Nonprofit Fundraising Jobs Supported by Millions in Grants

A number of organizations have received large grants in recent weeks that will support many nonprofit fundraising jobs.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy releases a list of grants totaling $20,000 or more every Thursday. Grants are made by foundations, companies, and other private sources and go toward a variety of causes, from drought relief to education reform.

Here are the 10 largest grants for the week of September 15:

1. Bloomberg Family Foundation (New York, N.Y.) - $18 million over 33 months from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce tobacco use in low and middle-income countries with a priority focus on Africa.
2. Duke Ellington School of the Arts (Washington, D.C.) - $17.2 million from the Eugene B. Casey Foundation for an educational endowment.
3. Harvard School of Public Health (Boston, Mass.) - $12 million over three years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve maternal health in developing countries
4. Duke University (Durham, N.C.)/Michigan State University (East Lansing, Mich.)/Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, Calif.) - $1.6 million each over 62 months from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support innovative plant biology research.
5. KIPP Foundation (San Francisco, Calif.) - $3.5 million from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to support the 2015 Plan program, particularly data collection, reporting, usage training, and school and regional reviews.
6. World Health Organization (Geneva, Wash.) - $2.9 million over three years from the Bil l & Melinda Gates Foundation to bring new vaccines to low and middle-income countries.
7. Kaivalya Education Foundation (Ahmedabad, India) - $2.5 million from the Michael and Susab Dell Foundation to help governments and schools develop into strong and inspirational leaders.
8. D.C. Public Education Fund (Washington, D.C.) - $1.5 million over 29 months from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help school systems properly train employees who observe classrooms.
9. Pew Research Center (Washington, D.C.) - $1.4 million over 32 months from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct national research on consumer expectations and use of public library services, especially e-books and digital content.
10. Oxfam America (Boston, Mass.) - $1.4 million over 19 months from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support relief efforts after the recent drought in Ethiopia.

Simulation Training for PT Jobs Arizona

Those considering the PT jobs Arizona (http://rehabjob.abrazohealth.com) has to offer among their future career options may want to participate in some simulation training.

A recent study from the University of South Florida found that gynecological medical students who practice on a patient simulator score significantly higher on their final exams than students who only receive lectures.

Although this study is aimed solely at gynecological students, it proves that simulation training can have benefits for any medical student, including those interested in physical therapy.

The USF study is one of many that has examined the effects of obstetric simulation training on student confidence, comprehension, satisfaction, and comfort in performing common obstetric procedures. However, it's the first study to evaluate simulation effects on final examination scores.

"The simulation training engaged the students early on," Dr. Shelly Holmstrom, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at USF Health and lead author of the study, said in a statement. "As a result, they may have been more invested in the clerkship and absorbed the information more effectively and comprehensively. That may explain why these students scored higher on their oral and written examinations."

The study followed 113 students in the USF four-week maternal newborn clerkship. Some students were assigned to attend traditional lectures on delivering a baby, while others participated in a hands-on delivery simulation.

Students were asked to complete confidence assessment surveys before their assignments began and four weeks after training. The exam scores of the simulation and non-simulation groups were then compared.

The results found:

• More than 52 percent of students in the simulation training felt confident enough to perform an independent or minimally-supervised delivery after training, compared to only 16 percent of students in the lecture group.
• After performing three actual deliveries, there was no difference in confidence levels between the two groups.
• Students in the simulation group scored higher on their oral and written exams.