USO and Joining Forces partner so that you can give troops "Thanks From Everywhere"

Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's national initiative to support service members and their families, and United Service Organizations (USO), an organization dedicated to supporting America's troops have launched a new initiative this holiday season called "Thanks From Everywhere". Simply by going to the initiatives website you can write a "thank you" note to the troops You can also read the messages of others all over the country by zip code using the interactive map.

The initiative provides a simple way for the computer savvy to thank service men and women. The idea that other messages can be viewed is great because you get to see how an individual can contribute to a collective effort. This partnership is a given and to have it manifest through this kind of innovative initiative that marries technology with a common concept makes it easy for almost everyone to participate. There's no simpler way to give thanks than to write a "thank you" note.

The results are in on Microsoft's "Elevate America" state voucher program

From February 2009 to August 2010, Microsoft partnered with states and the District of Columbia to provide free computer skills training to help the unemployed get the training they need to get back to work and under-skilled workers get more training as part of their Elevate America Initiative. In the end, Microsoft distributed more than 800,000 training and certification vouchers to the states and the District of Columbia who then distributed the vouchers to these individuals.

Overall this program had many successes and helped many people across the nation. Like all great things, there's always room for improvement and  Microsoft details their lessons learned, including the policy implications of the program, in their report titled Elevate America’s State Voucher Strategy to Promote Employability Lessons Learned.

Starbucks and the Opportunity Finance Network partner to "Create Jobs for USA"

Ever wondered what you could do to help put Americans back to work? Well Starbucks Coffee and the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) have thought of one great way that you can. Purchase an "indivisible" wristband for a minimum of $5 in one of Starbuck's company-operated stores or online at createjobsforUSA.org and 100% of your money will go towards the "Create Jobs for USA Fund" at  OFN. OFN will award these funds to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that help finance community businesses.

Definitely a great partnership that will help address one of this issues contributing to unemployment in this economy - lack of banks lending to small businesses.  Americans can feel good about contributing because that small amount can really help create and sustain local jobs. We won't know the true impact of the program for a while but in the meantime, check out success stories on createjobsforUSA.org.

Colossal collaboration between DonorsChoose.org, the Wasserman Foundation, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and Starbucks Coffee to support cash strapped classrooms

The households of LAUSD students (starting this month) and customers of Los Angeles Starbucks Coffee shops (beginning later this winter) will receive gift cards which will be used to fund projects in LAUSD schools’ classrooms through DonorsChooseLA.org. How did this happen you ask?  The Wasserman Foundation, which has a long history of philanthropy in the education arena, donated $4 million dollars over the next 2 years towards the effort. Half will go towards gift cards and the other half will be in the form of a challenge grant in which the foundation will match donations to projects through the DonorsChooseLA.org website.

This idea is a very innovative and will likely bring much needed supplies to LAUSD classrooms. What’s so unique about this partnership, is allowing the community to participate through giving out gift cards. The whole project brings about the much needed “It takes a village to raise a child” mentality, one that has been lacking in today’s society.

Molina Foundation partners with literacy programs and 501(c)3 organizations to promote literacy

The Molina Foundation was established in 2004 to reduce disparities in healthcare and education. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it was started by Dr. Martha Bernadett, daughter of Molina Healthcare, Inc. founder, Dr. C. David Molina. Since 2003, the Book Buddies™program has been working to increase literacy in children and adults by partnering with other organizations and literacy programs nationally. Through the Book Buddies™ program, the foundation has distributed hundreds of thousands of books and started book clubs at elementary schools.

Molina Foundation’s work through the Book Buddies™ program is a great example of how the health and education sectors can collaborate. What this means for a community and for a healthcare organization is not only less illiterate residents but a decrease in poverty. Literacy status effects a persons life much like the domino effect. Literacy determines our ability to move through the education system and hence our educational attainment (e.g. high school, college degree, graduate degree), what jobs we can get (high or low paying), and ultimately the quality of life we have.