AARP Connecticut is accepting applications for grants for community improvement projects across the state.

The "Livable Communities" program awards grants up to $5,000 for projects that can be completed quickly and benefit people of all ages.

Past projects include Thrive 55's pocket park, the bocce ball courts near the Riverfront Community Center, and an outdoor green space at Plainfield's Senior Center.

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP Connecticut said the grants can fund good ideas that bring many people joy as towns and cities tighten their belts.

"You might be sitting there in your community center, your library, your senior center, as a municipal employee, even a police department recently won, and think, 'Oh, we're never going to get this funded,'" said Duncan. "You see the grant opportunity, you apply, you get it funded, and the work is underway."

Projects must have a positive impact on local residents, and must meet one of the eight criteria for livability - from housing to social participation, to community and health services.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on August 16. More information is online at AARP.org/CT.

The group sees anywhere from 50 to 75 applications, but Duncan said are disqualified for not being filled out properly.

She noted that people should pay attention to the details of the grant requirements, and remember what won't be considered.

In the program's seven year history, Duncan said she has some favorites.

"Starting a film festival that was open to people of all ages for one summer," said Duncan. "There's been a device lending library, so technology devices that people may want to test out before they buy them themselves to assist with being able to age in place. I mean, there's just so many."

Other favorites include projects to make trails more complete and accessible, or Simsbury's intergenerational art program and town-wide scavenger hunt.

Duncan said grant winners will be announced sometime in September, depending on how many applications they get.

A series of free summer camps focused on STEM and other career paths seeks to boost the career goals of youth in the agricultural community of Immokalee.

Florida Gulf Coast University has teamed up with the Immokalee Foundation to offer a series of free educational camps for underserved youth in the region. The initiative includes a STEM camp for middle schoolers and four high school camps focused on business management and entrepreneurship, education and human services, engineering and construction management, and health care.

Noemi Perez, CEO of the Immokalee Foundation, explained the value of the program.

"When you take a community and individuals who are just surviving and giving their students, their children this type of opportunity, it just, it creates such a huge impact," Perez stressed. "Not only for the family, but also for the community as a whole."

In its final week, students pitch their ideas to judges, like on the popular show "Shark Tank." The competitive program serves about 1,300 Immokalee students per year. Perez said 100% of participants graduate from high school and attend a postsecondary institution.

Heather Skoza-Acosta, director of the Whitaker Center for STEM Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, oversees the middle school STEM camp. She emphasized the importance of early exposure to science.

"They have four separate STEM disciplines on four different weeks," Skoza-Acosta pointed out. "I think it gives them an opportunity to find their passion, find their skill sets, meet some professionals working in the field. "

During Forensics Week, Florida Gulf Coast University's forensics anthropology team guided students through analyzing crime scenes. During Environmental Science Week, students examined water quality on campus.

Organizers said the initiative is part of a broader effort by both the university and the foundation to support educational equity and create pathways to success for underserved communities.

Community action agencies in Utah and across the nation are celebrating 60 years of battling poverty and empowering communities, which started with the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Jennifer Godfrey, CEO of Utah Community Action, said there are a total of nine community action agencies in the Beehive State, with each one aiming to help Utahns in their own unique way. She added all nine organizations have the ability to provide services that can change people's lives.

"Not only is it incredibly humbling to be a part of that work, but it is also such an honor to be working with these individuals who are experiencing poverty," Godfrey noted. "Because everybody deserves a second chance from time to time."

Godfrey pointed out people who experience poverty are not a monolith, because poverty is a complex issue and there is not a single reason behind it for many people. In Utah, Native Americans experience the highest rate of poverty at just above 27%.

Utah has been a leader when it relates to volunteerism, and Godfrey encourages Utahns to continue strengthening its standing year-round by contacting their local action agency to help.

Utah's poverty rate is just below 9%, which sits below the national average of around 12%.

Godfrey stressed new challenges like increasing food, medical and housing costs are taking a toll on Utah residents. She added most people don't realize how many Utahns are actually living on the edge.

"In some instances, many instances in fact, the vast majority of individuals are one paycheck away from having a crisis," Godfrey asserted.

Regardless of the situation, Godfrey emphasized her organization is there to help, as action agencies are designed to be nimble to the needs of their respective communities.

A new survey of nonprofit leaders finds staff burnout is a major concern.

The 2024 "State of Nonprofits" report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy finds 95% of nonprofit leaders say staff burnout over the last year is worrying - and 57% name staff issues as one of their biggest challenges.

The Center's Vice President for Research Elisha Smith Arrillaga said the problem is getting worse.

"Burnout remains a top concern for most nonprofit leaders, which was also true last year," said Arrillaga. "But this year, we also find that half of nonprofit leaders are feeling more concerned about their own burnout than this time last year. And so that's really disconcerting to hear."

239 nonprofits took part in the survey. Researchers also found most nonprofits had a balanced budget or a surplus, this fiscal year and last.

Rusty Stahl - founder, president and CEO of the nonprofit Fund the People - said many nonprofit leaders hesitate to hire more staff because of unstable funding or restrictions on how money can be used.

But, he noted some progress. Recently, some of the country's biggest foundations moved to loosen limits on what can be spent on so-called indirect costs - such as staff and benefits.

"Nonprofit staff are not overhead," said Stahl. "They're the bedrock of organizational effectiveness. You would want to invest significantly in making sure that that bedrock is in place because everything else rides on it."

Stahl said nonprofit leaders can reduce turnover by focusing on staff wellness and improving organizational culture, employee engagement, pay, benefits, and workflow.




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