Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for People 50+

It's the gift buying season. So, aside from Bob Dylan's new Christmas CD (what have we come to!!) what else might you buy for the people 50+ on your holiday shopping list? 

There are some interesting ideas here posted by readers of Boomerater, an online advice network. Check out one reader's comparison of the e-readers Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (Barnes and Noble) and another's book-buying suggestions for grandchildren.

The blog "Baby Boomer Insights" also has some great ideas here and here. There's FastPencil, for example, that helps you finally write and publish that memoir or family history you've been meaning to get around to and a book from Red Hot Mamas for women going through menopause.

New Encore Career Guide

Are you looking for a later life career that combines passion with community impact? If so, be sure to check out the new encore career "Get Started Guide" from www.encore.org. This valuable resource provides expert advice, helpful books, web sites, tips and success stories to help you find paid, meaningful work on your own terms. The guide answers critical questions such as:

• What do I need to know about job hunting these days?
• How do I transition from a corporate job to a nonprofit one?
• How do I finance the transition to an encore career?
• How can I turn volunteering into a job?
• What is a green job and how do I get one?

Click here to download the entire guide for free.

Delaware's Nonprofits Are Financially Fragile Report Says

In case you missed the lengthy article in the December 13th News Journal there is a new report out that paints a very gloomy picture of the funding environment for Delaware's nonprofits. According to Philanthrophy in the First State: Delaware's Nonprofits, Individual Donors and Grantmaking Organizations:

• More than 35% of Delaware's nonprofits operated in the red each year from 2002-2007.
• Eight private independent foundations provide the bulk of grant support to Delaware nonprofits.
• There are fewer than a dozen corporate foundations based in Delaware. In 2007 they accounted for only 2% of foundation giving.
• Though Delaware incomes are 3% higher than the national average, Delaware donors, on average, gave 9% less than the national average.

You can read the entire report here or a shorter Op-Ed piece from the News Journal here.

Up Close and Personal - Caring for an Aging Parent

The Joy of a Healthy Brain - December

Prisoner Reentry VISTA Positions

Six agencies in Wilmington, Delaware are hiring seven Americorps*VISTA members to work on various prisoner reentry projects beginning in February, 2010. VISTA members are full-time volunteers who receive a monthly stipend ($900), health insurance, and a cash or educational award at the end of one year of service. For more detailed information see Craigslist Ad ID#1493588092 or contact Joanna Champney, Executive Director, Stand Up for What's Right and Just at 426-9252 or jchamphey@surj.org.

Short-term, Work-From-Home Opportunity

The Delaware Association of Nonprofit Agencies (DANA) is seeking two volunteers to assist with the updating of the Directory of Grantmakers in Delaware last published in 2006. The duration of the project is 3 months. Volunteers may work at DANA or from their own homes (after instruction at office). Hours and days are flexible. Functions to include mailing information to foundations, updating electronic forms, making calls to foundations and preparing data spreadsheets.

For more information, contact Mary Cella at nycella@verizon.net.