Bill Gates Will Be Featured Speaker

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It was just announced by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) that Bill Gates will be the featured speaker for the 44th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress. This congress will take place at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle on October 2, 2013.

As the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates has helped to increase opportunities for the world’s most disadvantages populations while also focusing on educational opportunities for students in the United States.

The ACCT Leadership Congress brings together community college trustees, presidents and administrators and is the largest national gathering of its kind. More than 1500 people are expected to take part in the congress. This year’s theme is  “Society Demands, Community Colleges Deliver: Moving the Needle.”

Warren E. Buffet Offers Amazing Donation

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There are charitable donations – and then there is Warren E. Buffett’s charitable donation. Recently, Mr. Buffett distributed 17.5 million Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This is a gift valued at $2 billion based on the closing price recently.  The gift was part of Buffett’s annual charitable giving that included gifts to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Buffett’s total donations this year were 22.9 million Class B shares.

Mr. Buffett committed, seven years ago, that he would give a total of $31 billion over time to the Gates Foundation. He planned to give the bulk of his massive fortune to the Gates Foundation and to four other philanthropies.

Together, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates have actually tried to persuade other wealthy Americans to give away a large chunk of their fortunes. They have created something called the Giving Pledge for this purpose.

Interactive Database of Laws

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The first ever interactive database of pretrial justice based laws for all 50 states is being put together by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF).  In recent news, the third phase (of this four-part project) has been completed.  The subjects covered are pretrial detention and diversion.  Materials assembled complement the ones that have already been released to date that provide summaries of statutes on related topics including: release conditions, pretrial risk assessments and more.

According to Vice President of Criminal Justice at LJAF, Anne Milgram, “using the resources developed through this project, states can learn from one another as legislators focus on these vital issues.”   While the LJAF funded the project, it was implemented by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). To date, research has shown that many states have been attempting to reduce pretrial detention and offer alternatives to detention where possible.

It is hoped that the project will ultimately help jurisdictions find ways to improve pretrial justice.  Using the resources will give lawmakers and criminal justice practitioners access to the current legal framework while providing reform opportunities.

Alicia Keys Teams with Prizeo for Keep a Child Alive Foundation

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Alicia KeysAlicia Keys, the fourteen-time Grammy Award-winner has joined with Prizeo to raise money and awareness for Keep a Child Alive (KCA). Prizeo is a new celebrity charity-fundraising platform that democratizes the fundraising platforms traditionally seen.

Keys co-founded KCA and she is the Global Ambassador for the non-profit. This organization is dedicated to offering life-saving HIV treatment, care and support to children who are affected by HIV in Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and India.

The way that it works is that people can donate as little as $3 and they will be entered to win a trip to Rio de Janeiro for a VIP trip with Keys. The campaign is at Prizeo.com/Alicia and will continue until July 15, 2013.

As Keys said, ”I’m very passionate about the work we do at Keep a Child Alive. Partnering with Prizeo really allows us to share the incredible mission of KCA with a wider audience, and also gives me a whole new way to connect with my fans at the same time. My hope is that we inspire people all over the world to come together and bring about change in a huge way.”

Peter Twyman, the CEO of KCA said, “Keep a Child Alive pushes the bar on innovation, whether we’re tackling important issues on the ground or engaging our supporters in new ways. Prizeo provides us with an excellent opportunity to be innovative in the fundraising space. It is so exciting that Alicia, our co-founder and Global Ambassador, has partnered with Prizeo, and we are so thankful for her support.”

Knox Country Schools Receive Grant from Gates Foundation

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The Knox County Schools is able to feel like it just one the lottery. They just received news that they are getting $1.2 million from the “Smart Spending” grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. $850,000 will be coming from the foundation and a local match will cover the rest. Knox County is one of four school districts in the country to receive this grant.

The grant is not for school supplies or technology. Rather, it provides assistance to district leaders and offers expect advice for aligning financial resources with the schools’ educational mission.

As Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre said, “One of the challenges for any public education everywhere across the country is limited resources, and you have a certain pool of resources to work with. And so the challenge is to make sure you’re using every dollar and every dime that you have, effectively and efficiently, to support great instruction and high level learning for our kids.”

Dr. McIntyre said that the district plans to focus much of their attention on the 2015 school budget and on building financial capacity for the future. As he said, “We’re really excited about, not just the short-term impact this will have on the budget process coming up, but also the long-term impact on making sure we are getting the best possible return on our educational investment in our community.”

A Wish for a Swish Event with Stacy Keibler

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stacy-keibler-062513sp2Stacy Keibler was recently part of the Colgate “A Wish for a Swish” event on Tuesday June 25 in New York City. The event was a chance for Colgate to introduce their new Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield mouthwash.

As part of the event, they got the crowd to attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most people who use mouthwash simultaneously. The mouth care manufacturer donated a dollar for every person who participated in the event. The money went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Lily Cole Creates Jewelry Collection with Rainforest Charity

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If you love jewelry and you enjoy the idea of being green, here is a combination for you. Lily Cole, the British model, has just created her first jewelry collection in collaboration with a rainforest charity. Approached by Sky Rainforest Rescue in 2012, Cole loved the idea of creating a collection made from raw materials.

As Cole explained to Vogue, “For me, the collection is a metaphor of what is possible. I hope we can use the material in many other products in the future. Jewelry is also a good way of communicating the value and delicacy of the rainforest it represents. Wearing it against skin can connect us with a place and a dialogue that is seemingly far away.”

She explains the thought behind the jewelry choices she made. As she said, “I wanted it to be something people would both love and treat delicately. I am more interested in the story behind the objects than the process of design itself, but design is an inherent part of a lot of what I do, and important for communicating ideas.”

She continued, “I like the green economic approach of this specific Sky Rainforest Rescue initiative, and am excited to see what can be done in the future to create long-term structural change.”

Her jewelry is available from Stylist Pick.

The Robin Hood Foundation’s 25th Anniversary Celebration

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Last month, the Robin Hood Foundation raised more than $80 million for the fight against poverty in NYC at a star-studded event. The Gala, which featured performances from Mary J. Blige, Bono, Elton John, Sting and many others, united donors with “the need to give love,” according to foundation founder Paul Tudor Jones II.

This year’s 25th anniversary event hosted more than 4,200 people. The celebration was chaired by Mr. Jones and his wife Sonia; KKR & Co. co-founder Henry Kravis and his wife, Marie-Josee; CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and his wife; and Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

Since its inception, the Robin Hood Foundation has donated more than $1.25 billion to the fight against poverty by helping to feed New Yorkers, install libraries in public schools and help victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. Last year, the Foundation also launched the 12-12-12 benefit concert in support of Hurricane Sandy victims, with performances by Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones.

Bill Gates Lets His Hair Down

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In a recent interview on ABC’s Q&A program, Bill Gates gave viewers a glimpse of what makes him tick. He said that his main mission is to rid the world of polio and he believes he has only three countries to go. While in Australia recently for 14 hours, he managed to convince Prime Minister Julia Gillard to spend another $80 million on his polio crusade.

When asked about how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invests in companies like oil companies, Gates said, “I don’t endorse every action of those we have invested in – we are not the court of justice.” But he did mention that the Foundation doesn’t invest in tobacco or weapons companies.

For anyone who was wondering, Bill Gates doesn’t plan to clone himself or use cryogenics. As he said, “Life is great but you have to make room for people who come after you.”

He explained that the next major focus for the Foundation will be the cervical cancer vaccine that has been pioneered by Australian scientist Ian Frazer.

Halle Berry Hosts 2013 EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women

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revlon-runwalk-logo-nyc-2013dA charity walk in Los Angeles took place on May 11, 2013 and was hosted by expectant actress Halle Berry. She helped to launch the 2013 EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. This is an annual fundraiser that raises money for cancer research, treatment and counseling. The challenge was a 3.5 mile walk/run.

Joining in the fun was actress Julie Bowen from Modern Family. She tweeted, after the run, “Huge thanks to all the volunteers at Revlon Run today. ESPECIALLY the Air Force in boiling hot uniforms. (And gloriously huge Navy guy.)”

This was the 20th annual Revlon Run/Walk for Women. Halle Berry was there while taking a break from filming her upcoming movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past.