Welcome to the Nonprofit Partnership E-News

In this Issue

	December, 2008
	Keep Your Donors Connected
	What NPP Members Want
	Upcoming Education Sessions from NPP
	New from HR First Resource
	Writing Your Best Press Release
	Best Holiday Wishes

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Robert Wooler,
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December, 2008

This edition of The Nonprofit Partnership e-news is sponsored by Malin, Bergquist & Co.

Keep Your Donors Connected

Donors who stop giving to a particular nonprofit do so primarily because they feel disconnected, according to a new study released by Bank of America and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. According to the study, of those who ended their support to at least one charity last year, three out of five donors said they did so because they no longer felt connected to the group. These findings raise questions about how nonprofits can effectively nurture connection without appearing to solicit too often. The right balance of visits, web and e-mail involvement, paper communication, and events can be tricky but is essential for maintaining connection.

Supporting the notion that the act of donating is more about the donor and less about the recipient, about half the donors surveyed believe their giving has a bigger impact on their personal fulfillment than it does on the charities they support. Initial findings from the study can be found at www.philanthropy.iupui.edu.

One more thing on this subject..... The following has been culled from a donor diary:

“Why I stopped giving to a school for at-risk kids after 20 years..... I know the school intimately. I deeply admire the founder, who launched this urban school for drop-outs against fierce union opposition. And now it’s been 20 years and more. Some of its first graduates are in their early 30s. So, tell me, please, what’s happened to them? How have their lives been changed and saved?

Instead, there’s a steady diet of statistics about test scores. After 20 years, I know nothing about the kids- now adults- supposedly being helped. And the donors? Well, donors are thanked with the usual list in the back of the annual report. Are donors important to the schools mission and vision. Frankly, I don’t know. A list of names reveals little.

I still admire the founder. I might give again someday. But other charities do a better job of delivering proof, and a satisfying emotional experience – in exchange for my gift.”

Source: Ahern e-news 6.4
 

What NPP Members Want

OK – so that’s what donors want. What do our 200 members of The Nonprofit Partnership want? According to our recently conducted 2009 Outlook Survey, you want help finding sources for and raising money.

• 70% of our respondents looked forward to receiving regular information about grant opportunities and working with NPP to plan and write collaborative and individual grants for program support.
• 76% looked forward to attending more in-person monthly workshops and the Nonprofit Day conference in the fall.
• 46% of the respondents indicated they would like help with strategy and business planning in 2009. 43% would like help with marketing and communications.

Your input fits well with our own strategic assessment of the nonprofit community and its needs. Look for us to offer these kinds of assistance to meet member needs in 2009.

Upcoming Education Sessions from NPP

Please plan to join us for these three education sessions in January and February of 2009:

The New Neighborhood Assistance Program
Thursday, January 22 from 9 to 11 am at the Ambassador Conference Center

Alison Schmidt from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development will offer a detailed look at the new Neighborhood Assistance Program – more targeted and neighborhood specific for 2009. As always, this program is funded by corporate tax credits matched by the Commonwealth and remains a high-interest source of nonprofit funding for community improvement. Come find out how to submit your most competitive application.

Using Video to Power Your Organization’s Message
Wednesday, February 4 from 9 to 11 am at the Erie Maritime Museum’s Orientation Theater

The Nonprofit Partnership has just launched a partnership with ErieAlity TV and founder Greg Schleuter to make low-cost video resources available to Erie area nonprofits to tell your stories in a compelling way. Join us for this energizing look at how video clips on website, YouTube, DVD, and the like are revolutionizing the way nonprofits are communicating their great stories. Find out how to leverage this digital tool for your organization’s benefit.

Information Technology on a Shoestring Budget
Tuesday, February 24 from 9 to 11 am at the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies

Join us for this eye-opening forum on helping you capture all the low-hanging fruit that exists these days in the technology realm. Web-based software, Tech Soup and other sources of support and product, plus creative low-cost strategies on networking, security, maintenance, and so much more. Beth Burnside of CMIT Solutions will tell you all you want to know and more.

RSVP for the sessions you will attend by calling the office at 454-8800 or e-mailing us at tnp@thenonprofitpartnership.org.

New from HR First Resource

Since The Nonprofit Partnership and J.L. Nick Associates launched HR First Resource as an information line for human resource questions and information in September, members’ inquiries have focused primarily on the following:
• Employee Benefits
• Compensation
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Ethical Business Practices
• Legal Compliance.
As we look ahead in 2009, we remind you that this resource is time-limited free to NPP members. Simply call the HR First Resource line at (814) 449-9150.

For 2009, we are working on a series of in-person HR workshops on high-interest, timely topics, including union avoidance, communication and conflict in the workplace, reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol policies and procedures, employee handbook questions, and supervisory skills training. Please check the NPP website for further details.

Writing Your Best Press Release

A new, comprehensive webpage just launched by Knight Communications will help you write and disseminate press releases that get response and coverage.

Among the major tips for success shared by the site:

Tip #1. Pinpoint Your Story.

In one or two sentences, determine what message your are trying to deliver, what story you want to tell, what major activities will take place, and what impact they will have.

Tip #2. Find the right news outlets.

Where should you send your release? To which news people? At which outlets? Have you listed them all? What about your local newspaper or news portal? Public radio station? Local bloggers? Are there school, business or community groups that should know about your news? Local Web sites or specialty groups? Are you posting the release on your own web site in a way that will get attention? Remember: These days, news can appear most anywhere.

Tip #3: Spread your news clearly, accurately.

Writing for the public calls for accuracy above all. It also calls for clarity. These are the cornerstones of sound communication. This web portal is here to help. Follow the steps below. There you will find: news release models; a news release worksheet; pitfalls to avoid; tools for the final polish. (You can actually scientifically measure the clarity of your release.)

Tip #4: Stay in touch with the funder.

Your news release is a joint venture between you and the organization funding your project. You do the writing. The funder will answer your questions, support your effort, and help you revise.

See the kit’s full array of resources and examples at www.knightcommunications.org/workshop/index
 

Best Holiday Wishes

Best wishes for the holiday season to all of our members, friends, and their families.  Here's to a rewarding 2009!