Bloomington Nonprofits and Charities

The first time I ever saw the BSO was from a performance on CATS. I wondered who they were...when I found out it was Bloomington's own community orchestra, I couldn't believe it. They were so much better than any community orchestra I'd ever heard. Several years ago I auditioned for the second violins. Suffice it to say, I've never looked back. I have never been so impressed with a nonprofit's musical direction, choice of repertoire, dedication, congenial spirit, contribution to the community, and level of excellence. I have seen Maestro Latshaw make music accessible to untrained listeners, volunteers give all they have and more, participated in "side-by-side" concerts with budding high school musicians, children's smiles at the "meet the instruments" program, etc. None of the eight Indiana University Orchestras, the POPS or Camerata (to my knowledge) do these things. Plus, the BSO affords those of us for whom music is an avocation the best possible orchestra opportunities in a town where there would otherwise be very few. I thank my lucky stars for the BSO!

Southern Indiana is blessed to have an organization that does the work that Middle Way House does. It is such a deep organization in that not only if you are a survivor of domestic and sexual violence or human trafficking services and support are provided, the Middle Way House Prevention team educates the community on Building Health Relationships, prevention and resources.

They are very helpful and friendly people. Shopping there has help my family a lot.

I used to really love what MCUM does. i used to donate my tax refund to MCUM.<br>Not anymore. <br>i do homeless outreach work here in Bloomington. You hired a therapist who made a man i work with homeless!

I took my daughter to the X-Games girls day for a skateboard clinic; this is something she had wanted learn but after many clinics and camps over multiple years, she still did not have any confidence and often withdrew from the other kids at these events.<br><br> They were very friendly and encouraged her to keep trying, while noting what she had already learned. They were able to get her to not worry so much about how she skated and instead focused on having fun and seeing herself as a capable person. She finally let down her guard and relaxed enough to see the fun she was having. She insisted on going to their next event before the one at X-Games had even finished! Over the next year, she gained so many friend through the Girls Riders Organization and attended every girls' skating event possible. She has so much confidence and is now entering boy's contests as well. She knows that she is may not be at top competition level but she goes anyway because now it's about having fun, seeing friends and just tacking challenges every day. She now seeks out girls at skate parks and tells them all about GRO. She sees what they have done for her and wants all girls to have this kind of support and confidence.

I appreciate all that COTA has done. But I want to make this clear . My family and friends raised over 60,000 for my sons liver transplant and my employer as well we worked very hard and spent money on t-shirts food trucks bounce houses, etc to raise money . We spent money to raise money to have a fundraiser for him. And my son expirenced strokes right after his transplant the major surgery caused him to expirence a metabolic crisis unfortunately and needs more assistance with therapies etc and therapeutic tools / toys to help him improve. And they don't think that is transplant- related. Basically if I would have known how this worked we would have just made a GOFUND me instead. They didn't help us manage a fundraiser all we used was there name for our fundraiser. It a big disappointment. I feel like we were mislead by the CEO before we chose to use them. I am really getting tired of people bsing when it comes to our son. Its like we have the worst luck really. I would really like to know what they plan on doing with bentleys money that is not being used . I asked the CEO if it can go to Bentley's education needs and also he will always need assistance for the rest of his life due to he has some brain damage as well and lost his eye sight as well from his stroke and the CEO said no that is not transplant related. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion because again we my family and friends and job spent money to raise money and months and time for my son who will always need help and assistance.

Bridges MAYO is truly an exceptional organization. It provides a wide variety of diverse experiences to students and young musicians. I have never seen another youth orchestra be so diverse and collaborative in its efforts to teach young musicians about music from around the world in authentic and exciting ways. Anyone who is interested in working with this organization absolutely should. It deserves to grow and thrive to the fullest extent possible!

As a university educator in nonprofit management and experienced board member, I came to the Stone Belt Arc board with high expectations. The board takes its fiduciary duties very seriously; we meet all of the governance standards of multiple accrediting agencies. Board meetings are open to the public and "transparency" is written into the bylaws. The staff have long tenures within the organization and the senior staff, in fact, are considered experts in the field statewide. While every organization can become even better -- and Stone Belt is no exception here -- my gifts of time, money and expertise have always been used appropriately and carefully.

So, how could Living Earth Television exceed my expectations? We're still here :) <br> <br>Change is difficult in this culture of ours. Corporations and NFP's do things the way they have done them in the past, and many struggle just to continue - rather than looking for new and better ways to meet their objectives. They claim to be "innovative" but from the trajectory of our social challenges, it appears that "innovation" often just means finding a "quick buck" rather than adding quality. <br> <br>The process of completing and broadcasting our first documentary, "Kindergarten" by Zhang Yiqing, was quite a learning experience for me. Yes, it demonstrated that we could provide excellent programming for a small fraction of what it costs to produce a new documentary. And broadcasters are interested in this high quality content. However, broadcasting is so squeezed for cash now that it doesn't want to pay for programming that isn't going to bring in big profits. <br> <br>As a Board Member, we discuss strategy and planning objectives. We have some great films in the pipeline, but need money to translate and otherwise reversion them for broadcast. Watch "Kindergarten" at http://www.linktv.org/kindergarten. It is a remarkable film. What does it say about our media and our society that it isn't seen as "commercial?" We're still going to make this work! <br> <br>It was also very exciting to watch how Martha Foster was able to facilitate broadcasts of American Documentary films by the government television station in Myanmar. This was a striking accomplishment - again showing that there is an important place for Living Earth Television - if only enough people help us move forward.

I found a wild rabbit that got hit by a car a few years ago, and took it to Wildcare. It came trembling in pain, and a short while later, came out happy and healthy. This rabbit is one of many animals helped by this group. They don't just help animals, they also help the community. They come to schools, and runs helping to teach people about wild animals, and sometimes even bring some. I strongly urge anyone who loves animals to donate to Wildcare. You will never regret it!

I have been going to petsAlive for about 5 years. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the excellent staff and the expert veterinary care my animals receive while in their care. I have done my spay and neutered and routine shots for 4 cats and 7 dogs. They have always been friendly, my animals have been wonderfully taken care of and seem to bounce back from surgery better than when I have used other area vets. I will continue to use petsAlive and recommend them to all pet owners in the area.

I have played the role of client, volunteer, donor and am currently considering joining the Board of Directors at Bloomington Area Birth Services (BABS). This organization has literally altered the course of my life as a parent in ways that I never could have imagined; I am without a doubt a better person, friend, wife, community member and mother because of the resources provided at BABS. My experience with BABS began when I took the Childbirth Education course. An eight week course focused on labor and delivery, breastfeeding and post-partum considerations, this class prepared me and my husband for the process of delivering our son, feeding our son and caring for ourselves and our new baby in the weeks and months after his birth. Without this course, birth would have been a frightening and overwhelming time; because of the course we knew what to expect, as well as what was important to us as a family during birth. In the weeks and months following our son's birth, BABS provided space for me to come with my newborn to talk with other mothers, get insight into sleep, nursing and other pressing new parent concerns and to simply feel welcome with all the messiness that comes with a newborn. Although babies are welcome in many places, they are often less welcome when they are crying or needing to nurse constantly; at BABS, mothers feel accepted and validated...what they are doing and feeling is normal, and to allow new mothers to realize this allows them to feel confident and competent in their ability to mother well. The breastfeeding support provided through the Nurse and Chat program is priceless for our community. I often tell expecting mothers to make a point of coming to the first meeting after their new babies have arrived, even if it is the first place they take their baby! Breastfeeding is not easy in the early weeks of motherhood, and without an excellent support network, research has shown success rates drop dramatically. BABS is a resource for women who are struggling to initiate breastfeeding, are working to resolve the balance between nursing and working outside the home, adjusting to nursing a toddler or a second child and everything in between. Ann Marie, the lactation consultant who hosts Nurse and Chat, literally changes the course of mothers and babies' lives each month at this meeting--helping women who are on the brink of giving up breastfeeding see that they will not only survive, but that they will thrive! After the first couple of months mothering and being a 'BABS mama', I decided I needed to volunteer. I had been given so much without giving much of anything to BABS; what I had the most of was time. What started as folding newsletters led to helping solicit donations for the annual gala auction, helping host Nurse and Chat and most recently facilitating New Mom Support groups. Now that my son is an 'older baby', I have found my support network of other mothers; these are women without whom I honestly cannot imagine my days. My identity as a mother, and in turn my son's childhood, has been defined largely by the sense of community I gained from the services BABS offers. When asked if I was willing to commit to helping facilitate the New Mom Group, I knew it was the right thing for me to do. These groups run for eight weeks and meet weekly for 90 minutes. They provide space for mothers of newborns to discuss their experiences, emotions, relationships and challenges. After watching the evolution of these new mothers into confident, connected and loving mothers, I was more than happy to agree to volunteer for the next eight week group. I have recently been asked to join BABS' Board of Directors. This has been an easy commitment for me to make, as I fully believe that the services and resources that BABS provides improve our community immeasurably. Children quite literally are the future of any community; without appropriate support for parents from pregnancy through toddlerhood, we are not truly supporting the children of our communities. Whether it be educating families on childbirth, breastfeeding and pre- and post-natal health or providing support to families in processing their birth, building community and creating a parenting style that best suits the needs of all members of the family, BABS has something to offer every expecting or new parent in Southern Indiana.

The USA International Harp Competition exists to inspire, promote, and sustain artistic excellence while fostering a broader appreciation of the harp and its repertoire.<br><br>They bring people together through the universal language of music, enhance international and community relationships by producing our harp competition, composition contest, concert series, and educational programs.<br><br>They go above and beyond to inspire artistic excellence, encourage personal growth, launch careers and create community between musicians and their audiences.

I don't know much about the Foundation. I have been to Tuba Christmas many times. My brother knew Harvey Phillips. My brother was the Tuba player for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He went to Curtis in Philadelphia before studying in Germany on a Fulbright and then auditioning for RCO. So I am familiar with the Tuba syndrome and support it. My brother had a wonderful life touring the world and playing beautiful music with a world class orchestra. What could be better? Urge the kids to keep practicing.

The Bloomington Creative Glass Center is a great place to go and learn art. They have classes for all ages and all skill levels. The staff is amazing and their teachers are great. They also have a lovely galley full of glass art by local artists.

Sycamore Land Trust became an accredited land trust February 2019, a status that can be renewed every five years. Accreditation means Sycamore Land Trust meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Sycamore Land Trust demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate the commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. To learn more about land trust accreditation and the current accreditation status of Sycamore Land Trust, visit http//www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.

I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with the Lakota Language Consortium for eight years and can confidently say that this organization does an outstanding job of fulfilling its mission of supporting and promoting the Lakota language. The LLC has a long and impressive track record of working with Native language education in second-language and immersion teacher training and materials development. It’s great to support such a competent and energetic group.

Wonderlab is an invaluable science education resource for children in Bloomington and in Indiana. The museum features comprehensive science exhibits and covers biology, earth science, chemistry and physics. In addition, there are a plethora of programs for families and children to enjoy including summer camps, featured topics (i.e. science of limestone, science of beer and cheese for adults, and science and art). This nonprofit is highly respected in the community and makes science more accessible to children outside of the classroom. I had the opportunity to volunteer for the organization to help with their annual fundraiser. Not only does Wonderlab offer superb service to the public, it also shows appreciation for volunteers. I have had a wonderful experience and hope to volunteer their more!

Great organization! Their summer camps are amazing! I have been to retreats at their facilities as well, and those were great, too!