Picks of the Week: November 7 - 13, 2010

Website of the Week – Our Shared Resources
OurSharedResources.com is a new free service where those who work in the field of volunteer management are able to add useful resources and others in the field will be able to access them. With many people contributing a little re-inventing the wheel time and time again is avoided. Resources are downloadable, real-world examples of forms, manuals or position descriptions, templates & tools for creating resources, as well as tips, ideas and how-to resources. OurSharedResources.com is now available in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. The language of all resources in the site will be identified and users will be able to limit their search to material in their specified language. To check out the site, go to: http://oursharedresources.com.


Publication of the Week -- Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability by Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka and Steve Zimmerman

From the publisher: Co-authored by CompassPoint's Jeanne Bell, Blue Avocado's Jan Masaoka and Spectrum's Steve Zimmerman, this new book offers nonprofit executives and board members a simple yet powerful framework for analyzing and adjusting their business models for greater organizational sustainability. It introduces the Matrix Map, a practical tool for determining the current impact and financial performance of core programs and fundraising activities. It also provides guidance on how leaders can make strategic business decisions on an as-needed basis, rather than wait for episodic strategic planning. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week – Public Trust in Nonprofits Stronger Than In Government
American Express released findings from a “Perspectives on Nonprofits” survey, which shows that while seven in ten Americans (71%) trust nonprofits more than they trust government or industry to address some of the most pressing issues of our time, more than eight in ten Americans (83%) believe that nonprofits do not always have the resources they need to invest. Other findings include:

• Only 5 percent of the people who responded said they currently work for a nonprofit group, but an additional 50 percent said they were at least somewhat interested in such employment.
• Among those interested in working at a nonprofit organization, 67 percent said such work could be more rewarding than other kinds of employment, though 41 percent said it would mean earning lower pay. Among these 14% believe that they would have fewer opportunities for training and leadership development than they would working for other types of organizations.
• About four out of five Americans also said they agreed that nonprofit groups do not have “the resources to invest in the growth and development of their employees.”

StrategyOne conducted an online survey among 1,044 Americans, aged 18 years or older, between October 25-26, 2010 on perceptions of the nonprofit sector and its ability to address society’s needs. The data is representative of census data of the American population. Go to: http://www.advisorone.com.


Resource of the Week – Special Events Guide

Network for Good has published a guide to planning and conducting large special events. “The Big Event: 5 Tips for Making Your Next Fundraising Event a Great Success”. The contents include: Set a goal that makes sense, Choose the right type of event, Secure corporate sponsors, Design a dynamic experience for your supporters, Assess what worked (and didn’t), and, Plan for next time and keep up your relationships. To download a copy, go to:
http://www.fundraising123.org.


Tech Tip of the Week -- Nudging Objects on PowerPoint 2007 Slides
Have you ever tried to move an object on a slide just a little? Try this:

• Select the object
• Press Ctrl + an arrow key

This tip also works in earlier versions.