Alltop

All the top Nonprofit news.

See also Career and Education.

Watch the video

Share this

Go to

The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Calif. Charities Face Fear and Confusion in State's Fiscal Emergency

Suzanne Perry

2 Jul 2009 | 11:20 am

California charities that depend on state money to survive are facing a mixture of confusion and fear after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency and the state said it would start paying many of its bills with IOU’s. While charities are used to California’s regular budget impasses, the magnitude of the state’s deficit — more than $26-billion — and the drawn-out battle between Democrats and Republicans on how to plug it have created an especially tense environment. No matter what the outcome, steep cuts in spending on health and human services are…
Rockefeller Pledges $100-Million to Improve Health Care Abroad

Ian Wilhelm

1 Jul 2009 | 8:07 am

The Rockefeller Foundation has pledged $100-million over five years to help impoverished nations build better health-care systems. The project, called Transforming Health Systems, represents a new approach for large foundations, which have previously focused more on fighting specific diseases rather than bolstering whole health systems. The program will pay for international advocacy and research but will primarily assist three countries — Ghana, Rwanda, and Vietnam. Depending on the success in those nations, it will be expanded to other regions of Africa and Asia. “This new…
President Obama Seeks the 'Most-Promising Nonprofits in America'

Suzanne Perry

30 Jun 2009 | 2:38 pm

President Obama announced today that White House officials will travel across the country to find “the most promising nonprofits in America” as the administration decides how to spend a new $50-million fund to help charities expand innovative social projects. Surrounded by more than 100 philanthropic leaders in the East Room of the White House, Mr. Obama said he was glad there were some “deep pockets” in the audience, as he also wants corporations and foundations to chip in to help the administration create a “new kind of partnership between government and the…
Male Nonprofit Executives Earn 27% More Than Female Leaders, Study of Fla. Executives Finds

Caroline Preston

30 Jun 2009 | 2:25 pm

Male executives at charities in Central Florida earn nearly 30 percent more than their female counterparts, according to a new study. The survey of 145 nonprofit groups in the region found that men who held the top job at a charity earned an average of $110,962, compared with $80,987 for women. That pay gap is partially due to the fact that men are more likely to lead large organizations — which offer higher salaries — than are women, according to Margaret Linnane, executive director of the Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Center at Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla.,…
2 New Surveys Confirm Charity Leaders' Perceptions: Recession's Impact Runs Deep

Stacy Palmer

29 Jun 2009 | 10:36 am

Two studies released this week offer fresh evidence that the recession has created havoc for nonprofit groups: Ninety-two percent of the nearly 100 respondents in a survey conducted in May by the Bridgespan Group said they were feeling the effects of the downturn. Eighty percent of charity officials reported that their organizations were experiencing financial stress, in another study conducted in April by the Johns Hopkins University’s Listening Post Project. Nearly 40 percent of the 363 respondents described the stress as “severe.” The financial picture for charities has…

Philanthropy Today
New Documents Show Tension in Federal Community-Service Office

Andy Markowitz

1 Jul 2009 | 10:19 am

Documents newly released to Congress shed additional light on the difficult working relationship between employees at the Corporation for National and Community Service and its ousted inspector general, Gerald Walpin, The Washington Post reports. Evidence sent to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee includes e-mails, memos, and a parody newsletter printed for a retiring staff member that contains racial and sexual jokes about the federal procurement process. The Obama administration said it lacked confidence in Mr. Walpin, but he has said the agency’s claims…
Broadcasters Donated More Free Ad Time to Public-Service Causes Last Year

Stacy Palmer

1 Jul 2009 | 10:18 am

Broadcasters and other media companies donated commercial time, ad space, and other support for public-service campaigns worth more than $1.83-billion last year, The New York Times reports. The total was slightly higher than in 2007 and includes spending on television and radio commercials, outdoor ads, print ads, ads online, public relations, and other types of advertising, the newspaper says. Public-service ads are continuing to get more time and space in 2009 as the recession makes it harder for media companies to sell all their ad space, said Peggy Conlon, head of the Advertising Council,…
Microsoft Veterans Enter Micro-Charity Field

Andy Markowitz

1 Jul 2009 | 10:18 am

The Seattle Times profiles two Microsoft veterans who are starting nonprofit groups that aim to connect a new generation of philanthropists with people in need via mobile and online technology. Scott Oki, a retired Microsoft executive, co-founded SeeYourImpact, a micro-charity site that uses mobile-phone photos and videos to show donors the impact of their funds in the field. Microsoft Research program manager Adnan Mahmud and his wife, Nadia Khawaja, have created Jolkona, a nonprofit group that allows donors to give small, targeted gifts and use online tools to monitor their impact.
Effort to Help Arts Groups Handle the Recession Expands

Stacy Palmer

1 Jul 2009 | 10:18 am

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced plans Tuesday to expand its crisis consulting for arts organizations that are struggling to survive the recession, the Associated Press reports. Michael Kaiser, president of the center, will meet with arts leaders in all 50 states and Puerto Rico over the next year, he said, beginning with visits to New York, Kalamazoo, Mich., Indianapolis, and six other cities in the next two months. Since February, the center’s “Arts in Crisis” effort has offered advice on fund raising, budgeting, marketing, and other areas in…
Music Festival Offers Free Tickets to Volunteers for Homeless

Andy Markowitz

1 Jul 2009 | 10:18 am

After “selling out” the 35,000 available free tickets for the Virgin Mobile’s FreeFest music festival next month, promoters set aside an additional 3,000 passes for fans willing to volunteer to help the homeless, USA Today reports. Volunteers who work 13 hours for selected homeless organizations will be rewarded with a VIP pass to the all-day Aug. 30 show at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, Md., which will feature Franz Ferdinand, Weezer, Public Enemy, and Blink-182. Eight hours of service will earn a general admission ticket. Current ticket holders are being asked…

site:nptimes.com - Google News
DRTV prices up - The NonProfit Times

1 Jul 2009 | 11:33 am

The NonProfit TimesDRTV prices upThe NonProfit TimesYou might have noticed a slight difference flipping between the flamboyant lifestyles of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and hankie and more »
The Second Interview - The NonProfit Times

1 Jul 2009 | 11:33 am

The NonProfit TimesThe Second InterviewThe NonProfit TimesJob openings are hard enough to find and then get that first interview. After you've aced that first meeting the second one looms, and more »
Obama Pushes For Social Innovation - The NonProfit Times

1 Jul 2009 | 6:52 am

Obama Pushes For Social InnovationThe NonProfit TimesCalling on other sectors to partner with government to invest and find high-impact, results-oriented solutions, President Barack Obama and more »
infoGROUP Merges Direct Media And Millard - The NonProfit Times

25 Jun 2009 | 9:22 am

infoGROUP Merges Direct Media And MillardThe NonProfit TimesThe consolidation of infoGROUP's list and database companies has begun, with the merger of direct marketing firms Direct Media and Millard. and more »
Michelle Obama Launches National Service Conference - The NonProfit Times

23 Jun 2009 | 6:09 am

Michelle Obama Launches National Service ConferenceThe NonProfit TimesSAN FRANCISCO -- National service and volunteering took center stage yesterday (6/22) as First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about two new and more »

Nonprofit Online News
Outsmarting the Facebook Lobster Trap: Three Worries, One Guideline, Seven Principles

For years, I put off doing anything that might contribute to the Facebook hype. Today, I think it's a medium to which we should all pay attention and from which we may well benefit, but my criticisms of it are as strong as ever. I describe them, along with some ideas for mitigating them and getting the most out of Facebook, in my new article, Outsmarting the Facebook Lobster Trap: Three Worries, One Guideline, Seven Principles.
The Voice of Your Organization: Making CEO Blogging Work for Everyone

Does your CEO want to blog? Or more likely, does someone else think your CEO should be blogging? They could be right. If you need a clear way to determine if they are, or if you need a clear path toward CEO blogging that suits your organization's circumstances and (importantly) resources, then you might want to consider our newest workshop: The Voice of Your Organization: Making CEO Blogging Work for Everyone, which is a live, ninety minute workshop that will be held on July 22, 2009.
Building National Campaigns: Activists, Alliances, and How Change Happens

Oxfam International has tremendous organizational experience in supporting campaigns around the world. They are also doing their best to share that experience with others. On Building National Campaigns: Activists, Alliances, and How Change Happens (cover page for 115 page PDF and hard copy order, Dave Dalton describes and analyzes five campaigns in Colombia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, and the United States. Among other things, he digs into the practical aspects of building and maintaining alliances in the face of hardships and developing sustainable strategies. Too many case studies…
Glossary: A Quick Reference for Consultation and Dialogue

I throw around a lot of terms in Nonprofit Online News and I expect readers to know what they are or be willing to look them up. Words and phrases like asynchronous, blog, content management, engagement, and stakeholder. I'm rather pleased to see a good many of these words collected and defined in one place in a glossary of consultation and dialogue terms (9 page PDF) produced by DialogueCircles.
Competition or Collaboration?

Several years ago I had a discussion with a well-known nonprofit technology funder who argued that large results from online nonprofit projects could best be achieved through a winner-take-all model. This was important enough that he even funded an excellent report in support of the argument, and I wanted him to consider funding an alternative point of view: that open standards, open APIs, good business models, a little arm-twisting, and visionary (but not necessarily substantial) funding could accomplish much larger results through nourishing open information ecosystems, innovation, and…

PND - Philanthropy News Digest
Rockefeller Foundation Launches $100 Million Initiative to Strengthen Health Systems in Africa, Asia

Rockefeller Foundation Launches $100 Million Initiative to Strengthen Health Systems in Africa, Asia Through the new initiative, the foundation and its partners will work to establish more accessible, efficient health systems with improved financial protections and make universal health coverage an accepted, feasible, and desirable goal everywhere....
McKnight Foundation Announces New Literacy Initiative

While the foundation has decided to focus on improving the literacy rate among area students by the end of third grade, it will discontinue discrete grantmaking to support fatherhood development, parenting skills building, and family economic success....
Silicon Valley Community Foundation, San Mateo County Announce $1 Million in Safety-Net Grants

Twenty-seven organizations that provide food and shelter will receive a total of $766,000, while $234,000 will be awarded to five groups that provide health and dental care, services for victims of domestic violence, and employment counseling....
Obama Pledges Support for Social Innovation, Encourages Public-Private Partnerships

In launching the Community Solutions Agenda, the president called on government, business, foundations, and average citizens to come together to identify and invest in promising solutions to the nation's toughest problems....

Buzz!
News Briefing: Records Indicate Tension Between Agency's Fired IG and Officials

Kate Golden

2 Jul 2009 | 8:13 am

Documents expose a confrontational relationship between Gerald Walpin and officials at the Corporation for National and Community Service. [Washington Post]
News Briefing: Kennedy Center Spreads Program for Arts Groups

Kate Golden

1 Jul 2009 | 8:04 am

Warren Buffett's son, Howard, takes on a little-known role in fighting world hunger. [Wall Street Journal] College endowments with less than $1 billion generally help up better than the larger ones. [Wall Street Journal] The Kennedy Center announces a national tour of its program to help struggling nonprofit arts organizations. [New York Times] Despite the economy, media companies still donated commercial time and ad space worth over $1.83 billion. [New York Times]
News Briefing: Philanthropist With a Sense of Timing Raises Her Profile

Kate Golden

30 Jun 2009 | 8:12 am

A new major donor hits the New York cultural scene. [New York Times] Bernie Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison. [New York Times] The Boston Foundation plans to distribute more grant money during the next fiscal year. [Boston Globe]
News Briefing: Grant System Leads Cancer Researchers to Play It Safe

Kate Golden

29 Jun 2009 | 6:23 am

Texas adopts a law that bars trustees from moving a trust or foundation out of Texas without court approval. [New York Times] Scientists turn to private foundations to fund more speculative research. [New York Times] Microsoft veterans launch two separate Seattle nonprofits aimed at encouraging a new generation of philanthropists by using mobile phone and social networking. [Seattle Times] The government's economic stimulus package sets aside $2.5 billion for free and low-cost health clinics. [Associated Press]
News Briefing: Swine Flu Halts Muscular Dystrophy Camps

Kate Golden

26 Jun 2009 | 8:23 am

In a growing national movement, students enrolled in newly created philanthropy courses are steering thousands of dollars to local charities. [Boston Globe] Thousands of Jerry's Kids will not attend camps this summer after officials halted the program in the face of suspected swine-flu cases. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Balancing the Mission Checkbook
Beyond Cash Reserves

kate barr

26 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

Worrying about cash shortfalls is, without a doubt, at the top of the list of stressors for nonprofit directors and finance managers. In this situation, everyone’s dream is to have a stash of cash - a cash reserve account set aside to tap at a moment’s notice to solve the problem. I’m reluctant to endorse a universal standard for reserves, but there are “rules of thumb” and accepted practices calling for nonprofits to hold reserves of three to six months of operating expenses. Well it turns out that this “best practice” is a practice in theory only…
Be A Leader - Now

kate barr

8 Jun 2009 | 3:22 pm

This is not a breakthrough idea, but I am completely convinced that leadership will be the only determining factor for the survival and success of nonprofits throughout this recession. I see signs of it all the time. As the months of recession drag on, the effects of the presence and absence of real leadership at nonprofit organizations becomes more and more clear. A couple of really interesting recent blog posts got me thinking about these leadership voids and how to fill them. In the post Nonprofits Will Never Be Respected Until We Start Respecting Ourselves, Rosetta Thurman confronts the…
A Celebration of the Life of …

kate barr

19 May 2009 | 8:12 am

Where do you send the condolence card after the death of a nonprofit? Today’s Star Tribune reported that the Senior Federation to Shut Down because of financial challenges resulting from drops in both grant support and memberships. The economy is certainly a big factor since the Federation’s funders include several health care organizations that are cutting budgets everywhere. Membership declines reflect both demographic shifts and changes in the needs of their constituents. Founded in 1973, the Federation really made its mark in the 1990s with advocacy and action to make prescription…
Understand and Act - NOW

kate barr

28 Apr 2009 | 8:10 am

I think that I’m losing my ability to be patient and finesse conversations about how nonprofits can deal with the recession. Instead, I’m becoming a blunt instrument with one recurring message - Act Now. Unfortunately, quite a few nonprofits are in very fragile financial condition and don’t have much elbow room. In other circumstances, I like to work through the possibilities and understand the complexities and reasons behind a nonprofit’s structure and history. Now it’s all about speed. For example, in the last two weeks I’ve made these very direct and…
Hit Singles - Remixed

kate barr

13 Apr 2009 | 3:42 pm

At the pace we’re all traveling it’s easy to forget what you said last week, much less a few months ago. It’s interesting, then, when we receive a comment on a past post and go back to re-read it. So much is happening and developing in the nonprofit world that I’m taking this week to update three topics. Transparency In December 2007 I wrote about Transparency and Financial Information: I would strongly suggest that nonprofit organizations make the effort to make usable financial information available on their website. The IRS 990 is already a public document, so it…

Spare Change
Marketing Games for Health

Nedra Weinreich

29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation invited me to write a guest post on its Pioneering Ideas blog, along with several other people who are investigating how games can be used to promote health. This guest blogger series is tied into the 2009 Games for Health Conference, which happened a couple of weeks ago, as well as a recent report from the Sesame Workshop’s Joan Ganz Cooney Center, which looks at how video games can be a positive force for children's health.The question they posed for us to answer was:"There is a growing consensus that digital games can be deployed to support learning and…
Upcoming: Social Marketing University Advanced Course and Webinars

Nedra Weinreich

16 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

It's that time again - time to announce the next session of Social Marketing University! Many of you know that I have been offering SMU trainings since 2006 as a 2-1/2 day introduction to using social marketing to promote health and social issues.This year, taking into account many people's requests for the next level of social marketing training beyond the basics, I will be offering the Social Marketing University Advanced Course. This 2-day training is for people who are already familiar with the fundamentals of social marketing who are looking for new ideas and insights, including those…
@Replies, Damn @Replies and Statistics

Nedra Weinreich

24 May 2009 | 11:21 pm

This post will be somewhat of a Twitter inside baseball topic - not what I usually write about - so if you are not interested in Twitter arcana, you might want to skip this one.Those of us on Twitter could not have missed the uproar that happened a couple of weeks ago when Twitter management decided to make a "small settings update" to its service by eliminating an option they said was "undesirable and confusing." This change removed the option to see the one side of the conversations people you follow are having with people you don't. Now you can only see these "half conversations" (called…
Guest Post: The Slave Next Door - Ron Soodalter

Nedra Weinreich

18 May 2009 | 12:58 am

Many of you know that human trafficking and modern-day slavery are the issues I care most about and have volunteered the most time and energy. That's why I was honored to be approached for a guest post by author Ron Soodalter, who has just written a book with Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves, called The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. Though awareness is becoming more widespread, far too many people still believe that this is not an issue in the US. Awareness is the first step toward action, so though this post is not specifically about social…
The Tip Jar - 5/10/09

Nedra Weinreich

10 May 2009 | 6:00 am

It's been a while since I've done one of my Tip Jar round-ups of interesting links and pieces of information here on Spare Change. If you follow my Twitter feed (@Nedra) or links I bookmark on Delicious, you may have seen these and many other useful items already; in fact, I see so many great resources every day that it's hard to pick just a few to share.Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are blessed to have the world's best and hardest job!Show your support for the effort spearheaded by Craig Lefebvre to finally get a professional social marketing association off the ground. Join the 100…

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media
Guest Post by Nina Simon -- Self-Expression is Overrated: Better Constraints Make Better Participatory Experiences

Beth

1 Jul 2009 | 9:28 pm

Submitted by Nina Simon, publisher of Museum 2.0 I’ve had it with museums’ obsession with open-ended self-expression. I know this sounds strange coming from someone writing an admittedly self-expressive blog post, but hear me out.When I talk about designing participatory experiences, I often show the above graphic from Forrester Research. Forrester created the “social technographics” profile tool to help businesses understand the way different audiences engage with social media (and you can read more of my thoughts on it here). The point, in the context of this conversation, is that a…
Guest Post by Jordan Viator: 5 tools nonprofits can use today to enhance their online presence and efficiency

Beth

1 Jul 2009 | 9:39 am

Submitted by Jordan Viator, of Connection CaféHundreds if not thousands of online tools are available to help nonprofit organizations with online communication. But with the plethora of tools available, it can be daunting to keep up with what tools can help your nonprofit organization build a stronger web presence, become more efficient and to know just which tools are easy to start using immediately. David J. Neff, Director of Web, Film and Interactive Strategy at the American Cancer Society High Plains Division, sat down with me for our Connection Newsletter this month and shared his top 5…
How To Fly Virgin America with a cello

Beth

30 Jun 2009 | 10:15 pm

My only regret is that I didn't get a good shot of the cello going through the x-ray machine!
Guest Post by Steve MacLaughlin: Creating a Social Networking Strategy (Part 0)

Beth

30 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

Submitted by Steve MacLaughlin, publisher of ConnectionsFor a while now I've been talking with a lot of nonprofits about using social media and social networking in their organizations. I thought it would be useful to blog about how to create a strategy for using these channels.Before starting to create a strategy it makes sense to set a baseline. Where are we today? What's going on? Haven't we seen this before? Why does any of this matter? This is Part 0. Phase 0. Let's go...Déjà Vu All Over AgainWeb 2.0 in 2009 reminds me of Web 1.0 in 1999. Lots of talk. Lots of uncertainty. Lots of…
Beth's on the Move: Moving Day

Beth

30 Jun 2009 | 11:14 am

Video is here After a year of preparing, moving day has arrived. We spent the day overseeing the move our belongings from the house into the truck. All the happy (and sad) memories of living in the house for twenty years flashed before my eyes - it was bittersweet. For this video, I focused on the advice about not to move the camera, but take shorter clips and do a lot of editing. To reduce camera shake (until I figure out if I want to spend money on tripod) Swiveled my body instead of moving camera Held the camera with both hands and tried to keep it still Took clips at different…

Osocio Weblog
We are all Neda

Marc

2 Jul 2009 | 12:06 pm

With every powerful people’s movement for change, a symbol emerges--an image that can change the world. For the Iranian democracy movement, that image is of Neda, the 26 year old Iranian young woman struck down by a bullet to the heart. Last week, her devastated family was ordered by the Iranian regime to bury her quietly and without circumstance. Avaaz.org wants you to send a message of commemoration and solidarity by buying a t-shirt. Proceeds will go to support projects that enable Iranians to freely access the internet. CEDC, the Center for Educational Design and Communication,…
CEDC (the Center for Educational Design and Communication)

2 Jul 2009 | 7:32 am

CEDC provides affordable communication services and conference facilities to community, non-profit and social justice organizations.
Trucks as part of the message: Part Two

Meena Kadri

2 Jul 2009 | 2:40 am

A mobile campaign to encourage and celebrate recycling was created earlier this year through a joint initiative in Philadelphia. Students involved in the Mural Arts Programme produced the painted wraps for each of the 10 trucks – inspired by global textiles from the collection of the local university’s Design Centre. The whole campaign tied in with the launch of a single-stream recycling program in the city which enables all recyclable material to be deposited via one receptacle. Rubbish never looked so good! Author: Meena Kadri
Trucks as part of the message

Marc

1 Jul 2009 | 12:37 pm

What a great way to spread the word for a library! In Kansas City USA Johnson County Library couriers are making their book deliveries between Library locations in some specially decorated, literary-themed trucks: Captain Ahab’s Fine Seafood, Benjamin Button’s Diaper Service, Kafka’s Pest Control, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s Pharmacy with the tag line “Available at Johnson County Library.” The messages on the trucks are part of campaign to promote the library, the many stories that can be found there and to encourage reading, even the classics. Author: Marc
The March 18 Movement

Marc

1 Jul 2009 | 12:21 pm

The March 18 Movement was born out of a tragedy. On this day in 2009, Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, Iranian blogger and journalist, died in Evin Prison in Tehran. The December before his death, he was sentenced to two and half years in prison for allegedly insulting religious leaders, and engaging in propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Omid Reza was the first blogger to die in prison and his death reveals that getting censored is far from the worst thing that can happen to a blogger. The March 18 Movement aims not only to make sure that Omid Reza is remembered, but also that other…

small dots
iron man

BethDunn

28 Jun 2009 | 1:15 am

Seventy years ago today, Lou Gehrig made his farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. Most people watching the game that day barely understood how ill he was, or that his disease was already rapidly devouring his strong, athletic body with ravenous greed. Within a year, he would be unable to walk. Within two, he would be dead. While many tributes today have focused on his famous farewell speech, I prefer to focus on his life, and how he lived it. I’m kind of a fan. The man who would become famous for his unbroken streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games was a man who knew the value of…
crosswords or scrabble? what kind of puzzle-solver are you?

BethDunn

24 Jun 2009 | 10:10 pm

Which do you prefer, crossword puzzles or scrabble? Your answer might say more about you than you think. What if understanding what kind of puzzle-solver you were could help you break out of a rut, find a creative solution to a vexing problem, or make a really difficult decision a lot easier? Me, I’m a crossword puzzler. I like words — but more than that, I like thinking about the meanings of words. I love wrestling with a tough bunch of clues attached to a frighteningly blank grid of black-and-white squares. I especially love sparring with my opponent — the puzzle…
being there

BethDunn

15 May 2009 | 8:14 pm

A good friend of mine has this daughter, see. And this daughter is just insanely bright and accomplished. And a senior in high school. So she’s been spending this spring wondering where she will spend the next four years of her life. Fun times. As it turns out, although she was admitted to several really excellent, top-notch schools, she was waitlisted at the college that she really wanted to go to — a phenomenally good school, one of the very best — and they found out today that she made it off the waitlist and has been accepted into full admission. I know how I felt…
the streets of new york

BethDunn

4 Apr 2009 | 1:35 pm

I love New York:
Little Known Fact

BethDunn

1 Apr 2009 | 11:38 pm

This semester, I started a weekly speaker series at school called Little Known Fact. Each week, a current MBA student at the Simmons School of Management gives a brief, informal presentation on some topic that she is passionate about — something that wouldn’t come up in everyday classroom conversation. It’s a chance for us all to get together, blow off some steam, and learn more about what we do in the off-hours. There is usually a strong component of audience participation to Little Known Fact, Powerpoint slides are strictly prohibited, and cookies, chips, and other…

NTEN: THE NONPROFIT TECHNOLOGY NETWORK
10 Disruptive Technologies You Need to Think About

Holly

1 Jul 2009 | 2:35 pm

Every Wednesday, Gartner does a free webinar on a variety of topics. This week, they presented "Technology Trends You Can't Afford to Ignore." I tweeted my way through the one hour call, but here are some notes with a little more clarity and reflection. Disruptive Technology #1: Virtualization. There are lots of benefits to virtualization, chief among them, the power savings. According to Gartner, the average server uses 65% of its power just sitting idle. Virtualization helps reduce the number of servers used, decreasing power consumption. If you're a small nonprofit,…
We Can't Make Summer Last Forever, But We Can Make Membership Last Longer

Annaliese

1 Jul 2009 | 9:59 am

It's summertime, for real now: I've been having breakfast with Wimbledon, the mosquitoes are biting, and I can't walk down the street in the evening without smelling someone cooking out on a grill. Here at NTEN, another tell-tale sign of summer is our Summer Membership Offer: Become a member of NTEN (or renew your membership) this summer, and get member benefits from now until the end of 2010! > Learn more and join us That means all the connecting, learning, and saving that comes with membership lasts an extra 6 months. If you're new to NTEN or have been meaning to return as a member,…
All About NTEN in 5 Minutes

Holly

30 Jun 2009 | 9:11 am

Last week, I was fortunate enough to present a session on social media with Marnie Webb of TechSoup Global, Laura Norvig of ETR Associates, Matt Sharp from the Packard Foundation, and Matt Dunne at Google. I think it's fair to say that we rocked! While there, I was interviewed for the live stream of the event, which was run by Business Boomer: I want to note that the setup for the live stream was wicked simple: a decent camera with wired mics, all plugged into a laptop sitting on a folding chair. The most complicated thing about it was the scheduling. Consider this a reminder that you, too,…
NTEN Member Buzz Round-Up: June 29th

Annaliese

29 Jun 2009 | 9:05 am

From the interwebs this week, I've heard about these NTEN members doing their nptechie-thing: Amy Sample Ward reports on the new opportunity on YouTube to connect nonprofits with video volunteers, with the help of allforgood.org. Nonprofits can submit needs; video-savvy volunteers can connect with a cause. Natural Resources Defense Council's Apollo Gonzales is interviewed by Eric Kuhn of the Huffington Post about NRDC's Social Media strategy. (BTW, NRDC was recently listed as a top Green Org to Follow on Twitter, so they must know what they're talking about ;) Missoula Tech Club is on…
Documenting the Digital Divide

Annaliese

29 Jun 2009 | 8:32 am

Flickr: ThomasBrandtFrom the number of "out of office" replies I get anytime I send an email to the NTEN community, it looks like we're well into vacation season. If you're one of the lucky ones taking some vacation time to get out and about this summer, the folks at iwith.org have an assignment for you: Take your camera and shoot some pics that demonstrate the digital divide. It's the third season for this Barcelona and Switzerland-based organization's digital divide photo contest, and you're invited to participate. They'll be accepting submissions all summer -- through September…

Skip A Lunch
15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans

admin

29 Jun 2009 | 12:15 pm

Hi folks, thanks to Laurie for letting us know about Post Foods “Bowls of Hope” program. Post Foods, in partnership with Feeding America, will donate up to 15 million balanced breakfasts to struggling Americans. For each purchase of a specially-marked cereal — including Post Shredded Wheat Original, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Original, Post Shredded Wheat and Bran, Post Shredded Wheat Lightly Frosted, and Post Shredded Wheat Honey Nut — Post Foods will donate one balanced breakfast. Get more info at the Post Shredded Wheat website (turn off pop-up blockers).
HelpPoint for Kids and the Zurich Golf Classic

dote

28 Apr 2009 | 7:05 pm

For the past five years the Zurich Classic Golf Tournament has been raising money for children’s charities, $18 million to date. This year, Zurich Financial Services is contributing $95,000 to two kids’ charities, Fore!Kids Foundation and Practical Action via an online golf relay game at HelpPoint for Kids. Go to the HelpPoint for Kids site and create a golfer. Tee off a message to up to five friends, and each one can, in turn, tee off messages to their friends. Every time players tee off a round of 18 the two charities will receive donations from Zurich. Sounds like alot of fun,…
World Malaria Day

dote

24 Apr 2009 | 1:02 pm

Image courtesy of www.malariafreefuture.org Hi Everyone, tomorrow (April 25th) is World Malaria Day. Lots of organizations are taking part this year and you can help too. Check out Voices For A Malaria-Free Future for some great information on the fight against malaria in Rwanda, as well as other advocacy projects VOICES does in Ghana, Kenya, Mail, and Mozambique. They have some great information available, including the following: Along with basic information and how to take action, you’ll also find included at the site: - Background on the successful Rwandan program via…
Learning Lift off in Legoland - Students in Need in Waianae

dote

8 Apr 2009 | 10:22 am

We received a message yesterday from the teacher, Ms. K., thanking us for our donation to the “Learning Lift Off in Legoland“. She needs lego sets for her students whom face extreme poverty out in Waianae. Unfortunately she still needs $417 to fully fund this project. Some stats from Ms. K. Nine-year-olds growing up in low-income communities are already three grade levels behind their peers in high-income communities. Half of them won’t graduate from high school by the time they’re 18. I’m hoping we can gather enough people to each donate just a small amount,…
100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World

dote

2 Apr 2009 | 10:42 am

We’ve been featured in a list of “100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World“ on the www.bestuniversities.com blog. We’re #14 in the “General” list, yay! Hopefully our idea on making small “lunch-money” sacrifices to change the world is being heard, adopted, and done by folks like you and me. Thanks for the continued support!

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog
The 500th Post: 16 Nonprofit Marketing (and Life) Lessons from You

katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

30 Jun 2009 | 7:41 am

This, dear readers, is my 500th post here on Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog. I wanted to make it extra special and wise, so I decided I’d better not be the one writing it. A couple of weeks ago here and on Twitter, I asked you to contribute to this post with the one piece of wisdom that you wish you’d known at the start of your nonprofit marketing and fundraising efforts - or the lesson you keep finding yourself forgetting. Here are 16 gems from you - each of which I’ve named in honor of the contributor. If some of these sound like common…
What are the metrics of success for your online community?

katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

26 Jun 2009 | 12:37 pm

I get asked this question a lot. What is the ROI of social media? So I asked some experts. This question will be answered today in a guest post from Bob Cramer, CEO of ThePort Network, a social media solutions provider and great resource for nonprofits.. By Bob Cramer In rolling out an online social networking community, your nonprofit’s objectives should be all about your organization’s constituents. Certainly, fundraising campaigns and dollars raised are the bottom line, but as part of that, building engagement and passion among supporters is crucial. However, actually…
How nonprofits can engage with social media aka I try to keep up with Lucy Bernholz

katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

24 Jun 2009 | 5:19 pm

The podcast I did with Lucy Bernholz is now online at the Columbus Foundation website. You can check it out here.
Got a good tagline?� Submit it for an award!

katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

24 Jun 2009 | 4:57 pm

(Folks who are keeping score at home - this is by 497th blog post! My 500th blog post will be written by you, my readers. It’s not too late to share your wisdom for the big 500.) Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year’s Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winners! Enter today here. A strong tagline does double-duty—working to extend your organization’s name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It’s one of your most basic, and effective, marketing tools, but the 2008…
14 ways to build your email list

katya.andresen@networkforgood.org

24 Jun 2009 | 4:52 pm

This is one of the most common questions I get asked: How do I build by email list? Here are 14 ways courtesy of Kivi Leroux Miller, queen of email knowledge, and Network for Good. Nonprofits marketing friends, this is a must-read! If you want more, please join our free training with Kivi this week. Register here for: 7 Steps to Better Email Fundraising & Communications Do you want to grow/build your email list? Do you know if anyone is reading your emails? Does your email outreach need a design or copywriting upgrade? Free Teleconference Special Day & Time:…

Philanthropy Journal - All Articles
Crisis Control Ministry gets $500

2 Jul 2009 | 10:43 am

Old Salem Chapter, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, gave $500 to pharmacy, Crisis Control Ministry, Winston-Salem.read more
MacArthur gives U. of Florida gets nearly $1M

2 Jul 2009 | 9:45 am

MacArthur Foundation awarded University of Florida nearly $1 million for new master’s program to train students to assist impoverished populations through sustainable development.read more
Nonprofit investigative journalism endorsed

2 Jul 2009 | 9:34 am

Twenty-five nonprofit journalism groups endorsed call for new journalism initiatives to give Americans watchdog reporting essential to democracy.read more
Moses Cone-Wesley Long requesting proposals

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

Moses Cone-Wesley Long Community Health Foundation requesting electronic proposals by July 30 to provide adolescent pregnancy prevention and/or HIV/AIDS/STDs programming and services.read more
UNCF receives $508,781 bequest

2 Jul 2009 | 8:51 am

United Negro College Fund received $508,781 from estate of the late Faye Crawford Bremond, to support scholarships or fellowships for students at Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas. read more

Have Fun • Do Good
Did I Like The Philanthropist? Not So Much.

Britt Bravo

26 Jun 2009 | 2:08 pm

I wanted to like NBC's new show, The Philanthropist, but I didn't.What I did like is that The Philanthropist's website has a resource page with links to organizations like the Nigerian Red Cross, CARE, and the International Crisis Group. That's about all I liked.The show's premise is that a wealthy businessman, Teddy Rist, has a transformational experience during a business trip to Nigeria and helps save a young boy during a flood. (We later learn that his own young son is dead). Although his company has a foundation, giving money doesn't feel like enough now for Teddy, and he returns to…
How You Can Participate in United We Serve This Summer

Britt Bravo

25 Jun 2009 | 11:21 am

As I mentioned in my Monday post, First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve, June 22nd was the first day of United We Serve, the Obama Administration's nationwide summer of service initiative that will run until September 11th, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance.While I was at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service this week, I went to a session about United We Serve with Buffy Wicks, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement, and Carlos Monje, Senior Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Counsel.Wicks and Monje outlined the 3…
Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges

Britt Bravo

24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 am

I've been hearing a lot about the Social Innovation Fund lately, an element of the Serve America Act. A May 6th White House blog post by Jesse Lee, What is the Social Innovation Fund? says that the Fund will, "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country."To learn more about the Fund, I attended a panel called Social Innovation: Harnessing What Works to Address Critical National Challenges at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.The discussion focused less on what the Fund will do, and more on best…
First Lady Michelle Obama and United We Serve

Britt Bravo

22 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm

"It's been said that our true calling in life is where our heart's greatest gladness meets the world's deepest need."--First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.It was pretty darn exciting to be a member of the press for the opening plenary of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service where First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote address today.Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend and cover the September 11th Presidential Forum on Serviceduring the Service Nation conference in New York City. During the conference, Senator…
Empowering Refugees: Interview with Kjerstin Erickson of FORGE

Britt Bravo

19 Jun 2009 | 6:45 am

Kjerstin Erickson is one of those "shiny" people who lights up a room. After meeting her at the Global Engagement Summer last spring, I knew I wanted to grab her for an interview before she became too famous.Erickson founded FORGE (Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment) in 2003 when she was a 20 year-old junior studying public policy at Stanford University. FORGE serves 60,000 refugees in three different refugee camps in Southern Africa, and is an official operating partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).Now 26, Erickson is still FORGE's Executive…

SSIR Articles
Making the B List

katiejh@stanford.edu

23 Jun 2009 | 3:30 am

Reem Rahim and her brother Ahmed don’t always agree. But the two cofounders of Oakland, Calif.-based Numi Tea were both skeptical when the nonprofit B Lab approached them about certifying their business as a B Corporation. B—“beneficial”—Corporations use “the power of business to solve social and environmental problems,” according to B Lab’s Web site. Yet Numi Tea had already received organic and Fair Trade certifications, so the Rahims did not understand why they also needed to earn their B Corp bona fides. They questioned whether B Corporation certification was just another…
White House Digs Innovation

katiejh@stanford.edu

21 May 2009 | 7:01 pm

When first lady Michelle Obama helped turn a patch of the South Lawn into a kitchen garden for the White House, sustainable foodies savored the moment—and the overnight attention it brought to their “eat local” movement. Social innovators, meanwhile, spent early spring waiting for the Klieg lights to turn in their direction. “Any day now” was the rolling estimate of when the new President would formally announce creation of the first-ever White House Office of Social Innovation. (At press time it was learned that the office would be headed by Sonal Shah, who previously worked at the…
The Profit in Nonprofit

katiejh@stanford.edu

21 May 2009 | 7:01 am

In 2004, Jessica Jackley set out for rural Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to perform an impact evaluation for the Village Enterprise Fund (VEF), a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit that makes modest grants and loans to small businesses in East Africa. A few months later, her husband, Matt Flannery, then a computer programmer at Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo Inc., came to visit her. As the couple traveled around the country interviewing small-business owners, they talked nonstop about the best ways to help Africa’s struggling entrepreneurs. One year earlier, Jackley had heard Muhammad Yunus, the…
Research: The Volunteer Boom

katiejh@stanford.edu

21 May 2009 | 7:01 am

Commentators such as former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw and Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, contend that Americans who came of age during World War II are the “greatest generation,” shouldering more than their fair share of civic duty and patriotic discipline. Meanwhile, observers criticize the baby boomers—Americans born in the years following WWII—as selfish whiners and disenchanted laggards. But when it comes to volunteering, “this basically isn’t true,” finds DePaul University sociologist Christopher J. Einolf in a recent research article. “Not only are baby…
Research: The Violent Death of Benevolence

katiejh@stanford.edu

21 May 2009 | 7:01 am

Players of the video game MadWorld can use their Nintendo Wiis to impale enemies on spikes, gouge out their eyes with street signs, and chop them in half with chain saws. The Mortal Kombat series offers its users similar thrills: ripping foes’ heads from their bodies, tearing their hearts out of their chests, and burning the flesh off their skeletons. Although their producers argue that these games have no ill effects, a new research article shows that violent media blunt people’s altruistic tendencies. In one experiment, for example, participants who played a violent video game took…

Tactical Philanthropy
American Forward Responds

Sean Stannard-Stockton

2 Jul 2009 | 4:05 pm

Kelly Ward, the director of America Forward has just submitted this response to my recent posts about the Innovation Fund (see posts here and here): Thanks Sean for both of your posts and for grounding this discussion in what’s written in the Serve America Act. As you say, the foundation for how the Fund will work is described in the bill. To add to the detail you give above, the Serve America Act requires the Corporation for National and Community Service to administer the Innovation Fund and determine which grantmaking intermediaries will receive money, and with government matching the…
The Innovation Fund & The Serve America Act

Sean Stannard-Stockton

2 Jul 2009 | 3:11 pm

Yesterday I highlight the way that President Obama’s description of the Innovation Fund differed in fundamentally important ways from the policy recommendations of America Forward. The simplest way to understand the distinction is that the way Obama described the Fund would mean that it was making grants to nonprofits, while the American Forward policy recommendation has the Fund making grants to grantmaking organizations. My sense at this time is that the mismatch is based not on an intentional decision by the President to run the fund in a different way, but by a lack of understanding by…
Philanthropy Daily Digest

Sean Stannard-Stockton

1 Jul 2009 | 6:03 pm

New Philanthropy Capital Blog – Could grant-makers borrow their way through the recession? John Copps wonders if foundations should consider borrowing to maintain their grantmaking levels. (tags: philanthropy) Seth's Blog: The risk/reward confusion Seth Godin, urges readers to put aside (for the moment) taking big risks, and looks at the large returns that come from taking just a little risk. Clearly a lesson for philanthropy. (tags: philanthropy) New Models for (Philanthropy) Research & Dialogue « Philosopher 2.0 Tony Wang, remixes a recent Working Wikily paper and my recent…
The Innovation Fund

Sean Stannard-Stockton

1 Jul 2009 | 12:34 pm

Yesterday, President Obama officially launched the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and the Innovation Fund (whether it is now call the Social Innovation Fund or just the Innovation Fund is unclear). He also named Melody Barnes to run the Innovation Fund. You can see video of the event here. Interestingly, President Obama described how the fund would work in a way that I think would be a huge mistake and is not in line with indications we’ve had to date of the structure. President Obama said: “We’re going to use this fund to find the most promising non-profits in…
Philanthropy Daily Digest

Sean Stannard-Stockton

30 Jun 2009 | 6:02 pm

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation – Doing Good Today and Better Tomorrow: A Roadmap to High Impact Philanthropy Through Outcome-Focused Grantmaking A new report from the Hewlett Foundation detailing what they call Outcome-Focused Grantmaking. Describes their experience implementing the approach internally. A great read for program officers. (tags: philanthropy) Bob Ottenhoff Blog » The Flow of Federal Funds to the Sector I focus on philanthropy. But I'm excited about programs like the Social Innovation Fund because I know that linking the capital flows in philanthropy and the…

Donor Power Blog
How to save your donors' lives

Jeff Brooks

2 Jul 2009 | 8:26 am

You just might be saving your donors' lives. A recent HealthDay report, Have a Purpose in Life? You Might Live Longer, finds a correlation between purpose and longevity: We found that people who reported a greater level of purpose in life were substantially less likely to die over the follow-up period -- only about half as likely to die over the follow-up period -- as compared to people with a lower level of purpose. This sense-of-purpose stuff is their responsibility, not yours. But you can play a meaningful part by the way you communicate with them: By really bringing them in to the cause…
What does Gates have that you don't have?

Jeff Brooks

1 Jul 2009 | 8:23 am

Here's a problem more of us could do with: Last year the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation raised $10.4 million dollars without asking for anything. They didn't even really want it. (See the Chronicle of Philanthropy report: Gates Foundation Raises $10-Million in Unsolicited Gifts.) Why would so many people give to an organization that doesn't want them to give, offers no easy way to give, and will, in fact, just turn around and give their money to organizations they could have given to themselves in the first place? They've heard of the Gates Foundation. Or at least they've heard of Gates.
Marketing myths that many fundraisers believe

Jeff Brooks

30 Jun 2009 | 8:56 am

From Chief Marketer: 7 Myths CMOs (and Their Bosses) Gotta Stop Buying "I'll just hire me one of them superstars." "If everyone just picks themselves up by the bootstraps and tries harder (or works smarter) ..." "If we can just get some of that marketing automation, that'll solve our problems." "If we can't quantify it, we shouldn't do it." "I don't care what it takes, just get it done!" "We can't spare a dime to invest in research." "We don't have time to examine our own navels." Chief Marketing Officers aren't the only ones who buy myths like these. It turns out, in both marketing in…
Is video-game charity real or a joke?

Jeff Brooks

29 Jun 2009 | 8:42 am

As the middle-aged dad in the room, I'm often last to get the joke. So I could use some help here: Is Pixel Equity a joke? It has many of the qualities of something you'd find in The Onion: It's a nonprofit with this compelling mission: "... connects those who want to share video games with those who want to play them." That's right. Video games. Which, the website proclaims with a glorious lack of parallelism, help kids in these ways: Exposure to different cultures Learn to think scientifically Follow directions and read critically Develop social and communication skills This is all shared…
Decades-long string of final notices undermines nonprofit brand

Jeff Brooks

25 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am

I get variations of this piece of mail from the ACLU several times a year. I've been getting these since I sent a donation during the Bush I administration, who tried to smear his election opponent by calling him a "card-carrying member" of the ACLU -- which, as far as I was concerned, was a dynamite recommendation of the organization. That was about 20 years ago. The ACLU has told me literally hundreds of times that this is my last chance to renew my membership. My kids have spent their entire lives seeing these urgent final messages in the mailbox. Do you think anyone in my household…

AE on the Verge
Three decades ago? Yikes.

1 Jul 2009 | 7:29 pm

Something happened today that made me feel old: the Sony Walkman turned 30. I think I can mark time by what technology I was using ..... my Smith Corona typewriter with the correctable cartridge, FORTRAN (IF THEN GO TO) and the Walkman in college ... Wang with Lotus 1-2-3 and my very first so-called "portable" Mac (a carrying case does not mean easy to carry) in the early eighties at NAR ... the exciting moments of explaining how to put thermal paper in a dumb terminal for electronic communication in the mid-eighties (yes, I was your first online MLS instructor) ... and on and on ... and on.
9 Thoughts after 2 Months on Twitter

28 Jun 2009 | 6:27 pm

9 more thoughts after 2 months on Twitter (in no particular order) ...1. Maintaining 2 identities: There's difference of opinion about whether it's good or bad to have two separate identities on Twitter - and the challenge of doing that. My opinion is that if it's an "organization" using Twitter but a staff person has personal opinion on other topics - it's not the same. Now that news media, legislators, the Governor, Members of Congress, business groups may follow (or just watch) an association on Twitter, the organization's "name" should likely be mindful of that. It is, however, difficult…
Why not pick what many people like?

25 Jun 2009 | 8:24 pm

I'm not sure if this is stating the obvious - but is a reason certain foods are typically available and selected because there are a lot of people who like them?At a recent conference an attendee handed out single-packs of Reese's peanut butter cups - with a sticker with his Twitter name. I've also received weird candy in the past that maybe other attendees may find they really like ... or they'd ignore it, or dislike it. Recently I checked into a hotel after midnight after traveling for many hours. Awaiting me in my room was a note from the manager - and a chalkboard with a display of mole…
Annoying: Cancelled vs. Canceled

22 Jun 2009 | 8:51 pm

I'm deeply into my career and still don't have certainty about if the correct spelling is "cancelled" or "canceled". I could link to all the conflicting info, but won't. Today I cancelled a meeting. And spell check rejected it. Checked numerous sources as I've done numerous times and kept as cancelled (not canceled) because it looks wrong the other way.Spell check on this blog program didn't flag either spelling. Maybe they're both right?
5 (Bad) Twitter Lessons

21 Jun 2009 | 1:04 pm

This online story has some classic examples of Twitter gone bad, compliments of singer Usher's soon-to-be ex-wife Tameka. And since I don't personally know Usher and never followed either of them on Twitter - I can't even tell you if the reported story is remotely true - but think the lessons apply to all Twitter users regardless of the circumstances.1. Watch out for the Direct Messages. I learned my first week on Twitter how easy it is to accidentally send a direct message (DM) meant for one person out to everyone. Story says Tameka thought she was sending a Direct (private) Message to Star…

Give and Take
New York Pastor Resigns [1]

Ian Wilhelm

2 Jul 2009 | 7:53 am

The Rev. Brad R. Braxton, senior pastor of Riverside Church, in New York, resigned this week after less than a year on the job in part because of a controversy about his compensation, reports the City Room, a New York Times blog. The church fight is the latest in a series of incidents in which the public has expressed concern about a nonprofit leader’s pay; some charity experts expect such scrutiny to grow during the recession. The Rev. Braxton was appointed in September to lead the church, but some congregants objected to his annual compensation of $600,000, including a $250,000 salary…
Aid Groups Spending More Money on Security, Survey Finds

Caroline Preston

1 Jul 2009 | 3:48 pm

Aid organizations are devoting more money to keep their employees safe, according to a new survey by International Medical Corps. Michael Kleinman highlights some of the survey’s findings on the Change.org blog. Among them: -35 percent of respondents said their organization has a specialized safety and security department. -Charities spend most of the money they make available for security on training and on salaries for security personnel. -Nearly all groups have a written policy statement on security and all field sites have security guidelines available. Mr. Kleinman notes one…
Can Foundations "Borrow Their Way Out of the Recession"? [2]

Caroline Preston

1 Jul 2009 | 8:02 am

John Copps of New Philanthropy Capital, a British charity that advises philanthropists on how to give more effectively, asks on the organization’s blog whether foundations could borrow money to maintain their levels of giving during the recession. It’s a shame that, given the increase in demand for services, many grant makers have been forced to cut their budgets, Mr. Copps says. He wonders: “Could grant makers borrow to maintain their activity over the next few years, until their sources of income recover?” Perhaps they could borrow against future sources of income…
Group Sheds 'Sunlight' on Failed Bid

Ian Wilhelm

1 Jul 2009 | 7:49 am

While many charities proudly announce when they’ve won a government contract or grant, almost none publicly discuss why an attempted bid failed. On its blog, Sunlight Labs has done just that. Sunlight Labs is run by the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington nonprofit group, and uses technology to push government officials and members of Congress to be more public about their work. (Read The Chronicle’s article about the Sunlight Foundation.) In June Sunlight said it would try a radical idea: With help from independent Web developers and others, it would draft an application to operate…
Philanthropy Experts Debate Nature of Foundation Assets

Ian Wilhelm

30 Jun 2009 | 10:20 am

Philanthropy experts are debating the nature of charitable dollars — are they public or private funds? The discussion is not new, but has become more important lately as it is key to the question of how the government should regulate foundations and whether it should force them to give more to the poor and other disadvantaged populations. The Philanthropy Roundtable, a Washington association of grant makers, released this month a new report that attacks the idea that philanthropy is public money because donors receive a tax deduction and grant makers are tax-exempt. “The…

Getting Attention Blog
Learn the Language of Change -- Your Org will Benefit Big-Time

Nancy E. Schwartz

30 Jun 2009 | 8:25 am

Fundraising veteran Tom Suddes offers his golden (but free!) advice on how to shape your language to strengthen your organization, which Tom swears (and I think he's right) will change the way you think about your org. Listen now to change your org's life, and your own perspective. Can't ask for more in 45 minutes.Three key insights: Don't define yourself negatively, as a NOT-for-profit. Define yourself positively, focusing on your impact. You're afor-impact organization. Your impact drives your income, not the other way around. Just ask! Here's my favorite takeway -- reframing key nonprofit…
Wanted: Powerful Nonprofit Taglines -- Enter 2009 Tagline Awards Today

Nancy E. Schwartz

29 Jun 2009 | 5:09 am

Your nonprofit could be a 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winner! Take 3 minutes now to enter today. More information here.
Answers to Your ? on 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards

Nancy E. Schwartz

24 Jun 2009 | 7:35 am

Yahoo! Just hit 300 entries (after just 1 day) in the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards. Enter here right now, while it's on your mind. Deadline is July 31st. And please spread the word to your peers, grantees and other networks!I received several great questions (thanks all) yesterday when I launched this year's awards, and wanted to share the answers with you: We use two taglines, or we use three taglines (one for our org, and one for each main program) . Can I enter both/all of them? Yes, you can, each as a separate entry. If you enter a program tagline, add (program) at…
Wanted: Powerful Nonprofit Taglines -- Enter 2009 Tagline Awards Today

Nancy E. Schwartz

22 Jun 2009 | 11:33 am

Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year's Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winners! Enter today. A strong tagline does double-duty -- working to extend your organization's name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It's one of your most effective marketing tools, but the 2008 GettingAttention.org survey showed that 72% of nonprofit organizations don't have a tagline or rate theirs as performing poorly. I'm trying to change that with this annual award program, highlighting the best in nonprofit taglines. Take 3…
Ask Me (& 2 Other Experts) about Using Social Media to Promote Your Cause -- Ask Now, Chat 6/23 12pm Eastern

Nancy E. Schwartz

18 Jun 2009 | 4:54 am

Q&A Last month's Chronicle of Philanthropy-sponsored online chat (transcript here) on using social media to promote good causes was such an overwhelming success that we've scheduled a Part 2 for Tuesday, June 23rd at noon, eastern. Join in here.This is your chance to have all your social media questions answered by me or my co-chatters, social media masterminds Danielle Brigida of the National Wildlife Federation and Wendy Harman of The American Red Cross. But ASK RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE, if you want your question answered. Because we plow through questions as they are submitted and last…

Gift Hub
The Internationale Owned By?

PBC

30 Jun 2009 | 2:40 pm

Actor whistles the Internationale for 7 seconds on camera and receives a bill for 1,000 euros for the use of copyrighted intellectual property. Fortunately, here in the US the former Russian National Anthem is in the public domain and you can whistle it for nothing. (Thank you, Tom, for the link. What do I owe you?)
Tough Times Survey Results

PBC

30 Jun 2009 | 2:31 pm

From Bridgespan a telling graphic showing how badly nonprofits have suffered in the last 6 months. More detailed information here.
Private Money, Public Good

PBC

28 Jun 2009 | 6:15 pm

How Public is Private Philanthropy? by Evelyn Brody and John Tyler in pdf published by The Philanthropy Roundtable. The authors conclude that there is no basis in curent law for treating private foundations as public money to be controlled in their grants, say, by government action. The poor will have to look to the taxpayer, not the foundations for their entitlement programs. As a practical matter, if the government begins to treat foundation money as their money, fewer foundations will be set up. A foundation, if controlled in its grants by government, would be just another, more…
The Intellectual Property of the Holy Spirit

PBC

28 Jun 2009 | 5:57 pm

Improprieties:We in the US and elsewhere have had the habit, for perhaps too long, of assuming that conversation can be bottled up inside a piece of thingliness - a vessel like a book, a CD, DVD, digital file, painting, etc. -- and presented as a self-sufficient, closed object which can then be sold. I don't think that's what "markets are conversations" was intended to mean, but the closing of the conversation, like the enclosure of the commons, leads to improper notions of something as "a property," and then, "intellectual property."Stalin had Mandelstam…
Vigilante Philanthropist Glorified on TV

PBC

25 Jun 2009 | 4:09 pm

Interesting response by Steve Gunderson of Council on Foundations to the NBC show, The Philanthropist. He quotes a friend as saying, "The Philanthropist is to philanthropy what the Pink Panther is to police work." The PR says it follows the heroic adventures of Teddy Rist, billionaire playboy-turned-vigilante philanthropist, taking him across the globe from Haiti to Myanmar, Kashmir to Paris, Kosovo to San Diego.” In the interest of setting the record staight, I do think we should encourage the Council on Foundations to offer a prize annually to the …

DEBORAH ELIZABETH FINN
Ten things (just ten!) that every nonprofit executive needs to know about information technology

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

16 Jun 2009 | 7:46 am

1. Very little technical knowledge is required in order for nonprofit CEOs to participate actively in strategic IT planning. As long as you thoroughly understand your organization's overall mission, strategy, and tactics and (are willing to learn a little bit about the technology), you can keep your information technology infrastructure on target...
eHope: I'm not just a fan!

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

21 May 2009 | 12:06 pm

When I first heard about eHope, over a year ago, I was excited! Here was yet another great example of how face-to-face relationshipsonline networking, and heightened awareness of the importance of social capital could be combined in powerful ways. Jeffrey Wood, eHope's founder, is a visionary who is bringing all this together to help communities support people who are facing life-threatening illnesses. I lost no time in calling him up and arranging for him to be a featured guest at the Ethos Roundtable. He came down from Maine to Cambridge for the Ethos session, and…
Thanks to Yves Dehnel, Easy Peasy provides a solution, although not as easily as I would have thought

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

11 May 2009 | 1:29 pm

Yves Dehnel of Tech Networks of Boston is my new hero.As readers of my blog know, I bought an Asus Eee PC 900 in July, but have run into obstacles in trying to use it in my habitual way. After Twittering about it, blogging about it, going online to various nonprofit technology communities, posting a plaintive request for help to GetSatisfaction, and - yes - even after checking with Asus customer support, I still couldn't install any new drivers or applications on my Asusnetbook, and therefore I couldn't use my AT&T mobile broadband with it. Several people suggested that the…
Online capacity mapping and resource matching for nonprofits

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

8 May 2009 | 10:26 am

Having served as a co-convener of the Ethos Roundtable since 2006, I have finally scheduled myself as a presenter for June 2009:Tuesday, June 16th4:30 - 6:00 pmCharles Hotel1 Bennett StreetHarvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USAFeatured guest: (yours truly) I was first inspired to think about one giant web-based tool for capacity mapping and resource matching for nonprofits by a conversation in 2003 with my buddy Tim Gassert. Since then, I've looked for ways to make it happen. Within the last year, some sort of tipping point occurred, and all sorts of esteemed clients and colleagues…
Not that I am bitter

Deborah Elizabeth Finn

21 Apr 2009 | 10:10 am

That headline is a lie. I'm not going to be able to attend NTEN's Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) next week, and I'm feeling pretty grumpy about it.Fortunately, NTEN is doing a good job of providing channels for remote participation:We can follow the NTC's Twitter feed, and look for tweets that are tagged #09NTCWe can follow the NTC Flickr photo streamWe can listen to NTC podcastsThere are also plans for offering conference sessions through webinars, live streaming, and live blogging. Kudos to the NTEN team, and to all the other folks who are collaborating to make that…

PHILANTHROPY 2173
What are we not doing?

Lucy Bernholz

1 Jul 2009 | 1:56 am

This question - what are we not doing? - may be the most important question any strategist, funder, program officer, or board member can ask. It contextualizes the choices that are being made. It sheds light on how well you (or your staff) have scanned the landscape. It will help you think about what might come next. It may nudge you to reconsider ideas or plans that you had previously put aside. It requires you to explain, contextualize, justify, position the things you are doing.Next time you are developing a funding strategy, considering a grant portfolio, thinking through evaluation, or…
Nonprofits and Social Media Podcast

Lucy Bernholz

29 Jun 2009 | 1:08 am

Thanks to the Columbus Foundation and DonorEdge for making possible this podcast.Sidney Hargo interviews Katya Andresen of Network for Good and me on the future of social media, nonprofits and philanthropy. Enjoy.Tags: philanthropy, socialmedia, podcast, @katyan4g, @changeEvnglst, @colsfound, 2p2173
Charity Challenge buzzword 2009.5

Lucy Bernholz

23 Jun 2009 | 1:14 pm

(photo by exfordy, Flickr, Creative Commons)One of the key noted philanthropy trends of 2008 was the growth of philanthropy prizes.This year the buzzword is charity challenge. These challenges tend to be some form of matching grant - based fundraising opportunity that uses blogs, twitter, widgets, online video and every other possible web-based communications tool. They allow the public to vote on where the sponsor's dollars go, or at least those recently run by Target, Toms of Maine, and American Express do so.Tags: philanthropy, buzzwords, buzzwords2009, charitychallenge
Idea Index and changing how we look for change

Lucy Bernholz

22 Jun 2009 | 3:02 pm

(photo by psd, Flickr, Creative Commons)The Idea Index is a great (and beautiful) example of learning from the ecosystem that prize philanthropy creates. The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) has taken all of the entries for its recent challenge and published them in the Idea Index. BFI refers to this as "an open-source database of solutions to the world's most pressing problems."It is similar to the way Changemakers is running its prize platform. HASTAC also works to connect the many organizations that submit to its Digital Media Challenge. NetSquared's annual conference acts as a way for…
Even further "embedded" giving

Lucy Bernholz

17 Jun 2009 | 12:42 pm

I was hoping I could come up with a term for "deeper than embedded" before writing this post, but my mind failed me. Since I am on vacation this is probably a good sign. So we'll open this up to you, dear readers - what term would you use to describe business models in which the giving element is so thoroughly integrated into the product and its marketing that it is a fundamental piece of the puzzle - even if the giving itself is not the core revenue driver, purpose of the product, or outcome of the service?Here are some examples:Contribune provides donor analytic software that allows an…

The Official google.org blog
German utility partners with Google PowerMeter - willkommen!

Niki Fenwick

30 Jun 2009 | 2:28 am

Earlier today we announced on the Google Germany Blog that Yello Strom is our first Google PowerMeter partner in Europe. With over 1.4 million customers, Yello is among Germany's ten largest electricity companies and the very first company to offer commercial smart meters nationwide in Germany.When Yello Executive Director Martin Vesper gave us a demo of the Sparzähler meter a few months ago, it felt like fate -- Yello's solution for making energy information easy-to-access and easy-to-act-upon aligns perfectly with our vision for Google PowerMeter. The Sparzähler meter's broadband…
Google SMS to serve needs of poor in Uganda

Jamie Yood

29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

(Cross-posted from Official Google Africa Blog)Today is a big day for the Google Africa team for several reasons. We're announcing an exciting partnership between MTN Uganda, the Grameen Foundation and Google, along with the launch of Google SMS in Uganda. This launch makes available the first suite of applications resulting from an endeavor initiated by Grameen Foundation called "AppLab" (Application Laboratory) which began over a year ago. AppLab is designed to develop mobile applications that serve the needs of poor and other vulnerable individuals and communities, most of whom have…
All for Good: Bringing search, scale and openness to community service

Jamie Yood

22 Jun 2009 | 8:19 am

(cross-posted with Official Google Blog)While many organizations are doing great work to enable community service locally, it's not simple to search across opportunities from a variety of places to find what's right for you. We have some experience finding relevant information from among many scattered sources, and when we learned that President Obama and the First Lady were making community service a top priority even before taking office, we thought we could help make a difference.With our mission in mind, a group of "20%" engineers, designers, and program managers from Google and other…
Happy World Environment Day

Niki Fenwick

5 Jun 2009 | 11:24 am

Today is World Environment Day and I wanted to point your attention to a major initiative that just launched and is supported by Google: The Prince of Wales' Prince's Rainforest Project, dedicated to protecting the Amazon rainforest. Check out this video featuring supporters from around the world, including Google's very own CEO, Eric Schmidt - and some adorable frogs. Prince Charles spoke about the destruction of the rainforest and other challenges of the 21st century at our recent European Zeitgeist. As he has said, "If we lose the battle against tropical deforestation, we lose the battle…
Google Flu Trends for Australia and New Zealand

Jamie Yood

3 Jun 2009 | 7:01 am

As the flu season begins in the southern hemisphere, we're excited to announce the expansion of Google Flu Trends to Australia and New Zealand.By using aggregated search data, we've been able to produce estimates of flu activity for these countries in the same manner as in the United States and Mexico. We continue to see a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms.While some existing flu tracking systems may take days or weeks to collect and release data, Google search queries can be counted immediately. Google Flu…

SocialButterfly
Social Marketing as a Solution

Alex

30 Jun 2009 | 2:59 pm

We all like solutions, right? We’ve heard them talked about, seen some of them unfulfilled or seen them not live up to their potential. But all the trials and errors mean that much more when a solution works. I invite you to read Barack Obama’s remarks about the Social Innovation Fund from earlier today. The Social Innovation Fund is a proposed solution to identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country. The Fund has four main objectives, including: Catalyzing partnerships between the government and nonprofits,…
A Look Back: My First Twitter 10

Alex

9 Jun 2009 | 7:49 pm

Friend and colleague Jeffrey Levy, in conversation the other day, said he went back to the beginning….of his days on Twitter that is, to see who he first started following. So, I did the same. It caused me to reflect on my own Twitter activity. Therefore, without further ado, my first Twitter 10: (take-aways listed afterwards) 1. @misslacey123: Lacey is the one who got me on Twitter. We are both Mizzou J-School alums who have re-located to the great DC. She mentioned it one day as her and her colleagues at PBS were starting to explore it. At first, I was a little skeptical. But…
Twitter Bios: Experts Versus Beer

Alex

7 Jun 2009 | 10:22 pm

What you say in your Twitter bio makes a difference. You get 160 characters to describe yourself, share an outlook on life or to define your work. If you’re curious what others say, you are not alone. Through some fancy Google search queries, the folks at Twitter Truth were able to discover that the following words were mentioned in Twitter bios: “Twitter” =14,300x ‘SEO’ = 4,980x ‘Beer’ = 20,300x ‘Expert’ = 4,060x ‘Democrat’ = 311x ‘Republican’ = 872x ‘Liberal’ = 1,130x ‘Conservative’ = 2,280x ‘News’ = 49,100x ‘PR’ = 8,420x ‘New…
Social Marketing Bulletin–List of Change, Local Public Health and More

Alex

4 Jun 2009 | 7:56 pm

It’s been awhile since the last Social Marketing Bulletin, but all the more reason to get on with the show. The Bulletin includes items that encompass social change, social marketing and social media: 1. FEATURED: “I Know. I Took the Test.” I chose this initiative because it encompasses social change, social marketing and social media, as well as public health, non-profits, and government 2.0. What is it? The cross-collorative effort to recognize National HIV Testing Day on June 27th from AIDS.gov, the CDC, the White House’s Act Against AIDS campaign and other work by…
Dear May 2009 Graduate, Here’s 40 Reasons to Still Study Journalism

Alex

3 Jun 2009 | 9:31 pm

I am completely biased in this post because of my own studies in journalism. That said: Newspapers are downsizing. Jobs are being cut. The journalism field is in the midst of a re-invention. Despite the landscape and view people may hold when they think of today’s journalism, enrollment in journalism school has INCREASED! Recently on the Mizzou Mafia’s list serv (we do exist), an alum wrote about her frustration when a prospective freshman asked her about a career in journalism. She just felt like she couldn’t encourage the girl to go into a field that she felt was losing…

A Small Change- Fundraising Blog
Gentle Persistence

Jason Dick

1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Volunteers are one of the gems of the nonprofit world and are an invaluable asset to making connections in the community, raising funds, and getting day-to-day work done. Board members and campaign volunteers are two of the best resources for bringing in new gifts. But sometimes it can be quite a challenge to get follow through on specific requests. I’ve seen many tools to help us remind each other and our volunteers like: going through lists of assignments as a group (peer pressure), using email reminders to make follow up easier, setting regular times for volunteers to make phone calls.
Join an Interactive Community?

Jason Dick

28 Jun 2009 | 12:51 pm

Ok, so I’m getting excited about a new idea. Who would get excited about all of us together starting an online community where we promote each other’s online fundraising? Would you be willing to commit to comment and vote for each other to win/raise money for your organization? Online fundraising can be really hard especially when you’re first getting started. But through this blog maybe we can make it easier for everyone. Here are a couple of ideas that I’m thinking we could offer if together we decided to create this community. Promotion of nonprofits who are competing for…
Getting a Hold of People

Jason Dick

24 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

I spend a significant amount of time trying to get a hold of people and have a few different techniques that I’ve used to do so. I’d love to hear back from you if you have any additional tools or ideas. Just leave a comment below with your technique. Call at different times in the day and do not leave a message. Most people will answer their work phone when they are at their desk if they are not currently in a meeting or on a call. (Do not use this technique with their cell phone.) Try multiple numbers. Make sure you have the work, home, and cell numbers of those contacts that you need to…
Celebrating Success

Jason Dick

22 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

One of the most important elements in motivating co-workers is building an environment that celebrates success. I’m not talking about a little cheer when you get a big gift (although that works for some people). We need to take regular time to talk about what is going well and why. Celebrating success is important especially in economic times like these. We will all have harder seasons to fundraise than others and for many people knowing that you did a great job is what will get you through. I try and start my regular meetings by taking a quick opportunity to mention some of the successes…
Award & An Idea

Jason Dick

19 Jun 2009 | 7:05 am

50 States for Good program (submitted by Devin Kingdon) “Through the 50 States for Good program, the company is now asking its consumers to help decide what projects around the country should receive the company’s financial support. With a $100,000 community action fund and a goal of inspiring participation across all 50 states, Tom’s of Maine encourages people to share their opinions on the projects that matter most to them.” - www.50statesforgood.com Applications are available on their website and are due by August 30. At that time submissions will be voted on and the 5…

Frogloop
Top 8 Social Media Tracking Tools

Allyson Kapin

29 Jun 2009 | 7:07 pm

Social media! I seriously think it’s "the" buzz word of 2009. According to Omniture, over 200 million searches are conducted every single day and 78% of people trust recommendations by peers. But how should nonprofits track their social media? What tools should they use? Understand What You Want to Track. Do you want to track how many people are clicking and sharing your links or updates? Do you want to track how many people are signing your petitions after visiting your site? Are you interested in trends relating to specific topics your nonprofit works on such as health care reform or…
Fundraising Dips In First Quarter Of 2009

Allyson Kapin

28 Jun 2009 | 4:44 pm

The struggling economy hit nonprofits hard in the first quarter of 2009. According to the latest Target Analytics Index of National Fundraising Performance, the number of new donors dropped by almost 13%, as compared to 2008. The study analyzed 79 nonprofit organizations and their fundraising campaigns via direct mail, online fundraising, telemarketing, and canvassing. The study also showed that for the first time since Target Analytics released its initial study in 2002, overall revenue per donor declined by 2.1%. Prior to this study, the Index of the National Fundraising Performance had…
Strategies For Optimizing Your Nonprofit's Website

Matt Howes

25 Jun 2009 | 8:19 am

Testing email subject lines and content is pretty easy with many email marketing tools, but there was never an easy way to do the same thing with webpages...until Google Optimizer.I first heard about Google Optimizer from an Obama Campaign veteran and have become a big fan. To use it, you create a webpage and variations of that page that you'd like to test (for example, you might want to test if people respond better to a picture of a polar bear or a happy child on your donation page). You then set up an "experiment" on Google Optimizer where you tell it what the test pages are and what the…
How Unused Gift Cards Can Support Nonprofits

Allyson Kapin

23 Jun 2009 | 9:14 pm

Do you have a pile of gift cards stuffed in an old draw? Chances are they will probably lie around for a while and the next thing you know, they expired. It’s hard to believe, but approximately $40 billion in unused gift cards is sitting in US kitchen and sock drawers, an average of $400 per household. What a huge waste of money. Plastic Jungle, a company that sells, buys, exchanges, and donates gift cards agrees and recently started to raise money for nonprofits by encouraging people to donate their unused gift cards to DonorsChoose.org and other nonprofits. Here’s how it…
YouTube Launches Video Volunteers

Allyson Kapin

22 Jun 2009 | 8:57 am

Today, YouTube luanched a cool new program called YouTube Video Volunteers in partnership with allforgood.org, to help connect nonprofit organizations with skilled video makers who can help them broadcast their causes through video, reaching new audiences online and driving action around issues and projects that matter to them. "We're hoping that this will help nonprofits with one of their constant struggles (content creation) as well as engage a new group of supporters in a meaningful way. I think of it is a step towards Service 2.0, said Ramya Raghavan of YouTube. Receive monthly updates

Confessions of a Non-Profit Executive Director
Towards a New Kind of Nonprofit Website, Part II

abenamer@nonprofittechblog.org (Allan Benamer)

24 Jun 2009 | 12:49 pm

You’ve read about my operational plan and theorems in Part I of this series. Here’s why I chose Drupal to carry out the Asian Pacific Americans for Progress website instead of Wordpress. Drupal is very good at building complex websites that can vault a nonprofit past brochureware or a blog and into the position of being #1 on your subject matter. I’m sure Joomla can do the same but there are certain Drupal practices and modules that can fundamentally alter the balance of power between your nonprofit and the competition. If your nonprofit is interested in being the biggest…
Why Your Nonprofit’s Volunteer Base Should Blog for Your Nonprofit

abenamer@nonprofittechblog.org (Allan Benamer)

22 Jun 2009 | 1:56 pm

Effect of Blog Entries on Site Traffic An alert reader has asked me for a chart on the effect of blog entries on site traffic. I took the time to create a little data table from the Google Analytics reports for APA for Progress. Please be aware that the Jun-09 figures were run on 6/22 so the figures are incomplete for June. As you can see in the chart above, there’s a high correlation (.945) between the number of blog entries and the level of site traffic. There’s also a high correlation (.820) between the number of blog entries made per month and the number of Google searches…
Towards a New Kind of Nonprofit Website, Part I

abenamer@nonprofittechblog.org (Allan Benamer)

20 Jun 2009 | 4:21 pm

I’ve been doing some research lately on building websites for a political advocacy group, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP). I haven’t been posting lately because I went down a VERY, VERY deep Drupal, information architecture and SEO rabbit hole for the last few months. I would have written this post sooner but I really wanted to confirm a lot of my thoughts first with site traffic measurements. Basically, this is a story of how a very small political advocacy group went from zero to hero in roughly six months. This is going to be a long post so let’s get started.
Animoto For a Cause

abenamer@nonprofittechblog.org (Allan Benamer)

4 May 2009 | 11:35 am

Check out Animoto for a Cause! I’ve been a long time user of Animoto and I’m actually a paid subscriber to Animoto. I’ve had a lot of fun working with their software to make vacation videos out of pictures I’ve taken. The way Animoto works is that you upload a bunch of pictures to their site and perhaps an MP3 for a soundtrack and their software creates a video out of your media. For nonprofits, this is a godsend especially since most nonprofits don’t have dedicated staff for making sophisticated multimedia. The time it takes to upload pics and video is nothing…
Google Voice: A New Tool For Nonprofits But Not So Great for Community Voicemail

abenamer@nonprofittechblog.org (Allan Benamer)

12 Mar 2009 | 4:30 pm

UPDATE (3/14/2009 1:07 AM EDT): Check out the blog post from Community Voice Mail addressing my concerns. Oddly, the blogger there claims to have left comments here but I don’t see anything. Just so you all know, I don’t moderate comments except if you put more than one external HTML link in your comment as that’s a sign you may be a spammer. On to the original article… Launched today, Google Voice is the newest update to Grandcentral, a service I’ve used since near its inception. It generates a universal phone number that ties together various services such as…

Razoo
Echoing Green Funds Future Changemakers

2 Jul 2009 | 2:11 pm

Our world is constantly evolving. To keep up with the changes, and continue to provide help to people who need it, we need to identify the most promising solutions and innovations, and come up with new models to transform our society into the world we want to live in.For many nonprofits, it’s tough to shift business models at the drop of a hat. Though groups may have the best intentions, they often stick with the tried-and-true methods of operation, rather than taking chances on unique worldchanging strategies.However, several nonprofit groups are using their funds and name recognition…
Teen Rides 100 Miles in Wheelchair to Raise Funds for Bay Cliff Health Camp

1 Jul 2009 | 2:52 pm

This summer, plenty of parents are taking their kids to summer camp. But this year, rather than ride in the car with his parents, 14-year-old Gene Fletcher decided to make his entrance in a unique way: by riding the entire 100-mile journey from his Michigan home to Bay Cliff Health Camp in his motorized wheelchair, with his parents and a group of supporters traveling alongside him.Gene, who has scoliosis and cerebral palsy, decided to take on this ambitious trek as a way to raise money and awareness for Bay Cliff Health Camp, where he has been an enthusiastic camper for the last six years.
ShelterBox Provides Portable Homes to People in Need

1 Jul 2009 | 2:48 pm

When a natural disaster strikes or a war breaks out, thousands of people are often left homeless. Shelters quickly become dangerously overcrowded, and it takes time to bring in temporary housing or build new construction. Emergency supplies, food, and basic medical equipment can also be tough to track down when so many people are injured and in need of aid. So how can we help people who’ve been displaced and have nowhere to turn?Tom Henderson, a British Rotary Club member and former search-and-rescue diver for the Royal Navy, came up with a solution in 2001: the ShelterBox. This simple,…
Advocacy Project Connects the World Through Technology

29 Jun 2009 | 1:46 pm

Even if they aren’t rich, most high school students living in Washington, DC, can count on a few basic elements: a warm bed to sleep in, three meals a day, access to health care, and education. But recently, thanks to volunteer Kristina Rosinsky from The Advocacy Project, students from the summer program at the Washington International School received a wakeup call that made them realize how much they genuinely had, compared to others their age around the world.Rosinsky created a role-playing game for the students that would help them to understand what it would be like to be an…
A Good Idea Promotes Random Acts of Kindness in San Francisco

29 Jun 2009 | 9:23 am

About a year ago, Jared Paul was in the throes of what he calls “a third-of-life crisis.” He and his girlfriend had broken up. His career in sales and marketing left him unfulfilled. He felt spiritually empty. Paul, 32, left his job to ponder his next step. After three months of introspection inspired in part by Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now, he was reinvigorate by an idea: He’d gather and inspire altruistic people who could then ignite that spark of goodness in others. It seemed like a good idea, so the San Francisco resident called his new group A Good Idea. Its…

About.com Nonprofit Charitable Orgs
Research Redux: Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies of Note

2 Jul 2009 | 11:28 am

We try to get around to everything, but it isn't always possible. So, as July begins, here are links to some important research studies from the month of June. Johns Hopkins...
Older Americans Doing Social Good Lauded by President Obama at Innovation Fund Announcement

30 Jun 2009 | 7:00 pm

If you thought national service was just for young people, Civic Ventures has proven you very wrong. Civic Ventures is a San Francisco nonprofit, founded by Marc Freedman, author of Encore:...
3 Tips for Viral Marketing That Don't Involve Facebook or Twitter

29 Jun 2009 | 10:24 pm

We often think of Facebook and Twitter when we hear the word "viral." But while you're mastering social media, don't neglect the simple, old fashioned word-of-mouth things you can do....
Madoff's Tangled Web Includes Charities that Benefited

29 Jun 2009 | 6:02 am

Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years this morning, but his fraudulent investment scheme is still unraveling, snaring many nonprofits who both won and lost as a result of the...
Great Links for Nonprofits - Email to Fundraising to Taglines

29 Jun 2009 | 4:38 am

14 Easy Ways to Grow Your Email List Kivi Leroux Miller provides the basics about collecting email addresses and keeping your list clean. Assessing America's Giving Challenge Allison Fine summarizes...

The Naked Idea
What do you have to say?

John

29 Jun 2009 | 6:06 am

I grew up in a very tiny village called Caistorville. In Caistorville, as a youth, if you wanted a job, there were really only three available. 1) You could work at a farm, helping in their fields or barn. 2) You could work at the feed mill, shoving and bagging wheat, feed and lots of other stuff. 3) You could work at the gas station pumping gas and stocking shelves. For the record I did all three. I recall many hours spent standing near the front door of the gas station waiting for someone to roll through our sleepy little village to get some gas and listening to the owner, Roger talk…
The Fundraising Guru - RIP

John

29 Jun 2009 | 5:40 am

Something I had considered doing for this blog was a ongoing Q&A with some of the world’s (in my opinion) fundraising gurus. Mal Warwick, Ken Burnett, George Smith, Steve Thomas… a few others. I thought about how great it would be to pick the brains of some top minds in our sector. I asked a few colleagues for their thoughts and boy - did I get some. A sampling: Why did I not have any women on my list - especially considering the demographics of our industry? Most of my list was made up of consultants - are they even “real” fundraisers? Why are we constantly giving…
My name is John… and I am a SPAMMER

John

22 Jun 2009 | 5:52 am

I was part of a discussion group the other week on LinkedIn where a member was asking people to take a short survey about blogs and bloggers, which I completed and then posted my thanks for running the survey, asked to hear the results and a, oh by the way if you want to check out my blog, surf over to… right here - “The Naked Idea“. Of course, other followed suit by posting their names and blog addresses when suddenly a comment popped up telling all of us to stop spamming and why were people so intent on spamming everyone and everything and the whole world is crashing down,…
Measuring social media

John

15 Jun 2009 | 6:15 am

I have to admit, even I am getting tired of thinking, writing and using social media. Everywhere you turn everyone is talking about how they use it, how many followers on twitter they have, how many people have joined their facebook group pages, how many people clicked on their blog… I like marketing author Jim Sterne’s two cents, “Whoop-dee-doo.” Well said Jim. Jim was quoted in an article in Marketing Magazine called “The Numbers Game“. Most of the numbers that people quote ‘are great for chest-beating and nothing else’. So how do we measure…
The Visual Language

John

15 Jun 2009 | 5:56 am

In the past few weeks I’ve written about effective design and what branding really is. I was flipping through an old issue of Advancing Philanthropy (I’m a little behind on my reading!) when I came across a great side bar article called “Your Campaign’s Visual Messages” by Edward Fierro. He reminded me that the visual language/message is the design. You have the words and you have the design. The design can be determined and driven by a graphical or visual identity - commonly and incorrectly referred to (by some) as your “brand”. I strongly suggest…

Step By Step Fundraising
Free Teleseminar: Fundraising by Mail with Sandy Rees

Sandra Sims

2 Jul 2009 | 12:44 pm

It took some arm twisting, but I managed to get Sandy Rees to agree to join me for a one hour teleseminar, just for Step by Step Fundraising readers. — For Free! — You see, Sandy is one busy, in-demand gal. In addition to the 7 Essential Steps to Raising Money by Mail, the book she and I co-authored, she has written several other books. She has a long list of coaching and consulting clients. All of this of course after retiring from working full-time directly for nonprofit agencies. In her own words: I’ve worked in nonprofit fundraising for the past 10 years. In one of…
June 2009: Thanks to our Sponsors

Sandra Sims

30 Jun 2009 | 7:59 am

I just wanted to extend a thank you to our June premium sponsors. They provide terrific services for nonprofits and anyone wishing to raise funds for a good cause, so be sure to visit their websites. Raise The Funds works with nonprofits to create an exciting, and unusual, fundraising event. Michael C. Anthony performs his comedy hypnosis show “Hypnotized” all across the US. The company provides set up for the show and your group provides the venue and ticket sales. View this recent post to see my favorite video from his performances: Laughter Brings People Together at Volunteer…
Today Show Helps Rebuild Galveston, TX after Hurricane

Sandra Sims

29 Jun 2009 | 10:28 am

This year The Today Show Lend a Hand program helped five great causes. Al Roker went on the road to help organizations around the country: A Chance for Children Foundation, Los Angeles, California Portland Parks Foundation, Portland, Oregon Help4Galveston, Galveston, Texas Arkansas Rice Depot, Little Rock, Arkansas Community School of the Arts, Charlotte, North Carolina On Day 3 the program helped people in my home state of Texas who were devastated by Hurricane Ike in October of last year. In fact this was the largest day of donations in the history of the Today Show’s Lend a Hand…
Laughter Brings People Together at Volunteer and Fundraising Events

Sandra Sims

24 Jun 2009 | 9:54 am

I recently returned from a trip to El Paso where a group of eight from our church did volunteer work at Lydia Patterson Institute. It’s a great high school that primarily serves English as a second language students, most of whom live across the border in Juarez. Late June in West Texas — it’s hot without a cloud in the sky — and we had some tough work to do. But you didn’t hear whining from us (not much anyway) and actually there was much chatter and laughter. We didn’t all know one another beforehand but by sharing in this work we believed in and…
Good Problems at Charity Events (and How to Handle Them)

Carrie Hill

11 Jun 2009 | 7:37 am

Awhile back I wrote about how the 2008 Southern Utah Memory Walk was a huge success, both in terms of participants and funds raised. This is fantastic news, and I’m thrilled that the event will help find a cure for Alzheimer’s and provide services to families in Southern Utah who are facing the disease. Yet even the most successful charity events can be challenging in their own way. Case in point: The Southern Utah Memory Walk Committee anticipated 200 participants on Saturday, November 8th. Instead, almost 400 people came out for the event! As LuAnn Lundquist, Regional Manager for the…

Zyozy Foundation Blog
Ted Talk: Katherine Fulton - You are the future of philanthropy

25 Jun 2009 | 8:42 am

In this uplifting ‘TED Talk’, Katherine Fulton sketches the new future of philanthropy — one where collaboration and innovation allow regular people to do big things, even when money is scarce. Giving five practical examples of crowd-driven philanthropy, she calls for a new generation of citizen leaders. http://www.acumenfund.org/ http://twitter.com/acumenfund
Good Fortune

24 Jun 2009 | 12:12 pm

Are massive international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa undermining the very communities they aim to benefit? Good Fortune explores how massive, international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit. Through intimate portraits of two Kenyans battling aid organizations to keep their homes, the film presents a unique opportunity to experience foreign aid through the people it is intended to benefit. In the rural countryside, Jackson’s farm is being flooded by an American investor who hopes to alleviate poverty by creating a…
Beth’s Story

13 Jun 2009 | 9:43 am
Imagine This!

12 Jun 2009 | 10:41 am

Great initiative: Imagine This! CREATES and BUILDS projects; anywhere and everywhere people need a hand up, drawing attention to these projects by FILMING the experience and SHARING it with the world. That attention turns into more support and more action, which will strengthen our community and turn it into a movement. http://www.imaginethistv.com/
Who’s Got Your Back? Olympic concepts for a life of fulfillment

11 Jun 2009 | 6:30 pm

Inspiring talk by Jeff Olson, zyOzy Foundation co Founder.

The Agitator
Are Nonprofits Good At Social Media?

tbelford

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Alexandra Samuel, writing in Harvard Business Publishing, says Yes! In her article, Why Nonprofits Are So Good at Social Media, she notes that social media are all about relationship building and points out: "In the nonprofit sector, relationships have always been the key currency: the relationships with the members, donors and supporters that NGOs depend on for volunteer labor, financial support and advocacy muscle." Her article is sprinkled with links to what Alexandra regards as good examples (and in my opinion, they are) from March of Dimes, Brooklyn Museum, AARP, American…
How Well Do You “Close” Online?

tbelford

30 Jun 2009 | 11:35 pm

In eMarketing and Commerce, I recently came across a survey conducted for PayPal of reasons consumers give for "abandoning their shopping carts" during online shopping. PayPal found that 45% of their respondents had bailed out of at least one online retail purchase at the "checkout register" in the preceding three weeks. Here are the top reasons: 40% — too high shipping costs 37% — they wanted to comparison shop 36% — didn’t have enough money after shipping and handling charges were added to totals 27% — left to search for coupons 26% —…
Nonprofit Innovation

tbelford

29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The UK-based Management Centre recently scored 57 nonprofits on their ability to innovate … a seven step process as conceptualized by the Centre: Ideation — idea generation Integration — cross-pollination of ideas Information — external scanning & sourcing Selection — identifying ideas to take forward Support — develop ideas into offerings Launch — bringing the idea to fruition and setting expections re returns Learning — establishing what can be improved and learned from 34 US charities were included, and their relative strengths were found…
Politics Of Online Ad Targeting

tbelford

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

If you’re in the biz of targeting online ads for member acquisition, fundraising or issue persuasion, here are two articles that illustrate the data-driven capabilities that exist. The first deals mainly with the Republican Party’s use of voter registration data to help target GOTV ads into the Yahoo, AOL and MSN ad networks. The second describes Resonate, an online ad network targeting capability that points messages at netizens based upon their issue preferences. At this report there were about 500 websites in the network, with aspirations for 2,500. This tool, aimed more at…
Chuck Pruitt Is Mad!

tbelford

25 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Chuck Pruitt of A.B Data thinks the dire predictions of the death of direct mail are groundless. And he’s angry they seem to get such credence (though certainly that’s not the case in the annals of The Agitator … just Search our site using "direct mail’!). Chuck’s been around awhile, and his firm directed the Obama campaign’s direct mail fundraising efforts. Many of us probably have the impression, from the breathless reporting at the time, that all of Obama’s money was raised online … but A.B Data raised $108 million for Obama throught the…

Everyday Giving Blog
Comic with Serious Message

Roger Carr

27 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am

This was my first attempt at creating a comic. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
2009 Fredericksburg Arthritis Walk

Roger Carr

16 Jun 2009 | 5:44 am

If you were not able to attend the Fredericksburg Arthritis Walk this year, check out the below slideshow. Charity walks can be fun and provide support to your cause. If you are not involved in a charity walk, go to http://www.LetsMoveTogether.org to find an Arthritis Walk in your area or contact your favorite nonprofit organizations to discover if they host a walkathon you can join.
Calling All Videographers Who Want to Make a Difference

Roger Carr

26 May 2009 | 8:00 am

Video is a great medium to use for bringing attention to an important cause. You don't need to be a professional videographer or use expensive equipment to create and distribute effective videos. Would you like to have some fun while creating videos that can make a difference? The following are a couple of current video contests night you should consider participating in: Show Us Your Moves The Show Us Your Moves video contest is encouraging physical activity. It is a part of the Arthritis Foundation’s Let's Move Together campaign. Monthly winners of the contest receive a Flip Camera. The…
Will Ferrell Makes Sun Protection Fun and Charitable

Roger Carr

26 May 2009 | 5:33 am

Will Ferrell is an internationally known actor and comedian. His outrageous behavior has resulted in millions of smiles and laughs around the world. It also resulted in a celebrity status that can be leveraged for good. Since his college days, Will Ferrell has been a strong supporter of the nonprofit organization Cancer for College. Cancer for College provides college scholarships to cancer survivors and amputees. What is Will Ferrell’s latest method of support? Sunscreen! Will Ferrell Sunscreen Cancer for College just launched a new line of sunscreens featuring Will Ferrell. All proceeds…
Support the Fight Against Arthritis

Roger Carr

25 Apr 2009 | 1:55 am

As you probably know, my wife Kim suffers from arthritis. Before that time, I thought arthritis was something that only afflicted elderly people and could be dealt with by taking a simple pain killer. I was wrong! Arthritis impacts us all Today, 46 million people (one in five) suffer from the pain of arthritis in the United States alone. There are also 300,000 children who are affected by arthritis. It is likely you know people who suffer from arthritis. Arthritis also imposes a major burden on the economy. Costs to the U.S. economy totals $128 billion annually. How you can help A week from…

VOLUNTEER BOSTON
Tick Tock Time Management

Adj

20 Jun 2009 | 5:46 pm

I am continuously running into this issue. To work (or apply for jobs for many of you out there), to volunteer, to have fun, to relax... how to keep this all straight and remain sane?!The point is, as a mid-twenties-er trying to make a name for myself and figure out where I want to go and be, I find keeping up my momentum is the biggest key to success (yes, I just used the phrase "key to success"...enter vomit). Sure, on a Tuesday night, I am tempted by the cheese-bucket reality TV my roommates are watching on the boob. Sure, at least 30 percent of the time I give into the temptation to…
The Canary Project

Caitlyn

17 Jun 2009 | 8:54 am

I work for a very green company in a very green workplace, so it was no surprise to me when the founders of the Canary Project paid us a visit to educate us about their work. The Project "produces visual media, events, and artwork that build public understanding of human-induced climate change and energize commitment to solutions." Edward Morris and his wife and photographer for the project, Susannah Sayler have travelled the world (I won't pretend I'm not a little bit jealous) photographing areas affected by climate change. The Canary Project successfully melds art and activism and is an…
Cocktails 101

Krystle

8 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Does this scene sound familiar with you?You are heading out after work with a few friends to a new bar you haven't been to before. The waiter hands you a list of the drinks offered at this bar and you haven't heard of any of them previously. Your friends look at the menu and know exactly what they are going to get in seconds. You, on the other hand don't know what drink you prefer as you look through the short novel of all the drinks they can create for you. You don't want to be lame and ask the waiter/bartender what exactly is in each of the drinks, but you aren't sure which ones you will…
Maybe it’s time to GIVE a bit more Boston…

Evan Enarson

5 Jun 2009 | 7:47 am

Maybe it’s time to GIVE a bit more Boston…Sometimes you have to hand it to Congress, at least for their creative naming of legislation. Proposed bill names are often a little self serving, i.e. the ABC act (Access to Books for Children); or they may provide a little double meaning, as in one in the news recently, the FACE act (Freedom of Access to Clinics); sometimes they even actually make sense, e.g. BUSES act (Bus Uniform Standards and Enhanced Safety), and sometimes they are just aptly named, e.g. the CAN-SPAM act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing…
On Your Feet Project Volunteers serve Friday Night Supper!

John R

29 May 2009 | 6:47 am

The Friday Night Supper Program is a Boston based "soup kitchen." FNSP has served nutritious home-cooked meals to homeless and hungry people in Boston every Friday night since 1984. Every. Friday. Night.Tonight! 10-15 OYFP volunteers are donating their time to serve hot meals and distribute clothes to over 150 guests.If you cant make it tonight you can go next Friday, or the Friday after that or...you get the point.Volunteering with FNSP provides a meaningful way for individuals and groups to “give back” to the community, and it is a wonderful way to meet and work with people who share…

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology
Newly discovered project management tool: Redmine

Pearlbear

2 Jul 2009 | 11:11 am

Any consulting shop that does significant amounts of implementation and development (as we do) needs a project management and ticketing tool. Basecamp seems to be a standard that many people have reached for. We were using Intervals for a while, which is really a fabulous tool if you do a lot of hourly consulting. We also have been using Google spreadsheets for some elements of project management. All tools have their strengths and weaknesses. And, in addition, the best tool does nothing without good human project management skills using it. As a shop that practices Agile development (we use…
Why we’re not friends anymore: the nptech echo chamber

Pearlbear

7 Jun 2009 | 2:54 pm

I did a kind of radical experiment a couple of weeks ago: I de-friended almost all of my nptech and client Facebook friends (cutting my friend count by more than 60%). I had a few reasons for this, and over the past couple of weeks that I’ve been living this experiment, it’s made me quite happy. Of course, everyone is still on Twitter, and Linked in, etc., so I still feel connected. Even though I tend not to blog anywhere near as much as most of my colleagues about social networks (because it’s really not my passion,) I’ve been a fairly early adopter, in the broad…
Avoiding Trainwrecks

Pearlbear

3 Jun 2009 | 11:16 pm

I spent a big chunk of my day dealing with a project that is, in no uncertain terms, a trainwreck. The client has sunk a ton of money into a product which is in, its current (first phase supposedly finished) state, unusable (client and vendor shall remain unnamed.) My role in the project has been strategic and as a liason, not technical, which to some extent gives me a bit of a distanced view. Web development trainwrecks are, sadly, far from isolated cases – they happen all the time, even when all of the parties have good intentions. And as someone who is building a business around…
Links

Pearlbear

2 Jun 2009 | 3:13 pm

As you can tell, I haven’t had much time to blog lately. Here are some great links I’ve come across that I thought were worth sharing: Get the NTEN IT Staffing and Spending Report. Good stuff! Take a peek at Google Wave. This is a great preview of some really fascinating technology Learn about the state of MySQL – it’s an interesting read. It includes info about MariaDB, a fork of MySQL from one of the founders. Wolfram|Alpha – a geeks dream computational search engine Best practices and examples for nonprofit web design from Smashing Magazine
Be like a three year-old

Pearlbear

3 May 2009 | 9:52 pm

I don’t have kids, but I do know how young kids ask questions. They are innocent, and free of assumptions, and keep asking “why?” In the end, the poor adults either get tired of the questions, or realize that there are assumptions they’ve been making for all this time that might actually be worth questioning. Human processes mold around software. We see this all the time. A CRM gives you these 5 canned reports, and you get used to making do with what’s there. A legacy client database requires a certain order of data entry, and your intake forms have been produced…

Giving in a digital world
The List of Change – new ranking of cause-related blogs

Bryan

10 Jun 2009 | 1:56 pm

Last week saw the launch of The List of Change, a new ranking of the top English-language change and cause-related blogs – providing a very handy way to find some new sources of news and information of interest to nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. The ranking is based on each blog’s Technorati Rank, Technorati In-Links, Bloglines Subscribers, Alexa Points, Google PageRank, and Yahoo In-Links, which are combined to give a score out of 100. Currently the top score of 95 goes to Beths Blog, while at the opposite end of the 127 blog list is The Changebase. Right now this blog…
Mapping the Social Networking world – handy country-by-country data

Bryan

8 Jun 2009 | 10:42 am

One of the regular topics that comes-up when I’m discussing the potential of online social networks with fundraisers from outside the UK is just which social networks are dominant in their particular country. Because, contrary to how it might feel from the UK or US perspective, when you go further afield the Social Network world doesn’t start and end with Facebook. So, I’m always on the look-out for data which helps shed some light on the relative strengths of different sites across different countries – and two such sources cropped-up over the last couple of days that…
Twollars – a Twitter based fundraising currency

Bryan

31 May 2009 | 10:21 am

There has been a lot of discussion this year about the potential value of microblogging service Twitter to nonprofits, so I’d imagine there will also be a lot of interest in the latest version of the Twitter-based virtual currency – the Twollar. Described as “a currency of appreciation” for Twitter, the idea is that every Twitter user is given 50 Twollars and can then use these to thank or reward other people who use Twitter – perhaps in thanks for a particularly useful Tweet or as a reward for engaging on a website. But the interesting thing is that you can also…
US retailer lets donors choose in Facebook charity campaign

Bryan

22 May 2009 | 2:01 am

I just spotted this fun video from the American Red Cross encouraging people to vote for them in the “Bullseye Gives” campaign being run on Facebook by US retail chain Target, and it reminded me that I’ve been meaning to mention the campaign since it launched earlier this month. From May 10th to May 25th, US Facebook users can go to the Target Facebook Page and vote (once daily) for which of the ten charities listed they would like to receive a share of a $3 million donation from the retailer. The charities in the list being the American Red Cross, the National Park…
2009 email fundraising and advocacy benchmark report just released

Bryan

17 May 2009 | 12:01 am

It’s May again, which means that the latest update of the annual M+R and NTEN eNonprofit Benchmarks Study has just been released. The study, which provides cause-specific benchmarks across a range of email metrics is based on data from 32 US nonprofit organisations, but I’ve always found the results to be a good steer for European nonprofits too. The headline take-out is that despite the recession most of the organisations taking part in the study saw their online fundraising up overall from 2007 to 2008, driven by more donors giving online but at lower average values than seen…

Nonprofit Communications
In the Red Last FY? What to Put in Your Annual Report

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

2 Jul 2009 | 9:54 am

One our All-Access Pass holders, Lane Phalen, a board member and PR committee chair for a local humane society called TAILS, recently submitted this question about what you say in an annual report when you are running a deficit: “TAILS was founded ten years ago and we haven’t done an annual report at all yet. Because we were in the red last year, I had a huge argument with other board members when I said I wanted to do an annual report. They said to do an annual report now would make us look like a sinking ship and people wouldn’t donate. I felt by letting people know…
Nonprofit Tech - How, When, Why, and What to Consider

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

1 Jul 2009 | 8:15 am

Rebecca Leaman (aka Curious Apricot) at the Wild Apricot Blog has posted the latest edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival, with a nonprofit technology theme. Here it is. You’ll find not only some good how-to’s on social media, but also some posts that challenge you to really think about how you use technology within your nonprofit to collaborate and communicate with others (e.g. what’s the right mix of online and offline communication?). The Nonprofit Blog Carnival is supposed to a monthly roundup of some of the best blogging on a particular topic of interest to nonprofits,…
Mixed Links: Can’t Miss Goodies for Nonprofit Communicators

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

26 Jun 2009 | 8:55 am

Here’s a tasty mix of links that I think you’ll find interesting or helpful as you build support for your good cause . . . Happy Friday! The next edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival (founded by yours truly) is coming up and the theme is nonprofit technology. Here’s how to submit your blog post (deadline today!). I’ll send you the link when the Carnival is posted next week. Have you voted on the topic for the free webinar I’m hosting on July 23? If not, please vote now. Registration will open on July 1. (Just opened registration for five new webinars yesterday…
Mixing Your Work and Personal Life Online

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

23 Jun 2009 | 8:20 pm

When I started my consulting business 11 years ago, virtually everyone told me to market my services under a company name, rather than to promote myself under my own personal name. No one would hire an individual freelancer, I was told. I needed to appear to be a “organization.” Organizations were more stable, more trustworthy, and more marketable. I wasn’t keen on adding “& Associates” to my name, thus EcoScribe Communications was born. Oh, how times have changed. In the last decade, with the rise of social media, especially blogging and social networking…
I’m Doing a Free Conference Call on Email Marketing - Join Us!

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

19 Jun 2009 | 2:37 pm

Next week on Thursday, June 25, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern (1:00 p.m. Pacific), I’ll be talking all about the “Seven Steps to Better Email Fundraising and Communications” on a free conference call hosted by Network for Good. Actually, I’m only blabbing for about 20 minutes and then I’m taking your questions for the rest of the hour. Here’s how to pre-register to reserve your spot. I also need to hear from you about our next free Nonprofit Marketing Guide webinar. What will the topic be? You decide, by voting now. I’ll announce the winner and open…

The Bridgespan Group
Key Tactics Nonprofits Are Employing to Survive Tough Times

29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Key Tactics Nonprofits Are Employing to Survive Tough Times 2009 06 30 While nonprofit organizations are employing tactics to survive the economic crisis, they also believe they will be on firmer financial footing in a year's time. The economy's
Managing in Tough Times Survey Update May 2009

28 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Nonprofit organizations are turning to tougher measures than they were six months ago to weather the economic downturn. According to Bridgespan’s recent survey of nearly 100 nonprofit leaders, organizations have made more layoffs, more program reductions, and more reserve draw-downs. At the same time, many leaders anticipate that their organizations will be stronger financially in a year’s time. This report shares our recent survey findings, including the more draconian steps many organizations are taking to deliver in the short term and plan for the future.
Are You Doing More With Less in Tough Times?

22 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Conversation Starter Are You Doing More With Less in Tough Times? 2009 06 23 Responses to a recent Bridgespan Group survey suggests that many nonprofits have experienced funding cuts amidst a growing demand for their services. Has this been
Nonprofit Cost Analysis Toolkit - Step 4: Allocate Indirect Costs

2 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Indirect costs are costs shared across several programs; they include any expenses that are not directly tied to the operation of a specific program.
Nonprofit Cost Analysis Toolkit - Step 6: Apply This Knowledge

2 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Cost Analysis Toolkit: The information you have gathered gives the true price of operating each of your programs. Now it's time to apply this knowledge.

Selfish Giving
Cause Marketing in the Age of Free

Joe Waters

30 Jun 2009 | 10:10 am

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book review of Chris Anderson’s Free: The Future of a Radical Price (which I learned of from one of my new favorite bloggers and twitterers @danblank) he shares this study from a MIT economist. He offered a group of subjects a choice between two kinds of chocolate—Hershey’s Kisses, for one cent, and Lindt truffles, for fifteen cents. Three-quarters of the subjects chose the truffles. Then he redid the experiment, reducing the price of both chocolates by one cent. The Kisses were now free. What happened? The order of preference was reversed. Sixty-nine…
How You Can Be a Part of Halloween Town

Joe Waters

24 Jun 2009 | 11:29 am

Like Jack Skellington my cause marketing team lives in Halloween Town twelve months a year. No sooner is Halloween over and just like in the movie the Mayor of Halloween Town (aka Joanna MacDonald) is hustling through my door, arms full, with plans for next year’s “big event.” This year is no different. But unlike Jack I haven’t grown tired of the same old routine year in and year out. It’s because every year Halloween Town has some new facet that keeps it interesting and challenging. This year it’s the economy. The good news is that we already have a…
With the Tide in Our Favor, Powell Tells Us to Row Together

Joe Waters

19 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

Ad Age: Marketers, Nonprofits Grapple With Definition of Cause Marketing Great piece here from Brian Powell (Twitter id: @goodconcepts) that really contributes to the discussion that Professor Eikenberry launched and I continued on my blog with Defending Cause Marketing and Cause Marketing Defended. Now What? Please read Brian’s piece, tell your friends and leave a comment at Adage! Also, Brian wins a Tide Loads of Hope tee for meeting the challenge I set forth in “Cause Marketing Defended.” He tackled a thorny issue confronting cause marketing. Great work,…
Cause Marketing Defended. Now What?

Joe Waters

16 Jun 2009 | 6:49 am

With success comes the void. When I posted Defending Cause Marketing last week, I have to admit that while I knew cause marketing had many friends, I also knew it had its detractors, and I thought the latter just might win the day. They didn’t. The comments were overwhelmingly positive. But Professor Angela Eikenbery’s article did make me think twice about how cause marketing is practiced and how it can at least be improved. Don’t get me wrong: I’m still a dyed-in-the-wool cause marketer, and would gladly pick Angie for a turn of “Dunk the Punk” (Need to talk to David about…
Defending Cause Marketing

Joe Waters

8 Jun 2009 | 10:38 am

Assistant Professor Angela Eikenberry has written a thoughtful and provocative article for the Stanford Social Innovation Review entitled The Hidden Costs of Cause Marketing. In it, Professsor Eikenberry makes her case against cause marketing or “consumption philanthropy,” as she calls it. Consumption philanthropy individualizes solutions to collective social problems, distracting our attention and resources away from the neediest causes, the most effective interventions, and the act of critical questioning itself. It devalues the moral core of philanthropy by making virtuous…

White Courtesy Telephone
Defining Social Justice Philanthropy: What's Your Favorite Shade of Pinko?

Curator

29 Jun 2009 | 6:32 pm

P O S T E D B Y A L B E R T I. A Thesis Those of us in the business of grantmaking often get so caught up in the mechanics of our work that we lose sight of the transformed lives and communities we strive to bring into being. We forget the good we set out to accomplish. This is a great shame. But next to losing a sense of the good we can accomplish through…
Countess Apraxina Steps Into The Second Line

Curator

29 Jun 2009 | 6:31 pm

P O S T E D B Y A P R A X I N A Editor’s note: We publish occasional letters written to us by the Countess Apraxina. She and White Courtesy Telephone editor Albert Ruesga became friends after a few too many champagne martinis at a Tolstoi Foundation reception many years ago. According to Albert, the…
Dieting Advice for Education Advocates

Curator

10 May 2009 | 12:45 pm

P O S T E D B Y A L B E R T If you care about public education in the United States and want to shed a few pounds, have I got a diet for you: 1. Run a lap each time you hear somebody frame the purpose of K-12 education in terms of "developing 21st century skills for the workforce" or "supporting vibrant regional economies." 2. Reward…
I Assume You Know Who You Are

Curator

10 May 2009 | 12:43 pm
Sector Agnosticism

Curator

10 May 2009 | 11:47 am

P O S T E D B Y A L B E R T I’ve been hearing it mostly from younger people entering the nonprofit field: You can do good for society in any sector—nonprofit, business, or government. The lines between the sectors have blurred, I’m reminded, and it’s the IRS that forces incorporated entities into nonprofit and for-profit boxes. The social entrepreneur…

Get Me Jamie Notter
It's All About Trust

Jamie Notter

2 Jul 2009 | 6:01 am

Charles Seybold writes a project management blog. Apparently the other day he went to an nifty little workshop filled with startup CEOs and they talked about how to build an effective organizational culture. He was struck by how much the conversation focused on tactics. "Things" management did to try to generate happiness, good will, or a strong culture.He didn't buy it. For him, it's really all about trust:I just don’t think that stuff matters if you don’t have trust. If people don’t trust each other you’re just bribing them to keep coming back to work. Culture is like mood; it’s…
Set Your People Free

Jamie Notter

30 Jun 2009 | 6:16 am

In Gary Hamel's book, he suggests three areas on which to focus when creating a more human organization, and one of them is "too much management, too little freedom." As I said in my previous post, most people will agree with that statement at the high level, but I doubt as many will when the rubber meets the road--where people in charge actually have to manage less and dole out more freedom.So think about your office and the various people that report directly to you. That's probably the easiest place to start. What would happen if you managed them less? It's hard to tell YOU what that would…
Authenticity a Buzzword? Try Truth

Jamie Notter

26 Jun 2009 | 6:19 am

I heard someone say recently that they were already sick of the word authenticity. It's obviously being discussed a LOT in social media spheres. I've talked about it here as well. I think it's a great word, but when any word gets too much play, it can start to lose its meaning.So here's an alternative: truth. I can hardly think of an organization that could not benefit from more truth. Not that all organizations are baskets of lies--truth is more complex than that. But in most organizations, people hold back, leaders don't reveal, learning takes a back seat, and important conversations remain…
Leadership is Not Comfortable

Jamie Notter

25 Jun 2009 | 6:18 am

I said last week that I would "push back" against some of the things I learned at ASAE & The Center's CEO Symposium. There were times during the presentations where I felt the speakers made some generically accurate statements, yet overlooked some important complexity in the process.One example was a point they made related to culture and process. As association executives, we are working with volunteer leaders who (in most cases) are NOT association executives. They come from a different field, which has its own culture, processes, norms, expectations, etc. The speaker made the point…
Pithy Quotes that Actually Suck

Jamie Notter

24 Jun 2009 | 6:12 am

Maddie shared an interesting opinion on Twitter the other day:It's true there might be a bit too many people putting up pithy quotes on Twitter. It can be irritating. But as I think about it, SOME of the quotes on Twitter are inspiring to me. So what's the difference? I think it depends on the quote. I am growing weary of quotes that sound pithy but in fact contain very little value. Consider this list I stumbled across today (things the author learned from his or her father):1. Failure is what happens when you quit before you succeed2. Your reputation is everything3. People get what…

The School for Social Entrepreneurs
The transparency of social entrepreneurship

Nick Temple

30 Jun 2009 | 11:20 am

A little while back, I blogged about why the (increasingly tedious) political expenses scandal in the UK was relevant to the realm of social entrepreneurship [see What the expenses scandal means for social entrepreneurs]. My point, largely, was about the...
Thursday round-up: inclusivity, iPhone, impact investing

Nick Temple

25 Jun 2009 | 4:01 am

OK, round-up of recent news + links of interest time.... - Couple of great posts on PopTech about the inclusivity (or lack of) and MBA-focused shape of social entrepreneurship, particularly in the US. See Who's in the Social Entrepreneurship Club,...
Leaders of all ages

Nick Temple

19 Jun 2009 | 8:47 am

The blog has been a little quiet of late as I've been travelling around, establishing some sort of weekly record of combined air and rail miles over the last week or so (Belfast, Beijing, Penzance and Nottingham). Highlights have included...
International social entrepreneurship

Nick Temple

2 Jun 2009 | 7:19 am

Our focus of late at SSE has been pretty relentlessly on our existing and planned activities in the UK; following the government investment in the national network back in February, our Network team have been working hard with our regional...
Thursday round-up: CEOs, Clore, Kevin and Kiva

Nick Temple

28 May 2009 | 10:17 am

It's been a little while since the last round-up, so here goes: - First up the big, breaking news is that Jonathan Bland is stepping down as CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition, moving to Finland with his (Finnish) wife....

AFP Blog: Recent News of Note
I avoid street canvassers for do-gooding organizations. Does that make me a jerk? - By Sandy Stonesifer - Slate Magazine

Reed

2 Jul 2009 | 5:58 am

I avoid street canvassers for do-gooding organizations. Does that make me a jerk? - By Sandy Stonesifer - Slate Magazine: "Dear Sandy,I regularly see chirpy, T-shirt-wearing representatives of social-service and environmental organizations soliciting donations on the street. They often approach me with lines such as, 'Do you have a moment for the environment?' or 'Can't you spare five seconds to
President Obama Seeks the 'Most-Promising Nonprofits in America' - Philanthropy.com

Reed

2 Jul 2009 | 5:57 am

President Obama Seeks the 'Most-Promising Nonprofits in America' - Philanthropy.com: "President Obama announced today that White House officials will travel across the country to find “the most promising nonprofits in America” as the administration decides how to spend a new $50-million fund to help charities expand innovative social projects."
You Can Give, Just Like The Philanthropist

Reed

2 Jul 2009 | 5:48 am

You Can Give, Just Like The Philanthropist: "he new NBC show, The Philanthropist, appears to be a hit. Supposedly based on the actions of a real-life philanthropist, in the show businessman Teddy Rist has a life-shattering moment while on a trip, which leads him to discover helping others can bring him happiness. From that point his philanthropy begins."
It’s a whole new Independence Day - Kansas City Star

Reed

2 Jul 2009 | 5:45 am

It’s a whole new Independence Day - Kansas City Star: "Earlier this year, city officials authorized the sale of approved fireworks by non-profit agencies.That’s what brought Sivils to the parking lot at 13500 E. U.S. 40 last week. Hillcrest got one of the 12 licenses issued.“This is a first for us,” said Sivils. “We have modest expectations of the money we are going to raise. But this is an
Kennedy Center expands consulting effort to help struggling arts groups survive the recession

Reed

1 Jul 2009 | 10:31 am

Kennedy Center expands consulting effort to help struggling arts groups survive the recession: "Kennedy Center offers help to strapped arts groupsWASHINGTON — The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced plans Tuesday to expand its crisis consulting for arts organizations that are struggling to survive the recession, an effort championed by first lady Michelle Obama and

Wild Apricot Blog
Best of AJam - Association Links for June 2009

Rebecca

2 Jul 2009 | 9:24 am

In the spirit of " 30 Great Links for Associations ," here are some of the most popular blog posts, articles, presentations, and other web resources submitted to AssociationJam.org in June 2009 — one hot link from each topic category: Membership , Events , Board , Volunteers , Fundraising , Social Media , Technology , Other and, of course, Fun! Membership New Members and Twitter Rookies — Why Do They Leave Us? : Reid All About It New users of Twitter leave for some of the same reasons that new members...(read more)
NonProfit Blog Carnival - NonProfit Technology Edition

Rebecca

30 Jun 2009 | 12:36 pm

Welcome to the June 2009 edition of the NonProfit Blog Carnival, a monthly showcase of great blog posts for and about nonprofits. The 10 articles highlighted here were chosen to give a variety of viewpoints and usable information on Nonprofit Technology....(read more)
Wild Apricot Software News - June 2009

Chief_Apricot

30 Jun 2009 | 8:02 am

About Wild Apricot Software Wild Apricot is web software for small associations and non-profits. It automates the 'boring stuff' such as managing contact records, membership renewals, processing payments, website updates, tracking event registrations, and sending out receipts and reminders. Wild Apricot starts at just $25 a month with free upgrades and support. There are no long-term contracts, setup fees or processing. Sign up for a free trial in 10 seconds and see for yourself! Wild Apricot Development...(read more)
Should Websites Show Your Passwords in Plain Text?

Rebecca

28 Jun 2009 | 9:07 am

You know how, when you type your password into a website form, it shows a line of asterisks or bullets instead of the characters you’re typing? Usability expert Jakob Nielsen says it’s time to stop masking passwords, and show them on screen in plain text....(read more)
Portable Apps: Free Software on a (USB) Stick

Rebecca

25 Jun 2009 | 8:39 am

If you work at times on different computers, carrying a USB loaded with free portable software can save you time and help to ensure security - there's no need to download and install the software you need or to risk your data on someone else’s hard drive....(read more)

NP Communicator
A Plague on Both Your Houses

Gordon

30 Jun 2009 | 4:54 pm

The line is from Romeo and Juliet. The character Mercutio says it — three times — while he dies in a swordfight defending the honor of his friend (it’s in the middle of the play and helps set the action that sends the main characters –spoiler alert, if you’re still in junior high school — to their deaths). It’s a pretty apt description for the state of things in the state Capitol this aft. High drama there, with the governor addressing the legislators, and so on. Read Capitol Fax for the latest–I think–it’s hard to understand. Not so…
End-of-the-year survey time

Gordon

30 Jun 2009 | 11:26 am

Kara Carrell responds to a question at Making Media Connections (photo by Bob Black) Last year, about half the folks who took our first-ever impact survey (an end-of-the-fiscal-year survey on what they did with what they learned from us) told us they did something different online as a result of what they learned. Since this is the second year we’re doing it, we will be able to make some comparisons between now and this time last year–of course one of the things we hope to learn more about is how economic challenges of these days are affecting how we communicate for the better/for…
Staff’s Elevator Pitch

admin

30 Jun 2009 | 11:04 am

One of the most popular custom workshops that organizations ask us to present to their staff is the Elevator Pitch, so we decided to see how our staff sees the Workshop itself. We used a worksheet created by Sue O’Halloran, where you make your elevator pitch follow this format. You know how… (problem)? Well what we do is… (feature). So that… (benefit). We’re kind of like the… (metaphor). Here are the elevator pitches that the Community Media Workshop Staff came up with: Thom Clark (President) Hi, I’m Thom Clark of the Community Media Workshop at…
New and probably cool

Gordon

25 Jun 2009 | 12:37 pm

Interesting program, cute video, cool combination of players involved! (Nice to see volunteers who do not take themselves too seriously). Seems to be a lot of moving parts to this program, and it might be worth checking out if you want a video but do not want to invest massive funds (buyer beware!).
Callaway Interviews We’ll Never See

Thom

24 Jun 2009 | 9:16 am

Wouldn’t you love to see Mayor Daley squirm as John Callaway asked him about Olympic budget cost guarantees he never shared with the voters? Or what about a one-on-one with Oprah? Or an unscripted half-hour with our latest political celebrity Patti Blagojevich (”What advice did your dad, Ald. Dick Mell, give you on which defense attorney to hire?”)? Photo by Karen Kring. John Callaway, Thom Clark & Geoff Dougherty at 2/22/09 “Future of Journalism” Town Hall Meeting Master interviewer John Callaway died Tuesday evening of a heart attack at 72. I find myself…

Cause Marketing
Exploiting the Faces of Need

Paul Jones is the president of

25 Jun 2009 | 10:04 am

A recent study, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, finds that children’s charities would receive greater donations if they depicted sad-looking children in their appeals.Their working theory was that people ‘catch’ one another’s emotions…something that’s been shown again and again in many other studies… but which had never been applied to charitable appeals.They tested their thesis
Orkin's Fight the Bite is Cause Marketing that Fits the Cause and the Sponsor

Paul Jones is the president of

24 Jun 2009 | 8:06 am

Research and experience demonstrate that cause marketing works best when customers can easily see and understand a logical fit between the company and the cause.Too often when I tell audiences this, I struggle to find good examples, although I can always think of really bad examples.Orkin’s Fight the Bite is a good example.When you buy Orkin’s mosquito service, the pest control franchise will
Help Me Name the New Cause Marketing Index

Paul Jones is the president of

16 Jun 2009 | 9:28 am

Kind Readers:On Monday, June 15, the NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. stock exchange announced that it had developed a new index of stocks meant to track corporate sustainability performance.Called the 'The NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability 50 Index' (TNOCGS50I), the index tracks the triple-bottom line of 50 global companies.I read this and thought: I need to develop a stock index of companies that do
Professor Eikenberry, I Respectfully Disagree

Paul Jones is the president of

10 Jun 2009 | 7:29 am

A few years back a colleague and I wangled a trip to northern Italy to speak on the topic of cause marketing. One of the other presenters was an American like us, but all of the attendees were European, predominantly Italian. We were there preaching the big, bold cause marketing of the type practiced at Children’s Miracle Network and it plainly made a few of the attendees uncomfortable. Some
Prostate Cancer Foundation Bunts a Blooper Into the Infield

Paul Jones is the president of

3 Jun 2009 | 10:12 am

In baseball, a bunt is a small hit that goes no farther than the infield.And bunt is what the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) did with this ad that I’ve seen recently in Newsweek and BusinessWeek magazines.The ad’s call to action is that you go online and pledge “as little as” $1 for each home run hit during Major League Baseball play between Thursday, June 11 and Father’s Day, a holiday

So what can I do?
Change the world.

Karama

6 Oct 2014 | 3:52 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…
Join the So What Can I Do blood donation team.

Karama

20 Jun 2009 | 8:40 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 | 9:07 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…
Make Kiva microloans in the US.

Karama

11 Jun 2009 | 9:04 pm

I’ve written frequently about microloans - how the concept spread as a tool for economic development, how to lend and get your money back – sometimes with with interest, making a loan a no cost to you, etc. But my most popular post on the topic discusses microloans in the US. I’m pleased to report that there is now another option for those interested in making microloans in the US. Kiva now offers the opportunity to make microloans in the US. If you’re in the US, this is a great way to help your neighbors move ahead through entrepreneurship. And if you need a microloan, this means…
Be the match: Join the Marrow Registry for free June 8-22.

Karama

25 May 2009 | 7:58 pm

Earlier today when I wanted to forward my post on cord blood donation, I realized that most of the links had gone dead. While updating them, I was pleased to learn about the upcoming Marrowthon from the National Marrow Donor Program. NMDP has set a goal of adding 46,000 new members to the marrow registry during this drive. Each new member increases the odds that someone with a life threatening blood disease will live, and live well – disease free.Joining is easy: just take the eligibility quiz, fill out a form, and swab your cheeks for a cell sample. (I had to give a bit of blood for…

Article feed for ammado blog - ammado
Job opportunities with The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

ammado blog

24 Jun 2009 | 11:49 am

Published by: Catherine WeadickAWARD are currently looking to fill two positions within their organization.The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) is a pioneering program boosting the talent pool of African women in the agricultural sciences serving the continent’s poorest farmers, especially rural women.Based in Nairobi, Kenya, AWARD delivers mentoring, science capacity building and leadership development to women in agricultural R&D in sub-Saharan Africa. AWARD is managed by the CGIAR Gender & Diversity program, and executed in partnership with…
Support World Environment Day - The ammado way!

ammado blog

29 May 2009 | 12:44 pm

Published by: Catherine Weadick Friday June 5th is World Environment Day (WED). It is on this day annually The United Nations tries to stimulate international awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. To honor UN World Environment Day ammado has established the “ammado World Environment Day Fund” to support some of the non-profit organisations around the globe working to combat climate change, to conserve our precious environment or to alleviate the pain and suffering caused to those most affected by climate change. These organisations are:…
Bonita's Run- a huge success - well done Bonita and thank you to all!

ammado blog

29 May 2009 | 10:00 am

Published by: Catherine WeadickWe are delighted to announce that funds raised for Bonita's charity run have almost reached US$6,000!! Bonita has successfully run 250km across the Namib desert- some achievement! A member of the ammado team spoke with Bonita's uncle last night and he said she is completely and totally exhausted, but she is glad she did it--for the women and children refugees in Hong Kong. We hope to hear all about the run and see lots of pictures once Bonita has recovered on Bonita's Run for Chungking Mansions Service Centre ammado profile. Well done Bonita- enjoy putting your…
nfp tweet up

ammado blog

19 May 2009 | 1:08 pm

Published by Michelle McMahonon 18 - 05 - 2009 A meet up of Twitter users, and those interested in the potential of Twitter and other social media, who work at or with, nonprofit organisations is happening on the 27th of May from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. The meet up takes place at Christian Aid, 35 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7RL. The initiative aims to provide an accessible forum for charities and nonprofits to explore the applications and possibilities of Twitter, and the issues it presents, through knowledge sharing, hands-on experience and discussion. The event is an opportunity for…
Sri Lanka: civilian population under fire

ammado blog

8 May 2009 | 2:30 pm

Published by Maylon Mahon on 08 - 05 - 2009 Aktion Deutschland Hilft, Germany’s Relief Coalition, has launched an urgent appeal for donations for tens of thousands of refugees in the North Sri Lankan camps. Since fighting broke out in late January, the United Nations estimates that 6,500 civilians have lost their lives in the effected region. They also estimate that 50,000 civilians are trapped within the combat zone and a further 150,000 civilians trapped in refugee camps. With the Sri Lankan government ignoring international appeals to halt the military offensive in order to provide…

The Fine Print: blog posts from OMBWatch
Calls for Congress to Loosen LSC Restrictions

aadams

2 Jul 2009 | 1:05 pm

On June 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2010 appropriations bill of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) subcommittee. This includes funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the nonprofit organization that provides grants to legal-aid charities around the country. The bill appropriates $400 million for LSC. Notably, it removes restrictions on LSC grantees' state, local, and private funds.
HHS Reinstates Medicaid Benefits Removed under Bush

mmadia

2 Jul 2009 | 11:51 am

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rolled back three Bush administration regulations designed to limit Medicaid services.
IT Dashboard Provides Detailed Look at Tech Spending

srosenamy

2 Jul 2009 | 11:16 am

On Tuesday, June 30, Vivek Kundra, the new federal Chief Information Officer, unveiled the IT dashboard, part of the newly redesigned USAspending.gov. The dashboard is actually pretty amazing, as it lets users examine every federal IT project, by agency, and shows whether each project is on schedule and on budget, along with a link to a detailed list of performance metrics for the project. It also has a tab for analysis of the data, which right now is limited to a graph of spending by agency over time and a chart showing a breakdown of the current year's budget. The site also allows…
A Not-so-Free Pass to Pollute

jyin

2 Jul 2009 | 9:54 am

With the passage of the Waxman-Markey bill (HR 2454) in the House, the U.S. is one step closer towards the implementation of a major effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GSGs). Despite its inclusion of a cap-and-trade system, famed Harvard economist, Greg Mankiw, recently called the bill a "missed opportunity" because it gives away a significant number of very valuable pollution permits instead of using an auction system.
Counting Chickens Before They Hatch: A Quick Lesson on Recovery Act Spending

srosenamy

1 Jul 2009 | 3:01 pm

One of the trickiest aspects of tracking Recovery Act spending is a very basic one: figuring out how much money has been spent so far. Theoretically, it should be pretty easy. Find out how much the federal government has spent because of the Recovery Act, and, well, that's how much has been spent on it. By that estimate, according to Recovery.gov, we've already spent almost $53 billion on the recovery, which isn't particularly impressive. Unfortunately, though, it's not that easy.

Nonprofit PR
Today's Inspiration

Steve Cebalt

17 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Just watch.http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
How one foundation took advantage of the recession – and how you can, too

Steve Cebalt

16 Jun 2009 | 8:12 am

A foundation executive approached me recently with an idea that I found downright inspiring.She said, “We want to use the current recession as an opportunity to help our grantees emerge stronger than ever before.”It was the first time I’d heard “recession” and “opportunity” in the same sentence!Her idea: Create a training program that would help her foundation’s grantees acquire new skills to help support themselves and sustain their missions. She’d done some research, and among the most sought-after needs among her grantees was “marketing and public relations.”She…
Off topic: The economy according to Tony Soprano, John Maynard Keynes, Kris Kristofferson -- and me

Steve Cebalt

14 Jun 2009 | 12:35 pm

It bugs me every time I see it: Headlines that say, “Stocks have rebounded 24% since January,” or something similar.Not really. Not at all. Unless you were never in the market before January.It’s hard to believe amid the current recession, but the Down Jones Industrial Average reached its all-time high less than 2 years ago, when it closed at 14,164 on October 9, 2007. Earlier this year, it was below 6,600. That’s a loss of 7,564 points, or 53 percent.Here’s the cruel arithmetic of losing money. From its 2009 low of around 6,600, the Dow would have to gain 7,564 points to get back…
Why Nonprofits Still Rely Heavily on Direct Mail

Steve Cebalt

12 Jun 2009 | 9:33 am

As we all look forward and adopt new technologies like e-newsletters, facebook, Twitter, etc., it is worthwhile to remember that direct mail is still the king in the nonprofit world for fundraising and other purposes, such as newsletters.Here is an excerpt of an article shared by one of my colleagues. The author is in the auction business -- direct sales. No sales, no income. And he explains why direct mail is still such a powerful medium, despite the recent increases in postal rates (which affect nonprofits less than commercial enterprises).As you probably noticed, postage rates just…
Why whining is bad for you

Steve Cebalt

12 Jun 2009 | 6:09 am

If you think life is unfair, you may just be right. That’s according to an Associated Press article on a new study. The research indicates that people who believe they are treated unfairly are up to 55 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or chest pain. Researchers examined medical data from 6,081 people who were asked how strongly they agreed with this statement: "I often have the feeling that I am being treated unfairly."MY TAKE:Do you know people who respond to life by complaining about “fairness”? The new research suggests this is a very unhealthy approach. But Clint…

Public Sector Marketing 2.0 - Mike Kujawski's blog on strategic social media engagement in the government & non-profit sectors
Quick MARCOM 2009 Debrief

Mike Kujawski

22 Jun 2009 | 4:48 pm

It has already been almost 3 weeks since MARCOM 2009 took place at the Pearson Convention Centre in Toronto. Surely enough, the last 3 weeks have been so busy that I never got a chance to share my experience with you. Here’s a quick summary. What is MARCOM 2009? Basically the only marketing conference that is dedicated solely to marketing professionals working in the public and/or non-profit sectors. It is run by a sister company of CEPSM (our organization) called CMG Canada. Why did I attend? Besides the fact that I was chosen to speak and thus had to attend, I really love how niche of…
New video on Web 3.0

Mike Kujawski

16 Jun 2009 | 12:33 pm

I’m always hungry for new videos that illustrate where this new world of digital content creation and collaboration is taking us. Here is one from Semantics Incorporated that explains web 3.0/the semantic web from a service angle. I also really like the “Did You Know 3.0” and “The Machine is Using Us” videos. Know any other good ones?
Malcolm Gladwell Contest Winner!

Mike Kujawski

4 Jun 2009 | 9:36 pm

Hey everybody! i would like to officially thank you all for contributing your favourite Malcolm Gladwell quotes , concepts and theories (QCT’s), as part of the contest I launched a few weeks ago. There were over 25 QCT’s submitted, all very valuable. Ok, so without further ado…the winner is (drum-roll)… JAMES TOURIGNY Congratulations James! You and a friend/spouse are going to see Malcolm Gladwell at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on June 11th, 2009. Tickets are valued at $75 each (donated to me by the wonderful folks at United Way Ottawa). Please call me at…
Apps for Democracy “Community Edition”

Mike Kujawski

28 May 2009 | 1:11 pm

I’m heavily buried in the process of preparing my materials for the upcoming MARCOM 2009 conference, however I wanted to post this up rather than just tweet about it. Basically, Apps for Democracy , the Washington D.C crowd sourcing initiative that I often use in my presentations, has just launched a new initiative called Apps for Democracy “Community Edition”. Citizens get to submit their community improvement ideas in real-time and vote using this insights portal. Why do I think this initiative will work? Because last time they had very little support and yet they managed…
Bishop orders: “Thou shall not tweet”

Mike Kujawski

24 May 2009 | 10:43 pm

From time to time my father sends me quick scans of interesting newspaper columns and/or stories in case I miss them myself. Today he sent me something I just had to share with you. It’s an article from Saturday’s Ottawa Citizen entitled “Thou shall not tweet” about a Scottish Bishop ferociously opposed to digital communication channels. I have pasted it below along with some of my own comments. Ok, so first and foremost, in defense of the Catholic Church, I should point out that this is an isolated incident of a particular Scottish Bishop (albeit highly prominent).

Breaking News
Oxfam objects now include promotion of human rights

2 Jul 2009 | 5:24 am

Development charity changes governing document in light of modern charity legislation
National media briefing: Shelter, Clic Sargent, the International Aid Trust and Pride London

2 Jul 2009 | 3:07 am

Today's charity-related stories from the national media
Northern Ireland Executive consults on first volunteering strategy

1 Jul 2009 | 5:35 pm

No change in number of volunteers in the province since 1995
Barnardo's chief partially financed his own expenses

1 Jul 2009 | 5:22 pm

Martin Narey calls for other charity chief executives to publish their claims
Cooperatives 'thriving despite recession'

1 Jul 2009 | 5:15 pm

Co-operative Group and John Lewis Partnership lead growing and prospering sector, says Co-operatives UK

Inside Philanthropy
Time for nonprofits to declare independence

29 Jun 2009 | 5:56 am

By Todd CohenNonprofits are society’s unsung heroes.Sadly, however, many see themselves as victims and supplicants, or at least act as if they are.Nonprofits are heroic because they address the symptoms and causes of urgent social and global problems that government and business cannot or will not take on.Nonprofits work hard for little pay, continually are expected to do more with less, and face growing scrutiny and expectations from funders.And in the current economic recession, with rising demand for services, nonprofits face growing pressure to reduce costs and increase their…
Doing the right thing is job one for nonprofits

22 Jun 2009 | 3:50 am

By Todd CohenNonprofits need to raise their sights, move beyond their panic-driven goal of simply surviving for one more day, and start leading America out of its economic crisis.Because that crisis is rooted in a widespread breakdown in ethics across the government, for-profit and giving sectors, nonprofits need to lead by example in doing the right thing.That is the view of Tim Delaney, the president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, who says nonprofits can best serve their mission and communities by “focusing on their core missions and then acting with purposeful attention…
Resourcefulness can boost nonprofit advocacy

15 Jun 2009 | 2:48 am

By Todd CohenSpeaking up for a cause is critical, yet the giving sector often lags in pursuing advocacy work.Many nonprofits may be reluctant to play an advocacy role because they believe they lack the resources or know-how, or because they fear they might put their foundation, corporate or public funding at risk.But advocacy work can make a big difference in shaping the public policies that affect nonprofits and their clientsRecent research in New Mexico and North Carolina by the National Committee for Responsive shows investment in nonprofit advocacy and community organizing in those states…
Foundations should step up in downturn

8 Jun 2009 | 3:40 am

By Todd CohenThe recession is putting a world of hurt on nonprofits, and foundations can be doing a lot more to help ease that pain.Responding to big losses in the value of their endowments, foundations have looked for ways to reduce their spending.That has ranged from cutting staff and freezing pay to trimming benefits and curbing training and travel.But foundations also have been slashing the funds they pay out in grants, and that is deeply troubling.Private foundations are required each year to pay out only five percent of their assets, and can count overhead as part of that…
Fundraisers should get more respect

1 Jun 2009 | 5:32 am

By Todd CohenFundraising professionals play instrumental roles at nonprofit organizations but get less pay and support than they need and deserve.Two new studies suggest nonprofits may not be investing enough in their fundraising staff, particularly in women.A new Compensation and Benefits Study by the Association of Fundraising Professionals says salaries for charitable fundraisers fell 2 percent in the U.S. and 3.9 percent in Canada.Paulette Maehara, the group’s president and CEO, attributes the declines to the recession.But a recession, when raising money can be a lot harder, nonprofits…

THE NEW JEW
Nonprofits and Social Media: 5 Twitter Highlights for Those in the Know

Maya Norton

18 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

In my few moments of spare time a day, I’ve been experimenting with the effect of Twitter’s microblogging. What have I learned? The primary thing that you need to know is that the world of Twitter is wide open to new participants, whether individuals or foundations. It’s a great way to catch the eyes and [...]
United Jewish Communities Honors Yom HaZikaron

Maya Norton

28 Apr 2009 | 7:11 am

On Tuesday, April 28th, the United Jewish Communities website will be darkened for 24 hours in honor of Israel’s Day of Remembrance (Yom HaZikaron). The UJC writes: “Just as every Israeli has been touched by war or terrorism, Yom HaZikaron joins every Israeli and our worldwide Jewish community in a powerful moment of unity and peoplehood. We [...]
What Can We Expect from the Israel Teachers Corps?

Maya Norton

21 Apr 2009 | 6:35 pm

Israel has a new program for Americans and native English speakers: the Israel Teachers Corps. Modeled on Teach For America, the Israel Teachers Corps seeks to train Americans and new English speaking immigrants to teach in Israel’s disadvantaged schools for one year. Perks include Hebrew language instruction and housing assistance. The criteria are: “A minimum of [...]
Blessing the Sun: Photos from Brooklyn to B’Nei Brak

Maya Norton

16 Apr 2009 | 1:31 pm

On the eve of Passover 5769, Jews around the world celebrated the Blessing of the Sun (Birkhat HaChama). Here are some photographs from around the world of the festivities. I’ve chosen and arranged them intending to give you a feeling of the celebrations as they were happening. You will get the most value out of [...]
Blessing the Sun: April 8, 2009

Maya Norton

7 Apr 2009 | 1:26 pm

As we open our eyes to greet the new day tomorrow, we bless the sun with the words: “ברוך אתה ה’ אלקינו מלך העולם עושה מעשה בראשית” “Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the Universe who makes the works of Creation.“ “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam Oseh Ma’aseh Breishit.” Birkhat HaChama The blessing on the sun [...]

Bizzia » Small Business
Will You Take a Vacation This Year?

Jean Murray

2 Jul 2009 | 3:32 am

Closed for vacation. Are you considering taking vacation this year, and closing up shop for a week or more? My husband and I headed out to our favorite breakfast place last weekend and found it closed for two weeks. I can certainly see benefits to closing up your business and taking off, from a personal standpoint. After all, everyone needs a break. I have seen the “closed for vacation” sign mostly on restaurants, but other retail establishments seem to be doing this more and more. The kinds of businesses that take vacations are usually those that have the kind of business in…
Selling at an Outdoor Market

Jean Murray

1 Jul 2009 | 3:53 am

Summer is a perfect time to get your small retail business out of the house or the store and sell at a flea market or farmer’s market. Many cities have these events, several times a week and on Saturday mornings. It’s kind of like an old-fashioned eBay, and it’s a great way to let people know about your business. My town has a large farmer’s market downtown two weekends a month. I was expecting to see fruits and vegetables and baked goods, so I was surprised to see how many products were being sold there, like: Candies and chocolate (notice how this one’s at…
Speaking of Speaking…How to Be Effective

Jean Murray

30 Jun 2009 | 3:22 am

Since this is Freedom from Fear of Speaking Week, I thought I would follow up my discussion yesterday of why you need to do public speaking to promote your business, with some tips for Effective Business Speaking. The TED Conference has some great “commandments” for public speaking: In addition: Some tips from my experience as a public speaker and teacher of public speaking: Find a topic you enjoy talking about. If you don’t enjoy the topic, your lack of excitement will show through. Show your expertise. As I mentioned yesterday, don’t directly promote your business,…
Grow Your Business with Public Speaking

Jean Murray

29 Jun 2009 | 8:53 am

This is Freedom from Fear of Speaking Week. It should be “Speak Out for Business Success” week, because public speaking is such a crucial activity for any small business person. I know, you didn’t sign up for this when you started your business, and I know that public speaking is the number one fear of everyone, ahead of death and snakes. (I figure public speaking is scarier than death because if you are dead you don’t know/care if people are making fun of you.) Why Speaking is Important. If you want people to know about your business, you have to talk to them. I…
Do You Have a Hurricane Protection Plan?

Jean Murray

28 Jun 2009 | 3:49 am

Hurricane Season officially began June 1, but it really gets going in August and September. If you live in Florida or anywhere in the Gulf Coast areas, you have probably thought about the obvious protections, getting supplies to board up windows, but don’t forget other ways to protect your business. Even if your business isn’t in the hurricane area, you should still consider protecting your business from natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, snowstorms, and anything that happens in y our area. Develop a protection and preparedness plan for your small business that includes:…

Philanthropy Action News and Commentary
The Food Crisis, Hovering at the Margins,

timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

22 Jun 2009 | 9:27 am

A year ago the global food crisis was front and center in international circles. Today, you’d be hard pressed to find the phrase appear at all. But the problems so evident last year have not been solved, they’ve mostly just been displaced from their position at the top of the crisis list. Indeed, this week came news that one billion people in the world are hungry, defined as consuming less than 1800 calories a day—a number that is 10% higher than at this point in last year’s food crisis. Behind the scenes there’s plenty being done, though with quite dubious…
Experiments with Merit Salaries Under Attack

timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

12 Jun 2009 | 10:04 am

In these times of near double-digit unemployment levels, it is hard to believe that job recruiters actually compete with one another. And yet employers insist that it is difficult to find the best people, and to do so—and keep them—companies need to have any number of ways to attract them, starting with competitive salaries. So it does seem strange that the public education sector has so staunchly resisted making salaries in any way dependent upon a person’s performance of the job. Indeed, more than 95 percent, by most counts, of public sector teachers are paid a salary…
The Annual Dance around GivingUSA

timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

10 Jun 2009 | 6:05 pm

Today GivingUSA announced its annual tally of philanthropic giving in the United States (in this case covering 2008). The numbers this year unsurprisingly show a roughly 6 percent decline in giving in 2008. The commentary is generally following the usual pattern: Some are pointing to the biggest decline in giving in nearly 50 years as proof that the sky really is falling for many non-profits. Others are painting the numbers in a positive light noting that the 6 percent decline is far less than the fall in net worth of individuals, foundations and corporations and that the total figure for…
Do We Need Another Anti-Poverty Philanthropy Meeting?

timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

8 Jun 2009 | 1:07 pm

We know the current economic slump is going to seriously hurt the poor (the World Bank estimates that several hundred million people have been pushed back below the $2/per day threshold), not to mention nonprofit and social finance funding. Financial scarcity demands an unprecedented level of collaboration, resource leveraging and new alliances. With the world economy slowing, the social entrepreneurs, funders, social financiers and nonprofit leaders who have committed themselves to economic justice are called to do more, to do it better and to do it faster. We can’t waste a…
A Clue to the Puzzle of Persistent Poverty

timothy.ogden@sonapartners.com

28 May 2009 | 3:26 pm

The inter-generational cycle of poverty has resisted several centuries worth of philanthropic efforts. Basically, the best predictor of adult poverty is childhood poverty. Children who grow up poor under-perform in school, get lower-paying jobs, have their own children earlier, and often remained mired in poverty. To fight this cycle, a huge proportion of anti-poverty philanthropy is devoted to improving school performance among poor children. Unfortunately there are few replicable success stories from these efforts. Two studies published this month offer some hope of understanding why the…

Dollar Philanthropy
Soulful words I needed today.

Carol Kirshner

17 Jun 2009 | 7:43 am

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." - Henry Van DykeMy drive for my own perfection is often exhausting. Sometime just making some racket is what is needed to break the silence of perceived obstacles. That's all folks....
Andean Collection: How a Guilty Pleasure can Help South American Women

Carol Kirshner

12 Jun 2009 | 10:05 am

I went to a Women's College. I spent most of my "corporate" days working in a woman-owned company. So I am a big believer in "Girl Power." In fact, I'm pretty much convinced that if we girls pull together that we can find some awesomely creative ways to solve many of the world's problems. More to the point, if we can lend helping hands to good mothers so that they can provide for their children then we are taking a big step toward repopulating the world with a wonderful new generation full of hope and potential. So I love to hear stories about…
31 Bits: A Little Bling that Helps Women in Uganda

Carol Kirshner

14 Apr 2009 | 4:37 am

Now, I've never been much of a girly girl, but I do enjoy the guilty pleasure of having a snazzy bracelet or necklace. Having been bitten by the beading bug, I used to make a lot of my own. However, now that Doodles is here, I've no time and no space to spread out. Thank Heaven for 31 Bits! They have just launched their online store where you can buy Ecofriendly, fair trade jewelry made out of 100% recycled paper, posters, and magazines by internally displaced women in Northern Uganda. The Uganda Story:31 Bits explains, "Uganda has been plagued by an internal war between…
Washington Area Women's Foundation Helping Orgs Fulfill Their Mission

Carol Kirshner

9 Mar 2009 | 7:38 am

My Friends at the WAWF doing what they do best--- helping organizations help women and children in their area. My friend, Lisa, sent me the details on their latest 2009 Leadership Award Winners --- each of which got $10,000 to help them do good work in their areas of passion and expertise. Washington Area Women's Foundation is the only donor-supported public foundation focused solely on improving the lives of low-income women and girls in the region and on increasing philanthropy by all women. A committee of nearly 60 volunteers selected the Leadership Award winners through a…
Dollar Philanthropy Celebrates Blog Action Day

Carol Kirshner

15 Oct 2008 | 4:07 am

October 15th has been selected as the day when bloggers all over the world put on their "Do Gooder" hats and blog for a cause. Well-- that's not a new thing here at Dollar Philanthropy.So, I'll keep this short...Poverty is a bad thing. However, each of us needs to be sure that we do not allow it to shape our judgements and definition of people who must deal with it's consequences. Poor people are just like us. It is just that their poverty creates the situation where they lack access to resources many of us take for granted. Access to health care Access to food…

eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog
Russian-Israelis Inaugurate Historic Limmud in Jerusalem

eJP

2 Jul 2009 | 12:41 am

The Limmud FSU Jerusalem 2009 conference and festival began with a burst of excitement and energy yesterday, as 750 Russian-Israeli young adults and others gathered in the heart of the Jewish capital for three days of educational sessions, dialogue, entertainment and social events aimed at building a stronger Jewish community. “It is a special and wonderful gathering every time we bring this community together,” Matthew Bronfman, chairman of the International Steering Committee of Limmud FSU, said in opening remarks to participants and dignitaries. “To be here in Jerusalem, together…
NewsBits: Stories That Will Not Go Away

eJP

1 Jul 2009 | 11:52 pm

from The Forward: Sharansky Inherits a House Divided One of the stranger and nastier episodes of modern Israel-Diaspora mud wrestling was laid to rest in late June in Jerusalem when Natan Sharansky, the onetime Soviet political prisoner and human rights icon, was elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. The episode was unusual because it broke new ground in the growth field of Israel-Diaspora mutual incomprehension. It was nasty because of the intense vitriol it generated. The mud was flying with a fury rarely seen in the chummy interaction between Israeli leaders and their big…
The Successful Fundraising Campaign: Aligning the Non-Profits Needs with Contributors’ Priorities

Stephen G. Donshik

30 Jun 2009 | 10:20 pm

All non-profit organizations want to implement successful fundraising campaigns. The problem arises when they focus on what they want to “sell” and focus less on what the donors want to “buy”. Often they know they need funds but they do not always know the best time to begin the fundraising campaign. There are any number of elements that go into planning, designing, and implementing a fundraising campaign so that the campaign not only raises funds but also strengthens the organization. Every agency faces a real challenge when it decides to raise money from…
Jewish Camp - Color Wars, Bug Juice, and the Power of the Personal Tribe

Gail Hyman

30 Jun 2009 | 8:01 am

I just read one of Seth Godin’s recent blog posts titled, “Can Summer Camp Change Your Life”. Seth, for those of you have not yet discovered him, is the most popular business blogger in the world and the author of some of the most spot-on marketing and business books in print today, including his short, smart book, Tribes. His recent blog on summer camp touched a chord for its insight into how tribes work and why they are so powerful. My now-adult daughters spent many happy years at the B’nai Brith Perlman Camp in Pennsylvania where they made dear friends, created lifelong memories…
Sandy Cardin on The Future of Philanthropy

eJP

30 Jun 2009 | 12:13 am

Schusterman Family Foundation president and communal leader Sandy Cardin spoke last week at Jerusalem’s PresenTense Institute on his view on where philanthropy is and is going. Here’s Sandy live - including his 2009 adaption of The Wizard of Oz for the philanthropic world. Bookmark:

fispace.org
What bank should we use for our Non Profit?

David J. Neff

1 Jul 2009 | 8:33 am

Hey All. Easy question for you today. I am in the process of starting my own non profit around Lights.Camera.Help. and we need some help. What bank should we use? What bank does your non profit use? What’s important for us to look for in a bank? The first 5 responses will win a prize from our non profit prize closet. Let me know in the comments below!
Last Chance! Get your films in today!

David J. Neff

29 Jun 2009 | 8:22 am

The clock is ticking and you now have 1 and a half days to get your nonprofit or cause-driven film to Lights. Camera. Help. for judgment. Submissions are coming in fast, and it’s not too late for you to join the party. If you plan to FedEx or UPS your entry please email us for a physical mailing address. aaron@lightscamerahelp.org
Nerd Alert: All For Good vs. Social Actions

David J. Neff

26 Jun 2009 | 12:49 pm

Special Friday guest post from our friend and fellow non profit Nerds over at Prelude Interactive. All For Good vs. Social Actions Smackdown (Part 1) All For Good launched very recently as an aggregator of service opportunities within the United States. Earlier this spring I got involved with Social Actions, which is an aggregator of worldwide service and micro-loan opportunities. Both offer APIs for creating apps and republishing their data, and both are open source projects of one form or another. Both exist to solve the problem of universal publishing of non-profit/NGO sector…
I’m Homeless in Austin,TX : The Final Video

David J. Neff

23 Jun 2009 | 11:21 am

So this weekend I got a chance to be homeless for 48 hours and be guided around by my street shepard Alan Graham of Mobile Loaves and Fishes. The only piece of tech I tool along was my flip camera. Here is what I recorded. The video is rough and raw and their is no soundtrack. But I think that’s kinda the point of filming on the streets. Leave me your thoughts. Read more at http://www.fispace.org/category/personal-change/
Homeless in Central Texas : An FAQ

David J. Neff

22 Jun 2009 | 9:19 am

So this weekend I got a chance to be homeless for 48 hours and be guided around by my street shepard Alan Graham of Mobile Loaves and Fishes. I know I have a ton of nerds and geeks that read this blog so I thought I would throw up a Homeless/Street Retreat FAQ since so many of you have questions. 1) Where do you live? “Live” is a interesting word for the working poor and homeless. Mostly we walked. From downtown Austin to Threadgills to listen to music over the fence. From 5th street we caught a bus to Sunken Gardens and Barton Springs. The best part of that? You can’t tell…

Nonprofit Communications
In the Red Last FY? What to Put in Your Annual Report

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

2 Jul 2009 | 9:54 am

One our All-Access Pass holders, Lane Phalen, a board member and PR committee chair for a local humane society called TAILS, recently submitted this question about what you say in an annual report when you are running a deficit: “TAILS was founded ten years ago and we haven’t done an annual report at all yet. Because we were in the red last year, I had a huge argument with other board members when I said I wanted to do an annual report. They said to do an annual report now would make us look like a sinking ship and people wouldn’t donate. I felt by letting people know…
Nonprofit Tech - How, When, Why, and What to Consider

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

1 Jul 2009 | 8:15 am

Rebecca Leaman (aka Curious Apricot) at the Wild Apricot Blog has posted the latest edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival, with a nonprofit technology theme. Here it is. You’ll find not only some good how-to’s on social media, but also some posts that challenge you to really think about how you use technology within your nonprofit to collaborate and communicate with others (e.g. what’s the right mix of online and offline communication?). The Nonprofit Blog Carnival is supposed to a monthly roundup of some of the best blogging on a particular topic of interest to nonprofits,…
Mixed Links: Can’t Miss Goodies for Nonprofit Communicators

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

26 Jun 2009 | 8:55 am

Here’s a tasty mix of links that I think you’ll find interesting or helpful as you build support for your good cause . . . Happy Friday! The next edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival (founded by yours truly) is coming up and the theme is nonprofit technology. Here’s how to submit your blog post (deadline today!). I’ll send you the link when the Carnival is posted next week. Have you voted on the topic for the free webinar I’m hosting on July 23? If not, please vote now. Registration will open on July 1. (Just opened registration for five new webinars yesterday…
Mixing Your Work and Personal Life Online

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

23 Jun 2009 | 8:20 pm

When I started my consulting business 11 years ago, virtually everyone told me to market my services under a company name, rather than to promote myself under my own personal name. No one would hire an individual freelancer, I was told. I needed to appear to be a “organization.” Organizations were more stable, more trustworthy, and more marketable. I wasn’t keen on adding “& Associates” to my name, thus EcoScribe Communications was born. Oh, how times have changed. In the last decade, with the rise of social media, especially blogging and social networking…
I’m Doing a Free Conference Call on Email Marketing - Join Us!

Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

19 Jun 2009 | 2:37 pm

Next week on Thursday, June 25, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern (1:00 p.m. Pacific), I’ll be talking all about the “Seven Steps to Better Email Fundraising and Communications” on a free conference call hosted by Network for Good. Actually, I’m only blabbing for about 20 minutes and then I’m taking your questions for the rest of the hour. Here’s how to pre-register to reserve your spot. I also need to hear from you about our next free Nonprofit Marketing Guide webinar. What will the topic be? You decide, by voting now. I’ll announce the winner and open…

Nonprofit Law Blog
Administrative Consolidations and Management Service Organizations

Emily Chan

29 Jun 2009 | 4:59 am

Sharing Administrative Services, Part I: Administrative Consolidations and Management Service Organizations In January 2009, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom created the San Francisco Community-Based Organizations Task Force, co-chaired by Dr. Sandra Hernandez, chief executive officer of the San Francisco Foundation, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera, to devise a strategy between the City and nonprofits in light of San Francisco’s projected $438 million budget deficit. In the Task Force’s April 2009 Report, “Partnering with Nonprofits in Tough Times,” one of its six recommendations…
The Impact of Giving Circles

Emily Chan

25 Jun 2009 | 8:43 am

According to a May 2009 study, “The Impact of Giving Together: Giving Circles’ Influence on Members’ Philanthropic and Civic Behaviors, Knowledge and Attitudes,” conducted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, giving circles contribute more and act more strategically. The principle investigators were Dr. Angela M. Eikenberry, an assistant professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Jessica Bearman, an independent consultant…
Selecting the State of Incorporation

Emily Chan

11 Jun 2009 | 10:30 am

Founders of to-be-formed nonprofit corporations may be confused about selecting an appropriate state of incorporation. The general rule of thumb is to incorporate in the state in which the nonprofit will operate. This may substantially reduce the nonprofit’s reporting requirements and associated burdens. If the nonprofit is incorporated elsewhere, it may be required to qualify to do business as a foreign corporation in the state in which it is operating. In addition, the nonprofit may need to register to engage in charitable solicitations, obtain state tax exemption, file several…
Conversions Between a For-Profit Corporation and Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation

Emily Chan

8 Jun 2009 | 7:00 pm

California allows a for-profit corporation to convert into a nonprofit public benefit corporation and vice versa provided that certain steps are followed for each respective process. For-profit corporation to Nonprofit corporation Generally, a for-profit corporation can convert to a nonprofit public benefit corporation by amending of its articles of incorporation. See Calif. Corp. Code § 911(a). If no shares have been issued, Section 911(b) requires that the amendment of the articles shall: Revise the statement of purpose Delete the authorization for shares and any other provisions relating…
You've Gotta Have Heart

Gene Takagi

4 Jun 2009 | 5:33 am

I recently skimmed You've Gotta Have Heart: achieving purpose beyond profit in the social sector by Cass Wheeler, former CEO of the American Heart Association (1997-2008). Wheeler's stated goal of writing the book: "to increase your organization's or your operation's effectiveness by 5 percent (or better) over your current projections."Here are some of the many helpful takeaways, supported in the book by real-life examples: A mission statement is not the same as a true sense of mission. Nonprofit organizations must have a pervasive sense of mission. …

Nonprofit Leadership 601
New to Running a Nonprofit: Here's an Overabundance of Resources

2 Jul 2009 | 3:25 pm

As many of you know I've run a few nonprofits over the course of my career. While running these organizations, I collected best practice resources that were very useful to my organization. The problem is I haven't known how to share these useful links with other nonprofits...until now.In the past:I posted resources about starting and running a nonprofit on my website.I tagged nonprofit management, nonprofit education, nonprofit workforce and nonprofit technology resources on my delicious account.But now I can post and share ALL the resources, templates and reports in one place on…
Hosting Nonprofit Blog Carnival this month!

1 Jul 2009 | 11:09 am

This month I'll be hosting the Nonprofit Blog Carnival which is a monthly round up of blog posts on a certain topic. My topic is nonprofit leadership. I am looking for best practices, research reports, and theories about nonprofit leadership. Get your thinking caps on, tag these items in delicious, and submit them to me by Monday, July 27th.You can submit posts in two ways: (1) Go to BlogCarnival.com and use the form or (2) send an email to nonprofitcarnival@gmail.com. Include your name, your blog’s name and the URL of the post (not your blog homepage).In the meantime check out the…
Can we strive for mutuality in philanthropy?

25 Jun 2009 | 2:09 pm

After taking an action research course this summer from renowned scholar Bill Torbert where we learned to strive for mutuality in our relationships, I was struck by Philantopic's most recent blog post titled "Women are bright spot Amid Economic Gloom" which spoke of the mutuality embodied by women's philanthropy. The post stated:The report holds up this new, more democratic model of philanthropy as a beacon for all, re-imagining philanthropy as a horizontal collaboration of trusted equals. Too often over the years, philanthropy was dispensed top-down and vertically, and was not informed by…
New to Nonprofit Technology -- Here's a Brief Overview

12 Jun 2009 | 3:04 pm

My colleague Tom Cesarini and I did a brief seminar about nonprofit technology during USD's nonprofit innovation event last Friday. It was fun, but most likely overwhelming to people who are new to the nonprofit technology arena. (Here's a link to our brief presentation).So I decided to write another brief overview, this one about Nonprofit Technology. This is great timing because I just wrote the chapter about nonprofit technology for Sage's new Handbook: Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations due out next spring.Overall great nonprofit technology websitesTech Soup offers nonprofits a…
Advice for PhD students: preparing for a career in academia

9 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

Although I still have another year before I even start to apply for professor positions,Jessica Word, Assistant Professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas provided me with three pieces of advice on how to best prepare for the academic job market.1. Get published--now!!She expressed the most important thing a PhD student can do is get published! Students should either write their own papers or find a professor to publish with. For example, I took an independent study course where one of my professors worked all semester to help me get my paper ready for publication. I also worked with a group…

Open hands
Summer hiatus

Mark Petersen

2 Jul 2009 | 11:46 am

The past few weeks have been the busiest of my blogging career with the perfect storm of Huntley, the Synchroblog, and Hip 2B Holy now ranking in my top ten posts of the past two years of blogging. The Synchroblog consolidated the work of over 60 bloggers, making it a creative approach to addressing a difficult tension. Excerpts from my Huntley post were included in the editorial for Christian Week. So comments abounded. I’ll take this moment to mention my approach to comments. Many of my readers are not familiar with the freeflowing nature of the blogosphere, and may find some…
Charity crawl

Mark Petersen

1 Jul 2009 | 8:22 am

Monday we had our Bridgeway AGM with eight of thirteen members able to be with us. The morning was dedicated to the business of the foundation, which was lightened up by the presence of our future chairman (see photo). After reviewing financials, hearing an operations report, and going through the annual business of a charitable foundation, we broke with tradition. We spiced it up a bit by going on a ‘charity crawl’ in the afternoon. We lined up three local organizations with which we have a partnership, and spent time with each one. Many of our members hadn’t had…
Fundraising is not begging

Mark Petersen

27 Jun 2009 | 9:23 am

Richard Taylor, on his Wellspring Foundation for Education blog, reflects on his reading of Henri Nouwen’s The Spirituality of Fundraising. I’ve mentioned Nouwen’s booklet previously here, but this is worth repeating. Read Richard’s whole post here. Excerpts below: Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission. Fundraising is precisely the opposite of begging. When we seek to raise funds we are declaring, “We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are…
Bridging the gap synchroblog: Friend of gays

Mark Petersen

24 Jun 2009 | 3:54 am

I’ve always been a friend of gays. I don’t think my friendship of another should be dependent on one’s sexual orientation and practice. From a high school friend who came out to me years later, to my best friend in college, to a roommate at seminary, to my wife’s nephew, and finally to our current friends — an engaged and engaging gay couple that call Karen and I the “funnest heterosexual couple we know”. A few months ago, we cooked up a celebratory engagement dinner for them, and plan on attending their Toronto wedding. Having these…
A donor drives down Huntley Street

Mark Petersen

20 Jun 2009 | 4:12 pm

How should donors be viewing the recent news regarding the top Canadian Christian TV show, 100 Huntley Street? That’s one of the questions racing through my mind as I consider the announcement that Ron and Reynold Mainse have been asked to step aside as hosts for a period. First, to clarify: Neither I, nor our foundation, financially support this ministry. To be honest, it’s the type of ministry that in my mind speaks to the choir … aka a certain segment of the Christian community, and thus doesn’t qualify as something of interest to our granting committee. To…

PhilanthroMedia
Need Space for Your Arts Organization?

16 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

As reported by the Philanthropy News Digest, the New York Foundation for the Arts has begun a new program that will provide discounted office space for arts organizations in New York City. The one catch? You must be a NYFA-affiliated artist or organization ("This includes past and current NYFA fellows, SOS or BUILD recipients, Immigrant Artist Mentors or Mentees, and/or currently sponsored artists and emerging organizations").
Change Exchange

12 Jun 2009 | 11:58 am

Changing times require creative action. The transition our society is amidst necessitates new ways of looking at problems, new solutions, a new type of change agent. At Harbourton Foundation, we believe that one does not need an MBA to become a social entrepreneur. Your average citizen can become an active agent for community innovation and change. Similarly, there is not a dearth of good ideas, but there are numerous roadblocks that prevent such ideas from taking root and sprouting change.
All-Star Federal Philanthropy Team?

12 Jun 2009 | 9:03 am

Herald the news: Congress has authorized a Social Innovation Fund housed at the Corporation for National and Community Service and President Obama’s 2010 budget allots $50 million for the first year. According to the New York Times: If grantees are chosen wisely, and strictly on their merits, this $50 million investment could jump-start the larger effort and reap benefits worth many times over.
Would You Like Some Ketchup With That Pen?

10 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pm

I know everyone who's reading this blog has one thing in common: they're counting the moments until somebody finally invents a pen that they can eat. Well, DBA, a local green design firm to New York, has brought us one step closer with their 98% bio-degradable pen. It may not taste so good, but it sure does compost well, compared to a Bic. I saw these folks give a sales pitch in the final competition levels of Brooklyn Green Space's Green Business Competition a couple weeks back, and they have some pretty keen ideas.
Irvine Foundation President Encourages Transparency

6 Jun 2009 | 4:24 am

Tip of the hat to James Irvine President James E. Canales (pictured) for writing in an op-ed a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy that foundations should communicate more openly and engage more people in their work as part of an effort to “end bad habits” that limit their effectiveness. Canales says the current economic slump, and how it's forcing foundations to take a close look about how they operate, also offers unprecedented opportunities to "remind ourselves that how we do our work can be just as important as what we choose to do." Among the habits that foundations need to…

PhilanTopic
Navigating the Digital Flood

Mitch Nauffts

2 Jul 2009 | 12:51 pm

Last night, as we were cooking dinner -- refried bean and soy "beef" tacos -- my boyfriend, Ivan, and I got into a lively conversation about the difference between the information published on the Consumer Reports products testing site and the consumer-generated reviews posted on the Gizmodo blog. Consumer Reports, which used to be a monthly publication before it was "Web-ified," is often criticized for being slow and outdated because Consumers Union, its parent organization, relies on an in-house testing lab to provide vetted product reviews. The process takes time. Here's how it's described…
Targeting Grant Dollars by Population Group: The Debate Continues

Mitch Nauffts

29 Jun 2009 | 10:05 am

(Larry McGill is the Foundation Center’s senior vice president for research. In a previous post, he wrote about the state of research on diversity in philanthropy.) Ah, dueling research studies! Each making use of data from the same source -- the Foundation Center -- and each drawing different, yet not incompatible, conclusions. How can that be? Published earlier this year, the NCRP report Criteria for Philanthropy at its Best analyzed available grants data coded by the Foundation Center as having benefited "marginalized populations" (as defined by NCRP using existing Foundation Center…
Weekend Link Roundup (June 27 - 28, 2009)

Regina Mahone

28 Jun 2009 | 1:55 pm

This week's roundup of new and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector.... Climate Change Mark Tercek, president and CEO of the Nature Conservancy, explains why the American Clean Energy and Security Act, passed earlier this week by the House of Representatives, is an important milestone for conservation and climate change efforts in the U.S. Communications/Marketing Nonprofits and foundations are invited to enter the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards competition. Submit your organization's tagline here. Economy The mortgage crisis left a large number of homes…
TED on Sunday: Katherine Fulton on the Future of Philanthropy

Mitch Nauffts

28 Jun 2009 | 10:38 am

What comes to mind when you think about philanthropy? Chances are, says Katherine Fulton, president of the San Francisco-based Monitor Institute, you'd end up with a list that includes words like closed, small, slow, fragmented, and short. But it doesn't have to be that way. As Fulton explains in this short, powerful talk, the same disruptive technologies that have upended industry after industry are beginning to transform philanthropy in profound ways. And while we don't yet have a language to adequately describe this transformation, we can recognize some of the innovations that…
Robert Flaherty Film Seminar

Mitch Nauffts

26 Jun 2009 | 2:20 pm

(Kathryn Pyle is a regular contributor to PhilanTopic. In her last post, she wrote about Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media's new Media Database.) Documentary filmmakers, teachers, librarians, students, film critics, and festival programmers from around the globe are participating in the 55th annual Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, thanks in part to fellowships provided by the New England-based Lef Foundation and the Philadelphia Foundation. The weeklong marathon of documentaries brings the films’ makers (this year from the U.S., Russia, Iraq, India, Israel, Syria, Colombia, Finland, Mali,…

The GiveWell Blog
2008-2009 international aid recommendations

Holden

1 Jul 2009 | 4:26 pm

Our 2008-2009 recommendations for international aid are now available. Report homepage Recommended and top-rated charities Highlights: We believe that health is the best area for an individual donor looking to accomplish concrete good. Many programs have strong and proven track records of success in international aid. This is largely not true of other areas. More at our cause overviews. The Stop Tuberculosis Partnership and VillageReach are the strongest options we’ve seen for an individual donor seeking a proven, cost-effective, scalable vehicle in international aid. Other recommended…
A conversation with a donor interested in obstetric fistula

Elie

17 Jun 2009 | 3:10 pm

Jeremy, a teacher, recently emailed us because he was interested in supporting charities that work on the problem of obstetric fistula. Fistula is a cause that I’ve written about before and is one that, emotionally, is extremely compelling. I thought the email exchange with Jeremy was informative, so (with his permission) we’ve posted it here. In brief, I think it provides: A reasonable template for a donor thinking about supporting an organization that provides surgical care An example of how a donor can care deeply about a specific cause and have an initial feeling about the…
Donating to Gates - against its will

Holden

9 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pm

With all the people and organizations out there who would like more money, there’s something remarkable about the fact that the Gates Foundation is specifically asking people NOT to give to it (PDF) - and still couldn’t keep away over $10 million in donations in 2008. Why the Gates Foundation doesn’t want your money First off, I have a lot of trouble understanding the Foundation’s stated reasoning (PDF): From time to time, people generously offer to contribute money to the foundation. We prefer that people give directly to our grantee organizations rather than to the…
The challenge of local ownership

Holden

4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 am

One of the consistent refrains we’ve seen in aid literature is the importance of local participation/enthusiasm/ownership for aid projects. Many programs have been criticized for being too “top-down” (i.e., imposing outsiders’ designs on local communities), with the implication that more “bottom-up” programs (i.e., getting local people to participate in the design of execution of programs) would be more likely toi create real and lasting change. For an example of this reasoning, see this USAID review of Integrated Rural Development programs (PDF). The basic…
November conference sponsored by Social Solutions

Holden

4 Jun 2009 | 7:07 am

I’ll be speaking on a panel, “Improving How we Give,” at this November conference. Should be interesting.

PincGiving
Cause Related Video

Beverley Claire Pomeroy

23 Jun 2009 | 1:18 pm

We are all learning that online video is fast becoming a popular communication tool for cause related video. All for Good has partnered with Youtube creating a project called Video Volunteers. Basically, Youtube Video Volunteers helps you find nonprofit organizations that need help creating videos for their cause. The concept is great, pooling resources to aid in cause related work. This past spring, Youtube surpassed the 100 million viewers mark and is thee platform for video distribution. So what does this mean for cause related video and the new advocacy of Video Volunteers? Video…
Life On Purpose Network goes live!

Beverley Claire Pomeroy

19 Jun 2009 | 1:46 pm

We decided to let Life On Purpose Network go live! Our innovative online video platform profiling cause video with built in donate and connect capability is pioneering the use of cause video online. Come check out www.lifeonpurposenetwork.com and get involved! In particular, check out our Profile Series. My own profile is there, sharing the story of Sophia…and why I chose to create Pinc Productions Inc amidst the storm of my daughter’s progressive illness. We are still in the building stage and welcome nonprofit organizations to share their stories with us; Producers and…
Cause Syndication ~ Letting go

Beverley Claire Pomeroy

16 Jun 2009 | 10:48 am

Emira Mears from Raised Eyebrows and I were having some discussion through Twitter on what Cause Syndication means for non profits and some of the barriers that NGO’s face with this concept. If social media / social networking equals syndication, and syndication grows your donor base and cause, why aren’t more nonprofits pursuing this process? We believe the biggest barrier preventing organizations from incorporating new communication technology is ‘fear’. An organization has to learn to let go of the control they have typically had in more traditional communication media. The past…
Creating presence for Pinc in SFO area

Beverley Claire Pomeroy

9 Jun 2009 | 1:24 pm

I would like to create a ground presence in SFO area to develop relationships in both the tech and nonprofit communities we serve. Any advice, suggestions, thoughts, introductions would be welcome for: Accommodation Food Networking Opportunities Tech Community Nonprofit environment Business Development opportunities Strategic Partnerships Pinc develops online cause driven platforms; two being www.pincgiving.com and www.lifeonpurposenetwork (launching in Sept, contact me for username and password access) Looking forward to getting to know other leaders and change makers in the SFO area. Warm…
Let’s Dance by The Backyard Philanthropist

Beverley Claire Pomeroy

1 Jun 2009 | 8:23 am

As The Backyard Philanthropist, I am always looking for stories of people in their own communities that are making a difference and contributing to humanity. Well, this week, I didn’t have to look very far. I found it in my very own backyard, her name is Miss Katie. Yes, you read right…Miss Katie. I actually have no idea what her full name is. Miss Katie is a dance instructor at Deas Island Dance in Delta, BC. Miss Katie has over 30 years of dance experience and is a registered for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). Beyond this, Miss Katie is also a special ed assistant in our…

FundraisingCoach.com
Happy New Year! (Fiscally speaking…)

Marc A. Pitman

30 Jun 2009 | 11:15 am

For many readers of this blog, today is the end of the fiscal year. Congratulations! You’ve made it! What are you doing to celebrate? We live in a fast paced world. And our organization’s financial needs are insatiable. All too often, our year end is merely punctuated by a flurry of direct mail and phone calls. Then we come in the next day with a higher goal to start the new year. One of the most suprising things my coaching clients tell me is how much they appreciate my reminding them to stop and celebrate. What?! It’s not all my sage advice? Nope. It’s my giving them…
Fundraising Secret #38: Make Online Fundraising Easy

Marc A. Pitman

16 Jun 2009 | 5:58 am

As the recession continues, and our need for funds grows, I continue to believe we’ll need a combination of face-to-face experiences with donors augmented by a robust, but appropriate, use of online tools. In my article Bananas and Websites, I give an overview of Seth Godin’s concept that, when looking at a web page, all of us are organ grinder monkees. We just want the “banana” - we want to clearly know what we’re supposed to do. Our job as website designers is to make the banana really obvious. In my seminars, I show a picture of Yahoo! and ask…
What it really takes to successfully fundraise in a recession

Marc A. Pitman

1 Jun 2009 | 6:44 am

Here’s a great piece from Lois Lindauer’s latest “Development News” email: AHP Study Demonstrates Value of Fundraisers in Recession The Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) just released results from its 2007 benchmarking survey, which examines nonprofit hospital giving during a period encompassing the early months of this recession. Reviewing development programs across American hospitals, the survey found “the highest performing fundraising organizations put stronger, longer-term emphasis on cultivating major gifts.” Among participating hospitals,…
Fundraising Secret #37: Use Powerpoint effectively

Marc A. Pitman

19 May 2009 | 7:29 am

I’ve been through a flurry of bad powerpoint presentations recently. At the last one, the speakers turned their backs to the audience and read the slides word-for-word. I kid you not. Perhaps it was because the words were so tiny none of us could see them. If you’re using Powerpoint or a similar slide-style program to communicate your fundraising story, this has got to stop! Reading your slides not only insults the intelligence of your audience, it also makes you look ill-informed. After all, if the speaker isn’t interested enough to master the topic, why should we be…
Are nonprofit’s helping postpone Alzheimer’s?

Marc A. Pitman

18 May 2009 | 4:40 am

Apparently 2009 is going to be the year of learning to delay Alzheimer’s. In today’s news, work is apparently officially proven to delay Alzheimer’s. The equation? 1 year or work = 6 weeks of delay. Earlier this year, I read that drinking strong coffee may reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s by 65%! What does this have to do with fundraising? Probably not much. But perhaps by providing a form of work our nonprofits are helping our volunteers stay in their right mind. And if we add strong coffee for the nonprofit employees, are we moving toward a more sane…

Open Society Insitute - Katrina: An Unnatural Disaster
Another Black Blues Story

Clarence Williams is producing a photographic essay of post-Katrina New Orleans, from flood to aftermath to rebuilding, with a visual emphasis on the remnants of the cultural wealth and family ties that make this city unique.
Child of the Flood

Child of the Flood, a novel by Dale Maharidge with photographs by Michael Williamson, combines fiction with documentary imagery and chronicles the story of John Boucher, an 18-year-old who is knocked unconscious and loses his memory as a result of the post-Katrina flooding.
Gulf Coast: Work in Progress

Dee Davis and the Center for Rural Strategies developed a media campaign to illustrate the struggles of rural Gulf Coast residents to re-establish their lives after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The project aimed to help Americans understand conditions along the rural Gulf Coast and explore how America's failure to formulate effective rural policy is reaping disaster.
New Orleans Now

Tena Rubio developed the Katrina Uncovers series for the National Radio Project; as part of that series, she produced three 30-minute shows on the immigrant/migrant workforce in New Orleans called New Orleans Now: Immigrants, Labor Rights and the Human Cost of Rebuilding an American City.
Rebuilding, Inc.

Tim Shorrock has been reporting on post-Katrina economic development and the health care crisis in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.

The Epic Change Blog
Dogooders Won’t Change the World (Alone)

Administrator

28 Jun 2009 | 5:05 am

There’s an ever-burgeoning number of forums, chats, conferences, meetups destination websites, competitions, you-name-it, for dogooders. Call us social entrepreneurs, changemakers, social innovators, nonprofiteers, the delta sector, np techies, community benefit professionals, pick your poison, there’s a growing number of places we hang out - with one another. Just yesterday I read a tweet that called the #nonprofit twitter tag a “cavernous echo chamber.” Ouch. Now don’t get me wrong, I love you people. I think you’re some of the most brilliant,…
The Results Are In…

Administrator

9 Jun 2009 | 9:25 am

UPDATE, 7:38PM EST 6/9/09: We were able to share the news with Mama Lucy in Tanzania just after we heard, and wanted to let you in on that conversation. Only listen if you’re ready for a lot of laughing and 4 minutes of pure joy: Today, Ideablob announced the results of their May 2009 showdown, and sometimes the written word is simply insufficient, so check out my video message below to find out the final tally: If you missed me screaming madly into the video camera, that’s right, WE WON!!! $10,000 - TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS - for a technology lab in Tanzania. If you’d like…
LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO GO - VOTE NOW!

Administrator

31 May 2009 | 6:27 am

Epic Change is very close to winning $10,000 from Ideablob, a national business idea competition, to build a technology lab at our locally-led partner school in Arusha, Tanzania. Voting ends today at 11:59:59 pm CST on http://bit.ly/ideablob and our lead is now just 25 votes. If you haven’t voted and asked your friends, family & colleagues to do the same, now is the time. Need info to share? Here’s the skinny: We Could Win $10K to Build a Technology Lab in Tanzania We plan to use those funds to create a technology lab at the school in Tanzania so that children,…
Tanzania Votes - the Hard Way

Administrator

26 May 2009 | 4:56 pm

[UPDATE 5/31: VOTING FOR EPIC CHANGE ON IDEABLOB ENDS TODAY AT 11:59:59 PM CST. PLEASE VOTE NOW AT http://bit.ly/ideablob. OUR LEAD IS NOW JUST 25 VOTES SO YOUR VOTE IS CRITICAL.] As you probably know if you’re following the blog, Epic Change is now an Ideablob finalist - if you haven’t already voted at http://bit.ly/ideablob, I’ve no doubt you will after reading this post. If you’re a blogger & would be generous enough to post about our Ideablob efforts on your blog, I hope you’ll do so with Zemanta’s “Blogging for a Cause” language, so…
Vote Now! We’re Ideablob Finalists ;)

Administrator

26 May 2009 | 5:14 am

By now, many of you have received the news that thanks to your votes, Epic Change has now advanced to the final round of voting to win $10K from IdeaBlob!!! Thank You!!! Voting continues now through 11:59:59 CT on 5/31 - and, with alot of hustling in Tanzania and the US, we’re currently leading the pack…but only by 7 votes. We need your vote to sustain and further our lead! VOTE NOW! For this round, all voting has been reset at zero so we need your votes now more than ever!!! Even if you’ve voted before, we need you to vote again now. It takes just a few minutes and a…

the fundit
New fundraising policy from the Canada Revenue Agency

Andrea Seale

18 Jun 2009 | 9:11 am

Canada Revenue Agency has finally released a policy on Fundraising by Registered Charities. The document outlines policies and practices that the CRA uses when it reviews annual information returns filed by registered charities and explains the CRA’s views on issues relevant to fundraising expenditures. Some of the highlights: Ratio of fundraising costs to fundraising revenue Under 35% - Unlikely to generate questions or concerns 35% and above - The CRA will examine the average ratio over recent years to determine if there is a trend of high fundraising costs. The higher the ratio, the more…
Attention Little Give applicants

Andrea Seale

2 Jun 2009 | 11:35 am

The Little Give recently had technical troubles with their server and sadly, some applications have been sucked into the vacuum of cyberspace. They are advising everyone to re-submit their applications by email or by calling Kera McArthur at 604-623-3007. They have also extended the application deadline to June 5th. You have until Friday to get apply to this cool program!
The Little Give is back!

Andrea Seale

11 May 2009 | 7:44 pm

The nice people at Karyo Edelman are doing The Little Give again. Last year their staff spent a frenzied weekend helping four nonprofits in a variety of ways… renovating a playroom, creating a communications plan, and generally using their ingenuity to turn a small amount of money into a big impact for kids. This year they will be selecting three groups. Go to their website and nominate your organization by June 1, 2009 if you are: - a registered non-profit organization; - based in Vancouver; - secular; and - make a difference in the lives of children and youth (under 24 years old).
A thought for Earth Day

Andrea Seale

22 Apr 2009 | 4:41 pm

“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” -– Marshall McLuhan
Hugh Jackman’s $100K Twitter challenge

Andrea Seale

15 Apr 2009 | 7:43 am

That elevator speech you’ve sweated over is really going to come in handy here! Actor Hugh Jackman is giving away $100,000 to someone’s favourite organization. Tweet your case to him here.

The Philanthropic Family
Three Critical Practices to Keep Your Family Strong

Sharon Schneider

22 Jun 2009 | 4:17 pm

To paraphrase my friend Regg Wilson, there are three things highly successful people can pass on to their kids: Money and other financial assets Skills and habits that lead to success Environment/Infrastructure If you could only pass on one of these three, says Regg, you would likely choose the third, raising your children in the United States instead of, say, Darfur. If you could only pass on two of these things, you would likely pass on the second and the third, so that even if they started out broke in the land of opportunity, they would have the skills that allow them to create their own…
Angelina Jolie and World Refugee Day

Sharon Schneider

18 Jun 2009 | 12:29 pm

UNICEF World Refugee Day is this Saturday, June 20th. In recognition of the day, they recently produced a video featuring Angelina Jolie, one of their global ambassadors and possibly the most famous woman in the world. According to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the video is expecting millions of views. It will be played in airports, on television and of course on YouTube. Angelina Jolie will certainly turn heads, but once they listen to the 30-second spot, what is it that UNHCR wants us to do? “In her new video, Jolie stresses that “Refugees are the…
The Philanthropic Family nominated as “Most Inspiring Blog”

Sharon Schneider

17 Jun 2009 | 7:01 am

I’m happy to say that this blog has been nominated for a BlogLuxe award in the category of “Most Inspiring Blog.” BlogLuxe recognizes women bloggers and is having a reception here in Chicago as part of the BlogHer ‘09 conference in July. If you’ve found The Philanthropic Family to be inspirational when thinking about gift-giving, raising charitable children or just being more mindful of how philanthropy fits into your everyday life, I hope you’ll click here to vote. Thanks for your many comments, suggestions and words of support over the last 15 months.
Nonprofit’s Guide to Surviving a Recession

Sharon Schneider

10 Jun 2009 | 6:31 am

I assume you’re not spending your nonprofit’s money to hold lavish parties.(If you are, stop.) Other than that bit of wisdom, I do not have tips to cut costs for your nonprofit (join Costco?). But that’s mostly a losing game, I think, trimming operations and trying to squeeze pennies out of the expense side of the ledger. Suriving and thriving is, over the long term, about building a committed, passionate base of supporters, not about reducing your phone bill (try Skype?). There is no magic shortcut and no secret handshake to get the funding you need. Instead, there is…
Silver Spoons and Giving Back

Sharon Schneider

2 Jun 2009 | 4:45 pm

A friend of mine once said about a mutual acquaintance of ours “she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth but she thinks she mined the silver.” Silver spoons of privilege, of course, come in many shapes and sizes, including class, race and gender. But in his book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell exposes some of the previously unconsidered forces of place and time that combine to create successful individuals like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller, he points out, is one of 14 Americans all born in a single decade who find themselves on the list of the 75…

Principled Innovation LLC
Don’t miss Buzz 2009!

jeffpi1@gmail.com or @pinnovation on twitter (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!)

30 Jun 2009 | 6:48 pm

As I’m sure you know by now, my SocialFish buds Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer are putting on a day-long session called Buzz2009 on July 9 in Washington, DC. This exciting social media marketing conference is presented in collaboration with SmartBrief, and I am proud to be an advisor for the event. It is my understanding that there are still seats available for Buzz2009, and you can register at a $100 discount off full tuition using this link. Unfortunately, I will be out of town on July 9 and cannot attend, but I’m sure it is going to be a great learning experience for…
Vu-ja-de and relevance

jeffpi1@gmail.com or @pinnovation on twitter (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!)

25 Jun 2009 | 11:16 am

The emerging blog debate on the issue of relevance for associations has a definite “vu-ja-de” quality for me, because I posted on this topic some 18 months ago. To be honest, it’s more than a little disappointing that no one appears to remember what I wrote at that time, so I was thinking that a brief refresher and update might be in order. Relevance continues to be a losing argument for associations. Relevance is a desperately abstract, lowest common denominator, all-things-to-all-people strategic mindset that is tantamount to shouting at the rain. What could be a…
P.I. Podcast: Interview with Alan Webber

jeffpi1@gmail.com or @pinnovation on twitter (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!)

4 Jun 2009 | 9:10 am

Rules of Thumb: 52 Principles for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self is the outstanding new book from Fast Company co-founding editor Alan Webber that I’ve been enjoying for a couple of weeks now. This past Tuesday, I had the unique opportunity to connect with Alan twice in the same day. I attended his morning session, an interview conducted by author Dan Pink for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and then interviewed him myself for this podcast in the afternoon. (Throw in my meeting with a favorite client in between, and you get a really terrific day!) When I tell…
P.I. Podcast: Interview with Bob Johansen

jeffpi1@gmail.com or @pinnovation on twitter (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!)

22 May 2009 | 7:52 am

This week, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future, about his important new book, Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World. When I first discovered this book earlier this month, I was immediately struck by its focus on capabilities that are not the usual leadership development fare. As Bob points out in our interview, he is a futurist, a “ten-year forecaster” to be precise, not a leadership development expert. In my mind, this future orientation makes the ideas in the book that…
More like Google?

jeffpi1@gmail.com or @pinnovation on twitter (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!)

19 May 2009 | 6:47 pm

Last Friday, blogger bud Maddie Grant posted an assignment for association leaders, summarized nicely by this simple yet provocative question: How could associations be Googlier? In various ways, I’ve been pondering this very question for the last few years. Back in 2004, I wrote an article for FORUM on what associations could learn from Google about innovation. (The link is to a PDF of the article.) Even though time has passed, I think most of the lessons in the article still resonate. As Google has grown, matured and enjoyed continued success as a company, it has given us more…

Ben Martin, CAE
Buy “The Fogdirog” and be association geek chic

bkmcae@gmail.com (Ben Martin)

16 Jun 2009 | 6:05 pm

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.] So I had a little fun on Zazzle tonight. I made and bought one of these. If you want one too, go ahead and buy it, and we can coordinate outfits at ASAE. It’ll be so much fun. What the heck is fogdirog, you say? Buy this shirt.
Wanna speak to +/- 1000 Canadian & American Realtor Association Execs?

bkmcae@gmail.com (Ben Martin)

20 May 2009 | 11:29 am

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.] If yes, fill out this here form. The meeting is in April 2010 in Quebec. If you decide to put in for this, please drop me a line. I’m on the selection committee for this conference of association executives, so you have a friend on the inside. I’ll see what I can do.
Really? Totally free association marketing conference

bkmcae@gmail.com (Ben Martin)

8 May 2009 | 7:56 pm

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.] Two free nights at a Disney resort Free association marketing conference Free food and beverage All you have to do is get there This is what the crazy economy has brought us.
Video post: Quick tutorial on WhenIsGood.net

bkmcae@gmail.com (Ben Martin)

8 May 2009 | 6:01 pm

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.] There are about a zillion meeting scheduling services on the Web, but this one’s the best, in my humble opinion. It’s called WhenIsGood.net, and it is the simplest, most elegant meeting scheduling service I’ve ever used. Here’s a four minute video on how it works: WhenIsGood.net meeting scheduling servicefrom Ben Martin on Vimeo.
Introducing a cool new tool for tracking Twitter @ replies on the go

bkmcae@gmail.com (Ben Martin)

30 Apr 2009 | 6:46 pm

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.] A few weeks ago I told my friend Jeff Turner about some trouble I was having with Twitter. No, not that kind of trouble. To help me out, Jeff built this site for me, and now it’s out of super-secret beta so I can share it with you. Watch this video for information about the service and a demo. Twext.me demo from Ben Martin on Vimeo.

Beyond Certification
Certificate Program or Certification?

Mickie Rops

22 Jun 2009 | 9:53 am

I spent last week in DC training ANSI Certificate Accreditation Program assessors and accreditation committee members on application of the ASTM E2659-09 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs. After that 2 1/2 day intensive training, we then conducted a 3 hour training webconference for the organizations that have been accepted into the pilot being conducted this summer. It was an exhausting but exhilarating week! The talent convened to implement this program is incredible (a press release will be issued soon outlining the individuals and…
CME Basics Course

Mickie Rops

4 Jun 2009 | 10:46 am

If you're new to continuing medical education you might be interested in attending the CME Basics course sponsored by the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education on June 25-26 in Chicago. Details here.
Practice Makes Perfect: Bringing Experiential Learning to Life Webinar

Mickie Rops

4 Jun 2009 | 8:46 am

There's a free webinar June 18th that sounds like a good one. Check it out here. The primary target audience seems to be college and university educators, but I'd bet a lot will have broad application. I'll be conducting my own training at that time so I'll miss out. If you participate, let me know how it goes!

Acronym
Don't play defense

Lisa Junker

2 Jul 2009 | 10:35 am

It's hard to take criticism--I'll be the first to admit it. Just recently, my predecessor (and fellow blogger) Scott Briscoe and I sat down to talk about a recent issue of Associations Now, so that he could give me some honest feedback about what he liked and didn't like (at my request). It was really generous of him to share his time and thoughts with me--but it was also really difficult to sit and listen about the many ways that issue fell short of my ideal. I've been thinking about criticism lately, because I've been seeing organizations wrestle with how to handle it when they're…
When Codes of Conduct Clash with Legal Fears

Kristin Clarke

2 Jul 2009 | 4:21 am

I had an interesting conversation about marketing new professional codes of conduct or professional principles Wednesday with Carol Smolenski, executive director of ECPAT-USA, a New York-based nonprofit that protects children from sex tourism. It was one more time in which I felt that America’s propensity to sue everyone in sight – or live in fear of that—was holding back good-minded organizations from doing the right and obvious thing. In this case, I’m talking about ECPAT’s Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. This is a…
Remote Staff as an Asset

Brian Birch

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 am

In this century, more and more individuals are moving toward working part-time or full time from a remote location. This trend will continue, as we begin to integrate personal and business lives into a more cohesive, and perhaps even healthier, lifestyle. Associations are uniquely positioned to view this trend as an asset, not a liability. Let’s not forget that productivity has nothing to do with proximity, it’s a function of culture, good management, and personality. If you are confident that the intersection of these three items at your association is strong, then read on! Realizing…
9,000 E-mails? Association E-Marketers Face Tough Competition

Kristin Clarke

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 am

E-mail marketing has never been so popular, thanks to the weak economy and increased use of the Internet by consumers and members. What stopped me cold as I skimmed a press release about a new report from Forrester Research Inc. was the company’s prediction that “in five years, consumers will be deluged with more than 9,000 email marketing messages annually.” More broadly, the report predicts spending on e-mail marketing will jump by almost 11% annually to $2 billion by 2014. But gosh, am I seriously going to have to delete or respond to 9,000 e-mail pitches a year? The vision of my…
Fact-based decision making

Steven M. Worth

2 Jul 2009 | 4:19 am

When I was a staffer on Capitol Hill I recall hearing two different stories told quite often during debates on the Senate floor. One was: There are three types of lies in the world—simple lies; damn lies; and then there are statistics! The other was: As the Bible says, “Come let us reason together.” We all have our points of view on which we differ, but we should at least be able to agree on the facts—they are what they are. Facts are stubborn things…. Both assertions are true of course. No one needs a course in statistics to know that the gathering and presentation of facts is a…

BlogClump - Blogging About Associations From a Gen Xer
Summer Time

Matt Baehr

16 Jun 2009 | 10:39 am

Well, the spring soccer season is over. A few more tryouts for travel left, but the games are over. It was a successful season over all and the awards banquet was a great culmination to season. The summer is full of camps, street soccer, and other programs. Fall registration is open as well. There is a lot to do this summer, including finalizing office space for ASA. One thing that's going on this summer which should be great is Buzz2009 Social Media for Associations. Buzz2009 Social Media for Associations is the place where association execs learn concepts and strategies to help their…
Phone Numbers

Matt Baehr

20 Apr 2009 | 10:44 am

Remember when everyone had a home phone, and that was it? Businesses used to be clever and try to make their phone numbers spell something with the accompanying letters on a standard phone. Many today still do. But should they?I have a blackberry. So how can I call you if I only know the word your number spells? I can't. I know most people don't have full keyboard smart phones as their main calling devices. Business phones, home phones and many cell phones still have the basic phone keyboard. But many of us on the go who live on our phones need to know your real phone number, not what it…
Meetings and Governance

Matt Baehr

26 Mar 2009 | 6:07 pm

I have had several meetings this week. Big volunteer led, policy setting type meetings. As I look back on them, I see two things that would have made the meetings much better. First, is clearer governance. It would have been great if all parties at each meeting were familiar with the current policies and governance areas. I don't blame them for not being familiar though. We have done a poor job of organizing them in an easy to read and understand manner, as well as updating them as times have changed. Do yourself and your volunteers a favor. Put everything in plain English in easy to find…
Creating Volunteers

Matt Baehr

22 Mar 2009 | 6:36 am

So, I keep getting tagged to post on a bunch of topics. Thank goodness, because I have been bad about posting. This is good incentive. Here is the latest.Peggy Hoffman has asked me to share five short-term, ad-hoc volunteer jobs I’d love to have.I am not going to lie, this took a long time to figure out. There are some volunteer things out there that I wish I did, like the Big Brother program. But I wanted to come up with a few that I am not sure are even out there. 1. Watching TV pilots for potential new shows2. Being part of the committee that chooses the future World Cup sites3. Review…
A Little Something Extra

Matt Baehr

20 Mar 2009 | 4:37 pm

I recently ordered a bunch of custom apparel to recognize our volunteers. In the shipment, I got 1 extra of something I ordered as well as 1 extra custom piece I didn't order. In the box was a slick postcard saying:Here's an extra surprise! As a special thank you, we've included an extra item or tow for you. Thank you for your business.I am sure the extra items I got were mistakes or overruns. But talk about a way to make lemonade out of lemons.This was the first time I used this company. Do you think I will use them again? You bet. 2 days after I placed the order, I received an email offer…

Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide
End MountainTop Removal: Philanthropic Travelers in Appalachia

info@exquisitesafaris.com

21 Jun 2009 | 10:10 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
The Advent of Philanthropic Travel

info@exquisitesafaris.com

14 Mar 2009 | 6:48 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel: The Globalization of Empathy

info@exquisitesafaris.com

26 Jan 2009 | 3:17 am

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
Every Saturday in Nairobi: Philanthropic Travel in Kenya

info@exquisitesafaris.com

30 Dec 2008 | 5:40 am

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
What Should a M/Billionaire Give -and What Should You?

info@exquisitesafaris.com

21 Dec 2008 | 5:17 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.

Social Actions Blog
The Lend4Health Journey: Faith

Tori Tuncan

"Step Off...." Flickr photo by Salmon of Doubt I really am not a very actively religious person, but Lend4Health has recently taught me what "faith" is. I find myself with a project (Lend4Health) that is now 1 year old. What started as a simple idea and a blog has been featured in national and local news, has made it as a finalist on contests by Ideablob, Social Actions, and Ashoka Changemakers, and has been publicly mentioned by some heavy hitters like Beth Kanter, Lucy Bernholz, Peter Deitz, and Tom Watson. I have flown my body to Atlanta and Chicago for conferences, and to San Jose to…
Social Actions conference calls this week: community (7/1) and developers (7/3)

Christine Egger

Social Actions will host two conference calls this week to share some exciting news and planned activities, and invite community members (as always!) to participate as full partners in shaping the next several months of Social Actions' initiative. Social Actions Community Call Wednesday, July 1, 11amPacific/2pmEstern Social Actions Developers Call Friday, July 3, 11amPacific/2pmEastern Looking forward to your RSVPs and to talking with many of you soon!
Social Edge discussion on competition and collaboration: 48 hour check in

Christine Egger

Over on Social Edge, Peter's hosting a discussion about competition and collaboration. The introduction, cross-posted on My Social Actions here, draws attention to the relationship between All for Good and Social Actions as a case study and invitation to jump into a broad consideration of these themes for the entire social entrepreneurship sector. I hope you get a chance to hop over, browse through, and join in. Lots of room to go broader and deeper. My contribution to date, with more to come: In a way I see collaboration and competition as a false dichotomy [or], more precisely, as…
Social Actions Adds Six New Action Sources; Partners with Innovators in India, South Africa, and the UK

Peter Deitz

Today, Social Actions added six new action sources to our open database of opportunities to make a difference. For a full list and profiles of the latest innovators contributing to Social Actions, please see Our Guide to 50+ Action Sources. New Action Sources GiveIndia -> Donate Greater Good South Africa -> Donate OptINnow -> Lend South African Social Investment Exchange (SASIX) -> Donate Stop Climate Chaos Coalition -> Support a campaign YouthNoise -> Join a group The Full List of Action Sources Contributing to Social Actions Amazee Apathy is Boring betterplace BringLight…
How Do You Serve?

Chris Jarvis

Shannon Schuyler, US managing director of Corporate Responsibility, for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), will be guest blogging for 'Realizing Your Worth' over the next week from San Francisco at the National Conference for Service and Volunteering. You can find the original post at http://realizedworth.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-do-you-serve.html How do you serve? Michelle Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Nancy Pelosi, Arianna Huffington, and Bon Jovi all told us how they serve yesterday at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world's largest gathering of…

Association Inc
Dais of Our Lives

Association Inc. (Kevin Holland)

1 Jul 2009 | 11:40 am

I get a kick out of Lisa’s case studies and get the impression she enjoys writing them. I think she should go whole hog and start writing an association soap opera. She could call it something like “Guiding Bylaws” or “One Meeting to Endure.” Or “General Consensus.”
Prime Real Estate

Association Inc. (Kevin Holland)

30 Jun 2009 | 6:01 pm

Judith Lindenau ostensibly writes specifically about realtor associations, but really she’s a must-read for association execs of all stripes. Delightfully straightforward. This is a fantastic post on meaningful evaluation of association programs.
A Basic Post About Logos

Association Inc. (Kevin Holland)

30 Jun 2009 | 5:31 pm

Because we can’t think deep thoughts all the time …. Like a lot of associations, we have to deal with the logos of a lot of different companies. This is because we have events and things that have sponsors, and so we have to put sponsor logos in a lot of very different and creative places. Yet I’m amazed at how many logos I see that look very striking and memorable– when they’re huge. When they’re small, they’re barely legible. So the most important question to ask when designing a logo — for a company, association, event, product, whatever…
A Tip for Job Seekers

Association Inc. (Kevin Holland)

26 Jun 2009 | 8:22 pm

Organizations have websites. It’s amazing how much you can learn about an organization from its website. It’s even more amazing how easy it is to take what you’ve learned about an organization from its website and incorporate it into what you send to the organization when applying for a position there. So easy, in fact, that when you incorporate nothing, and send something completely generic instead, your chances diminish.
4th of July

Association Inc. (Kevin Holland)

26 Jun 2009 | 5:34 pm

With our nation’s birthday just about a week away, and so many challenges facing our culture, I feel like I want to write something about it, but am averse to the usual sort of cliches, and well aware of my own limitations. So instead I’ll share these lyrics from singer/songwriter Ben Shive. Whatever your personal beliefs may be (and sometimes I am not even sure of my own), I do hope that they allow for at least the possibility of permanence, and transcendance. The first star of the evening Was singing in the sky High above our blanket in the park And by the twilight’s…

Connections
2009 Online Giving Trends - Q2

Steve MacLaughlin

2 Jul 2009 | 8:03 am

The first half of 2009 is now over and we have some updated information about online giving trends from Blackbaud clients to share. This is a follow-up to the Q1 2009 Online Giving Trends information that was released in April. This information comes from approximately 2,000 nonprofit organizations using Blackbaud's Internet solutions and represents the largest sample size studied in the nonprofit sector. Average Gift Amount ChangesAn analysis of 1,973 nonprofits found an average online gift amount of $124.17 for Q2 of 2009. This was an increase of $2.07 from Q1 2009. A review…
Index of National Fundraising Performance - Q1 2009

Steve MacLaughlin

25 Jun 2009 | 11:02 am

Target Analytics, a Blackbaud company, announced the latest Index of National Fundraising Performance for the first quarter of 2009. The index compares trends in key fundraising indicators from 79 organizations, including over 35 million donors and more than 66 million gifts totaling almost $2 billion in revenue. The index findings include giving data from direct mail, online, telemarketing, events, and other fundraising channels. You can get a complete summary of the latest index findings here. Revenue and Donor Trends All key metrics declined for the index as a whole for the first quarter…
AFP Lowcountry 2009 Summer Institute

Steve MacLaughlin

22 Jun 2009 | 8:04 am

I am speaking later today at the AFP South Carolina Lowcountry 2009 Summer Institute in downtown Charleston. It's always good to be able to spend some time with local nonprofits and not have to travel very far to do it. They have put together a very solid day of sessions. Here's a look at the other presenters: "The Thrills, Challenges, and Joys of the Small Shop" — Jill A. Pranger, ACFRE, President, Pranger Philanthropic "The Care and Feeding of Donors: How to Keep your Donors Begging for More" — Jim Bush, CFRE, Executive Director, Charleston Animal…
NetWits Think Tank Blog

Steve MacLaughlin

19 Jun 2009 | 9:37 am

The NetWits Think Tank blog has been churning out some great content lately. There's a growing group of contributors from Blackbaud behind this blog. It's a very good mix of subjects, experts, and advice about thriving in the digital world. Here are a couple of my recent favorites: Design for Good: 4 Nonprofit Design Principles - Part 1 of 2 by Raheel Gauba - Any article that includes the phrase "Every Pixel has a Purpose" has to be good, right? Social Media Strategy: 12for12k Challenge with Danny Brown by Frank Barry - Learn more about the 12for12k Challenge and how social…
Digital Leap Conference in London

Steve MacLaughlin

15 Jun 2009 | 4:29 am

Today is the Digital Leap conference in London. It's all about fundraising, social networking, and online charity success in the UK and Europe. Digital Leap is being held at the ICO Conference Centre in central London. There are a great set of speakers at the event including: Ted Hart, CEO, Hart Philanthropic Services Group Alan Clayton, Director of Innovation, The Good Agency Richie Jones, Founder and Creative Technology Director, Yucca UK Robert McAllen, Programme Manager, Blackbaud Europe Jason Potts, Director, Think Consulting Solutions Reuben Turner, Creative Director, The Good…

Forums
Student Billing State-of-Mind: Is it Okay to Cancel Out of Posting?

Jennifer Maroney

2 Jul 2009 | 10:20 am

Do you ever notice your workstation task manager shows The Financial Edge is not responding? Just because it shows not responding on your workstation doesn't mean that FE has stopped working. Many times the process is still running on the server. If you cancel the process at the wrong point it could result in data corruption and who wants that? Read more. You can find other SB stuff on The Ledger blog by clicking the Student Billing tag. Talk to you soon!
2009 Online Giving Trends - Q2

Steve MacLaughlin

2 Jul 2009 | 8:03 am

The first half of 2009 is now over and we have some updated information about online giving trends from Blackbaud clients to share. This is a follow-up to the Q1 2009 Online Giving Trends information that was released in April. This information comes from approximately 2,000 nonprofit organizations using Blackbaud's Internet solutions and represents the largest sample size studied in the nonprofit sector. Average Gift Amount ChangesAn analysis of 1,973 nonprofits found an average online gift amount of $124.17 for Q2 of 2009. This was an increase of $2.07 from Q1 2009. A review…
Getting Out of Our Comfort Zones

Kirk Sadler

2 Jul 2009 | 7:14 am

I just read an great article from the Nonprofit Times called, Youth Movement Critical for Boards. It is almost incomprehensible to read that we need an average of 26 million new board members each year just to keep the nonprofit world we love running. Of which only 2% is staffed with individuals under 30 and 30% are staffed with individuals between 30 - 49. That means nearly 70% are staffed with Baby Boomers. In fact, the retirement of so many Baby Boomers could affect the future growth of the nonprofit sector. OK, so what does that all mean for me. As a young,…
Shortcuts to Journal Entry Batches

Heather Robinson

2 Jul 2009 | 5:27 am

"Ugh, manual journal entries take forever!" Sound familiar? Well I have a few tricks to speed up the process! Journal Entry batches can have a default row that will store information you type over and over again, such as post dates, journal and account numbers. First, let's make sure you have a default row. Select Tools and Options from the menu bar. Select the Records tab, highlight Journal Entry, and make sure Yes is selected for Display first row of batch as default row. Now, we can set user preferences. Are you more of a keyboard person or a…
The Forefront of Technology

Jay Love

1 Jul 2009 | 5:08 am

During a recent reading session I was taken back down memory lane by an article in Fast Company entitled "The Evolution of Amazon". (One often goes down memory lane once past 50, but hang with me on this one if you can.) The article speaks for itself regarding the total transformation of the book publishing industry by Amazon and the Kindle. Such massive changes are exciting for most and downright scary for those closest to the established industry. In this case, the metamorphosis of the book publishing industry with its many strange caveats may be good. Like most industry…

Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech
Creating a Compendium of Competitions for Change

Amy Sample Ward

2 Jul 2009 | 7:40 am

Originally posted on the 4Change blog, here. The June #4Change chat topic focused on Challenges/Competitions for Social Change. Early on in that online chat, the request emerged for a compendium or other list of “all” the Challenges and Competitions focused on social benefit. Such an overview would let those interested in participating or facilitating a competition review the full landscape of options, characteristics of each, and so on. So, to answer that call, the #4Change crew has started building the compendium and now it’s your turn to chip in! Here’s the link to see what we have…
New on SSIR: First and Foremost Know Your Community

Amy Sample Ward

1 Jul 2009 | 3:03 pm

My newest post is now up on the Stanford Social Innovation Review. You can read the post and participation in the conversation on the SSIR blog here! The piece is reposted below: Have we replicated our offline social dynamics and barriers online? I believe we have, and so does Danah Boyd. As profiled in the New York Observer, Danah talked to the data uncovered in her four years of research on new media use in a presentation at the Personal Democracy Forum. If we truly are reproducing our offline social divides online, then it’s further proof that the central part of your social media…
Empowering Youth via Social Media: Looking for your case studies!

Amy Sample Ward

1 Jul 2009 | 4:10 am

I’m preparing a talk for next week and thought I’d open up the proposal to all of you! After all, I definitely believe that the community is far smarter than me - and really appreciate any and all ideas you have to share! Next week I will be speaking at and event Bebo is facilitating for members of Number 10 Downing St, local Councils, civic departments (police, etc.), social agencies and nonprofits, and so on focused on creating an integrated No to Knives campaign. This campaign is targeting youth at-risk of knife crime in the UK and plans to have a large portion of the…
Taking Action on YouTube

Amy Sample Ward

30 Jun 2009 | 7:45 am

YouTube is set to publicly launch the “Call-To-Action Overlay” feature. This will allow users to place calls to action (messages and links) on top of videos. This is huge news as it means a revolutionary shift in the video platform with the largest global audience. The Call-To-Action Overlay means users will be prompting viewers to click away from YouTube (not exactly the action a platform like YouTube is after). It won’t be everything nonprofits are looking for though. There are two major qualifications for use: You can only place customized overlays on a video that…
2009 Nonprofit Tagline Awards

Amy Sample Ward

30 Jun 2009 | 4:26 am

The annual Tagline Awards are back from Nancy Schwartz and the Getting Attention blog. Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year’s Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award winners! Enter today. About the Tagline Awards A strong tagline does double-duty — working to extend your organization’s name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It’s one of your most effective marketing tools, but the 2008 GettingAttention.org survey showed that 72% of nonprofit organizations don’t have a tagline or rate…

FundraisingIP.com: Fundraising Ideas
Video Volunteers, Mobile Phones And Your Cause

FundraisingIP.com

23 Jun 2009 | 1:11 pm

Following are some resources to help you with marketing and promoting your cause and learning more about using social media in your communication efforts. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section! YouTube Video Volunteers Would you like to use YouTube to market your fundraiser, or promote your non-profit, but you need someone to help [...] Related posts:In The News: Record Profits, Mobile Donations - Using SMS To Raise Funds, New Online Fundraising ServiceMotivating Volunteers & Donors: Get The Word Out And Increase ProfitsRecognizing Fundraising Volunteers
Sample Thank You Letter To Community

FundraisingIP.com

18 Jun 2009 | 12:32 pm

Following is a sample ‘thank you’ letter to be sent to a community. Feel free to copy and customize this letter with your group’s specific information as needed. If you’d like to share one of your fundraising letters, please contact us. (Are you looking for a different kind of fundraising letter? Dear neighbor, (citizen, parent) Do you remember [...] Related posts:Sample Donation Request Letter To A CompanySample Donation Request Letter To Parents
Get $20,000 In Sponsorship Funding From Tom’s Of Maine

FundraisingIP.com

13 Jun 2009 | 5:34 am

Tom’s of Maine (the company that makes the natural soaps, toothpastes etc.) is looking for applications for community involvement projects from nonprofit organizations. The project application period starts on June 1, 2009 and ends on August 30, 2009. After this deadline a review panel will narrow down the applications to 50 finalists. The finalists [...] Related posts:Nominate Your Charity To Win A $25,000 Social Media MakeoverTarget Facebook Bullseye CampaignFinding The Right Grant Opportunities For You
Nominate Your Charity To Win A $25,000 Social Media Makeover

FundraisingIP.com

12 Jun 2009 | 5:37 pm

Maybe your organization already has a website, but you’re interested in using social media to help spread the word? Maybe you already have a Twitter and Facebook account, but you’re not getting the most out of twittering and facebooking? At CommuniCause you can nominate and vote for your favorite charity that you’d like to see win [...] Related posts:Promote Your Fundraiser On The Web With Social Media Marketing“Tweet To Beat” Social Media Fundraising ExperimentGet $20,000 In Sponsorship Funding From Tom’s Of Maine
PayPal Donate Buttons Illegal in Florida?

FundraisingIP.com

6 Jun 2009 | 10:26 am

Has it happened to you? Has your non-profit received a warning from the state of Florida for non-compliance with their solicitation laws for displaying a ‘Donate Button’? And what have you done about it? A non-profit has informed us that the State of Florida deemed the PayPal Donate Button on their website to be in non-compliance [...] Related posts:Raise Funds Online - With Or Without Your Own Website! Part 1Fundraiser Tax Info On Multistate Tax Commission’s Website

Connection Café
5 tools nonprofits can use today to enhance their online presence and efficiency

30 Jun 2009 | 1:26 pm

Hundreds if not thousands of online tools are available to help nonprofit organizations with online communication. But with the plethora of tools available, it can be daunting to keep up with what tools can help your nonprofit organization build a stronger web presence, become more efficient and to know just which tools are easy to start using immediately. David J. Neff, Director of Web, Film and Interactive Strategy at the American Cancer Society High Plains Division, sat down with me for our Connection Newsletter this month and shared his top 5 recommendations for online tools for…
Nonprofit Video + Volunteer Opportunities = New YouTube Program!

22 Jun 2009 | 8:41 am

YouTube raised the question today: “Are you a nonprofit who needs help creating great video for your causes?” And with the exception of nonprofits lucky enough to have an in-house videographer, of which are few and far between, the answer to this question is more often than now “Yes”. And with that common response in mind, YouTube officially rolled out its new YouTube Video Volunteers program today. In short, this new program allows nonprofit organizations to post video volunteer opportunities on one of the three sites including idealist.org, serve.org and Volunteer…
Is my site accessible?

18 Jun 2009 | 11:55 am

Chances are, you already know how important it is to have an accessible web site. I’ll spare you a lect

All the top Nonprofit news.

See also Career and Education.

Your MyAlltop account awaits.