Literacy ▬ Spanning the US :: Manitowoc WI :: Glen Ellyn IL :: Altadena CA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

Manitowoc Library

Manitowoc Public Library Battles Adult Illiteracy with One-to-One Program
Seehafer News: 5.19.2021 by Margo Meyer, Adult Services Associate - Manitowoc Public Library

   “Reading is a portal—into the past, the future. It’s a parent reading ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ to the child on his lap. It’s someone filling out a job application to better her life or following a recipe from a cookbook to feed their family. It’s a quiet hour on a rainy afternoon, a note from a friend, the instructions on a bottle of medication. It’s elemental, and it’s magic, and it’s vital.”

These eloquent words from author Nora Roberts get to the core of what Manitowoc Public Library’s One-to-One Adult Literacy Program is all about. Our volunteer tutors work with adults ages 18 and older in our community who would like goal-oriented, individualized literacy tutoring. After experiencing our free training, tutors are equipped to develop and enhance their learners’ skills in reading, writing, comprehending, and speaking English. These literacy and reading skills truly lead to wonderful things.

In a given month, I feel fortunate to hear about the many goals our tutors and learners are working towards. It could be the gains in pronunciation an ELL learner is making through conversation practice or the sharing of recipes and how to cook something from someone’s home country to practice the imperative form in English. Throughout the pandemic, our learning pairs were very creative and adept at taking advantage of online learning. Reading aloud to each other through Google Duo, Zoom, or Face Time allowed instruction to continue, often including pets who would curl up and listen to the shared stories.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

 

@LiteracyDuPage

Literacy DuPage Receives Donation of New Computers
Patch.com: 5.20.2021

Naperville Bank & Trust recently presented a generous gift of new Lenovo computers to Literacy DuPage, one of Illinois' largest volunteer tutor literacy organizations. The donation includes seven laptops and six desktop computers with monitors. These devices will be provided to lower-income adult learners in DuPage County, who are currently limited to receiving virtual one-to-one tutoring via cell phones.

According to U.S. Census figures, approximately 1.1 million Illinois households do not have computer access, creating a challenge for remote learning.

These donated computers will support instruction for adults who have reached out to Literacy DuPage to improve their English language reading, speaking, comprehension, and writing skills. Communicating effectively and increasing fluency leads to safer, more productive, and richer lives.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

@AltadenaLibrary

Altadena Library Official Honored by California Library Association
Pasadena Now: 5.13.2021 by Brian Day

An Altadena Library District trustee has been awarded the California Library Association’s President’s Award for her contributions to libraries and literacy, the library announced Thursday.

Katie Clark, who serves as president of the Board of Trustees, has been named the recipient of the honor, the Altadena Library District said in a written statement.

“[She] is a central leader in the community of Altadena whose vision and tireless commitment to libraries have created a legacy of long-term, positive impact that will provide critical library services for Altadena for decades to come,” the statement said.

The CLA President’s Award recognizes “outstanding contributions, leadership, and achievement in support of California libraries by a Trustee, Friend, Elected Official, or other layperson who has given his or her time and talents to further the advancements of California libraries,” the statement added.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 17

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

2020 Value of Volunteer Time, $28.54 Per Hour ▬ Independent Sector

2020 New Value of Volunteer Time Released, $28.54 Per Hour

Independent Sector:  4.20.2021

Today, Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute, announces that the latest value of a volunteer hour is $28.54 – up 4.9% from the previous year. Estimated from data collected in 2020, the figure shows the valuable contributions volunteers make to support our communities and country.

Value of Volunteer Time by State 2001 -2020

According to the Value of Volunteer Time, and using data from AmeriCorps on volunteer hours, volunteers typically contribute nearly $200 billion to our communities. However, there is evidence that the number of hours volunteered by Americans in 2020 has decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it will take some years to assess the full extent of impact from COVID-19, a recent study by Fidelity Charitable found that 66% of volunteers have decreased the amount of time they volunteer or stopped entirely due to the pandemic.

The latest value, calculated by the University of Maryland’s Do Good Institute, is measured based on hourly earnings released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And while the pandemic certainly had an impact on volunteerism, wages in 2020 for the employed actually increased leading to an increased Value of Volunteer time rate.

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In addition to the national number, Independent Sector also provides the state-level value of volunteer time for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. State level values range from $13.74/hour for Puerto Rico to $48.67/hour for the District of Columbia.

By State ▬ Top 10

$48.67 District of Columbia
$34.97 Massachusetts
$33.75 Washington
$33.61 California
$33.28 Connecticut
$33.17New York
$31.41 New Jersey
$31.29 Maryland
$30.98 Minnesota
$30.55 Hawaii

READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

How NOT To Write A Fundraising Letter: 4 Steps ▬ Fundraising Coach

How NOT To Write A Fundraising Letter: 4 Steps

Fundraising
Letters

Fundraising Coach: 10.09.2020 by Marc A. Pitman

No one wants to read a bad fundraising letter.

Cut the first four paragraphs and get to the chase !

Writing fundraising letters is hard

Editing fundraising letters is one of the services I provide for my coaching clients, so I've been doing a lot of editing this fall.

I ask clients for letters they're ready to send. These typically have:

➤ Long, run-on sentences

➤ Lots of references to the nonprofit

➤ success stories and

➤ scant reference to the reader at all - until at the end when they ask the reader to give to support their work.

This is 100% typical. And 100% how to not write a fundraising letter.

Effective fundraising letters go further

I think this is the first half of the letter. Writing is hard. But editing is often harder. Here are 4 steps that should be included in the second round of editing:

Cut the first four paragraphs:

Bad fundraising letters start with a lot of "throat clearing." "The weather's getting cooler..." "The holidays are a time of..." "Looking around our community..." Pandemicsplaining - as though people need teaching on what a pandemic is and how it's hurting people. This throat clearing often goes on for three or four paragraphs. So cut those. Even though these have wonderful phrases that you are particularly proud of. Save the phrases in some file if you want. But don't send them to your donor.

Give them a problem to solve:  

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 6

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 10-11 yrs. olds

(Fifth and Sixth graders)

Illiteracy Costs United States Billions Of Dollars Every Single Year? ▬ Libraries 2020

Did You Know Illiteracy Costs United States Billions Of Dollars Every Single Year?

Libraries 2020: 11.10.2019

Approximately 32 million adults in the United States can’t read, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 50 percent of U.S. adults can’t read a book written at an eighth-grade level.

According to the Literacy Center, low literacy individuals struggle to find employment; they settle for low-paying jobs; they have to fight hard to increase their earning power and to support their families. They under-utilize the healthcare system out of fear, or over-utilize it because they are unable to follow written instructions on prescriptions or discharge papers.

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Libraries build literate communities

Sign the pledge 

to support libraries

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If you think illiteracy doesn’t affect you, think again. The plight of low-literacy stretches beyond individual families and impacts us all. Here are some great tweetable facts that you can share to raise awareness about this important issue;

Low literacy costs American businesses and taxpayers more than $225 billion annually, through lost wages, unemployment, welfare and other government assistance. CLICK TO TWEET

Low literacy adds $230 billion to the annual cost of delivering healthcare in the United States. CLICK TO TWEET

There’s an undeniable link between low literacy, library funding, and crime. Seventy-five percent of adults incarcerated in state prisons lack a high school diploma or have low literacy skills. CLICK TO TWEET

Our national economy needs a prepared, educated, and literate workforce to create new businesses to keep pace with global technology. CLICK TO TWEET

Individuals with low literacy are less likely to vote or participate in civic activities. We need literate citizens to ensure the future of our Democracy. CLICK TO TWEET

Luckily, in America there is an easy solution to this problem. The data has repeatedly shown that we simply need to properly fund our libraries. That’s because there is an incredible link between access to reading materials, library programs, and a child’s ability to read later in life. Storytimes, lap-sit programs, and other services for young children are a major part of most public libraries’ missions and each of these helps ensure that our nation’s youth grow up to be literate and successful members of society.

You can help join our cause by signing and sharing the pledge for public libraries on Facebook and Twitter. You can also help us reach more Americans with this pledge by making a $10 donation today. We’ll put it to work by putting that pledge in front of 1,000 Americans for every $10 we raise.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Adult
2020: Assessing the Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally & Regionally
in the United States, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
2020: US Skills Map: State & County Indicators of Adult Literacy & Numeracy, NCES
2019: Literacy Gap Map, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
2019: Adult Literacy in the United States, NCES 2019-179
2013: OECD Skills Outlook 2013: First Results from the Survey of Adult Skills, OECD
2009: Literacy of America's Least Literate Adults, NAAL 2003
2006: Literacy of America's College Students, AIR
2007: Literacy in Everyday Life, NAAL 2003
2003: National Assessment of Adult Literacy, NAAL
2000: Programs for Adults in Public Library Outlets, USDE, NCES
1992: National Adult Literacy Survey, NALS

How Micro-Donations Can Make a Big Impact for Your Nonprofit ▬ Nonprofit Tech for Good:

How Micro-Donations Can Make a Big Impact for Your Nonprofit

@nonprofitorgs

Nonprofit Tech for Good: 6.18.2020 by Kaley Aposporos

In the nonprofit industry, we often hear the phrase “every dollar counts” or “together, we can make a big difference.” And there’s a reason for that. Time over time, we’ve seen what nonprofit communities can do when we rally together to support a cause.

As large donors tighten their spending, you may be wondering how to get charity donations during a global pandemic. It may be time for your nonprofit to reevaluate your fundraising strategy and learn how micro-donations for nonprofits can make a significant difference.

Why are small donations important?

When thinking about donation amounts, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. While big donors can have a significant impact on your organization, you should also focus your efforts on small donors. This way, your nonprofit isn’t relying on one source of revenue.

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Not only do small donations can help you reach your fundraising goals but they also present a great opportunity for long term growth. By encouraging small donations, you can attract first-time donors and re-engage previous donors. The more you’re able to attract and engage donors, the more likely they are to become lifelong supporters, advocates, and volunteers.

Four tips to encourage more micro-donations

1) Tell supporters exactly what their donation will support

In the nonprofit sector, transparency is key. People don’t just want to know that their donation is helping a broader cause.

2) Be sure to thank all donors

Make sure to express your gratitude to all donors once they make a contribution, even if it’s a five dollar donation. By taking the time to acknowledge donor generosity, your nonprofit can increase donor retention and encourage recurring giving.

3) Run smaller fundraising initiatives

To put this idea into action, try running smaller fundraising campaigns to leverage the power of the completion effect. Donors will feel more satisfied knowing that their $30 donation helped you reach your goal of $1,000.

4) Contextualize the value of a donation

Try framing your donation in various increments to encourage interested donors. For example:

A $10 donation will cover the cost of 15 face masks

A $15 donation will cover the cost of 25 face masks

A $25 donation will cover the cost of 50 face masks

This not only frames the value of a donation in a tangible way but offers different tiers of suggested donation amounts.

How to get micro-donations through crowdfunding

it’s time to focus your efforts online. Your nonprofit can raise more money, engage more donors, and customize the donation experience from start to finish  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

2019 Value of Volunteer Time of $27.20 Per Hour ▬ Independent Sector

Independent Sector Releases New Value of Volunteer Time of $27.20 Per Hour

Independent Sector: 7.21.2020

Today, Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute, announces that the latest value of a volunteer hour is $27.20 – up 7% from the previous year. Estimated from data collected in 2019, the figure shows the valuable contributions volunteers make to support our communities and country.

According to the most recent figures released in 2018 by the Corporation for National and Community Service, about 77.4 million people in the United States volunteered about 6.9 billion hours of their time, talent, and effort to improve and strengthen their communities. With the new Value of Volunteer Time, these community champions are contributing approximately $187.7 billion to our nation. 

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In addition to the national number, Independent Sector also provides the state-level value of volunteer time for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. State level values range from $13.16 an hour (for Puerto Rico) to as high as $44.14 (for the District of Columbia).

By State :: Top 10

$44.14 District of Columbia

$33.02 Washington

$32.96 Massachusetts

$32.07 Connecticut

$31.51 California

$31.29 New York

$29.51 Maryland

$29.50 Colorado

$29.49 New Jersey

$28.46 Minnesota

READ MORE ➤➤

Value: 2001 - 2019

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

6 Storytelling Secrets for Nonprofit Professionals Bloomerang

6 Storytelling Secrets for Nonprofit Professionals

Bloomerang: 6.29.2020 by Madison Gonzalez

Stories have a unique way of engaging an audience. If you want to learn how to win hearts, change minds, and get your audience to take action, you need to get good at sharing stories.

Here are six storytelling tips to win hearts, change minds, and create a real impact:

Secret #1 – Know your WHY!

Every story needs two key ingredients to be successful:

Purpose

Passion

If you haven’t gotten extremely clear as to WHY you want to tell your story, it will lack those necessary components.

Your story can do the following:

Educate – 

Teach others about your mission.

Entertain – 

Engage your audience so they want to keep consuming your content.

Evoke Action – 

Get your audience to donate, volunteer, or spread the word about you!

Secret #2 – Know Your Audience!

Repeat after me: I have to know my target audience if I want to be successful at storytelling.

Some marketing truths never die. If you want to speak to a “sponge” audience (an audience that happily absorbs everything you are saying) you first have to identify who they are.

➤ Who are you trying to reach?

➤ What kinds of people do you hope to inspire with your message?

➤ Who can help you advance your mission and your goals?

Secret #3 – Know the Struggle!

Can you imagine reading a book or watching a movie where everything the character experienced was sunshine and rainbows? They were born, everything went perfectly, and then they died. BORING

Struggle (and overcoming) is at the core of any good story. The greater the struggle, the juicer the story.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 7

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old

(Sixth and Seventh graders)

The Secrets to Crafting a Great Business Elevator Pitch via qSample

The Perfect 

Elevator Pitch

The Secrets to Crafting a Great Business Elevator Pitch

qSample: 8.04.2014

Elevator pitches are important, not just for people, but for businesses as well. When talking to potential clients, investors, or even partners, it’s crucial to be prepared to give a pitch quickly and effectively.

One of the first steps in writing an elevator pitch is to identify the audience. Industry gurus may be comfortable with technical terms, but others can drown in difficult phrases. Potential business partners, for instance, should receive a different pitch than potential clients.

The message itself should be considered as well. Although many people want to provide as much information as possible, a better technique is to simply address the needs of the audience. Due to their brief nature, elevator pitches aren’t well suited to close sales. Most are used as an introduction, or to establish a follow-up where the audience can receive more information. In this way, elevator pitches are similar to an advertisement in function. They’re meant to establish interest and a connection. In less than a minute, an elevator pitch must communicate what a company has to offer to the audience, and encourage a follow up discussion, in which more information can be provided. With such a limited time frame, only the necessary points should be conveyed.

Once the audience and message are identified, companies have to decide where to put that message. An elevator pitch may not be effective if the audience is distracted or unwilling to listen, so it must be delivered at a place and time that ensures the audience’s attention. Unfortunately, the nature of an elevator pitch is that it may happen at virtually any time. It is often not an option to control the place and time it’s delivered, but whenever possible, it should be done.

The biggest challenge is to convey a meaningful and compelling message in a very short amount of time. This is usually less than one minute. Many recommend 20 seconds, but time isn’t necessarily the best guideline. An elevator pitch should contain as many words as can be said comfortably in a period. Many people make the mistake of trying to talk very quickly, in an attempt to cram as many ideas in as possible, but this often reflects poorly on the messenger.  READ MORE >>

GUNNING FOG INDEX:  13.97

punctuation marks: 22   words: 370   3+ syllable words: 67

2018 Value of Volunteer Time of $25.43 Per Hour via Independent Sector

2018 Value of Volunteer Time of $25.43 Per Hour

Independent Sector: 4.11.2019

Today, Independent Sector announces that the latest value of a volunteer hour is $25.43 – up 3% from the previous year. That figure, estimated from data collected in 2018, shows the incredible contributions volunteers make to their communities and our country.

Currently, about 63 million Americans volunteer about 8 billion hours of their time, talent, and effort to improve and strengthen their communities. With the new Value of Volunteer Time, these Americans are contributing approximately $203.4 billion to our nation through nonprofit organizations of all types. The release of this figure coincides with National Volunteer Week, April 7-13, a program of Points of Light meant to celebrate the power and impact of volunteer service.

State Values of Volunteer Time

Top 10

District of Columbia   41.72

Massachusetts  32.15

Washington  31.72

Connecticut  31.05

New York  20.18

California  29.95

New Jersey 28.82

Maryland  28.65

Minnesota  28.15

Colorado  28.02

Independent Sector Toolkit

A resource for foundations for grantmaking and to help any foundation engage grantees, donors, and communities.

By State: 2001-2018