SVP Partner Mike Cadigan has been providing mini-trainings on financial management to VFA board and staff.  This week, he introduced and reviewed some basic principles and concepts, which the staff found to be very helpful.  Mike will be delivering several more trainings in the upcoming months.  By the end of it, we’ll be much more versed in financial statements, balance sheets, budgets, statement of activities, etc., and Mike will have mastered the usage of the Smart Board.

The YLC hosted an event to develop trust and positive relationships between community members and local law enforcement. They called if the “Spring Off” and it was based on their happiness survey of the community. They learned that there was low trust toward government and public officials. The event promoted goodwill between community members, youth, and police as well as encourage active discussion and positive relationship building. Special shout out to the partner in this project, Sustainable Seattle!

The permanent CEOC was established in 2006 to monitor and provide recommendations for improvement of King County Elections. The committee has always had a seat dedicated to a representative of the Chinese-speaking community, in part to ensure that King County appropriately meets the federal requirement to publish all election materials in Chinese.

The 2010 U.S. Census resulted in a new requirement that King County election materials also be published in Vietnamese. This month, I was pleased to sponsor legislation to add a seat for the Vietnamese-speaking community on the CEOC. This seat will help ensure the accuracy and availability of ballots and other voting materials to the Vietnamese-speaking community.

Currently, both seats representing the Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking communities are vacant, and the Council is seeking qualified individuals to apply. For more information, interested applicants may contact my office at bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-1001 or may contact their representative on the King County Council.

In a fundraising scheme that many would consider brilliant, the VFA is now accepting naming rights to our work spaces. For $100, you can put your name on a work station. For $500, you can name a staff cubicle. For a mere $1,000 you can name the conference room or the Executive Director’s cube after yourself or a loved one. Just imagine, the “Kevin Johnson Conference Room,” except replace Kevin Johnson with your name. This makes a great gift, and all proceeds will go to programs that build leadership and community.

Let’s face it, life is short, and all of us are on a quest for immortality. People with the means can have their names on buildings and stadiums: Carnegie Hall, the Trump Tower, the Monsanto Lab for Frankensteined Produce, etc. Naming buildings costs millions, which none of us have. However, with only $1,000, you can have your name on Executive Director Vu Le’s cubicle forever. That’s sixteen square feet of immortality, and every time someone passes by, they’ll be reminded of your greatness.

But don’t think you have to name anything after yourself. Naming a cubicle is a great gift for a family member or mentor. Let them know that you care while supporting some really great programs that serve youth and families. This is also a great project for your group of friends. Just imagine: “The Silver Strikers Senior Bowling League Cubicle for Youth Leadership and Community Engagement.”

Once you buy a naming right, we’ll make a plaque and put it in a prominent position. For anything $500 or above, we’ll also have a ribbon-cutting ceremony where you can invite friends and family to witness the plaque setting. If you’re interested, please email info@vfaseattle.org. Hurry! We only have 7 cubicles, 1 Executive cubicle, 2 work stations, and 1 conference room.

(If you have $5,000 or more, please email us. We might be willing to rename staff…)