Power of Good

J PowerofGood.com | Elevate Alabama 1 Jeanne Jackson understands the power of collaboration. So do Chris Nanni and Shannon Ammons. Jackson serves as president and CEO of the Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham. Nanni is pres- ident and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and Ammons is CEO of the Ala- bama Association of Nonprofits. They were some of the fine presenters at this year's Elevate conference, which took place June 11-12 in Birmingham. Around 400 attendees, including representatives from nonprofits and community organizations across the state as well as Alabama Power Foundation and Alabama Power Company staff gathered to share ideas and common objectives, to network and to create new connections. Collaboration is what Elevate is all about. We know many nonprofits across Alabama do amazing work. But many of us also believe that we can accomplish even more by combining our heads and hearts and creative energy (not to mention our resources) to tackle some of the big- gest and toughest challenges. The Women's Fund has taken this approach to heart with its Col- laboration Institute. The institute brings together education organiza- tions, nonprofits and public agencies to support families in a comprehen- sive way. It's actually pretty simple: While mom attends school or un- dergoes skills training, her children are provided high-quality childcare. The goal: to put the family – both generations – in a better position to succeed. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has taken a collaborative approach for decades – bringing together diverse funders to create a force for significant, positive change on multiple fronts – from education, to healthy and sustain- able living, to the environment, arts and culture. At the Alabama Association of Nonprofits (AAN), collabora- tion is a given. The association is a vital resource and advocate for its members, providing training opportunities, information about best practices, as well as counseling and management support. At AAN, nonprofits – and those who treasure and support what they do – com- bine their resources and expertise for mutual benefit. This was our third annual Elevate conference, and we believe it's our most successful ever. We've received great feedback over the years about how we can make each conference more meaningful to you, and we've done our best to respond. We also know – from what you've told us – that these conferences have been enjoyable as well as valuable. You've forged new friendships, hatched some great ideas together, and put some of those ideas into action for the betterment of your organizations, our communities and our state. That is also the idea behind our Elevate grant program. At the con- ference we announced a new cycle of Elevate grants to help you put into action your ideas for strengthening your organizations and build greater capacity. Winners in this latest round of Elevate grants will become eligible to receive an additional chal- lenge grant. All the grant winners will be invited to attend workshops designed to help you identify the most effective ways to grow and do more of what you do best. You can apply for a new El- evate grant by visiting our updated website, www.powerofgood.com. There you'll find a wealth of infor- mation about our other grants and initiatives, including the wonder- ful volunteer work being done in our communities by Alabama Power employees, retirees and their families. We'd love your feedback on the website, so we can continue to improve it. The nonprofit community is the heart and soul of what makes Ala- bama special. We all know the needs are great, and there is much work to do. It's not always fun. It's definitely not easy. But for those who rely on what you do, you are indispensable. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and commitment. You are making our communities better. John O. Hudson III Vice president, Public Relations and Chari- table Giving; president, Alabama Power Foundation; executive director, Alabama Business Charitable Trust Fund. the goodnews

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