Latest news with #nonprofit
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Stars, Stripes, And Sustainability: A Smarter Fourth Of July
Celebrating 4th Of July The Fourth of July is a time to gather, grill, spend with people that you care about and celebrating freedom, community, and the joy of summer. It is also a great opportunity to reflect on what it means to honor the country and take better care of it. This year, more Americans are choosing to celebrate consciously by finding easy and joyful ways to reduce waste, travel smarter, and lighten their footprint, without losing the spark of the season of course. Every Fourth of July, the skies glow with fireworks, grills sizzle with burgers, and highways fill with millions of travelers eager to enjoy America's Independence Day. Alongside the celebration comes an environmental cost of excess waste, emissions, and air and water pollution. Waste generation spikes significantly during summer holidays, with single-use plastics, food waste, and packaging leading the charge. The good thing is that with intentional choices, Americans can honor the land of the free without compromising the planet. Amidst a breathtaking sunset, an airplane lands gracefully. One of the most significant yet overlooked contributors to the holiday's environmental toll is travel. Domestic air travel typically surges during the Fourth of July weekend, and according to the International Air Transport Association, air travel is projected to be 5.8% in 2025 a reduction from from 10.6% in 2024. Cool Effect is a nonprofit platform that allows individuals and businesses to fund vetted carbon reduction activities, helping to offset unavoidable emissions. 'Air travel is a hard-to-abate sector,' explains Jodi Manning, CEO of Cool Effect, in an exclusive interview. 'While Sustainable Aviation Fuel production is increasing, it's not enough to meet the climate challenge. That's why travelers are taking matters into their own hands.' For example, between May and August 2024, Cool Effect saw an 81% year-over-year increase in individuals and businesses purchasing high-quality carbon offsets for their travel. 'It's a clear signal that travelers are more climate-conscious than ever,' Manning notes. 'Offsetting isn't a silver bullet, but it's a powerful and immediate way for people to take responsibility for the emissions tied to necessary travel.' Manning offered several actionable tips to fly sustainably this season: How to Celebrate Fourth of July Sustainably at Home This Fourth of July While a lot of the conversation around Independence Day and sustainability focuses on travel, the environmental footprint at home is just as critical. These range from from disposable tableware and uneaten food to plastic décor and fireworks. The following highlight the other ways to celebrate Independence Day sustainably. Over 561 billion disposable food service items are used annually in the U.S., according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Swapping plastic plates, cups, and cutlery for reusable or certified compostable alternatives, such as those made from bamboo or bagasse can significantly reduce landfill waste. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that up to 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. Serving smaller portions, planning menus carefully, freezing leftovers, and composting food scraps can significantly reduce waste. Sharing surplus meals through community apps like Too Good To Go helps to address food insecurity while diverting food from landfills. Sourcing locally is another high-impact action and buying from farmers' markets can help to reduce transport-related emissions and supports your local economy. Seasonal options like corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and berries are in peak abundance and ideal for July gatherings. Traditional fireworks have long been a staple of Independence Day celebrations, but their environmental and health toll is increasingly hard to ignore. In 2022, Americans set off an estimated 460 million pounds of fireworks, according to BBC, nearly one and a half pounds per person. These displays contribute significantly to airborne particulate matter, releasing metal particles, sulfur-coal compounds, and smoke that can degrade air quality and pose respiratory risks, particularly for children and those with asthma. Cities like Aspen and Salt Lake City are now embracing drone and laser shows which are cleaner, quieter alternatives that reduce fire hazards, eliminate chemical debris, and offer a modern, visually striking replacement to traditional fireworks Single-use decorations add to plastic waste that often ends up in oceans and landfills. Instead, opt for long-lasting décor, upcycling and replacing disposable party supplies with reusables can reduce event-related waste by over 70%. A multi-generation family celebrating Independence Day As you celebrate this Independence Day, let it be a moment of reflection on the freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. From smarter travel choices to thoughtful meals, reusable goods, and cleaner skies, each action you take has the power to protect the environment. Sustainability does not mean dialing down the joy. It means leveling up the meaning behind it, less waste, mindful choices and lower emissions. This Fourth of July, celebrate boldly, celebrate joyfully, and celebrate consciously.
News24
6 hours ago
- Business
- News24
‘How my gap year inspired an app that connects people with causes that matter'
During her gap year in 2022, Abigail Larsen volunteered at The King's Children's Home in East London as part of an outreach programme – and what she discovered shocked her to the core. About 50 children were living in a couple's backyard, sleeping in shipping containers because the home had reached full capacity. Despite the couple's extraordinary dedication, the home struggled with visibility and funding. It struck Abigail (now 21) that so many young people want to help but don't know where to start, while countless organisations doing vital work lack the support they need. That's when the idea for Thallo (Greek for 'to flourish') was born. It's a dynamic, youth-driven platform to connect volunteers with causes that matter. The dream began taking shape in November 2024 when Abigail, along with Mia Olivier (brand designer) and Michael Manly (app developer), entered the Hult Prize Challenge. Together, they began crafting the pitch for what would become Thallo. While volunteering across Africa and India, Abigail saw that many impactful organisations struggled with funding due to low visibility. She hopes Thallo will help solve this problem. This is her story. 'In July 2023, when I was in Mumbai, we visited an underfunded organisation caring for the dying in a crowded basement. Most patients didn't recover – they passed away with dignity. I remember thinking, 'If people only knew, they'd help. The truth is powerful, they just need to see it.' That's when I realised the world doesn't lack compassion, it lacks connection. There needs to be a platform that could create awareness about incredible organisations and give people the opportunity to partner with them to expand their impact. In Rwanda in 2023, I volunteered at Love With Actions, a school for disabled children working to break stigma. With just social media skills, I boosted their online presence and ran a successful stationery fundraiser – proof that even small efforts can make a big impact. At Durban's LIV Village, an outreach programme for vulnerable and orphaned children, I learned that, sometimes, just showing up and listening is enough. In every experience, I wished for one place to share what I'd seen, where people could discover and support these organisations. But at Kings Children's Home, the urgency hit. They were doing amazing work, yet few knew they existed. It's not just about volunteering – it's about visibility. South Africa has over 250 000 registered organisations. How many do you know? Many organisations focus so much on serving their cause that they lack the time or tools to raise awareness. Meanwhile, many young people want to help but don't know where to start. READ MORE| MY STORY | 'I found my purpose and a passion for cooking behind bars' Thallo aims to bridge that gap and make getting involved easy and rewarding by letting users follow, donate to or volunteer with organisations through their profiles. The platform will boost the visibility of organisations, helping them grow with more support, funding and volunteers. PHOTO: Supplied We've been taught to look inward for meaning, but that often leads to pressure and anxiety. In reality, serving others can lift us out of that. It gives purpose and reminds us our lives matter. Young people don't just want CV fillers. They want something real that makes them come alive. READ MORE| MY STORY | 'Olympiads and having fun are the key to my academic success' Thallo is still in its early days, and it will launch in early 2026. Turning the dream into reality has been tough. I've battled doubts about not being experienced or capable enough, especially while juggling studies as a BCom International Business student at Stellenbosch University. But I've learned to lean on God, knowing I'm not fully equipped but trusting that if He called me, He'll make a way. Making a difference begins with using what you have to love and serve those around you. As Mother Teresa said, If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.'
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Associated Press
Defendant in Mississippi auditor's ‘second largest' embezzlement case in history goes free
Four years ago, agents from the state auditor's office arrested Tunica nonprofit operator Mardis Jones in what the office trumpeted as the second-largest embezzlement case in its history and demanded Jones return over $1 million to the state. The charges accused Jones of stealing $750,000 from a home rehabilitation program he was supposed to be administering while turning away needy rural residents living in crumbling houses. But his defense attorney attacked holes in the case, and last month, a local jury found Jones not guilty of the criminal charges. Now, the state has made no indication it will bring a civil case to try to claw back the money from him. Jones' nonprofit Tunica County Housing Inc. secured a subcontract with the county through the North Delta Regional Housing Authority in 2014 to run the county's home rehabilitation program funded with casino revenue. For his work, vetting applications and managing expenses, Jones earned $12,000 a month. At the core of the criminal case were 'strange money transfers' and a finding that several of the people whose applications for home rehab were approved allegedly never received any repairs to their homes. According to the auditor's office, investigators found less than 20% of the nearly $2 million Jones' nonprofit received went to the contractors working to rehab homes. 'Once again, an arm of government trusted a private organization to run a government program, and a large percentage of the program's spending was flat out stolen,' State Auditor Shad White said in a press release after the arrest. Attorney General Lynn Fitch echoed White, saying, 'These funds – hundreds of thousands of dollars – were meant to help the elderly, handicapped, and poverty stricken. But the funds never got to the vulnerable citizens who needed it most.' Jones' lawyer Carlos Tanner explained to Mississippi Today that the program operated with an extreme backlog, and that 'some of the people they were claiming didn't get their houses done actually did' by the time the trial was held this year. The program was poorly administered, Tanner said, meaning that even if a person's application was approved and a rehab contract prepared, county officials could direct Jones to put someone else's repair job ahead of his or hers. 'But just because it was run like a first weekend lemonade stand does not mean Mardis Jones stole money,' Tanner said. Tanner said the investigators gathered paltry evidence, only looking at details that fit their narrative. While Jones did earn a large salary through his contract, Tanner said prosecutors never presented evidence that Jones converted money that was supposed to be used on home rehabilitation to his personal use. Investigators got a warrant to seize Jones' electronics, Tanner said, but 'they never bothered to search it.' 'The two OSA (Office of the State Auditor) officials who were running the investigation, I questioned them about it during trial, and neither of them could tell me where the computer was, where the phone was, or what the contents were,' Tanner said. Jacob Walters, a spokesperson for the auditor's office, defended the way the investigators handled the case, saying, 'The state auditor's office is never going to turn a case we investigated over to a prosecutor unless we're fully confident in the work that we did.' At the time the auditor's office announced the Jones arrest, it also said it delivered a demand letter ordering Jones to repay over $1 million, the money it alleged he stole plus interest and investigative expenses. It's up to the attorney general or local district attorney to decide how to prosecute auditor investigations, or in Jones' case, what happens to the civil demand now that a jury found him not guilty in the criminal case. When a person receives a demand alongside his or her arrest, regardless of what happens with criminal charges, the claw back can be enforced through civil litigation — much like the case against several defendants in a stunning Mississippi Department of Human Services fraud case, which began in 2020 and has yet to be resolved. Walters said the demand against Jones is still the office's next-largest in history, second only to the welfare scandal. The government might choose to pursue civil litigation, even if criminal prosecution is unsuccessful, because there is a lower burden of proof to win civil cases. But the attorney general's office told Mississippi Today last month that it had not received the Jones demand letter from the auditor, meaning it has nothing left to enforce. Walters said the auditor's office sent the letter along with the case file four years ago, but that with a turnover in attorneys prosecuting the case, the auditor had to resend the file last year. If the attorney general's office no longer possesses the demand document, Walters said, 'it's an incredibly easy problem to resolve.' 'Just reach out to us with a single phone call or email and we can get it to you,' Walters said. After the interview, the auditor's office sent the demand letter by email, and the attorney general's office confirmed it was received. ___ This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
CBS News
9 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Stormwater floods Macomb County animal shelter, sends agency scrambling to financially recover
A nonprofit animal shelter in Macomb County, Michigan, is struggling to recover from the cost of storm-related flooding at its shelter. "To say we are heartbroken is an understatement," A ReJoyceful Animal Rescue in Clinton Township related on social media about the circumstances. ReJoyceful focuses its efforts on cat and dog rescue situations, such as a cat that had significant injuries from another animal attack and stray dogs that were living outside amid the heat wave. The agency describes itself as a no-kill, foster-based organization, using short-term foster situations to help match animals to adoptive homes. On June 18, the building was flooded through at least two rounds of storms backed up a storm drain and that sent water rushing inside the shelter, ruining supplies, furniture and equipment. "We've worked so hard building up our shelter and making it comfortable for the animals we care for. In a matter of minutes, this was all destroyed," they said. In response to the disaster: Volunteers showed up to help push water out of the building. A flood recovery and restoration company was called to mitigate damage. The agency posted messages on social media for foster homes and foster-to-adopt homes, taking note of circumstances such as which pets should continue to stay together and which ones need to be the only animal in a home. Donations and ad hoc fundraisers, such as a T-shirt sal,e popped up to help the agency return to normal operations. Over $125,000 in donations have been raised. The community assistance is appreciated, as the insurance situation was not what they hoped for. The building itself is covered by the property owner's insurance; the agency is responsible for its own contents. The agency did have a renters' insurance policy, but ran into an exception on the policy that does not include certain water conditions. "Our insurance claim has been denied. There is nothing we can do," they explained. As of Thursday, the building is almost completely dried out, but there is still work and sanitizing to do. "We have contractors coming tomorrow to start on drywall, replace doors, replace trim, and to determine what more needs done. We are still in the process of sorting through what has been destroyed and needs to be dumped. The losses are immeasurable, we still don't have a number on how much this will actually cost us in the end as we're not even half way through sorting through the mess," the agency reported.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- CTV News
'We should have seen it': Bowness community hall warns others after falling victim to fraud
The president of a Bowness non-profit is warning others to be vigilant about screening volunteers after allegedly being defrauded of more than $66,000. The president of a local community association is warning other non-profits in Calgary to be vigilant about screening volunteers after allegedly being scammed out of thousands of dollars. Two men, one with a violent criminal past, are facing fraud charges in connection with the case, accused of embezzling more than $66,000 from the Bowness Ratepayers Scout and Guide Hall Association. On Tuesday, Calgary police arrested Nathan Michael Mizera, 41, and Joshua Tyler Bredo, 40, and charged both with fraud over $5,000. 'All of this money—it's community that is suffering because this is a hall of the community. This isn't a private venture; this is owned by the community,' said Gord Barge, president of the Bowness Ratepayers Scout and Guide Hall Association. Barge said the association became involved with the two men in 2022 when the pair approached the group about rebranding and handling day-to-day operations at the hall. Two Calgary men face fraud charges, accused of embezzling more than $66,000 from a Bowness non-profit. Two Calgary men face fraud charges, accused of embezzling more than $66,000 from a Bowness non-profit. 'It was all volunteer and everyone was tired and here's these two under-40-year-old or 40-year-old guys, and they say, 'We'd love to get in there and make that place shine again,'' said Barge. 'We thought, 'Well, why not?'' The president of a Bowness non-profit is warning others to be vigilant about screening volunteers after allegedly being defrauded of more than $66,000. The president of a Bowness non-profit is warning others to be vigilant about screening volunteers after allegedly being defrauded of more than $66,000. During that time, the hall became BowCommon and had events hosted under Discover Bowness. Barge said the men were never in a paid position and said concerns began to be raised about the deteriorating state of the hall. He said the association approached police in April 2024 when one of the directors' daughters noted some red flags around funding. 'She looked into it, and she said, 'Oh there is money missing. There is money missing here.'' Barge said the association was also shocked to learn about the one man's past conviction of manslaughter. He said Bredo also went by the last name Mizera. He said the association never requested a criminal record check for the men. 'Once things came out that he was Josh Bredo, it was like, 'Holy crap,'' he said. Bredo was sentenced in June 2017 for the August 2011 manslaughter of a Revelstoke man in Victoria, following a guilty plea. Taking time served into consideration, Bredo was released in November 2018. Barge said the directors had to take out a second mortgage on the hall and are considering other legal actions to try and recuperate the funds. 'In hindsight, we feel pretty foolish,' he said. 'How did I not see this? Well, we didn't see it and we should have.' Barge said he's 'ecstatic' with the charges laid and hopes the association's experience will act as a warning to other community groups to be more skeptical, thoroughly screen volunteers and do the proper background checks. 'I come from a generation where I trust it. If you shook my hand and said, 'OK, let's do this,' we're going to do that. That's how it worked. So, just get everything in writing,' he said. 'Don't give these people signing authorities if they were to get involved into your organization until they've proven themselves.' An expert in personal finance, Barry Choi, said non-profits are often easy targets for financial scams. 'There's just not as much training; a lot of people are volunteering (and) they don't know all the steps, especially when it comes to deposits or down payments for various events,' he said. He recommends organizations set strict rules around finances. 'Have it in writing so regardless of who comes on board, (they) can follow those procedures,' he said. 'You need to have those steps in place to double-verify, have those contracts so you can protect yourself legally and make sure your staff know appropriate steps to take when dealing with money of any amount.' Mizera and Bredo deny wrongdoing Mizera and Bredo did not respond to CTV's request for an interview but issued a joint statement Wednesday, denying any wrongdoing. In it, they accuse a pair of police officers of targeting them and of corruption. 'The allegations against us are entirely false and have no credible evidentiary foundation,' the statement read. Insp. Keith Hurley, commander for District 2, said he's confident with the results of the investigation. 'An investigation like this isn't just a singular source of information or a single person involved in it; we've spent quite a bit of time on this,' he said. Calgary police believe the embezzlement was done by 'hosting events using organization funds without paying attributed fees, falsifying documents to obtain financial control and creating false receipts for services never rendered, which were then sent to fabricated email addresses and deposited into their personal bank accounts.' According to Mizera's LinkedIn page, he's intending to run for Calgary Board of Education trustee. The pair are scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 6. With files by Damien Wood
