Change Takes Time and Other Thoughts on a Snowy Morning

As the holidays approach, the push is on to wrap up projects, close off files, and tie off loose ends. Rush, rush, rush… and then it snows. It really snows! It’s a complication for some folks who are still out there maneuvering through snowy roads and forced to re-schedule essential meetings. For others, it’s a respite providing quiet time to work at home and to catch up. For me, it’s been both. I’ve been out some and in some. A few steps forward, a few steps backward. But ultimately, we have to accept that we just can’t control the weather and we revise our plans, create a new “to do” list, and use a different approach to meet critical goals.

It’s the same with our nonprofits, isn’t it? As much as we try to push through changes and implement critical strategies on an aggressive timeline, it often just doesn’t work out, does it? Our board, our staff, and our constituents need more time to process change and understand the implications. As much as we’ve communicated and educated, they just aren’t there yet. Change management is an area that can be painfully slow and test the patience of the most deliberate, laid back leader.

Some suggestions to consider if you are in the middle of a major organizational change:

1) Involve folks early so they have plenty of time to process the implications and understand the need. Address their questions and information needs. Involve the team in crafting the roll out plan and identifying the “to do” list.
2) Be clear and direct about the reasons behind the change. Folks may not always like the change but if they can understand why, they’ll have an easier time accepting it.
3) Communicate in multiple ways. People absorb information in different ways so tell them verbally, put things in writing, and communicate through using data and illustrative examples.
4) Be prepared to communicate some of the same information over and over.

And take advantage of snowy days when the roads are impassible to catch your breath and fine tune your change management strategy as needed.

Any other suggestions regarding change management?

Strong Governance Relies on Board Chair/ E.D. Partnership

As the NorthSky team considers strategies for strengthening nonprofit governance, a key success factor has emerged in our thinking: the relationship between the board chair and executive director. During a professional development session this week, the speaker cited Peter Drucker (ahhh... remember him?) and his six characteristics of exceptional nonprofits. Near the top of his list is a strong board chair/executive director relationship. He specifically describes a positive working relationship with trust, adaptability, and flexibility. We’ve certainly seen the wisdom of this play out in our own northern Michigan nonprofits.

Developing an excellent board is an ongoing process. While many organizations are looking for a quick fix (maybe out of immediate need), their efforts may be doomed until they realize the necessity to build and nurture the relationships between the board and E.D./senior staff. As with the complexities of any relationship, it is an investment of time for those involved. That time investment, though most likely competing with other priorities, is essential. I remember seeing a statistic that many executive directors spend 35% of their time working with their board. To me that is a numerical representation of the importance of the relationship. It is fairly representative of the amount of time I've spent as an executive director in past roles. I figured I was at about 30-35%.

While there are competing challenges and priorities, these challenges reinforce the need to have a high-quality relationship between the board and E.D./senior staff. Nonprofits need a board that knows its work, the needs of the organization, has a manageable job and tools to facilitate their work. They should also enjoy the relationship so that their time spent with the organization is a priority both because of their passion for the mission but also because it is enjoyable. It isn't to say that the board doesn't do hard work but it is how they feel about doing the work-its importance, pride, sense of accomplishment, sharing, laughing together, etc.; it's a complex relationship.

Some of the tools that can be helpful include board development plans, board self-assessments, orientations, board manuals, board commitment letters, empowering board leadership and board agendas and continuous reinforcement of the work of the board. None of these individually, or collectively, are the answer but they can be useful in helping the board systematically consider what it's work is, how well it is doing it, what professional development it desires, etc. I've also been thinking about a peer cohort group of board presidents. . . .

Let me know your thoughts.

Debbie McKeon
NorthSky Executive Director

The Need of Our Nonprofit Sector for Committed and Competent Volunteers is Greater than Ever

Just a quick scan of the local newspapers, newsletters, and websites, illustrates the urgent need for volunteers of all types by nonprofits throughout northwestern Michigan. Volunteer recruitment, development, and management are key components of nearly every strategic plan that we’ve seen at NorthSky over the past six months.

Successful recruitment and retention of volunteers relies on a nonprofit’s ability to tell its story and define community benefit in a compelling enough way to activate volunteerism. It’s essential to attract and then hold those volunteers through the power of your work and the community’s need for your services. Where to begin?

As boring as it sounds, data collection is the place to start. Documenting the numbers, types, and impact of your volunteer team provides quantifiable proof of your community benefit and the support of the community for your organization. It also helps to excite and motivate your volunteers. So share it!

The first and most basic step, is to capture who your volunteers are-- contact information, age, affiliations, and residency, and begin logging their hours. The average financial value of every hour can be estimated at $20 (per the Volunteer Centers of America) so now you have a financial story to tell your board.

Beyond the basics, begin measuring volunteer satisfaction, conducting exit interviews and using volunteers to provide input on how to improve services and performance. Begin interviewing and collecting testimonials and success stories. No time? Assign a seasoned volunteer to take charge of collecting volunteer logs and to input data into a database. And yes, please, use a database. Almost every fundraising software product has a volunteer module. You'll find cost effective options at http://www.techsoup.org/.

Check out the NorthSky online Resource Center (http://www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org/resource.php)

for an analysis of software options, sample surveys and logs to help launch your data collection.

These last beautiful days of summer

Can we hang onto that carefree summer attitude while achieving everything on that “to do” list?

These last beautiful days of summer are lingering on but for most folks it’s back to busy schedules and to projects that need to quickly move forward this fall. I may have had more trouble picking up my pace after Labor Day except for a very full calendar, too many deadlines and a flood of requests from you. I’ve kicked into hyper speed. You probably have, too!

I hate to lose that more relaxed state of zen that comes with the summer; enjoying simple pleasures such as having time to chat with someone in the hallway or getting home in time to have dinner on the deck with my husband.

How do we retain some of those things we love about the summer?

A few ideas …

• Keep your walking shoes in the car or office. Walk to a meeting if it’s within walking distance or better yet, have a meeting while you walk. This works best with one-on-one meetings or small groups and I’d recommend bringing along a pocket size notepad to capture key thoughts and agreements. It does get you thinking creatively and can be much more productive. Plus, it’s excellent for team building.
• Don’t schedule every minute. I’m notorious for filling every minute but the reality is, that just like in school, you need a few minutes between meetings and phone calls. Build time into your schedule to collect your thoughts and to graciously handle folks who pop in to the office.
• Attend some of the many great workshops and training opportunities throughout the region. Certainly NorthSky has its share but there are all sorts of things being offered. Professional development not only provides you with the time to focus on strategic development and big picture thinking but offers opportunities to network with your colleagues. Sometimes, just being in a new place triggers a solution or a new idea.

What are you doing to maintain some of that carefree summer attitude this fall? Post your suggestions…

Enjoy the fine weather!

Pam Evans

Keep It Simple but Establish Data Collection “Listening Posts” Now!

I’ve been to some beautiful places this summer. No, not Paris or the Alps – but right here, traveling around northern Michigan while working with the vast array of nonprofits in our region. I’ll admit it can be hard to focus at times. Sometimes, I do want to ditch that meeting with a nonprofit board, jump out of the car, and take a hike in the dunes.

However, when I do finally arrive at a meeting and shake the sand off my toes, it’s always worth it. And I learn something at every session. This week, while working with a group in Traverse City, we discussed the importance of data collection. Correction—they advised ME about the importance of data collection. Of course, this is something that I know as a former market researcher and quality improvement professional. But, you know, I always want to let you folks off the hook and rationalize that you’re too busy at certain points in your life stages to be establishing elaborate evaluation plans.

But guess what? We can keep it simple and establish “listening posts” to capture performance data. By collecting and using the right information, we ensure the success of key strategies including fundraising, program development, marketing and volunteer development.

So, what are some simple ways to begin capturing and using data?

1. Always collect client use data including numbers of users by service area, types of users, frequency, and satisfaction. Frequency data is easy—simply keeping an accurate count by program or service. Satisfaction results require more work in that you’ll need a survey and an approach that encourages non biased, honest feedback.
2. Capture client testimonials and stories. One nonprofit keeps a collection box with forms and pencils, inviting clients to submit their stories and share their experience. Others save letters and cards or obtain permission from clients to contact them for an interview.
   
3. Begin thinking “outcomes” and look for creative ways to demonstrate the results you’re receiving with clients. Use volunteers to follow up and interview clients. Or use pre and post surveys to document client progress. Remember to obtain a release form from clients prior to contacting them and thoroughly train your volunteers.
4. Collect data on requests that you can’t fulfill. For example, the number of calls you receive asking if you provide a particular service or program in a geographic location. This helps document need and opportunity for service expansion.
5. Track where your referrals and business is coming from. Did that newspaper article generate demand? Was it a community presentation or workshop? Use this information to fine tune your marketing program and use precious resources more effectively.
6. Remember to use the information you collect. Share it with your board and staff. Use it in grants and funding proposals. Evaluate and strengthen your marketing program, improve service delivery, and identify opportunities for new ventures.

Dozens of other uses and methods for data collection exist. Share what you’re doing and how it helps your nonprofit by posting your comments here.

Enjoy the week!

Pam Evans

Are You Struggling With Board Attendance? Does Your Board Seem Less Engaged?

A frequent concern and challenge for many nonprofit leaders is how to more fully engage and mobilize board members. We hear about poor attendance at meetings and fundraising events, difficulties in achieving quorums for votes, quiet meetings with little comment and/ or participation by board members during the most critical agenda items, and poor follow through on assignments and commitments. So, how do you revitalize your board and change past performance patterns?

• Assist board members in staying close to the mission and excited by your work. Include “mission moments” or share stories of your success with clients at board meetings and in board communications. Ask board members to participate in programs and services on an annual basis so they can experience your mission first hand. Make the connection between the vital community benefit your organization provides and the work of the board in sustaining it.
• Ask board members to sign a commitment contract that reinforces the importance of their attendance and their active participation in your organization. Strictly adhere to term limits to assure that you are actively recruiting and developing new board members.
• Consider moving to a consent agenda to provide more time during board meetings for strategic discussions, planning, and education. Consent agendas bundle routine reports into one item, requiring board members to read reports prior to the board meeting. Time is provided for questions and discussion, as needed. The board approves reports as a bundle. Focusing more agenda time on meaty, complex issues rather than routine reports, reinforces the importance of board member attendance and participation at board meetings.
  
• Conduct an annual board self assessment and set goals related to board performance, training, and group dynamics.
• Take time to recharge, celebrate, learn together, and build your team through an annual retreat, holiday party, or some other activity.

Post your comments and share your suggestions as to how to increase board engagement and involvement.

Is it Worth it to Hold Your Summer Event This Year?

It’s the season! Every week, almost every day, another invitation arrives about yet another summer fundraiser. In northern Michigan, endless opportunities abound to dance, picnic, run, bike, sail, or tour, while benefiting a deserving nonprofit. Through the grapevine, we hear that attendance is down and our professional journals reference “donor fatigue.” We wonder about the economy and worry about the weather. Would we better off scheduling a series of lunch dates with major donors? Is this the summer to stop the madness?

Special events are often the primary fundraising approach for small nonprofits. While they only raise a small amount of revenue compared to a large amount of time and energy, they do have benefits.

• Increased public visibility and an opportunity to tell your story.
• “Friend-making opportunities” and a vehicle to attract and cultivate prospects.
• A mechanism to involve and motivate volunteers.
• Opportunities to thank and strengthen relations with current donors.

With the variety and flexibility of special events being limitless, they are ideal for acquiring, retaining or upgrading donors. One or two special events each year can greatly assist organizations in building a broad base of individual donors, which can provide the organization with increased annual giving (Klein 2000).

According to a 2007 study by Charity Navigator, about half of all charities use special events as a way to fundraise with special events generating 15% of all contributions to organizations. While this may not be a large percentage, it does add up to a significant amount of money.

The Charity Navigator study also found that special events are inefficient in comparison to overall fundraising activities. On average, the charities studied spent $1.33 to raise $1 in special events contributions, compared to an average overall fundraising rate of $.13 to raise $1. Only 15% of the charities that held special events were more efficient when using special events to fundraise than they were in their regular fundraising activities on the whole.

So, how do you evaluate whether to launch, continue or retire a special event? First, be strategic. This is a business decision. What is the primary objective in holding the event?

If your objective is to raise friends and cultivate potential donors, then you must design the event to capture names, build your database, and interact with individuals. You must also have opportunities to educate attendees and tell your story.

If the primary purpose is to thank donors, include opportunities during the event, to recognize, interact with and thank donors.

If it is publicity and visibility you’re seeking, the event must be unusual and newsworthy!

As you evaluate the value of special events in your fundraising program, remember that 76% of fundraising revenue comes from individual donors. Over-reliance on special events will negatively impact your fundraising program, if you sacrifice a focus on individual donors. Be sure to place a sufficient (in fact, the majority of your emphasis) on individual donors and personal contacting.

With Everything Going On, is Now the Time to Plan and Evaluate?

Demand for services is increasing. Staff is stretched to the limit. Current funders are reporting the need to cut back. Attendance at board meetings is dropping. Your major special event will net significantly less than last year-etc., etc., etc. You are working ten hours a day, and more, as you wade through the myriad of details, juggling to keep everything going. You just don’t have time to plan or evaluate your organization’s work.

Executive directors often feel isolated and board members frequently feel powerless as they struggle to meet the needs of the organization and its constituents while “putting out fires,” especially in today’s volatile economic climate.

Whether this is a description of your organization, a reflection of some aspects of the challenges it faces or an exaggerated example that is hard to imagine, the foundation from which to move forward successfully is based in planning and evaluation.

While it’s true that you probably don’t have the time, you do need to take a deep breath and step back from the situation long enough to remember what you already know in theory. Evaluation and planning will save you time, energy and resources in the long-run and better assure that you are maximizing your mission achievement and best serving your community. It is especially important in challenging times and has many benefits that will help immediately as well as lay the foundation for years to come.

If you already engage in systematic planning and evaluation, you know this list is much longer, but the following are a few highlights of benefits to a well-developed and executed process. Through planning and evaluation organizations can:

1. Prioritize needs and activities and break down the work to be done into manageable pieces, providing focus and calming the chaos that often creeps into challenging situations
2. Give voice to the board, staff and other key stakeholders in the organization to share their perspectives regarding the organization and how it functions and where it needs to adapt to better meet its mission
3. Channel information collected from those served to guide program/service development and delivery
4. Look externally at community need versus mission alignment, competitors versus competitive advantage, uniqueness versus duplicative efforts, organization brand/reputation versus other providers, trends and organization preparedness
5. Bring the organization together through a framework that unites people to work toward common goals by empowering shared ideas, collaborative solutions, openness to adaptation, and group responsibility. It becomes our plan, not their plan
6. Facilitate development of systematic processes to set priorities and allocate resources, becoming the blueprint for success
7. Create a vehicle to engage more people and renew existing commitments to the organization
8. Serve as a tool to systematically increase efficiencies and effectiveness and consider new revenue streams
9. Document funding needs and reassure funders that your organization is a solid investment

With the results of the recent economic impact of the nonprofit sector in Michigan report (www.mnaonline.org), we now have validated information about what we knew intuitively: the nonprofit sector is a significant economic driver to Michigan’s economy, both as an employer with at least 1 in 10 employees working in the sector, and as an industry with annual operations roughly equivalent to the manufacturing or retail trade sectors. NorthSky Nonprofit Network recently released survey results for nonprofits in its ten-county service region in northwest Michigan that indicated that 80% of those reporting anticipate an increased need for their services in 2009 while 70% of those reporting anticipate significant difficulty with cash flow in 2009. How to bridge that gap is on the minds of many organizations. Systematic evaluation and planning are key tools to utilize.

NorthSky is a program of Rotary Charities of Traverse City. As such, NorthSky is considered a “first responder” to the nonprofit sector in its region. At NorthSky we promote systematic planning and evaluation and are seeing an increased desire by nonprofits to either initiate systematic planning or to modify existing planning processes to become ongoing management tools. As the environment is changing quickly, embracing a planning and evaluation process is a crucial first step to assure the organization can meet its opportunities and challenges appropriately. As planning should not be episodic but ongoing, the tools and process that NorthSky utilizes to facilitate systematic planning and evaluation are designed as such. There are many different planning and evaluation models so it is possible to find the tools and facilitator that best fit the organization’s culture.

At NorthSky, we utilize an organizational capacity assessment tool to guide the organization in evaluating its current capabilities in the areas of leadership, adaptive, management, operations and technology. With the facilitator, the organization’s leadership utilizes the assessment results as the foundation to develop an organization capacity building plan. The plan prioritizes capacity gaps within the organization that it will build in order to best meet its mission. How these capacities will be developed is also outlined. The organization then moves into the next level of planning. NorthSky utilizes a modification of the LaPiana Real Time Strategic Planning model as it is designed as an ongoing process. The organizational assessment and capacity building plan are considered within the planning process to help assure that the organization can implement its strategies to achieve its goals. As part of the implementation plan, organizations design their evaluation and reporting approaches to provide tools to measure how well they are doing in relation to their desired outcomes. Evaluating how the plan is performing is critical and builds in the mechanism for ongoing systematic planning to respond as necessary to evaluation results.

It is the systematic approach to planning and evaluation that will help your organization the most over time. It does take time, energy and resources to establish, but the return on the investment can be immediate and should have long-lasting benefits with continued use. Organizations need to “work the plan,” not just go through the process.

Developing planning and evaluation systems are generally considered organizational capacity building activities. There are funders and service providers throughout the state that can assist organizations in adopting these tools for sustainability. I would recommend contacting the Capacity Building Services department of MNA for referrals to resources in your area.

Submitted by:
Debbie McKeon
Executive Director, NorthSky Nonprofit Network

Share your thoughts on planning by posting your comments here.

Retreating to Advance Your Board

It’s the season of the board retreat and throughout northern Michigan board leadership is planning for time away. Board retreats can be an effective vehicle for team building, planning, training, and problem solving. Time challenged board meetings with over-loaded agendas provide little opportunity for an in-depth discussion or meaningful educational opportunity. The board retreat provides the luxury of time to dig into an issue or topic, map out a new approach, and get creative in our thinking. So, how do we construct a board retreat to optimize the time and set the stage for team building and creative thinking?

• Allocate time and resources for sufficient planning prior to the retreat. Obtain input from participants and reserve time on calendars. Give careful thought to logistics such as location and space.
• Establish a meaningful agenda and discussion topics that tie to priority issues and challenges for the nonprofit.
• Use hands-on activities, games, and small group discussions to move the session forward. Change the meeting format frequently to maintain participants’ attention and interest and to keep the session energetic.
  
• Do not overload the agenda or over-program the day. Provide enough flexibility to move away from the agenda and address unplanned but critical topics that arise.
• Consider using a retreat theme to make the session not only fun but focused on primary set of objectives. For example, a theme might be sports-related (“Getting to the World Series” or “Going for the Gold”), focused on non profit best practices, and include a physical team-building activity.
• Set the stage for all the participants to feel successful and enjoy the session. Provide sufficient preparation materials and information prior to the session to prepare attendees. Identify activities and exercises that are comfortable for all participants
• Provide social time and opportunities for relaxation. Take time to acknowledge and thank the board and to celebrate accomplishments.
• Follow-up is essential in making the board’s time away of long term value. Identify a transcriber for flip charts notes and to capture group work. Outline next steps prior to adjournment. Place follow-up action steps on subsequent board meeting agendas.
  

Share your tips on planning a successful board retreat by posting your comments.

Enjoy the week,

Pam Evans

Time Away from the Office Boosts Your Creativity & Productivity!

Well, I’ll confess! I played hooky from my work schedule yesterday afternoon and went for a walk on a beautiful spring day. I felt guilty, of course. There’s way too much going on at NorthSky to take time away in the middle of the day. But I shrugged it off and enjoyed the blooming flowers, trees, and did some bird watching. You can probably predict what I discovered. I came back from my walk energized and with a strategy in mind for two complex consulting engagements that I had been grappling with all week. We know this, don’t we? That taking a break and building in recreational time is essential to our work. That some of our most amazing and creative ideas come like a bolt during a bike ride or an afternoon on the boat.

Think about it. When was the last time you truly had a creative or innovative idea? What triggered it? Sometimes working in a group, throwing off constraints like worrying about the budget or the board’s reaction, loosens up our thinking and unleashes our best ideas. Have you been at a family picnic or holiday party and suddenly the great inspiration arrives, seemingly from nowhere. (Well, maybe it was the Chardonnay…)

According to Virginia Smith Harvey at the University of Massachusetts (http://www.indiana.edu/~futures/creation.ppt#256,1,Finding Creative Solutions), we are creative because it’s fun, energizing, and provides opportunities to solve problems. We aren’t creative because our lives are built around routines, it can get us into trouble, and because it requires us to abandon logic, practically and what we already know. Frankly, we’re taught not to be creative. To be creative we need to abandon what we know and look at things differently. Do things differently.

I think this is good advice and that we need to look for opportunities for recreation, exercise and to work in fresh settings. We need to build creativity exercises into our planning and problem solving sessions.

Much has been published about encouraging creativity in your work. One book I particularly enjoy and use often is “A Whack on the Side of the Head: How to Unlock Your Mind for Innovation.” Another is the training series, “Games Trainers Play,” Scannell and Newstrom.

Enjoy the spring and don’t forget to share your creative ideas with the rest of us!

Pam Evans

Post your thoughts and ideas about creativity.

Get Inspired! Investing in Your Leadership Development Pays Out Multiple Dividends to Your Nonprofit Organization

It’s not often that we take time away from the office to consider our career and what it means to be a nonprofit leader. Yet, nonprofit leadership is much more than a resume' of skills and accomplishments and worthy of our careful consideration. It’s a way of thinking, an approach, personality, style and of course, a passion for the work that energizes us and inspires others. But how do tap into that energy and inspire others without feeling particularly inspired ourselves? Inspiration, passion, and energy are needed in the nonprofit world more than ever. But with a jammed packed schedule and competing priorities, how do we remain enthusiastic and excited about the work?

This week I had the opportunity to attend MNA’s Super Conference to scope out workshop ideas and trainers for NorthSky’s professional development series. I attended several sessions that have recharged me and remind me how important it is to take time to learn something new and listen to the success stories around us. We feel a little guilty, don’t we, about leaving the office and spending the money on our leadership development? But, isn’t it possible that just one good idea, solution, or new resource, makes it worth it? Or maybe just provides a reminder of why we are in the nonprofit field?

Our nonprofit organizations need us to be energetic, enthusiastic and creative problem solvers. Investing in your own growth is an investment in your organization and in the growth of your team.

Take Time on May 18 or 19 to Join NorthSky and Lawrence Technological University at the Mission Driven Path: Pursuing a Career in the Nonprofit Sector. Or find other opportunities this spring to learn something new and recharge your leadership battery.

Information Continues to be Released Regarding Economic Stimulus Opportunities!

NorthSky staff had an opportunity to participate in a webinar, A Recovery Act Update for Michigan Nonprofits, presented by Leslee Fritz, Director of Michigan’s Economic Recovery Office. The presentation was helpful in highlighting the ways in which the Recovery Act funding will come into communities, the status of those streams, and where we need to go to get up to date information. The ARRA funding that is available to nonprofits is coming in two ways:

1. Through formula grants to existing programs (e.g. Medicaid, school funding, Food Stamps, Community Development Block Grants, etc.). This funding is moving out quickly to state and local governments and other organizations through existing mechanisms. Many of the formula funds to states and governments require that they work with community organizations. Nonprofits are encouraged to check with their municipalities for opportunities to partner.
2. Through competitive grants, the vast majority of which will be at the federal level. These competition announcements are coming out more slowly. There are some out now, but according to recent briefing they are expecting the bulk of these competitions to be open in July and August. All ARRA federal grant competitions must be posted on www.grants.gov (more information below). The state will likely have some competitive grants which will be posted on www.michigan.gov/recovery (more information below).
   

The funding made through formula grants to existing programs and through competitive grants will cut across almost all sectors – health, education, human services, transportation, energy, housing and community development, the environment, and arts and culture.

Prior to the signing of the ARRA, the Governor requested summaries of “shovel ready” projects from organizations around the state. The purpose of the list was to assess the need in the state and lobby for resources to come to Michigan. Most of the ARRA funding is being coordinated at the federal level, or simply passing through the state to local communities through formula grants. The little discretionary funding that is left for the state is going to meet their ongoing budget shortfalls and will not be used to fund any of the “shovel ready” projects. Organizations with shovel ready projects are encouraged to pursue competitive ARRA grants and contact the units of local government that received formula allocations to pursue partnership opportunities.

If you are interested in securing economic stimulus dollars for your nonprofit, it’s important to check three resources daily for updates:

www.michigan.gov/recovery - State of Michigan’s portal for ARRA information. Click on “Grant Opportunities” for a summary and contact information for all ARRA grant opportunities (formula and competitive).
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/recovery.jsp - The grants.gov page dedicated to federal recovery act competitive grant opportunities. There are links to all the federal departments’ newly created recovery web pages as well as a link to a listing of all of the open Recovery Act competitions.
www.recovery.gov – The federal government site for Recovery Act news and reporting.

The PowerPoint and question and answers from this webinar can be accessed at: http://www.mnaonline.org/pdf/MNAGovOfcPPTPresentation_April142009.pdf. Look for a link to the full transcript of the presentation and question and answer session in next week’s update.

Additionally, on April 9, the White House held a special “briefing for outside organizations about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)” to provide an opportunity “to learn about how the ARRA funds are being distributed in the various departments and how you as organizations can participate.” The National Council of Nonprofits attended the briefing and has published this Special Report so nonprofits across the country can have equal access to this important information. (Source: National Council of Nonprofits)

Why Do Capacity-Building? Another Way to Think about Our Work

I was recently challenged to help one of my clients explain the concept of capacity-building to her board – why we should do it and why it should be funded. I’ve been doing this work for so long that it just makes logical sense to me! Why doesn’t it for everyone?! I decided to use a theory-of-change logic loop and it has proved useful. I thought I’d pass along both the tool and the logic of capacity-building.

I borrowed this very basic theory-of-change logic loop from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s internal evaluation unit. It looks like this:




Issues and Opportunities

To apply this logic loop to capacity-building, I had to consider first the issues that have caused capacity-building to arise for nonprofits and what opportunities become available to organizations as a result. Here’s what I put together in describing “Issues and Opportunities:”

1. Nonprofits traditionally receive funding only for programs. Many funders have had restrictions about using funding for operations, equipment and other such elements of infrastructure.
2. Therefore, nonprofits have under-developed infrastructure. Many struggle with the basics such as financial reporting, as well as functions such as quality improvement systems. A common theme is under-developed board governance and, in some cases, poorly functioning executive leadership.
3. Nonprofits cannot sustain programs long-term. When the three-year grant ends, all too often, the program ends. Or it must be reorganized to attract funding from another funder. How many of us have written grants where we said we’d find a way to fund the project long-term and we had, at best, a vague idea of how to do that?
4. As a result, there is ongoing expansion and contraction of services to the community. This makes it difficult for service seekers to know where to go to get what. And it is expensive to keep repeating the “start up” cycle that comes with new funding for a new idea (or new funding for an old idea revised). Changes in service delivery should be guided by needs, not by the availability of funding.

You may have other ideas about the issues and opportunities. The logic loop helps us to identify those.

Responses

So, now what? What is the response to these issues and opportunities? Here is how I answered:

1. Initial research has identified the elements of strong nonprofit functioning. Research done by McKinsey and Company for Venture Philanthropy Partners identified seven broad categories of capacity that nonprofits need to have to function successfully.
2. It is possible to assess functioning via capacity-building assessment. McKinsey’s work has been converted to a grid that accesses the capacities that nonprofits have in four areas: leadership, adaptability, operations and management.
3. Funders understand the need to fund infrastructure development. In our region, Rotary Charities has led the way by making grants to help agencies assess their capacities and then develop plans for how to address their gaps. Rotary also provides up to three years of funding for the implementation of capacity building activities. Many of you have or are participating in this process by completing an organizational capacity assessment and developing a plan for capacity building with NorthSky.
4. Capacity building activities are undertaken. The field of nonprofit management and consulting are beginning to develop and provide services and programs that address a variety of capacity issues. We see board development, fund development, volunteer management among the more predominant needs.

This is good news. We have a tool that can help us assess capacity. We have funders who are willing to invest in strengthening capacity. And we’re starting to develop the programs that address the capacity gaps. So, off we go? Not quite!

Outcomes

We can’t leave this discussion without talking about outcomes. We all know our funders want to know what impact their funding produced. But, most importantly, all of us as leaders and staff in nonprofits need to know what outcomes we’re trying to achieve. That is true of capacity building as well. There are three levels of outcome to consider:

1. Initial outcomes: how did the functioning of the organization improve? Are boards functioning better? Is more money being raised?
2. Long-term impact: are these organizations better able to meet their missions? Are they serving more clients? Are their services more effective?
3. Social change: is the community better off because of the investment in these nonprofits? Is the community healthier? Are its citizens enjoying a better quality of life?

These outcomes seem logically connected, don’t they? But, we really don’t know for sure unless we can answer all of these questions with sound research. And this is where it gets tough – answering the last two questions requires considerable time and resources to design and implement research studies. More about that in a minute...

Putting it all together

If I put all of this information, in abbreviated form, in my logic loop, we end up with a concise way to look at what might seem like a very complex thing called capacity-building. It looks like this:




And, if I over lay on this model an approach to evaluating capacity-building, I come up with this:


Getting back to outcomes for a minute, how much time and resource should we invest in evaluating capacity-building? We can and should be able to articulate initial outcomes. But long range outcomes and social change are better left to large funders, university-based researchers and scientists, and field theorists.

I am hopeful that the logic loop offered here will give all of us the compelling rationale for continuing the very important work of capacity-building. And I hope you can see that you can apply this approach to other aspects of your work as a nonprofit organization. I wish you the best of success on behalf of your clients and the community!

Post your comments on Chris Ameen’s capacity building model.

Great Tips for Time Management

I took some time off during Spring break and headed to Dallas for a long weekend. Great thing about plane trips (especially when you experience long and unplanned delays); you catch up on your reading!

One article in Nonprofit World really hit home for me. “Never Enough Time” by Paul Lemberg provides some great tips for time management and improving work/ home balance.

Some of the author’s tips:

1. Create a list of priorities. Make them explicit and post them prominently on your desk. Evaluate how well these priorities advance the mission of your organization and your strategic plan.
2. Re-think your master “to do” list. Update it frequently and avoid creating a messy list that is a “hodgepodge” of items. Order the most important items first.
3. Start fresh everyday. Identify seven or fewer items of most importance to accomplish each day. Each item on the list must advance a critical issue for your organization.
   
4. Re-think meetings and rituals such as answering email or reading. Evaluate meetings and rituals against your highest priorities. If it doesn’t address a critical issue, don’t do it. Eliminate it, delegate it, or just get rid of it!
5. Evaluate your progress. At the end of each week, assess how you are doing against critical goals.
   

Some time management activities I’ve incorporated into my own life include innovative ways of adding exercise into a busy schedule. I always carry my walking shoes and work-out gear in the car and conduct meetings while walking (with many of you! You know who you are!) Or I walk to meetings that are within a mile or two of the offices.

I create my daily “to do” list for the next day at the end of the work day so I hit my desk ready to go in the morning.

And, of course, I always carry a giant tote bag of reading material with me on planes with the goal of emptying that tote before arrival at my destination. I save a great novel for the trip home as my reward.

What about you? Any tips to share? Post your comments…

Advice for Fundraising? Practice, practice, practice!

We had a full workshop for Andy Robinson’s return visit to Traverse City and my impression was that most attendees left the session energized and excited about fundraising. Amazing… even in this tough economic climate! Andy was able to give us practical advice and instructions for focusing our fundraising efforts on the right prospects using the right approaches.

Some highlights….

• Throughout 50 years of tracking donations- through economic downturns, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks; annual donations have continued to rise each year with few exceptions. The few years that saw declines were only by 1-3%!
  
  
• 76% of the revenue raised through fundraising comes from individual donors. Most of these donors earn $75,000 or less annually and donate to 5 to 10 organizations.
  
  
• Only 12% of revenue from fundraising comes from grants and even less from corporations.

It’s pretty clear where we need to focus our efforts this year. With foundation income down and fewer dollars available from government sources and the corporate world, fundraisers need to become very savvy about how to connect with their current donors and upgrade them and how to identify and cultivate new donors. Individual meetings, small house parties, and customized presentations are more important than ever.

How do we get good at this? It certainly isn’t a comfort area for most people including our board members who are an essential ingredient in this equation.

Practice, practice, practice! There is not a skill that we can build and truly master without experience. Practice with long time donors. Practice with colleagues. Practice with each other. It’s unrealistic to expect to be an expert at conducting “the ask” without experience. Keep at it.

Whether you have a quiet, reserved style or a gregarious, outgoing personality; you can use your personal strengths to become a skilled and successful fundraiser. Learn to apply your personal communication approach to your best advantage!

A Struggling Economy Sets the Stage for Nonprofit Innovation

O.K., I’ll admit it. I’m one of those die hard optimists that advocates for making lemonade out of those lemons we’re being so generously served these days. One of the positive outcomes of our struggling economy is that we are seeing an increasing receptiveness by nonprofit leaders to reinventing their current business model and changing their mode of operation.

This week, we received the latest newsletter from Fieldstone Alliance, “6 Pivotal Points When Nonprofits Must Make Fundamental Changes.” This is valuable reading that outlines important signals that a nonprofit is in need of fundamental change. The managing editor, Rebecca Post, points out that “to remain strong and effective, nonprofits cannot remain static.” Isn’t that the truth? But isn’t it so hard to promote change and move our team including board members, staff, volunteers, and clients to a new paradigm? This newsletter article and the referenced book by Susan Gross provide concrete questions and discussion points to guide your critical thinking.
Click here to read this recommended reading by Pam Evans, NorthSky Program Manager.

Post your comments…

Ready, Set, Go!

Can’t you just feel the collective energy of America in the starting blocks waiting for the pistol to fire? The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act became law on February 17, 2009 and we’ve all heard about the billions that will be coming to the nonprofit sector. But, most of us are probably still wondering about when and how this will happen. I don’t have those clear answers yet either, but there are things that I can share that might help us all be ready for “Go!”

There are two new websites that I am now counting on for the latest news on Recovery Act actions at the federal and state level.

The state of Michigan added a page to their website - http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-46485_52682---,00.html where they are promising to post all information about the Recovery Act and the process that will be used to distribute that funding to communities and organizations around Michigan.

Similarly, the federal government launched a new website that will be the main conduit for all federal information and reporting regarding the Recovery Act- www.recovery.gov. The site promises to be the “centerpiece” of the Act’s transparency and accountability, providing information on when funding is available, where funding is going, and the outcomes of programs implemented with Recovery Act funds.

The most important information on the site as of today is a guidance document that was sent to all federal department heads that provides a wealth of detail regarding how the Act will be implemented - timelines, request for proposal (RFP) posting requirements, reporting requirements, etc.
http://www.recovery.gov/files/Initial%20Recovery%20Act%20Implementing%20Guidance.pdf

There are several clues in the guidance document about the “when” and the “how” of these funds that will help us in the nonprofit sector ready ourselves for the rollout of this Act.

The guidance requires that within 20 days of the enactment of the Act, departments must post synopses of open grant competitions on grants.gov; links to full announcements must be live within 30 days of the enactment of the Act.
All postings must be on grants.gov and must be clearly labeled and tagged to distinguish them as Recovery Act/ARRA funds.
Departments are encouraged to roll out awards in a way that will allow "recipients to commence expenditures and activities as quickly as possible." They are encouraged to open competitive competitions when they can. However, they are also encouraged to consider limited competitions among "existing high performers." Departments are being encouraged not to simply supplement existing grant awards because they are being required to track the outcomes of the Recovery Act separately. However, the guidance specifically mentions "continuation/renewal awards" as an option.
Departments are being encouraged to give extra weight programs that have proven results in the area of job creation and preservation.
There will be extra oversight of these funds - site visits, extra reporting, etc. - to comply with the transparency and accountability that the administration is demanding.
All departments/agencies are being required to add a page to their websites strictly for Recovery Act information that will link to the overall Recovery.gov page by the end of next week.

What this guidance document tells me is that federal departments and states are under pressure to give out their ARRA dollars quickly, so it is a safe bet that the turn around time for any new grant applications will be as tight as possible, days or weeks at most. This will be a built-in weeding process, filtering out those organizations and programs that are not ready to hit the ground running. Since departments and states will be under more scrutiny than ever before, they are going to want to fund projects that will be able to get them results, fast. I offer the following recommendations for us as we “get set.”

Even though most RFPs have not been posted yet, we should get our applications ready. Some common grant application elements are: Background of your Organization and Project, Project Need/Demographics of the Target Population, Work Plan (with measurable goals, objectives, activities, and timelines), Experience of Project Staff, Evaluation, Sustainability, Line Item Budget and a Budget Narrative.

Focus on expanding or modifying proven projects that have already shown strong results. It is probably not the time for pilot projects unless they are based on strong research and are highly likely to produce results.

Include strong evaluation plans that track the indicators are aligned with funder’s priorities outlined in the RFP, at least job creation and retention. The department you are applying to will be required to report strong outcomes for the project that they chose to fund – show them that you will be able to make them look good.

If possible, show how you plan to use the funding you are requesting to leverage other funds. It is always a plus to show funders that their money will go farther when they invest with you.

Show in your application that you are ready to hit the ground running. It is probably not the time to propose planning projects or long start-up phases. The federal departments and states are going to be expected to report results fast, so they will be looking for projects that are ready to “Go!”


Best regards,

Freya Bradford, NorthSky Research and Project Manager

Join this discussion by posting your comments.

How much do you invest in your nonprofit organization?

Strange question? Obvious answer? Most nonprofit leaders put their lives into their work; investing whole heartedly into their organization. They work long hours, chew on problems in the shower or during family vacations, and sacrifice monetarily in the hope of making our communities better and to assist those they serve. They are constantly “on” – seeking out opportunities, networking, and building support for their mission. Yet, in one vital area, nonprofit leaders struggle with investment. They struggle in investing in themselves: their own personal growth and professional development. Many feel they can’t afford the time away from the office and justifiably, many feel tight budgets can’t accommodate the conference fees and travel expenses. Yet, “people power” is the engine that drives our nonprofit organizations. For innovation, best practice and responsive programming to thrive, we must seek out information and learn from others.

Our nonprofit organizations need us to become lifelong learners. The environment is changing too much and too quickly for us to be complacent about education and learning. While we can’t always afford to attend national conferences, we need to be savvy about attending local and regional training programs. We need to see the time away from the office spent on learning, professional networking and development, as a critical investment in the sustainability of our nonprofit. It is not only time well spent, it is an essential ingredient for success.

This winter NorthSky is offering a full schedule of professional development workshops on a wide range of topics. We’ve worked hard to keep fees low and quality high. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn a few new tricks and invest in yourself and in your board and staff.

Best regards,

Pam Evans
NorthSky Program Manager

Join this discussion by posting your comments.

Dear Nonprofit Leader,

To help our communities understand the effects of the current economy and stimulus efforts on the nonprofit sector of our region, please complete this short survey. It is very important and will only take 5-10 minutes. Your answers will provide key information to NorthSky Nonprofit Network to help it best characterize the impact of the economic situation on the nonprofit sector in our 10 county region.

In order for this information to be powerful enough to be considered seriously, we need to have a great response rate. With this in mind I ask you to please take the few minutes needed to complete the survey and submit it by Saturday, February 21, 2009.

Simply follow this link and complete the short survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228SJUBXCMJ

Many thanks, in advance, for your assistance with this request for information. We really appreciate your help.

Warmest regards,
Debbie McKeon,
Executive Director

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact me in care of NorthSky Nonprofit Network by phone at 231.929.3934 or email dmckeon@northskynonprofitnetwork.org.

Post your comments about the current economic climate here.

Pondering Leadership...

Last week, NorthSky hosted an excellent "Break for Lunch" session on leadership, led by Barbara Jordan Ellis, of the Center for Coaching & Leadership Development. Barbara spoke with us about the various components of leadership and how to assess our leadership style. As Debbie McKeon and I considered our own leadership styles, we were struck by the accuracy of her tools in "nailing" us and how our two styles are different yet complement one another. We agreed that we’re "a small but mighty team" – but how different would it be if we didn’t complement each other so well? The potential for conflict between two strong personalities is fairly high without an acceptance of one’s weaknesses. Barbara referred to this as emotional intelligence and it is the essential ingredient for effective leadership- that ability to recognize one’s strengths and weaknesses and leverage them in working with others.

I’ve already begun applying what Barbara taught us and I’m eager to learn more. The good news is that she’ll be back on Feb 25 for another "Break for Lunch" session and then back on March 26 for a full day on developing your leadership style and skill. I encourage you to join us.

Some other interesting resources I found include an article on "Adaptive Leadership" by Charles Albano. He speaks about the concept of adapting leadership to adjust to specific needs and circumstances. His article lists specific characteristics and examples of how these characteristics come into play. Barbara Ellis refers to this as “situational leadership” and will go into more detail on this topic at our February 25 workshop.

Join this discussion by posting your experiences on our blog.

Enjoy the week,

Pam Evans
NorthSky Program Manager

Are you up to speed on your legal filing requirements?

It is tax season again. It is that time of year when we are all gathering our requisite paperwork, carting it off to “our people” (if we’re fortunate enough to have them) or getting by with our desktop calculators at our kitchen tables. I don’t know about you, but I always get a little nervous this time of year. I make more lists. I ask more questions. And even as I loosen the grip on my return that final time and turn it over to the custody of the U.S. mail (yes, I am still a paper filer), I am asking myself that nagging question, “did I forget something?”

And this is just my personal filing! To those of you responsible for fulfilling your organization’s filing requirements – you have my deepest admiration and sympathy. As we all know, the legal paperwork burden for the average nonprofit does not end after its organizing documents and 1023 are filed. Unfortunately, being tax exempt does not seem to exempt us from any IRS paperwork. And now even the smallest among us, nonprofits with gross receipts less than $25,000, are required to annually file an e-postcard (990-N) with the IRS. The good news is, it is very short, nothing at all like the newly revised IRS 990 form that most of us will be filing this year. And then there is UBIT, employment taxes, and non cash contributions, and quid pro quo to account for. My palms are getting sweaty.

The State of Michigan also requires documents from us. There is the Annual Corporation Update due each October. Did you also know that all charities in Michigan that intend on soliciting or receiving donations from the public are required to submit an Initial Charitable Trust/Charitable Solicitation Questionnaire to the State Attorney General? If they determine that you are a Charitable Trust (usually organizations that get $8,000 or more per year from public contributions), you are also required to submit a Charitable Trust Application and an Annual Financial Report.

To make sure we’re not forgetting any of these important filing requirements, NorthSky is hosting a workshop, Break for Lunch: Legal Filing Requirements for Nonprofit Organizations. Thursday, February 5, 2009, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm, NMC University Center, Room 5. For more information or to register, go to NorthSky’s website at, http://www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org/workshops020509.shtm.

Join this discussion by posting your experiences on our blog.

Enjoy the week,

Freya Bradford
NorthSky Research and Project Manager

What Makes A Strong Leader?

As the world focuses on a transition in U.S. leadership; it’s natural to consider the concept of leadership. What makes a strong leader? We certainly know that it’s more than the “right” education or graduating from a specialized training program. Many successful leaders don’t have prestigious academic credentials but use practical education and “street smarts” to foster change and influence behavior. Strong leaders exhibit an interesting mix of personality, communication skills, focus, drive, experience, and instincts. Somehow all these characteristics meld together when a specific opportunity or need arises. It can emerge in the most unexpected people in the most challenging of circumstances.

We hear all kinds of dire predictions about nonprofit leadership needs and the huge void that can’t be met with the current pool of talent. We hear grim forecasts about shrinking funding and intensifying competition for staff, board members, and volunteers. Our nonprofit leaders need every advantage to face the challenges and demands being placed on them. Growing a team of critical and innovative thinkers that bring a spirit of social entrepreneurship to the sector is essential.

Author Jim Collins (“From Good to Great”) points out that “we can find pockets of greatness in nearly every difficult environment—whether it be the airline industry, education, healthcare, social ventures, or government-funded agencies. Every institution has its unique set of irrational and difficult constraints, yet some make a leap while others facing the same environmental challenges do not. This is perhaps the single most important point in all of Good to Great. Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.”

So how do we promote nonprofit greatness in our region? This winter, NorthSky is introducing a series of workshops focused on leadership. Beginning with our January 29 “What Makes Great Leaders- Break for Lunch session,” Barbara Jordan Ellis, owner of Center for Coaching & Leadership Development, will guide us through three sessions focused on building your leadership skills. Don’t miss these. It’s a wonderful opportunity to assess and build your own leadership skills.

Plenty of other resources are out there to help you on your leadership journey. Excellent reading materials include Jim Collins, “From Good to Great and the Social Sectors” and “Principle-Centered Leadership” by Stephen R. Covey.

An interesting website to visit to learn more about nonprofit careers and leadership is Commongood Careers at www.cgcareers.org. They have several good articles on the posted there including a white paper on developing a nonprofit workforce for the future. at: http://www.cgcareers.org/knowledgecenter/article/the_talent_and_diverse_leadership_we_need_developing_the_nonprofit_workforc/

Join this discussion by posting your experiences on our blog.

Enjoy the week,

Pam Evans
NorthSky Program Manager

Times are Uncertain but it is Important to Keep Applying for Grants!

With the inescapable reality of the steep economic downturn, government bailouts, and dwindling endowments, many of us in the nonprofit community may be left afraid to even ask, “Is there anything left for us?” For many nonprofits, the demand for services is increasing and donations are decreasing. Yet, we may be wondering if it is wise to continue to invest scarce resources into applying for increasingly competitive foundation, state or federal grant dollars.

The changes in grant making in 2009 are more difficult to predict than you might think. Some grant makers report planning to increase their funding in ’09 to help nonprofits weather the economic storm, some are decreasing their giving in response to their own shrinking resources, and regardless of funding levels, many plan to shift their funding priorities and to make their funding decisions more strategic.

The only universal truth may be that the competition for grant dollars is getting fiercer.
But is that any reason to take your organization out of the game? I don’t think so – we need to keep asking. The old adage, “you can’t win if you don’t play” certainly applies to securing grant dollars as well.

I think we need to keep writing and to write smarter.

Now more than ever, it is important that funders get to know our organizations and our needs well. I think we should keep calling program officers and keep our applications on their desks. Even if they can’t contribute any funds now, they will be learning about our organizations and we’ll be beginning a relationship that could become fruitful in the future.

Grant seeking and grant writing are also skills that we shouldn’t let atrophy. Lingo changes, foundation’s priorities and scope change, federal and state programs begin and end. We also want to keep our own organizational profiles, needs statements and statistics up-to-date and ready for the next opportunity.

Foundations are narrowing the scope of what they will fund and changing their priorities. We need to respond by being more strategic about where we apply and make sure that our needs fit well within their priorities.

We should also be smarter about what we ask for. Projects with proven, quantifiable outcomes will be much more attractive to funders who are looking to have the greatest impact with limited resources. We should also look for ways to make grant dollars work harder for us. For example, we could use grant dollars to leverage other funding. Or we could propose a capacity-building project that will increase our organization’s ability to create a more stable funding base, such as, creating a fund development plan or cultivating a donor base.

While these are uncertain times for nonprofits, we should know that funders are not going to abandon us. They will work with us to make the biggest possible impact. For more information about writing smarter grants, don’t miss the “Getting Good at Grants” workshop on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. Go to NorthSky’s website for more details, http://www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org/workshops042809.shtm

Enjoy the week,
Freya Bradford, MSW
NorthSky Research and Project Manager

Join this discussion by posting your thoughts on our blog.

Become a Publicist for Your Nonprofit!

I must be watching too much TV lately but I’ve been intrigued by the publicists that so skillfully craft an image for a celebrity or politician and positively influence public opinion. It’s got me thinking about how great it would be if every nonprofit had its own publicist!

We’re all busy right now pursuing donors, searching for volunteers or recruiting new board members for our nonprofit organizations. Again and again, we hear that it is essential that we get the case for support for our nonprofit out to the community in order to get people involved with our work. But exactly, how do we do that in a cost effective and efficient manner? Good news-- tools do exist to help us!

Great publicists are great storytellers. They use stories to communicate an image and identity, and to influence public opinion and behavior. Nonprofits can take a lesson by sharing their own stories. Success stories that illustrate our work capture the attention of the reader and have a more lasting impact. Use of testimonials help document our community benefit and reinforce a positive image and identity. The more positive visibility we obtain, the more success we’ll derive from fundraising and volunteer recruitment strategies.

So, the first step is to begin collecting those stories and testimonials. Obtain written client permission to share clients’ experiences and use quotes. Weave these stories into your solicitation letters, brochures, website, and other communication vehicles.

And then, get these stories out to the media. A wonderful news release toolkit is available through Knight Communications and is in the NorthSky Resource Center. The toolkit walks you through the process of creating a news release and provides some practical tips.

Take advantage of a free webinar at TechSoup on Social Media and Storytelling and learn more about how you can become a great publicist for your nonprofit.

Share your experience and suggestions by joining our discussion…