Smart Giving Matters

Exciting Charities Review Council Year-End Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 16:04:00 +0000

A special message from Charities Review Council's Executive Director, Kris Kewitsch.

It's official! We've moved in to our new office space, and we are loving it!

Charities Review Council's New Office

You can find us at -

Located in the Creative Enterprise Zone and surrounded by some of our favorite nonprofit friends and small business owners, our new office is the perfect spot. With high ceilings, exposed brick, and lofted work space, it's also the perfect fit. Although smaller than our previous office, this space allows us to grow, with room for up to 10 work stations! If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and say "Hi!" We'd love to show you around.

In the meantime, we're still hard at work delivering on our mission, and making a push towards year-end goals.

So far, we've exceeded our goal (and even our stretch goal!) for engagement of new nonprofits in the Council's nonprofit review process, the Accountability Wizard®. We're thrilled to be partnering with new nonprofits every year! We're also in the midst of bringing our new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit online, which will support nonprofits in not only meeting the Council's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Accountability Standard®, but also taking the next step towards action. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

Additionally, we're hard at work planning FORUM 2017, previously known as our Annual Forum. The FORUM will be our biennial event that honors and celebrates the work of the philanthropic sector. In collaboration with our event planning partner- Pollen, and Presenting Sponsor- The Bush Foundation, we're excited to create an exciting event for our donor and nonprofit partners. We look forward to sharing the Save the Date very soon! Haven't attended the FORUM in the past? Click here to add your name to the invite list!

Last but certainly not least, The Bush Foundation recently announced that Charities Review Council was among the 39 organizations to receive a 2016-2017 Ecosystem Grant. Ecosystem Grants provide general operating support over two years. We're thrilled and honored to be among such an amazing group of grantees.

2016 has been quite the adventure. Thank you for taking the journey with us.

Wishing you all a joyous year-end and a happy new year!

In partnership,

Kris Kewitsch & the Charities Review Council team

We're Moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:26:00 +0000

As promised, we've been hard at work this year ensuring sustainability for Charities Review Council. One option, with potential for great impact, was to reduce our operating expense by re-locating the Council office. We're excited to share that we will be moving on Monday, November 21st!

Our new office is just around the corner from our current location, giving us the same proximity to our donors and nonprofit partners. You can find us at 700 Raymond Avenue, Suite 160, St. Paul, MN 55114.

The new space not only right-sizes us for our current programming activities and staffing model, but also allows us room to grow, as we continue to expand our reach. All of this while helping to recognize almost 40% in annual savings!

Feel free to reach out (or stop by!) as we welcome any chance to talk with our partners. Additionally, please update our mailing address in your files. Our phone number and email addresses will remain the same.

Smart Givers Give to the MAX!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:00:00 +0000

A Q & A with GiveMN's Executive Director, Jake Blumberg.

In true Minnesota tradition, we're gearing up for another Give to the Max Day. And, as donor and nonprofit partners here at Charities Review Council, we're looking forward to a day of huge generosity benefiting the causes you care about! Last year, more than 62,000 donors logged on to GiveMN.Org to give more than 18 million (yes, million!) dollars. That's huge! So in preparation for the big day, we asked Jake Blumberg, Executive Director at GiveMN, his thoughts, tips, and tricks for making the most of this giving holiday. Here's what he had to say...

What excites you about leading GiveMN?

GiveMN is such a unique organization that has the opportunity to help thousands of organizations and donors connect with one another year round, and of course, on our annual giving holiday in Minnesota, Give to the Max Day! The opportunity to help organizations make broad impact throughout the state and region is incredibly energizing to me, and I am excited about not only success we have had up to this point, but also the future we can explore as an organization and community together.

What's the difference between GiveMN and Give to the Max Day?

Since our founding in 2009, GiveMN has hosted Give to the Max Day as one of our marquee events, in service to thousands of Minnesota nonprofits and schools that strengthen our communities every day. It is our opportunity to bring attention to the sector, ignite generosity, grow giving, and make it a fun time to give.

It wouldn't be a Charities Review Council interview without asking about your favorite smart giving tips. So tell us, Jake...

What are your favorite tips and/or tricks for smart giving?

There are a lot of habits we should incorporate as smart givers. One we are excited about is a new feature on GiveMN.org allowing donors to cover the processing fee on behalf of their favorite cause. That way, not only does the organization receive 100% of their donation, but donors are also able to help organizations be more sustainable. Online fundraising is one of the most affordable ways to raise money, and now donors can give just a little bit more to make it 100% free for organizations.

For more tips/tricks for smart giving, check out our 'Be a Smart Giver this Give to the Max Day' blog here.

You mentioned Give to the Max Day makes giving fun and easy, So...

What are three easy steps to give on Give to the Max Day?

It's so simple, there aren't even three steps! Just go to GiveMN.org on November 17th and search for your favorite organizations, or find new ones by keyword or location. For a list of Charities Review Council's Meets Standards® nonprofits, click here!

You can make a gift to any Minnesota nonprofit (or school) in just minutes. And, if you don't want to wait until November 17th, you can schedule your Give to the Max Day gift beginning November 1st, just like an auto bill pay.

What's the gift that's meant the most to you?

Golden Ticket Winner

I think there are two gifts that stand out to me in my fundraising career. The first is probably from the first fundraising campaign I ever ran. A family friend of mine heard about the work we were doing, and although they did not have a lot of capacity, they made a gift that was truly meaningful to them. It wasn't the largest gift the campaign received, but to me it illustrated how much meaning there can be in people giving what they can because they are inspired by the work we are doing to make change in the community.

My favorite gift that I have learned about in my role at GiveMN has to be the story of the $100 gift during Give to the Max Day 2014 that led to a new wing of an elementary school library thanks to a $20,000 Super-Sized Golden Ticket prize generously sponsored by our friends at the Bush Foundation. I think it is an incredible impact our giving can make when a donor's $100 gift can end up creating so much change. The media center even bears her name now!

Over to you Smart Givers!
What's a gift that's meant the most to you? Send us a message, or comment below for a chance to be highlighted on Charities Review Council's Facebook page this Give to the Max Day!

Be a Smart Giver this Give to the Max Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:41:00 +0000

Get your Giving Guides ready! Minnesota's 24-hour online give-a-thon, Give to the Max Day, is almost here.

At Charities Review Council, we know you're seriously invested in the causes you care about, and that every dollar matters to the nonprofits you generously support. That's why we work alongside donors (and nonprofits) every day, ensuring donors like you can feel confident when making a giving decision.

Give to the Max Day is no different! We're here to help you prepare for this year's giving holiday with two easy-to-use tips and a guide for nonprofit outreach. It doesn't get any better than that! But first, let's talk Give to the Max Day; What is it? How can you participate? And more importantly, WHY should you participate? We've got answers to those questions and more below.

What is Give to the Max Day?
If you're new in town, or just haven't heard of Give to the Max Day, you're in the right spot! Give to the Max Day is Minnesota's 24-hour online give-a-thon, where generous donors (like you!) celebrate giving by supporting the causes they care about most.

Last year more than 62,000 donors logged on to GiveMN.Org to give more than 18 million dollars. That's huge!

Why should I participate?
Besides the "feel good" benefits, making a gift on Give to the Max Day has some added benefits, like Golden Tickets!

Every hour, GiveMN will be awarding one Golden Ticket of $1,000 through a random drawing of all donations transacted during the previous hour. Additionally, two Super-Sized Golden Tickets of $10,000 each, will be awarded as well.

That means your $10 donation could transform into a $10,000 donation for your favorite nonprofit (or school). So go ahead, grab your lucky socks and make a gift to your favorite Minnesota nonprofit for a chance to turn your $10 (or more!) into $10,000!

Give to the Max Day makes giving easy and fun. Click here to get started!

When is Give to the Max Day?
Mark your calendars; Give to the Max Day is Thursday, November 17th. Too excited to wait? Don't worry, you can schedule your online gifts as early as November 1st, and still have it count towards the Golden Ticket prizes outlined above.

How can you make the most of your giving dollars?
Be a smart giver and use our giving tips (outlined below) and nonprofit outreach guide, found here.

TIP #1 Use our list of strong, trustworthy, and accountable nonprofits.

Take some of the guess work out of choosing a nonprofit to support. Nonprofits included on our list have taken steps to align their internal policies and procedures to widely accepted standards for nonprofit accountability and strength. These are nonprofits that you can feel confident investing in.

TIP #2 Know what questions to ask of a new nonprofit partner.

It's okay to reach out to ask additional questions. Our nonprofit partner organizations will welcome a donor phone call. And, relationships with the organizations you're planning to support matter almost as much as the dollars donated do. So, feel free to make a quick call, or send an email to an organization of interest, asking clarifying questions.

To make it easy, we've prepped a conversation starter (below) and an outreach guide (found here!) for you to use when reaching out to nonprofits you're considering supporting.

"Hi! My name is____, and I'm interested in supporting your organization on Give to the Max Day, and in the future. Would you, your program director, or your executive director have a few minutes to answer a couple of questions?

For the full nonprofit outreach guide, click here!

The nonprofit outreach guide includes sample questions, the importance of each question, and interesting follow-up questions to ask of a new nonprofit partner.

From all of us at Charities Review Council, we hope you have a generous and prosperous end to your year, and a fabulous Give to the Max Day. Give on!

You Don't Have To See The Whole Staircase, Just Take The First Step.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 14:47:00 +0000

A special message from Charities Review Council's Executive Director, Kris Kewitsch.

When we started this conversation we said, 'big changes start with small steps.' Now, six months later, we're excited to share the many small steps our small but mighty team has taken in order to deliver on our commitment to you - our nonprofit partners, donors, and community members.

Executive Director, Kris Kewitsch

Thank you for your support of our initial change message. Full transparency isn't always easy, or comfortable, but your emails, phone calls, texts and social media call outs did not go unnoticed, and reaffirmed our decision to share openly.

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best when he said "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

Today, I come to you with our exciting steps forward, progress towards year-end goals, and plans for the future!

Our core work remains the same, and continues to flourish!

In our last Council update, we mentioned that our core work would remain the same, and it has! At Charities Review Council, we're committed to working alongside both donors and nonprofits, strengthening the relationship between the two so that relationships that were once transactional, can transform into authentic and meaningful relationships that better serve our communities. We see glimpses of this every day; Donors reaching out to nonprofits to learn more before giving of their time, talent and/or treasure. Our Nonprofit Services Team has done an incredible job keeping us on track with our annual goals. Here are just a few of the highlights thus far!

The Highlights:

We have exceeded our annual goal for engagement of NEW nonprofits in the Accountability Wizard® review process! We are now working towards a stretch goal for year-end.
We are currently exceeding our year-to-date budget for Accountability Wizard® fees, and plan to finish the year in a strong financial position.
Our renewal rate continues to stay strong at 94%.
Our 3rd annual Nonprofit Calling Day was a huge success, engaging 42 nonprofits in our Accountability Wizard® review process!

What's new at Charities Review Council? Great question! We are so excited to share with you our new projects, tools and plans for the future.

NEW PROJECT SUPPORT- Nonprofits Strengthening Project

We received new project support from Youthprise to work with nonprofits serving Somali youth. Our Nonprofits Strengthening Project for these organizations kicked off in July and will continue through October of this year.

Participation in these projects includes:

Access to our online, capacity building tool (aka the Accountability Wizard®),
Customized training and workshops delivered by local subject matter experts, and

Nonprofit Strengthening Workshop

One-on-one support from Council staff members in the areas of governance, fundraising, financial activity and public communications.

We're grateful to have Youthprise as strong supporters of this work.

NEW TOOL & RESOURCES - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit

On average, only 14% of our nonprofit partners are able to meet the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Accountability Standard® upon initial review, meaning that 86% need to take action before meeting this Standard. To better support our nonprofit partners in this area, the Council received support from Youthprise in 2014 to begin working on a tool that would support nonprofit organizations with not only meeting this Standard, but also implementing lasting changes in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We've successfully completed phase one, which was to create the tool, and are now working on phase two, which is to bring the tool online for our nonprofit partners to use! The Carlson Family Foundation, Wells Fargo and the Medica Foundation have all signed on as supporters of this work. We plan to start beta testing this fall and expect to be online by spring of 2017!

SPACE UPDATE

In our last Council update, we mentioned the possibility of a new office space for Charities Review Council. We continue to explore opportunities that are aligned with our current structure, give us room to grow, and allow us to deliver on our mission and programmatic goals. We'll keep you updated as the year continues.

FORUM 2017 (Previously known as the 'Annual Forum')

We are transitioning our once traditional 'annual' forum, to instead host a biennial event that honors and celebrates the work of the philanthropic sector. FORUM 2017 will mirror events you've attended with us in the past.

Haven't attended a Charities Review Council event in the past? Sign up now to get an invite to the next one!

Forum 2015

What can you expect from this new event? You can expect a dynamic speaker, or maybe even speakers (!), creative learning opportunities, purposeful networking, donor-nonprofit collaboration, and of course, lots of fun! We're thrilled to have Bush Foundation on board as our Presenting Sponsor, and look forward to sharing more event details soon!

We're excited for what the future has in store for Charities Review Council. We're truly embarking on a journey and appreciate you coming along for the ride.

Consider investing in our future. Click here to help us mobilize informed donors and accountable nonprofits for the greater good, with a financial gift of any size today.

In partnership,

Kris Kewitsch & the Charities Review Council team

Giving During Disasters

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 19:48:00 +0000

Charities Review Council offers the following tips on smart giving during disasters and how to exercise caution when responding to disaster-relief appeals.

President Obama and Vice President Biden visit memorial in Orlando

On June 12, 2016, gunman Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people, injuring 53 others, inside Pulse- a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Authorities are saying this is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation's worst terror attack since 9/11.

Sadly, when disaster strikes, so do the scammers.

Support the Orlando victims and their families, but also protect yourself, by using the smart giving tips below.

__________________________________________________________________________________

When researching where to send a gift, consider the following:

1. Is the organization legitimate?
If an organization is calling you, be wary. Established disaster-relief organizations are often too busy to implement a direct phone campaign during times of disaster. Don’t be afraid to say “no” over the phone and then contact the organization directly yourself.

2. Texting-to-Give
Before picking up your phone to donate, here’s what you need to know.Text-to-give is a convenient and quick way to donate to a charity. Donors text a keyword to a short code and a pre-determined charge is added to your phone bill. A user can donate multiple times for each billing period. Note that since the donation is collected through the cell phone billing cycle it can take up to 90 days before the intended charity receives the donation. Make sure you give to an organization that you trust.

3. Don’t be swayed by emotional or high-pressure solicitations with little or no substance.
Don’t make a donation to an unknown charity over the telephone or via an e-mail request, especially if it pressures you to give immediately, or refuses to send information unless you make a pledge. Verify organizations before you give by calling Charities Review Council's Nonprofit Services Team at 651-224-7030.

4. How do you protect yourself from fraud?
Always pay by check or credit card, NEVER with cash. Cash can be lost or stolen. Don’t provide your credit card number unless you know the charity and you initiate the contact.

5. Is the organization accountable to its donors?
Don’t hesitate to ask for written information about programming and financial activity. Research that information on the organization’s website, or call us at 651-224-7030.

6. Find out whether your contribution is tax-deductible.
Ask the organization if it is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Gifts to 501(c)3 organizations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Obtain receipts if you plan to claim a tax deduction.

__________________________________________________________________________________

This information was originally published on Charities Review Council's website on July 21, 2015. However, the content and tips provided are still applicable now. Questions? Contact Charities Review Council's Nonprofit Services Team at 651-224-7030.

Big Changes Start With Small Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 15:37:00 +0000

A special message from Charities Review Council's Executive Director, Kris Kewitsch.

You've heard it said, change is the only constant and, like many of our nonprofit partners, we're an example of that.

A community thrives when its leaders fail forward, take risks, elevate solutions and share lessons broadly in the community. At Charities Review Council, we're leading by example, sharing organizational developments that will affect us both internally and externally, in hopes that it will cultivate trust, transparency and open dialogue about what it means to be a strong nonprofit.

True transparency means being willing to share openly. So here it goes...

Late last year, after the annual plan and budget had been finalized, Charities Review Council received word that expected funding would not materialize. Although we had planned to shift funding from operating support to fee for service, we hadn't planned for the possibility of no funding at all. This long-time support accounted for roughly 18% of our total budget. As a small nonprofit, (5 FTE, approx. $650,000 budget) news like this prompts many questions and tough decisions around programming, staffing structure, and more.

Big changes start with small steps.

At Charities Review Council, we're pulling it all apart in order to put it back together in a way that makes sense. It hasn't been easy and there are still a few moving parts, but isn't that the beauty of change? Reimagining what has always been, in order to make room for what's to come? We like to think so, but for now, we'll focus on and share with you what we do know.

Our core work will remain the same; helping donors make smart giving decisions to strong nonprofits.

By promoting nonprofit accountability and transparency with our capacity building tool, the Accountability Wizard®, and using our Accountability Standards® as a framework for building trusting, productive donor-nonprofit relationships, we'll continue to foster a culture of philanthropy that leads to stronger communities.

With support from our amazing board and staff, we’ve re-worked our annual plan, making tough decisions around programmatic activities like, Grow the Good, Open Source Brainstorm Labs, and more. This includes changes to our Annual Forum. We will not be hosting a traditional annual forum experience in 2016. Instead, we’ll be planning for an event in early 2017. Stay tuned for more details!

We’ve also made changes to our staffing model, including moving two previously full-time staff members to project based consulting work. Along with that, we are currently looking to relocate the Council offices, and are in the midst of taking tours in the neighborhood for a space that fits our programmatic needs and budget.

Despite these changes, we’re still committed to maintaining and growing the value of our Meets Standards® Seal.

Last year, we saw a 20% increase in the number of new nonprofits engaged in the Accountability Wizard® review process and we exceeded our renewal goal with 92% of our nonprofit partners renewing their accounts in 2015. Although temporarily lean, we’re still accomplishing great work. We look forward to engaging new nonprofits and growing our list of reviewed organizations in 2016.

As Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

As an organization, we continue to take steps forward in our strategy of supporting authentic and engaged relationships between smart donors and strong, accountable nonprofits.

We thank you for taking the journey with us.

In partnership,

Kris Kewitsch & the Charities Review Council team

Your Best Annual Report Yet!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 20:54:00 +0000

Ready to create an annual report, but not sure where to start? Start here!

Transparency and regular communication about a nonprofit's mission and accomplishments builds trust, increases visibility and provides the opportunity for an organization to engage with their community. An annual report is just one of many opportunities for a nonprofit to share their organizational story. Sharing an annual report every year with key stakeholders, donors, family and friends, helps supporters connect with your mission and make informed giving decisions, leading to responsible philanthropy.

At Charities Review Council, we review hundreds of annual reports a year. Some are great, highlighting personal stories, clearly articulating accomplishments and effectively utilizing visual content to make it engaging for the reader. While other annual reports, well, that's why we decided to write this post. With three easy steps, we're sharing what we've learned and providing additional support as you take on creating your next annual report. Follow the steps outlined below and you'll also ensure that your organization aligns with our Annual Report and Communication Accountability Standard. It's a win-win! So without further ado, here are our three steps for achieving your best annual report yet!

Step One: Determine 2 - 4 accomplishments to highlight.

Your annual report should not be a running list of everything you did in the previous year. Instead, focus in on a few accomplishments that truly convey your organizational story in a meaningful way. Ensure that you are including information for each of your major programs (major programs listed in the IRS Form 990, Part III). Donors want to know how their gift made a difference. So consider sharing things that might 'wow' your constituents, whether that was a new program, unexpected results, or a new location opening. Share the excitement with those who matter most, your supporters!

Step Two: Make it EASY!

Easy to read, easy to understand and easy to access.

It's simple, annual reports fall flat when they are too long or overly complicated. When writing your annual report, keep the end goal in mind, which is (or should be) to engage your key stakeholders, donors, volunteers, family and friends in the work of your organization. In order to do that, keep these three things in mind:

Donors & nonprofits gather at Annual Forum 2015

Avoid using jargon. When you use jargon, or complicated language that not everyone will know and understand, you limit your audience from understanding the full breadth of your work. Make your work accessible and easy to read. Avoid jargon.
Use Images. You know and we know pictures have the ability to bring stories to life! By using pictures in your annual report you're not only adding excitement to your report, but you're also adding color, which is reported to increase readership by 80%! Don't forget about photo captions. If people read nothing but the captions in your annual report, they should still get a sense of the work that was accomplished last year. Photos and image captions connect your reader with the work being done, and that my friends is what the annual report is all about.
Create white space. Annual reports that are all text from top to bottom, left to right, are hard to read and quite frankly, boring. Strategic use of white space creates a more effective design and un-cluttered feel. White space can also be used to draw the reader's eye to a key statistic, mission statement, or accomplishment. Use white space to help point out the most important pieces of your annual report.

Step Three: Check out our Annual Report Checklist.

It may be last on this list, but it's certainly not least. Use our annual report checklist to determine what is required information* and what is considered 'best practice' before getting started. You can print the checklist, or share the link with a co-worker to get your team on the same page before diving in. Discuss which, if any, of the best practices items that you will include in your annual report, remembering that too many things can potentially detract from the message you are trying to share. Focus in on the items that convey your organizational story, are relevant to the previous year, and include those in the report.

You are now ready to embark on your annual report journey! For more information, inspiration and practical applications, check out our website at www.smartgivers.org.

*Required to meet Charities Review Council's Annual Report and Communication Accountability Standard, not necessarily required by law.

So, You Want to Donate Your Couch, Carpet, or Clothing?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Cook) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:49:00 +0000

At Charities Review Council, we answer several phone calls from well-meaning individuals hoping to donate items (clothing, furniture, housewares, etc.) to nonprofits who need them. We love that these callers want to donate items to worthy causes rather than simply throwing them away. However, there is no single clearinghouse of nonprofits accepting donated goods. No such database exists because nonprofits’ needs and abilities to accept items aren't the same from day-to-day.

Why do some nonprofits accept donated goods, and what do they do with them?

Salvation Army sorting through donated goods

Many nonprofits sell donated goods to the public to raise money for their programs. For example, Goodwill/Easter Seals and the Salvation Army both run thrift stores. The profits from those stores support their efforts to deliver on their mission.

Other nonprofits sell donated items to organizations such as for-profit thrift stores. For example, the Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota and the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota both sell goods to a private (for-profit) company called Savers that operates several thrift stores throughout the country under names such as Savers, Unique Thrift, and Valu Thrift. In these cases, the amount of money the nonprofits receive is based on a pre-determined amount, independent of the sales within any of Savers’ stores. In most cases, Savers will pay the nonprofit a small amount for any goods they receive. Savers may pay as little as 40¢ per pound of clothing. Nevertheless, these nonprofits rely on the income they receive from donated goods to support their work.

Why can it be difficult to donate goods?

First, many nonprofits have limits on what they are able to accept. This might be based on the contract they have with the organization they sell the items to, or it might be based on what will or won’t sell in their own store. For example, few people are going to want to buy a used toilet, a used mattress, or even a used sleeper sofa from a thrift store. Depending on the item, it may also be an issue of personal safety or liability. Second, as of November of 2014, some of the large Minnesota nonprofits that accepted donated goods for many years, no longer do.

Why have some large Minnesota nonprofits stopped accepting donated goods?

In November of 2014, the Minnesota attorney general Lori Swanson released a compliance report saying she believed Savers was mishandling donated goods, and in May of 2015, she filed a lawsuit against Savers when they didn’t change their behavior. Savers has consistently said they never broke the law, but they came to an agreement with the attorney general in June of 2015 and agreed to adjust their practices. Savers is now being investigated in other states, too.

After the compliance report was released, several nonprofits ended their contracts with Savers. True Friends, Courage Kenny Foundation, and Lupus Foundation of Minnesota decided to discontinue accepting donated goods altogether.

Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota signed a compliance agreement with the attorney general and will continue working with Savers, ensuring all donated items are handled appropriately. Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and Vietnam Veterans of America also continue to solicit goods in Minnesota at this time.

Why do some nonprofits charge for pick-up service?

Some nonprofits will pick up your items for donation. A few offer this service for free, but many charge a fee. This fee can catch potential donors off-guard. Why do these nonprofits charge a fee to pick up goods being donated to them?

Salvation Army truck picking up donated goods

It costs money for a nonprofit to pick up items. They need to pay for the trucks, the mileage, and the time for the workers, along with any normal costs of sorting and processing the donations. Depending on what is being donated, the donation might not even cover the costs of picking it up. Therefore, many nonprofits charge a fee to cover the costs of pick-up to make sure the donations are actually benefiting their programs as intended.

How does this affect Charities Review Council?

With three large nonprofits cutting their ties to Savers, many donors hoping to support local nonprofits with their goods have been referred to us. Unfortunately, the Council has only a limited and outdated list of nonprofits accepting donated goods, so we aren’t able to help as much as we’d like. Below is the information we have about nonprofits accepting donated goods.

If you work at a nonprofit that is currently accepting donated goods, add a comment below so donors can contact you directly.

Options for Donors

If you plan to donate to a thrift store, make sure to check how much of the donation will actually go to charity. The thrift store should readily make that information available to you.

Below are some options for donating directly to a nonprofit. Contact the nonprofits directly to find out exactly what items they will accept, and feel free to ask how they use the donation and how much your donation will benefit their programs.

Bridging

Offers a fee-based pick-up service within the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts furniture, housewares, small appliances, mirrors, artwork, and tools. View a full list and donate.

Goodwill/Easter Seals

Offers free pick-up within a 25-mile radius of the two distribution centers in Saint Paul and Brooklyn Park. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts apparel, some electronics, books, games and toys, furniture, vehicles, some medical and assistive living equipment. View a full list and donate.

Arc Greater Twin Cities (Arc’s Value Village)

Accepts vehicles, clothing, household appliances, games and sports equipment, bicycles, and many other household items. View a full list and donate.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Offers free pick-up within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts air conditioners, appliances, building materials, bathroom items, cabinets, carpet, ceiling fans, counter tops, doors, electrical parts, flooring, furniture, hardware, home interior and exterior, landscaping, lighting, paint, plumbing, tools, and windows. View a full list and donate.

Habitat for Humanity of Douglas County ReStore

Offers free pick-up within 10 miles of Alexandria, MN. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts items similar to the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. View a full list and donate.

Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota

Offers free pick-up within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts clothing, shoes, bedding and bath items, curtains, home décor, kitchen items, toys and sports equipment, small wooden furniture, books, videos, CDs and DVDs, lawn/garden items, tools, and hardware. View a full list and donate.

Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota

Offers free pick-up within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts small appliances, bedding, books, clothing, curtains, some electronics, small furniture, some household items, kitchenware, sporting goods, and tools. View a full list and donate.

Salvation Army, Northern Division

Accepts clothing, some household items, some electronics, some furniture, and some appliances. Call 1-800-728-7825 to verify if an item can be accepted. Donate.

Basic Needs of South Washington County (Stone Soup Thrift Shop)

Offers free pick-up of furniture in South Washington County, Cottage Grove, Grey Cloud Island, Newport, Saint Paul Park, Woodbury, and South Maplewood. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts small appliances, blankets, furniture, books, CDs, clothing, working laptops, some electronics, jewelry, kitchenware, decorations, lighting, soft-side suitcases, tools, and toys. View a full list and donate.

Community Thread

Offers free pick-up for furniture in the area around Arlington Heights, MN. Schedule a pick-up.
Accepts cars, clothes, shoes, furniture, housewares, jewelry and accessories, linens, kitchenware, counter top appliances, audio and video components, CDs and DVDs, musical instruments (except organs and pianos), books, bicycles, toys, sporting equipment, lighting, and tools. View a full list and donate.

Buy it Forward

A nonprofit allowing you to sell items and donate the proceeds directly to a nonprofit of your choice. Learn more.

Twin Cities Free Market

If you can’t find a nonprofit that will accept your items, you can also list them here. While the goods won’t be benefiting charity, they will at least be going to someone who can use it. Learn more.

Special thanks to The Salvation Army Northern Division for providing the photos for this blog post!

It's Not Goodbye, Just See You Later.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 21:50:00 +0000

In true millennial entrepreneurial fashion, and based very much on the passion and vision she brought to Charities Review Council, our Director of Engagement & Donor Services, Kate Downing Khaled, transitioned to a new, self-directed consulting role starting in January. While we're sad to see her go, this is a great opportunity both for her and also for Charities Review Council.

Kate Khaled

"Part of my work at Charities Review Council has been to create and execute engagement and program strategy that aligns with our core mission of mobilizing donors and nonprofits for the greater good. I feel great about what I've accomplished and I'm excited to bring those skill to bear in the larger community."

Kate's consulting work will focus on partnering with social sector organizations to build equity and community engagement into their strategic initiatives. Some of her offerings will include facilitating collaborative user-centered design projects and helping philanthropies remove process barriers to engaging new-to-them communities.

This lines right up with the work she did with Charities Review Council. Kate helped the Council build equity and community engagement into our major programs. From our standards review process to reinventing our annual forum convening work, Kate has brought new voices and vision to our nearly 70 year old mission.

"We've done beautiful work together, and anyone who knows me understands that I'll always be personally invested in Charities Review Council's mission and future. But now it's time for me to live the same advice I give to donors and nonprofits - that advice is to take risks, do things a little bit differently and be entrepreneurial."

For those of you who don't know Kate - she's a bridge builder, so she won't be a stranger. We'll look forward to blurring the lines and being 'radical' in how we collaborate together with her in the future. For now, you can get in touch with her on LinkedIn or visit her website at KateKhaled.com.

The great work Kate made happen at the Council continues. Please connect with Kris Kewitsch if you're interested in knowing more about or supporting these efforts.

Meet Caitlin Osborn: Our New Nonprofit Services Intern!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 19:50:00 +0000

Charities Review Council is excited to welcome Caitlin Osborn as our new Nonprofit Services Intern! Caitlin is currently in her last semester of the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs where she concentrates in Public and Nonprofit Leadership and Management. At the Humphrey School, Caitlin serves as the MPP Degree Representative on the Public Affairs Student Association, where she facilitates conversations and actions around the evolution of issues concerning students in the MPP degree program. Caitlin hails from Roca, Nebraska, where she grew up loving the Huskers (Go Big Red!) and learning to drive on gravel roads.

To better get to know our new Council team member, we sat down with Caitlin to ask her the tough questions: If you could be any superhero who would you be and why? And, perhaps more seriously, what's your favorite Accountability Standard®? See what Caitlin had to say here:

1. What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?

My favorite Accountability Standard® is Impact on the Community. It is important for donors to see that their gifts have made a tangible difference in someone’s life or the chosen issue area. I also think it’s really important for donors to see the nonprofit’s goals. This shows donors that the nonprofit is committed to progress.

2. How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on community?

In nonprofits that I’ve worked with and also through studying the sector in general, I’ve seen nonprofits have great effects on communities. They engage communities in conversations about important issues and provide opportunities for betterment. I think nonprofits are becoming more and more innovative, pushing people to think critically about barriers and solutions. Nonprofits also promote collaborative solutions by engaging different people, who may have different perspectives, to work together toward a common cause.

3. When you're not strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizations by interning at Charities Review Council, what do you like to do for fun?

When I’m not at the Council, I love to take walks, read historical fiction, sing in the shower, take selfies with my cat, and do anything involving friends and food.

4. If you could be a superhero, who would you be? And, why?

I would be a superhero dedicated to fighting the injustices against women that are still so common in the world today.

6. If you could listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what CD would it be?

Maroon 5, Songs about Jane. Takes me back to the angsty middle school days.

5. What are you most excited about as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?

I am most excited about learning new skills, such as social media, that will help me move forward on whatever path I choose following graduation. I am also excited to work with the amazing staff here at the Council, who have already shown so much interest in me and great passion for the work they do.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Caitlin will be supporting Charities Review Council's Nonprofit Services Team with completing nonprofit reviews, curating donor and nonprofit communications, and assisting with outreach efforts. Join us in welcoming Caitlin to the Council by reaching out to her via email or LinkedIn!

The Nonprofits Strengthening Project

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 22:38:00 +0000

Imagine if you could offer your grantees a fully customized capacity building and technical assistance program that would:

Focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Foster Collaboration
Leverage Technology
Build New Donor In-Roads
Celebrate Hard Work

All for the cost of a single program.

If you haven’t yet figured out an affordable way to incorporate capacity building and technical assistance into your 2016 grantmaking budget, we have the answer.

The Nonprofits Strengthening Project is an innovative solution from Charities Review Council that enables funders to be responsive and responsible grantee partners. Each project includes carefully designed programming that leverages community and technology, with the goal being to strengthen the capacity of our nonprofit partner's ability to pursue their mission.

Learn more about the Nonprofits Strengthening Project here.

But don't take our word for it, check out Rudy Guglielmo's blog post* below highlighting our long standing partnership with Youthprise and their grantees.
*Originally published April 20, 2015

_________________________________________________________________________________

Youthprise & Charities Review Council's Strengthening Project

by Rudy Guglielmo Jr., Program Officer at Youthprise

Rudy Guglielmo Jr.

I am pleased to share the results of our Nonprofits Strengthening Project with Charities Review Council (the Council) to build capacity for the nonprofits we fund. The project was very successful, engaging more than 35 Youthprise grantees.

Upon project completion, 26% of participating grantees had successfully completed the Accountability Wizard®, thus earning the Meets Standards® seal, a visual marker of nonprofit strength; 63% of participating grantees had completed the Accountability Wizard® and were working on tangible action steps needed in order to meet all 25 of the Council’s Accountability Standards®.

Building on the success of the 2012 project, the 2014 Nonprofits Strengthening Project engaged an additional 21 Youthprise grantees. Currently, 9% of participating grantees Meet Standards®, and 57% are working on action steps needed in order to Meet Standards®. We anticipate that the remaining organizations will Meet Standards® by 2016.

I believe this was accomplished through the Strengthening Workshop Series, access to the Council’s online capacity building tool, the Accountability Wizard® and its customized one-on-one support.

We also learned that compliance with the Charities Review Council’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Standard was a challenge for Youthprise grantees. Grantees reported a need for information on best practices and a leader to promote the value of work in diversity and inclusion. In response, future capacity building efforts will focus on tools to assess racial participation. We are excited by the potential to influence the nonprofit sector at its approaches for diversity and inclusion.

You can read the full report, prepared by Charities Review Council, here.
_________________________________________________________________

This blog is published with permission from Rudy Guglielmo, Program Officer at Youthprise who's mission is to champion learning beyond the classroom so that all Minnesota youth thrive.

Annual Forum 2015: Radical Collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 20:39:00 +0000

"Energizing, dynamic, electrifying, inspiring, experimental." Those were just a few of the words attendees used to describe Annual Forum 2015 - Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration, and we couldn't agree more! At Annual Forum 2015, we asked you to join us as we imagine, create and innovate a new future of philanthropy with donors and nonprofits working together in authentic, trusting and collaborative partnership, for the greater good. This year's theme, Radical Collaboration, encouraged attendees to not only attend, but to participate.

Re-live the Annual Forum 2015 experience with our Annual Forum video, attendee tweets, event photos, and more!

Annual Forum 2015: Radical Collaboration from Charities Review Council on Vimeo.

With help from SPARKit, a mobile pop-up park that encourages creative exchange through games, art-making, and a festive atmosphere, and DJ extraordinaire Lizzy Shramko, we hosted our first session of the day, Making New Connections, a fun and engaging networking hour. Radical collaboration requires a first step, an initial introduction, a space and place to find common ground. At Annual Forum 2015, attendees where challenged to take the first step and meet someone new.

"I love that from the very start I was challenged to think in radically different ways- about networking, about what to expect from a conference!"

"It was a great way to start the forum. Awesome vibe!"

Attendees were then invited to pause, listen and learn at our second session of the day, Radical Collaboration in Action. To set the stage, Dameun Strange, a Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellow at the Bush Foundation, shared his perspective on collaboration, jazz music and leadership.

KBDS creating a musical collaboratio

Dameun and Khalil Brewington, who together make up KBDS, then shared a LIVE, musical, radical collaboration, creating a piece of music inspired by the day.

"Great panelists and discussion. Loved the integration of the arts/music."

Our cross-sector leadership panel then provided examples of innovative, disruptive and collaborative projects and programs happening right here in Minnesota and beyond.

Panelists included:

Dameun Strange, a Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellow and member of the Bush Foundation's Community Innovation Team,
Senator Terri Bonoff, lead champion of the MN Pipeline Project,
Seitu Jones, CREATE: The Community Meal artist and curator,
Daniel Wordsworth, President & CEO of American Refugee Committee International, and
Moderators, Carl Atiya-Swanson of Springboard for the Arts and Kris Kewitsch of Charities Review Council.

Here were just a few of the many share-able moments!

YES @smartgivers doing it right by incorporating arts into programming of #disruptmn with @Dameun & @cairoglyphics
— Lizzy Shramko (@LizzyShramko) September 22, 2015

Co-creation is when u have no idea where u r going...if you need clear goals & a clear path #RadicalCollaboration is not 4 u @dwordsworth
— Amee McDonald (@Amee_McDonald) September 22, 2015

A mile long dinner in frogtown. A grand collaboration:34 artists, 12 farmers, 430 volunteers. -seitu jones #disruptmn
— Kate Khaled (@PerpetuallyKate) September 22, 2015

Radical collaboration does more than create solutions, it also builds relationships for the future. #DisruptMN #AnnualForum15
— Ian A. Cook (@ianacook) September 22, 2015

#disruptmn Collaboration is uniting equal but different strengths #lifetrack-mn
— TrixieAnn Golberg (@TrixieAnnG) September 22, 2015

What I love most about #DisruptMN: Block by block, the old system is outdated. @smartgivers is showing MN a different way. #Inclusion
— Kate-Madonna Hindes (@girlmeetsgeek) September 22, 2015

First lesson learned at #AnnualForum15 Radical Collaboration: Collaboration looks like you and me. It's serious and...
Posted by Charities Review Council on Tuesday, September 22, 2015

So everyone on this panel is amazing. Got it. @smartgivers #AnnualForum15 #DisruptMN @T2_P2
— Shanan Custer (@ShananCuster) September 22, 2015

I came looking for ideas. Already got 2! #disruptmn
— nausheena (@nausheena) September 22, 2015

#DisruptMN @smartgivers asked: what comes to mind when you hear collaboration? Fun, fellowship, force for good.
— Leah Goldstein Moses (@goldstein_moses) September 22, 2015

Through conversation, both in-person and online, around the benefits, and let's admit it, the challenges, that accompany new collaborative projects, attendees left feeling inspired, energized and equipped with tools for integrating collaboration into their daily work.

Anna Love-Mickelson, co-founder of stoke.d and professor at the Stanford University School of Design, then moved us into our last session of the day, the Open Source Brainstorms. Our goal for this session was to create a space and place for individuals, like you, to bring ideas and opportunities for collaboration, to the table.

Participants self-selected into small group conversations around these five key themes.
Each theme prefaced by 'How might we....'

create self-identified philanthropists using education and skill-building?
help boards and nonprofits reflect and include the communities they serve?
make the communication between donors and nonprofits easy and seamless?
leverage technology to strengthen the relationship between donors and nonprofits?
communicate to the world the outcome of our work in a meaningful way?

Using elements of design thinking and a group of dynamic, philanthropic leaders to help facilitate small group conversations, attendees generated more than 350 ideas and potential solutions to the questions identified above.

With the incredible knowledge, skill and expertise in the room, there were far too many ideas to share out at the event. But don't worry! Charities Review Council announced that it will be sharing "an idea a day" across our social media platforms (Facebook & Twitter). We hope that you might be inspired by an idea generated at Annual and run with it! Follow us online to see the ideas, share your thoughts and continue the #DisruptMN conversation.

In addition to sharing "an idea a day," Charities Review Council also announced Open Source Brainstorm Labs, as a space and place for individuals to continue to come together, design and create collaborative solutions. Stay tuned for more information to come in 2016.

The Annual Forum continues to be a place for making new connections, deepening existing relationships, experiential learning and fun! This year, we learned that collaboration isn't always easy or comfortable, and it's definitely not linear, but is necessary in order to create meaningful change. We hope that you'll join us at Annual Forum 2016 as we continue to grow the greater good in partnership. Click here to join our invite list.

P.S. Go ahead, tag yourself and your friends in the event photos, here!

What We've Been Reading: 'Tis the Season of Giving Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 21:02:00 +0000

'Tis the season of giving! Whether you're a nonprofit fundraising professional, a generous donor, or both we're here to help you prepare for the fast approaching year-end giving season by sharing what we've been reading this month. Articles include topics such as Give to the Max Day, Giving Tuesday, smart giving tips, and more!

______________________________________________

Give to the Max Day wraps up, tops $18 million, by Jean Hopfensperger (Star Tribune)

The seventh annual, 24-hour online give-a-thon, Give to the Max Day brought in more than $18 million from a record-breaking 62,740 donors, benefiting more than 5,500 Minnesota nonprofits and schools. Whether nonprofits or schools "trotted out cute puppies, lip-synced songs, ran on treadmills, or built a kayak," Give to the Max Day illustrated, yet again, Minnesota's strong culture of philanthropy with donors and nonprofits working as engaged partners, for the greater good. Way to go, Minnesota! To read more on this record-breaking day, click here.

On Tap for Giving Tuesday: Collaboration, Creativity, and Revenue Growth, by Eden Stiffman (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a global day of philanthropy. Continuing to gain traction, Giving Tuesday raised $46 million for nonprofits last year, up from $38 million the year before. Here's a look at what's ahead and some advice for making the most out of this special giving holiday.

Tips for Giving This Holiday Season: 5-Step Checklist for Maximizing Year-End Donations (Charity Navigator)

As a generous donor and nonprofit supporter, this time of year often correlates to a mailbox full of heart-felt appeal letters, from hundreds of worthy causes. So, how do you choose? At Charities Review Council, we know that all donors are investors and that every precious dollar matters. That's why we love partnering with you to make smart giving decisions, using your head and your heart. Check out Charity Navigators 5-step checklist as a reminder for what to look for when making a giving decision. Click here to read more.

Tips and Tools to Maximize Year-End Giving (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

"According to Charity Navigator, 40 percent of all charitable donations in a given year come during the Giving Season," and according to the Network for Good, "From 2011 to 2014, December donations increased by 49 percent." As a nonprofit enthusiast, you've probably heard the statistics. So, now what? This article does the resource gathering for you! Take a look at the articles they've gathered to maximize your year-end giving strategy, here.

Give with your Head and your Heart this Give to the Max Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:08:00 +0000

Get your Giving Guides ready, Minnesota's 24-hour online give-a-thon. aka Give to the Max Day, is almost here!

At Charities Review Council, we know that all donors are investors and that every precious dollar matters. That's why we're partnering with you in preparation for Give to the Max Day, to provide smart giving tips and our most up-to-date listing of Meets Standards^®organizations, so that you can feel confident in your Give to the Max Day giving decisions.

What is Give to the Max Day? Give to the Max Day is Minnesota's 24-hour online give-a-thon, where generous donors, like you, celebrate giving by supporting causes you care about at GiveMN.org. Last year, more than 62,000 donors logged on to give more than 18 million dollars. That's huge!

Why should I participate? GiveMN's Give to the Max Day makes giving to your favorite causes easy and fun! Not so easily convinced? Here are our top 3 reasons why we know you'll love supporting your favorite Minnesota causes on Give to the Max Day:

GOLDEN TICKETS: Every hour, GiveMN will be awarding one Golden Tickets of $1,000 through a random drawing of all donations transacted during the previous hour. So your $10 donation could turn into $1,000 for your favorite nonprofit! That's great, but it gets better. GiveMN will also be awarding one super-sized $10,000 Golden Ticket through a random drawing of all donations transacted on Give to the Max Day. So go ahead, grab your lucky socks and give to your favorite Minnesota causes for a chance to turn your gift of $10 (or more) into $10,000.
MATCHING GIFT: At Charities Review Council, we have a $5,000 board match, meaning that when you a make a gift of $10 or more your gift is DOUBLED with matching funds provided by our Board of Directors! (Applicable for the first $5,000 in donations.)
GIVER'S GLOW: Research shows that acts of philanthropy benefit the recipient and the giver! They call it giver's glow or helper's high. Join the "Great Minnesota Give Together," get your giver's glow and invite your friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to do the same!

When is Give to the Max Day? Give to the Max Day is Thursday, November 12, 2015. Mark your calendar, set your alarm or schedule a donation right now! Give to the Max Day doesn't take place until the 12th, but you can schedule your gift now and still have it count towards the prizes outlined above.

To schedule your gift go to www.GiveMN.org.

Give with your head and your heart this Give to the Max Day! Giving to a nonprofit for the first time? Be a smart giver with these 3 easy steps.

Whether it is finding a cure for cancer, like Meets Standards^® organization Children's Cancer Research Fund, or finding loving homes for animals in need, like the Animal Humane Society, identify a worthy cause that aligns with your values and beliefs.
Once you've identified a cause, use our list of strong, trustworthy nonprofits to streamline your search and vetting process. Organizations on this list have partnered with us to align their policies, practices and procedures to widely accepted standards of nonprofit accountability and strength. Don't see an organization on our list? Contact our Nonprofit Services Team at 651-224-7030 for more information.
Check out the nonprofit's IRS Form 990 (Part III, Question 4 is a good starting point) to learn more about the organization's program activities. You can also take a look at the organization's mission statement, goals and accomplishments. Do they align with your values and interests?

Equipped with the Give to the Max day details, smart giving tips and our list of strong, trustworthy nonprofits, you're ready to show off your "Minnesota Nice" by giving a gift to Charities Review Council and one (or more!) of your favorite Meets Standards^®nonprofits on Thursday, November 12th.

Ready, set, GIVE! Go to www.GiveMN.org to get started.

Oh, and don't forget to share your giving story using the hashtags #SmartGiving and #GTMD15! Here's a sample tweet/Facebook post to get you started:

Twitter: Showing off my "MN Nice" with a gift to @smartgivers on Give to the Max Day! http://bit.ly/GIVE15 #GTMD15

Facebook: My "Minnesota Nice" went a long way today with a gift to Charities Review Council! A gift to the Council is like a gift to the whole nonprofit sector! http://bit.ly/GIVE15 #GTMD15 #StrengtheningNonprofits

Collaboration through the Years

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 21:14:00 +0000

Judy Alnes, Executive Director at MAP for Nonprofits

At Annual Forum 2015 we talked Radical Collaboration as a way to launch into a new era philanthropy where donors and nonprofits are working together towards the greater good. MAP for Nonprofits has been helping nonprofit organizations explore and construct alliances and strategic restructuring since 2007 through mergers, joint ventures, program transfers, shared services and acquisitions. So, who better to share their thoughts on collaboration through the years than MAP’s Executive Director Judy Alnes?

We met with to Judy to get a better understanding of MAP's restructuring services, her thoughts on nonprofit collaboration, the nonprofit sector, and her personal dreams for collaboration.

Strategic Alliances aka Nonprofit Match-Makers

In 2007, MAP added merger/redesign consultation to their mix of services as they encountered a peaked interest in organizations exploring mergers, acquisitions, program transfers and more, in an effort to stabilize and survive during tough economic times. In 2009. MAP published MergeMinnesota, providing step-by-step merger guidance to nonprofit organizations. And in 2012, in partnership with Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, they were the first to publish findings on factors that create successful mergers in Success Factors in Nonprofit Mergers. To put it simply, when it comes to nonprofit mergers, MAP knows what they're doing!

According to Judy, since 2007 there's been a definite shift in the way nonprofits approach collaborative opportunities. "Organizations are now focused on trying to find the right partner to advance the work." It's less about trying to stabilize/survive and more about strategic decisions to further the work. So where does MAP come into play? MAP is there to play nonprofit "match-maker," offering consulting services to help pair organizations with similar goals, hopes and dreams.

Opportunities for Radical Collaboration

"More and more leaders are seeing the value in collaboration," Judy shared when asked how she's seen collaboration change over the years. "But collaboration takes time, energy, trust and common ground, and too often people are looking for speedy results." She went on to say, "We can't solve problems in a day. Sometimes the tough work takes time."

We couldn't agree more! At Annual Forum 2015, we took a closer look at 'Radical Collaboration' asking, what does real, authentic collaboration look like? How can we partner in new ways to achieve even greater outcomes? And, how does collaboration help build our community as a whole? Annual Forum panelists (pictured below) shared openly about their efforts to achieve authentic and meaningful collaboration, including discussion around both the success and challenges that can accompany a collaborative venture. But, Judy's right, it's not easy. Change is rarely easy, but is necessary in order to make space for new ideas and even greater outcomes.

Annual Forum 2015, Leadership Panel: Radical Collaboration in Action

When asked what she sees as opportunities for collaboration in the future, Judy mentioned organizations with common missions and goals coming together to create meaningful, lasting change. "Too often work is piecemeal-ed and uncoordinated. People/organizations need to become less territorial and less competitive if we are to solve some of the issues that need resolution." Judy went on to say, "Boards play a huge role. Instead of focusing on preserving the organization at all costs, they should instead be focused on advancing the mission and working towards solving the problem."

What's next for MAP?

Judy and the MAP team is excited to announce their new partnership with BoardSource. Together they'll develop and launch a large-scale campaign focused on creating a sustainable shift in board attitudes and practices that will support nonprofit collaborations and restructuring. "We aim to inspire boards to think and act differently so that the most meaningful structures for carrying out their missions can be realized."

Before our time with Judy was up, we had to ask, what is one Radical Collaboration you wish you could make happen? Judy's dream for collaboration is to reclaim the night sky from light pollution. "There's a massive universe out there and we're robbing generations of being able to feel connected to something greater than themselves, through night pollution."

To learn more about MAP check out their website at www.mapfornonprofits.org.

What We've Been Reading: Radical Collaboration Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:55:00 +0000

At Charities Review Council, we're still reeling from the innovative, collaborative and disruptive stories we heard at Annual Forum 2015-Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration. See what we've been reading since to keep our collaborative spirits fueled.

Solving Complex Social Problems Through Collaboration, by Cameron Conaway

This article explores the philanthropic consulting group Geneva Global, an organization that facilitates ‘dumbbell collaboration.’ Traditional collaborative relationships between nonprofits and foundations can be tricky, but Ava Lala, a director at Geneva Global, explains their solution. The group acts as “the handle in the middle that connects the two [weights],” nonprofits and donors, by pairing funders with compatible nonprofits as well as helping to manage donor funds. This directly relates to how Charities Review Council does its work, focusing on the relationship between the donor and nonprofit in order to achieve our mission! What are some non-traditional, maybe even “radical,” ways that you could collaborate with others to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues? Open Source Brainstorm Labs at the Council (Beginning January 2016) anyone?

Cuddle Parties, and Other Tips for Cross-Sector Collaborations, by Nonprofit with Balls

While collaboration between nonprofits is extremely important, we must not forget about the cooperative relationship needed between nonprofits and other sectors. As Le puts it, “Our communities can't afford for business, government, and nonprofits to be so siloed from one another.” This article emphasizes that all hands on deck are essential as we combat societal issues, expressing that “the challenges [are increasing] exponentially [as] resources... remain the same or [are] decreasing.” The article gives some serious tips for accomplishing collaboration, like networking and joining an organization outside of your sector, and some not so serious, but fun tips, like hosting a cross-sector cuddle party or karaoke night to help promote collaboration (we’re in!).

Collective Impact: The Missing Link by Neera Nundy & Ann Paisley Chandler

Implementing collective impact and promoting structured collaboration to solve societal issues is a concept that is positively accepted by most, but an approach that can be difficult to achieve. This article addresses the issue, stating “to make such a structured collaboration not just possible, but also highly probable, we need an environment in which stakeholders can perform their individual roles optimally while also collaborating with each other effectively.” In order to accomplish this collaboration, the author argues that we must build awareness for the issue, build the capacity of stakeholders to help them perform at scale, and nurture a culture where collective impact can flourish. Why is a collective impact important to you and the causes that you believe in?

What have you been reading lately? Let us know if you come across an article or resource that is informative or inspirational. We'd love to hear from you.

Meet Katy Putzker: Our New Nonprofit Services Intern!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 16:07:00 +0000

Charities Review Council is excited to welcome, Katy Putzker, as our new Nonprofit Services Intern! Katy is currently a junior at the University of Minnesota where she studies Nonprofit Management and Marketing (talk about a perfect fit!). Originally from Montana, Katy moved to the Twin Cities for school, but is no stranger to the state of Minnesota. Katy has family in the area and to her Minnesota is a "home away from home." Katy is passionate about mental health and ending the stigma that surrounds it, especially on college campuses. Having experienced her own journey with mental health concerns after losing her dad unexpectedly a year and a half ago, Katy acts as an advocate for others. Katy is excited to be introduced to the nonprofit sector through Charities Review Council and cannot wait to learn more!

To better get to know our new Council team member, we sat down with Katy to ask her the tough questions: If you could be any superhero who would you be and why? And perhaps more seriously, what's your favorite Accountability Standard®? See what Katy had to say here:

1. What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?

My favorite Accountability Standard® is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Standard. I think it's really important for nonprofits to be representative and inclusive of the population they serve so as to keep in mind the interests and concerns of that population. This standard allows nonprofits to be directly connected to the communities they serve, to maintain public trust, support organizational sustainability, and foster effectiveness.

2. How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community?

Nonprofits have the ability to benefit communities in a way that for-profit organizations cannot. Nonprofits create community and provide support for important causes. Nonprofits lead the way, creating awareness and education on issues that would not likely be discussed otherwise. I have personally seen the benefit that nonprofits provide while volunteering for various organizations.

3. When you're not strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizations by interning at Charities Review Council, what do you like to do for fun?

I am currently taking an ice-skating course at the UofM, so that is always something I enjoy doing in my free time. I love being around friends whenever possible, even if we're doing absolutely nothing. I also have a slight Netflix addiction. I can watch Gilmore Girls over and over without getting sick of it – such a classic and real show!

4. If you could be a superhero, who would you be? And why?

Not necessarily a superhero, but a superhero in my book, Frozone's wife for the response she gives in the Disney Movie The Incredibles.

When Frozone asks “Where is my super suit? This is the greater good we are talking about!”

She replies “I am your wife, I am the greatest good you are ever gonna get!”

So really, who’s the true hero here?

To watch the clip, click here.

5. What are you most excited about as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?

To learn more about the nonprofit sector and to help nonprofits go through the Accountability Wizard® review process. I am eager to learn and experience all that I can while working with Charities Review Council!

Katy will be working with us on nonprofit reviews, as well as nonprofit communications and outreach. Join us in welcoming Katy to the Council by reaching out to her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Radical Collaboration: Making New (Weird) Connections.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:33:00 +0000

Leaders, innovators, collaborators, get ready! Annual Forum 2015 is just around the corner on Tuesday, September 22nd. To kick-off the annual forum experience, we're beginning the day with Radical Collaboration: Making New Connections, a fun and interactive networking event.

Carl Atiya Swanson at Annual Forum 2014: Disruptive Philanthropy

We're asking attendees to take a risk, challenge the status-quo, and be willing to engage with a new 'Weird Friend,' a term shared with us by Carl Atiya Swanson, Director of Movement Building at Springboard for the Arts and Annual Forum Committee member.

Weird Friends, is the "fundamental notion that we are all more interesting people, that our teams are better and organizations more resilient, when we're not always around the same type of person."

Building a network of weird friends can challenge us to engage more conscientiously in the world around us and think more creatively as we endeavor to solve problems, but it takes stepping outside of our comfort zone. As Carl puts it, "being comfortable doesn't help you grow." You have to be get comfortable, being uncomfortable.

Radical Collaboration is possible when you welcome risk, have an openness to the unknown and a willingness to engage.

Carl has inspired us to be bold in our pursuit for Radical Collaboration at Annual Forum 2015. So we're asking you to do the same. But, we get it. Meeting someone for the first time can often feel awkward or even intimidating. So we asked Carl to share his tips and tricks for incorporating weird friends before, during and after Annual Forum 2015.

Carl's Tips for 'Weird Friend' Success:

Meeting someone for the first time? Embrace the awkwardness of it. It'll give you something to laugh about later.
Twitter, pay attention to it. Don't be afraid to walk up to someone and say, "Your tweet really resonated with me."

Hey, Carl! Your tweet really resonated with us.

"We have to be willing to change. We have to be open to discomfort. We have to hold it close & hold the space. We do it together. #DisruptMN"

- A tweet from Carl at Annual Forum 2014: Disruptive Philanthropy.

Joining us at this year's networking event is nonprofit enthusiast and artist Soozin Hirschmugl, with SPARKit, a mobile pop-up park that encourages creative exchange through games, art making, music, and a festive atmosphere, as well as Council DJ, Lizzy Shramko. With a DJ in-house, and fun activities to help conversations flow naturally, who knows, you just might form a new Radical Collaboration.

NEW! Better Together Award

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 16:52:00 +0000

Charities Review Council is excited to announce the NEW Better Together Award!

At Charities Review Council, our focus is on building authentic relationships between donors and nonprofits using our Accountability Standards®, by providing the spaces, places and tools to do just that. We know that our community is stronger when donors and nonprofits deliver the greater good in partnership. In fact, nothing excites us more than when we see a nonprofit working hand in hand with their donors to create even greater impact in our community. At Annual Forum 2015, we'll have the opportunity to highlight those partnerships with the all NEW Better Together Award!

We want to highlight YOU! The Better Together Award will recognize an engaged, creative, and collaborative donor-nonprofit relationship that is changing the community for the better. As our Executive Director, Kris Kewitsch, says, “Last year’s Annual Forum generated palpable energy and excitement, highlighting unusual partnerships between donors and nonprofits.” Kris and the Charities Review Council team are excited to continue the #DisruptMN conversation, which recognizes the value of coming together in new and creative ways to create even greater outcomes.

To illustrate what a creative, collaborative donor-nonprofit relationship could look like, we called in our reinforcements; engaged Council donors and supporters, Lorraine Hart, Lee Hickerson, and Nausheena Hussain, who in partnership, help us achieve our mission of mobilizing informed donors and accountable nonprofits for the greater good.

Lorraine Hart, a long-time supporter of Charities Review Council, says, "As a donor, the Council's list is my first screen for organizations I consider supporting. I can have confidence that these organizations meet standards for fundraising, financial activity, governance, and public disclosure. Having the Accountability Standards in place frees me up to focus on the mission of the organizations and how I can become involved in the nonprofits and missions that matter to me.”

Lee Hickerson, a self-proclaimed “Council Cheerleader,” says, "I see myself as a catalyst for approaching nonprofits that have not met Standards yet and urging them to consider going through the review process. I believe that if we are good stewards of the community, the whole community benefits.”

Nausheena Hussain, a nonprofit partner from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota (CAIR-MN), says, "Charities Review Council is one of the best tool kits out there! It’s a one-stop shop to take your organization to the next level. It can really change how you interact with the donor base.”

Nausheena also shared a favorite Charities Review Council memory, which was the Ramadan design-thinking session for CAIR-MN. “We were skeptical at first and saw it as a risk, but we were really trying to disrupt how things are done. We asked the community, ‘How can we help?’ and the entire room just lit up. This was the first time the community had felt invited to participate in the conversation. It showed that when the community is part of the equation, we can be better together.”

We want to hear from you! Apply today for the NEW Better Together Award for a chance to win $1,000 for your nonprofit organization.

How does your organization partner with donors in a unique, and meaningful way?
What makes your donors so crucial to the work that you're doing?
Donors, how are you partnering with a nonprofit organization to create lasting impact?

Donors and/or nonprofits are encouraged to apply. Donors applying should work together with the partner nonprofit to complete the application requirements.

To Apply, check out our website at http://www.smartgivers.org/bettertogetheraward_2.

We look forward to hearing from YOU about your collaborative and creative donor-nonprofit relationship!

Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 17:02:00 +0000

We took a risk!

In 2014, we expanded our traditional keynote Annual Forum luncheon to be a full-day, interactive, learning and networking experience. We created a place where the full spectrum of Minnesota's philanthropic community could come together to honor the history of generosity, and together imagine a new future where donors, funders, nonprofit and community leaders could do even more good together.

Last year's Annual Forum theme, Disruptive Philanthropy, developed from the idea that change isn't always easy or comfortable, but is necessary in order to make space for new ideas and even better outcomes. What we found was that people were ready and excited to challenge the philanthropic status-quo. People were ready to move Disruptive Philanthropy into action.

Watch: Video Recap of Annual Forum 2014: Disruptive Philanthropy

With over 850+ ideas generated at Annual Forum 2014, the Council winnowed them down to these five significant themes.

Philanthropic education & skill-building

Authentic collaboration

Increased transparency & improved communication

Advancing technology for greater good

Shared value of capacity building & impact measurement

On March 24th, 2015, we hosted the #DisruptMN Town Hall to reconvene, share what we had learned, and begin to move Disruptive Philanthropy into action.

With a room full of innovative, collaborative-thinking, and engaged cross-sector leaders we continued to challenge the traditional model of philanthropy by providing the space for conversation to take place. It was a great place to start, but without a plan and the collaborative will to put the ideas into action, often these great conversations go without action. So we asked #DisruptMN Town Hall attendees to help move this work forward, and 24 people committed to action! The appetite for change was evident.

We're at it again!

It's time to continue the conversation and make a move towards action. Charities Review Council is excited to present Annual Forum 2015, Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration. When it comes to Radical Collaboration, we believe everyone has something to ask and something to offer. Annual Forum 2015 will provide the space, place and tools to bring the ideas and opportunities together.

At Annual Forum 2015, you'll hear from cross-sector leaders who are leading the way in innovative, disruptive and collaborative efforts both nationally and locally. We'll also hear from you! Minnesota has long been recognized for its strong nonprofit and philanthropic infrastructure, so where better to look for the answers to our burning questions around Radical Collaboration than right here in our nonprofit community. Annual Forum 2015 will provide the space to make that a reality.

To learn more about Annual Forum 2015, Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration, check out our website at http://www.smartgivers.org/annualforum15,

-OR-

Register today to join us Tuesday, September 22 at Annual Forum 2015, Philanthropy 2.0: Radical Collaboration!

When a Purchase is also a Donation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 22:21:00 +0000

Charities Review Council's Accountability Standards®are based on the value of establishing trusting and meaningful partnerships between nonprofit organizations, donors, and the general public. At Charities Review Council, we believe strengthening these relationships can help us better understand how to effectively engage the communities we serve.

Cause-related marketing offers a meaningful opportunity for community engagement.

http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/1169243/4f8b9957e1/ARCHIVE

Cause-related marketing allows a for-profit organization to partner with a nonprofit organization by selling a good or service with a designated percentage of profits donated to a charitable cause. The partnership between a for-profit and nonprofit organization aligns with Charities Review Council’s value of establishing relationships based on mutual benefit and public good.

At a glance, cause-related marketing presents a scenario in which everyone wins.

Corporations increase profit revenues, strengthen their reputations, and expand brand recognition.

Charities generate funds and raise awareness for a particular social cause.

Consumers feel reassured that a portion of their purchases will be utilized in a meaningful way.

However, some would argue that the benefits of cause-related marketing are
short-lived. For example, imagine a shopper who chooses to buy coffee that promotes world peace, cereal that supports early childhood education, yogurt that funds breast cancer research, and, as a last minute impulse, a chocolate bar that promises to protect animal wildlife. By filling a shopping cart with products promising to make the world a better place, consumers such as this one may feel that they have already fulfilled their philanthropic responsibilities. For donors, cause-related marketing is attractive because it provides an easy and convenient way to support a charitable cause.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-hill/grocery-shopping_b_4562367.html

The danger of cause-related marketing is that it may lead individuals to overestimate the value of their charitable consumption patterns and underestimate the reality of social problems in our society.

Buying a chocolate bar at a grocery store that donates a portion of its proceeds to environmental sustainability won't save the world. After all, the reality of environmental degradation cannot be condensed into a simple label designed to boost sales.

However, buying products that support charitable causes can make a small difference and represent an increased trend towards ethical consumerism.

If choosing to make a purchase of this kind, be sure to ask:

What percentage of my purchase today is going towards the nonprofit organization? Charities Review Council's Soliciting Practices Accountability Standard ® requires that the percent going towards the cause be made available upon request. As a donor, you should look for a disclosure that looks something like this, "10% of your purchase today is going to support X nonprofit."

Is it clear what nonprofit organization I am supporting with my purchase? Sometimes it's not clear what nonprofit is being supported. As a donor, you are entitled to know who your gift will be benefiting. So before you give, ASK who will this gift benefit?

Although cause-related marketing is not a catchall approach to solving the world’s problems, it provides the unique opportunity for nonprofit and for-profit organizations to work together for the advancement of a meaningful cause. As a donor, you can make each dollar an informed investment by continuing to ask questions about the causes you care about.

Click here for Charities Review Council's list of strong, trustworthy, and accountable nonprofits.

Holding Nonprofits to a Higher Standard

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 15:23:00 +0000

James Reynold Sr.
President of the Cancer Fund of America

In a case of unprecedented collaboration between state charity regulators, the Breast Cancer Society, Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, and Children’s Cancer Fund of America have been charged with bilking over $187 million of donor’s money. These four cancer charities— all regulated under the oversight and control of James Reynold Sr. and his family members— have been accused of using dishonest means to solicit funds from donors and filing misleading financial statements that inaccurately portray the amount of funds spent towards fundraising and administrative costs.

As Jessica Rich, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, declared,

“Millions of dollars intended for cancer patients never reached the patients, depriving legitimate cancer charities and cancer patients of much-needed funds and support.”

Rather than support the intended organizations and individuals in need, professional fundraisers of these cancer charities often received over 85% of donations and some individuals spent donations on luxury vacations, new cars, and more.

Jessica Rich
Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection

The failure of these four cancer charities to adequately represent themselves and appropriately spend donor dollars, as well as the failure of governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations to have detected these cases of fraud earlier, raise the questions:

How can donors build trust with nonprofit organizations?
What questions should donors ask to ensure their dollars are being spent in meaningful, equitable, and transparent ways?
In what ways can nonprofit organizations be held more accountable to the public and to the people they are designed to support?

We believe these questions are the building blocks towards creating more meaningful partnerships between donors, nonprofits, and the public.

In response to the cancer charities case of fraud, David Callahan presents a pessimistic view of today’s nonprofit sector. In his article, "Who Will Watch the Charities?" he argues that philanthropy “is a world with too much secrecy and too little oversight”. He even equates the charitable sector with the “Wild West”, connoting a society overwrought with unregulated and corrupt charitable organizations.

It’s hard to argue with Callahan’s underlying claim that nonprofit organizations would benefit through greater transparency and oversight. Indeed, these values align with Charities Review Council's Accountability Standards®, communicating the mission and work of the organization with the public and actively reviewing the organization’s impact on the community. However, Callahan gives little recognition to reform that has taken place in the past and he provides guidelines for reforming the nonprofit sector that may ultimately result in more harm than good.

For example, Callahan envisions a hierarchy of philanthropic nonprofits with corresponding levels of tax-exemption based on their relative assessment of “actual public benefit”. He criticizes the way in which “Donors can get the same tax break for bankrolling a libertarian push to abolish food stamps as they do for giving to a food pantry.” While this example might seem to provide a clear-cut indication of one organization that is more worthy of tax exemption than another, the reality may be much more nuanced and complex. For example, who would be granted the power to determine the value of various nonprofit organizations? And which organization would be more deserving of public funds— an organization advocating environmental rights or animal rights? LGBT rights or civil rights? Or organizations that are directly in conflict with one another, such as pro-life or pro-choice organizations? Creating a sliding scale of tax exemption based on “actual public benefit” becomes an increasingly political debate that many people fear would lead to the exclusion and discrimination of meaningful organizations.

Because Callahan believes that the nonprofit sector operates with little-to-no-oversight, he concludes his argument with the declaration, “It’s time to create a new federal bureau to police the sector, much as Britain has a national Charity Commission”. Although Callahan continues to advocate greater accountability and enforcement of legal standards, he disregards the work of similar organizations that are currently striving to enforce regulatory standards and establish organizations that are more transparent, accountable, and just, like Charities Review Council. We work alongside nonprofits as they strive to better meet the needs of their communities. We meet nonprofit organizations where they are, using the Accountability Standards® as a guide to strengthen their internal practices, policies, and procedures. While Charities Review Council offers more comprehensive and non-judgmental support to nonprofit organizations, other organizations such as GuideStar and the Better Business Bureau will also provide donors with the information they need to make smart giving choices.

Charities Review Council
Meets Standards Seal

The Breast Cancer Society, Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, and Children’s Cancer Fund of America are by no means representative of all charitable organizations within the nonprofit sector. The case of fraud was preventable and serves as a reminder of why the Accountability Standards® are so important.

Are you a donor interested in learning how to make each dollar an informed investment? If so, learn more by reading: "What You Should Know Before Giving" and "How to Choose Charities to Support", or call 651-224-7030 to speak to a trained Council staff member.

Is your nonprofit interested in going through Charities Review Council's online Accountability Wizard® review process? Click here to get started.

Through adherence to various nonprofit sector practices, legal and regulatory requirements, and donor and public expectations, we at Charities Review Council help strengthen nonprofits capacities to pursue their mission and better serve the community.

Investing in the Infrastructure of Under-Resourced Nonprofits

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:19:00 +0000

Nonprofit Strengthening Projects
An innovative program of Charities Review Council's Grantmaker Services, where Council staff partner with grantmakers to accomplish their strategic interests for increasing the capacity of the organizations they fund.

In 2014, Charities Review Council successfully completed three Nonprofit Strengthening Projects, created in partnership with local funders: Youthprise, Greater Twin Cities United Way and Northside Achievement Zone, while also launching a new 2014-2015 project for St. Cloud area nonprofits with the Otto Bremer Foundation. The goal for each of these projects is to strengthen the capacity of the organizations participating, their relationships with each other, and with the funder who supports them.

Each project is carefully designed with the participants' needs in mind. Projects include a Strengthening Workshop Series, access to the Accountability Wizard® at no cost, and individual consulting sessions. By using Charities Review Council’s 25 Accountability Standards® and the Accountability Wizard® as common ground, organizations are able to assess and improve their current practices, policies and procedures with support along the way.

KEY STRATEGIES:

Community Engagement: Goals are created in partnership with the supporting funder. Each project engages local partners and community-based consultants to provide a meaningful and relevant experience for each project participant.
Peer Learning Communities: We strive to create culturally affirming programming, which reinforces our ability to learn from one another, while building a stronger sense of community.
Customized Strengthening Workshops: Each workshop is designed with input from project participants and facilitated by subject-matter experts. These workshops utilize adult learning techniques such as honoring time and knowledge, leveraging motivation, and presenting practical tools/learnings that can be used right away.
Individual Consulting Sessions: Council staff (or in some cases a Council Consultant) meet organizations where they are, providing non-judgmental support in order to help them achieve commonly agreed upon standards of accountability.
Built-in Assessment & Incentives: Traditional capacity building services often lack proper incentive and assessment. These projects provide both by using pre and post assessments to identify needs and enabling organizations to demonstrate their strength to a wider audience by earning the Meets Standards® seal, a visual maker of nonprofit strength recognized by donors, funders, and community members.

RECENT PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:
We invited more than 100 organizations to participate in our Strengthening Projects; 88 registered to participate. In 2014, we hosted 10 Strengthening Workshops, facilitated by subject-matter experts from MAP for Nonprofits, Nonprofits Assistance Fund, and several community-based consultants.

Sondra Samuels (NAZ), Demaya Walton (Breakthrough Twin Cities)

“The Strengthening Workshops gave me real tools that I can apply at work right away. I enjoyed the informal, interactive, yet resourceful atmosphere and presentation style.”

54 organizations took advantage of a free, two-hour consulting session with a Council Staff member or Consultant.

"My consultant helped me to feel more confident.. She reinforced the fact that I did not have to have things perfect now, rather it was a process to achieve some of the standards over time."

Nonprofit Strengthening Projects demonstrate the value of investing in the administration and infrastructure of historically under-resourced nonprofits, with each component designed to be a capacity building opportunity for nonprofit professionals at all levels of the organization. “I think it’s great these workshops are open to more than just the Executive Director. I learned a ton as a young, relatively new, nonprofit professional.” On average, 97% of project participants indicate that the Nonprofit Strengthening Projects are valuable. We look forward to continuing these projects in 2015 and beyond.

Interested in learning more about each Nonprofit Strengthening Project? Click here for more information.

A Big Welcome to Our New Summer Interns!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 21:29:00 +0000

Charities Review Council is excited to welcome our three new summer interns, Anna Bartz, Jay Corliss, and Siri Ericson. After a grueling orientation (filled with free doughnuts and personalized office notebooks), we asked them those 'fall asleep at night,' thought provoking questions like, 'how have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community,' and more seriously, if you could listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what CD would it be.' These interns have covered it all. Read on to see what they had to say!

Anna Bartz

Anna, our Engagement and Marketing intern, is a rising senior at St. Olaf College with a double major in Economics and Psychology. She plays collegiate women's hockey for St. Olaf and is a member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Anna is excited to engage and work with the community throughout the summer while interning at Charities Review Council. Besides her work here, Anna is also currently a research assistant for the Institute of Research and Evaluation at St. Olaf College. Anna has a passion for traveling, and just recently spent her J-term in Italy and Germany studying religion and history.

Here's what Anna had to say to our tough questions.

1. What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?

My favorite Accountability Standard® is Impact on the Community within the Public Disclosure section. It is crucial that nonprofits stay on track with program goals and ensure they are ultimately benefiting the community with their work.

2. How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community?

Nonprofits positively impact our community by giving individuals an opportunity to personally take part in the solution, rather than rely on external actions to make a change. I think it is important that all community members take a personal responsibility in helping to engage in and solve local matters. Nonprofit organizations help with this by facilitating important conversations and giving community members appropriate outlets or causes to direct their efforts towards.

3. When you’re not connecting with nonprofits through the work that you do at Charities Review Council, what do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy playing hockey, reading, solving Sudoku puzzles, taking my Jack Russell Terrier, Herbie, for walks around the Minneapolis lakes, going to Zumba classes, and spending time with friends and family.

4. If you could eat any food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

My dad’s air‐popped popcorn! I have tried many times to duplicate his recipe, but I have never come close to his kerneled masterpiece.

5. What are you most excited about as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?

I am excited to learn more about the nonprofit sector, and to help the enthusiastic Charities Review Council team engage with the community.

Jay Corliss

Jay, our Events and Communications intern, is originally from Wisconsin, and moved to the Twin Cities to pursue a career in the music industry. She recently graduated with a degree in Music Business from McNally Smith College of Music. Throughout the last few years Jay has worked for many music-related businesses in Minneapolis, Austin TX and Brooklyn NY. After attending the SXSW Music Festival this year, Jay realized that she wanted to use music as a vehicle to promote good causes. Jay hopes to someday work for an arts-related nonprofit, and is excited to be at Charities Review Council to learn more about event planning and how organizations can grow to meet the Accountability Standards®.

See how Jay answered our questions below.

1. What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?

My favorite Accountability Standard® is the Impact on Community Standard. I think it’s really important that organizations aim to not only serve the community but become an effective part of it.

2. How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community?

When I worked with Rock the Cause I was able to interact with many nonprofits at different benefit concerts. I was able to see how organizations utilized these opportunities to promote their mission and turn audience members into donors and volunteers who were passionate about helping better the community.

3. When you're not helping plan events at Charities Review Council, what do you like to do for fun?

I spend my time working with various people and organizations in the local music scene. Most nights I can be found selling merch, volunteering, or checking out new doughnut shops.

4. If you could listen to 1 CD for the rest of your life, what CD would it be?

I could listen to Death to The Pixies forever. If I could meet Kim Deal my life would be complete.

5. What are you most excited about as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?

I'm most excited to meet everyone and learn more about the work Charities Review Council does.

Siri Ericson

Siri, our Nonprofit Services intern, will be a junior next fall at St. Olaf College. She is majoring in Political Science, and Sociology & Anthropology. At school, Siri has an assortment of jobs including working in the economics department, science library, post office, and dining hall. Siri is passionate about ending sexual violence and creating a safe campus environment, and strives to do so as a Sexual Assault Resource Network Advocate. Outside of school, Siri volunteers regularly with the Northfield community and has taken mission trips to Tanzania and Guatemala.

Last, but not least, let's see how Siri answered.

1. What is your favorite Accountability Standard®?

My favorite Accountability Standard® is the Governance Standard of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I believe in the value of creating nonprofit organizations that are responsive to the needs of the community and representative of the population they are designed to support. This is my favorite standard because it calls for organizations to be directly involved in the communities they serve and to be open-minded to a diversity of new perspectives. Through the collection of information related to individual demographics, internal and external components of the organization, as well as the organization’s general goals, setbacks, and achievements, this Standard is significant because it promotes the establishment of nonprofit organizations that are built on the foundation of trust and public support.

2. How have you seen nonprofits have an effect on our community?

I value living in the Twin Cities because it is a concentrated area with a variety of social justice initiatives and nonprofit organizations working to meet the needs of the community. I am currently employed at the nonprofit organization, Open Arms of Minnesota, where I see the Accountability Standards® coming to life through staff, donors, volunteers, and clients working together to provide meals to individuals with life-threatening illnesses. In light of the immense social and economic needs within communities and the challenges nonprofit organizations face, I believe it is important to reflect critically on the failures and successes of aid and to strive towards the establishment of organizations that promote services in legitimate, respectful, and effective ways.

3. When you're not strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizations by interning at Charities Review Council, what do you like to do for fun?

I love to run, read, and spend time with friends. I am a Political Science and Sociology & Anthropology major at St. Olaf College and I volunteer in the Sexual Assault Resource Network on campus.

4. If you could be a superhero, who would you be? And why?

If I could be any superhero, I would be Elastigirl from the movie, The Incredibles. Elastigirl is a smart woman with a secret identity and the superhuman power of great flexibility. She can stretch to be the length of skyscrapers and transform her body into the shape of boats and parachutes in times of need. I would like to be the superhero, Elastigirl, because she fights bad guys alongside her family with a stubborn persistence and unconventional strength.

5. What are you most excited for as you begin your journey with Charities Review Council?

I am excited to be part of Charities Review Council and learn more about the factors that make nonprofit organizations accountable, transparent, and just. I am passionate about issues of social justice and I believe that non-profit organizations are meaningful agents of social change. I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable about the Accountability Standards® and I hope to develop my writing and editing skills through this internship.

Join us in welcoming Anna, Jay, and Siri to Charities Review Council by sending them an email.