President Barack Obama will sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities at a ceremony Friday at the White House, he announced Monday. The U.S. International Council on Disabilities, a Connect U.S.

The economic downturn has left many nonprofits - including members of the Connect U.S. Fund community - facing shortfalls of both funding and fundraising resources. Online donor campaigns can be cost-effective ways of increasing financial support from constituents, and there are some great resources out there for launching or refining an online fundraising program.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new effort to evaluate and plan diplomacy and development programs, the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, on Friday. The process is modeled after the Department of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review, which both directs planning and helps make a compelling case to Congress about needed resources for the Defense Department, Clinton said. The Secretary said she wants the QDDR to serve those dual functions for State.

Laura Rozen reports on The Cable that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce a Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), to be led by Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew and Director of Policy Planning Anne-Marie Slaughter. Secretary Clinton will speak about the initiative, modeled after the Quadrennial Defense Review, at a town hall meeting today.

July 2, 2009 - Washington, DC

Ambassador Nancy E. Soderberg has been named President of the Connect U.S. Fund, the organization announced today.   On July 8, Ms. Soderberg will succeed Eric Schwartz, who has been appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration.

Last week, members of the Connect U.S. Fund community gathered to discuss the Obama administration's progress so far in moving towards more responsible U.S. global engagement - as well as the challenges the advocacy community faces in the months and years ahead.

We were very excited to partner with U.S. In The World to present a monthly briefing series on public opinion and messaging. We wanted USITW information and perspectives to reach advocates outside of D.C., and conference calls just wouldn't cut it. Staying engaged with a remote presentation without a visual component is challenging, no matter how captivating the material.

The President gets high marks for global engagement; public still split on torture; Americans disapprove of subsidies to large farms; climate change a national priority.

Four public opinion polls released last week address issues relevant to the Connect U.S. Community: U.S. global engagement, torture, agricultural subsidies, and climate change:

As Barack Obama's presidency hit the 100 day mark, many organizations took the opportunity to evaluate the administration's progress so far. Many of the reports and articles we read were cautiously optimistic about progress, noting that the administration had laid the foundation for responsible U.S. global engagement on a variety of issues - but that in many cases words and promises had yet to turn into concrete action.

Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced a draft of "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" on Tuesday. The bill would introduce a cap-and-trade system restricting carbon emissions, which, according to its sponsors, would create green jobs, ensure American energy independence, and limit pollution.