As our long-time readers know, we see one of our key roles as helping to inform our nonprofit community about what other nonprofits are doing. As the general economy shows signs of emerging from the recession, we want to hear what you are seeing and doing as an update to our survey in the Spring of 2009. We really need your input by Friday, December 10.
Following is a short, 19 question, multiple choice survey. Most questions are focused on 2010 and plans for 2011 - with a few questions about what you have done since mid-2008 to deal with the recession.
Though some of the information may seem detailed, we have attempted to structure it so you can answer off the top of your head without any research. Don’t hesitate to skip a question. We would appreciate just one leader from your organization filling out the survey - Exec Dir/CEO/COO/CFO/Bd Chair or Treasurer.
Please complete our on-line survey by clicking here.
Thank you for your time,
Bryan
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Nonprofits Rush to Solicit Donations via Text, but the System Is Flawed
The earthquake in Haiti was an “aha!” moment for nonprofits, demonstrating within hours the vast potential to raise money by text messaging.
Using a simple five-digit code and the word “Haiti,” the American Red Cross raised some $2 million in the first 24 hours after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake — almost as much as was raised in the previous year by nonprofits with text-to-give programs in 2009.
Over all, the Red Cross pulled in more than $30 million by mobile phones for its work in Haiti, setting off a scramble among nonprofits to figure out a way to replicate that success.
“We got calls from thousands of nonprofits wanting to get started with mobile giving,” said James Eberhard, founder of Mobile Accord, whose subsidiary, mGive, was behind the Red Cross’s Haiti campaign.
Read the entire article.
Using a simple five-digit code and the word “Haiti,” the American Red Cross raised some $2 million in the first 24 hours after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake — almost as much as was raised in the previous year by nonprofits with text-to-give programs in 2009.
Over all, the Red Cross pulled in more than $30 million by mobile phones for its work in Haiti, setting off a scramble among nonprofits to figure out a way to replicate that success.
“We got calls from thousands of nonprofits wanting to get started with mobile giving,” said James Eberhard, founder of Mobile Accord, whose subsidiary, mGive, was behind the Red Cross’s Haiti campaign.
Read the entire article.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Form 990 Tax Return Is More Than Numbers - BKD Insights Archive
The Form 990 is prepared by not-for-profit organizations to comply with IRS annual filing requirements. Your Form 990 also may be used to rank your organization against other organizations in your area and throughout the United States, comparing such items as spending on your mission, fundraising efficiency and organizational efficiency. A study of 30 metropolitan markets across the United States was just released, which ranked Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the most charitable conscious city with a median score of 59.38. Baltimore, Maryland was ranked the least charitable conscious with a median score of 51.89. The national average was 55.68, with 70 being the highest possible score.
There are several organizations that evaluate charities, including the Better Business Bureau and Charity Watch, but the largest is Charity Navigator, a not-for-profit organization that evaluates charities and rates them based on organizational efficiency and growth capacity. These services are usually free to the public to view; all you need to do is sign up for an account.
Read the full article.
Questions? Contact Debi L. Ladyman, CPA, Partner at 317.383.4072 or
dladyman@bkd.com or Joe Vande Bosche, CPA, Partner at 317.383.4039 or jvandebosche@bkd.com.
There are several organizations that evaluate charities, including the Better Business Bureau and Charity Watch, but the largest is Charity Navigator, a not-for-profit organization that evaluates charities and rates them based on organizational efficiency and growth capacity. These services are usually free to the public to view; all you need to do is sign up for an account.
Read the full article.
Questions? Contact Debi L. Ladyman, CPA, Partner at 317.383.4072 or
dladyman@bkd.com or Joe Vande Bosche, CPA, Partner at 317.383.4039 or jvandebosche@bkd.com.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Can Five Short Questions Change the Nonprofit World?
"I often get into discussions with my nonprofit clients about "What is success for your organization? What is the change you are trying to create?"
We know it can be hard to measure success and we know we must first define it for our organization. Here is a short article about a national initiative that hopes to gain traction in getting all of us to think more about the impact we create through our organizations. I'm not sure that these would be my five questions, but I absolutely support the end goal." Bryan
Independent Sector, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and GuideStar USA are collaborating on an effort to get charities to answer five fundamental questions about how they operate. The very process of answering the questions could help charities with strategic planning or describing themselves more clearly to the public, say proponents of the effort, called "Charting Impact." If the idea catches hold, it could also provide a standardized framework through which to evaluate charities.
The five questions are:
* What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
* What are your strategies for making this happen?
* What are your organization's capabilities for doing this?
* How will your organization know if you are making progress?
* What have and haven't you accomplished so far?
The effort, supported by the Hewlett Foundation, is currently being tested
by a few dozen charities.
Read the full article.
We know it can be hard to measure success and we know we must first define it for our organization. Here is a short article about a national initiative that hopes to gain traction in getting all of us to think more about the impact we create through our organizations. I'm not sure that these would be my five questions, but I absolutely support the end goal." Bryan
Independent Sector, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and GuideStar USA are collaborating on an effort to get charities to answer five fundamental questions about how they operate. The very process of answering the questions could help charities with strategic planning or describing themselves more clearly to the public, say proponents of the effort, called "Charting Impact." If the idea catches hold, it could also provide a standardized framework through which to evaluate charities.
The five questions are:
* What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
* What are your strategies for making this happen?
* What are your organization's capabilities for doing this?
* How will your organization know if you are making progress?
* What have and haven't you accomplished so far?
The effort, supported by the Hewlett Foundation, is currently being tested
by a few dozen charities.
Read the full article.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER
An Introduction to Internships for Your Nonprofit
Join us on Wednesday, November 3 from 9am-11am to learn how your nonprofit can benefit from student interns during the summer or throughout the year. We will address several key barriers identified in a brief survey in June of 2010 by Charitable Advisors – 1) lack of clarity about what roles an intern might fill and the value they would bring, 2) perceived difficulty in recruiting a talented intern, and 3) uncertainty around paid versus unpaid internships.
Representing the internship triangle of students, employers and career professionals, panelists will share how internship programs unlock student potential and provide a source of talent for nonprofit organizations. Whether you are the CEO or HR Director at a large nonprofit or the Executive Director or Program Manager at a smaller nonprofit, you will walk away with practical ideas and specific steps you can take to begin an intern effort.
This (No Charge) information session is hosted by the Not-for-Profit News, Indiana INTERNnet, and United Way of Central Indiana. The event will take place at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Conference Center, 8th Floor of the Hyatt Hotel/PNC Tower at 115 West Washington Street. Convenient and inexpensive parking is available across the street on the 3rd floor of the Circle Center Mall garage off Maryland and just walk across the connector to the elevators.
There is no charge but please register and answer a few questions so we can prepare a great session. Register here.
Bryan Orander, President
Charitable Advisors and Not-for-Profit News
www.CharitableAdvisors.com
www.NotforProfitNews.com
317-752-7153
Join us on Wednesday, November 3 from 9am-11am to learn how your nonprofit can benefit from student interns during the summer or throughout the year. We will address several key barriers identified in a brief survey in June of 2010 by Charitable Advisors – 1) lack of clarity about what roles an intern might fill and the value they would bring, 2) perceived difficulty in recruiting a talented intern, and 3) uncertainty around paid versus unpaid internships.
Representing the internship triangle of students, employers and career professionals, panelists will share how internship programs unlock student potential and provide a source of talent for nonprofit organizations. Whether you are the CEO or HR Director at a large nonprofit or the Executive Director or Program Manager at a smaller nonprofit, you will walk away with practical ideas and specific steps you can take to begin an intern effort.
This (No Charge) information session is hosted by the Not-for-Profit News, Indiana INTERNnet, and United Way of Central Indiana. The event will take place at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Conference Center, 8th Floor of the Hyatt Hotel/PNC Tower at 115 West Washington Street. Convenient and inexpensive parking is available across the street on the 3rd floor of the Circle Center Mall garage off Maryland and just walk across the connector to the elevators.
There is no charge but please register and answer a few questions so we can prepare a great session. Register here.
Bryan Orander, President
Charitable Advisors and Not-for-Profit News
www.CharitableAdvisors.com
www.NotforProfitNews.com
317-752-7153
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Board Development is “In Season” – Two Great Opportunities
One of the most common refrains I am hearing these days is how nonprofits who have always looked to their Executive Director/CEO and staff to keep the organization financially and operationally sound now need the board to step up and do more than attend meetings and review the financials. You might recall an article we ran in August overviewing research that found three critical success factors in boards that increased their effectiveness:
From: What Really Works in Building a Strong Board (Not-for-Profit News - July 13 Blog Post ).
1. Outside governance expertise or training – a “nudge” – from a facilitator or board member attendance at outside training contributed to a new vision of the board.
2. The Board Chair - critical in creating movement and building momentum for change, in partnership with the executive director. The board chair usually engaged a few other board members, building a small group of champions for change.
3. Intention - Study participants described a specific, articulated intention to develop the board: ”We were obsessed with board development.” “Status quo was not OK.”
Here are two great opportunities for board leaders to set aside any excuses for not knowing how to create a strong board for their organization. Please get these dates on the calendars of a couple of your board leaders – or bring a group!
How True Philanthropy Can Transform Your Board: a workshop for nonprofit executive directors and board chairs with Jamie Levy of J.D. Levy Associates, Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 8:00 AM – Noon, Shepherd Community Center – Admission $15. Jamie Levy is president of J.D. Levy and Associates and a faculty member at Indiana University, where he teaches in the graduate and professional programs through the IU Center on Philanthropy, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and The Fund Raising School. Through his teaching and consulting, he has trained nearly 12,000 professionals from over 30 countries. Join Jamie to explore how an understanding of "true philanthropy" can move your board from a group of individuals to a body of unified leadership, and how seeing your board through the eyes of a culture of philanthropy will empower your board members to be lifelong advocates as opposed to short term duty. See how the board meetings change when we view the board as a social asset and begin moving the board culture away from problem spotting toward value creation and framing.. We invite you to attend as a team, executive director and board chairman. Register at http://transformyourboard.eventbrite.com , or call 812-447-0345.
2nd Annual Central Indiana Board Chair Summit, January 21, 2011, 8:00am-Noon, Madame Walker Theatre – Admission $49. The primary purpose of the Central Indiana Board Chair Summit is to provide an opportunity for Board Chair leaders to learn new strategies and share ideas with one another that will foster healthier and higher performing Boards. The first-ever Central Indiana Board Chair Summit sold out in January 2010 and elicited tremendous feedback from the more than 80 organizations in attendance: 95% of board chairs rated the Summit as “above average” or “excellent”; 94% of board chairs learned new ideas or skills that could be put into practice immediately; 88% believe they will serve more confidently in their role as Board leader. As one of the 2010 Summit attendees stated: “Realizing that our problems were universal and typical with non-profit boards and hearing peers in my position talk about approaches for resolving them were the most useful aspects of the Summit.” Registration will open soon. Watch the NFP News for more information or contact nruschman@peacelearningcenter.org to be added to the mailing list.
From: What Really Works in Building a Strong Board (Not-for-Profit News - July 13 Blog Post ).
1. Outside governance expertise or training – a “nudge” – from a facilitator or board member attendance at outside training contributed to a new vision of the board.
2. The Board Chair - critical in creating movement and building momentum for change, in partnership with the executive director. The board chair usually engaged a few other board members, building a small group of champions for change.
3. Intention - Study participants described a specific, articulated intention to develop the board: ”We were obsessed with board development.” “Status quo was not OK.”
Here are two great opportunities for board leaders to set aside any excuses for not knowing how to create a strong board for their organization. Please get these dates on the calendars of a couple of your board leaders – or bring a group!
How True Philanthropy Can Transform Your Board: a workshop for nonprofit executive directors and board chairs with Jamie Levy of J.D. Levy Associates, Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 8:00 AM – Noon, Shepherd Community Center – Admission $15. Jamie Levy is president of J.D. Levy and Associates and a faculty member at Indiana University, where he teaches in the graduate and professional programs through the IU Center on Philanthropy, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and The Fund Raising School. Through his teaching and consulting, he has trained nearly 12,000 professionals from over 30 countries. Join Jamie to explore how an understanding of "true philanthropy" can move your board from a group of individuals to a body of unified leadership, and how seeing your board through the eyes of a culture of philanthropy will empower your board members to be lifelong advocates as opposed to short term duty. See how the board meetings change when we view the board as a social asset and begin moving the board culture away from problem spotting toward value creation and framing.. We invite you to attend as a team, executive director and board chairman. Register at http://transformyourboard.eventbrite.com , or call 812-447-0345.
2nd Annual Central Indiana Board Chair Summit, January 21, 2011, 8:00am-Noon, Madame Walker Theatre – Admission $49. The primary purpose of the Central Indiana Board Chair Summit is to provide an opportunity for Board Chair leaders to learn new strategies and share ideas with one another that will foster healthier and higher performing Boards. The first-ever Central Indiana Board Chair Summit sold out in January 2010 and elicited tremendous feedback from the more than 80 organizations in attendance: 95% of board chairs rated the Summit as “above average” or “excellent”; 94% of board chairs learned new ideas or skills that could be put into practice immediately; 88% believe they will serve more confidently in their role as Board leader. As one of the 2010 Summit attendees stated: “Realizing that our problems were universal and typical with non-profit boards and hearing peers in my position talk about approaches for resolving them were the most useful aspects of the Summit.” Registration will open soon. Watch the NFP News for more information or contact nruschman@peacelearningcenter.org to be added to the mailing list.
What Really Works In Building a Strong Board?
You may recall an on-line survey we promoted last fall for a board researcher named Mary Hiland, Ph.D of Hiland Associates in California. She appreciated the 30+ organizations who responded from Cincinnati and Indianapolis about both board turnarounds and boards that had shown growth to new levels of effectiveness. In total, she looked at 59 cases from organizations across a broad spectrum of budget and board size. Mary is still assembling the detailed analysis and report but wanted our readers to be among the first to receive her preliminary findings.
She found five dimensions that participants consistently identified in the way boards work:
· Alignment: Right people doing the right things with the right skills.
· Individual growth: Assisting each board member to be the best they can be.
· Team building: Fine tuning how the group works as a team.
· Maturity: The board's ability to understand the needs of the organization and their best roles as a collective group.
· Asset creation: The collaborative process by which boards reach their full potential to lead and add value to the organization in achievement of the mission.
The results reflected a continuum of board development, seemingly independent of the organizational life cycle:
1. Getting the basics right.
2. Improving overall board functioning; building board infrastructure.
3. Becoming more strategic.
4. Attracting investment, social capital(people and influence), and engaging with the community in powerful ways.
She found three critical success factors:
1. Outside governance expertise or training - a "nudge" - usually from a trainer/facilitator or a board member's attendance at outside training contributing to a new vision of the board.
2. The Board Chair - critical in creating (or inhibiting) movement and building momentum for change, in partnership with the Executive Director/CEO. The board chair usually engaged a few other board members, building a small group of champions for change.
3. Intention - Study participants described a specific, articulated intention to develop the board: "We were obsessed with board development." "Status quo was not OK."
What is a "Stronger Board"? The tangible improvements included changes in:
· Leadership - More leadership; better leaders.
· Interpersonal dynamics - Better, stronger relationships among the board members and with the Executive Director/CEO.
· Engagement - Increased attendance and participation. Better quality discussion, better preparation. More energy, momentum.
· Board functioning - better meetings, more ownership of the board's work, more effective committee work, and recognition that the board needs to work on itself - not just the organization.
· More strategic; Less involved in operations - Taking it to the next level.
· Composition: More diverse, better "quality" of board members
· Community engagement - Board members increased engagement with the external community, "got it" regarding fundraising, increased identification and use of board member's networks, and/or strengthened advocacy.
We look forward to learning more as she continues her work. You can find more about Mary Hiland at www.hiland-assoc.com.
She found five dimensions that participants consistently identified in the way boards work:
· Alignment: Right people doing the right things with the right skills.
· Individual growth: Assisting each board member to be the best they can be.
· Team building: Fine tuning how the group works as a team.
· Maturity: The board's ability to understand the needs of the organization and their best roles as a collective group.
· Asset creation: The collaborative process by which boards reach their full potential to lead and add value to the organization in achievement of the mission.
The results reflected a continuum of board development, seemingly independent of the organizational life cycle:
1. Getting the basics right.
2. Improving overall board functioning; building board infrastructure.
3. Becoming more strategic.
4. Attracting investment, social capital(people and influence), and engaging with the community in powerful ways.
She found three critical success factors:
1. Outside governance expertise or training - a "nudge" - usually from a trainer/facilitator or a board member's attendance at outside training contributing to a new vision of the board.
2. The Board Chair - critical in creating (or inhibiting) movement and building momentum for change, in partnership with the Executive Director/CEO. The board chair usually engaged a few other board members, building a small group of champions for change.
3. Intention - Study participants described a specific, articulated intention to develop the board: "We were obsessed with board development." "Status quo was not OK."
What is a "Stronger Board"? The tangible improvements included changes in:
· Leadership - More leadership; better leaders.
· Interpersonal dynamics - Better, stronger relationships among the board members and with the Executive Director/CEO.
· Engagement - Increased attendance and participation. Better quality discussion, better preparation. More energy, momentum.
· Board functioning - better meetings, more ownership of the board's work, more effective committee work, and recognition that the board needs to work on itself - not just the organization.
· More strategic; Less involved in operations - Taking it to the next level.
· Composition: More diverse, better "quality" of board members
· Community engagement - Board members increased engagement with the external community, "got it" regarding fundraising, increased identification and use of board member's networks, and/or strengthened advocacy.
We look forward to learning more as she continues her work. You can find more about Mary Hiland at www.hiland-assoc.com.
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