National Congress of Vietnamese Americans

The Vietnamese American community is hosting a fundraising dinner. All proceeds from the dinner will be donated to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The foundation is established by authorization of congressional resolution HR 3000 and presidential approval to remember over 100 millions victims of communism, including Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians.

All money raised by December 31, 2003 will be matched dollar to dollar. The memorial will be dedicated in October 2004 in Washington, DC. VOCMF is a 501(c)3 organization any contribution will be tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation, please make check payable to VOCMF and send to:

P.O. Box 8171
Falls Church, VA 22041-8171

About the Foundation

HR 3000, sponsored by Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Senator Claiborne Pell, became Section 905 of Public Law 103-199, which passed unanimously December 17, 1993, signed by President Clinton, Speaker Foley, and President pro tem of the Senate, Robert Byrd. It subsequently has been renewed through Section 326 of PL 105-277, approved October 21, 1998, until December 17, 2007.

The Public Law authorized The National Captive Nations Committee, Inc. to construct, maintain, and operate in the District of Columbia an appropriate international memorial to honor victims of communism, tragically numbering more than 100 million, struck down in an unprecedented imperial communist holocaust through conquests, revolutions, civil wars, purges, wars by proxy, and other violent means. Totalitarian terror countenanced no challenge, from individuals, institutions, political parties, or faiths. Instead, it set out the “big lie” that a classless utopian society with human dignity for all was its goal, then cynically produced exactly the opposite in nation after nation which succumbed to its armed might, shameless intrigues, and hypocrisy. Communism’s collapse, accelerated by heroes within and outside captive nations, came only following a tragedy of lost generations. That they are lost must not mean that they are forgotten, nor that those whose free will remains prisoner to this day may be put from our minds. This memorial will assure that they are, instead, remembered forever and that the history of communist tyranny will be taught to future generations. The National Captive Nations Committee was encouraged by PL 103-199 to create an independent entity to perform this function. The independent entity created is The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

(http://www.victimsofcommunism.org/)

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ASIAN LAW ALLIANCE 27TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER 2004

The Asian Law Alliance will be hosting its 27th Anniversary Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel, 170 S. Market St., San Jose on Friday, March 5, 2004 - 6:00pm cocktails, 7:00 dinner, and 8:00 program.

This year's honorees are as following:

Legal Impact Honoree:

Banafsheh Akhlaghi, Immigration Attorney & Civil Rights Activist

Business Impact Honoree:

Ajay Shah, General Partner of Shah Management, LLC

Community Impact Honoree:

Pete McHugh, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors

Legal Co-Chair:

Melvin D. Chan, Townsend and Townsend and Crew

Business Co-Chair:

Tak S. Chang, Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Silicon Valley

Community Co-Chair:

Wiggsy Sivertsen, San Jose State University

Keynote Speaker:

Dorothy Ehrlich, Executive Director ACLU of Northern California

Emcee:

THUY VU, ABC 7 News Anchor and Reporter

Please Reserve:

___ Individual tickets at $125 each, for a total of $______Table(s) at $1250 each, for a total of $_____

The per person cost above $55.00 is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

To ensure excellent service, please provide the following information.

Name: ____________________________

Organization: ________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

City: ______________________ State: ____ Zip Code:_________

Business Phone: _______________ Home Phone: _____________

E-mail: _____________________________

Sorry, I cannot attend. However, I would like to commit a donation of $ _______

For event information, please contact us at (408) 287-9710 or sccala@pacbell.net. If you are interested, please respond before Friday, February 27 to ensure preferred seating. All tickets will be held at the door. Make check payable to Asian Law Alliance 184 Jackson Street, San Jose, CA 95112.

(http://www.asianlawalliance.org)

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Conference Targets Fundraising Issues
Association of Fundraising Professionals: International Conference on Fundraising

(http://www.afpnet.org/tier3_cd.cfm?folder_id=946&content_item_id=1146)

The Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference on Fundraising offers fundraisers the opportunity to network, learn, and discover new products and services. The conference provides nearly 200 educational sessions addressing a wide variety of fundraising issues that offer the opportunity to learn from practitioners about the latest trends and future challenges. The conference also includes presentations by leaders in philanthropy and the Exposition on Fundraising and Philanthropy, introducing new products and services. The conference will take place March 14-17, 2004, in Seattle, WA. Visit the above website for more information, or to register online.

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Funding Opportunities

Youth Violence and Community Change Research Funding

(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-29895.htm)

Federal Register: December 2, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 231, Pages 67450-67455)
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Youth Violence Prevention Through Community-Level Change

Funding Opportunity Number: 04054

Letter of Intent Deadline: January 2, 2004

Application Deadline: February 17, 2004

Funding Opportunity Description
This program is authorized under section 391(a) of the Public Health Service Act, [42 U.S.C. section 280b(a), as amended].

The purpose of the program is to announce the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds for a cooperative agreement program for the evaluation of community-level interventions to reduce youth violence.

This program addresses the "Healthy People 2010'' focus area Injury and Violence Prevention.

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC): Conduct a targeted program of research to reduce injury-related death and disability.

Research Objectives
Youth violence has been linked to a variety of factors, including individual, family, community, and societal characteristics. While much research has been conducted on interventions with individuals and families, less often have interventions focused on variables at the broader community level.

There are a number of characteristics of communities that increase the probability of violence. Rates of violence are high in areas that have large concentrations of poor and unemployed people, crowded housing, residential instability, family disruption, illegal drug distribution and sales, diminished private economic activity, and limited positive opportunities for youths and adults (Reiss & Roth, 1993; Sampson & Lauritsen, 1994). Rates of violence are also high in neighborhoods where there is low community participation, disorganization, and a lack of cohesion. People living in these types of communities tend to be socially isolated and exhibit lower levels of attachment to the community -- factors that also limit their ability to supervise and control adolescent peer groups, especially gangs (Sampson & Lauritsen, 1994).

Research funded under this announcement is expected to address this important gap in the prevention literature (i.e., the implementation and evaluation of interventions that are designed to modify the above types of community characteristics). The ultimate aim of such an approach is to assess whether interventions designed to change community structures and social processes can reduce rates of youth violence in communities.

At a minimum, competitive applicants will provide theoretical rationale and empirical evidence in support of the specific intervention proposed, and will conduct a rigorous evaluation of the intervention.

Contacts
For general questions about this announcement, contact: Technical Information Management Section, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341,Telephone: 770-488-2700.

For scientific/research program technical assistance, contact:Jennifer Wyatt, Behavioral Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS K-60, Atlanta, Georgia 30341,Telephone: 770-488-4058, E-mail: ANU1@cdc.gov.

For questions about peer review, contact: Gwendolyn Cattledge, Scientific Review Administrator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS K-02, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, Telephone: 770-488-1430, E-mail: gxc8@cdc.gov.

For budget assistance, contact: Nancy Pillar, Grants Management Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, Telephone: 770-488-2721, E-mail: nfp6@cdc.gov.

For more information on this grant, please click here to read the complete Federal Register notice.

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DC: The John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation

(http://fdncenter.org/grantmaker/fowler/)

Nonprofits in the greater Washington, D.C., area that serve at-risk children and youth can seek funding from the John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation.

The foundation also funds programs working on a variety of other social-services issues, including homelessness, hunger, adult literacy, senior issues, and job training. About $1.2 million is awarded annually, with most grants under $10,000.

For more information, contact Richard Lee, President, John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation, 1725 K St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006; 202-728-9080.

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Fieldstone Foundation Fights Community Violence

(http://www.fieldstone-homes.com/foundation/)

The Fieldstone Foundation awards grants to nonprofits in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino, and San Diego counties in California.

Among the foundation's grantmaking interests are preventing community violence and child/domestic abuse, children and family services, child care, and positive alternatives for youth. Applications for funding should be submitted between Jan. 1 and April 30.

For more information, contact Janine Mason Barone, Executive Director, The Fieldstone Foundation, 14 Corporate Plaza, Newport Beach, CA 92660; 949-640-9090.

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Grants Available for N.J. Health Needs

(http://www.rwjf.org/applying/cfpDetail.jsp?cfpCode=NJH&emailid=1110+000002+12022003)

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which is based in New Jersey, is accepting applications for grants under its New Jersey Health Initiative Program.

The New Jersey Health Initiatives Program is designed to improve health and healthcare in New Jersey communities.

Up to eight projects will be funded in this grant round. Grants will range from $50,000 to $400,000 for projects from two to four years in length.

The deadline for brief proposals is Jan. 27, 2004.

Program guidelines and application information are available online at the foundation's website.

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Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) Microenterprise Development Program: 2004 Grant

(http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/micro_index.html)

Application Deadline: Proposals must be submitted online between December 15, 2003 and January 23, 2004, no later than January 23, 2004 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Summary: HP is requesting proposals for participation in the Microenterprise Development Program, a grant initiative targeting nonprofit microenterprise development agencies that serve clients in low-income communities in the United States. The goal of the program is to accelerate the ability of nonprofit microenterprise development agencies to advance economic growth in diverse, low-income communities by 1) making the agencies more efficient and effective through the integration of technology into their core operations and 2) assisting them in providing their clients with access to technology and associated training to optimize its use. HP seeks to build long-term capacity in these organizations and the communities they serve. HP also seeks to assist the microenterprise industry in the U.S. through supporting best practices in the use of technology for microenterprise development.

Eligibility: HP will support nonprofit agencies that have a primary focus on providing microenterprise development programs and services in underserved communities.

Funding: Each grant award will have a total list price value of $150,000 to $250,000 in equipment, cash, services and support. In addition, recipients will receive a travel grant to participate in a symposium to share learnings, address common challenges and provide information that will serve to educate and inform the microenterprise development industry.

Contact information:
H. Camilla Nelson
Program Manager
Philanthropy and Education
Hewlett Packard Company
3000 Hanover Street MS 1029
Palo Alto, California 94304
Phone: 650-857-2820
Fax: 650-857-4598
e-mail: camilla.nelson@hp.com

Additional information: To learn more about the HP Microenterprise Development Program and view a complete copy of the Request for Proposals, please visit: http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/micro_index.html

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CDC Youth Violence-Prevention Research Grants

(http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/04054.htm)

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will award two $500,000 grants to nonprofits or public agencies to evaluate community-led interventions to reduce youth violence.

Applications for the Youth Violence Prevention through Community-Level Change grants are due Feb. 17, 2004.

For more information, call 301-435-0714.

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Ford Supports Education, Environment, Community Development, and More
Ford Motor Company Fund

(http://www.ford.com/en/goodWorks/fundingAndGrants/fordMotorCompanyFund/default.htm)

The Ford Motor Company Fund supports a variety of nonprofit organizations across the nation that strive to make the world a better place. Support is provided for programs targeting education at all levels, the environment, youth, community development, diversity education, conflict resolution, and touring art and cultural exhibitions. Additionally, the Fund provides support to programs and organizations that address specific needs and enhance the quality of life in company communities throughout the country. Applications are accepted year-round. To access the funding guidelines on the Fund's website, click on "View the 2002 Report" and then on "Contributions Guidelines."

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Support for Health, Education, Arts and Culture and Civic Programs
Abbott Laboratories Fund

(http://www.abbott.com/citizenship/fund/fund.shtml)

The Abbott Laboratories Fund provides support to organizations in the areas of health and welfare, education, culture, art, and civic and public policy. Priority is given to organizations that serve Abbott communities located in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Educational support is provided to institutions whose programs and services have the potential to provide short to long-term benefits to the health care industry and its employees. In the areas of culture, art and civic activities, the Fund considers support for specific projects, including community cultural enrichment programs and agencies involved in the administration of justice, public service, social policy and the environment. The Fund primarily supports health and welfare through federated or community drives in Abbott communities. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for application instructions.

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Grants Support Math, Science and Technology Education for Girls and Women
American Association of University Women Educational Foundation

(http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/index.cfm)

The American Association of University Women Educational Foundation provides funds to advance education, research, and self-development for women and girls and to foster equity and positive societal change. The two-year Community Action Grants provide seed money to individual women, AAUW branches and state organizations, and community-based nonprofit organizations for long-term programs and projects focused on K-14 girls' achievement in math, science, and/or technology. The Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships are designed to provide professional development opportunities for women public school teachers; improve girls' learning opportunities, especially in math, science, and technology; and promote equity and long-term change in classrooms, schools, and school systems. Applications are due January 10, 2004, for the Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships and January 15, 2004, for the Community Action Grants. Visit the above website for more information on these programs, as well as other programs the Foundation offers.

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DuPont Supports Education and Community Programs
DuPont Community Involvement Program

(http://www1.dupont.com/NASApp/dupontglobal/corp/index.jsp?page=/content/US/en_US/social/outreach/index.html)

DuPont is committed to improving the quality of life and enhancing the vitality of the communities in which the company operates throughout the world. For a list of major U.S. facilities go to http://www.dupont.com/corp/overview/worldwide/us_alabama.html. Funding areas of interest include educational programs, arts and culture, environmental initiatives, human and health service organizations, and civic and community activities. Additionally, DuPont supports education through partnerships with colleges and universities, as well as K-12 education institutions. Support is provided for programs and initiatives in mathematics, science, and technology education. There are no deadlines for submitting applications; requests are reviewed in the spring and fall. Visit the above website for more information, or to access the application guidelines for both community and education programs.

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Grants Support Public Television Outreach
National Center for Outreach: Connector Grants

(http://www.nationaloutreach.org/)

The goal of the National Center for Outreach (NCO) is to assist public television stations to provide outreach to local communities. In 2004, NCO is offering two rounds of Connector Grants to help stations build strategically on their outreach successes and pursue sustainable outreach projects. These $12,000 grants are designed to help stations build an outreach strand around a particular issue, theme or audience, bridging multiple seasons. The grants work to facilitate long-term initiatives centered around local community issues; build station outreach impact and visibility over time; foster sustainable long-term partnerships and build audiences; and maximize efforts and resources, linking several activities over a period of time. Projects should use three or more broadcasts, at least two of which are national. Applications are due February 20 and July 20, 2004. Visit the above website for more information, or to access application guidelines and forms.

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Northwest Health Foundation Grants

(http://www.nwhf.org/apply.htm#COMMUNITY)

Programs providing health services in Oregon or southwestern Washington may apply for funding through the community grants program of the Northwest Health Foundation.

The foundation's funding interests include health protection; quality of health care; access to health care; basic and applied biomedical, health, and socio-behavioral research; education for health professionals and consumers; and mental health.

Interested nonprofits, educational organizations, and government agencies should submit a letter of inquiry to the foundation no later than April 9, 2004. For more information on applying, see the foundation's website.

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IL: Chicago Youth Service Grants

(http://www.chicagokidstart.org/home)

The Chicago Department of Human Services will award grants to nonprofits that provide outreach services to at-risk youth in the Chicago public-school system.

The KidStart YouthNet program is aimed at helping youths ages 6 to 18 in Chicago schools. Grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded.

Application deadline is Dec. 19.

For more information, contact Renae Ogletree at 312-746-7090.

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Engagement Innovation Test Fund Offers Support for New Outreach Techniques

(http://www.commonassets.org/0.2.html)

Deadline: January 7, 2004

The Common Assets Defense Fund ( http://www.commonassets.org/), a multi-disciplinary organization that seeks to educate the American public about rapidly diminishing public assets and defend those assets from misuse, privatization, and destruction, and the General Service Foundation, which supports grantmaking programs in international peace/human rights, reproductive health and rights, and western water, have joined to establish the Engagement Innovation Test Fund.

The fund is seeking proposals for creative efforts to engage or recruit new members and activists in the work of a public interest organization while educating the public about the organization's mission. The fund will test a number of recruiting techniques from a variety of different organizations and movements and share the lessons learned. The goal is to use a limited investment in a six-month test effort to guide foundations and nonprofits in their investments in engagement activities.

Grants of between $3,000 and $6,000 for a short-term project (six months or less) are competitively available to public charities that qualify under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and wish to undertake a project with replicable results.

For complete program information and application guide- lines, see the Common Assets Web site.

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Jobs/Internships

Google 2004 Anita Borg Scholarships

(http://www.google.com/anitaborg)

Google is pleased to announce two $10,000 scholarships for female students in the computer sciences during the 2004-2005 academic year. One will be awarded to an undergraduate student and one to a graduate (master's level) degree candidate. Selection will be based on the strength of academic background, responses to short essay questions, letters of recommendation and financial need. Complete applications must be received by Friday, January 30, 2004. Finalists will be notified by March 1, 2004 and recipients will be announced on Monday, March 22, 2004.

Eligibility Requirements

Undergraduate Scholarship ($10,000)
* Students must be entering their senior year in the 2004 academic year and majoring in computer science, computer engineering or related field
* Must be enrolled in full-time study
* Cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.4 on a 5.0 scale
* Must be attending university in the US

Graduate Scholarship ($10,000)
* First year master's level students in computer science, computer engineering or related field.
* Must be enrolled in full-time study
* Cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.4 on a 5.0 scale
* Must be attending university in the US

How to Apply

Please send a complete application packet with the following:
* Transcripts: A copy of your current academic record
* Recommendation Letters: Two referral letters from professors or academic advisors
* Resume including current email, school address and phone number, permanent address and phone number, major and expected date of graduation.
* Responses to the following essay questions (no more than half a page each):

Describe a class programming project where you felt you did an exceptional job. Describe the overall project, key technical challenges and how you addressed them. If this was a team effort, describe your contribution.

Describe a programming project you completed outside of class for fun. Describe the problem, technical challenges and your solutions. If you have not completed such a project, describe a program you would like to write, the problem it would solve, and the approach you would use.

Describe a special talent, ability or quality you possess and how it has helped you in your accomplishments.

Describe how you are currently funding your education.

Send your completed application to:

The Google 2004 Anita Borg Scholarship
Google, Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

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Vision New America's 2004 Public Policy Internship Program

(www.visionnewamerica.org)

Vision New America invites and challenges APA Youth to apply for our Leadership Development Program: A 2004 Public Policy Internship

Vision New America is a non-partisan, non-profit, grassroots organization established in Silicon Valley in 1996 to promote the civic participation of underrepresented ethnic groups, starting with the APA community. As a way of developing youth leadership and increasing representation, we offer APA high school and college students, a Summer Public Policy Internship.

Through this program, we recruit, train, and place high school and college students in government offices to provide our youth with an opportunity to gain insight and exposure to governmental affairs and public policy; to build bridges between the APA community and public officials; and to encourage more APAs to participate in mainstream politics and community service.

In the past four years, we have placed nearly 100 high school students at the state, county and city levels of government in California, including members of the California State Legislature, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and San Jose City Council. We also placed almost 20 students in internships at our nation's capital in Washington, D.C.

Vision New America invites and challenges APA high school students in Santa Clara County and college students nationwide to apply. We encourage you to represent our APA community and see how our government really works.

Comments from past interns:

"I [worked] on a project for the APA Voter Project for teens. I needed to prepare to make a 3 minute speech and in front of about 65 teens and a 2 minute presentation with the staff about the importance of registering to vote…Overall, my experience will always be valued and remembered. I learned many things I would never gain in school or at home…I was able to gain knowledge in areas such as communication, community outreach, and the inner-workings of the government." - Kristina Lee, Summer 2003 intern for Secretary of State Kevin Shelley

"The Vision New America Public Policy internship presented an exciting and multifaceted opportunity for me. It was my chance to observe firsthand the political process that occurs at the federal level....D.C. created an environment that is comparable to one found at a university campus. Everyday, I was constantly thinking, reading, listening, reflecting and learning something new." - Huong Q. Hoang, Summer 2003 intern for U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration

The time to apply is now! The application deadline for high school students is January 16, 2004 and for college students: February 1, 2004.

For more information about our organization or programs, or to download your application, visit our website at:
www.VisionNewAmerica.org.

If you have any questions, email JGoltiao@VisionNewAmerica.org, ATTN: Jenelle Goltiao, or call us at (408) 941-0888.

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Culture, Art, Trauma, Survival, Development: Vietnamese Contexts

The William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences
University of Massachusetts Boston

This project is the collaborative effort of the University of Massachusetts Boston's William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences, the Asian American Studies Program, the East Asian Studies Program, and the Institute of Asian American Studies. This project will expand on the work of a previous cycle of fellowships "(Re)constructing Identity and Place in the Vietnamese Diaspora," seeking to examine the roles culture and art have played in the contexts of postwar experiences of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people. Work may focus on both Vietnam and the Diaspora.

The project aims to engage scholars, activists, and community leaders whose work, both practical and theoretical, seeks to address the issues of culture, art, war, trauma, survival, and development. As an acknowledgement of the diverse situations of scholars, artists, and activists in the Vietnamese community, the project will support fellowships with flexible community requirements.

Fellows will make presentations on their research on campus and within the community and will interact with other fellows on campus as part of other institutes' programs as well as the many visiting writers and scholars who take part in other Joiner Center and University Programs. Fellows will receive full university affiliation, including office, library privileges, copy and computing facilities, and telephone, fax and email services. A letter of intent describing the project may be sent prior to December 1st.

Applications include: 1) a ten page essay describing the research project and its relation to other research in the field; 2) a work plan for the proposed project; 3) three letters of recommendation, reviewing the proposed project and the candidate's qualifications; 4) an up-to-date curriculum vitae.

Researchers could submit applications and projects in English or Vietnamese.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2004. Contact: Kevin Bowen/Nguyen Ba Chung, William Joiner Center, Healey Library, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125-3393, 617-287-5850, fax 617-287-5855, email chung.nguyen@umb.edu, www.joinercenter.umb.edu.

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POLICY DIRECTOR

(full-time position, available immediately)

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Washington, D.C.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) seeks an experienced individual to serve full-time as its Policy Director in Washington, D.C., to coordinate legislative and policy initiatives of the organization. The Policy Director will work under the supervision of NAPABA’s Executive Director, who is based in Los Angeles, California.

NAPABA is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. NAPABA represents over 40,000 attorneys in 45 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of minorities in the legal profession.

The Policy Director’s responsibilities will include:

§ Working with the Executive Director and the NAPABA Board of Governors in setting and implementing policy and program initiatives;

§ Meeting with policymakers to address issues of interest to the Asian Pacific American community;

§ Meeting and coordinating with local NAPABA chapters and other Asian Pacific American and nonprofit organizations to promote initiatives and responses on issues of common concern;

§ Working with the Executive Director in responding to membership concerns and requests for action; and

§ Assisting the Executive Director and the NAPABA Board with fundraising and other general office management duties.

Qualifications: Law degree and/or Capitol Hill experience strongly preferred. Must possess self-initiative and an ability to work with a wide variety of different people and organizations. Leadership, communication and management skills essential. Understanding of the Asian Pacific American community necessary – experience working with national Asian Pacific American organizations and/or legal communities preferred. Some travel required.

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should send or email a cover letter and resume to either:

Michael P. Chu

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

NBC Tower, Suite 3600

455 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60611-5599

Email: mchu@brinkshofer.com

John C. Yang

Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP

1776 K Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

Email: jyang@wrf.com

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Do you want to empower the next generation of women leaders?

Girls For A Change is entering its second year of empowering girls to be social change agents in their own neighborhoods.

This past year, girls across Silicon Valley have been busy making change by developing the only school recycling program in their school district and creating and leading youth forums for students to speak out. They have also implemented a community health and self-esteem conferences that addressed the issues facing young women today.

The program partners 1,000 urban girls with 200 professional women in Silicon Valley who break into teams of 10 girls and two women coaches. With guidance from the women, over the course of a year, the girl teams identify an issue that needs to change in their community.

Girls then come up with a solution to institute that change and design, lead, fund and implement a project that will solve the issue they identified. The program not only helps girls learn the skills they need to be successful decision makers of the future, but also allows them to network with professional women and politicians throughout Silicon Valley. Girls For A Change provides the tools, resources and support girls need to move from being spectators to being leaders

We are looking forward to continuing the tide of social change and are looking for women volunteers and girls in middle school and high school interested in joining Girls For A Change. We have several volunteer positions open and are looking for women coaches to work with the girls directly over the course of a year. Please see the application attached to this email.

For more information about volunteering or joining our program, please contact, Carrie Ellett, Director of Program and Recruitment, 408-515-8148 or carrie@girlsforachange.org OR visit our website at www.girlsforachange.org

Carrie Ellett

Girls For A Change

Director of Program and Recruitment

408.515.8148

650.752.5745, fax

395 Page Mill Road

Palo Alto, CA 94306

www.girlsforachange.org

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Do Something Brick Awards

(http://www.dosomething.org/)

The youth-leadership group Do Something is seeking applicants for its annual Brick Awards, which honors under-18s for their work in the areas of community building, health, and the environment.

Each 2004 Do Something Brick Award winner will receive a $5,000 higher-education grant, a $5,000 award to continue their community work, and other support. Six winners will be selected.

Deadline for applications is April 8, 2004. For an application or more information, see the Do Something website.

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Economic Policy/Federal Budget Internship

OMB Watch Federal Budget group is seeking a full or part time graduate or undergraduate intern to assist researches with a wide range of activities including federal tax and budget analysis. Inquire jsirons@ombwatch.org or visit http://www.ombwatch.org for additional information.

(www.ombwatch.org)

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LEAP Leadership in Action Summer Internship Program

This is an 8-week program designed to develop emerging leaders by providing college students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience working in Asian Pacific American community-based nonprofit organizations in Southern California. For more information, contact Grant Sunoo at gsunoo@leap.org, (213) -485-1422, ext. 4107.

(www.leap.org)

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Council on Foundations Offers Emerging Philanthropic Leaders Fellowship Program

Deadline: December 31, 2003

The Emerging Philanthropic Leaders Fellowship program, an initiative of the Council on Foundations ( http://www.cof.org/ ), is designed to increase the number of individuals from diverse communities who have the understanding and skills they need to support the work of foundation management. The Council welcomes suggestions for fellowship candidates through both nominations and applications.

Two individuals are selected each year to receive a two-year fellowship. Fellowships are determined through a selective process. The Council considers nominees and applicants with the following qualifications: 1) the nominee or applicant must have at least two years' experience in the philanthropic arena, with at least one year in a leadership position; and 2) the nominee or applicant's organization must have a focus on increasing and expanding philanthropic programs within communities that are historically under-represented in institutional philanthropy. Nominees or applicants must be associated with a Council on Foundations member or member-eligible organization.

Each fellow receives regular telephone and e-mail communi- cation with a mentor who is a committed senior executive in philanthropy; support to attend two CoF-sponsored conferences over the two years of the fellowship under the guidance of their mentor; travel costs to tour the mentor's organization and observe the daily grantmaking and operational functions of traditional foundations; assistance with organizational development through a site visit to the fellow's organization by either the mentor or an approved management consultant; and support to purchase personal growth and organizational development books and other resources.

For further information on the program and application procedures, see the Council's Web site.

(http://www.cof.org/index.cfm?containerid=65&menuContainerID=0&crumb=2&navID=0)

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Nominations Invited for Jonathan Mann Award Honoring Work in International Health and Human Rights

(http://www.globalhealth.org/view_top.php3?id=238)

Deadline: February 3, 2004

The Association François-Xavier Bagnoud, Doctors of the World, and the Global Health Council have partnered to support the Jonathan Mann Award in international health and human rights. The award is presented annually to a leading practitioner in health and human rights, be it an individual or organization, and is designed to allow its recipients a measure of financial freedom to pursue their work in the area of global health and human rights.

Nominations of an individual or individuals may be submitted by anyone from any country.

In reviewing the nominees, the following criteria will be considered and evaluated: evidence of practical work in the field and in difficult circumstances; actual rele- vance to the linkage of health with human rights; evidence of the nominee's activities taking place predominately in developing countries and with marginalized people; evidence of a serious, long-term commitment by the nominee; poten- tial for the award to strengthen the nominee's work; potential for receipt of the award to raise the profile of the award itself; potential of the award to enhance the visibility and public awareness of the issue or project the nominee is addressing; and potential for attracting additional resources toward resolution of the issue.

Individuals and organizations working at the grassroots level will be given the same attention and opportunities as those operating at the national or international level. For nomination guidelines and background information on the award, see the Global Health Council's Web site.

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Tips

A Fundraiser's Newsyletter November 2003

Visit Simone online! Joyaux Associates' new website includes resources on philanthropy and fundraising, information on training and workshops, details on the firm's services and capabilities, and, of course, back issues of the Newsyletter. Check it out at www.simonejoyaux.com. Also, for tips on improving your communications, see the website of Ahern Ink: www.aherncomm.com.

Adhere to Simone's basic principles of fund development:

Most people give because they are asked. It's that simple. But only ask those who care about your cause.
Individuals give the largest portion of philanthropic contributions in the U.S. -- between 80% and 90% of all charitable gifts.
It's not what you're selling, it's what I'm buying that counts. Match the donor's interests, motivations, and aspirations and they will give to you.
Don't universalize your own passion. Not everyone is interested in your cause, no matter how convincing you are. Find those who share your passion.
Don't trespass on personal and professional relationships. Ask your volunteers to use their connections to identify those who are predisposed to support your cause and build relationships with them.
You -- the board member, development officer, CEO, fundraising volunteer -- have to give first. Belief in your cause is demonstrated by giving money, not just time.
Most fund-development problems are actually organizational-development problems (board recruitment, program quality, communications, etc.). Fix them!
The mission of fund development is to secure donors, not donations. It's about loyalty and commitment.
Fund development is a process and a profession. The process includes planning, marketing, managing, budgeting, cultivating, soliciting, and more. The profession is founded on ethical principles and standards, incorporates a documented body of knowledge demonstrated through best practices, and protects the public through a certification process.
Volunteers are essential for fund development. When enabled by professional experts, they are ideally suited for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors.
A balanced mix of solicitation strategies and funding sources ensures stability and credibility.
The best way to secure a contribution is a face-to-face request by the right person at the right time for the right project, and for the right amount.
Donors have rights, and you are responsible for ensuring that they are upheld. Adopt and adhere to the Donors Bill of Rights.

[Source: Basic Principles of Fund Development, Simone P. Joyaux. For more information, see www.simonejoyaux.com]

Gag office gossip. Gossip saps employee morale and productivity. To mute water-cooler chatter:

Keep employees well-informed. Effective communication about promotions and other changes can prevent speculation.
Build a supportive workplace culture. The worst gossip often occurs in overly competitive environments.
Establish and enforce a policy against malicious personal gossip.
Deal with rumors immediately.
Confront chronic gossips. Use one-on-one meetings or the "communication" section of employee evaluations to deliver the message that office gossip is unacceptable.

[Source: "Loose Lips, Pink Slips," Samuel Greengard, Arrive magazine, November/December 2003. McMurry Publications, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036.]

Help companies get rid of old computers. Many firms upgrade their computer equipment regularly. But disposal of older computers -- even those just a few years old -- can be a hassle. Companies don't want to landfill the equipment. But they also want to ensure that donations go to worthy recipients.

By acting as an "outsourcing" agent for disposing of old computers, nonprofits can get still-valuable equipment for their programs or clients as well as providing a valuable service for local companies. Moreover, donating computers to charity earns companies a tax deduction.

Individual charities can ask companies to donate computers. Or, you can link up with organizations like the National Cristina Foundation or the Computer Recycling Center, which gather donated computers from companies, refurbish them, and distribute the equipment to nonprofits, schools, and community groups.

[Source: "'Good' Riddance to Used Computer Equipment," Divya Manning, Inside Corporate Philanthropy, September 5, 2003. www.onphilanthropy.com]

Americans are drowning in choices. Supermarkets now carry 30,000 items, up from 5,000 in the 1950s. We're bombarded with up to 5,000 ads a day, compared to about 500 in the 1970s.

More charities also compete for consumers' attention: In 1960, there were 25,000 nonprofits in the U.S. Today: more than 2 million. The number of nonprofits has increased 12% in just the past three years.

To fight through the clutter:

Find new ways of acquiring donors, such as e-mail, the Internet, and alternate response media (ARM).
Spice up your fund-raising appeals through storytelling, localize your campaigns, and seeking matching gifts.

[Source: "Do Donors Have Too Many Choices," Kelly Cummings, Today's Fundraiser, September 5, 2003. www.onphilanthropy.com]

Good database management is good stewardship. Managing your donor lists keeps communication flowing, decreases unwanted mail, and cuts costs.

To keep your database healthy, involve your database manager and staff in your fundraising mission by:

Stressing the importance of accurate data entry. Nothing alienates a donor more than getting a letter with their name misspelled.
Educating database staff on basic fundraising so they understand the importance of what they do.
Ensuring that list-related donor complaints are shared with the development director. Develop a consistent response strategy for common complaints, such as supporters who want less or no mail.
Updating donor contact information via an NCOA (National Change of Address) query at least once a year.

[Source: "Caring for Your Donor File is Caring for Your Donors," Randy Brewer, Today's Fundraiser, September 5, 2003. www.onphilanthropy.com]

Are you reaching out to older Americans and ethnic communities to recruit volunteers? 90% of African-Americans over age 45 volunteer, a far higher percentage than among white Americans. And Hispanic volunteers give the most hours -- an average of 22 hours a month. Yet Latinos and African-Americans are asked less frequently than whites to volunteer or donate money.

Overall, 86% of Americans over age 45 volunteer. 30% say the 9/11 terrorist attacks made them more willing to give their time.

Working seniors could become the most generous donors over the next decade. Many baby boomers, now turning 50, are college grads, volunteered in their youth, and grew up in homes where parents volunteered. And in the next 10 years, the over-50 population will increase by 18.3 million people.

For more information, see the American Association of Retired People (AARP)'s "Multicultural Study 2003: Time and Money: An In-Depth Look at 45-
Plus Volunteers and Donors"; the executive summary can be downloaded free online.

Also, see "Experience at Work: Volunteering and Giving Among Americans 50 and Older," a study by AARP and Independent Sector, also available online.

[Source: AARP press release, September 14, 2003; and Independent Sector press release, November 4, 2003.]

Target smaller donations. 86% of Americans are still donating to charity. But they're giving smaller gifts.

In 2003, 14% of donors gave gifts of $500 or more. That's down from 24% in 2001.

For more information, see the report, "Vertis Customer Focus 2003: Direct Marketing for the Nonprofit Sector," available free from Scott Marden, Director of Market Research, Vertis, 250 West Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201; 978-388-2492.

[Source: "Donors are Giving Less Than in 2001, Poll Finds," Matt Murray, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 16, 2003. P.O. Box 1989, Marion, OH 43305; 800-728-2819.]

Check your mailing list to determine which of your donors would like to receive information via e-mail. Then start an electronic newsletter to cultivate and nurture donors.

An e-newsletter can keep you in regular contact with supporters. It provides a forum to promote your purpose and services. It gives you a platform to demonstrate your successes and provide important and interesting information. And when archived online, the newsletter can be a valuable resource for members or donors.

E-newsletters are cheaper, faster, and more environmentally friendly than paper publications. They also can be tracked more efficiently, so you'll know if they have been received by the recipient, which articles were read, and what links were clicked on. This information can be used to better tailor your publications and appeals to match the interests of your supporters.

E-mailed publications also can include easy-to-use registration forms for upcoming events or training classes offered to supporters; interactive polls and surveys that can provide instant feedback on issues; and forms for updating contact information. And, of course, your e-newsletter always should include a call for donations, linked to an easy online mechanism for giving.

[Source: "A Good e-Newsletter Can Work Wonders for Your Nonprofit," Chris Donald, Philanthropy News Network Online, November 12, 2003.]

Companies crave recognition when partnering with nonprofits. Recognition programs add credibility to corporate philanthropy, raise awareness of the issue supported, and are plain old good public relations for the firm.

Recognition programs can include presenting an award to your corporate partner, issuing press releases promoting your relationship, and holding a joint press conference that positions the company as an expert on your issues. You can even feature the company's logo on your website and link to their corporate site.

Joint press releases should include a quote from a prominent company official, a brief description of the business, and a short explanation of the connection between the firm and the issue it is supporting. When companies make in-kind donations, mention the specific brand names of the products being donated.

Nonprofits may consider using the media and public-relations expertise and staff of their corporate partner to promote the relationship. But be sure to establish a clear understanding of each party's role in the recognition program. And remember: It is totally appropriate for your group to state up front what you will or will not do to promote your partner.

[Source: "Using Recognition to Build Corporate Partnerships," Connette Gayle, Inside Corporate Philanthropy, July 18, 2003. www.onphilanthropy.com.]

Board turnover is inevitable. Keep transitions smooth. Start by using a board-service form to gauge each new board candidate's commitment. Ask what issues interest the candidate the most, how much time they have to contribute, what they want to gain from service, and what skills they bring to the job. The form should spell out the board member's expected annual time commitment, meeting attendance, and fund-raising role.

The executive director should write a letter to each new board member welcoming them to the job and suggesting a visit or tour. Departing board members should be asked to attend a transitional interview with the new member.

Reinforce the importance of the board member's role by formally administering an oath of office. Give new board members a chance to mingle with their peers by setting up a dinner or some other informal event.

Finally, give the new board member meaningful work. And conduct a follow-up orientation after a few months to answer questions and address issues not tackled during the first interview.

[Source: "Make for a Smooth Changing of the Board Guard When Transition Occurs," Board & Administrator for Administrators Only, March 2003. Aspen Publishers, 7201 McKinney Circle, Frederick, MD 21704; 800-638-8437.]

Ensure that your board members understand their fiscal responsibilities. Nonprofit boards set financial policy for the organization. They determine how money will be spent. They help develop and approve the annual budget, but delegate implementation of fiscal policies to the chief financial officer.

Board members also are responsible for monitoring financial outcomes to ensure that the organization is solvent, on target with planned expenses and revenues, and has income to meet future expenses.

To fulfill these responsibilities, board members should be provided with a basic financial statement, bottom-line figures on revenues and expenditures, and historical fiscal data for comparison.

[Source: "Understanding Your Financial Responsibility," Board & Administrator for Board Members, March 2003. Aspen Publishers, 7201 McKinney Circle, Frederick, MD 21704; 800-638-8437.]

Internet ...

Campbell Research recently surveyed nonprofit employees about their favorite fundraising software. Among the best-rated were:

Donor2 from Systems Support Services

Raiser's Edge from Blackbaud

ResultsPlus from Metafile Information Systems

Matchmaker 2000

eTapestry

[Source: "Charity Fund Raisers Rate Software in Online Survey," Nicole Wallace, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 2, 2003. P.O. Box 1989, Marion, OH 43305; 800-728-2819.]

Resources ...

"These are the books and articles that have made the biggest difference in my life in philanthropy," says Simone:

Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change by Chuck Collins and Pam Rogers. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.

Built to Last by James C. and Jerry I. Porras. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994.

"The Living Company," by Arie De Geus. Harvard Business Review, March-April 1997.

"The Greatest Leadership Challenge: Renewing our Belief in Democracy and Political Advocacy," by Scott Harshbarger. The Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2003.

"The Commons: Our Mission If We Choose to Accept It," by Roger Lohmann. The Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2003.

"Who's Promoting the General Welfare?" by Jeff Madrick. The Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2003

Clicks and Mortar by David S. Pottruckand Terry Pearce. Jossey-Bass Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, 2000.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of a Learning Organization by Peter M. Senge. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

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Charities Can Lobby, Despite Misconceptions

Not only are nonprofit groups allowed to lobby, a little-known 1976 law gives them more ability to do so than is commonly recognized, the Washington Post reported Nov. 30.

Many nonprofit leaders either don't understand how federal tax laws work regarding lobbying by tax-deductible groups or let the fear of an IRS audit dissuade them from exercising their rights under the law. A Washington Post survey of 1,700 nonprofit groups found that most needlessly limit their advocacy efforts.

"We found that the typical executive director of a 501(c)(3) has little understanding of what the law says," according to the article by Jeffrey M. Berry (jeffrey.berry@tufts.edu), a political-science professor at Tufts University. "Almost half of those surveyed are so ignorant of the law that they don't even believe their organization has the right to take a stand on federal legislation (perfectly permissible), while 45 percent believe they are not allowed to sponsor a debate featuring candidates running for public office (they can't support a candidate, but a candidate forum is just fine)."

Part of the problem is a confusing set of regulations. Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, for example, says nonprofits can't lobby to any "substantial" degree, but the IRS has refused to clarify what is meant by "substantial." On the other hand, nonprofits are allowed to "educate" lawmakers without constraint. "For political scientists, this is a preposterous distinction," wrote Berry. "To educate lawmakers is to lobby."

The good news is that a 1976 law provides some clear-cut guidance to nonprofits. By choosing what's known as the "H election" when filing their tax returns, nonprofits can easily spend as much as 20 percent of their annual budgets on lobbying without running afoul of the IRS. The only catch is that nonprofits have to keep track of and report their (rather narrowly defined) spending on lobbying activities.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20633-2003Nov29.html)

(http://www.allianceforjustice.org/foundation/technical_resources/501h_election/)

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Making Media Partnerships

(http://www.kintera.com)

Nonprofit groups and media companies are partnering for cause-related marketing efforts that generate exposure for charities and goodwill for broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines.

The Philanthropy News Network reported Dec. 3 that the Kintera Media Network is helping to bring nonprofits and media firms together. The online firm has more than 30 media partners nationally who use Kintera's web-based software to provide online publicity, collect registrations and donations online, and otherwise support joint-marketing campaigns for charity.

"By partnering with Kintera, we have been able to reach out to the nonprofit community, provide a valuable value-ad resource calendar for our readers, and launch a new annual Social Datebook in which we were able to capture additional advertising sponsorships and generate local community support," said Kevin Dunn of Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine.

Added Larissa Roman of the National MS Society's San Diego chapter: "Through the Kintera Media Network, out print ad promoting the Union Bank of California MS Dinner Auction greatly helped to broaden our reach and boost our fundraising and awareness-building efforts."

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News

November 26, 2003

Immigrants who exit U.S. may need re-entry permit
By Jessie Mangaliman and Edwin Garcia
Mercury News

With the arrival of the holiday travel season, officials of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are reminding immigrants to obtain important travel documents before leaving the country for travel abroad.

Leaving the United States without advanced parole, form I-131, may hinder the applications of some immigrants who have applied for green cards.

``These requirements must be met before leaving and are imperative for return to the U.S.,'' CIS Director Eduardo Aguirre said in a recent news release, part of the agency's efforts to improve customer service.

Bay Area immigration lawyers issued a similar caution. A 1996 immigration law bars U.S. re-entry to people who were undocumented or overstayed their visas some time in their past, even though they have pending applications to change their immigration status.

For example, a high-tech worker whose H-1B visa expired -- even if the person was unable to renew it because he could not find a new employer -- would be considered out of status. After traveling abroad, that person could be denied re-entry into the United States, said Kirsten Schlenger, an immigration lawyer from San Francisco.

Under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, a person who is living in the United States illegally for about six months can be barred from the country for three years. Those who are living illegally for a year or more can be barred for 10 years.

The law, and its penalties, are triggered when an immigrant who has a pending application for a green card leaves the United States.

``People should assess their cases very carefully because the penalties are very harsh,'' said Beverly Byrd, an immigration lawyer in San Jose.

The CIS may unwittingly issue an immigrant advanced parole, not realizing that the person's visa had once expired. The problem often arises at the port of entry, lawyers said, when immigration inspectors discover the lapse.

For people holding valid visas, lawyers say, it's a good idea to plan ahead when applying for advanced parole.

Immigrants with pending green card applications who want to travel abroad should call the National Customer Service Center, (800) 375-5283 or check the CIS Web site, www.uscis.gov.

Immigrants should consult an immigration attorney or a non-profit organization accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Refugee documents

Refugees, people granted asylum and permanent residents in the United States who don't have passports from their native countries will be issued new travel documents.

A light green, passport-size document replaces the existing re-entry permit that many refugees use when traveling abroad, said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for CIS in Washington, D.C.

The new documents have digital photographs and other hidden security features that make it difficult to counterfeit, Bentley said.

Send your questions to immigration@ mercurynews.com or fax us at (408) 288-8060. You can also write to us at Immigrant Experience, San Jose Mercury News, Newsroom, 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95190.

(http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/7354066.htm)

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November 30, 2003

Hope for the forgotten

Stuck in Philippines for 14 years, Vietnamese refugees may finally make it to U.S.

By TOM BERG

The Orange County Register

PALAWAN, PHILIPPINES - There is no sign. No indication anymore of the significance of this abandoned refugee camp that once changed thousands of lives.

But a few miles from Puerto Princesa Airport on the island of Palawan, past endless rows of bamboo huts and cinderblock shacks, past a sign that reads "Puerto Princesa - the cleanest and greenest in the Philippines," comes the turnoff.

Down this overgrown dirt road are the last of the last. The squatters of old Palawan Camp, known officially as The Philippine First Asylum Camp.

Inside these bamboo shacks, Vietnamese who once risked their lives to escape communism eat three-day-old fish from a tin pot, cook with stagnant rainwater from a concrete cistern, and climb a homemade ladder to a wall-less bathroom in a rear shack. To flush, they carry a bucket of water up the ladder.

"I left Vietnam to find freedom, to find a better place," says Thuong Thi Nguyen, 54, offering her best chair - a worn stool - to a visitor and turning on an old fan that takes a full minute to begin spinning. Here in Palawan, everything moves slowly. Even the electricity.

"I didn't expect to be stuck in the Philippines, in this condition," says the mother of one, who tried to flee Vietnam 10 times before finally escaping in 1992. "I worry that I might die here and leave my son alone. In the United States, I could die in peace."

Dreams of reaching America - vanquished 14 years ago on this island - began resurfacing last month with news that the United States is considering taking this final, forgotten group of some 1,500 Vietnamese boat people to close the books, once and for all, on the Vietnam War.

Thuong Thi Nguyen dreams of reuniting with a cousin in Costa Mesa.

"If I saw him again," she says, "I couldn't say a word. I'd just cry."

She grows quiet. The only sound is from the cheap fan carving the Philippine humidity. The only movement is from three brown dogs - Minnow, Bo and an unnamed puppy - lolling on a concrete floor beneath a coconut- leaf roof.

It's quiet now, but these 25 acres bustled with activity from 1979 to 1996, when an estimated 350,000 Vietnamese boat people passed through the Philippines seeking freedom. In those days, some shacks housed 26 people at a time, but no one cared. Life was bursting with promise. With hope. With an image of America.

Thuong Thi Nguyen's older cousin, Xuan Nguyen, is one of the lucky ones who made it to America. The Costa Mesa parts assembler hasn't seen Thuong Thi Nguyen since 1980 but writes often and sends money when he can.

"I would be happy to sponsor her," he says through an interpreter. "I would take care of her. I would drive her around to do all her paperwork. I would introduce her to life here."

But that might never happen. Life changed for Vietnam's boat people on March 24, 1989, when the world community decided that those fleeing Vietnam were no longer escaping political persecution but rather a bad economy. They were no longer considered automatic refugees.

In 1996, refugee camps in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong returned their boat people. The Philippines tried. But the Catholic Church interceded. The boat people protested. The world watched. And the Philippines relented after one plane load.

Since then, an estimated 1,500 Vietnamese have been stranded throughout the Philippines. Most are not as poor as those on Palawan. Still, they have no rights to own property or to hold jobs, no police protection, no chance to settle elsewhere and no desire to return to Vietnam. They are forgotten. Stateless. Abandoned.

"This is my life, whether I like it or not," says Thuong's son Niem Hoa Quy, 17, who strums "Hotel California," on a discarded guitar. "This is my life. And I wonder, 'Is there a better life?' "

Each evening under dim light, he studies English from five tattered books before retiring to his cot, where he dreams of becoming an engineer or lawyer - or, on some magical nights, of becoming the president of Vietnam.

"I feel free as a child who can study or play here," he says, "but if you look at my future, I cannot become what I dream of. I cannot be a lawyer or an engineer, but just a tricycle (taxi) driver."

Today, 14 years after many of these boat people first landed in the Philippines, their fate remains unknown. And disputed.

Today, their lives rest in the hands of two opposing forces - one a demure, aging nun; the other a gregarious young attorney - locked in a battle of immense consequence to Thuong Thi Nguyen and her son.

The nun, many here say, once held the answer. But the young attorney - a refugee himself, who grew up in Australia and sounds like Crocodile Dundee - offers something they haven't felt in an eternity: Hope.

In the six years since Melbourne's Hoi Trinh, 33, began volunteering to resettle the boat people, he's persuaded Australia to accept 258 of them. And now he's persuaded 20 U.S. senators and representatives to urge the State Department to accept most of the rest. Trinh spent the last two weeks in Washington, D.C., talking with officials at the State Department and a special assistant to President George W. Bush.

"The State Department told me that a decision is imminent," he says by phone. "We are very, very close to a decision."

On Palawan, such news tastes like a slice of heaven.

"If I have a chance to go to the United States, I will get a second life - again," says Mai Tuyet Thi Pham, 44, squatting in a rented shack in a back alley of downtown Puerto Princesa - a half-world away from her sister's impeccable home in Westminster. It took her 12 years to escape Vietnam. To get here. A cockroach scurries across the floor of the home she shares with her husband and three children. A home where the beds have no mattresses, the back entrance no door, and some windows no glass. Mosquitoes, on this island known for malaria, buzz everywhere. She is squatting to demonstrate how she rode for seven days and nights with 111 people on a 40-foot boat to escape Vietnam. "You couldn't move at all," she says, through a translator.

"We did not eat anything because of all the waves," she says. "We just drank water and lemon."

How much water?

"It's really hard to describe," she says, "but it's very, very little."

She is asked to try, and she points to a tiny bottle of water, maybe eight ounces.

"That's it?" she is asked. "A cup?"

She takes the bottle and opens it. Carefully, not to spill any, she tips a few drops into the cap. Less than half-full.

"Very little," she repeats. "Very, very little." Mai Pham left with the second of three waves of refugees that fled after the Vietnam War, according to the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center in Washington, D.C. The number of Vietnamese refugees and their American-born children now living in the U.S. is close to 1 million.

The first wave of more than 130,000 came with the fall of Saigon in April 1975, their fate indelibly burned in the American psyche by TV news footage of those who clung to overcrowded helicopters.

The second wave became known as the "boat people," for that is how more than 1 million escaped from the late 1970s through the 1980s. Many were ex-soldiers, teachers and intellectuals associated with the South Vietnamese Army who lost jobs and homes before being sent to "re-education camps," and then new economic work zones. Families often tried and failed at dozens of escapes over more than a decade, intentionally splitting family members to increase the odds of at least some succeeding.

The third wave came in response to piracy and drowning at sea (which some estimates put at more than 50 percent) when the United Nations arranged for nearly half a million political prisoners, their dependents and others to leave Vietnam.

The largest number of Vietnamese refugees now live in Southern California, like Mai Pham's oldest sister, Lan Thi Pham, 66, of Westminster.

Lan Thi Pham, her husband and five children all were boat people. They arrived in America in 1979 with $26, scrubbed floors and cleaned toilets until they learned English and could take better jobs. Today, their children are engineers and lawyers and businessmen. Life is good.

Lan Pham stares at recent photos of her sister's family and weeps. Her hands rush to her to face. She leans in close, speaking to herself in Vietnamese between sniffles. "Very harsh conditions," she whispers, her tears nearly enough to fill the bottle cap her sister held just days earlier.

"It really hurts me," Lan Pham says. "I still wait for the day when we can be reunited again, but it's been so long. I used to have really high hopes, but now it's been such a long time."

Then she sees a picture of her sister's children and smiles. One boy holds a sign, hand-written in English, that reads: "Welcome lawyer hero Trinh Hoi."

She recognizes the name. Many Vietnamese-Americans in Orange County know it.

"They tell me," Lan Pham says, crying, in her well- appointed home of polished furniture and plants, "he will try very hard to get them permission."

Hoi Trinh says he is close. Others agree, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, one of Trinh's earliest supporters.

"We've been working on this for almost three years," says Sanchez. "A State Department attorney said, 'Yes, we decided to grant them refugee status.' So supposedly the State Department has agreed. Now, have we seen movement of that process? Not yet." She, Hoi Trinh and many Vietnamese-Americans in Orange County await a formal decision, which must come from the State Department. Meanwhile, half a world away, Sister Pascale Le Thi Triu, a Vietnamese Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, is petitioning the Philippines Senate to take action that could undermine Trinh's efforts in the United States.

The sister has long sought permanent residence for the boat people stuck in the Philippines. And now she is pushing the Senate to pass such a bill before it ends its session in December. Passage would likely thwart any chance of the Untied States considering the boat people refugees.

Senate President Pro-tem Juan M. Flavier has asked the bill be deferred until the United States makes a decision, vowing, "I will delay." Flavier is backed by the boat people themselves, who now live throughout the Philippines, but whose jobs are limited to taxi driving and selling small items door to door. Many show up each day at the Senate to see which way their fate will turn. They want to go to the United States. Only should that fail do they want Sister Pascale's bill to go forward. Not until then.

"If we do not try to catch this chance," says Tranh The Ha, president of the Vietnamese Community in the Philippines, representing the boat people, "we might never get it again."

It is that one final chance that former refugee Hoi Trinh is trying to catch. When he first started lobbying the State Department three years ago, a midlevel bureaucrat told him, "Hoi, none of them are dying."

"I remember thinking, 'Man, if you're going to wait till they die, I don't need you. I need coffin makers.' "

"In Washington," he adds, "you don't hear people crying."

In Palawan, you do.

It is dark now in Puerto Princesa. The mosquitoes are out. Over in the old Palawan Camp, Niem Hoa Quy, 17, is dreaming of becoming an engineer or lawyer or president of Vietnam.

A few miles away Hong Thi Tran, 43, sits barefoot for hours waiting to talk to a visitor from the United States. Silent. Stoic. Strong. She has been waiting 14 years for this moment. Since she and 42 people rode a boat for 15 days to escape Vietnam in February 1989. On day 10, they ran out of food and water. To survive, they had to drink their own urine. For five days. Her brother eventually made it to Montana. Her cousin made it to Garden Grove. She shows pictures of both.

"The cost of freedom is so high," she says. "Fifteen days on that boat, 14 years in Palawan - that's how much you pay for freedom."

She fights tears to get out the words that have stuck in her throat all these years.

"It isn't fair," she says, calmly folding her hands. "It isn't fair. I know that freedom costs a lot. If you want to have freedom, you have to sacrifice. The thought of freedom is what helped me overcome the pain."

Finally, she cannot hold back. Tears roll down her cheeks.

"I always pray to God, 'Please, help my family get to the United States,' " she says. "Because we have paid a heavy price."

It is late. Time for the boat people of the Philippines to scatter. Hoping their fate is not forgotten like the cockroaches on the floors of Palawan.

-------------------------

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KaYing Yang, Executive Director
December 2, 2003 202-667-4690
or kaying@searac.org

SEARAC SELECTS NEW CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Washington, DC - The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) announces the election of Bouy Te as its Chair of the Board of Directors for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. At its annual board meeting in November, the Board of Directors also completed a strategic plan to guide the organization for the next five years. SEARAC remains committed to serve as a national voice for Southeast Asian Americans throughout the United States. According to the Census 2000, there are more than 1.8 million Southeast Asian Americans, making up 14% of the total Asian American community.

Chair Emeritus Philip Tuong Duy Nguyen stated, "Bouy has been an invaluable board member, bringing many years of expertise in education issues and experience working in federal government. We are pleased to see him at the helm of this fine organization."

During a year-long strategic planning process, the Board discussed the changing needs of Southeast Asian Americans, and finalized a plan to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the oldest and only national organization that serves that community. The year 2004 also marks the 25^th Anniversary of SEARAC. The new chair and strategic plan will enhance SEARAC's ability to lead a strong Southeast Asian American community into the 21st Century.

"SEARAC's long history was built on humanitarian concerns for the lives of Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese refugees after the end of the Vietnam War and genocide in Cambodia. SEARAC's future is focused on the leadership of Southeast Asian Americans living in the United States who want to ensure that our future is filled with peace, freedom, civil rights and equal opportunity to quality public education for every child. We will continue the legacy of our founders to protect the rights all who share our vision. I look forward to working with the staff, Board of Directors and other partners to meet this goal," said Bouy Te.

KaYing Yang, SEARAC's Executive Director, added, "The effective leadership of the Board of Directors is key to any organization's success. Bouy Te and the other board members bring diverse expertise, ranging from grassroots community organizing, advocacy, to philanthropy. SEARAC continues to advocate for critical policies including quality education, improved healthcare, protecting immigrant rights, gaining economic self-reliance, language access, and ending racial profiling. "

____________________________
Bouy Te is the immediate-past President of the National Association for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans (NAFEA), and currently the Director of the Department of School System Capacity of the National Education Association (NEA). Before taking the position at NEA, he served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) of the US Department of Education. Mr. Te has extensive experience in designing and implementing educational programs and policies targeting Southeast Asian American and language minority students, and in advocacy on these issues.

For more information about the Board of Directors and SEARAC's programs, please visit our website at www.searac.org.

KaYing Yang
Executive Director
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
1628 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-667-4690
202-667-6449 fax

******************

Children Raised Bilingually May Be Smarter

Source: Red Nova

Scientists continue to unravel the mystery of the brain's role in the development of language skills -- and with some provocative results. One new study in this area, for example, reveals that children raised bilingually may actually be "smarter" than their monolingual peers. Other studies show how two computer learning programs potentially help children overcome reading and speech problems -- results that offer hope to families who have children with learning disabilities. Dyslexia alone affects one in five school-aged children.

In addition, researchers have recently discovered an unlikely site for some speech and language processing -- the cerebellum, once thought to be involved only in the control of movement. Yet another new study has found that the hormone estrogen has a positive influence on language skills. Both these findings may one day lead to more effective therapies for children and adults with speech and language disorders.

At Dartmouth College, researchers report that bilingual children may be "smarter" than their monolingual peers. These findings add weight to the bilingual side of the long-running argument about whether children who grow up bilingual are at an advantage compared to those who learn only one language.

To read the entire article, visit:

(http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/2/2003/11/13/story005.html)

******************

December 3, 2003

S.J. decision on expansion of police auditor job put off to April
By Mike Zapler
Mercury News

San Jose City Council members on Tuesday postponed until April a decision on whether to dramatically expand the powers of the city's independent police auditor to review police shootings.

Mayor Ron Gonzales said he wants to wait until a new police chief is in place before acting. And council member David Cortese said that waiting until April 27 to vote on the issue would give the auditor and police officials time to hash out a compromise.

The issue comes amid community outrage about the fatal shooting by a police officer of Bich Cau Thi Tran, a 25-year-old mother, in July. Although a grand jury cleared the officer, members of the Vietnamese community and other citizens are demanding more accountability of police. Several of them addressed the council Tuesday.

``You guys represent the people,'' said The-Vu Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese American Community Action Team. ``I'm asking you, from your heart, please consider the recommendations for the better of society.... This will bring justice to everyone.''

Independent Police Auditor Teresa Guerrero-Daley wants the council to allow her office to accompany investigators to the scene of shootings by police, interview witnesses and police officers, and monitor official investigations of police shootings as they unfold.

Guerrero-Daley said she lacks those powers in cases involving shootings by police unless a citizen files a formal complaint, which she said is rare. Her role is mostly limited to sitting on a review panel that examines whether the police department went far enough to prevent shootings through training and other prevention measures, she said.

But police officials oppose Guerrero-Daley's proposals, saying they would needlessly complicate their work. They say the investigations that internal affairs officers and district attorneys conduct are thorough and adequate.

The council stayed out of the debate Tuesday, instead hearing from four supporters of Guerrero-Daley's proposals and one opponent. The council did adopt -- pending the appointment of a new police chief, probably in January -- less controversial measures that call for expanding public access and information in the wake of a shooting by police.

Contact Mike Zapler at mzapler@mercurynews.com or (408) 275-0140.

(http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7402100.htm)

******************

December 4, 2003

Nonprofits sue governor to restore CalWORKS benefits

Two nonprofit legal advocacy groups filed suit against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday to force him to honor an agreement between his Republican predecessor Governor Pete Wilson and the Democrat-controlled legislature to trigger cost-of-living increases for Cal WORKS recipients when the state's vehicle license fee is reduced. Schwarzenegger is sponsoring legislation to end the link between the car tax and welfare payments that was incorporated in a 1999 change in the state's Welfare and Institutions Code. If enacted, the bill would result in a total CalWORKS savings of $139.1 million in 2003-04 and $303.6 million in 2004-05. The sponsors of the class action suit - Western Center on Law and Poverty (www.wclp.org) and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (www.lccr.com) - argue that "since 1990, welfare grants have been cut five times and frozen twice. Families desperately need the $25 per month the COLA will provide."

Source: California Association of Nonprofits (CAN)

For more information about CAN, please visit http://www.CAnonprofits.org.

******************

FOUR VIETNAMESE GENERATIONS: SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND MARKET ECONOMY

By NHU-NGOC T. ONG

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF DEMOCRACY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
3151 SOCIAL SCIENCE PLAZA
IRVINE, CA 92697-5100

Abstract

Vietnam is a young country with more than half of the population born after 1975. Using data from the World Values Survey conducted in Vietnam in 2001, the current research explores the differences in political and economic values across four Vietnamese generations and between North and South Vietnamese, given their distinct historical experiences. The Vietnamese people show overwhelming support for democracy and the market. Support for market economy is in the high range with variations across four generations, and support for democracy is near ubiquitous although North-South differences persist. As socialization theory predicts, distinct influences of each historical period can be traced through measurement of orientations toward democracy and market economy across the generational units: regional differences defined by historical events help mark the context of democratic support, whereas age associated with each period of history turns influential as a marker of support for the market. North-South and generational differences, however, are bound to be eliminated as Vietnam undertakes its political and economic transformations. More liberal politics and economics will diversify Vietnamese interests and broaden the spectrum of their social and cultural values. Vietnamese of the new generation will indeed “do better” than their parents and grandparents.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nhu-Ngoc T. Ong
Democracy Fellow
Center for the Study of Democracy
University of California, Irvine
http://www.democ.uci.edu/archive/vietnam.htm

(http://www.democ.uci.edu/democ/papers/generations.pdf)

******************

For Immediate Release

Friday, December 5, 2003

Contact: Gem P. Daus

(202) 466-7772 gdaus@apiahf.org

Statement on Medicare

On Monday, December 8, 2003, President Bush is expected to sign the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (H.R. 1) into law. This legislation promises to significantly undermine Medicare for all Americans-but not because of generous prescription drug benefits. The legislation makes changes beyond Medicare that are likely to double insurance premiums for employer-based private plans. The most significant changes to Medicare will take effect after 2010, just as the baby boomer generation turns 65. Poor and disabled seniors on Medicare now will soon lose benefits. And public programs that discriminate based on immigration status will continue to do so. APIAHF is extremely disappointed, to say the least, that the elderly, poor and disabled are so mistreated, legally.

ASIAN AMERICANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS AND MEDICARE

A large number of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), age 65 and older, rely on Medicare and Medicaid to keep themselves healthy. In fact, two-thirds of elderly AAPI are on Medicare. Most of the rest have no insurance. Immigrants who have been in the country less than 5 years cannot buy into Medicare, nor are they eligible for Medicaid. And they usually cannot get private insurance because the elderly as a rule are high risk (which is why a public program such as Medicare is necessary in the first place).

Census 2000 revealed that 12.3% of elderly AAPI are living below the Federal poverty line. However there are large regional differences; for example, 1 in 4 elderly Asian Americans in New York City live in poverty compared to 18% of the general elderly population. There are also extreme differences by ethnic population: 34% of Hmong and 25% of Cambodian elders in California live in poverty. Asian households where the householder is 65 years or older are more likely than the general population to be earning less than $10,000 (19.4% vs. 15%).

Depending on ethnicity, 44% to 77% of AAPI are limited English proficient.

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG, IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNIZATION ACT

This act offers a small prescription drug benefit with no guarantee of cost containment for beneficiaries or for the Medicare program itself. Thus the cost of health care will rise for all Americans for generations to come.

* The cost of prescription drugs is the leading cause of the rise in health care costs. However, this act prohibits the government from using its superior purchasing power to negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries that are lower than private plans. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicaid can and do negotiate better prices for its beneficiaries.

* Private plans that contract with the Medicare program will provide the new prescription drug benefit. However, private plans will be able to charge different premiums, different co-payments, and will not have to cover all drugs. Benefits will vary by region.

* Extremely poor or disabled seniors are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual-eligible). For these 6 million people, Medicaid pays for services and benefits for dual-eligibles that aren't provided by Medicare including medication (this is called a "wrap-around" benefit). This will no longer be the case. States will now be prohibited from using Medicaid funds to pay for medications and other costs that aren't provided by Medicare. This leaves the poorest and sickest seniors worse off than before.

* This act creates a new class of tax-free Health Savings Accounts. Healthier, more affluent workers will have a strong incentive to choose these accounts over their employer's more comprehensive health insurance plans. As a result, the pool of people left in the comprehensive plans will be older and sicker thereby driving up insurance premiums in the long run.

* This act denies health care benefits to legal immigrant pregnant women and children. The Senate Medicare bill would have lifted the 5-year waiting period for immigrants. By refusing to keep this provision, the Medicare bill denies 155,000 children and 60,000 pregnant women health coverage. Legal immigrants pay taxes, serve in the military, and have the same social obligations as United States citizens. However, unlike other American families, when basic medical care is needed, legal immigrants are forced to forgo such coverage and risk adverse health outcomes.

Gem P. Daus, MA

Director of Policy

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 835

Washington, DC 20036

Ph: (202) 466-7772

Fax: (202) 466-6444

www.apiahf.org

******************

For Immediate Release

Contact: Thanh Tran

301-587-2781

thanh.tran@navasa.org

December 8, 2003

Second Year Awardees Selected for Capacity Building Grant

Washington D.C.—The National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA) announces its second annual sub-funding to eleven affiliate members on December 1, 2003. This sub-funding is made possible through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under Standing Announcement for Services to Recently Arrived Refugees: Category 4—Ethnic Community Self Help.

This year sub-funding is the second year of the three years funding cycle for NAVASA from ORR. The purpose of this sub-funding is for NAVASA’ s member organizations, new emerging community-based (CBOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) to work toward capacity and coalition building. Fiscal year 2004 sub- funding will also focus on leadership empowerment and professional development for community members and organizations.

The eleven affiliate-members receiving funding are: Asian Family & Community Empowerment Center, Inc (AFACE), St. Petersburg, FL; Bach Viet Association, Inc. (BVA), Sacramento, CA; Economic & Employment Development Center (EEDC), Alhambra, CA; International Children Assistance Network, Inc. (ICAN), San Jose, CA; Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association (IMAA), Rochester, MN; Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association, Inc. (MVMA), Wheaton, MD; United Refugee & Community Services (URCS), Houston, TX; Vietnamese-American Community of Southern California (VACSC), Westminster, CA; Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI), Chicago, IL; Vietnamese Friendship Association (VFA), Seattle, WA; and Wichita Indo-Chinese Center (WIC), Wichita, KS.

Funding amount ranges from $5,000 to $30,000. Of the eleven, three well-established organizations (budget over $1 million) will provide comprehensive technical assistance and mentorship to local CBOs and FBOs towards capacity building.

Application for next year sub-grant will be available early Fall 2004. All applicants must meet all eligibility criteria set by NAVASA in order to apply. Interested organization must be a non-profit agency with 501 (c) (3) status, has at least one year in operation, and is an affiliate member of NAVASA. To become a member of NAVASA, please visit www.navasa.org for further information or contact the office.

+++++

NAVASA is a national advocacy agency currently comprised of 36 mutual assistance associations (MAAs). Since its incorporation in 1995 as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization, NAVASA has promoted economic self-sufficiency and active citizenship for Vietnamese-Americans through full participation in the socio-political system. Located in metropolitan Washington DC, NAVASA is fully committed to assisting its affiliate organizations to address the civic, economic, linguistic, and social needs facing community members in their specific localities.

National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies

1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 310, Silver Spring, MD. 20910

Tel: 301/587-2781 * Fax: 301/587-2783

Email: navasa@navasa.org

******************

December 9, 2003

E-Grants Unveiled

WHO: Organizations interested in federal funding

WHAT: www.grants.gov. A single comprehensive Web site that will contain information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs. Grants.gov is a key element of President Bush's E-Gov Initiative, which aims at harnessing Internet-based technology to make it easy for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars and streamline citizen-to-government communications. The Web site now has information about more than 800 available grant programs involving all 26 federal grant-making agencies. The site provides information in a standardized format across the agencies and includes a "Federal Grant Opportunities" feature to help applicants find potential funding opportunities. The site also contains an "Apply for Grants" feature that greatly simplifies the application process by allowing applicants to download, complete, and submit applications for specific grant opportunities from any federal grant-making agency.

CONTACT: Head to the Web site at www.grants.gov. For the complete press release, head to
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20031209.html.

******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.

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