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The Operations Manager plays a critical role in Global Philanthropy Group’s team-based approach overseeing the general office operations, companywide HR, expense reports, travel, logistical and technology needs. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, detail oriented and comfortable multi-tasking with strong experience with a managing a fast-paced start-up. Bookkeeping experience is a plus. S/he will ensure smooth and effective coordination of company projects and productivity. Reports to CEO.

Operations Manager responsibilities include:

• Oversight and implementation of company handbook policies and procedures
• Processing monthly expense reports and tracking employee schedules
• Coordinating employee travel arrangements
• Facilitating employee recruiting, onboarding and exits
• Management of company documents and inventory
• Scheduling and planning of company activities including holiday gatherings, annual review process, retreats, internal meetings, etc.
• Management of office operations including resolving administrative issues and troubleshooting office equipment issues
• Liaising with Landlord regarding office space maintenance and repair
• Managing key relationships with contracted vendors and service providers
• Providing logistical support for company and client-related events as needed
• Managing special projects assigned by senior management
• Other duties as assigned

Successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualities:

• 5-6 years of experience working as an Office Manager, preferably in a start-up environment
• Outstanding administrative and organizational skills
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and strong attention to detail
• Computer proficiency – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Ability to thrive as a leader in a dynamic, start-up environment
• Ability to manage confidential information and situations with efficiency, flexibility and diplomacy
• An associate’s level education required (bachelor’s preferred)

For more details please review the full job description here.

DECATUR, Illinois, December 17, 2012 – The Howard G. Buffett Foundation today announced a $500,000 grant to the government of the Republic of Uganda to provide assistance to the eastern Congo peace negotiations process and help bring an end to the conflict.

The contribution was announced by Howard G. Buffett, President of the Foundation, upon returning from one-on-one meetings in the region with Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

“The solutions to the challenges in eastern Congo require support from the entire region and the political will from all parties to bring about lasting peace,” said President Museveni. “Uganda will continue to do what we can to facilitate the negotiations process, and we appreciate Mr. Buffett’s contributions to those efforts.”

“Our investment in the Great Lakes Region over the past fourteen years has been driven by our mission to preserve natural resources and support communities through agricultural development, water resource management, and conflict mitigation,” said Mr. Buffett. “We cannot succeed in our mission when instability and unrest persists. Therefore, we applaud President Museveni and the government of Uganda for accepting a leadership role, and appreciate President Kagame’s and President Kabila’s efforts to support this process.”

After a series of meetings among key leaders in the region, the Ugandan government, current chair of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, offered to host peace negotiations in Kampala and serve as lead mediator of the process, a leadership role supported by the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The Foundation’s grant will support the transportation, lodging and communications costs incurred by the government of Uganda in taking on this role, with the goal of ensuring all parties engaged in the negotiations are provided the opportunity to participate in a fair and inclusive process.

“There have been many misleading accounts about the situation in eastern DRC,” said President Kagame. “Mr. Buffett has a long history of working in the region and took the time to come and meet with key stakeholders in person to determine how he and his Foundation could best support the Congolese people in moving towards peace and prosperity. We applaud Mr. Buffett’s support for the peace process, to realize our shared belief in the importance of peace and stability for the progress of this region.”

The recent conflict in eastern Congo has displaced over 750,000 people from their homes since early May.  “There is an intrinsic connection between conflict, hunger and poverty,” said Mr. Buffett. “War has a profound economic and political impact, substantially increasing the probability of a recurrence of conflict.  We must, once and for all and collectively, support the government of DRC to bring peace to eastern Congo and address the underlying systemic issues that are fueling this cycle of conflict.”

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has invested over $50 million since 1999 and committed an additional $40 million over the next two years to the Great Lakes Region to support food security, economic development and mitigate conflict and its effects.

# # #

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation works to improve the quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. It focuses on three core areas: food security, water security, and conflict management. Based in Decatur, Illinois, the Foundation is led by President Howard G. Buffett. To learn more about the Foundation visit www.thehowardgbuffettfoundation.org.

HOWARD G. BUFFETT FOUNDATION MEDIA CONTACT:

Email:  media@hgbfoundation.org

Phone:  +1.217.423.9286

REPUBLIC OF UGANDA MEDIA CONTACT:

Fred Opolot, Executive Director, Uganda Media Centre

Email: fopolot@mediacentre.go.ug

Phone: +256.41.237.141

Event will take place May 16, 2012 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), will also feature author Robert V. Taylor

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) May 03, 2012 (Full Release)

This unique event will feature Nobel Peace Prize Laureate the Archbishop Desmond Tutu in conversation with Robert V. Taylor, author of the recently released book, ‘A New Way to Be Human.’ The focus of the discussion will be finding happiness and fulfillment, making the world a better place, and embracing a new, transformative way of feeling fully alive. The conversation will be moderated by Michael Govan, CEO of LACMA, with actress & philanthropist Jo Champa opening the evening on behalf of Girard-Perregaux.

“It is an honor for us to be part of this,” said Maggie Neilson, CEO of Global Philanthropy Group. “Events like this connect the vibrant creative and philanthropic communities in Los Angeles.” Global Philanthropy Group will also co-host a private reception for Archbishop Tutu and Robert V. Taylor following the event.

Pre-signed copies of ‘A New Way to Be Human’ will be available for purchase before the event; author signing with Robert V. Taylor immediately following the discussion. For tickets visit LACMA.org or call 323-857-6010.

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Brought to you by Global Philanthropy Group & Simpleshow.

by Amy Neumann

“The world is more malleable than you think and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape.” ~ Bono

When it comes to world-shaping, Maggie Neilson, Partner and CEO at Global Philanthropy Group, has tremendous insight. With a background including working with some of the world’s best-know philanthropies and brands with Social Good vision, she has first-hand experience with helping to shape and develop impactful projects globally. Many of her clients are celebrities with a wide reach and equally big passion to help. Additionally, Maggie was on the United Nations‘ International Year of Microcredit Leadership Team, Synergos Insitute‘s international development programs around child malnutrition in India, sustainable global food programs and health programs in Africa, and has been a featured speaker at Harvard and Columbia on microfinance. She weaves her love of helping into every aspect of her life and her work, and shares some of her wisdom below.

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by Trevor Neilson

On the New York social scene, philanthropy is the primary organizing force. As any New Yorker can attest, it is very often causes that are the reason people gather in ballrooms and concert halls, and if managed correctly, these events can raise enormous amounts of money for important efforts, both in New York and around the world.

Why is it that philanthropy is at the heart of so many of these gatherings? I think the answer tells us a lot about human nature, and a lot about how smart companies will deepen their relationship with their most important customers.

Philanthropy feels good — and it should. While there is a certain school of thought that suggests that philanthropy should be anonymous, and sacrificial in nature, I disagree. Our brains and our bodies feel good when we help other people — it is a physiological fact. If you haven’t experienced it, go pick up some litter in the park, help an elderly person cross the street, or send a check to your local homeless shelter. You will feel good, and this is a profoundly good thing for our world. Altruism is embedded in our humanity.

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by Trevor Neilson

Buried deep within Facebook’s IPO documents, and largely ignored by media who are focused on the wealth that will be created by the IPO, is a startling letter from Mark Zuckerberg. It’s a letter that should make the entire corporate world stop and take note, and a letter that marks a major evolution in our modern understanding of philanthropy.

The letter says that Facebook “was built to accomplish a social mission” and goes on to say:

There is a huge need and a huge opportunity to get everyone in the world connected, to give everyone a voice and to help transform society for the future. The scale of the technology and infrastructure that must be built is unprecedented, and we believe this is the most important problem we can focus on.
We hope to strengthen how people relate to each other.

Even if our mission sounds big, it starts small — with the relationship between two people.

Personal relationships are the fundamental unit of our society. Relationships are how we discover new ideas, understand our world and ultimately derive long-term happiness.

I have never met Mark, I’m not invested in Facebook, I don’t work with Facebook and I believe him 100 percent.

But I would argue that Facebook itself is a form of philanthropy.

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By BROOKS BARNES

Two philanthropic organizations are uniting to save celebrities like Hilary Swank and Beyoncé from the embarrassment of getting caught taking money from people or groups that abuse human rights.

Global Philanthropy Group, a celebrity-focused advisory firm, and Human Rights Watch on Thursday announced a free, confidential service to help stars and their handlers verify the records of people who want to hire them to appear at birthday parties and other private events. Continue reading →

Global Philanthropy Group announced today the launch of a free, confidential service aimed at providing leaders in the entertainment industry with information on the human rights records of people with whom they are considering doing business. Global Philanthropy Group will use information from Human Rights Watch, which works to end human rights abuses around the world, to inform artists about the records of potential employers.

Click here to read the full press release.

Today President Obama announced his intent to appoint Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

Global Philanthropy Group would like to congratulate Shakira on her new role and commend President Obama for his decision to appoint her to the commission.

Shakira has been deeply engaged for over a decade in a number of global education efforts, including the Barefoot Foundation, which she founded in 1995 at the age of 18.  Since that time, she has not only built schools & created programs to support approximately 6,000 children in Colombia, South Africa and Haiti, but has also been an outspoken advocate for the power of education to create peace worldwide.

In short, we cannot think of a better person for the job and look forward to great things to come from the Advisory Commission, which will provide advice to President Obama on education issues related to Hispanics and address academic excellence and opportunities for the Hispanic community.

To read the full press release from the White House, click here.

To read “Education for Peace”, an editorial for the Huffington Post by Shakira, click here.