Brainfood, a D.C.-based nonprofit, announced today that local teens from its after-school culinary program are working with White House chefs to prepare food for President Obama's 4th of July picnic, which will honor our nation's military and their families. The youth also assisted chefs to prepare for last week's Congressional Luau and White House Staff Picnic.

Junior Achievement announced today the launch of a private JA social network where more than 3,000 employees from around the world can be instantly connected and in touch in order to better educate youth how to succeed in the global economy.

President Barack Obama has pledged that his administration will do its part to support grassroots organizations that are successful in their efforts to improve communities, the Associated Press reports.

A comprehensive approach to health insurance, provider payment, and care delivery system reforms has the potential to slow health care cost increases while achieving near-universal coverage. The potential savings for families, businesses, and the federal government vary markedly, however, depending on whether or not a public insurance plan option is included and how such a plan is structured, according to a new analysis from The Commonwealth Fund.

A recently released study from the Giving USA Foundation reported that charitable giving from 2007 to 2008 dropped 2% (measured in current dollars; giving declined 5.7 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars).

The Smithsonian Institution and the World Bank Group today announced a new program under the Global Tiger Initiative to help stabilize and restore wild tiger populations and save this endangered species from extinction in its natural habitats.

The direct and indirect effect of child hunger in the U.S. is a contributing factor to the nation's economic woes and puts America at a competitive disadvantage, according to a new report issued today by Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization.

Today, Green Building Alliancez announced the final four recipients of its Product Innovation Grants who will share a total of $150,000. These winning Pennsylvania projects, selected through a competitive process, all seek to develop and introduce new and enhanced building products to the fast-growing green marketplace.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption announced today a total of $7,750,000 United States grants issued this year, including $7,223,000 from Wendy's Wonderful Kids, the Foundation's signature program.

Eighty percent of nonprofit organizations are experiencing fiscal stress according to a survey released today by Johns Hopkins University, and close to 40 percent of them reported that this stress was “severe” or “very severe.” Theaters and orchestras were particularly hard hit, with nearly 75 percent of the former and half of the latter reporting “severe” or “very severe” stress.