Power of Good

PowerofGood.com | Elevate Alabama 3 During the conference, Alabama Power Foundation President John Hudson announced that the application for Elevate grants opened on June 12. Hallie Bradley, Community Initiatives manager - Alabama Power, led a panel discussion featuring Shannon Ammons, CEO, Alabama Association of Nonprofits; Jeanne Jackson, president and CEO, the Women's Fund of Greater Bir- mingham; and Chris Nanni, president and CEO, Com- munity Foundation of Greater Birmingham. Jackson, Ammons and Nanni discussed how they collaborate with other nonprofits and the corporate sector to bring positive results to their communities. "We started the Collaboration Institute two years ago," said Jackson, whose group's mission is to move women with families from poverty to being able to viably support themselves and their children. "We're bringing in experts from across the country to help. This is about having willing partners who want to help in this effort." During another breakout session, Alabama Possible Executive Director Kristina Scott discussed fundraising for urban and rural nonprofits. Scott advised attendees to look beyond their groups' usual modes of support to long-established clubs such as the Kiwanis and Lions in rural areas. Learning about new ideas for fundraising and com- munication was an eye-opener for Lynne Hanner, director of Advancement and executive director of the Foundation of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) in Talladega. Hanner enjoyed networking, and said it was valuable to her to learn about other non- profit's programs and how they may interact with AIDB. "I've gotten a lot out of the strategic planning and social media information," said Hanner, whose organi- zation serves 22,500 Alabama residents of all ages. She noted that the Alabama Power Foundation in 2011 pro- vided a lead donation for AIDB's nurses' health center at the Talladega campus. Fundraising is getting more difficult, Hanner said: "All the same agencies are competing for the same dollars." For instance, the AIDB competes with colleges for money supplied through Alabama's Special Education Trust Fund. Darrue Sharpe calls her second Elevate meeting "inspirational." Sharpe, executive director of the Family Support Center in Prattville, a United Way agency, works to help young women build better lives for themselves and their families. Her group helps women obtain General Educational Development (GED) diplomas and pro- vides parenting classes. The Elevate workshops supplied beneficial training and information that Sharpe said she could use in her daily work. "We don't have money for conferences unless paid for by a grant," Sharpe said. "We're seeing funding cut each year. I feel like I leave here with lots of good ideas and new information that will really help me be able to provide more help for our clients." Alabama Power Vice President of External Affairs Zeke Smith addresses Elevate attendees during the business session.

• Cover