Picks of the Week: June 19 - 25, 2011

Website of the Week – City University of New York: Center for the Study of Philanthropy

The Center for the Study of Philanthropy administers the Global Network on Women's Advocacy and Civil Society. The Network disseminates information on women's issues among research centers, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups. Network users have access to an active bibliography of resources, a discussion listserv, and other research studies. Go to: http://www.philanthropy.org.


Publication of the Week -- Nonprofit Consulting Essentials: What Nonprofits and Consultants Need to Know by Penelope Cagney

From the publisher: Author Penelope Cagney is an active consultant and principal of The Cagney Company. A recognized authority on nonprofit consulting, she is a sought-after presenter for international conferences and webinars, as well as a frequent contributor to publications worldwide. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what it means to consult or be a consultant, especially in the charitable sector. Finally, we have a book, Nonprofit Consulting Essentials that really delves into the assumptions and truths and the roles and responsibilities of consultants. This really is an essential guide to nonprofit consulting and capacity building in the current climate of dramatic and discontinuous change. Whether you are just entering the sector or looking to refresh your skills, this book is a must-read. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week – Obstacles to Nonprofit Innovation and Performance Measurement

In early 2010, the Johns Hopkins Listening Post Project conducted a survey focused on nonprofit innovation and performance measurement. This survey produced three important findings:

• The adoption of innovative practices is widespread among nonprofits. In fact, the vast majority (82 percent) of all Sounding respondents reported implementing at least one innovative program or service over the past five years.
• Although innovation is widespread within the nonprofit sector, it is not as widespread as it could be. Thus, more than two‐thirds of the organizations reported having at least one innovation in the past two years alone that they wanted to adopt but were unable to, and most attributed this inability to a lack of funding.
• Especially troubling was respondents’ inability to move promising innovations to scale. Reasons included a lack of “growth capital,” narrow govern‐mental funding streams, and the tendency of foundations to encourage innovations but then not sustain support for them.

This survey demonstrated that a key challenge for nonprofits isn’t a dearth of innovative ideas, but rather a lack of much‐needed resources to develop and sustain them. To explore this problem in greater depth and gain a better understanding of how nonprofits can overcome this obstacle, in December 2010 the Listening Post Project held an online webinar which brought together nonprofit experts, representatives of nonprofit intermediary organizations, and practitioners from a diverse set of nonprofit organizations. A new report summarizes the major findings that emerged from the session and proposes strategies that could help nonprofits to deploy innovative services and programs despite scarce resources. To read the report on this webinar or last year's survey findings that it discussed, please visit: http://www.ccss.jhu.edu.


Resource of the Week – Imagine Canada's Nonprofit Library

Imagine Canada is a national charitable organization whose mission is to support and strengthen Canada’s charities and nonprofits so they can, in turn, support the Canadians and communities they serve. Imagine Canada’s Nonprofit Library is the largest online resource center for people who work in Canada's charities and nonprofits. The Nonprofit Library offers recommended resource lists and a searchable database to the John Hodgson Library collection, the most comprehensive collection of Canadian research and practical resources in the following areas: governance & accountability, philanthropy & fundraising, organizational management, human resources and volunteerism. Non-Canadian nonprofits will find Imagine Canada’s library to be of great support to their work as well. To access this extensive Library, go to: .


Tech Tip of the Week -- Create Equations in Excel 2010

In Excel 2010 you can insert common mathematical equations into your worksheets or build your own equations with the new equation editing tools. Here’s how:
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Symbols group, click the arrow next to Equation
• Select from the equation gallery and the equation is inserted in a text box

To build your own equation:
• Insert a text box (or shape)
• Click to select the text box (or shape)
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Symbols group, click Equation
• The Equation Tools Design Ribbon is displayed