Friday, September 30, 2011

Social Media

Some good advice about using social media from Third Sector New England.

An excerpt.

“If you post a message on Twitter and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a noise?

“The fact is, there isn’t much reason to tweet if you don’t have an audience—a fundamental truth of all social media channels. As you think about ways to engage constituents and advance your nonprofit and its mission through Facebook, Twitter and blogs, you should also be thinking about how to promote each channel and build your audience.

“Whether you call them “friends,” “fans,” “subscribers” or “followers,” they all mean the same thing for the purposes of this article: you need an audience for any social media strategy to work. The good news is, because of the network effect, attracting a few followers can often increase your potential audience exponentially—the very nature of social media makes it easy for your friends to spread the word to their own networks of friends, and so on.

“So how do you attract people to “like” your Facebook page, follow your Twitter feed or subscribe to your blog? We’ll walk through the key steps one-by-one.

“1. Ensure There’s Something Worth Paying Attention To
It should go without saying that if you want people to pay attention, post something they’ll find useful and relevant. This is true of all communications, not just social media.

“If you’re launching a new blog or Twitter account, start out by posting a few interesting things—even though no one is “listening” yet—to show the audience you hope to gain that your resources might interest them.

“How do you know what will interest the type of people you’d like to follow you? Ask them. Find a good representative sample of your desired audience and start a discussion with them, through conversations, phone interviews or a survey, about what kinds of posts they’d like to read.

“2. Seed Your Community
No one is ever drawn to an empty restaurant, no matter how good the food. Social media is similar—even with brilliant content, it’s difficult to attract supporters to a site that no one else is following.

“Reach out to your staff and other core supporters of your organization and ask them to follow your tweets, or “like” your Facebook page—and to invite their personal friends.

“Getting them to post comments or reply to your posts can help show an active community. A small, critical mass of followers will make it easier to attract others to your channel.

“3. Include Social Media Information with Your General Contact Information
Once you have a few core posts and a reputable-looking number of supporters, it’s time to open the doors to the general public. An easy way to begin doing this is to add your social media profile information anywhere your contact information is given. A Facebook or Twitter logo on your website can link people directly to your pages, and if you have a blog, make sure people can easily find it through your website.

“Email signature lines are often overlooked as useful places to distribute information. You put your title, phone number and email address there—why not include a link to your Facebook page and your Twitter profile?

“Part of getting people to be part of your social community is simply letting people know you have one.”

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Classifying Nonprofits

Defining nonprofits has always been somewhat unfair to the really small organizations I like to work with, grassroots groups started by one person with a vision, and working to fulfill that with less (usually way less) than $250,000 annual revenue.

Karan Zapp has set up a good starting point through her survey, establishing six categories.

An excerpt, modified for clarity.

“Just over a month ago I reached out to the nonprofit industry.

“I asked leaders at nonprofits, colleagues at agencies, and other professionals to cast their vote to help establish classifications of nonprofit organizations by size. Specifically by annual gross receipts….

“Nano … annual gross receipts less than $250,000

“Micro … annual gross receipts greater than $250,000 and less than $500,000 (Range $250,000 – $500,000 per year)

“Small … annual gross receipts greater than $500,000 and less than $10-Million (Range $500,000 – $10 million/year)

“Medium … annual gross receipts greater than $10-Million and less than $50-Million (Range $10 – $50 million/year)

“Large … annual gross receipts greater than $50-Million and less than $100-Million (Range $50 – $100 million/year)

“Mega … annual gross receipts greater than $100-Million"

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bequest Giving

It is generally something that is utilized only by large nonprofits, but has great relevance for small organizations with tight organizational structure and controls.

This article from Contributions Magazine examines what you need to do to start.

An excerpt.

“More and more organizations are using bequest societies to promote their bequest programs.

“In essence, a bequest society is simply a way to encourage and thank donors for their willingness to support your organization by naming you in their will.

“Creating a name

“Typical names for bequest societies include The Heritage Society, The Legacy Society, or even, more simply, The Bequest Society. Any of these are fine. However, you may want a name that accentuates your organization’s history or even a past bequest donor. For example:

• The 1914 Society: The organization’s incorporation date

• The Broad Street Society: Location of the facility

• The William Jones Society: Founder of the organization

“Some other names we’ve come across include: The Path Finders, Lamplighters Guild, The Circle of Concern, Dream Builders, and Friends for Life.

“The bequest society brochure

“A well-done brochure introducing your bequest society will often serve as your best means of communication with prospects. The brochure should include your case for support (or an abridged version of it); some brief, interesting history of your organization; and a return card allowing donors to request more information or notify you of their intent to leave a bequest.

“Make sure your inaugural publication has a shelf life of one to two years since you’ll often want to use it as a “leave-behind” piece for visits with potential donors.

“In your brochure, you’ll want to include the following:
1. Your bequest society’s name

2. How to make a bequest to your organization

3. Whom to contact for more information

4. A way for the reader to respond (postcard, self-addressed envelope)

5. An invitation to join the society (sometimes this is forgotten!)

“You may also want to include a brief letter from your president or executive director introducing the brochure and the new program.

“Your brochure needn’t be as elaborate, provided it includes the five key components we cited above.”

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Story of a Philanthropist

The Philanthropy Roundtable Magazine excels at publishing wonderful stories of philanthropists, how they came to be so and the causes they believe in.

This recent story is another great look at a philanthropist.

An excerpt.

“Hank Rowan was shocked. He paused for a moment, not sure if he had heard correctly. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered with his hearing aid. No, he thought to himself, I’m pretty sure I heard that correctly. Astonishing, he thought, really astonishing. “This,” he finally told his guests, “is extraordinary.”

“It was early March 2008. The men had gathered at Rowan’s offices in suburban Rancocas, New Jersey, 20 miles east of Philadelphia. Outside the air was warm and wet, hinting at an early spring. The visitors were from nearby Media, Pennsylvania. They represented the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades. Rowan was one of their foremost benefactors.

“Rowan was first introduced to the school by Mike Piotrowicz, a Williamson trustee and booster. What Rowan found was a residential junior college dedicated to teaching skilled trades: carpentry, masonry, painting, landscaping, metalwork, and power plant management. Admissions are limited to unmarried men under the age of 20, all of whom come from families at no more than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Each of the school’s 275 students receives a full scholarship.

“Rowan also knew that the 120-year-old school was facing an increasingly uncertain future. Williamson accepts no federal support, and the (now discontinued) stipend it received from the state came to just $64,000 annually. Over the course of the previous decade, its endowment had grown 20 percent, while its operating costs had risen 60 percent. Capital improvements were needed across the century-old campus. Fundraising was consuming ever more time and energy among the school’s senior leadership. The board became increasingly uncomfortable with the financial outlook. In order to secure the long-term viability of the school, it approved a $50 million capital campaign—a seemingly insurmountable sum for a school whose most successful campaign had netted $11 million.

“This, Rowan decided, is a unique opportunity to help a unique charity. In November 2007, five months before the meeting in his office, Rowan had issued a $5 million challenge to Williamson—in nominal terms, the largest gift in the school’s history. It was carefully structured, intending to open new funding sources for the school. It promised to match, dollar for dollar, any gifts from first-time donors, any gifts from people whose lifetime giving was less than $5,000, and any other gift at least five times larger than the previous largest gift. “Try this out,” Rowan said at the time. “I’d like to see how you do.”

“On that warm March morning, Rowan had expected an update about the challenge grant. He knew that the school had raised about $2 million so far, and he was curious how much more progress had been made. But the men who went to Rancocas on that March morning had unexpected news for Rowan. Paul Reid, then the president of Williamson, delivered the message.

“Reid told Rowan that he had visited another local philanthropist about the challenge. Rowan didn’t recognize the other man’s name. This gentleman, Reid continued, had a counter-offer of his own. If I were to put up $20 million, he had proposed, would Hank Rowan be willing to match me?

“Forge of Experience

“Henry Rowan is not easily surprised. An engineer by temperament as well as training, he has long been a methodical planner and a careful thinker. Tall, with erect posture and bright, alert eyes, the 87-year-old Rowan still strides purposefully and speaks in crisply formed sentences. Those traits have served him well throughout his storied career. Rowan is the founder of Inductotherm Industries, the global leader in the manufacture of induction systems for melting, heating, holding, and pouring metal.

“If anything, Rowan is accustomed to surprising others. In August 1945, for example, he dumbfounded the head finance officer at Roswell Air Force Base. Rowan had been training to be a bomber pilot since June 1943. The Germans surrendered shortly after he qualified on the B-17 Flying Fortress. He never deployed overseas. After V-J Day, the other pilots on base took it easy, passing time by playing cards, shooting pool, or knocking around volleyballs. Not Hank Rowan. He realized that he knew nothing about making payroll, but thought it was a skill that might someday be useful. So Rowan badgered the finance officer until he was given permission to spend his last two months in the military handling personnel compensation.

“After he was discharged, Rowan and his new wife, Betty, packed their belongings into a beat-up 1929 Chevy Coupe. In a car that topped out at 28 miles per hour, stopping five times along the way to retighten the engine bearings, they puttered from New Mexico to Massachusetts. There, Rowan re-enrolled at MIT. Supported by the G.I. Bill and savings from his service pay, he completed his degree in electrical engineering in 20 months—during which time, Betty gave birth to their first two children. The day after graduation, Rowan went to work. He took a job with Ajax Electrothermic Corporation in Trenton, New Jersey, then the world’s leading manufacturer of induction furnaces. Rowan was excited to come on board.

“He was soon disappointed. Since the discovery of the induction melting process in 1915, Ajax had enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the market. The company had grown comfortable, complacent. It expected customers to adjust to its expectations, rather than the other way around. Rowan chafed at its self-satisfaction, leaving the company in August 1952. But his restless mind kept grasping at missed opportunities, at the improvements that Ajax had always been reluctant to pursue. In April 1953, a friend and former customer named Paul Foley approached Rowan, telling him about his need for a furnace to melt beryllium copper. Rowan was plenty busy, but he was interested in the technical challenge. Over the next six weeks, he and Betty spent their free time in the backyard, building a 50-pound induction furnace.

“That furnace marked the launch of Inductotherm Industries. On June 6, 1954—exactly 10 years after D-Day—Rowan returned to the induction business as CEO, chief engineer, and, with Foley, half-owner of Inductotherm.”

Monday, September 26, 2011

Keeping Donors

It is one of the most crucial aspects of operating a successful nonprofit, and the methods to accomplish it are well-known and commonsensical, as this article from Nonprofit About.Com notes.

An excerpt, with links at the jump.

“Katya Andresen reported recently on a study that showed nonprofits in 2010 lost $5.54 for every $5.35 that they gained in donations. Donor attrition results in a net loss of nearly two percent.

“The good thing is that nonprofits may be getting better at engaging donors and keeping them since the attrition rate decreased from minus 3.2 percent in 2009….

“The difference between donors that stay around and increase their level of giving to a cause is commitment. Commitment is a scale from low to high that can be measured.

“For every 1000 donors that an organization can move from low commitment to high commitment, it could gain, on average, $200,000 more income.

“This study identified, out of many possibilities, seven key drivers of donor commitment. These are things that your nonprofit can do to improve donor commitment scores. Those seven drivers are:

1. Showing that you are effectively trying to achieve your mission.

2. Letting donors know what they can expect from every interaction.

3. Providing timely thank you's.

4. Giving donors the opportunity to express their views.

5. Helping the donor to feel that he or she is part of an important cause.

6. Making sure that donors feel involved and appreciated.

7. Providing information about who is being helped.”

Friday, September 23, 2011

Fundraising Strategies

The bottom-line in any effective fundraising strategy is communication.

Communicating with your donor community, communicating with the larger community, communicating what it is about your mission that is important and how you are fulfilling it, and this article from Communications Magazine is excellent.

An excerpt.

“You’ve done your homework. You know your pitch. You believe in your mission, and understand the reasons donors give your organization. Even so, you may feel that your fundraising has plateaued… that you’re stuck in a rut or missing out on key giving opportunities. Many times, you may simply feel a sense of malaise – that no matter how much you try, you aren’t leveling up.

“Today, we offer you nine great ideas for powering back on, and taking your fundraising game to a whole new level:

“1. Turn off the Computer and Pick up the Phone

The next time you are getting ready to send out an e-mail, I want you to stop – turn off the computer – and pick up the phone. Instead of e-mailing that donor, prospect, board member or community leader, pick up the phone and call. It’s far more personal and has lasting positive effects on the relationship.

“2. Join a New Networking Organization

Running out of new people to talk with about your organization? Join a new networking group. It could be a local chamber of commerce, the Kiwanis club, your college alumni association, a business group… whatever it is, join and start going to meetings to connect with more people.

“3. Jump on Social Networks with Renewed Vigor

You may have started that Twitter account, LinkedIn Group or Facebook company page with the best of intentions, but as time went on, your interest may have waned, you got discouraged, or simply stopped participating. Now is the time to reengage!

“4. Listen to Your Staff and Volunteers

When was the last time you asked for – and listened to – new fundraising ideas from your staff and volunteers? Get them into the room and ask them for ideas: What should we try? Who should we talk to? What can I do to help you?

“5. Take Your 5 Smallest Donors Out to Lunch

Everyone takes their biggest donors out to networking lunches – and you should too – but have you thought about taking your 5 smallest donors out to lunch? You know, those old ladies who give $50 a year to your annual appeal or those young professionals right out of college who give $25 because they saw an ad for your organization online? Call ‘em up, take ‘em out to lunch, and see what motivates them to give. Maybe they could give more? Maybe they have friends who would want to give? Maybe they will just be shocked that you called… It was only $25 after all!”

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Retaining & Creating Donors

Very good advice from Contributions Magazine.

An excerpt.

“Why is it that fund raisers don’t have time to devote to building relationships with their most promising donors? Often it is because they are busy organizing galas, awards dinners, or other events that are expected to raise big bucks and bring in new “heavy hitters” but somehow always fall short of expectations. Here are some tips for keeping the focus on donor stewardship when you plan your next event.

"1. Respect your donors

The people who support your organization are motivated by some combination of belief in your mission, respect for the person who introduced you to them, and excitement about your organizational personality. When you get a gift before, during, or after an event, remember that it was an actual person who wrote that check.

"2. Use your event to focus on your mission

Every step of your event – invitations, program books, speeches, party favors, thank you notes – gives you the chance to cement the connection between your donors and the missions that they make possible. Tug some heart strings. Tell some tear-jerking stories. Make the mission come to life.

"3. Do not indulge in excess party planning

Keep it simple. Minimize every celebratory flourish that does NOT connect your donors and partners with your mission. Don’t break a sweat about the color of the napkins.

"4. Use the event to enlarge your family

A mission-focused event is a great way to engage new people. Don’t get hung up on the price of a ticket. If it will benefit your organization in the long run to have someone get introduced, find a way to invite him or her as the guest of the executive director. Or of a board member.”

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Post Office

We couldn’t do without them, and this nice reflection from Nonprofit About.com highlights their value to all of us.

An excerpt, with links at the jump..

“I really don't want the post office or mail delivery to go away.

“It's true, I've complained over the years...about grumpy postal employees, long lines to mail packages at the holidays, circling the block waiting for a parking space in tiny post office lots, and the constantly rising cost of stamps.

“But, I've rarely met a post person delivering my mail that I didn't like. I still love checking my mailbox and am sorely disappointed when it's empty. Even junk mail seems somehow comforting.

“I don't mind if the postal service drops Saturday deliveries, closes some post offices, and phases out overnight mail...all actions that are being considered by postal service management and, soon, by congress.

“I just don't want to lose it. Nonprofits, I'm sure, don't want to lose it either. Even though all of our electronic wizardry has helped threaten the USPS, we can't get along without it.

“Direct mail fundraising is still the most widely used and successful of any fundraising technique ever, and think of all the thank you letters, newsletters, and invitations that the nonprofit sector sends daily.”

Monday, September 19, 2011

Donation Statistics

The ongoing difficulty raising funds is reported in an article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, with links at the jump.

An excerpt.

“Charities are barely raising enough money from new and repeat donors to keep up with the losses from people who have stopped giving, according to a new study of donor records for 2,377 charities.

“In total, the charities in the study raised more than $1.6-billion last year. But for every $5.35 that they received in donations, they lost $5.54 from donors who gave less or stopped giving altogether.

“As a result, contributions fell by an average of 1.9 percent.

“That finding, however, shows improvement over the previous two years, when the charities fell even further behind in contributions.

“The charities in the study lost an average of 17.7 percent in contributions during 2009 after flat returns the year before.

“The charities in the study also did better in increasing the number of people who support their organizations, with an average 1.7-percent increase in supporters, compared with a 2.2-percent loss in 2009.

“Charities are not paying enough attention to retaining the donors that they worked so hard to get in previous years,” said Elizabeth Boris, director of the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, which released the study with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. “Nonprofits have to get better at telling current donors what they’ve accomplished and building that connection that will last.”

Friday, September 16, 2011

Nonprofit Overhead

It often causes troubles when nonprofit managers are trying to describe how their organization fulfills its mission to potential donors, but, as the excellent book, Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, explains:

“Overhead is a Fiction

“The very thing we are trying to measure is a phantom. We are taught to think of overhead as the enemy of all good causes. Its evil is supernatural. But there is no such thing as overhead—not as we have been taught to think about it, as something separate and distinct from the cause itself.

“The definition of a cynic has been said to be a person who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The issue of nonprofit overhead ratios is a cynic’s paradise. When we ask, “What percentage of my donation goes to the cause?” we are asking about overhead, and we give rise to this illusion of something other than the cause—something that has little or no value to the cause. We create a sharp dividing line between one kind of expense and another kind of expense, both of which are going to help the cause but one of which we are told is not. The word “overhead” explicitly encourages us to create a distinction about expenses that has no basis in reality. Not only is what we call overhead not bad, it’s not not going to the cause. In fact, it is. The distinction is a distortion.

“One hundred percent of the money we donate to charity goes to charity, unless one kind of fraud is going on or some kind of ineptitude. And if there is fraud or ineptitude, asking what percentage of donations goes to the cause is hardly likely to reveal it. People who commit fraud don’t report it in line-item detail. People who are inept are as inept at reporting their overhead percentages as they are at performing good works. Absent these problems, we should assume that every cent out of every dollar we give to charity is going in good faith to serve some kind of charitable purpose, as the charity best sees fit to serve that purpose.” (pp. 162-163)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Websites, Our Front Porch

They are just that for most nonprofits and they should be inviting the visitor to actually knock on the door, wanting to come in and stay awhile, as this article from Nonprofit About.com reports.

An excerpt.

“Even after reading about it, I don't understand a Weibull Distribution and really don't even care. But the latest news from Jakob Nielsen's wonky Alertbox is still very useful when trying to figure out how to keep your visitors on your webpages long enough to count.

“Visitors don't stay very long...period.

“It turns out that the average webpage visitor stays less than a minute. But, if the reader finds your webpage "valuable," he or she may stay longer. What counts are the first 10 seconds! That's when we "triage" the information and make a snap decision about its value to us.

“Once the webpage survives the 10 second mark, it's likely your reader will hang around a bit, at least for another 20 or 30 seconds. If they stay beyond that, they might even hang out there for a couple of minutes or more.

“Why is this important? Turns out that search engines love high quality webpages that keep readers around. The longer they stay, the higher your page is likely to rank in a search.”

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Board Members & Courage

This article from Venture Philanthropy Partners is excellent, reminding board members that their job is to ask questions, get answers, and bring the level of passion, skill, and talent for which they were originally recruited as board members, to the proceedings of the board and fulfillment of the mission of the organization.

An excerpt.

“They check their brains at the door” is a complaint often heard about business leaders who serve on nonprofit boards. This complaint has merit. I regularly observe business leaders who are reluctant to apply the same rigor, objective questioning, performance expectations, and data-informed decision-making that serve them well in their day jobs.

“I’ve been guilty of this myself. I remember, with great chagrin and embarrassment, how much difficulty I had finding my sea legs when I first joined a nonprofit board. I was appalled by the lack of information available to us, and the little information we did have told me that the organization and its charismatic leader were struggling mightily. Instead of speaking up and constructively demanding the level of stewardship and governance that I took for granted in my corporate board roles, I just got frustrated and said little.

“I don’t think I checked my brains at the door. But I sure as hell checked my courage.

“As I reflect on why I didn’t speak up, I suppose I just didn’t know what my role “allowed” me to say or ask. I was the new guy from the business world without any real experience with the type of services the organization provided. I joined this board thinking it would be a “nice thing to do” and certainly not intending to ruffle feathers.

“I know others from the business world have felt this same hesitation, as well as a related one: Friendships and social ties with the executive director and other board members can blur objectivity and a sense of accountability.

“The net is that too many nonprofit boards are downright afraid to stir conflict, rock the boat with hard questions, challenge executive directors, and hold the organization accountable for its performance. We simply don’t want to “hurt somebody’s feelings” or, God forbid, introduce any aspect of conflict—even when it might spur constructive debate. Unfortunately, when we elevate “harmony” over mission and purpose, our clients/beneficiaries often pay a big price in terms of the quality of services they receive.

“Timid, polite, “collegial” boards may eventually start asking the right questions, but often it’s too late. The questioning finally comes when they’re faced with a problem so severe that they have no choice but to tackle the real issues. By that time, they’re in crisis mode, which, ironically, almost always results in broken glass and busted relationships as well as well as less-than-desired programmatic results.”

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

501 c 3 Nonprofit Startups

It is complicated, much more so than most people realize, and much more difficult than even a few years ago due to an increase in the IRS regulations around obtaining the tax exemption, yet it is one of my favorite tasks as a consultant, helping someone committed to a mission getting incorporated, grounded, and working.

This free online nonprofit management resource is terrific and this article from Nonprofit About.com is an excellent look at starting up.

An excerpt, with a bunch of links at the jump.

“Starting a nonprofit is complex, with many missteps possible at any point. Going from nothing to a sustainable and financially healthy nonprofit is not for the timid. Avoiding these common nonprofit startup mistakes will get you off to a great beginning.

“From a review of the literature already available on this topic and by posting the question on various social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Quora, I found that these mistakes were the most likely to plague nonprofit startups:

“Lack of a business plan is one of the most prevalent mistakes that startup nonprofits make. In their enthusiasm to do good, many founders of nonprofits forget that a nonprofit is a type of business. Businesses have business plans in hand before launching. A business plan encompasses an evaluation of the competitive environment, sources of funding, potential products or services to be offered and to whom, and a needs assessment.

“Lack of Financial Savvy

“Close behind lack of planning is unrealistic expectations about funding for a startup nonprofit. Many founders do not anticipate what it will cost to start their nonprofit, much less have any idea of where to get the funds. Any nonprofit startup needs a funding plan, must decide if services provided will be available for a fee or be free, and should institute a good financial records system. A nonprofit that has weak funding at the beginning is unlikely to be able to sustain itself long enough to get a vigorous fundraising program going.”

Monday, September 12, 2011

Nonprofits and Information Technology

A good article about this—with several resources linked—from the Foundation Center.

An excerpt, with links at the jump.

“PND: How has the Great Recession affected the information technology field, and what has that meant for nonprofits?

“Stephanie Cuskley: From my perspective, and based on conversations I've had with others in the field, the recession has forced everyone to throttle back on their IT spending. At the same time, companies have started to think about how IT is not just a cost but a strategic initiative that drives who we are and what we do.

“Today, I think there's a lot more focus on IT as an innovation opportunity as opposed to just a line-item for corporations, and I think nonprofits feel the same way. However, IT is not something nonprofits get a lot of funding for, so most cover their IT expenses by carving out funds from other places. Generally, when they lose funding, nonprofits are forced to look at how they could do IT cheaply while still driving their mission forward. I think that's one reason why so many organizations have taken to social media. They're searching for innovative ideas and are more interested in implementing them. Nonprofits today are saying "Yes, I will look at cloud computing" because it and other online tools are cheaper, have some flexibility, and help organizations increase their reach.

“PND: Since 2002, NPower's Technology Service Corps has helped underserved high school graduates in New York City become IT professionals. With the unemployment rate stuck at 9.2 percent, what's the outlook for hiring and salaries for recent graduates entering the field?

“SC: Actually, the IT world is in pretty good shape right now. People are hiring and we have seen incredible response from the corporate community and continued good response from nonprofits for our graduates. I think we're benefiting from the fact that the IT community is pretty robust. It is taking the nonprofit community much longer to recover from the recession than it has the for-profit IT community, because government budgets, which support a lot of nonprofits, are still weak.

“PND: Last November, you launched The Community Corps to connect IT volunteers to nonprofits with IT needs. How is TCC different from portals like VolunteerMatch or the federal site United We Serve, and how are they similar?

“SC: TCC is focused exclusively on the IT field and is project-oriented. NPower scopes out the IT projects included on TCC, which users of the site — nonprofits, public schools, and libraries — can use or create on their own. The site's automated matching algorithm then matches a volunteer who has the skills and interest to a group in need.

“The site is similar to other online volunteer portals because it is highly scalable. Like VolunteerMatch, which includes listings from across the country, TCC has expanded to thirty-eight states since its launch. With the help of NPower's corporate sponsors, the site has grown exponentially over the past seven months. For example, one sponsor that joined the site recently sent a note out to its employees and in four days two hundred volunteers signed up, resulting in forty matches and forty nonprofits getting free IT help.”

Friday, September 9, 2011

Ken Kesey & Sacramento

When Ken Kesey spoke in Sacramento on the Quad at Sac State in the halcyon days of love, beads, and flower power, I was there, and it was a memorable event in my life forming the foundation of the thinking that led me to a lifetime of work in the nonprofit sector.

But that was not all he did while visiting Sacramento, as the last paragraph in this excerpt from an article about him & Jack Kerouac in the American Scholar notes.

An excerpt.

“If the 1950s and ’60s belonged to Jack Kerouac, then the ’60s and ’70s belonged to Ken Kesey. Both of them were my clients, and I liked and admired each of them. Although they differed in age, personality, and writing styles, they overlapped as writers of their times, and there was room for both. Each man was an iconoclastic thinker whose writing and philosophy inspired passionate devotion in his readers.

“Before I ever met Kesey, Tom Guinzburg, president of Viking Press, called me one day in 1961 to ask whether Kerouac would write a blurb for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey’s first novel. Tom had bought the book, but Viking had not yet published it. Publishers are always looking for well-known writers to offer positive comments for the book jacket or a press release. A blurb can be particularly helpful if readers feel there is a creative relationship between the two writers. I had no idea whether Kerouac would help, because I couldn’t remember his having blurbed before, but I didn’t think he would be offended if I asked. I thought he might even be flattered. So I told Tom to send me the manuscript. I read it before passing it on to Jack, and I knew right then that I wanted to work with Kesey. His novel was a bold, creative story of what happens in a mental institution—a very daring subject for his time. In the end, Jack did not write a blurb; he felt uncomfortable doing it, perhaps not wanting to get into that arena and all that went with it, and I respected that….

“Kesey had an open mind, but once he had made up his mind, he stuck to it. People often associate One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with the movie and Jack Nicholson’s outstanding performance in it. But Kesey never saw it. Shortly before the movie was released, he and Faye met with a studio lawyer to clear up questions related to its future earnings. The lawyer managed to offend both Ken and Faye, and at one point he became so irate with Ken that he yelled, “When the movie comes out, you’ll be the first in line to see it.” Ken just glared at him and swore to himself he would never see it—and he never did.

“When I was with him in New York City in 2001, a few months before he died, he still hadn’t seen the movie that so many people associate with him. We were sitting in the Royale Theater with David Stanford, Ken’s editor and longtime friend, and a reporter for The New York Times who was doing a story about Ken. We were watching a revival of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company from Chicago. I could tell that Ken was interested in the performance but not very enthusiastic about it. So I asked him, “Ken, what’s the best theatrical performance of Cuckoo’s Nest you’ve ever seen?” Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Sacramento High School.” I was really surprised. And then he added, “They caught the ambiance better than anyone before or since.” Age hadn’t changed him or dimmed his perception in any way. He was the same Ken I had come to know so well.” (highlighting added)

Thursday, September 8, 2011

California Nonprofits & Property Taxes

Some interesting developments reported by this story in the New York Times.

An excerpt.

“A growing number of nonprofit groups in California are being denied exemption from property taxes because the state’s chief tax collector and assessors contend they do not do enough to benefit state residents, according to lawyers representing the groups.

“I have a client who applied for the exemption recently and has been denied on the basis that it would not be doing enough to benefit the citizens of California,” said Ofer Lion, a lawyer. Mr. Lion would not name his client, but said it was a new charity with “a global outlook in its mission.”

“They purchased a building in California because they relied on being able to qualify for property tax exemption,” he said. “If it has to pay the tax, it’s not going to go under, but less money will, of course, be available for its mission.”

“No one knows how many nonprofit groups in California have been affected or why the issue has become contentious now, but the state’s budget woes have been mentioned as a likely motive. “It probably has something to do with the economy,” said Stephanie L. Petit, who has clients dealing with the process. “I think regulators are starting to look more closely at organizations that have the property tax exemption.”

“State and local governments have been taking a hard look at nonprofits and the various tax exemptions they receive for the last couple of years, as tax revenues have fallen and the demand for public services has risen.

“Last year, Hawaii tried — and failed — to impose a 1 percent tax on nonprofit groups. Boston has asked nonprofits to pay the city what is essentially a discounted property tax, and Chicago plans to ask nonprofits to start paying water and sewer fees.

“Not surprisingly, such plans run into stiff opposition from nonprofit groups and their political supporters. But in California, the rules on the property tax exemption for nonprofits evolved out of a 1944 ballot initiative, so they are more grounded than in many other places — if not necessarily applied assiduously by county assessors.

“The state has a two-tiered system, in which nonprofits first apply to the Board of Equalization, which collects state-mandated fees, sales and sin taxes and certifies exemption eligibility.”

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Nonprofit Websites

They are the front porch of most nonprofits and it is vital that they be kept spruced up and inviting, as this article from Nonprofit About.com writes.

An excerpt.

“I finally gave up on finding any information online about nearby senior centers for my neighbor. There was next to no information online, and certainly no websites.

“I then looked for senior centers in the next county and found wonderful sites for each of the several centers with photos of volunteers, activities, and facilities. My neighbor started going to one that was just over our county line and really not too far away. Our city's senior centers were out of luck.

“A website for a nonprofit or a government organization is a given by now. You simply do not exist if you are not findable online. People (of all ages) search for what they want online.

“However, some nonprofits think that if they just put up a static site, that will be enough. But, in truth, those may be worse than not having one. A website should be living, dynamic and energetic. It should reflect your organization's personality and mission through great photos, copy, and design.

“There are three reasons so many websites lack any spark, and they don't have anything to do with bells and whistles such as flash, videos, or twitter feeds:

"1. Outdated information. Consider the message you send if your website has not been touched in months. Fresh, lively content should be added at least weekly. New photos should be mixed in at least every couple of months. Blogs should be updated at least twice a week and more if possible.

"An easy way to refresh a website without changing everything is to provide a feature area on the home page for a short article and photo of something new at your nonprofit. A preview of an upcoming event; an update of a fundraising campaign; a heart warming story of a client helped; a profile of a long-time donor. These can all be slotted in at regular intervals while the bulk of your site stays basically the same.”

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Public Private Partnerships

These are generally very good arrangements, allowing the public sector to maintain ownership—and ultimate control—over the commons, while having the private sector, either a forprofit or nonprofit, manage it.

However, some see problems with this, but those expressed in this article from My South End in Boston, appear more geared towards public safety, which most people visiting the park in question would probably applaud.

An excerpt.

“It’s lunchtime on a beautiful spring day in Boston. You sit on a bench in a park right in the middle of the city. You check out the buildings around you and marvel at how much they are worth thanks to the protected green space where you are sitting. Everyone loves this space.

“While you sit happily, enjoying the sun, it might bother you to learn that the land on which you bask is publicly owned -- but privately controlled. The City handed it to a private development group to build an underground garage topped with this park. The renowned private Friends group that keeps the park beautiful and decides who can use it is actually this for-profit development group, and their enormously profitable 1400-car garage is exempt from City property taxes, enjoying a tax break about ten times the amount of the park’s maintenance costs.

“While you ponder those troubling facts, don’t plan a protest: free speech and free assembly are prohibited in the park. Private surveillance cameras surround the park, and parents playing ball with a child, casual musicians, citizens collecting political signatures or distributing political information, groups of visitors, people wielding cameras and persons lying on benches or appearing to be asleep - don’t sit with your eyes closed sunning your face! -- may be asked to leave.

“Sound like something from George Orwell’s 1984? Or maybe you misunderstood and it’s a private garden?

“Nope. Welcome to the "public" Post Office Square Park, operated privately for the enjoyment of, well, desirable people, mainly the employees and clients of the nearby office-tower owners , and customers of the park’s up-scale cafe.

“Boston’s famed Post Office Square Park is a poster-child of public-realm philanthropy. It is a privately managed open space that has vastly enhanced the property values of its founding abutters, who otherwise faced the competition of a new tower on that site. The Park’s creators have won the trust and good will of public officials and city residents, who laud its manicured upkeep. But the City agreement anticipated $300,000 a year in profit-sharing to benefit other parks; none of that has materialized, because Park costs but not garage profits are attributed to the Friends.”

Thursday, September 1, 2011

SCORE Helps Out

One of the great nonprofit organizations, and one I benefited from over thirty years ago in getting my first nonprofit started, is SCORE, noted in this article from the Sacramento Bee.

An excerpt.

“Starting a business in a recession is tough. Keeping it on course in a rough economy is even more of a challenge.

“Volunteer business counselors from the nonprofit organization SCORE see the challenges Sacramento-area business owners face as they reach the two-year mark.

“Seven of 10 new firms survive at least two years, but just half stay open at least five years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Now SCORE is launching a program aimed at business owners looking to grow and expand during that critical time.

“Titled "Becoming a Well-Run Business," the first six-week class begins at 7 a.m. Sept. 7 at Maidu Branch Library, 1530 Maidu Drive in Roseville. It's the first site in a trio of Sacramento-area locations that will host the classes.

“Plans are to launch similar classes in El Dorado County in January and Sacramento County in March, said SCORE counselor Bill Duthler, who will teach the classes with fellow counselor Jack Mayfield.

“The course is designed by Duthler, a retired small-business owner and author whose book "Timeout: Strategies to Focus Your Business and Make It Thrive" makes up the course's foundation.”