The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music has received multi-year funding from the Theodore W. Batterman Family Foundation to support the Conservatory's new Jazz Institute program, and to provide scholarships for youth.  The gift is the largest single program contribution the Conservatory has ever received. 
"We are extremely grateful for the Eric D. Batterman Memorial Grant to establish this Institute,” said Karen Deschere, president of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. “Our new Jazz Institute will increase the jazz music education presence in Southeastern Wisconsin by providing further education from seasoned, professional jazz instructors.
The Eric D. Batterman Memorial Grant, will provide scholarship assistance to 12 Milwaukee area youth to participate in private lessons, combos, jazz history classes as well as the summer jazz camp. These twelve students will be the inaugural class for the Jazz Institute. Each year, as the program develops, the core group will expand.
Batterman was a professional percussionist, keyboard player, composer, arranger, electronic musician and producer, and was accomplished in orchestral percussion as well as a master of jazz, rock and Latin percussion.  He was a member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra in high school, and received the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League's Young Artist Award (Marimba).  After his college graduation, he was a member of the Turin Radio Symphony Orchestra in Italy, and has toured the U.S. and abroad with major musical acts including 5.5 years with "The Lettermen," serving as their music director. He was a strong supporter of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Batterman passed away in 2008 from pancreatic cancer. 

The Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee, Inc. will award $28,500 in Her Scholarships to ten nontraditional students at a reception on Tuesday, June 8th at 5:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin, 813 E. Kilbourn Ave.“There is no more certain path to long term economic stability for women and their families than higher education,” said Women’s Fund Executive Director Elaine Maly. “When we invest in the educational goals and career plans these women have, we are investing in our community.”
This year’s scholarship recipients are:

• Kari Andrews, education major at UW- Milwaukee
• Marie Bartolotta, management accounting major at Alverno College
• Teresa Cameron, a psychology major, specializing in alcohol and other drug abuse counseling, at Alverno College
• Shawn Clausing, an accounting major at UW-Milwaukee
• Julia Doyle, a community leadership and development major at Alverno College
• Elizabeth Kamara, a fashion design major at Mount Mary College \
• Dawn Rexroat, a nursing major at UW-Milwaukee
• Nancy Robinson, a health care administration major at UW-Milwaukee
• Pamela Stemper, a professional communication major at Alverno College
• Marylee Wolfgram, a business and management major at Alverno College

Since 1996, the Women’s Fund Her Scholarship program has provided women ages 35 and older with financial support to continue or complete their college education and achieve greater financial stability. Recipients are attending college at selected schools in the greater Milwaukee area. They are chosen based on their financial need, educational goals and commitment to community involvement. Since inception, more than $122,000 has been award to more than 52 scholars.

The 7th annual Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement awards ceremony will be held at the Museum of Wisconsin Art on Sunday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m., in West Bend. The award is bestowed upon individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, support, and growth of visual arts in and of Wisconsin.  This includes artists, organizations, teachers, patrons, art historians and authors.
This year’s recipients of a WVALAA are: Fred Berman, Abraham Cohn, Miriam Frink & Charlotte Partridge, William Gerdts, Frederick Wilhelm Heine, Carl Holty, Vinnie Ream Hoxie, the Layton School of Art, Dean Meeker, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Karl Priebe and Roy Staab.
Mary Louise Schumacher, art and architecture critic of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will be the guest speaker with a talk entitled: Covering the Arts: the New Paradigm.
James Shields of HGA Architects will give a presentation at 12:30 p.m. about the new design for the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s new building slated to begin construction in 2010. Seating is limited, but registration is not required.

The United Performing Arts Fund recently announced that two new challenge grants will match all new and increased gifts to the organization now through the end of 2010. Carlene and Andy Ziegler have announced a new $40,000 challenge grant that will match all new and increased individual gifts of $500 or less. And since UPAF was successful in reaching the $100,000 goal set by the initial Kelben Foundation challenge, the Kelben Foundation is offering an additional
$25,000 challenge grant for new and increased gifts Leadership gifts of $500 or more received until June 22.
"We are grateful to Carlene and Andy Ziegler and the Kelben Foundation for their extraordinary generosity in support of our 2010 campaign," said UPAF president Cristy Garcia-Thomas. "The opportunity for
donors to double the impact of their gift is immense. Please consider joining the Zieglers, the Kelben Foundation and UPAF in support of the performing arts this year."
UPAF Member Groups reach a million people through over 2,000  performances of live theater, music, dance and opera, educational programming and regional, community outreach each year including over 400,000 school children annually.
"Andy and I strongly believe in the tremendous benefit of a thriving performing arts sector in our community," commented Carlene Ziegler. "As business owners, we know the arts help us attract and retain creative talent. As parents we appreciate the cultural opportunities we can offer our children. And as donors,we are pleased to have UPAF as the vehicle to make our investment because we know our dollars will be wisely spent."

Postcard From the Edge

Small Nonprofits Should Still File with the IRS

By: Andy Holman, CPA, partner, RitzHolman CPAs in Milwaukee

Most tax-exempt organizations, except religious institutions, must file an annual Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) within four and one-half months from the end of their fiscal year.
In 2006, Congress changed the law that requires small nonprofits, with a gross revenue of less than $25,000, to file an electronic postcard, Form 990-N with the IRS.  Prior to that time, small nonprofits had no filing requirement. 
The law stated that such organizations had three years to comply and the deadline for those organizations whose fiscal year ended on Dec. 31, 2009 was this past Monday, May 17.
The IRS now has the power to revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that has not filed some form of 990 within the last three years.  If exemption is revoked, an organization will have to re-apply for exempt status, which is a time consuming and costly proposition.
The IRS has also realized that many viable, small organizations may not have complied with Mondays deadline.  IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman issued a statement on Tuesday that the IRS will do what it can to help organizations from losing their tax-exempt status—but there is no information yet on what that will entail.
In the meantime, all tax-exempt organizations should make sure that their Form 990 is timely filed and small nonprofits should still file the electronic postcard, Form 990-N, that can be located at www.epostcard.form990.org
To view this and other nonprofit advice on our website click here

UPAF Ride for the Arts

The United Performing Arts Fund will host its 30th annual Ride for the Arts on Sunday, June 6. The event, UPAF’s signature fundraising event, is one of the largest one day recreational bike rides in the nation.
Cyclists of all ages and skills will start and finish at the Summerfest
grounds and travel various routes, including a new 12-mile route which will head west along the Menomonee Valley Parkway to Miller Park and will feature the Harley-Davidson Museum as a rest stop.
After the Ride, participants and all UPAF donors can enjoy the Finish Line Party at the Potawatomi Stage on the Summerfest grounds with performances by UPAF Member and Affiliate Groups.
During the party, bike parking will be available at the Bike Port located outside Summerfest's mid-gate on Harbor drive until 3 p.m. and complimentary car parking will also be available in nearby, marked lots.
Registration fees are $35 for adults and $25 for youth age 18 and under. Families can register two adults and two youth, age 18 and under for the discounted price of $95. All registered participants receive UPAF's Ride for the Arts sponsored by Miller Lite t-shirt. Helmets are required.
Register on-line at UPAF's Ride for the Arts sponsored by Miller Lite site, www.upafride.org. More than $324,000 was raised through last year's Ride.

Repairers of the Breach host theater show
Repairers of the Breach homeless shelter will host “Reaching Across the Breach, a professionally produced show on Saturday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Center, 1500 W. Vliet St. The show will be performed by a cast of homeless Milwaukeeans.
Producers and directors Desiree Gibson and Jessi Miller of Loose Cannon Theatre have assembled a cast and developed a show  that blends song, comedic stories, dramatic and poetry readings. 
The cast includes the Repairers of the Breach Choir, directed
by Dorothy Jackson; homeless members and alumni of the Repairers of the Breach Center, and includes instrumental soloists.
The collaboration of artistic performances will send a cohesive message of hope and perseverance. 
According to Gibson, the cast is made up of people with diverse backgrounds, all of whom have experienced homelessness.
"A number of the cast members have musical or theatrical backgrounds. For others, this will be their stage premiere.  In both cases they are
anxious to deliver their performance of a lifetime," Miller said.
 Admission to the show is free, but free will offerings will be accepted. All proceeds will go to support the renovation and expansion of the Repairers of the Breach Center.
 
OFS fights teen depression
The Charles E. Kubly Foundation has awarded Ozaukee Family Services a grant to continue its efforts to address teen stress, depression and suicide. The money will be used to fund presentations at high schools in Ozaukee County in partnership with InHealth Wisconsin during the 2010/2011 school year.  The presentations will be modeled after the “Creating a Community of Hope” event that was held at Grafton High School in January.
The programs are designed to reduce the stigma associated with depression through education and providing resources.
Each presentation, mental health professionals and representatives from a wide variety of community resources will be on hand to share information including what to do when someone is suffering from depression.  Time will also be allocated for questions and answers.  The free presentations will be open to teens, parents, teachers, and anyone concerned about teen depression.  The dates for the presentations have not yet been determined.  To learn more contact Ozaukee Family Services at 262.376.7774 or visit www.OzaukeeFamilyServices.org

Penfield unveils Kohl’s child library
Penfield Children’s Center recently unveiled the Kohl’s Child Development Library which will provide developmental resources to the families the center serves. Families will be given the opportunity to check out books, therapy balls, specialized chairs, walkers and other developmental items, to take home to ensure continued progress.
The Library is part of the Kohl’s Building Blocks Program, a joint effort between Kohl’s Department Stores and Penfield that focuses on childhood educational and developmental services. The program was funded by a $1 million donation from Kohl’s philanthropic programs.

Goats Gives Back
The Horny Goat Brewing Company recently launched its Goats Give Back campaign where local nonprofit organizations can receive ten percent of total sales at the Horny Goat Hideaway, 2011 S. First St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. This week’s featured charity is the Racine-based Twisters Softball team
“At Horny Goat we know that money is tight for organizations and people right now,” said Horny Goat Brewing chief executive officer and co-owner Jim Sorenson. “We want to be able to give organizations in the community a chance to reach their supporters by using Horny Goat Hideaway as the vehicle. We want to be good corporate citizen in this community and we can do that by giving back.”
According to Sorenson, all nonprofit organizations are eligible and selected organizations will range in a variety of missions, activities and causes.
The Goats Give Back Sunday campaign is something that will remain in effect as long as the brew pub is there, Sorenson said.
Sorenson also plans to compliment the give back Sundays with a variety of different charity events throughout the year as well.
Completion of the Horny Goat Outdoor patio is expected by June 1, which will open the doors for a lot more opportunities and a lot more people, he said.
“This is part of who we are,” Sorenson said. “I think this is a little different than what most people are doing, but its important for corporations and businesses to give back and be a part of the community. We’re not just a brewing company, we’re not just a bar, we’re an entertainment complex and giving back is another way we can make people feel good about having a good time. It’s a win win for everybody.”
To request an information packet about becoming a part of Goats Give Back at the Horny Goat Hideaway, contact Marla San Agustin at 414-383-6900.

Oustanding volunteers recognized
The Arthritis Foundation, Wisconsin chapter recently recognized its outstanding volunteers. Nancy Hansen, a volunteer with the organization since 2006, was awarded the William A Yost Volunteer of the Year Award. Kristin Wollmer, Mary Jatczak and the Skrypchak Group of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Wauwatosa were awarded the distinguished service award. Mark Erickson, physical therapist and professor at Carroll University was awarded the Health Professional Award. Thomas Leith was awarded the Community Development and Dr. James Verbsky, rheumatologist with the Medical College of Wisconsin was awarded the Robert W. Doucette Research Award.
"We greatly appreciate these individuals for the time and dedication they put into the Arthritis Foundation, from education to leadership to medical research," said Judy Haugsland, CEO and president of the Arthritis Foundation, Wisconsin Chapter.

Dr. Lee Tyne (left), orthopedic surgeon with Aspen Orthopaedic and Rehab Specialists and former board chair, and the new board chair Dave Greco of MGIC, present Nancy Hansen with the William A. Yost Volunteer of the Year Award at the Crowne Plaza in Wauwatosa.

Jewish Family Services, Milwaukee, has appointed Jessica Horning, CPA, who has been with JFS since 2006, as their new chief financial officer.  Horning, will be responsible for the entire range of financial activity within the organization including formulating and recommending policies on banking, fiscal and accounting matters and development of standard accounting, analysis and reporting procedures. Prior to JFS, Horning was an auditor at Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP, an accountant at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Inc. and YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Inc.

BizTimes Milwaukee has launched its 2010 Nonprofit Directory. Submissions for the directory were collected since the beginning of 2010, and the list is now available for viewing and for purchase in a print format. The directory includes vital information about 501(c)3 organizations based in or serving Milwaukee, Waukesha, Walworth, Racine, Kenosha, Washington, Ozaukee or Sheboygan counties. The directory is intended to connect the region's nonprofit organizations with the business community. Submissions can still be made online and an electronic version of the directory is available for viewing online at www.biztimes.com/nonprofit.

• Saturday, May 22 La Causa’s Early Education & Care Program will host its annual All you can eat Pancake Breakfast at the La Causa Charter School, 1643 S. Second St., from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Proceeds from the event go to support early education child care. Tickets are $5 at the door, a raffle will be held every half hour.
• Monday, June 7 The 11th Annual Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation Golf Outing, Dinner and Auction for Spinal Cord Injury Research will be held at Silver Spring Country Club, N56 w21318 Silver Spring Drive in Menomonee Falls .  In 2009, the outing earned $150,000 for researchers who are hard at work trying to find a cure for paralysis. To register or for more information visit, www.brpf.org
• Tuesday, June 8 The Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at UW-Milwaukee in partnership with the Marquette Legal Initiative for nonprofit corporations will host a Forum on the Nonprofit Sector: Nonprofits and Property Tax Exemption from 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education161 W. Wisconsin Ave. The growing fiscal challenges facing municipalities across the country are magnifying the importance of property tax as a source of revenue and increasing the controversy over property tax exemptions for charitable organizations.  Pittsburgh has become a hotbed of activity where nonprofit property tax exemptions are being challenged, and similar tensions are surfacing in Wisconsin communities. The forum will feature  a panel of experts including:  Margaret Derus, attorney, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.; Kevin Kearns, professor of public policy, university of Pittsburgh, Timothy Radelet, general counsel, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and Peter Weissenfluh, chief assessor, City of Milwaukee Assessor's Office. The event is free and open to the public for more information or to register click here.
• Friday, June 11 The Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens will host is annual fundraising event at the gardens, 9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners, from 6-9 p.m. Guests can enjoy the gardens in full bloom, music from Cream City Jazz, food and drink from Bartolotta Catering, a silent auction and raffle, and live green demonstrations. Cost to attend is $75. For Information & reservations, contact Kristine at 414-525-5661 or kpetersen@fbbg.org
• Monday, July 19 St. Francis Foundation will host its Annual Golf Outing at Tuckaway Country Club. Participation in the outing will benefit the children educated at the Child Development Center of St. Joseph and the senior residents who call Villa St. Francis their home. Those interested can choose to play in the outing, provide raffle or auction items, or make cash donations. For questions or for further information call the St. Francis Foundation office at 414-645-5337, ext 270

To view additional calendar items or to submit your own events please visit the BizTimes.com calendar

• Association of Fundraising Professionals

• Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee

• Donors Forum of Wisconsin

• Greater Milwaukee Foundation

• Marquette Funding Information Center

  MRA-The Management Association

• Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee

• Nonprofit Center Workshop Calendar

• Non Profit Jobs

• UWM Helen Bader Institute for Non Profit Management

• UWM School of Continuing Education nonprofit workshops

• Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee