March, 2010
This edition of The Nonprofit Partnership e-news is sponsored by Malin, Bergquist & Co.
Education and Advocacy – Your Season to Shine
The wrangling over public budgets will soon be upon us, and never have the stakes been so high. With this in mind, and with your need to be more active than ever before this year, here are a few do’s and don’ts for nonprofits involved in advocacy, education, and lobbying efforts:
• Nonprofits have the right and duty to be engaged in public debate on important policy issues. Building relationships with elected officials is encouraged, and you need to consider yourself resource for them on matters related to your expertise.
• All lobbying is advocacy, but not all advocacy is lobbying. Education, research, and analysis are all activities that are considered advocacy and can be conducted without any limits. When the advocacy deals with specific legislation (including budget expenditures), it is considered lobbying.
• The IRS offers two paths to organizations involved in lobbying. By choosing what is called the 501(h) election, organizations can devote more time and resources to lobbying. If you do not file the 501(h) you are still allowed to lobby as long as it is not considered a substantial part of the organization’s work.
• Never support or oppose political candidates. Charities are prohibited from expressing support for or opposition to candidates for political office. Nonpartisan educational forums for all candidates are the way to go.
For more information, see the February 25 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy or the Independent Sector: http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/advocacy_lobbying.htm
April 7 – Your Day to Shine
Your sudden new interest in education, advocacy, and public policy will be like a daffodil and burst into full flower at NPP’s public policy event :
Different Perspectives - Common Interests
A Full Day Event That Brings Together Erie's Nonprofits, Elected Officials, and Philanthropy
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 8:30 am - 3:00 pm at
Ambassador Conference Center, 7794 Peach St., Erie.
This unique gathering of nonprofits, elected officials, and the philanthropic sector is designed to shed light on the unique role and contribution of nonprofits, look in detail at the local, state, and federal budgets and what they mean for nonprofits in 2010, and examine the ways nonprofits, government, and philanthropy can work together more effectively.
In addition to local elected officials, special guests include Steve Gunderson, President of the Council on Foundations, Tony Ross, President of the United Way of Pennsylvania, and Sharon Ward, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
The Census is Your Easiest Public Budget Win
Some gains will be easier than others when it comes to public dollars. Without a doubt, the lowest hanging fruit is the billions of dollars that are distributed by formula based on an accurate census count. To ensure accuracy and help the region get its share, do your part to mobilize clients and everyone your agency touches to participate in the census. Much more information and helpful educational and outreach materials are available through this link:
http://2010.census.gov/partners/materials/
Great Nonprofits (That Help People Get Jobs)
I sure many of you know about and have visited Great Nonprofits, the Zagat’s of the nonprofit world, but it is interesting so go through the top rankings of their nonprofits that help people get jobs – an inspirational and idea-generating exercise: www.greatnonprofits.org/reviews/issues/jobs
This makes a neat connection to the new ReTool Erie program, the $1.25 million federal capacity-building grant for nonprofits involved in putting people to work. The program rolls out this month and over the next 18 months will be offering $600,000 in local nonprofit capacity-building grants, one-to-one technical assistance, and educational workshops led by national experts.
To learn more, please plan to join us for the program launch meeting on Wednesday, March 17 at 9:00 am at the Hirt Auditorium in the Blasco Library.
Erie is Capacity Central
It's official. With over $2 million in public and private capacity-building resources for nonprofits available in Erie County through September 30, 2011, Erie has become the nonprofit capacity-building capital of the world. Resources are available for education and training workshops, one-to-one technical assistance, and capacity-building grants to work with consultants and specialists to accomplish specific goals.
Here is a quick digest of the programs available:
Re-Tool Erie
This capacity-building initiative is a partnership between The Erie Community Foundation, The Nonprofit Partnership, and the Regional Center for Workforce Excellence. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the goal of this program is to strengthen organizational capacity at 28 Erie County nonprofits who are engaged in helping adults and older youth gain personal skills to succeed in the workforce. The program will offer workforce-specific education sessions, one-to-one technical assistance through program officers Amanda Brown Sissem and Michael Brand, and capacity-building grants to work on specific goals relative to organization or program development, leadership, community engagement, and evaluation of effectiveness. To learn more, please plan to attend an upcoming orientation session:
Wednesday, March 17 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at the Blasco Library's Hirt Auditorium in Erie
Thursday, March 18 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at Corry Higher Education, 221 N. Center St., Corry
Thursday, March 18 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at Intermediate Unit #5, Route 6N in Edinboro
Erie Capacity-Building Collaborative
This partnership between GECAC, The Nonprofit Partnership, and Erie Weed and Seed, funded by the Compassion Capital Fund, enters its third year of offering educational workshops, one-to-one technical assistance, and capacity-building subgrants to organizations engaged in the provision of social services, health services, and education. Priority consideration is offered to small organizations engaged in service to:
- The homeless or elders in need;
- At-risk youth;
- Families in transition from welfare to work;
- Persons in need of intensive rehabilitation, such as addicts or prisoners.
The 2010 ECBC program will hold its kickoff meeting on Friday, March 19 at 9:00 am at the Barber Center in Erie.
ArtsErie Capacity-Building for Arts and Culture Organizations
Thanks to a grant from the Kresge Foundation, ArtsErie and The Nonprofit Partnership are coordinating the distribution of two rounds of capacity-building grants for arts and culture organizations who are interested in strengthening internal operations, marketing, strategy, and leadership. For more information about these grants, please contact ArtsErie at 452-3427.
Other capacity-building resources are offered directly by The Nonprofit Partnership, details of which are found at www.thenonprofitpartnership.org.
Our next half day canacity-building trainings are:
Upcoming: Google AdWords and Collaboration for Nonprofits
DIY Google AdWords Grant Program for Nonprofits
Presented by the E-Marketing Learning Center at ebizITPA.
Thursday, March 25, 8:30 - 11:30 am, WQLN, 8425 Peach Street, Erie
Learn how nonprofits use search engine marketing to reach and connect with their audiences.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a unique online marketing channel that promotes organizations by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages through paid placement, natural ranking, and the use of relevant keywords and phrases that visitors use to search.
This session will help you understand how nonprofits can use search engine marketing to build awareness and drive traffic to their website to the online connected audience. The hands-on workshop will walk you through the process of obtaining a Google Grant for the AdWords program. This grant provides approved charitable non-profit organizations with in-kind advertising (FREE). You will learn how to create a successful Google AdWords strategy that can generate real results for your organization. You will see the tools used in creating, maintaining and tracking SEM campaigns for popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.
Reinvigorate Your Organization Through Collaborative Thinking/Collaborative Funding
Presented by Patricia Murphy and Marsha Tongel, Dragonfly Collective, Pittsburgh, PA
Friday, April 16, 2010 1:00 to 3:00 pm at Cathedral of St. Paul, 134 West 7th St., Erie.
Collaboration. We all know the word and we can all attest to its importance in today’s high need, low revenue environment. Join us for this unique workshop that is designed to break down old patterns of thinking about how to work with others and stimulate new, inclusive patterns of thinking and acting that you practice in the session. Work with your colleagues to test out dynamic, collaborative funding proposals and joint fundraising strategies that work. Learn about best practices and inspiring models from nonprofits across the country. Step outside your old silo and get into the collaborative mindset for 2010 and beyond.
To register, please call 814 454-8800 x 1 or reply to this announcement.
Appreciative Inquiry – Answering the Important Questions
This provocative series starts this way:
“If there is one question that can be useful to grant writers, communications staff, and anyone who must explain a nonprofit organization to the world, it is this: “Why does your organization need to exist?” Examining this question with key stakeholders takes you to the core your your organizational being, then leades into a second “discovery” phase of a process called Appreciative Inquiry, a process that moves toward focusing on the best in an organization, then drawing it out using provocative questions, stories, and directed conversation.
In the Discovery phase, stakeholders are asked to describe what the real strengths and competencies of the organization are through questions such as:
• What is the most exciting and successful memoent you’ve had while with this organization?
• The best and most meaningful thing this organization does is_________________.
• What do you value most about working for this organization?
Powerful disvovery information then moves into “Dreaming” and “Design” phases for implementation in the life of the organization. Follow this exciting planning tool in its four phases at www.grantstation.com.
How Are Nonprofit Boards Coping with the Economic Crisis?
The 2009 National Board Governance Survey sheds interesting light on the state of nonprofit boards nationally. Among the findings:
• 87% of nonprofits have redcued expenses in the recession, 51% have reduced personnel, and 40% have reduced or eliminated programs.
• New priorities for boards coping with the recession include more attention to cost cutting (74%), more attention to fundraising (59%), and more emphasis of planning (48%).
• The overall focus of board activity is also shifting to strategic planning (30%), fundraising (21%), and ensuring effective programs (19%).
To access the full report from Grant Thornton, see www.gt.com/bgsurvey.
Board Fundamentals – One Blockbuster Day
Project Blueprint's Full-Day Training in the Fundamentals of Nonprofit Governance
Saturday, April 17 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at
Ambassador Conference Center, 7794 Peach Street, Erie.
Join this year's class of Project Blueprint volunteers in drilling down into the basics of board service by examining in detail the nonprofit board member's fundamental roles as an ambassador, an advocate, and an asker. Whether you are a volunteer looking to join your first board or perhaps are just looking for a refresher to energize your perspective on governance, we welcome you to this special Saturday session.
Through a series of interactive activities, lectures, and discussions, The Nonprofit Partnership will review the fundamentals of being a member of the Board of Directors and mastering the roles of advocate, ambassador, and asker. To register, or to find out more, please call Robert Wooler at (814) 454-8800 x 3.
New Rules for News Releases
Traditional thinking regarding press releases put the media in control. A writer or the editor for the local paper would decide if your release had enough merit to appear in print in their paper. In our Web 2.0 world, you write the rules of engagement and you control the distrubution channel. Seize every meaningful opportunity to put your news out there. It can be big news,, but it doesn’t have to be:
• Have a new take on an old problem? Write a release.
• Have a niche market? Write a release.
• Have interesting information to share? Write a release.
• CEO speaking at a conference? Write a release.
• Win an award? Write a release.
• Add a new dimension to your program? Write a release.
And so on! Not only do you post this to your website and put it out to local contacts, share it widely through a news release distribution service that will drive pick-up by search engines. Like so many things in the 2.0 universe, it all drives off your website.
For much more information on these and other “new” rules, see David Meerman Scott’s book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR.
|
