governments to allocate more funds for FP/RH; and leveraging AIDS funds in support of FP/RH.
• Poverty Alleviation Crusaders (PAC): A $64,100 grant to promote transparency and accountability in the FP/RH sub-sector in Nigeria by mobilizing civil society groups to demand that government and donor agencies be more transparent in their disbursement and expenditure of funds.
  

About the Money Well Spent Fund
The Money Well Spent Fund is a funding program supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and operated by Tides Foundation. The fund helps ensure that resources for family planning and reproductive health in sub‐Saharan Africa are well spent. The purpose of this program is to identify and fund primarily advocacy and policy‐related activities, based in evidence and oriented to solving specific problems to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of expenditures of funding in the family planning and reproductive health sector.

About Tides
Tides provides support for a variety of institutional grantmaking efforts including funding collaboratives, global grantmaking programs, and other grantmaking infrastructure.  Our global work on women’s health includes the Tides Africa Fund and the Africa women’s program of the HIV Collaborative Fund for Treatment Preparedness.  In the United States, Tides has the Reproductive Justice Fund and the Catalyst Fund.

Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Founded in 1976, we offer an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and granted more than $108 million in 2008 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

“As Founder and CEO, Drummond leaves a legacy of innovation and capacity to a sector that had historically been fragmented and overlooked,” said Melissa Bradley Burns, Tides Board Chair. “As one of the first ‘social entrepreneurs,’ Drummond has evolved Tides from a great idea to one of the top 100 social sector organizations in the United States.

Bradley continues, “The board is pleased that Drummond remains committed to leading Tides until a new CEO is retained, and the board is also excited about this new opportunity for change and looks forward to working with the senior staff to ensure a successful transition. We expect the change to provide extraordinary opportunities for the organization to reach new levels of excellence.”

While ideas and structural innovations are part of Pike’s legacy, the deep commitment to mission and purpose will most likely be the lasting element to which future leaders of Tides will turn. After his successor is named, the Tides Board hopes that Drummond will agree to a continuing role supporting the organization.

To hear more from Drummond on his transition, read his blog.

At Tides, we continually strive to improve upon client service and delivery. As we navigate the economic downturn felt around the world, we also realize that global giving is now more important than ever. With these two factors in mind, we are thrilled to inform you about significant process improvements for our international grantmaking program.

We have streamlined our international giving procedures without compromising due diligence. The goal is to make the process easier for our grantees and clients, and to optimize turnaround time on international grants. Among the most prominent developments are the following:

• The process for expenditure responsibility grants has been streamlined, expediting the time it takes for grantees to receive the funds after Tides’ approval.
• The pre-grant inquiry form and process has been consolidated, minimizing grantee burden, including the time it takes grantees to complete and return our forms, and thus for Tides to approve the grant.
• The validation period for grantee information has been extended: We will now consider grantee information valid for a three year period, greatly diminishing paperwork for the international organizations we support over the long term. 

Learn more about our international grantmaking services.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info(at)tides.org or 415.561.6400.  

Thousands are expected to participate in the march and its related events on October 10th and 11th to demand full and equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Speakers include leading gay activists David Mixner, Cleve Jones, Lieutenant Dan Choi, NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond, and Judy Shephard, mother of Matthew Shepard, whose murder was motivated by anti-gay hate. The National Equality March is the first step toward a larger goal of creating a national movement — the 50 State Legislative Outreach Campaign — in all 435 congressional districts to demand full equality under the law.

"Tides is immensely proud to work with the National Equality March and to celebrate the momentum it is generating for securing full and equal rights for all citizens," said Tides Board Chair Melissa Bradley. "LGBT rights are human rights, and Tides is gratified to support and fund the vital efforts of so many LGBT organizations and initiatives that are working to achieve full equality."

Providing philanthropic services, infrastructure, investor introductions and strategic counsel to LGBT projects across the country and around the globe, Tides has granted more than $8 million since 2008 to LGBT issues and an additional $7.8 million to AIDS/HIV-related projects.

Working in partnership with a wide array of forward-thinking LGBT philanthropists, foundations, activists, and organizations across the country and around the globe. some Tides-supported projects include:

• National Equality March - http://equalityacrossamerica.org

• The State Equality Fund - http://www.gillfoundation.org/grants/outside-colorado/state-equality-fund

• Collin Higgins Foundation and its Youth Courage Awards - http://www.colinhiggins.org

• California Safe Schools Coalition - www.casafeschools.org

• Lavender Seniors of the East Bay - www.lavenderseniors.org  

Tides also recently featured some of the country's most notable leaders working to advance LGBT rights at its Momentum thought leader conference last month – including Kate Kendell, Bishop Gene Robinson, Sahar Shafqat, Jorge Musuli and Laura Karpman. Videos of these speakers' presentations are available at: www.momentumconference.org/speakers.

Equality Across America has organized the National Equality March, and it is a fiscally sponsored project of Tides. Fiscal sponsorship is a cost-effective way to implement new programs without establishing a new, separate nonprofit organization, and Tides fiscally sponsors over 200 nonprofit projects across the nation. As a fiscal sponsor, Tides receives charitable donations and grants on behalf of its fiscally sponsored projects. Tides also provides its projects with a comprehensive suite of back-office services, legal framework, and capacity-building support.

More information about Tides' LGBT work is available at www.tides.org, and more information about the National Equality March is at http://equalityacrossamerica.org

###

Contact:

Christine Coleman
Tides
415-561-6354
ccoleman(at)tides.org

Deborah Schneider
PR & Company
415.277.6973
dschneider(at)prandcompany.com 

About Tides
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and has granted more than $108 million in 2008 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

SAN FRANCISCO — September 1, 2009 — Tides (www.tides.org) has awarded a total of $22,500 to the 2009 recipients of the JBL Awards for Excellence in Public Advocacy. Tides' JBL Awards honor policy activists and advocates by recognizing work that demonstrates innovative approaches to social change and a deep commitment to the public interest.

This year's three JBL Awards recipients — Jose Artemio Arreola, Salvador Reza, and Angelica Salas — have tirelessly advocated and organized for comprehensive immigration reform, worked to counter anti-immigrant policies and groups, and helped grassroots voices shape and influence the immigration debate at the national level. They are being honored with awards of $7,500 each on Monday, September 7 at Tides' Momentum 2009 Leadership Conference at the W Hotel in San Francisco.

Tides is further spotlighting immigration issues at its Momentum conference, with National Immigration Forum Executive Director Ali Noorani presenting on immigration reform as part of Momentum's "Rights" plenary on Wednesday, September 9 at 9:30am.
"Our immigration system is still in dire need of reform and continues to violate rights and perpetrate injustice. Fortunately, activist leaders like Jose Artemio Arreola, Salvador Reza, and Angelica Salas are working tirelessly to advance just, meaningful and comprehensive reform," said Drummond Pike, CEO and founder, Tides. "Tides is proud to honor them with this year's JBL Awards and to support their efforts."

The 2009 JBL Award Winners are:

• Jose Artemio Arreola — a community leader and labor activist, Arreola currently manages the "Reform Immigration for America" campaign in Illinois and is Political Director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. A founders of the Federation of Michoacán's Clubs in Illinois, and of Casa Michoacán, he was also the co-founder and main organizer of the March 10th Movement that brought more than 500,000 people to the streets of Chicago for the historic immigration demonstration and he supported efforts to organize the largest immigration rally in Los Angeles's history on March 25, 2006. Arreola also helped to re-establish May Day as a workers day by organizing marches in more than 100 cities across the U.S and, as a union labor activist at Service Employees International Union (SEIU), has participated in numerous labor contracts negotiations.

• Salvador Reza — coordinator of Tonatierra Macehualli Day Labor Project, Reza works closely with migratory workers and their families on the human rights issues of employment, entrepreneurship and education. Working with the National Day Labor Organizing Project, Reza was instrumental in bringing about the investigation of human rights violations committed by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies. The campaign culminated in a congressional hearing and an ongoing investigation by the Justice Department on racial profiling and civil rights violations by Sheriff Arpaio. Reza presented testimony on the abuses to the UN Committee to Eliminate Racial Discrimination in Geneva in 2008 and also helped found Centro Macehualli, a nationally recognized day labor center managed by the laborers. He also supported taco venders in Phoenix to create Union Pochteca and negotiate sucsessfully with the city to protect their right to work. Reza teaches ESL classes at Tonatierra and is a weekly columnist for Prensa Hispana. He has received numerous local and national commendations including the Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World Award.

• Angelica Salas — Angelica Salas is the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a membership organization of immigrant rights organizations, low wage immigrant workers and immigrant youth. She is a national leader fighting for legalization with a path to citizenship, family reunification, and the protection of civil and labor rights. She is also a founding member of the Fair Immigrant Rights Movement and Reform Immigration for America Campaign. She has played a leadership role in the formation of statewide and local multi-sector coalitions working on immigration issues and workers rights.  Among her accomplishments, Angelica helped win in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students and established day laborer job centers that have served as a model for the entire country. She also led the effort to allow all California drivers to obtain licenses and is a leading spokesperson on federal immigration policy. Salas was also a speaker at Tides' Momentum 2008 Conference and the video of her presentation, can be viewed at: http://www.momentumconference.org/speaker-presentation/speaker/angelica-salas/presentation/fighting-for-immigration-reform.

This year marks the 19th anniversary of the JBL Awards which are named after Jane Bagley Lehman, one of the founders of Tides and Chair of the Tides Board until her death in 1988. An unconventional philanthropist, her insatiable curiosity was matched by a willingness to take risks. Jane was most intrigued by the approaches and strategies of advocates and organizers and their willingness to challenge traditional assumptions. She also cared deeply that the results of these efforts be translated into the broader area of public policy.

• More information about the JBL Awards is at: www.tidesfoundation.org/jblawards
• More information about Momentum is at: www.momentumconference.org

###

About Tides
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and has granted more than $108 million in 2008 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

Contact:

Deborah Schneider
PR & Company
415.277.6973
dschneider(at)prandcompany.com 

Christine Coleman
Tides
415-561-6354
ccoleman(at)tides.org

HuffingtonPost.com

August 13, 2009 - As Congress debates Health Care Reform, the stimulus package starts showing signs of positive impact, and the war on Afghanistan intensifies, what is the right wing media up to? First of all, they're keeping the debate alive over the legitimacy of President Obama's birth certificate. Second, they're intensifying their attacks on the nonprofit organizations working on climate change, economic justice and other causes they deem "radical." These attacks are no longer the sphere of the right wing blogosphere; they're going mainstream, not surprisingly starting with FOX, but seeping into other media outlets including CNN.

The dissemination of conservative misinformation is certainly not a new thing. It's a great tactic because it works -- people really do believe things like 'Health Care Reform will get rid of Medicare,' 'obesity is not a problem in America,' and 'Obama is destroying America on purpose.' Democrats are in power for the first time in over 30 years and FOX is responding by doing its best to air the most fringe, radical, and oftentimes hateful rhetoric heard anywhere on the right.

Now, in the age of Obama, many progressive organizations find themselves as regular targets on the most watched news program in the nation. Glenn Beck of FOX News likes to illustrate a "tree" of linkages across organizations working on the left -- think tanks, funders, organizing and advocacy groups, communications strategists -- all working to bring down America, with Obama himself controlling the strings.

If only the left were so well coordinated.

Over the years, Tides has often been subjected to the rants, half-truths and lunatic assertions of the right wing. Beck has added Tides to his list of "extreme" left wing groups who are contributing to the "socialization" of America. And, he has more deeply attacked some of our most successful and impactful projects. According to Beck, the Apollo Alliance's efforts to generate green jobs for a green economy are just short of Stalinist. And FOX News says that Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff, the viral video that Tides helped incubate, is "teaching our children to hate and fear prosperity."

As progressive ideas like green jobs become mainstream, the right is clearly threatened. Their falsehoods and perception warping is intensifying. So what do we do? Basking in our infamy can be fun, but it's time for the vast left wing conspiracy to link arms, step into our power and fight back. There's been a significant change in our ability to influence the public agenda, and just because we are in power, doesn't mean that our work hasn't diminished. In fact, we all need to pick it up several notches to reverse the erosion of rights that has gone on for the past 30 years. The Momentum community is addressing how individual issues can be transformed from hot buttons to powerful rallying points for larger movements, and we encourage progressives to join us. There is no room for complacency now.

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Schwartz joined Tides in 1999 after serving as the Executive Director of the Fund of the Four Directions in New York, which funded the areas of indigenous peoples’ organizing, women’s empowerment, and environmental sustainability. Schwartz has spent his entire career working in the nonprofit arena, including tenure at the Houston Area Women’s Rape Crisis Center and Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City. He currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and is a trustee with two private family foundations as well as with Artists for a New South Africa.

Ellen Friedman, who was previously serving as Tides Foundation’s Managing Director, will continue her work as the Executive Vice President of Tides, ensuring that all programs and services across the Tides enterprise are delivered with excellence. The Tides organizations operate in a collaborative manner, integrating core capacities in donor advised philanthropy, philanthropic consulting, fiscal sponsorship, and nonprofit real estate services in order to better serve clients and strengthen the nonprofit community.

"All of us at Tides are thrilled Gary has accepted the promotion to Tides Foundation’s Managing Director," said Friedman. "Gary’s exceptional leadership talents, track record of innovation, and great service to our donors will be instrumental in charting the course to our vision of a healthy and just society."

"I'm honored to lead Tides Foundation, with its 33-year history and impeccable track record of working with individual and institutional donors," said Gary Schwartz. "Tides is well positioned to provide the framework for inspired and committed activists and philanthropists, with a breadth of experience in the social justice arena and an impressive platform of services under one umbrella."

About Tides
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers, and has granted more than $108 million in 2008 alone. www.tides.org

Ms. Soderberg currently serves as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of N. Florida in Jacksonville. From 2001-2005, Ms. Soderberg ran the New York office of the International Crisis Group as Vice President.   From 1997 to 2001, Ms. Soderberg served as Alternate Representative to the United Nations as a Presidential Appointee, with the rank of Ambassador.  From 1993-97, Ms. Soderberg served as the third ranking official of the National Security Council at the White House, as Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

Ms. Soderberg publishes and speaks regularly on national security policy. Her second book, The Prosperity Agenda What the World Wants from America--and What We Need in Return, written with Brian Katulis and published in 2008, argues for American leadership in tackling the world's challenges in exchange for the world assisting us with our threat. Her 2005 book, The Superpower Myth, analyzes the use of force and diplomacy over the last decade. She is a regular commentator on national and international television and radio, including NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, BBC, Fox, National Public Radio, the Lehrer News Hour, CNN Crossfire, and The Daily Show. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, She also served as President of the Sister Cities Program of the City of New York from 2002-2006 and has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. In 1984, she received a Masters of Science Degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, concentrating on international economics and political risk analysis. She received her Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from Vanderbilt University. She speaks fluent French.

The Connect U.S. Fund promotes responsible U.S. global engagement in an increasingly interdependent world through grantmaking and operations that advance critical foreign policy objectives and support an effective, collaborative community of individuals and organizations working toward common objectives.  It is a foundation/NGO initiative led by a professional staff and supported by a donors' collaborative which presently includes the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Open Society Institute, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Ploughshares Fund, with a grantmaking fund managed by the Tides Foundation.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – June 29, 2009 – Recipients of the 2009 Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards, presented by Colin Higgins Foundation, include the youngest HIV Counselor and Tester in Los Angeles county, an organizer who is spearheading the first youth-run nonprofit to serve transgender youth in the Detroit area, and a peer educator working to empower and educate LGBTQ youth of color to reduce HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC area. Francisco "Frank" Armenta, Lance Hicks, and Terra Tempest Moore are three remarkable young people who have risen above the pain and discrimination they have experienced and bravely created the communities and safe spaces they needed for themselves and their peers to survive.

Acclaimed screenwriter/director, Colin Higgins, creator of such films as Harold and Maude and Nine to Five, set up his foundation in 1986 to further his humanitarian concerns.  After his death from AIDS related illnesses in 1988, the Colin Higgins Foundation has concentrated its support on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) communities.  The 2009 winners of the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards reflect the strength and courage of a generation on the rise.  The Colin Higgins Foundation is proud to honor these three extraordinary individuals for all the contributions they have made to their communities in areas where critical needs were not being met.  

Coming from across the country, each of the three awardees has their own unique story, yet they share similar hardships like so many LGBT youth — from enduring physical and emotional abuse from family members, to being kicked out of their homes, to seeking social services from providers that have no training on the specific issues facing LGBT youth, to confronting bullying and harassment in public high schools coming from both students and the school administration. "Our honorees this year are truly an inspiration because when they faced bigotry and harassment, they transcended those obstacles through leadership, and boldly made the choice to be agents of change in their communities," said Tierney Gleason, Program Administrator of the Colin Higgins Foundation.

The three honorees are connected by their drive to make sure those around them and those that come after them have a safer space to simply be themselves. "My motivation for being an activist is looking towards the future — my future, and the future of the many communities that I call home," says Terra Tempest Moore, 22. She adds, "I hope my work has made it so things will be easier for others."
Through his involvement in the Trans Youth Group at the Affirmations LGBT Center in Michigan, Lance Hicks explains, "We had both homeless youth of color from Detroit and white youth from the suburbs with cars in our group. Through my work with transgender youth, I really want to break through the race and class divisions that exist in southeast Michigan."

With his activism to increase youth HIV testing, Frank Armenta says, "Providers need to be aware of our cultural needs, and sensitive to the fact that we are not only dealing with a diagnosis and being gay, but also struggling with our families, struggling to eat, to find work, to feel safe, to have a safe space to sleep. I am dedicated to improving how counselors go about testing queer youth of color."
Youth Courage Award recipients receive a grant of $10,000 and will be honored at The Trevor Project Gala in New York City on June 29th and in December at their Cracked Xmas event in Los Angeles. The Trevor Project <http://www.thetrevorproject.org> operates the nation's only 24/7 suicide and crisis prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth. The awardees will also receive an expense-paid trip to attend the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change presented by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce in February.

The accomplishments of this year's winners are a testament to how much change can be ignited beginning with just one person. As Terra Moore reminds us, "When I speak, if only one mind is changed, if only one stereotype is challenged, a connection has been made." The three winners join a pioneering group of previous winners, all of whom have demonstrated the ability to inspire others, build bridges across communities, and provide insight and leadership far beyond their years. A list of previous winners can be found at www.colinhiggins.org.

Meet the 2009 Youth Courage Award Winners:

Francisco "Frank" Armenta, 21 - Battling homophobia on a daily basis in East Los Angeles, Frank was routinely harassed and called a "faggot" throughout high school. After being kicked out of class by a teacher for "gay" artwork on his binder, Frank called a parent-teacher meeting, only to learn that his Mexican-Catholic family would not stand up for him due to their embarrassment that he was gay. This experience fueled him to become an activist, spanning from collaborating with the GSA to design a new web-based "Be An Ally" campaign to support LGBT youth at his predominantly Latino high school, to becoming the youngest certified HIV Counselor and Tester in LA county. Through his activism to increase youth HIV testing, Frank has been able to provide invaluable recommendations to key policy makers on best practices for treating queer youth of color during the testing process. Currently, Frank works at REACH LA (http://www.reachla.org) as a Social Enterprise Assistant and Peer Health Counselor, and continues to fuse his passion for art and graphic design with his activism by creating all the electronic and print media for the Ovahness program serving queer young men of color. He also volunteers his graphic design skills to many other community groups serving LGBT youth.

Lance Hicks, 19 - Born female in the Metro Detroit area to a white mother from the suburbs and a Black father from the city, Lance moved back and forth between communities divided along race and class lines, struggling intensely to come to grips with being biracial and questioning his gender identity. At age 15, Lance came out as transgender and began transitioning at his high school in a predominantly white suburban town where he was still trying to find his place. Lance organized his high school's first Transgender Day of Remembrance, which opened him up to bullying and harassment by other students. In search of a community, he began attending the youth group at Affirmations, the LGBT center serving southeast Michigan. Lance founded the center's first Trans Youth Group, and organized with staff to make the center's space and services more inclusive of trans and gender non-conforming people. Currently, Lance is one of the organizers of the Midwest Trans Youth Conference, and is working to get GenderSpark, a collectively organized, youth — run nonprofit organization, up and running. GenderSpark (http://www.genderspark.org), the only organization dedicated to serving trans youth in southeast Michigan, provides resources and education around the acceptance, safety, and rights of transgender and gender-variant people.

Terra Tempest Moore, 22 - Terra grew up in a large multiracial family in Maryland and DC, the middle son of five children. Labeled gay at 14 - an identity forced upon her - Terra began to feel disconnected from her family, and faced abuse from her older brother. Feeling suicidal, Terra pretended to be someone she was not in order to survive. Her life changed when a friend led her to the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (http://www.smyal.org) (SMYAL), the only organization solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth in the Metro DC area. With a safe space to explore who she was, Terra stopped hiding and bravely stepped into the world as a transwoman in 2005. Coming out as transgender was difficult for Terra's family to accept — they view her transition as the loss of a family member. These experiences moved Terra to become an activist with numerous social justice organizations including SMYAL, Different Avenues, DC Trans Coalition, and Advocates for Youth, to name a few. An all-around leader amongst LGBTQ youth in DC, Terra currently serves as a Peer Educator and Co-Chair of STIGMA (Spreading Truth Is Gaining Mass Appeal), a program housed at Metro Teen AIDS (http://www.metroteenaids.org) established to reduce HIV/AIDS amongst LGBTQ youth of color.

About Colin Higgins Foundation

Colin Higgins (1941 - 1988), acclaimed screenwriter, director and producer of films such as Harold and Maude and Nine to Five, established the Colin Higgins Foundation in 1986 to further his humanitarian goals. In addition to the Youth Courage Awards, Colin Higgins Foundation supports organizations that build the power and leadership of LGBT youth (ages 13-24) through grassroots organizing and/or comprehensive leadership development and organizations dedicated to HIV/AIDS service, advocacy and prevention. Colin Higgins Foundation is administered by Tides Foundation. To learn more, visit www.colinhiggins.org.

About Tides

The Tides mission is to partner with philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations across the country and around the globe to promote economic justice, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 that provides an array of services to amplify the efforts of forward-thinking individuals and organizations to make the world a better place. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and granted $108 million in 2008 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

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Copyright © 2009, Colin Higgins Foundation, Tides, Tides Foundation. Other names used in this press release may be trademarks of their respective owners.

San Francisco, CA - February 23, 2009 - Tides is pleased to announce that its Reproductive Justice Initiative granted more than $3 million in 2008 to support the U.S. reproductive justice movement. The initiative provides grants to grassroots organizing and advocacy efforts led by and for women from communities that experience disproportionately high reproductive health disparities and constraints. These are communities that have the greatest reproductive health needs, are leading many of the most effective efforts to expand reproductive freedom, but have historically received the least amount of funding. The initiative’s two component funds – The Catalyst Fund and the Reproductive Justice Fund – made grants to 36 organizations in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Currently in its sixth year of grantmaking, the Reproductive Justice Initiative has to date awarded $7.5 million to nearly 60 organizations.

The Catalyst Fund at Tides moved more than $1.4 million to women of color-led organizations and projects in eight communities across the nation in 2008. The Catalyst Fund was created to increase resources to women of color-led reproductive justice efforts. Funds raised from national funding partners are awarded as dollar for dollar challenge grants to women’s funds and community foundations, effectively doubling the resources that ultimately reach women of color-led organizations and increasing contributions from new donors to the reproductive justice movement.

“Women in the U.S. now face the best opportunity in history to advance reproductive freedom, and a strong multiracial movement is imperative to taking full advantage of this opportunity,” said Vanessa Daniel, Philanthropic Advisor, Tides Foundation. ”The Catalyst Fund gives funders an opportunity to reverse the persistent shortage of funding to women of color-led reproductive justice work, in support of a stronger, more united and effective movement for reproductive freedom.”

In 2008, the Tides Reproductive Justice Fund, a collaborative of individual and institutional donors, awarded $1.65 million to 26 organizations led by historically underrepresented women, including women of color, low-income, young, rural, immigrant women, and LGBT people Reproductive Justice Fund grantees have been essential to many of the most important reproductive rights victories of the past decade, including: defeating parental notification laws in California and a fetal rights ballot initiative in Colorado; ending the federal prison shackling of pregnant women during childbirth; and pressuring major cosmetics companies to remove reproductive toxins from their products. Reproductive Justice Fund grantees are broadening the base of support for reproductive rights and justice by building new alliances with labor, environmental, and other progressive movements.

Tides has a deep commitment to women’s rights and reproductive justice and a total $9.6 million went to those activities in 2008. This includes $3 million from the Tides Reproductive Justice Initiative and an additional $6.6 million in grantmaking from individual and institutional donors at Tides. Tides awarded over $108 million in grants in 2008, making it the largest year in its 33 year history and topping the previous year by more than $15 million.

• Learn more about the Catalyst Fund at Tides
• Learn more about the Tides Reproductive Justice Fund

2008 Catalyst Fund Grantees: 

• Women's Foundation of California - $300,000
• Women's Fund of Milwaukee - $75,000
• Chicago Foundation for Women - $100,000
• New Mexico Community Foundation - $100,000
• New York Women’s Foundation - $300,000
• Women’s Fund of Miami - $75,000
• Women’s Fund of Hawai’i - $50,000
• Fund for Southern Communities - $100,000
• Third Wave Foundation - $60,000
• Ms. Foundation for Women - $100,000
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health - $15,000
• Alaska Community Action on Toxics - $30,000
• SisterSong Reproductive Health Collective - $30,000

National Foundations Partnering with The Catalyst Fund at Tides

• Anonymous
• Compton Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• General Service Foundation
• Gerbode Foundation
• Irving Harris Foundation
• Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
• John Merck Fund
• Mary Wohlford Foundation
• Moriah Fund
• Overbrook Foundation
• David & Lucille Packard Foundation
• Public Welfare Foundation
• Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

2008 Reproductive Justice Fund Grantees:

• Alaska Community Action - $50,000
• Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice - $330,000*
• CA Healthy Nail Salons Collaborative - $20,000
• CA Latinas for Reproductive Justice - $50,000
• Choice USA - $230,000*
• Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights - $30,000
• Different Avenues - $20,000
• Faith Aloud - $20,000
• Generations Ahead - $40,000
• Idaho Women's Network - $40,000
• Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health - $25,000
• Legal Services for Prisoners with Children - $30,000
• MetroTeenAIDS - $30,000
• Migrant Health Promotion - $30,000
• National Advocates for Pregnant Women - $50,000
• National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum - $25,000
• National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health - $35,000
• Native American Community Board - $40,000
• Rebecca Project for Human Rights - $70,000
• SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective - $290,000*
• SPARK Reproductive Justice Now (formerly Georgians for Choice ) - $55,000
• Western States Center - $35,000
• West Virginia Focus: Reproductive Education and Equality (WV Free) - $40,000
• Women's Voices for the Earth - $30,000
• Young Women United - $35,000

* Grants to Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice, ChoiceUSA and SisterSong were done in partnership with Tides Reproductive Justice Fund donors and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation.

About Tides
The Tides mission is to partner with philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations across the country and around the globe to promote economic justice, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 that provides an array of services to amplify the efforts of forward-thinking individuals and organizations to make the world a better place. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and granted $108 million in 2008 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

At Momentum, the best new thinking provokes conversation, invites debate, and creates pathways for dynamic new relationships. Momentum is more than a conference—it’s a space for creativity and connection.

WHO

Momentum 2009 hosts a group of 300 forward-thinking activists, philanthropists and social entrepreneurs. These dynamic participants come together to be informed, surprised, and engaged.

WHEN

Monday September 7, 2009 at 4:00 pm, through Wednesday night, September 9, 2009
where W San Francisco

WHY

We come together to push the envelope, challenge barriers, and focus on innovative perspectives and ideas. Speakers at Momentum 2009 will shine a spotlight on the critical issues facing our society today by inviting surprising and innovative perspectives and ideas, and illuminating actions that can lead to change.

HOW

• Plenary style presentations with theatrical quality production
• Simulcast space for bloggers and multi-taskers
• Structured opportunities for in-depth conversations with key presenters
• Entertaining and informative evening events

Please join us.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA; DECEMBER 3, 2008; The NonprofitCenters Network and Tides Shared Spaces released the first in a series of guidebooks today on the economic, environmental and community benefits of shared workspace and services.  Planting a Seed: Foundations Build Communities with Shared Nonprofit Workspace illuminates the benefits and challenges foundations experience in creating mission-focused office facilities for themselves and other nonprofit organizations. The free guidebook showcases foundations that have succeeded and provides concrete examples of the resulting benefits to the nonprofits, communities, and the foundations themselves.

“As the challenges facing the world continue to mount, philanthropic organizations are seizing on new ways to help their communities and the nonprofit organizations within them.  We are fostering nonprofit sustainability through real estate investment and are seeing real benefits from long-term infrastructure cost savings.” --China Brotsky, Senior Vice President at Tides and Managing Director of Tides Shared Spaces.

Especially suited for foundations and nonprofits planning to weather hard economic times, Planting a Seed is an inspirational and practical tool for foundations interested in using their own headquarters or investing in nonprofit building projects to promote healthy, vibrant communities. Nonprofit centers become strategic investments for foundations that reflect their mission and values. Foundations have turned office buildings into community assets by developing diverse spaces providing everything from quality workspace to community conference centers to incubators for social change.

Nonprofit centers also increase long-term savings, create employment opportunities for local residents and support local businesses. These shared workspaces showcase the work of foundations’ tenants and grantees. Set in green spaces and grounded in eco-friendly values, nonprofit centers enhance sustainability by modeling energy efficiency and by using sustainable materials to create healthy workplaces.

The guide includes seventeen profiles of facility projects across the United States which model best practices in providing quality office and community space for nonprofit organizations. Revealing the logistics and inner workings, the guide details key information about their histories, operations and financing.

Sample visionary nonprofit centers include:

• The Wilson Historic District, which grew from the Meadows family’s desire to combine historic preservation with adaptive reuse of some of the last remaining examples of Victorian architecture in the city of Dallas. Their efforts created a nonprofit campus, revitalized a once deteriorating neighborhood, and served as a model for many other foundations.
• The Knight Nonprofit Center, which was created after Hurricane Katrina to house nonprofit organizations left homeless by the devastation of the storm. Once the renovations are completed in January 2009, the Center will be a stable, state of the art home to 22 organizations working to rebuild the region.
• The Thoreau Center for Sustainability in San Francisco, which was created during the early stages of the green building movement. By living its commitment to a healthy and sustainable environment, Tides was the first foundation to combine a nonprofit center with green design.

Download a free copy of the guidebook at www.nonprofitcenters.org/publications.

About Tides Shared Spaces: Tides Shared Spaces creates, operates and promotes sustainable workspace for nonprofits and strengthens nonprofit capacity in the real estate arena. Tides Shared Spaces is part of the Tides network of organizations which actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Founded in 1976, Tides provides an array of services that amplify the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces together provide fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operate and support green nonprofit centers and have granted more than $600 million since 2000 alone. For more information, visit www.tidessharedspaces.org.

About The NonprofitCenters Network:  The NonprofitCenters Network offers training, technical assistance, consulting, education resources, and connections to help communities develop and manage their own nonprofit centers. Our vision is a future when every nonprofit organization has access to the workspace it needs to support and promote healthy, vibrant communities. The NonprofitCenters Network is a program of Tides Shared Spaces. www.nonprofitcenters.org.

For media inquiries, contact Christine Coleman at 415.561.6354.

Statement from Tides CEO Drummond Pike

Returning from a two week vacation, I have learned that the New York Times reported that I am the anonymous person who purchased from ACORN the collectable debt that was restitution for a terrible misappropriation of funds eight years ago. The story is true.

Completely independent of Tides, I engaged in this purchase personally in order to assist the incoming leadership of ACORN as they work with funders and others to improve their governance and financial practices. ACORN is now financially whole and able to move forward. Any risk of non-payment of the obligation is now mine to bear.

My desire to keep this confidential was solely to keep my employer, Tides, out of any conversation or news reporting about the ACORN matter. The Tides Board was informed about this matter before the New York Times article appeared.

Sincerely,
Drummond Pike
CEO, Tides

Statement from Tides Board Chair john powell

As a public charity Tides is built on the trust of partners like you, and continues to be as we work to promote positive change towards a healthy and just society. A recent New York Times story stated Tides CEO Drummond Pike personally purchased the promissory note held by ACORN and that Tides was not involved. The story was accurate: Tides funds were not – nor would ever be – used for this purpose; and, Pike informed members of the Tides board of this personal financial activity.

Sincerely,
john powell
Tides Board Chair

• Maria Teresa Petersen discuss the new face of the electorate;
• Eboo Patel’s inspirational vision of interfaith youth activism;
• Mary Anne Hitt use GoogleEarth to illustrate the devastating affects of mountaintop removal coal mining;
• Melissa Bradley bring real suggestions for building wealth across society;
• Stephen Lewis deliver a forceful and moving indictment of violence against women across the globe;
• Colin Finlay share his striking images from the tip of the arctic to the plains of Africa; and
• Deborah Small draw the similarities between the War on Drugs and the War in Iraq.

We will be posting more videos of Momentum presentations in the coming weeks. A complete list of Momentum speakers and their plenary topics is available on the site as well.

We will also be posting information on the next Momentum conference as soon as it becomes available. So please sign up for updates and spread the word.

"Andrea was a truly remarkable individual," said Quinn Delaney, Tides board member. "What I found most remarkable about her was the genuine respect she had for each person and for people who were brave enough to fight for truth to power. Her work on the Tides' board had a significant impact in shaping the organization, and we will miss her wisdom and candid commentary."

Donations in Andrea's honor may be sent to the Applied Research Center for her organization, "Nina's Place."  To read Andrea's vision, please visit the website http://www.arc.org/content/view/534.  Applied Research Center, 32 Broadway, Suite 1801, New York, NY 10004, Attn:  Rinku Sen.

During a review of internal records in March 2008, Tides Foundation discovered that an employee had diverted funds for personal use—approximately $45,000 from Tides Foundation per year for three years. Within two days of being discovered the malfeasance was confirmed, the employee was dismissed and a police report was filed.

The Tides board of directors was also immediately notified of the matter and we retained an independent forensic auditor to investigate the incident. The auditor’s investigation confirmed that only one donor advised fund was involved and that no other staff members were complicit in the malfeasance. The advisor to that fund had been immediately notified of the activity when it was discovered and the monies were quickly restored to that fund through Tides’ operating reserves. Clients and partners of Tides Foundation were also notified of this incident by letter.

Tides has long been known for not only its commitment to positive social change, but also for its meticulous compliance record, oversight and sound financial management. As a public charity, maintaining strong internal controls and keeping pace with changes in regulatory compliance is a big part of our work, and it is something we take very seriously.

Using this as an opportunity to further strengthen extensive systems already in place, independent, external experts assisted in conducting a comprehensive review of financial controls and protocols.

For more than three decades, Tides has been committed to supporting economic justice, robust democratic processes and the opportunity for everyone to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. We hope our response to this incident has served to underscore to the Tides community our deep commitment to our guiding principles, ethical culture and strong financial protections.

Tides is located in San Francisco’s Presidio, a national park on federal property. Therefore, this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney General. On August 19, 2008 a federal grand jury indicted the former employee who is charged with the theft. Tides will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation.

About Tides Foundation:

Founded in 1976, Tides Foundation partners with donors to increase and organize resources for positive social change. Our mission is to partner with philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations across the country and across the globe to promote economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides Foundation is part of the Tides network of organizations which together provide an array of services that amplify your efforts to make the world a better place. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces provide fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operate and supports green nonprofit centers and have granted more than $600 million since 2000 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org and www.tidesfoundation.org.

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"As the nation and the world struggle to reduce green house gas emissions in an effort to slow climate change, and to find alternatives to fossil fuel energy sources, nuclear power is back on the table as a viable energy option," said Drummond Pike, CEO and founder, Tides. "However, nuclear power remains a dangerous and flawed solution. From the mining of uranium to storage of spent fuel, it creates an unacceptable chain of destruction and risk. Glenn Carroll, Paul Gunter, and Arjun Makhijani are working to halt nuclear energy production and to call attention to its abuses and dangers; and we are so pleased to honor them with the JBL Award."

This year marks the 18th anniversary of the JBL Awards which are named after Jane Bagley Lehman, one of the founders of Tides Foundation and the Chair of the Board until her death in 1988. An unconventional philanthropist, her insatiable curiosity was matched by a willingness to take risks. Jane was most intrigued by the approaches and strategies of advocates and organizers and their willingness to challenge traditional assumptions. She also cared deeply that the results of these efforts be translated into the broader area of public policy.

The 2007/2008 JBL Award Winners:

GLENN CARROLL  - Through a unique mix of art and activism, Glenn Carroll has fought to stop nuclear proliferation for over two decades. After the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, Glenn joined 'Georgians Against Nuclear Energy', (now Nuclear Watch South) where she has contributed graphics and illustrations to educate the public about nuclear issues, testified at public hearings and led legal interventions at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since 1988. Glenn’s multi-faceted approach to the nuclear problem reached critical mass when she presented a painting exhibit on nuclear energy and environmental issues at Georgia Tech and undertook a legal intervention opposing the reactor on its downtown Atlanta campus. After raising the issue during the 1996 Olympics, a clear victory was obtained when Georgia Tech elected to permanently shut the reactor in 1997. Glenn has also served on the Board of the Campaign for a Prosperous Georgia, and as President of the Georgia Environmental Council.

PAUL GUNTER - An activist and energy policy analyst, Paul Gunter has been an ardent critic of atomic power development for over thirty years. He is a lead spokesman on nuclear reactor hazards and security issues, and a prominent regulatory watchdog over the nuclear power industry. In 1976, he co-founded the antinuclear Clamshell Alliance which opposed the construction of the Seabrook atomic power plant on the New Hampshire seacoast through non-violent direct action, and marked the country’s first opposition movement to nuclear power. Before joining the 'Beyond Nuclear' program at the Nuclear Policy Institute, Paul served for 16 years as director of the Reactor Watchdog Project with Nuclear Information and Resource.

ARJUN MAKHIJANI - A recognized authority on energy and nuclear issues, Arjun Makhijani is the principal author of the first study of energy efficiency potential of the U.S. economy, and of the book: Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy (2007), the first study to show that it is technically and economically feasible to phase out fossil fuels and nuclear power, and a rallying point for groups advocating against a resurgence of nuclear power. Arjun was named a Ploughshares Hero in 2006 for his work in nuclear armament, and last year, he was elected a Fellow of the American Physical society. He has testified before Congress, consulted for numerous organizations, and appeared on local and national media, including 60 minutes, All Things Considered, and CBS and ABC Evening News. Arjun is currently the President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.

About Tides
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and has granted more than $600 million since 2000 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

Copyright © 2008, Tides, Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides Shared Spaces. Other names used in this press release may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Inquiries:
Christine Coleman
Tides
415-561-6354
ccoleman(at)tides.org

Emily Howe
212-245-0510
ehowe(at)pro-mediacommunications.com

Press Contact:
Vanessa Daniel
Tides Foundation
415-561-6302
vdaniel(at)tides.org

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – June 26, 2008 - This year's winners of The Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards have shown remarkable bravery throughout their young lives, facing down the range of problems confronting LGBTQ youth of color in the United States. Devon Bearden, Kyle Rapinan and Perre Shelton are three young people who have transformed their adversity – displacement from their homes, confrontation with the foster care system, violence from family members and peers – into inspiration for their art, activism and advocacy. Named for the acclaimed writer/director of Harold and Maude and Nine to Five, the Colin Higgins Foundation was established in 1986 to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. The 2008 awardees represent a new generation of peer activists, working to create safe spaces for fellow queer youth while themselves facing the extreme hardships.

Recipients of the 2008 Colin Higgins Youth Courage Awards each received a grant of $10,000 and will be honored at The Trevor Project Awards Gala in New York City on June 30th (www.trevorproject.org). The Trevor Project operates the nation’s only 24/7 suicide and crisis prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth. The recipients will also be awarded an expense-paid trip to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s “Creating Change Conference” in 2009.

Of his work with Chicago's Youth Pride Center, winner Perre Shelton says, "I see the kinds of choices young people are confronted with and the love they are looking for. I want to teach people to love themselves so they can make healthy choices."

Colin Higgins Foundation's Youth Courage Awards program is administered by Tides Foundation which partners with donors and institutions by offering donor-advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for progressive social change philanthropy. Since the year 2000, Tides Foundation has served as one of the nation's leading funders of LGBT and AIDS / HIV activism nationally and globally. Tides has granted more than $7 million to LGBT issues and more than $21 million to AIDS / HIV issues. Tides LGBT work also includes the Out of Home Youth Fund which focuses on improving the lives of LGBT youth living in foster care, in the juvenile justice system and on the streets.

The 2008 Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award winners include:

DEVON BEARDEN, 16. Devon has spent her life living for extended periods of time with her nana when her chronically ill mother was unable to care for her.  While living with her nana, an out lesbian and activist who is the co-founder and current director of the Center for Artistic Revolution, CAR, in Little Rock , Arkansas , Devon searched in vain for resources for LGBTQ youth. While CAR serves the LGBTQ community, its youth program was very small. When Devon asked her nana about National Day of Silence, her nana told her, "Our resources are very limited, if you want to make this happen, then you have to step up." Devon then organized the school's first "Day of Silence," and mobilized a youth contingent to oppose a law that would have barred LGBTQ people from becoming adoptive or foster parents. She then started a GSA at Central High School. She participated in the ACLU's Freedom Files documentary about the fight for LGBTQ equality and was recently awarded the Arkansas ACLU's Champion of Liberty Award for her advocacy. Devon is also one of the founding members of CAR's youth and young adult program DYSC, Diverse Youth for Social Change. The program now boasts over 70 members, most of whom are LGBTQ youth. Recently Devon moved to Greensville , South Carolina to be with her mother and started the first GSA at her new high school there.  Devon wants to "live to see the day when people realize how backwards it was to treat queers the way they do now." In all her work, Devon is purposeful about making the connections between racism, classism and gender identity and in stressing the importance of reaching youth of color.

KYLE RAPINAN, 17. Raised in Seattle Washington, Kyle ran away from home his freshman year of high school to escape his older brother, whose beatings were so severe that Kyle - whom he called "little faggot" - was hospitalized several times each year. While homeless and fighting in the courts to gain protection from his brother and an agreement from his mother to allow him to transfer into foster care, Kyle began working for the rights of LGBT youth. During this time, school was a safer haven for Kyle and he began working to ensure that all LGBT students could enjoy a safe school and learning environment. Kyle leads his high school's Gay Straight Alliance, which provides training for teachers and administrators, organizes dances and safe spaces for LGBT youth. He is the Washington state representative for GLSEN National and a member of Safe Schools Coalition with American Friends Service Committee. He has advocated for LGBT youth in his home state and in others, such as Florida, where he collected signatures for a commitment for safer schools. Kyle says it has been important for him to bring his full experience as someone who grew up poor and as a person of color, into discussions of LGBT rights. Kyle is exploring a career in politics to advance social justice.

PERRE SHELTON, 20. Hailing from Calumet City, Illinois, Perre was a three sport athlete his freshman year of high school when he became the target of a group of ten boys, who began regularly "bashing" him on his way home from school, leaving him bruised and bloodied. Not ready to be out to his family, Perre hid his injuries, telling his mother they were from sports. Chicago became Perre’s home as an activist and artist, and has deeply informed his growth in both areas. At 15 Perre came out and began entering slam poetry competitions. He quickly rose to the top of the local slam scene, winning Chicago's citywide "Louder than Bomb" competition and becoming the youngest Def Jam poet featured on HBO's "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry". Today Perre works with the Youth Pride Center, chairing the youth council that shapes programs, leads writing workshops, and mentors young poets. He is supporting YPC's move to Chicago's South Side, where there are few resources for African American LGBT youth. Perre is a student at Harold Washington College and plans to teach high school English after graduating and to someday operate his own youth center. He also currently works with Taproots Inc., traveling to colleges, high schools and churches spreading HIV/AIDS awareness through poetry and interactive conversation with young people.

The winners of this year's Colin Higgins Courage Awards join a stellar group of previous winners, all of whom have demonstrated the capacity to inspire others to discover their own value through their example, their tenacity and their leadership. A list of previous winners can be found at www.colinhiggins.org.

About Colin Higgins Foundation
Colin Higgins, acclaimed screenwriter, director and producer of films such as Harold and Maude and Nine to Five, established the Colin Higgins Foundation in 1986 to further his humanitarian goals. In addition to the Youth Courage Awards, Colin Higgins Foundation supports organizations that build the power and leadership of LGBT youth (ages 13-24) through grassroots organizing and/or comprehensive leadership development to bring about institutional change in the legal, political, economic, or cultural structures that impact their lives. The foundation focuses on historically underprivileged constituencies including, youth of color, transgender, immigrant, low-income or rural youth and/or youth in reservation communities. To learn more, please visit www.colinhiggins.org.

About Tides Foundation
Tides actively promotes change toward broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and has granted more than $600 million since 2000 alone. For more information, visit www.tides.org.

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Copyright © 2008, Colin Higgins Foundation, Tides, Tides Foundation. Other names used in this press release may be trademarks of their respective owners.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Christopher Herrera
Tides Foundation
415.561.6400
cherrera(at)tides.org

SAN FRANCISCO, JANUARY 30, 2008 — Tides Foundation announces the winner of the second annual $10,000 Pizzigati Prize. Barry Warsaw, a software developer dedicated to identifying and solving the technological problems that confront social change movements, has won the Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest.

Barry Warsaw is being recognized for his work as the lead developer of GNU Mailman, the open source application that hundreds of nonprofits around the world are now using to manage electronic mail discussions and e-newsletter lists.

The Pizzigati Prize — an award program launched two years ago by Tides Foundation’s Florence and Frances Family Fund — aims to honor individuals who, in the spirit of open source computing, fashion outstanding applications that help nonprofits become more effective in their ongoing social change efforts.

Mr. Warsaw’s free Mailman application, the judges for this year’s Pizzigati Prize observed, has built up a large, experienced base of users who have been more than willing to help new users make the best possible use of the software. And Mailman’s design and development team actively listens to — and interacts with — everyday users.

These interactions reflect Warsaw’s core software development values.  A software engineer for over 25 years, Warsaw emphasizes the importance of healthy communities in software development. “I hope that the Mailman project has served as a good model for open source software development. More than that, I hope that the community of Mailman users reflects my deeply held ideals of how we start by treating each other with empathy, kindness, and respect, and how we create positive social change by sharing those lessons with the wider world around us.”

The Pizzigati Prize honors the brief life of Tony Pizzigati, an early advocate of open source computing who spent his college years at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology, where he worked at the world-famous MIT Media Lab and later the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science. Three years after his 1992 graduation, Pizzigati, then 24 and a software consultant, died in an auto accident on his way into Silicon Valley.

The four judges on the Pizzigati Prize judging panel (Allison Fine, George Hotelling, Joseph Mouzon, and Katrin Verclas) have each earned wide respect within the nonprofit computing world.

More information about the judges and the judging criteria appear on the Pizzigati Prize Web site at www.pizzigatiprize.org. Also available on the site: links to the work of this year’s six prize finalists. This Year’s Pizzigati Prize finalists, besides Barry Warsaw, included:

• August Detlefsen, for the Open Architecture Network, the first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions for the world’s poor through innovative and sustainable design.
• Nate Aune, for Plone4Artists, a suite of products for Plone, an open source content management system.
• Heather Cronk, for PledgeBank, a nonprofit Web site designed to get groups of people motivated to meet challenges they otherwise might not undertake.
• Subramanya Sastry, for NewsRack, a Web application that helps researchers and nonprofits more precisely track the news that impacts their work.
• T.J. Downes, for Kalender, an open source application that nonprofits can use for planning and scheduling a wide variety of events.

The deadline for the third annual Pizzigati Prize will be September 1, 2008. Application forms and background information will be available shortly on the Pizzigati Prize Web site.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Vanessa Daniel: 415-561-6302, vdaniel(at)tides.org

SAN FRANCISCO, CA; JANUARY 2, 2008; The Catalyst Fund at Tides Foundation has awarded $800,000 in matching grants to eight local public foundations to support reproductive justice work led by women of color. The Women of Color Working Group of the Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health and Rights - a group of 15 foundations; created the Catalyst Fund earlier this year to address the shortage of funding to the sector of women who experience the greatest health disparities.

“The Women of Color Working Group believes that organizations led by those women most impacted by reproductive health disparities have the expertise to create solutions and policies that best address their community’s needs.” said Vanessa Daniel, the Tides Foundation Program Advisor who manages the fund.

“The persistent shortage of funding for an entire sector of women is weakening the ability of all women in the US to secure their reproductive rights. As funders we have the power and responsibility to reverse this trend, and with Catalyst, we now have a key opportunity.” said Working Group member Adisa Douglas of the Public Welfare Foundation.

The Catalyst Fund’s first round of grants will result in almost $1.5 million in new funding to women of color led organizations, because each local foundation must match the amount awarded by Catalyst dollar for dollar. The Catalyst Fund will also provide fundraising and strategic communications training to assist local funding partners in successfully meeting the match and in sustaining increased funding for these organizations in the future.

The first round of grantees includes:

• Chicago Foundation for Women $100,000
• New Mexico Community Foundation $100,000
• New York Women’s Foundation $100,000
• Women’s Foundation of California $100,000
• Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee $60,000 
• Women’s Fund of Hawai’i $100,000
• Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade County $100,000
• Women’s Fund of New Jersey $140,000

Foundations represented in the Women of Color Working Group include:

• California Wellness Foundation
• Chicago Foundation for Women
• David & Lucille Packard Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• General Service Foundation
• Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
• Moriah Fund
• Ms. Foundation
• Overbrook Foundation
• Public Welfare Foundation
• Third Wave Foundation
• Tides Foundation
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
• Women’s Foundation of California

About Tides Foundation:
Tides offers an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces make up the Tides organizations. Tides Foundation partners with donors to increase and organize resources for positive social change, facilitating effective grantmaking programs, creating opportunities for learning, and building community among donors and grantees. We bring together people, ideas, and resources to actively promote change toward a healthy and just society. For more information, visit www.tidesfoundation.org.

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San Francisco, CA — December 5, 2007— The HIV Collaborative Fund, a partnership of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition and Tides, announced today that it has received a three-year grant for $5.2 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support community-based organizations in sub-Saharan Africa engaged in advocacy and educational activities to increase access to HIV treatment and prevention services.

The HIV Collaborative Fund uses a unique funding mechanism in which all funding decisions are guided by the members of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), a global coalition of people living with AIDS and their advocates, to strengthen access to comprehensive and equitable treatment, care and prevention services. The HIV Collaborative Fund is a project of Tides. Fiscal sponsorship is provided by Tides Center and grants are administered through Tides Foundation.

“People living with HIV and grassroots organizations have a unique and important role to play in advocating for HIV services, fighting stigma, partnering in the delivery of lifesaving prevention and care services, and strengthening governmental leadership on AIDS,” said Joe Cerrell, Director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation.

“Support from the Gates Foundation will allow ITPC to strengthen its network capacity across sub-Saharan Africa and create models for service delivery, advocacy and communications that we will apply around the world,” said Greg Gray, ITPC’s International Coordinator.

ITPC members around the world advocate for increased access to HIV treatment, evidence-based prevention services, and the human rights of people living with AIDS. The Coalition’s semi-annual Missing the Target reports provide an on-the-ground assessment of the impact of HIV treatment programs in countries around the world. The recommendations for improved care in these reports have been adopted by several institutions, and published in several publications, including the independent and widely respected medical journal The Lancet.

Since 2003, over 500 organizations around the world have received grants through the HIV Collaborative Fund. Examples of funded programs include:

• The Women’s Network for Unity (WNU) in Cambodia, a community organization in Phnom Penh, created a project focused on expanding access to HIV/AIDS treatment for sex workers.
• The South India Positive Network serves aravanigal (members of the indigenous male-to-female transgender community) and men who have sex with men in Chennai with prevention services and treatment education.
• Solidarity for AIDS Organization in the Teso region of eastern Uganda, formed when no other service provider was operating in the area because of political instability and armed rebel groups. SAO’s founders were community members living in displacement camps and conduct community education, distribute condoms and works to increase treatment for HIV in those camps.

About The HIV Collaborative Fund
The HIV Collaborative Fund was founded in 2003 and provides small grants to community-based organizations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Funding is also provided for technical assistance, program evaluation and regional network support. Over 15 donors support these activities including the World Health Organization, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Steven Lewis Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Ford Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The HIV Collaborative Fund is a project of Tides (www.tides.org) and all funding decisions are guided by the members of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition. Descriptions of all funded projects are available at www.hivcollaborativefund.org.

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Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York is an environmentally sustainable workspace shared by twelve nonprofit organizations and programs. Located at 55 Exchange Place in the old JP Morgan Building, across from the New York Stock Exchange, it is the first shared community and conference space for nonprofits in Lower Manhattan. It is also one of the first office spaces in New York City registered for LEED CI (Commercial Interiors) certification. LEED is the national benchmark for certifying high-performance green interiors which reduce environmental impact, are less costly to operate and provide healthy and productive work spaces.

Tides is pioneering social investment opportunities in creating green nonprofit centers by offering values-based investors an opportunity to earn a strong financial return while supporting dozens of nonprofit groups. Bridge financing for Thoreau Center New York was provided by Wells Fargo Bank with long term financing from Calvert Foundation, Tides Foundation and tax exempt bonds issued by New York City Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

“Green nonprofit centers help increase efficiencies in the nonprofit sector and reduce nonprofit organizations’ exposure to rental market fluctuations,” said Gita Rao, Investment Officer, Calvert Foundation.  “We are pleased to be a part of the Thoreau Center real estate project conceived and developed by Tides Shared Spaces. We have been able to rely on their experience and competency to deliver a finished project with both social and environmental benefits.”

“Nonprofits have an especially hard time finding affordable office space,” said China Brotsky, Vice President at Tides and Managing Director of Tides Shared Spaces.  “That’s why we both create shared spaces for nonprofits and have a program dedicated to helping others start their own green nonprofit centers. Together, groups can gain real purchasing power to access higher quality workspace, infrastructure and technology; and they also expand their network, gaining access to new ideas, potential partners and opportunities.”

Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York houses Tides’ East Coast office and eleven other organizations, some of which also use Tides for their grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship needs. Tides sophisticated financial and management tools help nonprofits focus on their vision and have greater efficiency and impact in their work.

“By buying and renovating Thoreau Center New York, Tides Shared Spaces made it possible for us to acquire a long-term home and a conference center to serve our community,” said Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, Executive Director at Hispanic Federation. “Knowing we have such a partnership makes our capital campaign donors comfortable with giving.”

NYC Nonprofits Want Green Shared Spaces:
Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York fulfills important needs for nonprofits. In response to dozens of inquiries about leasing the highly desirable Thoreau Center space, Tides Shared Spaces conducted a survey of New York City nonprofits to learn more about their needs. The survey results showed that there is a critical need for more centers to house the thousands of nonprofit organizations in New York City. Half the respondents reported that their current workspace is inadequate and 43 percent of respondents rated green buildings as an important or crucial aspect of choosing an office space. Nonprofit centers give New York nonprofits the opportunity to lease or buy quality space in important areas where nonprofits are often priced out of the rental market, and Thoreau Center for Sustainability ensures that nonprofits are part of the mix of residential and business space in Lower Manhattan. For more information about the survey, please visit http://www.tidessharedspaces.org.

Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York Opening Event:
An opening celebration for Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. For more information about attending the event or a tour of the facility, please call 212-509-1049.

For inquiries about Tides’ services or Thoreau Center for Sustainability in New York, please contact 212-509-1049or nyinfo(at)tides.org.

About Tides
The Tides vision is a world of broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic processes and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected. Tides is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and provides an array of services that amplifies the efforts of forward-thinking philanthropists, foundations, activists and organizations to make the world a better place. Tides Foundation, Tides Center and Tides Shared Spaces have collaborated with over 15,000 individuals and organizations that have touched millions of lives across the country and around the globe. With offices in San Francisco and New York City, Tides provides fiscal sponsorship for over 200 groups across the country, operates and supports green nonprofit centers and has granted more than $500 million since 2000 alone.

About Tides Shared Spaces
Tides Shared Spaces is the Tides initiative that creates, operates and promotes sustainable workspace for nonprofits and strengthens nonprofit capacity in the real estate arena. Tides Shared Spaces operates Thoreau Centers for Sustainability in San Francisco and New York. These green nonprofit centers house the Tides offices and more than 70 other organizations. In addition, Tides Shared Spaces directs The NonprofitCenters Network, a program that provides education and peer networking for people who run nonprofit centers, those who are in the process of creating one and their philanthropic and real estate partners.

About Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York
Thoreau Center for Sustainability New York is a green nonprofit center with twelve tenants in Lower Manhattan. It was modeled on the success of Thoreau Center for Sustainability in San Francisco, a thriving 150,000 square foot nonprofit center with over 60 tenants. Both centers are operated by Tides Shared Spaces and serve as models to others interested in starting similar endeavors. Thoreau Center New York’s renovation used an environmentally sustainable architectural plan incorporating elements such as recycled building materials, non-toxic paints and energy efficient mechanical systems. Aspects of the center’s sustainable operations include the use of clean renewable energy, nontoxic cleaning products and extensive recycling programs.

For more information, visit www.tides.org and www.tideshsaredspaces.org.

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Copyright © 2007, Tides, Tides Center, Tides Foundation, Tides, Inc., Tides Shared Spaces, Thoreau Center for Sustainability, The NonprofitCenters Network. Other names used in this press release may be trademarks of their respective owners.

The following 2007 Fellows will receive a $21,000 award over the next three years: Nao Bustamante, Skowmon Hastanan, Rajkamal Kahlon, Ivan Monforte, Jennifer Monson, Clifford Owens, and Swoon.

The Lambent Fellowship in the Arts program supports visual and performing artists in all five boroughs of New York City.  A selection panel of artists and arts professionals made anonymous nominations to the Lambent Fellowship’s selection committee, who chose finalists to be considered by the Tides Foundation Board of Directors.

“The Lambent Fellowship program celebrates and fosters the intersection between art and social change,” explained Michelle Coffey, Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Tides Foundation. “The recipients reflect New York’s rich diversity and their works offer great insights into the role of art in critiquing, shaping and changing our ideas, our communities, and our society.  The Lambent Fellowship program pays tribute to artists who are making exciting and high quality work, while at the same time are in line with Tides Foundation’s mission of creating a positive impact on people's lives in ways that honor and promote human rights, justice, and a healthy, sustainable environment.”

About the Artists:

Nao Bustamante is an internationally known performance and video artist originating from the San Joaquin Valley of California, now residing in New York. Her (often precarious) work encompasses performance art, sculpture, installation and video. Bustamante has presented in Galleries, Museums, Universities and underground sites all around the world. Her work has been exhibited, among other locales, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts, and the Kiasma Museum of Helsinki. In 2001 she received the prestigious Anonymous Was a Woman fellowship and in 2007 named a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow. Currently she holds the position as Associate Professor of New Media and Live Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

Skowmon Hastanan, visual artist, creates work from a unique perspective relating to the immigrant experience occurring outside the United States. She moved from Bangkok to New York at the end of the Vietnam War. Her works derive from memories of the American military presence in Thailand and her experience growing up in New York City. The narrative involves the result of the political interaction between the USA and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and how it directly and indirectly resulted in the establishment of a sex trade, trafficking of person, and the creating of gender and racial stereotypes. Skowmon examines today's media's use of old clichéd Asian mystiques to sell sexual fantasy. Using images of mail-order brides and escort services that appear on the Internet and in classified ads, she explores feminine identity from these found images.

Rajkamal Kahlon, visual artist, interrogates the ideological positions of representation as they are linked to forms of racial and colonial authority. In her dialectical engagement with historical texts she critiques the will to "make" humans implicit in the visual practices backed by repressive regimes of power in part through the use of violent imagery framed by psychedelia and the human body turned grotesque through its traumatic encounters with colonialism, military rule and torture.

Ivan Monforte uses simple gestures and materials, as well as emotional language and content, as strategic tools to address themes of loss and mourning, representations of class, gender, race and sexuality, as well as the pursuit of love.  He often utilizes social sculptures and performance based videos in his work to challenge the viewers' relationship to art viewing, making and collecting.

Jennifer Monson creates dance systems and performances that arise from the confluence of environmental research and in depth artistic process. Her work explores concepts of wilderness in relation to the built and natural environments with a special focus on urban ecologies. Embodying contradictions inherent in the concept of nature, Monson's work re-negotiates relationships between art, environment, power, and place.

Clifford Owens makes art through photography, video, performance, installation and texts. His work has focused on the "social contract" of an art experience within an art institution, and the social function of a studio visit. Clifford was born in Baltimore,  Maryland in 1971 and he lives and works in Queens, New York.

Swoon is an artist whose work begins with figurative drawing, portraiture, and traditional print making techniques and extends to urban interventions and community-based collective experiments. Among other projects she has been wheat pasting an ongoing series of portraits on New York City streets for the past six years, and is currently involved in the Miss Rockaway Armada, a floating experiment in ecologically sustainable living practices, which travels the Mississippi River carrying theater, music, visual art and a variety of workshops. With each of these practices she is attempting to create a free, publicly available, and outward reaching context for the creation of and experience of contemporary art.

This new request for proposals (RFP) follows three previous rounds of grants awarding a total of $3.7 million. The most recent round, awarded in December 2006, funded 44 grantees in 18 states with two-year grants totaling $1.2 million. Syringe Access Fund grants support community-, street- and pharmacy-based syringe access programs, as well as state-level policy education efforts to eliminate legal barriers to this life-saving intervention. Of the $1.2 million awarded in 2006, 80% of funding supported direct services and 20% supported state-level policy work.

> You can find the new RFP for the Syringe Access Fund Here

Background: The Connection Between Injection Drug Use, HIV and Hepatitis C

Injection drug use has accounted for approximately one-third of all adult AIDS cases reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also estimates that 60% of Hepatitis C cases are linked to injection drug use. Blood-borne infections such as these can be transmitted directly among injection drug users when infected users share syringes or engage in high-risk sexual contact. Women who are infected with HIV through injecting or unprotected sex with an infected injection drug user can transmit the virus to their babies during pregnancy or while nursing.

Access to sterile injection equipment, including syringes, has been proven to reduce the risk of HIV infection without contributing to increased drug use. This is the conclusion of many independent, peer-reviewed studies and evaluations conducted in the U.S. and internationally since the early 1990's, including a 1997 Report to Congress prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services. As an HIV prevention intervention, syringe access is endorsed by such organizations as the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Institute of Medicine, the American Public Health Association, National Institutes of Health, and the American Pharmaceutical Association. Most recently, a September 2006 report prepared by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences concluded: "Given consistent evidence that multi-component HIV prevention programs that include sterile needle and syringe access reduce drug-related HIV risks, such programs should be implemented where feasible."

About the Syringe Access Fund

The Syringe Access Fund is a multi-year grant making initiative consisting of the Levi Strauss Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Irene Diamond Fund, the Tides Foundation and the National AIDS Fund (with the addition of a sixth funder - Public Welfare Foundation - in 2007). The Syringe Access Fund was created in 2004 to respond to the deadly connection between injection drug use and HIV, particularly in communities of color and among women.

Since 2004, the Syringe Access Fund has reviewed 242 proposals and awarded 92 grants (to 83 individual grantees) totaling more than $3.25 million. In addition to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, programs in the following states have been awarded two-year grants since 2004: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington. The wide range and increasing number of localities that are now implementing syringe access programs reflects a growing awareness of the efficacy of such programs among public health officials nationally.

Despite overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of syringe access programs, the federal government has prohibited the use of federal funds for such purposes since 1988, and state and local laws related to the sale and possession of syringes may interfere with local programs' ability to provide such services. In addition, private funders may be reluctant to fund such programs given the political controversy that has sometimes surfaced with regard to these programs. The Syringe Access Fund was created to help fill this gap, and consists of a growing number of funders who believe that sound scientific evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of syringe access programs must drive both policy and practice.

Examples of Syringe Access Fund Grants in Action

As examples of funding since 2004, Syringe Access Fund grants have been awarded to support a van for a mobile clinic in Staten Island, and to open a Sunday exchange site in San Francisco where none existed. In Los Angeles, a four-agency partnership used its grant to purchase syringes for exchange through a city-sanctioned and city-funded exchange program that is not allowed to use city funds for syringes. In New Jersey, two separate policy grants supported statewide efforts related to legislation allowing for the creation of up to six pilot needle exchange programs (which Governor Corzine signed into law in December 2006). In Texas, a policy grant is supporting opinion research to identify religious, community and political leaders who will support a building policy education efforts.

Lists of grantees from all three previous funding rounds are available on the Syringe Access Fund page of the Tides Foundation website at: www.tidesfoundation.org/services-strategies/collective-giving/syringe-access-fund.

About the 2007 Round of Grants

The current funding partners are committing more than $1.2 million to this new round of grants in 2007. A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been posted on the Tides Foundation website at www.tidesfoundation.org/services-strategies/collective-giving/syringe-access-fund and project proposals are due June 20, 2007. Two-year awards will be announced by September 2007.

Additional funding partners are invited to join the Syringe Access Fund in support of grants during 2007 and additional years. Interested funders may contact Gary Schwartz at the Tides Foundation at gschwartz@tides.org, and/or Sam Avrett at savrett@earthlink.net.

About the Funding Partners

Since 1952, the Levi Strauss Foundation has funded community-based organizations focused on social change in areas where Levi Strauss & Co. has a business presence. The Foundation was one of the first funders to respond to HIV/AIDS in 1985, and since then, has awarded over $37 million in funding for such programs.

Since its creation in 1992 by Founder and Chairman Sir Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has raised over $125 million for HIV/AIDS programs in 55 countries around the globe. EJAF supports community-based prevention education programs, harm reduction programs, and direct services to persons living with HIV/AIDS, especially populations with special needs.

The Irene Diamond Fund, established in 1994 by the late philanthropist Irene Diamond, focuses on HIV/AIDS, human rights and the performing arts. The foundation, based in New York City, supports a limited number of self-selected projects, and since its inception has provided over $31 million in funding to combat HIV/AIDS.

The National AIDS Fund's (NAF) mission is to reduce the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS by promoting leadership and generating resources for effective community responses. Through its network of Community Partnerships, NAF promotes local planning and provides grants and technical support to as many as 400 service organizations annually. Since 1988, NAF and its partners have invested over $142 million to combat HIV/AIDS.

Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor-advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for progressive social change philanthropy. Tides Foundation provides administrative and programmatic support to the Syringe Access Fund, including coordination of grant review, selection and awards.

In 2007, a sixth funder has joined the Syringe Access Fund: Public Welfare Foundation, established in 1948, supports organizations that help people overcome barriers to full participation in society, pursuing a strategy of "service, advocacy, and empowerment" for meeting basic human needs and promoting democratic participation for people around the globe. This year, Public Welfare Foundation will make grants totalling $20 million to address human needs in disadvantaged communities.

Contact Information:

Information about the Syringe Access Fund is available online at:

www.tidesfoundation.org/services-strategies/collective-giving/syringe-access-fund.

For further information, please feel free to contact Sam Avrett at savrett@earthlink.net.

The JBL Awards focused on recognizing individuals that have been integral to the rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast.  The devastating aftermath left by Hurricane Katrina magnifies the long term social, political, and economic policies that have disproportionately hit communities of color and low-income communities.  A successful progressive strategy for rebuilding in the Gulf Coast needs to address the systemic problems affecting those communities.  The need for public infrastructure systems, a social safety-net, environmental monitoring and toxic clean-up, and the crucial element of civic participation to achieve these goals, are some of the issues the JBL awardees incorporated into their work.

This year’s awards were expanded to include seven activists due to the broad range of vital activities going on in the Gulf region.  Tides Foundation is hosting an event in New Orleans on Monday, June 11th, 2007 to recognize and honor these amazing activists, organizers and change agents.

This year marks the 17th anniversary of Tides Foundation’s JBL Awards.  The award is named after Jane Bagley Lehman, one of the founders of Tides Foundation and the Chair of the Board until her death in 1988.  An unconventional philanthropist, her insatiable curiosity was matched by a willingness to take risks. Jane was most intrigued by the approaches and strategies of advocates and organizers and their willingness to challenge traditional assumptions. She also cared deeply that the results of these efforts be translated into the broader area of public policy.

(In no particular order.)

Anne Rolfes

Anne Rolfes grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana and is the founding executive director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.  Since the hurricanes, the major focus of her work has been to help organize the local communities affected by the storms so that they can make informed choices regarding their health and safety. She teaches community members sampling techniques to measure toxic sediments on their homesites located in the footprint of the Murphy Oil Spill and the Katrina disaster.  Anne’s current project is planning a gathering called “Fenceline Neighbor Power Conference.” This conference will bring together dispersed communities facing similar environmental problems to talk and work more collaboratively together. 

Father Vien thé Ngyuen

Father Vien thé Nguyen is the pastor of Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in East New Orleans. He has been integrally involved in the struggle and rebuilding of Versailles in New Orleans East, home to one of the largest concentration’s of Vietnamese Americans in the United States.  Since saving lives during the storm, he has become known throughout the city and has grown to prominence in the fight and eventual win against the Chef Menteur landfill in New Orleans East.  Father Ngyuen is deeply committed to working to ensure that communities have a strong voice in determining public policies that invest in effective government systems which truly serve people.

Tanya Harris

Tanya Harris was born and raised in New Orleans.  Her family is deeply rooted in the Lower Ninth Ward and have been members of ACORN for over 23 years.  Tanya is currently the head organizer for New Orleans ACORN and since Katrina she has been working tirelessly to organize displaced residents from New Orleans and assist them in rebuilding their lives and communities.  Tanya has organized and recruited thousands of volunteers to help gut homes all across the city, saved thousands of homes from being seized by the city as public nuisance without due process, stopped land grab bills at the state legislature, and won certified water for the entire city. 

Rev. Jennifer Jones-Bridgett

A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Reverend Jennifer Jones-Bridgett is an ordained Baptist Minister and presently the executive director of PICO Louisiana InterFaiths Together (LIFT).  She believes that justice is not just a matter of putting the right policies in place or involving the community in a planning process, it means ensuring that families have the power to also define the agenda and control the future of the Gulf Coast.  It means equipping historically marginalized residents to organize themselves for power.  Reverend Jones-Bridgett strongly believes in community building across lines of race, class and denomination.

Malik Rahim

Malik Rahim, a veteran community organizer, was raised in New Orleans and has been fighting for racial, economic and environmental justice for the last thirty years. In 1970, he co-founded the Louisiana chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP), and the platform of the BPP has remained his guiding principles.  Malik co-founded the Common Ground Collective with Sharon Johnson and Scott Crow on September 5, 2005, only days after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Common Ground has been working to deliver services and resources to the most marginalized communities in the Greater New Orleans area. Common Ground has initiated 15 program areas that have served over half a million people in the areas of medical care, legal assistance and advocacy, food and water distribution, roof tarping, house gutting, toxic remediation, children’s programs, a women’s center and much more.

Victoria Cintra

Victoria Cintra was born in Cuba and migrated to the United States when she was eight years old.  She is currently the Gulf Coast outreach organizer for the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA), an organization that provides assistance and advocacy for immigrant workers across the state.  Since Katrina, Victoria has spoken forcefully and articulately on the struggle for justice for the thousands of immigrant workers who have come to rebuild the Gulf Coast.  She has become a forceful immigrant advocate with FEMA, the Red Cross, private contractors and state and local governments.  Victoria has been integral in identifying health hazard issues impacting immigrant workers, disparities between ethnic groups, discriminatory practices by both government and non government agencies and testifying before international commissions.

Derrick Evans

Derrick Evans is a sixth-generation native of Turkey Creek, a Mississippi Gulf Coast community settled by freed slaves in 1866.  Derrick founded Turkey Creek Community Initiatives to promote sustainable local development that is both environmentally and culturally sensitive.  After Katrina, Derrick maxed out credit cards and loaded up a U-Haul truck with $20,000 worth of water, gas and other supplies to build a volunteer camp in Turkey Creek. Since the storm, he has been a tireless organizer and advocate for the needs and rights of coastal communities.  Derrick was also one of the founding organizers of the Steps Coalition, a collaboration of groups fighting for fair and equal justice in the allocation of resources in rebuilding South Mississippi.

The Reproductive Justice Fund is part of the Reproductive Justice Initiative at Tides Foundation. The RJF is a funding collaborative of individual and institutional donors that supports efforts to broaden the base of the U.S. reproductive justice movement in order to increase its power to effect public policy and public opinion. The RJF funds organizations that use grassroots organizing and policy advocacy to build the power and leadership of historically underrepresented women, including women of color, low-income, young, rural, immigrant and LGBT women. The RJF prioritizes organizations that pull reproductive justice from the margins to the center of progressive political organizing by building effective cross-movement alliances between reproductive justice and labor, environmental, economic justice, criminal justice, civil rights and other social justice concerns.

Learn more about the Tides Reproductive Justice Initiative.

In 2006, Tides Foundation's RJF made grants to 24 organizations:

Bridgeport, CT and San Francisco, CA, Oct. 3, 2006 –   Launched in March 2006, AltruShare specializes in community investment while offering comprehensive and competitive brokerage services including best execution, superior service and value to institutional investors. 

Led by a management team with more than 40 years of domestic and international experience in institutional brokerage and portfolio trading, AltruShare’s agency-only model offers superior brokerage services free of traditional conflict of interests.  Through its “Community Investment Enterprise” business model, AltruShare combines traditional brokerage services with social responsibility without incurring any costs to its clients.  The firm sponsors cutting edge independent research on community investment, including portfolio audits, industry reports, community research; it also offers market analysis and intelligence, block trading, algorithmic trading and direct market access.

Tides Foundation and Underdog Foundation have a combined 40 years experience in community-based investment, which will help AltruShare determine the best ways to reinvest its profits – from the AltruShare Opportunity Funds – in communities where it conducts business.  AltruShare will focus its social responsibility initiatives on revitalizing underserved communities through youth development, education, and economic opportunity.  It has already conducted a “needs analysis” in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  Although AltruShare will work closely with its nonprofit owners, AltruShare is a for-profit venture that will support research and community investment through its own profits.  It does not accept donations and its nonprofit owners will not have a say in the management of the brokerage business. 

“AltruShare competes on best execution, service and value, and uses the latest technology, but what makes us different is that we represent a new partnership between Wall Street and Main Street because AltruShare was created to reinvest in the communities we serve.  We offer superior quality and execution and at the same time reinvest in underserved communities without any cost to the investor,” said Peter Drasher, co-founder and managing partner, AltruShare. 

“Tides and Underdog bring a terrific track record of national expertise, 40 years of experience in community-based investment and philanthropy, and a commitment to innovation.  Our goal is to develop a sustainable source of support for economically disadvantaged communities.  We feel that given the same service and cost, clients will choose a brokerage firm whose profits are reinvested in the community,” said Dawn Edwards, co-founder and president, AltruShare.

Changes in government and the philanthropic sector have been driving the need for innovative approaches to solving the needs of underserved communities.

"We look forward to serving as AltruShare's philanthropic partner as the firm grows and develops its innovative Community Investment Enterprise model, which will – through the AltruShare Opportunity Fund at Tides – support youth, education and economic development in diverse and underserved communities around the country," said Drummond Pike, CEO, Tides Foundation.

The Underdog Foundation will be managing a national community investment program for Altrushare to help communities which are often ignored or forgotten – communities who are considered the underdog. 

“From day one, Peter was clear that he didn’t want giving something back to communities to be the last thing he did in his company; he wanted it to be the first thing.  At the Underdog Foundation, we’ve been lucky to work with people using their companies or investments to innovate and to make the biggest possible difference with their philanthropy.  It’s amazing that Peter found a business model that allows institutional investors a way to get best execution and still know that their trading business is giving back to those communities with the greatest needs,” said David Berge, president, Underdog Foundation.

Read more about AltruShare and Tides Foundation in Pensions & Investments Online.

About Tides Foundation

Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for progressive social change philanthropy.  Tides is committed to strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations and the progressive movement through national and global philanthropy - creating a positive impact on people’s lives in ways that honor and promote human rights, economic justice and a healthy, sustainable environment.  For more information, visit www.tidesfoundation.org.

About Underdog Foundation

The Underdog Foundation works to meet community and environmental needs that cannot be met through simple investments.  The Underdog Foundation, which does not accept unsolicited applications, supports non-profit organizations doing important work in our communities through grant making, community investment, technical assistance, and strategic nonprofit/for-profit partnerships. They have special expertise in applying an array of innovative community investment models to provide effective capital to communities and organizations that have compelling needs but may have been excluded from access to capital.  For more information, visit www.underdogventures.com. 

About AltruShare Securities

Launched in 2006, AltruShare Securities, LLC, is the first institutional brokerage firm specializing in community investment, and the only nonprofit owned brokerage firm.  AltruShare combines comprehensive and competitive institutional brokerage services, a unique research product, an experienced management and trading staff.  A for-profit venture, AltruShare’s profits support the AltruShare Opportunity Funds, which benefit locally based community programs addressing youth development, education, and economic opportunity.   For more information, call 203-330-8100 or visit www.AltruShare.com.

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What does H.R. 4 Mean for Me?

The Pension Protection Act of 2006, commonly referred to as H.R. 4, was signed into law August 17, 2006. The new law creates a new definition and new rules for donor advised funds-some of which take effect immediately, and some of which will take effect in the coming months. Below we provide some detailed Questions and Answers on these new regulations and how they affect our donors and our community. Tides Foundation has been following this legislation as it has evolved in Washington, and we are already taking steps to make sure that we remain in complete compliance with the law.

However, it is safe to say that the vast majority of grantmaking at Tides Foundation will not be affected by these new regulations. Grants to vital nonprofits recommended by donors through Tides funds will continue as they have for 30 years.

One key fact to keep in mind is that prior to this law the phrase "donor advised funds" was simply a commonly used business term and appeared nowhere in the Internal Revenue Code. This new law actively defines donor advised funds and outlines what is and is not allowed under the new definition, and what is allowed under other types of grantmaking funds.

With this new law, Congress has decided to apply many of the constraints applicable to private foundations to donor advised funds and supporting organizations. These include strict rules regarding self-dealing, excess business holdings, and certain taxable expenditures. As with any new legislation, there is much to be learned from the regulations that eventually will be put forward by the Treasury Department.

Below are a list of questions and answers on this new legislation. We will be updating this information as new information presents itself.

Please remember: This information is not intended to substitute for legal or tax advice. If you have further questions, we invite you to contact your Tides Foundation advisor or your own tax or legal counsel.

New Rules: Definitions of a donor advised fund

1. What has changed for donor advised funds?
2. How do I receive my tax deduction for a contribution to my DAF?
3. What exactly is a donor advised fund under the new legislation?
4. What is NOT a donor advised fund under the new legislation?

Taxable Expenditures: Limits on permissible grants and expenses

1. What grants are no longer permissible from my donor advised fund?
2. Can a DAF make grants for legislative lobbying, or to a 501(c)(4) organization?
3. Scholarships: What is necessary to operate a program that makes grants to individuals?
4. Penalties: What are the penalties if a DAF violates any of these new rules?
5. Can I still make international grants from my a donor advised fund?
6. When are these new Taxable Expenditure rules effective?

Insider Transactions: Tightening of restrictions on self dealing and direct reimbursements

1. May I be paid from my DAF for services related to my grantmaking?
2. What about payments from a grantee organization?
3. May I receive a loan from my donor-advised fund if I re-pay it with interest?
4. May I submit grant-related expenses for reimbursement from my donor-advised fund?
5. Is a fund advisor not related to me eligible to receive compensation from the DAF?
6. Can my fund buy services from my company?
7. When do these rules about Insider Transactions become effective?

Business Interests:

1. My donor advised fund currently holds an interest in a business enterprise. What do I do now?
2. Can I make a gift of appreciated securities this year?
3. What if my DAF currently holds real estate, or if I wanted to make a future gift of real estate to my DAF?
4. When are these new rules about Business Interests effective?

Miscellaneous

1. What if I have my own private family foundation or sit on the board of a private family foundation? Were any changes made that affect private foundations?
2. Can a supporting organization still make grants to a donor-advised fund?
3. I have heard about the new rules allowing tax-free distributions from IRAs. Can I make a distribution to my DAF?

New Rules:

1. What has changed for donor advised funds(DAFs)?

In general, the new rules ushered in by this new law cover three areas of note to donors and advisors to donor advised funds:

• The law has imposed many of the same rules that apply to private foundations to donor advised funds, specifically on permitted expenditures (this change is discussed more fully below under "Taxable Expenditure Rules").
• The law includes donors and fund advisors as "disqualified persons" for purposes of the insider transaction prohibitions. This basically prohibits 'self dealing' (this change is discussed more fully below under "Insider Transactions").
• The law extends the private foundation "excess business holding" rules to DAFs. These rules prevent a DAF from holding a substantial portion of the equity in a business enterprise (this change is discussed below under "Business Interests").

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2. How do I receive my tax deduction for a contribution to my DAF?

The donor must now have a receipt or gift acknowledgement from Tides Foundation that explicitly affirms that Tides has exclusive legal control over the contributed assets (which has always been the case for Tides DAFs). Our contribution acknowledgements at Tides Foundation will be revised to explicitly confirm this fact.

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3. What exactly is a donor advised fund for these purposes?

Keep in mind that before these new rules were adopted, the term "donor advised fund" was not mentioned in the Internal Revenue Code and the term was used in philanthropic circles to refer to many types of fund arrangements. Only those funds which fall within the new definition are subject to the new, more stringent rules.

There are funds at Tides that are not "donor advised funds" as defined by the new rules; these funds will not be affected by the new rules (see "What is NOT a donor advised fund", below).

The new definition of donor advised fund includes only funds or accounts where all of the following conditions apply:

• A donor, or a person appointed or designated by the donor, has or reasonably expects to have advisory privileges with respect to distributions or investments;
• The fund is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor;
• The fund is not described in any of the exceptions (see "What is NOT a donor advised fund," below).

Funds will be subject to the new rules only if they meet all of the above criteria.

Keep in mind that a donor does not have "advisory privileges" if the donor's role is limited to designating the fund's purpose in the fund agreement. Similarly, the donor does not have "advisory privileges" if the donor's role is limited to recommending a category of individuals with expertise, based on objective criteria, to advise with respect to investments or distributions. For example, some funds utilize activist advisory panels to make grant recommendations.

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4. What is NOT a donor advised fund for these purposes?

Tides Foundation will continue to hold funds that do not qualify as donor advised funds under the new definition. These funds, which are not affected by the new rules are detailed below. Grantmaking by such funds will be unaffected by the new rules:

• Single Entity Funds: A fund or account that makes distributions only to a single identified organization or governmental entity is not a donor advised fund.
• Scholarship Funds: A scholarship fund operated in accordance with specific criteria is not a donor advised fund (see "Scholarships" below for more details).
• Independent Committee Funds: A fund that the Secretary of the Treasury has determined to be exempt from treatment as a donor advised fund if the fund is advised by a committee not directly or indirectly controlled by a donor, fund advisor, or person related to a donor or fund advisor is not a donor advised fund.
• Exempted Funds: A fund that the Secretary of Treasury has determined to exempt from treatment as a donor advised fund if the fund benefits a single identified charitable purpose. To fall within this exemption it appears that a special application to the IRS will be required.

For the latter two exceptions, it is not clear whether safe harbor guidance will be provided, or whether organizations will need to seek private rulings from the IRS in order to take advantage of them.

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Taxable Expenditure Rules:

In general, donor advised fund grantmaking is now limited to grants to publicly-supported charities described in IRC Section 170(b)(1)(A). This definition of publicly-supported charities includes grants from DAFs to the general fund of the organization of which the DAF is a part (Tides Foundation, for example), and/or to another donor advised fund.

1. What grants are no longer permissible from my donor advised fund?

Under the new rules, the following types of transfers or distributions from a donor advised fund are not permitted:

1. Any transfer to an individual.
2. Any transfer for any purpose other than a charitable purpose, unless the granting organization (such as Tides Foundation) exercises "expenditure responsibility" over the transfer, and
3. Any transfer based upon the advice of a donor, fund advisor, or a person related to either of them, that results in any such person receiving, directly or indirectly, a more than incidental benefit.

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2. Can a DAF make grants for legislative lobbying, or to a 501(c)(4) organization?

Generally speaking, a DAF can no longer make a grant to an organization that is not described in IRC Section 501(c)(3), unless the grant is restricted to charitable purposes. Accordingly, in most cases a grant to a Section 501(c)(4) organization to fund a lobbying activity will not be permissible. However, a grant to a Section 501(c)(4) may be permitted if the grant agreement expressly limits the use of the funds to charitable and educational activities and expressly prohibits the use of the funds for legislative lobbying.

Under the Treasury Regulations that have applied to private foundation grants, general support grants to other public charities described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) that lobby are permissible. Similar rules are expected to be adopted for grants by DAFs to public charities that lobby.

Tides Foundation will continue to support important 501(c)(4) advocacy work as we always have. We will also be following developments in the implementation of the legislation so that we can support these important efforts in a manner that complies with the new regulations.

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3. Scholarships: What is necessary to operate a program that makes grants to individuals?

A fund can make grants to individuals for travel, study, or other similar purposes, but only if all of the following requirements are met. If all these criteria are met, the fund is a Scholarship Fund and not a donor advised fund.

1. the donor's or fund advisor's advisory privileges are performed exclusively by such donor or fund advisor in such person's capacity as a member of a committee all of the members of which are appointed by the sponsoring organization,
2. no combination of a donor or fund advisor or persons related to such persons, control, directly or indirectly, such committee,
3. all grants from such fund or account are awarded on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis pursuant to a procedure approved in advance by the board of directors of the organization, and such procedure is designed to ensure that all such grants meet the requirements that apply to private foundation scholarship grants.

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4. Penalties: What are the penalties if a DAF violates any of these new rules?

Stiff penalties will apply to Tides Foundation, its managers, and, in the case of an impermissible private benefit, the donors and fund advisors for violating these new rules.

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5. Can I still make international grants from my donor advised fund?

Yes.  In general, international grantmaking at Tides Foundation will not be affected by the new law; however, grants to foreign organizations from donor advised funds require additional recordkeeping and pre-grant due diligence.  Thus, these types of grants will be charged additional fees and will require longer processing times.

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6. When are these new Taxable Expenditure Rules effective?

These changes are effective on January 1, 2007, for Tides DAFs.

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Insider Transactions:

In general, the new law prohibits any grant, loan, compensation, reimbursement, or other similar payment to donors and fund advisors, and "35% controlled entities." Covered entities, generally speaking, include any corporation, partnership, or limited liability company as to which the donor and fund advisors and their family members have voting control of 35% or more of the voting interests in the entity.

1. May I as the donor or as the fund advisor be paid from my donor advised fund for services I provide that are related to my grantmaking?

No. This is clearly prohibited.

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2. What if I and/or a family member are compensated by a grantee organization that is a recipient of a grant from my donor advised fund?

At the moment, the answer is unclear. Tides' donors should contact their philanthropic advisor if they have specific questions on this matter. A restricted grant from a DAF to a grantee organization that compensates a donor or fund advisor to that DAF (or any of their family members), pursuant to a grant agreement which prohibits the use of that grant to compensate any of them, may be permitted. The specific facts of the situation should be discussed with your philanthropic advisor.

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3. May I as the donor or as the fund advisor receive a loan from my donor-advised fund if I re-pay it with interest?

No.

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4. Periodically I incur expenses such as going to conferences or purchasing supplies related to my charitable grantmaking. May I submit these expenses for reimbursement from my donor-advised fund?

No. These rules are effective August 17, 2006, so any expenses incurred prior to that date but processed after August 17 will not be eligible for reimbursement.

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5. If I have appointed someone not related to me to act as an advisor to the fund, are they eligible to receive compensation for services, loans, or expense reimbursement?

No. That person is still a fund advisor, and subject to the same prohibition.

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6. My company is in the business of providing services to charities. Can my fund buy services from my company?

No, if you or the fund advisors, or the family members of each, have voting control over 35% or more of the entity's voting interests, no compensation for any kind of services can be paid to the company. It is not clear whether the same rule will apply for purchases of goods from a 35% controlled entity.

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7. When do these rules about Insider Transactions become effective?

These rules are effective as of August 17, 2006.

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Business Interests

1. My donor advised fund currently holds an interest in a business enterprise. What do I do now?

The new rules apply the private foundation rules to business holdings of donor advised funds. As a practical matter, after January 1, 2007, donor advised funds will not be permitted to purchase interests in a business if, together with all "disqualified persons," the aggregate ownership interests in the business enterprise exceed 20%. These rules are exceedingly complex, and there are some exceptions.

If a DAF holds an interest in a business enterprise on the effective date of the new law (January 1, 2007), then the DAF must dispose of the interest in 10, 15, or 20 years, depending on the aggregate percentage interest of the holdings of the DAF and all disqualified persons. The DAF will have to dispose of the interest for fair market value, and a redemption by the entity or a purchase of the interest by disqualified persons may be problematic. Accordingly, the advisors to the DAF should consult with the sponsoring organization's counsel as soon as possible to determine an appropriate exit strategy.

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2. I was planning to make a gift of appreciated securities this year. Am I out of luck?

You should still consider the gift with the help of your counsel, and counsel to the sponsoring organization, for several reasons. First, if the gift is made before January 1, 2007, the 10, 15 or 20 year transition rule described above (See Previous Question and Answer) will still apply to the gift, so that there will be a long time period for disposition of the interests. Second, there are some exceptions to the general rule described above, the most important of which is the exception for a de minimis holding by the DAF: if a DAF (and any related private foundations) holds 2% or less of the voting interests, the holding is permitted. Third, these rules generally consider only voting securities. Fourth, if another person actually controls the business enterprise, the permissible aggregate holdings are increased to 35%. And finally, some entities are not "business enterprises' at all (see following Question and Answer).

After January 1, 2007, if an interest in a business enterprise is given to a DAF, the DAF will generally be required to dispose of it not later than 5 years after the gift, subject to an extension of time if the IRS approves. This means that although such gifts are not prohibited, a clear and realistic exit strategy should be developed before such a gift is made.

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3. What if my donor advised fund currently holds real estate, or if I wanted to make a future gift of real estate to my DAF? Is this permissible under the new legislation?

Possibly. A "business enterprise" does not include a business if at least 95 percent of the gross income is derived from passive sources, which generally includes rental income. Thus, a voting interest in an entity which holds rental real estate, or appreciated undeveloped or vacant real property, may not be a business holding at all. Similarly, a gift of an interest in real property held by you directly (rather than through an entity), is not subject to the prohibition on excess business holdings.

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4. When are these new rules effective?

The changes to the rules applicable to excess business holdings are effective on January 1, 2007 for Tides DAFs.

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Miscellaneous

1. What if I have my own private family foundation or sit on the board of a private family foundation? Were any changes made that affect private foundations?

Yes. The new rules may affect grants from a private foundation to a donor advised fund but only if the DAF is operated by a "Type III" supporting organization that is not "functionally integrated" with the supported public charity. Tides is not a "supporting organization," so there is no limitation on the ability of the private foundation to make a grant to one of its donor advised funds.

The new rules also increase the excise tax penalties for self-dealing, failure to distribute income, jeopardizing investments and taxable expenditures by private foundations. The calculation of net investment income for private foundations has also been modified to expand the definition of gross investment income.

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2. Can a supporting organization still make grants to a donor advised fund?

Yes.

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3. I have heard about the new rules allowing tax-free distributions from IRAs. Can I make a distribution to my DAF?

No. To take advantage of the new rule, which allows a tax-free distribution from an IRA to a charitable organization, the distribution must be to a public charity, but not to a DAF or a supporting organization.

Keep in mind, however, that a distribution to a field of interest fund at a public charity is allowable. In some circumstances, the tax-free distribution can be made to a private foundation-check with your tax advisor about whether your private foundation can receive a distribution from your IRA. The maximum amount of tax-free distributions from an IRA under these new rules is limited to $100,000 per year.

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The information in these FAQs is summary in nature and is not intended to substitute for legal or tax advice. Grantmakers, donors and fund advisors should consult with their own counsel to determine the impact of this legislation on their particular circumstances. Any tax advice contained in this communication was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matter addressed herein.

June 24, 2006 –New York, NY– Tides Foundation has named six New York artists to receive its 2006 Lambent Fellowship in the Arts award. These performing and visual artists will be granted $ 126,000 for their artistic excellence and the potential to add fresh voices to the art world of Metropolitan New York.

Now in its fourth year, Tides Foundation’s Lambent Fellowship in the Arts program aims to support diversity and stimulate New York’s cultural dialogue.  The Lambent Fellowship is awarded in three-year installments and is completely unrestricted; it is intended to support each fellow’s artistic expression in whatever way he or she chooses.

The following 2006 Fellows will receive a $21,000 award: Visual Artists Francisca Benitez, Judi Werthein, Lynn Jadamec Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga; and Performing Artists Miguel Gutierrez, and RoseAnne Spradlin. 

The Lambent Fellowship in the Arts program supports visual and performing artists in all five boroughs of New York City.  A selection panel of artists and arts professionals made anonymous nominations to the Lambent Fellowship’s selection committee, who chose finalists to be considered by the Tides Foundation Board of Directors.

“A major component of the Lambent Fellowship’s mission is to add fresh voices to the cultural discourse in New York City,” explained Ishmael Houston-Jones, the program’s coordinator. “Each of these four women and two men are residents of the City who approach their artwork with great innovation and rigor.”

“The Lambent Fellowship program pays tribute to New York City based artists who are making exciting and high quality work while at the same time are in line with Tides Foundation’s mission of creating a positive impact on people's lives in ways that honor and promote human rights, justice, and a healthy, sustainable environment,” added Michelle Coffey, Senior Philanthropic Advisor at Tides Foundation New York.

Past fellows are: Sanford Biggers, Patty Chang, Yvonne Meier, Julie Atlas Muz, Sekou Sundiata, and Javier Tellez.

The fifth round of Lambent Fellows will be announced in the summer, 2007.

About the Artists:

Francisca Benitez, visual artist, explores cultural intersections and their expression in space. She uses the city as a laboratory, textbook and site for speculation. Her work reflects on how hierarchies and power structures manifest themselves and on how people subvert them. Through video, sound, photography, maps, text and collages she amplifies and deconstructs found situations and urban phenomena to question the systems in place. 

Lynn Jadamec, visual artist,composes oil paintings that respond to the environmental complexity and diversity of the greater New York Metropolitan area. She actively seeks out compositions that depict the city's unique urban environmental complexity and describe visually the never static human interaction within it. The viewer is presented with a synthesis of interactions between commerce, culture and community through a paint application full of light and color. The imagery conveys a sense of strength, pride and inclusion of which the viewer can contemplate in a meditative manner of viewing.

Miguel Gutierrez, performing artist, is a Brooklyn based dance and music artist whose work is primarily concerned with questions regarding the nature of existence, asking who we are and why we’re here, both in life and in the theater. He creates group work in an ongoing collaboration with dancers, visual and music artists as the director of Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People, while maintaining a solo performance practice.

RoseAnne Spradlin, performing artist, creates work that probes the body - often with explicitly anatomical or sexual themes, while cross-referencing performance installation and contemporary dance.  Spradlin's work communicates most readily in the realm of feeling; Spradlin seeks a fragile liberation for both performers and audiences through the theatrical experience.

Judi Werthein, visual artist,engages audiences in participative multimedia public installations that questions systems of distribution, class and freedom in different socio-economic-political systems in relation to “globalism”. Through constructed scenarios she brings art to a wider audience placing it into the realm of “Real Life”

Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga, visual artist, approaches art as a social practice that seeks to establish dialogue in public spaces. Having been born of immigrant parents and grown up between Nicaragua and San Francisco, a strong awareness of inequality and discrimination was established at an early age. Themes such as immigration, discrimination, gentrification and the effects of globalization extend from highly subjective experiences and observations into works that tactfully engage others through populist metaphors while maintaining critical perspectives. Over the past several years, Ricardo has established a practice based in research and investigation leading to the final presentation. This is a practice that utilizes whatever media possible to present the content in a manner that may generate interaction and discussion by others.  

TIDES FOUNDATION: Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for progressive social change philanthropy.  Tides is committed to strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations and the progressive movement through national and global philanthropy - creating a positive impact on people’s lives in ways that honor and promote human rights, economic justice and a healthy, sustainable environment.

The new Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest will honor individuals who, in the spirit of open source computing, develop outstanding applications that help nonprofits become more effective in their ongoing efforts for social change.

"Within the world of public interest computing, no significant prize has up to now existed," said Tides Foundation Director of Philanthropic Services Tod Hill. "The Pizzigati Prize aims to honor people working in the field and help create real solutions for activists working for positive social change."

Applications for the first Pizzigati Prize competition must be submitted to Tides Foundation by May 4, 2006. The inaugural winner will be named in June 2006 and receive a $10,000 cash award.

Judging the applications will be three widely respected leaders in public interest computing:

• Activist, philanthropist, and writer Allison Fine currently works from the Hudson Valley community of Irvington, New York. She is the founder of Innovation Network, Inc., a national project that has been providing consulting, training, and Web-based tools for nonprofits and funders since 1992. In 2004-2005, she served, as the CEO of the E-Volve Foundation. Her new book, Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age.
  
• Joseph Mouzon recently initiated and completed the merger of Network for Good and Groundspring to form the largest nonprofit technology service provider in the United States, a "TSP" that's helping over 6,000 nonprofits generate $42 million in online donations. He is currently serving as the executive director of nonprofit services for this newly merged organization and oversees all sales, service, business development, strategic planning, and financial management activities.
• Katrin Verclas is the managing director of the Innovation Funder Network, an affinity group of funders exploring the use of information and communications technology for social change. She also runs the Secretariat of MobileActive (www.mobileactive.org), a global community of activists and nonprofits using mobile phones in civic engagement and advocacy.

The Pizzigati Prize honors the brief life of Tony Pizzigati, an early advocate of open source computing. Born in 1971, Pizzigati spent his college years at MIT, where he worked at the world-famous MIT Media Lab and later the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science. Pizzigati moved to California in 1994, to work as a software consultant, and died the following spring in an auto accident on his way into Silicon Valley.

More information about the Pizzigati Prize, including the judging criteria, timeline and the online application form, can be found at the prize Web site: www.pizzigatiprize.org.

Questions about this initiative can be directed, through this Web site, to the prize administrator, Jason Sanders, Philanthropic Advisor at Tides Foundation.

Media Contact:
Jason Sanders
Tides Foundation
415.561.6400
jsanders@tides.org

The grant will primarily support the creation of a new desk for American Public Media’s Marketplace business programs, including Marketplace™, Marketplace Morning Report™, and Marketplace Money™, a personal finance program.  With a weekly audience of more than 8.5 million, the combined Marketplace programs have more listeners than any other business news program on television or radio. 

The new editorial desk will focus on covering sustainability and the economy, including environmental, economic, technological, cultural and other factors influencing the future of humanity.  Coverage will be aimed at helping the public better understand global realities that affect domestic and international economies and cultures. The grant, which will be disbursed over three years, will enable Marketplace to seek out diverse perspectives on sustainability related topics. 

“Nothing is more important to the future of the economy and, ultimately, to our survival than awareness of how our actions affect global sustainability,” said JJ Yore, executive producer of Marketplace and vice president, programming, for American Public Media. “Through this generous grant, we gain the resources to give these issues the attention they deserve.”

“More businesses today are contemplating a ‘double bottom line’—how their activities impact their profitability and the greater social good.  This was almost unthinkable 20 years go,” said Idelisse Malavé, executive director, Tides Foundation.  “People are adopting a broader view of their activities and how their decisions today will affect all of us tomorrow. Yet this has been a neglected perspective in the news media.  We are very excited to support an expanded analysis of major business trends from such a respected and independent news source.”
 
The grant also will fund coverage of sustainability on other American Public Media programs, including American RadioWorks documentaries; Speaking of Faith, a program on belief, meaning, ethics and ideas; and Weekend America, a magazine show which explores lifestyle, leisure, culture and attitude. 

"By providing support for sustainability coverage on these programs, the Tides Foundation grant provides a groundbreaking opportunity to reach a large and important audience,” said Jon McTaggart, senior vice president and chief operating officer of American Public Media. “Our ability to serve the public will be significantly enhanced as we offer coverage on sustainability across many programs, from many perspectives and at different times of the day and week,” said McTaggart.

The Kendeda Sustainability Fund, a donor-advised fund at Tides Foundation, was created in 2003 to explore how to live within the limits of the natural world in ways that promote community, equity, prosperity and health. It funds organizations in the areas of higher education, religion and faith, healthy buildings, materials and processes, and communications/media and the arts.

Through its grantmaking programs, Tides Foundation strengthens social change organizations and increases the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit and public sectors. It supports activities in the areas of economic and social justice, environmental sustainability and democratic renewal. In 2004, Tides Foundation awarded over $70 million to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations.

Marketplace, produced in Los Angeles, maintains five domestic bureaus plus bureaus in London and Tokyo. The 16-year-old program has been called the best business show on radio or television by the Columbia Journalism Review, and it has won the duPont-Columbia Award and the Peabody Award.

Marketplace is distributed worldwide by American Public Media. It is broadcast by more than 325 public radio stations and heard around the world via American Forces Radio & Television Service. American Public Media also makes the program available via World Radio Network (WRN), a direct broadcast satellite channel serving Europe, Asia and Africa.
About Tides Foundation
Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor-advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for social change philanthropy. Tides Foundation is committed to strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations through national and global philanthropy.

Tides Foundation is a part of the Tides Organizations, a group of nonprofits that share a common vision for a healthy society—a society based on principles of social justice, broadly shared economic opportunity, a robust democratic process and sustainable environmental practices. The Tides Organizations also include Tides Center, Tides, Inc., Groundspring.org, Thoreau Center for Sustainability and Community Clinics Initiative. For more information, go to www.tidesfoundation.org.

About American Public Media
American Public Media™ is the nation's second-biggest producer of public radio programs, reaching 14.7 million listeners nationwide each week. Its national programs include A Prairie Home Companion®, Weekend America®, Saint Paul Sunday®, Marketplace®, Marketplace Money®, The Splendid Table®, Speaking of Faith® and special reports produced by its national documentary unit, American RadioWorks®. American Public Media is the national production and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio®. Minnesota Public Radio, along with its sister company Southern California Public Radio, belongs to a larger family of companies within American Public Media Group, a national nonprofit organization whose purpose is to develop resources, services and systems to support public media for public service. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be obtained at www.americanpublicmedia.org.

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Drummond was selected for his unique contributions in developing the field of grantmaking. Throughout his career, he has supported grassroots and public interest organizations through environmental and social change philanthropy. Drummond founded Tides Foundation in 1976 and pioneered the use of donor advised funds to support grassroots and public interest organizations on a national scale. Drummond’s entrepreneurial approach to promoting healthy societies also led to the creation of Tides Center, the largest fiscal sponsorship organization in nation. Through his leadership, Tides has also fostered the creation of Groundspring.org, Thoreau Center for Sustainability and Tides Canada Foundation.

“We are pleased to recognize the legacy and significant contributions of Drummond Pike to the philanthropic sector,” said Lorraine Carlson, President of the Board, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter (AFP-GGC).  “Drummond’s vision to move away from the traditional foundation model changed philanthropy as we knew it in the seventies, and he is still challenging and changing the way that it works today. His goal of removing obstacles between people and their good intentions has grown into a impressive network of organizations providing a full spectrum of services to donors and nonprofits.”

Over the course of its 28 years, Tides Foundation has granted more than $400 million to thousands of nonprofit organizations working for positive social change. The foundation works with individual and institutional donors committed to a society based on fairness, equal justice and equally shared economic opportunities and it promotes environmental sustainability and a robust democratic process. In addition, Tides provides management and support services to more than 25 small private foundations, as well as the membership-based Threshold Foundation.

Drummond is one of seven leaders in philanthropy who will be honored during this year’s National Philanthropy Day events in the Bay Area hosted by The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter, and Northern California Grantmakers. He was chosen for the award by unanimous agreement of a committee of nonprofit, philanthropic, and community leaders from throughout the Bay Area. The award ceremony will take place at a gala luncheon on Monday, November 15, 2004, at the San Francisco Marriott. It is hoped that the giving spirit of the awardees will inspire other individuals and organizations and spread the impact of community-giving. For more information about National Philanthropy Day, visit www.afp-ggc.org/npd/.

About Tides Foundation
Since 1976, Tides Foundation has partnered with donors and institutions by offering donor-advised funds, philanthropic advice and management services for progressive social change philanthropy. Tides Foundation is committed to strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations and the progressive movement through national and global philanthropy.

Tides Foundation is a part of The Tides Organizations, a group of nonprofit organizations that share a common vision for a healthy society—a society based on the principles of social justice, broadly shared economic opportunity, robust democratic process and sustainable environmental practices.  The Tides Organizations include Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides, Inc, Groundspring.org, Thoreau Center for Sustainability and Community Clinics Initiative. For more information, go to www.tides.org.

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