Guest Post by: Jane B. Ford, The Joy Path and  Speaker at the February 10th Non-profit Toolbox Mini-Conference, and author of Get Grants Now

Creating A Board Giving Policy Can Help

Jane Ford - The Joy Path

Having worked most of my life with smaller community-based and faith-based nonprofits, I understand that the giving capability of their board members is far less than a board member at Harvard University or the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I also know that these smaller boards have members of greatly varying means. A $25 gift from one member is a larger stretch than a $5,000 gift from another. How then can a board establish its giving policy to include everyone and embarrass no one?

The best answer I have heard to this question comes from Andy Robinson (http://www.andyrobinsononline.com) . He is a trainer, author and consultant who has been raising money for social change since 1980. We were at a resource development conference together in Denver when this question of board giving arose. Let me paraphrase his response: all board members should make their financial gift to a nonprofit on whose board they serve be the second or third highest donation they give to charity. Why didn’t he say the highest? When asked this, Andy replied that most people give their highest gifts to their religious affiliation and he doesn’t suggest interfering with this.

Creating a board giving policy based on Andy’s idea will not only help you attract new members, it will clarify for your existing members what giving expectations are. It is also an equitable policy which does not differentiate between those of means and those whose finances are less. Such a board values the $25 gift as much as the $5,000 because these gifts are significant to the giver.

Want to learn more about Grant Writing?

Join us at our next non-profit mini-conference.

Susan Hammond

Guest Post by Susan C. Hammond, sc Hammond Advisors and speaker at the October 22 Non-Profit Toolbox Mini-Conference.

Many of us are involved with trying to improve the effectiveness of our boards or the boards we serve on. Here are three new resources I’ve recently discovered:

• Board Life Matters: a blog created by the organization known as BoardSource. Board Life Matters is a national sounding board designed to inspire and engage the next generation in nonprofit board service.  BoardSource is a national organization focused on advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.
• Nonprofit Accounting Basics: “The Greater Washington Society of CPAs Educational Foundation has created this web site to help small and medium-size nonprofits address all of their financial and accounting questions. Developed by a special fiduciary accountability task force, the site provides free information, templates, checklists, and numerous tools to help keep the books in order. All boards of nonprofits, especially those with no staff, will find the site helpful on a daily basis.”
• Nonprofit Risk Management Center. “Provides assistance and resources for community-serving nonprofit organizations. Our mission is to help nonprofits cope with uncertainty. They offer a wide range of services (from technical assistance to software to training and consulting help) on a vast array of risk management topics (from employment practices, to insurance purchasing to internal controls and preventing child abuse). They do not sell insurance or endorse organizations that do.”

Please let us know what you think about these sites and if you have any others we should add to our resource list.

Susan C. Hammond is an advisor, consultant, and facilitator with extensive volunteer service experience.  She is the author of the Advisory Board Kit: A Comprehensive Guide to Establishing an Advisory Board to be published in January 2010.   To learn more about Susan and her work click here.

Hands-on Workshop: Learn Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter:

• Wednesday, January 20, 9 am-12 noon, James Library, Norwell → LEARN MORE

• OR – Wednesday, January 20, 6-9 pm, Phillips House, South Boston → LEARN MORE

• OR – Thursday, January 28, 6-9 pm, SS Natural Science Center, Norwell→ LEARN MORE

Title: Half-day Non-profit Mini-Conference

Location: Phillips House, South Boston, MA

Start Time: 08:00 am

Date: 2010-03-24

End Time: 12:30 pm

$129 per person – Early Registration $99 (2nd person Free) $99 price EXTENDED to 3/15

2nd person FREE use promo code: 2ndperson after 1st one is registered, name of 1st person required to register for special rate.

Non-Profit Partner: Quincy 2000 ($10 off for members of Quincy 2000 -use promo code)

Keynote –Verbal Branding: The Competitive Edge

Stephen Melanson - Professional Speaker and Author of Jaw Branding: “Branding’s Missing Link”

Workshop/Seminar Speakers (topics subject to change)

• Reiko Beach, TRB Designs, Inc. | The “NEW” website – socialized
• Janel Kesten, New England Reprographics | Design Speak: How to Determine & Communicate Your Needs
• Lisa Morrissey, LIDO Consulting Group | Create Raving Fans of Your Organization
• Susan Hammond & Mark Rogers | How to Recruit and Qualify Directors
• Jane B Ford, The Joy Path | Getting Grants – Relationships are Key
• Wilson D Rogers, Jr | Non-Profit Liability Considerations

SCHEDUL E OF EVENTS

8:00AM–8:15AM Registration, Networking and Visit Sponsor and Resource Tables

8:15AM–9:00AM  Keynote Speaker – continental breakfast

9:00AM–12:00PM Seminars and Workshops will breakout into 2  tracks:

You are welcome to attend any seminar, you do not need to stay in one track.

12:00PM–12:30PM Wrap-up, Networking and Visit Sponsor and Resource Tables

Checks mailed to: The Toolbox Inc. PO Box 865, Norwell, MA 02061

[Get flyer]

_____________________________

SPONSORS

More on Stephen Melanson’s Keynote:

Verbal Branding

Unique in the marketplace, Verbal Branding is both a new, spoken application for marketplace differentiation and a redefined foundation for brand development. It creates competitive advantage through multiple dimensions of simultaneous business improvement.

Those dimensions include sales, internal culture, and brand density.

In essence, Verbal Branding is a new basis for thinking and speaking, allowing any organization to marginalize the competition and apply their brand in a practical, moment-by-moment way.

More on Lisa Morrissey’s Presentation:

Raving fans of your organization make it possible for you to effectively and successfully:

1. spread the word about your important organization, cause, event or campaign,
2. engage and keep the right donors, sponsors, volunteers and supporters, and
3. execute successful fundraising initiatives.

• You can increase your chances at receiving grants by building and maintaining positive relationships with funders.
• Make grant seeking one part of an overall fundraising strategy which focuses on the importance building relationships.
• Know and understand the key players at the foundation and in  your organization.

Remember that getting grants is an ongoing process. Build the foundation for future success.

Written by: Tom Beach, Executive Director & Vice President of The Toolbox, Inc. and Video Director at the October 22 Non-profit Toolbox event.

Non-Profit Toolbox 10/22/2009 Mini-Conference

Save the Date!

The feedback from the first mini-conference was overwhelmingly positive and over a quarter of the attendees said they wanted to attend the next one, so here it is.

Here is what attendees said:

“I found the conference to be very educational. The Q & A period was very important and speakers were well-prepared.  Overall, a wonderful event!”

“Well done! It is a welcome resource for those in the non-profit industry.”

When: February 10, 2009

Where: The Philips House, 780 Morrissey Blvd.,Boston, MA 02122

Who: Anyone interested in

• Growing your non-profit organization,
• Learning strategies for making your organization a more successful, effective and efficient business,
• Networking with other non-profit executives, BOD’s, and staff

We will be announcing more details soon.

Become a Fan of The Non-Profit Toolbox on Facebook

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Written by: Tom Beach, Executive Director & Vice President of The Toolbox, Inc. and Video Director at the October 22 Non-profit Toolbox event.

The James Library & Center for the Arts

The 6th Annual Trunk Show

The James Library & Center for the Arts is holding its 6th Annual Holiday Trunk Show this Saturday December 5th, starting at 10am.  The show features works from several local artisans and has become more popular every year since the 1st show in 2004.  The show is a unique opportunity to get one of a kind local holiday gifts for all of your friends, support local arts and Norwells oldest library.  This is a fund raiser for this historic library.

The James Library & Center for the Arts

The James Library is a non-profit organization offering programs in music, art and literature. Housed in a landmark 1874 Victorian building in historic Norwell Center, the James features a 90-seat concert hall, a free lending library and an art gallery featuring new exhibits each month.

In the 19th century the building housed the First Parish Church library and was the home to Norwell’s public library until 1973.  The James was recast as a community arts center in 1991 and today it offers concerts, music lessons and a range of cultural events. The James is totally self-supporting and relies on the active financial support from the community.  Uniquely personal, The James provides close interaction with the arts in a comfortable, intimate setting.

Keeping up with current technology, The James offers free Wifi and you can keep up with them on Facebook.

Become a Fan of The Non-Profit Toolbox on Facebook

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Written by: Tom Beach, Executive Director & Vice President of The Toolbox, Inc. and Video Director at the October 22 Non-profit Toolbox event.

Susan Hammond

In our conversations leading up to our first Non-Profit Mini-Conference we heard many non-profits talk about how important there advisory board is to their organization.   This is Susan Hammond’s area of expertice, so we asked her to present at the first conference.  The response to Susans presentation was overwhelmingly positive and in our post event survey it had the second most requests for more information and more indepth information.

Susan just released the Advisory Board Kit.  This kit is months in the making and provides a comprehensive guide to creating strong and powerful Advisory Boards.  It is 50 pages filled with worksheets and questionnaires to take you through the process of setting up your advisory board.

At The Non-Profit Toolbox we are working with Susan to create our own advisory board using this guide.  It is an exciting and challenging process.  We highly recommend both Susan and this new Advisory Board Kit.  It is quite simply the the best guide out there today.

The kit includes:

• Questions to consider as you identify the role of your advisory board, define the expertise needed, and develop the ideal advisor profile.
• Advice and feedback from clients who have successfully established their own advisory boards
• And much more
• 

For more information please click on the image here.

Become a Fan of The Non-Profit Toolbox on Facebook

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Written by: Tom Beach, Executive Director & Vice President of The Toolbox, Inc. and Video Director at the October 22 Non-profit Toolbox event.

Janel Kesten from The Non-Profit Toolbox and New England Repographics presented Successful Design Tips at our October 22, 2009 event. The presentation was extremely well received and we received several request for her slide show. Posted below is her slide show presentation from the event.

We will post the video of her presentation soon.

Become a Fan of The Non-Profit Toolbox on Facebook

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Written by: Tom Beach, Executive Director & Vice President of The Toolbox, Inc.

Are you still on the fence about going to Podcamp NH? You’ve never been to a podcamp before?  Here is a video with Helen Osborne speaking at the New England National Speakers Association about her experience attending Podcamp Boston for the first time.

We hope to see you there!  Maybe you’ll even get a free T-shirt.

Become a Fan of The Non-Profit Toolbox on Facebook

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