We're hiring our first Development and Communications Director- you interested?

JOB OPPORTUNITY: DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Project Interfaith, a non-profit interfaith organization dedicated to building understanding, respect and relationships among people of all faiths and beliefs, is now accepting applications for the position of Development & Communications Director (DCD). The DCD will work with the Executive Director and development and communications committees to develop & implement fundraising & communications plans. The DCD will be charged with donor research & prospect solicitations, social media and database development/ management, grantwriting, creating media releases & kits, and other responsibilities necessary to meet fundraising & communications goals. The DCD will carry out necessary tasks to manage the office.

Bachelor's degree required, major in relevant field preferred (i.e. religious studies, non-profit development, marketing, etc.), at least three years of fundraising/development &/or communications/public relations experience, proficiency using Microsoft Office (including Access) & Quickbooks strongly preferred. A passion for interfaith work important. Demonstrated successful grant writing experience required.

Prefer experience working with & soliciting donors, maintaining websites, using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, & working in non-profit settings especially those in start-up phase desired. Successful completion of certificate in fundraising a plus.

Salary range: $35,000- $45,000 plus great benefits and flexible work environment.

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position and may require working some weekends and evenings. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Interested candidates should apply at http://careers.unomaha.edu. (The University of Nebraska at Omaha generously handles our human resources and payroll matters). Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. No phone calls or emails please.

Calling all Bloggers: Help Grow Our Efforts to Build Understanding, Respect and Relationships among People of all Faiths & Beliefs by Blogging

Dear blogging or soon-to-be-blogging friends,

First of all, thanks so much for all the love you have shown us at Project Interfaith. Whether you have added our blog to your blogroll, given us advice on how to better reach out and connect people to our mission and work, made a donation, or given some other form of support, it helps and I and everybody else involved with Project Interfaith so appreciate it.

Now I have one more BIG way that you can help us grow our efforts to build understanding and respect among people of all faiths and beliefs. Zemanta is offering $6,000 to the organization that is blogged about most. The details are at the link below. You basically just need to tell people why you dig Project Interfaith and how we are making a positive difference. Offer up whatever floats your boat: whether it's our focus on relationships, not agreement; our efforts to use the arts to explore and educate about religious diversity; our work with educators, caregivers, health care providers, social workers, and other professionals to make sure they are able to work with and serve people of all faiths and beliefs; the incredible speakers like Reza Aslan and Krista Tippett that we have brought to Omaha through our Community Conversations annual speaker series; or our snazzy logo and materials provided by our amazing design partner Oxide Design Co. Here's the important part, for it to count towards our campaign of support you must paste in:

This blog post is part of Zemanta's "http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/">Blogging For a Cause" campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

http://www.zemanta.com/bloggingforacause/

Please help us spread the word about our passion and work to make our community and world a place where people of all faiths and beliefs are valued and included~ and to have fun, build relationships, and be creative while we do it. Take a moment to blog about us and to encourage other bloggers who are supportive our mission and work to do so as well.

Our amazing friend Sidney Hargro, who writes a truly inspiring blog http://www.innovate2uplift.net/, brought this challenge to our attention and got the ball rolling by interviewing me for the Raising the Buzz section of his blog. Check it out and let us know what you think if you have a chance.

Thanks so much for your support through blogging,

Beth Katz
Founder and Executive Director

Our May 17 Interfaith Architecture Tour Looks at Nature's Influence on Buddhist and Catholic Traditions

We're excited to announce the return of one of our most popular programs, our Annual Interfaith Architecture Tour on Sunday, May 17, 2009 from 1:30- 4:00 pm (check-in starts at 1:00 pm) at Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey located at 22520 Mount Michael Road in Elkhorn, Nebraska (just on the Northwest edge of Omaha). The theme of this year's tour is the "Influence of Nature on Buddhist and Catholic Religious Art and Architecture." The tour will feature speakers on this topic as well as a tour of a prime example of this: the beautiful buildings and grounds of Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey. The tour will be followed by a reception with light refreshments hosted by Mount Benedictine Abbey. Directions and registration details can be found at the event website: http://interfaitharchitecturetour2009.eventbrite.com

As we have done for past tours, we have teamed up with the Omaha chapter of the American Institute of Architects who will be offering learning units for members to attend. So if you are an architect this is a painless, even interesting way to get in your professional development credits.
We also are partnering with Tinh Tam (the Council of Buddhist Study) and the Archdiocese of Omaha to offer this great program. The cost is $5 per person and is non-refundable. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. Give us a ring (933-4647) or email us at info@projectinterfaithusa.com to register.

Register now for Project Interfaith's May 6, 2009 Religious Diversity Issues in Professional Care Giving Training

From accommodating dietary and modesty needs to performing a spiritual needs assessment, the ways in which religious diversity impacts professional care giving and health care today are extensive. So where can professionals go to get the resources, information, and tools they need to successfully serve and work with religiously and culturally diverse populations?

Enter Project Interfaith's "Religious Diversity Issues in Professional Care Giving: A Training for Professional Care Givers, Medical Personnel, and Social Service Providers in Facilities and In-Home Care." We at Project Interfaith have developed a full-day training designed to provide participants with the information, contacts, and resources to:

• Explore your views about religion and identity amd understand how these views may impact your interactions with clients and their families
• Learn about when and how religion and religious materials can be used in a care giving facility
  
• Find out how to assess the religious, spiritual, and cultural needs of your client religious and to determine what accommodations are needed and reasonable
• Receive information about the basic beliefs, demographics and organization of various religious communities
  
• Get connected with helpful, credible print and web-based resources and contacts

All this, plus meals and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to boot. Register now to join us at our next training on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 from 7:45 am- 4:00 pm. This training will be held at the Visiting Nurse Association Offices at 12565 West Center Road in Omaha, Nebraska. Thanks to funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, the cost of this training has been greatly reduced to just $40 per participant. Four full scholarships are available for CNAs, home health aides, and student. Scholarships are first come, first serve.

To register or for more information, contact us at Project Interfaith by calling (402) 933-4647 or email info@projectinterfaithusa.org. Space is limited, so don't delay!

This program is held in partnership with the Respite Resource Center of Nebraska, the Creighton University Health Sciences Library, and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

Internationally Acclaimed Writer and Scholar Reza Aslan to Return to Speak on May 7

How To Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization and the End of the War on Terror
A Community Conversation with Reza Aslan
Part of Project Interfaith's 2008-2009 Community Conversations Annual Speaker Series

Thursday, May 7, 2009
7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
Countryside Community Church
8787 Pacific Street
Omaha, Nebraska

Internationally acclaimed writer and scholar Reza Aslan returns to Omaha to discuss his newest book How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror (available in April 2009), an in-depth study of the ideology fueling al-Qa‘ida, the Taliban, and like-minded militants throughout the Muslim world, and an exploration of religious violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Surveying the global scene from Israel to Iraq and from New York to the Netherlands, Aslan argues that religion is a stronger force today than it has been in a century. At a time when religion and politics are increasingly sharing the same vocabulary and functioning in the same sphere, Aslan asserts that we must strip the conflicts of our world–in particular, the War on Terror–of their religious connotations and address the earthly grievances that always lie behind the cosmic impulse. Join us for this engaging evening with Reza Aslan.

This program is jointly presented by Project Interfaith, the Center for Faith Studies at Countryside Community Church, and the Islamic Center of Omaha. This program is open to the public and is offered at no charge by the three co-sponoring organizations. Space is limited. Pre-registration for this event is strongly suggested. For more information and to register, visit www.rezaaslanomaha.eventbrite.com. For questions or to register by phone, please contact Project Interfaith at (402) 933-4647 or by emailing info@projectinterfaithusa.org or you may contact Cyndi Kugler at the Center for Faith Studies, (402) 391-0350 x 121.

Project Interfaith to be featured on panel at UN Alliance of Civilizations' Istanbul Forum

Published Friday April 3, 2009
Omahan, Obama on U.N. forum's agenda
BY CHRISTOPHER BURBACH
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The leader of Omaha's Project Interfaith has been invited to talk about the organization at a U.N. conference in Turkey that's also on President Barack Obama's schedule.

Beth Katz, executive director of Project Interfaith, is scheduled to appear on a panel during a forum organized by the Alliance of Civilizations, a U.N. initiative that is aimed at bridging differences between Muslim nations and the West.

Obama is expected to stop by the forum in Istanbul on Tuesday, during an official visit to Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon are on the schedule. Participants include business executives, journalists, diplomats, scholars, youth groups from several continents, religious leaders, philanthropic foundations and leaders of grass-roots organizations such as the one Katz heads.

Forum organizers want to bring together a cross section of people to learn about bridging cultural and religious divides, said Daanish Maasood, an Alliance of Civilizations spokesman.

Katz doesn't know if she'll rub elbows with heads of state. She is scheduled to be part of a break-out session titled "Learning About and Across Differences."

The invitation came after Katz happened to sit next to an Alliance of Civilizations official last fall in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion. Katz told him about Project Interfaith's training programs for educators and health care workers. He recommended the organization for participation in the Istanbul forum.

Project Interfaith began in 2005 and provides education about different faiths through art exhibits, architectural tours, workshops and a speakers bureau, among other programs.

Katz said conference organizers were interested in the Omaha organization partly because they wouldn't have expected to find such an effort in this part of the United States.

She called the conference an exciting opportunity to introduce Project Interfaith to an international audience.

Said Katz, "I'm really looking forward not just to showing what we are doing in our community, but to see what people are doing in other communities."

For more information on the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAoc) and the UNAoC Istanbul Forum, visit www.unaoc.org.

You Won't Want to Miss Our March 29 Faith and the Environment Community Conference- Register Now to Be a Part of this Amazing Event!

What's faith got to do with environmental stewardship? Register for our March 29 Faith and the Environment Community Conference and find out from some of the country's top speakers on this topic. Don't forget to stop by the Conference's information fair to see some of the best secular and faith-based examples of what people in our community are doing to sustain the environment and to find out some simple ways that you can go green. More details including registration info is below- we hope to see you there!

And remember- always use the buddy system when attending a Project Interfaith program- friends don't let friends miss high-quality Project Interfaith programs. Thanks...

A Community Conference on Faith and the Environment: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American Ways of Approaching Environmental Issues
Part of Project Interfaith's 2008-2009 Community Conversations Annual Speaker Series

When: Sunday, March 29, 2009. 1:00-5:00 pm (Check-in begins at 12:30 pm)

Location: Harper Center Ballroom, Creighton University- 602 N. 20th Street (Free parking is available at the visitors lot adjacent to the Harper Center on 20th and California)

What: Join us as we explore how different religions and belief systems view the environment and our role in it -especially when it comes to caring for it. Hear from four scholars who are active in environmental issues as they speak on how their beliefs have shaped their attitudes and actions towards the environment. Participants also will have opportunities throughout the conference to dialogue with each other about these issues. Light refreshments will be served.

Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Terry Wimberley, A Christian Perspective
• Dr. Sandra Beth Lubarsky, A Jewish Perspective
• Dr. Safei-Eldin A. Hamed, A Muslim Perspective
• Dr. Rudi Mitchell, A Native American Perspective

Also, find ways to put your beliefs into action by connecting with local environmental initiatives and groups at our information fair. Groups include:

• Earth Day Omaha
• Energy Smart Company
• Omaha By Design
• Books and resources on this topic provided by Soul Desires Bookstore
• And many more!

Cost: This program is open to the public at no charge thanks to generous funding from the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society and the Special Donor-Advised Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation.

Space is limited and pre-registration is strongly suggested. To register, contact Fran Minear at the Kripke Center at (402) 280-2303 or email fminear@creighton.edu.