Picks of the Week: July 7 - 13, 2013

Website of the Week --  The Global Philanthropy Forum
A project of the World Affairs Council of Northern California, the Global Philanthropy Forum aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes, and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their work. Through an annual conference, a summer seminar, special events and conference call programs, the GPF connects donors to issues; to effective strategies; to potential co-funding partners; and to emblematic agents of change from around the world. By building, and continually refreshing a lasting learning community, the GPF seeks to expand the number of philanthropists who will be strategic in pursuit of international causes. Go to: http://philanthropyforum.org

Publication of the Week -- The Green Nonprofit: The First 52 Weeks of Your Green Journey by Sarah Brophy
From the publisher: The Green Nonprofit: The First 52 Weeks of Your Green Journey is for nonprofit leaders who want to:

• Reduce environmental impact and save money;
• Quickly implement basic energy- and water-saving strategies;
• Create a green team to help generate and implement green ideas; and
• Outline a sustainability plan that matches your strategic goals.

To help you begin your journey, Sarah Brophy provides a two-step/two-week approach to get the word out and help you find helpers. Fifty-two weeks is a long time to work alone on an effort as important as greening your nonprofit. From the beginning, Brophy shows how to share what you do and build a team to help. By breaking the start of your green journey into 52 weekly steps, Brophy makes the journey easy and fun. She rarely uses jargon but when it's important enough to mention, she explains it. Though this book is for nonprofit practitioners, it's also suitable for anyone in a for-profit business who wants to be environmentally responsible.  Sarah Brophy is a pioneer in the field of environmental sustainability in educational nonprofits, particularly museums, zoos, aquariums, and gardens. She consults on environmental sustainability throughout the United States and is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences. She is the co-author of The Green Museum, now in its second edition. 

Click  to preview thisbook on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week --  Impact of Sequester on Meals On Wheels Program
New information detailing the devastating impact of the federally mandated budget cuts known as sequester has been released by the Meals On Wheels Association of America. Based on a survey of Meals on Wheels programs across the country, these findings reveal nearly 70% of Meals on Wheels survey respondents have reduced the number of meals served to the nation's hungry and homebound seniors. Among the findings survey respondents revealed:

• Programs have been forced to cut, on average, 364 meals per week;
• Over 70% are establishing or adding to existing waiting lists;
• Programs have increased their waiting lists on average by 58 seniors;
• 40% of programs responding have eliminated staff positions; and
• One in six are closing congregate meals sites or home-delivered meal programs

The survey was conducted in May 2013 among Meals On Wheels Association Members who currently receive federal funding through the Older Americans Act. To access the study, go to: http://www.mowaa.org/document.doc?id=548

Resource of the Week –  Learning Driven Assessment Workbook
The Social Sector Office of McKinsey and Company has developed a workbook to help nonprofit leaders plan a Learning Driven Assessment. Created for foundation program officers, social investors and nonprofit program staff charged with determining the effectiveness of social sector programs, this workbook is designed to support discussions between program and evaluation colleagues. Using this workbook is a process which will occur over a period of weeks and months. Nonprofits utilizing this learning assessment are encouraged to engage experts on assessment to help finalize and implement the Learning Driven Assessment plan. To learn more and to access the assessment tool, go to: http://tinyurl.com/mn2y7k5

Tech Tip of the Week -- Quickly Change Font Size in Word
To quickly increase or decrease the font size of selected text by 1 point, do this:

• Select Text
• Ctrl + ] to increase by 1 point
• Ctrl + [ to decrease by 1 point

This trick seems to works in all versions, including 2007 and 2010.