Picks of the Week: April 14 - 20, 2013

Website of the Week --  Catalog of Nonprofit Literature
The Catalog of Nonprofit Literature is a searchable database of the literature of philanthropy. It incorporates the unique contents of the Foundation Center's five libraries and contains more than 24,900 full bibliographic citations, of which more than 17,000 have descriptive abstracts. It is updated daily. The Catalog was formerly known as Literature of the Nonprofit Sector (LNPS). Go to: http://cnl.foundationcenter.org

Publication of the Week -- Online Fundraising Essentials by Scott C. Stevenson
From the publisher: Originally published by Stevenson, Inc., this practical resource provides nonprofit organizations and professionals with strategies for generating more online contributions and leveraging websites for fundraising. It is filled with ways to engage visitors, communicate with donors, and add  interactivity, revenue-generating online events and funding opportunities to an organization’s website.  Important topics covered include: Integrating fundraising into websites, Social media, Building lists, Online tools, Online donor engagement, Blogs, Online events, Online surveys, Online giving, Attracting prospective donors, and Community building.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com
 

Trend of the Week -- Volunteering in the US 2012

In a supplement to the September 2012 Current Population Survey (CPS), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the US volunteer rate declined by 0.3 percentage point to 26.5 per cent for the year ending in September 2012. About 64.5 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2011 and September 2012. The decline in the volunteer rate in 2012 followed an increase of one-half of a percentage point in 2011. Key findings include:

• The volunteer rates for both men and women (23.2 and 29.5 percent, respectively) changed little in the year ending in September 2012. Women continued to volunteer at a higher rate than did men across all age groups, educational levels, and other major demographic characteristics.
• By age, 35- to 44-year-olds were most likely to volunteer (31.6 percent). Volunteer rates were lowest among 20- to 24-year-olds (18.9 percent). For persons 45 years and over, the volunteer rate tapered off as age increased. Teens (16-to 19-year-olds) had a volunteer rate of 27.4 percent.
• Among the major race and ethnicity groups, whites continued to volunteer at a higher rate (27.8 percent) than did blacks (21.1 percent), Asians (19.6 percent), and Hispanics (15.2 percent). Of these groups, the volunteer rate for whites fell 0.4 percentage point in 2012, driven by a decline in the volunteer rate of white women. Among blacks, the rate edged up 0.8 percentage point.

For more information, go to: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/volun.pdf

Resource of the Week –  Building Healthy And Effective Nonprofit Leadership Teams

This report builds upon previous work on the HR consulting firm Dewey & Kaye on nonprofit leadership competencies and development, as well as continuing work with assessing organizational capacity and financial health. This report incorporates the lessons learned in working with hundreds of nonprofit clients as well as data and comments from surveys and interviews conducted as part of this research. Along with key findings and recommended “remedies,” the report provide a self-diagnostic tool that nonprofit organizations can use as a first step in building healthier and more effective leadership teams. Go to: http://www.deweykaye.com/buildinghealthyteams.pdf

Tech Tip of the Week -- Using Screenshot in Office 2010

Screenshot -- a new feature in Office 2010 -- allows you to capture images from your screen.

• Click the document that you want to add the screenshot to
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Illustrations group, click Screenshot
• To add the whole window, click the thumbnail in the Available Windows gallery
• To add part of the window, click Screen Clipping, and when the pointer becomes a cross, press and hold the left mouse button to select the area of your screen that you want to capture
• If you have multiple windows open, click the window you want to clip from before clicking Screen Clipping. When you click Screen Clipping, the program you are working in is minimized and only the window behind it is available for clipping
• After adding a screenshot, you can use the tools on the Picture Tools tab to edit and enhance the screenshot

Picks of the Week: March 31 - April 6, 2013

Website of the Week --  BoardSource
BoardSource has just launched its redesigned website. With nearly 25 years of hands-on experience working with nonprofit boards, BoardSource has become the go-to resource for funders, partners, and nonprofit leaders who want to magnify their impact within their community through exceptional governance practices. BoardSource supports a community of more than 60,000 individuals with customized diagnostics, live and virtual trainings, and a comprehensive library of governance resources that includes original publications. BoardSource strives to support and promote excellence in board service, is the premier source of cutting-edge thinking and resources related to nonprofit boards, and engages and develops the next generation of board leaders. Go to: www.boardsource.org

Publication of the Week -- Share of Mind, Share of Heart: Marketing Tools of Engagement for Nonprofits Sybil F. Stershic
From the publisher: Author Sybil Stershic's newest book, Share of Mind, Share of Heart Marketing Tools of Engagement for Nonprofits, brings that "share of mind and heart" mindset to the nonprofit space, where it is most needed.  In a world crowded with advice on every business front, where marketing so often focuses on the creative aspects of promotion, Stershic shows you how to bring the personal back into the conversation because in the end, it is not as much about the marketing materials, as it is about the people. Engaging with volunteers, staff, and the executive team, to create and stay true to the brand promise in your marketing materials, is not only recommended, it's necessary. This publication just won a 2013 Small Business Book Award.

Click to previewthis book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week -- International Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations
International Grantmaking Update: A Snapshot of U.S. Foundation Trends, prepared by the Foundation Center provides a brief update on key trends in international grantmaking by U.S. foundations. The study includes an analysis of patterns of giving in 2010 and changes in funding priorities between 2008 and 2010. Key findings include:
·         International grant dollars declined faster than overall funding between 2008 and 2010.
·         Among independent and community foundations, international funding declined faster than overall giving.
·         The Gates Foundation accounted for roughly two out of five international grant dollars in the sample.
·         Overseas funding accounted for a smaller share of international grant dollars and overseas giving primarily benefited global programs, Asia, and Africa.
·         Health captured the largest share of international support.

To download the report, go to: http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/intl_update_2012.pdf


Resource of the Week –  Mapping Change: Using a Theory of Change to Guide Planning and Evaluation
This brief guide, part of the GrantCraft series, explains why grant makers use theories of change to guide their questioning, unearth assumptions that underlie their work, establish common language, and develop strong action plans. Contributors to the guide also describe how a theory of change sets the stage for evaluation by clarifying goals, strategies, and milestones. Highlights include: What a theory of change looks like; Theory of change vs. logic model; Mini-case study: theory of change and strategic planning. Go to: http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=1542

Tech Tip of the Week -- Using Section Breaks in a Word 2007/2010 Document
Section breaks are used to:
·         Change the layout from a single-column to two columns
·         Change the orientation from portrait to landscape
·         Separate chapters/sections of a document to control page numbering
·         Create a different header or footer for a section of your document

To insert a section break:
·         Click where you want to insert a Section Break or select a portion of the document around which to insert a pair of section breaks
·         Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon
·         In the Page Setup group, click Breaks

Under Section Breaks, click the desired type

Picks of the Week: March 31 - April 6, 2013

Website of the Week -- The Innovation Network
The Innovation Network is a nonprofit evaluation organization offering online resources to share knowledge and build evaluation skills for other nonprofits and funders. Designed to help organizations incorporate ongoing learning into their operations, these resources include tools for effective program planning, including evaluation and budgeting tools. For detailed program and evaluation planning, the Innovation Network has developed the Logic Model Builder™ and the Evaluation Plan Builder™. Both are designed to walk you through the processes of crafting a particular kind of planning framework (either a Logic Model or an Evaluation Plan), and to provide helpful information, examples, and resources. Go to: www.innonet.org

Publication of the Week -- Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement by Kari Dunn Saratovsky  and Derrick Feldmann
From the publisher: Written by Millennials about Millennials, Cause for Change examines strategies for engaging Millennials as constituents, volunteers, and donors, and focuses on how organizations can realign themselves to better respond to this group of 80 million strong. At the heart of this research-based guide is the Millennial Development Platform, an action-based rubric developed by the authors and included in each chapter to help organizations create the infrastructure for a long-term millennial engagement strategy.

·        Examines how Millennials communicate, volunteer, take action, influence their peers, and choose to give their time and money

·         Explains how Millennials view their role in the workplace, and how their approach is re-shaping nonprofit culture from within

Cause for Change profiles Millennials who have emerged as dynamic leaders to create and manage movements in their communities.

Clickto preview this book on Amazon.com


Trend of the Week -- New Research about Women and Giving
Women Give 2012 is the third in a series of research reports by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University that offers deeper insights as to how gender differences affect philanthropy. Because of their sheer numbers and the societal changes that occurred as they grew up, Boomers have had a significant impact on society through their beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and habits about buying, spending, culture, politics, and more at every stage of their lives. Their impact is expected to continue to be felt across all aspects of society as they age, including in philanthropy. According to the Women Give 2012 report, Boomer and older women are more likely to give to charity and give more than their male counterparts when other factors affecting giving are taken into consideration. The findings challenge perceptions about who is philanthropic, revealing that Boomer and older women are as or more philanthropic than their male counterparts. The results add to the growing body of knowledge about the importance of gender in philanthropy, give female donors context for their personal experiences with philanthropy, and prompt nonprofits to seek gender balance in their fundraising strategies. Even though women, in general, earn less than men, have less money in retirement, and outlive their spouses, this study demonstrates that Boomer and older women are more likely to give and give more to charity than men. To download a copy of the study report, go to: http://philanthropy.iupui.edu/files/research/womengive2012forrelease.pdf. 

Resource of the Week –  Drucker Nonprofit Innovation Discovery Site
The Drucker Nonprofit Innovation Discovery Site shares lessons and discoveries contained within the hundreds of annual nominations for the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. The Discovery Site is revised each year to include new discoveries of innovation in fund development, management, decision-making, alliances and partnerships, and more.  Go to: http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/innovation.aspx

Tech Tip of the Week -- Keep a file on the Office 2007/2010 Recent Documents List
An excellent new feature in Office 2007/2010 which works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, is the ability to keep or “pin” a file in the Recent Documents list, here’s how:
·         In 2007 click the Microsoft Office button  or in 2010 click the File Tab and then click Recent
·         Click the pin icon beside the document you want to keep on the list
·         The pin button changes to a push pin viewed from the top