Picks of the Week: April 29 - May 5, 2012

Website of the Week -- Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute
Established in 1990 as the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute furthers its mission to strengthen and inspire the leadership of the social sector and their partners in business and government by connecting the public, private and social sectors with curated resources and relationships to serve, evolve and lead together. The Institute’s free monthly e-newsletter, Leading Today, is used as a vehicle to communicate social sector programs, events, publications and leadership initiatives. Each month, the Institute profiles one social sector organization’s innovative service, program or partnership employed to make a difference in the lives of the people it serves. This Innovation Profile aims to encourage collaboration and program replication. To access information and resources of the Institute, go to: http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/index.html.

Publication of the Week -- The Non Nonprofit: For-Profit Thinking for Nonprofit Success by Steve Rothschild
From the publisher: A top business leader shares the business principles he used to launch both a top company and a thriving nonprofit. Nonprofit leaders know that solving pervasive social problems requires passion and creativity as well as tangible results. The Non Nonprofit shares the same business principles that drive the world's best companies, showing how they can (and should) be applied to the realm of nonprofits. Steve Rothschild personally crossed sectors when he left corporate America to found Twin Cities RISE!, a highly successful poverty reduction program. His honest story, and success and missteps, create an essential roadmap for any social venture looking to prove and boost its impact. The author distills essential nonprofit principles such as having a clear and appropriate purpose, creating economic value from social benefit, and establishing mutual accountability; and shares successful approaches from innovative organizations such as Grameen Bank, Playworks, Common Ground, Habitat for Humanity, Lumni, Caring Bridge, College Summit and RISE! Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.

Trend of the Week – Late Fall 2011 Fundraising Trends
Nonprofits report being "cut to the bone" in their budgets and fundraising results have not improved over the past year. Nonprofit organizations, particularly smaller entities, are struggling to secure funding for the vital services they provide in their communities. The Late Fall 2011 Nonprofit Fundraising Study examines fundraising results and their implications for organizational operations, and alerts managers and donors alike to consider the priorities facing the nonprofit sector in 2012 and beyond. The survey represents a unique collaboration by the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics with Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Giving USA Foundation, Blackbaud, and GuideStar. To access the full report, go to: http://www.urban.org.

Resource of the Week – 100 Ways to Build Your Business in 2012
Verve Marketing, LLC has published an e-book entitled "100 Ways to Build Your Business in 2012". This e-book includes marketing insights from twenty forward-thinking, businesses and compiled them in a very accessible publication. Review and download the full e-book at http://l00things2012.squarespace.com.

Tech Tip of the Week -- Using Excel 2010 Sparklines
A new feature in Excel 2010 called Sparklines can help you spot trends in your data. Sparklines are tiny charts that sit on top of a cell. Here’s how to create them:
• Select an empty cell or group of empty cells where you want to insert Sparklines
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Sparklines group, click the type of Sparkline you want to create
• In the Data box, enter the range of cells that contain the data to base the Sparklines on