The Neighborhood Partnership Fund, an OR nonprofit, is seeking a full time Asset Building Manager to focus on asset building for individuals and families . Must be detail oriented, have strong written/verbal communication skills and experience in program analysis and evaluation. Requires demonstrated organizational development, research/ analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Word and Access. Three or more years in asset building or a closely related field required. Experience with resident services or employment a plus.

Full job description and application packet available at http://www.tnpf.org/news/ab_manager.php.

Salary based on experience. Good benefits and retirement plan provided. E-mail cover letter, resume, application, and responses to questions by 4:30 PM 06-17-08 tocwinter@tnpf.org. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Update, 10:28 am: The online registration link has now been added to the DHS informational page.

Winter 2008 Issue .pdf

[Via Education and Class]

To editorialize on a related topic, according to our own DHS, 67,000 Oregonian children are eligible for OHP and not enrolled. When I think about the $$$ spent on failed Measure 50, I wonder what it could have done to spread the word about existing, funded services that are not being accessed.

Update: An article in today’s Oregonian reports that significantly more applicants may be accepted than DHS’s news release suggests, due apparently to budgetary surplus caused by lower enrollment levels.

Overall, the legislation seems like a rather mixed bag to me, but I am definitely in favor of increasing Pell Grant funds, lowering student loan interest rates, and offering student loan forgiveness to “public service employees”; it’s a step, however small, to making education more accessible for the millions of people who aren’t wealthy and have not chosen professions that will ever make them wealthy.

Of particular interest here is the section related to nonprofit workers. The final language of that section of the bill (ah, the search for an unbowdlerized version can be hard) is included below, however appalling the format may be.

TITLE IV–LOAN FORGIVENESS

Section 455 (20 U.S.C. 1087e) is further amended by adding at the end the following:

`(m) Repayment Plan for Public Service Employees-

• `(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall cancel the balance of interest and principal due, in accordance with paragraph (2), on any eligible Federal Direct Loan not in default for a borrower who–

• • `(A) has made 120 monthly payments on the eligible Federal Direct Loan after October 1, 2007, pursuant to any one or a combination of the following–

• • • `(i) payments under an income-based repayment plan under section 493C;

• • • `(ii) payments under a standard repayment plan under subsection (d)(1)(A), based on a 10-year repayment period;

• • • `(iii) monthly payments under a repayment plan under subsection (d)(1) or (g) of not less than the monthly amount calculated under subsection (d)(1)(A), based on a 10-year repayment period; or

• • • `(iv) payments under an income contingent repayment plan under subsection (d)(1)(D); and

• • `(B)(i) is employed in a public service job at the time of such forgiveness; and

• • `(ii) has been employed in a public service job during the period in which the borrower makes each of the 120 payments described in subparagraph (A).

• `(2) LOAN CANCELLATION AMOUNT- After the conclusion of the employment period described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall cancel the obligation to repay the balance of principal and interest due as of the time of such cancellation, on the eligible Federal Direct Loans made to the borrower under this part.

• `(3) DEFINITIONS- In this subsection:

• • `(A) ELIGIBLE FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN- The term `eligible Federal Direct Loan’ means a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.

• • `(B) PUBLIC SERVICE JOB- The term `public service job’ means–

• • • `(i) a full-time job in emergency management, government, military service, public safety, law enforcement, public health, public education (including early childhood education), social work in a public child or family service agency, public interest law services (including prosecution or public defense or legal advocacy in low-income communities at a nonprofit organization), public child care, public service for individuals with disabilities, public service for the elderly, public library sciences, school-based library sciences and other school-based services, or at an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; or

• • • `(ii) teaching as a full-time faculty member at a Tribal College or University as defined in section 316(b) and other faculty teaching in high-needs areas, as determined by the Secretary.’.

      Initial post on topic here.

My connection with the Ford Foundation goes back to 2003, when I was selected as a Ford Scholar and given truly generous assistance through the end of my undergraduate years. These days, one of my staff members is participating in one of their five-year community leadership programs. The free books program is just another of the many ways that they are working to empower communities in Oregon. So, check it out.

Select Books page

The request form includes a place to suggest additions to their list. I had two. One was Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, which I am having my staff read; they are kindly indulging my professorial tendencies, but (say) they really find it thought-provoking and useful. The other is Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing Grant Proposals, by Mary Hall.

So, a question. If you could suggest one or two great additions to their free book list, what would they be? Why?