A recent survey of Make a Difference Michiana partnering agencies asked respondents about the greatest needs of the Michiana non-profit sector. One need stood out among all others:

75% of non-profit respondents saw a great need for more partnerships between the non-profit and for-profit sectors.

It's obvious that non-profits can really reap the benefits of strong partnerships by being empowered with more resources, volunteers, financial support, or in-kind services. The partnership isn't at all a one-way relationship, however: now studies are showing that employers who offer such partnerships may have a leg up on recruiting new employees entering the workforce. It's a partnership that benefits both sides in serving their community.

We'll be highlighting some of the great business/non-profit partnerships in Michiana at the 2008 Philanthropy Summit on May 6th. Make a Difference Michiana will be recognizing three outstanding businesses for their partnerships with local non-profits by awarding them a 2008 Good Corporate Citizen Award. You can register for the event on this page.

If you're a business interested in helping out a Michiana non-profit, we invite you to attend on May 6th. There will be a non-profit expo with many local organizations present, and the luncheon will also provide networking opportunities to build new relationships with non-profits. Our speaker, Laura Eilts from Deloitte, will be highlighting Deloitte's success in creating skill-based volunteer opportunities for their employees. After the speaker we'll be hearing from local business leaders about local philanthropic practices in a panel discussion on making a difference locally.

If you aren't able to attend, you can find out plenty of information about potential non-profit partners on this site. You might want to go to our I Need Help page to sort agencies by services provided. We can also assist you in donating used furniture or office equipment to multiple agencies.

Finally, Make a Difference Michiana would like to recognize the businesses that have partnered with them to make the Philanthropy Summit possible. You can view them on this page.

Today Hannah's House officially joins Center for the Homeless and Make a Difference Michiana as a blogging agency with their first official blog post. They will be using their blog to relay personal stories, updates, and news about the wonderful work they do. Check out their first post right here: Hannah's House Launches a Blog.

After you read it, post a comment to tell them what you think.

More new blogging agencies are coming soon!

Statistics about Generation Y (18-25-year-olds):

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1 in 10 read a newspaper daily.

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1 in 10 watch network news regularly.

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2 in 10 are regular voters.

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3 in 10 go to church weekly or more.

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3.6 in 10 have a tattoo.

This is a generation that's quite different from Generation X and the Baby Boomers that came before them. What's not obvious from these stats, however, is that Generation Y may drastically reform both the non-profit sector and the business world in the very near future.

Continue Reading Understanding Generation Y