The League of Education Voters Foundation, a Seattle group that sponsors voter and education-policy programs, and the New School Foundation, another Seattle nonprofit that works with schools, plan to merge, says The Seattle Times. The merger will become official on July 31, and the new organization will operate under the League of Education Voters Foundation name.

Community Service and Employment Training a Visalia, Calif.,
nonprofit that operates employment centers, has laid off 12 people, according to The Porterville Recorder. The organization received 30 percent less in funding this year.

Animal Haven, a lost-pet and adoption center in Merriam, Kan., and No More Homeless Pets KC, a low-cost veterinary clinic in Kansas City, Kan., have merged to form Heartland SPCA, according to The Kansas City Star. Officials said the move comes after months of planning and discussions and that no jobs would be cut. Services will remain unchanged.

The Bellevue Philharmonic, in Washington State, will cease operations at the end of July, reports The Seattle Times. The orchestra cited a drop in large donations, growing debt, and a decreasing subscriber base as the main factors in the decision to shut down.

Because of a drop in donations, Lassen Senior Services, in Susanville, Calif., has laid off about 10 employees and closed down until July, when its new fiscal year starts, writes the Lassen County Times. Officials at the charity said they hope to rehire the laid-off employees in the coming months. The charity will continue it meals program serving housebound seniors.

The Progressive Jewish Alliance, in Los Angeles, and Jewish Funds for Justice, in New York, have merged, according to a news release on the Alliance’s Web site. The Progressive Jewish Alliance, founded in 1999, focuses on social justice and Jewish-Muslim dialogue programs in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. Jewish Funds for Justice, a social-service group, was established from a previous merger in 2006. Officials have not yet decided on a new name for the merged organization.

The Austin Museum of Art and Arthouse, both in Austin, Tex., took the first steps last month toward discussions centered on whether the two museums should eventually merge, says the Austin-American Statesman. While board members from both institutions have formed an exploratory group, discussions have not yet begun, and a timeline for a decision has also not been made.

New Life Community and Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cleveland—two Cleveland charities that help homeless families—have merged, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Officials at Family Promise of Greater Cleveland, the name of the newly merged group, said with the combined staff and finances of the two groups, the move makes it possible to increase the services provided to needy families.

Two Ohio AIDS organizations, the Columbus AIDS Task Force and AIDS Resource Center Ohio, plan to merge in July, according to Columbus Business First. Operating under the name the AIDS Resource Center Ohio, the merged group will have offices throughout the state and provide care, financial assistance, and other services to more than 2,500 HIV-positive people.

Liberty Resources, a Philadelphia charity that serves people with disabilities, has laid off 132 of its 3,600 employees, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Officials at the nonprofit cited state budget cuts as the reason for the cuts.