Monday, August 11, 2014

Nonprofit Resource Picks of the Week: August 3 - 9, 2014



Website of the Week -- WomenOnCall.Org

WomenOnCall.Org is a unique online network that connects women with specific volunteer opportunities that allow them to share their professional skills and expertise with nonprofits. Through on-site and virtual volunteer opportunities, WomenOnCall.org members provide short, high-impact, skills-based service, making giving back realistic and efficient. In 2005, Margot Pritzker developed the idea for a web-based organization that eased the difficulty of matching the right volunteer with professional skills with the right non-profit that needed them. In addition, the organization had to emphasize how much could be done in one hour – maximizing both the non-profit’s and volunteer’s valuable time. Thus, WomenOnCall.org was born. While there are many volunteer match sites, none focus specifically on the high-impact method of utilizing professional skills and short-term commitments that WomenOnCall.org emphasizes. In addition, many of the volunteer opportunities can be completed virtually–during a busy woman’s lunch hour or in the evening.  Go to: http://womenoncall.org



Publication of the Week -- Transformative Scenario Planning: Working Together to Change the Future by Adam Kahane

From the publisher: People who are trying to solve tough economic, social, and environmental problems often find themselves frustratingly stuck. They can’t solve their problems in their current context, which is too unstable or unfair or unsustainable. They can’t transform this context on their own—it’s too complex to be grasped or shifted by any one person or organization or sector. And the people whose cooperation they need don’t understand or agree with or trust them or each other. Transformative scenario planning is a powerful new methodology for dealing with these challenges. It enables us to transform ourselves and our relationships and thereby the systems of which we are a part. At a time when divisions within and among societies are producing so many people to get stuck and to suffer, it offers hope—and a proven approach—for moving forward together.





Trend of the Week --  Latest US Foundation Trends

Overall foundation giving is estimated to have reached nearly $55 billion in 2013, $8 billion more than in 2008, the peak year for giving prior to the economic downturn. According to a preview of the forthcoming Key Facts on U.S. Foundations, overall foundation giving will continue to grow ahead of inflation in 2014. Giving has held steady over the past several years, which is partly the result of foundations having kept their giving at higher-than-expected levels during the Great Recession. Key Facts on U.S. Foundations is the primary publication in which the Foundation Center documents the overall size of the U.S. foundation community and provides perspective on the giving priorities of the nation's largest foundations. To download the report, go to: http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/keyfacts2014.pdf



Resource of the Week –  Board Members Guide to Partnership Planning

This guide was authored by Dr. Ramya Ramanath and John A. Van Eyk. Partnerships may arise with the potential to allow nonprofit organizations to carry out their missions more effectively and efficiently. Board involvement is imperative when such an opportunity arises. Although the level of board involvement may differ depending on the complexity of the arrangement, yet its role in leading discussions on the potential impact on organizational performance is critical to all types of arrangements. The guide addresses some of the key factors nonprofit boards should consider when entering a partnership arrangement. This publication was created by the Johnson Center for Philanthropy. In partnership with the AIM Alliance. To download the Guide, go to: https://lodestar.asu.edu/research/aim-alliance/collaboration-research/files-and-images/aim-board-members-guide



Tech Tip of the Week -- Recolor a Picture or Change the Color or Transparency

In PowerPoint 2010 you can recolor a picture, adjust the color saturation and tone, and more! Here's how:

  • Select the picture you want to recolor
  • Click the Picture Tools Format tab on the Ribbon
  • In the Adjust group, click Color
  • Select one of the many options

This tip works in PowerPoint, Word and Excel 2010.