TABLE OF CONTENTS

• IRVINE FOUNDATION ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR NEW CONNECTIONS FUND
• THREE NEW IMLS PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
• MUSEUM PODS ANNOUNCES TEN BEST MUSEUM SITES AND BLOGS
• MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2008 CAM CONFERENCE
• OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
• MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS
• JOB OPPORTUNITIES
• PERSONNEL NOTES
• GRANT DEADLINES
• BACK ISSUES OF CAM
• CONTACT CAM

Museum Pods, founded by Kurt Stuchell of Harvard University, has released its list of top ten best Museum websites and top ten best Museum-related blogs. The list of top ten websites can be viewed at http://www.museumpods.com/id255.html, and the list of top ten blogs is available at http://www.museumpods.com/id274.html. Museum Pods also hosts a museum podcast directory, an open source and freeware directory for museums and libraries, and a variety of other online- and podcast-related resources. For more information, visit the Museum Pods website at http://www.museumpods.com.

NEA ANNOUNCES RSS FEED NOW AVAILABLE
The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the addition of an RSS Feed to their website. By subscribing to this feed, users can be notified about new items on the website as soon as they are posted. Feeds consist of headline, brief summary, and a link that leads back to the complete item on the web site. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.arts.gov/about/NEAFeed.html.

AASLH ANNOUNCES 2007 LEADERSHIP IN HISTORY AWARDS
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has announced the winners of the 62nd annual Leadership in History Awards, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. Awards for 2007 represent 72 organizations and individuals. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2007 AASLH Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, September 8, 2007. CAM would like to congratulate the Heyday Institute in Berkeley for its nomination for excellence in historical publishing.

CAN ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE CAREER CENTER
The California Association of Nonprofits (CAN) has launched the California Nonprofits Career Center, an interactive job board where California nonprofits can find candidates, and job seekers have access to openings in the state’s nonprofit sector. Both CAN members and non-members can use the Center to reach qualified candidates. Employers can post jobs online, search for qualified candidates based on specific job criteria, and create an online resume agent to find candidates. Employers also have access to online reporting that provides job activity statistics. For job seekers, the Center is a free service that provides access to employers and nonprofit jobs. In addition to posting their resumes, job seekers can browse and view available jobs based on their criteria and save those jobs for later review if they choose. Job seekers can also create a search agent to provide e-mail notifications of jobs that match their criteria. Visit CAN’s Career Center at http://careercenter.canonprofits.org.

AAM HONORED WITH AWARDS BY THE SOCIETY OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS
The American Association of Museums (AAM) has received two EXCEL awards for excellence in publications from the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP). The annual EXCEL program judges over 1,000 magazines, newsletters, scholarly journals, electronic publications and websites in the areas of editorial quality, design, general excellence and most improved. AAM's awards include: Silver in Special Publications, Books for Riches, Rivals and Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America; and, Bronze in Convention Publications, Program for its 2006 Annual Conference, which was themed, "A Centennial of Ideas."

NONPROFIT LEADERS CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES, OCTOBER 21-23
Hundreds of leaders from the nation’s top charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs will gather in Los Angeles this fall for the annual Independent Sector conference, on October 21 - 23. This year’s conference will focus on the interconnected ideas of opportunity and responsibility, and how organizations can look for meaningful ways to contribute to society on the eve of a critical election season. For more information about the conference and how to register, visit http://www.independentsector.org/AnnualConference/2007/index.html.

AASLH ANNUAL MEETING EARLY BIRD DEADLINE IS JULY 20
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) will host its Annual Meeting September 5-8 in Atlanta, Georgia. Their theme for this year is Relevance = The Bottom Line. Online registration is now available, and early bird registration discounts end July 20. In addition, full-time students can receive free registration to the Meeting in exchange for working two four-hour volunteer shifts during the conference. To apply to volunteer, contact Risa Woodward at the AALSH office by email: woodward@aaslh.org or by phone: (615) 320-3203. For details regarding the AASLH Annual Meeting, visit the conference webpage at http://www.aaslh.org/anmeeting.htm.

COMPASSPOINT NONPROFIT SERVICES OFFERS 2007 NONPROFIT DAY CONFERENCE ON JULY 12
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services is a consulting, research, and training organization providing nonprofits with management tools, strategies, and resources to lead change in their communities. The 2007 Nonprofit Day Conference, will bring together leaders and experts to present sessions on leadership, strategy, and essential skills to help take nonprofit organizations to the next level. The conference will be held July 12, 2007, in San Francisco. For more information, visit https://www.compasspoint.org/onevent/details.php?id=1351.

NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
The National Coalition for History (NCH) has launched its new website, which features real-time access to breaking news through new blog postings on the website and an RSS feed. The website also contains up-to-date issue briefs, and links to Congress, federal agencies and NCH member organizations. In addition, the NCH CapWiz electronic congressional grassroots system is now accessible through the website. For more information, visit http://www.historycoalition.org.

NONPROFIT TIMES RELEASES SPECIAL REPORT ON GROWING CHARITY DONATIONS
The Nonprofit Times has released a special report that documents the more than $295 billion that Americans gave to charity last year, which sets a new one-year record. Led by a good year in the stock market, Americans gave an estimated $295.02 billion during 2006, an increase of 4.2 percent, or $11.97 billion more than 2005, the third consecutive year giving increased. Among types of organizations, the greatest growth rate was among arts, culture and humanities organizations, which experienced a nearly 10-percent increase, the largest change since 2000. An estimated $12.51 billion went to arts, culture and humanities in 2006. To read the full report, visit http://www.nptimes.com/07Jul/Giving%20SR.pdf. For more information, see the Nonprofit Times webpage at http://www.nptimes.com.

CASE FOUNDATION TO LET PUBLIC PARTICIPATE IN GRANTMAKING PROCESS
The Case Foundation in Washington, D.C., has announced that it will let the public play a direct role in determining how some of its grants dollars are allocated, the New York Times reports. The foundation will ask individuals and local nonprofit groups to send in ideas for improving their communities by August 8. A panel of judges will then select a hundred of the most interesting ideas and ask for a more formal proposal. From that pool, another panel of judges will select twenty proposals, each of which will receive $20,000. Finally, in November, the foundation will invite the public to vote on the proposals, with the four receiving the most votes being awarded an additional $25,000. For details, visit the Case Foundation website at http://www.casefoundation.org. To read the full New York Times article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/us/26charity.html.

NEA’S BIG READ PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES
The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Big Read provides citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive a grant, financial support to attend a national orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for distribution, and other materials and services. The deadline to apply is July 31 for communities wishing to host a Big Read program between January and June 2008. For additional information and application procedures, visit the Big Read Web site at http://www.arts.gov/national/bigread/press/bigreadCycle2.html.

FOUNDATION CENTER OFFERS WORKSHOP FOR RECRUITING AND ORIENTING NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The Foundation Center is hosting a workshop for recruiting and orienting new board members on July 17, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Center's office in San Francisco. The workshop will describe a model for board recruitment that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of an organization’s current board. Also included will be specific suggestions on orienting new board members so they are productive from the moment they attend their first board meeting. For more information, visit http://foundationcenter.org/sanfrancisco/wksf7_17.html.

GOODRICH FOUNDATION OFFERING GRANTS FOR EDUCATION, ARTS, AND CULTURE
The Goodrich Corporation Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations in company communities which will support projects for education, arts, and culture. The next application deadline is August 1. For detailed geographic eligibility, visit http://www.goodrich.com/locations. For funding priorities and application guidelines, visit http://www.goodrich.com/CDA/GeneralContent/0,1136,59,00.html.

NEA ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF NATION'S HIGHEST HONOR IN THE FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTS
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the 2007 recipients of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the country's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Twelve fellowships, which include a one-time award of $20,000 each, are presented to honorees from nine states. The awardees were chosen from among 259 nominations on the basis of their artistic excellence, cultural authenticity, and contributions to their field. CAM would like to congratulate the three recipients from California: Violet de Cristoforo, Haiku poet and historian (Salinas); Agustin Lira, Chicano singer, musician, and composer (Fresno); and, Julia Parker, Kashia Pomo basketmaker (Midpines). For more information, visit http://www.arts.gov/news/news07/Heritage2007.html.

CRAIGSLIST FOUNDATION HOSTS NONPROFIT BOOT CAMP
The Nonprofit Boot Camp, hosted by Craigslist Foundation, is designed to educate and empower the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs. The Boot Camp is a one-day event that offers workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities, all focused on how to start and run a vibrant nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Boot Camp is designed to educate and empower the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs. The Boot Camp will be offered in Berkeley on August 18, and in Los Angeles on a to-be-determined date. For more information, visit http://www.craigslistfoundation.org/index.php?page=Boot_Camp.

NHPRC OFFERING GRANTS FOR PUBLISHING HISTORICAL RECORDS
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) supports projects that promote the preservation and use of America's documentary heritage essential to understanding our democracy, history, and culture. Projects may focus on the papers of major figures from American life or cover broad historical movements in politics, military, business, reform movements, the arts, and other aspects of the national experience. Grants are awarded for collecting, describing, preserving, compiling, editing, and publishing documentary source materials. The deadline to submit an optional draft is August 1; The final deadline is October 1. For details, visit http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/publishing.html.

GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR RESEARCH AND ARTISTIC CREATION
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation offers fellowships to further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them with research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts. The fellowships are awarded to men and women who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. The deadline to apply is September 15. For details, see http://www.gf.org/applic.html.

NATIONAL GUILD’S 2007 CONFERENCE FOR COMMUNITY ARTS EDUCATION
Registration for the National Guild’s 2007 Conference for Community Arts Education is now open. This year’s conference will be held at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles on November 7 - 10. Guided by the conviction that participation in the arts is vital to individual fulfillment and community life, the Conference for Community Arts Education provides essential networking and professional development opportunities for executive directors, program directors, development directors, teaching artists and trustees of community-based arts education organizations. The early registration deadline is July 31. For details on registration, special discounts for new members, and early bird registration, visit http://www.communityartsed.org.

NEA OFFERS ARTS ON RADIO AND TELEVISION GRANTS
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is accepting applications for its Arts on Radio and Television grants, which seek to make the excellence and diversity of the arts widely available to the American public through nationally distributed television and radio programs. Grants are available to support the development, production, and national distribution of radio and television programs on the arts. The deadline to apply is September 7. For details, visit http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/RadioTV/index.html.

AIRBORNE TEACHER TRUST FUND GRANTS TO SAVE ART EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Airborne Teacher Trust Fund provides support to elementary and middle school teachers from public and private schools for art and music programs that are in jeopardy of being lost due to budgetary limitations. Teachers and their schools may apply for grants from $200 to $10,000 to be used to implement their programs. The next quarterly application deadline is July 31. Visit http://www.airbornetrust.com for more information.

Get the Word Out in CAM e-News!
Please email the CAM office at editor@calmuseums.org to list any announcements pertaining to professional development programs, grant opportunities, or related opportunities in future editions of CAM e-News and on the CAM web site. Since it is not possible to include all the details of an announcement, please include a phone number, web site address, or email address so interested parties can get additional information. Please do not exceed a limit of 150 words per listing. All announcements are subject to editing by CAM personnel.