Friday Rewind

The Friday Rewind offers a snapshot of PhilanthroNews —  that means news stories, articles, events of note, or information updates — from around our network and throughout the broad world of philanthropy. Whether you take a quick skim of the material or a deep dive through each item we hope to help inform your work and inspire your thinking.

1. 10,000 people become older adults every day in the US. In his testimony yesterday, ACL Administrator & Assistant Secretary for Aging Lance Robertson focused on the Older Americans Act, a population many of our members heavily invest in: Read more here
2. A groundbreaking new initiative in Oswego County has the potential to mark the community as the first in the Northeast to earn a skilled-workforce designation that could lure new businesses and jobs to the area. The initiative, which is partially funded by NY Funders Alliance member Richard S. Shineman Foundation and Operation Oswego County, has already attracted strong support from community and business leaders. The ACT Work Ready Communities initiative is designed to close the skills gap, producing a talented workforce to meet the demands of current and future jobs. The key to this initiative is the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate, a portable credential that certifies essential skills required for workplace success. Read more about the initiative here:
3. Appropriate legal assistance is critical for the New York State farmers, grassroots groups, and food revolutionaries who are working to build a more sustainable and just food system. The Food Law Initiative is a partnership between the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University (Pace Law) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that seeks to build much-needed legal infrastructure in New York State’s regional food system. Catch the livestream of this discussion on how to advance a more just and sustainable food system through legal services on May 20^th from 10:00am-12:00pm
4. Use of prescription opioids such as OxyContin or Vicodin fell at a record rate last year as the U.S. government cracks down on pharmacists and drugmakers that dispense the sometimes lethal painkillers, according to a report published Thursday. Read the report and updates on the opioid crisis here
5. Without realizing it, many organizations put their boards on an imaginary pedestal, which leaves many employees — especially new employees — unsure about how to approach board members. This compilation of FAQs from Board Source helps explain the intricacies (and the benefits) of the board–staff partnership