Check out the recording by clicking here or below. A panel of universal design experts share their insights, thoughts and solutions as we apply the AARP HomeFit Checklist to an actual home in Kensington, MD! This is event is a partnership with the Villages of Kensington, HomesRenewed Coalition, and Positive Aging Sourcebook using the AARP Homefit Checklist. 
Panel Members: 

• Laurie Pross - Homeowner in Kensington, MD and Villages of Kensington Board Member 
• Louis Tenenbaum - Homes Renewed 
• Greg Sieb - Live in Place 
• Ali Soltani - HandyPro 
• Stephen Hage - Strategies for Independent Living 
• Greg Olavarria- Get-A-Grip Construction Services

Moderated by Steve Gurney of Positive Aging Sourcebook

​

To see more FAQs, please visit our website. Nonprofit Montgomery Member News

• One Year of COVID-19 - Identity's Rapid Response: Check out Identity's work on how neighbors helped neighbors and community helped community, coming to the aid of tens of thousands laid low by the pandemic.  
• Save the Date for Rebuilding Together Montgomery County Cheers to 30 Years event on June 9.
• RSVP for LAYC/MMYC's Heroes Celebration on April 14, 9:30am.
• Crittenton Services of Greater Washington was featured on WTOP on March 28.

The 2021 Salary and Benefits Survey Is Open: Respond Now!
Nonprofit Montgomery is collaborating with Maryland Nonprofits on the 2021 Salary and Benefits Survey, which is now open! The Salary Survey gives a picture of current employee compensation and benefits trends and practices in Maryland’s nonprofit sector, which will help you establish salary and benefits packages for employees that are competitive and fair.

All organizations that participate in the Salary Survey will receive a full copy of the final report. Take the survey before April 9, 2021! Nonprofit Montgomery will produce a report with Montgomery County data, but we need you to respond to the survey.  

Our Advocacy Campaign is Underway

We're in week two of our social media advocacy campaign and leading teams of nonprofit leaders in meetings with Councilmembers. 

Our central message this year is that nonprofits are more essential than ever. The social media campaign will highlight the accomplishments of our members during covid.   

Visit our Advocacy page to see the latest news and find out how to support ALL nonprofits. Upcoming Events

Solo Support Group: Won't be meeting in April. The next meeting is on May 5.
MORE Office Hours: April 14 
FIRM for Program Directors: April 19, 21, 23, 27
Table for Ten (Succession Planning): April 22, June 3, June 17 from 9-10:30amMORE (Metrics, Outcomes and Responsible Evaluation) Office Hours

On April 14 instead of our MORE Spotlight we'll be having office hours. Bring your questions, success stories, and issues to crowdsource. Contact Meredith for more information. Contact us with any questions.


MORE AlumniSpring has officially sprung and we’ve had “spring cleaning” on our minds – of course, with an evaluation spin! In the MORE Alumni Evaluation Network, we’ve been sharing resources to help your spring cleaning of so many evaluation related topics including logic models, survey design, evaluation design and methods, and indicator development.
 
Whether you’re looking to boost your logic model approach or hoping to better define your short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes, the Alumni Network is sure to have something you’ll find useful. If you’re interested in seeing more evaluation related resources each week, join 118 of your fellow nonprofit colleagues in our LinkedIn MORE Alumni Evaluation Network.  
FIRM for Program Directors and Dept. LeadersFIRM for Program Directors is a multi-day workshop that provides program directors and department leaders with a deeper understanding of the financial processes, planning, and decision making that support strong program and organizational sustainability.

Participants will learn about program level financial modeling, strategic budgeting, and financial reporting to build confidence and competence in making decisions that balance assets and outcomes (aka money and mission) for individual programs and the organization at large.

The program delivery will be a mix of LIVE and self-paced sessions over two weeks as follows …

• LIVE Sessions will be delivered using Zoom and facilitated by our instructor.
• The first one will be an orientation and introduction for everyone.
• The following sessions will be specific Q&A sessions around the topics covered throughout the program in the self-passed modules
• Self-Guided Modules – each module consists of 30-40 minutes of pre-recorded content along with linked planning tools and prompts – expect to spend about an hour with your team on each module.

The session schedule will be:
Monday, April 19, 1-2pm: LIVE Orientation 
Wednesday, April 21, 1-2pm: LIVE Q&A on Module 1 
Friday, April 23, 1-2pm: LIVE Q&A on Module 2 
Tuesday, April 27, 1-2pm: LIVE Q&A on Module 3

REGISTER TODAYTable for Ten - Unpacking the Known and Unknown: Executive  Succession Planning for NonprofitsThis three part series will open conversations to begin the exploration of and foster a seamless transition at the executive leadership level. Current best practices will be shared along with focus upon founder succession.

Facilitator: Debbie B Riley LCMFT, CEO and Co-founder, Center for Adoption Support and Education and Board Chair, Nonprofit Montgomery

When: April 22, June 3, June 17 from 9-10:30am  
Location: Zoom Meetings. You'll receive the links once you've been approved to participate.
Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis for Nonprofit Montgomery members only. 
Click here to register. 
FIRM for Small or Emerging Nonprofits Have you wanted to register for FIRM, but weren't sure if your organization was big enough or ready for it? Well, this FIRM is specifically designed for our small but mighty nonprofits who are either just starting, intentionally small (budget under $750,000), or exploring future growth.

The training introduces nonprofit leaders and board members to financial best practices for greater accountability and sustainability. FIRM's unique curriculum provides a strategic framework and practical tools to help leaders better understand and implement best practices in financial management. 
The program delivery will be a mix of LIVE and self-paced sessions over two weeks as follows …

• LIVE Sessions will be delivered using Zoom and facilitated by our instructor.
• The first one will be an orientation and introduction for everyone.
• The following sessions will be specific Q&A sessions around the topics covered throughout the program in the self-passed modules
• Self-Guided Modules – each module consists of 30-40 minutes of pre-recorded content along with linked planning tools and prompts – expect to spend about an hour with your team on each module.

Dates: May 24, 26, 28, and June 1 (1-2pm) 
Cost: Only $25 per team (up to four)
Click here to register your team.

Montgomery Moving Forward (MMF), an initiative of Nonprofit Montgomery (NM), is excited to announce that we are the incubator for a 6-month pilot program for building The Basics in Montgomery County. The funding for this pilot is made possible through DHHS's Community Action Agency (CAA). MMF launched The Basics pilot on March 19, 2021 in the 20877 zip code and is working in collaboration with Head Start, Pre-K, and community service partners in this area.

The Basics is an evidence-based intervention that involves diverse community partners to support the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children ages 0-5.The Basics are focused on five science-based parenting and caregiving pillars and are for every child in every community.

View The Basics website here for more information and here for a 3-minutes video to see The Basics in action. And check out the Montgomery Moving Forward website to learn more about the pilot and how you and/or your organization and join in building The Basics in the 20877 zip code and throughout Montgomery County. Free Virtual Support Group for Kinship Caregivers
Are you raising your grandchild, niece, nephew or other extended family member? If you are caring full time for children between the ages of 6-11 and reside in Montgomery County, the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) invites you to register now for this FREE 5-week virtual support group moderated by C.A.S.E. adoption-competent therapists. Participants will focus on a new topic each week.Suggest a County Vaccine Site 
The County is looking for possible vaccination sties. If you have a facility that could serve as a vaccination site, please fill out this form. Vaccine Flyers from the CountyThe County is still pushing to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible. They want the business community to play a role in communicating accurate  information and encouragement workforces to register and get vaccinated.
Here are customizable letter for businesses to provide to employees as well as flyers (also in Spanish and PDF) to post visibly in businesses. The flyers list those who are eligible for the vaccine at this time as allowed by the State of Maryland which is the same as those being vaccinated in Montgomery County. Access everything here. 

Funding and Grants

• Also, check out Franca Brilliant's presentation on current grant and funding opportunities. 

What We're Reading

• What Is Digital Blackface? Experts Explain Why The Social Media Practice Is Problematic (July 20, 20, Women'sHealth)
• White supremacy and the problem with centering donors’ interests and emotions (March 22, Nonprofit AF)​
• Seeking to Soar: Foundation Funding for Asian American & Pacific Islander Communities (March 2021, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy)

Job Opportunities 

Center for Adoption Support & Education: Mental Health Therapist and Virginia Regional Manager
Bender JCC of Greater Washington: Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
Sharp Insight: Evaluation Associate

Registration is now open for CaringMatters' new Bereaved Caregivers Workshop, a special, no cost, virtual weekend workshop for former full-time caregivers whose loved one died within the past 18 months.
 
Participant requirements/information:

• At least 21 years old
• Resident of Montgomery County, MD
• Able to use Zoom
• No charge to participants
• Workshop schedule:
• Friday, April 30: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
• Saturday, May 1: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Sunday, May 2: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

 
Participants will:

• Connect with other former caregivers to share experiences and grief
• Practice self-care and relaxation
• Commemorate their loved one with gratitude
• Refocus their life now that the caregiving role has ended

 
For more information, contact: Jim Rossi, Director of Adult Bereavement Services, jimr@caringmatters.org

 

Leigh Bluestein

Director of Communications & Education

CaringMatters 

301-990-7927 office

301-385-0254 cell

leighb@caringmatters.org​

COVID-19-Related Scams Targeting County Residents Are Being Exposed by Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer ProtectionThe COVID-19 health crisis in itself has been quite a hardship, but recently, residents have found themselves as the targets of scams related to the virus threat. Now the Montgomery County Office of Consumer is providing information on how to identify those scams on the County’s COVID-19 comprehensive website.
 Among the scams identified are ones regarding bogus products, testing sites and vaccine availability. The scams are being directed toward consumers via email, texting and telephone. In most cases, the attention-getting scams seek to have innocent residents provide the scammers with funds for services or products that do not actually exist. In other cases, fake or stolen vaccines may be offered on the “dark net.”
 Numerous new “phishing” scams have been devised by scammers to take advantage of consumers seeking information on how to preregister for vaccines—or how to get around the systems that have been set up by local governments, health care systems or private pharmacies.  The deceptive email messages seek to trick consumers into providing their Social Security numbers, credit card information or bank information.
 County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz have identified a need to warn consumers about the increasing number of scams and called upon the County to include financial protection information in conjunction with health information.
 “Responding to the numerous health and financial related challenges caused by the current pandemic requires Montgomery County to establish multidisciplinary teams and experts to collaborate and take action,” said County Executive Elrich. “We recognize that scammers seek to exploit news events and cause financial harm to consumers and businesses. Accordingly, in addition to providing information about vaccines and testing, we also need to provide alerts to prevent residents from becoming the targets and victims of COVID-19-related scams that may cause financial harm.”
 A new video on COVID-19-related scams was released today and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/XlX6rRxxVN0.
 Information about the scams can be found at the County COVID-19 information website at https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/.
 “In the wake of COVID-19, scammers are finding new ways to cause financial and irreparable harm,” said Council Vice President Albornoz. “During the past several months, we have seen a dramatic increase of fraudulent vaccination sites, robo calls and phishing scams targeting County residents—especially our most vulnerable. We must continue to do all that we can to end these criminal practices and protect our residents.”
 Office of Consumer Protection Director Eric Friedman said: “These scammers are clever and opportunistic. They seek to turn the latest news events into scams that exploit consumer fears and concerns regarding the Coronavirus.”
 To prevent interaction with scammers, Director Friedman advises residents to rely on information provided by the County’s official website. The information available includes:

• General information about COVID-19 and its impact on County residents is available at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/
• The preregistration link for vaccines provided at County Government-operated clinics can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/
• Information from the Federal Trade Commission on steps consumers can take to protect themselves from COVID-related scams can be found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/01/scammers-cash-covid-19-vaccination-confusion

 # # #
Media contact: Eric Friedman, 240-777-3719

Soft launch of COVID-19 Vaccination Support Center results in over 2,000 new appointments for seniors, eligible Marylanders

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA) are working together to promote access to vaccines through a telephone-based support line and appointment system that is designed to assist those without internet access. On Monday, the departments began contacting seniors directly to invite them to use the new COVID-19 Vaccination Support Center at 1-855-MDGOVAX (1-855-634-6829).​

“Maryland’s new Vaccination Support Center is an important part of our efforts to promote equity in vaccination for the state’s most vulnerable residents,” said Acting MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “By providing telephone access and the assistance of live advocates, we are making the vaccine registration process simple and easy.”

How the support center works. The COVID-19 Vaccination Support Center will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Marylanders can call the center to get information on COVID-19 vaccines and identify providers closest to their homes. The center is specifically designed to assist residents without internet access.
The center can also help callers schedule vaccination appointments at the state’s mass vaccination sites, including Six Flags America in Prince George’s County, which has been in operation since February 5. The site currently serves up to 2,000 Marylanders a day and will increase its capacity as more vaccines become available from the federal government. 

Successful soft launch. On Monday, the call center soft launched with nearly 6,000 inbound and outbound calls targeting segmented groups of seniors drawn from lists provided by the Maryland Department of Aging, including participants in the Senior Call Check program. The call center has now booked more than 2,000 appointments for the Six Flags mass vaccination site. The 619 outbound calls yielded a connection rate of 37%. 

“Ensuring that our most vulnerable populations receive vaccines is our top priority, and new resources such as the Vaccine Support Center are creating more accessibility,” said MDOA Secretary Rona Kramer. “I am thrilled to offer this new option for our aging populations.”
The Vaccination Support Center is available to all Marylanders who are eligible for a vaccine, including anyone who will benefit from a telephone-based system. All Marylanders age 65 and over are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 1C of Maryland’s vaccination plan, and the state has asked vaccine providers to prioritize Marylanders 65 and over.

Visit covidlink.maryland.gov for more information on Maryland’s response to COVID-19. Vaccine and other coronavirus data are available at coronavirus.maryland.gov.