A San Antonio information-technology boot camp has started accepting GI Bill funds for tuition, an effort to increase the city’s pool of tech workers. Veterans and family members who qualify can use the funds for part or all of the program costs at cloud-computing company Rackspace’s Open Cloud Academy (OCA), located at the Rand Building downtown. The organization offers 13-week tracks in systems administration, which cost $8,000, and cybersecurity, which cost $16,000. On ExpressNews.com: Report: San Antonio’s cyber, IT firms hurting for trained workers San Antonio has a large population of active-duty military personnel and veterans, and the organization is frequently asked whether they accept GI Bill funds, OCA director Marcus Benavidez said. The academy started seeking the federal government’s OK to tap the veterans’ program about a year ago. “Being able to offer career-focused technical training to these individuals, and allowing them to use … [Read more...] about Vets can use GI Bill funds for S.A. boot camp
Building funds for nonprofits
Green apartment building proposed for San Leandro
By Peter Hegarty | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group December 28, 2018 at 6:11 am SAN LEANDRO — Two medical office buildings on Bancroft Avenue may be torn down and replaced with what one city official says would be San Leandro’s greenest apartment building. The solar-powered 45-apartment building in the Estudillo Estates neighborhood would have a rooftop deck with landscaping, storm water bioswales, a bicycle storage space and a refrigerated locker room to accommodate grocery deliveries for tenants. Last year, dozens of nearby residents slammed a proposal from the same developer to put a 73-apartment building on the site at 1388 Bancroft Ave., saying it had too many apartments and it was incompatible with nearby homes. That project, which city staffers recommended rejecting, ended up getting shelved before the Planning Commission made a decision on it. Among the environmentally friendly amenities of the current proposal are spots for charging … [Read more...] about Green apartment building proposed for San Leandro
Y Combinator is funding a nonprofit that advocates for meat alternatives
At the demo day for Y Combinator’s summer batch of startups, most of the companies are, unsurprisingly, focused on digital tech–like Bot M.D., an AI assistant for doctors working in developing countries, or Shelf Engine, a startup that uses demand forecasting to help grocery stores eliminate waste. But the roster also includes a startup nonprofit that is working to grow the burgeoning market for “clean meat”–animal protein grown in vats from stem cells, so that it can avoid the problems inherent in producing meat from animals. Good Food Institute, founded two and a half years ago, is working on building that larger ecosystem. It works with universities to recruit young scientists and entrepreneurs to the new field of clean meat. It performed market research to land on the phrase “clean meat” for the industry (rather than “lab-grown meat,” or “cultured meat,” or “animal-free meat; “clean meat” is … [Read more...] about Y Combinator is funding a nonprofit that advocates for meat alternatives
Fund For Black-Owned Detroit Businesses Balloons to $18 Million
The Entrepreneurs of Color Fund in Detroit, a popular financing tool for minority-owned businesses in the Motor City, is growing nearly three times bigger. Two supporters of the fund, JPMorgan Chase and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, announced this week (Dec. 13) that the fund will be expanded from $6.5 million to over $18 million immediately, courtesy of new investments by existing backers and first-time investors. A strong demand for capital and a continued effort to help Detroit minority small businesses benefit from the city’s economic comeback are contributing factors why the fund is being expanded. Creating New Jobs and Goods in the Motor City “Our Entrepreneurs of Color Fund has created great economic opportunity for minority-owned small businesses in Detroit this year,” stated Ray Waters, president, Detroit Development Fund. “This expansion of the fund will create countless new jobs and bring new goods and services to even … [Read more...] about Fund For Black-Owned Detroit Businesses Balloons to $18 Million
Do’s and Don’ts of Soliticing Funds for Your Nonprofit
With fundraising, the right strategy is key in garnering support for your nonprofit. At the core of any successful nonprofit is it’s fundraising base. And when it comes to attracting donors and supporters, its vital to have a good strategy to approaching the solicitation of funds to keep the nonprofit going. So what’s the best way to go about doing that, and where do you begin? BlackEnterprise.com talked with Tracey Webb, founder and editor of BlackGivesBack.com and The Black Benefactors, a philanthropic network that provides grants to organizations serving the African-American community, on the dos and don’ts of gathering funds to support your organization and how a nonprofit can best approach it. Best Ways to Approach Fundraising: Start with your board of directors: “[They] should be your first donors. These individuals are the best marketers for your organization,” Webb says. “Then, use their professional network to engage … [Read more...] about Do’s and Don’ts of Soliticing Funds for Your Nonprofit