Grant and NonProfit Resources

Charleston Association of Grant Professional (CAGP) meeting Tuesday, June 18

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:18:00 +0000

"Introduction to the Foundation Directory Online (FDO) and Grant and Nonprofit Resources at the Library" will be the topic of this Tuesday night's meeting of the Charleston Association of Grant Professionals (CAGP) in the auditorium of the Charleston County Public Library from 5:45-7:30 pm.

John Van Dalen, supervisor of the grants database, and reference librarian at the libary, will give a brief introduction to basic search techniques and talk about what the Foundation Center offers nonprofits that are seeking grants for their organizations and programs.

John's presentation will also include how to access free information from the Foundation Center through their Web page and Grantspace.org.

Partnering with Nonprofits: 4imprint’s Latest Blue Paper and Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:16:00 +0000

OSHKOSH, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Establishing a partnership with a nonprofit can help organizations motivate employees and win the loyalty of a growing number of charitably minded customers. But, today’s nonprofit partnerships may look different than the financial-only relationships of the past. Some organizations are looking beyond cash contributions and focusing on using in-house expertise for nonprofit good.

Partnering with Nonprofits: Driving profit with purpose, a new Blue Paper®, podcast and infographicfrom promotional products retailer 4imprint®, explores how some organizations have grown through strategic, long-term partnerships with nonprofits.
“This Blue Paper looks at how organizations are developing new types of nonprofit partnerships and the reasons driving those decisions,” said Greg Ebel, vice president of sales and marketing,4imprint. “That’s something that may be of interest to both an organization with a long history of supporting nonprofits and an organization that is new to the idea.”

This Blue Paper and podcast provide a comprehensive look at partnerships with nonprofits. It explores the driving forces behind this new-style of partnership and ideas for implementing one in your organization, including:

Into Focus: Benchmarks and Best Practices for Nonprofits and Video

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:39:00 +0000

By Beth Kanter

See3, YouTube and Edelman have released a new report and guide for nonprofits about using video. The report, “Into Focus: Benchmarks for Video and A Guide for Creators,” is based on a survey of 500 nonprofits and interviews with experts (including me). The report describes current nonprofit use, adoption challenges, and best practices. Free webinars are being offered to share the report. You can download the report here (with email registration) or sign up for one of the free webinars here.

The big takeaway:Nonprofits overwhelmingly agree that video is crucial to their communications, but many feel they do not know how to use it effectively or measure its impact – yet.Some more detailed findings from the survey:
Read more:

Nonprofits work to make up lost ‘sequester’ funding

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:23:00 +0000

By David Slade
The Post and Courier

Nonprofit groups in the Charleston area are scrambling to compensate for federal “sequester” budget cuts that will reduce funds to help sexual assault and domestic violence victims, feed poor senior citizens, and provide other services.

“I’ve been with the organization for 24 years, and I’ve never had to tell my employees they might not have a job because we might not get grants,” said Elmire Raven, executive director of My Sister’s House in North Charleston.

But now, due to the spending cuts that kicked in when Congress couldn’t agree on a budget, Raven said the nonprofit group may have to lay off six of its 20 employees. And My Sister’s House is not alone.

Nonprofits receive support through SocialRaise's Nonprofitist.org

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:31:00 +0000

There are many nonprofit technology resources that organizations aren’t aware of.
-Who knew Salesforce, a leader in customer relationship management, has Salesforce Foundation that offers up to 10 free licenses for their constituent relationship management system?
-Who knew Google has Google Grants which offers $10,000 a month to 501c3 organizations for paid search?
-Who knew there are free and open-source constituent relationship management systems such as CiviCRM to bring donor, volunteer and event registrant data under one roof?

Nonprofits are expecting to raise more money with less resources and may not have the large teams of analysts, researchers and consultants to make this happen. Nonprofitist (http://www.nonprofitist.org) fills this void by bringing the best and brightest resources to one location.

Read more:

St. James Foundation to present luncheon and book signing with Lynette Greene June 1

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:06:00 +0000

The St. James Foundation will present a luncheon and book signing with Lynette Greene, author of "I'm Broke and I Couldn't Care Less: Releasing Money, Receiving Favor" (http://lynettegreene.tateauthor.com) on Saturday June 1 from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. The event will be held at St. James Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 1314 Secessionville Rd. in Charleston.

The event is free and open to the public. Learn how you can achieve financial freedom. Also, if you are interested in pre-registering for the 3-week "Financial Fast" workshop with Lynette Greene, email Kevin at the St. James Foundation (kevin@thestjamesfoundation.org). The cost is $30 for the three week session, which includes the book and workbook. The dates for the workshop are Saturday, June 15, Saturday, June 22 and Saturday June 29 from 10 am - 12 noon.

The New Science of Giving

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:14:00 +0000

By Brad Reagan, The Wall Street Journal

A young Houston couple is planning to give away $4 billion—but only to projects that prove they are worth it. Can they redefine the world of philanthropy?

Mt. Pleasant nonprofit to fight poverty by helping the poor get and keep jobs

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:07:00 +0000

By Paul Zoeller, The Post and Courier

In November, as South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained stubbornly high, Mark Mason decided to leave Columbia with his wife, Cora, and move to Charleston.

He had a month’s unemployment left and figured Charleston’s booming economy offered him better odds to land a good job, something he had been unable to do in the two years since the mechanic and machine operator was laid off by a Columbia communications company.

Charleston Association of Grant Professionals (CAGP) to Meet Tues., May 21

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:12:00 +0000

The Charleston Association of Grant Professionals (CAGP) will meet Tuesday, May 21 in the auditorium of the Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun St. in Charleston, from 5:45 – 7:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Dr. Linda Karges-Bone and her topic is "Fall into Funding: A Review of Grant Writing Strategies."

Join us for a discussion and heads up on the upcoming training with this local expert who is the author of "The Educator's Guide to Grants for Schools and Non-Profits." She will present a three-hour workshop early this Fall that includes the book and updated funding sources.

Attendees at Tuesday night’s meeting will have the opportunity to sign up for the workshop which will be held in September at Charleston Southern University. Only 50 spaces are available.

Please share this notice with others who might be interested.

Hope you can join US FOR TUESDAY’S MEETING!

Nonprofit Accountability Efforts Take A Leap Forward with Launch of New Nonprofit Audit Guide©

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:29:00 +0000

Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 15, 2013

A new, free online resource for staff and board members of charitable nonprofits, as well as the accountants that they work with, is being unveiled today by the National Council of Nonprofits (Council of Nonprofits).

The Nonprofit Audit Guide©, created with support from the First Nonprofit Foundation, is the first comprehensive, web-based resource for nonprofits that explains the complex requirements and process for a financial audit. The Guide includes:

    A 50-state guide to nonprofit audit requirements;

    A step-by-step approach for managing an audit; and

    Answers to frequently asked questions on audit requirements.

“We created this one-stop-shop to cut through the confusion and provide practical tools in an important area for nonprofit financial accountability and transparency,” said Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. “Equipping nonprofit staff, board members, consultants, and CPAs with this guide will help ensure a smooth process that allows staff to comply with important regulations with as little interruption as possible to their day-to-day work of serving their communities.”

Some nonprofits concerned that IRS scandal will stain their good work

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:13:00 +0000

By Jill Warren Lucas
Philanthropy Journal

State and national 501(c)(3) charities are expressing concern at being unfairly implicated by the growing scandal over the way the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Exempt Organizations Division has handled applications submitted by certain 501(c)(4) social welfare entities.

A report issued Tuesday night by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) was tellingly titled Inappropriate Criteria Were Used to Identify Tax-Exempt Applications for Review. TIGTA conducted the audit based on allegations that the IRS process "1) targeted specific groups applying for tax-exempt status, 2) delayed processing of targeted groups' applications, and 3) requested unnecessary information from targeted groups."

Findings confirmed that the IRS used "inappropriate criteria that identified Tea Party and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status based upon their names or policy positions instead of indications of potential political campaign intervention." The audit also cited ineffective management, which allowed the practice to continue for more than 18 months; substantial delays in processing certain applications; and allowing unnecessary information requests to be issued.

IRS Takes Step to Make Charity Data More Accessible

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:34:00 +0000

By Sarah Frostenson

Chronicle of Philanthropy

The Internal Revenue Service took a major step this week toward making financial data about the nonprofit world more broadly accessible to the public.

The tax agency has come under pressure in recent years by open-government advocates who wanted the information available in a format that is easy to put in a spreadsheet and analyze. Until now, the IRS has released this kind of data only to a few research groups; everybody else could obtain only a set of DVDs that allowed readers to look one by one at each charity’s informational tax return, but made large-scale analysis tough to do.

The data released by the IRS doesn’t include everything on the informational returns filed by charities and foundations. Mostly it includes figures on sources of financial support, total assets and revenue, spending on overhead and programs, and compensation paid to a group’s top-paid officials. It also lacks the names and locations of the organizations, instead just offering a federal employee identification number for each group’s form.

Transmedia -- Making Change Across Mediums

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:10:00 +0000

by Daniel Alpert,
Executive Director, Kindling Group,
Executive Producer, See3 Communications
Guest Columnist,
Beth's Blog

I became a documentary filmmaker to tell meaningful stories that explore social issues and inspire change. When I started out, the “broadcast, festival, and screenings” model of distribution dictated community engagement strategies that were more linear, and limited. We knew that if our film was compelling, we could break through to the people in the audience — and maybe they would help get the word out about the film and the issues it explored.

Today, it’s a whole new ballgame. The digital tools we have at our disposal are limitless — allowing great stories to reach more and more people, and providing new opportunities for recruiting advocates, changing policy, public education, and creating real change on the ground. Knowing your audience remains essential, because each platform is a new arena for expression, and a new avenue to engage different targets and users. But simply put, cross-platform campaigns are the future of documentary film, and issue advocacy.

My latest project is called @home, which explores homelessness in America through the story of Mark Horvath (aka @hardlynormal on Twitter). Mark is an e-activist who interviews homeless men and women, and shares their stories across every digital medium he can find — YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google +, you name it. Just like Mark, @home is moving beyond the old models of documentary film, using social media, web video, and a smartphone “game for change” to to spark a conversation about homelessness, and how we can solve it.

A Creature of Its Environment: View from a Community Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:29:00 +0000

By Alicia Philipp
Nonprofit Quarterly

The truth about community foundations is that if you know one, you know one. It’s no secret that all community foundations are quite distinct. But what we share is that we are all place-based funders. Our knowledge and expertise are built in a core geographic area. Certainly, we can and do give grants beyond our local communities. But the intensity of our focus is on our chosen geography. We give where we live.

Community foundations are similar in their building blocks: donors, nonprofits, and our positions in the community that enables us to convene individuals and institutions across all lines—cultural, geographical, ideological, issue, industry, etc. How community foundations assemble and arrange these blocks depends greatly on the ever-changing capacity and assets of their communities. And that is where you begin to see how diverse community foundations are in shape, size, and structure. Just look at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. After 36 years here, I have seen it evolve.

Today's Entrepreneur: Nadav Wilf No.1 mistake: Quitting right when things look impossible

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:04:00 +0000

Kristin Karaoglu

VatorNews

Today's Entrepreneur is Nadav Wilf, CEO of Enlightened.org. According to his VEQ Nadav is a thought leader and is good at team motivation and marketing management.

Enlightened.org integrates philanthropy into your everyday life. Enlightened empowers people to shop 1,000's of their favorite stores and brands like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Tory Burch and Diesel earn up to 10% to donate to philanthropies of their choice.

Want to Grow Your Business? Give Back.

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:53:00 +0000

By Sasha Galbraith
Forbes Magazine contributor

The basic tenet of “giving back” should be core to the way every person and business lives and operates. I’m not that naïve – and neither are you. Sadly, corporate philanthropy is a controversial issue (of all the issues we have to debate). But the reality is, money makes the world go round, and as the theory goes, if corporations have “extra” lying around, it should be reinvested or paid out as dividends to shareholders.

I’m not all doom and gloom either. There are many businesses that invest in pro-bono work or other philanthropic initiatives because it’s good for business and simply the right thing to do. More than half of these businesses are led by women and/or have more female senior managers (Center for Women’sBusiness Research). Surprised? Nope.

National, Local Leaders Discuss Nonprofit Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:41:00 +0000

By Jennifer Johnson Backer
The Daily News (Memphis, TN)

Nonprofits need multifaceted ways to inform their stakeholders in a world that has grown more volatile, uncertain and complex, Jacob Herald, the president and CEO of GuideStar, told a sold-out audience at the annual Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence conference Wednesday, May 1.

Local and national nonprofit leaders gathered at Temple Israel for the conference, The Gatekeepers of Philanthropy, to discuss challenges faced by the nonprofit sector, developing a nonprofit policy agenda for the Mid-South, how donors are being advised, new ways of informing donors and giving, and increased collaboration.

A New Generation Of Philanthropists Is Changing Everything

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:36:00 +0000

Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie once said that he who dies leaving behind many millions will "pass away unwept, unhonored and unsung." That philosophy took root in much of the last century, with major philanthropists giving vast fortunes in their later years to libraries, museums, hospitals and other institutions devoted to the public good.

But donors today aren't taking any chances. They are flexing philanthropic muscle at a younger age than their predecessors. At many top business schools, students are integrating the practice of philanthropy into education early on, and donors are often beginning to share substantial wealth long before accumulating the full measure of it.

Financial security and careers in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:22:00 +0000

Key findings from a joint study by the TIAA‑CREF Institute and Independent Sector:

Read the report:

Are nonprofits doing enough to help employees retire?

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:19:00 +0000

By Barry VanderKelen — Special to The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA)

A recently released study finds that almost half of nonprofit employees are concerned about their ability to retire with financial security. This is despite three-quarters of the employees participating in an employer-sponsored retirement savings program, such as a 401k.

These findings are included in the November 2012 report, “Financial security and careers in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector,” written by TIAA-CREF and Independent Sector.

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/05/01/2492009/nonprofit-organization-retirement.html#storylink=rss#storylink=cpy

Sample documents from the Foundation Center's GrantSpace

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:42:00 +0000

This invaluable resource from the Foundation Center's GrantSpace (http://grantspace.org) includes examples of cover letters, letters of inquiry, letter proposals, proposal budgets and proposals. It includes the Top 15 documents retrieved, plus a Menu bar containing a Skills section including information about fundraising planning, developing proposals, managing nonprofits, boards, collaboration, corporation giving, leadership, legal issues and more.

Sample documents from The Foundation Center

Introduction to Seeking Grants, Tues., May 14, at the Main Branch of the Charleston County Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Introduction to Seeking Grants will be held Tuesday, May 14 from noon to 1 pm at the Charleston County Public Library.

The presentation will be given at the Foundation Center Resource Table in the Second Floor Reference area of the library's Main Branch located at 68 Calhoun St. in Charleston. Parking is free for one hour in the library garage on the first level of the building. The library is a Cooperating Collection with the Foundation Center (http://www.foundationcenter.org)

Become familiar with Charleston County Public Library's Foundation Center resources, including use of the grants database for basic and advanced search functions, sample searches and researching foundation profiles.

Handouts will be available and participants can stay and practice their own searches after the presentation.

New book at the library offers help and practical advice on winning foundation grants

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:01:00 +0000

A new book available for checkout at the Charleston County Public Library offers sound advice f rom an expert on winning foundation grants. The book is titled: "The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Winning Foundation Grants -- A Foundation CEO Reveals The Secrets You Need to Know." It is by Martin Teitel and published by Emerson and Church in 2012. It is available to be checked out at the library. The call number 658.15224 TEITEL.

Teitel has worked in the world of nonprofits for 45 years, 30 of them for grant making foundations. He has written five books, dozens of articles and hundreds of postings on philanthropy, the environment, human rights and politics. Teitel has a PhD in philosophy. Follow his blog at http://saltmarshmarty.blogspot.com

CONTENTS

PART ONE -- Thank you for your proposals

1) Not do divided loyalties: Whom does the funder work for?
2) Let the games begin: Letters of Inquiry
3) Meat and potatoes: Proposals and budgets
4) Writing a wonderful propoasl
5) Sweaty palms: In-person meetings with funders
6) Making sausage: How foundation staff and boards decide
7) Reports: What to do after you're funded
8) You really can do it

PART TWO -- Myths about foundations

9) Myth One: Fundraising isn't that hard
10) Myth Two: Foundations are straightforward and honest
11) Myth Three: Charming the Foundation will conceal your flaws
12) Myth Four: Funders don't read grant reports
13) Myth Five: It's fine to embellish -- Everybody does it
14) Myth Six: Funding is a cat and mouse game
15) Myth Seven: Funder's don't care

PART THREE -- The grant seeker's reality check

16) Six things you can do to help your proposal make the first cut
17) Eight red flags foundations are wary of
18) Seven reasonably easy things you can do to improve your proposal
19) Five mistakes too many applicants make
20) Four questions you can expect to be asked about your proposal
21) Don't be too concerned about these three peripheral matters
22) Four things you should never do when approaching foundations
23) Five questions to ask when meeting with the program officer
24) A short list of unequivocal don'ts
25) Six ways to help assure repeat funding

PART FOUR -- Administering the truth-detector test to America's charitable foundations

26) Honest answers to hard-nosed questions
Final words: Plant your garden with care

Programs offering tiny grants help rural S.C. residents grow businesses

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:39:00 +0000

By Doug Pardue
The Post and Courier

ORANGEBURG — It would be hard to start a more rural, small business than Evelyn Haye has.

But that’s what she did 15 minutes west of this farm and college town, on S.C. Highway 4, halfway to Neeses, a village of fewer than 400.

Creative Expressions & Gifts, the store Haye opened three years ago, is similar to a Hallmark shop except that Haye creates or personalizes almost everything herself, from flower arrangements and gift baskets to greeting cards, T-shirts and balloons. And instead of occupying part of a shopping mall, Haye’s store sits along a rural, two-lane highway in what used to be her garage.

It may not seem like much, but to Adolphus Johnson, Haye, and others like her, offer hope for economic stability in rural South Carolina. She’s an up-and-coming entrepreneur who just needed a helping hand in the form of a small grant.

The grant is among several community development programs in the state modeled somewhat on the microloan concept of a Bangladeshi economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for using tiny loans to help poor women start businesses.

10 Inspiring Non-Profits on Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:28:00 +0000

By Matt Petronzio
Mashable.com

Instagram has gained a big increase in popularity and exposure over the past few months, with the development of the Android app and, of course, Facebook's $1 billion acquisition of the company.

You're likely finding more of your friends and colleagues using Instagram, but you might not have explored another corner of the photo sharing app: non-profits looking to expand their social reach.

We found 10 non-profits that post particularly beautiful and inspiring images. Which non-profits do you follow on Instagram that aren’t featured above? Share their account handles in the comments.