DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED SNOW THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THE SNOW EXPECTED THIS WEEK, THE ABAG OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010.  ABAG STAFF WILL BE MONITORING EMAIL AND PHONE COMMUNICATION.

	Tuesday, 09 February 2010
"Charitable Giving: Baltimore Acting to Help Victims of Haiti's Earthquake" Our region, like much of the world, is still reeling from the massive devastation caused by last month's earthquake in Haiti. So, what do we do here in Baltimore? We ACT! - By Betsy Nelson, Special to The Daily Record, February 7, 2010 "Giving for Good: Local Philanthropic Response to the Crisis in Haiti" The phone buzzed. He opened the message. He texted 'HAITI' to 90999. He immediately received another text asking him to confirm the donation. He texted 'yes" and was done. No more than 30 seconds, and my husband had donated $10 to American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. He didn't provide a credit card number or an address. It was very easy. Where did the $10 go, we wondered, and is this the most effective way for us to give? - By Bess Langbein, for The Capital Haiti Relief Efforts Monday, February 8:  Millions of people have been affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti. Click here to find information on organizations assisting in relief efforts and learn about the efforts of members of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. BaltimoreACTS BaltimoreACTS is an umbrella campaign to promote, encourage and connect Baltimore citizens and corporations to critical causes locally and globally. It was conceived by a group of passionate Baltimoreans from the marketing, digital, entertainment, arts, business and non-profit communities.  Originally scheduled for February 11, BaltimoreACTS has postponed "Rock to Rebuild," to a date in March due to near-historic weather conditions. Kresge Foundation - Kresge Arts in Baltimore Request for Proposals The Kresge Foundation is calling for applications for year two of Kresge Arts in Baltimore, a national community arts and engagement project being piloted in five cities in the United States, including Baltimore. Grantseekers are invited to submit applications for projects in Baltimore that use art and culture as a tool to address issues in their communities. Posted: 2/4/10 "Kaiser Permanente Donates $25M to Mid-Atlantic Charities" Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States said Monday it awarded $25 million in charitable contributions during 2009, the most the nonprofit has ever donated - Baltimore Business Journal, February 1, 2010 Maryland Home and Community Care Foundation - Request for Proposals For this 2010 initiative, we are focusing on the delivery of services to Marylanders 55 or older who need in-home care.