The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is holding its 10th annual conference in Miami in March 2009. The dates are March 16-18, 2009, with pre-conference outings on Sunday, March 15.

Ten of California's largest foundations have agreed to a multi-million-dollar, multi-year investment in minority communities. The agreement was reached in response to pending legislation, sponsored by Assembly member Joe Coto that would have required foundations to disclose their ethic composition and document grants to minority organizations.

On June 14, 2008 the Navajo Nation President, Joe Shirley, Jr., received the Barry Goldwater Human Rights Corporate Award. The award is presented yearly by Equality Arizona, an LGBT equal rights and education organization, to organizations which demonstrate a commitment and taken specific measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression .

Bill Reinforcing Vocational Tracking to be Heard in Committee SB 672 (Torlakson) will be heard in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday, June 18. The bill creates a new education mandate in which schools and school districts that wish to access desperately needed funds will be forced to require their students to take two vocational education classes in order to graduate from high school.