Picks of the Week: March 24 - 30, 2013

Website of the Week --  Leadership Learning Community
The Leadership Learning Community (LLC) is a national organization of people who run, fund, study, and provide services to leadership development programs in the belief that leadership can change our communities, organizations, and the world. The aim of the LLC is to strengthen collective and individual capacity to transform society by connecting the learning, practice and resources of those committed to leadership development. To this end the Leadership Learning Community continuously documents learning and knowledge development to share with the field. LLC also encourages others in the community to do the same and contribute documents to the knowledge and resources available on the website You will find documents in Adobe PDF format that include program materials, evaluations, meeting notes, scans, reports, guidelines, and learning reflections as well as links to videos, images and other websites relevant to the field. You can browse all documents or search by key word, tag, or author below. Go to: www.leadershiplearning.org

Publication of the Week -- Social Marketing and Social Change: Strategies and Tools For Improving Health, Well-Being, and the Environment by R. Craig Lefebvre
From the publisher: How can we facilitate more effective, efficient, equitable and sustainable solutions to the problems that confound our communities and world? Social marketing guru R. Craig LeFebvre weaves together multi-level theories of change, research and case studies to explain and illustrate the development of social marketing to address some of society’s most vexing problems. The result is a people-centered approach that relies on insight and empathy as much as on data for the inspiration, design and management of programs that strive for changes for good. This text is ideal for students and professionals in health, nonprofit, business, social services, and other areas.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com


Trend of the Week -- Teens and Technology 2013
Smartphone adoption among American teens has increased substantially and mobile access to the internet is pervasive. One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users, who say they mostly go online using their phone and not using some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. These are among the new findings from a nationally representative Pew Research Center survey of 802 youth ages 12-17 and their parents that explored technology use. Key findings include:

·         78% of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half (47%) of them own smartphones. That translates into 37% of all teens who have smartphones, up from just 23% in 2011.

·         23% of teens have a tablet computer, a level comparable to the general adult population.
·         95% of teens use the internet.
·         93% of teens have a computer or have access to one at home. Seven in ten (71%) teens with home computer access say the laptop or desktop they use most often is one they share with other family members.

To download the full report, go to: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-and-Tech.aspx

Resource of the Week –  Resources for Nonprofit Financial Management
Organizations with strong financial management are better able to fulfill their missions and deliver high-quality services. The Wallace Foundation, with Fiscal Management Associates, a leading financial management consultant for nonprofits, has created a library of resources to help your organization become "fiscally fit."  The library covers four key areas of strong financial management:
·         Planning: With budgeting and financial analysis, you can use your resources strategically to help achieve your organization's goals.
·         Monitoring: Regularly review financial results to ensure you're using resources according to your plan – and advancing organizational objectives.
·         Operations: A strong infrastructure for planning and monitoring means both employees who know how to analyze information and software that helps them.
·         Governance: Your board of directors should provide the oversight and guidance to ensure the organization fulfills its obligations – and its mission.

To access the library of resources, go to: http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Resources-for-Financial-Management/Pages/default.aspx


Tech Tip of the Week -- Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel 2007/2010
If you are a fan of keyboard shortcuts you will be happy to know that most of the shortcuts we've used for years work exactly the same in Excel 2007/2010.  Here's a list of some of my favorites:

·         Start a new line in the same cell -- Alt + Enter

·         Selects the entire worksheet or the current range -- Ctrl + A
·         Undoes the last action -- Ctrl + Z
·         Redoes the last action -- Ctrl + Y
·         Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks -- F9
·         Copy selected cells -- Ctrl + C
·         Paste -- Ctrl + V

 

Picks of the Week: March 17 - 23, 2013

Website of the Week --  Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Foundation is among the largest foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately $2 billion. The Foundation's vision is to foster "a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities." In service of this vision, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation focuses grant making and operations on two areas—education and entrepreneurship—which Ewing Kauffman, saw as two ends of a continuum. A quality education is the foundation for self-sufficiency, preparing young people for success in college and in life. Many young adults will work in businesses started by entrepreneurs. Some will become entrepreneurs themselves, providing jobs and wealth for society. Go to: http://www.kauffman.org

Publication of the Week -- Global Fundraising: How the World is Changing the Rules of Philanthropy
From the publisher:  A practical guide to the challenges and successes of global fundraising, written by an international team of highly respected philanthropy professionals and edited by two of the leading nonprofit thinkers, Global Fundraising is the first book to genuinely offer a global overview of philanthropy with an internationalist perspective. As the world becomes more interdependent, and economies struggle, global philanthropy continues to increase. More than that, nonprofits are taking up roles that have traditionally been filled by the government—including social welfare, healthcare, and human rights. Global Fundraising provides complete coverage of the implications of this growth for nonprofit culture and how it drives changes in fundraising practices. Organized into thematic chapters—a mixture of geographic and topical issues—it places North American philanthropy in a wider context. It features a companion website with a variety of online tools and materials. The book includes contributions by international leading experts and skillfully tracks how the world of fundraising is changing rapidly due to a number of factors including: continuing growth of great wealth; non-profit innovation emerging everywhere; growth of indigenous NGOs; increased professionalism in fundraising; and the value and role of new and social technologies. Written by a team of philanthropy leaders, Global Fundraising offers timely coverage of fundraising around the world. A must-have for INGO leaders and anyone, anywhere, interested in the future of philanthropy and effective fundraising practices.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com


Trend of the Week -- Nonprofits A Major Source Of Employment Growth Globally
A new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies reveals that nonprofit organizations are major employers and major sources of employment growth in countries throughout the world. The report draws on new data generated by statistical offices in sixteen countries that have implemented a new United Nations Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions. Key findings to date as summarized in this report include:
·         In 6 of the 16 countries for which data are available, nonprofits employ 10 percent or more of the total workforce, making them one of the largest employers of any industry in these countries.
·         On average in these sixteen countries’ nonprofits employ more workers than either the transportation or construction industry.
·         The nonprofit sector accounts for an average of 4.5 percent of the GDP in the covered countries, roughly equivalent to GDP contribution of the construction industry in these countries.
·         Nonprofits, on average, receive far less of their revenue from philanthropy than is commonly thought. Rather, 43 percent of the revenue comes from fees for their services, 32 percent from government sources, and only 23 percent from philanthropic giving, and even this is likely an over-estimate given limitations of the data sources.
·         In the eight countries on which historical data are available, the growth rate of the nonprofit sector contribution to GDP exceeded the growth rate of GDP.

To download the report, go to: http://tinyurl.com/cwscvf5

Resource of the Week –  Executive Transition Monographs
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has published a series of seven on all aspects of executive transitions and executive transition management in nonprofits. Go to: http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/PublicationsSeries/ExecutiveTransitionMonographs.aspx


Tech Tip of the Week -- Change Slide Background in PowerPoint 2007/2010
Regardless of which design theme you have chosen, you can also change the background to a variety of options which work with your design. To  change the background:
·         Click the Design tab on the Ribbon
·         In the Background group, click the arrow next to Background Styles
·         Select a new background style 

Picks of the Week: March 10 - 16, 2013

Website of the Week --  Institute for Women’s Policy Research
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialog, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. It is the leading think tank in the U.S. focusing primarily on domestic women’s issues. Founded in 1987, IWPR’s reports and other informational resources have informed policies and programs across the U.S., in each of its key program areas:
·         Employment, Education, & Economic Change - Employment and Job Quality, Economic Status of Women in the States , Pay Equity and Discrimination, Access to Higher Education, Unemployment and the Economy
·         Democracy & Society - The Status of Women and Girls, Immigration and Religion, Women in Unions, Women's Political Participation
·         Poverty, Welfare, & Income Security - Retirement and Social Security, Poverty, Katrina and the Gulf Coast, Welfare Reform
·         Work & Family - Early Care and Education, Family Leave and Paid Sick Days, Workplace Flexibility
·         Health & Safety - Women's access to health insurance, costs and benefits of preventative health services for women, costs of domestic violence

Go to: http://www.iwpr.org


Publication of the Week -- Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact by Dalya F. Massachi
From the publisher:  Whether you're an accidental or emerging writer or a seasoned wordsmith, this comprehensive resource will help you build and manage the invaluable skills behind writing values-driven copy. You will find advice on everything from advancing your brand to storytelling to minding the devilish details. Discover how to painlessly: - Write and edit a full spectrum of clear, concise, creative pieces that will reach and influence your diverse intended audiences - Streamline and strengthen your writing process-from planning to proofreading - Develop your own confident, expert writing voice Included in these pages you will find: - More than 500 real-life examples from nonprofits, green businesses, government agencies, and others - Hundreds of stimulating questions and exercises that help you apply the lessons to your own work - Numerous guide sheets, checklists, and handy appendices - Dozens of warnings about potential pitfalls ... all this delivered with a generous helping of fun illustrations, cultural references, and humor. If you've ever had trouble expressing your passion in writing, or telling your story in a fresh and compelling way, this powerhouse of a book is for you. Author Dalya F. Massachi, M.A., draws on her nearly 20 years of professional experience writing and editing for hundreds of socially responsible organizations.

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week -- Impact of Economy on Giving Trends in U.S. Religious Congregations
Congregations whose clergy are aware of giving trends in their congregation and those with younger attendees were more likely to see positive fundraising results between the first half of 2011 and the first half of 2012, according to a new report from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. A new study examines the impact of the economic environment on a sample of U.S. congregations. This study was conducted by the Indiana University School of Philanthropy and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University School of Philanthropy, in partnership with the Alban Institute, the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA), Indianapolis Center for Congregations, and MAXIMUM Generosity. This study informs not only overall financial trends of surveyed congregations, but also how specific types of congregations talked about money and fared financially during the recession and its aftermath. Key findings include:

·         Nearly half of responding congregations reported budget increases for 2012 compared with 2011. Increases were likely to be allocated toward salaries, outreach programs, mission activities, and revenue-generating activities.
·         Two-thirds of congregations offer congregants some type of electronic giving. This allows for more consistent revenue than do traditional methods such as offerings during services. More than four in 10 respondents receive direct deposits from congregants; three in 10 receive checks or transfers from congregants’ online bank accounts. About 10 percent receive contributions through their website.
·         Nearly three-quarters of the congregations have an annual stewardship or pledge campaign (72 percent); slightly more than half (53 percent) have an endowment.
·         About one-third (36 percent) of responding congregations offer specific courses, workshops, classes or seminars on personal finance or charitable giving.

To download the report, go to: http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/congregational-economic-impact-study

Resource of the Week –  Nonprofit Collaboration Database
Maintained by the Foundation Center, a national organization connecting nonprofits and grantmakers to resources, the Nonprofit Collaboration Database offers real-world examples of nonprofit collaborations. Nearly 700 nationwide models have already been submitted and the database receives 2,000 visits a month. The database has been organized so that you can search for information from a variety of access points allowing you to customize your search a variety of ways. For example, you can find all mergers among arts and culture organizations, or all administrative consolidations in Ohio and Arizona, or only those joint programming collaborations among state health organizations that were initiated by funders. The ability to search by multiple criteria, including key words, provides the opportunity to explore the database using factors that are most relevant to your needs. To learn more, go to: http://collaboration.foundationcenter.org/search/searchGenerator.php

Tech Tip of the Week -- Change Heading Styles in Word
To quickly change a heading style in Word, click in the line containing the heading and use these keyboard shortcuts:
·         Ctrl + Alt + 1 to apply Heading 1 style to current paragraph
·         Ctrl + Alt + 2 to apply Heading 2 style to current paragraph
·         Ctrl + Alt + 3 to apply Heading 3 style to current paragraph

This tip works in Word 2007 and 2010 as well as earlier versions.

Picks of the Week: March 3 - 9, 2013

Website of the Week --  Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
IRP is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan. It is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As one of three National Poverty Research Centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it has a particular interest in poverty and family welfare in Wisconsin as well as the nation. The Institute was established in 1966 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, the organization given responsibility for reducing poverty in America. In the years since then, the Institute's affiliates, who represent a variety of disciplines, have formulated and tested basic theories of poverty and inequality, developed and evaluated social policy alternatives, and analyzed trends in poverty and economic well-being. Go to: http://www.irp.wisc.edu/index.htm.

Publication of the Week -- Charity Case: How the Nonprofit Community Can Stand Up For Itself and Really Change the World

From the publisher:  Virtually everything our society has been taught about charity is backwards. We deny the social sector the ability to grow because of our short-sighted demand that it send every short-term dollar into direct services. Yet if the sector cannot grow, it can never match the scale of our great social problems. In the face of this dilemma, the sector has remained silent, defenseless, and disorganized. In Charity Case, Pallotta proposes a visionary solution: a Charity Defense Council to re-educate the public and give charities the freedom they need to solve our most pressing social issues.

·         Proposes concrete steps for how a national Charity Defense Council will transform the public understanding of the humanitarian sector, including: building an anti-defamation league and legal defense for the sector, creating a massive national ongoing ad campaign to upgrade public literacy about giving, and ultimately enacting a National Civil Rights Act for Charity and Social Enterprise
·         From Dan Pallotta, renowned builder of social movements and inventor of the multi-day charity event industry (including the AIDS Rides and Breast Cancer 3-Days) that has cumulatively raised over $1.1 billion for critical social causes
·         The hotly-anticipated follow-up to Pallotta’s groundbreaking book Uncharitable

Grounded in Pallotta’s clear vision and deep social sector experience, Charity Case is a fascinating wake-up call for fixing the culture that thwarts our charities’ ability to change the world.

 

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week – Demographics of Social Media Users

A late 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project shows that young adults are more likely than others to use major social media. At the same time, other groups are interested in different sites and services. Internet users under 50 are particularly likely to use a social networking site of any kind, and those 18-29 are the most likely of any demographic cohort to do so (83%). Women are more likely than men to be on these sites. Those living in urban settings are also significantly more likely than rural internet users to use social networking. Key findings include:

 

·         Facebook remains the most-used social networking platform, as two-thirds of online adults say that they are Facebook users. Women are more likely than men to be Facebook users, and Facebook use is especially common among younger adults.
·         The percentage of internet users who are on Twitter has doubled since November 2010, currently standing at 16%. Those under 50, and especially those 18-29, are the most likely to use Twitter. Urban-dwellers are significantly more likely than both suburban and rural residents to be on Twitter.
·         Pinterest, the online pinboard, has attracted 15% of internet users to its virtual scrapbooking. Whites, young people, the well-educated, those with higher income, and women are particularly likely to use the site. Pinterest is equally popular among those 18-29 and 30-49 (19%). Women are about five times as likely to be on the site as men, the largest difference in gender of any site featured in this report.
To download the full report, go to: http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_SocialMediaUsers.pdf

Resource of the Week – Free Complete Toolkit for Boards
Developed by Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, this toolkit covers many topics such as board roles and responsibilities, recruiting members, evaluating the board, and much more. In addition to the articles on this current page, also see there are two blogs that have posts related to this topic: the Boards of Directors Blog and the  Library's Nonprofit Capacity Building Blog. Go to: www.mapnp.org/library/boards/boards.htm

Tech Tip of the Week -- Move or Copy Sheets between Workbooks in Excel 2007/2010

·         Open the sheet you want to move or copy

·         Click the Home tab on the Ribbon
·         In the Cells group, click Format 
·         Under Organize Sheets, select Move or Copy Sheet
·         Choose where you want the sheet to be copied or moved to
·         Be sure to select the create a copy box if you do not want your sheet moved 

Picks of the Week: February 17 - 23, 2013

Website of the Week --  Social Compact
Social Compact is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization formed by coalition of business leaders from across the country committed to promoting successful investment in lower-income communities. Working in close partnership with community and corporate leaders over the past decade and a half, Social Compact has pioneered the DrillDown™, a methodology to analyze inner-city markets and create accurate, business-oriented profiles of “emerging” neighborhood markets. Drawing on business disciplines and community strength, these DrillDown profiles have a strong track record of catalyzing sustainable, private investment, benefiting communities and businesses alike. Social Compact’s innovative research seek to fill a void in the market: replacing outdated, deficiency-based data on lower-income communities with reliable market analysis to drive better investment decisions in underserved communities. The goal: safe and healthy neighborhoods in which to live and do business. Go to: http://www.socialcompact.org.

Publication of the Week -- Social Business by Design by Dion Hinchliffe and Peter Kim

From the publisher:  Social Business By Design is the definitive management book on how to rethink the modern organization in the social media era. Based on their research and work through the Dachis Group, thought leaders Dion Hinchcliffe and Peter Kim deftly explore how the social, cultural, and technological trends provoked by the social media explosion are transforming the business environment. Designed as both a strategic overview and a hands-on resource, Social Business By Design clearly shows how to choose and implement a social business strategy and maximize its impact. The book:

·         Explains the mechanisms, applications, and advantages of a strategic array of social media topics, including social media marketing, social product development, crowdsourcing, social supply chains, social customer relationship management, and more
·         Features examples from high-profile companies such as SAP, Procter & Gamble, MillerCoors, Bloomberg, HBO, Ford, and IBM who have implemented social business strategies
·         Draws on the extensive research and expertise of the Dachis Group, which has helped numerous Fortune 500 clients plan, build, and activate effective social business solutions

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week – Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2013
Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2013 is an annual industry forecast written by leading philanthropy scholar Lucy Bernholz about the social economy — private capital used for public good. The Foundation Center and the European Foundation Centre are pleased to partner with Ms. Bernholz to offer the Blueprint as a GrantCraft guide. The Blueprint provides an overview of the current landscape, points to major trends, and directs your attention to horizons where you can expect some important breakthroughs in the coming year. Key trends include:
·         Congress will change the rules on tax deductions. Congressional hearings on charitable tax deductions will occur in the first half of 2013. They will set lower limits for charitable deductions for the wealthiest donors.
·         The Affordable Care Act will reveal new opportunities for communities. States and counties will spend much of 2013 designing and implementing the new systems of health care delivery and insurance made possible by the Affordable Care Act. The year provides a good planning opportunity for all social service funders, organizations, and entrepreneurs to plan for the major shift in the social safety net that will become real in 2014.
·         Crowdfunding will go mainstream. People will use crowdfunding sites, like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Crowdrise, and others more than ever, and they will be used for an ever-wider range of funding activities.
·         Civic crowdfunding will grow and may exacerbate inequality. Crowdfunding is not only expanding from independent and nonprofit projects to commercial businesses, there is also a rise in crowdfunding of civic projects, from parks and playgrounds to streetlights. Examples of these sites include Citizinvestor and Neighbor.ly, which allow neighbors to promote and choose civic projects to fund. While there is great excitement about these methods as a way for taxpayers to have choice and a say over the infrastructure in their city, there is concern about the potential of these sites to further divide our communities into “haves” and “have nots.”

To download the guide at no charge, go to:http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=3744

Resource of the Week – Resource Library from LaPiana Consulting
Founded in 1998, La Piana Consulting is a national firm dedicated to strengthening nonprofits and foundations. A large part of the firm's ongoing mission to advance the nonprofit sector has included developing an extensive library of tools, resources, and publications, specifically tailored to nonprofit leaders. Go to: http://www.lapiana.org/research-publications/publications

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

You can use Screenshot in Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010 and Excel 2010.

Picks of the Week: February 10 - 16, 2013

Website of the Week --  The Communications Network
Formed nearly 20 years ago as a membership association, the Communications Network today is a stand-alone nonprofit organization that promotes the use of consistent, strategic communications as an integral part of effective philanthropy. The Network connects communications professionals working in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector to each other for guidance and mentoring and regularly sponsors learning and networking opportunities through webinars and the annual conference. Today, the Network’s membership represents a wide range of foundation communications leaders and consultants who work to advance communications strategies and practices in all mediums. Go to: http://www.comnetwork.org.

Publication of the Week -- Building a Rock-Solid Partnership With Your Board: A Real-Life, Practical Guidebook for Nonprofit and Public CEOs by Doug Eadie
From the publisher:  In Building a Rock-Solid Partnership With Your Board, author Doug Eadie draws on his work with hundreds of nonprofit and public organizations of every size and purpose to explain how board-savvy CEOs effectively manage the human dimension of the governing board-CEO relationship. Using real-world case studies, he outlines five keys to builidng a rock-solid partnership between the organization's CEO and its board of directors: 1.) bring the right mindset to the governing arena; 2.) make the board chair a close ally; 3.) turn board members into strong owners; 4.) make the board's work more interesting and enjoyable; and 5.) put in place a well-designed CEO evaluation process. CEOs who want their nonprofit organizations to thrive in difficult times will learn how to create an empowered board that collaborates effectively with the chief executive in such key areas as strategic and operational planning; performance monitoring; and external relations. Readers will learn to harness the extensive knowledge, experience and outside connections that governing boards can bring to the organization's Strategic Governing Team, helping to assure the nonprofit's long-term success and job security for the board-savvy CEO.

Click to previewthis book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week – Most Facebook Users Have Taken a Break From the Site, Survey Finds

A new survey by the Pew Research Center‘s Internet and American Life Project, conducted in December, found that 61 percent of current Facebook users admitted that they had voluntarily taken breaks from the site, for as many as several weeks at a time. The main reasons for their social media sabbaticals were not having enough time to dedicate to pruning their profiles, an overall decrease in their interest in the site, and the general sentiment that Facebook was a major waste of time.  About 4 percent cited privacy and security concerns as contributing to their departure. Although those users eventually resumed their regular activity, another 20 percent of Facebook users admitted to deleting their accounts. Of course, even as some Facebook users pull back on their daily consumption of the service, the vast majority — 92 percent — of all social network users still maintain a profile on the site. But while more than half said that the site was just as important to them as it was a year ago, only 12 percent said the site’s significance increased over the last year — indicating the makings of a much larger social media burnout across the site. The survey teases out other interesting insights, including the finding that young users are spending less time overall on the site. The report found that 42 percent of Facebook users from the ages of 18 to 29 said that the average time they spent on the site in a typical day had decreased in the last year. A much smaller portion, 23 percent, of older Facebook users, those over 50, reported a drop in Facebook usage over the same period. Go to: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Coming-and-going-on-facebook.aspx

Resource of the Week –  Jargon Finder
The Jargon Finder is an online collection of foundation and nonprofit jargon. Click on any word to see it defined and discussed. Most of the examples are excerpted from Tony Proscio's three book-length essays on jargon that were originally published by The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation: In Other Words, Bad Words for Good, and When Words Fail. To access the Jargon Finder, Go to: http://www.comnetwork.org/category/jargon.

Resource of the Week –  Jargon Finder

The Jargon Finder is an online collection of foundation and nonprofit jargon. Click on any word to see it defined and discussed. Most of the examples are excerpted from Tony Proscio's three book-length essays on jargon that were originally published by The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation: In Other Words, Bad Words for Good, and When Words Fail. To access the Jargon Finder, Go to: http://www.comnetwork.org/category/jargon.

 

Tech Tip of the Week -- Add a Watermark to a Word 2007/2010 Document

Watermarks are text or pictures that appear behind the text. They can add interest or identify the document's status, marking a document as a draft, for example. You can use graphics or text as watermarks.

·         Open a new, blank document, or open an existing document.
·         Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon
·         In the Page Background group, click Watermark
·         Click a design in the gallery or create a custom watermark
·         Select the Picture, if you are creating a Picture watermark
·         Enter the Text, if you are creating a Text watermark
·         Use Print Layout view to view a watermark as it will print

The watermark displays on the background of each page

Picks of the Week: January 27 - February 9, 2013

Website of the Week -- The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Aspen Institute carries out its mission in four ways:
·      Seminars, which help participants reflect on what they think makes a good society, thereby deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives and enhancing their capacity to solve the problems leaders face.
·         Young-leader fellowships around the globe, which bring a selected class of proven leaders together for an intense multi-year program and commitment.
·         Policy programs, which serve as nonpartisan forums for analysis, consensus building, and problem solving on a wide variety of issues.
·         Public conferences and events, which provide a commons for people to share ideas.

Go to: http://www.aspeninstitute.org.

Publication of the Week -- Social Change Anytime Everywhere: How to Implement Online Multichannel Strategies to Spark Advocacy, Raise Money, and Engage your Community by Allyson Kapin and Amy Sample Ward
From the publisher:  Social Change Anytime Everywhere was written for nonprofit staff who say themselves or are asked by others, “Email communications, social media, and mobile are important, but how will they help our nonprofit and the issues we work on? Most importantly, how the heck do we integrate and utilize these tools successfully?” The book will help answer these questions, and is organized to guide readers through the planning and implementation of online multi-channel strategies that will spark advocacy, raise money and promote deeper community engagement in order to achieve social change in real time. It also serves as a resource to help nonprofit staff and their boards quickly understand the evolving online landscape and identify and implement the best online channels, strategies, tools, and tactics to help their organizations achieve their missions.

 

Click to preview this book on Amazon.com

Trend of the Week – 2013 Nonprofit Communications Trends
The  2013 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report from Kivi Leroux Miller’s Nonprofit Marketing Guide surveyed 1435 nonprofits. Responses revealed trends based on questions like: In what shape is your marketing plan for 2013?  Which social media channel are you most likely to add or experiment with in 2013? How often do you plan to email the typical person on your email list? How often do you plan to send direct mail?  What excites you about your work in 2013? Key findings include:
·         Only 1/3 of nonprofit marketers have written and approved plans for 2013.
·         Top goals for nonprofit marketers in 2013 include acquiring new donors, engaging community, general brand awareness
·         Nonprofit marketers with fundraising goals work differently than those with community or branding goals.
·         Social media is starting to edge out email in importance to nonprofit marketers In-person events and media relations growing in importance to nonprofits; print marketing falling

To download the free report, go to: http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/resources/book/2013-nonprofit-communications-trends-report/#

Resource of the Week – Building Capacity in Cultural Competence
Organizational Development & Capacity in Cultural Competence: Building Knowledge and Practice is a monograph series produced by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services with support from The California Endowment. This series articulates several approaches to organizational development and capacity building in cultural competence.  Its purpose is to promote learning and strengthen the effectiveness of both theorists and practitioners in the field. It explores a variety of frameworks for organizational development or capacity building and their implications for practice, taking on a number of issues that arise in real world practice. At essence, the basic questions explored are “Where are we going?” “How do we get there?” and “How do we know when we’ve made progress?” Its audience is not the unconvinced; rather it is aimed at those people who are working as change agents within health organizations. It is assumed that the reader acknowledges the importance of this work and wants to look deeper into the complex issues that arise in practice. Though the focus is health organizations, the series will be of use to a broad range of organizations.  To view and download the monographs, go to: http://www.calendow.org/uploadedFiles/Mayeno.pdf

Tech Tip of the Week -- Using the Data Analysis ToolPak in Excel 2007/2010
Most people are not aware of the Data Analysis ToolPak in Excel. This feature is disabled by default. To use the Data Analysis ToolPak you need to be familiar with Engineering and Statistical terminology. To enable it: 
·         Click the File tab (2010) or Office Button (2007)
·         Click the Options button at the bottom of the menu
·         Click Add-Ins in the left pane 
·         Click Go 
·         Select Analysis ToolPak
·         Click OK

You can now access the ToolPak from the Data tab in the Analysis group.