Non-Profits Archives - Page 9 of 11

Dress Up, Spell Words, Fight Illiteracy at Great Grown-up Spelling Bee

May 6, 2014 by David Thomas 1 Comment

The Great Grown-up Spelling Bee benefits the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

The Great Grown-up Spelling Bee took place on April 29, 2014 to support Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

Why would grown adults dress up in costume, parade onto a stage and try to spell words? Well, we do live in Austin, but there is a greater good to consider: literacy.

We live in a world where literacy is a necessity. Helping people reach this goal is why Austinites dressed up in costumes for another year and participated in the Great Grown-up Spelling Bee last Tuesday evening.

The Event

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I walked through the doors of the Zach Topfer Theater. The night turned out to be a blast. Volunteer workers dressed in their best bee-themed garb and assisted participants and fans. The corporate-sponsored teams huddled in small groups, strategizing, practicing, and psyching themselves up for the knockdown, drag-out war of words they’d soon participate in. [Read more…]

Black Fret Prepares to Give 100,000 Dollars to Austin Musicians

April 17, 2014 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Quiet Company performs at the Black Fret launch party

Quiet Company at the very first Black Fret launch party

I first heard about a new non-profit called Black Fret at the beginning of 2013, when I attended their first launch party at the 29th St. Ballroom.

The Black Fret team wasn’t afraid to aim big from the beginning. Their stated goal was to gain 1,300 members who each donated $1,500/year. This would allow the organization to give away 50 grants of $25,000 each to Austin artists, every year. Yes, that adds up to more than one million dollars to promote the local music scene we all love.

Black Fret founders Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott (Photo credit: Black Fret on Facebook)

For all of us who had never heard of Black Fret before, one million dollars sounded like – dare I say it? – an impossible goal. But, like many other Austinites, Eric and I caught the vision. Supporting local artists is part of our hyperlocal mission at the Austinot, so it was a natural partnership. And the more we got to know co-founders Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott and learned about their past laurels, and the more amazing Black Fret house parties we attended, the more tangible the vision became.

Milestone: First 100 Members

Only one year after that first launch party, Black Fret earned their first [Read more…]

Your Ride Is Here Helps Austinites Fight War On Cancer

January 15, 2014 by David Thomas 1 Comment

Ken Adams (left) wanted to give back after winning his bout with cancer (Photo credit: YourRideIsHere.org)

Cancer is a brutal enemy. It attacks your body, life, family, and your very existence. Every year, millions of people are affected by cancer. The disease wages war on us and our lives are the prize.

How It Began

Ken Adams has been one of the soldiers in this battle who can stand triumphantly, with his fist raised in victory. Though his personal battle may be over, Ken has returned to the fight. This time, he brings friends.

Cancer has this conniving way of disrupting life on an exponential level. Imagine this: you’re a cancer patient who has a treatment scheduled at 12 PM. You don’t get in until 12:45 pm because a person ahead of you was late. This wasn’t their fault – the doctor felt it would be unsafe for them to drive alone to their appointment, and their spouse works during the day. After all, since getting sick, a dual income has been reduced by half, but the bills have not.

Your Ride Is Here is a charity organization founded by Ken Adams, designed to alleviate some of the pressure cancer patients face during their treatments. In a nutshell, Your Ride is Here provides rides for patients going to their treatments. [Read more…]

Black Fret Event Supporting Local Musicians Will Feature Ben Kweller

January 8, 2014 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

One year ago, I was introduced to a new non-profit with a bold goal: award at least fifty $25,000 grants to Austin musicians every year (if it’s too early for math, that adds up to more than one million dollars). Like most Austinites, the founders of Black Fret love our local music scene and want to see it thrive. But these folks are seeking to make a tangible difference, beyond just talk.

Through 2013, Black Fret has been recruiting members and asking them to make an annual donation of $1,500 to the organization. In return, members have been invited to some of the best house parties I’ve ever been to, featuring backyard performances and acoustic sets by some of the most talented musicians in Austin like [Read more…]

Kids in a New Groove Changing the Lives of Texas Foster Kids

December 12, 2013 by Matthew Champion 2 Comments

Karyn Scott, Founder of Kids in a New Groove (Photo credit: Impact News)

I first met Karyn Scott this past May while attending a training course for her non-profit organization, Kids in a New Groove. With a contagious smile and welcoming demeanor, she explained her passion for helping foster children through the gift of music mentorship, and how the program had developed.

Throughout her career as a prosecutor, she witnessed countless numbers of foster youth being subjected to the constant instabilities of the legal system. They would switch homes, schools, families, and friends at what often seemed like the drop of a hat.

I, myself, had developed a familiarity with this situation over the previous couple of years, which is what ultimately led me to Kids in a New Groove. Their mission is simple: provide Texas foster children with an element of stability in their lives that is desperately needed to develop their confidence and strategies for life-long success. [Read more…]

Can Austin Music Foundation Continue to Serve Our Local Musicians?

December 10, 2013 by Brittany Highland 2 Comments

Austin Music Foundation changes the lives of Austin musicians with free consulting and events

Every person in Austin should be familiar with the Austin Music Foundation. This amazing non-profit provides free consulting and resources to local musicians who are trying to earn a living pursuing their talents.

I’m not talking about shallow, generic advice given over a couple of sessions together. You’d be shocked and impressed by the lengths that Austin Music Foundation goes to for their (non-paying) clients, and the years of proven experience their team members bring to the organization. You can learn more in an article we published on Austin Music Foundation over the summer.

When Austin Music Foundation asked the Austinot to help spread the word about their building campaign that’s going on through December 19th, I didn’t hesitate. With nine days to go, they’re getting extremely close to their $20,000 “tipping point” goal. Everything helps at this point.

So What Is This Money For?

Up until now, the good people at Austin Music Foundation have been [Read more…]

Explore Artwork by Local Homeless at Art From the Streets Annual Event

November 1, 2013 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

Art from the Streets artist

One of the most magnetic things about Austin is that our streets, walls, and residents are billboards of color, creativity, and experimentation. Art is a way of life here and personality is praised.

Therefore, it was no surprise when Art From the Streets hit our radar: a non-profit that uses art to help local homeless residents connect to a sense of purpose and foster higher self-esteem. [Read more…]

Increase Child Literacy Across Austin with BookSpring

October 7, 2013 by Dustin Vegas 2 Comments

Photo credit: Anthony Kelly via FlickrCC

Texas has a lot to be proud of. We have a booming economy, a rich history, and some of the greatest people you’re likely to meet. Despite all of the great qualities of the Lone Star State, we have a number of issues that need addressing.

One of these problems is the staggeringly low literacy rates in Texas cities. Roughly twenty percent of Austinites cannot read a newspaper. Luckily, we have connected with a group of people dedicated to solve this problem.

With your help, we can help eliminate illiteracy in Austin.

BookSpring: Reading Is Fundamental

Kids who cannot read well by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. This is a dangerous trap for young Texans preparing to enter the workforce. There is hope, though. A group of literacy warriors at BookSpring have been combating this problem at its source. BookSpring reaches out to low-income communities and gives children the opportunity to fall in love with reading. [Read more…]

Spicy Mama Salsa Packs Punch with Non-Profit Twist

September 19, 2013 by Brittany Highland 4 Comments

Spicy Mama Salsa at Royal Blue Grocery

Austinite Rebecca Contreras created Spicy Mama Salsa because friends and family loved her homemade salsa and thought other people would love it too.

If the story ended there, Spicy Mama Salsa wouldn’t be much different from the dozens of other new local products that spring into bottles and packages near you on a monthly basis.

But in my line of work, I’ve learned that everyone has a deeper story to tell – the story of what inspires them to keep going when inevitable challenges arise. After learning Spicy Mama Salsa’s deeper story for myself, I thought it was unique and important enough to share with you. Read on!

Why Spicy Mama Salsa Exists [Read more…]

Food for Thought Event to Aid Dropout Prevention Programs in Austin

August 13, 2013 by Brittany Highland 2 Comments

Food for Thought guests will sample food from 22 Austin restaurants

The 18th annual Food for Thought event is coming up on September 12, 2013 at Austin Music Hall. From 6-9 PM, 650 guests will enjoy food samples created by 22 of the best chefs from prominent restaurants in Austin.

This palette-pleasing evening serves an important purpose. It’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for Communities In Schools, a non-profit that offers dropout prevention services and programs to students at 56 Central Texas public school campuses. Last year, 99% of the students served by Communities In Schools stayed in school or graduated. [Read more…]