Philanthropy Front and Center - New York

Nonprofits and the 2010 Census: What's at Stake?

With questionnaires in the mail and the 2010 Census underway, now is the time for nonprofits to engage constituents to ensure that their communities receive an accurate count.
The implications of an undercount are strong for nonprofit organizations receiving substantial funding from government sources. As the National Council of Nonprofits explains, future allocations for programs such as Head Start, SCHIP, and Section 8 housing will all be based on the 2010 Census data. Communities showing a decline in population will likely see an accompanying drop in Federal funding. Even nonprofits that are not reliant on government grants could see reduced funding as grantmakers redirect funds to plug gaps in Federal or state allocations.

What can nonprofits do?
The Nonprofits Count! web site, a program of the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network, provides information and resources for nonprofits to use in communicating the importance of the 2010 Census to their communities and service populations, including an online toolkit with:

• fact sheets on hard-to-count population groups
• a checklist with suggested advocacy activities for nonprofits
• information on becoming a Census Partner organization
• free posters to display in your office or service area
• archived webinars on the Census and nonprofits

NVEN also provides a Nonprofit Census Action Plan with suggested advocacy activities for organizations to undertake during 2010.

In addition, many state nonprofit associations are providing information and resources on Census advocacy for local member organizations.

See the following resources for more recommendations and information:

• Nonprofit Knowledge Matters - Nonprofits and the 2010 Census
  National Council of Nonprofits


• Nonprofits Count!
  Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN)


• 2010 Census
  U.S. Census Bureau

-- Thanks to Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta, for this excellent post.

This Week at the Foundation Center: March 30-April 3

Courses:
Proposal Budgeting Workshop
Wednesday, March 31, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
cost: $195 per person; Save $25 for each additional registration

Training Scholarships
The New York library/learning center offers partial scholarships to under-resourced nonprofits serving New York City communities to attend our grantseeker training seminars. If you represent a 501(c)(3) with a budget under $1,000,000, you are eligible to apply. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more and apply today»

Classes:
Principios de la escritura de propuestas: Proposal Writing Basics in Spanish
Tuesday, March 30, 1:00-2:30 pm

Elementos básicos del presupuesto de un proyecto: Proposal Budgeting Basics in Spanish
Tuesday, March 30, 3:00-4:30 pm

Finding Foundation Support for Your Education
Friday, April 2, 2:00-3:00 pm

Getting Started with Foundation Grants to Individuals Online
Friday, April 2, 3:30-4:30 pm

Grantseeking Basics
Saturday, April 3, 10:00-11:30 am

Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
Saturday, April 3, 12:30-1:30 pm

These classes are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our Events Calendar.

Library: Visit the New York library/learning center for free access to Foundation Directory Online Professional and other funding databases, specialized book and periodicals collections for nonprofits and individual grantseekers, and expert help in using these resources. Open to all; no appointment necessary.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
10:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

We Got the Grant, Now What? Tips for Good Nonprofit Stewardship

Special Event and Book Party
Thursday, April 8, 2:00-3:45 pm
Getting grant funding is hard enough, but as most of you know, it is just the beginning. The hard work of establishing a working, productive partnership with the funder lies ahead. The Foundation Center is pleased to present a workshop with two contributors to the Foundation Center’s newest publication on this topic, After the Grant: The Nonprofit’s Guide to Good Stewardship. Discover the ins and outs of successful grantsmanship with these expert fundraisers and foundation personnel, who will share their critical insights on how to best manage, communicate, and report on your funded programs. This program is offered free of charge, but you must register in advance.

After the program, you're invited to join us for a book party celebrating the release of our After the Grant book.

In After the Grant: The Nonprofit’s Guide to Good Stewardship fundraisers and foundation personnel share their critical insights on how to best cement your relationship with funders. A “troubleshooting guide” includes advice from foundation executives on what to do when things go wrong. This guide is an invaluable and practical resource for anyone seeking funding from foundations.

After the Grant is now available for purchase at our five main library/learning centers or from the Marketplace section of our web site. Event attendees will get a 20% discount on the purchase of the book.

"A Fairer, More Sustainable World": We Can End Poverty—2015 Millennium Development Goals

Early last week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon presented an assessment of the progress made to date towards accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), a framework established by the U.N. in 2000 calling for the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Mr. Ban's speech and report, Keeping the Promise, identify achievements and gaps in the attainment of the 8 major development goals, which address poverty and hunger, universal education, gender equity, child health, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and global development partnerships.

In his remarks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon invited participation in the U.N. Summit to be held in September of this year and said of the ultimate aim of this global agenda:

The Summit is an opportunity to keep our promise to billions, yes, billions, of poor and vulnerable people. This is our common responsibility: Governments, civil society, the private sector, social and religious movements, the UN itself. It is a practical necessity and a moral imperative. The Millennium Declaration gave us the promise — the pledge by world leaders to spare no effort to build a fairer, more sustainable world. The MDGs gave us the framework.

Find a transcript of Mr. Ban's March 16 speech on the U.N.'s web site. You can also view other speeches and presentations about the Millennium Development Goals and related issues on the United Nations' YouTube Channel.

To monitor the progress of the Millennium Development Goals and to get involved as an individual or organization, visit the following web sites:

• Millennium Development Goals: At a Glance [PDF]
  This fact sheet gives the parameters established in 2000 and an assessment of the progress to date in accomplishing them.
• United Nations Millennium Development Goals
  The U.N. web site provides detailed information on the goals and their targets and indicators.
• International Grantmaking IV: Highlights [PDF]
  The Foundation Center's research report analyzes U.S. foundation giving to international programs and how this funding supports U.N. development goals.
• Millennium Villages
  Based on the findings of the UN Millennium Project and led by teams at the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise, and the United Nations Development Programme, Millennium Villages is a project run by communities in Africa to find sustainable ways of reducing and ending poverty.
• End Poverty 2015: Millennium Campaign
  Go to the Take Action area of this campaign web site for information on how to become involved in MDG projects.
• BBC World Service Trust
  The BBC's international charity publishes 2015: Where Will We Be?, a web site that tracks the development goals by country and continent.
• Drivers of Inequality in Millennium Development Goal Progress: A Statistical Analysis
  PLoS Medicine, March 2010
  This article analyzes the progress made towards health MDGs in relation to economic development, public health funding, and overall health infrastructure.

Use the Foundation Center's subject-specific online hubs to access our statistical tools and knowledge bases as well as research, commentary, case studies, and more from other research and policy organizations working in the following core areas:
Climate Change | Education | Health Care | Post-Conflict Countries | Poverty

This Week at the Foundation Center: March 22-27

Grantseeker Training
Proposal Writing Seminar
Wednesday, March 24, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Cost: $195 per person. Save $25 for each additional registration.

Scholarships
The New York library/learning center offers partial scholarships to under-resourced nonprofits serving New York City communities to attend our grantseeker training seminars. If you represent a 501(c)(3) with a budget under $1,000,000, you are eligible to apply. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more and apply today»

Special Event
Power Prospecting: Tips for Targeting Top Donors
Friday, March 26, 10:00 am-11:30 am
In this fast-paced introduction to power prospecting, veteran presenter Jay Frost introduces tools and techniques to identify and research the high net-worth donors in your constituency and beyond.
Learn more and register>>

Free Classes
Monday, March 22
Introduction to Finding Funders
6:00-7:30 pm
Countee Cullen Branch, New York Public Library

Tuesday, March 23
Prospect Research Basics: Researching Individual Donors
1:00-2:00 pm
Registration Closed
Register for next month's session>>

Guide to Resources on the Foundation Center's Web Site
3:00-4:30 pm

Thursday, March 25
Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
1:00-2:30 pm

Introduction to Fundraising Planning
3:00-4:15 pm

Hours
Visit the New York library/learning center for free access to Foundation Directory Online Professional and other funding databases, specialized book and periodicals collections for nonprofits and individual grantseekers, and expert help in using these resources. Open to all; no appointment necessary.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
10:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

Marketing Your Nonprofit on a Shoestring Budget

If your nonprofit is small and your resources limited, you might feel inclined to push a thing like marketing to the back burner in order to devote more energy to your fundraising and your programs. However, what you may not realize is that good marketing can greatly increase your fundraising success and help you to better carry out your programs! On March 17th, our New York library/learning center featured a special seminar on nonprofit marketing, presented by Nancy Schwartz, president of Nancy Schwartz & Company, Howard Adam Levy, principal of Red Rooster Group, and Jill Gold, communications coordinator at Friends of Karen. The event, titled Marketing Your Nonprofit on a Shoestring Budget, boasted plenty of helpful information, including the following advice:

• While nonprofits can sometimes feel uncomfortable about plunging headfirst into the world of marketing, what helps is to think of it as an opportunity to tell the story of your nonprofit. Who are you trying to help, why do you need to help them, and how do you intend to do it? These are precisely the things that your potential donors and other key audiences will want to know, and your marketing strategy should answer these questions easily.
• To start, you’ll need to develop a thorough, step-by-step plan. Think about your organization’s primary goals and audiences, and how various communication methods can be used to accomplish those goals and reach those audiences. For an example of a well-organized marketing plan, take a look at this general template from panelist Nancy Schwartz.
• When executing your plan, you need to assemble your nonprofit’s message and an attractive visual identity into a cohesive brand. Consider what sort of logo and tagline will best communicate your services and expertise, while also invoking an emotional response among audiences. To see an example of a full branding makeover, check out this case study of how the agency Red Rooster Group helped the organization Friends of Karen overhaul their image.

If, in the midst of all of these grand plans, you’re working with a limited budget, here are some steps you can take to save money in your marketing efforts:

• Rather than having to budget for consultants to help you with market research, try conducting your own research by doing some phone interviews or using free (or very inexpensive) online surveys like Survey Monkey.
• Ask your volunteers for marketing help; they may have some special skills in web design, photography, or other areas that could prove incredibly valuable.
• For any print materials that you create, talk to your printer in advance to see how you can increase efficiency. Use color sparingly in your printing, and investigate what quantity of copies would be the most cost-effective.
• Social media can be a thrifty and extremely user-friendly avenue to explore. Set up free Facebook and Twitter accounts for your nonprofit; blogging can also spread the word about your mission for free or, at most, for a very low price.
• Don’t forget to make ample use of your board members! Make sure that they’re fully literate in your organization’s work, and let them serve as “brand ambassadors” to get the word out and expand your audience.

We hope that our presenters’ advice can help get you started in marketing your nonprofit. Stay tuned for the full audio of this program, which will be posted in the Foundation Center’s events archive, and for further information, search the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature using the subject/descriptor “nonprofit organizations—marketing.”

Tracy Kaufman, Library Assistant, Foundation Center-New York

Philanthropy Chat: Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon Discuss The Art of Giving

In this interview, Charles Bronfman, former co-chairman of the Seagram Company and the founder of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, and Jeffrey Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, talk about their book The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan.

The two philanthropists discuss a number of topics including donors' motivational values, donor-grantee relationships, philanthropic mistakes, and the decision to spend down the foundation's assets. Listen>>

Find other Foundation Center podcasts here. You can also subscribe to Foundation Center podcasts on iTunes or get the RSS feed.

Thanks to Jimmy Tom, Manager of Bibliographic Services at the Foundation Center, for this blog post.

What's New with Project Streamline?

Drowning in Paperwork, Distracted from Purpose: Challenges and Opportunities in Grant Application and Reporting was issued by Project Streamline in Spring 2009. Eight organizations representing grantmakers and grantseekers managed by the Grants Managers Network launched this initiative. The project's report outlined 10 flaws in the grant application and reporting process and proposed four guiding principles for grantmakers wanting more efficient operations. Since the report was released, workshops have been offered around the country to alert and engage concerned parties on the issues raised.

Sub-commitees composed of grantmakers and grantseekers were also formed  to provide practical guidance on how to implement the principles. The first two reports are now available -- Online Applications and Reporting and Grant Budgets and Financial Reports -- with others scheduled for publication this spring.

The online application report lists essential features that web-based applications should include, such as the ability for a grantseeker to save work and return to it later. The report on budgets and finances has a section on how the new Form 990 can help the streamlining process. Though aimed primarily at grantmakers, each report also contains useful tips for grantseekers. You can download these and future reports here.

During this economic downturn, when both grantmakers and grantseekers are being asked to do more with less, participating in this initiative is one way we can all spend more time on our missions and less time on paperwork!

After reviewing the reports, be sure to send suggestions and comments to info@gmnetwork.org.

Thanks to Pat Pasqual, Director of the Foundation Center's Washington, DC, library, for this post.

Borrow These Books from Our Library

Though relatively small, the Foundation Center's lending collection holds real gems for nonprofit staff on grantseeking, fundraising, management, governance; and for individual grantseekers on preparing a personal statement and raising funds.

Tried and true titles in our lending collection, many of which have been recommended by library patrons and Foundation Center staff members, include books on:

Governance and boards

• The Governance Series (Books 1-6)
  BoardSource
  1 Ten basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards
  2 Legal responsibilities of nonprofit boards
  3 Financial responsibilities of nonprofit boards
  4 Fundraising responsibilities of nonprofit boards
  5 The nonprofit board's role in mission, planning, and evaluation
  6 Structures and practices of nonprofit boards

Nonprofit mergers

• Forming alliances: Working together to achieve mutual goals
  Fieldstone Alliance
• The nonprofit mergers workbook: The leader's guide to considering, negotiating, and executing a merger
  Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Individuals in the arts

• How to survive and prosper as an artist: Selling yourself without selling your soul
  Henry Holt & Co.
• Writing the artist statement: Revealing the true spirit of your work
  Infinity Publishing

Libros en español

• Más dinero para su causa
  Panorama Editorial
• Guía para escribir propuestas
  Foundation Center

The library's lending program is free and open to all New York City residents and those who work or study in one of the five boroughs. Visit our library 's web page to learn more about the program.

This Week at the Foundation Center: March 16-20

Upcoming Grantseeker Training
Proposal Writing Seminar
Thursday, March 24, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Cost: $195 per person. Save $25 for each additional registration.

Learn about scholarships available to assist representatives of New York City under-resourced nonprofit organizations to attend Foundation Center full-day training seminars.

Special Event
Marketing Your Nonprofit on a Shoestring Budget
Wednesday, March 17, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
The New York library/learning center is pleased to present a workshop about marketing strategies for nonprofits on limited budgets. A panel of specialists will offer tips on fine-tuning your message to distinguish your nonprofit from other worthy causes and will discuss adding online donation, events, and photo gallery features to your web site and integrating social media to complement communications strategies. Please pre-register on our web site; no walk-ins, please.

Free Classes
Tuesday, March 16
Film Series -
"The Successful Ask: Winning the Gift"
1:30-2:30 pm

Introduction to Corporate Giving
3:00-4:00 pm

Wednesday, March 17
Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
3:00-4:00 pm

Grantseeking Basics
5:30-7:00 pm

Thursday, March 18
Foundations and Their Role in Philanthropy
11:00 am-12:30 pm

Fundraising in a Challenging Economy
1:00-2:15 pm

Hours
Visit the New York library/learning center for free access to Foundation Directory Online Professional and other funding databases, specialized book and periodicals collections for nonprofits and individual grantseekers, and expert help in using these resources. Open to all; no appointment necessary.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
10:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm