Voting for the 2012 Small Grant Recipients ends Tuesday, April 17^th at 5:00 PM. You are eligible to vote if you were a member in 2011 or if you are a new member who donates at least $25 of your pledge by the voting deadline. 

It’s not too late to help us decide which worthy applicants will be awarded our two $1500 grants.  Visit the Triangle Community Foundation website (http://www.trianglecf.org/ways_to_give/donate_now/) and select The Beehive Collective from the pull down list in the “Choose a Fund” option to make a donation. 

If you know that you are eligible to vote and you haven’t received a link please get in touch with us and we will make sure that you are able to access the voting site. 

Our ten finalists are all great organizations working on projects that are important to our community.  Make sure that you make your voice heard by Tuesday!

We will announce the winners at this month’s ‘Beers with the Bees’ at the Busy Bee on Thursday, April 19 at 6 p.m. in the mezzanine.  So come out to join us for a drink and hear the big announcement!

Other upcoming events include:

• The Borough’s hugging contest on April 26.  Come out and get a hug from contest participant Nicole Stewart!  If Nicole gives the most hugs, the money she raises that night will be matched by the Borough and donated to the Beehive Collective!
• The 2012 BEE BALL!!  May 19^th!   More details including a list of royalty and a link to buy tickets will be coming soon

Beehive Fundraising Weekend at Kings Barcade from The Beehive Collective on Vimeo.

About Homebrew Humpday

On Monday night (March 19) we had a great meeting where we voted on our giving theme for 2012, and the winner is…placemaking!

That means that we will fund proposals in our 2012 large grant cycle that deal with making the built and social environment that surrounds us positive, healthy, and restorative for individuals and communities. These types of places may vary from community and healing gardens to LGBT centers to teen centers, arts venues, crisis centers, or shelters. Successful applications could be from organizations that work on advocacy for positive places, such as bicycle advocates, environmental activists, or community groups that are focusing on making Raleigh neighborhoods safe, vibrant and healthy. Other possibilities include organizations that build positive places for people in need of housing, naturally occurring retirement communities, groups working to have more bike racks or bus shelters in our public spaces, or events that bring people out and together for positive community change. This theme is a broad one, encompassing countless organizations doing good work in Raleigh. Their commonality is this: by focusing on improving our physical environment we can have a positive impact on our selves and our community. Look for the application in late summer 2012!

Unlike our larger grant that we give away at the end of the year, there is no theme–the only requirements are that you are a nonprofit and that your work will impact Raleigh. The even better news is that the application is short and sweet–please click here to download. Please forward the RFP to any and all organizations that might qualify! Tell them to share the story of the great work they are doing and make sure to submit a proposal by March 5, 2012.

The grants committee will review the proposals we receive and select ten finalists for the membership to consider. Members will be able to read the finalists’ proposals and cast their votes online in late March. We will then announce the winner at a ‘Beers with Bees’ event in April. 2011 members and new 2012 members who have completed a pledge form and donated at least $25 by the start of the voting period will be eligible to vote online.

Upcoming Events:

In other news, we will be selecting our 2012 large grant theme at a general membership meeting on March 19th. We will meet at 7:00 pm at Natty Greene’s.

We have also set a date for the 2012 Bee Ball! This year’s big event will take place on May 19th at the Berkeley Cafe. Mark your calendars!!

Thanks for all your enthusiasm and contributions! We look forward to seeing you at all the exciting upcoming events!

Also, don’t forget about these two great events from our 2011 grantee, WakeUP Wake County:

• January 19, 5 pm at the Stockroom at 230: Co-Sponsoring Raleigh’s Designing a 21st Century City Lecture Series, keynote speaker Congressman Earl Blumenauer talking about “Lessons in Livability for a 21st Century City”
• January 30, 7 pm at Temple Beth Or: WakeUP Wake County’s Annual Meeting, keynote speaker Mitchell Silver, Raleigh’s Chief Planning Officer and President of the American Planning Association talking about “Changing Demographics of the Triangle – Looking Towards the Future”

• January 19, 5 pm at the Stockroom at 230: Co-Sponsoring Raleigh’s Designing a 21st Century City Lecture Series, keynote speaker Congressman Earl Blumenauer talking about “Lessons in Livability for a 21st Century City”
• January 30, 7 pm at Temple Beth Or: WakeUP Wake County’s Annual Meeting, keynote speaker Mitchell Silver, Raleigh’s Chief Planning Officer and President of the American Planning Association talking about “Changing Demographics of the Triangle – Looking Towards the Future”

Sunday: After all that rock-n-rolling you’re going to be hungry and probably wishing you knew more about shopping local, right? Come check out brunch with the Bees at Brewmasters at 11:00 am. We’ll talk shop about shopping local!  Details: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/318244588187256/

Hope to see you soon!  Jennifer, on behalf of the Queen Bees

This is a reminder of our upcoming membership meeting, an opportunity to become an official member of the Beehive if you aren’t one already, or to make a donation that will go to support the work of one of our four finalists for this year’s funding–all organizations doing amazing work to make Raleigh a better place. Joining now means you’ll have a chance to vote on our 2011 grantee on Monday. The meeting is on 12/5 at Kings Barcade (14 West Martin Street, Raleigh, NC 27601). We’ll begin gathering at 6:45.

Here are three ways you can make your gift:

1. Make a gift online: by visiting  http://www.trianglecf.org/ways_to_give/donate_now/, scrolling to the Choose A Fund option, and choosing Beehive Collective from the drop down list.
2. Write a check: please make checks payable to Triangle Community Foundation with beehive collective in the memo line and send to The Beehive Collective, PO Box 1008, Raleigh, NC 27602.
3. Bring it to our next meeting or event.

Members donate half of 1% of their annual income. Friends of the Bees donate whatever amount they are able to, and we really appreciate that as well!

Also, speaking of Friends of the Bees–the good folks at Kings are donating a portion of the proceeds of their upcoming Great Coverup weekend (December 9-11) to us! This is always a fun event where local bands cover a surprise line up of national acts. Past performances by Aerosmith/Run D.M.C, Sade, Weezer, and Blondie show that there is something for everyone at the Coverup.

Hope you all are having a fantastic first day of December!

Jennifer

-On Behalf of the Beehive Collective