Website of the Week – Web Site Provides Information on Federal Funds for Nonprofit Groups
A new feature of a Web site devoted to tracking government subsidies allows the public to search a database for detailed information about federal grants to -- and contracts with -- nonprofit organizations. The Web site, created by Subsidyscope, also provides information and analysis on federal loans and tax expenditures. Subsidyscope, a project of Pew Charitable Trusts and the Sunlight Foundation, says it aims to make government subsidies more transparent to the public and policymakers. By aggregating information across sectors of the economy, Subsidyscope hopes to inform the debate over the creation of new subsidies and the efficacy of existing ones in a nonpartisan manner, according to the project. The federal government gave $38-billion in grants to nonprofit organizations in 2008 and provided groups with $10-billion through "non-competed" contracts, according to Subsidyscope. For more information, go to: http://subsidyscope.com/nonprofits.
Publication of the Week -- The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
From the publisher: The most trusted resource on becoming a leader is now updated and revised for a new generation. This leadership classic continues to be a bestseller after three editions and twenty years in print. It is the gold standard for research-based leadership, and the premier resource on becoming a leader. This new edition, with streamlined text, more international and business examples, and a graphic redesign, is more readable and accessible than ever before. The Leadership Challenge, Fourth Edition, has been extensively updated with the latest research and case studies, and offers inspiring new stories of real people achieving extraordinary results. The authors' central theme remains the same and is more relevant today than ever: "Leadership is Everyone s Business." Their "five practices" and "ten commitments" have been proven by hundreds of thousands of dedicated, successful leaders. This edition, with almost one-third new material, emphasizes the global community and refocuses on business leaders. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Volunteerism Increases at Highest Rate in 6 Years
The number of Americans who volunteer grew last year at the fastest rate in six years, according to a new report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This challenges the popular notion that hard economic times suppress civic participation. The report says that 63.4 million adult Americans—nearly 27 percent of the population—volunteered to help charitable causes last year. That’s an increase from 2008 of roughly 1.6 million volunteers, the largest single-year jump since 2003. In total, 2009’s volunteers donated about 8.1 billion hours of service, valued at nearly $169-billion, says the report, which is based on annual and monthly surveys of roughly 100,000 Americans age 16 or older, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Key findings include:
• An increase in volunteer rates among women ages 45 to 54 and among married women helped fuel the rise in volunteer numbers. Among black women, volunteer rates rose nearly two percentage points, to 22.8 percent.
• The organizations at which Americans chose to volunteer stayed fairly consistent between 2008 and 2009. As before, the largest percentage of Americans—more than one-third—volunteered at churches or with other religious groups. But the economic downturn may have stirred more people to donate their time to social-service organizations, which counted 8.8 million volunteers last year, up from 8.4 million in 2008.
• There appear to be links between the economy and the varying rates of volunteering across the country. Among large metropolitan areas, for example, four of the five cities with the highest foreclosure rates last year—Las Vegas; Riverside, Cal.; Miami; and Orlando, Fla.—ranked in the bottom ten in volunteer rates among large cities. And, the report found, states with higher rates of unemployment—such as Michigan and Nevada—had lower rates of volunteering.
• Even as the hardships of unemployment spread throughout the country, a slightly bigger share of jobless people donated their time last year than in 2008—22.9 percent, up from 22.3 percent, representing 1.3 million additional volunteers. What’s more, jobless men showed a larger increase in their volunteer rate (17 percent to 18.2 percent ) than men who were employed (25.4 percent to 25.8 percent).
• The most common volunteer activity was fund raising, with nearly 27 percent donating their time to raise money for charitable causes. Almost 24 percent of Americans collected and distributed food.
• The report also found that a growing number of Americans -- 20.7 million, up from 19.9 million in 2008 -- are volunteering in less-formal ways, such as by helping neighbors solve a problem.
To access the report, go to: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
Resource of the Week -- Video: Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
Here is an excellent resource from BoardSource: Video: Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards. These 11 videos will help board members, chief executives, and senior staff understand the fundamental elements of service common to most boards, including board member responsibilities, how to structure the board in the most efficient manner, and how to accomplish governance work in the spirit and mission of the organization. Go to: http://www.boardsource.org/Spotlight.asp?ID=116.489.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Keep a file on the Office 2007 Recent Documents List
An excellent new feature in Office 2007 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:
• Click the Microsoft Office button in the upper left corner of the screen
• 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
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Picks of the Week: June 13 - 19, 2010
Website of the Week – Lodestar Foundation
The Lodestar Foundation seeks to maximize the leverage of philanthropic dollars and engagement through the pursuit of two strategies: By supporting organizations, programs and projects that encourage philanthropy, public service and volunteerism; and, by encouraging and supporting long-term collaborations among nonprofits working in the same area in order to increase efficiency, reduce duplication of efforts and maximize impact through the application of sound business practices. The foundation sponsors the Collaboration Prize, a $250,000 national award designed to identify and showcase models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations. The foundation also hosts an extensive Nonprofit Collaboration Database. Go to: http://www.lodestarfoundation.org/index.html.
Publication of the Week -- A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Volume 2, Ends and the Ownership, Revised and Updated by John Carver and Miriam Carver
From the publisher: Ends and the Ownership helps boards distinguish between what an organization is for and what it does (ends versus means)—a basic feature of the innovative Policy Governance model. This important guide also discusses the concept of ownership and includes sample policies that can help board members effectively prioritize and govern. The Policy Governance model is based on the functions rather than the structure of a governing board. It outlines commonsense principles about governing that fit together into an entire system. The practices of the Policy Governance board, which are consistent with the principles, allow it to control without meddling, focus on long-term organizational outputs, powerfully delegate to a CEO and staff, and discharge its fiduciary responsibility in a visionary, strategic manner. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Online Fundraising and Marketing Trends
Convio, Inc. has released the results of its annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study. This year’s study shows that online giving is growing steadily, there has been an increase in the number of online gifts and nonprofits are continuing to grow their email files. The study is designed to help nonprofit professionals evaluate beneficial online marketing metrics, evaluate the effectiveness of their organization compared to similar organizations and determine strategies for future success. Key findings of the study include:
• Online giving grew 14 percent despite a difficult economy. Overall, 69 percent of organizations raised more in 2009 than 2008, while 31 percent saw declines in their online fundraising.
• An increase in gifts drove fundraising gains. Of those that grew fundraising in 2009, 92 percent saw an increase in the number of gifts in 2009 compared with just 43 percent of organizations seeing an increase in their average gift amount.
• Small organizations grew fastest. Organizations with fewer than 10,000 email addresses on file, many of which are participants in the Convio Go! program, grew online revenue by 26 percent, and gifts by 32 percent.
• Web traffic growth continued for most, but at a slower rate. 60 percent of organizations grew their website traffic from 2008 to 2009. Web traffic growth in 2009 was in the single digits at 6 percent compared with double digit growth seen in previous years.
• Web traffic was strongly correlated with email file growth. 38 percent of an organization’s success building large email files could be directly attributed to the amount of traffic to the organization’s website.
To download the full study, go to: www.convio.com/2010benchmark.
Resource of the Week – Guide to Board Voting By Email
Attorney Gene Takagi and Emily Nicole Chan discuss the topic of Board Voting By Email in a very thorough article appearing in the Blue Avocado newsletter article. Go to: http://www.blueavocado.org.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Freeze a Formula into its Current Value
To freeze a formula into its current value:
• Select the formula
• Press F2 (Edit)
• Press F9 (Calc)
• Press Enter
Now you can copy or move the value anywhere you need it. This trick works in all versions of Excel, even 2007!
The Lodestar Foundation seeks to maximize the leverage of philanthropic dollars and engagement through the pursuit of two strategies: By supporting organizations, programs and projects that encourage philanthropy, public service and volunteerism; and, by encouraging and supporting long-term collaborations among nonprofits working in the same area in order to increase efficiency, reduce duplication of efforts and maximize impact through the application of sound business practices. The foundation sponsors the Collaboration Prize, a $250,000 national award designed to identify and showcase models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations. The foundation also hosts an extensive Nonprofit Collaboration Database. Go to: http://www.lodestarfoundation.org/index.html.
Publication of the Week -- A Carver Policy Governance Guide, Volume 2, Ends and the Ownership, Revised and Updated by John Carver and Miriam Carver
From the publisher: Ends and the Ownership helps boards distinguish between what an organization is for and what it does (ends versus means)—a basic feature of the innovative Policy Governance model. This important guide also discusses the concept of ownership and includes sample policies that can help board members effectively prioritize and govern. The Policy Governance model is based on the functions rather than the structure of a governing board. It outlines commonsense principles about governing that fit together into an entire system. The practices of the Policy Governance board, which are consistent with the principles, allow it to control without meddling, focus on long-term organizational outputs, powerfully delegate to a CEO and staff, and discharge its fiduciary responsibility in a visionary, strategic manner. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Online Fundraising and Marketing Trends
Convio, Inc. has released the results of its annual Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study. This year’s study shows that online giving is growing steadily, there has been an increase in the number of online gifts and nonprofits are continuing to grow their email files. The study is designed to help nonprofit professionals evaluate beneficial online marketing metrics, evaluate the effectiveness of their organization compared to similar organizations and determine strategies for future success. Key findings of the study include:
• Online giving grew 14 percent despite a difficult economy. Overall, 69 percent of organizations raised more in 2009 than 2008, while 31 percent saw declines in their online fundraising.
• An increase in gifts drove fundraising gains. Of those that grew fundraising in 2009, 92 percent saw an increase in the number of gifts in 2009 compared with just 43 percent of organizations seeing an increase in their average gift amount.
• Small organizations grew fastest. Organizations with fewer than 10,000 email addresses on file, many of which are participants in the Convio Go! program, grew online revenue by 26 percent, and gifts by 32 percent.
• Web traffic growth continued for most, but at a slower rate. 60 percent of organizations grew their website traffic from 2008 to 2009. Web traffic growth in 2009 was in the single digits at 6 percent compared with double digit growth seen in previous years.
• Web traffic was strongly correlated with email file growth. 38 percent of an organization’s success building large email files could be directly attributed to the amount of traffic to the organization’s website.
To download the full study, go to: www.convio.com/2010benchmark.
Resource of the Week – Guide to Board Voting By Email
Attorney Gene Takagi and Emily Nicole Chan discuss the topic of Board Voting By Email in a very thorough article appearing in the Blue Avocado newsletter article. Go to: http://www.blueavocado.org.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Freeze a Formula into its Current Value
To freeze a formula into its current value:
• Select the formula
• Press F2 (Edit)
• Press F9 (Calc)
• Press Enter
Now you can copy or move the value anywhere you need it. This trick works in all versions of Excel, even 2007!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Picks of the Week: June 6 - 12, 2010
Website of the Week – CreateAthon
CreateAthon is a 24-hour, work-around the clock creative blitz during which local advertising agencies generate advertising services for local nonprofits that have little or no marketing budget. Since the program’s expansion from a single market to an international effort in 2001, 40 agencies have joined the CreateAthon network, holding CreateAthon events in their cities. This effort has benefited 833 nonprofit organizations with 1,809 projects valued at $7 million. Go to: http://www.createathon.org.
Publication of the Week – Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors by Patrick M. Lencioni
From the publisher: In yet another page-turner, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed management expert Patrick Lencioni addresses the costly and maddening issue of silos, the barriers that create organizational politics. Silos devastate organizations, kill productivity, push good people out the door, and jeopardize the achievement of corporate goals. As with his other books, Lencioni writes Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars as a fictional—but eerily realistic—story. The story is about Jude Cousins, an eager young management consultant struggling to launch his practice by solving one of the more universal and frustrating problems faced by his clients. Through trial and error, he develops a simple yet ground-breaking approach for helping them transform confusion and infighting into clarity and alignment. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Nonprofits Increase Use of Social Networks
NTEN, Common Knowledge, and ThePort Network have released the second annual installment of the Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report. This report’s objective is to provide nonprofits with insights and trends surrounding social networking technology as part of nonprofit organizations’ marketing, communications, fundraising, and program services. Between February 3 and March 15, 2010, 1,173 nonprofit professionals responded to a survey about their organization’s use of online social networks. Nonprofits continued to increase their use of commercial social networks over 2009 and early 2010 with Facebook and Twitter proving to be the preferred networks. Key findings include:
• Facebook is still used by more nonprofits than any other commercial social network with 86% of nonprofits indicating that they have a presence on this network. This finding is a 16% increase from 2009, when 74% of respondents had a Facebook presence.
• Twitter grew as a commercial social networking outlet of choice for nonprofits with a year-over-year increase of 38%, moving from 43% in 2009 to 60% in 2010, as measured by nonprofits who affirmed that their organization had a presence on this rapidly growing micro-messaging platform.
• LinkedIn and YouTube usage remained steady over the last year. YouTube moved up only very slightly from 46.5% in 2009 to 48.1% in 2010, and LinkedIn stayed steady at 32.9% in 2009 and 33.1% this year.
• MySpace, the big loser, suffered a 45% drop in popularity. Use dropped from 26.1% in 2009 to 14.4% in 2010.
To download a copy of the full report, go to: http://www.nonprofitsocialnetworksurvey.com. Free registration is required.
Resource of the Week – Free Nonprofit Webinars for June 2010
Wild Apricot, a Canadian based software development company has compiled a list of webinars on a number of nonprofit management topics being offered this month at no charge – useful for fundraisers, board members, administrators, active volunteers and volunteer coordinators. Go to: http://www.wildapricot.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Run PowerPoint 2007 Slide Show in a Window
Have you ever wanted to be able to run a PowerPoint slideshow in a window? There is a simple way to do this by adding a button to the Quick Access Toolbar. Here’s how:
• Click the Microsoft Office button
• Click the PowerPoint Options button at the bottom
• Click Customize in the left pane
• Under Choose commands from, select Commands Not in the Ribbon
• Scroll down and select Slide Show in a Window
• Click Add to add this button to the Quick Access Toolbar
• Click OK
To run a slideshow in a window simply click this button on the Quick Access Toolbar. Use cursor arrow keys to move between slides.
CreateAthon is a 24-hour, work-around the clock creative blitz during which local advertising agencies generate advertising services for local nonprofits that have little or no marketing budget. Since the program’s expansion from a single market to an international effort in 2001, 40 agencies have joined the CreateAthon network, holding CreateAthon events in their cities. This effort has benefited 833 nonprofit organizations with 1,809 projects valued at $7 million. Go to: http://www.createathon.org.
Publication of the Week – Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors by Patrick M. Lencioni
From the publisher: In yet another page-turner, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed management expert Patrick Lencioni addresses the costly and maddening issue of silos, the barriers that create organizational politics. Silos devastate organizations, kill productivity, push good people out the door, and jeopardize the achievement of corporate goals. As with his other books, Lencioni writes Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars as a fictional—but eerily realistic—story. The story is about Jude Cousins, an eager young management consultant struggling to launch his practice by solving one of the more universal and frustrating problems faced by his clients. Through trial and error, he develops a simple yet ground-breaking approach for helping them transform confusion and infighting into clarity and alignment. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Nonprofits Increase Use of Social Networks
NTEN, Common Knowledge, and ThePort Network have released the second annual installment of the Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report. This report’s objective is to provide nonprofits with insights and trends surrounding social networking technology as part of nonprofit organizations’ marketing, communications, fundraising, and program services. Between February 3 and March 15, 2010, 1,173 nonprofit professionals responded to a survey about their organization’s use of online social networks. Nonprofits continued to increase their use of commercial social networks over 2009 and early 2010 with Facebook and Twitter proving to be the preferred networks. Key findings include:
• Facebook is still used by more nonprofits than any other commercial social network with 86% of nonprofits indicating that they have a presence on this network. This finding is a 16% increase from 2009, when 74% of respondents had a Facebook presence.
• Twitter grew as a commercial social networking outlet of choice for nonprofits with a year-over-year increase of 38%, moving from 43% in 2009 to 60% in 2010, as measured by nonprofits who affirmed that their organization had a presence on this rapidly growing micro-messaging platform.
• LinkedIn and YouTube usage remained steady over the last year. YouTube moved up only very slightly from 46.5% in 2009 to 48.1% in 2010, and LinkedIn stayed steady at 32.9% in 2009 and 33.1% this year.
• MySpace, the big loser, suffered a 45% drop in popularity. Use dropped from 26.1% in 2009 to 14.4% in 2010.
To download a copy of the full report, go to: http://www.nonprofitsocialnetworksurvey.com. Free registration is required.
Resource of the Week – Free Nonprofit Webinars for June 2010
Wild Apricot, a Canadian based software development company has compiled a list of webinars on a number of nonprofit management topics being offered this month at no charge – useful for fundraisers, board members, administrators, active volunteers and volunteer coordinators. Go to: http://www.wildapricot.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Run PowerPoint 2007 Slide Show in a Window
Have you ever wanted to be able to run a PowerPoint slideshow in a window? There is a simple way to do this by adding a button to the Quick Access Toolbar. Here’s how:
• Click the Microsoft Office button
• Click the PowerPoint Options button at the bottom
• Click Customize in the left pane
• Under Choose commands from, select Commands Not in the Ribbon
• Scroll down and select Slide Show in a Window
• Click Add to add this button to the Quick Access Toolbar
• Click OK
To run a slideshow in a window simply click this button on the Quick Access Toolbar. Use cursor arrow keys to move between slides.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Picks of the Week: May 30 - June 5, 2010
Website of the Week – WomenOnCall.Org
WomenOnCall.Org is a unique online network that connects women with specific volunteer opportunities that allow them to share their professional skills and expertise with nonprofits. Through on-site and virtual volunteer opportunities, WomenOnCall.org members provide short, high-impact, skills-based service, making giving back realistic and efficient. In 2005, Margot Pritzker developed the idea for a web-based organization that eased the difficulty of matching the right volunteer with professional skills with the right non-profit that needed them. In addition, the organization had to emphasize how much could be done in one hour – maximizing both the non-profit’s and volunteer’s valuable time. Thus, WomenOnCall.org was born. While there are many volunteer match sites, none focus specifically on the high-impact method of utilizing professional skills and short-term commitments that WomenOnCall.org emphasizes. In addition, many of the volunteer opportunities can be completed virtually–during a busy woman’s lunch hour or in the evening. Go to: http://www.womenoncall.org/about.cfm.
Publication of the Week -- The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader, 2nd Edition by Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe
From the publisher: The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader not only clearly and concisely identifies the most critical issues of nonprofit leadership, but it also provides the resources and answers to those challenges. It will be required reading for both the most seasoned executive as well as the emerging leader. The Executive Director’s Guide was developed to provide nonprofit Executive Directors and CEOs — and those who work with them — tools, resources, and insights to strengthen the individual, the profession, and the entire nonprofit sector. The Executive Director’s Guide provides practical insights to help Executive Directors navigate the complex position they are in, and find practical ways to deal with some of the obstacles they are most likely to face along the way. this book will increase Executive Director’s resilience, help them explore new ways of managing and leading their unique organizations, find their own path to personal and organizational balance, and thrive fully as nonprofit leaders. It is a highly readable and practical road map for success. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – 2009 Household Charitable Giving Down Five Percent from 2008
Individual charitable giving in 2009 amounted to $217.3 billion, a decline of $11.2 billion or 4.9 percent from the estimated $228.5 billion total in 2008, according to the latest report by researchers at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College and published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. This 5% decline is in addition to the 6 percent decline that the Center calculated in 2008. For 2010, the researchers project annualized individual giving totals (also known as household giving) will range between approximately $222 billion and $227 billion, an increase between 3 and 4.5 percent over the estimated total for 2009. The projected growth is based on analysis of the first two quarters according to scenarios that assume relatively low and high economic growth. The full report, will be published in the July/August 2010 issue of Advancing Philanthropy, the magazine of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The report's findings are based on estimates produced quarterly by the Individual Giving Model developed and housed at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. For more information, go to: http://www.bc.edu.
Resource of the Week – BoardSource E-Books
BoardSource free electronic books are a compilation of publications that BoardSource has found popular through the years, and has chosen to offer as an electronic resource to the nonprofit sector. BoardSource offers these selected free e-books for the public and for BoardSource members only. Titles available to the public at no charge include: All Hands on Board, Starting a Nonprofit Organization, History of Nonprofit Boards, To Go Forward, Retreat. Other titles are available to BoardSource members. Go to: http://www.boardsource.org.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Turning Photos into PowerPoint 2007 Slide Shows
To turn your digital pictures into PowerPoint 2007 slide shows:
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Illustrations group, click Photo Album
• On the Photo Album dialog box, click the File/Disk button to Insert pictures
• Click the Create button
WomenOnCall.Org is a unique online network that connects women with specific volunteer opportunities that allow them to share their professional skills and expertise with nonprofits. Through on-site and virtual volunteer opportunities, WomenOnCall.org members provide short, high-impact, skills-based service, making giving back realistic and efficient. In 2005, Margot Pritzker developed the idea for a web-based organization that eased the difficulty of matching the right volunteer with professional skills with the right non-profit that needed them. In addition, the organization had to emphasize how much could be done in one hour – maximizing both the non-profit’s and volunteer’s valuable time. Thus, WomenOnCall.org was born. While there are many volunteer match sites, none focus specifically on the high-impact method of utilizing professional skills and short-term commitments that WomenOnCall.org emphasizes. In addition, many of the volunteer opportunities can be completed virtually–during a busy woman’s lunch hour or in the evening. Go to: http://www.womenoncall.org/about.cfm.
Publication of the Week -- The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader, 2nd Edition by Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe
From the publisher: The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader not only clearly and concisely identifies the most critical issues of nonprofit leadership, but it also provides the resources and answers to those challenges. It will be required reading for both the most seasoned executive as well as the emerging leader. The Executive Director’s Guide was developed to provide nonprofit Executive Directors and CEOs — and those who work with them — tools, resources, and insights to strengthen the individual, the profession, and the entire nonprofit sector. The Executive Director’s Guide provides practical insights to help Executive Directors navigate the complex position they are in, and find practical ways to deal with some of the obstacles they are most likely to face along the way. this book will increase Executive Director’s resilience, help them explore new ways of managing and leading their unique organizations, find their own path to personal and organizational balance, and thrive fully as nonprofit leaders. It is a highly readable and practical road map for success. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – 2009 Household Charitable Giving Down Five Percent from 2008
Individual charitable giving in 2009 amounted to $217.3 billion, a decline of $11.2 billion or 4.9 percent from the estimated $228.5 billion total in 2008, according to the latest report by researchers at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy at Boston College and published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. This 5% decline is in addition to the 6 percent decline that the Center calculated in 2008. For 2010, the researchers project annualized individual giving totals (also known as household giving) will range between approximately $222 billion and $227 billion, an increase between 3 and 4.5 percent over the estimated total for 2009. The projected growth is based on analysis of the first two quarters according to scenarios that assume relatively low and high economic growth. The full report, will be published in the July/August 2010 issue of Advancing Philanthropy, the magazine of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The report's findings are based on estimates produced quarterly by the Individual Giving Model developed and housed at the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. For more information, go to: http://www.bc.edu.
Resource of the Week – BoardSource E-Books
BoardSource free electronic books are a compilation of publications that BoardSource has found popular through the years, and has chosen to offer as an electronic resource to the nonprofit sector. BoardSource offers these selected free e-books for the public and for BoardSource members only. Titles available to the public at no charge include: All Hands on Board, Starting a Nonprofit Organization, History of Nonprofit Boards, To Go Forward, Retreat. Other titles are available to BoardSource members. Go to: http://www.boardsource.org.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Turning Photos into PowerPoint 2007 Slide Shows
To turn your digital pictures into PowerPoint 2007 slide shows:
• Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
• In the Illustrations group, click Photo Album
• On the Photo Album dialog box, click the File/Disk button to Insert pictures
• Click the Create button
Monday, May 24, 2010
Picks of the Week: May 23 - 29, 2010
Website of the Week – Social Edge
Social Edge, a program of the Skoll Foundation, is a site where social entrepreneurs, nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, and other practitioners of the social sector connect to network, learn, inspire, and share resources. Social Edge launched in June 2003 with the mission to: connect social entrepreneurs, their partners and allies to discuss cutting-edge issues shaping the field; foster frank dialogue, mutual respect and a sense of community among all in the sector; and promote learning from the best, promising and disastrous practices. The site attempts to strike a balance between the visionary and the practical, with discussions, blogs, many resource links, and online workshops and features. Social Edge has an audience of tens of thousands of social entrepreneurs around the world; it is particularly targeted at social entrepreneurs with limited access to other local resources and practitioners due to the nature of their work (e.g., international development) or their location (e.g., developing countries or in rural areas). Go to: www.socialedge.org.
Publication of the Week -- Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability edited by John C. Olberding and Lisa Barnwell Williams
From the publisher: Utilizing the extensive expertise of leading fundraising consulting firm Skystone Ryan's executive leadership team and managing consultants to explore and illuminate the most timely issues facing the philanthropic community, Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability identifies new opportunities to define the future of philanthropy.
• Includes notable contributors from the Skystone Ryan leadership team
• Analyzes the most potent trends and developments and interpret their implications for the future of philanthropy
• Offers eight to twelve essays, each by a different Skystone Ryan consultant with particular experience, insight, and expertise in the area
Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability is for you, whether you are a nonprofit leader, executive director, board member, or development director, and are becoming aware that new organizational strategies are called for if the same old donors are not supportive in the same old ways. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Survey Reveals Widespread Innovation at Nation’s Nonprofits
A new Johns Hopkins University survey has revealed widespread innovation among the nation’s nonprofits, as well as efforts by those organizations to measure their programs’ effectiveness. The vast majority (82 percent) of responding organizations reported implementing an innovative program or service within the past five years, and 85 percent reported measuring program effectiveness. The study surveyed a nationwide sample of nonprofit organizations in four key fields – children and family services, elderly housing and services, community and economic development, and the arts – with 417 organizations responding. It defined an “innovative” program or service as “a new or different way to address a societal problem or pursue a charitable mission that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than prevailing approaches.”
• Substantial majorities of organizations in all four fields covered by the survey reported innovative activity during the previous five years, and this was particularly pronounced among larger organizations, challenging the common assumption that organizations become less innovative as they grow in size.
• The major barriers to more extensive use of performance measurements identified by respondents were a lack of staff time and expertise, and the cost of good evaluation.
• Recommendations from survey respondents for helping to overcome the remaining barriers to nonprofit innovation and performance measurement included better tools to measure qualitative impacts (82 percent of respondents), less time-consuming measurement tools (81 percent), financial resources to support the measurement and research functions (79 percent), greater help from intermediary organizations in fashioning common evaluation tools (67 percent), and training for personnel in how to use these tools (63 percent).
• Sizeable proportions of respondents also urged the new White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation to continue stressing the importance of innovation but to recognize as well the value of effective ongoing programs and the barriers that restrictive regulations, lack of coordination among federal agencies, and inadequate financial support for program evaluation place in the way of innovation and performance measurement.
To download the full report “Nonprofits, Innovation and Performance Measurement: Separating Fact from Fiction” go to http://ccss.jhu.edu.
Resource of the Week – Wellness Programs for Nonprofit Staff
Nonprofit organizations often lack wellness programs as part of their benefits packages often because leadership believes they have no merit related to possible costs. There are solutions to the cost issue and wellness is a must for any benefits package. A key issue is that nonprofit leaders often don’t recognize wellness programs as an important component of an organization’s total benefits package. Many leaders have little to no interest in such programs especially when there are costs involved. Nonprofit HR Solutions, a human resources consulting firms dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of nonprofit organizations, has developed a guide to assist nonprofits in starting up wellness programs. To download a copy of the free guide, go to: http://www.nonprofithr.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- SmartArt Graphics in Office 2007
SmartArt is a new feature in Office 2007. It’s easy to use and available in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It can be used to create organization charts and time lines, to show sequential tasks, and much more. These resources can help you get started:
Create a SmartArt graphic
“How to” article from Microsoft.com
Demo: Spice up your text with SmartArt graphics
Demo with audio from Microsoft.com
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 introduces SmartArt graphics
Online training from Microsoft.com
Social Edge, a program of the Skoll Foundation, is a site where social entrepreneurs, nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, and other practitioners of the social sector connect to network, learn, inspire, and share resources. Social Edge launched in June 2003 with the mission to: connect social entrepreneurs, their partners and allies to discuss cutting-edge issues shaping the field; foster frank dialogue, mutual respect and a sense of community among all in the sector; and promote learning from the best, promising and disastrous practices. The site attempts to strike a balance between the visionary and the practical, with discussions, blogs, many resource links, and online workshops and features. Social Edge has an audience of tens of thousands of social entrepreneurs around the world; it is particularly targeted at social entrepreneurs with limited access to other local resources and practitioners due to the nature of their work (e.g., international development) or their location (e.g., developing countries or in rural areas). Go to: www.socialedge.org.
Publication of the Week -- Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability edited by John C. Olberding and Lisa Barnwell Williams
From the publisher: Utilizing the extensive expertise of leading fundraising consulting firm Skystone Ryan's executive leadership team and managing consultants to explore and illuminate the most timely issues facing the philanthropic community, Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability identifies new opportunities to define the future of philanthropy.
• Includes notable contributors from the Skystone Ryan leadership team
• Analyzes the most potent trends and developments and interpret their implications for the future of philanthropy
• Offers eight to twelve essays, each by a different Skystone Ryan consultant with particular experience, insight, and expertise in the area
Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and Sustainability is for you, whether you are a nonprofit leader, executive director, board member, or development director, and are becoming aware that new organizational strategies are called for if the same old donors are not supportive in the same old ways. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Survey Reveals Widespread Innovation at Nation’s Nonprofits
A new Johns Hopkins University survey has revealed widespread innovation among the nation’s nonprofits, as well as efforts by those organizations to measure their programs’ effectiveness. The vast majority (82 percent) of responding organizations reported implementing an innovative program or service within the past five years, and 85 percent reported measuring program effectiveness. The study surveyed a nationwide sample of nonprofit organizations in four key fields – children and family services, elderly housing and services, community and economic development, and the arts – with 417 organizations responding. It defined an “innovative” program or service as “a new or different way to address a societal problem or pursue a charitable mission that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than prevailing approaches.”
• Substantial majorities of organizations in all four fields covered by the survey reported innovative activity during the previous five years, and this was particularly pronounced among larger organizations, challenging the common assumption that organizations become less innovative as they grow in size.
• The major barriers to more extensive use of performance measurements identified by respondents were a lack of staff time and expertise, and the cost of good evaluation.
• Recommendations from survey respondents for helping to overcome the remaining barriers to nonprofit innovation and performance measurement included better tools to measure qualitative impacts (82 percent of respondents), less time-consuming measurement tools (81 percent), financial resources to support the measurement and research functions (79 percent), greater help from intermediary organizations in fashioning common evaluation tools (67 percent), and training for personnel in how to use these tools (63 percent).
• Sizeable proportions of respondents also urged the new White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation to continue stressing the importance of innovation but to recognize as well the value of effective ongoing programs and the barriers that restrictive regulations, lack of coordination among federal agencies, and inadequate financial support for program evaluation place in the way of innovation and performance measurement.
To download the full report “Nonprofits, Innovation and Performance Measurement: Separating Fact from Fiction” go to http://ccss.jhu.edu.
Resource of the Week – Wellness Programs for Nonprofit Staff
Nonprofit organizations often lack wellness programs as part of their benefits packages often because leadership believes they have no merit related to possible costs. There are solutions to the cost issue and wellness is a must for any benefits package. A key issue is that nonprofit leaders often don’t recognize wellness programs as an important component of an organization’s total benefits package. Many leaders have little to no interest in such programs especially when there are costs involved. Nonprofit HR Solutions, a human resources consulting firms dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of nonprofit organizations, has developed a guide to assist nonprofits in starting up wellness programs. To download a copy of the free guide, go to: http://www.nonprofithr.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- SmartArt Graphics in Office 2007
SmartArt is a new feature in Office 2007. It’s easy to use and available in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It can be used to create organization charts and time lines, to show sequential tasks, and much more. These resources can help you get started:
Create a SmartArt graphic
“How to” article from Microsoft.com
Demo: Spice up your text with SmartArt graphics
Demo with audio from Microsoft.com
Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 introduces SmartArt graphics
Online training from Microsoft.com
Monday, May 17, 2010
Picks of the Week: May 16 - 22, 2010
Website of the Week – FASTEN
The Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTEN) offers informational resources and networking opportunities to faith-based practitioners, private philanthropies, and public administrators who seek to collaborate effectively to renew urban communities. An initiative of Pew Charitable Trusts, FASTEN actively identifies best practices in faith-based services and multi-sector collaboration, and produces and disseminates educational materials for practitioners in the public and private sectors. Go to: www.fastennetwork.org.
Publication of the Week -- Fundraising Principles and Practice by Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang
From the publisher: This books offers a definitive text on the vital topic fundraising. It provides students of fundraising and nonprofit professionals access to the most relevant theories and includes concrete examples of modern fundraising practice. The book contains clear learning objectives, recommended readings, case studies, summary self-test questions, and exercises at the end of each chapter. The Principles and Practice of Fundraising comprehensively addresses all the major forms of fundraising and critical topics such as donor behavior and fundraising planning. Adrian Sargeant is the world's foremost fundraising scholar. This text will be invaluable to the beginner, but new research findings mean it should also be a must read for established practitioners. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Charitable Donors Give More When Asked Personally
Donors to charitable organizations give more when they are asked in person and when someone they know makes the request, a new study commissioned by Chicago-based consulting firm Campbell & Company and conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds. The study, Significant Gifts: Where Donors Direct Their Largest Gifts and Why confirms what nonprofit organization fundraisers have often observed: people give to people and especially to people they know. Donors who were asked to give in person by someone they knew donated 19 percent more ($987) to secular (non-religious) charities, when compared with telephone, mail or email requests from someone they knew ($799). For religious organizations, when the donor was asked in person by someone he or she knew, the average donation was 42 percent higher ($2,904) than when someone the donor knew made the request using a different tactic ($1,698). For more information, go to: http://www.campbellcompany.com.
Resource of the Week – Leadership Dialogues
The Leader to Leader Institute recently announced the launch of Leadership Dialogues, an online toolbox featuring a growing library of video interviews with inspiring leaders including Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally, and Tony Hsieh, Founder and CEO of Zappos.com.. The site is catalogued by topic and provides current and future leaders with essential leadership wisdom in topics such as diversity, accountability, courage, entrepreneurship, and growth that will help build effective social sector organizations. To access Leadership Dialogues, go to: www.leadertoleader.org/dialogues.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Back up a Microsoft Access 2007 Database
• Open the Database you want to back up
• Click the Microsoft Office Button (top left)
• Point to Manage
• Click Back up Database to open the Save As dialog box
• Choose the name and the location (By default Access 2007 adds the date of the backup to the name of the file.)
• Click the save button
The Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTEN) offers informational resources and networking opportunities to faith-based practitioners, private philanthropies, and public administrators who seek to collaborate effectively to renew urban communities. An initiative of Pew Charitable Trusts, FASTEN actively identifies best practices in faith-based services and multi-sector collaboration, and produces and disseminates educational materials for practitioners in the public and private sectors. Go to: www.fastennetwork.org.
Publication of the Week -- Fundraising Principles and Practice by Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang
From the publisher: This books offers a definitive text on the vital topic fundraising. It provides students of fundraising and nonprofit professionals access to the most relevant theories and includes concrete examples of modern fundraising practice. The book contains clear learning objectives, recommended readings, case studies, summary self-test questions, and exercises at the end of each chapter. The Principles and Practice of Fundraising comprehensively addresses all the major forms of fundraising and critical topics such as donor behavior and fundraising planning. Adrian Sargeant is the world's foremost fundraising scholar. This text will be invaluable to the beginner, but new research findings mean it should also be a must read for established practitioners. Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – Charitable Donors Give More When Asked Personally
Donors to charitable organizations give more when they are asked in person and when someone they know makes the request, a new study commissioned by Chicago-based consulting firm Campbell & Company and conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds. The study, Significant Gifts: Where Donors Direct Their Largest Gifts and Why confirms what nonprofit organization fundraisers have often observed: people give to people and especially to people they know. Donors who were asked to give in person by someone they knew donated 19 percent more ($987) to secular (non-religious) charities, when compared with telephone, mail or email requests from someone they knew ($799). For religious organizations, when the donor was asked in person by someone he or she knew, the average donation was 42 percent higher ($2,904) than when someone the donor knew made the request using a different tactic ($1,698). For more information, go to: http://www.campbellcompany.com.
Resource of the Week – Leadership Dialogues
The Leader to Leader Institute recently announced the launch of Leadership Dialogues, an online toolbox featuring a growing library of video interviews with inspiring leaders including Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally, and Tony Hsieh, Founder and CEO of Zappos.com.. The site is catalogued by topic and provides current and future leaders with essential leadership wisdom in topics such as diversity, accountability, courage, entrepreneurship, and growth that will help build effective social sector organizations. To access Leadership Dialogues, go to: www.leadertoleader.org/dialogues.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Back up a Microsoft Access 2007 Database
• Open the Database you want to back up
• Click the Microsoft Office Button (top left)
• Point to Manage
• Click Back up Database to open the Save As dialog box
• Choose the name and the location (By default Access 2007 adds the date of the backup to the name of the file.)
• Click the save button
Monday, May 10, 2010
Picks of the Week: May 9, 2010
Website of the Week – Ventureneer
Ventureneer is a web-based education and professional development portal that aims to provide a new approach to learning that blends traditional formal instruction with informal learning derived from problem solving with peers using Web 2.0 technology. Members use Ventureneer to solve problems, request resources or information, seek guidance from others and, most important, how to have the greatest impact. Through Ventureneer, you can:
• Take interactive classes to develop critical thinking skills and heighten your ability to make effective decisions.
• Use a peer rating-and-commenting system similar to Netflix, Amazon and Zagat that organizes content so you know what others think is most relevant.
• Share resources – share your perspectives and, in turn, learn from the experiences of your peers to address your own recurring problems.
• Participate in one-to-one peer partnering.
Go to: http://ventureneer.com.
Publication of the Week -- Designing a Not-for-Profit Compensation System by
JoAnn Senger
From the publisher: Written by recognized not-for-profit human resource specialist JoAnn Senger, Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System provides a step-by-step method to help human resource professionals design and manage a successful compensation system for any public or not-for-profit organization. When it comes to compensation systems, the not-for-profit sector is rife with complexities, including legislative approval requirements and the board of directors' direct involvement in compensation matters. Addressing these and other unique obstacles, Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System:
• Defines various types of not-for-profit and public organizations
• Identifies current types of compensation structures
• Identifies organizational characteristics influencing the usefulness of each structure, including the organization's budgeting and accounting processes and timetables
• Covers maintenance for all compensation structures and the interaction among organizational units
• Details the usefulness of each compensation structure, including midpoint calculations, rate adjustments, variable pay, and market surveys
Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – CEO Salary Trends
The Council on Foundations just announced the results from its 2009 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report. The findings are based on responses from an online survey of 779 foundations and corporate grantmakers of which 50 were corporate grant makers (foundations or direct giving programs) and 729 were community, private (family or independent), or public foundations. Key findings from the survey include:
• In 2009, the reported median salary for CEOs/CGOs was $140,250; the median salary for program officers was $78,000. These salaries vary by size and type of grantmaker and by region.
• Between 2005 and 2009, overall CEO salaries increased by 15.9% in nominal terms at private foundations and 25.3% at community foundations.
• The median salary in the Midwest was 10.1% lower than the national median for all positions. Salaries in the Northeast were 9.1% higher.
• Between 2005 and 2009, program officer salaries increased by 13% in nominal terms at private foundations and 21.5% at community foundations.
To download a copy of the report at the Council's website, go to: https://www.cof.org.
Resource of the Week – Nonprofit Webinars
Wild Apricot, a Canadian based software development company has compiled a list of webinars on a number of nonprofit management topics being offered this month at no charge. Go to: http://www.wildapricot.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Creating Lines in Word 2007
One of my favorite shortcuts from previous versions of Word still works in Word 2007! To create lines across the page of a Word document:
• Type three consecutive hyphens ( --- ) and press Enter for a normal line
• Type three underscores ( ___ ) and press Enter for a bold line
• Type three equal signs ( === ) and press Enter for a double line
• Type three pound symbols ( ### ) and press Enter for a triple line
• Type three tildes ( ~~~ ) and press Enter for a wavy line
• Type three asterisks ( *** ) and press Enter for a dotted line
These lines extend from the left margin to the right margin and the width of these lines will change if you change the margins of your document or if you change the orientation from Portrait to Landscape.
Ventureneer is a web-based education and professional development portal that aims to provide a new approach to learning that blends traditional formal instruction with informal learning derived from problem solving with peers using Web 2.0 technology. Members use Ventureneer to solve problems, request resources or information, seek guidance from others and, most important, how to have the greatest impact. Through Ventureneer, you can:
• Take interactive classes to develop critical thinking skills and heighten your ability to make effective decisions.
• Use a peer rating-and-commenting system similar to Netflix, Amazon and Zagat that organizes content so you know what others think is most relevant.
• Share resources – share your perspectives and, in turn, learn from the experiences of your peers to address your own recurring problems.
• Participate in one-to-one peer partnering.
Go to: http://ventureneer.com.
Publication of the Week -- Designing a Not-for-Profit Compensation System by
JoAnn Senger
From the publisher: Written by recognized not-for-profit human resource specialist JoAnn Senger, Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System provides a step-by-step method to help human resource professionals design and manage a successful compensation system for any public or not-for-profit organization. When it comes to compensation systems, the not-for-profit sector is rife with complexities, including legislative approval requirements and the board of directors' direct involvement in compensation matters. Addressing these and other unique obstacles, Designing a Not-For-Profit Compensation System:
• Defines various types of not-for-profit and public organizations
• Identifies current types of compensation structures
• Identifies organizational characteristics influencing the usefulness of each structure, including the organization's budgeting and accounting processes and timetables
• Covers maintenance for all compensation structures and the interaction among organizational units
• Details the usefulness of each compensation structure, including midpoint calculations, rate adjustments, variable pay, and market surveys
Click to preview this book on Amazon.com.
Trend of the Week – CEO Salary Trends
The Council on Foundations just announced the results from its 2009 Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report. The findings are based on responses from an online survey of 779 foundations and corporate grantmakers of which 50 were corporate grant makers (foundations or direct giving programs) and 729 were community, private (family or independent), or public foundations. Key findings from the survey include:
• In 2009, the reported median salary for CEOs/CGOs was $140,250; the median salary for program officers was $78,000. These salaries vary by size and type of grantmaker and by region.
• Between 2005 and 2009, overall CEO salaries increased by 15.9% in nominal terms at private foundations and 25.3% at community foundations.
• The median salary in the Midwest was 10.1% lower than the national median for all positions. Salaries in the Northeast were 9.1% higher.
• Between 2005 and 2009, program officer salaries increased by 13% in nominal terms at private foundations and 21.5% at community foundations.
To download a copy of the report at the Council's website, go to: https://www.cof.org.
Resource of the Week – Nonprofit Webinars
Wild Apricot, a Canadian based software development company has compiled a list of webinars on a number of nonprofit management topics being offered this month at no charge. Go to: http://www.wildapricot.com.
Tech Tip of the Week -- Creating Lines in Word 2007
One of my favorite shortcuts from previous versions of Word still works in Word 2007! To create lines across the page of a Word document:
• Type three consecutive hyphens ( --- ) and press Enter for a normal line
• Type three underscores ( ___ ) and press Enter for a bold line
• Type three equal signs ( === ) and press Enter for a double line
• Type three pound symbols ( ### ) and press Enter for a triple line
• Type three tildes ( ~~~ ) and press Enter for a wavy line
• Type three asterisks ( *** ) and press Enter for a dotted line
These lines extend from the left margin to the right margin and the width of these lines will change if you change the margins of your document or if you change the orientation from Portrait to Landscape.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
