LIFE

BeCAUSE They Care: Nonprofits in the news

causes@news-press.com

Conservancy of Southwest Florida Volunteers selects volunteer of the month

Working in wildlife rehabilitation, serving as docents, boat captains, office support and more, volunteers provide close to $1 million in service to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida each year.

The group of nearly 600 honors one of their own each month and selected Conservancy Board Chair Lynn Slabaugh as the Volunteer of the Month for March.

Slabaugh joined the Conservancy of Southwest Florida board of directors in 2011. She has donated more than 1,300 hours volunteering at events, meetings, and serves on the finance, governance and environmental affairs board committees. She became Conservancy Board Chair in 2014.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to protect the water, land and wildlife in the five-county area. The organization has approximately 54 employees and 600 volunteers working to advance this mission.

For information, visit conservancy.org/volunteer.

Center for Nonprofit Excellence holds session on organizational growth and development

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence at Hodges University will offer a session on the life cycle of an organization. The session will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the Hodges Fort Myers campus, 4501 Colonial Blvd.

Understanding that there are predictable patterns and phases in an organization's growth and development can help its leaders prepare for a variety of situations and changes. Topics discussed during the session will include how a board's composition and roles may change during different stages of the life cycle, how to assess where a nonprofit is in its life cycle and how to anticipate future challenges and strengthen capacities.

Presenting the workshop will be Susan Suarez of Suarez & Associates, a consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofit clients succeed by improving their fundraising, marketing, strategy and management.

To register for this session, log onto hodges.edu/cne or call 598-6284.

Rotary Club of Fort Myers South to honor 36 nominees at Scholar-Athlete Awards

Rotary Club of Fort Myers South will honor 36 nominees and announce the scholarship recipients and other award winners at its Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet from 7 to 9 p.m. May 6 at the Crowne Plaza in Fort Myers. The scholarship program recognizes top athletes from area high schools based on athletic and academic achievement, along with strength of character.

Joe Dooley will deliver the keynote address. Dooley is in his second season as head coach of the FGCU men’s basketball team.

The Southwest Florida Rheem Team will underwrite two $5,000 scholarships and will host an online People’s Choice Scholar-Athlete Award, where the winner receives an iPad.

Eighteen Lee County-area high schools each nominated one top male and female varsity letter winner who maintains a minimum 3.2 GPA, is involved in school and community activities and demonstrates leadership characteristics. A selection committee of Rotary South members interviews nominees and selects the winners.

The 36 nominees are: Kinzie Frey and Thaddeus Ward from Bishop Verot Catholic High School, Darby Pfeifer and Zeb Burton III from Canterbury School, McKenna Beach and Joseph Mesaros from Cape Coral High School, Nyree Mahone and Corey Kerkesner from Cypress Lake High School, Kiara Desamours and Christopher Sutherland from Dunbar High School, Liz Lorenzo and Marlon Reyes from East Lee County High School, Madison Cernohous and Ryne Hensley from Estero High School, Sarah Candiano and Carson Pearlman from Evangelical Christian School, Mallory Towe and James Brunson from Fort Myers High School, Carla Mateo and Jacob Yaeger from Gateway Charter School, Lacie Ellithorpe and Zach Yankovich from Ida S. Baker High School, Nicole Ellis and Matthieu Jeannelas from Island Coast High School, Emily Collier and John Haugabook Jr. from Lehigh Senior High School, Holly Fritz and Rodney Hunter IV from Mariner High School, Lindsay Stramel and Jacob Duff from North Fort Myers High School, Abigail Mast and Kevin McIltrot from Riverdale High School, Mallory Berner and Jacob Ashby from South Fort Myers High School, and Nicole Nicely and Terrance DeAvila from Southwest Florida Christian Academy.

Allstate agent recognized for outstanding volunteerism

Allstate agency owner Kenneth Miller received the Agency Hands in the Community Award for his commitment to helping others. With this award came a $1,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation to Lee County’s National Alliance on Mental Illness, where Miller volunteers.

“The Agency Hands in the Community Award celebrates the Allstate spirit of service and is a commitment to our communities as a natural extension of what we do every day – protecting people and making their lives more secure,” said Field Vice President Sara Crowley. “With support from The Allstate Foundation, Kenneth Miller and The National Alliance on Mental Illness are making our hometowns a better, safer place to live."

The Allstate Foundation awards more than $1 million every year to nonprofit organizations across the country in honor of dedicated Allstate agency owners who give back. To be eligible for nomination, Allstate agency owners must volunteer with, mentor or lead a nonprofit of their choice.

The Immokalee Foundation announces 2015 fundraising event chairs

The Immokalee Foundation has named event chairs for the 2015 Charity Classic Celebration dinner and auction, Charity Classic Pro-Am and Inter-Club Challenge golf tournaments.

Joyce Hagen Fites, a TIF board member, will chair the organization’s Charity Classic Celebration, scheduled for Nov. 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. TIF board member Louise Penta will co-chair. Highlights of the event include a dinner, live and silent auctions featuring life-changing opportunities and experiences for our students, music, entertainment and dancing. The event is TIF’s largest fundraiser of the year, bringing in more than $2 million in 2014 to support the foundation’s educational programs.

TIF board member Kevin Johnson, with Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, also a corporate sponsor, will chair the Charity Classic Pro-Am golf tournament, taking place Nov. 16 at Bay Colony Golf Club in Naples. This will be Johnson’s fifth year chairing the event, a nod to his dedication and commitment to the organization and the children of Immokalee.

TIF board members Michael Benson, chairman and CEO of Insurance Management Consultants LLC, and Charles “Chuck” Campbell, are event chairs of the 2015 Inter-Club Challenge, scheduled for May 4, at The Club at Mediterra in Naples.

The Immokalee Foundation provides a range of education programs that focus on building pathways to success through college and post-secondary preparation and support, mentoring and tutoring, opportunities for broadening experiences and life skills development leading to economic independence. To learn more about TIF, signature events, volunteering as a mentor or for additional information, call 430-9122 or visit immokaleefoundation.org.

Harry Chapin Food Bank earns the GuideStar Exchange Gold Participation Level

The Harry Chapin Food Bank received the GuideStar Exchange Gold participation level, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability provided by GuideStar USA, Inc., the premier source of nonprofit information. This level demonstrates the Harry Chapin Food Bank’s commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability.

“The Harry Chapin Food Bank works diligently to provide accurate and current information about our mission and how we use supporters’ gifts to help our neighbors in need,” said Miriam Pereira, HCFB’s development director. “The Gold participation level allows us to share information with our supporters.”