Picks of the Week: November 21 - 27, 2010

Website of the Week – NPTECH.INFO
NPTECH is a catch-all term for information related both to nonprofits and technology. The term originated as a tag at social networking sites like Delicious and Flickr that nonprofit technology professionals used to share and refer information, and it is still very much used that way today. But nptech now also refers to the broad, loose community of socially minded professionals who work with technology -- be it servers or social media -- at mission-minded organizations. NPTech.Info pulls information tagged with NPTECH from around the web into a one stop shop. You can click on the primary links to read popular blogs; find info tagged "nptech" from around the web (you can tag your blog entries, Flickr Photos, Delicious links, etc. nptech, too, to have the info show up here); and general technology news. Go to: http://nptech.info.


Publication of the Week -- Developing a Learning Culture in Nonprofit Organizations by Stephen J. Gill

From the publisher: How can today’s nonprofits demonstrate effective use of funds? How can they motivate employees and volunteers and combat burnout and high turnover? How can they ensure that they are performing in accordance with their mission and purpose? Author Stephen J. Gill answers these questions and more in Developing a Learning Culture in Nonprofit Organizations. Filled with practical tips and tools, the book shows students and managers of human services, arts, education, civic, and environmental agencies how to implement a learning culture with individuals, teams, the organization as a whole, and the larger community. Key features include:

• Demonstrates how to create a culture of intentional learning that uses reflection and feedback, focuses on successes and failures, and builds a strong organization that motivates employees and volunteers
• Offers specific, hands-on tools for each level of the organization, from the individual and team to the whole organization and the community
• Discusses not only the need for a learning culture but also the barriers that may stand in the way
• Takes a step-by-step approach that facilitates managers’ and students' understanding and learning
• Incorporates practical tools that can be used in nonprofit management and in actual field instruction

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week – Recession's Impact on Foundations
Foundation operations appear to have stabilized following cuts in staffing, travel, or other operating expenses by a majority of grant makers. In a sign that foundations may be turning the corner, only 12 percent of respondents to the Center's September 2010 "Foundation Giving Forecast Survey" expect these operational changes to remain in place over the longer term. Among the changes that could persist: funders making fewer site visits to grantees, attending fewer conferences, eliminating print copies of annual reports, and moving to electronic grant applications. Other key findings include:

• Indicators suggest a return to modest growth in foundation giving in 2011.
• Few foundations anticipate lasting changes in grantmaking priorities as a result of the economic crisis.
• Foundation operations have largely stabilized following widespread changes in 2009.
• The economic crisis had a minimal impact on foundations’ decisions to spend down their endowments and terminate operations.
• More than two out of five respondents provided support specifically to address problems related to the economic crisis.

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


Resource of the Week – How to Establish a Good ED-Board Relationship

Bridgestar has developed a new resource "Starting Off on the Right Foot: How to Establish a Good ED-Board Relationship" that provides guidance on how boards and new executive directors/chief executive officers (EDs/CEOs) can lay a good foundation for an effective working relationship. The guide is based on interviews with CEOs and board chairs about the preliminary steps they took to ensure their relationships worked from day one. For a copy of the free guide, go to: http://www.bridgestar.org.


Tech Tip of the Week -- Turning Photos into PowerPoint 2007 Slide Shows

To turn your digital pictures into PowerPoint 2007 slide shows:

• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Illustrations group, click Photo Album
• On the Photo Album dialog box, click the File/Disk button to Insert pictures
• Click the Create button