Picks of the Week: December 28, 2008 – January 3, 2008

Website of the Week -- Center for Association Leadership

The Center for Association Leadership, founded by the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE), is an organization of people, resources and ideas focused on the future of associations. The site offers an extensive array of programs, knowledge resources and community networks including a Knowledge Resource section where you'll find association case studies, models and samples, articles and whitepapers, book reviews, the Ten Cool Ideas collection and expert recommendations covering all aspects of association management. Go to: http://www.centeronline.org/aboutus/index.cfm.


Publication of the Week -- Nonprofit Almanac 2008 by Kennard T. Wing, Thomas H. Pollak and Amy Blackwood

From the publisher: America's nonprofit sector continues to grow faster than its business sector or the government. The Nonprofit Almanac 2008 presents data on these organizations place in the national economy and trends in wages, employment, private giving, volunteering, and finances. The tables and graphics will give scholars, practitioners, and policymakers the data they need at a glance, while the textual analysis will help them plan for the future. Click here to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week -- International Grantmaking Trends

Estimated U.S. foundation giving for international purposes reached a record $5.4 billion in 2007, and 2008 giving is likely to top that record. International Grantmaking IV: An Update on U.S. Foundation Trends, a new report prepared by the Foundation Center in cooperation with the Council on Foundations, examines changes in grantmakers’ strategies and practices and the outlook for giving based on a 2008 survey and interviews with leading funders. It also documents trends in giving through 2006 based on actual grants awarded by over 1,000 of the largest U.S. foundations. Key findings include:

• International giving grew faster than overall giving between 2002 and 2007.
• The impact of the U.S. financial crisis remains uncertain, but most leading international funders are likely to remain committed.
• The Gates Foundation accounted for more than half of the increase in funding.
• International giving grew faster than overall giving, regardless of foundation type.

To download a copy of the report highlights, go to: http://foundationcenter.org.


Resource of the Week -- Promising Practices Catalogue

The Promising Practices Catalogue, a service of the Nonprofit Library Commons, showcases successful initiatives with proven community or organizational impact. You can browse a full listing featuring the following topics: innovation, collaboration, effective communication, leadership in governance, financial sustainability and more. Through this collection you can also find a reference to each project's funding partner, or community investor. Go to: http://nonprofitscan.imaginecanada.ca/en/pp.


Tech Tip of the Week -- Microsoft Office 2009 Calendar Templates

Microsoft Office Online offers dozens of calendar templates which can be freely download. You can find 2009 calendar templates for Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and OneNote. Click here to check it out!