Nonprofit

• Most Topular Stories

• Refreshing Your Nonprofit Board Dashboard

  Bridgespan - All RSS Feeds

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Refreshing Your Board Dashboard 2012 01 17 Matthew Forti With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions already broken, Matt Forti suggests one you can easily keep  a refreshed board dashboard With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions

• The Link Between Creativity and Time

  The Grant Goddess Speaks. . .

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am

  You may think that you "work best under a deadline," but there is actually a negative correlation between time pressure and creativity. This video illustrates it beautifully! &lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">br</span>&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span…

• How to focus in the age of distraction?

  zyOzy Foundation Blog

  18 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pm

• How connecting differs in person and on the web

  Acronym

  Joe Rominiecki

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:32 am

  In the space of a few hours earlier this week, I came upon two articles about human interaction that seemingly contradicted each other: "Opposites Don't Attract (And That's Bad News)," by Jonah Lehrer at Wired's Frontal Cortex blog "The End of the Echo Chamber," by Farhad Manjoo at Slate In the former, Lehrer explains a newly released study that found that college students at larger universities have less diverse social groups than those at smaller universities. The conclusion drawn is that a larger environment allows the natural tendency toward seeking relationships with similar people to…

• Wired for Philanthropy

  Connection Café

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:04 am

  Author: Sara Spivey I don’t know how many of you are old enough to remember Steve Martin in the movie “The Jerk” but there is a really funny scene where he explodes into exuberant jubilation when he realizes his name has “made” the phone book—he dances around and says, “The new phone book is here, I’m somebody now!”. I kind of get that same feeling when we publish the most generous cities list every year. I wait impatiently like a kid on Christmas to see who’s coming out on top. This year’s winner, Seattle, has a long tradition…

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  Dowser

• Weekly Roundup: Davos, Igloos and the Future of Capitalism

  Dowser

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:34 pm

  WEF Discusses Global Inequality in the Swiss Alps This week the world’s political leaders, policy analysts, tech titans, successful businessmen, and members of the social sector convened for the annual World Economic Forum.  Despite all the wealth in the room, one of the biggest discussion points was income inequality---not surprising given the economic frustrations globally. # The big question was: Does capitalism have a future and what will it look like in the coming years?  How can it be more socially responsible and inclusive? # As a result of this recession, that's lasted longer than…

• Conversations with Unreasonable Fellows: Ties Kroezen of NICE

  Dowser

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:35 am

  Ties Kroezen lives in the Netherlands, but the fruits of his labor are in Africa. His company, NICE International, brings IT services and clean energy development to The Gambia and other African countries. Kroezen was selected to represent NICE at this year's Unreasonable Institute in Boulder, Colorado, where he was able to spend part of the summer with social entrepreneurs from around the world. He spent some time recently talking with Dowser about his company's work in Africa. # Dowser: Can you describe how NICE works? Krozen: NICE International is based in the Netherlands, where I am. We…

• Waste Farmers: A Company Aims to Put Nutrients From Food Waste Back Into the Soil

  Dowser

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:11 pm

  The United States has a topsoil problem. About 75 percent of it is gone, primarily because the large, single-crop farms that dominate American agriculture rely on chemicals and synthetic fertilizers to produce their harvests, depleting natural soil systems in the process. # John-Paul Maxfield thinks compost can help solve this problem. Environmentalists love compost for several reasons, including that it helps divert waste from landfills -- the world's largest source of human-produced methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. But for Maxfield, composting organic…

• New California Law Combats Human Slavery via Supply Chain Transparency

  Dowser

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:10 pm

  January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time to educate people that slavery exists today and build support for the fight to stop it. But this January also happens to be the month that a new law in California has come into effect, the first of its kind in the U.S., and one that has the potential to do more than just raise awareness of human trafficking and actually make a real dent in the problem itself. # Human trafficking and forced labor are largely hidden problems, but they persist in just about every country in the world (including in the U.S.) whether it's in cotton fields that…

• Weekly Roundup: SOPA and the Art of the Online Protest

  Dowser

  20 Jan 2012 | 11:57 am

  Hearing the Different Voices on SOPA People power is back.  Wednesday’s protests against the SOPA bill continue last year’s theme of the power of protest.  However, this time the protesters include corporate giants, like Google, which went “black” in support of a free Internet this week.  It wasn’t just the big sites that went down for the day -- countless blogs, tumblr sites, and smaller companies also shut down on Wednesday.   # One blog visually captured what the Web looked like, courtesy of the SOPA protest:  Another captured the power of the movement, comparing SOPA…

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  Rosetta Thurman

• Why It’s Time to Rethink the Language of Nonprofit Leadership Development

  rosettathurman

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:37 pm

  Earlier this week, I gave a presentation for the National Human Services Assembly’s Field Services Council about how to develop a new generation of nonprofit leaders. We talked about some of the new research about what Generation X and Y nonprofit professionals need as well as ideas for how managers, organizations and associations might experiment with different strategies. What I wanted to share here today is part of the conversation we had about the language we use in nonprofit leadership development as it relates to young people in the sector. Develop vs. Support…

• Young Business Professionals: Applications Open for ProInspire Nonprofit Fellowship Program

  rosettathurman

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:29 am

  I’m excited to share that applications are now open for the 2012 ProInspire Fellowship! ProInspire is a program founded by the fabulous Monisha Kapila for outstanding young business professionals who want to have a life changing experience – spending one year using their skills working for a leading nonprofit. I have worked with Monisha in the past and had a chance to meet and speak to some of the amazing Fellows that were chosen for a previous class. This year, they will have TWO classes of Fellows in Washington D.C. – Spring Fellows starting in April and Fall Fellows starting in…

• 11 Tips for a Successful Nonprofit Job Search

  rosettathurman

  19 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm

  Now that you have your 2012 nonprofit career plan, you may have realized that it’s time to start looking for a new nonprofit job. If you’re planning to transition to a new position this year, it can be daunting to know where to start, especially if you’re coming from the corporate world or changing roles after a few years. Yes, the doom and gloom monsters are all over the place talking about how bad the economy and the job market is, but keep in mind that nonprofits are still hiring, even more than for-profits are. And there is still turnover in the sector –…

• How to Create Your 2012 Nonprofit Career Plan

  rosettathurman

  10 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm

  Last week, Allison Jones and I hosted our first #ynpchat of the year on creating a 2012 nonprofit career plan. (For those who don’t know, #ynpchat is our monthly Twitter chat for young nonprofit professionals. It happens every first Wednesday of the month from 12:00pm-1:00pm Eastern time.) The questions we used to guide the discussion were adapted from my previous post: 15 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Nonprofit Career. It was a great way to ring in the new year and a fabulous reminder that 2012 can be as amazing as we want it to be. I shared a few of my…

• A Review of 2011 and Three Themes for Meaningful Work in 2012

  rosettathurman

  3 Jan 2012 | 4:09 pm

  Happy new year! I’m still getting settled back in the DC area after a month away in Hawaii and Florida. My body is NOT happy about the change in weather, let me tell you! Part of me refuses to believe that it’s 2012 already. I feel like 2011 was a fast-moving year. Some parts of it felt rushed, which I didn’t like. I was on the road a lot, so it was nice to take a month off (mostly) to relax, spend time with family and get some reading and writing done. What My Work Looked Like in 2011 I wanted to take a moment to reflect and summarize my public work over…

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  Balancing the Mission Checkbook

• Updates to the Rule Book can impact the Story Book

  Steve Boland

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm

  Nonprofits Assistance Fund advises its clients to think about financial statements as a way to tell the story of their nonprofit missions. How organizations raise resources (mixes of earned and donated revenue, for example), where they spend money, and what they impact as a result of using resources are the narrative arcs of your financial statements. The stories are told within a common context. Narratives have rules of grammar, and the financial statements have rules about how we describe resources so we all have a common understanding. These rules (Generally Accepted Account Principles, or…

• Making Your Business Model Work: Applying a Break-Even Analysis

  Michael Anderson

  10 Jan 2012 | 1:51 pm

  We give lots of business model advice to our clients. It often takes a general form, such as, “improve the financial performance of this program” or “better align that profitable program to your mission.” However, sometimes a more technical analysis is required to really understand how to make a business model work. Every nonprofit business model has unique business model drivers. These drivers are typically income-generating activities that have a significant impact on an organization’s ability to simultaneously operate at a surplus while achieving its mission. Common examples of…

• Goodbye to 2011 and some hopes for 2012

  Kate Barr

  30 Dec 2011 | 10:56 am

  There have been years when I hated to see the year end because of all the wonderful, joyful events that had occurred. This year, though, was pretty mixed in terms of the financial health and sustainability of Minnesota’s nonprofits. While there was a lot to celebrate for nonprofits in 2011, there were also challenges which I’ll be happy to leave behind. I can see some silver linings in these clouds, though, in new practices and trends that will lead to better financial health and capacity in 2012. So in the spirit of year end lists, here are five goodbyes for 2011 – and hopes for 2012:…

• Talk the Talk: Financial narrative advice from a funder

  Steve Boland

  14 Dec 2011 | 4:19 pm

  Brad Kruse, Program Director at Hugh J. Andersen Foundation with Steve Boland, Nonprofits Assistance Fund The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Minnesota Foundations 2012 conference was another info-packed afternoon, talking about all the news from the latest edition of the Minnesota Grants Directory. Hundreds of grant-seekers gathered to share what they know about philanthropic support in Minnesota, and occasionally to bemoan how funders just don’t get us. The conversation shifted to ways nonprofits can help granters. One suggestion was to add a good narrative to budgets or financial…

• CDFIs work to align capital with justice

  Michael Anderson

  29 Nov 2011 | 12:33 pm

  The acronym “CDFI” is a clumsy one for an elevator speech or for a holiday dinner table conversation. Not many know what the letters stand for, let alone what it means to be a CDFI. A CDFI is a community development financial institution. As a CDFI, Nonprofits Assistance Fund works on the fringes of lending, finding financing opportunities that are credit-worthy but just beyond the reach of more traditional sources credit. Where other lenders see risk, we often see opportunity. In over thirty years as a loan fund, Nonprofits Assistance Fund has built the expertise that allows us to make…

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  Bridgespan - All RSS Feeds

• Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections on the Closing of Hull House

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections on the Closing of Hull House 2012 01 26 Hull House’s founding signaled the start of a new era in social services in the late 19th century. Its demise at the outset

• Refreshing Your Nonprofit Board Dashboard

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Refreshing Your Board Dashboard 2012 01 17 Matthew Forti With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions already broken, Matt Forti suggests one you can easily keep  a refreshed board dashboard With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions

• The View from the Cliff: Government-Funded Nonprofits Are Looking Out on Steep Cuts and an Uncertain Future

  15 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  The View from the Cliff Government Funded Nonprofits Are Looking Out on Steep Cuts and an Uncertain Future 2012 01 16 Daniel Stid Vishal Shah Federal, state, and local government underwrites the bulk of the cost to support vulnerable

• More Bang for the Bucks That Help the Neediest

  10 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  More Bang for the Bucks That Help the Neediest 2012 01 02 Daniel Stid Many of us finished up 2011 by writing checks to worthy causes in an end of year rush to give to charity. Though, what few realize,

• Next Generation Community Revitalization: A Work in Progress

  18 Dec 2011 | 6:00 pm

  Next Generation Community Revitalization Overview 2011 12 19 The Bridgespan Group A new generation of community revitalization initiatives is gaining momentum. This report takes a look at six nascent networks making promising headway, the key characteristics they share, and

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  Beth’s Blog

• Peeragogy: Self Organized Peer Learning in Networks

  Beth

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:16 am

  Photo by Aussiegal My dream is to see more robust informal peer learning networks in the nonprofit sector. As a trainer,  I’m intensely interested in creating learning experiences that integrate or about how to use the technology for nonprofits that engage and inspire people to put the ideas into practice.    I’ve been obsessed with peer learning and self-directed learning models in my own learning and the trainings I design and facilitate. The term Peeragogy came fluttering through my network, like a butterfly, and it caught my interest.  It resonated.  When an idea or…

• What Do Facebook’s New Timeline Apps Mean for Nonprofits?

  Beth

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am

  Source: developers.facebook.com via Beth on Pinterest   Remember last September when Facebook announced all those changes to individual profiles, including the timeline?    One of the changes  was that your friends and fans can do more than “Like” or “Comment”  on Facebook. Three new actions were announced at the time, including:  Read, Watch, Listen to  help people better understand what their friends are doing online.     Facebook called it the “Open Graph” and the pr people called “A revolution to the whole meaning of listening to music together or family…

• What Comes First, Content Creation or Curation?

  Beth

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:59 am

  Flickr Photo by Carissa Marie This is definitely not a chicken and egg question!   A debate in content marketing circles is whether or not you should simply focus on creating original content and forget content curation.   Let’s be clear as my fellow content curator, Jan Gordon, says:  There is no curation without original content. I might qualify this a bit by saying, there is no curation with awesomely addictive social content!  And that means creating content – blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, YouTube Videos – that is valuable and high quality.   Not sure if you…

• The Information Diet: Not Just A Book, A Movement For Conscious Consumption of Information

  Beth

  23 Jan 2012 | 10:51 am

  I’ve been curating resources and teaching workshops on the topic of information coping skills for a couple of years.   I first became interested in the topic after reading  David Shenk’s “Data Smog” in 1998 using the metaphor of environmental problems to talk about the dangers of having too much online information, primarily email.  This was in the era before Facebook and there was far less information available compared today.  (My favorite practical principle from Shenk was “Give A Hoot, Don’t Email Pollute” when talking about the need for…

• Social Media and Cute Dogs Go Mobile And Other Cute Animal and Nonprofit Tales

  Beth

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am

  The Cute Dog Theory or more precisely the Cute Animal Theory states that including cute animals in your social media content inspires more people to share the content.    If don’t believe that is true,  check out this YouTube video from VW of dogs barking the theme from Star Wars as a Superbowl Teaser.   In less than a day, it has over 1 million views.   The cute animal theory has not gone unnoticed by nonprofits, even those that are not animal welfare organizations,  zoos or aquariums are sharing content featuring cute animals on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. And now, mobile.

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  NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoupGlobal.org blogs

• Stay Tuned For The Last 2012 Look Ahead Post -- An Interview With Dale Zak

  Alicja Peszkowska

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:08 pm

  Due to the technical issues connected to recording a skype interview with Dale, I have been forced to push the publishing date to next Monday. It will still be January, so it totally makes it as a perfect closure for the series (let me remind you, that so far you read about SOPA & ACTA, the  Green Tech trends, as well as the future of Web Design). Dale Zak is a mobile developer passionate for social change, with plenty of experience in running and supporting social projects. Stay tuned, and trust me -- it will be worth it!

• How to run an international project on social change – lessons learned from the research phase

  Anna Kuliberda

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:43 am

  Fundacja TechSoup, which I’m working at (Fundacja is a European hub for the TechSoup Global Network), is running a project that is to be developed in 10 new Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The Project is funded by the Mott Foundation and serves as a great and challenging opportunity. The project’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of non-governmental organizations in the CEE region to access modern information and communication technologies and facilitate their use to increase the impact of their work. This project, designed to kick off TechSoup’s work in these countries,…

• Greening Offices in 2012. Tips From Jim Lynch

  Alicja Peszkowska

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:44 am

   The following post, third in the Net2 2012 Look Ahead series, focuses on protips for making the way you run your office more environmentally friendly. The article is authored by Jim Lynch who is TechSoup Global's Co-Director of the GreenTech program, as well as the Community Driven Innovation team member. Jim has been involved in creating all of TechSoup’s environmental programs. He has written extensively on electronics recycling and reuse, cloud computing, greening offices, and many other green IT subjects. Over the years he has been interviewed on computer recycling and related…

• TechSoup Webinar: Before You Push Record -- How To Record Your Video

  Alicja Peszkowska

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:40 am

   This TechSoup webinar run by Rich Vazquez will cover what you need to know before you record your video. Topics include:  The importance of storytelling Creating a script and production Guide Finding free music, stock video and photography  Rich Vazquez is the co-founder and current Board President of Lights. Camera. Help. His current causes include promoting open source software, creative commons and computer security. He alsos serve on the board for the Austin Time Exchange Network, Single Parent Resource Network and EFF-Austin. Rich attended Tisch School…

• The Future of Web Design

  Bari

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:37 am

  Any conversation about the future of web design has to come to terms with a fundamental and rapid shift in the way we view the web. By 2014, mobile Internet usage will surpass desktop usage. And from desktops and laptops to smart phones and tablets of differing sizes and resolutions, viewing device options are also growing at an increasingly steady rate. For web designers and developers, it simply won’t work to build websites for just one or two types of devices, and the days of checking your site in a few web browsers and launching are long gone. So how are web designers, developers, and…

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  Osocio Weblog

• The trick with banknotes still works

  Marc

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:02 pm

  It’s an old trick but it still appears to work. The trick with banknotes on the street, with a message on the back. Here it is an anti-littering campaign done in Beirut Lebanon by a group of graphic design students. They call themselves Metel Ma Shelta (Just as You Picked it Up).  The text on the banknote: “Just as you picked this up… you can pick up litter from the streets” Campaigning can be so easy. The Facebook Page of Metel Ma Shelta already have over 2,800 likes and is shared many times. This is their statement: As we were strolling around the beautiful…

• Hey! Ayatollah! Leave those kids alone!

  Tom Megginson

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm

  Canadian band Blurred Vision have teamed up with music legend Roger Waters to promote Amnesty International’s campaign against executions in Iran. The group cover Waters’ Pink Floyd classic “Another Brick in The Wall (Part 2)” as the video shows a variety of activists demanding that Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i stop sentencing political prisoners to death — including Canadian Saeed Malekpour, an Iranian-Canadian web designer condemned for “insulting Islam.” The musicians (and AI) encourage supporters to sign the petition, share the video, and upload…

• You want me to wear a condom to the casino?

  Tom Megginson

  25 Jan 2012 | 12:55 pm

  I spotted this strange ad on the bus this morning. While I can understand the parallel of problem gambling with other kinds of “risky” behaviour, the condom package seemed like a very lazy bit of borrowed interest. The safeorsorry.ca campaign site continues the condom theme. This campaign could only be conceived in Ontario, where gambling and gaming are regulated (and often run) by government, and casinos aren’t associated with prostitution so much as retirees. If you’re curious what the gambling equivalent of safe sex is, the campaign gives these six tips: 1. …

• Drug-driving

  Tatjana Vukic

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:31 pm

  Unwitting passengers have been taken for a ride in a new campaign against drug-affected driving. In the advertisements, covert filming was carried out by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) over four days last year, involving more than 100 actors who thought they were being driven to a costume-fitting for a television commercial. Their drivers were also actors who pretended to be on drugs while driving. This is the first stage of a long-term behavioural change campaign aimed at reducing the harm caused by drugged drivers. At this point, the initial aim is simply to raise awareness of the…

• Highlighting a human rights breakthrough in Brazil

  Tom Megginson

  23 Jan 2012 | 9:59 am

  Not a pretty ad, but legal language is usually drab. Nice use of a rainbow palette of highlighters to show the moment, captured in a newsletter of judgements by Brazil’s supreme court, when everything changed for gay couples in Brazil. Full text after the break Author: Tom Megginson

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  NTEN

• Member Round Up: Working Together!

  Amanda

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:02 pm

  Flickr:.reid.I’d like to start off this week’s member news by congratulating my colleague, Annaliese Hoehling. Many of you know Annaliese as a great resource for any questions regarding all aspects of NTEN’s resources and nonprofit technology in general. Last year she changed her focus at NTEN to became our Research and Publications Director, and she’s already receiving huge honors for her work. Stratton Publishing named her their “Publishing Trendsetter of the Year” for her management of the NTEN:Change Journal!I’d also like to thank the NTEN:Change Journal’s editoral…

• Last Chance: Advanced Social Media Decision-Maker's Toolkit Starts January 31st

  Brett

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pm

  There are still a few seats left for the "Advanced Social Media Decision-Maker's Toolkit". It starts January 31st, but there's still time to: > Learn more and register today. This class is for you if you're ready to step beyond the basics. Over the course of 5 trainings, we'll delve into advanced social media strategy and discuss how to use your social media for branding, deeper engagement, and integrated campaigns. We'll also explore how to measure your social media impact – and walk you through creating a social media policy, step by step. Series Sessions Include: January 31 - Branding…

• Sadly, This Version of 'Put a Ring on It' Isn't as Good

  Holly

  26 Jan 2012 | 5:48 pm

  There are five weeks left in our quest to raise $10,000 to send 50 nonprofits to the 2012 Nonprofit Technology Conference in San Francisco this April. We're almost a quarter of the way there! At NTEN headquarters, we're doing everything WE can think of to raise that money. All I can say is, it's a good thing we've got you to help out! Our bake sale was crumb-y (get it?), mining for bitcoin took too long, and we struck out at our bowl-a-thon. This week, I tried my hand at the age-old art of busking. Let's just say that it wasn't my musical talent people were after. See how I fared, and…

• Register for IT Roadmap: Free One-day Tech Event in Chicago

  Amanda

  26 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pm

  NTEN is excited to annouce the return of IT Roadmap to Chicago on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. IT Roadmap is a regional one-day technology event that features a conference program and an exposition hall with leading technology providers.  >>Register for Free Today! This one day conference and expo presents some of technology's most-followed analysts and innovative solution providers, all focused entirely on building the roadmap you need in crucial areas of enterprise IT. >> Learn more! New sessions for 2012 include: Unified Communications and VOIP: the Road Ahead Mobility…

• Advanced Segmentation Techniques: What You Say Is as Important as Who You Say It To

  Brett

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:38 pm

  Therese Grohman Director of Marketing Event 360 Knowing who you're talking to is only half the battle. What you say to your supporters and how you approach them is equally important.

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  Inspiring Generosity

• Celebrate the Anti-Heros of Change

  geofflivingston

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:03 am

  Image by James Wong These days, social change online seems to always involve a central figure–a hero, if you would. Whether it’s the individual cause champion rallying online influencers and donors, or a benevolent foundation driving a program of change. Yet, in reality while the hero myth makes an attractive narrative it belies the truth. You need to be an anti-hero to accomplish change. This is not to demean the role a project lead, public figure, or funding organization makes. Far from it, their contribution is critical to success. Yet, we see many individuals and organizations…

• Oldie But a Goodie: Thanking Your Donors

  ifdy

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:15 am

  Photo by meddygarnet Editor’s Note: Recently I got a request to re-post one of our most popular blog posts so far. I find this post to be one of the most informational pieces on how to thank your donors–a critical element of a successful ongoing fundraising campaign. Written by Alex Bornkessel, this post was originally published on September 6, 2011. Enjoy! What do 10 donations, 3 thank yous and 7 failures to communicate have in common? They are all a part of Kivi Leroux Miller’s annual “What I Got When I Gave” experiment. This reminds us about the weight (and…

• What is peer-to-peer online fundraising anyhow?

  johnhaydon

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:31 am

  Raising money online is probably the hardest thing any small or medium-size nonprofit will ever do. Sometimes all the effort and lack of results makes it feel like pulling teeth with chopsticks. Online Fundraising Is No Easy Marathon First of all, there are the obstacles you have at the starting line. You have to establish an extraordinary amount of trust before they actually make a donation–even if it’s just $10. There’s also the issue of human resources, which usually includes only one or two people that are trying to manage the entire online fundraising process.

• Facing Your Fear of Social Media

  ifdy

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pm

  Photo by SashaW Robin Lane is a public relations strategist in Washington, DC. For more than a decade she has been working with clients to create traditional and social media strategies that get results. Her expertise includes search engine optimization, event planning, thought leadership programs and digital strategy. Follow her on Twitter @robinhlane. Did your 2012 resolutions for health and well-being this year include social media? As scary as the gym seems, for many of us it is nowhere near the horror of navigating the online world. After all, you can hide at the gym but not in social…

• Has Your Fundraising Lost Its Magic? Here’s How to Make it Reappear

  joewaters

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:40 am

    I watched one of my favorite films recently, The Prestige. Set in 19th century London, the movie depicts the rivalry of two talented magicians, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. It’s a great movie, and has an ending I promise you’ll love. The movie opens and ends with the words of a character named “Cutter,” who’s played by Michael Caine. Cutter describes the three parts or acts of every great magic trick. But his description isn’t limited to illusionists who make things disappear and reappear. They are true to every field that takes…

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  Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog

• Are you treating your donors right?  The quiz.

  katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:10 am

  With the Network for Good team, I just created a mini-course on thanking donors.  It’s a self-guided tour to writing great thank-yous and treating donors well all year - so they will give again!  (It’s not free, but I immodestly think this guide to stewardship is worth every penny.  Learn more here.) So do you treat your donors well?  To figure it out, take this quiz.  (It’s free.) And remember the rock bottom, bare minimums when it comes to donor stewardship! 1. ALWAYS THANK YOUR DONORS: Always.  No exceptions. 2. THANK THEM EARLY: You should…

• 5 Things you need to know about marketing to millennials

  katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

  26 Jan 2012 | 1:54 am

  AdAge had a very useful article last week that summarized new millennial research from ComScore, based on nearly 1,000 TV tests and 35 digital advertising tests. The key finding? Millennials react to marketing differently. Here were the takeaways: 1. Millennials don’t respond to TV ads as much as their elders. Younger people have always measured as less responsive to TV ads than older people, but the gap has grown with Millennials. 2. With digital, you don’t see that difference.  Millennials are about as responsive to digital ads as other generations. 3. Millennials respond…

• Why you need someone else to be your messenger

  katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

  25 Jan 2012 | 1:02 am

  Edelman’s 2012 Trust Barometer is out, and the biggest finding is the increasing stock people put in the recommendations of their peers - who surpass nonprofit staff in terms of their trustworthiness as messengers. In speaking about this finding, David Armano of Edelman notes, it is important that we “share the stage with ‘regular’ people who have a voice via a variety of social channels,” as well as to be “in tune with the topics and issues they care about and discuss. Last year I speculated that the decline in attention given toward people like…

• Stuck on how to make a video?  The experts weigh in.

  katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:26 am

  The folks over at YouTube just sent me a free e-guide on video.  It’s called Playbook Guide: YouTube for Good, and you can access it for free here. The Guide walks you through how to create effective videos on a shoestring - and how to use YouTube for Good to engage your community. If you’re looking for inspiration, here is one shoestring video I really like.  It connects, tells a great story and shows where the money goes.  That’s how it’s done - and done well.

• Department of inspiration: 2 causes getting their stories right!

  katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:39 am

  Today, I want to share two causes that are doing a great job turning their issues into stories.  It’s so important to bring a human face to our organizations and our work.  Without stories, we are simply abstract words and ideas.  With stories, we become a part of our audience’s lives. The first example comes from Crisis Control Ministry.  They wrote me a little while ago asking for input on their website, which they are about to revamp.  They also sent along an example of some of their new materials.  What an improvement!  They are absolutely…

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  Philanthropy Journal - All Articles

• 01.26.12: News about people, groups

  26 Jan 2012 | 10:58 am

  Bill Shore retiring as director of U.S. community partnerships at GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, effective Feb. 3, after 27 years with company.read more

• 01.26.12: News about grants, gifts

  26 Jan 2012 | 10:56 am

  Durham Rescue Mission met $4.5 million goal for phase 1 of fundraising campaign to support new Center of Hope building.read more

• Philanthropist Mary Semans dies at 91

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:58 am

  Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, a philanthropist who supported a broad range of causes with compassion, kindness and devotion, and who bridged the era from just after World War I with the Internet age, died Jan. 25 at age 91.read more

• Training on tap for nonprofit boards

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:44 am

  Nonprofit boards are the focus of leadership-development programs offered by the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium and United Way of Greater High Point.read more

• Bryan gives $1.5 million to Guilford

  25 Jan 2012 | 4:36 am

  Greensboro philanthropist Joseph M. Bryan Jr. has given $1.5 million to Guilford College to boost an endowment or a lecture series he established with a $1 million gift in 1994.read more

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  Have Fun • Do Good

• Martha Beck Interview: Finding Your Way in a Wild New World

  Britt Bravo

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:35 am

  We’ve proliferated and thrived because we never stop playing, and the way to cope with the increasing complexity of the wild new world is to play more. --Martha Beck, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World  Like many of you, I know Martha Beck fromher O Magazine column (it's the first thing I read), and her many self-help books (e.g. Finding Your Own North Star, The Joy Diet). She always delivers good advice with a healthy dose of humor. When I signed up for her mailing list in the fall of 2010, I received a PDF of the first chapter of her book-in-progress with the working title, The…

• Tea, Cupcakes and Creative Bloggers in Your Town

  Britt Bravo

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:05 pm

  A couple weekends ago I facilitated a 3-hour Tea, Cupcakes and Creative Bloggers workshop at Teahouse Studio. It was so much fun, I want to teach it again soon.  I'm planning on offering it at Teahouse again in the fall, but am also looking for other venues for this spring and summer. If you know of a place that might like to host a TCCB gathering/workshop in the Bay Area and beyond, let me know in the comments, or email me at britt AT brittbravo DOT com. Maybe I can combine visiting your town with a vacation! Cupcakes by Batter and Dough Here are some of the nice things that the ladies…

• Your Free Winter 2012 Big Vision Worksheet (Jan/Feb)

  Britt Bravo

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm

  Happy Chinese New Year, Have Fun * Do Gooders! To celebrate the New Year and new moon, here's a bee-you-tea-full Big Vision Worksheet (illustrated by the hubs) for you to record some of your goals for the year, season, and lunar month. You can download the PDF for free from Dropbox by clicking here. Instead of  listing numbers beneath each category (like we've done in the past), we left the space open so that you can write a little, a lot, a list, or a paragraph. Enjoy! Tweet

• Juicy Blogging E-Course Starts January 25

  Britt Bravo

  16 Jan 2012 | 5:40 pm

  Just a quick reminder for folks interested in taking the Juicy Blogging e-Course that the early registration discount ends January 18th.  The class begins January 25th. You can join the e-course on brittbravo.com (gift certificates are available!), and find out about upcoming classes by subscribing to the Juicy Blogging eNews.  We'll do three kinds of fun-work during the 4-week class: Reflection questions to refine your blog’s purpose  Connection assignments to build community and traffic  Creative and juicy blog post prompts to get you writing Past students have said…

• Have You Called Your Grandma Lately?

  Britt Bravo

  12 Jan 2012 | 3:59 pm

  My Gram I called my grandma today just 'cause she's awesome, and because I was moved by Kimberly Wilson's post i heart my gramma about her 99-year-old grandma's transition into hospice care. If you have a special older person in your life, why not give them a call, or send them a card today?  I'm sure they'll appreciate it, and you can tell them how much you love them. Feel free to share a little about the awesome older person in your life in the comments. You can read a little about my grandma in my 2006 post, How to Look Fabu at Any Age: A Little Tribute to My Grandma. Tweet

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  AE on the Verge

• How to Prepare for a Skype Interview

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm

  I am moving to Connecticut in a few months and for the first time in decades actually have to think about details related to a new job search, including preparing for an interview. I've been quizzing colleagues who have been interviewed on Skype to get their input about how to prepare for a Skype interview (should I ever have to do one), along with my own thoughts as a Skype user ...1. Be a Skype user long before you actually have to use it for business so you know what you’re doing; get accustomed to seeing others and yourself on a screen in a conversation;2. Be sure you know how to work…

• Office Technology: More to worry about

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:15 pm

  Are your meetings being watched via your videoconferencing equipment without your knowledge? An article in the New York Times gives that a big maybe. Apparently hackers can often easily get into those video conference systems - thus into the board rooms that host the equipment - and can then watch and listen to everything that happens in those rooms. The article also mentions that the US Chamber found that an IP address in China may have accessed them via an apartment thermostat and office printer. Seriously, did we need more office equipment to worry about?Here are a few more things to think…

• Creating Additional Value at a Committee Meeting (in 3 minutes or less)

  17 Jan 2012 | 10:19 pm

  If a committee meeting is adjourning early, do you (or should you) take 3 minutes for professional development?At the end of a meeting, a chairman asked an attendee (before we adjourned) if she could tell the group in two minutes about the top two business apps she uses on her iPad. Two others gave their top app too. It all took a total of about 3 minutes. Everyone was writing the info down (including me); and when we reconvened the next day the pre-meeting chat was all about those apps.Sometimes we miss easy opportunities to learn from each other - even if only a 3 minute burst of…

• Your Association Staff: The Beneficiary Check

  12 Jan 2012 | 12:42 pm

  Do you have any idea who you designated as the beneficiary on the life insurance policy provided by your association? Do your employees still remember who they designated?Many years ago, an association employee passed away and one of her children called because the family was really surprised about the beneficiary to her life insurance policy - it was totally inconsistent with everything else noted in the will. But it didn't matter - the beneficiary is the beneficiary; and the determination was between the insurance company and the employee.Especially with longtime employees who may have had…

• Reminder Note ...

  6 Jan 2012 | 10:10 pm

  If you really need to remember to do something after work or when you leave the office - write it on a post-in note and staple it around a purse, bag or briefcase handle. It's harder to miss than other ways you may leave a note.

• 

  Getting Attention Blog

• Friday Futures – Nonprofit Marketing Jobs – January 27, 2012

  nancy@nancyschwartz.com (Nancy Schwartz)

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Please post your nonprofit marketing position here — FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. NEW OPPORTUNITIES 1) Associate Director of Communications Volunteers of America (New York, NY) 2) Brand Marketing Senior Associate and Director, Hospital Marketing American Red Cross (Washington, D.C.) 3) Communications & Social Media Intern Position Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (San Francisco, CA) 4) Communications and Publications Manager CureSearch for Children’s Cancer (Arcadia, CA) 5) Communications Director, Environmental Health Coalition (San Diego,…

• 4 Steps to Messaging that Connects: Register Now–2nd Free Webinar Added

  nancy@nancyschwartz.com (Nancy Schwartz)

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Register now to learn  – Seats Are Limited The First Session Filled Up Almost Instantly & We Can’t Add Another How to Stop Striking Flat Notes with Your Target Audiences and Join the 16% of Nonprofits Whose Messages Resonate and Spur Action Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2011 Time: 1:00-2:00PM EST/10:00-11:00PM PST Replay: If you can’t make this time, register anyway. All registrants will receive the video recording. Register Now You’ve got to connect with your target audience to spur them to action…to give, to sign, to volunteer. Messages are the way to build…

• Strengthen Your Nonprofit Social Media Impact

  nancy@nancyschwartz.com (Nancy Schwartz)

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:15 am

  We would like to welcome guest blogger, Laura Quinn. Laura is the executive director of Idealware, and a frequent speaker and writer on nonprofit technology topics. With the new year upon us, it’s a good time to make resolutions for both yourself and your organization. Why not resolve to improve your social media efforts? More than 800 million people are using Facebook alone, and chances are good your constituents are among them. Planning is vital to success with social media, and thinking ahead can ensure the best return for your efforts regardless of the channel you’re using. We created…

• Timing Depends on Goals — Relevance Rules

  nancy@nancyschwartz.com (Nancy Schwartz)

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:18 am

  Thanks to marketing master Dan Zarrella for pointing out this obvious (but often overlooked) clue to relevance  — look at behavior to date. As a complement to last week’s guidance on when to post, email and tweet (when other’s aren’t, for the most part), he adds these “it depends” guidelines on when to blog. Of course now you have multiple  factors to consider – 1) When your target audiences have their open-minded moments, and are most likely to listen or read or discuss what your organization has to say (nothing is more important that this.

• Friday Futures – Nonprofit Marketing Jobs – January 20, 2012

  nancy@nancyschwartz.com (Nancy Schwartz)

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Please post your nonprofit marketing position here — FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. NEW OPPORTUNITIES 1) Account Director, Fenton (New York, NY) 2) Assistant Director, Communications and Outreach American Jewish Committee (Milburn, NJ) 3) Assistant Director of Marketing Communications and Marketing Communications Assistant National Brain Tumor Society (Watertown, MA) 4) Communications Intern, Ella Baker Center (Oakland, CA) 5) Communications Manager, Food & Friends (Washington, D.C.) 6) Communications Manager, Philanthropy Northwest (Seattle, WA) 7)…

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  Gift Hub

• Schambra Demystifies Metrics

  Phil Cubeta

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:23 am

  Bill Schambra takes on metrics. But to win funding from a knowledge-generating foundation, the nonprofit must shoehorn its real-world work into the abstract, unfamiliar professional jargon to which data accumulators resort when they wish to generalize across (that is, to make disappear) the varieties of particular experiences.   The ability of a nonprofit to attract funding from multiple sources is, of course, an essential ingredient for a successful grant request. So that means it must recast its programs into as many different languages and metric frameworks as the foundations from…

• The Trouble with Impact Investing

  Phil Cubeta

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am

  Kevin Starr of Milago Foundation in Stanfard Social Innovation Review on the problem with social impact investing. The bottom line is either profit or impact. In the real world of the poor, real change still means stepping up with money that you don’t expect to get back, while demanding maximum returns in the form of impact. When you find someone who can do that, just give them the money.

• Catalytic Women

  Phil Cubeta

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:23 am

  Resources for Women Philanthropists: Catalytic Women harnesses the economic power of thoughtful, intelligent women who give to our communities. Individually and collectively, our decisions about charitable gifts can transform the nonprofit arena and our world. By sharing best practices in philanthropy – through salon-style discussions and online forums – catalytic women have the ability to shape the most effective models for community change. 

• Donor Networks from Bolder Giving

  Phil Cubeta

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:24 pm

  Excellent list of links.

• Save the Panda; Screw the Poor

  Phil Cubeta

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:11 pm

  Pablo Eisenberg, at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, on the misplaced giving priorities of America's wealthiest. My best insight into why the rich are more likely to give to savedogs or cats or pandas rather than the poor came, actually, from a rising corporate star whose house was full of adopted cats. "The cats are poor through no fault of their own, unlike people." Travelling on philanthropic business, I shunt from country club, to luxury homes, to businesse high rise with donors, to Holiday Inns for fundraisers and bare church basesments for social justice…

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  PHILANTHROPY 2173

• Shaking up the long tail

  Lucy Bernholz

  12 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  Donors who use cell phones to make donations do more than give, they talk about it. They actively encourage others to give. They may not do much due diligence themselves, but they sure do spread the word. Those insights come from a new report looking at text donations made to Haiti after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. More than $43 million was raised through mobile giving for that disaster. Given how many of us carry our phones everywhere, it seems likely that we’ll do more of this.  The research, conducted by the Pew Center for the Internet and American Life, The…

• Bonus buzzword buster and RPOs

  Lucy Bernholz

  6 Jan 2012 | 3:57 pm

  A few random philanthropy observations to start your weekend off right. Buzzword buster In conversation with some friends I realized there is one buzz phrase (not exclusive to philanthropy) that drives me batty. That term? Thought leadership (and its derivatives, specifically "thought leader"). Anyone who uses this phrase or claims to "thought lead" is, by definition, not. I guarantee that no one whose ideas have actually sparked other ideas or contributed to lasting change in the world ever identified him or herself as a thought leader.* There is no such thing as thought leadership. There…

• 2011 - the year in pictures (sort of)

  Lucy Bernholz

  30 Dec 2011 | 12:32 pm

  I wasn't going to blog today but I'm several days into a nasty head cold and can't do much of anything else. To say goodbye to 2011, a year in which #infographics made the #buzzword list, I thought I'd share a few special ones. First, there is Beth Kanter's collection of #philanthropy and #nonprofit related infographics - in wiki format - so that everyone can share. Second, The WildAid machine (pictured below) is a virtual Rube Goldberg machine, drop your donation in one end and watch it "spit" out the results. The "WildAid Machine" must be the ultimate intersection of #infographics and…

• Buzzword 2011.10 - #

  Lucy Bernholz

  27 Dec 2011 | 6:46 pm

  The final buzzword of the year is # - the Twitter hashtag. Philanthropy finally got really hip to Twitter this year (as did so many people, thanks to the Arab Spring and Twitter-enabled TV shows). So the humble hashtag, the pound sign, the # is our final buzzword of the year. One great example of how this Twitter convention has become part of the regular lexicon - The Case Foundation's end of year #GoodSpotting campaign - born to be sticky, hashtag and all. Forget about folks fumbling to come up with "bumper sticker" statements or even sound bites. #Whatmattersnowisthehashtag. We've…

• Giving with Brian Lehrer

  Lucy Bernholz

  20 Dec 2011 | 7:11 pm

  Will Kickstarter raise more money for the arts in 2012 than the NEA provides? Is there a new generation of assumptions about where good comes from? Is technology changing our definitions of good and evil? Will the future of philanthropy be found in brown paper bags? Listen in on this Skype discussion with Brian Lehrer and colleagues from The Awesome Foundation, DonorsChoose, and KickStarter to learn more. Also introduces Stanford's Philanthropy, Policy and Technology Project and our #recodegood project.                 …

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  SocialButterfly

• Is Talking About Spirituality and Social Change Taboo?

  Alex

  23 Jan 2012 | 10:44 pm

  What shapes your world view? How does your world view influence your work to change the world for the better? Growing up, we’re told we shouldn’t talk about two things: politics and religion. Yet these two things often help set the foundation of one’s world view. How do we go about changing the world for the better if we can’t talk about either? It’s not realistic--Is it? www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXfD5SJgPqo “If I hear one more politician croak out the words that his or her faith is a private matter, I may just have to go smack them. That is so not reality.

• Passion Meets Purpose – Let’s #Rock2012

  Alex

  13 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pm

  How are you applying purpose to your passion? Between blogging with Razoo and working at IQ Solutions on fun projects such as launching Healthy People 2020 and our Nation’s Leading Health Indicators, it’s been awhile.  There are two announcements I want to share: Evolving Beyond the Free Agent Fundraiser Jo Rampy crossing the finish line at the inaugural TRI 2 Encourage with her family. My family and I (pictured above) have launched a nonprofit foundation to help advance multiple sclerosis research called the Rampy MS Research Foundation. Our vision? Find a cure for MS within our…

• Social Media Is Not a Marketing Strategy

  Alex

  20 Nov 2011 | 8:40 pm

  There, I said it. Social media in and of itself is not a strategy (gasp). It does not replace a solid marketing approach or even a communications plan. To be successful, it must be integrated into a larger strategic framework. This applies to organizations as well as programs, initiatives and (my dreaded word) campaigns. Harvard Business Review recently published an article titled “Separate Social Media From Marketing:” …we need to break out social media and talk about more than marketing and technology. Instead, we need to talk about what social media enables: the ability…

• Reading Up On Social Determinants of Health

  Alex

  10 Oct 2011 | 9:29 pm

  October may be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but a number of articles came out last week focusing on social determinants of health. The phrase “social determinants of health” refers to health where we live, learn, work, play (and pray). In short, Health with a capital H. U.S. Life Expectancy Rises, Health Disparities Increase Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shared its review of Healthy People 2010. The report shared that as a Nation, we had met or were moving toward meeting, 71% of the disease prevention and health promotion objectives we set in…

• Activating The Global Health Trifecta

  Alex

  7 Oct 2011 | 10:41 am

  Image: PSI Is foreign aid important to Americans? According to a recent poll, most Americans believe U.S. investment in foreign aid is 25% of the Federal budget, when the accurate figure is less than one percent. When asked what would be an appropriate percentage, the median amount shared was 10%. Yet–even that less than 1% is in jeopardy. Earlier this week, ONE, USAID, FHI 360, PATH, Population Services International (PSI) and World Vision launched “The Power of 1%” campaign to highlight the economics of global health and the benefits U.S. investments overseas have for…

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  A Small Change

• Fundraising is Not a Narcotic

  Jason Dick

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:48 pm

  Over the last few months I have been secretly peddling drugs. My blog was hacked and, unknown to me, written into the metadata was advertising for a narcotic. I’m very sorry that I did not catch it sooner. I deleted my site and reposted everything and have solved the problem. I was thinking about what I want my website to be about and I reflected on what fundraising is about. There is not a lot in common between fundraising and drugs. Fundraising is about capacity building for good work in our communities. It is about providing people a chance they never had before. However some people…

• Don’t Forget Your $1,000 Gifts

  Jason Dick

  17 Oct 2011 | 9:00 am

  Every organization understands the value of their very top 20 donors. It is easy to see the importance of a $10,000 annual donor. Many organizations have a cut-off as to when the “major gift” starts; often times this is $1,000. Don’t forget the value of those donors that are right at and right before that cut off. This group knows they are not your top donors but are giving because your organization is an area of passion for them. They want you to keep in touch but don’t expect as much attention. (This group is a really great group to talk with about planned gifts. If a donor can give…

• Elusive Prospects

  Jason Dick

  10 Oct 2011 | 9:00 am

  We all have those prospects which we can never get on the phone. I had a great question in my post, This Thing Called Follow-up, and I wanted to provide a bit more of a comprehensive response. It is almost always difficult to connect with a new prospect as nobody likes to receive a phone call from a stranger. Building your fundraising programs via people in the community who have never given and have little connection to your organization will always be a challenge. If these are prospects that could be movers and shakers for your organization, think carefully about who calls them. Send a list…

• Take Initiative

  Jason Dick

  3 Oct 2011 | 9:00 am

  I am not a particularly brilliant or innovative person nor am I fabulously talented or charismatic. Any success that I have had I’d contribute to a God that cares about me, great friends, and initiative. I am baffled by how many people will only do exactly what they are told or asked to do and nothing more. If you want to be successful, find a way to do more than is expected and asked of you. Many organizations have a time where the office is less busy often times during the summer donors are less engaged as they are traveling. What a great time to think about a special projects you can…

• The Long Ask

  Jason Dick

  26 Sep 2011 | 9:00 am

  It always baffles me how little time organizations will spend stewarding and cultivating their donors. The less time an organization spends acknowledging and cultivating its donors the fewer donors they will retain. In this kind of an organization their top donors are current board members because that is the only group with which they have spent significant time. Many of these organizations never ask for a gift they just cross their fingers and hope that the money will come in. Take time throughout the entire year to connect with your donors. Know what season your donors would like to give…

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  Frogloop

• From the Floor: Creating Change for the LGBT community

  Kara Fujita

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Creating Change is the premier annual organizing and skills-building event for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender community and their allies.  The conference is run by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and attracts more than 2,500 people from all over the country.  Presenters and participants come from all walks of life, including members of the business community, elected officials, students, faith leaders, and staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations.  Exhibiting with Care2 are organizations like GLSEN, The Human Rights Campaign, SAGE, The Trevor Project,…

• Email: Still Not Dead!

  Allyson Kapin

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:02 pm

  Mark Zuckerberg is a pioneer of the social web. Over the last eight years he’s led Facebook from a scrappy startup to one of the most powerful and influential companies. But when Zuckerberg says that email is going to die because young people prefer to text, you can’t help but laugh at the irony since providing your email address is actually how you register for a Facebook account. Despite how the web has transformed over the years, email is the one constant that has remained and is not going away anytime soon. For example: Looking to sign up for more information about your…

• Six Tips To Kick-Start Your 2012 Fundraising

  Allyson Kapin

  21 Jan 2012 | 1:39 pm

  Nonprofits receive up to 40% of their online donations at the end of the year since the holidays have people feeling generous, and donors also want to maximize those tax deductions before year’s end. But this doesn’t happen by magic – people donate money to your organization because they feel a connection to your organization and the issues you work on. They believe in what you do. That takes staying in touch with your donors all year, cultivating and deepening your relationships with them, and making sure your supporters have the information that inspires them to donate. So…

• Blackbaud Buys their Rival Convio: Now What?

  Allyson Kapin

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:23 pm

  The nonprofit community was stunned yesterday when Blackbaud purchased long time rival Convio. According to Blackbaud President Marc Chardon, “Combining Convio and Blackbaud is expected to help create one of the largest SaaS vendors with over $440 million in trailing twelve months pro forma revenue.” So what does this acquisition mean for the nonprofit community, in particular for the 1500+ customers that use Convio? No one really knows for sure yet. But the community has a lot of opinions about the acquisition. “When we are sitting in between the announcement and the actual…

• New Book "Share, Retweet, Repeat" Reveals the Secrets of Viral Campaigning

  Clinton O'Brien

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:46 am

  Books about online marketing are hit or miss. They’re either just too basic, or else they’re bone dry technical. But the latest contribution to the genre – “Share, Retweet, Repeat: Get Your Message Read and Spread” -- from veteran online marketing whiz John Hlinko, is a terrific read. In fact it should be scooped up by any Frogloop reader who aspires to getting their messages to “go viral.” And that’s why we’re going to hold a February 1st drawing to give away three free copies of Hlinko’s book to Frogloop readers. To be in the…

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  GlobalGiving Blog - News and Updates

• Animals for Autism

  GlobalGiving

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:23 pm

  In 2010, Pepsi created the Pepsi Refresh Project to support projects that have a positive impact in local communities across America. Pepsi believes good ideas can come from anyone, anywhere and anytime and so they decided to be the catalyst for bringing them to reality. The projects were voted on and chosen by Americans and the result: more than 1.2 million people impacted across the country through more than 1,000 grants awarded in 345 cities and 45 states. GlobalGiving is honored to be a part of this program. We work with agency partners and grantees to administer, disburse, and monitor…

• Listening to Community Feedback

  acarlman

  3 Nov 2011 | 1:25 pm

  By Emily Bell, GlobalGiving’s Unmarketing Intern The number of rapes and sexual assaults reported around the world each year is rarely indicative of the size and severity of the problem. In Africa especially, rape is underreported and perpetrators are seldom convicted. In his recent article In This Rape Center, the Patient Was 3, Nicholas Kristof wrotethat “women and girls ages 15 to 44 are more likely to be maimed or killed by men than by malaria, cancer, war or traffic accidents combined.” I’m not quite sure how anyone can take in that statistic. Mrembo project leaders talk…

• GlobalGiving Gets More Money to the Ground with FXecute

  acarlman

  1 Nov 2011 | 2:20 pm

  It’s a great week to be a GlobalGiving nonprofit partner (and donor!). We’re excited to share the news that we’ve launched a new system of payment disbursements that will save most of our international partners a significant amount of money. Hooray! GlobalGiving is now implementing a new donation disbursement method for our international partners called FXecute. When compared to a traditional bank wire transfer, FXecute promises to save our international partners collectively hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in wire transfer fees and currency exchange premiums, getting more of…

• Learning from one another – curating dialogue on Facebook

  manmeet mehta

  19 Oct 2011 | 4:52 pm

  Do you remember asking a classmate to help you with your homework? Perhaps they owed you a favor because you’d helped them with something else? There are many intellectual, cultural and social reasons for asking friends and colleagues for help, but what is quite fascinating to me is the manner in which we respond to one another. When we engage with others’ success and failures, we learn. Development experts have a buzzword for this type of peer learning; they call it “collaboration.” At GlobalGiving we crowdsource new partnerships with non-profit organizations that have expressed…

• thank you – HP’s innovative pilot for employee recognition

  nkukowski

  23 Sep 2011 | 10:55 am

  Volunteering and giving have always been a large part of employee culture at Hewlett Packard, whether it be Global Impact Days or through the Office of Social Innovation’s technology and education programs. Recently, HP launched a pilot program to use GG gift cards to simply say, thank you. Ahead of the curve on recently emerging Harvard Business School research on what drives employee happiness and motivation, HP is using our e-gift cards to recognize employee volunteers who report their volunteer hours each month.  Every HP employee, worldwide, who reports their hours, receives a $25…

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  About.com Nonprofit Charitable Orgs

• Fundraising Campaigns Smaller but Omnipresent in the 'New Normal'

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:05 pm

  The "new normal" has come to mean leaner, meaner, pared down, and frugal--just the opposite of conspicuous and grandiose. Economic realities are hitting nonprofits right and left, from government funding contraction to new kinds of volunteers and donors. In response, a new way of fundraising is emerging as well. The next few years could be called the era of post-fundraising campaigns...at least those gargantuan, time-limited, big name led fundraising campaigns of the past. That was the message from GuideStar's recent webinar, Strategic Philanthropy in the "New Normal," featuring Ned Zechman,…

• Nonprofit Workforce Grew During Recession

  23 Jan 2012 | 7:05 pm

  People really do underestimate nonprofits. But the fact is that nonprofit organizations provide 10.7 million American workers with employment. Lest you think that 10.7 million is pretty small, nonprofit is the third largest sector of our economy. The first two are retail trade, coming in at 14.5 million employees; and manufacturing, which claims 11.5 million. All the rest are divided up among areas ranging from construction to utilities. As share of total private US employment, nonprofit represents 10.1%. What is even more impressive is that, according to The Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic…

• Best Links: Charitable Giving Wiggles Toes, Earned Income, Lapsed Donors

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am

  Fundraising, Social Media. Volunteers 4% Growth In Giving Forecast For 2012. Roger Craver, The Agitator, comments on the recent good news that there might be signs of life in charitable donations both in 2011 and 2012, as detected by the Atlas of Giving. Earned Income 101 for Nonprofits is from my lawyer friends at Nonprofit Law Blog. Thank goodness for Emily Chan and Gene Takagi who can translate legalese into English for the rest of us. This post lists some of the points these two made in a recent webinar. 18 ways to grow your email list for fundraising, cultivation, etc.. Karen Zapp sticks…

• How DoSomething Made a Ho-Hum Press Release Pop

  19 Jan 2012 | 9:48 am

  Leave it to me to be more interested in how DoSomething.org announced its big hire today than in the news itself. DoSomething has hired one of Mashable's leading lights to help take the already energetic organization to even greater multi-channel heights. DoSomething enlists teenagers to, well, do something. Young people are more interested in good causes than ever before, and DoSomething has raced to keep up with the pace of this mobile and tech-savvy bunch. Most recently, DoSomething metamorphosed into a membership site that plans to leverage the growth of mobile among teenagers. To take…

• Make Your Mission Statement Oscar Worthy

  18 Jan 2012 | 6:35 am

  Mission statements are frequently maligned for being "old school," irrelevant, and boring. Well, they can be unless they are upgraded to fit with our brave new world of communications. But mission statements can still help keep us on course, be a vital part of our branding and marketing, help us get 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS, and get a grant. Don't give up on them yet. Just make them better. Better yet, make them Oscar material. The Academy Awards are more than a month away, so you have time to think about what makes a film Oscar worthy. Consider drama, a simple message, emotion,…

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  Step By Step Fundraising

• Are There Really Unique Fundraising Ideas?

  Howard Gottlieb

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:17 am

  I just got off the phone with someone asking for Unique Fundraising Ideas and it got me thinking about whether there really were unique fundraising ideas or had most every idea been done before. I... [This is a summary only, click on the title to read the entire article.]

• Celebrity Appearances Help Fundraising Efforts

  Howard Gottlieb

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:55 am

  One of the best ways to insure spectacular attendance at fundraising events is to have a celebrity attend or even speak to your group. The Restoration, a faith-based event sponsored by the New Hope... [This is a summary only, click on the title to read the entire article.]

• School Fundraising Cookie Dough

  Howard Gottlieb

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:45 pm

  There are different school fundraising cookie dough companies and different school fundraising cookie dough products you can choose as you probably already know. So how do you choose the best option?... [This is a summary only, click on the title to read the entire article.]

• How to Have a Fundraiser

  Howard Gottlieb

  19 Jan 2012 | 9:41 am

  There is an abundance of information available on fundraising ideas all throughout the internet yet people still wonder How to Have a Fundraiser. So let’s chat about that for a few moments. We... [This is a summary only, click on the title to read the entire article.]

• Community Fundraising

  Howard Gottlieb

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:28 pm

  There are lot of times Community Fundraising becomes a lifeblood to need people and families. That happens quite often when members of a community rally around a family with extraordinary medical... [This is a summary only, click on the title to read the entire article.]

• 

  The Nonprofiteer

• Dear Nonprofiteer, Should I look before I leap, or not leap at all?

  Nonprofiteer

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  Dear Nonprofiteer: I recently joined the board of directors of a small nonprofit (4 staff, $200k budget). Within a month of my joining, our executive director announced she would be leaving as her partner has a new job in another state. In addition, while she won’t move for a couple of months, presumably giving the board plenty of time to find a successor, she wants to study for the bar exam in the new state and requested to work half-time until she leaves. There are a couple of complications (aren’t there always). I was approached by two board members about taking the ED position. I…

• The billionaire vs. the free riders

  Nonprofiteer

  13 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  The Nonprofiteer’s readers might enjoy this account of a pissing match between Warren Buffett and Mitch McConnell.  The Senator from Kentucky has been urging the Sage of Omaha to make voluntary contributions to the Treasury if he felt he was undertaxed.  Buffett has now responded that he’ll match any such contributions made by Republican Senators. This dialogue makes in a different form Milton Friedman’s point as recounted by the Nonprofiteer yesterday.  Voluntary contributions to reduce poverty (or do any of the other things we rely on the government to do) are…

• Glitch in RSS Feed

  Nonprofiteer

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am

  If you’re one of the Nonprofiteer’s subscribers, you’ve probably noticed that you’re receiving posts you’ve read before.  Not clear what’s the matter with the subscription system, but please regard the appearance in your mailbox of an obsolete column as an alert that you should check the site for what should have been delivered—the actual new posting.  Apologies for the inconvenience.

• Taxes vs. philanthropy: the view of a raving lefty

  Nonprofiteer

  11 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  I am distressed by the sight of poverty; I am benefited by its alleviation; but I am benefited equally whether I or someone else pays for its alleviation; the benefits of other people’s charity therefore partly accrue to me.  To put it differently, we might all of us be willing to contribute to the relief of poverty, provided everyone else did.  We might not be willing to contribute the same amount without such assurance. Therefore, this wild-eyed radical continues, the government must step in.  If poverty is to be alleviated, everyone must be taxed so that no one gets a free ride to…

• At war with oneself over the charitable deduction

  Nonprofiteer

  10 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  From an article in the New York Times whose date the Nonprofiteer neglected to notice: “It’s admirable when people back their charitable impulses up with donations,” said Scott Klinger, tax policy director of the group Business for Shared Prosperity.  “But the tax code shouldn’t allow the wealthy the kind of loopholes that let them, essentially, force other taxpayers to underwrite donations to their pet causes.” “The kind of loopholes . . . “  Is there some other kind?  That is, can we have the tax code encourage individual generosity without…

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  zyOzy Foundation Blog

• The Future Belongs to the Curious

  22 Jan 2012 | 2:15 pm

  From the moment we open our eyes it fuels our existence. We are on a mission to remind everyone to never lose your sense of curiosity or wonder. Long live learning!

• How to focus in the age of distraction?

  18 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pm

• Cycling infographic

  18 Dec 2011 | 2:17 pm

• “Get It Done”: Urging Climate Justice, Youth Delegate Anjali Appadurai Mic-Checks UN Summit

  11 Dec 2011 | 8:36 am

  Amazing speech by a smart and pragmatic young woman. Anjali Appadurai, a student at the College of the Atlantic in Maine, addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban on behalf of youth delegates. Just after her speech, she led a mic-check from the stage — a move inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protests. “It always seems impossible until it’s done. So, distinguished delegates and governments around the world, governments of the developed world: Deep cuts now. Get it done,” Appadurai says.

• Obesity Worldwide

  26 Nov 2011 | 2:55 pm

• 

  Everyday Giving Blog

• How to Get Involved with Microfinance

  Roger Carr

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:16 pm

  As a form of socially conscious investment, microfinance is an increasingly popular option for people who want to do something good – and there is plenty of scope to get involved. One study by Unitus found that up to 80% of the potential microfinance market had still not been reached, so there is clearly still a lot of work to be done. A lot of this is due to the fact that the key targets of microfinance charity are primarily poor, rural and often hard to reach. So, if you are interested in micro loans as a means of helping some of the world’s most disadvantaged people, how can you get…

• Wacky Ways to Raise Money for Charity

  Roger Carr

  22 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pm

  If there's a charity that's close to your heart, you've probably put at least some thought into raising money for it.  Sadly, in today's economic climate, it's hard to find people willing to donate to good causes.  It's not that people don't want to help - but there's not much in the way of spare money floating around these days, and people are constantly being bombarded with requests to sponsor charity runs, donate to raffles, pledge on someone's JustGiving page, or sign up for a monthly direct debit to donate to a specific cause. If you want to persuade people that your cause is…

• Non Profits Need Online Presence

  Roger Carr

  27 Dec 2011 | 7:00 am

  In order to be competitive nonprofit organizations, just like any other business, must develop and cultivate an online presence. The internet has become an integral part of daily life to almost everyone. Nonprofits now have unprecedented opportunity to recruit supporters and cultivate loyalty to their respective organizations. Because the internet has provided these vast fundraising and marketing opportunities, it’s critical that nonprofit organizations embrace technology and develop a strategic plan for an online presence immediately. New nonprofits should begin developing a strategy…

• Ten Companies That Know How to Give

  Roger Carr

  22 Dec 2011 | 1:03 pm

  10 Biggest Givers in the Corporate World by Kristy Ramirez When it comes to corporate philanthropy, there have been a lot of complaints from the workforces in this country that the highest income earners and corporations aren’t paying their fair share, so to speak. Especially in an unsettled economic climate; are businesses still donating to charities and other philanthropic organisations despite the drop in their overall profit margins? Luckily, the statistics prove that yes, millions- even billions- of dollars are still being given away by community-conscious corporations all over the…

• Changing your lifestyle: 4 Ways to make yourself feel good

  Roger Carr

  17 Nov 2011 | 11:37 am

  Whether it’s a bad day at work, the weathers getting you down or you just feel like you’ve had a pretty bad year, making yourself feel good again is hard work. A nice hot bath and chocolate used to do the trick but nowadays you’re craving something a little bigger. To help you find something that will improve the way you feel on a bigger scale, check out a few ideas below: Treat yourself Whether it’s pampering yourself, new clothes, or indulging in an expensive slap up meal, why not attempt to change your lifestyle all together? From the way that you look to who you hang out with, try…

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  Volunteer Boston: Learn what's going on in Boston and beyond

• Thrill Hill - Its Fast & Its A Blast!

  OYFP Boston

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:08 am

  Join us on Sunday, February 19th for tubing at McIntyre's Thrill Hill in Manchester, NH!This $40 all inclusive trip includes:Roundtrip TransportationTwo Hours on the Thrill HillPizza and BeerCharitable Donation of your choice!If you joined us on our last trip to Nashoba Valley Blue Grass and Blues you are sure to enjoy this event! We donated $1,000 to charity that day...help us support a local charity all while having a blast.100% of proceeds will be donated to the charity YOU* help choose!* Charities will be nominated by those who purchase tickets**One of the top three vote getting charities…

• RUN BOSTON #BostonMarathon

  John R

  18 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm

  The Boys & Girls Club is looking for a few more teammembers to join us and run the 2012 Boston Marathon!When you join the Boys & Girls Club Marathon team youwill get:-Guaranteed entry to the 2012 Boston Marathon-Expert-coached weekly large group workouts-A customized training plan for your fitness level-An unforgettable marathon experience with the support ofour group-Weekly large group training runs with a meeting space andparking-Race day event at the Westin Copley Place-Race weekend pasta party-13 to 21-Mile training runs-The incredible feeling that your efforts are supportingyouth…

• Get Connected in 2012 with Socializing for Justice

  John R

  12 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am

  Get Connected in 2012 with Socializing for JusticeGrassroots group building a cross-issue progressive network since 2006On January 19th from 6-9PM, Socializing for Justice will be hosting it's largest event of the year, Connecting for Justice, at Lir on Boylston.  This open house event draws 120+ progressives of all stripes and is a great way to get connected to SoJust's cross-issue progressive community.  This is a welcoming space where all attendees, diverse by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, newness to Boston, and experience with activism, come together to “put the…

• Christmas Volunteer Opportunity

  John R

  30 Nov 2011 | 4:17 pm

  Who: Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) is a non-sectarian national network of non-profit, volunteer-based organizations committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. We offer to people of good will the opportunity to join the elderly in friendship and celebration of life.What: As part of the Holiday Visitation Program, Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly makes visits to over 350 Elder Friends on Christmas who are without family to celebrate the holiday. They will also celebrate Hanukkah with the Jewish elders on Christmas Day. Visiting…

• RUN OF THE CHARLES CANOE & KAYAK RACE Sunday, April 29, 2012

  John R

  28 Nov 2011 | 9:33 am

  WHAT:                       The biggest and best canoe and kayak event in New England!                                    The 30th anniversary of the Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race celebrates the Charles River Watershed Association's 48 years of improvements to the health, beauty…

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  Giving in a digital world

• 12 digital fundraising trends for 2012 #9 Back To Website Donation Basics

  Bryan

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:19 am

  As I’ve been highlighting throughout this series, the wealth of developments in digital commerce and communications emerging at the moment offer a host of potential new opportunities for fundraisers. However, as mentioned in Monday’s post about Email fundraising, in a year when many supporters are likely to be under increasing financial pressure and all fundraisers should be looking for opportunities to increase their effectiveness, I think some of the biggest opportunities will actually come from focusing on getting the fundraising basics right. When it comes to online…

• 12 digital fundraising trends for 2012 #8 Contactless Payments

  Bryan

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:21 am

  According to the people at Visa Europe, 2012 is going to be the year that ‘contactless payments’ take off here in the UK – heralding a new era when we will all be purchasing low cost items (£15 or less) with a wave of our payment card or NFC equipped mobile phone. No need to type-in a pin number – just ‘wave and pay’. The technology to enable this has been available here for a while now, with Barclaycard launching their ‘OnePulse’ card using Visa’s contactless system back in 2007 and partnering with Orange to launch the UK’s first…

• 12 digital fundraising trends for 2012 #7 Getting Smarter With Email

  Bryan

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:42 am

  As pressure to deliver on income targets in these increasingly challenging financial times results in a return to getting the fundraising basics right, I hope we’re going to see a shift towards making far better use of email this year – thereby capitalising on what is all too often a sadly under-performing opportunity area. Despite continued excitement over the potential of Social Media, the fact is that email remains the most effective way for most fundraisers to engage directly with the majority of their online supporters – and seems likely to remain that way for the…

• 12 digital fundraising trends for 2012 #6 Ebooks

  Bryan

  19 Jan 2012 | 3:02 am

  Back in November 2007 when Amazon kick-started the eBook market with the launch of its first generation Kindle, suggestions that they could ever come close to replacing printed books were typically treated with disbelief and distain. However, the chart above, presented by Amazon’s CEO last September, tells a pretty clear story about the growth of eBooks since then. In short, it took just four and a half years for Amazon to reach the point where it was selling more eBooks than print editions. Of course, Amazon isn’t the only print or e-bookseller around. But their competitors have…

• 12 digital fundraising trends for 2012 #5 Mobile App vs Mobile Web

  Bryan

  17 Jan 2012 | 1:55 am

  It was back in September 2010 that Wired featured the cover story  ‘The Web is Dead – long live the Internet’, explaining that the traditional means of engaging with data on the Internet by browsing pages on the World Wide Web was fizzling-out as we increasingly turned to Apps to make the connections and access the information we want. This demise being driven by the incredibly rapid adoption of Smartphones – with finger-driven smaller screens on which traditional web browsers typically offer a less than ideal user experience. More heat was added to the debate just…

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  Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

• Mixed Links for Nonprofit Communicators and Fundraisers

  Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm

  Welcome to another round of Mixed Links! We’ve got some great social media and communications posts today. This post by Kari Saratovsky not only sheds some light on the recent rise in Pinterest, but also shares some great infographics on Millennials. Check out The Millennial Story, Told By Infographic(s). Think Facebook was confusing before? Beth Kanter shares What Do Facebook’s New Timeline Apps Mean for Nonprofits? Make sure you are fully awake (having a big mug of coffee, not a mixed drink!) when you get into this one. It’s powerful stuff, but not necessarily easy to…

• Success Story: A Shift in Communications Worked!

  Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm

  We love to hear success stories about the nonprofits we work with. Elexa Liu works with Hope Worldwide in Hong Kong and has participated in many of our training events both online and in person (Yes, she flew all the way to Seattle to take part in the Total Focus Marketing Plan Workshop I teach with Nancy Schwartz). She recently sent me this email on what happened after she started focusing on telling a good story instead of inundating her supporters with boring statistics.   ~Kivi Dear Kivi, Hope you are doing well. Again, thank you for sharing/teaching/passing on your knowledge and…

• How to Make a Stat Work in Marketing

  Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

  25 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm

  Hating statistics and other cold hard facts, and loving stories instead, is very popular in our field right now. I’m mostly on that bandwagon too. But what if you could use a good statistic to help tell your story? I saw this Austim Speaks PSA with Toni Braxton on TV recently, and it caught my attention, even before I realized it was for a nonprofit. The Toni Braxton ad is from 2009. Some newer versions feature NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and they follow the same basic “the odds of . . .” script. While there is some criticism of the ads…

• Improve Your Marketing Effectiveness Via the Mobile Web

  Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm

  Tonia Zampieri More and more of your supporters and program participants are using their smartphones to look at your website and to read the emails you send them. It’s time to make sure your content is mobile friendly. In her first guest post for us, Tonia Zampieri of The M Gen shares what you need to be doing now. Watch for details soon on more training and resources from Tonia.   ~Kivi Guest Post by Tonia Zampieri of The M Gen If you aren’t thinking through how your online efforts are being seen on the mobile web, you are missing out and eventually hurting the very mission you set…

• Newsjacking: The New Way to Get Media Attention

  Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

  23 Jan 2012 | 5:17 pm

  Sometimes the work you do is newsworthy on its own and it’s worth the time to pitch your story to reporters. But there’s also another way to get your name in the news: Newsjacking. David Meerman Scott has published a fast read all about the process in Newsjacking: How to Inject your Ideas into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage (Amazon link). It’s all about what he calls owning the second paragraph. It works like this: a news story breaks. Journalists are under pressure to update that story for the next edition or broadcast. So while the core of the…

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  Bridgespan - All RSS Feeds

• Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections on the Closing of Hull House

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Where Do We Go From Here? Reflections on the Closing of Hull House 2012 01 26 Hull House’s founding signaled the start of a new era in social services in the late 19th century. Its demise at the outset

• Refreshing Your Nonprofit Board Dashboard

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Refreshing Your Board Dashboard 2012 01 17 Matthew Forti With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions already broken, Matt Forti suggests one you can easily keep  a refreshed board dashboard With 2012 upon us and many New Year’s resolutions

• The View from the Cliff: Government-Funded Nonprofits Are Looking Out on Steep Cuts and an Uncertain Future

  15 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  The View from the Cliff Government Funded Nonprofits Are Looking Out on Steep Cuts and an Uncertain Future 2012 01 16 Daniel Stid Vishal Shah Federal, state, and local government underwrites the bulk of the cost to support vulnerable

• More Bang for the Bucks That Help the Neediest

  10 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  More Bang for the Bucks That Help the Neediest 2012 01 02 Daniel Stid Many of us finished up 2011 by writing checks to worthy causes in an end of year rush to give to charity. Though, what few realize,

• Next Generation Community Revitalization: A Work in Progress

  18 Dec 2011 | 6:00 pm

  Next Generation Community Revitalization Overview 2011 12 19 The Bridgespan Group A new generation of community revitalization initiatives is gaining momentum. This report takes a look at six nascent networks making promising headway, the key characteristics they share, and

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  Selfish Giving

• The Difference Between Transactional, Transformative Cause Marketing

  Joe Waters

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  I’ve been talking to a lot of people about the difference between transactional cause marketing and transformative cause marketing. I’ve concluded that I’m not being very clear on the difference and need this post as much as the people who ask me to explain it to them. I did what I usually do when I don’t understand something: I talked to someone smarter than I am. In this case, someone A LOT smarter: Kristian Darigan Merenda, Senior Vice President of Business + Social Purpose at Edelman. Kristian is also one of the four talented women, including my cause marketing…

• Three Easy Steps to Cause Marketing Success

  Joe Waters

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm

  The first step in cause marketing success is an asset analysis. I talk about it here in this video I sat for at Blogworld late last year. To learn more about starting with an asset analysis and the two other steps needed for cause marketing success, check out my new post at Razoo.com’s Inspiring Generosity blog: Getting Started with Cause Marketing, Easy as 1-2-3 I just started writing for Razoo.com and you can read my weekly post on Tuesdays. My first post with them just appeared last week. 7 Things Nonprofits Should Focus on in 2012 Razoo.com has some other great regular bloggers,…

• Winners: Pinterest ‘Causes I Love Contest’

  Joe Waters

  12 Jan 2012 | 11:29 am

  Wow, choosing the winner of the Pinterest “Causes I Love Contest” was a lot of fun. But it was a tough decision too. Truth be told, I asked my wife to help. We loved so many of the boards I decided to hand out three awards. First place gets the $250 DonorsChoose.org gift card. Second place a $100 gift card. Third place a $50 gift card. First Place I loved this board by Anne Spires DeLong. The pictures are wonderful and it’s clear that she loves dogs, pets and animal adoption. Second Place This is a great board from Jessica Stanford. Jessica’s board especially spoke to…

• Writer for Hire

  Joe Waters

  11 Jan 2012 | 7:15 am

  I have three goals for 2012 (or three words as Chris Brogan has suggested). Speaking, consulting and writing. I already have several speaking gigs booked. I also have some consulting lined up. I could tell you more on the latter but then I’d have to kill you because of the confidentiality agreements I’ve signed. That leaves writing. Soon I’ll be busy writing QR Codes for Dummies, Portable Edition, for Wiley Publishing. Of course, I’ll be writing my blog and contributing to The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Mediapost: Causes, Forbes and The Nonprofit…

• IKEA Saves the Children When Facebook Fans Invite Friends to Shop

  Joe Waters

  9 Jan 2012 | 7:55 am

  This is my featured post in Mediapost: Causes. Subscribe to its weekly newsletter and learn from some of the best thought leaders in the cause world!  One of the more successful digital tactics for cause marketing are Facebook “Likes” promotions. When you “Like” the nonprofit’s page or the company’s page – or both, depending on the promotion – the company makes an in-kind or cash donation to the nonprofit. A good recent example of Facebook cause marketing was the Kraft Fight Hunger Facebook page for Feeding America during November.

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  White Courtesy Telephone

• Money in Politics: Foundations and the 2012 Election Cycle

  Curator

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm

         P   O   S   T   E   D       B   Y       A   L   B   E   R  T Even though not-for-profit organizations are strictly barred from any kind of electioneering, foundations—public and private—need not miss out on the political hurly burly of this election cycle. We know that many foundations sponsor candidates’ forums and publish issue papers to help inform the voting public.

• Our Nonprofits Are Too Good to Fail

  Curator

  22 Nov 2011 | 1:10 pm

         P   O   S   T   E   D       B   Y       A   L   B   E   R  T Editor’s note: A version of this op ed appeared in today’s Times-Picayune.  That’s why the piece is written in the first-person serious.  Feel free to use it as your own, without attribution. While the feds were bailing out large investment banks on Wall Street, our local nonprofit organizations were having a…

• The 20 Percent Who Manage the 80 Percent Who Serve the Interests of the 1 Percent

  Curator

  9 Nov 2011 | 5:00 am

         P   O   S   T   E   D       B   Y       J   O   H   N An excerpt from the film Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Mass Media: QUESTION: You write in Manufacturing Consent [Phaedon, 1988] that it’s the primary function of the mass media in the United States to mobilize public support for the special interests that dominate the government and the private sector. What are those interests?

• The Big Uneasy: New Data on Community Foundations and Social Justice

  Curator

  7 Nov 2011 | 5:00 am

         P   O   S   T   E   D       B   Y       A   L   B   E   R  T A community foundation is an odd institution.  Unlike a private foundation such as Ford or Rockefeller, it’s a public charity, meaning, that among other things, it must raise money each year from the general public to satisfy what the IRS calls the “public support test.”  Community foundations typically…

• Ford and Rockefeller Should Right-Size Their Philanthropy by Funding Vans

  Curator

  1 Nov 2011 | 1:49 pm

         P   O   S   T   E   D       B   Y       A   L   B   E   R  T Yet another attack  on Philanthropy That Might Actually Succeed in Changing the World in Some Significant Way.  This one from my colleague Bill Schambra, who, perhaps sensing the untenability of the view that social phenomena have no causes, is now urging foundations to think small. Mr. Schambra’s model for thinking…

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  SocialFish

• More Changing the World in 2012

  Maddie Grant

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Just in case you  missed them, here are some more truly thoughtful responses to my meme, How Are You Going to Change the World in 2012? (More posts are here.) Challenge Accepted: Make the World a Better Place (Lowell Aplebaum) 1. For the association world: Collaborate.  No, I am not talking about the ASAE social network platform (though it is a great place to connect with colleagues and get involved).  I am talking about associations working together to work together.  There are so many of us out there, and each association has the things it is REALLY good at, and those areas where we…

• MUST READ: 2012 Edelman Barometer is out

  Maddie Grant

  25 Jan 2012 | 9:49 am

  Just saw this post from Edelman: Why Your Company Needs to Structure Properly for Social Media… Right Now. From the post (my bold): Yesterday morning in London, Richard Edelman unveiled the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer. It’s the twelfth year that we’ve conducted the study, which tries to answer the seemingly simple question: “Who do you trust?” One thing is clear from this year’s research: It isn’t your CEO. Globally, only 38% of informed publics think CEOs are credible spokespeople. That’s down from 50% last year. On the other hand, trust in a ‘Regular employee’ showed a…

• What’s New in Social Media for Associations

  Maggie McGary

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  I have a confession: one of my least favorite things to do is public speaking. I had never done it at all until three years ago when Debra Stratton of Stratton Publishing & Marketing asked me if I’d present with her at ASAE’s Great Ideas conference, which just happened to be in Miami in February. So I said yes. I was terrified, and incredibly relieved when it was over. I figured that if I forced myself to do more of this dreaded public speaking it would get better in time, so over the past few years any time someone has asked me to speak or wanted to collaborate with me to…

• How’s your social customer service?

  Maddie Grant

  24 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  88% of consumers are less likely to buy from a company that ignores them on social media sites.  Check out the full Conversocial study here.  I know I notice – very strongly – when my tweets go unanswered.  If it’s a technology company of any kind? Even worse. Instant fail, and I’ll happily tweet my irritation and vow never to use them again.  Fair? Maybe not – but that’s the truth.  It’s not all bad, though – this unscientific but cool SBOSM poll says we’re doing a good job.  How’s your social customer service?

• How do you prepare for unpredictability?

  Maddie Grant

  22 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Anna Caraveli, our newest columnist, has a thought-provoking post over at the Demand Perspective called Engaging New Generations: Is it a Numbers and Data Game? An excerpt (my bold): Do we develop future members with formulas about how they behave with the only determinant being age? As a baby boomer I am supposed to feel all kinds of things that I do not actually feel.  I am supposed to be uncomfortable with technology; comfortable with volunteering for my community and joining membership organizations; motivated by climbing an orderly career ladder rather than by exploring, taking risks…

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  Jamie Notter

• Humanize and the Millennial Generation

  Jamie Notter

  24 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pm

  Two weeks ago I wrote a post about an inherent paradox in the conversation about generational differences. The differences we see among generations are both true at the big picture level AND irrelevant at the individual level. Every generation possesses significant diversity and significant “sameness” at the same time. That post was the setup to this one, based on the original question that was posed in one of our Humanize twitter chats, which was “Is the Millennial generation better poised to accept the ideas in Humanize than previous generations.” My answer in the…

• Conflict and Decision Making

  Jamie Notter

  17 Jan 2012 | 10:31 am

  There is an article in the Volunteer Leadership issue of Associations Now titled, “Balanced Conflict, Better Decisions.” The conclusions in the article concern me. I’m paraphrasing here, but the article says: “Cognitive” conflict is about contradictory perspectives, where “affective” conflict is personalized, emotional, and political. Association boards make better decisions by delegating cognitive conflict to task forces, but dealing with affective conflict at Board meetings. For-profit boards do this the other way around. In a “fair and…

• Generations and Paradox

  Jamie Notter

  12 Jan 2012 | 8:50 am

  During  a Twitter chat last week, I had some back and forth with a couple of people on the topic of generational differences. The conversation was focused on the Humanize book, and the initial question was whether the Millennial generation is more likely to embrace more “human” organizations than previous generations. I do promise another post that talks about that issue specifically, but I wanted to start with an important point about generations (that was impossible to make in 140 characters on Twitter). Really understanding and acting on generational differences requires a…

• Book Review: The Knowing-Doing Gap

  Jamie Notter

  10 Jan 2012 | 7:28 am

  As authors Pfeffer and Sutton point out, there are nearly 2,000 books published each year, just in the “Business” category. There is no shortage of knowledge out there at our fingertips: knowledge about the best management practices, the best strategies, the best structures, the best cultures. There is an abundance of knowledge out there to support leaders in creating powerful and effective organizations. The problem, however, is not what we know—we know enough. The problem is that we do not act based on our knowledge. Even when we know what we should do, we often do not do it. The…

• Changing the World in 2012

  Jamie Notter

  4 Jan 2012 | 12:59 pm

  Maddie tagged me in a “how are you going to change the world in 2012″ meme in a blog post last week. She was inspired by this post by Craig Newmark, and now she’s asked a whole host of us to talk about what we’re going to do in 2012 and how we’re going to change the world. That’s a pretty big question. Maddie’s good at that. So here’s what I’m going to do. 1. I am going to change the world with Humanize. Maddie mentioned this in her post too, obviously, so this is something we are going to do together, but I am committed to elevating the…

• 

  AFP Blog: Recent News of Note

• Donations keep Bellingham nonprofit radio station on the air - for now | Bellingham Herald - The News Tribune

  Reed

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:04 am

  Donations keep Bellingham nonprofit radio station on the air - for now | Bellingham Herald - The News Tribune: Donations large and small have kept the Spark Museum's radio station, KMRE, on the air for now after museum president John Jenkins gave word this past summer he would no longer support it himself.

• Leveraging Limited Dollars: NCRP - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy

  Reed

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:48 am

  Leveraging Limited Dollars: NCRP - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy: ull title: Leveraging Limited Dollars: How Grantmakers Achieve Tangible Results by Funding Policy and Community Engagement Published: January 2012 Download publication for free. This report distills findings from more than 400 pages of research amassed over three years as part of NCRP’s Grantmaking for Community

• Looking to Sever Ties with a Funder: HUD and Housing Counseling

  Reed

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:41 am

  Looking to Sever Ties with a Funder: HUD and Housing Counseling

• Mass. Nonprofits Express Some Optimism about 2012 Prospects

  Reed

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:35 am

  massnonprofit.org ::: anuary 24, 2012 — Nearly four out of 10 people affiliated with Massachusetts nonprofits believe their organization will be in stronger financial shape at the end of 2012, compared to the beginning of the year, according to a newly completed survey.

• The AFP Blog

  Reed

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:20 am

  The AFP Blog: But in terms of learning, sharing and creating a sense of community, nothing compares with a live gathering of fundraisers, which is why I’m so excited about AFP’s International Conference on Fundraising, April 1-3, 2012, in Vancouver, British Columbia.There will be some amazing speakers, including Scott Harrison, founder and president of charity: water, and hockey legend and

• 

  Wild Apricot Blog (RSS 2.0)

• Getting Ready for Annual Reports

  Lori Halley

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am

  Here are some best practices and tips for those just getting started with Annual Report planning.

• Our Dream For Membership Growth and Engagement

  Lori Halley

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:35 am

  Here's our "Membership Dream" for 2012 - prepared for January's Nonprofit Blog Carnival.

• Apricot Chat: The Richmond Venture Forum

  Lenna Titizian

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:06 am

  Wild Apricot is a great fit for professional and business associations -- the Richmond Venture Forum is an association that acts as a social network to link the entrepreneurial community with venture capital to promote business growth and development in the central Virginia area.

• Wild Apricot Software News January 2012

  Dmitriy Buterin

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:06 am

  Our Chief Apricot reports on the outcomes of our recent Version 4.3 upgrade, and provides a sneak-peak into some of the updates for the upcoming Version 4.4: Sales Taxes, Newsletter Templates, and HTTPS.

• 4 Ways to Orient New Wild Apricot Users

  Lori Halley

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am

  Do you need some help orienting new volunteers or staff to Wild Apricot Membership Management software? Here is an overview of the resources available to help.

• 

  NP Communicator

• Prostitution, undocumented youth, living with a disability: Reporting the issues that matter

  Nora Ferrell

  23 Jan 2012 | 2:37 pm

  The Local Reporting Initiative was launched in the Spring of 2011 to report stories about Chicago’s South and West Sides that aren’t often told. With support from The Chicago Community Trust, he Community Media Workshop has been overseeing the project, and we’ve been blown away by some of the stories produced under the Initiative. These are stories about real people, stories that deserve to be heard. Take Nina, the first woman to go through a new program to help women facing prostitution charges in Cook County. Or Aurora, an undocumented youth who works two jobs and…

• Workshop helps employment center step up work with local media

  Nora Ferrell

  3 Jan 2012 | 9:49 am

  A 2011 story by Barrington Patch about CareerPlace At a time of record unemployment in Illinois and the country, organizations that can help people find employment and build their skills are more important then ever. Yet, CareerPlace, located in Barrington, found that more than 40% of people in their area didn’t know about their services and classes for unemployed individuals. “We struggled with finding the time to reach out to the local media,” said Monica Keane, executive director of CareerPlace. “I thought Professional Media Relations would be a good way to learn how to get…

• The top 11 Workshop blog posts of 2011

  Nora Ferrell

  14 Dec 2011 | 1:15 pm

  At the end of the year, it’s fun and informative to see what drew you to our website. The Community Media Workshop produces three blogs–Newstips, NP Communicator and Chicago is the World–and in 2011, these were the top 11 most viewed blog posts on our site. Did you have a favorite Workshop blog post this year? Let us know if it made the top 11 or not. We want to continue providing content that’s helpful to you and your organization. The Top 11 1. NP Communicator: Be a nonprofit blogger! - By far, our most popular blog post this year. It’s a helpful post, and it just…

• Develop a media story for your organization and pitch reporters, face-to-face

  Nora Ferrell

  29 Nov 2011 | 12:39 pm

  RoiAnn Phillips of HealthConnect One RoiAnn Phillips decided to attend Professional Media Relations because she wanted a better grasp of media strategy and outreach as she took on more communications work at HealthConnect One. Her “ah-ha moment” came when instructors told the class how to tailor a pitch to pique reporters’ interest, but her big breakthrough came a couple of weeks later. During the five-part workshop, she was able to pitch her organization’s upcoming report analyzing breastfeeding rates in Illinois to WBEZ Reporter Chip Mitchell. That opportunity resulted in three…

• All the media tools you need to tell your story – for free!

  Nora Ferrell

  22 Nov 2011 | 8:56 am

  In addition to communications trainings and one-on-one consulting, the Community Media Workshop also provides a wide range of free resources to help you get your organization’s story to the right reporter. Here are just a few of the many media outreach tools and tips you can find on our website. Press release generator. Interested in creating a press release about your issue or campaign? Check out our press release generator to help you get started. Media Event Quick Contact List. Looking for the most up-to-date quick contact list of assignment desks and editors at Chicago’s major…

• 

  Cause Marketing

• Responding to Outside Magazine's Article on Livestrong.org

  Paul Jones is the president of

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  The February 2012 issue of Outside magazine has a critical assessment of LiveStrong, Lance Armstrong’s anti-cancer foundation and I feel obliged to respond to it.The first criticism is that LiveStrong no longer donates to cancer research efforts and instead has transitioned itself into a role as kind of information conduit for people fighting cancer. Lifestrong is now primarily a cancer awareness-raising charity.The problem is that some of the charity’s supporters still promote Lifestrong as a cancer research charity. That, of course, is wrong and supporters should depict Livestrong's…

• OluKai Cause Markets For Local Cause at Outdoor Retailer Show

  Paul Jones is the president of

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Trade shows are a natural for cause marketing because there are so many like-minded people under one roof. For instance, at the Outdoor retailer show that took place last week in my small State of Utah, the show was right around the 30th largest city in the State!I almost always suggest to clients that if they’re going to do cause marketing at a trade show that they consider doing it on behalf of cause in the city where the show is being held. In so doing they have the chance to leave legacy that can long outlast the show.OluKai, a footwear company, has real bon fides when it comes to cause…

• Made in America Cause Marketing

  Paul Jones is the president of

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Liberty Bottleworks fabricates rugged water bottles in brand-new factory in Yakima, Washington of recycled aluminum and using America-made machinery. Liberty is the only company making metal water bottles in America today.While that sinks in a little consider that Liberty also has a strong cause marketing component with its partner Big City Mountaineers (BCM), a Denver nonprofit that gives urban kids a wilderness experience that often proves to be life-changing.The night before my interview with Alex Strickland of Liberty at the 2012 Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City the company…

• Nike Vet Keeps Bike Inner Tubes Out of the Landfill and Benefits the Humane Society

  Paul Jones is the president of

  24 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Paul Fidrych left a promising career at Nike to start a business with his wife that takes old bike inner tubes and upcycles them into useful things like dog collars, chew toys and water dishes. All while benefiting the Humane Society chapter in Portland. The company is cleverly named Cycle Dog.To me that business model sounded like the much-heralded company TerraCycle, which upcycles juice pouches, for instance, into brightly-colored messenger bags.When I suggested that analogy, Paul politely told me that Cycle Dog positions itself as the leading US recycled pet supply company. Cycle Dog is…

• Teva’s BOGO Cause Marketing Returns Company's Philanthropy to its Watery Origins

  Paul Jones is the president of

  23 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Teva, the footwear company, started out making sandals for Colorado River Guides. And at its founding in 1984, Teva supported the nonprofit Save the Colorado, as it still does today. But as the company grew the footprint of its corporate philanthropy got ever-wider and more diffuse.No one likes to say to worthy causes with compelling stories, after all.But in this exclusive interview on the topic with the cause marketing blog, Jaime Eschette, the company’s long-time public relations manager told me that with the company’s current cause marketing effort… called A Pair for a Foot… the…

• 

  So what can I do?

• Change the world.

  Karama

  6 Oct 2014 | 5:52 pm

  How will you make our world a better place?* Health and education* Economics, social entrepreneurship, and microfinance* Food and water* Energy and technology* Women, children, and family* Environment, land, and sustainability* FaithAnd don’t forget to visit the So What Can I Do Bookstore. Your efforts can change the world.”Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mohandas GandhiPlease visit http://sowhatcanido.blogspot.com to offer your comments and suggestions, forward this post, and peruse the archives. Thanks for reading "So what can I do", the public service weblog promoting…

• Make it a day/life of service.

  Karama

  6 Jan 2012 | 10:02 pm

  I remember one Martin Luther King day many years ago, when I was in grad school, that I spent in the lab. That wasn't too unusual because I generally went to the lab every day. But one of my colleagues (who was also working) asked me why I was in the lab on the King holiday. I replied that I thought Dr. King would want me to get my PhD. I still think of the King Holiday as a day on rather than a day off, but now that I have finished school, I have a bit more time to be of service to others on that day. Readers of So What Can I Do are likely to feel the same, so I offer two resources to find…

• EITC: Ask for it!

  Karama

  6 Jan 2012 | 9:30 pm

  Tax time is upon us once again. You've got a couple of extra days this year - til April 17. And here's another piece of good news: lots of folks, many of whom don't know it, will qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. EITC can mean up to $5,751 in your pocket. That's money to pay bills, save for college or a downpayment on your home, or stash away for a rainy day. Find out if you're eligible or ask your tax preparer about it.Remember you have to file a tax return (even if you're not required to or do not owe) in order to claim the EITC.You've already earned it. Now go claim it."Next to…

• Join the So What Can I Do blood donation team.

  Karama

  20 Jun 2009 | 10:40 pm

  I went to the Red Cross blood center today and gave a pint. Regular readers and regular donors know that blood donation is a fast and easy way to save up to three lives. You never know when you or someone you know will need blood. So please consider donating blood, platelets, or red cells. And if you do, you’re invited to join the So What Can I Do Red Cross Racing Team. Here’s how:• Visit redcrossracing.com .• After you register scroll to the bottom and click “Team Competition.”• Enter the So What Can I Do team code: O?67SO .• Remember to log your donations to win points and…

• Celebrate World Free Your Mind Day – June 19th.

  Karama

  18 Jun 2009 | 11:07 pm

  I spent this Juneteenth thinking about what my family would have been like if my great-great-granddaddy Griffin Henry Belk hadn’t walked off that plantation when he did. I expect it would have made a huge difference, because when Griffin Henry Belk left, he was able to travel (searching for his parents), purchase land (160 acres for $11 in Ozan, Arkansas), and generally prepare to provide for his wife and five children to come. So I woke up Juneteenth morning and told my daughter about her great-great-great-granddaddy. Even though she’s only two, I expect it resonated with her, or will…

• 

  The Fine Print: blog posts from OMBWatch

• State of the Union's Call for Tax Fairness is a Good Start

  srosenamy

  26 Jan 2012 | 10:26 am

  <!--break--> “The state of the union is getting stronger.” That is how President Obama characterized the current state of the union. But, as we wrote in our State of the Union preview on Tuesday, we still have a long way to go before the economy is back on its feet. In our article, we recommended doing away with the looming budget cuts, increasing taxes on capital gains and financial transactions, and using the additional revenue to pay for more infrastructure projects and public protections. So what fiscal issues did Obama talk about in his speech on Tuesday? One of the main themes of…

• President Obama: You Had Me Until Fracking

  splagakis

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pm

  In last night’s State of the Union address, President Obama reiterated his support for the development of clean energy sources that will create jobs and protect the environment. But while developing clean energy is essential for moving us into the 21st century energy marketplace, the way we build our clean energy future also matters. We must develop energy without harming public health and the environment. A natural gas extraction process, commonly referred to as fracking, was cited in last night’s State of the Union as an example of clean energy. But using fracking to extract…

• Rushing To a Full Stop: Obama Gets It Right When He Talks About the Keystone Pipeline

  jrandall

  18 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pm

  Rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline this afternoon, President Obama blamed a short-circuited process that didn't allow the State Department to gather all the information it would have needed to consider before approving the permit. <!--break-->   In a statement, Obama said that "the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment."  Last November, he explained it this way:   "Because this permit…

• IRS: Tax Gap Stands at Nearly Half a Trillion

  gtherkildsen

  18 Jan 2012 | 12:58 pm

  <!--break--> Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released an updated analysis of the tax gap – the difference between the total amount in federal taxes owed by people and businesses, and the total paid. What did the IRS find? In 2006, the most recent year for which information is available, Americans underpaid their taxes by $450 billion. Extended over a decade, this could represent a shortfall of trillions, robbing the country of needed funds for infrastructure and other investments. The last time the IRS put together an analysis of the tax gap – issued in 2006 and…

• The EPA Shines a Light on Transparency: Makes Greenhouse Gas Data Publically Available for the First Time

  splagakis

  12 Jan 2012 | 8:54 am

  On Jan. 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released greenhouse gas (GHG) data to the public for the first time. Through an online tool, the public will be able to access critical air pollution data. With this new data, the public can hold industry accountable to ensure that emitters take responsibility for the way they are contributing to climate change. The online tool presents 2010 GHG data from 6,700 large facilities around the country in nine industry groups, including suppliers of certain fossil fuels and industrial gases. The public will be able to use the data to…

• 

  Public Sector Marketing 2.0

• Open Government Consultation

  Mike Kujawski

  10 Jan 2012 | 7:34 am

  In the spirit of openness, I have decided to publicly share my open-ended responses to the ongoing Canadian Open Government Consultation, which has been taking place since December 6th, 2011 and is scheduled to end January 16th, 2012. The consultation covers questions on Open Data, Open Information, Open Dialogue and the Open Government Strategy. If you are a Canadian Citizen, I strongly suggest that you take the time to complete this short albeit extremely important survey. For more information on this initiative, please consult this news release. I have only included open-ended…

• Bring back the Jester!

  Mike Kujawski

  23 Dec 2011 | 12:12 pm

  Since this will likely be my last post for 2011, I have decided to write it in the form of a wish for 2012; The Jester is due for a comeback. What is a Jester? “In ancient times courts employed fools and by the Middle Ages the jester was a familiar figure. In Renaissance times, aristocratic households in Britain employed licensed fools or jesters, who sometimes dressed as other servants were dressed, but generally wore a motley coat, hood with ass’s (i.e. donkey) ears or a red-flannel coxcomb and bells. Regarded as pets or mascots, they served not simply to amuse but to criticise…

• Online Reputation Management, Personal Branding, Digital Footprints and SMM

  Mike Kujawski

  19 Dec 2011 | 4:00 pm

  Once in a while I like to analyze various search trends taking place in my industry. I do this primarily to see which terms are sticking and to gauge demand for specific business offerings. I first predicted a drastic rise in interest  for “social media monitoring” information 4 years ago. Search for the term has been steadily growing year-by-year ever since, however you don’t have to be Nostradamus to know that with the obvious growth of  social media, a natural first step for organizations was going to be to “listen” and see what’s going on before…

• Guideline for External Use of Web 2.0 in the Government of Canada

  Mike Kujawski

  22 Nov 2011 | 9:44 pm

  After years of hearing  ”it’ll be released next week” promises, I finally got to witness the official announcement this morning from Minister Tony Clement: The Treasury Board Secretariat’s Guideline for External Use of Web 2.0  is now public. Here is an excerpt from Tony’s speech: “Web 2.0 tools provide additional means of interactive communications between government institutions and Canadians. These tools are the modern-day equivalents of town halls. They can be used for various purposes including recruitment, emergency communications, and service…

• City of Ottawa 3-1-1 #fail ?

  Mike Kujawski

  21 Nov 2011 | 7:54 pm

  You may have noticed that there is a question mark at the end of my blog post title. That’s because I didn’t want to make it sound like a statement, in case I’m missing something. Here’s what I experienced today and would love some of your feedback on: I was driving north on Bank street this morning here in Ottawa and hit a massive patch of black ice right before a busy intersection. My ABS kicked in right away and I went into survival “summer tire” skidding mode for a few long seconds. Luckily my brakes were new and I had already started braking well…

• 

  Third Sector News RSS Feed

• Challenge Network to get £7m this year for National Citizen Service

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:56 am

  Civil society minister Nick Hurd says Cabinet Office gave £1.2m to the charity last year

• Social Investment Business to launch £10m pilot funds

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:29 pm

  If they are successful, says Jonathan Jenkins of the SIB, he will attempt to raise up to £50m more

• Red Cross received most press and broadcast coverage in 2011

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:25 pm

  Catherine Wright of media analysis firm Metrica says world events have the most impact on press coverage

• Uncertainty over postage costs hampers direct mail campaigns, agency warns

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm

  Nick Pride of DMS says fundraisers won't hear new prices until the end of February

• Variety Club changes name to Variety, the Children's Charity

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm

  Former chief barker Malcolm Brenner says the rebrand is intended to raise the charity's profile

• 

  EveryJoe

• Chick of the Day: Evelyn Lozada

  Stephen Kersey

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:35 pm

  VH1’s Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada has taken over Maxim Digital in an ultra sexy photo shoot for the #1 Men’s Mag. This Puerto Rican beauty had an opportunity to dish on her guilty pleasures, how a Louboutin shoe almost delayed her flight and why she calls her AFC champion fiancé Chad Ochocinco “Poopsicle”! “I was so thrilled and honored to shoot with Maxim magazine! This was one of the most professional and best shoots I’ve ever had and it was truly exhilarating!” “Evelyn Lozada is turning out to become one of the hottest reality stars on the scene and everyone is…

• Fox Morning Show Co-Anchor Greg Kelly Accused of Rape

  Kori Ellis

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:46 pm

  Greg Kelly, the co-host of FOX’s “Good Day New York” and the son of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, has been accused of rape. Not only does the 30-year-old paralegal claim the sexual assault occurred, she also says that she got pregnant and subsequently had an abortion as a result of the attack. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating the allegation, and Kelly has not been charged with any crime as of yet. However, he has “strenuously” denied the charge through his lawyer. The alleged rape occurred back on Oct 8 when the two allegedly met on…

• Pat Sajak & Vanna White Hosted “Wheel of Fortune” Drunk

  Kori Ellis

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:37 pm

  In a recent interview, Pat Sajak revealed that back in the day he and his co-host Vanna White would sometimes host the show while drunk. “Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six [margaritas] and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet. They’re really great tapes to get a hold of,” Sajak said. Post from: EveryJoe

• Rihanna Gets a “Thug Life” Tattoo

  Kori Ellis

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:29 pm

  Rihanna showed off her new tattoo on Twitter yesterday. It reads “Thug Life” across her knuckles in pale pink ink. I’m sure Tupac is rolling over in his grave (if he’s really dead). The tattoo looks ridiculous on her, but at least you can barely see it. Also, she needs to work on her camera angles. Look at that forehead fivehead sixhead! Post from: EveryJoe

• Could Facebook Shut Down Over SOPA & PIPA?

  Kori Ellis

  17 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pm

  If you are like many people, you are reading a lot about SOPA and PIPA right now. To get the lowdown, check out this post about how SOPA/PIPA can affect you. Also, watch this video about understanding SOPA and PIPA, and find out if Facebook could actually shut down. Though Wikipedia is going dark over SOPA/PIPA tomorrow. Many companies actually support SOPA, from ABC to Visa. Allison Boyer of BlogWorld has a good piece about Why SOPA Scares the You-Know-What Out of Me that talks about a lot of worrisome loopholes. You should also read this article from Daily Kos about the repeated blows SOPA…

• 

  Philanthropy Action News and Commentary

• More on the role of Women in Development

  timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

  4 Jan 2012 | 6:23 pm

  Following up on the “debate” I had with Barbara Magnoni on targeting microfinance at women, a review of research on the topic of women and development has appeared. Via Chris Blattman, I just found this review paper by Esther Duflo that surveys research on how economic development affects the status of women and how the changing status of women affects economic development. I haven’t had a chance to closely read the paper yet, but any of Esther’s papers are, as they say, self-recommending. Here are a few choice bits: “This paper reviews the literature on both…

• Living with the Gates Foundation

  timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

  9 Dec 2011 | 3:48 am

  Describing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the world’s largest foundation is accurate but a substantial understatement. Its annual giving is more than six times larger than its closest “peer.” There are fewer than 100 US foundations that give more than $50 million annually. The Gates Foundation gives $50 million per week. But it’s not just the amount of giving that distinguishes the foundation. As Ed Skloot puts it, the foundation “differs from the institutional norm in almost every way: in size, ambition, high-level connections, proactivity, long-term commitment,…

• A Debate on the Role of Microcredit in Supporting Women and Girls

  timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

  26 Aug 2011 | 9:37 pm

  Barbara Magnoni, President of EA Consultants, an international development consulting firm with a specialty in finance, began a debate in the comments of our interview series with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Our conversation was focused on the issues around investing in microcredit focused on women. I asked Barbara to join me in an asynchronous “debate” that would be a bit more accessible than a conversation in the comments. Herewith is our discussion on the subject. Please weigh in with your own thoughts either in the comments or on your own blog of choice (but be sure to…

• An Interview with Banerjee and Duflo, Part 4

  timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

  13 Jul 2011 | 3:35 pm

  Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, co-founders of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab and co-authors of the recent book Poor Economics are at the heart of the movement to seek rigorous evidence about the lives of the poor and programs that aim to help them. As they write in Poor Economics, they believe that “we have to abandon the habit of reducing the poor to cartoon characters and take the time to really understand their lives, in all their complexity and richness.” Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Banerjee and Duflo for an extended conversation about the small and big pictures…

• An Interview with Banerjee and Duflo, Part 3

  timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

  29 Jun 2011 | 5:42 pm

  Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, co-founders of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab and co-authors of the recent book Poor Economics are at the heart of the movement to seek rigorous evidence about the lives of the poor and programs that aim to help them. As they write in Poor Economics, they believe that “we have to abandon the habit of reducing the poor to cartoon characters and take the time to really understand their lives, in all their complexity and richness.” Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Banerjee and Duflo for an extended conversation about the small and big pictures…

• 

  Dollar Philanthropy

• Renewable energy: Physics of a Hug

  Carol Kirshner

  9 Jan 2012 | 7:16 am

  Its free and its a good thing.  Click here to read more about why hugs matter. "So, bottom line, if you want the world to be a more harmonious place, find someone you're fond of, and who's fond of you. Then put sternum to sternum and squeeze. You'll brighten the world, and this is one supply of renewable energy that only increases with use!" ~Bill Miller Photo credit: Ganesha-Isis

• Tis The Season: Workplace Philanthropy - How Sweet It Is

  Carol Kirshner

  27 Oct 2011 | 7:24 am

  Guest post by Lydia Walshin, founder/director, Drop In & Decorate: Cookies for Donation As the founder of Drop In & Decorate: Cookies for Donation, a nonprofit organization that encourages people to play with squeeze bottles of icing and sprinkles, and even permits taste-testing and finger-licking afterwards, I’ve learned a few things about having fun while doing good: Volunteering should be fun. Volunteering at work makes work more fun. Employees who have more fun work harder, and are happier at their jobs. Employees who volunteer as a team, and have fun doing it, work better as a…

• HH Dalai Lama Speaks on Having an Altruistic Attitude and Peaceful Mind

  Carol Kirshner

  24 Oct 2011 | 5:42 am

  I follow HH Dalai Lama on Facebook because he always throws out great attitude adjusters to start my day.  This morning's pearl: The more adept we become at cultivating an altruistic attitude, the happier we will feel and the more comfortable will be the atmosphere around us. But if our emotions fluctuate wildly and we easily give in to hatred and jealousy, even our friends will avoid us. So even for people with no spiritual beliefs, it is important to have a peaceful mind.

• This Week's Attitude Adjustment

  Carol Kirshner

  24 Aug 2011 | 10:34 am

  Some days, weeks, months, and years are harder than others.  This week it has been difficult to keep my cynicism, feelings of nothing will make much of a difference, and general pessimism at bay.  There's no real cause, just the doldrums I suppose. In an effort to adjust my attitude this week, I've looked for some motivating thoughts and found the following sage advice: “Consciously or unconsciously, everyone of us does render some service or another. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and it will make not only…

• One Frog and One Cookie Can Make a Difference

  Carol Kirshner

  17 Aug 2011 | 9:28 am

  Guest post by Lydia Walshin, founder/director, Drop In & Decorate: Cookies for Donation Kermit knew it all, and he wrote a book about it. “One Frog Can Make a Difference” spelled out Kermit’s philosophy of life, and though the book parodied the self-help books of the 1990s, it also spoke more than a few truths about doing good. When I speak to groups about Drop In & Decorate, the nationwide nonprofit cookies-for-donation program that grew from an aha! moment in my Rhode Island kitchen, I tell them I’m not green, not skinny, and not a TV star, but I try to channel a bit of…

• 

  eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

• Teacher Trek Israel Returns

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:40 am

  Last summer, the Teacher Trek journey began … and it continues this upcoming summer. Twenty-eight American complementary Jewish educators participated in Taglit-Birthright Israel Teacher Trek. The group, which represented educators from a variety of Jewish education settings – congregational, non-congregational, JCCs, Chabads and community schools – developed personal attachments to Israel and participated in professional development opportunities. Taglit-Birthright Israel awarded the first-ever Teacher Trek with “Best Implementation of a Niche Bus.” This summer, PELIE,…

• First Holocaust Exhibition has Opened in Cuba

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:45 am

  Jewish refugees on SS St-Louis, May 1939; courtesy. An exhibition about the Holocaust has opened in Havana, Cuba, the country’s first, but so far it is attracting more foreign visitors than locals. Initiated by ORT Cuba National Director William Miller two years ago, “We Remember – The Holocaust and the Creation of a Living Community” combines text, photographs and video to enable the island’s resurgent Jewish community to better understand its roots and for the general public to learn about the nadir of modern civilization. Knowledge of the Holocaust is next to…

• Super Sunday … Again?

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:35 am

  by Sherri W. Morr With many federations gearing up for Super Sunday planning, it’s interesting to note that Super Sunday is close to being 40 years old. It was a terrific idea back in the late 70s but perhaps its run its course, time to move on, or to reshape it in such a way that it is not recognizable and therefore recruits volunteers without having to beg or bribe them, and of course returns to being the event that brings in dollars from donors other than those over $5000. Given Federations are trying to redefine themselves to becoming more relevant, perhaps Super Sunday could be an…

• On the Influence of Camp

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:30 am

  by Ramie Arian “That felt a lot like camp!” said the woman next to me at the conclusion of the Friday evening service during the recent Biennial of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Judging from her tone, she approved. Indeed, it had felt “a lot like camp,” I thought, though on first reflection, it was not quite clear why. Tefillah (worship) at camp is generally a relatively casual affair: with worshippers dressed in shorts or jeans, prayers offered by leaders – probably campers and counselors – who are lacking in formal skills, leading a congregation of up to a few…

• New Report Challenges U.K. Social Sector on Gender Equality

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:05 am

  Women leaders are particularly under represented in religious and educational charities and umbrella bodies Clore Social Fellow, Rowena Lewis, has unveiled the findings of her research into women leaders in the U.K. social sector. Through her report: Close to Parity: challenging the voluntary sector to smash the glass ceiling, Rowena set out to demonstrate how well the sector is doing. She unearthed some uncomfortable truths along the way. As the sector awaits the Government’s response to the Lord Davies Review to ensure greater female representation at senior levels, Rowena asks can we…

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  Nonprofit Law Blog

• Nonprofit Tweets of the Week - January 27, 2012

  Gene Takagi

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am

  Here are some of my favorite posts of the week in the areas of nonprofit organizations, corporate governance, philanthropy, and social enterprises:  Lisa Chiu: Obama says he won't harm charitable giving: http://philanthropy.com/article Nonprofit Quarterly: Did U.S. Supreme Court's decision open door to less protection for faith-based employees? http://owl.li/8ACXy Philanthropy: Nonprofits Added Jobs Faster Than Businesses Last Decade, Study Finds http://ow.ly/8zCKT Emily: An Executive Director’s Guide to Financial Leadership: 8 key principles for sustained financial health…

• Gift Acceptance Policies - NCPGC Program Presented by Barbara Rhomberg

  Gene Takagi

  23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

               On January 12, 2012, I attended the progam "Gift Acceptance Policies: Why, When, What, How, and Who" presented to the Northern California Planned Giving Council by exempt organizations attorney Barbara Rhomberg.  Using the example of the Trojan Horse, Barbara quickly convinced us that not all gifts are good ones and the time for a gift acceptance policy is before a charity accepts a problematic gift.  Here are some highlights of her talk [and some of my thoughts in bracketed text]. There are 5 factors a charity must consider before accepting a noncash gift: Costs of…

• Nonprofit Tweets of the Week - January 20, 2012

  Gene Takagi

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  You can listen to Gene on Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio today (1:00 pm ET; 10:00 am PT) discussing board oversight basics.  Chase Magnuson and Allen Thomas kick off the show discussing real estate gifts, how to get them, and how to keep a charity safe from bad gifts.  Click on the "Listen live" link. Here are some of my favorite posts of the week in the areas of nonprofit organizations, corporate governance, philanthropy, and social enterprises:  Nonprofit Assistance Fund: Great article by Kate S Barr & Jeanne Bell in the Nonprofit Quarterly - An Executive Director’s Guide to…

• Youth Board Members: Can minors serve on a nonprofit board?

  Emily Chan

  19 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pm

  Youths represent a growing volunteer population for nonprofits and for some, a potential pool of nonprofit board members. The 2007 National Survey of Children's Health estimated that 78% of youths between 12-17 years of age had participated in at least a few volunteer work or community service events that year. Some groups have taken note of this increasingly service-oriented age group and focused discussions about integrating younger individuals into nonprofit boards beyond young professionals and even young adults to youths (i.e., person under the legal age of adulthood). Youth board…

• Earned Income 101 for Nonprofits - Webinar

  Gene Takagi

  19 Jan 2012 | 1:41 am

  Earlier today, Emily and I presented Earned Income 101 for Nonprofits for Nonprofit Webinars.  You'll find our PowerPoint presentation on the site.  I've reproduced the introduction here: Many nonprofits use earned income as a source of revenue generation. For example, it was estimated in 2008 that nearly 70% of the $1.4 trillion generated by nonprofits came from the sale of goods and services. However, despite its long-standing, common use in the nonprofit sector, the area of earned income for nonprofits is often wrought with misconceptions and misunderstandings which can lead to…

• 

  Heather Carpenter - Nonprofit Leadership 601

• Why is it so difficult to manage volunteers?

  Heather Carpenter

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:37 pm

  This week I taught my undergraduate students about volunteer management best practices.  I enjoyed hearing about their volunteer experiences and I was not surprised when some students explained how they had volunteered at well known organizations that were disorganized in their volunteer management practices. The biggest issue I’ve encountered while working in nonprofits is the lack of planning for volunteer management.  Like the case with nonprofit operations in general, many nonprofits don’t make the time to strategicly plan their volunteer recruitment and retention efforts. …

• Nonprofit Leadership Initiatives Take 2

  Heather Carpenter

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pm

  I’ve been a part of many national committees aimed at improving leadership  in the sector.  First there was the Nonprofit Congress’s Leadership Working Group. As a committee we worked with a consultant to develop a booklet titled Work with Me: Intergenerational Conversations in Nonprofit Leadership. Unfortunately the committee dissolved along with the Nonprofit Congress. Then there was the Nonprofit Workforce Coalition and spent a year working to develop a campaign to promote careers in the nonprofit sector.  We hit a wall when we realized that funding for the campaign would…

• ARNOVA Conference 2011 – Teaching Section Workshop

  Heather Carpenter

  20 Nov 2011 | 9:26 pm

  I am finally getting around to publishing my blog posts from the ARNOVA conference.  I got a taste of being a working mom.  My husband and I drove to Toronto for the ARNOVA conference from Grand Rapids.  We took our one month old daughter with us and she did great! I attended every other conference session (I normally attend everything .  I couldn’t have attended the conference without the support of my wonderful husband who is a really hands on dad.  I am so happy that I attended the conference — the sessions I attended were awesome! The only issue I had with the conference…

• The White House’s views on Nonprofit Leadership

  Heather Carpenter

  15 Nov 2011 | 12:00 pm

  The White House Forum on Nonprofit Leadership is going on today.  In attendance at this invitation only event is the who’s who in the nonprofit sector.  What’s being said at the Forum is nothing new, we’ve heard it many times by many different speakers at many different conferences, and in many different reports (e.g Daring to Lead, Independent Sector-NGEN Fellows Report, Commongood Careers Diversity Report, 2011 Employment Trends Report, YNPN National Report,  etc..  For example, here are some of the tweets: @CGCareers It’s not just about the ED, it’s about…

• Volunteer San Diego goes out of business?!?!

  Heather Carpenter

  15 Nov 2011 | 9:51 am

  I was shocked to find out that Volunteer San Diego shut its doors and laid off seven staff members.  I don’t know much about the details of this closing other than they ran out of money.  This is disappointing..for many reasons. First, VSD had very little competition and served a legitimate need in the community by matching volunteers with local nonprofits.  Second, VSD provided needed trainings and capacity building for nonprofits in managing volunteers.  Third, VSD won national awards for their efforts–they were good at what they did.  The major issue with VSD was getting…

• 

  PhilanTopic

• This Week in PubHub: Protecting the Rights of People With Disabilities

  Mitch Nauffts

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pm

  (Kyoko Uchida manages PubHub, the Foundation Center's online catalog of foundation-sponsored publications. In her previous post, she wrote about trends in funding for social justice and advocacy efforts in support of marginalized populations.) Throughout the month of January, we're highlighting research on various aspects of the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights around the globe. This week, we're featuring four reports that address topics related to the rights of people with disabilities. Among the most egregious examples of human rights violations involving the disabled is the…

• Inequality

  Mitch Nauffts

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm

  (Mark Rosenman, a nonprofit sector activist and scholar, directs Caring to Change, an effort in Washington that seeks to promote foundation grantmaking for the common good. In his last post, he challenged the notion that more nonprofit organizations necessarily translates into greater social good.) Although the public and a few elected leaders increasingly are focused on growing economic inequality in America, the topic isn't receiving much attention from charities and nonprofits. This in spite of the fact that the sector itself is characterized by a similar inequality. That silence is…

• Bill Gates' Fourth Annual Letter

  Mitch Nauffts

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am

  As he has every year since 2009, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has put his thoughts about the scourge of extreme poverty and the efforts of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest, to improve the lives of millions around the globe into a letter and posted it to the foundation's Web site. In addition to outlining the foundation's key priorities in 2012, this year's letter focuses on the need for continued investments in innovations -- agricultural and otherwise -- that are accelerating progress against poverty in the developing world. Or as Gates puts it in the letter's…

• Non-Financial Capital and Social Change

  Mitch Nauffts

  25 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  (Paul Shoemaker is executive director of Social Venture Partners Seattle and recently was named one of the "Top 50 Most Influential People in the Non-Profit Sector" by The NonProfit Times.) The theme of this year's World Economic Forum gathering is The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models. A lot of people took a lot of time to write a convoluted description of what that really means. Let's boil it down to this: Because of the huge economic and social shifts taking place around the world, we don't have good models for understanding this "new norm" or for aligning stakeholders/citizens…

• Weekend Link Roundup (January 21 - 22, 2012)

  Regina Mahone

  22 Jan 2012 | 1:49 pm

  Our weekly roundup of new and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector.... Civil Society Filming at the 20th anniversary INTRAC conference in Oxford, England, Nicetreefilms interviewed Demos senior fellow Michael Edwards, author of Just Another Emperor? The Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism (2008) and Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World (2010), about the role and future of civil society via-a-vis business and the public sector. To mark the second anniversary of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruling that said corporations…

• 

  The GiveWell Blog

• What I learned in my first 6 months at GiveWell

  Alexander

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:34 am

  I started work at GiveWell six months ago, just a few weeks after graduating from college. I had been following GiveWell pretty intensely for more than a year, since I had gotten back from my own trip to India. During that time, I had become a little obsessed: I had read the entire history of the blog and got really excited each time GiveWell finally posted the audio from the most recent board meeting. Even as a serious GiveWell fan, though, there were a number of things that I didn’t know about the organization that I should have. These aren’t secrets or titillating stories about…

• Evaluation of American Red Cross Haiti response

  Holden

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:56 am

  We’ve been working on an update of our disaster relief report, and came across an American Red Cross evaluation from December 2010 stating: If you would like to access this report, please get in contact with the ALNAP secretariat. We emailed the ALNAP secretariat, saying: I am writing from GiveWell, an independent, non-profit charity evaluator to request access to the ALNAP report “American Red Cross – Haiti” that is listed on the ALNAP website at http://www.alnap.org/node/7131.aspx. Would it be possible to send us a copy of the report? The secretariat responded that the…

• Trading off upside vs. track record

  Holden

  19 Jan 2012 | 9:41 am

  We previously listed our five chief criteria for GiveWell Labs (a new arm of our research process that will be open to any giving opportunity, no matter what form and what sector). This post further discusses the first two of these criteria - “upside” and “high likelihood of success” - and the tradeoff between them. Upside We use “upside” to refer to the possibility that a philanthropic project will have a huge/outsized impact. While it’s a good thing to fund projects that have this kind of potential - and while a single hugely successful project can…

• How Tax Deductions and Processing Fees Make it Harder to Give Well

  Holden

  13 Jan 2012 | 9:44 am

  We spent a lot of time last month dealing with headaches around tax deductions and processing fees. We thought we’d share our experiences with these headaches, and how they get in the way of donors’ abilities to give as effectively as possible. We’re thinking about how to better deal with these issues in 2012. Tax deductibility shifts the focus from “having impact” to “navigating bureaucracy” Many governments, including the U.S., provide very large benefits for people who support government-recognized charities. These benefits can be the equivalent of…

• Update on GiveWell’s money moved and web traffic in 2011

  Natalie

  5 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm

  2011 saw strong growth for GiveWell’s web traffic and “money moved” (dollars given based on our recommendations). This is our final quarterly report for the year, and most meaningful since it includes December (when we see the vast majority of our “money moved”). The numbers in this post are preliminary. We continue to learn about additional donations due to our research and will post an updated report when we publish our annual review in the coming weeks. Money moved By “money moved” we mean donations that we can confidently identify as being made on…

• 

  FundraisingCoach.com

• Free nonprofit tools from 10 different experts!

  Marc A. Pitman

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:07 am

  I’m thrilled to be participating in the Nonprofit Goodies Giveaway! 10 of us have gotten together to offer: 5 free ebooks including the Wild Woman’s Guide to Fundraising and my own Ask Without Fear!, 2 free workbooks, 2 free trainings, and one free Donor Map. On the Nonprofit Goodies Giveaway site there are tools to help with your major gifts, annual fund, grant fundraising, storytelling and presentations. There’s even a training to help you with your benefit auctions. But hurry these goodies are only available until January 31! To get your year started with these great…

• Brief rant: YOU ARE NOT YOUR PERFECT DONOR!

  Marc A. Pitman

  18 Jan 2012 | 8:01 am

  [Warning: Rant in progress] In my book Ask Without Fear!, I encourage fundraisers to PYITS–put yourself in their shoes. Thinking like the donor or prospect can save you lots of embarrassment in the process of asking for money. But never forget: you are not your perfect donor Your major gift donor prospects are not on the same life trajectory as you. They have different life goals, work patterns, and values. This is good. This is why they are in a financial place for you to be talking to them. So listen to what they want. Based on my trainings around the world, 70-75% of the people…

• MLK and your nonprofit fundraising

  Marc A. Pitman

  15 Jan 2012 | 4:07 pm

  In the United States we’re honoring the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. I’m sure many people will be posting about the “I have a dream” speech. I get so inspired reading his speech. We in the nonprofit world sure know about dreams! We see the world both as it is and as it can be. So much of our job is telling people that story. But MLK’s life wasn’t just telling stories. He did the work. He marched. He went to jail. He put himself in harms way. While I hope we get inspired about dreams and a free and equal world, I really hope we all get inspired to do…

• Job Opening: Campaign Assistant

  Marc A. Pitman

  13 Jan 2012 | 9:29 am

  I often have people tell me about job openings. But now I get to share one! I’m working on a capital campaign in Lebanon, NH at the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. And APD is looking to hire a campaign assistant. The position is part-time and Raisers Edge experience is a plus. You can read all the details here: Campaign Assistant-Philanthrophy & Community Relations Department (c) The Fundraising Coach, LLC Know you should be fundraising but just need a little kick? Sign up for the weekly Fundraising Kick! Other Possibly Related posts: Job Opening – D.C. Postion Opening Job…

• New Year Resolution: Ask More!

  Marc A. Pitman

  5 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pm

  Whether you love or hate New Year Resolutions, millions of people use January 1 to start new habits. As a result, I’ve been asked by several bloggers and magazines what New Year resolution I would suggest people make. My answer for nonprofit folks? Ask more. If you could do only one thing this year As I’ve worked with nonprofits over the last year or two, I’ve noticed a tendency to do everything but ask. Don’t get me wrong. I believe in developing donors and engaging prospects and thanking supporters. I think it’s good to learn how to tell their story…

• 

  The Philanthropic Family

• What’s Next for Me is What’s Next for Philanthropy

  Sharon Schneider

  2 Jan 2012 | 10:31 pm

  I’ve been advising people about their philanthropy for over a decade. In person and through this blog I’ve always encouraged them to go beyond giving money to charity and think about all the assets they can bring to the table, and how they can especially use their power as investors and consumers to bring about the changes they want to see in the world. Philanthropy as we have known it for the past few decades has been about giving money. But as we progress in the 21st century, I believe it will be about spending money: people are becoming more aware every day that we are shaping…

• Respect the Bird This Holiday Season

  Sharon Schneider

  21 Nov 2011 | 10:03 pm

  This week marks the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season, starting with “Black Friday” the day after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday is spilling over onto Thanksgiving, with more stores open at midnight and some even opening for Black Friday on Thanksgiving night! One Target employee, aggravated with his family day of thanks cut short, started a petition on Change.org to pressure Target (and presumably other big national chains) to allow employees to truly have a day off: “A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with…

• Thank You Mount Prospect! (A Love Letter to My Sister on Her 40th Birthday)

  Sharon Schneider

  8 Aug 2011 | 12:15 am

  My big sister Sandra Pinter turns 40 in just a few short days. Since my family made the great leap of faith to move from the east coast to the Chicago area three years ago to be nearer to her and her family, she has become, as my kids would say, “my BFF.” Our kids are little stairsteps in ages–8, 7, 6, 5–and quite the little gaggle. My brother-in-law Bill watches them all after school, and “the cousins,” as they refer to each other, fight like siblings but still run into each other’s arms after an overnight separation so that a stranger would think it…

• Update on the Shopping Cart Brigade

  Sharon Schneider

  8 Jul 2011 | 1:21 pm

  I happy to tell you that the Shopping Cart Brigade was a great success during this year’s Fourth of July parade in Mt. Prospect, IL. We collected 100 bags of food, and $200 in donations during the 2-mile parade. A volunteer fills my cart with canned goods collected from the crowd We had a lot of fun pushing our carts and doing our three choreographed moves following our “drum major” Pat Leniux: Our 2nd choregraphed moved, a "follow the leader" down the two columns Audrey was one of two sweet little girls collecting cash donations, who could resist this?

• The Shopping Cart Brigade

  Sharon Schneider

  30 Jun 2011 | 6:06 pm

  This Monday during the Mt. Prospect, Illinois 4th of July parade, instead of watching from the sidelines and catching candy thrown at us by politicians and police officers, my mother, my daughter and I will be walking in the parade and collecting food from the people we pass. We are part of the St. Raymond’s/St. Mark’s “Shopping Cart Brigade.” My mom and I will be pushing a shopping cart down the street as part of the group, and we’ll be performing simple, choreographed routines with the carts to entertain people. But we’ll also be using the carts to…

• 

  Low Hanging Fruit Communications

• Doing What is Ours to Do

  Maureen Carruthers

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:20 am

  Image via Wikipedia In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Nancy Schwartz asked the Nonprofit Blog Carnival community to spend time in January reflecting on our own dreams and how we intend to bring them to fruition. As is evidenced by my 11th hour submission, I found this assignment daunting.  Who am I to declare the future direction of the not-for-profit sector?  What difference does my work make in the grand scheme of the universe?  How can I solve problems large agencies with million dollar budgets have yet to tackle? And then I realized–that’s the whole point. Unless those…

• “Waste” More Time on Social Media

  Maureen Carruthers

  19 Jan 2012 | 10:32 am

  If you want to use social media to build your audience, attract new volunteers, sell your artwork, or change the world, there is one thing you can do to make your campaigns more dynamic, interesting and effective. Use social media personally. I don’t mean create a personal account from which you do work things.  I mean use Facebook to reconnect with your college friends and “like” photos of your nieces and nephews.  Use Pinterest* to design your dream home and look at photos of food and shoes.  Use Twitter to meet new people who get excited about the same subjects about…

• 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Best Ideas

  Maureen Carruthers

  13 Jan 2012 | 1:05 pm

  Don’t forget–the LHF Greenhouse closes to new members on Sunday.  If you need a place to grow some of the new ideas you are about to discover, join us inside!  Over the last six months, first as part of the summer of small voices series, and more recently as I’ve been sharing the LHF Greenhouse invitation I’ve noticed a  disturbing trend–a large number of you believe “you don’t have any ideas.” This worries me because we need people like you–and the ideas that come from your smart, kind, generous, and determined souls– to create…

• Getting Ready for the Artist’s Way: a sneak peek into the LHF Greenhouse

  Maureen Carruthers

  10 Jan 2012 | 9:09 am

  Image via Wikipedia I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m very excited about the LHF Greenhouse, and want to make sure everyone who can benefit from becoming a member has the information they need to make a decision about joining. So when my engineer boyfriend pointed out the invitation page does a great job of explaining what the greenhouse will feel like, but not such a great job outlining the “what exactly will we be doing” part, I was a little worried. I tried to write a post to fill in that information gap.  I thought about making a list of the books we would read,…

• On Community: the unsung power of Internet communication

  Maureen Carruthers

  4 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pm

  my office assistant is cute but not helpful Like many people who run a home-based business, I do most of my work alone in my office save for an office assistant whose main contribution is to sit on the Caps Lock key.  As a person who thrives on the company of others–and who needs the input and perspective only other people can provide to do my best work– one might assume this arrangement is a recipe for disaster. Actually, it would be, save for one very important technological advancement:  the Internet. Sure, I rely on it to connect with potential clients, and I teach those…

• 

  Acronym

• Quick clicks: Two-by-two edition

  Joe Rominiecki

  26 Jan 2012 | 3:46 pm

  After rounding up some of the best blog posts on association management from the past two weeks, I found I had several pairs of posts on matching topics. So, I paired them up on the list below. Enjoy. Community management Did you know that Monday was Community Manager Appreciation Day? Well, thanks to Maggie McGary, now you do. So go give your association's community manager(s) a belated "thanks." Colleen Dilenschneider explains why quality, not quantity, matters most in building your organization's online followers. Fixing problems Laura Otten writes that some struggling nonprofits won't…

• Are We Suffering From Teamwork Fatigue?

  Mark Athitakis

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:13 am

  I've read so much contradictory information about whether it's better to work by oneself or in groups that I finally needed some alone time to think about it. Associations Now has done its bit to promote the virtues of introversion: We've run articles on the importance of finding time to think by oneself, on how introverts aren't the insecure souls the stereotype suggests, and on how social media helps introverts better engage with associations. Of course, we run plenty of articles about the virtues of collaboration too—our Volunteer Leadership Issue is, in essence, a handbook for how…

• How connecting differs in person and on the web

  Joe Rominiecki

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:32 am

  In the space of a few hours earlier this week, I came upon two articles about human interaction that seemingly contradicted each other: "Opposites Don't Attract (And That's Bad News)," by Jonah Lehrer at Wired's Frontal Cortex blog "The End of the Echo Chamber," by Farhad Manjoo at Slate In the former, Lehrer explains a newly released study that found that college students at larger universities have less diverse social groups than those at smaller universities. The conclusion drawn is that a larger environment allows the natural tendency toward seeking relationships with similar people to…

• The Fiction Fix

  Mark Athitakis

  13 Jan 2012 | 8:31 am

  Last week I wrote about the virtues of skepticism when it comes to storytelling—why it's important to be wary about organizations that use storytelling to burnish positive images about themselves, because there's a good chance they're covering up messes that don't neatly fit the narrative. Your comments to that post got me thinking more about when storytelling does and doesn't do its job. (And as an editor at Associations Now who's stared at plenty of blank screens trying to write, I think about this a fair bit.) So let's add one more complication here: At the Harvard Business Review…

• Quick clicks: New year edition

  Joe Rominiecki

  12 Jan 2012 | 10:01 am

  Quick clicks took some time off over the holidays, so there's plenty to catch up on. We start, though, on a sad note. Long-time association executive Mark Bledsoe, CAE, passed away December 22. Mark blogged on association management via his AssociationOkie blog. Friend, colleague, and fellow blogger Cynthia D'Amour shared her memory of Mark. His voice in the association blogosphere will be missed. Looking back at some of the top posts from the past few weeks, many association bloggers turned their attention to predictions and resolutions for 2012: Words for 2012. Following a theme that she…

• 

  Forums

• Blackbaud Mobile - Analytics

  Robert McAllen

  3 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  First post of the New Year!  Hope you had a great holiday period.  Back to work now and carrying on my Mobile discussions that we were having before the new year. So how often have you taken in 650 gifts in the first 20 mins of trialling a new fundraising tool?  Would you consider that a success?  That happened recently with a new Blackbaud Mobile client (whose name will be revealed when I get permission from them to reveal it!).   However success like this is nothing if you can't measure it and measure it in a timely manner where you can actually do something…

• Blackbaud Mobile - Social Media

  Robert McAllen

  30 Dec 2011 | 8:00 am

  So Facebook won't let you take credit card gifts (or even have a secure page) and Twitter has nowhere to even ask for gifts.  You've created the greatest viral video in the world but you can't get people to click through to your site and give their credit card details?  It's a major issue and one that has dogged social media fundraising for quite some time. Whilst we have seen an upturn in giving via social media it has yet to reach the potential it clearly has as a medium.  So when Blackbaud Mobile was being built we looked at this as an area we could make…

• Blackbaud Mobile - Events

  Robert McAllen

  27 Dec 2011 | 8:00 am

  Peer to peer fundraising, Friends asking friends, events based fundraising, team fundraising - it has lots of names but essentially the biggest area of online fundraising in the UK today is centred around asking your friends to give you money for a cause whilst you run a marathon or climb Kilimanjaro or take a bath in beans (old school).  We've done some research in the past around this stuff and there is a compelling arguement that things such as social media help towards this type of fundraising - however it requires effort on the part of the donor - navigate the page, go get…

• Blackbaud Mobile - Regular giving

  Robert McAllen

  23 Dec 2011 | 6:15 am

   Blackbaud Mobile has lots of interesting and cool tools for all sorts of things from social media widgets through to QR codes but one area that is extremely exciting is the concept of Regular Giving via a mobile phone.  How does this work?  Well we know that a huge portion of gifts to charity in the UK are giving through regular methods such as Direct debit or to a lesser extent regular credit card gifts but what would be the easiest way for people to give these small gifts?  Signing up via a text message is simple and easy and it means the donor has control of…

• Blackbaud Mobile - A new way to fundraise from a new audience

  Robert McAllen

  22 Dec 2011 | 3:42 am

  So have you heard of Blackbaud Mobile?  We launched it a few weeks ago and I'm as excited about it as I have been about anything we've ever done.  We could have just gone for a mobile giving platform which integrates with the Raiser's Edge but we decided to go a step further and create something that spans across the mobile environment.  It splits into three distinct areas - Create, Promote and Analyse . Create - Create your short code and keyword for mobile giving  - this is the first stage.  People have shown recently that they are willing to give via…

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  Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech

• New on SSIR: Data for Promotion, Engagement, and Reporting

  Amy Sample Ward

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:05 am

  My latest contribution to the Stanford Social Innovation Review is now published. You can read the post and join the conversation on the SSIR Opinion blog, or read the full post below. —– Inevitably, January is filled with predictions and resolutions. We ponder the innovations and evolutions that may unfold in the technologies we use, and consider the issues we want to tackle in our work and communities. Me? I’m focused on data. This year will, I hope, be the year of data. I see more organizations looking for ways to be data-driven in decision making, communications,…

• Great reads from around the web on January 24th

  Amy Sample Ward

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pm

  I come across so many great conversations, ideas, and resources all over the web every day. Here are some of the most interesting things I’ve found recently (as of January 24th). You can join the conversations in the comments, or click through to the original posts to find what others are saying. To follow more of the things I find online, you can follow @amysampleward on Twitter (which is just a blog and resource feed), or find me on Delicious (for all kinds of bookmarks). Eric Lanke: Stop Calling It Strategic Planning – "So I'm working my way through Humanize, and like…

• Philanthropy and Social Media: New Whitepaper from The Institute for Philanthropy

  Amy Sample Ward

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am

  Earlier this week, I had the terrific opportunity to participate on a panel at the US launch event for “Philanthropy and Social Media”, a whitepaper from The Institute for Philanthropy and The Indigo Trust. Download the full white paper or share it using this link: http://bit.ly/oii1Vr Below are notes from my remarks. The internet is not new. The last few years, though, have been dramatically impacted by the real-time web. The real-time web is a paradigm based on pushing information to users as soon as it’s available, instead of requiring that they or their software check a…

• Philanthropy and Social Media

  Amy Sample Ward

  17 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm

  Date: January 17, 2012, 6 pm EST Location: New York, NY Topic: Philanthropy and Social Media Description: To launch the whitepaper, Philanthropy and Social Media, presented by The Institute for Philanthropy and The Indigo Trust, this panel discussed the impact of social media on philanthropy and giving from various perspectives. In addition to myself, the panel included: Ben Scott (Policy Advisor for Innovation at the US Department of State), Mayur Patel (Vice President of Strategy and Assessment, Knight Foundation), Scott Oki (Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, and Co-Founder of…

• Technology Toolbox: Learn from Occupy Wall Street to Occupy YOUR Street

  Amy Sample Ward

  26 Dec 2011 | 5:08 pm

  “The revolution will not be televised.” Maybe not. Be as we have seen in events around the world, the revolution will be tweeted, photographed, mapped and posted to our status. And most importantly: it will be documented and shared by large numbers of people, experiencing it first hand, and sharing news and updates in real time. The revolution may not be televised, but no matter where you are, you can now have a front row seat to the broadcast. As a community organizer and network weaver myself, I am incredibly excited by the #OccupyWallStreet movement that started in New York just over…

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  FundraisingIP.com: Fundraising Ideas

• Make Money With a Valentine’s Day Fundraiser

  FundraisingIP.com

  25 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Valentine’s Day is one of the best times of year to hold a fundraiser! A Valentine’s Day fundraiser offers the advantages of • Decreased competition from other fundraisers – as opposed to the busy times of year for fundraising like Christmas and Fall, when many local and nationwide groups launch major campaigns • Demand for novelty products and candy • Opportunity for entertaining event-based fundraisers Every type of Valentine’s Day fundraiser offers a variety of ways to make money. Some, event-based fundraisers especially, can bring in profits in more ways than…

• Volunteers: Unpaid but Priceless

  FundraisingIP.com

  19 Jan 2012 | 1:53 pm

  There is no doubt that without a volunteer force, local, nationwide and worldwide charitable groups wouldn’t be able to do most of their good work. Volunteers are priceless and it would be hard to imagine a world without them! If you’re running a fundraiser, or leading a group of volunteers, what can you do to make sure your volunteers remain by your side through good and bad times? Why do your volunteers work for you? It helps to find out what motivates volunteers to work for your group in the first place. Do they strongly believe in your cause? Do they appreciate their work…

• 2011 Recap: Diversification Important for Fundraisers

  FundraisingIP.com

  29 Dec 2011 | 6:50 pm

  As 2011 comes to an end, we’d like to thank you, our readers, for your continued support of FundraisingIP.com! Please keep sending your comments and suggestions so we can continue to post useful fundraising information and more new fundraising ideas in the coming year! 2011 donation statistics won’t be in for a while yet, but in the past it has been the small donations from individuals that have been keeping charities afloat: even though corporations are known to make large donations, donations from individuals are still making up the majority – up to about three quarters…

• Fundraising with Gift Cards

  FundraisingIP.com

  12 Dec 2011 | 12:02 pm

  Maybe you’ve used gift cards in gift baskets for silent auctions before, or as prizes for your most successful fundraising volunteers, but have you considered doing a fundraiser by collecting gift cards and cashing them in? Especially during the winter holidays, people get lots of gift cards for presents. Sure, when you receive a gift card, you will most likely want to go shopping with it for yourself, but what about gift cards you receive to stores you don’t care much about? Or gift cards that are partially spent and are adding up in your wallet? Chances are you have a gift card…

• Quick FundraisingIP.com Giveaway: Win an iPod Touch 32 GB!

  FundraisingIP.com

  8 Dec 2011 | 12:39 pm

  You may be all wrapped up in working on your last fundraising campaign for the year and taking advantage of the fact that most donations are made within the last three months of the year. But please do take a moment out of your busy day and enter our first Giveaway! All you have to do is link to your favorite charity and you could win an iPod Touch! You can enter via this blog post or via Twitter and promote your own group or your favorite charity at the same time! (see instructions below) But hurry, you can only enter until Thursday, December 15th 2011!   The Prize: One (1) Apple iPod…

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  Connection Café

• Wired for Philanthropy

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:04 am

  Author: Sara Spivey I don’t know how many of you are old enough to remember Steve Martin in the movie “The Jerk” but there is a really funny scene where he explodes into exuberant jubilation when he realizes his name has “made” the phone book—he dances around and says, “The new phone book is here, I’m somebody now!”. I kind of get that same feeling when we publish the most generous cities list every year. I wait impatiently like a kid on Christmas to see who’s coming out on top. This year’s winner, Seattle, has a long tradition…

• #shamelessplug: Take This Fundraising Survey!

  26 Jan 2012 | 12:01 pm

  Author: Jill Ward Getting people to respond to surveys is a hard nut to crack. Surveys, specifically online, get lost in the deluge of work and personal email, texts, Facebook updates, RSS feeds etc. And, honestly the surveyors don’t always give good and simple reasons to participate. People want to know...why is it important and what’s in it for them? Well, here's a survey you should take as a nonprofit professional and a few good (and simple) reasons why you should participate. You want to know how other organizations fundraising programs performed in 2011.

• It Feels Good to Give

  25 Jan 2012 | 4:03 pm

  Author: Julia Woodcock The other morning I was watching Bill Gates on various news programmes talking about his annual State of the World letter. In one interview, he made reference to how good he feels about helping those in need.  A simple point but one that we shouldn’t forget as fundraisers. A similar point was made at the Institute of Fundraising London Conference last year by fundraising trainer Rob Woods . In his working life he was often asked about how the most successful fundraisers did it? How did they get round that deep rooted embarrassment (especially among us…

• My City Made the Top 10 – So What?

  25 Jan 2012 | 9:15 am

  Author: Karoline McLaughlin Almost every day I see some sort of “These cities made the top 10 because … they are the greatest places to live, they have the most active lifestyles for singles, they raise the most organic chickens,” and so on. If your city makes one of these lists, that is great and good reason to celebrate! Unless, of course, you live in Austin, TX like I do and are seeing the floods of people moving here because of all the “our city is so great” lists we’ve been making as of late. Oh well, the natural ebb of all things great... it’s…

• Meet Sandy Schmieder

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Author: Corey Pudhorodsky Sandy Schmieder For the first podcast interview of 2012, I'm excited to have a chance to share a conversation I had with Sandy Schmieder, a Senior Project Manager on Convio's Services team. While Sandy has only been at Convio for about a year and a half, she is already one of our most valued project managers and has made huge contributions to our team. She was recently honored at our annual party by receiving a Convio Star award for Client Focus. This award is given each year to Convio employees who have been nominated by their peers and reviewed by the Executive…

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  Ripples & Wipeouts

• Storyteling and Leadership

  bonnie@makewavesnotnoise.com

  7 Jan 2012 | 2:26 pm

  Storytelling was one of the big topics discussed among communications professionals throughout 2011. Hot topics in the business seem to wax and wane and for some reason it was storytelling’s turn last year. If one aspires to leadership, the ability to tell a good story is an essential skill. But not just any story. A leadership story must have a clear point, and be applicable to a range of situations and a diverse audience.  Storytelling is one of the communication techniques I use most. Whenever I am addressing a group or facilitating a meeting, I find that a good story can do…

• May Your Holidays Be Merry & Bright

  bonnie@makewavesnotnoise.com

  17 Dec 2011 | 10:14 pm

• Rescuing Rex or Famous Last Words: A story told in quotations

  bonnie@makewavesnotnoise.com

  14 Nov 2011 | 9:58 pm

  “Don’t cross the street. Don’t go over there! No, no, no!” – Bonnie to Kathy on a Park Slope street one recent Saturday. “But that looks like a min pin. Let’s just go see if it is. Such a cute little dog!” – Kathy “Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.” – The min pin “Oh, look, he likes you!” – Obsessed dog rescue person “Just foster him for a week. Then you can bring him back, no problem.” – Ditto “Aw…sexy Rexy is going home. You’ll love him!” – Second obsessed…

• THE VIP FIVE (Very Important Press)

  bonnie@makewavesnotnoise.com

  31 Aug 2011 | 5:10 pm

  This summer there have been some highly significant news stories that go beyond the normal chatter of the news cycle to address sweeping trends that are changing the way we live and do business. Here are the ones that rocked my world. I call them the VIP Five. 1) The (actual) future of the Big Idea, from Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, challenges the assumption that ideas need exposure in ‘Big Media’ in order to become big ideas.  What, author Megan Garber asks, happens when the Big Media become not so big after all?  2) The title of this BBC News piece says it…

• Cool Research

  bonnie@makewavesnotnoise.com

  7 Jul 2011 | 6:55 pm

  Some intriguing research reports were released this summer, including several on consumer behavior that seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. Here are four articles that focus on especially interesting topics, including the behavior of American shoppers, the power of a brand to influence consumer perceptions and the evolution of a green concept called eco-driving. I have long believed that the most effective form of protest is economic and two new surveys provide support for that view. The annual Civility in America poll conducted by Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate found that 7 out…

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  Social media marketing hacks for nonprofits | Powered by JohnHaydon.Com

• What effect does Facebook Page design have on fan growth and engagement?

  John Haydon

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:14 am

  Mike Lewis and Sal Giliberto of Awareness Networks, the social marketing software company, invited me to conduct a free webinar called  Creating a Breakthrough for Your Business on Facebook on February 8th at 1 PM EST. In anticipation of the webinar, I answered a few questions for a blog post about using Facebook for business. Below is an excerpt from the full post. What effect does Facebook page design have on fan growth and engagement? The design of your Facebook Page can help convert fans and increase engagement in a at least two ways ways: Main Profile Image – Your main image…

• Facebook Timeline Apps are Ultimately About The Future of Mobile Devices

  John Haydon

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:39 am

  Last week, Facebook announced the release of more than 60 new Timeline apps which allow Facebook users to automatically share application actions on their timeline. You first became aware of Timeline apps when all your friends were telling you what songs they were listening to on Spotify. How do Timeline apps work? Once you authorize an app (which only needs to be done once) a live connection is established with your timeline. What this means is that as soon as you take an action with an app, like finishing a run with the RunKeeper app, the app automatically posts that action on your…

• How Facebook Social Plugins Increase Engagement On Your Nonprofit’s Website

  John Haydon

  23 Jan 2012 | 6:26 am

  If you want to increase pages views and site engagement, it’s critical that you create a more social experience when people visit your website. For example, when people view an article from your blog they’d see which of their friends have already read that article. They’d also have the ability to share content on your site with their Facebook friends. Gigya published data showing that web users spend 50 percent more time on websites that use Facebook Social Plugins. They also view twice as many pages. Increase the amount of time spend on your site with social plugins As…

• Measuring the ROI of a Handshake

  John Haydon

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:20 am

  Today I was asked for the thousandth time what the ROI of a social network is. I answered with my own question: “You mean the network of people who care about your cause, participate in conversations that create greater awareness (not to mention good ideas) about your nonprofit?” Not getting that my question was intended to show how silly his question was, he replied “Yes. I want to know if my efforts are worth anything.” It suddenly dawned on me that maybe the only reason why people seek to measure the ROI of their social network is that they can. Or maybe measuring…

• 12 ways to use Pinterest for your nonprofit

  John Haydon

  17 Jan 2012 | 6:26 am

  Following is a guest post from my good friend Noland Hoshino, who catapults nonprofits and small businesses into the social good space. _________________________________ There is a new darling in the social media world and her name is Pinterest. A virtual, interactive bulletin board where individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations can pin their interests and drive traffic to their website. What is Pinterest? Pinsterest is basically a vision board or scrapbook that you put together while surfing the internet. According to the website, “Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest…

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  Cynthia D'Amour on Leadership and Life

• Seeing Through New Eyes

  Cynthia D'Amour

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:58 pm

  Still blue. Yesterday we went to the Michigan Women’s Basketball game. For me, it was a whole new game. Even though we’ve attended for a few years. And I grew up loving basketball. My fitness quest gave me a different perspective. I no longer just watched the game. I also watched how the player’s moved. And compared to training with Mollie. Wow! Look at her throw that ball across the court! Mollie makes me do an overhead throw. With a weighted ball. Wonder how far I could throw a regular basketball? OMG! Look at how much those women are squatting. I sometimes do 100 squats…

• I Just Sang the Blues

  Cynthia D'Amour

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:55 pm

  (Even though my blood runs green!) I am a proud Michigan State grad. My blood is green. I’m a huge Izzo fan. Have wonderful memories of school. Tonight I switched teams. We attended a Michigan’s Women’s Basketball game. Been going to games for a few years. Enjoy watching the women develop their skills. When I first moved to Ann Arbor, I was firmly green. Over time I realized the interesting opportunities the University of Michigan offers the community. More importantly, I wanted to support women in sports. The basketball players are amazing athletes - and the games are fun.

• Early Morning Jump Start Paid Off

  Cynthia D'Amour

  25 Jan 2012 | 3:14 am

  Yeah! Today I got up early to cook. I made protein-packed, cherry-almond oatmeal. And pumpkin protein bars. All before 8 AM! Just came off three days on the road. My food stash was depleted. I had a date with Mollie, my trainer, at noon. Wanted to be able to eat properly to prepare. What a difference in my workout! I rowed with 70 pounds. Swung a 35-pound kettlebell all over. Held a plank position on a wobbly BOSU ball while doing jumping jacks with my feet! The biggest impact was after the workout. I wasn’t exhausted. Finished the afternoon at work strong. And smiled at all I…

• Actions Speak Louder than Words

  Cynthia D'Amour

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:56 pm

  Well done! Just spent the weekend working at Disney World. Stayed at the Swan and Dolphin Resort. My first time there. They walk their talk when it comes to inclusion. There were several pools. Each had it’s own chairlift. Even the hot tub. (It’s the white machine on the left of the hot tub.) Way to go Swan and Dolphin Resort for investing in access! Makes me think of chapter leaders…what do your actions say about how much you really want different members involved?

• Living Doesn’t Have to Hurt

  Cynthia D'Amour

  21 Jan 2012 | 7:09 am

  Anymore. I had a big ah-ha this week. Didn’t realize how much I used to hurt. Or what I was missing when out of shape. Surprised by the insight. I had to walk the entire length of the MSP airport - more than a mile. Used to leave me exhausted. Covered with sweat. This week it was just a walk. I decided to stop at Mall of America - America’s largest mall. Wanted to move a little between flying and the two-hour drive ahead of me. Used to count it as exercise. Now just stretching my legs. We’ve been selling a lot of books. I’ve been carrying the boxes to UPS. (James is…

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  Idealist Blog

• Got a new job? Eight tips for a successful start

  Idealist

  19 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pm

  January is typically the month when we see the highest number of jobs posted to Idealist.org, and this year is no exception. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of those gigs, here are some things to keep in mind as you begin. Thanks to Michelle Moran of YNPN-NYC for this guest post. Good luck in your new role! (Photo: cogdogblog, Flickr/Creative Commons) Once you have landed a new job it may seem like the hard part is over, but sometimes your first few weeks at work can be very challenging. Follow these tips to get off on the right foot and avoid making common mistakes. 1. Remember: you…

• Take professional development into your own hands

  Julia Smith

  17 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am

  How will you carve out time to learn and reflect? Photo: US Army (Flickr/Creative Commons) Need professional development, but don’t have a budget for travel or tuition? Here are a bunch of free or relatively affordable upcoming trainings we’ve spotted recently – ones you can join from the comfort of your own desk or couch. Special thanks to Ben Hastil for his contributions to this roundup. Telling your organization’s story Creating Compelling Member Stories as Part of Your Outreach and Recruitment Strategy: A free webinar from the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), Jan. 25…

• Searching the site? Some updates for you.

  Jeremy MacKechnie

  13 Jan 2012 | 1:36 pm

  No need for a magnifying glass. (Photo: Mads Boedker, Flickr/Creative Commons) Yesterday we released a new set of features to make it easier to find the people, organizations, and opportunities that matter most to you. Play around and let us know what you think! Click on any of the listing types (Jobs, Volunteer Opportunities, etc.) in the header on Idealist.org, or start a search based on type, keyword, or location. To better locate the opportunities relevant to where you are or want to be, we’ve refined our radius search to including listings from your choice of 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100…

• You worked hard to find donors. Now don’t lose them!

  Putnam Barber

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:33 am

  We’re 10 days into the new year, which means it’s a great time for some of us to reflect on our organizations’ year-end fundraising efforts, our personal giving decisions, or both. Here’s a report (a PDF) from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project that affirms: Nonprofits of every size and description make a special effort to identify supporters and secure additional support in the closing weeks, days, and even hours of the year. (Network for Good has an entire year-end fundraising guide if you’re already looking ahead to 2012 holiday season.) Sadly, a large…

• Three ways you can change the face of HR

  Julia Smith

  6 Jan 2012 | 9:12 am

  Not all HR people are like Toby from The Office. (Photo: claudiolobos, Flickr/Creative Commons) Sometimes human resources professionals get a bad rap. Nancy Kowalski, an HR Manager at a Washington, DC nonprofit, doesn’t like seeing her field depicted as a bunch of “strict, robotic naysayers.” If you don’t either, check out our latest installment of HR Connections, where Nancy offers three ways she’s positioning HR as a positive force in her organization. Have strong opinions of your own about HR? Want advice from others in the field? Leave a comment if…

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  columbus imPRessions

• Pinterest and One of My Favorite Pins

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:29 pm

  I love Pinterest.  What is Pinterst? Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. It is growing in popularity daily. Why do I love Pinterest? It lets me organize and share images I like on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Brands use Pinterest to boost consumer engagement, showcase their work or products, and sell more products.

• Welcome newest client: ColumbusJobs.com

  19 Jan 2012 | 7:16 pm

  I'm thrilled to announce my newest client ColumbusJobs.com. Continuing my social media partnership with Dispatch Digital in 2012, one of my first client assignments is with a Dispatch product. The Columbus Dispatch and ColumbusJobs.com with renowned employment site Monster.com is central Ohio's #1 job source. Featuring thousands of local jobs, ColumbusJobs.com/Monster is the #1 destination

• Using Social Media In My Monthly Journey to Better Health

  9 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm

  This new year I decided instead of making one or two large new year's resolutions I would create monthly goals for a better life. This way my goals are more attainable, I will be successful, and it will keep me motivated throughout the year. My tools to help me achieve these goals - my determination and social media apps. I started the year with a mild detox - two weeks (or possibly four) of no

• Hello 2012! Good-bye Washington Township.

  6 Jan 2012 | 8:37 am

  It's a new year. That's always exciting! It brings a time to start new, change, excitement for what's to come and it's also a time to reflect on the past year. 2011 was very good to columbus imPRessions. Professionally it was one of the best year's of my life. What started out with two wonderful clients quickly grew to six, all different and exciting in their own way. Most of my focus was on

• Holiday Cheer from columbus imPRessions

  12 Dec 2011 | 8:37 am

  Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season and a bit of Christmas spirit all year long!

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  Allison Jones

• Why Your College Major Doesn’t Matter

  ajlovesya

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:48 am

  Tweet With only 55% of millennials employed–the lowest percentage since World War II–there is a pressing need to pinpoint the reason behind this depressing statistic.  After all, with this generation being the most educated, surely we all should be able to find employment, no matter what the economy is.  The consensus seems to be that if millennials are struggling, there is one reason: they don’t know how to choose the right college major. It makes sense to me that professional track majors would yield higher employment statistics as there is often a clear path and clear…

• 5 Questions to Help You Create Your 2012 Nonprofit Career Plan

  ajlovesya

  8 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am

  Tweet On Wednesday, Rosetta Thurman and I hosted our first #ynpchat of the year on creating a 2012 nonprofit career plan.  The questions, adapted from Rosetta’s powerful piece on the 15 questions you should ask about your nonprofit career, strengthened our sense of pride in our work and allowed us to walk away with a better vision and strategy on how to rock our careers in 2012.   1.  What do you most want to get out of your involvement with the nonprofit sector?  In other words, why are you here? What are you hoping to learn and do that will help you grow…

• What did 2011 teach you?

  ajlovesya

  31 Dec 2011 | 8:48 am

  TweetThis is my favorite time of year. People are reflecting and sharing excitement about possibilities and growth. There is simply a lot of positivity and promise in the air. 2011 seemed to be a year of transitions and lessons for me and those I love: my five year college reunion is coming up (five years? already?); my mailbox was full of wedding invitations; my calendar was overflowing with good bye parties as friends went off to grad school; I celebrated big professional wins and took the plunge into GRE prep; and I have a neat stack of failed projects and squandered opportunities that I…

• Three Ways to Work More Deliberately

  ajlovesya

  14 Dec 2011 | 11:33 am

  TweetI’ve become increasingly focused on having the right mindset when working.  I worry that sometimes we work without focus and deliberation.  Aside from leading us to feel unfulfilled, we also lose confidence in our skills.   We can’t pinpoint our strengths and weaknesses, as our work just seems to be a series of endless tasks.  We don’t reflect on our accomplishments and where/how we thrive and instead focus on just getting things done.  In doing so, we don’t sharpen our skills and instead allow them to become dull. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to work more…

• Five Ways Thinking Like a Blogger Can Help You Professionally

  ajlovesya

  10 Dec 2011 | 2:48 pm

  TweetThe more I blog, the less I am able to turn off my blogger mind.  (And yes, there is such a thing as a blogger’s mind.  Read for sheer  hilarity.)  Rather than limiting my focus, it’s helping me be more productive in other areas of my professional life.  Here’s how: I think in terms of lessons learned:  When I attend an event or read an interesting article I’d like to discuss, I think in terms of takeaways.  I ask:  what would my readers find most useful?  By thinking this way, you are able to drill down on what matters most to the people you are working with. I look for…

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  Social Media Bird Brain

• Re-Viewing and a Review

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am

  Image via Alfred Hitchcock Geek One reason I have thought about ending this blog is because I didn't think I had anything in particular to add to the cacophony of advice and insight from people who have made giving advice and insight a profession (and do damn well at it). My own insight has never seemed to me to be particularly... insightful. Maybe it's because I live in my head that I

• Pin It! Pinterest & Your Small Nonprofit

  19 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am

  I thought it was time to tell you how much I like Pinterest and why I think it's good for your small nonprofit, but I was late off the mark and more than a few folks beat me to it. Over at Nonprofit Tech 2.0 there's a great tutorial for how to get your not-for-profit set up on the site as well as a bit about how Pinterest is being used by savvy nonprofits. Then skip over to Frogloop where

• Protest Against Censorship

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am

      The internet has been a 'place' where we have all be free to share our ideas. Some of them haven't been good and there's no doubting that there are some pretty freaky people doing things they shouldn't be doing. But making Google, Yahoo, or YouTube and other companies responsible for policing and then deciding FOR us what is fair use and what isn't, won't make the bad people go away

• Ask and Answer - A Tale of Two Oranges

  11 Jan 2012 | 9:15 pm

  Two Oranges by Carolyn Texera Sometimes it isn't a question of apples and oranges, but a question of two different flavors of oranges. The small nonprofit where I'm currently contracting couldn't decide whether the solicitation letter they were sending out should have the ask upfront or in the middle. The way I wrote the initial letter, the ask was upfront, since my experience has been that

• Using an Honest and Open Hand

  4 Jan 2012 | 9:07 pm

  End of the year and beginning of the next year are the times you'll see a lot of prognostication about trends. I've never been much for resolutions or predicting the future - I figure you don't resolve to do things, you do them or you don't. And the future is just too blurry; things happen that you can't foresee that throw your careful analysis of trends into the garbage disposal. Whirr. Whirr.

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  Ken's Commentary

• CFC-50 Commission's Second Meeting

  11 Jan 2012 | 3:45 pm

  The second meeting of the CFC-50 Commission (Charity Navigator's President & CEO, Ken Berger, is a member of the commission) was held on December 6, 2011 at the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, DC. We are pleased to share a captioned version of that meeting. 

• How to Pick the Right Charity

  21 Dec 2011 | 5:54 pm

  Watch this clip of Ken Berger, Charity Navigator's President & CEO, on Fox Business News earlier today.

• Charitable Giving Discussion

  21 Dec 2011 | 1:17 pm

  I recently was on the Callie Crossley radio show along with Boston College professor Paul Schervish. Listen to the discussion on charitable giving here -

• Head versus Heart Based Giving

  19 Dec 2011 | 8:30 am

  by Dr. Robert Penna(author of the Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox) and Ken Berger (President & CEOof Charity Navigator)Ruth McCambridge’s December 5th article on the Nonprofit Quarterly’s Nonprofit Newswire page, “Donors GiveLESS When More Analytic Say Researchers,” is certainly provocative; but itmisses a serious point and could givedonors, both large and small, the wrong impression.Reviewing a recent Boston Globe article, McCambridgereports that certain research supports the notion that “the more individualcontributors think about their donation the less they are likely to…

• The Steps to Choosing a Charity

  12 Dec 2011 | 9:31 am

  Charity Navigator's President & CEO, Ken Berger, was on Fox Business News on Friday to discuss the factors to consider when choosing a charity to donate money to.Watch the latest video at &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://video.foxbusiness.com"&amp;amp;gt;video.foxbusiness.com&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

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  Charity Navigator

• This Is Why We Do What We Do...

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:13 am

• Don't Just Set It and Forget It

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:54 am

  Setting up automatic contributions to your favorite charity (or charities) is a great way to give. But as this article from CreditCards.com reminds us, don't forget to do an annual review of those contributions. You'll want to check to make sure the charity is still Financially Healthy, that it is being Accountable and Transparent, and, most importantly, that it has reported on its Results. And you should also check to be sure that the charity's mission is still in line with your personal philanthropic goals.

• Donations by Politicians

  23 Jan 2012 | 2:53 pm

  As the Presidential Election gets closer, we’ll hear more and more about the candidates. And that includes how much they give to charity (an issue we've discussed in the past). Here’s what we found out recently:Mitt Romney has donated $9.5-million to his family foundation, Tyler Charitable Foundation, from 1999 – 2010. The foundation has given made grants of $7-million mostly to the Mormon Church and Brigham Young University. The foundation has also made grants to Right to Play,  City Year, Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, The Heritage Foundation and others.In 2010, Newt and…

• $2000 Grant Competition

  20 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pm

  Has your nonprofit used strategy & performance management principles to overcome a challenge to achieve your mission? If so, you could win a $2,000 grant from the Ascendant Strategy Management Group.  To compete for the grant, submit a video or podcast of no more than three minutes, or an abstract of 1,500 words (or less) to Mark Cutler (mcutler@ascendantsmg.com) by February 15, 2012.  Your essay, video or podcast should address the following questions:What is your organization's vision/mission? What challenges or barriers to success were you facing? Did you use any strategic…

• Giving Habits of the Wealthy

  17 Jan 2012 | 7:02 am

  Bank of America Merrill Lynch recently published a study that takes a closer look at the giving habits of high net worth individuals. This study is the latest in a series of in-depth reports on high net worth philanthropic trends, produced as part of an ongoing research partnership between Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.  Below are some of the highlights from the study.What Motivates Wealthy People To Give?Three of the top four major motivations were consistent for men and women: believing their gift will make a difference (81.7% women,…

• 

  Pink Initiative

• 2 Possible Precursors to Breast Cancer

  emilie

  16 Jan 2012 | 10:27 am

  by Megan Clouse The question that we all want to know the answer to is, “What the heck is causing cancer?!”  There are hundreds of theories that are tirelessly being studied by very smart people who wear lab coats, so I’ll leave that to the pros.  However what I have read about more and more are 2 precursors which may contribute to the cause of breast cancer: 1.  Low vitamin D in the system. 2.  Low or high thyroid condition. Both can be determined through a simple blood draw at your annual physical, and I highly recommend knowing.  If you do answer yes to one or both,…

• New Year. New Job. Reflecting on my professional journey.

  emilie

  2 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am

  by Kelsie Guerriero As I soak up the spirit of the holidays and anticipate all that’s ahead in the New Year, I think it’s also a nice time to reflect on the year that’s coming to a close. In June my husband, Rejean, and I moved back to Boston so that he could continue to pursue his training in pediatric neurology at The Children’s Hospital. When you factor in medical school and residency, we’re six and a half years in to a nine year commitment (but who’s counting?!). His perseverance throughout training and genuine dedication to patient care is something that continues to inspire…

• The Mammogram Squeeze

  emilie

  18 Dec 2011 | 11:19 pm

  by Megan Clouse Many women avoid their annual mammogram screening based on the fear of the unknown.  Here are 5 tips to help you understand what to expect: 1.  Setup a 6 month reminder.  Schedule your screening during an occasion that you’ll remember each year; birthday, new year, etc. 2. Wear something two-piece the day of.  This way you only have to remove your top and not your bottoms. 3. Yes it kind of hurts. Just when you think it can’t get any tighter, they will clamp down a little bit more but it’s because they care!!  And honestly, the discomfort only lasts for…

• Raising Hope

  emilie

  20 Nov 2011 | 11:03 pm

  by Megan Clouse The October issue of Better Homes & Garden had a very nice feature titled Raising Hope, focusing on 6 innovations that are improving detection, treatment and quality of life.  Here’s just a snapshot of the article: 1.  Mammograms in 3-D: New and improved imaging that captures X-ray images from multiple angles and has the ability to see through multiple layers of tissue. 2.  Screenings with Benefits: To nudge patients into their annual mammograms, some medical centers are offering manicures and massages. 3.  Reconstruction without the Wait: A UCLA study shows that…

• And The Winner Is…

  emilie

  2 Nov 2011 | 8:43 am

  by Mia Toro On October 1st we kicked off an informative online relay contest for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  We are humbled by the number of people who helped us share breast cancer facts and information; spreading awareness and education to our online community.  Thank you! And now, the moment you have all been waiting for – the winner of the 2011 Pink Initiative Relay is… Invitation Consultants [@fabulousinvites] Congratulations!!!  You are the proud, new owner of a custom Pink Initiative Sea Bag tote (valued at $150).  Thank you to everyone who participated. …

• 

  Case Foundation - Investing in People and Ideas that Can Change the World

• What's New on CaseFoundation.org: January 23-27, 2012

  blogger

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:07 pm

  Want to get a quick view of what's new in Social Media, Active Citizenship, Good Giving, and Corporate Responsibility? Here are the highlights from what we've added to CaseFoundation.org this week: Social Media The Millennial Story, Told by Infographic(s) KDS Straegies, January 25, 2012 50 new tech tools you should know about CNN, January 24, 2012 Active Citizenship 9 Digital Ways to Become a Social Good Hero in 2012 Mashable, January 23, 2012 America: Built to Last - NCoC Response to 2012 State of the Union Address NCOC, January 25, 2012 Good Giving Early Facebook App Causes Is Being Reborn…

• How Brands Can Manage Facebook Comment Overload

  blogger

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:38 am

  Check out the recent comment counts on nearly any major Facebook brand Page — the numbers get big very quickly. Disney’s image of Happy, the dwarf from Snow White earned over 1,600 comments at the time of publication. Coca-Cola asked fans whether they have ice-cold Cokes in their fridges – 2,170+ comments. Published Date Jan272012 Source:  Mashable Business Link to:  http://mashable.com/2012/01/26/facebook-comment-overload/ Post Origin:  Other

• 50 new tech tools you should know about

  blogger

  26 Jan 2012 | 10:02 am

  You may have dozens of apps on your phone and scores of websites bookmarked on your laptop, but that doesn't mean you have all the latest tech tools at your fingertips. New mobile apps, services, social networks and other digital tools pop up so frequently that keeping up with them is a nearly impossible task. Just when you think you're up to date, something newer and hipper comes along. But before you wave the white flag, let us help. Published Date Jan262012 Source:  CNN Link to:  http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/tech/web/50-tech-tools Post Origin:  Other

• Davos 2012: What Would You Ask the World Economic Forum?

  blogger

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:56 am

  The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is under way, and Mashable is reporting on location from this annual gathering of heads of state, politicians, and leaders from all sectors. As usual, we’re looking for the way that digital and social is changing the world, which is nowhere more evident than in the ways that this traditionally closed conference is being brought to the public. Published Date Jan262012 Source:  Mashable Link to:  http://mashable.com/?p=903425&preview=true Post Origin:  Other

• Advanced Segmentation Techniques: What You Say Is as Important as Who You Say It To

  blogger

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:51 am

  If you're a loyal follower of the NTEN blog, you may recall a post by Event 360's CEO/President, Jeff Shuck on segmentation. Or maybe you attended his session at the Nonprofit Technology Conference last year in DC. Or maybe not. It's okay, we know you've got a lot going on: annual appeals, website updates, events, eNewsletters, Facebook and Twitter updates, updating your Pinterest boards... We hope you remember the message: segment your constituent messages to get real fundraising results for your organization. Published Date Jan262012 Source:  NTEN Link to: …

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  Change/Wire

• President Obama, A Drum Major for Service

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  First Family serves alongside ServiceNation volunteers on MLK Day As part of his now famous Drum Major Instinct speech at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us all that, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” On January 16, 2012, ServiceNation, along with many close partners, helped put together a service project that proves this idea. Along with the Corporation for National and Community Service, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Greater DC Cares, and groups of community volunteers, ServiceNation representatives worked to spruce…

• Miley Cyrus & Youth Service America Share “10 Ways to Get Ur Good On” on MLK Day

  11 Jan 2012 | 1:21 pm

  “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. On January 16th, MLK Day of Service 2012, millions will come together to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. Miley Cyrus and her friends at YSA (Youth Service America) have 10 ways to Get Ur Good On on…

• ServiceNation Partners with Sister Campaign to Honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

  9 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm

  In honor of the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Opportunity Nation and ServiceNation have joined together to highlight ways to increase economic opportunity in America through service.  Dr. King worked for increased opportunity for all Americans. Now, more than ever, we need to work to create and support opportunities for Americans to strengthen economic security. Between New Years Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the campaigns will share concrete strategies that show that each of us can help expand access to opportunity in our communities by volunteering just a small…

• ServiceNation and ServeNext Announce Merger; Join Forces to Protect and Expand National Service

  5 Jan 2012 | 11:45 am

  ServiceNation, the national campaign dedicated to increasing service opportunities and elevating service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in America, announced today that they are joining forces with the grassroots advocacy organization ServeNext. “With service opportunities rapidly disappearing and funding for national service once again in jeopardy, 2012 is going to be a landmark year for the service movement.  That’s why now more than ever it’s critically important to be armed with the capabilities to respond and mobilize at a moment’s…

• ServiceNation Announces Ken Harbaugh as Executive Director

  26 Dec 2011 | 10:10 am

  ServiceNation, the national campaign dedicated to increasing service opportunities and elevating service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in America, announced today the hiring of Ken Harbaugh to serve as its new executive director. “We are extremely pleased Ken has decided to join the ServicenNation team.  His military heritage, coupled with his experience founding and managing service-related organizations make him the ideal person to lead the ServiceNation campaign at this critical moment in time,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Be The Change, the parent…

• 

  Start a Non Profit | How to Start a Nonprofit Organization | 501c3

• Non Profit Blog

  Simplenonprofit

  6 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am

  Non Profit Blog Communications One of the most important aspects of a successful nonprofit is how you get the message out to everyone about what your nonprofit does, its needs and success stories, and the easiest way to do that is through a non profit blog. By keeping everyone up-to-date about your nonprofit, its needs and successes, you can you get a continual following that will support your nonprofit.  Starting a non profit blog immediately once you decide to start a nonprofit can be one of the best ways to raise even the initial funding your nonprofit needs to get started. It is easy to…

• Fundraising Programs

  Simplenonprofit

  23 Nov 2011 | 11:18 am

  Fundraising Programs Whether you are just starting out with a nonprofit or you have been at it a while, fundraising becomes vital and that is where fundraising programs can help.  By engaging several fundraising programs you give donors and businesses several choices pick from when helping your nonprofit.  In addition, it also gives your nonprofit multiple donation streams that aid in funding stability. There is a huge variety of fundraising activities you nonprofit can embrace.  While some are complex, there does exist funding programs that are easy to implement and simple to manage.

• Christmas Donation

  Simplenonprofit

  8 Nov 2011 | 1:04 pm

  Nonprofit Christmas Donation Christmas is that time of year when everyone’s thoughts turn to giving to others and especially a Christmas donation.  33% of all donations happen in the month of December, is your nonprofit poised and ready with fundraising programs and the tools to raise a third of your funding for the year? Christmas is a special time of year not only for what the season represents but because people’s hearts are open to giving to others instead of themselves.  A Christmas donation makes every heart glad from the donor to the recipient that is impacted.  The…

• Expert Fundraiser

  Simplenonprofit

  18 Oct 2011 | 3:26 pm

  The Vital Expert Fundraiser Of the roles vital to a nonprofit’s success, none are as important as the staff or director who agrees to become the expert fundraiser.  For a nonprofit to achieve the financial success it needs to have to accomplish its mission statement, at least one person needs to become passionate about fundraising.  Without an expert fundraiser the organization will not have the funds necessary to conduct business and the nonprofit will fail. Expert Fundraiser Qualities It does not take someone with highly developed marketing skills to become a good fundraiser.  Most…

• Fundraising Help

  Simplenonprofit

  6 Oct 2011 | 3:29 pm

  Fundraising Help Success As stated many times in my fundraising help articles, fundraising is vital to a nonprofit’s success.  There are hundreds of different ways to find funding for a nonprofit however some are better and quicker than others. There is no debate, the attrition rate in new nonprofits is high.  Many times the difference in a nonprofit having the time to succeed is grounded in successful fundraising.  Simple Nonprofit.com helps thousands of nonprofits each week around the world learn how to easily start, fund and run a successful nonprofit.  However, it is also…

• 

  Helping Help

• Real Leaders Inspire Ongoing Action

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:49 pm

  The day after MLk day is more important than the holiday itself. It is the day that we truly see who the real leaders are. It is the day that the celebrating masses give way to the nonconforming minority of change-makers. MLK taught us to lead fearlessly, selflessly, and righteously. His accomplishments - and sacrifice - is worth celebrating and remembering, and I am proud that we take a day every year to do it. But celebrating is easy. The day after MLK day is where true leaders shine. And they continue to shine for the weeks and months in between celebrations. Right now, the world doesn't…

• Passionate Leaders are Better Leaders

  9 Jan 2012 | 8:05 pm

  Leadership Passion Pyramid To be a truly inspiring and effective leader, you must have passion. But not any passion will suffice, the best leaders focus their passion on 4 main areas: Passion for the development and fulfillment of the people they lead Passion for the cause they are working towards Passion for making an impact Passion for their own personal growth The ordering is just as important as the area of passion. Why? Nothing happens if the people you lead don't make things happen. Be invested in the people you lead, as their happiness and…

• Look Back Before Moving Forward

  24 Dec 2011 | 10:40 am

  At the end of every year, I dedicate a day to looking back. I think about a lot of things, and I use Who, What, Where, When, Why, How as a framework... Who slowed me down Who helped me  What I set out to do What I did  When I was struggling When I was happiest  Where I tripped Where I soared Why I failedWhy I succeeded How I lost motivationHow I inspired, motivated, and empowered others and myself I look within myself to find balance, and I look outside to find knowledge. I listen and learn from experts in all fields, knowing the diversity of…

• Inspire Others To Exceed Their Expectations

  17 Dec 2011 | 6:12 pm

  Forbes.com just published a brilliant article on leadership that was written by Russell Raath. In it, Russell share a scene from the movie Invictus where Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela: Morgan Freeman’s Mandela offers some final words of wisdom. “We need inspiration,” he says, “because in order to build our nation, we must all exceed our own expectations.” You can read the full article on Forbes and I highly recommend it. The takeaway is simple and powerful. As a leader, your job is to do more than just setting and achieving goals. Your imperative is to inspire and…

• Increase Motivation, Inspire Action and Drive Behavior

  4 Dec 2011 | 4:09 pm

  No matter your position, role, and responsibilities - you have the ability to motivate others and inspire action. There are thousands of books, research reports, and case studies on this topic - and out of all of them that I have come across, the three best resources are the following two videos and link Dan Pink on the Surprising Science About What Motivates Us (video) Simon Sinek on How Great Leaders Inspires Action (video) Chip and Dan Heath on How to Change Things When Change is Hard (book, and article) Here are the videos and book summary for your convenience: Dan Pink on the…

• 

  IdealistNews: what's new in nonprofits

• A new report looks at the role of "Philanthropic Equity" in helping take promising nonprofit work to scale.

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:58 am

  submitted by NFFAndrew [link] [comment]

• A team of volunteer kitesurfers are hitting the cold Fabruary waters to raise money for 3 non-profits.

  26 Jan 2012 | 3:15 am

  submitted by caitGKF [link] [comment]

• Anyone work at a disaster aid/relief nonprofit that can answer a few short questions?

  25 Jan 2012 | 3:09 pm

  i'd like to start a nonprofit that provides logistics solutions for other nonprofits for disaster supplies. not sure if there's even a need for it though. Thanks in advance! submitted by elcheecho [link] [3 comments]

• American Library Association Drops in Membership, Conference Attendance

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:39 am

  submitted by Nimrock [link] [comment]

• The top 100 non-profits

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:36 am

  submitted by imitationcheese [link] [comment]

• 

  Together We Flourish

• Groupon to Help With Heating Bills

  Susan

  27 Jan 2012 | 5:39 am

  Let’s Turn Up the Heat If you, too, are addicted to Groupons daily deals for Pittsburgh, make sure not to miss next week’s. In addition to massages, restaurant deals, and vacation packages, Groupon will be featuring a deal to help assist families with their heating bill in the Pittsburgh area through The Salvation Army. It’s [...]

• Community Prayer Takes Place Monthly in Aliquippa

  Susan

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:49 am

  You are invited to join the Aliquippa Council of Men and Fathers in Community Prayer on Thursday, January 26th for one hour from 6:00 - 7:00 PM at 464 Franklin Avenue, Aliquippa, PA  15001. This event takes place every month on the last Thursday of the month. We will keep you posted on possible changes in time and [...]

• Children’s Literacy Program Continues at Focus on Renewal

  Susan

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:42 am

  Focus On Renewal has received a $20,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to fund its Reader’s Theater Program at the Father Ryan Arts Center, a program of Focus On Renewal (FOR).  Since 2008, more than 700 elementary school students have traveled to the Father Ryan Arts Center during the school day for Reader’s Theater – [...]

• Disabled Adults Continue to Inspire With Great Work

  Susan

  23 Jan 2012 | 6:21 am

  The McGuire Memorial Employment Center in Moon Township, Pa continues to do great things for and with our clients who are individuals with mild to moderate disabilities and/or autism. Some of the most recent projects included: folding T-shirts assembling candy bouquets and chocolate gift baskets making various crafts for our Christmas Open House  Mailing jobs [...]

• Belle is Currently Living at Animal Friends

  Susan

  20 Jan 2012 | 5:42 am

  Belle of course means beautiful, and with my lovely white and orange coat I am exactly that. Please note that it is a short hair coat, so you will not have to worry about a lot of shedding. You may have heard that cats are aloof creatures. I would not exactly describe myself that way, [...]

• 

  Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog - Philanthropy Potluck

• “Us vs. Them”: Shine a Light on Your Own Biases

  MCF Webmaster

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:48 pm

  Despite decades of diversity training, have our organizations and our society changed for the better? Turn on or tune in to any media source, and your emphatic reply would be “No way.” The extreme polarization in our country is more and more frightening every day. The new cultural norm is to not merely express strong points of view but to thoroughly demonize others. At least one practitioner says it’s time to address this crisis with a new, 21st century approach to diversity, inclusion and equity. At the University of St. Thomas Diversity Insights program last Thursday, Howard Ross,…

• Redesigning Minnesota’s Local Government Services

  MCF Webmaster

  26 Jan 2012 | 2:47 pm

  The Bush Foundation, an MCF member, has released a new report, Focus on Outcomes: Redesigning Minnesota’s Local Government Services. It features findings from six “Local Government Innovation Forums” held across the state in November 2011. The forums brought together more than 400 city, county and school district leaders, including elected and appointed officials, to generate ideas about ways they could collaborate across jurisdictions for better public service delivery. At the forums, some of Minnesota’s most innovative local leaders came together to share their experiences with…

• Make the Most of 2012 with Impact and Shared Learning

  abauers

  24 Jan 2012 | 6:24 pm

  Today in the second in our series of webinars on the 2012 grantmaking outlook, we focused on human services funding. Upcoming sessions include health and arts. We reviewed recent trends in human services giving and the subject area outlook for 2012. Then Bill King, MCF president, talked with Neal Cuthbert, vice president of program, The McKnight Foundation, and Randi Roth, executive director, Otto Bremer Foundation. These leading grantmakers acknowledged the difficult funding landscape. Roth explained, “Needs are dramatically outstripping resources. In the communities, the economic…

• The McKnight Foundation Forecasts Its 2012 Grantmaking

  MCF Webmaster

  20 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm

  In a letter to grantees, MCF member The McKnight Foundation has announced its plan to invest $95 million in grantmaking for 2012. This is similar to the foundation’s 2011 grantmaking, and McKnight president Kate Wolford says it “reflects our board’s commitment to providing sound stewardship of Foundation assets while sustaining momentum across programs.” McKnight also previewed some of its big programs and activities to come in 2012, including: Working with a number of school districts to build seamless pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade programs that get children…

• First-Hand Insights on 2012 Education Grantmaking

  abauers

  18 Jan 2012 | 4:37 pm

  MCF today hosted the first of four webinars reviewing grantmakers’ giving outlook for 2012. Our topic today was education. Upcoming sessions include human services, health and arts. We reviewed recent trends in education giving and the grantmaker outlook for 2012. Then Bill King, MCF president, chatted with Mike Newman, vice president and director of community relations, Travelers Foundation, and Susan Heegard, vice president and educational team leader, Bush Foundation. These leading grantmakers described several important trends in education grantmaking for 2012: Grantmakers will…

• 

  smarts and culture blogs

• Rewriting the story.

  maryanndevine@smartsandculture.com

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:37 am

  Each of us has a story.You know that, right?Usually a story about not being enough of something -- creative enough, talented enough, smart enough, savvy enough, lovable enough, pretty enough.The story I'm noticing right now, for me, the story that keeps bubbling to the surface is:No one wants my stuff.As in, no one signs up for my thing, no one wants to take my class, no one looks at my ebooks and says, yes.And of course it's happened that I've done a thing, and people haven't responded as I'd hoped.Wah! No one wants my thing!I say, of course, because, when people put their thing out there…

• Why not Wednesday?

  maryanndevine@smartsandculture.com

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:10 am

  Hooray! Why Not Wednesdays are back!It's a time when we can, if we want to, bring a loving wondering why to the things we'd like to do.Two things.There are two things that can happen when I ask 'why not now?'1. I look at that thing and realize, you know, there's no reason to not do it now.Why hasn't it happened yet? Because I have a long to-do list, and this thing just keeps eluding my attention. That's all. So … I think I'll go ahead and do that thing now. Yay for now!2. I look at the thing and go, oh, yeah, there are reasons.I can tell the difference right away. You probably can,…

• A Secret Play Date

  maryanndevine@smartsandculture.com

  23 Jan 2012 | 5:02 pm

  Every Tuesday.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Switching up.I'm tired today. Or, rather, I anticipate being tired today.I'm writing this a day ahead, knowing that traveling to NY in the snow to get my picture taken by Kylie (highly recommended!), followed by a Very Stressful Appointment on Monday will likely lead to Tired Maryann on Tuesday.But it is Tuesday, Secret Play Date day, and I am hanging out in the underground lair with my Society pals,* so the Play Date must go on!One thing I know: there are things I'd hope to have done by now that are not in fact done.One of which is to choose five of…

• Office equipment.

  maryanndevine@smartsandculture.com

  21 Jan 2012 | 6:57 am

  Last Sunday, I was coming out of my office and my husband asked, were you doing work?Only because I said that I'd probably do some work that day. He was just being curious.And I said,No, just doing yoga.Which actually enables work to happen. So ... yes, I guess I was working.Huh.Enables work to happen.Like a desk and a chair and a computer and software and internet access. Like office equipment (except I don't like the word 'equipment. I don't even like the word 'work').Somehow, for me, that's a shift.It's different from saying, yoga/meditation/Dance of Shiva/taking a walk/getting enough…

• Tea and therapy with 'Why Not Now?'

  maryanndevine@smartsandculture.com

  19 Jan 2012 | 6:04 am

  When I gave you my Play Date report last Tuesday, I talked about sitting down to tea with my page, specifically the 'Why Not Now?' page. And the program itself. Which is not as confusing as it might seem.After I brewed some licorice tea, we got down to talking.Actually, as I said, I did a lot of the talking, kind of like imaginary therapy.And how do you feel about that?me: Hey there, page. How's it going?'Why Not Now?:' …me: Well, you know I need to make some changes* to you, the page, changes that are literal, like the price, but also changes in how I talk about you, the program, that I…

• 

  Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog

• The 10 essentials of an ideal thank you letter

  Pamela Grow

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:37 am

  Are you creating partnerships with your donors?  A sense of loyalty and commitment? Blackbaud’s recent Growing Philanthropy in the United States report revealed that nonprofits have made little headway into reducing donor attrition rates.  According to recent data collected by the Association of Fundraising Professionals,”the pattern of retention for cash giving in the U.S.has worsened, with some organizations experiencing upwards of 70 percent attrition between the first and second gift.” Ouch. Your organization’s thank you letter is the important first step in creating loyal,…

• #smNPchat: Are you participating?

  Pamela Grow

  20 Jan 2012 | 12:08 pm

  How does the small, community-focused nonprofit organization “do-it-all?”  After all, you’re not an international charity with a database of 300,000, a development staff of 20 and a team of direct mail consultants at your beck and call. Nope, chances are you’re an executive director or development director who is responsible for writing the grant proposals, maintaining the communications calendar, copywriting, database management, event planning, stewardship and more. #smNPchat on Twitter was created in 2010 with you in mind.  On the first and third Friday of every month, Marc…

• Seven quintessential nonprofit resolutions for 2012…and beyond

  Pamela Grow

  13 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Create a solid plan.  In the words of Yogi Berra:  If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.  How much do you want to raise from grants?  How much do you want to raise from individual donations – from direct mail, online, from your monthly giving program?  It’s not enough to have a plan, you’ve also got to work it! Put your focus on the lifetime value of a donor – and educate your board as well. Use a scalpel and eliminate any trace of nonprofit jargon from your organization’s communication pieces. Thank your donors right the…

• Nonprofit resolutions for 2012 | The experts weigh in

  Pamela Grow

  2 Jan 2012 | 6:28 am

  Welcome to 2012! What resolutions will you be making to advance your organization in 2012?  I asked a few of my friends and colleagues to share their best resolutions for 2012. Nonprofit database expert Robert Weiner said “like many people, my resolutions are often the same year after year.  If you’ve tried and failed to keep your resolutions, keep trying.”  His offers a resolution that every nonprofit should heed:  Be good to your data.  Robert says “I wrote this post two years ago and still stand behind it   I hope nonprofits will resolve to be good to their donor…

• I Heart Sparked!

  Pamela Grow

  14 Dec 2011 | 5:23 am

  A guest post from Mazarine Treyz of Wildwoman Fundraising   Are you that one person fundraising office with no graphic designer? Or do you even have a larger staff, but still people will never approve your budget when it includes graphic design? Do you have to DIYourself graphic design and are you just tearing your hair out? Do you need help with a logo? How about a job description? Does your Twitter background leave something to be desired? I hear you girl! You’ve probably never heard of Sparked.com. So let me tell you about this site. Here’s my hipster cat moment, I found…

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  Jolkona Blog

• On The Road With Jolkona in South America: Awamaki Part 2

  Guest Contributor

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  Note from editor: Post written by Chi Do, a passionate Jolkona volunteer. Nested in the foothill of the mountains leading to Machu Picchu is a small town called Ollantaytambo. We visited Awamaki, a non-profit grass roots organization that was revamped in 2009, yet its beginnings are decades old. Their mission is to provide support for highland communities, especially of benefit to the women and children who reside there. Awamaki’s aesthetically decorated store brings weaving and knitting products to consumers. These materials and pieces come from communities deep in the mountainside,…

• On The Road With Jolkona in South America: Awamaki Part 1

  Guest Contributor

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:59 am

  Note from the editor: this post was written by the brilliant Nancy Xu, one of our dedicated Jolkona volunteers. My hands run through the pasadizo, a rectangular weaving the Andean women wear across their back. The yarn, made of alpaca, feels soft; yet at the same time, the tight weaving lends it strength. The edges curve up slightly. I think about its creator – the hand which dyed each bundle of yarn, the colors of which are all natural, like carcass of beetle (red), or plant fungus (turquoise). I think about each individual weave being made, row by row, as patterns and designs emerge. It…

• On The Road With Jolkona In South America: ADCAM – Its Beginning And Its Future

  Guest Contributor

  12 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm

  Note from the editor: this post was written by Jolkona volunteer Zanoon Nissar, sent all the way from Manuas, Brazil. Our second partner visit in Brazil was in Manaus, the largest city in the province of Amazon. After driving through the poorer regions of the city, we came to ADCAM, a multi-faceted school with apprenticeship, college, high school and youth programs. When we arrived, we couldn’t believe how beautiful the campus looked compared with the rest of Manaus. There were well kept gardens, acres of land, and happy students walking through the halls. This was clearly a special place…

• The Battle for Amazon Will Be In Classrooms

  Adnan Mahmud

  29 Dec 2011 | 9:30 am

  Earlier today we visited ADCAM in Manaus. Manaus is the 4th major economic zone in Brazil after Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais. The factories of major companies Suzuki, Sony, and Nokia are driving the growth of Manaus. Favorable tax rates have attracted many companies to this region over the last 30 years. As companies set up their factories, the opportunity for labor positions surfaced. Many people from the surrounding regions migrated to Manaus in hopes for a job. However, they faced very difficult circumstances. Many of them didn’t get hired due to lack of experience or…

• Comunidade em Ação- A View of Grassroots Community Empowerment

  Rekha Ravindran

  27 Dec 2011 | 9:52 am

  Education has always been one of the primary methods of empowering individuals to improve their conditions in life. The United Nations even list it as part of their Millennium Development Goals, aiming to provide universal education by 2015. Brazil, a rapidly developing country, unfortunately falls short when faced with issues in educational disparities. It’s aiming to provide public and private education for all citizens, yet there is still a large gap between the privileged and the poor. Public schools especially are unable to provide adequate education and ensuring a student’s…

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  SocialEarth

• Top 5 Reasons Why Coworking is for Social Entrepreneurs

  Genevieve DeGuzman

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Over the past five years, coworking has emerged as a movement that is changing how entrepreneurs and innovators work. Coworking has been touted as everything from a way to find [...]

• New Ashoka Fellow addresses failing environmental programs

  Guest Author

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:11 am

  Minneapolis, MN – “Understanding that ‘knowledge and determination to solve problems’ is where progress will come from” has earned the founder of Recycle Across America™, Mitch Hedlund election to Ashoka’s global fellowship [...]

• seToolbelt Resource of the Week: Social Enterprise Explained

  Lindsay Miller

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am

  OK, maybe we got a bit ahead of ourselves. Maybe we should have kicked off with this resource right from the start. But, it's never too late to re-do. This [...]

• The Recipe for Sustainable Development

  Sabrina Natasha Premji

  25 Jan 2012 | 9:09 pm

  The only thing worse than the smell of a dead rat is not knowing where the dead rat is.  I can sadly say this with conviction, for I have been [...]

• From Idea to Impact

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:04 pm

  For the last 6 months, I have spent countless hours looking at social innovations in primary health care settings in Kenya. I have come across leading organizations harnessing the capabilities [...]

• 

  Pulling for the Underdog

• Diffusion of Innovation - Prius Edition

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:28 am

  Last week I got in a taxi at Union Station here in Washington, DC and was surprised that it was a Toyota Prius.  Though I like the efficiency of the Prius, what I really appreciate is the ride - so much better than the rickety old jalopies typically lying in wait for passengers at the station.I asked the driver whether he liked the car, and he replied immediately "Love it. Just love it."  I asked him about gas mileage, and he said that he gets good mileage in the winter, but he takes a hit in the summer.  "What does that mean exactly?" I asked.  "Well, in the winter I get…

• 100 Days of Gratitude - Day 17: The GlobalGiving Team

  9 Jan 2012 | 11:51 am

  GlobalGiving is catalyzing a global market for ideas, information, and money that democratizes aid and philanthropy.  In the process, the unbelievable team there has helped 5,200 qualified organizations in 129 countries raise $57 million from 248,000 donors and some of the world's most innovative companies and foundations.  (And this does not include the $15 million they have helped Pepsi distribute to hundreds of US-based organizations.) I could go on and on about their achievements, tenacity, and exploits.  Or about the pathbreaking feedback loops they are creating that…

• 100 Days of Gratitude - Day 16: Sombit Mishra

  3 Jan 2012 | 9:39 am

  Many years ago, we hired a young guy named Sombit Mishra.  He brought to GlobalGiving a nice three-piece suit but pretty much zero experience.  In those days, we had little money and a lot of unskilled labor.Shortly thereafter, I was out in Palo Alto at the offices of Kleiner Perkins talking with our advisor Randy Komisar.  "Do you have a dashboard for keeping track of your progress against targets?" he asked. "Of course we do," I replied. "I'll send it to you when I get back."Upon my return to Washington, I called Sombit into a conference room and said, "Sombit, I want…

• 100 Days of Gratitude - Day 15: Weekends in WV

  5 Dec 2011 | 2:13 pm

• 100 Days of Gratitude - Day 14: Bill Easterly

  29 Nov 2011 | 4:38 pm

  If there were a Top 1 List of Thinkers about Development Aid, Bill Easterly would probably be on it.  There are now several excellent development economists publishing (and doing!) micro-level work on a variety of subjects, but none is influencing the overall debate more than Bill.  His birds-eye, macro-level take on the aid industry is slowly but surely changing the way people think.Bill joined the World Bank in 1985, and over time he realized what many of us did: namely that many of the most ambitious aid projects were failing to have much impact.  And then, in the late…

• 

  Inside Philanthropy

• Charities need to trust themselves

  23 Jan 2012 | 4:25 am

  By Todd Cohen A virulent strain of strategic paralysis threatens to afflict much of the charitable marketplace. Deeply wounded by unprecedented financial distress, and looking for a quick fix, many charities are becoming smitten if not obsessed with trendy, philanthropically-correct management ideas peddled by nonprofit trade groups, consultants, foundations and academic researchers. So in trying to cope with escalating demand for services and an increasingly grim market for charitable investment, many nonprofits are trying to swallow, without digesting, big concepts like logic models, market…

• Women a model for engaged giving

  17 Jan 2012 | 4:30 am

  By Todd Cohen Nonprofits that want to build closer relationships with their donors should take a hard look at a new study on giving by wealthy women. Wealthy women are more strategic about their giving than wealthy men, more engaged in the causes they support, and more focused on the impact of their giving, says the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Study of High Net Worth Women’s Philanthropy. Those findings are important because, barely treading water in the treacherous economy, nonprofits are looking for ways to better connect with donors. A growing number of nonprofits also are…

• Nonprofits have a great story to tell

  9 Jan 2012 | 4:34 am

  By Todd Cohen A crucial task for nonprofits struggling in the broken economy is to do a much better job talking about the essential role they play serving people and places in need.Through the stories they tell, nonprofits need to raise supporters’ and partners’ awareness of urgent social and global problems, help them see their organization’s impact in helping to fix those problems, and help them understand the difference they can make by investing time, know-how and money in their organizations. Stories also are essential in helping investors appreciate nonprofits’ own need to build…

• Bad consultants are bad news for nonprofits

  2 Jan 2012 | 4:26 am

  By Todd Cohen The charitable marketplace is home to some great consultants and a lot of good ones. They understand and care about charities and the communities they serve, and want to help them improve. But consultants who are mediocre at best, and who care more about their fee than they do about charities and the communities they serve, are courting nonprofits and foundations in growing numbers, and those organizations need to be wary. Often exiles from nonprofits because they were ineffective, burned out or just wanted a bigger paycheck, bad consultants can drain nonprofits’ limited…

• Foundations giving less for social change

  19 Dec 2011 | 4:39 am

  By Todd Cohen After gaining ground in the first half of the decade, foundations in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse have reduced their investing in efforts to try to fix flawed social systems to better serve people in need. That finding in a report from the Foundation Center on the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on social-justice funding is particularly troubling because our deeply-afflicted economy has put vulnerable populations at even greater risk. Social-justice grantmaking in 2009 fell to below 2007 levels, and likely still will trail 2008 levels in 2015 if funders do not see…

• 

  PhilanTopic

• This Week in PubHub: Protecting the Rights of People With Disabilities

  Mitch Nauffts

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pm

  (Kyoko Uchida manages PubHub, the Foundation Center's online catalog of foundation-sponsored publications. In her previous post, she wrote about trends in funding for social justice and advocacy efforts in support of marginalized populations.) Throughout the month of January, we're highlighting research on various aspects of the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights around the globe. This week, we're featuring four reports that address topics related to the rights of people with disabilities. Among the most egregious examples of human rights violations involving the disabled is the…

• Inequality

  Mitch Nauffts

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pm

  (Mark Rosenman, a nonprofit sector activist and scholar, directs Caring to Change, an effort in Washington that seeks to promote foundation grantmaking for the common good. In his last post, he challenged the notion that more nonprofit organizations necessarily translates into greater social good.) Although the public and a few elected leaders increasingly are focused on growing economic inequality in America, the topic isn't receiving much attention from charities and nonprofits. This in spite of the fact that the sector itself is characterized by a similar inequality. That silence is…

• Bill Gates' Fourth Annual Letter

  Mitch Nauffts

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am

  As he has every year since 2009, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has put his thoughts about the scourge of extreme poverty and the efforts of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest, to improve the lives of millions around the globe into a letter and posted it to the foundation's Web site. In addition to outlining the foundation's key priorities in 2012, this year's letter focuses on the need for continued investments in innovations -- agricultural and otherwise -- that are accelerating progress against poverty in the developing world. Or as Gates puts it in the letter's…

• Non-Financial Capital and Social Change

  Mitch Nauffts

  25 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  (Paul Shoemaker is executive director of Social Venture Partners Seattle and recently was named one of the "Top 50 Most Influential People in the Non-Profit Sector" by The NonProfit Times.) The theme of this year's World Economic Forum gathering is The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models. A lot of people took a lot of time to write a convoluted description of what that really means. Let's boil it down to this: Because of the huge economic and social shifts taking place around the world, we don't have good models for understanding this "new norm" or for aligning stakeholders/citizens…

• Weekend Link Roundup (January 21 - 22, 2012)

  Regina Mahone

  22 Jan 2012 | 1:49 pm

  Our weekly roundup of new and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector.... Civil Society Filming at the 20th anniversary INTRAC conference in Oxford, England, Nicetreefilms interviewed Demos senior fellow Michael Edwards, author of Just Another Emperor? The Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism (2008) and Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World (2010), about the role and future of civil society via-a-vis business and the public sector. To mark the second anniversary of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruling that said corporations…

• 

  Charitable Advisors

• 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:14 pm

  Last Thursday, January 19, we hosted a pilot session for 20+ new board members from 15 organizations across the central Indiana community at the Harrison Center for the Arts. It went very well and we plan to do it again in September. The intention is to supplement the new board member orientations that your organizations already do and address some topics that don’t typically appear in organization orientations. Our agenda included topics such as a the Board/Executive Director relationship, nonprofit finances, the expectations of and from the board chair, being a change agent, and helping…

• 5 Challenges for the Nonprofit World in 2012

  17 Jan 2012 | 1:49 pm

  (www.Philanthropy.com )The still-troubled economy will loom large over charities in the coming year, but simply keeping the lights on won't be the only problem organizations will face. All sorts of nonprofits, including deep-pocketed grant makers, are likely to struggle with the following issues and their fallout.1) Philanthropy and the 99 percent - Economic inequality raises tricky issues for donors2) Pressure from shrinking government aid - Foundations and nonprofits may step up the fight against cuts3) Soothing generational tensions - Managers must make peace between baby boomers and…

• 9 Key Traits of ‘Next Generation’ Nonprofit Organizations

  10 Jan 2012 | 12:29 pm

  In addition to the Daring to Lead 2011 study, my friends Marla Cornelius and Tim Wolfred at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services in San Francisco recently assembled a thought-provoking piece on the trends they are seeing in the hundreds of organizations their organization touches each year. While you might argue with a few from your personal perspective, this short white paper will get you thinking about how you can be better prepared for new and emerging challenges and opportunities alike.Their 9 traits are:1. Impact Driven – we already knew this one2. Finance and Business Savvy - ditto3.

• 2012 Resolutions for the Nonprofit World

  3 Jan 2012 | 10:46 am

  (Chronicle of Philanthropy)A new year offers an opportunity to set new goals. In that spirit, The Chronicle invited a diverse group of leaders and thinkers to share their 2012 resolutions for the nonprofit world. A sampling of their responses is below, see the full list plus reader comments on their webpage.- May 2012 be a year of courage for philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. - Deepak Bhargava, executive director, Center for Community Change- Explicitly fund overhead-we all have it and we all need it. And stop talking about getting nonprofits to merge, unless we are willing to put up a…

• What to Get the Person Who Has Everything? Greek Food? Fun? An Opportunity to Help?

  20 Dec 2011 | 9:53 am

  It is that time of the year when you may be searching for gift ideas for a few more people. Let me offer dinner at Santorini’s and the soon to be completed Southeast Community Services Youth Center as a terrific choice that is sure to fit.I serve on the board of SECS and last year we arranged our event to celebrate the re-opening of Santorini’s after their unfortunate fire earlier that Fall. This year’s “Fire and Ice” theme is to remember the fire but really focus on an old building in Fountain Square, on Shelby Street across from SECS, that is in the midst of being salvaged and…

• 

  ONE

• ONE Act a Week: Create an anti-poverty Internet meme

  Malaka Gharib

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm

  Action: 27. Time: 10 minutes. Level of difficulty: Moderate. This week, we thought it would be fun to ask our ONE members to create their own Internet meme based on our issues. In case you don’t know what a meme is, it’s a concept that spreads swiftly via the Internet. It’s the funny cat pictures you’ve been sharing. It’s the “S%@! Girls Say” offshoot videos you’ve been watching. It’s Rebecca Black’s “Friday” song you’ve been listening to. Most Internet memes are funny, crazy and let’s be honest —…

• Proofs: Performing miracles at Ghana’s Tema Clinic

  Morgana Wingard

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:31 am

  Life happens here at the Tema Clinic in Accra, Ghana. Babies trade a death sentence for life. Mothers transform their sickly skeleton figures to healthy, able bodies. Tema offers hope in a place that was once hopeless and ravaged by AIDS. Funded by the Global Fund through financial support from Product (RED), Tema Hospital cares for 2,200 people living with HIV. We recently visited their facility again –- their work never ceases to amaze me. The Global Fund make it possible for the hospital to provide ARV treatment and PMTCT (prevention of mother-to-child-transmission). Thanks to these…

• What We’re Reading: African leaders say continent ready to lead world growth

  Emily Walker

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:31 am

  African leaders say continent ready to lead world growth – African leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos declared that they are ready to “play a new role in the global economy as a powerful driver of growth.” While much still needs to be done to improve Africa’s infrastructure and education system, Africa’s economy is already expanding rapidly. According to Guinea’s President Alpha Conde, “the fastest growing continent in the world is determined to keep reforming and innovating.” (AFP, Dave Clark) Business, social media to prevent babies with HIV – Business and social…

• Cocoa can save the world

  Michael Gerson

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:17 am

  Senior ONE Adviser Michael Gerson is on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this blog post, he writes about the benefits of cocoa crops on the country’s economy. A farmer from the Greenhouse project in Beni separates raw cacao beans from an opened cacao pod to be washed, fermented, dried, and shipped. We traveled down dirt roads near the town of Beni, in eastern Congo, close to the Ugandan border. Militias are active in the region, so our group was protected by an armed escort. Interactions at checkpoints along the road are unpredictable. In the town of Beni itself, a…

• New & Buzzworthy: Where people live on less than $1.25 a day

  Malaka Gharib

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:47 pm

  A roundup of the week’s most talked-about international development content from ONE, partners and the web, January 20 to 26. Where people live on less than $1.25 a day. Bono, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and more look back on 10 years of the Global Fund. ONE’s CEO Michael Elliott talks to Facebook about social media and advocacy at the World Economic Forum. A lovely photo album from our time at the Sundance Film Festival. A moving a capella song devoted to the famine in the Horn of Africa. Bill Gates’ annual letter. ONE Campus Challenge, Part 2. This shocking statistic.

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  BAD RAP Blog

• Cabin Fever: What your (Unexpected Pit Bull) Calendar bought!

  25 Jan 2012 | 1:20 am

  With so many dogs in need, we learned long ago that a rescue-only focus was going to bury us quick and burn us out even faster. So our 'teach a man to fish' philosophy was born: As much and as often as we can, we share what we know with animal care professionals around the country in conference presentations, workshops, articles, mentorships and internships that we call Pit Ed Camp.The work intensive jam sessions of 'Camp' have been especially gratifying because they give shelter staffers hands-on opportunities to work on learning projects that matter: Everything from exercises to keep…

• Vick Dogs 'sign' books in Pacifica this Saturday - Come join us!

  18 Jan 2012 | 9:12 am

  (Press Release January 18)A benefit book launch at Pacifica dog boutique AnnaBee's will host three former 'Michael Vick dogs' on Saturday, January 21 from 1-4pm. The dogs appear in photographer Melissa McDaniel's newest book titled, "Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs - 82 Dogs the Media Doesn't Want You to Meet."Bay Area dog fans will have an opportunity to meet three dogs who survived Michael Vick's dog fighting operation on Saturday, January 21, from 1-4pm. Dogs Jonny Justice, Teddles and Uba will be offering paw print autographs, friendly licks and photos in celebration of the launch of…

• Progress in Ohio (HB14) - What could change?

  11 Jan 2012 | 12:45 am

  The state of Ohio is a few short steps away from dismantling a dog control law that has defined "dogs commonly known as pit bulls" as "dangerous and vicious" for the past twenty five years. House Bill 14 - which would remove the breed-specific definition from the Ohio state law and make much needed improvements to the dangerous dog law - was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday 1/10 and is expected to move through a Senate vote as soon as next week before heading to the governor for his consideration. The current law that singles out pit bulls for discriminatory…

• To all our Santas, with love

  21 Dec 2011 | 12:27 am

• milestones and transitions for notable 'bust dogs'

  18 Dec 2011 | 10:02 pm

  Dogs that were once passed over as too broken to be helped have been passing milestones and making news. Here are a few must-mentions from recent days and weeks...Audie - the Vick dog survivor who inspired the children's book listed in our sidebar- could care less about his past and is anxious to tear up the agility course now that his once-faulty knees are fully healed. He competed in his first AKC sponsored show last weekend at the Staffordshire Bull Terrier of America Agility trial and did very well. Lookit that proud boy and his ribbons. Who would've guessed?To add to his happy day, when…

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  Bob Ottenhoff Blog

• The Nonprofit CFO

  Bob Ottenhoff

  26 Jan 2012 | 3:35 pm

  I was honored to introduce Robert Egger, founder and president of the DC Central Kitchen, at the Nonprofit CFO of the Year Award Luncheon Tuesday at the Mayflower in Washington, DC. Bob Ottenhoff speaks at the Nonprofit CFO of the Year Award luncheon As I worked my way around the room at the reception at the start of the event, it was inspiring to hear discussions from CFOs at nonprofits big and small.  It was striking how similar their concerns are: Will they be able to continue strategic funding of their organization’s work? What is the new revenue model in the new philanthropic normal?

• Announcing the new format to our nonprofit reports

  Bob Ottenhoff

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:29 am

  Click here to see my video about the new and improved design of our nonprofit reports, with revitalized, comprehensive, and detailed information that focuses on impact and advances transparency to help people who research nonprofits make better, more educated, and more confident decisions. For an example of this new format, visit GuideStar’s own nonprofit report: http://www2.guidestar.org/organizations/54-1774039/guidestar-usa.aspx. What do you all think about our new format? I look forward to your feedback.

• Musings on leadership from reading the news

  Bob Ottenhoff

  4 Jan 2012 | 7:57 am

  As leaders, we quickly learn that much of the success of our organization depends on our abilities to attract, motivate, inspire and retain skilled, committed people.  Several newspaper articles over the last week gave me some special insights into how to do it right.  From Ahmet Ertegan and Tom Friedman I learned that trusting in our people to do the right thing is essential.  Walter Isaacson used lessons from Steve Jobs to point out the critical role of intuition and attention to the needs of customers.  Ross Douthat reminds us that leaders have much to be humble about. See what you…

• What I learned talking to more than 30 reporters in a month

  Bob Ottenhoff

  28 Dec 2011 | 12:05 pm

  I’ve spoken to more than 30 print, radio and TV reporters during the last month talking about charitable giving.  A few issues stand out as we head into the home stretch of the giving season: 1. Generosity.  Giving to charities during the holiday season seems to be baked into the  DNA of the American public.  None of the questions I fielded challenged the notion that Americans should give and that this is a good time of year to be doing it.  After a year of nonstop chatter about tax cuts and too much spending, it’s comforting to know that Americans are still concerned about the poor,…

• Follow-up to Money for Good II webinar

  Lindsay Nichols

  21 Dec 2011 | 10:50 am

  The following is a follow-up to the questions submitted during the December 16 webinar on driving more dollars to high-performing nonprofits with Bob Ottenhoff, president and CEO of GuideStar, and Greg Ulrich, director of advisory services at Hope Consulting. To view or hear a live recording of the presentation, please click here. Q: Effectiveness data of course requires metrics. Were there any survey comments from responders on ideas for metrics? Greg: Effectiveness requires us to understand how well organizations are performing relative to their mission and objectives. Donors do not appear…

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  Dan Pallotta

• The Real Virtual Reality

  Dan Pallotta

  26 Jan 2012 | 12:34 pm

  I usually go for a walk in the morning and listen to music or a dharma talk. Occasionally I listen to nothing (or so it would appear by the absence of earbuds), but then I find the chatter of my mind so nauseating that I have to do something to stop it. This morning I was more present than usual. I noticed things in the real world that in the past two years of walking I have noticed not once: that the fire hydrants on our street are red. That the street next to ours has old-fashioned black Victorian lampposts. That the asphalt on which I have walked for many dozens of hours is not one…

• An Executive Pay Witch Hunt

  Dan Pallotta

  20 Jan 2012 | 10:57 am

  New York governor Andrew Cuomo has turned what should have been a simple, targeted criminal justice investigation into a destructive witch hunt of all New York charities. Such populist opportunism at the expense of the good name of the humanitarian sector has become epidemic. Elected officials consistently conflate smart investments in the talent, organizational strength, and long-term planning necessary to address massive social problems with fraud. Why? Because they lack a fundamental understanding of how long-term social problems get solved and because the humanitarian sector has been too…

• I Don't Understand What Anyone Is Saying Anymore

  Dan Pallotta

  5 Dec 2011 | 9:57 am

  Listen to Dan Pallotta explain why we still use jargon, even though we hate it. I'd say that in about half of my business conversations, I have almost no idea what other people are saying to me. The language of internet business models has made the problem even worse. When I was younger, if I didn't understand what people were saying, I thought I was stupid. Now I realize that if it's to people's benefit that I understand them but I don't, then they're the ones who are stupid. There are at least five strains of this epidemic. Abstractionitis We have forgotten how to use the real names of real…

• Stop Thinking Outside the Box

  Dan Pallotta

  7 Nov 2011 | 9:37 am

  The exhortation to think outside the box has become ubiquitous in business. So much so that it has become the new box inside of which everyone thinks. It pays lip service to the notion of transformation without really understanding the difference between transformation and change, and often without tolerance for the real thinking that must occur for an idea to be truly outside the existing paradigm. But worse than that, the advice is backwards. You cannot possibly think outside the box unless you understand the nature of the box that bounds your current thinking. You must come to know that…

• You Should Be Able to Get Rich in Charity

  Dan Pallotta

  28 Sep 2011 | 9:40 am

  There, I've said it. There should be no limit to the amount of money a person can earn making the world a better place, so long as the money is commensurate with the value they produce. If a person is a value-generating machine, and produces additional commensurate value for every additional increment of money they receive — and you can measure that value — then never stop the machine. And never let anyone else stop the machine. Let it keep producing value. Keep measuring it. And keep paying, without limit. To limit the production of value in the service of social progress is the…

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  Nonprofit Blog Exchange

• Roundup for January 2012

  Emily

  9 Jan 2012 | 8:41 pm

  Best Practices to Kickoff 2012 Online Fundraising (frogloop) Is Facebook Good for Fundraising? (frogloop) Do More with YouTube (Connection Café) Content Curation Tweet Chat Recap (TechSoup) Herding Cats, er, Bloggers (Connection Café) Non Profits Need Online Presence (Everyday Giving Blog) A Gathering of Predictions for Nonprofits in 2012 (Branded Out Loud) 5 Resolutions to Make 2012 the Year of the Nonprofit Volunteer Program (Engaging Volunteers) Summaries of Reports and Surveys Key findings from the 2011 donorCentrics Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report (Event…

• Roundup for December 2011

  Emily

  23 Dec 2011 | 8:16 am

  Social Media, Websites, and Communications The Scoop on Twitter’s New Brand Pages (frogloop) Getting Insight from Facebook Insight Requires Sense Making Skills (Beth’s Blog) The Nonprofit Holiday: Making the Most of a Generous Season (The PR Toolkit for Nonprofits) 15 Steps to an Awesome Website Launch (frogloop) Email Newsletter from Small Nonprofit Says ‘Open Me’ (About.com Nonprofit Charitable Orgs) Poll: What’s Hard about Nonprofit Content Marketing? (Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog) Fundraising ’Tis always the season for raising money (Big Duck)…

• Roundup for November 2011

  Emily

  21 Nov 2011 | 9:34 am

  Infographic: Which Nonprofits are Rocking Social Media? (frogloop) Is social media helping you meet your mission? It can! (Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech) Seven Ways Social Media Improves Accountability (Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog) 50 Social Media Content Ideas (Connection Café) The Importance of a Web Presence (Nonprofits, Technology, and Social Media) The 5 Elements of Great Nonprofit Web Design (Engaging Volunteers) Digital Communications: A Wise Investment (ASU Lodestar Center Blog) How I Found Out What Our Supporters Really Want to See on Our Facebook Page (Kivi’s…

• Roundup for October 2011

  Emily

  24 Oct 2011 | 3:00 pm

  Blogs and Websites 12 Ways to Develop a Community of Blog Readers (Community Organizer 2.0) Is your blog like a hungry printing press, waiting to be fed? What to do? (Wild Woman Fundraising) Supporting Your Programs with Your Website (Branded Out Loud) Tips for Making Members-only Content More Effective (Wild Apricot Blog) Donation Page Best Practices Elementary Review (DonationPay Blog) Reader Question: How Do I Get Feedback on My New Website? (Talance Blog) Social Media Blogs vs. Facebook for Nonprofits (IMPACTMAX) The see – say – feel – do way of measuring social media…

• Roundup for September 2011

  Emily

  9 Sep 2011 | 8:26 am

  Blogging Blogging Plan for Nonprofits (Marion Conway – Consultant to Nonprofits) 20 Ways to Be a Generous Blogger (Have Fun • Do Good) Tips for Sharing Mind-Blowing Blog Posts (frogloop) Website Management Creating Website Content: What Do Your Visitors Really Want? (Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog) Revamping Your E-News Sign-Up Box (Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog) 10 Steps to Creating an Effective Nonprofit Website (Nonprofit Wake Up Call) It’s Summer – Give Your Website a Quick Facelift (Marion Conway – Consultant to Nonprofits) The Pre-Holiday,…

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  Tall Skinny Kiwi

• Tall skinny elves at The Hobbit casting call

  Andrew

  28 Jan 2012 | 12:10 am

  I took my tallest kids over to Lower Hutt today for The Hobbit casting call. Filming starts next month for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and they were looking for extras: the short, the tall, the skinny, men with big biceps [not me} and those with 'character faces'. Unfortunately, 3000 people turned up and they could only handle 800. The rest of us were turned away but told we could apply online. The Herald said they were "overwhelmed" but it should have been a surprise. We all want to be in the movie! Bummer! My kids and I would have made great elves. I am 1.96cm (6'5'') and my son,…

• Sweet Voice Amber Hunter

  Andrew

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:18 pm

  Amber Hunter has been giving songs away online for years but now is creating her first CD. She led worship at our roundtable gathering at Cornerstone Festival last year and we really loved having her there. She has a story to tell. Watch the video and if you want to help out, visit her project at Kickstarter.

• What if church could be more like summer camp?

  Andrew

  26 Jan 2012 | 3:04 pm

  Camps are cool. My youngest kids went to Christian camps last week. TJ (9) went to El Rancho and Hannah (14) went to Lakeview Bible Camp with some Gospel Chapel people from Foxton. They had a great time. They came home with huge smiles and heads full of memories. I also have very fond memories of New Zealand camps when I was younger. Camps are where you can hang out late at night, dress badly, discover yourself, fight the giggles at 2 in the morning, watch the uninhibited speaker embarrass himself publicly, eat poorly cooked food, get up surprisingly early to pray, create and perform silly…

• Top 15 Ways Pastors Get Rich

  Andrew

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:48 pm

  Ever been ripped off by a pastor? It's embarrassing. In San Francisco many years ago, my wife and I were relieved of our wedding rings at a Pentecostal meeting. The mega-church preacher had flown in "unexpectantly" from Argentina to host this spontaneous meeting for us pastors and leaders. I don't remember if I handed over my ring before or after he put his hand on my head and knocked me backwards since it was all a little cloudy that night, and still is, actually, but I do remember wondering how the pastor was going to get all that jewelry through customs. And what he would do with the money…

• The Bourne Ecclesiology

  Andrew

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:44 pm

  Can't wait for the next movie in the Bourne series. Here's a suggestion.

• 

  eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

• Teacher Trek Israel Returns

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:40 am

  Last summer, the Teacher Trek journey began … and it continues this upcoming summer. Twenty-eight American complementary Jewish educators participated in Taglit-Birthright Israel Teacher Trek. The group, which represented educators from a variety of Jewish education settings – congregational, non-congregational, JCCs, Chabads and community schools – developed personal attachments to Israel and participated in professional development opportunities. Taglit-Birthright Israel awarded the first-ever Teacher Trek with “Best Implementation of a Niche Bus.” This summer, PELIE,…

• First Holocaust Exhibition has Opened in Cuba

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:45 am

  Jewish refugees on SS St-Louis, May 1939; courtesy. An exhibition about the Holocaust has opened in Havana, Cuba, the country’s first, but so far it is attracting more foreign visitors than locals. Initiated by ORT Cuba National Director William Miller two years ago, “We Remember – The Holocaust and the Creation of a Living Community” combines text, photographs and video to enable the island’s resurgent Jewish community to better understand its roots and for the general public to learn about the nadir of modern civilization. Knowledge of the Holocaust is next to…

• Super Sunday … Again?

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:35 am

  by Sherri W. Morr With many federations gearing up for Super Sunday planning, it’s interesting to note that Super Sunday is close to being 40 years old. It was a terrific idea back in the late 70s but perhaps its run its course, time to move on, or to reshape it in such a way that it is not recognizable and therefore recruits volunteers without having to beg or bribe them, and of course returns to being the event that brings in dollars from donors other than those over $5000. Given Federations are trying to redefine themselves to becoming more relevant, perhaps Super Sunday could be an…

• On the Influence of Camp

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:30 am

  by Ramie Arian “That felt a lot like camp!” said the woman next to me at the conclusion of the Friday evening service during the recent Biennial of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Judging from her tone, she approved. Indeed, it had felt “a lot like camp,” I thought, though on first reflection, it was not quite clear why. Tefillah (worship) at camp is generally a relatively casual affair: with worshippers dressed in shorts or jeans, prayers offered by leaders – probably campers and counselors – who are lacking in formal skills, leading a congregation of up to a few…

• New Report Challenges U.K. Social Sector on Gender Equality

  eJP

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:05 am

  Women leaders are particularly under represented in religious and educational charities and umbrella bodies Clore Social Fellow, Rowena Lewis, has unveiled the findings of her research into women leaders in the U.K. social sector. Through her report: Close to Parity: challenging the voluntary sector to smash the glass ceiling, Rowena set out to demonstrate how well the sector is doing. She unearthed some uncomfortable truths along the way. As the sector awaits the Government’s response to the Lord Davies Review to ensure greater female representation at senior levels, Rowena asks can we…

• 

  Jewish Donor Blog

• Where Do You Give?

  NegevDirectYoav

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm

  A really neat new tzedakah design contest put on by AJWS. What does tzedakah look like? Where do you give? To whom and why? This is The Jewish Donor Blog, a blog by Negev Direct, about direct mail, fundraising stratagies, experience, putting the donor first and more.

• We've Officially Been Blogging for Four Years!

  NegevDirectYoav

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:13 pm

  1.22.08 - 1.22.12 Thanks for your continued interest! This is The Jewish Donor Blog, a blog by Negev Direct, about direct mail, fundraising stratagies, experience, putting the donor first and more.

• Martin Luther King Jr: "Israel... is one of the great outpost of democra...

  NegevDirectYoav

  16 Jan 2012 | 1:58 pm

  This is The Jewish Donor Blog, a blog by Negev Direct, about direct mail, fundraising stratagies, experience, putting the donor first and more.

• Passings: Pro-Israel Philanthropist Newton Becker

  NegevDirectYoav

  5 Jan 2012 | 5:29 pm

  Israel has just lost a good friend. From the Los Angleles Jewish Journal: "A prolific donor who had a reputation for humility, Becker donated to organizations that shared his belief in Israel’s... This is The Jewish Donor Blog, a blog by Negev Direct, about direct mail, fundraising stratagies, experience, putting the donor first and more.

• Israel's Population Now 7.8 million

  NegevDirectYoav

  30 Dec 2011 | 4:22 am

  And growing. With over 166,000 new births in 2011 plus a healthy level of immigration. Read all of the details in Ha'aretz and have a Happy 2012. David, Chana & Yoav This is The Jewish Donor Blog, a blog by Negev Direct, about direct mail, fundraising stratagies, experience, putting the donor first and more.

• 

  pubTalk

• What's going on at the PNLC?

  Karen McCauley

  12 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am

  Associate Professor Barbara Crosby spoke on "Practices of Integrative Leadership" as part of the University of Minnesota Law School's new Leadership Foundations Program on Jan. 11. The session highlighted the practices such as shaping "windows of opportunity," convening inclusive conversations, and assessing outcomes and managing results. Jay Kiedrowski and Jean Hammink are beginning the Minnesota State Senior Leadership Institute today, here at the Humphrey School, bringing in 30 leaders from all over Minnesota state government to learn everything from Adaptive Leadership to Performance…

• Framing the "Surplus" (or Make That a "Slightly Better Balance Sheet")

  Barbara Crosby

  5 Jan 2012 | 12:16 pm

  A main thing that leaders do is help their constituents make sense of a public issue. In the leadership programs I help organize at the Humphrey School, we coach participants in the art of "framing." That is, we help them listen to how leaders and followers are describing, or framing, public issues or problems. We also prompt participants to consider alternative descriptions or frames that might appeal to a broader array of groups and citizens. For example, are leaders speaking of health care as a basic human necessity, as a right, as a marketable commodity, or as a social service? One frame…

• Soss' New Book Featured in Star Tribune, Podcast

  pnlc

  3 Jan 2012 | 8:17 am

  Dr. Joe Soss' new book Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race was featured in commentary by Star Tribune journalist Lori Sturdevant. In the article, Soss states "Our notions about who's deserving of help and who isn't are rooted in the notions about individual effort and individual success or failure." Disciplining the Poor, co-authored with Richard C. Fording, and Sanford F. Schram and published in November by the University of Chicago Press, already has been called "a landmark book." Soss discussed it in The Society Pages; click here to listen to the…

• Jodi Sandfort featured in article "Leadership: The myth of the maverick"

  Karen McCauley

  15 Dec 2011 | 1:04 pm

  An article online at The Christian Science Monitor is asking the question, "Does our love affair with mavericks--from Ronald Reagan to Steve Jobs--make sense?" Dr. Jodi Sandfort, Chair of the Leadership & Management Area and PNLC Professor gets a chance to answer this question, stating that in the old days, "a heroic leader would come in with the vision and then run off into the sunset, and other people would figure out how to do it. That's another part of the myth that's deteriorating: If you have the vision, you need to be able to mobilize the resources, implement the vision, and understand…

• PNLC Advisory Committee Members Lars Leafblad & Steve Rothschild in Twin Cities Business Magazine!

  Karen McCauley

  29 Nov 2011 | 11:45 am

  Here at the PNLC, we are fortunate in many things, not the least of which is our exemplary advisory committee, which is populated with leaders from the public, nonprofit, philanthropy, and private sectors. Lars Leafblad, Principal at Keystone Search, founder of Pollen, and intrepid networker not only serves on our committee, but has also been a guest speaker at events. Steve Rothschild, Founder & Chairman of Twin Cities Rise!, has a book coming out in February entitled The Non Nonprofit: For Profit Thinking for Nonprofit Success. (We will be having an event for its release here at the…

• 

  Foundation Group

• Nonprofits: Is Your Tax Preparer Registered With The IRS?

  Greg McRay

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:30 pm

  It is an unfortunate reality:  many self-described tax professionals are not professionals at all.  They are more than willing to take a customer’s money for “professional” work that often results in a nightmare situation for the taxpayer.  This includes those who advertise services to help nonprofits with IRS Form 1023, the application for 501(c)(3) status [...]

• Foundation Group To Present Fundraising Workshop

  Greg McRay

  6 Jan 2012 | 2:59 pm

  I’ve got some great news to share.  We just finalized the details on an intensive day-long, hands-on workshop that will give you the tools and know-how necessary to make 2012 the best fundraising year your nonprofit has ever had.  Sounds bold, you say?  Well, it may be bold…but come to this workshop and I suspect [...]

• Merry Christmas from Foundation Group

  Greg McRay

  21 Dec 2011 | 11:40 am

  The Christmas Story (Luke 2: 8-14) 8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10  And the [...]

• Year-End To-Do List for Nonprofits

  Greg McRay

  6 Dec 2011 | 10:46 am

  Well, we are pretty much down to it.  There are only a few weeks left in 2011…and during much of that time, most of us will be preoccupied with all things Christmas.  But in all the hustle and bustle, there are a few things regarding your nonprofit that require your attention. The following is a [...]

• What Is Your Conflict-Of-Interest Score?

  Greg McRay

  15 Nov 2011 | 10:47 am

  A Self-Assessment Having worked with thousands of nonprofits over the years, we have seen just about every possible scenario you could think of.  At least it seems that way!  One of the most common issues we encounter, especially with startups, is conflict-of-interest.  It is usually of the innocent variety, meaning that the people involved didn’t [...]

• 

  PhilanthroPost

• Devastating Tornadoes Hit Alabama

  universalgivingteam

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:57 pm

  By Greg Susko On January 23rd, 2012, Alabama was hit by two deadly tornadoes, leaving at least two people dead and more than 100 injured.  The Red Cross has estimated that over 400 homes were either destroyed or deemed unlivable because of severe damage.  These tornadoes come just nine months after a series of violent storms resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of destroyed homes in the area.  Alabama Governor Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency in all 67 Alabama counties in order to make state resources available to the individual counties in need. UniversalGiving has…

• PhotoPhilanthropy: Achieving Social Impact through Imagery

  universalgivingteam

  13 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pm

  By Bridget Botelho We are happy to share about a new organization that shares our mission of striving to make the world a better place! San Francisco-based nonprofit, PhotoPhilanthropy, is bringing art and creativity to social change.  The organization has created a platform for photographers to collaborate, share, and connect with other nonprofit organizations in efforts to drive philanthropy through photography. Through PhotoPhilanthropy, photographers can network with nonprofit organizations to volunteer and photograph specific projects.  Also through the site, photographers can share…

• How You Can Support the People Who Make Your Gifts

  Cheryl Mahoney

  19 Dec 2011 | 10:20 am

  By Cheryl Mahoney Today, we’re excited to tell you about a UniversalGiving partner who’s doing great work for the world!  The Hoop Fund is located down the hall from us at the Hub SoMa, and they also share our international focus. The Hoop’s mission is to create a more  connected marketplace, building links between consumers and the people who created the products they buy.  The Hoop partners with entrepreneurs, artisans, and farmers, and invites the people who buy their products to help fund their work.  The Hoop gives you two choices: you can directly fund a microloan…

• Doing Good (twice over) with Holiday Gift Packages

  universalgivingteam

  30 Nov 2011 | 11:00 am

  Today’s guest post is from Chelsea Iverson. If you will be giving to charity this holiday season or are considering making a personalized and meaningful donation on behalf of someone you love, you’re not alone. Holiday giving is a tradition that combines the Scrooge-inspired spirit of Christmas with generous year-end-tax breaks. Each year, charitable organizations around the world receive millions from contributors during the holiday season. It seems that the tougher the economic times, the more dedicated we are to helping those who are most vulnerable. According to the Red Cross, 68%…

• “The Power of Giving”

  universalgivingteam

  19 Aug 2011 | 10:00 am

  by Charles McWilliams “In order to get something, you first need to give” –Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Many successful businessmen and entrepreneurs practice this basic property of reciprocity. Those who we consider ‘rich’ are often capable of giving much more than those we may consider ‘poor’ and I’m not referring to monetary assets by any means. Those who are ‘rich’ are capable of giving value to others, and this is precisely why they tend to receive so much. Yet, one more important principle works imperatively with the basic properties of reciprocation, especially when…

• 

  Living and Giving - Pamela Hawley's Blog

• The Pamela Positive: Do It Anyway

  Pamela Hawley

  17 Jan 2012 | 11:05 am

  Do It Anyway People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best…

• The Pamela Positive: “I Shut My Eyes in Order to See” – Paul Gauguin

  Pamela Hawley

  13 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  “I shut my eyes in order to see.”  – Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin was an artist who was renowned for his Post Impressionism painting in the 19th century.  He was an innovator in the use of bold colors.  At the same time, he also brought out the meaning of each subject.  He balanced authenticity with innovation. What we can learn from Paul Gauguin:  Let’s ‘see’ differently. Don’t use your eyes.  Instead, use “meaning” to see. What’s meaningful to you? Be bold in recognizing it.  You’ll see an amazing painting of goodness, kindness and abundance all around you, if…

• The Pamela Positive: Be a Firefly—2000 Ways to Light Up the World

  Pamela Hawley

  12 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  There are more than 2000 different species of fireflies.  That means we all get to light up the world a multitude of ways.  Decide how you’re going to shine today!

• Bootstrapping, Part Two: You Need Entrepreneurial People–Not Just Entrepreneurs

  Pamela Hawley

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  Bringing on the right team is crucial.  Entrepreneurs don’t have to hire other entrepreneurs, but they do have to hire entrepreneurial people. This is an important part of bootstrapping because you don’t want to hire people who usually stick to only one area, at least at the beginning. They usually have to be able to to delve into two, three, four–sometimes seven different areas.  It’s a subtle but important way to save on costs. There’s a critical difference between being an entrepreneur (who is also entrepreneurial) and hiring entrepreneurial people. Entrepreneurial…

• Bootstrapping: Why Your Space Will Make or Break Your Team

  Pamela Hawley

  10 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  Bootstrapping should start first of all with your space. At the beginning of UniversalGiving, I worked out of my home: very economical.  But as you grow, you need to find an economical space and team-oriented culture. As you start out, and as you continue, establishing an inexpensive and team-oriented culture is imperative.  Shared office space–if done right–allows you to cut costs and increase camaraderie with other entrepreneurs.  As CEO, it allows you to brainswap with other like-minded founders. For your team, it provides a larger group of people to speak, connect and share…

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  Kiva Loans

• Cecelia : Philippines

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am

  $25 of $225 raised. Started raising funds on Jan 28, 2012 Cecelia is 41 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 5 children. Cecelia has a retail shop that buys and sells canned goods, snacks and beverages. She has had this business for 5 years. She requested a loan for 9,000 PHP to buy stocks of canned goods, snacks and beverages. Cecelia has been a member of HSPFI since 2010. In the future, Cecelia hopes to improve her business.

• Arline : Philippines

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am

  $50 of $250 raised. Started raising funds on Jan 28, 2012 Arline is 34 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with three children. Arline has a shop that makes and sells snacks like pancakes and rice cakes. She has had this business for four years. She requested a loan of PHP 10,000 to buy raw ingredients to make snacks. Arline has been a member of HSPFI since 2010. In the future, Arline hopes to improve her business.

• Virginia : Philippines

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am

  $0 of $250 raised. Started raising funds on Jan 28, 2012 Virginia is 45 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 9 children. Virginia has a retail shop that buys and sells canned goods, snacks and beverages. She has had this business for 15 years. She requested a loan for 10,000 PHP to buy stocks of canned goods, snacks and beverages. Virginia has been a member of HSPFI since 2011. In the future, Virginia hopes to improve her business.

• Hasan : Lebanon

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am

  $0 of $3,000 raised. Started raising funds on Jan 28, 2012 Hasan is a 52-year-old Lebanese married man living with his wife and four children who one of whom is studying while the others are working. He’s the one responsible for his family, and doing the best he can to enrich their standard of living. Hasan decided to open his own cattle farm in 1990 and already has thirty years of experience in this domain. He likes his job and knows very well that with a little more care, the business will grow faster. Today, he’s requesting a loan of $3,000 from Kiva partner Ameen s.a.l to purchase…

• Cynthia : Philippines

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:50 am

  $0 of $250 raised. Started raising funds on Jan 28, 2012 Cynthia is 28 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 4 children. Cynthia has a retail shop that buys and sells canned goods, snacks and beverages. She has had this business for 5 years. She requested a loan for 10,000 PHP to buy stocks of canned goods, snacks and beverages. Cynthia has been a member of HSPFI since 2011. In the future, Cynthia hopes to improve her business.

• 

  La Vida Idealist

• Think Fast: Are “Hunger” and “Poverty” Experiments Legitimate?

  virginia.savage

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:13 am

  Approximately 1 billion people currently experience hunger. According to World Vision International, about 1 in 4 of the world’s children suffer from malnourishment, and about 5 million children will die this year from hunger-related causes. Hunger is a formidable issue that fuels civil unrest, a cycle of poverty, and economic crises throughout the world, and the number of hungry people in the world continues to rise each year. Walking on the road to Chaquijyá, Guatemala This year, in order to further our understanding of global hunger, the Program Directors at all three MPI sites…

• Strike a Balance

  MindiBatson

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am

  Upon creating my vision board for the new year, it became clear to me that this year should be focused on striking a balance! With a jam-packed schedule, finding time for everything in my life in Guatemala may be difficult. I will be taking on a part-time English teaching job in the mornings at a private school followed by tutoring at a local psychology clinic. Most of my days will end with teaching one or two yoga classes. With a schedule that puts me rising at 5.30 a.m. and ending with work at 9.30 p.m., I am sure to fall into my bed exhausted each night. So, the question that has come to…

• They Call Me La Morena: Race in the Dominican Republic

  camchale

  18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  I stood at the counter of a little cafeteria close to our house and ordered a plate of food. The family that runs this cafeteria knows my husband and I fairly well. But this was the first time they had seen our new baby in my arms. The grandmother of the family took my order congratulated me on her birth, asked if she was a boy or a girl, and was generally complementary in the way that someone should be when seeing a cute newborn child. Meanwhile, the great-grandmother stood with her back to me frying something over a hot pot in the corner to our right. I heard her grumbling while we talked,…

• Let’s Talk About the War on Drugs in Honduras

  ajbrowne

  17 Jan 2012 | 1:44 pm

  The international aid community has struggled with this question for years: When a country is in dire straights in almost every aspect, what is the responsibility of the international community? But wait: let’s backtrack for a moment here. Many a U.S. citizen has heard about the so-called “War on Drugs” (the term first used by President Nixon in 1971). We have seen movies like Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream that illustrate the dangers of addiction along with films like Traffic and Maria Full of Grace that give a glimpse into the dark side of the drug trade. We know we have…

• Funding Alert: Scholarships for Volunteering in Latin America

  practicalmeg

  11 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am

  Money and volunteering. It’s an important subject. Because while you may be willing to work for free, life itself is not free. Flights to the Southern Hemisphere don’t just magically pay for themselves. Neither do Spanish lessons, anti-diarrhea medications, mosquito nets, or SteriPENs. (If you don’t know the magic wand of light that is the SteriPEN, see Kate Bennett’s volunteer packing tips, #17). All these costs can add up to some serious plata and this can dampen your ambitious young dream of volunteering in Latin America. But have no fear! I have some good fundraising news…

• 

  Red Rooster Group

• Website for International Agricultural Association

  Howard

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:49 pm

  CLIENT: CropLife International The Compact is a clearly defined, efficient, and fair process for a United Nations Member State to file and process claims in the event of damage to biological diversity caused by living modified organisms (LMOs). The website presents a clean design for showcasing the compact and the organization behind it. > See the website: http://www.biodiversitycompact.org Links See other websites. See other case studies. Contact Red Rooster Group for help with your website. Red Rooster Group is a New York based graphic design firm that creates effective brands,…

• Red Rooster Group 2011 Year in Review

  Howard

  18 Dec 2011 | 3:39 am

  From articles to webinars, new clients to events, Red Rooster Group had a robust year of spreading the word about nonprofit branding and helping organizations with their marketing. All titles are clickable links to the full story. JANUARY Red Rooster Group Launches The Nonprofit Brand Institute to Educate Nonprofits JANUARY Red Rooster Group Partners with the New Jersey Center for Non-Profits JANUARY Red Rooster Group Selected to Promote Con Edison’s Energy Savings Programs JANUARY Largest Educational Organization in India Selects Red Rooster Group for Branding Program JANUARY The…

• Video of Workshop Explains How to Evaluate Your Nonprofit’s Brand

  Howard

  6 Dec 2011 | 9:12 am

  This engaging video explains how nonprofit organizations can get a grip on all the marketing they do and channel it in a productive manner. The video is a presentation of conducted at Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs on October 6, 2011, discussing a Brand Evaluation tool developed by Red Rooster Group. The video run in 2 segments of about 40 minutes each and includes: Howard Adam Levy, Principal of Red Rooster Group presenting an overview of the nonprofit brand evaluation process and how to manage all the different aspects of your marketing, examples of evaluating membership…

• The Many Ways to Unify Your Nonprofit’s Brand

  Howard

  23 Nov 2011 | 11:43 pm

  Is your program more well known than your organization? Do you have several operating units with names and logos that don’t relate to your parent organization? It’s important to have a cohesive brand so that donors and participants recognize all aspects of your organization. These examples of brand families show different ways of creating a brand architecture to unify divisions or programs to create a comprehensive brand that is easily recognized. Unifying Multiple Locations of One Organization Graphic Device Highlights Location While Keeping Prominence on Organization’s Name This…

• Project InCite Reports

  Howard

  19 Nov 2011 | 11:42 pm

  CLIENT: The Jewish Education Project Red Rooster Group was retained by The Jewish Education Project to introduce the agency’s new name and roll out its brand. Formed by the merging of the Board of Jewish Education of New York (BJENY) and Suffolk Adult Jewish Education Service (SAJES), The Jewish Education Project fosters innovation and new approaches to Jewish education. Red Rooster Group is handling the agency’s marketing needs. Project InCiTE Reports Project InCiTE teaches a cohort of youth professionals to become part of the next generation of innovative Jewish educators. 20…

• 

  Look To The Stars News: Latest

• Steve Vai And Bret Michaels Join Grammy Foundation Celebration Of Live Music

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  The Grammy Foundation will host One Night Only: A Celebration Of The Live Music Experience — the 14th Annual Grammy Foundation Music Preservation Project — featuring live musical performances and historical footage from preservation archives. Television personality and entrepreneur Sharon Osbourne and Grammy-winning guitarist Steve Vai will be the evening’s co-hosts, and rock icon and philanthropist Bret Michaels will perform as the closing act. Additional performers include Grammy winners Robert Cray, Jonny Lang, Shelby Lynne, and Mavis Staples; current Grammy nominees Dave Koz and…

• LTTS Exclusive: Dancing With The Stars' Louis Van Amstel Talks Charity

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am

  Written by Misty Schwartz Misty Schwartz of Look To The Stars recently caught up with Dancing With the Stars pro Louis Van Amstel, who is on tour to promote his lifestyle brand (and just-released 5-disc workout DVD set) called LaBlast Fitness. What is the criteria for choosing the charities that you so strongly support? The criteria that I use is based on what I’m passionate about such as cancer, equal rights, fighting obesity, bullying. How or why did you choose to get involved? I lost a very dear friend to breast cancer and decided I wanted to help others that are affected. Fighting…

• SAG Awards Auction Features Items From George Clooney And Leonardo DiCaprio

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:45 am

  The SAG Awards Ceremony Online Auction benefiting the SAG Foundation's Literacy and Emergency Assistance programs is currently live until February 2. The auction offers collectibles from many of the nominees including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Betty White, and the casts of “30 Rock,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Descendants,” “Dexter,” “Game of Thrones,” “Glee,” “Modern Family” and more. Also going under the hammer are amazing vacations, one-of-a-kind…

• Viennese Opera Ball To Benefit Lauren Bush's FEED Foundation

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  The Viennese Opera Ball in New York on February 3 will benefit Lauren Bush's FEED Foundation, an organization committed to helping ensure all people everywhere do not go hungry and have access to healthy nutritious food. The Viennese Opera Ball in New York is one of the great charity galas that has benefitted other worthy nonprofit institutions since 1955. Today, the Viennese Opera Ball remains an international social landmark. The February 3, 2012 Ball in New York will mark the 57th consecutive Viennese Opera Ball held under the auspices of the U.S.-Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The…

• Scrubs Star To Bowl For Breast Cancer Charity

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am

  Socially conscious media professionals and actress Judy Reyes (Gun Hill Road, Scrubs) will come together to raise money for Breastcancer.org on February 15, 2012. The 3rd Annual Bowling for Breastcancer.org will be held at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge in Manhattan from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds from the charity fundraiser will help fund expansion of the newly launched Spanish translation, Think Pink, Live Green—Breastcancer.org’s Global Breast Cancer Prevention Initiative, enhancements to Breastcancer.org’s current online content, mobile optimization, and video programming.

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  Leading by Design: A Resource for Nonprofits

• A Career Full of Happy Accidents

  20 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  WHAT'S BEEN THE ROLE OF SERENDIPITY IN YOUR CAREER PATH?  I'm knee-deep in trying to map out new segments of my own career path and, because of that, I was recently asked to write about personal career planning.  So I did what any author who's looking for some inspiration would do -- I reached out to the cultural nonprofit community via LinkedIn for some input.  And here's where serendipity comes in. The second response to my question was about the importance of serendipity -- those accidental opportunities -- to the enrichment of a career. "Too much planning can limit your…

• What's on Your Board's First Meeting Agenda for 2012?

  28 Dec 2011 | 2:49 pm

  JANUARY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER (yikes!) and many if not most nonprofits will be holding their first board meeting of the new year sometime in the next four weeks.  While we might be inclined to fall back on comfortable agenda formats and conversations for this meeting, if you're embracing 2012 as a year of intentional organizational development (see my post about that here), then I know you're giving serious thought to rethinking what and how business will be discussed.For those of you from organizations that tend to tick methodically through task lists at board meetings before…

• Make 2012 Your Organization's Year of Intention

  22 Dec 2011 | 8:48 am

  NOW THAT THE END OF 2011 IS PLAINLY IN sight, many of us are taking some time to evaluate our progress these last twelve months and plan for the next twelve.  What's on your agenda -- personally or organizationally -- for tweaking or downright change?  Have you already identified a few strategic shifts for 2012?From an organizational point of view, any amount of course shifting can be difficult.  The tiniest changes can be disruptive and angst-producing....and may not produce hoped for results.  But, small changes, when introduced intentionally, thoughtfully, and tied to…

• Can You Plan Without Passion?

  17 Oct 2011 | 6:36 am

  WELL, I GUESS THE SHORT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS 'YES'.  Plans are concocted everyday for all sorts of things from grocery lists to multi-year programmatic initiatives and I can see where many of them can be accomplished with little reflection and less excitement for the results.  There are proponents who assure us that even the most complex plans can be achieved with short, highly focused bursts of effort.  And, indeed, that's possible.  But it seems to me that any plan will lack dimension and luster if it's written as an internal 'beat the clock' exercise or a…

• The Boardroom Blues

  16 Oct 2011 | 11:07 am

  DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?So, what should be on the agenda instead?  How about trying a little strategy ....  using the organization's plan and key success indicators to evaluate how well program is meeting mission?  Maybe ditching most of those reports of past activities to free up time to discuss future steps?How about breaking into smaller discussion groups for a deeper dive into issues?Would a staff or volunteer presentation, a brief tour of a project, or a hands-on activity help board members to better understand your challenges and opportunities?We talk a lot…

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  Fundraiser Ideas

• Why You Need a Fundraising Thermometer and Five Places You Can Get One for Free

  KWylie

  17 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  Just Google “fundraising ideas” and you’ll begin to understand that there are an ever-increasing number of fundraisers out there today. From traditional magazine sales and candy bars to basket raffles and office perks auctions, there are numerous fundraising ideas out there that are sure to meet your organization’s unique fundraising needs. As important as it is to select the right fundraiser for your group, tracking your fundraising efforts is equally important, which is where a fundraising thermometer comes into play. A fundraising thermometer is a visual representation of…

• 10 Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas You Can’t Afford to Miss

  KWylie

  27 Dec 2011 | 11:00 am

  Undertaking a mission can be one of the most fulfilling trips in your lifetime; however, many mission trip participants worry about funding their humanitarian and charitable work. The following are 10 mission trip fundraising ideas that can help make your mission dreams a reality: Business sponsorships. Visit local businesses and ask them to sponsor a portion of your mission trip, such as one day’s worth of expenses. Target businesses that advertise in your church bulletin or whose owners you know directly. Send friends and family letters. Send a letter out to all of your family and…

• 10 Christmas Fundraising Ideas Guaranteed to Spread Holiday Cheer

  KWylie

  6 Dec 2011 | 11:00 am

  Christmas is a time of giving. It’s the time of year that people are most likely to open their hearts and their wallets. The following Christmas fundraising ideas are designed to not only help your organization raise much-needed funds but also spread holiday cheer in the process. Sell Christmas trees. Partner with a local tree-grower and borrow a section of a parking lot from a neighborhood business to set up your Christmas tree lot. Publicize the charity you support and offer free hot cocoa or hot apple cider to set your tree lot apart from others in town. Sell Christmas wreaths.

• How to Hold a Successful Cookie Dough Fundraiser

  KWylie

  2 Dec 2011 | 11:00 am

  Cookie dough fundraising has become increasingly popular over the years. People love cookies, making it an easy sell, and organizations can earn up to 80 percent profit on their sales. However, to maximize the profit your charitable organization receives from your cookie dough fundraiser, there are some critical points that need to be covered. The following are our top tips for how to hold a successful cookie dough fundraiser. First, you need to select a cookie dough fundraiser vendor to work with your organization. Most vendors offer no start-up costs for organizations to begin their…

• 10 Charity Fundraising Events to Raise Large Amounts of Money

  KWylie

  1 Dec 2011 | 11:00 am

  When your charitable cause needs large amounts of money, charity fundraising events can be your best option. The huge funds generated by these events can be used for a single project or the ongoing operations of your charitable organization. The following are 10 charity fundraising events that, if implemented correctly, are sure to raise large amounts of money for your organization: Charity walk. Big name charities, like the American Cancer Society, use charity walks as one of their primary charity fundraising events. Have walkers gather pledges per mile from their friends and family. Invite…

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  DonationPay Blog

• The Faux-Proust Character Questionnaire for Non-Profits

  AJ

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm

  I’m not proud of this, but I’m obsessed with the Proust Questionnaire feature on the back page of Vanity Fair.  Made famous by the responses from Proust at various ages throughout his life (I prefer age 20 to age 13, for the record), the questionnaire is a smart little treat.  It’s a perfect coda to enjoy after reading the magazine’s take on the whole Colzine travesty, Christopher Hitchen’s last piece (on Dicken’s, with customary affectionate but unsentimental tartness) or, say, a long piece on the lavish life of Valentino (possibly one of my…

• 6 Ways To Boost Donation Volume In The New Year

  AJ

  10 Jan 2012 | 4:55 pm

  2011 is history.  (image from Jalopnik) Okay, so the holidays are over.  Officially.  You probably won’t be seeing the type of donation volume you had over November and December again until next year’s holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn your organization’s website into a lean, mean fundraising machine.  Give your organization a fresh start for 2012 with these simple tips for increasing your fundraising power in the new year: 1.) Mind Your Manners. By this I mean, be sure you send a Thank You to everyone who donated this year.  I’ve discussed…

• Best Books I Read This Year

  AJ

  30 Dec 2011 | 1:30 pm

    Being an extremely avid reader, I spend much of my time out of the office with my nose firmly planted in a book.  While my recreational reading tastes run toward contemporary fiction (in case you’re curious, this year my favorites were Freedom, Swamplandia!, A Visit From The Goon Squad, The Marriage Plot, The Tiger’s Wife and The Uncoupling, as well as a few others I can’t bring to mind off the top of my head), I will read almost anything (though not the egregiously terrible and overtly offensive Twilight series, for the record).  Though I am usually a…

• Chimp Haven Made Us Cry (And I Liked It)

  AJ

  16 Dec 2011 | 8:45 pm

    All photos taken from Chimp Haven’s website The DonationPay office can be an emotional bunch and we have been known to get . . . worked up, over the awesome work our clients are doing.  We are moved, inspired and amazed at our clients great work, fortitude and brilliant fundraising strategies, every day.  That said, last month as we were setting up donation pages for a new client, suddenly all office work came to a screeching halt as one of our developers called us all over to experience a fantastic video on their site.  The organization is Chimp Haven and the video, no joke,…

• In Which I Rain On A Parade: Donor Thank-You’s Edition

  AJ

  13 Dec 2011 | 1:19 pm

  As I was reading the industry news on AllTop today, I came across an article from November that I’d apparently missed.  From Pamela’s Grantwriting Blog (which, if I’ve never mentioned it before, I love and read anytime I get a spare minute, which clearly at this time of year is once every six weeks), it’s an email from a development director at a large non-profit in New York to board members, asking them to place a call to a donor that had contributed $20 online.  A thank-you phone call.  The email is reprinted in full below, as it appears on Pamela’s…

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  Causes Blog

• Shiloh’s Kitten Corner (and the news)

  Shiloh Gulickson

  20 Jan 2012 | 5:19 pm

  Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Shiloh’s Kitten Corner! My name is Shiloh and I work on the Impact team at Causes.com. I start my workday by putting together a news brief for the rest of the office that highlights what’s new in the world of social media, nonprofits, technology, and social good. Here are [...]

• Causes brings social good to your Facebook Timeline


  Sydney Fleischer

  18 Jan 2012 | 8:55 pm

  Facebook is a place to express what you care about and connect with friends around those interests. The causes you support are an essential piece of that picture and thanks to our new app for Facebook Timeline, Causes makes it easy to express a fuller picture of who you are and what you care about [...]

• Causes Tech: Measuring Static Asset Failures with Duckweed

  Adam Derewecki

  11 Jan 2012 | 7:09 pm

  At Causes, we’ve been dealing with intermittent static asset failures. This manifests as certain images, stylesheets, and Javascripts failing to load and leads to a poor overall user experience. Our band-aid solution has been to fail over load balancers, which resolves the issue (until it crops up again). This is far from a perfect solution, and we still only [...]

• Shiloh’s Faux Kitten Corner (and the news)

  Shiloh Gulickson

  6 Jan 2012 | 5:43 pm

  Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Shiloh’s Kitten Corner! My name is Shiloh and I work on the Impact team at Causes.com. I start my workday by putting together a news brief for the rest of the office that highlights what’s new in the world of social media, nonprofits, marketing, and social good. Here are [...]

• Stand4TheAmazon This Season with Amazon Watch

  Anne

  27 Dec 2011 | 5:47 pm

  Welcome to our series, “Great Nonprofits,” where we highlight a Nonprofit Partner that changes the world and uses Causes to tell their story. This week our Great Nonprofit is Carol’s Ferals. Over the last year, Amazon Watch has accomplished a lot with the help of the Causes community – from supporting Ecuadorian activists in standing [...]

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  GivingFirst.org Blog

• GivingFirst: Unlimited Possibilities for the Passionate Fundraiser

  GivingFirst.org Blog

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:01 pm

  By Dana Rinderknecht, GivingFirst ManagerOn January 19th at the Arvada Center, CommunityFirst Foundation awarded the FirstBank High Five Prizes to 12 organizations whodid an outstanding job on Colorado Gives Day. There were over 500 folks present and they represented a true cross sectionof Colorado Nonprofits. Now I will let you in on a little secret. I loved thisevent! Not only because we put it together, so that makes me biased, butbecause it is so much fun to see our participants in person. GivingFirst is an online program, and as suchwe do almost everything electronically –…

• What a Difference a Day Makes!

  GivingFirst.org Blog

  9 Dec 2011 | 2:28 pm

  By Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of Community FirstFoundationCommunity First Foundation, FirstBank, media sponsors,and hundreds of nonprofits work all year to pull off a giving day that makes adifference.In the months leading up to Colorado Gives Day, we’ve been awedby the current of energy building in Colorado. In the last few weeks, who couldgo a day—an hour--without hearing something about December 6?A year ago, when we launched the concept, we wanted to enhancegiving in Colorado. What we got—what we all got—was so much more than that:community engagement and spirit;…

• CiviCore Gets GivingFirst.org Ready for Colorado Gives Day

  GivingFirst.org Blog

  1 Dec 2011 | 1:07 pm

  Recently we met up with Charles“Chic” Naumer, co-founder of CiviCore, the company that programs the onlinegiving technology for GivingFirst.org. We appreciate the ideas they share tohelp us enhance the site. Their work and dedication to GivingFirst isindispensable, and we are grateful to them for being the technology sponsor ofColorado Gives Day this year.What is CiviCore?Our company builds web-based database applications for thesocial sector. This includes databases for managing volunteers, donors andclient outcomes. Our products are customized for each client’s particular need.When…

• Support Local Through a Community Foundation!

  GivingFirst.org Blog

  17 Nov 2011 | 6:24 pm

  Marla J. WilliamsThisweek is Community Foundations week, and we met up with Marla J. Williams,president and CEO of Community First Foundation, to tell us about the value ofthese organizations. Marla,this week the country is celebrating community foundations. Can you tell uswhat a community foundation is?Afoundation like Community First Foundation is the vehicle through which acommunity can come together to create and pool charitable resources and addressneeds in a specific geographic area.Whatregion does Community First Foundation serve?We make grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in…

• GivingFirst.org: Fast and Furious Growth

  GivingFirst.org Blog

  9 Nov 2011 | 6:09 pm

  By Angela Bevacqua, Senior Communications SpecialistWe are just under one month awayuntil Colorado Gives Day, and the energy at Community First Foundation isfrenetic!Dana, our GivingFirst manager,has been sequestered in her office, reviewing and approving hundreds ofnonprofits who are joining the site since September. She juggles approving theprofiles while answering lots of calls and emails each day. (Stay tuned to thisblog for the final number of nonprofits participating in CO Gives Day!)Bryce, our project coordinator,is pouring over nonprofit documents that need to be in order before a…

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  Non-profit2point0

• February is Donor Month!

  Luke Sackandy

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:24 pm

  by Luke Sackandy, Social Media Systems Analyst As January is quickly coming to a close, it is time to look ahead to February. Last month, in January, we talked about reaching out and thanking those that made contributions to your organization over the last year. This month it’s time to start beating down doors again. But it’s not necessarily about asking for donations. While that’s your ultimate goal, work on fostering the relationship first. So what are some good ways to get out in front of those donors? Thank Them Yes, I know it was a large part of January’s…

• Is “Slacktivism” a Good Thing?

  jbeemiller

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:41 am

  By Josh Beemiller, Director of Marketing A few days ago, a local business made a pledge on Facebook.  A long-time customer’s house was unfortunately destroyed in a fire.  The local business promised that for every “Like” they received on that particular post, they would donate one dollar to the family.  Thinking I could easily take a few seconds of my day to help out, I “liked” the post, as well as shared it on my wall.  It was then that a few friends commented and said they felt the business was exploiting a tragedy in order to promote themselves. This got me thinking.  I…

• SOPA and PIPA Have Been Halted…For Now

  Charlie Hullihen

  24 Jan 2012 | 3:12 pm

  by Charlie Hullihen, Client Services Manager/Communications Writer Introduction As you may already know, today (January 24th) was supposed to be the day the United States House Judiciary Committee would make its decision regarding the Protect IP Act (PIPA). However, in light of website blackouts and a number of protests, both PIPA and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) have been frozen until a more consensual decision can be made. SOPA and PIPA: What are they? PIPA, a bill designed with the intent of stopping online piracy, attempts to give the US government and copyright holders better tools…

• Sit back and relax. You don’t have to do ALL the work.

  Luke Sackandy

  20 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm

  by Luke Sackandy, Social Media Systems Analyst As we’ve preached to many times in this space before, content is king. Creating and sharing new, original content is what makes social networking – well, social. But here’s the thing. You don’t always have to take it upon yourself to do all of the work. You’ve created a community with great members. Tap into that resource. Let’s take a look at several ways to generate content by having your community do some of the leg work. Guest Blogs With all of the intelligent people you have in your community, there should…

• Why Major Sites Will Be Blacked Out On January 18, 2012

  jbeemiller

  17 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pm

  By Josh Beemiller, Director of Marketing Where are my sites? If you are trying to visit some of your favorite sites on Wednesday, January 18, you might be out of luck. Major sites such as Wikipedia, Major League Gaming, and the sites of the Cheezburger Network will be “blacked out” that day to protest the pending SOPA and PIPA legislation. Many other sites, while not participating in the blackout, are openly voicing their opposition to the bills. What are SOPA and PIPA? SOPA is the Stop Online Piracy Act. It is derived from the earlier bill PIPA, or the PROTECT IP Act. These acts were…

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  Deep Social Impact

• Steps in the Strategic Journey

  Ellen Remmer

  23 Jan 2012 | 10:19 am

  Whether you’re an advisor working to help a donor achieve more, or a donor interested in positioning yourself to move up the philanthropic curve, understanding the stages along the journey to more strategic giving can be quite valuable. In my last post, I described the stages that donors generally arrive at before becoming strategic, but what makes a donor more or less likely to progress from one stage to the next? And how can one tell when a donor is ready to take (or be nudged to) that next step? I provide several qualities below and, while some may consider this categorization of factors…

• What are ships for?

  Ellen Remmer

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am

  Since announcing our merger with The Boston Foundation a few weeks ago, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about why we merged, how it will work and what might change.   We’ve received many notes of congratulations and also a little head scratching.  Does this mean that TPI will only work in Boston?  What does this mean for TPI’s community foundation work?  What is this new animal anyway? Of course everyone knows that the one constant is that there is always change.  Certainly none of us could have imagined even 5 years ago how technology would transform giving and networking.  Or…

• The Development of the Donor – Stages in the Continuum

  Ellen Remmer

  5 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm

  The process and pace with which a donor develops into a strategic giver is difficult to generalize.  Some donors jump right into the pool with a strategic perspective and approach, while others never get there, dabbling forever in the shallow, safe end.  Some donors move smoothly through a linear progression of development, fueled by a variety of influences while others progress in starts and stops triggered by pivotal experiences and events.  TPI has found that there is simply no accurate way to predict what the path will be and how quickly the donor will develop. A typical comment we…

• A Great Time to Merge

  Ellen Remmer

  16 Dec 2011 | 10:48 am

  TPI announced some very exciting news yesterday.  In case you missed it, we’re merging with the Boston Foundation. We think that together we will be able to help both TPI clients and TBF clients do great things with their philanthropy and in the process, potentially prove a new model for the field at large.  We look forward to building on both organizations’ strong histories of innovation and ambition.   When TPI decided to proactively look for a merger partner 8 months ago, we looked very intentionally at the challenges to and success factors for a good merger.  Among the most…

• Moving from Donor to Strategic Investor

  Ellen Remmer

  12 Dec 2011 | 12:40 pm

  “Strategic philanthropy” – it’s the mantra of our field.  We’re all supposed to be one, or help others become one.  It’s the antidote to the all too common practice of writing checks to a long list of worthy charities which have knocked on our doors.  But how does a donor move from writing checks to becoming an engaged and strategic philanthropist?    For more than two decades TPI has worked with hundreds (and indirectly thousands) of donors to stimulate and support their efforts to become more strategic.  Our mission to increase the impact of philanthropy in society has…

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  Nonprofit Resource Memo

• Preschoolers, Parental Expectations and Obesity Trends

  M. P.

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:52 pm

  Understanding the trend in obesity among youth may require more consideration than blaming fast food, “lazy” parents and video games. It may require a more honest examination of the nature of the trade-offs that schools, child care centers and parents  have to make to balance the issues of safety, learning and physical activity.  We know that students are not getting adequate exercise during their physical education hours and that recess itself is a topic of debate, now a study indicates that preschoolers in daycare settings are not getting adequate amounts of physical playtime –…

• Federal Poverty Programs – What is Covered? What is at Risk?

  M. P.

  20 Jan 2012 | 2:15 pm

  Ron Haskins, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution is interviewed by Gigi Hinton in a recent @ Brookings podcast on what the non-decision by the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (or “super committee”) means to the nation’s poor. In the clip below from the @ Brookings Podcast of December 30, 2011, Mr. Haskins details what programs Congress has built protections for, what programs are at risk for cuts, and the level of partisanship around funding decisions for poverty programs (his impression may surprise some). Original Source: @ BROOKINGS VIDEO…

• Nonprofits and Social Media – No End in Sight

  M. P.

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:44 pm

  Backlash and second-guessing aside, social media use among nonprofits shows no signs of trailing off. In fact, some organizations are taking it to the next level by building their own online communities. In early 2011, over 11,000 nonprofits participated in a social network usage survey sponsored by NTEN, Common Knowledge and Blackbaud. The respondents were asked about their use of social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare, etc, as well as their own “house” social networks. Results of the 2011 Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Survey indicate that social…

• The Costs of Not Using Cost-Benefit Analysis with Crime and Justice Policy

  M. P.

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:02 pm

  Utilization of economic analysis to examine public policy and system operations just makes good sense, especially in this time of budget cuts, freezes and expectations for programs to do more with less.  Regardless of some of the rhetoric out there, I doubt that waste and overspending is favored by anyone. The expectation that organizations, whether they serve vulnerable populations or protect the community at large, will make sound fiscal choices is more than fair.  It only follows then that decision-making at the policy level is informed and supported by economic analyses.  After all,…

• Report: Child Homelessness Increased by Over 1/3 During the Recession

  M. P.

  11 Jan 2012 | 3:05 pm

  Over one and half million children (1 in 45) are homeless in America according to the December 2011 report, America’s Youngest Outcasts 2010, from The National Center on Family Homelessness. According to the data, during the latest recession – 2007 to 2010, homelessness among children increase by 38 percent, with just 5 states reporting a decrease in child homelessness during this period of time. Pennsylvania ranked 9th (out of 50, with 1 being best and 50 being worst) in extent of child homelessness and risk of child homelessness, and 21st in child well being, as well as in planning…

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  Momentum San Diego

• What 20 Hours With NOLA Can Teach Us All

  Deirdre Maloney

  23 Jan 2012 | 10:15 pm

  Last week I found myself in New Orleans. For about 20 hours. It was just enough time to roam the infamous French Quarter, kick around Bourbon Street, take a historical walking tour and head out to the next city. I’d never experienced New Orleans, Louisiana (or NOLA as the locals call it), but I thought [...]

• Face this Fact – Have a Better Year

  Deirdre Maloney

  9 Jan 2012 | 10:50 pm

  I bet you’re ready to kick a bad habit or two…perhaps add a healthy one for good measure. ‘Tis the season after all. As the new year officially gets underway many look ahead with a promise, a vow to make their lives better. Perhaps you’ve committed to manage your time better, to focus on the [...]

• What You Really Need to Shed in the New Year

  Deirdre Maloney

  27 Dec 2011 | 11:55 pm

  The new year is a time for cleaning out the clutter. It’s when we throw away the pants that no longer fit, the shirts that are out of style, the files we’ll never read. We resolve to get happier, to get healthier. We decide to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to shed those holiday pounds. [...]

• Lessons Learned From the Year’s Best Screw-Ups

  Deirdre Maloney

  12 Dec 2011 | 11:38 pm

  We all make mistakes. I make them all the time. (Want proof? Check out my lessons learned from a major meltdown post) Luckily most of my mistakes happen relatively privately, involving few people. Others aren’t so fortunate. Their mistakes occur smack dab in the public spotlight – for all to see and judge. Which means the [...]

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  Mission Connected Blog

• References: How To Get Great Input, Part Three

  Karen Alphonse

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am

  In parts One and Two of this four-part series, I outlined the “homework” required in order to best prepare yourself, a candidate and a reference for a formal reference interview. In this entry, details of the actual process, from questions to ask to delivering the results, are outlined. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• References: How To Get Great Input, Part Two

  Karen Alphonse

  16 Jan 2012 | 8:56 am

  In Part One of this series, I outlined the homework I do with regard to references before placing the formal reference checking call as it relates to the candidate. Today, that homework process continues to unfold with a focus on the references. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Recruiter As Partner In the Hiring Process: Part Three

  Karen Alphonse

  9 Jan 2012 | 8:54 am

  In this last installment of my three-part series, the focus is on initiating the search process and the role of a recruiter should you choose to use one. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• The Perfect Resume

  Karen Alphonse

  2 Jan 2012 | 8:52 am

  A good not-for-profit resume is concise, accurate and industry-friendly. It highlights your past successes, strengths and potential for growth. It shows commitment to mission which, in this sector, means social equity. It is a powerful, truthful document. And, when referenced along with your communications on the Web (LinkedIN/Facebook profiles, Twitter and blogs), a potential employer gains a clear picture of the value you will add to an organization. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Recruiter As Partner In the Hiring Process: Part Two

  Karen Alphonse

  12 Dec 2011 | 8:53 am

  Conducting a search for new talent is a cumbersome task. Trying to decide whether or not to involve a recruiter is another important, if not intimidating, aspect of the process. In my previous post, I outlined two specific areas of consideration with regard to determining the need and function of a recruiter for your position search: Defining the Opportunity and The Scope of Your Search. In this second of a three-part series, my focus is with regard to the talent you seek – defining the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

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  Ventureneer - Nonprofit

• Great News: Impact Investing Options Expand Locally

  Geri Stengel

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  I’m a long-time advocate of impact investing. It brings new money to the nonprofit world, supports social enterprises, and can provide services and products that would otherwise be unfunded or unresolved. read more

• Choosing Your Legal Form Is a Strategic Decision for Social Good Businesses

  Geri Stengel

  18 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  Social entrepreneurs -- those using business skills to accomplish social good -- have many choices these days. New York and California recently joined five other states in allowing social good to be given as much weight as corporate profit by approving Benefit Corporations in which the well-being of all stakeholders (employees, community, clients, environment), not just shareholders, are legally taken into account when decisions are made. read more

• Top 4 Web Pages Show Demand for Curation, Focused Resources

  Geri Stengel

  4 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  I try to practice what I preach so I keep an eye on my website metrics. And I’ve noticed some trends, the most notable being that people want easily accessed information about social media, aggregated in a useful collection. My most popular website pages were curated resources to help people learn about social media. read more

• Slum Dwellers Inspire Hope for the Future of Urban Poor

  Geri Stengel

  2 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  With gray skies and gray economic news, one could feel a bit dismal about 2012 and the prospects for a brighter world. Design with the Other 90%, an exhibit at UN Headquarters in New York City dispels that grayness. read more

• How to Choose the Right Social Enterprise for Your Nonprofit

  Geri Stengel

  26 Dec 2011 | 11:20 pm

  Once you’ve analyzed the pros and cons of starting a social enterprise and laid out the ground rules about what you can and will not do, it’s time to start the fun part: brainstorming what kind of social enterprise your nonprofit will undertake. read more

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  Pamela Grow

• The dirty little secret about donor retention “they” don’t tell you

  Pamela Grow

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:24 am

  We talk a lot in this industry about donor retention. All kinds of “Phantom Donor” testing occurs, such as Mal Warwick’s practice of sending a round of checks to twenty organizations to study the (usually unimpressive) returns. Articles turn up regularly on penning the perfect thank you letter, and whether a thank you letter should include an additional ask, and how many times and ways that you can thank your donors. So, what’s missing in this equation? It’s simple really.  You can’t really be a donor-centric organization without both a good database and solid protocols and…

• Consistency

  Pamela Grow

  10 Jan 2012 | 5:03 am

  Awhile back I was having a conversation with Mazarine Treyz of Wild Woman Fundraising. Do you know Mazarine? She is one awesome woman, smart, savvy and loaded with energy and good will. Anyway she said to me “Pam, I just love your consistency!” She was talking about my weekly enews, The Grow Report, which goes out like clockwork every Thursday morning. Why every week? Early on when I made the decision to launch an enews targeted specifically to “small shop” development directors, one of the biggest decisions I had to make was how often I would mail. Regardless of whether I mailed…

• More email marketing take-aways from Al Franken

  Pamela Grow

  22 Dec 2011 | 1:21 pm

  Senator Al Franken’s latest email, a holiday greeting from his family to you, has even more take-aways for the nonprofit marketer. How can you make your supporters feel a part of your organization’s “family?” Write in an open, personable style.  No jargon allowed. Share photographs. Use humor but keep it gentle. Creative use of the P.S. Related Posts:Al Franken is scathingly brilliant!Best of 20105 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year AppealThe Secret Millionaire | A nifty engagement page$48 Billion up for grabs – is your organization ready?

• Al Franken is scathingly brilliant!

  Pamela Grow

  14 Dec 2011 | 3:18 pm

  You’re a nonprofit fundraiser, right?  That’s why you’re here, am I correct? Take a look at the latest email to land in my inbox from Al Franken (click to read): Takeaways? A fun, breezy subject header.  One that makes you curious to open. It’s personalized A you-centered story, one that everyone can relate to A gradually escalating call to action And check out the P.S. Related Posts:More email marketing take-aways from Al FrankenThe Grow Report: Blogroll Week of March 21Free ebook: 7 Habits of Effective Personal FundraisersUsing your organization’s newsletter to…

• WOW your donors on autopilot

  Pamela Grow

  12 Dec 2011 | 4:19 am

  When this email from Cafe Press, wishing me a happy anniversary from the date of my first purchase with them, arrived in my inbox I thought “how easy would this be for nonprofit organizations to emulate?” Sure, if you’re the Lone Development Director, chances are you’re too busy to remember your own family’s anniversaries, let alone donors.  But what if you could implement something like this on autopilot? Simply sign up for a service, such as Send out Cards, and set it up for your donor to get an anniversary card on the date of their first gift to your…

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  The SocialPath

• Buying Guide to Client Payroll Software – White Paper

  vertex

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:11 am

  A new white paper has been added to our content library on the Vertex Systems website. This white paper was created for social services agencies with vocational employment programs that need a quality commensurate wage payroll application. Key quote from the introduction: Relying on paper time sheets, emails, and spreadsheets will prolong the data-gathering process, create errors, and often leads to missing hours or piece counts that will keep your clients from being paid correctly. You can eliminate these costly problems by implementing a new breed of project time-tracking payroll software…

• Our Latest Case Study on Occupations, Inc. Released

  vertex

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:59 am

  We have released a new case study! Drop by our Case Studies page on our main website and see how Occupations, Inc. in Middletown, New York, utilized the Client Payroll Manager from Vertex to solve their participant payroll and reporting problems! Money quote from the study: “We are thrilled with the confidence we now have that the productivity rate, prevailing wage rate, and piece rate calculations are correct and the clients are being paid accurately. We no longer have concerns about compliance fines. We no longer spend hours making corrections.” - Ron Colavito, Comptroller for…

• Blackbaud to Acquire Nonprofit Software Maker Convio

  vertex

  18 Jan 2012 | 7:43 am

  Good news or bad news for non-profits? The list of major nonprofit software vendors will grow smaller this year as the largest maker  of fundraising software to non-profit organizations has agreed to buy Convio. Convio provides fundraising software and is considered one of the last major challengers to Blackbaud’s market dominance. The concerns are reverberating through the nonprofit community because lack of competition can mean less innovation, higher prices, and higher support fees associated with the software that Blackbaud creates and manages. In the past, Blackbaud has acquired…

• Employment Incentives for Hiring Those with Disabilities (WRP)

  vertex

  17 Jan 2012 | 12:14 pm

  Winter may be in full swing, but on college campuses across the country, thoughts are already turning to the warmer months ahead.  And for many ambitious students and soon-to-be graduates, it’s not vacation that’s on their minds — it’s vocation.  And for employers, that’s good news. In addition to offering young people an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, internships and other short-term employment arrangements offer employers an easy and effective way to evaluate potential employees, especially young people who are new to the workforce. Now, assistance…

• Happy Martin Luther King Day

  vertex

  16 Jan 2012 | 7:59 am

  “On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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  Nonprofit Capacity Building by

• Which Is More Important—the Means or the Ends? Process, Impact and Outcome Evaluations by Priya Small

  Priya Small

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:40 am

  One of my childhood memories is of my fifth grade English teacher posing this question to us as she analyzed a piece of classical literature:  does the means justify the ends?  She qualified her question with, “I know you are too young to understand this, but one day you will.”  I wonder how many of us ask ourselves that question while evaluating programs.  In a way, we’re also asking, “Which is really more important to us—the means or the ends, that is, the process or the outcome?” Today we will review simple definitions of 3 types of evaluations:  process evaluations,…

• Some Guiding Principles for Your 2012 Goals by Marion Conway

  Marion Conway

  13 Jan 2012 | 9:02 am

  At my blog,  Marion Conway – Nonprofit Consultant,  I have just posted my annual list of resolutions for nonprofit leaders with recommendations from seven nonprofit experts.  This is the fourth year that I have prepared such a post and it is interesting to see the tone being set at the beginning of each year.   This year I’d say the tone is clearly  “Be the best you can be.”   It is upbeat and forward looking  – very encouraging.  Every year I am amazed by the breadth of the wisdom offered from the philosophical to the down to earth practical.  And this year, the…

• Four Differences between Research and Program Evaluation by Priya Small

  Priya Small

  8 Jan 2012 | 10:46 pm

  Program evaluations are “individual systematic studies conducted periodically or on an ad hoc basis to assess how well a program is working1.” What was your reaction to this definition?  Has the prospect of undertaking a “research study” ever deterred you for conducting a program evaluation?  Good news! Did you know that program evaluation is not the same as research and usually does not need to be as complicated? In fact, evaluation is a process in which we all unconsciously engage to some degree or another on a daily, informal basis.  How do you choose a pair of boots?

• How to Address Others’ Fears about Program Evaluation–Creating a “Culture of Evaluation” (Part 2) by Priya Small

  Priya Small

  24 Dec 2011 | 6:37 am

  Previously we covered part 1 of this post. Step 4: “Be the Early Bird…”– Plan Evaluation Early The best time to plan an evaluation is before program implementation has begun.  Plan evaluation during the program planning stage. This helps reduce back-tracking and helps to create a culture of evaluation more naturally.  This also prevents having to come in with dramatic changes later.  People tend to resist change, and late changes can create even more resistance to evaluation.  Dealing with such resistance can be likened to trying to turn a huge ship whose course has already…

• How to Address Others’ Fears about Program Evaluation–Creating a “Culture of Evaluation” (Part 1) by Priya Small

  Priya Small

  10 Dec 2011 | 6:01 pm

  Now that you: realize a few of the benefits of program evaluation (see “How to Maximize Funding by Tapping into Hidden Potential: Program Evaluation”) and have begun to address any fears you may have about program evaluation (see “How to Address Fears about Program Evaluation”) let us move on to the next step.  In this post we will focus on addressing others’ fears about program evaluation.  These “others” may include administrators, partners, program staff and participants.  As you know, such fears can be harder to address, and there is no cure-all.  But consider using a…

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  The Nonprofit Facebook Guy

• What Does Facebook’s Frictionless Sharing Mean?

  Facebook Guy

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am

  Frictionless sharing is Facebook’s new model for more digestible (both psychologically and technically) social sharing. In other words, Facebook has redefined sharing. There are two components to frictionless sharing: Gestures That Make Sense – Facebook is now allowing app developers to use gestures other than“like” for news feed stories. In the example above, it says that I just [...]

• How can I use Facebook Sponsored Stories to promote my Facebook Page?

  Facebook Guy

  26 Jan 2012 | 12:11 pm

  Sponsored Stories can help you reach your target audience on Facebook by leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations more effectively. For example, Like Story Ads can be targeted to friends of current fans. These friends of fans may have similar interests in what your organization stands for, but haven’t “expressed” them yet by liking your Page. Sponsored Stories [...]

• Get your burning Facebook questions answered this Friday

  Facebook Guy

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:10 am

  I’ll be conducting a completely free Q&A session on Facebook this Friday at 1:00PM (EST). All you have to do is post your questions on the Nonprofit Facebook Guy’s UStream tab in the comments section. At 1:00PM on Friday, I’ll be answering these questions one by one. Post yours before Friday!

• Facebook Places now include sub-categories

  Facebook Guy

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:02 am

  Facebook Places Pages now include sub-categories, with more granular information about your Place. You can select multiple sub-categories, allowing Facebook users to more easily find your organization on their mobile device or laptop. You can add sub-categories to your Place under the “Basic Information” tab of your Places Page.

• How to leave a video message on Facebook AFTER you die

  Facebook Guy

  19 Jan 2012 | 6:05 am

  What happens to your facebook profile if you die? if I die is the first Facebook application that enables you to create a video or a text message that will be published after you die.

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  The Wakeman Agency Blog

• Media Attention – Quick Tips to Help You Get More

  Jessica Epperly

  27 Jan 2012 | 5:57 am

  By Jessica Epperly   There are many ways to get media attention for your story. One of the best ways is to hire a public relations specialist with strong connections to the media. Journalists are notoriously hard to reach, but there are a few tricks of the trade that can help get their attention.   read more

• Twitter for Good - a Book Review Vlog

  Monica Clarke

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am

  By Monica Clarke Watch the Vlog that reviews Twitter for Good!  

• Marketing for Nonprofits – Why Events are Essential

  Katherine Turiano

  24 Jan 2012 | 11:47 am

  By Katherine Turiano   I believe the reason events are essential to non-profits is because they are able to raise awareness and funding for a non-profit's cause within one glittering gala night or mud-covered triathlon day. The Wakeman Agency is able to perfectly partner with your team to take on the production and publication of your events to allow your staff to manage the development and outreach you are best at, creating memorable events that make an impact. read more

• What I Didn't Learn in Journalism School

  Katie Cray

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:26 am

  By Katie Cray    As a proud Northeastern University alumnus (one of the best journalist schools, in my opinion), I can honestly say that I learned a lot in the classroom and through the co-op program. However, I didn’t learn everything. As beneficial as the co-op program was, nothing compares to jumping into the workforce without the safety net of returning to class the next semester. Everything is very idealistic and hypothetical when you’re sitting in a lecture, but sitting at your desk pitching your client to a reporter, in real life, is a bit different. read more

• Direct Marketing Tips in 2012 to Improve Marketing ROI

  Soo Dawson

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:25 am

  By Soo Dawson   You know and I know that direct marketing tactics can really backfire at times. I recently heard of a bakery owner in a small suburb who offered a deal on her Facebook page – order a cake by such and such date and you will get a second cake for free!   She ended up having to fulfill over 2,500 orders and lost $20,000 in labor costs and baking supplies.   What she probably didn’t anticipate was the overwhelming response to her promotion, and it ended up becoming a costly mistake for her. But many marketers fall prey to this type of poor planning from…

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  Event Fundraising Blog

• Talking Technology: Conversation Starters to Help Strategic Planners Break the Ice With Tech Pros

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:32 pm

  Know this: Your typical technology professional has spent his or her entire career trying to be perfect. Why? Because when tech solutions do what they’re supposed to do, no one seems to notice – but when they don’t, all hell breaks loose. The result? Technologists are loath to make assumptions or even recommend approaches. They tend to wait for instructions and then execute as best they can.On the other side of the (ill-advised) fence, folks making business decisions are reticent to foolishly make those decisions around what, to them, is often cryptic and even baffling…

• Peer-to-Peer Event Fundraising Tips

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:26 am

  Many summer peer-to-peer fundraising events will be opening registration in the upcoming months (hopefully, yours included).To get the most from your event this year, it’s important to realize that your participants are a diverse group and you need to speak to each group differently.Sending one-size-fits-all event update isn’t going to cut it anymore. You have to target each audience with a tailored message – one that speaks to them.Why?Your participants have different motivators, perspectives and needs. They also have varying levels of commitment to your event and…

• Reassuring Donors and Event Participant Fundraisers Through Transparency: Don't Be (RED)

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:52 am

  Last year, our Director of Marketing Therese Grohman told us about the (RED) campaign's successful formula in motivating donors using comparisons, such as how much life-sustaining AIDS medicine you can buy for the price of an extra shot in your Venti latte. Certainly no one would argue with (RED)'s finesse in persuading donors and partner companies, such as Starbucks, to help people in desperate need. However, the (RED) brand also serves as a cautionary tale for anyone doing good in the world: don't be opaque about your finances.The Persuaders, LLCIf you do a Google search of The Persuaders,…

• 10 Recommendations for Improving Event Production in 2012

  20 Jan 2012 | 11:30 am

  Those of us at Event 360 who focus on event production have one goal in mind: creating impactful experiences for participants. Here are 10 ways to do just that in the year ahead.1. Leverage technology.Event professionals can employ all kinds of technology to be more efficient and provide a better product. Use Google Earth to scout sites and lay out site plans to scale. Provide GPS for staff and volunteers to navigate routes more effectively. Incorporate barcode scanners for credentialing (e.g. you can scan in participants who have printed their credentials and brought them to the event).2.

• Why I'm Optimistic About Blackbaud's Acquisition of Convio

  17 Jan 2012 | 3:12 pm

  This morning’s announcement that Blackbaud has agreed to acquire Convio has certainly made the day more interesting. A surprise to me and most of my colleagues, clients, and partners, the press release has inspired more Twitter, email, and phone activity than I can remember in quite a while. Nearly everyone has asked the same questions: What will it mean? Is it a good thing, or a bad thing?Clearly it will take a while to understand the implications of the announcement, and much longer to observe how the acquisition and subsequent integration — strategic, operational, and…

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  Consortium of Foundation Libraries

• Friday Roundup

  Sophia Guevara

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am

  Here is a listing of articles published in the last 7-10 days that may be of interest:Health1. Minority males in California: Oakland hearings explore health of population; Huffingtonpost.com, January 20, 2011Brief Introduction: Today's hearing is being convened by the Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color in California. Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, D-Oakland, said he formed the committee to examine the adverse conditions that some black, Latino and Asian boys experience and their effects on state resources and agencies. It also will look at the connections among…

• What's new in Philanthropy

  Sophia Guevara

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  Articles of interest in philanthropy and nonprofits published in the last 10 days:1. How SOPA anti-piracy bill could affect nonprofits; Huffingtonpost.com, January 18, 2012Brief Introduction: A number of high-profile websites, including Wikipedia and Reddit, have shut down Wednesday to protest proposed anti-piracy legislation, and some experts say that nonprofits could benefit from joining the “blackout.”2. Nonprofits boosting Boston's coffers; Boston.com, January 21, 2012Brief Introduction: The city’s deep reservoir of nonprofits often do not pay property taxes, but make contributions…

• Friday Roundup

  Sophia Guevara

  20 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am

  Here is a listing of articles published in the last 7-10 days that may be of interest:Health1. Little change in U.S. obesity rates in recent years; Reuters.com, January 17, 2012Brief Introduction: Government researchers found that in 2009 and 2010, about one in three adults and one in six kids and teens were obese. The rates represent no change from 2007 and 2008 figures, and only a slight increase among specific demographics over rates from the late 1990s and early 2000s.2. Detroit Residents' stress still higher than healthy; The Sacramento Bee, January 11, 2012Brief Introduction: Although…

• What's new in Philanthropy

  Sophia Guevara

  17 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am

  Articles of interest in philanthropy and nonprofits published in the last 10 days:1. Gates Foundation study: annual teacher evaluations not enough; Reporternews.com, January 10, 2011Brief Introduction: Once-a-year evaluations aren't enough to help teachers improve, says a report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And school districts using infrequent classroom observations to decide who are their best -- and their worst -- teachers could be making some big mistakes, according to the second part of a multi-year study from the foundation.2. N.J. to test nonprofit- run schools in urban…

• Learning Session Scheduled for January 30th at 1PM - Lessons of a first time digitizer

  Sophia Guevara

  19 Dec 2011 | 6:49 pm

  Session Description: Lessons of a first time digitizer Most presentations provide "best practices" in undertaking digitization projects. In this case study, disclosures of two incorrect approaches will be discussed leading to a final correct outcome. This program is specifically geared toward solo librarians who have little or no experience in undertaking a digitization project. Please note that this presentation will not cover digital preservation. Presenter Biography: Jackie Kilberg has been a corporate librarian for over 25 years. During that period she served on the audit, membership and…

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  Grant Gopher

• How to Make the Most Out Of Bad Press

  RachelUnell

  20 Jan 2012 | 11:22 am

  So there you are, working your tail off. You’ve got your head down and you’re making some great progress on your organization’s strategies and programs. You take a break to enjoy your morning coffee and read the local paper. The next thing you know, you’re reading an article on the front page that has your organization in its crosshairs.

• Relationship Building at the Local Level: Why Bother?

  RachelUnell

  12 Jan 2012 | 12:01 am

  I see it all the time. Someone sees a need in the community, gets a few interested people together and forms a nonprofit organization for the purpose of addressing that need. Things go great initially because that’s the honeymoon period. Everyone is in love and the world is rosy and bright. Six months to a year later, reality sets in and things aren’t looking so good anymore.

• Mileage for Volunteer Service is Tax Deductible

  ggopher

  21 Dec 2011 | 8:18 am

  If your volunteers use their car in the course of doing volunteer work for your organization, they can take a deduction of 14 cents per mile driven while performing service.  This rate holds for 2011 and 2012. 

• How a Reimbursement Grant Can Destroy Your Nonprofit Organization

  Woody B

  6 Dec 2011 | 5:42 pm

  As I placed the telephone back into its recharging cradle, a melancholy feeling surged inside and I started regretting that I had even called for the interview. Her name is Louise. Louise asked me not to use her last name, or the name of the now defunct charity for this article.

• Navigating the Federal Grant Application Process

  Woody B

  1 Nov 2011 | 8:45 pm

  You’ve seen the guy on television, the rather hyper fellow standing in front of the Federal Building wearing a yellow jacket and pants plastered with question marks. He’s trying to convince you that Washington wants to literally throw good money at you for darned near any reason. Got a business that needs funding? He says there’s a grant for that. Got a kid in home-school? He says there’s a grant for that. Got a bone in your leg that’s at least a week old? There’s a grant for that.     No, there’s not. Conversely, for those who choose wisely, there are various forms of…

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  keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

• The W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Empowering Communities, Investing In Early Education

  National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  By Niki JagpalThe W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced recently that it will grant $5 million to the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC). ELNC is “vested in changing the current reality of vulnerable children. In order to create this change, ELNC is planning and designing an intentional preschool service system aimed at providing, expanding and sustaining the capacity of high quality early care and education programs in the vulnerable neighborhoods of Grand Rapids.” Kellogg was an early investor in ELNC and its work focused on developing a service…

• Is NCRP “Running into Trouble” with New Report?

  Kevin Laskowski

  24 Jan 2012 | 3:31 pm

  By Kevin LaskowskiNCRP’s Grantmaking for Community Impact Project documented more than $26.6 billion in benefits for taxpayers and communities in 13 states. A new summary of our work finds that, for every dollar grantmakers and other donors invested in policy and civic engagement, communities reaped $115 in benefit. But some are still skeptical of results such as these:Some philanthropy experts say the estimates are not a reliable measure of what charities can achieve. William Schambra, director of the Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal at the Hudson Institute says it’s too…

• Philanthropy News Watch: Jan. 16 - Jan. 20, 2012

  National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

  22 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am

  By Meredith BrodbeckBelow are some of this past week's notable news and postings on philanthropy and nonprofits:"Stop and Frisk": A Road to DisasterBy David Jones | The Huffington PostProtest Sapped of CashBy Jessica Firger | The Wall Street JournalGiving Grows Among Communities of ColorPhilanthropy JournalYoung People on Nonprofit Boards? Good Idea, but Know the LawsBy Rick Cohen | The Nonprofit QuarterlyMeredith Brodbeck is the communications associate at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).

• A New Year’s Resolution for Philanthropy

  Kevin Laskowski

  11 Jan 2012 | 1:05 pm

  By Kevin LaskowskiThe Chronicle of Philanthropy has a fine Outlook 2012, complete with challenges, donors and nonprofits to watch and New Year’s resolutions for the field:Great people’s movements are demanding new social contracts all over the world. The Arab Spring, the Occupy movement, and ongoing calls for social justice have inspired millions, yet U.S. philanthropy has remained largely sidelined and silent. We, in the foundation sector, resolve to stop being as irrelevant as we have been for so long. Because history will not absolve us, we commit to taking a hard look at the root…

• Children In Poverty: Philanthropy’s Opportunity to Contribute to the Safety of the Next Generation

  National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy

  10 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am

  By Niki JagpalMarian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, has a disturbing piece on the Huffington Post titled Poverty 2.0. In it, she relates the story of the economic turmoil confronted by one family, the Barretts, in New Orleans. As she notes, that this story is unfortunately a narrative that applies to so many hard working Americans who were on their way to moving into the middle class and have fallen behind over the last few years.What is perhaps most distressing are the statistics which she cites: The Census Bureau released in November its first report using a new…

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  Social Media Strategy for Nonprofits and Businesses

• Facebook Timeline Apps: New Way to Engage?

  Debra Askanase

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:07 am

    On January 18, Facebook introduced Timeline apps, along with a list of the first 60 Timeline apps that are approved and ready for Facebook users.  (A user’s profile is now his or her “timeline” of activities.) Timeline apps are the next iteration of Facebook’s Open Graph, Facebook’s way of connecting users to Facebook through real-time actions on the web. Facebook is promoting this as the new way to know what your friends are doing, in real time. I’m a bit more realistic: this roll out offers Facebook and application developers a lot of information…

• Using Twitter for Volunteer Recruitment: Jersey Cares

  Debra Askanase

  12 Jan 2012 | 6:27 am

    MLK Day of Service 2011, Jersey Cares Note: This is a guest post written by Sherry Lynn Fazio and Siobhan Tiernan, both of Jersey Cares. I met Sherry at the NYC Social Media for Nonprofits conference, where we serendipitously sat next to each other. She told me about how Jersey Cares had realized the power of Twitter for recruiting almost 1,000 volunteers to the Day of Service 2011, and felt passionately that any organization could do the same. How can Twitter work for you? Do you need more volunteers? Jersey Cares recruited over 1,000 new volunteers using Twitter in just one month.

• Rethinking the Annual Report for Video

  Debra Askanase

  4 Jan 2012 | 9:45 pm

  Three things I know about the nonprofit annual report: it takes a ton of time to put together beautifully, few people actually read it, but funders require it. The annual report is one of those pieces of communication and collateral that executive directors and development directors dread putting together because it is such a costly endeavor with relatively little return and short shelf life. It doesn’t have to be that way in the age of social. We’ve socialized constituent communication, websites, fundraising, and events…why not rethink the annual report into a social…

• Google+ Ripples: The Promise of Shared Intelligence

  Debra Askanase

  8 Dec 2011 | 7:45 pm

  Image courtesy of mdezemery, Flickr Creative Commons   (The blog post appeared previously on the ComMetrics blog. You can read it there, or read below for the full post.) Google+ rolled out its Ripples feature on October 27, with just a hint of data potential within Google+ for marketing and engagement. Google+ Ripples is really the first set of metrics we’ve seen from Google around Google+. It’s not enough, of course, but worth parsing because it hints at what is to come from Google. It also offers Google+ users relevant information about the use of circles, G+ influence,…

• Grinspoon Annual Conference: Sharing the Bright Spots of Effective Technology Use

  Debra Askanase

  1 Dec 2011 | 1:58 pm

  Rob Goldfarb, Development Director at Camp Laurelwood I presented at this year’s Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy’s annual conference November 13-14 in Springfield, MA, and walked away impressed with some of interesting things that camps are doing with technology. Kevin Martone, the Institute’s Technology Program Manger, wrote this guest post highlighting how three camps used technology creatively to meet their goals: online/offline relationship building through blogging and Facebook, engaging current families with an unique iPad/iPhone app, and social fundraising…

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  Nonprofit Branding Blog

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Reader Rebuttal to My Logo-Pen Rant

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pm

  I think imprinted logo-pens are a waste of money for a nonprofit.  This opinion was expressed in an earlier post Cost, Impact and Use of Logo-Pens. My friend Rob, a veteran promotional products salesman jumped on me for this heresy. … Continue reading →

• It’s Time to Pick High-Hanging Fruit!

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  17 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  The best response to an uncertain economy? Focus on high-hanging fruit.  Major Gift activity once terrified me.  I dug in my heels. Resisted participating in this aspect of my professional responsibility. Made up excuses. Refused to grow.  Whined a lot. … Continue reading →

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Communicate More and Better! Why? How?

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  10 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  We are exploring nonprofit management during a period of economic trauma. In the last post I said you should “…expect a drop in contributions from the marginally committed and from those with serious economic difficulties. One of the essential ways … Continue reading →

• Reality is calling. You must respond.

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  3 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm

  The burdens of nonprofit stewardship became heavier during this era of financial austerity. Revenue streams are threatened. Demand for service is increasing.  Nonprofit boards and executives face greater competition for resources, for volunteers and for market position. Just as happens … Continue reading →

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Future Topics; Challenges From Readers; Holiday Hiatus

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  13 Dec 2011 | 9:40 am

  “We have entered an era of national austerity. Wise nonprofit managers will adapt; inexperienced ones will falter!  Those that succeed will surely embrace basic techniques and abandon soft practices that always evolve during good times….” So begins a blog post … Continue reading →

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  Nonprofit Branding Blog

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Reader Rebuttal to My Logo-Pen Rant

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  24 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pm

  I think imprinted logo-pens are a waste of money for a nonprofit.  This opinion was expressed in an earlier post Cost, Impact and Use of Logo-Pens. My friend Rob, a veteran promotional products salesman jumped on me for this heresy. … Continue reading →

• It’s Time to Pick High-Hanging Fruit!

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  17 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  The best response to an uncertain economy? Focus on high-hanging fruit.  Major Gift activity once terrified me.  I dug in my heels. Resisted participating in this aspect of my professional responsibility. Made up excuses. Refused to grow.  Whined a lot. … Continue reading →

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Communicate More and Better! Why? How?

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  10 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  We are exploring nonprofit management during a period of economic trauma. In the last post I said you should “…expect a drop in contributions from the marginally committed and from those with serious economic difficulties. One of the essential ways … Continue reading →

• Reality is calling. You must respond.

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  3 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm

  The burdens of nonprofit stewardship became heavier during this era of financial austerity. Revenue streams are threatened. Demand for service is increasing.  Nonprofit boards and executives face greater competition for resources, for volunteers and for market position. Just as happens … Continue reading →

• NONPROFIT BRANDING: Future Topics; Challenges From Readers; Holiday Hiatus

  nonprofitbrandingblog

  13 Dec 2011 | 9:40 am

  “We have entered an era of national austerity. Wise nonprofit managers will adapt; inexperienced ones will falter!  Those that succeed will surely embrace basic techniques and abandon soft practices that always evolve during good times….” So begins a blog post … Continue reading →

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  Notations on Non-Profits

• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Institute: What I Learned

  Erin

  23 Jan 2012 | 9:55 pm

  Now that I’ve settled down from the weekend I wanted to briefly recount some things I learned at a conference  last week. Hosted by The Conference of Southwest Foundations at UT,  the 2-day conference boasted a veritable who’s who of the non-profit world. And took place in a beautiful hotel (*clicking heels* I will be [...]

• Privacy Policies For Non-Profits: Sample & Resources

  Erin

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:07 pm

  A few weeks ago, I did a podcast on privacy policies. Ironically, I’ve come across dozens of articles and posts on privacy law since then, addressing the logistics of implementing a privacy culture to companies getting popped for privacy violations. So it seems the topic is definitely a timely one. Today I decided to pull [...]

• Succession Planning Series Part III: Best Practices & Resources

  Erin

  7 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm

  Afraid we’re now coming to the end of our succession planning journey. In the first post, we addressed typical mistakes  organizations make when beginning succession endeavors. In the second post we briefly addressed legal issues you’ll want to be aware of regardless of what stage of succession planning you’re in. In this post, I’ll provide [...]

• Notations on Non-profts 2011 Review: The Five Top-Dog Blog Posts

  Erin

  31 Dec 2011 | 4:01 pm

  Not wanting to miss out of the air of nostalgia that seems to be going around I decided to put together a quick list of the top posts from this past year. And let me say what a year this has been. What started out as my attempt at post law school catharsis has truly [...]

• Succession Planning Series Part II: Legal Issues

  Erin

  26 Dec 2011 | 9:04 pm

  Before I move on to solutions and best practices, I wanted to make a quick detour on this Succession Planning voyage of ours (it’s my blog so I can do that *raspberry*). It’s important that I point out that there are legal considerations that must be taken into account  when devising a succession plan. These [...]

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  Nonprofit Brand Institute

• MacLaren Regional Medical Center Rebrands with New Name & Logo

  Howard Adam Levy

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:07 am

  Name and logo changes part of McLaren Health Care rebranding initiative Officials at McLaren Health Care announced today the rebranding of its subsidiaries to a common name–McLaren. “The rebranding initiative is part of McLaren’s strategic plan,” said Philip Incarnati, president and chief executive officer of McLaren Health Care. “Using one name will enable us to have a single identity that reflects the scope and impact of our organization across the state. It’s a testament of our commitment to make individuals healthier and communities stronger.” As…

• Latch Key Unveils New Logo

  Howard Adam Levy

  28 Aug 2011 | 1:16 pm

  The Pearl Griffin Memorial Latch Key Program has been operating for years, providing much needed after school care for kids. For years, Latch Key has been operating with a particular font lettering of the Latch Key name rather than a logo to identify them. To be more recognizable, the organization needed a logo – something that the community could identify them with and something that could convey their services. Early this year, the Latch Key board adopted a final logo design, featuring a tree with a key in the trunk and two children standing beside it. This simple, yet modern, design…

• Kellogg Co. Requests Nonprofit Change Its Logo

  Howard Adam Levy

  28 Aug 2011 | 1:16 pm

  Kellogg Co. has requested San Ramon, Calif.-based Maya Archaeology Initiative to quit using a toucan in its logo, claiming the image infringes on Kellogg’s Toucan Sam character and games. In the statement, Sarah D. Mott, legal counsel for the nonprofit, denied any infringement exists, saying the trademarks don’t resemble each other and the two entities are not in competition. “MAI’s trademark is made up of iconic images,” she said, according to Bloomberg. “Its toucan is based upon a realistic toucan endemic to Mesoamerica. Kellogg provides sugary cereal and…

• Former Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations Changes Name

  Howard Adam Levy

  21 Aug 2011 | 10:46 am

  After 25 years, the former Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations, based in Northeast Portland, has changed its name to Venture Portland. The organization is hoping to make stronger the city’s diverse neighborhood business communities. The name change reflects a push to encourage people to “venture out” into the city’s 50 neighborhood business districts, according to the group’s leaders. The name also aims to remind residents that neighborhood business districts provide more than 200,000 jobs and contribute to the city’s economy. Another…

• Renton, WA New Medical Alliance Formed

  Howard Adam Levy

  21 Aug 2011 | 10:36 am

  Valley Medical Center and UW Medicine, located in Renton, Washington, have formed a new alliance and unveiled a new logo. It’s the new logo that Valley Medical, UW Medicine and other parts of UW Medicine , such as Harborview Medical Center, will use to brand or market themselves individually or together as parts of UW Medicine’s “family.” The co-branding, which could take 18-14 months to complete, is a way to quickly indicate which medical services, special events or programs are offered at each of UW Medicine’s institutions.

• 

  Vistas: Geri Stengel’s Blog

• Great News: Impact Investing Options Expand Locally

  Geri Stengel

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  I’m a long-time advocate of impact investing. It brings new money to the nonprofit world, supports social enterprises, and can provide services and products that would otherwise be unfunded or unresolved. read more

• 3 Rules for Surviving as a Brick-and-Mortar Store in a Cyber World

  Geri Stengel

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  With online stores offering how-to videos, discussion groups, and a homey, we’re-among-friends shopping experience, how can small brick-and-mortar businesses compete? read more

• Choosing Your Legal Form Is a Strategic Decision for Social Good Businesses

  Geri Stengel

  18 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  Social entrepreneurs -- those using business skills to accomplish social good -- have many choices these days. New York and California recently joined five other states in allowing social good to be given as much weight as corporate profit by approving Benefit Corporations in which the well-being of all stakeholders (employees, community, clients, environment), not just shareholders, are legally taken into account when decisions are made. read more

• New Paradigm for Customer Service: Information, Sharing, and Being Yourself

  Geri Stengel

  16 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  Talking to Gen Xers and Gen Ys lately, I realize how dramatically e-commerce is changing retail business and customer service. Opening up a store used to require renting space, furnishing the store, and working arduous hours. The last is still true but not the first two. Businesses are thriving without a physical location. In fact, many are able to exist because they skip the fixed costs and upfront investment of a brick-and-mortar store. read more

• A Social Enterprise Learns, Grows From Its Mistakes

  Geri Stengel

  11 Jan 2012 | 11:20 pm

  Editor’s note: To help social entrepreneurs anticipate and avoid some of the problems of starting a social-good business, Ventureneer is doing a series of blogs about the progress of Greenway Grameen Infra, a social enterprise in India. When last I wrote about Greenway Grameen Infra, its non-polluting stove, fuel efficient stove for rural homes in India was just on the market and hopes were high that 50,000 units would be sold by March 2012. read more

• 

  goodness.biddingforgood.com

• Charitable Boldface Names of the Week

  Kaijsa Kurstin

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:33 am

  Celebrities and politicians dominate the news this time of year. With awards season underway and the Republican presidential campaigns in full swing, we thought we’d take a look at what some of the boldface names in Hollywood and in D.C. are up to in the world of philanthropy for our weekly round up. Mitt Romney Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney released his tax returns this week to much fanfare. While much focus was placed on his income level and tax rate, TIME magazine’s Dan Kadlec takes pause noting that Romney’s “charitable giving is extraordinary.”…

• Forward Thinking Nonprofits Implement Mobile Tools for Fundraising

  Kaijsa Kurstin

  26 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pm

  As many of our readers know, BiddingForGood has been traveling the country to talk to nonprofits about mobile bidding.  These seminars have been successful, as well as educational. Our recent Boston event was standing room only, with 200 nonprofit professionals engaged and armed with hours of questions how to incorporate mobile into their events. It appears we are not alone. I recently came across a company called MobileCause and decided to reach out to them. I wanted to learn exactly what it is they do and how they view the world of nonprofits and mobile technology. They are a…

• The Year of the Socially Conscious

  Kaijsa Kurstin

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:53 am

  This week we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and remembered his work as an early champion of social consciousness. With the New Year in full swing, 2012 is showing promise as THE year of socially conscious shopping and business. We’ve collected a few stories for you here in our weekly round up that demonstrate the consumer and corporate mind-shift toward social consciousness. A recent study mentioned in AOL Daily Finance revealed that “87% of American consumers surveyed believe businesses need to place at least as much weight on society's interests as they do on business…

• BiddingForGood's 'Getting to Know' Series: Lisa Besteni

  Brian Dangelo

  19 Jan 2012 | 12:01 pm

  I’m very excited to introduce the first post in our ‘Getting to Know… video blog series. I wanted to have an opportunity to sit down with a BiddingForGood employee to get to know them better both professionally and personally. So recently I interviewed Lisa Besteni, our Vice President of Operations. As you will see she is smart and really funny. Personally, after being on multiple projects together, Lisa is a great person to work with. She brings fun energy, knowledge and a calm demeanor into the B4G universe. She is also a favorite of many around the office to chat, have…

• BiddingForGood Employees Find Meaningful Work

  Perry Allison

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:50 am

  It's not all about the money or is it? How often have you listened to the people in your life talk about how they're looking for meaningful work? They want to live their life with purpose. They want to find meaning in their job as well as in the rest of their life. There are many professions that offer tangible rewards every day, tangible ways of having impact, of making a difference. There are the healthcare professions. It must feel meaningful to save people's lives everyday, right? There are a host of professions that fit that bill.  But how many of us can say that we have personally…

• 

  Business Giving Strategies

• How An Infographic Can Help Your Cause

  Susan Hyatt

  11 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm

  Have you ever wanted to profile your CSR/Philanthropy initiatives in a clear and concise way? Sometimes, the public doesn’t want to know your numbers, how long you’ve spent with a foundation and all the sticky details.  Sometimes, all the public wants is quick and easy way to read the facts.  2012 will be the year of CSR, philanthropy and charity utilizing social media tools.  What’s the hottest tool organizations are using?  Infographics. The There Is No Limit Foundation had a unique opportunity to work with a professional grade graphic design company.  Elefint Design…

• Your 2012 Community Involvement

  Susan Hyatt

  4 Jan 2012 | 8:15 pm

  Did you get your New Year’s Resolutions set for your company’s 2012 community involvement?  Did you set specific goals?  Did you develop a written action plan with goals, tasks, and responsibilities clearly defined?  If you did not do a plan yet, it is definitely not too late…start one today! The beginning of a new fiscal/calendar year is a perfect time to revisit your company’s community involvement mission and strategy and to make specific plans for the coming year.  If you don’t have a written plan, it is way too easy to dilute your impact by being all…

• The Denver Post: Strategy for Good Company

  Annie Smith

  2 Jan 2012 | 9:55 am

  The Denver Post is one of the inspiring companies interviewed for Susan Hyatt’s book, Strategy for Good. The Denver Post is Colorado’s first, most trusted source of information and market reach. Customers of the publication receive top-quality service and the best information, education and entertainment content in Colorado and the region. The Post is committed to producing an array of high quality, profitable core and niche products and services and providing the highest value to its readers, advertisers, and employees. The Denver Post is focused on touching thousands of lives in…

• Dagoba Chocolate: Strategy for Good Company

  Annie Smith

  29 Dec 2011 | 12:50 pm

  Dagoba Chocolate is one of the inspiring companies interviewed for Susan Hyatt’s book, Strategy for Good. Dagoba is an organic brand of high-quality chocolate, founded by Frederick Schilling in Boulder, Colorado, and now based in Ashland, Oregon. The firm’s commitment to creating deeply satisfying, sustainable chocolate grew out of Frederick’s realization that cacao production is all too often associated with rainforest destruction, loss of heirloom varietals, and producer poverty. Frederick regularly travels to producing countries to locate high-quality sources, establish direct…

• Corona Insights: Strategy for Good Company

  Annie Smith

  27 Dec 2011 | 12:45 pm

  Corona Insights is one of the inspiring companies interviewed for Susan Hyatt’s book, Strategy for Good. Corona Insights serves as a partner to clients needing to make decisions on a wide variety of topics. Based in Denver, Corona helps clients uncover the right answers to the questions most important to them, and then guide them on how those answers inform their decisions and plans. The firm’s mission is to provide accurate and unbiased information and counsel to decision makers. Corona works in all sectors of the community, including nonprofit organizations, private businesses,…

• 

  Christine Sculati's blog

• Nine state parks saved of 70, others deserted

  christine

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:33 am

  “California state parks belong to you, but not for long.” That is the message of the California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit supporting organization to California State Parks (Department of Parks and Recreation). On January 10, 2012, the foundation launched a public awareness campaign titled “Defend What’s Yours” with new videos. Six months from now, at least 61 of California’s 278 state parks will close – from historic museums to lands that protect sensitive wildlife habitats and prehistoric Native Californian sites. Some parks saved, others…

• Dreaming big, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  christine

  16 Jan 2012 | 5:31 pm

  Today, I honor one of the greatest visionary leaders of all time: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King demonstrated for us that well communicated ideas change the world. His 17-minute “I Have a Dream” speech delivered on August 28, 1963 was a defining moment of the American civil rights movement. In a book, titled “Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences”, Nancy Duarte uses Dr. King’s powerful I Have a Dream speech as a case study for how to create compelling and persuasive communications. She describes the speech’s “sparkline”…

• Time is running out for endangered California parks. Are state park closures legally defensible?

  christine

  9 Jan 2012 | 1:22 am

  China Camp State Park On January 1, 2012, hundreds of people celebrated New Years Day along the scenic bluffs and hillsides of China Camp State Park located on the shores of San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco. Visitors from Bay Area cities to Hong Kong wrote, “Save this Park” in the guest book of the park’s historical Chinese fishing village. China Camp, located in Marin County, is among 18 state parks in the Bay Area and 70 across the state identified in May 2011 for closure by the California Department of Parks and Recreation by July 1, 2012 due to a state budget crisis.

• The power of local: nonprofits and volunteers hope to rescue state parks

  christine

  29 Dec 2011 | 8:35 pm

  Bay Nature's January - March 2012 front cover: Rat Island, China Camp State Park, Marin County. Image courtesy of Bay Nature. Since September 2011, I have focused this blog on the unprecedented threats to California’s state parks and efforts by community volunteers, nonprofits, philanthropists and lawmakers to save parks now facing indefinite closure (Park funding crisis series). While covering this topic, I have connected with park volunteers, bloggers, advocacy organizations, hikers, climbers and others who are concerned. Some fear losing access to one of their favorite parks and…

• San Francisco’s beloved philanthropist was a problem solver, igniter and a catalyst

  christine

  23 Dec 2011 | 4:15 pm

  One of San Francisco’s most beloved philanthropists, Warren Hellman, died this past Sunday from complications due to leukemia at the age of 77. In The Bay Citizen article, “The Billionaire Who Loved Bluegrass,” Jane Ganahl describes how the Renaissance man, known mostly widely for the annual music festival that he bankrolled in Golden Gate Park, “spent as much energy distributing his wealth as he did acquiring it.” As an active philanthropist, Warren Hellman also spent a great deal of his time reaching out to friends and business colleagues to make the case for…

• 

  Nonprofit VOTE Blog

• Yesterday's Webinar Materials

  Sophie Lehman

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:19 am

  Thank you to everyone who joined yesterday's webinar, Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012! If you have additional questions for our featured presenter, Jeff Narabrook of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, you can contact him directly at jnarabrook@minnesotanonprofits.org.The webinar is now available on YouTube along with our other past webinars. Subscribe to the channel

• RSVP Now for Thursday's Webinar!

  Sophie Lehman

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:48 am

  There's still time to register for Thursday's webinar! With 2012 underway, it's important for your nonprofit to think about how you plan to register, educate, and engage voters. Join us for: Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012 Thursday January 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern In this webinar we'll discuss when, where and how to incorporate voter engagement activities into your

• Connecticut Looks to Expand Registration Opportunities

  Sophie Lehman

  18 Jan 2012 | 9:20 am

  On Monday, Connecticut Governor Malloy and Secretary of State Merrill held a press conference where they called for preserving and expanding access to voter registration. The governor is proposing legislation that would allow for online registration (with a valid and current driver's license), Election Day Registration, and for absentee ballots to be governed by statute—giving legislators the

• January Webinar: Making a 2012 Plan

  Sophie Lehman

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:33 am

  With 2012 underway, it's important for your nonprofit to think about how you plan to register, educate, and engage voters. Join us for: Plan Ahead: Building a Voter Engagement Timeline for 2012 Thursday January 26th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern In this webinar we'll discuss when, where and how to incorporate voter engagement activities into your work. We'll also help you develop and tailor a 2012

• Partner Spotlight: National Council of Nonprofits

  Sophie Lehman

  13 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm

  The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) supports nonprofit voter engagement efforts and believes that all nonprofits "have a right and a duty to be part of the electoral process"--particularly this year. NCN seeks to advance the role, capacity, and voice of nonprofit organizations through state and national networks, which is one of the reasons NCN partners with Nonprofit VOTE. Together, we

• 

  Full Contact Philanthropy

• Evaluating your organization’s use of metrics

  David Henderson

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am

  Evaluating organizational effectiveness is a growing sub-field of the social sector, with a slew of competing measurement frameworks. Something a lot of these frameworks assess is whether organizations make use of data management system. The idea is that an organization that has a data management system in place is more likely to be data savvy and to actively manage to outcomes. This might be a reasonable proxy for whether an organization actually incorporates evidence in its practice. But from where I stand, data only has value in so far as it helps an organization make higher impact…

• Data helps answer questions, it does not determine what questions should be answered

  David Henderson

  18 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am

  As the furor to incorporate metrics in the social sector grows, organizations are feeling the heat to get more data savvy. In principle, this is a good thing. Information should help inform decision making. But there is a big difference between information informing your agenda and allowing it to set it. Data should inform your answers to questions, but data sets should never determine what questions you seek to answer. Every organization grapples with a myriad of decision problems, from optimizing resource allocations to increasing the social impact of interventions. The natural role of…

• Measuring the social impact of blogging

  David Henderson

  30 Dec 2011 | 2:50 pm

  Professionally I do two things; I help organizations make high impact data-oriented decisions, and I write. As 2011 draws to a close, I reflect on another year helping a lot of great organizations increase their social impact, and a pile of blog posts that I hope help advance the social sector toward lasting change. Obviously I believe writing, and the exchange of ideas that comes with it, is important to the growth of our sector and advancement of solutions. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t write anything. But as someone who prefers evidence to anecdotes, facts to…

• Why predictions are so difficult to make in the social sector

  David Henderson

  28 Dec 2011 | 12:00 am

  As 2011 comes to an end and we look forward to 2012, pieces predicting what will happen in the coming year are popular in every industry, including the social sector. While making predictions is no easy task, not even for psychics, making predictions in the social sector is especially difficult. Most industries tend to have clear industry leaders. These organizations, like Apple, Chevron, and Wallmart are significantly large that they can in many ways move industries on account of their sheer size. In the social sector we have no clear market makers, with the exception of governments. But…

• Data is not information

  David Henderson

  21 Dec 2011 | 2:30 am

  For all the buzz about how data is supposed to change the social sector, there is scant evidence that revolution is truly underway. Certainly there are high-profit efforts to catalogue and aggregate data as social sector organizations are savvy to the importance of documenting their work and outcomes in databases. But moving data from our heads to paper to the cloud does not necessarily create value, much less social change. A recent article in GOOD asks “is solving nonprofits’ challenges as easy as creating maps?”. One of my company’s areas of focus is mapping social…

• 

  Start a Non Profit | How to Start a Nonprofit Organization | 501c3

• Non Profit Blog

  Simplenonprofit

  6 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am

  Non Profit Blog Communications One of the most important aspects of a successful nonprofit is how you get the message out to everyone about what your nonprofit does, its needs and success stories, and the easiest way to do that is through a non profit blog. By keeping everyone up-to-date about your nonprofit, its needs and successes, you can you get a continual following that will support your nonprofit.  Starting a non profit blog immediately once you decide to start a nonprofit can be one of the best ways to raise even the initial funding your nonprofit needs to get started. It is easy to…

• Fundraising Programs

  Simplenonprofit

  23 Nov 2011 | 11:18 am

  Fundraising Programs Whether you are just starting out with a nonprofit or you have been at it a while, fundraising becomes vital and that is where fundraising programs can help.  By engaging several fundraising programs you give donors and businesses several choices pick from when helping your nonprofit.  In addition, it also gives your nonprofit multiple donation streams that aid in funding stability. There is a huge variety of fundraising activities you nonprofit can embrace.  While some are complex, there does exist funding programs that are easy to implement and simple to manage.

• Christmas Donation

  Simplenonprofit

  8 Nov 2011 | 1:04 pm

  Nonprofit Christmas Donation Christmas is that time of year when everyone’s thoughts turn to giving to others and especially a Christmas donation.  33% of all donations happen in the month of December, is your nonprofit poised and ready with fundraising programs and the tools to raise a third of your funding for the year? Christmas is a special time of year not only for what the season represents but because people’s hearts are open to giving to others instead of themselves.  A Christmas donation makes every heart glad from the donor to the recipient that is impacted.  The…

• Expert Fundraiser

  Simplenonprofit

  18 Oct 2011 | 3:26 pm

  The Vital Expert Fundraiser Of the roles vital to a nonprofit’s success, none are as important as the staff or director who agrees to become the expert fundraiser.  For a nonprofit to achieve the financial success it needs to have to accomplish its mission statement, at least one person needs to become passionate about fundraising.  Without an expert fundraiser the organization will not have the funds necessary to conduct business and the nonprofit will fail. Expert Fundraiser Qualities It does not take someone with highly developed marketing skills to become a good fundraiser.  Most…

• Fundraising Help

  Simplenonprofit

  6 Oct 2011 | 3:29 pm

  Fundraising Help Success As stated many times in my fundraising help articles, fundraising is vital to a nonprofit’s success.  There are hundreds of different ways to find funding for a nonprofit however some are better and quicker than others. There is no debate, the attrition rate in new nonprofits is high.  Many times the difference in a nonprofit having the time to succeed is grounded in successful fundraising.  Simple Nonprofit.com helps thousands of nonprofits each week around the world learn how to easily start, fund and run a successful nonprofit.  However, it is also…

• 

  Notations on Non-Profits

• 2012 Nonprofit Organizations Institute: What I Learned

  Erin

  23 Jan 2012 | 9:55 pm

  Now that I’ve settled down from the weekend I wanted to briefly recount some things I learned at a conference  last week. Hosted by The Conference of Southwest Foundations at UT,  the 2-day conference boasted a veritable who’s who of the non-profit world. And took place in a beautiful hotel (*clicking heels* I will be [...]

• Privacy Policies For Non-Profits: Sample & Resources

  Erin

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:07 pm

  A few weeks ago, I did a podcast on privacy policies. Ironically, I’ve come across dozens of articles and posts on privacy law since then, addressing the logistics of implementing a privacy culture to companies getting popped for privacy violations. So it seems the topic is definitely a timely one. Today I decided to pull [...]

• Succession Planning Series Part III: Best Practices & Resources

  Erin

  7 Jan 2012 | 3:34 pm

  Afraid we’re now coming to the end of our succession planning journey. In the first post, we addressed typical mistakes  organizations make when beginning succession endeavors. In the second post we briefly addressed legal issues you’ll want to be aware of regardless of what stage of succession planning you’re in. In this post, I’ll provide [...]

• Notations on Non-profts 2011 Review: The Five Top-Dog Blog Posts

  Erin

  31 Dec 2011 | 4:01 pm

  Not wanting to miss out of the air of nostalgia that seems to be going around I decided to put together a quick list of the top posts from this past year. And let me say what a year this has been. What started out as my attempt at post law school catharsis has truly [...]

• Succession Planning Series Part II: Legal Issues

  Erin

  26 Dec 2011 | 9:04 pm

  Before I move on to solutions and best practices, I wanted to make a quick detour on this Succession Planning voyage of ours (it’s my blog so I can do that *raspberry*). It’s important that I point out that there are legal considerations that must be taken into account  when devising a succession plan. These [...]

• 

  Engaging Volunteers

• 5 Ways to Help Your Board & Volunteers Get the Tax Deductions They Deserve

  Shari Ilsen

  26 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm

  Guest post by Tobi Johnson This article originally appeared on Tobi’s Nonprofit Management Blog. It’s that time of year, where we (in the US) wait eagerly for our wage, income, and tax statements to arrive and we scramble to find all those receipts we need to complete our federal tax returns. Why not help your volunteers get all the deductions they have coming? 5 Ways You Can Help Volunteers with Taxes Educate them about what they can and cannot deduct. – For example, if they have to buy specific uniforms or equipment (i.e., tools, office supplies, etc.) that you do not…

• Use Social Media to Get Volunteers and Donations in One Fell Swoop

  Shari Ilsen

  25 Jan 2012 | 11:21 am

  Guest post by Melissa Crossman Social media: a multi-pronged attack. If there’s one response guaranteed to make any volunteer manager cringe, it is “but no one ever asked me.” Though you know you’ve done all you could to engage potential volunteers while retaining those already involved, there’s value in teasing out the real meaning of this dreaded response. At the heart of connecting with your volunteer base is and always has been identifying that motivational factor that matches your group’s need. Often what volunteer organizers find is that they ask too…

• Fighting Hunger Together: VolunteerMatch and Walmart Foundation Team Up to Kick Hunger to the Curb

  Shari Ilsen

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:48 pm

  In today’s economic environment, the work nonprofits are doing to fight hunger is more important than ever. That’s why VolunteerMatch helps these organizations to find thousands of volunteers who share the sense of urgency, compassion and care that’s needed to help those who go to bed hungry at night. The Walmart Foundation also recognizes the importance of our nation’s hunger-fighting organizations. And today, with funding provided by the Foundation, we’re excited to announce a new program to give hunger-related nonprofit organization more support for their…

• Secrets Revealed: The Best New Resource for Volunteer Recruitment

  Shari Ilsen

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:49 pm

  Do you sometimes have trouble finding the volunteers you need for your organization? Don’t you wish there was a way you could pick the brains of dozens of other volunteer managers who have triumphed over similar issues? Volunteers are not ‘free,’ we pay them with conversation and listening. ~ Diane Cameron Announcing the newest nonprofit resource from VolunteerMatch: “101 Volunteer Recruitment Secrets.” This document is a collection of tips related to volunteer recruitment that we gathered in late 2011 from our extensive community of nonprofit professionals. You…

• VolunteerMatch’s Dream

  Shari Ilsen

  20 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pm

  This article is part of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival. Among national holidays, Martin Luther King Jr. Day holds a special place in our hearts here at VolunteerMatch. As a man who dedicated himself, his time and his resources to his dreams, he seems to us like the ultimate volunteer. And in 1994 when Congress designated the day as a national day of service, it became even more meaningful and relevant to the VolunteerMatch community. Now is a time for us to renew our determination to work towards achieving our own dreams. With that in mind, we created this video to share our dreams with you.

• 

  Nonprofit Tech 2.0 Blog :: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits

• 22 Must-Circle Nonprofits on Google+

  nonprofitorgs

  23 Jan 2012 | 7:28 am

  As a follow-up to Google+ Best Practices for Nonprofits and 22 Must-Circle Nonprofit Bloggers and Resources on Google+, below are 22 nonprofits that are regularly using Google+ effectively to engage and inspire the Google+ community. As traffic continues to grow,  new tools and functionality are added almost daily. Google+ is definitely a work in progress. Most nonprofits are still experimenting to discover their Google+ voice and hone in on a frequency of publishing content to the stream that makes Google+ both viable long-term and worth the time spent exploring Google+. To me, the Google+…

• Nine Nonprofits Offering Timeline Covers for Their Facebook Fans

  nonprofitorgs

  22 Jan 2012 | 1:14 pm

  The new Facebook Timeline design is now available for upgrade to all Facebook users. The design was meant to be rolled out site wide in December 2011, however a lawsuit with Timelines.com is prolonging the mandatory switch – most likely only temporarily. Whatever your personal feelings are about Facebook Timeline, nonprofits would be wise prepare for it’s launch site wide including a likely timeline design for Facebook Pages. That the timeline design will be applied to Facebook Pages is only a gut feeling of mine (and many others) based on watching Facebook roll out multiple…

• HOW TO: Get Your Nonprofit Started on Pinterest

  nonprofitorgs

  16 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am

  When Mashable first started buzzing about Pinterest in December 2011, I took a quick look at the site and thought to myself, “Shopping, crafters, and foodies. Not relevant to the vast majority of nonprofits and (whew!) not another site I need to pay attention to.” Now, just two weeks into January, I am completely addicted to pinning boards for social good on Pinterest. I haven’t been this hooked on a new social networking site since I first got on Twitter in June 2008, and based on recent data released by comScore and Hitwise, Pinterest traffic is soaring. Consequently,…

• Google+ Best Practices for Nonprofits

  nonprofitorgs

  8 Jan 2012 | 7:46 am

  UPDATED 1/8/12: Thanks to the launch of Google+ Pages for brands, Google+ traffic hit an all time high in December 2011 and it’s likely that the trend will continue in 2012. If your nonprofit has yet to get on Google+, now would be a very good time to start. If your nonprofit is already on Google+, then the best practices below are meant to help you better learn how to tap into and inspire the Google+ community. Please note that these best practices will be a work in progress and updated regularly. To be alerted of when new best practices are posted, please subscribe to the Nonprofit…

• 11 New Year’s Resolutions for Nonprofit Social Media Managers

  nonprofitorgs

  3 Jan 2012 | 7:12 pm

  There’s no shortage of year-end-and-beginning blog posts about social media, but I thought I’d throw mine into the mix as well. I took some much-needed time off in December and was able to spend some down time reflecting on the future of social media and mobile technology for the nonprofit sector. The truth is I think it has only just begun and that we’re on the cusp of a radical transformation in how we use the Internet in our personal and work lives as well as how we use it to foster social good. But first steps first… 11 New Year’s resolutions for nonprofit…

• 

  Socialbrite

• 5 tips to help you create visually stunning websites

  Guest

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:22 am

  Image by Angela Waye for BigStock   How to turn your nonprofit’s website into an engaging, high-traffic destination Target audience Nonprofits, NGOs, cause organizations, social enterprises, businesses, brands, Web publishers, Web programmers. Guest post by Al Lunt for TechSoup Holding the interest of new visitors and encouraging them to explore the website is important for nonprofits for a simple reason: They are an idea, an encapsulation of your nonprofit’s mission and goals. And that requires careful consideration of the visual factors that will keep users on your website long…

• Does Facebook work for fundraising?

  John Haydon

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:28 am

  The difference between fundraising with Facebook and collecting donations with Facebook Target audience: Nonprofits, foundations, NGOs, social enterprises, cause organizations. Are nonprofits raising any money with Facebook? The answer really depends on how you define fundraising. I recently appeared as a guest on Tony Martignetti’s NonProfit podcast. The topic of this particular podcast was how nonprofits can best use Facebook. One thing Tony and I talked about was the difference between fundraising with Facebook and collecting donations with Facebook — and how understanding the…

• First steps in measuring impact for your nonprofit

  Guest

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:25 am

  Image by Eraxion on BigStockPhoto.com Guest post by Julie Macalik Greenlights for Nonprofit Success The first step in starting to measure your impact is to identify the major outcomes that you want to examine. To be successful you’ll need full management support and a dedicated key project lead for your team. This person will take the helm on laying out tasks in a sequence, informing other staff of their roles and assignments, and providing assistance to people as they complete their parts of the evaluation. The standard nonprofit data points come from fundraising, communications,…

• How to use Facebook as an administrator vs. as a person

  John Haydon

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:29 am

    Tips for how to toggle between your Facebook Page and personal profile Target audience: Nonprofits, foundations, social enterprises, cause organizations, NGOs, brands, businesses, Web publishers, educators, journalists, general public. Facebook is a raging river most days. And that raging river can either feel like an exciting ride or a complete terror. One thing that makes a huge difference is whether you can tie your tiny raft together with other rafts so that together, you achieve more than you could as individuals. This video shows you how to Facebook (verb) as a Page: How to log…

• A day of social media at the United Nations

  JD Lasica

  23 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Target audience: NGOs, nonprofits, foundations, social enterprises, cause and advocacy organizations, educators, general public. We’re still winding down after a whirlwind day Friday at the United Nations. At the invitation of Amine Lamrabat, Socialbrite sent Shonali Burke and myself to give a presentation on how NGOs (international nonprofits, chiefly) working with the UN can use social media to create impact and advance their causes. Our presentation to United Nations NGOs.This was one of the most rewarding and invigorating gatherings I’ve attended in quite some time, for both…

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  Cycling Against Cancer

• PMC 2012 – Let’s Do This!

  Jason Davis

  10 Jan 2012 | 11:22 am

  Dear friends, Today I’ve committed to raising money for cancer research by riding in the 2012 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), an annual bike-a-thon across Massachusetts that raises money for research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DCFI) in Boston. In fact, the PMC raises more money for charity than any other single event in the country, $338 million since 1980 and $35 million last year alone! Like last year, it’s a three-day PMC for me and some teammates. We will ride 300 miles in 3 days from the New York Border to P-Town! Last year you guys were amazing and we donated…

• From Billy Starr: A Story That Resonates

  Jason Davis

  13 Sep 2011 | 11:18 am

  Dear PMCers, With the permission of the family, I am sharing the story of one rider’s commitment in the face of a dire diagnosis. Her story moved all of us at the PMC office and I believe it will move you as well. The story is part of the fabric of our culture and the reveals the bittersweet nature of our work. Three years ago, at the age of 37, Traci Blais Thomassen, of Pawtucket, RI was the picture of health. She ate right, exercised regularly and even placed in her age bracket in a few road races. So, when she went to the emergency room for pain and swelling in her abdomen she fully…

• The “Evangelical Oncologist”

  Jason Davis

  2 Aug 2011 | 5:22 pm

  From the PMC website: On February 13, 2007 Dr. Samuel Blackman, pediatric oncologist at the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Children’s Hospital, gave an inspiring talk to 1st year riders from the 2006 PMC who also achieved the Heavy Hitter level in their 1st year. He was introduced by Jothy Rosenberg, a two-time cancer survivor who gave up his leg at age 16, and then a half of one lung at the age of 19 to survive his cancer. Dr. Blackman, followed with this amazing speech, which I have titled the “Evangelical Oncologist”.  Enjoy it, I certainly did. PMC 1st Year Heavy Hitter…

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  Wow! Goodwill

• A Goodwill for Ballantyne!

  goodwillsp

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:28 pm

  An interior shot of the new Ballantyne Goodwill Tomorrow, we are opening the doors to our newest Goodwill Center in Ballantyne! The new retail store and donation center, located at 16025 Lancaster Highway, is the 21st store in our region. We couldn’t be more excited to become part of the Ballantyne community. We would love to have you join us for tomorrow’s festivities. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m., followed by music, giveaways and other festivities from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Doors will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. and shoppers will have a chance…

• Sneak Peek: Spring fashion trend hit list

  goodwillsp

  24 Jan 2012 | 4:08 pm

  Rachel It’s barely winter, and I’m already focused on spring. I’m not alone — fashion magazines and retails stores are rolling out the gauzy sweaters, sandals and sweet summer dresses. I’m not purchasing just yet, but evaluating what I’ve got that will work in the coming season and also identifying which trends I’m going to judiciously incorporate into my wardrobe. Here’s what’s on my hit list for spring 2012. And of course, I’m going to start my search at Goodwill. Athletic: Boxy cuts, mesh and Flashdance-inspired sweatshirts? Heck yeah. Sporty elements are playful…

• It’s graduation day!

  Lelia King

  20 Jan 2012 | 3:36 pm

  We made history this morning at the Charlotte Museum of History, where we celebrated with 52 new graduates of our Occupational Skills Training programs in Banking & Customer Service, Hospitality & Tourism, and Construction & Green Jobs! A Goodwill graduate pauses for a photo with her proud daughter! Each class elected a representative to share their personal stories with the group. “As an MBA holder, most people felt I was overqualified for the program but I disagree,” graduate and Banking & Customer Service class speaker Nah Darkwah said. “I had the academic…

• Guest Post: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

  goodwillsp

  17 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am

  Kim Gallery walls are a unique way to decorate your walls that can be completely customized and original. You can mix different mediums, like mirrors, frames and other forms of wall art….or keep it simple using all frames. Black frames keep this consistent pattern eye-pleasing Mix frames with mirrors, artwork or photos for a unique collection I love the black painted background that showcases this gallery! There are many tutorials or guides you can find online to help you start to plan your arrangement. Here are two I found: Courtesy of A Typical Type A blog (click on image for link)…

• 2011 Tax Prep Tips

  goodwillsp

  16 Jan 2012 | 1:01 pm

  Jaslyn January: It’s cold, it’s dark, and it marks the beginning of tax season! Filing your income taxes can be stressful, especially if you or someone in your family dealt with unemployment or career uncertainty in 2011. However, tax season doesn’t have to give you the blues. Beginning tomorrow, January 17, Goodwill is teaming up with the IRS and the Family Financial Literacy Coalition (FFLC) to serve as a site for Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for Mecklenburg County taxpayers. Why would Goodwill care about your taxes? We know that it’s important for families…

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  Blog

• Overscheduling vs. Underscheduling

  15 Jan 2012 | 6:56 pm

  Shawn Kendrick, VolunteerHub.com Scheduling just the right amount of staff for an event can be difficult. Underscheduling has its obvious problems and is what volunteer coordinators worry about the most. However, overscheduling, with its own set of issues, can be just as problematic. Below we’ll discuss some of the challenges presented by each. Underscheduling Not having enough people to run an event properly is almost every volunteer coordinator’s nightmare. And rightfully so: if you don’t have enough manpower, you take a lot of risks. If there aren’t enough helpers to execute tasks,…

• Prelude Interactive Spotlights VolunteerHub Blog Team

  12 Jan 2012 | 8:22 am

  In order to successfully recruit, manage, and maintain a dedicated volunteer base, a nonprofit must stay ahead of the times by adapting to new challenges that come along.  In the field of volunteerism, there are several trends that volunteer organizations should be prepared to face in the coming year.  From the growing number of baby boomers reaching retirement age to the increased desire of volunteers to stay connected through social media – nonprofit staff members need to consider one question: Are we ready?  Learn more about these important topics and how your organization can better…

• Approaches to Volunteer Scheduling

  1 Jan 2012 | 6:42 pm

  Shawn Kendrick, VolunteerHub.com When it comes to volunteer scheduling, most coordinators fall into one of two camps. First, there’s the traditional or “top-down” approach, which essentially puts all the finalizing of schedules into the hands of one or a few key individuals. The other is a newer approach called “self-scheduling,” which uses volunteer scheduling software and ultimately allows the volunteer to decide where he or she will be scheduled. Of course, both have their pros and cons. Below we’ll take a look at how the two philosophies differ, as well as some of the…

• VolunteerHub Implements Wiki-Based User Manual

  22 Dec 2011 | 7:52 am

  In an effort to better serve the needs of our clients, we’ve made some big improvements to VolunteerHub’s documentation.  We’ve implemented a brand new wiki-based documentation system that provides users with valuable tools such as a step-by-step tutorial for using VolunteerHub’s software, an FAQ page, and more.  The wiki-based format enables us to make more frequent updates to the documentation.  As an added bonus, we’ve added the option for you to provide feedback on topics within our documentation system.  If you come across a topic that needs more explanation, simply click…

• Email Marketing for Nonprofits

  15 Dec 2011 | 5:55 pm

  Shawn Kendrick, VolunteerHub.com With the proliferation of Facebook, Twitter, and now Google Plus as electronic communication methods, the “old fashioned” email is often forgotten. However, take a quick look at your inbox. You still get tons of email every day, right? Chances are you have at least a couple of electronic newsletter/email marketing items in there. And you probably even look forward to reading at least a few of them. Nothing against social networking (we all love it), but sometimes people need to communicate with fully-formed sentences and ideas. That’s why a well-designed…

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  Front Range Source

• Improve Your Fundraising Plan with Post-it Notes and a Really Big Wall

  Ann Goldman

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:35 pm

  Fundraising planning does not begin with a calendar.  A list of activities and associated dates is the final stage of a good plan, not the beginning.  But, once you get there, how you manage the calendaring process can really mean the difference between “business as usual” and a darned good plan. But first, be sure to create your plan in the right order: 1.         Assess How did things go for you last year?  In addition to comparing financial goals to results, ask yourself things like:... Read the rest...

• Missing Your Lapsed Donors? How to Get Them Back

  Leslie Allen

  19 Jan 2012 | 11:46 pm

  I love to think about lapsed donors this time of year.  It’s like contacting an old friend and saying, “Hey – I didn’t hear from you this year, what’s going on?” And the great thing is, if you do something – you’ll get some of your friends to come back. Lapsed donors (donors who haven’t given to your organization for at least a year) represent some of your warmest prospects for giving this year at any level.  Yes, you can go out and buy some... Read the rest...

• 2012: My Glass is Half Full

  Ann Goldman

  12 Jan 2012 | 11:32 pm

  More demand, fewer resources.  That’s the prediction for 2012.  I guess there’s something to the term the “new normal.”  We sigh.  We keep on keeping on.  And, in some cases, we get excited anyway.  I’ve read the analysis, which I’ll share with you in a moment, but I’m in a glass-half-full mood today.  Why?  Because Leslie and I spent yesterday with a consortium of emergency assistance providers and they are as focused and creative as they’ve ever been.  This morning, we met with a global... Read the rest...

• Navigating 2012: A Month by Month Guide

  Leslie Allen

  5 Jan 2012 | 7:17 pm

  You gotta love calendars. Some inspire you to travel to far away places; some teach you a word a day; and so many provide a dose of loveliness even as the days and the tasks march on.  But the best calendar of them all?  A fundraising calendar!  It’s a must-have for any busy fundraiser who gets pulled away from their plan by this rush proposal or that board report. A full fundraising calendar is very detailed and is tailored to the needs of each organization,... Read the rest...

• Before You Leave the Office This Week…

  Leslie Allen

  21 Dec 2011 | 12:29 am

  Before you leave your desk behind and head home to celebrate the upcoming holidays, we want you to think about doing four things: 1.  Be sure your donors have a way to reach you over the next 10 days:  If you’re not in the office next week, consider ways that your donors can contact a live person every day from December 26 through the 31st with any question about donations.  You can leave an alternative number on your organization’s answering machine, roll your office phone... Read the rest...

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  Habitat for Humanity Santa Barbara Blog

• Drop Off Your Donations - It's Easy!

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm

  All products and materials in the ReStore are donated by organizations and individuals who support Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County. Donating to the ReStore is Smart, Green, and Good!Smart - All donations are tax deductible! We will provide a tax receipt for all donations.Green - Donating used items that are still in usable condition keeps them out of our local landfills. Good - All sales from the ReStore go directly back to Habitat for Humanity in Santa Barbara and help cover our administrative costs. This allows us to use money raised to fully cover the…

• Interested in becoming a Habitat Homeowner?

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

  25 Jan 2012 | 4:16 pm

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County will begin the application process for the 12 new homes which will be built on Canon Perdido Street. Habitat will be holding a number of information sessions for prospective Habitat homeowners across the community in the month of April to go over the application process and eligibility requirements. All interested applicants must attend one of these sessions to receive a full application packet. Saturday, April 14 at 9:00 AM East Side Library1102 East Montecito St., Santa Barbara, CAThursday, April 19th at 6:00 PM Grace Lutheran…

• Recycle a used vehicle

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

  24 Jan 2012 | 3:52 pm

  Do you have an older car, truck, van, trailer, RV or boat taking up valuable space in your driveway? If you live in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, Summerland, or Carpinteria, your car donations can support Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County's local mission of eliminating poverty housing and homelessness and save you the time and energy of finding a buyer.By donating a car to Habitat's vehicle donation program, you can help Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County build houses in partnership with families in need of a hand up, not a hand out. Your donated…

• Thank you Verizon!

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:09 pm

  Last Friday Verizon Wireless sent a great group of volunteers to help in the Habitat ReStore. Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County loves welcoming corporate groups to help in the ReStore as it offers our staff a chance to get large projects completed. As the phrase goes, many hands make light work! The Verizon crew was no exception. They were hard-working, cheerful, and willing to work. Join us in thanking them for their commitment to Habitat for Humanity and helping in our mission of building affordable homes in partnership with low-income families.

• Family Selection for 12 Canon Perdido homes

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pm

  Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County will begin accepting applications for the 12 new Canon Perdido low-income homes later this spring. If you would like to be added to our list to receive more information on how to qualify, and the application process, please contact us at 692-2226 or mail@sbhabitat.org How are families selected? Habitat provides homes for people who have low-to-very low income status. The total annual income must be between 40-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Examples for 2011 below. Note: figures subject to change. 1 person family total…

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  forimpact.org

• Fully Engaged Talent

  Tom Suddes

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:16 am

  Only 14% of people are FULLY ENGAGED at work!!! Talk about back-up/real research to support ‘WRONG PEOPLE OFF THE BUS’!! HR Consultant Towers Perrin surveyed 85,000 workers at large and mid-size companies in 16 countries. THE SURVEY RESULTS: VERY FEW PEOPLE GO THE EXTRA MILE!!! • 14% (!) of workers are FULLY ENGAGED on the job (willing to go the extra mile for their employers, doing more than their job description requires, etc.) • 62% (!!) are ‘MODERATELY’ ENGAGED. • 24% (!!!!) (the remainder) are DISENGAGED! That’s 86% of ‘employees’…

• Screw the Interview

  Tom Suddes

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pm

  Every organization I know is struggling with ‘HIRING’ issues. The Big Idea: INTERVIEWS are a worthless waste of time when it comes to decisions on TALENT. I extrapolated this idea from an article, Why It May Be Wiser to Hire People without Meeting Them, by Dan and Chip Heath (authors of MADE TO STICK) in a June, 2009 FAST COMPANY. The real nugget for me in this was the idea of the ‘SIMPLE JOB TEST’. *The Heath’s even use a ‘nonprofit‘ as an example! BOTTOM LINE: • If you’re hiring somebody to write… ask them to write something! • If…

• 3 Big Takeaways

  Tom Suddes

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:49 am

  Just finished one of the best ‘work’ weeks of my (long) life. I wanted to share what’s going on in Ireland with the For Impact Community… as much of what we’re doing over there is a direct result of the work we’ve done with many of you! I was with 25 different organizations over the course of the week and I wanted to share 3 big (common) takeaways: 1. Change Your Vocabulary! I’m still amazed every time we do this. The change in words is not semantic gymnastics. It helps people change the way they think… and talk… and then act. 2. Do The…

• Champion of Play

  Tom Suddes

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:10 am

  Success Magazine, February 2012, has a truly great article about Darell Hammond and his organization KaBOOM! To grab your attention, since 1995, KaBOOM has built 2,000 community playgrounds, raised over $200 Million and enlisted major corporate sponsors like Home Depot and Ben & Jerry’s, and rallied one million volunteers… with 5.5 Million children now having safe places to play! Read more here on this great social entrepreneur’s thoughts on setting goals, visualization, motivating team members, innovation and more.

• Shark Bites/Dragon’s Den

  Tom Suddes

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am

  While in Ireland two weeks ago, I got to sit in on the actual taping Dragon’s Den hosted by my new friend and entrepreneurial role model, Gavin Duffy. Gavin and his much, much, much better half, Orlaith, are both amazing and talented people having huge impact in Ireland. On my way home, I was reading the new issue of SUCCESS MAGAZINE featuring a great article on the U.S. version of Dragon’s Den called INSIDE THE SHARK TANK. Here’s a quick summary of ‘Shark Bites’ (quotes) from the article: On Message: “100% of the entrepreneurs who got deals were able to…

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  The Grant Goddess Speaks. . .

• Fridays Are Good

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:29 pm

  It’s Friday and I find that this is the BEST day among the days of the week. Below are some reasons that I prefer Fridays to all other days. Friday Similarities & Differences Saturday is almost as good as Friday, but not quite. Friday is better because you get to anticipate Saturday, and you don’t have to mow the lawn or pick up dog poop. On Friday you can even stay out late and not worry about it.  Saturday night just isn’t as free-wheeling as Friday night because you know you have to answer to God on Sunday morning. Sunday just can’t compete on an anticipation scale…

• The Brain Science of Grant Clients

  25 Jan 2012 | 3:26 pm

  Sometimes a grant writer is faced with an agency which has a Threshold Guardian beyond whom no man, woman, nor beast with an RFP shall pass. This can be explained by brain research about the left and right side of the brain. The Threshold Guardians are usually Left Brainers. Left Brainers are hostile toward grants because they detest them more than an unbalanced checkbook. They may even experience a phobia about grant writers, because of their association with grants, causing them to dart furtively into maintenance closets. I think of these grant-phobic-types as Left Brainers because the real…

• Silent Fraud in Federal Grant Evaluations Costs Billions

  20 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am

  I'm stuck in a very difficult position with one of my evaluation clients right now. I have a report due very soon and there are some poor outcomes to report and some whistle blowing that needs to be done. This is the very reason why this particular program requires that all grantees hire independent external evaluators.  Many federal programs have the same requirement.  It's an effort to ensure that grantees don't fudge their evaluation results to make themselves look better and worthy of continued funding. The problem is that most external evaluators are not independent.  In…

• The Link Between Creativity and Time

  17 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am

  You may think that you "work best under a deadline," but there is actually a negative correlation between time pressure and creativity. This video illustrates it beautifully! &lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">br</span>&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;<span…

• After the Deadline

  16 Jan 2012 | 5:11 pm

  All you want to do after a deadline is collapse, think about nothing, and catch up on some of the sleep you lost over the previous week, but before you check out completely there are a few things you should do. Take a few moments to reflect on what went well and what didn't go so well.  Is there anything you need to change for next time? Evaluate your own work and the overall process. Take notes so you can review your thoughts as you start the next project.  As tempting as it is to wait and do this another day, don't.  You'll forget some of the detail of what happened and you…

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  TakeTwo

• Consultants Don’t Have to Suck

  Stephanie

  24 Jan 2012 | 3:16 pm

  Believe me, we are well aware of the overpriced consultant that does nothing to deserve the money you’ve agreed to pay them. We have hired and worked with the consultant who promises big things and produces almost nothing. Just like anything in life, there are consultants who are good at what they do and then consultants who shouldn’t be doing what they do at all. What separates the good consultants from the bad consultants is work ethic. Talking the talk is easy. If you get the talk down, people will hire you. But, consultants also have to put their heads down and work up a sweat…

• Let Your Wild Side Out: Getting Creative With Communications Strategy

  Bix

  17 Jan 2012 | 6:49 am

  2012.  Election year. End of an era in the Mayan calendar.
 And possibly your nonprofit’s toughest fundraising year, according to two new studies. Now is when your communications need to get creative – not only in content, but in strategy. Creative communications strategies can help you maximize dollars, expand your reach, and even inspire greater giving. Here’s how. Create Creatively: Do you need another 40-page annual report or other printed publications? Now, if your core work is research, then your printed reports are likely a must-have. But some organizations are turning to…

• Writing for A Nonprofit? First, Return to Reading.

  Bix

  9 Jan 2012 | 11:29 am

  This entire post can be summed in two words: Read more. Most of us (self included), read today to find this type of nugget of useful information in every blog post, news article and sometimes, even in books. Let’s face it. We’re not reading. We’re scanning. Hunting for ‘what’s new, hot, useful, not-a-waste-of-my-precious-time.’  So much so that we’ve stopped paying attention to the words themselves. To me, this is a disaster for communications – especially if you work for a nonprofit. You’ve heard it all before. Reading improves your attention span, expands the breadth and…

• Let Creativity Reign in 2012

  Stephanie

  2 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm

  The new year always starts with predictions.  They are all over the news right now.  Everyone’s taking a guess at what 2012 has in store for us.  Well, TakeTwo’s going to take a stab at predictions too. Here it is – its going to take creativity on the part of nonprofits across the country to accomplish their fundraising goals. Everyone is hoping -  praying – begging – for a better economic year.  But, we can’t sit around and wait to see if there is more cash to give to charity in 2012.  We have to take matters into our own hands as much as possible…

• Six Things We Learned in 2011

  Bix

  27 Dec 2011 | 2:45 pm

  Sometime in January this year, my partner Stephanie and I had dinner together and realized two things: We both had a profound desire to do what we do best, on our own terms. Each of us has made a career in aspects of nonprofit work that when combined, can transform an organization: development (Stephanie) and communications (yours truly). Over our dinner of meatballs and lots of wine, an idea grew and six months later we launched TakeTwo Services – where we unite fundraising and communications to help nonprofits raise money and visibility. In our journey from idea to company, we’ve…

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  501Connect - Nonprofit News

• 5 Things Funders Consider When Evaluating Nonprofit Financial Statements

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:04 am

  Nonprofit organizations invest significant resources in their fundraising efforts. Despite an organizations mission driven achievements and qualifications, a nonprofits poor financial condition may be a potential road block to funding. Potential funders (i.e. government agencies, foundations, corporate sponsors, individual donors, bankslenders, etc.) have financial criteria, whether formal or informal, that nonprofit organizations must meet to qualify for their particular grant, sponsorship,...

• New Study: Religiously Active Americans And Community Engagement

  24 Jan 2012 | 4:22 am

  Some 40 of Americans are active in a church, religious, or spiritual organization. Compared with those who are not involved with such organizations, religiously active Americans are more trusting of others, bare more optimistic about their impact on their community, think more highly of their communityb, are more involved in more organizations of all kinds, and devote more time to the groups to which they are active.A survey by the Pew Research Centers Internet American Life...

• Fundraising Returns To Pre-Recession Levels

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pm

  According to The Blackbaud Index, fundraising has returned to pre-recession levels. Through the first 11 months of 2011, overall giving is up 3.4 over 2010, and is now officially above the level of giving seen in 2007. Chuck Longfield, Blackbauds chief scientist and creator of The Blackbaud Index noted that while giving is up, the increase is not uniform across all sub-sectors. However, most nonprofits saw greater stability and predictability in their 2011 fundraising than in the past few...

• Cause Marketing Readings Of The Week - January 23

  23 Jan 2012 | 11:50 am

  Heres the best of the best of cause marketing information from the last week: b3 Successful Small Business Cause Marketing Campaignsb If you are a local charity or small business, these are great examples. I especially like the Chowdown to Help the Town campaign because of its simplicity. a hrefhttp:ow.ly8yV6K classcrossref targetblank relnofollowuhttp:ow.ly8yV6Kuab2 Examples of How Non-Profit Content Marketing Should Workb Great cause marketing...

• Two Key Questions For Associations and Nonprofits

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:11 pm

  Im volunteering with a small association that seems to be dying. Membership, meeting attendance and revenue all have declined in four of the last five years.In some preliminary discussions, some have asked whether the historical name of the organization has become a barrier to getting new, younger professionals to join the organization.Current board members have outlined why they are a member and what they value from the association. Of course, potential members dont serve on the...