Picks of the Week: January 1 - 7, 2012

Website of the Week -- Creative Capital

Creative Capital provides integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in five disciplines: Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Literature, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. Working in long-term partnership with artists, Creative Capital’s pioneering approach to support combines funding, counsel and career development services to enable a project’s success and foster sustainable practices for its grantees. In its first decade, Creative Capital has committed more than $20 million in financial and advisory support to 325 projects representing 406 artists, and has reached an additional 3,700 artists through its Professional Development Program. Go to: http://creative-capital.org.


Publication of the Week -- Giving 2.0 by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

From the publisher: Giving 2.0 is the ultimate resource for anyone navigating the seemingly infinite ways one can give. The future of philanthropy is far more than just writing a check, and Giving 2.0 shows how individuals of every age and income level can harness the power of technology, collaboration, innovation, advocacy, and social entrepreneurship to take their giving to the next level and beyond. Major gifts may dominate headlines, but the majority of giving still comes from individual households—ordinary people with extraordinary generosity. Based on her vast experience as a philanthropist, academic, volunteer, and social innovator, Arrillaga-Andreessen shares the most effective techniques she herself pilots and studies and a vast portfolio of lessons learned during her lifetime of giving. Featuring dozens of stories on innovative and powerful methods of how individuals give time, money, and expertise—whether volunteering and fundraising, leveraging technology and social media, starting a giving circle, fund, foundation, or advocacy group, or aspiring to create greater social impact—Giving 2.0 shows readers how they can renew, improve, and expand their giving and reach their fullest potential. A practical, entertaining, and inspiring call to action, Giving 2.0 is an indispensable tool for anyone passionate about creating change in our world.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.


Trend of the Week -- State Budget Losses Expected to Cause Problems for Nonprofits Through 2013

Despite signs the economy is improving, nonprofits that rely on state money should brace for at least two more years of tough times, a new report warns. The report, prepared by Changing Our World, a philanthropy consulting firm, traces the evolution of the economic crisis, assesses its impact on state budgets, and explores whether philanthropy can make up for the loss of government spending on social programs. The report offers the following tips to help nonprofits respond to the current economic downturn and prepare for the next one:

• Tap unemployed people to work as volunteers, possibly with an honorarium. The organization benefits from their experience while they gain a position that will make them more attractive to potential employers.
• When raising money, emphasize the positive. Instead of saying the organization is hurting financially, explain the impact a gift could make. Develop a strategy for measuring results if one does not already exist to be prepared for the next crisis.
• Consider adding to the board people who have financial expertise and relevant government experience.
• Get educated about domestic and international business and economic trends. Read the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.
• Set up a board committee that meets when an economic measure, like unemployment or consumer confidence, hits a designated number.
• Make sure no more than 60 percent of any program’s budget comes from government money.

To access the full report, go to: http://www.changingourworld.com.


Resource of the Week – Greenlights Nonprofit Management Resource Library

Greenlights for Nonprofit Success is a management service organization dedicated to improving the management effectiveness of the Central Texas nonprofit sector. Services include customized consulting and coaching, organization and board advancement, information and referral, interactive education, and nonprofit convening events. Greenlights has compiled an extensive collection of free downloadable resources that will be useful to all nonprofits. To access the library, go to: http://www.greenlights.org.


Tech Tip of the Week -- Record Templates for Office

Trying to set up records for the coming year? Microsoft offers free templates for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office programs, which can help you set up records in a number of categories:

• Academic records
• Financial records
• Home records
• Human Resources records
• Journals
• Ledgers
• Logs
• Medical and health care records

And more. Click to download record templates.