Food Bank For New York City

The New York Times Company announced today the 10 semifinalists for the 2009 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards. Now in its third year, the awards honor outstanding management practices and encourage innovation and communication among New York's large and diverse nonprofit community. In 2007, The Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) and the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG) joined the Times Company in the establishment of this program. All nonprofit organizations based in and serving New York City, Long Island and Westchester are eligible to apply. The application period ended for the 2009 submissions on Nov. 21, 2008. The organizations, which vary in size and in the types of services they offer the community, were chosen by the program's selection committee for their outstanding management.

You’ve probably seen the Thanksgiving mailings many food banks send each year that use brown paper lunch bags as the carrier. It’s a great idea. These mailings always catch my eye for their unique size, shape and look when compared to the oft-used white No. 10 and even the 6-inch-by-9-inch carriers. But more organizations — mostly food banks, but I’ve seen animal shelters use this format as well — are mailing brown bags, and the novelty has worn off a bit. I noticed this sadly, as I perused the direct mail that had accumulated in our Who’s Mailing What! direct mail Archive last month.