Posts Tagged ‘nonprofit organization’

199 Fun and Effective Fundraising Events for Nonprofit Organizations by Anita Biase

Are you tired of searching everywhere to find fresh and exciting ideas for your nonprofit organization? Finally there is a new resource for nonprofit organizations and friends of nonprofits to get your events turbocharged with new ideas for your next fundraiser. Aside from raising a lot of money and being fun to work on, fundraising special events can build relationships with potential donors, sponsors, volunteers, and can generate a lot of free publicity. Building visibility in the community is critical to any nonprofit s success. It is difficult to come up with new ideas each and every year; now this new book makes it easy. Inside this brand new, groundbreaking book you will find over two hundred fundraising events that have worked for other organizations.

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

Julie Shannan: Girlstart is a nonprofit organization created to empower girls to excel in math, science, and technology. Founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, Girlstart has quickly established itself as a best-case practices leader in empowering, educating, and motivating girls to enjoy and become more proficient in math, science and technology.


NPC: Who does it serve?

Julie Shannan: Girlstart serves 1st-12th grade girls and families


NPC: How long have you been in operation?

Julie Shannan: Since 1997


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

Julie Shannan: Since our inception, we have served over 20,000 girls. We average about 1,200 girls per year (not counting families and professional development). Our first year we served 25 girls in our after school program.


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

Julie Shannan: Fundraising


NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

Julie Shannan: Creating a brand that girls and families could recognize and trust. Something that appeals to girls and parents both!


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

Julie Shannan: Look around and see if there is something out there already doing the service that you want to provide. If so, partner with them instead of compete with them. If not, make sure the community has the need for your services.


NPC: How can people get involved?

Julie Shannan: We are always looking for volunteers to help in the office behind the scenes, or at our family science extravaganzas leading a fun science booth, or assisting with our after school programs. We also have high school volunteers helping out during our summer camps.


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

Julie Shannan: Girlstart is committed to changing the way girls perceive science, technology, engineering and math and we need everyone’s help making that happen! Everyone can encourage a girl in their life, let them know they are smart enough to excel in these subjects, and they can have a rewarding career doing something they love.


Julie Shannan is the Deputy Director of Girlstart. For more information about this organization, please visit the website at www.girlstart.org.

For strategic planning to be effective in the nonprofit setting, a variety of issues must be considered, including the relationship between board and staff, limited resources, and more. Packed with real-world insights, planning tips, common misperceptions, pitfalls to avoid, and other useful pointers, this Second Edition and its companion Web site make planning easy for nonprofit managers by providing a six-step approach to strategic planning, field-tested worksheets, and a real-life case study that takes readers through the entire process of successfully creating and implementing a strategic plan.

Publishing the Nonprofit Annual Report: Tips, Traps, and Tricks of the Trade by Caroline Taylor

“As the former CEO of an educational nonprofit whose heart sank at the sound of the words ‘we have to put together the annual report,’ I now make only one recommendation-Buy this book and do what it says.” —John Agresto, president, John Agresto & Associates, former deputy chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities

“At last, a book that helps nonprofit associations produce annual reports on time, on budget, and on target for their audiences.” —J. D. Andrews, chairman, the Council for Professional Recognition

“Timely, relevant, and thorough-every nonprofit that publishes annual reports should have this book, and those that don’t should heed its counsel. We’ll certainly recommend it to our clients.” —George A. Brakeley III, president, Brakeley, Inc.

“Chock full of useful information for nonprofits from small to large. In the course of describing the production process from conceptualization through distribution, Taylor shows how this vital communications tool can be published economically and on time.” —David Slater, director of communications, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

NPC: Tell us a little bit about your organization, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL). Why was it started?

Joan Schramm: MAGDRL was started to help abandoned, neglected and/or abused Great Danes find suitable homes. With over 600 volunteers, we spay/neuter, provide necessary medical treatment and train/socialize the Danes in our care to ensure adaptability in their new homes. Through various community efforts, we also work to educate the public and potential owners about caring for this wonderful breed.

NPC: Who does it serve?

Joan Schramm: We serve 9 states in the Mid-Atlantic region, plus the District of Columbia – NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WVA, VA, NC and SC

NPC: How long have you been in operation?

Joan Schramm: MAGDRL was founded in 1979.

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

Joan Schramm: Unfortunately, we don’t have reliable records earlier than 2000. In 2000, we rescued 284 Danes. For comparison, in 2007 it was 348; 554 in 2008; and 326 in 2009.

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

Joan Schramm: Fundraising, as I’m sure it is for all non-profits. We are all-volunteer, so every penny we raise goes to support the Danes. Being all-volunteer is another challenge – everyone is working for the benefit of the breed but sometimes real life overcomes rescue. People do too much and get stretched so thin they burn out.

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

Joan Schramm: Without historical records it’s hard to say, and none of our current volunteers were with the rescue back then. If I had to guess, I’d say the same as it is now – money and time.

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

Joan Schramm: Be very focused and clear on what your goal is. Have a plan. Have a money source. Start small and build. Don’t try to do it all alone – assemble a strong team with a good leader who knows how to build consensus. And keep accurate records.

NPC: How can people get involved?

Joan Schramm: There are many ways to help the rescue. We accept donations and sponsorships for our Danes in addition to hosting numerous fundraisers to help cover the cost of medical expenses. We are always in need of volunteers to help with a variety of tasks and we never have enough foster homes for our Danes. Our website www.magdrl.org has information on the latest fund-raisers and volunteer opportunities.

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

Joan Schramm: Great Danes are well-named “Gentle Giants”. It’s a common misperception that they need a lot of room to run around. They’re very low-energy dogs and, aside from a short walk every day, are perfectly happy lying on the couch with you. We place a lot of them in small houses, townhouses and condos, and they are better suited to small places than a tiny dog with a lot of energy – like a Jack Russell.

All of us in MAGDRL do it for the love of the breed, and for the respect and admiration we have for one another. I’ve been involved in other groups where the in-fighting and scrapping made it almost impossible to function. In the 6 years I’ve been with MAGDRL, I’ve seen very little of that. Although we’re geographically spread out, the people in each region are always willing to lend a hand to another region. We work together exceptionally well, and everyone cheers everyone else’s success and shares one another’s sorrows. It’s a cliché to say we’re like a family, but in this case it’s very true. I feel closer to people in MAGDRL who I’ve never met than I do to some of my relatives.

Joan Schramm is the MD/DC Publicity Coordinator and Newsletter Editor for MADRL. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.magdrl.org/.

The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World: How to Turn Your Good Intentions into Actions that Make a Difference by Idealist.org and Stephanie Land

Part career guide, part activist’s handbook, The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World provides tools and inspiration for anyone who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start. Inspired by Idealist.org’s 600,000-member online community and their ongoing search for work that gives back to the world, this practical reference walks readers through the different ways they can get involved and the range of possibilities for applying one’s interests and skills to meet their community’s needs.

Idealist.org’s staff gives a comprehensive understanding of the issues, options, organizations, and resources so readers can be proactive, whether it’s through one’s current job, volunteering, donating, personal spending, board service, starting an organization, or changing careers.

Nonprofit Governance: Law, Practices, and Trends by Bruce Hopkins

In this comprehensive, one-stop resource, Hopkins and Gross deftly summarize the law that exists and explain and evaluate the many good governance principles that have been promulgated. Nonprofit Governance helps leaders and managers of nonprofit organizations, and their lawyers, accountants, and advisors, to:

* Understand the legal backdrop for nonprofit governance
* Sift through the numerous good governance principles and
guidelines
* Select the ones that most appropriately apply to their particular
organization
* Devise suitable policies and procedures
* Improve their operations and effectiveness
* Undertake a comprehensive governance legal audit
* Be in a position to file Forms 990 that cast them in the best
possible light regarding nonprofit governance

Nonprofit Governance is a must-read for anyone facing good governance decisions in a nonprofit organization and is lost in the maze of conflicting principles, ever-increasing policies and procedures, murky law, and the intensity of the IRS in insisting on adoption of various principles in the absence of legal requirements for them.

Peachtree Premium Accounting for Non-Profits 2010 by Sage

Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting for Nonprofits 2010 provides advanced accounting and analysis tools to help improve the operations of nonprofit organizations. Its multi-user option* helps improve productivity with screen-level security and a clear audit trail. A pre-configured chart of accounts and customizable financial statements make it easy to get started. Analysis tools include multiple-program reporting, encumbrance tracking, 145 customizable reports, and Crystal Reports® 2008*. Nonprofit-specific reports include Donor/Grantor Summary. Prior-period locking feature and audit trails help ensure the integrity of your financial records and deter fraud. Nonprofit features include fundraising mail/merge templates.

Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant

An innovative guide to how great nonprofits achieve extraordinary social impact. What makes great nonprofits great? Authors Crutchfield and McLeod Grant searched for the answer over several years, employing a rigorous research methodology which derived from books on for-profits like Built to Last. They studied 12 nonprofits that have achieved extraordinary levels of impact—from Habitat for Humanity to the Heritage Foundation—and distilled six counterintuitive practices that these organizations use to change the world. This book has lessons for all readers interested in creating significant social change, including nonprofit managers, donors and volunteers.

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

Sona Mehring: CaringBridge is a charitable nonprofit organization providing free websites that connect family and friends to share information, love and support during a serious health event, care and recovery. Its mission is to bring together a global community of care, powered by the love of family and friends, in an easy, accessible and private way. CaringBridge saves time and energy by centralizing communication and easing the burden of updating everyone during a health event. Each CaringBridge website is unique – authors select their website design and add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages in the guestbook, creating a network of support for the patient.

CaringBridge was created when my close friend suffered a life-threatening pregnancy. To keep family and friends informed about the critical situation, I created a website. The site allowed family members to communicate information to a wide circle of people without disturbing the mother’s need for rest or placing additional demands on hospital staff.

NPC: Who does it serve?

Sona Mehring: CaringBridge is available for anyone facing a serious health event such as cancer, premature birth, accident/injury, surgery and heart attack. It helps patients who are isolated and caregivers who are faced with the time consuming burden of keeping family and friends updated.

NPC:  How long have you been in operation?

Sona Mehring: Since 1997

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

Sona Mehring: In 1997 there were 50 personal websites. We now have more than 183,000 websites that connect nearly half a million people each day.

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

Sona Mehring: To not chase every good idea and good intention.

NPC: What was your most difficult challenge starting out?

Sona Mehring: Start-up nonprofits have all the same challenges as any start-up.  Not enough time and not enough money.  It is the passion – which, I believe is seeded very deep for nonprofit causes/missions, that easily carries through the difficult challenges.

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

Sona Mehring: Don’t go into it half-hearted.   You must love what you are doing and have belief in what you are doing.  People can see through someone who is not authentic – being authentic is vital for a nonprofit.

NPC: How can people get involved?

Sona Mehring: The most important thing people can do is recommend CaringBridge to someone in need. You can find information on our website on how to spread the word to a friend or your broader community – http://www.caringbridge.org/shareourservice.

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

Sona Mehring: A CaringBridge website should be a part of every health journey. CaringBridge provides basic human needs of hope, healing and connection during a time when people most need it – during a health crisis.   We never want to hear “I wish I would have known about CaringBridge when….”  — Help us make sure that doesn’t happen by telling other’s about CaringBridge.org.

Sona Mehring is the Founder and Executive Director of CaringBridge. For more information, please visit the website at www.CaringBridge.org.