No, I'm not going to give you the list of 100 incredible philanthropy blogs, I'm going to tell you where you can find it, and brag that this very blog is part of it!
The list of "100 Incredible Philanthropy Blogs" is posted at Bible College Reviews, and breaks the 100 down into the categories of General Philanthropy, Individual Ways to Make a Difference, Group-Based Philanthropy, News and Commentary, Fundraising, Charitable Organizations, Nonprofits, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Faith-Based Philanthropy.
I was pleased with the comprehensiveness of the list, and have found some great new resources from it. I look forward to visiting many of the "other 99" as I dig in deeper. Meanwhile, I thank the folks at Bible College Reviews for including me, and wish you all happy surfing.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
One Week Left to Tagline Victory!
Yes, you have one more week to enter your nonprofit organization's tagline into the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards. Yes, the tagline awards! Nancy Schwartz of the Getting Attention blog hosts these online awards each year to recognize the best taglines as means of motivating nonprofits to focus on the basics (e.g. powerful, distinctive, succinct messaging) in their marketing efforts.
A strong tagline does double-duty -- working to extend your organization's name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It's one of your most basic, and effective, marketing tools, but the 2008 GettingAttention.org survey showed that 72% of nonprofit organizations don't have a tagline or rate theirs as performing poorly.The deadline for entry is July 31 - just over a week from now - so put this on your to-do list for today! (And be sure to follow the selection process on Twitter, too).
Take 3 minutes now to enter your nonprofit's tagline here (http://is.gd/19skW). All entrants will receive a free copy of the fully-updated 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report in late 2009. It's the only complete guide to building your org's brand in 8 words or less -- filled with how-tos, don't-dos and models.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Upcoming Workshops
For those who've written to ask, I've got a couple of public workshops coming up soon. Both will be held at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, 2425 Porter Street, Suite 16, Soquel, CA.
Grant Proposal Writing 101 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - This is an introductory workshop for those new to proposal writing, and unsure of what elements to include or what foundations are looking for.
Fundraising Planning in the New Economic Environment - Thursday, September 24, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - To survive the current crisis will require a plan. This short workshop provides a few tools for you to use in getting your plan started.
Please see the Community Foundation's website (www.cfscc.org) for more information, fees, and online registration.
Grant Proposal Writing 101 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - This is an introductory workshop for those new to proposal writing, and unsure of what elements to include or what foundations are looking for.
Fundraising Planning in the New Economic Environment - Thursday, September 24, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - To survive the current crisis will require a plan. This short workshop provides a few tools for you to use in getting your plan started.
Please see the Community Foundation's website (www.cfscc.org) for more information, fees, and online registration.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Can non-profit organizations meet all the needs for-profit businesses currently meet?
I just came across an interesting blog post by Stephen Monrad with title of "Can non-profit organizations meet all the needs for-profit businesses currently meet?" His conclusion is that "If a non-profit organization wanted to produce toothbrushes, there is no reason in principle that it couldn't."
I found it to be an interesting post. What follows is the comment that I left on the blog:
In the original post you say that there "is no reason that I could find that they need to limit their work to charitable or social goals." Well, actually, there is... In the U.S., at least, nonprofits receive their tax-exempt status - 501(c)(3) - from the IRS. The application requires a statement of the organization's charitable, educational, or social goals or mission. Presumably, the IRS reviews that before approving the application... presumably...
But, that doesn't mean that a nonprofit couldn't manufacture toothbrushes. If, somehow, the production of toiletries were related to the charitable purpose. For example, I'm aware of a catering company that is a tax-exempt nonprofit. The nonprofit's mission is to train at-risk populations in how to work in the food industry. New cooks enter the program, are trained, work real catering gigs, and then graduate to make room for the next group of new cooks.
To the clients hiring them for parties, they're just like any other caterer, but to the IRS it's a legitimate social enterprise providing educational assistance. I don't know how to translate that story to making toothbrushes, but you get the point.
A nonprofit can also run a for-profit business. A typical example would be a thrift shop set up to support a social cause. In this case, the IRS sees the profit from that enterprise as "Unrelated Business Income." The nonprofit does pay taxes on that portion of their income, but as long as it doesn't become their primary activity, it doesn't endanger their tax-exempt status for the charitable work.
In one of the comments, Clyde writes, "... Losses are a definite probability, but profit is a no-no, by definition." You'd think so, but "nonprofit" is really a misnomer. Nonprofits can (and, in good years, should) earn more than they spend in order to build reserves for lean years (such as we're now experiencing). What nonprofits are barred from doing is distributing that profit to the Board or principals as dividends. Profit is wonderful, as long as it is re-invested into the charitable mission.
Anyway, thanks for this post - It's an interesting conversation.
I found it to be an interesting post. What follows is the comment that I left on the blog:
In the original post you say that there "is no reason that I could find that they need to limit their work to charitable or social goals." Well, actually, there is... In the U.S., at least, nonprofits receive their tax-exempt status - 501(c)(3) - from the IRS. The application requires a statement of the organization's charitable, educational, or social goals or mission. Presumably, the IRS reviews that before approving the application... presumably...
But, that doesn't mean that a nonprofit couldn't manufacture toothbrushes. If, somehow, the production of toiletries were related to the charitable purpose. For example, I'm aware of a catering company that is a tax-exempt nonprofit. The nonprofit's mission is to train at-risk populations in how to work in the food industry. New cooks enter the program, are trained, work real catering gigs, and then graduate to make room for the next group of new cooks.
To the clients hiring them for parties, they're just like any other caterer, but to the IRS it's a legitimate social enterprise providing educational assistance. I don't know how to translate that story to making toothbrushes, but you get the point.
A nonprofit can also run a for-profit business. A typical example would be a thrift shop set up to support a social cause. In this case, the IRS sees the profit from that enterprise as "Unrelated Business Income." The nonprofit does pay taxes on that portion of their income, but as long as it doesn't become their primary activity, it doesn't endanger their tax-exempt status for the charitable work.
In one of the comments, Clyde writes, "... Losses are a definite probability, but profit is a no-no, by definition." You'd think so, but "nonprofit" is really a misnomer. Nonprofits can (and, in good years, should) earn more than they spend in order to build reserves for lean years (such as we're now experiencing). What nonprofits are barred from doing is distributing that profit to the Board or principals as dividends. Profit is wonderful, as long as it is re-invested into the charitable mission.
Anyway, thanks for this post - It's an interesting conversation.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mission-Driven Careers
I know of very few people in the nonprofit sector who are here "just for a job." The few that are don't rise high in the ranks, and don't usually stick it out for very long. Those of us who've made a career of the nonprofit sector do it as part of our personal mission.
Mission is what drives us to work long hours for below average wages and next to no benefits. Mission is what makes all of that bearable, and even inspiring. We may occasionally be tempted to look for greener pastures, but we always end up back on our missions.
Jobs for Change, a part of change.org, is looking to inspire and recruit the next generation of nonprofit leaders - those looking for a mission-driven career. Here's a part of their Vision Statement: "We believe...
Mission is what drives us to work long hours for below average wages and next to no benefits. Mission is what makes all of that bearable, and even inspiring. We may occasionally be tempted to look for greener pastures, but we always end up back on our missions.
Jobs for Change, a part of change.org, is looking to inspire and recruit the next generation of nonprofit leaders - those looking for a mission-driven career. Here's a part of their Vision Statement: "We believe...
- "People are the most important factor in advancing social change. To address the social and environmental problems we face, we need to attract a diverse range of people and the most promising leaders from across the country to work on issues both local and global in scope.
- "To attract these people, we need to enhance the social sector's ability to recruit, develop, and retain talent. Too many people interested in a career in service do not end up or remain in the sector because of a range of obstacles that include misperceptions about work and compensation, insufficient information about how to take the first steps, or limited recruiting resources from budget-strapped organizations. We need to address these issues."
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