Archive for the ‘Nonprofit’ Category

Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient, and Rewarding for All by Robert Egger 

In Begging for Change, Robert Egger looks back on his experience
and exposes the startling lack of logic, waste, and ineffectiveness he
has encountered during his years in the nonprofit sector, and calls for
reform of this $800 billion industry from the inside out. In his
entertaining and inimitable way, he weaves stories from his days in
music, when he encountered legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme,
and Iggy Pop, together with stories from his experiences in the hunger
movement — and recently as volunteer interim director to help clean up
the beleaguered United Way National Capital Area. He asks for
nonprofits to be more innovative and results-driven, for corporate and
nonprofit leaders to be more focused and responsible, and for citizens
who contribute their time and money to be smarter and more demanding of
nonprofits and what they provide in return.

NPC: Tell us a little bit
about your organization, The Princess Project. Why was it started?

Melissa Morey: The Princess Project began in February
2002. Laney Whitcanack and Kristin Smith Knutson, co-workers at a San Francisco non-profit,
were talking with a high school student who said she was going to miss prom
because she couldn’t afford a dress. To help the young woman, Knutson and
Whitcanack sent an e-mail to friends asking for dress donations. And they ended
up with more dresses then they knew what to do with! The Princess Project was
born. Knutson and Whitcanack realized there are many girls unable to
attend prom because of the expensive costs of dresses and accessories, while
many of their friends and peers have unused dresses from weddings and parties.
So they decided to match this resource with the need of the girls.

NPC: Who does it serve?

Melissa Morey: The Princess Project serves high school
girls who could not otherwise afford a dress for prom in four California areas – San Francisco,
the East Bay, Silicon Valley and new  last  year, San Diego.
Since The Princess Project began serving Bay Area girls in 2002, over 12 ,000
girls have received dresses and accessories through our giveaway events.

NPC: How long have you been
in operation?

Melissa Morey: 2002 

NPC:  How many people
did you serve your first year? And, this year?

Melissa Morey:

2009 – 3,500

2003 – 600

2002 – 250

 

NPC:  What is your most
difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

Melissa Morey: We're 100% volunteer-run organization
which can be a challenge because we require at least 300 volunteers to
pull off four events each year. Also, we are committed to helping
every girl that comes to one of our giveaway events find a dress, so we always
need to use a portion of our donations to purchase extra dresses in our most
popular sizes, including petite and plus sizes.  

NPC: What was your most
difficult challenge starting out?

Melissa Morey: Probably logistics. We were
pleasantly overwhelmed by the number of dress donations and community support
we received. Time, talent and taffeta were and always have been in high
supply! Luckily our partners and husbands were supportive about
helping us lug dresses into and out of the give-away space at the crack of
dawn. It was an all-hands effort because people were so generous.  

 

NPC: What advice would you
give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

Melissa Morey: I would first look around and see if
there are other organizations who are doing similar work – no need to reinvent
the wheel and use resources unnecessarily – there are often awesome ways to do
some "intrapreneurship" within other organizations. If no one is
actively working on your idea, I would get an informal board of advisors
together – to share about your idea, get their thoughts and insights, and help
you get rolling. It's very important to have other people on board for
launching a new idea – folks who share your commitment and enthusiasm.  

 

NPC: How can people get involved?

Melissa Morey: We're 100% volunteer-run organization so
are always looking for volunteers to join our event committees or volunteer
during our dress sorting or give away events. Princess Project
welcomes dresses and all fashionable, clean and stylish jewelry, wraps and
purses for our Giveaway Events. Also, a $25 donation will send one
girl, outfitted in a gown and accessories of her choosing, to prom. You can
find information about volunteer opportunities or making donations to the
organization at www.princessproject.org.

 

NPC: Is there anything else
you’d like to share with our readers?

Melissa Morey: We believe that Prom is
one of the most important events for a high school student - a
rite of passage for every teen that wants to attend. And we're
committed to helping disadvantaged teens who might miss their prom because they
can't afford to buy a dress. The main goal of The Princess Project is to
promote self-confidence and individual beauty. We celebrate all sizes and
shapes of girls, and make a specific point to avoid body imagery that can
promote negative and unrealistic images to girls.

 

*Melissa Morey is a Board Member
of The Prince Project. For more information on how you can get involved, please
visit the website at www.princessproject.org.

NPC:  Tell us a little bit about your
organization, Locks of Love. Why was it started?

Lauren Kukkamaa: When Locks of Love first began, it was
connected with a for-profit wig retailer. In December 1997, the organization
obtained its 501(c)(3) certification from the IRS. With the installation of a
volunteer Board of Directors, the charity began operating as an entity unto
itself under its bylaws and separated from the for-profit retailer. This
initiative was spearheaded by Madonna Coffman, a retired cardiac nurse who had
a great deal of volunteer experience working for not-for-profits in the
surrounding Palm Beach
area.  When Mrs. Coffman was in her 20's she developed alopecia after
receiving a hepatitis vaccination. With medications, she recovered. 15 years later,
her 4-year old daughter developed alopecia and lost all of her hair. Madonna
said it was difficult to deal with her hair loss, but her daughter's loss was
ten times harder. It was at this time that she quit all other charity work and
took on Locks of Love as a full time volunteer cheered on by her daughter’s
recovery as her inspiration.

It is Locks of Love’s mission
to assist all financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair
loss with the highest quality hair prosthetics utilizing donated human hair.

 

NPC:  Who does it
serve?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  Locks of Love serves children age 18 and
younger who are financially disadvantaged and suffering medical hair loss from
any diagnosis.

NPC:  How long have you been in operation?

Lauren
Kukkamaa: Locks of Love was incorporated into a
nonprofit in December 1997, and began providing hairpieces in 1998.

NPC: How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  Around 20 hairpieces were provided in
the first year, now we have provided over 2,000.

NPC:  What is your
most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  Because we do not spend any
funding on marketing or advertising, there has been some misinformation spread
around about what it is Locks of Love actually does.  We always want to
ensure that our mission is properly portrayed so that we can reach more
families who may need our help.  It is important to know that we are a
children’s charity and that we do not discriminate as to the cause of the hair
loss. 

 

NPC:  What was your
most difficult challenge starting out?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  I believe some of the early challenges
involved securing office space and a space to store all of the donated
hair!  For a while, the hair was stored in Mrs. Coffman’s garage! 

NPC:  What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a
nonprofit?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  I wasn’t responsible for
incorporating Locks of Love into a nonprofit, so I can’t give advice on
starting one.  But I will say that one reason Locks of Love has been so
successful is because we have always spent the vast majority of our funding on
the program costs, spending minimal on fundraising and administrative costs.

 

NPC:  How can
people get involved?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  There are a lot of ways to get involved. 
We accept hair and financial donations.  You can also hold an event within
your community to benefit Locks of Love.  For more information about this,
please visit our website and download the Registration Packet under the “Other
Ways to Help” tab.  Most importantly, you can tell someone you know about
Locks of Love.  Especially a pediatrician or a dermatologist, as these are
the people who know the children in need and can refer them to our program.

 

NPC: Is there anything
else you’d like to share with our readers?

Lauren
Kukkamaa:  I would just like to repeat what it is
that we do.  We are here to assist children who are suffering medical hair
loss from any diagnosis: alopecia, treatments for cancer, burns, trauma,
genetic and psychological disorders.  Please refer anyone you know who may
be able to benefit from our services.

*Lauren Kukkamaa is the Communications Director of Locks of Love. For more information on how you can get involved, please visit the website at http://www.locksoflove.org.

Have you ever played the Six Degrees of Separation game?
The idea is that we are all somehow connected by as few as six people. My
friend Angela and I were marveling at the number of people I know that she
knows, and these are people who we didn’t even know that the other knew.  Sorry, that sounded like a bad rendition of an
Abbott and Costello show. I think you get the point.

This made me think about nonprofit organizations. How
connected is your organization to others? Some people may not see the necessity
in it, but there is. No organization can survive/thrive without the support of
others. So, find complimentary organizations and form alliances. So, if your
organization feeds the hungry, you should be aligned with food banks, churches,
and maybe even other soup kitchens to provide overlap and support.

Find ways to connect to others. Do you need suggestions?

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization. Why was it started?
Dogs for the Deaf:
• In 30 years, DFD has rescued and placed over 3,000 dogs in homes as Hearing Dogs, Miracle Mutts (Special Dogs for Special People), and Career Change Dogs.
• DFD rescues dogs from animal shelters throughout Oregon, Washington, and California. We choose dogs between the ages of eight months and three years old that are people friendly, confident, and motivated by toys, treats, and affection. We rescue, train, and place over 100 dogs annually.
• The dogs are trained with positive reinforcement and lots of love.
• Hearing Dogs are trained to alert to the sounds: fire/smoke alarm, telephone, door knock, doorbell, oven timer, alarm clock, and name call. In some cases a dog may be trained for the baby cry.
• In addition to sound training, Hearing Dogs are also extensively obedience trained and socialized.
• All dogs that enter training are first spayed or neutered, micro chipped, vaccinated, and receive any necessary medical treatment so they have the best possible chance to succeed.
• More than 1½ million of the 23 million deaf or hard of hearing individuals in the United States and Canada could benefit from a Hearing Dog.
• Miracle Mutts (Special Dogs for Special People) – Special furry friends who provide companionship, motivation, and emotional support to people who need a helping paw. These dogs help with depression and loneliness; they provide a reason to get up in the morning and motivation to exercise; and they generally make life more worth living.

NPC: Who does it serve?
Dogs for the Deaf: Deaf and Hard of Hearing; we also place dogs through our Miracle Mutt program with senior citizens, and individuals who may have other physical or emotional challenges such as strokes, Alzheimer’s, MS etc.

NPC: How long in operation?
Dogs for the Deaf: Established in 1977

NPC: How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?
Dogs for the Deaf: The first year was spent setting up the organization, obtaining the IRS 501 (c) (3) status, and remodeling a barn into kennels and a training apartment. Then the first few dogs were rescued and began training. Today we keep in contact with and provide support for several hundred dog/person teams all around the country, and we currently rescue, train, and place 30-40 new dogs a year (due to limited space and trainers). We have plans to expand and build a new facility within the next 2 years.

NPC: What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?
Dogs for the Deaf: As with most nonprofits it is fundraising and public awareness–especially in these current economic times. But also, we have a four year wait list for our hearing dogs; therefore we are looking at expanding and building a new facility and adding training and kennel staff.

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?
Dogs for the Deaf: The most difficult challenges were getting the word out about what we were doing and getting people to start donating.

NPC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?
Dogs for the Deaf: Be ready for a lot of hard work. Recruit a good diverse board, develop a development and marketing plan and set policies.

NPC: How can people help?
Dogs for the Deaf: As volunteers, goodwill ambassadors in various states/regions, getting the word out. through clubs, service groups, churches etc., working onsite at facility with the dogs (walking and giving them love) and as donors.

Nonprofit organizations are only as strong as their members. So, questions you should ask yourself as you start your nonprofit: Who’s benefiting from your organization’s mission? How do you keep lines of communication open among your members? What questions do they have that others may be able to answer? Consider creating an environment, such as a community portal, to give your members a way to communicate and support one another.

Just creating a listserv these days will not suffice. You need to have more functionality and flexibility to relay information in several formats. You can use AWeber, Constant Contact, and Vertical Response, just to name a few, to create marketing materials to send to your entire membership.

You can create a presence on Facebook or Twitter where your members can post comments and participate in group discussions. These social networks also allow the members an opportunity to really get to know one another. Don’t forget to investigate creating forums for your website where members can share information, ask questions, and find support with your organization being the catalyst for this one-stop-shop.

There are various tools to help us establish relationships, make connections both business and personal, and to become a little more real to people, who in this day and age are looking for authenticity. Study your market, and get a feel for the various ways they are reaching out to each other now; then use that as a starting point to build your member network.

Things change constantly in such a regulated industry as the not-for-profit one. So how are you keeping up with the changes?

Here are some of the things I read:
The Chronicles of Philanthropy
Nonprofit Times
Foundation Center’s newsletters (I’m subscribed to a few of their newsletters.)

I read not just for updates and changes to the industry, but also for a sense of the flair of the people working within the industry. My favorite example of style and flair is the White Courtesy Telephone. Their wit and humor makes their approach to these serious issues interesting, apparent, and clear.

Here are some other Blogs that I read:
Beacons on the Frontline
Perspectives From the Pipeline
Nonprofit Eye
The Nonprofit Consultant Blog
Tips and tools for nonprofits
Nonprofit Blog Exchange

Now, tell us what are you are reading? Even if it is something listed above; we really want to know.

Here is a post from my very dear friend who knows first hand about assisting children with special needs. Thanks, Donnamarie, for this great post!

As a volunteer, there is nothing greater in this world than giving of your time to help children with special needs.

Special needs can cover a broad spectrum. You may be working with children whose issues might include:
• Behavioral issues
• Cerebral palsy
• Learning disabilities
• Autism and autism spectrum related disorders
• Speech related difficulties
• Blindness and many others

You will learn many important aspects about life in general when working with children who have special needs. You will develop a keen understanding and appreciation about the difficulties certain sections of your community face in their everyday lives. You will also acquire a wealth of knowledge quickly about how you can help to improve the lives of those less fortunate than yourself. Look here for some very basic advice about working with these children.

Start with the idea that the desire to help people with disabilities is a basic and very human characteristic. You might also wish to overcome stereotypical opinions that are held by some who only see the ‘issue’, and never the person behind it. When you take the steps to get beyond the stereotypes, you are not only helping the individuals directly, but also sending a strong message that will enable others to gain a better perspective of the difficulties faced by people with special needs.

When you learn that children with autism really are very emotional, and that LD children have brains that are just wired differently, you will learn exactly how to help them and you are bound to have a new and very different appreciation of life in general.

Directors & Officers Insurance (commonly referred to as D&O insurance), is often overlooked by nonprofits for the simple reason they are uncertain whether or not they really need D&O coverage. Read this article noting compelling reasons to protect your organization. This should reassure you that D&O insurance has significant value to even the smallest nonprofit organization.

When a person becomes a board member, she assumes a level of responsibility for the organization and thus exposes herself to claims for not managing the organization properly. Even if the case brought against a board is thrown out, the organization still bears the brunt of having to pay the legal fees. Legal expenses could be brutal for a small organization and could even put them right out of business.
In general, D&O insurance includes coverage of an officer or director in the discharge of his/her duties. This includes but is not limited to:

• Any actual or alleged act
• Misstatement or misleading statement,
• Neglect or breach of duty
• Omission and/or error

As with all insurance policies, read the policy carefully to ensure it includes all the necessary components for your organization. Here is a checklist of issues to review when looking to purchase D&O insurance.

Creating Press Releases

This isn’t necessarily a nonprofit specific topic, yet it is quite relevant. Press releases are an excellent source of marketing, and have the potential to connect you to the people you are trying to reach through your community work.

There are several great web resources that you can use to guide you through the process. Check out Microsoft Online free press release templates. There is no need to struggle in figuring out how to make this happen, just take the help and use it to your best advantage.

The key thing to note you must have a newsworthy piece to report. So consider what contribution your organization has, or will, make to the community, and write about it in five paragraphs or less.

Have fun spreading the word about the good works you are doing!