2012 Nonprofit Salary Survey Report is Available

Similar to the 2010 survey, this report covers twelve leadership and management positions based on responses from nearly 300 organizations. We want to thank our sponsors who make it possible to provide this report at no cost to everyone. They are First Person Benefit Advisors, Crowe Horwath, and FlashPointHR.

Please be patient with the download.

Making Effective Financial Decisions in an Uncertain Environment

By Steven K. Stucky, CPA; Partner, Sikich LLP

Today's environment of economic and political uncertainty is taking a toll on non-profit organizations and their donors. Non-profit leaders have three primary levers at their disposal when making financial and investment decisions-what comes in (fundraising and capital campaigns), what goes out (spending) and what you do with what you have (asset allocation and investments). The uncertainty poses challenges to pushing these levers and making strategic, long-term decisions and plans.

In order to make successful financial decisions for your organization's future, there are a number of steps you can take. Starting with identifying your goals, use a robust set of planning tools-such as operational or financial software solutions-to determine where your organization should be in one year, five years and even further down the road. Keep in mind what you can and cannot control, and focus your strongest efforts on that which you can control. Finally, determine whether or not working with an informed advisor will help. Experts can guide you during complex situations, from working on your investment policy statement to crafting ways that will unlock donor potential.

Sikich's Indianapolis office has tools, resources and strategies that help leaders in the non-profit industry make effective financial and investment decisions, as well as other critical business decisions. To learn more about how you can take action, view this on-demand webinar on the Sikich website. Steven K. Stucky, CPA is a partner in the Indianapolis office. He can be reached at 317-842-4466 or e-mail sstucky@sikich.com.

About Sikich
Sikich LLP, a leading accounting, advisory, technology and managed services firm, has more than 400 employees throughout the country. Founded in 1982, Sikich ranks as one of the country's Top 50 Certified Public Accounting firms. www.sikich.com

7 Board Activities Can Help Charities Bring In More Money

By Holly Hall

Charities are more likely to meet fundraising success when their boards pursue at least seven types of fundraising activities, such as holding events and seeking gifts from friends, according to a new study - conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative. Some interesting insights:

* Organizations with budgets under $3-million were more likely to succeed when their boards helped in a wide range of solicitations.

* For charities with budgets of $3-million to $10-million, the number of fundraising activities pursued by trustees didn’t matter as much. But those who met their fundraising goals were most likely to be successful when their trustees asked others to give, allowed their names to be used in solicitations, or rated potential donors on their ability to give.

* Among charities with budgets of $10-million or more, getting the board personally involved in reaching out to other supporters increased the chances of fundraising success.

Read the article and access the study: Special Report – Engaging Board Members in Fund Raising.