Collaborative Connection: Transition Within Cobb Collaborative, FY21 Collaborative Vitality Survey, Funding Resources...

Transitions Within Cobb Collaborative

We welcomed a new member to the Collaborative family in July. It’s my pleasure to announce the addition of Kelly Mellen as our Communications Director. Kelly has a background in nonprofit work and has served as a community volunteer in Cobb for several organizations. She brings a deep passion for our community to her role and is bursting with ideas to take our digital and print outreach to a new level. Kelly is a native Georgian and has called Cobb County home since 2004. Kelly and her husband Mickey have two daughters, one is a freshman in college and the other a sophomore in high school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, baking and traveling - especially when a beach is involved.

We are fortunate to still have Madeline Mercer on board for a little while longer. Madeline will be working on special projects as she pursues her MPH degree. Madeline’s vision of how to position the Collaborative and articulate our role in the community over the past 2 ½ years has allowed us to reach new stakeholders, form new partnerships and increase our engagement. I am so grateful to Madeline for her commitment to our work

Please join me in welcoming Kelly and wishing Madeline a successful academic year.

Sincerely,

Irene Barton

Cobb Collaborative Executive Director

Georgia Family Connection Partnership's FY21 Collaborative Vitality Survey

Your feedback is vital to the success of Cobb Collaborative and we would appreciate it greatly if you would take a few minutes to complete this year's Collaborative Vitality Survey from Georgia Family Connection Partnership. This annual survey allows us to acknowledge and celebrate achievements while identifying areas for improvement and growth. Please click here to complete the survey before November 1, 2021. This is completely voluntary and should take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your input.

Little Free Library Dedication

What do you get when you combine a lifelong love of reading with a desire to provide books to the community? The answer is...a Little Free Library!

Driven by a lifelong love of reading and a desire to share books with the community, Susan Ciavolino and her husband Marco have established The Bee Library: A Little Free Library (LFL) at 2800 Sanford Road SE in Smyrna. these book-sharing boxes play an essential role in encouraging a love of reading by providing free access to books. They operate under the "Take One, Leave One" theory which encourages readers to not only take a book, but to leave one for others as well.

The Ciavolinos have joined in partnership with Cobb Collaborative supporting the Collaborative’s mission to install 21 Little Free Libraries across Cobb County in 2021. A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for their LFL was held on Thursday, August 12, 2021 as LFL number 10 dedicated by Cobb Collaborative this year. As Cobb Collaborative Executive Director, Irene Barton, noted when speaking to those gathered for the dedication, “Research tells us that the single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school. These Little Free Libraries are one way to increase access to books and promote that love of reading.” Through a passion for reading and a spirit of generosity, Susan and Marco Ciavolino are helping to promote reading in their community. As Barton further notes, “There is a direct link between reading skills and high school graduation rates, which of course leads directly to employment opportunities, economic stability and ultimately, the health of our communities.”

Cobb Collaborative is excited that more LFL installations and dedications are in the works throughout the remainder of the year. For more information or if you or your company/organization would like to sponsor a Little Free Library in Cobb County, please contact Irene Barton (ibarton@cobbcollaborative.org) for more information.

For more information on The Bee Library, visit www.thebeelibrary.com or follow on Facebook.

Funding Resources

Marietta Rotary Opens 2021 Grant Process

The Marietta Rotary Grant RFP for the 2021-22 funding year is now open for application. Through donated dollars and volunteer service, the Rotary Club of Marietta hopes to make a lasting impact in our community in any of the following areas:

• Improving quality of life, especially for the underprivileged

• Support and enhancement of education, especially for at-risk students

• Youth Literacy

• Disease prevention and treatment

• Maternal and child health/wellbeing

Click here to visit our blog for downloadable PDF forms.

Submit application packets in PDF format via email by 5 p.m. on September 30, 2021 to Jennifer Hogan (jennifer@towncentercid.com). Applications will not be accepted in hard copy and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Email any questions to Jennifer Hogan (jennifer@towncentercid.com). No phone calls, please.

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Nordstrom Community Grant Application Opens September 1, 2021

We are excited to launch the next round of Nordstrom Community Grants on September 1, 2021. (Find Nordstrom's 2025 Corporate Grantmaking goals here.)

For those of you that are new to our program, in 2020 we refined the focus of our grant program to better align with Nordstrom’s values and to generate greater impact for families in the communities we serve. Some important reminders before you apply:

The grant program’s focus is on organizations who provide basic necessities for youth and families.
We are committed to supporting anti-racist organizations that prioritize social and racial justice.
Our employees are eager to get back to live and/or virtual volunteering opportunities. Please indicate in your application if your organization has these opportunities available.
Applicants must be registered nonprofits, or equivalent, in the Unites States or Canada.
Receipt of a grant in a prior year does not guarantee funding in 2022 or future cycles.
Grant applications and payments are made through Benevity as the service provider. Please make sure your organization’s Benevity profile is up to date.
Grants are available for programmatic support or event sponsorship.
Grant decisions will be made in early 2022 and payments executed no later than May 2022.

Best,

Nordstrom Corporate Philanthropy

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Cobb Collaborative is a Candid.org FIN Partner

Candid.org's Funding Information Network (FIN) is Foundation Center's network of libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers that can be found across the U.S. and around the world.

Cobb Collaborative is thrilled to be a FIN Partner and to have the availability to offer this benefit to Collaborative members and other community members. This resource can be utilized as follows:

Grant-seekers may make an appointment to come to our office to search the Foundation Directory Online (FDO) database. Cobb Collaborative's office is located at 940 Concord Rd SE, Smyrna, GA.
Alternately, grant-seekers may contact us to request 24-hour access to the FDO database. (NOTE: 24-hour access is NOT continuous, but is up to 24 accumulated hours of access over a period of 30 days.)

For scheduling or for additional information please email Irene Barton, Executive Director, at ibarton@cobbcollaborative.org