Smart Giving Matters

Donations or Dishes? Setting Up a Charitable Wedding Registry

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:21:00 +0000

By Keely Schallock, Development Assistant, Charities Review Council

Oh, the wedding registry – I never knew it would be such an emotion-inducing, controversial beast.

My fiancé, Aaron, and I met as long-term volunteers at The Working Boys’ Center in Quito, Ecuador. We have spent the four years since organizing events in the Twin Cities to support and remain connected to the families there. So when planning our wedding, it only seemed appropriate to somehow honor the organization that brought us together and provided such a strong foundation for our relationship.

We considered making a donation in lieu of wedding favors, or sending the money collected from a “dollar dance” at our reception to the organization. After much deliberation, we found the idea of the donation gift registry to work the best for us. Little did we know, it wouldn’t necessarily work the best for everyone.

We are fortunate to have many material belongings, and there is very little room in our 700-square-foot apartment for a “might need/want/use someday” stockpile. But, while our dear family and friends understand the importance of The Working Boys’ Center in our lives, we quickly realized they also wanted to be able to contribute items to help us build our home together. Ultimately, we came up with a solution to honor our own expectations, values and desires, and those of our loved ones too.

We contacted the director of the Working Boys’ Center and she set up a link on their website (http://www.workingboyscenter.org/). We included a note with our invitations, explaining our story and offering guests the option to make a donation in honor of our wedding. We also registered for a few key traditional gift items that we know will serve us well for years to come. This information was included on our shower invitations.

With just a few days to go until the big day, we are so excited to have received a matching set of dishes we picked out from my generous aunts and uncles. We also love the crystal cheese knob, whirly-pop popcorn maker, and personalized photo album unexpectedly given to us from wonderful friends. And, we are extremely touched that so many of our wedding guests have already donated hundreds of dollars to the school in Ecuador, where it all began.

If you are getting married, celebrating a birthday, or another life milestone, consider donating your time or resources to your favorite charity in honor of your guests. As a guest, perhaps you might purchase a GiveMN gift card or make a donation in honor of your loved one’s special occasion.

Most importantly, know that there are many options in the world of gift registries these days, and finding the one, or perhaps a combination of a few, that works the best for you is a roller coaster worth riding.

Volunteers: Growing within the Sector

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Every year nonprofits across the country celebrate National Volunteer Week to recognize the millions of dedicated individuals that make our sector possible. Here at the Charities Review Council, the process of working with, training, and learning from our volunteers is a critical component to our organizational culture and values. Perhaps the best part of working with volunteers is not the direct benefit they provide your organization during their time of service, but watching them grow within the sector and their own career as they explore new opportunities.

We love staying in touch with our former volunteers and are constantly amazed at the impressive things they are doing within the sector. A few of our past interns have shared an update on what they are doing and how volunteering has played a role in their growth. The impact volunteers have on our sector is a hard concept to quantify, but stories like these make it as clear as day.

Callie Johnston

Describe your current job, volunteer activities, etc.
I am currently a Senior Associate Director of Individual Giving at the University of Chicago Medical Center. That means that I’m a major gifts officer, with a special focus on cancer—I work with individual donors to help inspire and facilitate transformative gifts in support of cancer research, education, and care. I volunteer on the Development Committees of Camp Kesem National (the very first nonprofit I worked with, as a student at Notre Dame) and Erie Family Neighborhood House, here in Chicago, to advise on fundraising strategy. I also really enjoy volunteering twice per month on The Night Ministry’s Mobile Outreach van, which provides basic health services and community to homeless populations around Chicago.

How have your past volunteer experiences played a part in what you’re doing currently?
The Charities Review Council taught me so much about the nonprofit sector (in Minnesota and beyond) and what it means to practice accountability to a donor and community. As a professional fundraiser, I am acutely aware of the extent to which our donors value and expect accountability from me and the organization. As a donor, I know how to check out the organizations I am supporting to ensure that they’re stewarding my funds correctly. I just wish that Illinois had resources as comprehensive and user-friendly as the Charities Review Council!

Do you have a favorite memory from your time volunteering with the Charities Review Council?
Yes! Besides getting the opportunity to learn from and joke around with Kelly, Amy, Rich and Joan, I valued all of the opportunities I had to interact with the Charities Review Council donors directly. My favorites were the individuals who made relatively modest gifts, but so valued the guidance and leadership of the Council. One of my favorite memories was spending time on the phone with women who painstakingly would go through their list of intended gifts to ensure that they were maximizing their impact.

Fill in the blank: Volunteering is to the nonprofit sector as ____ are to Minnesota.
"LAKES"

Temma Shankman

Describe your current job, volunteer activities, etc.
Gift Planning Officer for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation: Major Gifts $10,000+ and Planned Giving

How have your past volunteer experiences played a part in what you’re doing currently?
I volunteered extensively at health organizations, food banks, the Jewish Federation, and other social service organizations during both of my internships as well as when I was taking nonprofit classes. Based on my passion for our mission and my former career experience, I knew that a Jewish federated giving organization would be a great fit.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time volunteering with the Charities Review Council?
My favorite times with the Council were during its strategic planning process. This experience re-energized my previous skills and served me extremely well in my first position with the Federation (Development - Annual Campaign overseeing two divisions)… and of course, the special time each of you spent with me. I learned so much and I thank you for that.

Fill in the blank: Volunteering is to the nonprofit sector as ____ is to Minnesota.
"Minnesota Nice"

Kristin Rigg

Describe your current job, volunteer activities, etc.
I am working half-time at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities as a grantwriter. I also sit on the board of a community organization and we are in the process of hiring an Executive Director, which gives me a chance to use what I'm learning in my human resource management class.

How have your past volunteer experiences played a part in what you’re doing currently?
The work I did with the Council was in fund development. It set me on a path to understand the grant process, how to manage a grant calendar, and how to connect grant writing with the mission of an organization.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time volunteering with the Charities Review Council?
I loved how welcoming the staff was to all the interns. We come at various times which could be a disruption to the routine of the staff, but they were always so helpful and supportive. The intern program at the Council is the best around! You allow us to contribute to the mission and gain valuable experience.

Fill in the blank: Volunteering is to the nonprofit sector as ____ are to Minnesota.
"Lakes (volunteers are everywhere!)"

Eric Larsen

Describe your current job, volunteer activities, etc.
I am working to start up an urban farm called Stone's Throw Urban Farm. We grow produce on vacant city lots for sale at the Mill City Farmers Market and through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). I also volunteer with Listening House of St. Paul, a day shelter and drop in center providing a safe, welcoming place for those on the streets, lonely, or simply looking for a place of community. I also volunteer at Centro, a resource center for Latino families where I work with their senior program.

How have your past volunteer experiences played a part in what you’re doing currently?
My past volunteer opportunities have given me experience in leading and starting up new ventures. Additionally, I've been exposed to a segment of the population that is often forgotten and rejected. Now, I am drawn to working with those populations.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time volunteering with the Charities Review Council?One of my favorite memories was simply sharing lunch together in the conference room, catching up on each other's lives, and sharing stories of travels, family, etc.

Fill in the blank: Volunteering is to the nonprofit sector as ____ is to Minnesota.
"you betcha"

Our Reviewed Nonprofits Make the "Good Karma" Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Twin Cities' METRO magazine just released its second annual "Good Karma Guide," aimed at helping locals match their passions with volunteer opportunities. Out of the 32 organizations METRO featured as great ways to get involved in making a positive change in the world, 14 of them have the added benefit of being Charities Review Council “Meet Standards” seal holders! Here’s a shout out to those organizations that have both met all of the Council's Accountability Standards and made it to METRO’s “Good Karma” list:

Aeon
American Refugee Committee
Eco Education
Friends of the Mississippi River
Family Tree Clinic
Jeremiah Program
LifeSource
Minnesota Literacy Council
Minnesota Medical Foundation
National MS Society (Upper Midwest)
Pacer Center
People Serving People
Tubman
Volunteer Lawyers Network

New Nonprofit and Outreach Specialist, Lynnea!

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Give a big, nonprofity welcome to the Charities Review Council’s new Nonprofit and Outreach Specialist, Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson! Lynnea’s energetic attitude, vast expertise, and passion for capacity building makes her an ideal fit for the Council’s team—also, it doesn’t hurt that she’s a self-proclaimed “nonprofit geek" (she'll fit right in!).

Get to know Lynnea better in these answers to some of our favorite interview questions:

1. Where are you from?
I was born in Minneapolis and have lived in North Minneapolis all but 7 years of my life.

2. What was your childhood like?
I come from a multi-ethnic family, lived in a multi-ethnic neighborhood, attended a multi-ethnic church, and was educated in multi-ethnic schools. I come from a family of artists, outdoors people, and active citizens.

3. What about the job position “Nonprofit & Outreach Specialist” sparked your interest?
As a multi-ethnic woman from the north-side of Minneapolis I have committed my career to the nonprofit sector as a means of creating equity and justice for all people. Individual philanthropy is an amazing legacy the United States has given the world. I believe our sector is poised to continue to improve and produce even higher quality outcomes with accountability, transparency, and equity. We need to be successful at ending historic gaps. I think this position will allow the organization to further explore these issues and build a stronger business case for the future.

4. You’ve worked in nonprofit sectors in other states, what’s different and unique to Minnesota’s sector?
There is a large cultural difference between Minnesota and Colorado which I was totally unaware of prior to moving to Colorado in 2003. I grew an appreciation for both cultures. In Colorado there is more of an individualist culture, a pioneer spirit (you either make it or you don’t). There are pros and cons, like more freedom to do what you think is best and a lack of social contracts leaving communities to struggle with inflexible systems. Here is my best analogy for how these cultures compare.

In Colorado if you go on a hike you can accidently kill yourself six ways from Sunday and along the way to potential doom there are no pit toilets, no railings next to 1000 ft. drops, and nameless valuable species you could be trampling along the way with no clue (Cryptobiotic soil). All this and you can get right up in the wonder and roll all around.

In Minnesota if you go for a hike you have to work really hard to kill yourself; there are many amenities along the way, many railings and buffer zones to prevent any potential accidents for every 6 ft. drop. At every opportune moment a beautifully constructed stone bench appears so you can experience wonders from afar and be sure not to impact the environment too much. The amazing thing is that in spite the two completely different philosophies the hikes are just as revered and the environmental impact is just as appreciated. There are a lot of great people and work going on in both states, a lot can be gained by sharing.

5. If you could only eat one food forever and ever what would it be?
New Mexican Green Chili (vegetarian video) on everything or alone, YUM!

6. What blogs/magazines/organizations do you read to stay on top of sector trends/pre-trend?
I try to catch hot items before they really hit trend, here is my list of maybe some non-usual suspects: I really appreciate the stories and articles that I am connected to by Pollen via LinkedIn, Harvard Business Review always a news maker, I also have been tracking on IDEO (I have an design and creative idea generation history so it’s been really intriguing).

7. What do you see as the nonprofit sector’s biggest opportunity in the next five years?
Getting it “right” with cultural competency and effective utilization of diversity as employers. The tides of age, ability, and ethnicity demographic shifts in the workplace is eminent, we need to get this right to be sustainable.

8. If the Charities Review Council was an animal, what type of animal would it be?
Sheep Dog.

9. What are you most excited to learn about with this new job?
How to provide “return on expectations” for nonprofits and their donors as it relates to standards, practices, and systems change.

Interns at the Council: Fatema and Nathan

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Give a big welcome to the current interns at the Charities Review Council, Nathan and Fatema! As Nonprofit Services interns, Nathan and Fatema get to see and be a part of a little bit of everything that happens here at the Council. So, who are Nathan and Fatema? What do they like to do and why did they want to intern here? We asked them to take a crack at interviewing each other:

An Interview with Fatema Kermalli Walji by Nathan Sayler

Fatema Kermalli Walji interns at the Charities Review Council and graduated from Rollins College with a degree in International Relations:

Where are you from and where did you go to college?
I moved to the Twin Cities area this past summer from Florida, where I stayed for four years while attending Rollins College.

But that’s the short answer. I was actually born in Kuwait and lived in England for a couple of years before moving to New York and then Pennsylvania, where I grew up. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) all that travelling occurred before I was four years old, so I don’t actually remember any of it.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like reading, reflecting, and relaxing (all R’s!) But one of the most important things for me is spending time with family and friends.

What led you to Charities Review Council?
I come with many years of experience working with and within nonprofit organizations (many years for a recent college graduate, that is) so the Council naturally appealed to me as a way to learn more about the sector and what it means to successfully run a nonprofit.

What has been your favorite part about interning with the Council?
It’s honestly hard to choose. I have enjoyed everything from reviewing nonprofit submissions on the accountability wizard to compiling data to drafting standard spotlights for the website. If I had to choose, however, I would have to say that the best part has been getting to work with such an amazing group of people – the Charities Review Council staff.

What excites you the most about working in the nonprofit sector?
Having the ability to make a positive difference.

An Interview with Nathan Sayler by Fatema Kermalli Walji

Nathan Sayler interns at the Charities Review Council and is a student at Bethel University, majoring in Business-Marketing and Organizational Communication:

What brings you to the Charities Review Council?
I became interested in the nonprofit sector, so when I heard about the opportunity to potentially intern for an organization that has an impact on so many different charitable organizations I was very excited about it.

What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go in the Twin Cities?
I love the lakes--throwing a football at the beach, tubing, fishing, going for a boat ride, anything outside on a beautiful summer day.

If you had to make a movie about your life, what would it be called and why?
I don’t know, I would give it some kind of strange metaphorical title- those are the ones that win Oscars, right?

What has surprised you most about working with the Council?
I have been surprised with the amount of information I have be able to learn. Coming in, I was a little concerned that I might be in over my head, but I have been taught extremely well since coming here and have had a great experience with the Council.

What will we be seeing you on TV for doing/accomplishing ten years from now?
Hopefully it won’t be on “Cops.” I really have no idea; I just hope I can make some kind of contribution to serving others and making this world a better place to live!

KONY 2012: Responding to Emotional Appeals

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:16:00 +0000

The Charities Review Council's Communication Specialist, Jamie Millard, shares her response and reaction to the KONY 2012 campaign through the lens of an informed giver.

It didn’t take me too long to realize something was happening. My Twitter steam was blowing up with the hashtag #stopkony and Facebook friends from distant high-school buddies to fellow nonprofit colleagues were sharing a Kony 2012 video with a call to support the organization Invisible Children. After watching the thirty minute video and trolling the comments of my Facebook friends and Twitter feed, it was obvious that our country was experiencing a very strong emotional response to a deeply complicated issue.

Working for the Charities Review Council, I was immediately interested in finding out more about this organization’s accountability—i.e. does it pass the “smell test." (I mean, we are called Smart Givers for a reason!) Inspired to do some digging, I thought “now what would we do at the Charities Review Council to find out more information about a nonprofit that hadn’t been through our own, in-depth review?”

Quick Research You Can Do Before Responding to an Emotional Appeal:

Check out the organization’s website. What’s their mission? Does the mission align with the appeal you’re responding to? Do they share annual reports and financials (990s, public audits)?

Check out their GuideStar profile. Couldn’t find their 990 on their website? You should be able to download it here under their financials.

Do they have a report with Charity Navigator?

Do they have a report with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance? If not, has the Wise Giving Alliance requested a review?

Below, we dive into these questions for the organization Invisible Children. Yes, this KONY 2012 campaign is based on an emotional appeal and controversial issue. And while it’s okay for an appeal to have an emotional response—in fact, you should feel emotionally connected to a cause you support—it’s important to take a breath, take a step back and do some critical thinking. The information below is a lot to take in. As an individual donor, I have a lot of information not only about accountability, but mission alignment to consider before deciding whether or not I would support a campaign like KONY 2012.

Other interesting links about KONY 2012 and Invisible Children:

Information on CNN

Beth Kanter's response

Great thoughts from Don Cheadle

Our Research:
Using this quick guide, Jenna Salinas, the Charities Review Council’s Nonprofit Services Specialist, did some research on Invisible Children. Follow along:

1. Check out the organization’s website.

Substantial Public Disclosure information available. I was able to easily find Annual Reports, Public Audits, and IRS Form 990’s for the past 6 years, including 2011. One can learn a lot about an organization with these documents.

What these documents mean:

Annual Report: Mission, service area, programs, impact, detailed income and expense information, including the cost of each of their major programs, and a list of their board of directors. It’s important for the public to have access to this information in order to learn about the organization.

Audit: It is helpful to know that the organization has had an audit. An audit firm is a third party that verifies the organizations financial statements and assures that they are presented accurately. The auditing firm also issues an opinion indicating if they found any issues. Invisible Children received a clean or “unqualified” opinion, which means that the auditors didn’t find any deficiencies in how the information is being presented.

IRS Form 990: Even though nonprofit organizations are tax-exempt, they are required to file with the IRS to maintain their exempt status. Like an audit, you can view financial information for the organizations, but a 990 also provides information about the board of directors, policies, and practices of the organization.

Quickly making sense of a 990:

Board of Directors: Part VII, Section A lists all the directors of the board, the CEO and any employees that receive more than $100,000 in compensation. From this chart you can usually discern who serves as board chair, treasurer, and how much individuals are paid. From the information provided in Invisible Children’s Form 990 for fiscal year 2010-2011, there are a couple of things to note:

The founders of the organization appear to be paid staff as well as voting members of the board, which doesn’t make for a very independent governing body.

Part VII doesn’t specify who serves as the board chair or the treasurer. It wouldn't be appropriate if the board chair/treasurer was one of the compensated members or if the same person held both positions. (The website does list the board chair as Scot Wolfe – an uncompensated director- but I still don’t know who serves as treasurer to ensure there is proper separation of roles.)

Use of Funds: Part IX, shows the functional expenses of the organization (totals are listed on line 25). Looking at the 3 most recent IRS Form 990’s it looks like the average program expense is 83%, Management 13% and Fundraising is 4% of annual expenses. The details of these expenses can be gleaned from the 990 as well as the audit and annual report.

Financial Health: Part X shows the organization’s balance sheet (which can also be found in the audit). Looking at the balance of unrestricted net assets (line 27) you can determine if the organization lost or gained money in that year. Looking at 2008-2011, the 2 most recent years have seen significant gains, so they appear to be doing well bringing in money to carry out their programs. If they had had consecutive years of losses, that would have raised a red flag with regards to financial health.

Fundraising:
Looking at the organization’s fundraising page on its website, you can note that it is a secure site (by the https: in the web address line), so your data is secure on the site. They also make sure you are aware that your gift is tax deductible. However, a couple things seemed to be missing:
1. If I donate, how will they use my money?
2. What is the organization’s contact information if I want more information or have a question? I only found an email address, but no phone number or address.
3. Once I provide my information to Invisible Children, how will it be used? Will they share it with anyone else? I couldn’t find a Privacy Policy or any information to this effect on the website.

2. GuideStar

Once you login (for free), you can view a summary of the organization, as well as access the most recent 990’s (which were also on their website). If the organization doesn’t have the GuidestarExchange seal, it just means that they haven’t provided all of the information requested by GuideStar. This is not required of charities, it’s just an opportunity for organizations to voluntarily provide information to stakeholders. You can also read through personal reviews of the organization from other individuals. Invisible Children had a recent 990 and personal reviews to read through.

3. Charity Navigator

Invisible Children received an overall 3 out of 4 stars (4 out of 4 for Financial and 2 out of 4 for Accountability & Transparency)

4. Better Business Bureau

Not a particularly good sign that the BBB requested to conduct a review of Invisible Children in March of 2011 and the organization either didn’t respond or declined to be reviewed. These reviews are also not required and are completely voluntary.

While this is a lot of information, there is plenty more. At the end of the day, each individual is responsible for gathering as much information as they can and then also evaluating if a cause aligns with his/her philanthropic goals as well.

P.S. If an organization doesn't have a review with the Charities Review Council, you can always encourage your favorite organization to undergo one!

Talking With Kids About Philanthropy

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:31:00 +0000

A few months ago my son told me "when I got freaked out, I just smiled, it helped me calm down." What a great idea. How’d he learn that? I thought. A few minutes later it hit me—duh, he learned that from me. (In a visit to the Mall of America, I told him that I smile on rollercoasters so I don’t freak out. Try it, it works.) You see, my son, at 8 years old, sings songs, uses words and does things sometimes that I’ve never heard or seen. I continue to assume he’s learning them from friends, at school or at day care. Imagine my surprise when he acted on something that he so clearly heard from me.

Yet, what does smiling, roller coasters, and freaking out have to do with philanthropy? Umm... not much really. Although I’m sure many people smile when making gifts. But, I use the story as a reminder to myself and others. That sometimes, teaching your children about something, like giving to charity or philanthropy, doesn’t have to be a big production or a big deal. Sometimes it’s just a matter of talking about it.

So, I’ve made a pledge to myself. Talk about those organizations that I support with my philanthropic dollars in front of my kids. Because even if we may not have millions of dollars to support our favorite charities—it’s important that he knows why we think our favorite charities are so special.

Your dad and I give regularly to a food shelf because we know that there are a lot of people going hungry in this economy.

Hey Max, I used to work at this organization that helped people when they are sick. I gave them $20.

I really like how your daycare is a community organization. They’re so welcoming to the community and our family. I’m going to make sure we give them a donation this year.

And sometimes, talking about it the simplest ways may just have an influence. My son had a birthday party recently and I encouraged him to not have presents. I said, maybe you could ask your friends to give to a charity? “Like one for animals” was his quick reply. After a few weeks and a birthday party sans presents, I told him he had raised more than $200. He grinned hugely and imagined a garage full of dog food—“That’s a lot of food for the dogs.”

—Amy Sinykin, Charities Reivew Council, Associate Director
Image: kidsandbills.com

PS. The fundraiser function at givemn.org worked great for the birthday party "presents".

Employee Fraud: What Can Nonprofits Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:38:00 +0000

The saying “trust but verify” resonates more than ever in cases of employee fraud. Unfortunate situations like the incident recently surfaced out of Open Arms of Minnesota leave donors and nonprofits wondering “what can be done?” Open Arms, an organization that meets all of our Accountability Standards and has earned a place on our list of Most Trustworthy Nonprofits, is undergoing the painful experience of employee fraud through the discovery that a staff member was siphoning the payout of phantom food contracts totaling a loss as high as $156,000.

It’s important for donors and nonprofits to understand that no organization is immune to scams—no matter how accountable or transparent its operations might be. While there are legal restrictions to what can be said while a case is under investigation, once an incident like this occurs, transparency, as in all matters, should be the guide in communicating to the public. The tips below were provided by Michael Wirth-Davis, president and CEO of Goodwill/Easter Seals, whose own experiences dealing with employee fraud were shared at the Council’s 2007 Annual Forum.

Accountability practices to help nonprofits prevent scams:

Separation of duties within the finance department is critical
Regardless of the number of employees, require two signatures on all checks. Include non-finance staff as part of the four members who can sign checks. Restrict use of CEO’s signature stamp and mandatory log entries when it is used.

Focusing on internal controls (just like safety drills)
This should be an on-going responsibility of the Board Audit Committee and management, as well as the external audit firm. All accounts are reconciled monthly, with reviews and sign-offs. Use a lock box for all donations. Run all cash sales through store registers for retail operations. Deposit cash sales with store deposits.

Review internal controls
A review of controls can lead to identifying areas of risk and vulnerability, which should then be shared with your Audit Committee.

Practice honesty, integrity, and accountability
This should be part of your routine operation to establish credibility and will come in handy during the challenging times.

Manage the situation when fraud occurs:

The CEO and CFO should disclose issue to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Engage a forensic audit firm.

Engage your attorney.

Inform all members of the Board of Directors. Provide updates to Board regularly.

Engage a crisis communications firm to help create public messages for specific audiences.

Present findings from forensic investigation to County Attorney’s office.

Fully cooperate with legal authorities during investigation.

Inform your staff.

Inform the public. Coordinate activities with the media relations staff of the County Attorney’s office.

Telling the Public:
Since most organizations are involved with the public in some way, it is important to let them know what is going on. Below are steps to take in getting the media involved to accurately disclose the situation:

Work with a team of professionals as to how to go about letting the public know about the incident. This includes who all should be told and when to announce it.

Look at all possible scenarios that could be brought up during the process of public disclosure.

Make sure to tell the staff everything first before the media is told. Be direct and respectful to answer all questions received or point them to the appropriate communications staff.

Track and monitor all public responses.

Proactively alert the Attorney General’s office of the situation. Provide updates regularly.

Next, release the information to the media and allow interviews.

Reinforce the message publicly that this situation in no way reflects the work you do every day on behalf of those in your communities and it will not affect the quality of your programs and services.

Seven things you should know about Keely Schallock

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:26:00 +0000

Keely Schallock has recently joined the Charities Review Council as a full-time Development Assistant serving as the Council’s primary grant writer and fundraising support to the Executive Director and Development Committee. Keely first joined the Council as a Fund Development Intern in February 2011.

Get to know Keely:

1.) What excites you most about the Twin Cities' philanthropic sector?
The idea of organizations, corporations, and foundations all working together to improve our communities through collective impact.

2.) Where might someone bump into you around the Twin Cities?
Down by the river – running, biking, taking photos, or enjoying happy hour!

3.) Three songs that would be in a hit autobiographical movie about your life?

“Do You Hear What I Hear”– for that scene where I sang a solo at the Christmas pageant in 2nd grade, but none of my family members remember it.

“Summer of ’69”– for that scene where I’m running across the finish line of my first race.

“A Boy Named Sue”– for that scene where I meet my fiancé (luckily his name isn’t Sue, we just love Johnny Cash).

I’d probably throw a little salsa music and some Enya in there, as well.

4.) What books or blogs are you reading now? How do you stay up on the happenings in the nonprofit sector?
I’m currently reading "Writing for a Good Cause" by Danielle Furlich, among many other random blogs and articles I come across via twitter.

5.) What excites you most to learn about in the next year?
How all the pieces of the fundraising and development puzzle fit together over the course of the year to make for a successful campaign.

6.) Best experience working with the Council thus far?
It’s been wonderful making my way from intern, to part-time employee, and now as a full-time staff member – I have learned so much already and I’ve had the opportunity to be part of many exciting experiences, with a highlight being last year’s Annual Forum. I am definitely looking forward to the year to come!

7.) A little bird around the office mentioned you have a Pinterest and Twitter account? Would you mind sharing the links?
Yes, thanks to our Communications Coordinator, Jamie, I can be found on Twitter @keschallock, and my pinterest page is: http://pinterest.com/kes1125 (but beware, it’s mostly full of wedding planning ideas…)

Engaging Diverse Stakeholders in the Nonprofit Sector

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Lively, well-attended discussions like last week’s first Diversity and Inclusion Networking Lunch, “Engaging Diverse Stakeholders in the Nonprofit Sector,” not only reinforce the passion around diversity and inclusion, but also reveal the delicate and long process involved in transforming thought and leadership paradigms in our sector.

With an experienced and thoughtful facilitator, like Dr. Mai Moua, when the right questions are asked, the discussion takes off. It’s amazing how quickly an hour goes by. Here were key questions posed and discussed from the conversation:

There are many variables in place when trying to make the paradigm shift needed to transform organizational and community culture. It’s a long process that requires patience, thoughtfulness, and trust.

Leadership buy-in is key. How can staff manage upwards and influence cultural shifts when leadership is not leading on this issue?

Many organizations are working through what it means to be diverse as opposed to “looking” diverse. How does inclusion become a core value of an organization’s personality?

Does the nature of nonprofit work inherently hold our sector to higher standards for diversity and inclusion practices?

Organizations and staff working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive culture struggle with measuring this progress. What are accepted indicators?

What role does funding play in the work of creating more diverse and inclusive organizational culture?

The group engaged in energetic and meaty discussion and to continue our thinking, Dr. Mai Moua recommended these resources:

"Influence Without Authority": A book to help staff push change upwards and get that needed buy-in from leadership. Authored by Allan Cohen and David Bradford.

Intercultural Development Inventory: A cross-culturally valid measure of intercultural competence. The instrument is easy to complete and can generate an in-depth graphic profile of groups' predominant level of intercultural competence (facilitation by a Qualified IDI Administrator is required).

Please add your comments and share with us your experiences and go-to resources for engaging diverse stakeholders in the nonprofit sector.

Join us next month, February 16th, for a lunch discussion on “Cultural Intelligence Matters: Tools to Build Cultural Competence and Agility.”

This post is a recap of the first Diversity and Inclusion Networking Lunch—a monthly discussion co-hosted between Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Charities Review Council. In the true spirit of inclusion, these lunches take place at rotating nonprofits that serve diverse communities. Thanks to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for being this month’s host.

Next Steps After Volunteering

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Rooted in the heart of the nonprofit ecosystem, volunteerism connects many needed services to our communities. On days like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, also widely known as the MLK Day of Service, the importance of service and volunteering in our communities jumps to the forefront of our minds. Sites like mlkday.gov and campaigns like President Obama’s United We Serve, not only encourage and reward citizens for taking part in volunteering, but actually go a step further and make the process easy through searchable databases that will match a volunteer with a local project. It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of Americans of all ages use this federal holiday to join in service projects across the country.

This is wonderful.

But it’s important to remember that the intention of days like MLK Day of Service is not to dedicate one day a year to volunteering, but to incorporate service into our lifestyles.

What steps can you take after a volunteer experience to connect those activities to the work you do year round?

Find an on-going project. If you volunteered for a one-time project, connect with that organization and find out if they have an on-going volunteer opportunity.

Inquire about possible openings on the organization’s board of directors (or board committee if you’re looking for a little less commitment). Just because your day job is in accounting, marketing, or IT, doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills to contribute to a nonprofit working towards solving homelessness—in fact, your skill set might be exactly what a board is looking for to grow their capacity.

Become an advocate for the cause. Just because you’re not spending hours in an organization’s office or providing direct service to their constituents, doesn’t mean you can’t build awareness for the cause with your own network. Tell your friends, family, and co-workers about the organization with which you volunteered. Share articles and updates about the cause with your network via social media or word-of-mouth.

Nonprofit staff tremendously value the role volunteers play, but it’s important to remember the time and energy these organizations dedicate towards engaging volunteers takes a very real impact on staff capacity. Making sure your interests and the needs of the organization align is key to any successful volunteer relationship. If you take your time in finding the right fit for your volunteering goals, the return and joy from the experience will be well worth the wait. If you need help, checkout handsontwincities.org or volunteermatch.org.

It’s estimated that over 60 million people volunteer officially through an organization at least once a year in the United States. What part do you play in this movement of service?

Diversity and Inclusion Networking Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:05:00 +0000

If you are currently working, volunteering, or serving on the board of a nonprofit, you are invited to join the Charities Review Council and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for Diversity and Inclusion Networking Lunches.

The monthly lunches will explore the most pressing Diversity and Inclusion topics—from how to engage diverse stakeholders to creating inclusive working environments. Each month a topic is identified around which the majority of the discussion will revolve. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, examples and insights related to the topic of the session. In addition to the featured topic, each session will include time to network and ask questions. This network is free and no RSVP is necessary. You are invited to bring your lunch, business cards, and ideas.

Please note these lunches take place at nonprofits that serve diverse communities. Locations change each month so please check the specific event listing for each lunch you would like to attend.

The first six lunches will be facilitated by Dr. Mai Moua and will be following the same topics covered in MCN’s Diversity and Inclusion Series. However, you do not need to attend the webinars to attend the lunches.

The Diversity and Inclusion Networking Lunches are co-sponsored by Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and the Charities Review Council.

2012 Dates and Topics

January 19 – Engaging Diverse Stakeholders in the Nonprofit Sector

February 16 – Cultural Intelligence Matters: Tools to Build Cultural Competence and Agility

March 15 – What’s Emotions Got to do with Culture

April 19 – Cross Cultural Management and Leadership: Practical Tools and Techniques to Managing and Leading a Diverse Workforce

May 17 – The Culture of Inclusion: 5 Factors to Creating Inclusive Environments

June 21 – The 3Rs of Inclusion: Relationship, Reciprocity, and Reflections

July 19 – Best Practices of Diversity and Inclusion for Nonprofit Organizations

August 16 – How to make Diversity and Inclusion a Reality

September 20 – Overcoming Barriers to Diversity and Inclusion

October 18 – Ethnic and Racial Diversity- Learning from Others

November 15 – Generational Diversity- Learning from Others

December – No December Event

Mustache to the Max Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:07:00 +0000

As you might know, this Wednesday is Give to the Max Day…but here at the Council we’re calling it Mustache to the Max Day. . . Why? Our very own executive director, Rich Cowles, has humbly agreed to sacrifice his stache-less upper lip for our Give to the Max Day campaign.

If the Charities Review Council receives 75 donations, Rich will grow a mustache.

"If you've ever seen my seedy looking mustache, you'll know what a sacrifice this is." —Rich Cowles

In this interview, Rich Cowles shares not only what his wife thinks about this campaign, but we also asked if he'd prefer the fu manchu or handlebar:

So join us tomorrow and be one of the 75 donors coming together to make Rich grow a mustache!

And on an even more exciting note, every dollar you donate will be matched up to $10,000 during our year-end Matching Gift Challenge! Thanks to a group of our strongest supporters, this Matching Gift Challenge will continue through the end of the year.

In the meantime, tune in via Facebook and Twitter as we post pictures and interviews with Rich Cowles as he prepares for the possibility of having to grow a beautiful stache, but most importantly, show your support for the Council's work around informed giving and nonprofit accountability by making a contribution to us on Wednesday November 16th.

When One Door Closes, Another Opens

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:32:00 +0000

I know it’s trite, but today is bittersweet as it is my last day working here at the Charities Review Council. Without a doubt, this has been the best place I’ve worked, and I’ve been honored to be connected to such a storied organization.

When I started at the Council, we were just launching the process of revising the Accountability Standards, which included getting feedback from people across the state about what they saw as the “reasonable expectations” of an accountable nonprofit. Whether it was in Duluth or Mankato or right here in the Twin Cities, I always walked away from these town hall forums amazed at the number of people who showed up and genuinely cared about making the connection between the nonprofit sector and donors stronger. For a self-professed “nonprofit geek,” I knew that anyplace that could energize that type of response was the place for me.

There have been a lot of exciting changes at the Council since then - the launching of the new Accountability Wizard (along with the revised Accountability Standards), developing a new program working with immigrant & refugee-led nonprofits, and changing the way we report review results to focus on the most trustworthy nonprofits. Through all of these changes, though, the Council’s values of transparency and integrity have shown through and it has been a great place for me to learn. I’ve appreciated building relationships with board and committee members, staff members at reviewed nonprofits, donors who thoughtfully support the great nonprofits in the area, and (of course) my amazing co-workers here at the Charities Review Council.

Despite all this, I am excited to start a new chapter at Ameriprise Financial in their Community Relations department. I know that the lessons I’ve learned here about informed philanthropy will serve me well, and I look forward to continuing to work with the nonprofit sector, albeit in a different capacity.

Thank you to everyone who has made this a great place to be. Here’s hoping our paths cross in the future again. Take care.

Martin Wera joined the Charities Review Council in March of 2009. As the Program Director, he oversaw, managed and delivered the Council’s services to nonprofit organizations, donors and grantmakers.

What Nonprofits Can Learn from Political Campaigns

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:15:00 +0000

By Martin Wera, Program Director, Charities Review Council (@mjwera)

I love fall. I love seeing fields being harvested, the taste of Honeycrisp apples (take that SweeTango!), and the gentle bite of cold in the air. And, I have to admit it; I love the excitement of political campaigns as they hit fever pitch for Election Day. As a self-professed recovering political hack, there’s something indescribable about that final month of a campaign.

I’m also a nonprofit geek. (What can I say, I’m a man of many passions.) And this fall there have been some great conversations happening locally about collective impact sparked in large part to the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s United Front 2011.

We’re all familiar with the calls for nonprofits to learn from the for-profit sector (and vice versa), but it struck me while I was listening to Mark Kramer describe the 5 key qualities needed for collective impact at the United Front 2011 that there are some lessons the nonprofit sector could learn from the political sector too as it relates to collective impact. (Of course, I think there are a lot of things the political sector would do well to learn from nonprofits, but that’s for a later post.)

In the interest of space, I’m going to focus on just 3 of the 5 qualities that I think most directly connect.

1. Common Agenda (aka The Win Number)
To be successful, collective impact initiatives needs to have a laser focus on one shared vision or goal. This concept is at the forefront of every good political campaign as well. It’s called the win number and, simply put, it’s 50% of the vote plus 1. A lot of complex work can go into calculating the win number, but every staffer on a well-run campaign will know this number by heart and every action taken – from how much to spend on media to where to put field organizers – has to help get the campaign to this goal. If it doesn’t, forget it.

When collaborations fall short, it’s often because we didn’t take the time up front to get clear about a shared, specific goal AND use it as the criteria for every decision. It’s not enough to say we want to reduce homelessness among children by 50%, for example. We need to use that goal to drive every decision the group and the individual organizations make in getting there.

2. Shared Measurement Systems (aka The Voter File)
Just saying you need 50% plus 1 of the vote to win isn’t enough, you have to track it. And to do this political campaigns invest heavily in sophisticated data systems to track voters at the individual level – otherwise known as the voter file. Every time to get phone call, every time a campaign volunteer knocks on your door, it gets logged into the voter file. All of this data helps the campaign focus its resources on just those voters it needs to convince or mobilize in order to achieve its win number. (I’ll let you in on a tip. If you don’t want to get any mail, calls or door-knockers from campaigns, just tell them you’re voting for their opponent. They’ll never come back again.)

Buying a data system to track voters is usually the first thing a campaign does because it knows that without it, they’re effectively shooting in the dark. They also make sure that they can track their efforts down to the individual. Nonprofits need to learn to prioritize this too. Unless we can effectively track and share our data – down to the individual level – all the good intentions of the world will not get us to our shared goal.

3. Backbone Support Organizations (aka The Coordinated Campaign)
As political campaigns reach the final month, they begin their Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts, which often means a coordinated campaign effort. In simple terms, political parties (usually) will take charge of collecting all of the voter data collected from all of the different campaigns (another reason it’s important to have a shared measurement system) and take the lead in organizing how resources are going to be used to get their voters get to the polls. This way all of the campaigns know that efforts won’t be duplicated, people won’t be tripping over each other, and (hopefully) on Election Day they get to their win numbers.

The challenge, of course, with a coordinated system like this is that you have to cede a certain amount of control. No longer are the smaller, local campaigns for state representative, for example, calling their own shots. It’s now part of a larger effort. But there’s an understanding that by coordinating, everyone is more likely to win.

Steve Boland wrote a great blog about the need to fund backbone organizations, which I completely agree with, but I also think the sector needs to get more comfortable with giving up some level of organizational control when engaging in collective impact. It’s not enough to have a backbone organization; it needs to have the buy-in from the members to depend on it, which can mean putting the individual organization’s need for control on the back-burner.

Like I said earlier, I think there is a lot that the political world can learn from the nonprofit sector – things like meaningful community engagement techniques, building long-term, trusting relationships in under-represented communities, and effective ways to leverage volunteer skills. But I do believe that the nonprofit sector would do well to look at how political campaigns can leverage money and people in short periods of time to accomplish remarkable things. I think this conversation on collective impact is an exciting one and I’d be curious to hear other people’s thoughts on this too.

What's Really Needed for Innovation?

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:10:00 +0000

By Martin Wera, Program Director, Charities Review Council (@mjwera)

Calls for innovation are all around us. Turn on the radio or TV, and you hear politicians calling for policy changes to spur economic growth through innovation. Read blogs or newspapers, and you see demands for schools to innovate in order to address educational disparities. And, of course, the nonprofit sector is also caught up in the wave as many are developing new, innovative programming to address social issues.

I don't have an answer for how to spark innovation in the nonprofit sector, much less anywhere else. But I do think there is an interesting conversation to be had around how to remove barriers to innovation - especially for the nonprofit sector - and allow creativity to flourish that I'd like to get started here.

Innovation and creativity
Innovation comes from the Latin word innovare for "to renew or change." This change, at its core, is a creative process. Something new is being brought into the world by the efforts of one person or (as is more common) countless people working in cooperation. And, of course, creativity is a necessary ingredient to this creative process - you need to be able to think outside the norm in order to find innovative solutions. So, if you accept the logic that you need creativity to innovate, then the question we need to ask is really how do you best spur creativity?

To answer this, we need to take a short (but interesting) detour. So, please stay with me.

Motivation and Creativity
In his book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," Daniel Pink posits that humans have built an economic system that works on an "if-then" equation. If you do something good, then you get rewarded (e.g. you meet your annual performance goals at work, you get a bonus). If you do something poorly, then you get punished. What research has started to show is that while this system can work well in certain situations to motivate people, it can also actually work against high performance in other situations.

For tasks that are routine, motivating people with "if-then" rewards results in higher productivity, which makes sense. If someone is paid for each widget they make, and there's just one way to make a widget, then they probably will be motivated to make more of them. However, for tasks that require basic cognitive thinking and creativity, research shows that people actually perform worse when their pay is directly tied to an "if-then" situation. In other words, if solving a problem requires thinking of an out-of-the-box solution, then motivating people with a carrot or a stick actually makes the situation worse. (Here's a short video explaining this phenomenon.)

So what does this have to do with innovation in the nonprofit sector?
A huge portion of nonprofit funding is an "if-then" scenario. Government contracts are largely designed to reimburse the nonprofit when a service is completed. Pay-for-performance grants, which are now gaining some attention, also work on a similar model. Individual donors increasingly want to fund only proven programs and none of the overhead costs to administer these programs.

At the same time, the issues nonprofits are tackling are becoming more complex and demand new, innovative solutions. But if the above research is right, then most of the funding sources available to nonprofits are actually hampering the ability of the sector to tap into the creativity it needs.

Daniel Pink outlines three concepts that the research shows are important to people not only being satisfied in their work, but also high performing. If people have autonomy, mastery and purpose in their work, they can better tap into the creativity needed to be successful. I think that there is a similar thing to be said for nonprofit organizations (after all organizations are comprised of people). Here is my take on how these three concepts would relate to the nonprofit sector.

Autonomy - Allow people to be self-directed and they outperform others that are micro-managed. In terms of funding for nonprofits, general operating funds are the resources that allow for the greatest autonomy. I know it's very easy to say foundations, government and donors should give more general operating grants, but it's time go back to basics and allow nonprofits the freedom to best identify how to use funding. (Related to this, there's a lot to be said about engaging community about what they want the nonprofit to be doing as is articulated in this really interesting blog out of Australia.)

Mastery - We all want to feel like we are getting better at what we do. On the flip side, we can all conjure up a time we felt like we were set-up to fail and not given the support to succeed. In translating this to the nonprofit sector, helping organizations approach mastery is capacity building. Unlike the disappearing gen-op grant, more grant makers have started funding capacity building for its grantees. However, this is still a small number and there is a much greater need. If the philanthropic sector wants success, we need to commit more resources to improving the nonprofit sector as a whole.

Purpose - This one may seem like a given in relation to the nonprofit sector (after all, many people working in the nonprofit sector started out doing so because of a sense of purpose), but I think there is something more here. The past few years have pulled the curtain back on a number of nonprofits that were just fundraising to stay afloat rather than to address a community need. When this happens the social purpose of the organization is compromised. As a result, many of these organizations have decided to close down, merge or form strategic alliances, which helps gets the focus back on the mission - the social purpose - and away from just raising money to keep the doors open. Some funders have started to dedicate resources to helping nonprofits explore and carry-out mergers. This trend needs to continue.

I believe that the nonprofit sector's potential for innovation is greater than any one of us can imagine, but the way organizations are currently funded is counter-productive to fostering the creativity needed to break through to new solutions.

I know this is only a start, but even the biggest ideas start out small.

Tips for Smart Giving During Give to the Max Day 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Individuals and nonprofits from all over Minnesota are gearing up for this year’s much anticipated Give to the Max Day (GTMD) on November 16th, but how can you make the most of your donations on this special day?

With the smashing success of the past two Give to the Max Days, this year there is much to look forward to—and hopefully new records to break. To freshen your memory, in 2009 more than $14 million was raised for Minnesota charities in 24-hours – and more than 3,400 Minnesota nonprofits benefited from contributions made by more than 38,000 donors (making it the most successful place-based online fundraising drive in history—anywhere). Last year, the bar was raised with more than 42,000 individual donors participating and more than $10 million was raised for Minnesota charities.

To help break these past records, here are three tips for being smart with your Give to the Max Day donations:

1. Keep an eye out for Minnesota’s Most Trustworthy Nonprofits by looking for the Meets Standards Seal on a nonprofit’s GiveMN page:

2. During GTMD, donate to your favorite organization during “off hours” (e.g. 2am!) to help your chance at winning a “golden ticket” (throughout the 24-hour Give to the Max Day, one donor will be randomly chosen every hour to have $1,000 added to their donation).

3. Rally your friends, family, and co-workers together to join you in your efforts of supporting your favorite organization. The more donations your favorite organization gets, the better chance it has at winning a $15,000, $10,000 or $5,000 prize grant (which will be going to nonprofits that receive the most dollars during GTMD—for more details read here).

With records to break, causes to support, and money to raise, how will YOU make a difference during this year’s Give to the Max Day?

Pam Anderson of Helping Paws talks about why they use GiveMN:

Back-To-School with Charitable Giving

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Millard) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:56:00 +0000

The smell of freshly sharpened pencils and notebook paper is in the air again. That’s right, the back-to-school season is upon us. And though our youth are now hidden inside the walls of our area schools, now is no time to forget about them. Returning to school provides many children with new obstacles to overcome aside from understanding their math homework, while also providing us the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand.

Here at the Charities Review Council, we decided to do our part by highlighting some of the charities that have our Meets Standards Seal and do their part to support the needs of school children.

Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP)
In Bloomington, Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) has organized a back-to-school program that distributes school supplies to children in need entering grades K-12. They accept new supplies ranging from back packs to #2 pencils. To see an updated list of supplies still needed or get more information about the program for next year, visit their website!

ResourceWest
Also important, especially in Minnesota with the winter months approaching faster than many of us would like, is clothing our students appropriately. ResourceWest, another charity meeting all of the Charity Review Council’s Accountability Standards, offers donors an opportunity to help with their Winter Warm Wear program. The program provides qualifying youth with a winter jacket, snow pants, snow boots, a hat, and mittens as supplies permit. To find out more about this program visit their website!

The Link
Aside from assisting children with their physical and material needs this school year, there are also programs designed to help in areas that may not be as obvious. One such program is the Project Potential Program run through The Link in Minneapolis. According to Morgan Larson, a case manager for the program, the goal of the project is to “connect with families that are referred for truancy in Hennepin County by reaching out into the community and finding them to bring them back to school.” She went on to say, “We assess the barriers that stand in the way of them attending school and address them by offering one-on-one case management and referring them to services within the community.”

Use Charity Search
These are just a few of the efforts in our community to help our children make this school year a positive one. You don’t need to be a teacher to impact the life of a student, and all of the programs discussed are living proof of this sentiment. We also encourage you to begin your own search for an organization to support, as always our charity search can be a useful tool!

Trusted Alzheimer's Organizations

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Millard) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:32:00 +0000

Every year on September 21st Alzheimer's associations across the world unite to recognize World Alzheimer’s Day in efforts to increase awareness, understanding, and support for people with dementia.

Looking for trusted, accountable organizations that are also working towards eliminating Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc., Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter have both earned our Meets Standards Seal and are on our list of Most Trustworthy Nonprofits.

Learn more about this disease and the efforts to address the nation’s sixth leading cause of death:

How September 11th Changed the Charitable Sector Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Millard) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Rich Cowles, executive director of the Charities Review Council, shares his insight about the charitable aftermath of September 11, 2001 and how mistakes, lessons learned, and increased transparency changed the sector forever.

My first indication that Sept. 11, 2001 was not an ordinary day was when a local TV station cancelled an interview on how to find good charities to support. The reporter said she was needed at the station. In the following days, our phone rang off the hook, as media outlets from San Jose to Montgomery to Boston wanted analysis of what went wrong in the way the American Red Cross mishandled the avalanche of charitable gifts. We weren’t reticent about the charitable icon’s mistakes:

lack of transparency about the fact that, initially, donations went to a general disaster fund and some were expended to strengthen organizational capacity;
continuing to raise funds for the disaster with no plan on how to use the funds;
and lack of ownership of its mistakes.

But we also argued for some understanding—the Red Cross had no pattern to follow.

Never before had American generosity been triggered all at once by such a massive tragedy where there was no initial clue as to whether there would be survivors and what kind of long term needs families of victims would face.

The Red Cross was under a lot of pressure from the media. There was also concern within the charitable sector that donors—especially people who weren’t regular givers—would be disillusioned by this experience and calloused toward future pleas to alleviate human suffering.

In a remarkable turnaround, the Red Cross found a way out of the mess.

They leveled with the American public. They said they made mistakes and identified them. They asked for patience and an opportunity to earn back the public’s trust.

The organization learned from its mistakes, and instituted a rigorous, transparent process, including checking and double-checking to ensure they understood each donor’s intentions.

The lessons in a high-stakes, unforgiving atmosphere were clear for all nonprofits for all times: the public will support organizations that own their mistakes, shine a light on them, and fix them. And, as evidenced by the warm reception Minnesota’s nonprofit and philanthropic leaders gave American Red Cross CEO Harold Decker when he spoke at our Annual Forum nine months after 9/11, there is no better way to earn trust than to simply say, “I’m sorry.”

It’s evident more than ever that Americans were not disillusioned by the charitable aftermath of September 11th, and that, in fact, we are capable of an outpouring of support no matter the disaster—terrorist attacks, hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes. But if the sector has learned one thing in the ten years post September 11th, it’s the necessity for sensitivity around donor intent, transparency and public trust.

Accountable Nonprofits Earn the MN Nonprofit Excellence and Mission Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Minnesota Nonprofit Excellence and Mission Awards sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits.

Four of the six recognized nonprofits have earned our Meets Standards Seal and are on our list of Most Trustworthy Nonprofits!

East Metro Women’s Council, White Bear Lake, for Excellence in a Small Organization
YWCA of Minneapolis, for Excellence in a Large Organization
Community Action Duluth, for Innovation
Headwaters Justice Foundation, for Responsive Philanthropy

------

Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota for Anti-Racism Initiative
The Arc of Minnesota, for Advocacy

The excellence and mission awards will be presented to these six nonprofits October 7th at an awards ceremony held during the Minnesota Council of Nonprofit’s 25th Annual Conference.

Do your programs work? Learn how to evaluate impact!

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Do you know the difference between outputs and outcomes for your nonprofit's programs? How about how to evaluate those programs? Have an evaluation plan in place? If you attended our most recent webinar you would! Kristin Cici, owner of The Advancement Company walked attendees through an informational discussion on evaluation, its importance, and tips for implementing a successful plan for evaluating programs' impact.

Check out our live tweets from the event and get an idea of what you missed!

Do your programs work? Learn how to evaluate impact!

Social Media Resources for Nonprofits

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Communications Intern,) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:32:00 +0000

We are always adding to our Online Resource section, and today we’ve added some helpful information about social media use for nonprofits!

With the pervasive use of social media over the past few years, many nonprofits have embraced the pros and cons of the medium and added social networking strategies to their marketing, communications, and fundraising departments. It's key to know how to use social networking responsibly; whether your nonprofit is still getting started or already actively using different social platforms.

Here at the Council, we actively use social media and we’ve noticed other organizations’ surfacing questions about how to best, and safely, use these tools for their own purposes.

With this in mind, we’ve created a list of online resources to help nonprofits feel comfortable effectively using social media.

Our social media online resource guide includes links to:

Explanations of why social media policies are necessary and examples of policies (we even share our own internal social media policy!)
Thoughts on best practices and how to evaluate if your social networking is doing what you want it to do
Broad overviews of the social networking movement
Specifics about each of the major social media tools

$100,000 Matching Grant for Somalia Famine Relief Efforts

noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Millard) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:39:00 +0000

With Minnesota home to the largest Somali community outside Mogadishu (capital of Somalia), it’s exciting to see our communities coming together to support the Somali famine relief efforts. Statewide fundraising power-house, GiveMN.org, has received an impressive $100,000 matching donation grant from The Mosaic Company benefiting the American Refugee Committee (ARC).

“By making this generous gift, Minnesotans can join Mosaic in the fight against famine in Somalia, stand with our local Somali community and demonstrate the spirit and generosity of Minnesota,” said Daniel Wordsworth, president of the American Refugee Committee. “This donation will help the people of Somalia for whom each day is a struggle to survive.”

ARC is also on the Charities Review Council’s list of the Most Trustworthy Nonprofits and we recently highlighted their important work as a recommended organization to donate to for those looking to support Somalia.

Donors supporting the American Refugee Committee’s famine relief efforts know that not only will their donation be matched with all credit card transaction fees covered, but also they are supporting a trustworthy and accountable organization dedicated to transparency.

To donate, simply visit www.GiveMN.org and click on the homepage link to make a donation to the American Refugee Committee Somalia famine relief efforts to have your donation matched. Also, take a moment to view our full Accountability Review of ARC.

Luxury Brands Hurt By Doing Good

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Communications Intern,) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:02:00 +0000

When Robert Egger spoke at our Annual Forum 2011, he made several comments about the purchasing power of the consumer and the shrinking gap between donating and spending money. That is, more than ever individuals are able to make socially responsible purchasing decisions in their everyday spending. If you want to order a pizza, you might choose to order from Galactic Pizza because they have a socially good vision behind their “planet saving pizza." To quote Egger, “It is time to get past the notion of transparency as it relates to .com or .org, but to take it to the next level.”

In general, it has been the belief that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) improves a product’s performance with consumers. However, in a recent study “Doing Poorly By Doing Good,” research shows when people saw an advertisement for a luxury brand associated with a social cause that the group reacted more negatively than if the advertisement stood alone without a connection to social good. In a time when “being green” or promoting a good cause in conjunction with your product usually does nothing but help the bottom line, it is strange to see luxury brands performing negatively in the world of CSR.

So why isn’t this school of thought working for luxury brands? Does the message not feel authentic? The authors of the study suggest that perhaps consumers felt “something just didn’t seem right” and that there was too much conflict with the ritzy image already associated with the luxury brands.

Do you shop to support causes (luxury or otherwise)? If so, what are some of your tips to keep in mind as you make your purchases?

Here are some pointers to consider when shopping to support a cause:

Research the organization being helped by your purchase. You can always use the Charities Review Council’s list of most trustworthy nonprofits to find information about charities.

Find out how much money actually goes to the cause.

Find out what types of programs the funds raised will support.

Learn more about the business practices of the company. Are they consistent with your values?

From yogurt to clothing to Rolex Watches, it is important to remember that you are not only making a purchase but an investment. Take charge and be an informed shopper.