New Jersey Friends of the Guard & Reserve and Allies, Inc. are joining forces for a spectacular fundraiser that will benefit both organizations in serving their mission.

The New Jersey Friends of the Guard and Reserve (NJFOGR) a 501(c)(3) non-profit chartered in 2001 that was created to support the New Jersey Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (NJESGR), the employers of members of the Guard and Reserve, and the troops themselves. Their mission is to function in close cooperation with the NJESGR, an agency of the Department of Defense.

ESGR’s mission is to gain and maintain support of all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve as defined by demonstrated employer commitment to employee military service.

National Guard and Reserve forces today total over 1 million service members and represent over 48% of our total military force. Every day around the globe, thousands of men and women in uniform risk their lives and make great sacrifices to defend our national interests. And, increasingly, members of the National Guard and Reserve forces are their along side, serving extended tours away from their homes, families, and jobs.

Allies, Inc. is a statewide accredited nonprofit agency dedicated to providing housing, healthcare, meaningful employment and recreational opportunities to people with special needs in the communities of their choice and enriching the lives of people with special needs by promoting their greater independence with dignity, respect and understanding.

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CASINO NIGHT INFORMATION:

Friday, October 15, 2010
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The National Guard Armory, 151 Eggerts Crossing Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

TICKET SALES:

$40.00 on or before 09.30.10 – BUY NOW!
$45.00 at the door on 10.15.10

(Tickets includes: Wine & Beer, premium food by Jimmy Kamie’ Amici Milano-Chambersburg and $10.00 in player money).

ENTERTAINMENT BY:

The NJ State Police bagpipes and USO’s very own Liberty Bells

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DONATIONS NEEDED FOR SILENT AND CHINESE AUCTION:

Donations would be appreciated! We are currently accepting donations for silent auction items and prizes for casino night. The more variety the better. Auction items and prizes can include electronics (TV’s, DVD player, iPods, etc.), artwork, jewelry, bicycles, framed photographs, gift cards, dinners at local restaurants, hotel overnights, sports memorabilia, services (nail/hair salons, spas, car detailing, etc.), gift baskets, luggage, theme park tickets, theater or sports tickets, baskets of cheer … be creative. Your support will make this another great event. Please fill out the donation form and submit donations no later than October 1, 2010. Anyone interested in donating items can contact Katie Marks.

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COMMEMORATIVE AD JOURNAL:

The Commemorative Advertisement Journal deadline is September 24, 2010. Artwork must be submitted in exact dimensions of your choice in black and white camera ready art. Hi-resolution (300dpi) PDF or JPEG files preferred. To purchase please use the “BUY NOW!” of your choice of page layout above. To submit artwork or question, email Devon Monahan.

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

ACE SPONSORSHIP
$10,000
Name prominently displayed on all 15 gaming tables
10 tickets = $100 player money each ticket

KING SPONSORSHIP
$7,500
Name prominently displayed on all 7 gaming tables
7 tickets = $70 player money each ticket

QUEEN SPONSORSHIP
$5,000
Name prominently displayed on all 7 gaming tables
5 tickets = $50 player money each ticket

JACK SPONSORSHIP
$2,500
Name prominently displayed on all 2 gaming tables
2 tickets = $50 player money each ticket

Please contact Don Tretola at 609-689-0136, ext. 156 or dtretola@alliesnj.org for sponsorship opportunities.

A program through which people with disabilities work as credit union interns promises to help more CUs better serve disabled members.
So far, in the pilot cycle, The Building Economic Strength Together program has placed five interns with disabilities in four credit unions in New Jersey. Organizers said that eventually they expect to expand the program to 20 interns spread out among more credit unions.

BEST came about through the collaborative efforts of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, the Kessler Foundation, the National Credit Union Foundation’s REAL Solutions Program, Allies Inc., a New Jersey based training group for people with disabilities, the New Jersey Credit Union League, and the National Disability Institute.

“The BEST program is a fantastic opportunity for the participating credit unions to explore and develop strategies to better serve people with disabilities,” said Lois Kitsch, REAL Solutions Program Director. “The promising outcome is to be able to replicate the BEST program and the best practices that result from it so that credit unions throughout the country can tap into this emerging market.”

A program through which people with disabilities work as credit union interns promises to help more CUs better serve disabled members.

So far, in the pilot cycle, The Building Economic Strength Together program has placed five interns with disabilities in four credit unions in New Jersey. Organizers said that eventually they expect to expand the program to 20 interns spread out among more credit unions.

BEST came about through the collaborative efforts of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, the Kessler Foundation, the National Credit Union Foundation’s REAL Solutions Program, Allies Inc., a New Jersey based training group for people with disabilities, the New Jersey Credit Union League, and the National Disability Institute.

“The BEST program is a fantastic opportunity for the participating credit unions to explore and develop strategies to better serve people with disabilities,” said Lois Kitsch, REAL Solutions Program Director. “The promising outcome is to be able to replicate the BEST program and the best practices that result from it so that credit unions throughout the country can tap into this emerging market.”

By Rob Anthes,

Like most businesses, local nonprofit organizations have had to change the way they operate during the economic downturn of the past few years.

There are statistics that could prove true in any business. Half of New Jersey nonprofits responding to a survey conducted by the Center for Nonprofits had frozen staff salaries, 33 percent had cut staff and 42 percent expected to spend more money than they earned in 2009.

But while 61 percent of respondents experienced decreased funding between January 2009 and October 2009, demand for service increased for 54 percent of organizations in that time period. Throw in the looming threat of cuts in state funding, and many organizations have started to wonder how much longer they can continue to hold up under the opposing forces of more need for services and less money to provide those services.

It’s a hefty problem for a sector of New Jersey’s economy that spent $33 billion in 2007.

“It’s no surprise that, yes, the economy has been terrible for nonprofits,” said Linda Czipo, the center’s executive director. “It’s certainly a difficult time. With the state budget the way it is, there’s a lot of anxiety.”

The issue is particularly pronounced in Mercer County, which hosts 2,524 nonprofit organizations, according to the Center for Nonprofits. Mercer has the third most nonprofits of any New Jersey county.
In response, the organizations have had to get creative to survive.

One such nonprofit is Allies, Inc., a Hamilton-based organization that helps people with disabilities find housing, health care and employment. Allies culls much of its funding from the state, a worrisome fact considering that cash source may dry up as state officials try to solve the budget shortfall. It also receives private funds, an unreliable source in a depressed economy.

Allies decided to buffer itself from any potential loss by partnering with the New Jersey branch of the Friends of the Guard and Reserve, which supports military personnel from the National Guard and the Reserves, in its fundraising efforts. The first dual event is a Casino Night in October at the National Guard Armory in Lawrence.

The ultimate goal will be to spin off some of Allies’ services to help military veterans, said Don Tretola, the senior director of public affairs for Allies. He added that while the partnership may seem mismatched, the two organizations have the similar goal of helping people who may have trouble obtaining basic needs.

Allies isn’t alone in its strategy. The Center for Nonprofits’ survey showed 39 percent of nonprofits that responded to its October survey had formed similar partnerships in 2009, with 42 percent working on launching new partnerships.

“It’s going to show other nonprofits that maybe it’s a good idea to partner with other nonprofits,” Tretola said. “With the economy and budgetary cuts, you’ve got to be a little creative. You have to work smarter and look for other opportunities.”

Lawrence-based Princeton Area Community Foundation doesn’t draw any funds from the government, so it avoids much of the worrying that has consumed other groups. But that hasn’t totally insulated PACF from contemporary economic forces.

Still, PACF has enjoyed solid financial years despite the recession, said Nancy Kieling, president of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. The key has been PACF’s endowment, a strategy it employed before the downturn which has continually looked better as the economy worsened.

“It’s basically the community savings account,” Kieling said. “The flow out of it remains stable. A lot of the nonprofits we fund came to understand that when our funds didn’t diminish.”
She said the silver lining to the recession has been that organizations have had to use strategies they may not have considered in better times.

But there’s some skepticism about how well those strategies will work. Kieling said she’s heard stories of donors becoming clients of the same nonprofits they previously funded. Czipo said this has lead to a situation where some organizations may be reaching their tipping point soon.

“Nonprofits are noteworthy for their ability to be creative,” Czipo said. “But even there, there’s a limit to have far they can stretch.”

That nonprofits could be approaching their breaking point is a thought some municipal governments — beneficiaries of the work of nonprofits — don’t want to consider. Lawrence Mayor Michael Powers pointed to several projects in his town that wouldn’t have happened without an organization offering the government assistance. Neighborhood groups like the Greater Eldridge Park Neighborhood Association and Lawrenceville Main Street have offered to help with rejuvenation projects.

“They’re a true community partner,” Powers said. “We wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do without them. We really appreciate their help. It makes my job as mayor easier. The town tries to meet the nonprofits halfway. We try to help them out when we can.”

The Times, August 30, 2009

By Steve Sherman
BucksLocalSports Editor

Roger Clemens is coming to Trenton.

The Rocket has agreed to help raise money for Hamilton-based Allies Inc., a social services agency that assists 2,000 people with various disabilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Clemens will headline Allies’ annual Winter-Palooza fundraiser Sunday, Feb. 28, at KatManDu, the popular restaurant-nightspot on the Trenton waterfront.

Allies spokesperson Mike Cestero, a vocational services coordinator for the organization who resides in Newtown, believes Clemens deserves much credit for all the work that he’s engineered in the philanthropic arena including the good deeds done by the Roger Clemens Foundation, the charity organization founded in 1992 by Roger and his wife Debbie.

Not only did Clemens agree to donate his time to the event, but to help Allies raise much-needed funds, he offered up a golf package whereby whoever professionally or personally donates the most money to this fundraiser wins a round of golf with the Rocket at the Reunion Golf Club in Orlando, Florida (minimum donation: $2,500).

Also appearing will be Ultimate Fighting Championship world top-10 fighter Frankie Edgar, who has also agreed to waive his appearance fee.

Tickets are $25. Children, 13-17: $10. Under-12—free. For more information, call (609) 273-0825 or visit http://allies2010.blogspot.com.