The MASSB Minute

We are excited to announce our annual conference to be held October 6-7 on the beautiful campus of Harford Community College in Bel Air. Our theme is Eldercare, and we have lined up some terrific speakers on that topic. We are also offering two hour-long seminars on "Social Media Management" and "Telling Your Story", provided by the Maryland Nonprofits Association. We hope you can attend in person to enjoy the pre-dinner performance by Colleen Webster as she impersonates environmentalist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring. If you cannot attend in person, you will have the option to attend most conference sessions via Zoom.

Please plan to attend this month's community meeting on August 19th. The focus will be on the second quarter financial position, and we'll also provide more detail on the conference. Please be thinking about programs to nominate for the Innovative Program Award! More detail is provided below, and also look for my e-mail on the subject soon.

All the best,
Chris

It's time to recognize… the importance of providing financial support for children, and the child support professionals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of children.

Thank you, Maryland DHS Child Support Administration!

Derek Flake, M.S., Assistant Senior Manager & Lead Strategy Officer, The Office of Strategic Partnerships & Community Solutions, Prince George's County Department of Social Services (PGCDSS); and Delores Furman, Advisory Board Vice-Chair

"Pastors, Police, Parents, Principals, Politicians, Proprietors, and Partners – these are the seven "P's" needed to successfully organize and engage a community." PGCDSS' Derek Flake shared these wise words penned by his friend, author and Memphis County Councilman, Charlie Caswell, when explaining the benefit of his Department's participation in last year's Faith & Blue event. Faith & Blue is a national organization that enables local partnerships among law enforcement, residents, businesses and community groups through the connections of local faith-based organizations. Both Mr. Flake and Advisory Board Vice-Chair, Ms. Delores Furman, had experience with the organization through their church and community affiliations, so when PGCDSS was invited to participate in a county-sponsored Faith & Blue event, they knew it would be worthwhile.

PGCDSS joined area residents, County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks, law enforcement, local clergy, councilmembers, local businesses, and service providers for the event held on Saturday, October 2nd. The day commenced with a unity walk to celebrate the importance of police and community partnerships to create more inclusive communities. PGCDSS Staff and advisory board members shared agency information and free resources for families as they enjoyed the event's activities which included entertainment, food, health services and giveaways.

Ms. Furman encourages Advisory Boards to participate in Faith & Blue events if given the opportunity. "Your board will get great visibility and the people attracted to your table could be a resident needing help, future board member, or partner," she says. The Prince George's County event was county-wide and held on National Faith & Blue Weekend, but Delores believes a similar event could be implemented in any city, at any level and at any time of the year. In fact, a big annual event followed by smaller events held throughout the year would help keep the importance of police and community partnerships in the forefront.

Learn more about Faith & Blue and the National Weekend scheduled for October 7-10, 2022 by visiting their website.

Last month we highlighted the crab feast and walk/run fundraisers that have been successful for some of our counties. Another great idea is to solicit donations from local businesses by mail. This may be the method for you if you are worried about the manpower necessary to host an in-person event. Ask your Chamber of Commerce if they can share their member directory, or brainstorm a list of local businesses who may support your cause. Make it a win-win by publicly recognizing businesses who respond with a donation. Calvert's Fundraising Letter provides a great example for how to do this.

View Calvert's Fundraising Letter

Our annual conference is just around the corner, and with it the opportunity to celebrate the creativity, compassion, and commitment of our local boards! We invite you to nominate an innovative program that has been implemented in the past year that promotes family preservation and/or involves the protection of children and vulnerable adults. These do not have to be Board-led or Board-initiated projects.

Sandy Spring Bank is again generously sponsoring the award with cash prizes up to $1000. To nominate a program, please submit a 1-2 page description, including families/staff impacted, cost of activity, any resulting cost/time savings, and likelihood for replication. Nominees should be prepared to make a 10-12 minute presentation highlighting the program during the MASSB conference scheduled for October 6-7, 2022. Watch your e-mail for more information coming soon!

August 19, 12pm — Community Meeting
2nd Qtr Financial Review
Annual Conference Overview
October 6-7 — Annual Conference hosted by Harford Co.

New Resource for Boards! MASSB Zoom account now available for use by local boards. Please contact trustee@massbfoundation.org for scheduling details.