Latest news with #nonprofits
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Walmart beef plant to provide hundreds of jobs for metro community
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Walmart is behind a new beef-packing facility in the metro, a new venture for the retail and grocery store. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly attended this morning's grand opening celebration for the first Walmart-owned and operated case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kansas, at 169 Highway and 167th Street. The opening marks a significant step in Walmart's mission to enhance transparency and resilience in its supply chain. Kansas Supreme Court vacates capital murder conviction in Johnson County case The new beef-packing facility spans more than 300,000 square feet and will create over 600 jobs. State and city leaders say the facility will directly impact the community and beyond. 'Right here in this facility, Angus cuts will be packaged and distributed across the Midwest,' said Governor Kelly. 'More specifically, to 600 stores across 14 states. We couldn't be more excited about what this means for Olathe and the greater Kansas City area.' Also during the celebration, the Walmart Foundation presented $90,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations making a difference in the community. Those organizations include Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Friends in Service of Heroes and Mayor Bacon's Book Club. To learn more about Walmart's new case-ready beef facility in Olathe, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
10 Data-Driven Ways To Boost Volunteer Engagement
Volunteers are an invaluable resource for nonprofits. With many organizations operating under limited budgets and staffing constraints, people freely offering their time and skills significantly increases operational productivity and efficiency while reducing costs. However, nonprofits do face challenges when it comes to retaining volunteers. Strategically leveraging data can offer nonprofit leaders key insights, helping them gain a better understanding of where volunteer programs are going wrong, boosting volunteer engagement, and driving real, sustainable change. Below, 10 Forbes Nonprofit Council members share how nonprofit leaders can use data to effectively measure the impact of volunteer engagement and improve their volunteer programs. 1. Take A Dual Approach To Uncover Patterns The most valuable insights often come from a combination of open-ended survey responses and longitudinal trend analyses. This dual approach not only reveals meaningful patterns, but also uncovers personal narratives that inform more empathetic and targeted improvements. It also fosters psychological safety by helping volunteers feel seen, heard and genuinely valued. - Yujia Zhu, 2. Determine Why Volunteers Disengage Looking at the volunteer retention rate is a great indicator of engagement. This data can help nonprofits identify patterns and understand what is causing increased attrition among volunteers. By understanding which volunteers may be more likely to disengage and why, nonprofits can prioritize their outreach efforts to keep individuals involved. - Scott Brighton, Bonterra Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify? 3. Examine The Reach Of Volunteer Messaging And Resources Empower your volunteers with a clear message and a toolkit to share it, then track how far it travels. Measuring shares, referrals and peer-to-peer reach gives you real data on their impact. This approach helps volunteers feel like true partners while giving your organization insight into what messaging or activities move people to act. - Karen Cochran, Philanthropy Innovators 4. Determine What Drives Engagement And Retention Track volunteer retention and reengagement rates alongside post-engagement surveys. This data reveals not just who shows up, but also who stays and why. This helps leaders strengthen training, drive recognition and match volunteers to roles where they will thrive and stick around for the long haul. - Michael Bellavia, HelpGood 5. Initiate More Face-To-Face Conversations Please get out and speak to volunteers to improve volunteer programs! People are afraid these days to have face time and ask the important questions, but human interaction is important when you want true data. Not everything will be answered via a survey, as people want to talk and express themselves. - Rhonda Vetere, Laureus Sport For Good 6. Ask Questions 'Philanthropy' refers to the giving of time, talent, treasure or testimony. The best data tool is to simply ask questions. Find out who's connected and why they are supporting your cause. The word 'question' comes from the root word 'quest,' which means to go on an adventure. Collect stakeholder data by going on an adventure. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation 7. Capture And Prioritize Impact Stories Track stories, not just hours. The real value of volunteer engagement isn't how much time was given; it's what changed because someone showed up. That's qualitative data. Capturing those stories helps you improve the experience and gives you powerful narratives to share. Using data this way turns volunteer work into word-of-mouth fuel that builds belief, trust and long-term support. - Cherian Koshy, Kindsight 8. Link Volunteers' Time To Outcomes Measure hours served against program outcomes. For example, track volunteer time alongside community impact metrics to see where contributions make the most difference. This can help refine roles and better allocate resources. Nonprofits can start by linking volunteer data to mission results. - Alan Thomas, Association for Materials Protection & Performance 9. Purposefully Share Data If you are going to collect data, then make it available. If you have exceeded your volunteer recruitment goal, let people know. If your nonprofit logged more volunteer hours than in the past, share the news. If you have compelling data that indicates volunteer involvement had a significant program impact, don't just hide that in your annual report. Instead, make sure you deliver that message loudly. - Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company 10. Turn Feedback Into Action The simplest form of data is feedback surveys. Ask volunteers what their needs and benchmarks for success are and whether those needs are being met, and quantify those results with your strategic plan. You will be surprised what you find out when you simply ask questions for planning. - Erin Davison, Scouting America
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
As FEMA Shrinks, a Grassroots Disaster Response is Taking Shape
They were just drills, but each felt urgent and real. A group of volunteers searched a wooded area for someone who had been injured and stranded, ready to provide aid. Then they practiced a river rescue, attaching a rope near the bank to help pull the victim to shore. This was Rescue HQ, a gathering in rural Tennessee last month where the founding members of several newly formed disaster response groups ran through emergency scenarios and discussed how to better coordinate in the chaotic aftermath of a storm or a flood. Groups like this are growing in number — a new model of disaster response taking shape outside of government channels. Many volunteers are deeply religious and have military backgrounds. They're an unequal match for what the government can do, especially when it comes to long-term rebuilding efforts after natural disasters. But with the Trump administration pulling back staffing and funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency — and even pledging to eliminate it — communities may soon rely far more on volunteer help. 'The bigger the gap is in terms of what the government isn't doing, the more we're going to expect from nonprofits and the larger their role is going to be,' said Daniel Sledge, a professor at the University of Oklahoma who has studied disaster relief. 'Whether nonprofits actually have the capacity or the ability to step in and fill in the gaps that, in all likelihood, we're going to be creating is a completely different question.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Recycling Shells For Baby Oysters Reaps Financial, Environmental Gains
Oysters on a table. Recycling oyster shells from restaurants not only provides reef habitat for new oysters and other fish, but it also benefits the marine economy and enables the mollusks to improve the environment by filtering water. People in government and nonprofit organizations are rallying to create oyster habitats especially by collecting discarded oyster shells to return back to the water for new oysters. 'Oysters are remarkable. They provide many benefits to the ecosystem they live in. They are filter feeders—they clean the water as they eat. And they grow in reefs, which provide great habitat for many other species. But in many places, their population has plummeted,' says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Today oyster habitats are threatened by water pollution, dredging, lost wetlands, diseases, overfishing and damaged reefs. NOAA and other organizations are working to restore oyster habitat around the country. For example, the NOAA restoration center has provided grants to some 70 oyster rehabilitation projects in 15 states. According to NOAA, because oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay 'are only at about 1-2% of historical levels due to disease, pollution, habitat loss, and overharvesting,' its Chesapeake Bay office is helping groups in Maryland and Virginia restore oysters in 10 bay tributaries by the end of this year. An oyster reef in North Carolina built to dissipate wave energy and slow erosion from sea-level ... More rise. Living in salty or coastal waters, oysters can in shells, along piers and on top of rocks. Because they cluster together, oysters can create reefs and provide habitats for other marine life, including other fish. The reefs can also benefit the environment by preventing erosion along shorelines and creating protective water barriers to deter storms surges during hurricanes. Oysters are also known for their ability to clean water. 1 oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day. 'The clearer, cleaner water can support plentiful underwater grasses, which—like the oyster reef—create a stable bottom and a safe, nurturing habitat for juvenile crabs, scallops, and fish,' NOAA says. To create habitat Oyster fishing in Massachusetts. Oyster sales in the United States during 2023 amounted to $326.9 million in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2023 Census of Aquaculture. In fact, oysters accounted for the largest (56.8%) share of the $575 million in national mollusk industry sales that year—followed by clams (38.6%), mussels (3.9%), and abalone and other mollusks (both less than 1%). In addition there were 900 oyster farms in the United States in 2023 compared to 701 in 2018. The states with the largest oyster farms were Massachusetts (191), Washington (116), Florida (92), Virginia (87), Maine (79), Maryland (45), Rhode Island (40) and New York (37). The USDA defines an aquaculture farm as a site where at least $1,000 worth of aquaculture products were produced, sold or distributed during the census year. Oyster reefs also create communities for other types of fish that can be caught and sold as food. Oyster shells being moved to stockpile. The nonprofit North Carolina Coastal Federation, founded in 1982, works to restore the state's coastline, which includes oyster restoration. Receiving state federal and other funding the federation has invested nearly $36.2 million during the last 12 years in its oyster sanctuary program to create several hundreds of acres of habitat for oysters. The habitat created is a network of no-harvest oyster reefs to provide larvae to reseed the wild population and support harvested oyster reefs. Commercial and recreational hook-and-line fishing is allows there. 'Oyster populations, worldwide, are at record lows. Despite some recovery in recent years, in North Carolina, it is estimated that oysters are at about 15-20% of historic harvest levels. Oyster harvest is currently the best measure of the oyster population in our state,' says the Coastal Federation. 'In the state of North Carolina, it is illegal to dispose of oyster shells in landfills or use them as mulch for landscaping since they are needed for reef building in our sounds.' North Carolina Coastal Federation sign for oyster shell recycling. Currently, the federation has drop-off sites for recycled Oyster shells at 3 regional offices and locations in 10 counties. 'Every dollar invested in the program—regardless of its source—created a return on investment of $1.71 in economic and environmental benefits,' noted a federation independent study released in 2024 called the 'Economic Impacts of Oyster Sanctuaries: Key Insights (2013–2023).' The study looked at $20 million invested by the state of North Carolina from 2013 for a 10 year period ending in 2023. Findings revealed that investment supported 143 jobs generated $34 million in local business revenue. The state investment also yielded $8.7 million in employee wages/benefits plus $1 million in state and local tax revenue. Furthermore, the study noted that the state investments in oyster habitats brought in $14.5 million in recreational fishing, $11 million in commercial fishing and $12.5 million in environmental services. Commenting in February about the study was Stephanie Krug, a NOAA marine habitat resource specialist: 'Investing in oyster reef restoration means investing in all of the benefits these reefs provide and the benefits of the restoration work itself. This report is vital in telling that story.' In 2023, the federation received a $14.9 million federal grant from NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation to increase by next year the oyster reef sanctuary to 500 acres. At the end of 2023, oyster sanctuaries had been created on 389 developed acres in North Carolina waters. Workers on the Mullica River blast 680 bushels of clam and oyster shells from Atlantic City ... More restaurants to make an oyster reef. In May, members of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Marine Habitat and Shell Fisheries won the Governor's Team of Excellence Award for the department's shell recycling program. Started six years ago, the program has planted 240 tons of shells enabling 24 million baby oysters to live in Mullica River oyster reefs. The program involves recycling oyster and clam shells from partner restaurants in Atlantic and Cape May counties. The shells are collected and cured for at least six months before being planted on oyster reefs. This effort removes discarded shells from landfills and provides materials for oyster habitats. 'With the recent acquisition of grant funding through NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program, the program continues to expand by partnering with new restaurants and installing public shell drop-off locations, thereby increasing the number of shells collected and recycled,' noted a media release about the award. Shells are collected once a week and taken back for storage and curing. Every June and July, the shells are loaded onto a barge and taken to Mullica River oyster reefs. Then the staff uses high pressure water cannons to put the shells back onto reefs. Reef building in North Carolina with recycled oyster shells. This type of little known recycling project involving shells has multiple benefits for not only people and nature. At the same time, this type of effort is one that can be replicated in U.S. waters to improve both marine life and the blue economy.
Finextra
2 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
GiveCard partners Visa to modernise disbursements in the public sector
GiveCard, a platform purpose-built to help nonprofits and government agencies disburse and manage funds over prepaid funds, today announced a strategic collaboration with Visa. GiveCard will be issuing virtual and physical prepaid cards to recipients, distributing them directly to recipients through various U.S. government agencies. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. Together, the two organizations are helping the public sector transition into the cashless era with infrastructure that enables secure ledger transfers at scale - through prepaid debit cards, as well as GiveCard-powered real-time bank transfers and automated workflows that reduce administrative overhead. As the federal government accelerates efforts to modernize payments – including a recent executive order to phase out paper checks by September 30, 2025 – agencies are working to deliver digital-first, audit-ready payment systems. The GiveCard–Visa collaboration offers a turnkey solution: a modern infrastructure that fuses GiveCard's advanced disbursement technology with Visa's prepaid debit cards. 'The world is going cashless, and government and nonprofit systems have been working to modernize their payment systems to keep up,' said Lurein Perera, Co-Founder and CEO of GiveCard. 'We built GiveCard to close that gap: offering a platform that empowers public-sector organizations to move money quickly, compliantly, and without requiring a 20-person operations team.' GiveCard's infrastructure includes high-limit virtual and physical prepaid debit cards, ACH/RTP/FedNow bank transfers, and a full-service cardholder support system through a platform and live interpreter network that operates in 25+ languages. It's all backed by no-code dashboards, APIs, and customizable workflows so agencies can automate disbursement logic, like eligibility checks or attendance triggers, without building from scratch or hiring additional staff. 'GiveCard has built a simple and intuitive platform that helps eliminate the cost, time and complexity associated with disbursement of funds,' said Rick Malcolm, Head of Visa Government Solutions North America. 'Their ability to integrate into government disbursement systems to manage complex and high-volume payments has made them an early success in the public sector, and we look forward to what we can accomplish together for our customers and stakeholders in the government sector.' GiveCard is purpose-built for disbursement: its infrastructure was designed to move money into people's hands with minimal friction, especially for unbanked or underbanked individuals. With no SSN or ID required, the system supports programs like housing aid, disaster relief, and research incentives while maintaining full anti-money laundering (AML) and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance. The new collaboration will enable state and local governments, school districts, and nonprofits to rapidly implement and scale digital disbursement programs with Visa-backed prepaid cards and secure digital rails.
