GIVING BACK & GETTING INVOLVED
All Learning Begins with Connection
By: Julie Kirchner
Talking about building connections is a love of Jonnah Buchanan’s. “Truly, all learning begins with connection,” she enlightens. Jonnah is the executive director of Launch Learning Preschool, an innovative new nonprofit in Merritt Island, Florida, offering a unique whole-family education framework designed to strengthen families in raising happy, healthy humans.
“We know from brain research that connections on the outside—like when we physically connect with someone face-to-face—literally build the connections in the wiring of our brains,” explains Jonnah.
Brain-based research is at the heart of Launch Learning’s program design, including their monthly Parent Connect education classes for parents. “That’s why, from the beginning of the day, we get down eye-to-eye with our kids, and we are intentionally doing fun hand games and greetings with them . . . it’s because that first immediate connection with them actually helps strengthen the neural connections within their brains,” Jonnah says. These kinds of connections form a strong foundation for early childhood brain development and help build cooperation, impulse control, and other social-emotional skills like empathy.
For Florida’s Space Coast (home to the Kennedy Space Center), it’s probably totally appropriate for a preschool to sound like rocket science. This preschool has some serious local roots, too. Launch Learning is a legacy program modeled after the Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) Lab School founded in 1967, a program that served more than 7,500 children and 14,000 parents over 55 years. During the pandemic, the EFSC Lab School program closed, and a new opportunity came to light.
Spotlight on Powerhouse’s Amanda Thurn
Spotlight on Powerhouse’s Amanda Thurn
Time flies when you are having fun. And from celebrating Powerhouse’s 10th anniversary, to sharing the goodness, to getting prepped for the holidays, we have been having a blast! The celebration continues as this month we shine a spotlight on the amazing Amanda Thurn.
Amanda has the distinction of being one of the first Powerhouse clients to also become a Powerhouse freelancer. Amanda worked for two of our nonprofit clients, The Children’s Hunger Project and the Space Coast Basket Brigade, and it was, as they say, meant to be when six months ago Amanda brought her talents to Powerhouse itself. (more…)
CEO SPOTLIGHT
PILLAR: Supporting Military Families, One Deployment at a Time
By: Julie Clark
We’re excited to feature the founders of PILLAR in this month’s newsletter. As an organization dedicated to supporting military families, PILLAR is near and dear to many at Powerhouse Planning because we are comprised of veterans, military spouses, retired military spouses, and super fans of military families. PILLAR’s next digital retreat is coming up soon, and our very own Jessica Bertsch will be speaking once again this year. Needless to say, it’s the perfect time to talk with PILLAR founders Joanna Guldin-Noll and Becky Hoy.
PH: As far as leadership, do you feel you both were natural-born leaders, or did you fall into this role and find it suited you to lead, inspire, and support others?
PILLAR: We stepped into our roles to support military families (Joanna with Jo, My Gosh! and Becky with Brave Crate) to fill specific needs we saw in the community. We came together to work on PILLAR for the same reasons.
POWERHOUSE: OUT & ABOUT
POWERHOUSE: OUT & ABOUT
If you read our CEO Spotlight, then you know that Powerhouse President and Founder Jessica Bertsch will be speaking again at PILLAR’s 2022 Digital Retreat for Deployment, November 4-6. Following up her presentation last year, “Finding Joy Even When You Count Down,” she’ll be sharing even more tips, tricks, and lessons learned from her experience as a Coast Guard spouse, mom, and entrepreneur.
PILLAR’s absolutely free digital retreat is a great way to find inspiration, resources, and real-life tips from seasoned military spouses. If you or anyone you know would like to participate in three days of fun, great advice, and tons of giveaways, sign up here. Want to listen to Jessica’s presentation from last year? Access the recording here.
DID YOU KNOW?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic became our new “normal,” more than $119.2 billion has been donated on a global scale. In fact, according to Zelle’s Consumer Payment Behaviors reports, just about 3 out of 4 Millennials have donated money since 2020. With Millennials making up half of the work population these days, it’s important for employers to understand how passionate the generation is about making philanthropy an everyday part of their lives. Gen Z isn’t far behind Millennials with a 66% give rate. Clearly, if companies want to be relevant and relatable to their employees, they need to implement robust philanthropic enterprises.
Philanthropy in the workplace makes sense. Not only do businesses have an opportunity to support their local communities, but they can also build a work culture that fosters employee engagement and make work a place people want to be. Moreover, charitable giving generates great business value and enhances consumer relationships. When people see businesses actively engaged within their communities, public image soars.
Curious about how to up your philanthropy game? Continue reading for more tips and suggestions. Or contact us today to see how Powerhouse can help you hit your giving game out of the park.
MARKETING BUZZ
Aligning Your Philanthropic Program with Your Company’s Mission
By: Meredith Flory
For many companies, philanthropy and marketing are tied together. Employees wear company branding at volunteer events, and monetary contributions are posted on brochures and websites. There’s nothing, at first glance, ethically wrong with these practices. It makes sense that companies would want their customers to know about their efforts to help the community, and many consumers want to support companies whose work aligns with their values.
