Third Sector Connector :: Forum

How to lure the best leadership team? Envision it. [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:27:18 -0000

Tips:: How to lure the best leadership team? Envision it.
Want a quick and easy way to build a high-performing team? Envision it.

All too often, I see organizations recruiting for key leadership positions without doing anything to excite top candidates. It's more than just a missed opportunity. This routine approach can lead to poor hiring and leadership turnover that can permanently damage an organization.

Here's one example of the minimalist "we-all-know-what-this-job-is" approach from a recent job posting for an Executive Director...http://clicky.me/dOp

6 Great Questions for Nonprofit Leaders in the "New Normal" [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Wed, 19 May 2010 19:07:52 -0000

Tips:: 6 Great Questions for Nonprofit Leaders in the "New Normal"
In a recent presentation, Michael Guillot from Gadd/Guillot shared his list of six questions designed to "energize our community through stronger philanthropy." We think these are awesome questions for anyone in any position in any organization to be able to answer at any time. They are...
http://clicky.me/cDG

Military pearls and gems: Lessons for the nonprofit sector. [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Tue, 18 May 2010 15:55:29 -0000

Tips:: Military pearls and gems: Lessons for the nonprofit sector.
When attending conferences, I always seek out off-the-beaten-path learning opportunities so the session, "A Military Perspective on Board Leadership" caught my eye at the recent regional Building Better Boards training in Florida's panhandle. Brigadier Gen. Neil Snyder (Ret.) and RADM Rick Grant (Ret.) shared the Army and Navy points of view, and also covered the Marine's perspective on behalf of Gen. Robert Milligan (Ret.) who had a last minute emergency.

As I expected, there was a fair amount of the "command-and-control" language that doesn't really translate well into effective nonprofit governance, but there were also a few pearls and gems to pass on. Read more...http://clicky.me/bsS

How can we lead from the future as it emerges? [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Mon, 17 May 2010 19:34:24 -0000

Tips:: How can we lead from the future as it emerges?
What does it take to lead from the future as it emerges? Leading through change often means getting to know yourself more intimately first, and C. Otto Scharmer's Theory U is rich with advice on how to get there. For students of change, it is 450 pages of complex thought about how to open your mind, your heart, and your will to the future. It's a "must-read" in my library, and it will leave you wanting to re-read it again and again. Although Scharmer's work isn't directly targeted to nonprofits, NGOs or social enterprise, his 24 principles easily translate into some awesome guidance on leading through change:

Here's my "change agent" version of Scharmer's principles and practices...http://clicky.me/bbb

Alphabetical List of Tips Prior to May, 2010 [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Sun, 09 May 2010 18:33:11 -0000

Tips:: Alphabetical List of Tips Prior to May, 2010

Tips prior to May, 2010 in Alphabetical Order	Link

12 tips for face-to-face "asks"	http://clicky.me/b5I
18 traits of #Nonprofit and #NGO Leaders	http://clicky.me/b5J
20 tips for effectively reaching the media	http://clicky.me/b5M
3 characteristics of orgs that are thriving instead of just surviving	http://clicky.me/b5t
4 quick tips for engaging Gen Y in the workplace	http://clicky.me/b5R
4 solid reminders for nonprofit websites	http://clicky.me/b5S
5 best practices for an individual donor letter	http://clicky.me/b5U
5 reasons people may not give to your cause	http://clicky.me/b5U
5 simple tips for #nonprofit and #NGO leaders	http://clicky.me/b5W
5 trends that will shape the future of the #nonprofit and #NGO sector	http://clicky.me/b5Y
54 ways to optimize your #nonprofit or #NGO website	http://clicky.me/b5a
6 attributes of an effective Board chairperson	http://clicky.me/b5b
63 ways to reactivate lapsed donors	http://clicky.me/b5w
7 habits of organizations that will outrun the recession	http://clicky.me/b5e
7 must-know community change agents	http://clicky.me/b5f
7 questions that orgs should be asking and answering	http://clicky.me/b5h
Are "best practices" really best?	http://clicky.me/b5j
Are people like water taps? Collecting constituent feedback	http://clicky.me/b5k
Are you "shoulding" all over yourself?	http://clicky.me/b5l
Are you a community change agent? 17 telling signs	http://clicky.me/b5m
Are you a financially savvy leader? 20 questions you should be able to answer	http://clicky.me/b5o
Are you directing traffic or driving the bus?	http://clicky.me/b5x
Are you just getting ready to dive into social media?	http://clicky.me/b5z
Are you just getting started with a major donor campaign?	http://clicky.me/b60
Are you spreading “Silo Disease”? 15 ways to spot it & 10 ways to stop it	http://clicky.me/b61
Are you swimming with the social media current?	http://clicky.me/b62
Avoiding "groupthink" in your org	http://clicky.me/b64
Board meeting minutes: 14 Ways to Improve Them	http://clicky.me/b66
Board self-assessment 6 free resources with 352 questions	http://clicky.me/b68
Building a performance management system	http://clicky.me/b69
Building out your Board? An interesting place to look	http://clicky.me/b6B
Checklist and tips for online fundraising	http://clicky.me/b6C
Considering for-profit revenue or social enterprise? 8 important questions	http://clicky.me/b6D
Considering going international? 7 important questions	http://clicky.me/b6E
Creating a code of ethics for your org. Why you need one, and samples	http://clicky.me/b6F
Creating a great workspace increases productivity	http://clicky.me/b6I
Creative uses for your organization's budget. Really!	http://clicky.me/b6J
Ditch your ED/CEO report and let your staff do the reporting at Board meeetings	http://clicky.me/b6L
Do you need to reach the GenY and Millenial crowds? Join the band!	http://clicky.me/b6P
Does your organization need an "Inspiration Audit"?	http://clicky.me/b6Q
Don't just manage. LEAD through difficult times	http://clicky.me/b6R
Dust off your by-laws and put 'em to work	http://clicky.me/b6e
Earned income as part of your balanced fundraising portfolio	http://clicky.me/b6S
Engage the community (and potential funders) through storytelling: 8 Tips	http://clicky.me/b6T
Engaging absent Board members	http://clicky.me/b6V
Get off the dance floor...a survival guide for leaders	http://clicky.me/b6X
Get unstuck by keeping your ideas fresh	http://clicky.me/b6c
Getting started with a nonprofit or NGO blog - benefits and resources	http://clicky.me/b6Y
Good resource for recruiting corporate volunteers	http://clicky.me/b6Z
Got a problem Board member, staff person, or colleague?	http://clicky.me/b6a
Governance for #nonprofits - From Little Leagues to Big Universities	http://clicky.me/b6g
Great shared governance tips	http://clicky.me/b6h
High impact giving opportunities - 4 areas of focus in 2010	http://clicky.me/b6i
High-performing teams: 4 Common Denominators	http://clicky.me/b6j
How to bounce back from adversity	http://clicky.me/b6k
How to develop a strong fundraising Board	http://clicky.me/b6m
How to keep grantwriting both creative and successful	http://clicky.me/b6n
Innovation and creativity: How they are different and why we need both	http://clicky.me/b6t
Interesting resources for commute-time learning	http://clicky.me/b6o
Is Board development part of the norm for your org?	http://clicky.me/b6q
Is constant transformation the "new normal" for the nonprofit sector?	http://clicky.me/b6s
Is your "thank you" as good as your "please"?	http://clicky.me/b6u
Is your Board stuck in a rut or creating a real future?	http://clicky.me/b6v
Is your mission front and center? 18 places it should be	http://clicky.me/b6x
Just getting started measuring program outcomes? Do we have the resource for you!	http://clicky.me/b6y
Lessons from the business sector: customer service, communication, technology	http://clicky.me/b70
Make time for people who DON’T give, too!	http://clicky.me/b79
Need a budget primer?	http://clicky.me/b7A
Need to manage some overload?	http://clicky.me/b7B
On accountability and community	http://clicky.me/b7C
On Servant-Leadership & Sector-Leadership	http://clicky.me/b7D
Online media isn't just for fundraising. Mobilize supporters and influence policy, too.	http://clicky.me/b7F
Powerhouse people create powerhouse organizations	http://clicky.me/b7I
Preparing effectively for major donor meetings	http://clicky.me/b7J
Projects focused on indigenous people: 5 Tips for Funding	http://clicky.me/b7L
Shared governance and how to do it effectively	http://clicky.me/b7N
Should we treat endowments as rainy day funds?	http://clicky.me/b7O
Social media & nonprofits: 5 great slide decks	http://clicky.me/b7Q
Spice up your Facebook Fan Page with a navigation bar	http://clicky.me/b7S
Technology decision-making - a well-planned approach	http://clicky.me/b7V
The donor-fundraiser relationship: 6 Changing Trends	http://clicky.me/b7W
The fine art of leading transparently and gaining trust	http://clicky.me/b7Y
The intersection of irrationality and the philanthropic sector	http://clicky.me/b7Z
The oft-neglected care and feeding of a Board	http://clicky.me/b7a
The power of praise	http://clicky.me/b7c
Tips for cost-containment and cash flow management	http://clicky.me/b7f
Transformative Collaboration: Coalitions, Strategic Alliances, Joint Ventures, Mergers	http://clicky.me/b7g
Want a great way to build team and retain staff? Add mentoring to your menu.	http://clicky.me/b7i
Want a low-cost way to extend your end-of-the year fundraising?	http://clicky.me/b7j
Want an easy strategy to retain donors during difficult times?	http://clicky.me/b7k
What are you putting off out of fear?	http://clicky.me/b7m
What do cars need that nonprofits or NGOs also need? Dashboards!	http://clicky.me/b7o
What do nonprofits and elephant riders have in common?	http://clicky.me/b7p
What do top-flight Board members want?	http://clicky.me/b7q
What's so funny? Humor, nonprofits, and leadership.	http://clicky.me/b7r
What's the ultimate test of success for winning organizations?	http://clicky.me/b7s
What's valuable about having values?	http://clicky.me/b7u
When do your donors decide to give and what 3 things do they want?	http://clicky.me/b7v
Why add Millenials to your Board?	http://clicky.me/b7w
Will the emerging 4th sector accelerate social change?	http://clicky.me/b7x

Under-voting in small nonprofit organizations [by Anne Kjemtrup]

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:00:03 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: Under-voting in small nonprofit organizations
I am a board member of a small (200 members) nonprofit religious organization. We have an annual membership meeting where we elect 3 new board members (among the usual annual meeting items). One general member each year insists that it is perfectly okay to get a bunch of members to vote for only 1 of the candidates (usually there is slate of 5 candidates) although 3 new board members must be chosen. This stragic under-voting effectively guarantees that his candidate of choice will be on the board and deprives the other candidates of votes. Under-voting is not outlawed in our by-laws and Robert's Rules of Order (which we follow if something is not covered in our by-laws) does not outlaw it either. We have recently changed our by-laws to allow our election committee to set policy each year on voting procedures and they announce well ahead of the election that members must vote for three candidates (no more, no less) for a ballot to be valid. Still, the arguments arise. In a large organization, under-voting would not have a great effect. In a small organization, this can throw an election. We are looking for best-management practices of small organizations that would specifically address this issue. Does anyone know of such practice guidelines?

Looking to meet fundraisers and nonprofit leaders [by Mazarine]

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:35:30 -0000

Connection Café:: Looking to meet fundraisers and nonprofit leaders
Hi!

My name is Mazarine. I write http://wildwomanfundraising.com. I'm looking for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, either from the US, or abroad, to interview for my blog.

I want to ask you how the downturn has affected your organization, about leadership in fundraising and in nonprofit organizations, and about realtime web giving.

My email is info@wildwomanfundraising.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Re: Underperforming CEO/ED and performance review. [by Mazarine]

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:33:04 -0000

Leadership Roundtable:: Underperforming CEO/ED and performance review.
First of all, kudos to you for figuring this out and staying on top of the governance of this organization. Time and time again I've seen boards who are completely checked out, who have no idea what is really going on at a nonprofit.

Having difficult conversations with leadership must take place as soon as you possibly can manage it. Time is critical, especially now.

Second of all, I don't agree with the previous answer. This person assumes they know what's wrong with your nonprofit. Here are some questions.

Aside from not being proactive with fundraising,
Is this leader mistreating workers?
Is this leader not understanding how to interact with your development director?
Is this leader disorganized, harshly critical, and impervious to feedback?
Is this leader slandering workers and telling you they are all "stupid"?
Is this leader not good about keeping promises to board members about meetings?

If the answers to the above are all "YES" then to manage this leader, this is how I would have the conversation.

I would start with asking the leader what's going on in their life right now. I would tell them about one good thing that they're doing, if you can think of one. Then I would ask them if they thought they were having any challenges with this job right now. Then I would ask them if they saw their challenges, what they would like to do to begin to address them.

If the leader did not see any challenges, then I would say, This is what the board sees as your challenges right now. We are all fundraising as hard as we can. We are trying to set the best example for you. You have had 16 months to begin to fundraise for this organization. We are not seeing any forward movement on your part. We need you to have ten major donor meetings in the next three months. We need you to ask for large gifts. You can spend the first two months researching, cultivating, and narrowing down a pool of donors, but you need to do this now.

And then you can tell them that the fact that they have accomplished these meetings will count for 50% of their results to the board, and the actual monetary outcome of these meetings, the other 50% of results.

Tell them that you and the board and the development director will all be there to support them in these meetings, whether they need introductions, research, major gift coaching, etc. But that they need to get them done.

Then, if at the end of three months, they haven't gotten any gifts or gone on their meetings, then you have grounds to give them their one month notice.

I've got more about how to manage people at my website.

http://wildwomanfundraising.com

Who makes up the ideal board of directors? [by Laura Deaton]

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:19:30 -0000

Leadership Roundtable:: Who makes up the ideal board of directors?
In our Third Sector Connector LinkedIn Group, a colleague recently posted this question: "Who makes up the ideal board of directors? I am looking for info on a small board start up for a nonprofit. Thank you."

I thought other members might want to chime in, so I decided to post my answer here for her (and link to it so that she can easily access the dialogue), so here it goes!

Deborah - That's an important question since your Board is ultimately responsible for leading the organization and setting critical direction based on your vision, mission, and strategic goals. All too often, I've heard people advise others to put together a skills matrix and recruit based on essential job functions. For instance, you need someone with financial savvy, so you recruit a CPA. You need someone to help with marketing, so you recruit a PR or marketing pro. You need legal advice so you recruit an attorney. You need diversity that mirrors the composition of your community.

While I agree that there's something to be said for identifying critical needs, I think that my colleague Hildy Gottlieb has articulated a model in her book, The Pollyanna Principles, which is a perfect opportunity for a nonprofit that's just getting started! In essence, she suggests that we recruit and foster boards that "Govern for What Matters" and that are learning communities focused on the mission, vision and values of the organization. You have the chance to start from scratch and bring on the people who are truly committed to visionary community change, instead of those who hold particular job titles or who meet specific diversity criteria.

Here's a link to our tips archive that provides lots of great resources on boards and shared governance.

Addition to original post: This link on creating a code of ethics also has some great questions and could be a great starting point for a new Board, too.

Anyone else have some advice to share?

Why call it the "third sector?" [by Mark Deaton]

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:27:34 -0000

The Welcome Mat:: Why call it the "third sector?"
We had an email come in today with a question that I thought was so good that I decided to post and answer it publicly. The question was:

"Hello, I recently had someone challenge me about why the term "third sector" is used as it implies that it comes after business and government. How do you respond when your brand is built on this term? Thanks!"

My response was:

Great question! Most societies categorize organizations into three main groups -- Government, For-profit, and Not-for-profit. Commerce and government have been around for thousands of years, but organized charity, as a well-defined category, has only been around for several hundreds of years. So, the first answer is that the community benefit sector is often referred to as the "third sector" because it is historically the newest on the scene. I should mention, too, that some people are beginning to refer to a "fourth sector" that is comprised of hybrid organizations or partnerships that in some way or other combine government, for-profit and/or not-for-profit organizations with the intent of positively impacting the community at large. The second answer is that the term "third" in this case doesn't have any rank-related meaning to it, like coming in third in a foot race would. And, finally, we recently rebranded and chose Third Sector Connector as our name because it is more global in scope.

I'm sure there are other members who can weigh in here, too, and we welcome all participation! What do you think about calling it the "third" sector?

Mark

Re: Board Contributions [by nonprofitmaven]

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:41:35 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: Board Contributions
A key to board giving is making sure that "giving" is an expectation up front. I encourage the organizations with which I work to develop job descriptions for their Board which are given to those nominated for Board positions in advance with a request that they return a signed copy acknowledging acceptance of the responsibilities outlined.

Norman Olshansky
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.

Introducing JackTheDonkey.com, a socially responsible social network. [by David Katz]

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:15:45 -0000

Marketing Meetup:: Introducing JackTheDonkey.com, a socially responsible social network.
I have recently launched a social network called JackTheDonkey.com, the community where your time online supports the charity of your choice.

JackTheDonkey.com is what some call a socially responsible social network as we donate 1.1 cents every impression to your choice of more than 20 charities from across Canada, the US, and the UK (paid at par depending where the charity is registered). Simply sharing, viewing or commenting on pictures or "deep thoughts" makes cents!

JackTheDonkey.com also takes a "softsell" approach to keeping the charities top of mind among existing supporters, while trickling into the consciousness of potential supporters, as the charities' Twitter feeds have recently been incorporated into their supporters' personal profile pages, viewable to the community.

There is another key component to the site that we are rolling out in the near future which will provide an additional stream of funds for the charities on jackthedonkey.com.

Attached are also links to a couple reviews of Jack that were posted recently on a couple startup related sites as well as some local press I was able to generate this past summer:

http://startupmeme.com/jackthedonkey- ... rt-your-favorite-charity/

http://www.killerstartups.com/Social- ... -a-charity-the-social-way www.JackTheDonkey.com

http://www.cjnews.com/images/stories/Heebonics/June_25_09.pdf

JackTheDonkey.com is free for members of the community and the participating charities...with this miracle of support coming from corporate sponsors.
Please feel free to contact me at stayintouch@jackthedonkey.com, on twitter.com/inyourfacebook or via jackthedonkey.com if you are in interested in chatting about adding your organization to the community where giving a poop about your favorite charities happens freely & regularly.

Survey: International Fundraising - Now More Important Than Ever? [by Anu721]

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:29:47 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: Survey: International Fundraising - Now More Important Than Ever?
Philantropia Survey: International Fundraising – Now More Important Than Ever?

Philantropia invites your NGO to participate in a survey that plans to determine if international fundraising provides good opportunities for funding NGO’s.

The results of the study will be published in December of 2009, and will be made available through Philantropia.org, various list servs, and e-mailed to participants. The survey results will remain anonymous and no personal information will be released.

The link to the survey is:
http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.asp ... ff-4893-8a8d-f121486580a8

Please complete the survey as soon as possible, at the latest by November 30 2009.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in this survey, please forward this link to them.

Thank you for your participation!

If you have any problems accessing the link, or have additional comments or questions, please contact:

New DVD Training Set/Resource for Nonprofits [by Anonymous]

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:54:58 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: New DVD Training Set/Resource for Nonprofits
HOW CAN YOUR NON-PROFIT GROW EVEN IN DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES?

Rather than just try to stay afloat in these tough times for non-profits, why not utilize a GREAT NEW RESOURCE to help train your key staff and Board members on how to grow by making the right strategic choices for your non-profit?

On December 15, NonProfit Fundamentals is releasing a NEW 5-DVD TRAINING SET for non-profits entitled "STRATEGIZING FOR NON-PROFIT GROWTH". The five 45-minute sessions are taught by non-profit coach Judy Almand who has been leading a variety of non-profits for the past 20 years, with positions including Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society for half of Georgia and parts of South Carolina and Senior Director of the American Heart Association in Charleston, South Carolina.

The topics of the 5 sessions are

1. Evaluating Your Structure
2. Planning Your Future
3. Developing Your Resources - Board, Volunteers, Key Staff
4. Training Your Executive Team
5. Raising the Income
PLUS a Supplemental CD Rom filled with pre-tests, worksheets, and post-test evaluations to help your non-profit plan, strategize, and grow!

The training set will be sold for $350 but, AS AN EARLY RELEASE PRE-ORDER SPECIAL, THE ENTIRE SET, IF ORDERED BY DECEMBER 1, WILL BE OFFERED FOR $300 and will also include a bonus disc entitled "Donors. Find Them. Keep Them." The entire set is a great training resource for your office and one that can be used again and again with new staff and Board members.

For more information on the training set, visit http://www.nonprofitfundamentals.com

To take advantage of the special pre-order offer and discounted price, visit http://www.nonprofitfundamentals.com/preorder

For any questions or more information, please contact:

info@nonprofitfundamentals.com
or Judy Almand at jalmand@almandconsulting.com

The latest funding opportunities via email http://www.grant-a-gram.com/ [by rsarahs]

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:56:53 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: The latest funding opportunities via email http://www.grant-a-gram.com/
The service Maberry offers is to gather the grant and funding information from various sites, compile the information, and deliver the desired categories of information to each person via email. Maberry performs this service for free.
more details at http://maberryconsulting.com

Reactivating Lapsed Donors [by Laura Deaton]

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:43:12 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: Reactivating Lapsed Donors
Lapsed donors don't always get the attention they deserve, and we all know that we need every donor we can get! We've gathered links from across the web with some great ideas for reactivating your donors and bringing them back into the fold.

10 Ways to Reactivate Lapsed Donors from Andrew Olsen at Fundraising Strategies

Fundraising 101 : 10 Things You Need to Know About Reactivating Lapsed Donors from Lawrence Henze at Fundraising Success Magazine.

An Alluring Proposition: Don't give up on your lapsed donors. With the right strategy, you can bring them back into the fold and it's easier than trying to win new ones from Cary Castle at Fundraising Success Magazine.

Tips on Calling Lapsed Donors from Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training.

Tips for Reinstating Lapsed Donors from the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association

Lapsed Donors: How to Write a Fundraising Letter That Wins Them Back from Alan Sharpe and Sharpe Copy, Inc.

Getting Back Lapsed Donors from The Nonprofit Times

When is it time to kiss and say goodbye to your mailing list? by Sandy Rees at the Get Fully Funded Blog

Do you have any other links or tips that we should add to the list or any comments? Just log in and join the conversation!

Nonprofit/NGO Expense Reduction & Cost-Cutting Ideas [by Laura Deaton]

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:37:28 -0000

Emergency Room:: Nonprofit/NGO Expense Reduction & Cost-Cutting Ideas
We all know that community benefit organizations always have lean, mean expense budgets, but now's definitely the time to just double-check and make sure you've explored all of your options. Here are some resources we've found that include some traditional and not-so-traditional ideas for cost savings.

Nonprofit Cost Analysis Toolkit: Links and Resources from the Bridgespan Group

20 Cost Cutting Ideas for Nonprofits from Fieldstone Alliance

Expense Reduction Opportunities for Nonprofits Looking to Cut Back from Cherry & Holland, CPAs

10 Ways for Nonprofits to Cut Costs from About. com

Cost Reduction Ideas from The Cost Reduction Consultant

Cost Cutting Tips for Nonprofit Entrepreneurs

Managing in a Tough Economy from Bridgestar

Do you know of other resources or have some strategies and tactics that haven't been mentioned? Log on in and add a comment!

Blogging Starter Resources [by Laura Deaton]

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:35:12 -0000

Marketing Meetup:: Blogging Starter Resources
Here are a few resources that nonprofits and NGOs may find helpful if you're considering blogging:

Nonprofit Blogging: Goals, Strategy and Tactics to Crush it from NetWits Think Tank

8 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Blogs from Have Fun, Do Good

Blog Heaven, why nonprofit organizations absolutely should be blogging ... and some sobering reality checks. From Fundraising Success Magazine

Should your organization blog? From Donor Power Blog

Why add a blog to a nonprofit website? From Suite 101

Anatomy of a blog from About.com

Blogging Best Practices Checklist from Capture the Conversation

10 Elements of an Effective Nonprofit or Do-Good Blog by Have Fun, Do Good

A Nonprofit's Guide to the Blogosphere from TechSoup

These are just a few resources. Do you know of others? Leave a comment with link(s)!

Commute-time learning resources? [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:49:32 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: Commute-time learning resources?
Know of any good resources for good commute-time learning like podcasts or books on tape? We're pulling together a growing list, so post them here and we'll add them to our list!

Re: Suggestions for our site? [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:43:38 -0000

The Welcome Mat:: Suggestions for our site?
From Facebook:
Mamadou Ibrahima Fall: Hope this new platform will help volunteers across the world to better challenge the future and impact the world social sector.MIF

Updated list: Free How-To Grant Writing Resources [by Laura Deaton]

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:40:21 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: Updated list: Free How-To Grant Writing Resources
Hi - We've just updated our list of free websites with how-to tips for newbie or rusty grant writers (or those just looking for inspiration). It now includes the 79 Grant Writing Resources Blog by Ruth Wahtera!

Re: Know any web resources for grant writing? [by Laura Deaton]

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:33:32 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: Know any web resources for grant writing?
Awesome, Ruth. It's fun and different, and I've added it to our list! Thanks for your support, too!

--Laura

Free web resources for a refresher or for beginning grant writers [by Laura Deaton]

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:55:25 -0000

Fundraising Corner:: Free web resources for a refresher or for beginning grant writers
Hi - I've pulled together this quick resource with free websites that have good tips or information for beginning grant writers. It's intended for a beginner or as a refresher for those who've gotten a bit rusty. Please leave a reply and let me know if you find it valuable and also alert me if I've missed any that you've found helpful. I can easily update this list at any time!

Warm regards,
--Laura

Re: Local after-school program having a hard time [by Laura Deaton]

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:07:48 -0000

Emergency Room:: Local after-school program having a hard time
Hi, Friend - Sounds like you're in a tough position. I'd need to know a little more before giving you much more advice, but here are my preliminary thoughts:

(1) Have you considered issues-based advocacy? By that, I mean, grab some parents and go meet with the school board, or go to a public meeting and share your concerns. Now isn't the time to be bashful if it may mean the demise of the organization. Is there anyone on your board who has an "in" with decision makers there?

(2) Go to the media. Get your families involved in a letter writing campaign to the local newspapers, get on the radio show, talk about how important your program is to the community, bring in the local TV station to see the kids at work.

(3) Bridge funding. Are there any foundations or major donors that might help by providing you with funding long enough for you to explore longer-term resources without completely shutting down?

(4) Speaking of bridges, now may be the time to re-build bridges. Consider approaching the "big name" program about taking on your part-time program staff as a pilot program, or contracting with your staff to continue to provide services (assuming no duplication exists). Usually this works best if you can bring something to them as well. For instance, do you have any board members or donors that could join their organization. Could you create good publicity around a merger?

Just a few thoughts...Anyone else have some advice?

--Laura

Re: Is outsourcing the back office a smart move for small nonprofits? [by Kim Bell]

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:28:10 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: Is outsourcing the back office a smart move for small nonprofits?
Laura, I am going to look into this for a small non profit that I am a board member of. Also, I have been considering outsourcing my fundraising experience as a consultant but am unsure where and how to begin. Thanks for the post!

Welcome and Forum FAQ and Rules [by 3rd Sector Connector Admin]

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:39:57 -0000

The Welcome Mat:: Welcome and Forum FAQ and Rules
Thank you for becoming a member! These discussion forums provide a place for the staff and board members of community benefit organizations (nonprofit, NGOs and other people who support the third sector) to come together and share knowledge. The more people who actively contribute to the forum - whether by asking questions, giving advice, or sharing resources, the more we will all benefit as a sector! Share this resource with your peers and invite them to join us. The only questions that go unanswered are the ones that aren't asked.

Guidelines:
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Our rules are designed not only to enhance our ability to encourage connections, support, and sharing of resources, but also to keep the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming for all of our members and visitors.

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General Best Practices For Boards and Staff Leaders at Nonprofit Orgs [by Laura Deaton]

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:48:19 -0000

Leadership Roundtable:: General Best Practices For Boards and Staff Leaders at Nonprofit Orgs
In my work, I frequently get asked, "What are best practices for...?" Invariably, I send people to this really valuable tool that was created during trainings with youth services organizations in Whatcom County Washington. I've seen many other "Best Practices" tools, and this is one of my favorites. Do you have a similar tool that you like?

Best Practices for MySpace [by Laura Deaton]

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:16:26 -0000

Marketing Meetup:: Best Practices for MySpace
I stumbled on these great tips this morning from Heather Mansfield of DIOSA Communications on best practices for using MySpace. Anyone else doing something really creative on MySpace?

e-Advocacy: What's legal? [by Laura Deaton]

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:47:34 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: e-Advocacy: What's legal?
I recently had a participant at a training session ask me about the slippery slope of e-advocacy and what is legal for nonprofits. Although I gave a really general answer about issues-based advocacy, I realized I wanted to learn a little more about this topic. Boom! I came across this great resource and wanted to share it. E-Advocacy for Nonprofits was written by Elizabeth Kingsley and Gail Harmon of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP, and John Pomeranz and Kay Guinane of the Alliance for Justice. Although they charge for the printed version, they have generously made the full 69-page manual available for free.

Anyone else have some great resources to help nonprofits who are engaged in advocacy stay legal, and still do a great job?

--Laura

Interesting article: Nonprofits paying price for gamble on finances [by Laura Deaton]

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:00:56 -0000

Best Practices Pavilion:: Interesting article: Nonprofits paying price for gamble on finances
Quote:

Homeowners and businesses were not alone in taking on piles of debt over the last decade. Nonprofits of all sizes did the same, and now they, too, are paying the price.

Full article.