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