If you are 22 or older and ready to pursue further education despite life’s challenges, the Aspire to Rise Scholarship from The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) can help.

This TFEC scholarship supports those who have experienced setbacks such as caregiving responsibilities, financial hardship or other obstacles that delayed attending college, trade school or completing a GED.

“We want individuals to know that it’s never too late to continue your education,” said Wendy Ellenberger, program officer for educational opportunities at TFEC. “Whether you need to earn your GED, start a trade program or enroll in a four-year degree, this scholarship can help open doors you never thought possible.”

Why Apply for the Aspire to Rise Scholarship

The Aspire to Rise Scholarship offers flexible pathways by supporting various educational goals, from preparing for a GED to attending two-year or four-year degree programs. Awards vary and can help cover tuition or other essential expenses, allowing recipients to focus on their coursework. Schedules are flexible to accommodate students attending part-time or full-time so they can balance school with work or family commitments.

Extra consideration is given to those who have not completed a post-secondary degree, creating second chances for individuals ready to pursue new opportunities.

Who Should Apply

The scholarship supports nontraditional students who are 22 or older and have faced circumstances such as homelessness, substance abuse recovery, health issues, criminal justice involvement or military service. Applicants must live in Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon or Perry counties or in Dillsburg (York County), giving them access to local colleges, trade schools and certificate programs. It also covers related expenses for GED seekers who are preparing or planning to take the exam.

How to Apply

Visit tfec.org/scholarships/aspiretorise to review the criteria, gather the required documents and complete the application.

Submit your application, essay and supplemental files by Wednesday, December 31.

“We are excited to offer this scholarship to individuals who haven’t had an easy road,” said Caitlin Cluck, director of community investment at TFEC. “We believe everyone deserves the chance to invest in their future and positively impact our community.”

TFEC manages 195 scholarship funds and, in 2024 alone, awarded more than $2 million to nearly 500 students, making higher education more attainable for aspiring learners in south central Pennsylvania. With opportunities spanning a wide range of academic paths, TFEC offers support for diverse interests and backgrounds. To explore all available scholarships, visit tfec.org/scholarships.

Would you like to support the TFEC Aspire to Rise Scholarship Fund? You can donate directly to this fund, helping it grow and continue providing essential educational resources to students in our community. Visit tfec.org to contribute or email info@tfec.org with any questions.

Nonprofits in south central Pennsylvania work tirelessly to address urgent community needs–from food insecurity to healthcare. When these organizations face sudden federal funding disruptions and uncertainty, vital services can suffer.

To help continue their essential work, The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) announces its Emergent Needs grant, offering eligible nonprofits up to $15,000 in support for programs that serve residents across the region.

“When unpredictable shifts in the funding occur, nonprofits often struggle to meet rising community needs,” said Caitlin Cluck, director of community investment at TFEC. “This grant program assists in bridging those gaps by providing critical financial support so organizations can maintain vital services for individuals and families who rely on them–even when funding support is uncertain.”

By embracing a trust-based philanthropic approach, TFEC aims to bolster nonprofits’ ability to address urgent community needs without the constraints of burdensome processes. By providing flexible, timely support, TFEC ensures that funds–dispersed on a rolling basis over the next three months–can be used where they are needed most. This targeted effort helps safeguard social services and improve quality of life in Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties.

“The Emergent Needs Grant is a reflection of our mission to protect and uplift the nonprofits that strengthen our communities,” said Jennifer Doyle, president and CEO at TFEC. “We want local organizations to know that when circumstances become uncertain, TFEC is here to help them stay resilient and impactful.”

Eligible nonprofits can find details on how to apply at www.tfec.org, where information on deadlines, application guidelines, and FAQs is readily available. Community members or potential partners seeking more information are encouraged to email TFEC’s Community Investment Team at ccluck@tfec.org.

No business can stand the test of time unless its operations are running smoothly and efficiently. And as a small business owner, you must also be able to attract customers and build your online presence. This means knowing about the different services that can help streamline your operations, expand your online reach, and keep your customers happy. Today, we take a closer look at some of the most popular free and paid services to help you do just that.

 

Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Signature Tool

 

Business owners should embrace e-signing for contracts, which offers convenience and efficiency in the modern business landscape. Adobe Acrobat provides a user-friendly tool that enables you to sign and fill out PDF forms online, eliminating the need for physical document printing. This not only saves time and resources but also promotes environmental sustainability. E-signatures through tools like Adobe Acrobat are legally recognized, secure, and provide a seamless way to manage contracts while reducing paperwork. This approach not only streamlines operations but also enhances overall productivity and document management for businesses. Click for info about this game-changing tool.

 

Marketing Automation Tools

 

A marketing automation platform can be invaluable for marketing and sales teams, allowing them to automate mundane tasks and free up time for more critical work. With such a platform, you can:

 

• Segment your customers into different categories;

• Customize campaigns based on new segments;

• Track emails and web visits in real-time;

• Optimize customer profiles with detailed data collection;

• Conduct A/B testing of your campaigns and emails;

• And gain insight into your customer base.

 

By leveraging the power of the right automation platform with digital marketing software, your team can streamline its processes while improving overall efficiency.

 

Social Media Management Tools 

 

It’s critical to build a robust online presence, and social media management is a key element of doing that. Fortunately, there are many tools that allow you to post updates across multiple social media platforms simultaneously, giving you more time to focus on the other aspects of your business. Popular free options include Hootsuite and Buffer, while Sprout Social and Sendible are some of the best-paid options. Take time to research the range of social media management tools that will let you set goals and objectives for your campaigns, create content calendars, utilize analytics, and integrate other marketing channels.

 

Project Management Software 

 

If you want to manage projects from start to finish more effectively, find a software solution that facilitates it! The right platform will let you track progress, assign tasks, manage deadlines, and organize communication among team members (both internal and external). Trello and Asana are excellent free platforms, but Basecamp and monday.com can prove well worth the investment.

 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

 

CRM software helps businesses better understand their customer base by collecting data such as purchase history, contact information, customer service inquiries, and more. You can then use this information for your marketing campaigns or sales initiatives. Look into free platforms like HubSpot CRM as well as paid options like Salesforce CRM and Zoho CRM.

 

When using CRM software, gather and leverage information to segment customers into different categories and customize your marketing messages based on their interests. Then, track customer activity over time to send personalized emails at the perfect time. You’ll also want to adjust your CRM settings regularly according to shifting customer preferences and market trends to keep your campaigns relevant and effective.

 

Website Builders

 

If you don’t have the resources or budget for custom website development, website builders can help you get a professional-looking website up quickly without any coding knowledge or experience. Wix and Weebly are reputable website builders with free plans, while Squarespace and Shopify Plus are some of the most popular paid solutions.

 

Off-the-shelf solutions can provide a quick and easy way to launch your website. Custom services offer the opportunity to tailor your site precisely to your unique needs.

 

Consider factors such as cost, scalability, user experience, compatibility, and support when making your decision. Don’t forget to take into account any special requirements like accessibility or performance.

Streamlining your small business operations has never been more feasible with the wealth of technologies and services available today. The key is to research all your options and evaluate your budget to determine how much you can spend on marketing automation, social media management, website building, and other business areas. You’ll likely discover that using a combination of free and paid services is ideal. Just be strategic in creating the right mix to get the customer satisfaction, online presence, and operations you’re looking for!

Join the Cumberland Valley Business Alliance to get the resources you need to build a winning business in our community!

Paper’s out, people.

 

Award-winning comedian, writer, and producer Hasan Minhaj has partnered with Adobe Acrobat to celebrate 30 years of PDFs and to promote the power of paperless creativity and collaboration in today's digital age. The partnership highlights the importance of using digital tools to streamline workflows and enhance productivity, especially in the current work-from-home era.

 

As part of the partnership, Minhaj is featured in a series of videos showcasing how Adobe Acrobat can help professionals across industries to create, edit, and share documents seamlessly — no paper needed. The videos also provide tips and tricks for using Acrobat's features to improve collaboration and communication among team members.

 

Adobe Acrobat is a leading software solution that enables professionals to create, edit, and sign PDF documents securely and easily. The platform offers a range of features, including the ability to convert documents to PDF format, edit text and images, and add comments and annotations. It also integrates with other Adobe tools, such as Creative Cloud, to provide a seamless workflow for creative professionals.

 

The partnership between Hasan Minhaj and Adobe Acrobat kicked off with a range of digital and social media activations. Paper’s out, people, so stay tuned for more updates on how Acrobat is empowering creativity and collaboration in today's digital landscape.

 

Whatever PDF tool you need to streamline workflows, Acrobat’s got it. Learn more here.

Adobe Acrobat is a versatile software suite that offers a wide range of benefits for small and local businesses. From document management to collaboration and security features, Acrobat is an indispensable tool for organizations of all sizes for many reasons:

 

Efficient Document Management: Acrobat provides robust document management capabilities, allowing businesses to create, edit, organize, and archive documents seamlessly. With features like merging, splitting, and indexing PDFs, businesses can streamline their document workflow and reduce paperwork clutter.

 

Cost Savings: Acrobat offers cost-effective solutions that eliminate the need for expensive printed materials, courier services, and physical storage space. By going digital with PDF documents, businesses save on printing and shipping costs, reduce paper waste, and lower their overall operational expenses.

 

Enhanced Collaboration: Collaboration is key in today's business landscape, and Acrobat facilitates this through features like commenting, annotation, and real-time co-editing. Small businesses can collaborate with remote team members, clients, or suppliers, allowing for seamless communication and feedback on documents. This collaborative approach can significantly improve productivity and the speed of decision making.

 

Professional-Looking Documents: For small and local businesses trying to make a mark in a competitive market, the presentation of documents matters. Acrobat offers a wide range of formatting and styling options to create professional-looking documents. From customizing fonts and colors to adding watermarks and headers, businesses can enhance their brand identity and create visually-appealing materials.

 

Secure Document Handling: Acrobat provides robust security features, including password protection, encryption, and digital signatures. Small and local businesses can ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their documents, especially when handling sensitive information like customer data and financial information.

 

Mobile Accessibility: In today's fast-paced business world, being able to work on the go is crucial. Acrobat offers mobile apps that allow small businesses and local businesses to access, edit, and share documents from their smartphones or tablets. This mobility ensures that critical tasks can be addressed promptly, even when employees are not in the office.

 

Compliance and Legal Benefits: Acrobat helps businesses maintain compliance by providing tools for digital signatures and document tracking. This is especially valuable for businesses that need to meet stringent regulatory standards, like healthcare and financial institutions.

 

Streamlined Workflows: Acrobat integrates seamlessly with other popular software applications, including Microsoft Office and various cloud storage services. This integration streamlines workflows, making it easier to convert documents to PDF format, collaborate on documents, and access files stored in the cloud. Small and local businesses can save time and reduce errors by using these integrations.

 

Electronic Forms: Acrobat allows businesses to create interactive electronic forms that can be filled out online, reducing the need for paper forms and manual data entry. This simplifies the customer experience and ensures accurate data collection.

 

Just take a look at how Acrobat revolutionized the way The J. Morey Company runs its business. As an insurance agency, J. Morey handles a lot of paperwork — all of which was physical documentation until 2015, when president Joshua Morey digitized the firm’s paperwork with Acrobat. Because they no longer rely on wet signatures that have to be scanned into the computer system or sent via snail mail, the process of signing, password protecting, and sending signed documents takes only a minute instead of 20 minutes, freeing up as much as 10 hours a month per employee.

 

Acrobat’s features and tools allow The J. Morey Company and more than 500,000 other organizations worldwide to reduce costs while scaling their businesses. In fact, when Joshua took over the company in 2015, it had four offices with a total of 18 employees. After just three years of implementing Acrobat into its workflows, the company grew to 150 employees across 11 offices.

 

Acrobat offers a wide array of benefits for small and local businesses. From efficient document management and cost savings to enhanced collaboration and security, Acrobat empowers these businesses to operate more effectively and competitively in today's digital age. Its user-friendly features and mobile accessibility make it a valuable tool for businesses looking to streamline their operations, improve productivity, and deliver professional-quality documents to their clients and customers. Learn more about how Adobe Acrobat can help your business here.

In a world dominated by industry giants, small businesses often find themselves struggling to carve out a niche and make their mark. But what if the key to outshining these titans lies in cleverly crafted strategies that leverage your unique strengths and local presence? From boosting your brand’s visibility through community engagement to adopting cutting-edge technologies, the path to leveling the playing field is at your fingertips. Imagine your brand becoming a beloved staple in your community, capturing the hearts of conscious consumers, and staying ahead by predicting market trends with precision.

Amplify Your Brand with Community Involvement and Sponsorships

Engaging in local events and sponsorships can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility within the community. By participating in activities such as sponsoring local sports teams or funding community projects, your brand gets showcased to a wider audience, creating positive associations and memorable interactions. For instance, participating in local sports events can lead to a noticeable increase in weekend sales. Furthermore, aligning your brand with local causes or events demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility, fostering loyalty and a stronger emotional connection with your audience. 

Organize Efficiently with Streamlined Document Management

Maintaining your business documents in an organized manner is crucial for operational efficiency. Implementing a systematic filing system, such as sorting by name or date, facilitates quick access and reduces time spent searching for documents. Furthermore, this may help: saving documents as PDFs offers unparalleled advantages, such as preserving formatting across devices and enhancing information security. You can effortlessly convert various file types to PDF by using user-friendly online drag-and-drop tools.

Crafting Magnetic Content to Outshine Big Competitors

To effectively compete with industry giants, you must prioritize developing engaging content marketing strategies. Begin by deeply understanding your audience to ensure your content resonates with their needs and interests. Utilize a mix of evergreen, topical content and personalized material, which can drive consistent engagement and build brand loyalty. Leveraging analytics to refine your strategy continuously allows you to improve over time, ensuring your content remains relevant and impactful. By implementing these strategies, you create a strong, competitive presence in the market, distinguishing your brand from larger competitors.

Win Over Conscious Consumers with Sustainability and Ethics

By prioritizing sustainable and ethical sourcing, you can significantly attract the growing segment of environmentally and socially aware consumers. Ethical sourcing practices not only help protect human rights and promote community development but also enhance your brand image, making your products more appealing to modern buyers. Many consumers regard a sustainable lifestyle as important and prioritize purchases from companies that demonstrate ethical sourcing. Moreover, research shows that businesses adopting these practices can see revenue increases and enjoy a boost in brand value. 

Boost Email Engagement with Visual and Interactive Elements

When you’re aiming to compete with industry giants, incorporating visual content and interactive elements in your email campaigns can significantly boost engagement. Using videos, GIFs, and image carousels not only makes your emails more dynamic but also more appealing to your audience. However, remember to balance these elements to ensure quick load times and smooth user experiences. Additionally, advanced features like interactive quizzes or real-time data updates through AMP technology can make your emails more engaging and personalized. 

Create Buzz with Exclusive Offers and Influencer Partnerships

By providing influencers with exclusive offers or early product access, you can foster genuine and enthusiastic promotion of your brand. When influencers receive early access to your products, it allows them to explore and create content that resonates authentically with their audience, which ultimately builds trust and credibility. Furthermore, exclusive offers, such as discount codes, incentivize influencers’ followers to take immediate action, thereby increasing conversions and serving as a tangible measure of the influencer’s impact. This strategy not only engages the influencer but also drives a sense of urgency and exclusivity among their audience.

Outpace Rivals with Predictive Analytics for Inventory Mastery

By leveraging predictive analytics, you can forecast demand trends and optimize your inventory management, effectively competing with industry giants. Predictive analytics employs sophisticated techniques such as data mining, statistics, and machine learning to analyze historical and current data, providing deep insights into customer demand. Companies implementing these methodologies have reported significant reductions in non-performing inventory and declines in inventory holding costs, freeing up valuable working capital. This strategy not only ensures you have the right products in stock but also improves operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

 

By embracing these strategies, your small business can turn challenges into opportunities and overcome obstacles. Engaging locally and leveraging technology fosters resilience and innovation. Your size is an advantage, offering agility and a personal touch that larger companies may lack. Incorporate these insights into your operations to not only compete but thrive in the industry. Each strategic move will guide your business from small to mighty, paving the way for lasting success.

Discover the many different resources and connections you need to grow your business with the Cumberland Valley Business Alliance!

For the first time, Comcast is introducing the option to choose a five-year price guarantee when customers sign up for a new Xfinity Internet package.
 
The nationwide offer includes Xfinity’s best-in-class WiFi gateway and unlimited data – for one simple monthly price starting as low as $55 per month. The rate is locked in for five years with no annual contract required, giving customers the freedom and flexibility to cancel at any time without penalty.
 
The price guarantee is rolling out as part of Xfinity’s mission to deliver transparent, nationwide pricing that is clear and consistent, and increase the value customers receive from its fast, reliable, and secure Internet products.
 
“We’re addressing two significant consumer pain points – rising costs and transparency – with incredible value and easy-to-understand pricing that is locked in for five years,” said Steve Croney, Chief Operating Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. "Our new price guarantee removes complexity, and when our customers also take mobile, they get the nation’s largest converged network, which automatically delivers gig speeds wherever they go."
 
Customers who sign up for Xfinity Internet and opt for the new five-year price guarantee will receive:
 
Reliable, Powerful WiFi: New customers will receive an Xfinity Gateway that delivers incredible bandwidth capable of connecting upwards of 100 devices across the home. They also have access to Comcast’s WiFi network, the largest and fastest in the nation, to extend their connectivity experience on the go for no additional cost.
 
Unlimited Data: Unlimited data is included for every customer who chooses a plan with a price guarantee.
 
Xfinity Mobile Included: The five-year guarantee includes an unlimited Xfinity Mobile line at no cost for a year.
 
Gig Speeds at Home and On the Go: More than 90 percent of Xfinity Mobile data traffic happens over WiFi, and now mobile customers have access to WiFi PowerBoost, which seamlessly delivers speeds up to 1 Gbps when connected to WiFi in and out of the home.
 
Ultra-Low Lag Internet: Comcast began rolling out ultra-low lag Internet last year. Customers will experience this new technology when they use FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, apps on Meta’s mixed reality headsets, NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW, or many games on Valve’s Steam Games platform.
 
Cybersecurity Protection: Customers that take the Xfinity Gateway receive Xfinity Advanced Security, which protects all connected devices and the customers who use them at the gateway level from malware and other threats.
 
Parental Controls: The Xfinity Gateway also features network controls, available through the Xfinity app, that gives customers total control of their home network. Customers can set parental controls, test the connection to new devices as they join the network, pause WiFi, set WiFi schedules for family members, and more.
 
Consumers can sign up for Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Mobile online at www.xfinity.com or at their local Xfinity store.

Get ready to pedal and win this spring! May is National Bike Month, and Commute PA is excited to celebrate all month long with you! To add some extra excitement to your rides, we're giving away three chances to win a $100 Tango gift card to lucky cyclists.



Participating is easy! Simply log at least four bicycle trips in the Commute PA platform throughout the month of May right here.



Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or just starting out, Bike Month is the perfect time to embrace the joys and benefits of biking. Need some guidance on finding the best and safest routes for your two-wheeled adventures? Our team is here to help! Contact us for personalized assistance and resources by clicking here or calling us at 1.866.579.7433.



Don't miss out on regional activities, events, rides, and special transit promotions during the month, visit our Bike Month webpage here to make your May even better. Let's celebrate the power of pedal together!