Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Picks of the Week: May 26 - June 1, 2013

Website of the Week --  Building Movement Project
The Building Movement Project works to strengthen the role of US nonprofit organizations as sites of democratic practice and to advance ways nonprofits can significantly contribute to building movement for progressive social change. The Building Movement Project engages four strategies to accomplish its goals. These include:
  • Changing the discourse and practice within the nonprofit sector to endorse values of justice, fairness, equity, and sustainability.
  • Identifying and working with social service organizations as neglected sites for social change/justice activities where staff and constituencies can be engaged as participants in democratic practices for social change.
  • Supporting young leaders who bring new ideas and energy to social change work and the promise of developing new forms of movement building.
  • Listening to and engaging people working in social change organizations, especially grassroots and community-based groups, to strengthen their ability to connect their vision and mission to practice.
Go to: http://www.buildingmovement.org.

Publication of the Week -- Wiley Not-for-Profit GAAP 2013: Interpretation and Application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
From the publisher: The Wiley Not-for-Profit GAAP 2013 is a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to the accounting and financial reporting principles used by not-for-profit organizations. Written with the needs of the financial statement preparer, user, and attestor in mind, this guide provides a complete review of the authoritative accounting literature that impacts all types of not-for-profit organizations. At the same time, Wiley Not-for-Profit GAAP 2013 features many examples and illustrations that will assist professionals in applying authoritative literature to real-life situations.
  • Easy-to-use information that enables users to find needed information quickly
  • Coverage of accounting principles specifically related to not-for-profit organizations, as well as accounting principles applicable to all types of organizations
  • Specific coverage of accounting issues for different types of not-for-profit organizations
  • A disclosure checklist that helps financial statement preparers and attestors ensure that all disclosures required by GAAP have been considered
  • Flowcharts, diagrams, and charts, wherever possible, to help facilitate the user's understanding of the material presented
Destined to become the reference you keep at your side, Wiley Not-for-Profit GAAP 2013 strives to be a thorough, reliable reference that nonprofit accounting professionals will use constantly.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week -- Nonprofit Chief Development Officer Retention
The study CDO Confidential: What CDOs Want You to Know about Retention reveals that unrealistic expectations set by management have reduced the average Chief Development Officer (CDO) tenure to one to two years. Other factors include a lack of sufficient resources and cooperation among CDOs, CEOs and Boards. Campbell & Company, a national nonprofit consulting and executive search firm, recently completed a nationwide survey to understand the reasons behind this trend. CDO Confidential received responses from more than 400 Chief Development Officers and Chief Executive Officers to gain multiple perspectives. The sample included organizations with a wide range of missions, budgets, staff sizes and geographic areas.  According to the report, shorter tenure in leading development roles not only leads to difficulty maintaining donor relationships, but also hinders the development and execution of long-term fundraising strategies. The implications of having short tenure are vast ranging from attracting and evaluating talent to onboarding to succession planning and require a wider, more in-depth dialogue with all parties involved. The report describes four main challenges:
  • Short tenure: Fifty-two percent (52%) of CDO served one to two years in their most recent position, confirming anecdotal evidence of shorter tenures. 
  • Unrealistic expectations: CDOs (75%) and CEOs (62%) cited unrealistic expectations are the number one reason behind CDO turnover. 
  • Reasons for departure: Twenty-eight percent (28%) of CDOs cited their organization’s lack of understanding of development as a reason for their most recent departure. 
  • Inadequate resources: Fifty-eight percent (58%) of CDOs felt they did not have the resources to do their job effectively, and twenty-nine percent (29%) of CDOs indicated professional development as their primary need.
To download the report, go to: http://www.campbellcompany.com/Portals/22807/docs/CDOConfidentialFinalStudyReport.pdf

Resource of the Week –  Audit Guide for Charitable Nonprofits
The National Council of Nonprofits has created a Nonprofit Audit Guide to provide charitable nonprofits with the tools they need to make informed decisions about independent audits. Because state laws vary in the scope of their regulation of charitable nonprofits, this Guide includes a 50-state chart that shows whether there is an audit requirement in each state, and if so, under what conditions. The Guide will help you understand what independent audits are, and help you prepare your nonprofit for an audit. The Guide will also tell you about the role of the board in the audit process, and shares tips and tools to help your charitable organization manage the audit process -- from hiring an auditor and preparing for the audit, to evaluating the audit firm's work. Additionally, the Guide includes information about special audit requirements that apply to nonprofits that receive funding from the federal government.  To download the guide, go to: http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/nonprofit-audit-guide
 
Tech Tip of the Week -- Animation Painter in PowerPoint 2010
The Animation Painter button is a new feature in PowerPoint 2010.  It works the same way as the Format Painter button except it copies animations from one object to another.  Here’s how to use it:
  • Select an object with animations
  • Click the Animations tab on the Ribbon
  • Select the Animation Painter button in the Advanced Animation group
  • With a single click you can transfer all the animations and settings to another object
  • If you double-click the Animation Painter button, you can paint multiple objects
 

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