How to Use Social Media by Robert O. Patterson and The Center for Association Resources

How to Use Social Media

You’ve opened a Twitter (http://twitter.com/) account, you’ve created a Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) business page, and you and your association are on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_home). Now what?

This third in a series of posts on the subject will answer that.

You already should have determined who in your organization will be doing the posting and tweeting (posting on Twitter). For consistency of message and style, it is best to keep those duties to just one or two people. If you are not the one doing the posting, make sure you are an administrator on the accounts and that you monitor your Facebook page, Twitter feed and other social media sites on a regular basis to know what is being said. We noted in the first (link to first blog post) blog post that while social media sites are free, you and your association need to invest staff time and resources into doing it right.

Have a clear idea of what you want to communicate: news updates about your association and your business sector; tie-ins to current events; links to your website, blog and newsletter. Make sure to have a good mix of posts. Constant self-promotion turns off followers. Ask questions and respond the answers.

Writing that first post or tweet may feel a little like walking into a freshman mixer. You fear nobody knows you and nobody will be interested in what you have to say. That’s not true. With more than 51 percent of Internet users in the United States engaged in social media, so there are many people out there interested in your cause, your association or your product. Be authentic in your posts and don’t always be in sales mode.

Know your audience. Unless you are certain they are overtly partisan or strongly identified with a particular faith or cause, keep your posts non-partisan and inclusive. If you wish your followers Merry Christmas, be sure to include holidays from other religions, as well. If someone posts an offensive response to something, delete it and apologize. Bad publicity is NOT better than no publicity at all.

Post photos and videos from your association’s events, and invite participants to share theirs. But stay away from wild or embarrassing shots. No need to be too authentic.

Finding followers is easy. They’re already reading your newsletter or blog. Invite them to follow you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus (https://plus.google.com/up/start/?continue=https://plus.google.com/&type=st&gpcaz=23db4111), and suggest they ask others to do so as well. Ask your own personal Facebook friends and encourage co-workers to do the same. Suggest to other members of a LinkedIn group that you “like” each others’ Facebook business pages – and don’t forget to include the link to your own.

Leverage “old media,” and other venues to drive traffic to your website, Facebook business page or newsletter through the use of QR codes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code). “QR” stands for quick response, and they’re those little black and white boxes that are starting to show up in ads, magazines and displays. Smart phone users scan them and go directly to wherever on the Internet that particular QR code send them. Real estate professionals are starting to put them on signs, for a link to a detailed description of the property. Food product displays might include links to recipes. Clever associations wanting to promote an event are putting them on posters and in ads to take people right to where they can buy tickets or sign up to volunteer. Creating a QR code is easy through numerous websites, like this one: http://myqr.co//. Be sure to test it before you publish it!

The social media world is constantly changing, as the rapid growth of Google Plus has proven. We continue to work with your organization to get the most out of your social media plan. Let us know how The Center for Association Resources can help.

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info, Training, Facebook, LinkedIN, Social Media, The Center for Association Resources, Twitter

Board training…..getting qualified people on the board, The Center For Association Resources

What constitutes an effective and productive board member at a non-profit? As part of the governing body of the organization, a good board member is one who first understands fully the group’s mission and goals, as well as its legal obligations and significant responsibilities. This is true whether a non-profit is in its infancy, is in transition to becoming a more mature organization, or is already an established institution. The non-profit board’s membership should consist of people who are either experienced in non-profit board functions or who are willing to proactively learn about the roles and acquire the tools and knowledge to be competent contributors.

Most of the time, individuals serve on a non-profit board because they are passionate about the cause. However, passion alone is not enough to fulfill the many duties asked of each board member. Time commitment is a necessary requirement – for attending board meetings, preparing for the meetings, reviewing proposals, budgets and other documents, and fundraising.

Speaking of fundraising, many people who are new to non-profits don’t realize that one of the main functions of the board is to raise money. These board members need to be comfortable with a common policy among non-profits to either donate funds themselves or actively fundraise (or both). Board members may also be asked to organize and host fundraising events or to meet with foundations or government agencies that award grants to non-profits. Time commitment aside, each board member should have sufficient business and leadership skills to approve budgets, establish a process to create a strategic plan, hire and evaluate the executive director, and ensure the legal and ethical integrity of the organization. In order to perform the roles and responsibilities dutifully, the board should evaluate its effectiveness and identify areas where a new board member may bring on skills that would be complementary.

During growth periods, a board may need to grow too. Sometimes the need to find new board members arises from resignation or when board members reach their term limit. Recruiting for board members may start with referrals from the current board, volunteers from the organization, or from the staff. There are services that match prospective board candidates with non-profit organizations such as boardnetUSA and VolunteerMatch. The tasks of screening and determining a board candidate’s qualifications rest with the board. There should be a process to evaluate the candidate as well as a process to bring the new person on board.

As leaders wanting to make a difference, the board must be made up of individuals who have sound business skills, experience with board duties and functions and commitment to developing a strong board by ensuring each member is qualified to meet the needs of the non-profit organization.

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Chicago, Fund Raising, Leadership, Marketing, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info, Training, Association, Leadership, Training

Benchmarking for success – The Center for Association Resources

Benchmarking for success

Benchmarking is a measurement tool non-profits can use to gauge both their successes and areas for improvement. It can be defined as the standard of excellence by which other activities should be judged.

Though benchmarking was first used by corporations, it is a useful tool for non-profits to adopt. Activities involved include goal setting, comparative measurement, and identification and implementation of best practices. Other key benchmarking activities include defining successful outcomes for services rendered, gathering lessons learned, and then defining and applying best practices from these lessons. Determining what measurements are meaningful is a vital part of the process.

A non-profit can use benchmarking to compare its current performance against the past, or to that of similar non-profits. The scope of the benchmarking can include all aspects of the organization, from fundraising, to administrative costs, to providing services relevant to the organization’s mission. While a lot of the benchmarking results will be for internal use, one measurement interested publics will want to know about is the percentage of administrative costs vs. percentage of funds used to provide services. If an organization establishes benchmarks that show it is keeping the percentage constant or low, it can use this information as a powerful data point during fundraising drives.

Another key measurement for organizations is how well they are implementing services crucial to the organization’s mission. For instance, a human services organization could poll the consumers of their services to find out what aspects worked well and which need improvement. Benchmarks ideally should be specific and measurable. Vague benchmarks will be difficult to measure and will likely not provide useful information.

Top levels of the non-profit often need to lead the way toward benchmarking. Those in the trenches providing services often do not immediately see the need for it, as it consumes time that could be spent on mission-critical activities. Challenges for establishing and implementing benchmarking activities include overcoming individuals’ resistance to change as well as defining measurement and success for disparate or complex activities. Involving field personnel in the benchmarking process may facilitate overcoming some of these challenges.

Benchmarking for non-profits is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. The organization’s culture, mission and location must be considered. For instance, a non-profit whose mission focuses on the fine arts may have very different benchmarks from one servicing basic human needs such as sanitation or health care. An analysis of needs vs. goals should be performed with the unique circumstances of the organization in mind.

Once internal benchmarking has been completed, communicating the results with stakeholder audiences can increase public confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. But benchmarking should not be just an internal exercise. Public perception of the organization’s effectiveness is also an important item to gauge. Feedback gathered from surveys, focus groups and online comments can be used to measure how the organization’s activities are perceived by the community at large. Positive public perception can have a direct impact on donations, so this is an important area to monitor.

Though benchmarking requires a well-thought-out plan, time and commitment of resources – and sometimes challenges – the potential for internal improvement and positive public reputation make the time spent worthwhile.

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Leadership, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info, Association, Benchmarking, Resources, The Center for Association Resources

Working with difficult people, an article by The Center for Association Resources

Working with difficult people

Difficult people are everywhere – our homes, our neighborhoods, our families and our offices. Eventually, a challenging employee, volunteer or co-worker will find their way into your non-profit organization. Learning how to handle them and to redirect them in a positive way can save a great deal of time, trouble, wasted resources and stress.

When it comes to a challenging person, there are plenty of things not to do. For example, don’t ignore threatening or abusive behavior. Also, don’t ignore the problem and hope it goes away. It won’t, and chances are, if you are having difficulties, so are others in your organization. Anonymous or veiled methods of dealing with the problem, such as notes or shunning, might be tempting courses of action, but they are rarely effective.  They only serve to alienate the person and make the situation worse. Dealing with the situation, head on, in a positive way, can not only solve the problem, but build an environment of trust and respect among colleagues.

The first aspect to look at, when determining how to work with a difficult person, is to determine what is making them difficult. Are they constantly talking over others? Are they reluctant to really get involved in their work? Do they have problems working with certain types of people? Do they need to be in charge, or the center of attention?

Understanding that these behaviors have underlying drivers can assist in finding ways to not only neutralize the difficult behavior, but often turn that energy into a positive force. Those people who need to be in charge can be given a small leadership position, whether it’s managing an outreach project or being in charge of organizing the supply closet. Giving them a task that they can be in charge of and be recognized for takes away the challenge and turns it into a positive.

If the difficulties lie in behavior, pulling the person aside and calmly stating your issues can go a long way toward fostering an understanding about what is and is not appropriate. For a serial interrupter, explaining that being interrupted makes you feel as if your contributions aren’t important and asking to be heard will let your colleague know how the specific behavior is impacting you.

When confronting your colleague, peer or subordinate, it’s very important to use “I” statements and to avoid accusing the other person of wrongdoing. “When I’m interrupted during a meeting, I feel as if my ideas aren’t valued. I would really appreciate being able to finish sharing my ideas before others discuss them” will go much further toward fostering an environment of understanding than: “You’re always interrupting me and you don’t value my ideas!” Discussing potentially sensitive topics with understanding and respect can turn an argument into an enriching experience.

Even the most irritating people are with your non-profit for a reason. They most likely share the same concerns, passions and ideals as you. Finding common ground and finding ways to use everyone’s talents to the fullest will benefit everyone: the organization, coworkers and the difficult person.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/ - Contact Robert Patterson for your Non-Profit association needs.

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Leadership, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info, Training

Collaboration with other NPOs: A Win-Win Situation – The Center for Association Resources

The Center for Association Resources presents

Collaboration with other NPOs: A Win-Win Situation

An avenue worth exploring for your non-profit – whether you are a start-up or a mature organization – is collaboration with one or more other NPOs whose missions and goals are complementary to yours. As budgets get squeezed tighter and tighter, and effort spent on fundraising becomes more and more time-consuming, it might pay to see how your group can create synergies with other organizations.

For new NPOs, initial goals will include plans to raise funds in both the short- and long-term. How you go about that fundraising is a topic for another blog post; this article will focus on a perhaps untapped resource in your local network of charitable organizations – other NPOs that are more established.

These other groups already have a track record of success, so try to tap into their expertise. (At the same time, examine your organization to see what you bring to the table. This should be a win-win situation for all involved.) How can you find these complementary organizations? Start out local, by checking with the United Way in your locale for a list of organizations they support. Websites such as www.charitynavigator.com and www.guidestar.com have searchable databases that you can access for free. Additionally, the National Center for Charitable Statistics (part of the Urban Institute) allows you to search its public database of charities by NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities). You can access the database by visiting http://bit.ly/umPHm.

Once you have made a connection with an organization similar to yours, what sorts of collaborative events can you host? For starters, a lot of groups host annual fundraisers designed to bring visibility – and cash – to the organization and its mission. Perhaps your NPO can partner with another to cohost such an event, with proceeds split appropriately between the two groups. The power of collaboration has the possibility of providing synergies, as the groups work together on marketing and promoting the event, as well as logistics. Consider also the possibility of sharing back-office functions as a way to reduce overhead costs. Truly, the possibilities of what you can do with other NPOs is limited only by your imagination. Who knows – working together for mutual benefit could even lead to a merger of the two separate organizations into one larger group that is stronger and more efficient.

The bottom-line question that must be asked is, what do you really stand to gain from collaborating with other NPOs? Can they really provide anything you wouldn’t be able to secure on your own? After all, competition exists in every facet of public and private business in America, and in that respect NPOs aren’t that much different from corporate America. You might be trying to engage the same groups of people as donors or competing for the same government grants, for example. But NPOs might be better off if they work together. It’s already a difficult marketplace to survive and thrive in, and NPOs face specific dilemmas unique to their distinctive manner of practicing business, particularly as it relates to raising funds. If you can learn from other NPOs, you can either take a leaf from their book, or, conversely, you can gauge where and how other NPOs are succeeding and learn what resources might be available to your organization.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/ - Contact Robert Patterson for your Non-Profit association needs.

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Leadership, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info

Non-Profit Organizations – a boon to our society pub. by The Center for Association Resources

Non-Profit Organizations – a boon to our society

According to the IRS, there are more than 1.4 million registered non-profit organizations in America today. Most of these have annual budgets of less than $25,000, so they are working on a shoestring to solve some of society’s most intractable problems, as well as to bring arts and culture to communities around the country.

A lot of these organizations provide their services for free or for low prices; therefore, they depend on donations to carry out their work. The people involved with these organizations, as volunteers or staffers, are working in the trenches and are a boon to society by virtue of their contributions.

Non-profits working with children can help our society grow and prosper because they are reaching out to help needy families who are raising the next generation. There are many success stories of adults who were helped out of poverty or had a career path set out for them through the help of an organization focused on children. Such groups, like those that provide needs-based scholarships, expect nothing in return for their assistance except to see a student succeed in school as well as in life.

There are many reasons to get involved with a non-profit organization: a desire to do and see good in the world; for a more satisfying career; to make good use of spare time once retired are just three. The rewards are often more intrinsic than monetary, but every kind of skill is needed to make a non-profit run efficiently.

For those interested in getting involved with a non-profit organization at a deeper level than providing a monetary donation, there are numerous ways to get involved. Small organizations in your city or town always need volunteers; check with your local United Way for a listing of groups in your community and contact ones that interest you to see how you can help. The on-line service, www.volunteermatch.com, can help connect you with an appropriate charity that matches your interests, as well.

The gift of time (and/or treasure) can be very gratifying, and goes a long way toward helping non-profits continue to be a boon to American society.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources

Barktown Dog Rescue: One Non-Profit’s Story – Published by The Center for Association Resources

Barktown Dog Rescue: One Non-Profit’s Story

May 25, 2011 • 1:11 pm 0

Barktown dog rescue is a non-profit organization for stray and abandoned dogs (as well as a few cats) in Kentucky. Volunteers there rescue and foster animals until a “forever” home, or as they call it, a “fur’ever” home, is found. These foster parents daily see and deal with abused animals, which makes it an environment for the strong-hearted.

TV reports often portray many of these abandoned dogs as bad-tempered, but at least one volunteer says she has never worried about any of the dogs she has brought into her home, to the point she trusts them alone with her young daughter. Many of the animals are so scared of humans that at first they can barely be petted. From this volunteer’s viewpoint, the work is sad, but also rewarding, especially when someone adopts a dog instead of buying one from a breeder or puppy mill.

Like at many non-profits, the budget is tight. Barktown Dog Rescue makes dollars stretch by being creative. They partner with local veterinarians, for example, to offer assistance for spay and neuter clinics. These low-cost clinics allow families to take advantage of a $20 or $30 operation, saving hundreds of dollars over the cost of comparable procedures at a full-price clinic. Many of these vets also offer food and shelter for the dogs when there are not enough foster homes available.

A major expense for Barktown is boarding rescues and strays when there are more dogs than foster parents. To raise money for such times, the organization makes dog treats that are sold at local businesses. They also engage in monthly donation drives at businesses around town. Barktown also receives revenues when an adoption is finalized. All monies go toward veterinary bills and any medicines or shots that the animals need.

Barktown can be found on the Web at www.barktownrescue.org. The group accepts donations on-line.

The Center for Association Resources can be found at http://Association-Resources.com/

Filed under: Association Resources, Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info

Regarding the Importance of Non Profitable Organizations

Non-profitable organizations are organizations that do not distribute their surplus fund to owners or shareholders. Its essential purpose is to serve the public other than for the accumulation of profit for investors. They are also called as independent, voluntary, charitable, social sector, etc.

Non-profitable organizations are usually classified into either member serving or public serving. The non-profitable organizations may be organized as a non-profit corporation or as a trust or they may be purely informal; they also may be an association of members. Non-profitable organizations may be controlled by its members who elect the Board of Directors. Alternatively they may be a non-membership organization and the Board of Directors may elect its own successors. The two major types of non-profitable organizations are Membership and Board only. Membership organizations select the board and will have regular meetings and act as a power to amend the by-laws. But a board only organization has a self selected board, and the membership whose powers are limited to those delegated to it by the board itself.

Almost all non-profitable organizations are exempted from income tax, sales tax and also state and local properties taxes. It’s an important fact that non-profitable organization are not prohibited from making a profit, but almost all the profit must go back to the operation of the organization and so the profit cannot be distributed among the owners or investors. It can also work in different categories like education, human services, health, public-social benefit, environmental animals, art-culture, foreign affairs, religion related; etc.

Non-profitable organizations have received their present status because they relieve the government of its burden which is beneficial to the society. Non-profitable organizations receive their main source of income generated from fees for services, sales of products etc; The non-profitable organizations also receive a high source of income from governmental grants and contracts.

Thus I conclude by saying that voluntarism is a key component for non-profitable organization. And also the non-profitable organizations extend their supporting hand to the government at the time of national crisis.

The Center for Association Resources

Filed under: Center for Association Resources

Non-Profit Organizations – a boon to our society

In today’s world nobody gives a free service but you need to spend your money and efforts to earn even the smallest thing in this world. Everyone is after money, everyone is in the race to reach the summit by putting their feet on the heads of others whom they cannot see but in reality they suffer a lot. No organization works for free but there are still those people in this world who care for the future, for the humanity, for the children of God. These are the boon to our society because this was that part without which our system is incomplete. These people who run non-profit organizations are the real humans who care for everyone.

Such organizations are run by a funding committee through charities or from the money of those great people who have their pockets full but no family to spend upon. Such associations help our society grow because there are several children who are poor and their parents are not in the condition to earn a good living, but who knows these children can be the future leaders, the one who will help in the future of their kinds. Everyone wants to help the needy for the blessings of the god but running a non-profit organization is not a small game but it needs a big heart which can spend for others and a friendly mind. There are several associations who give scholarships to the children and help them study, they don’t want anything from those needy children but in return a bright future.

I also want to become such a person like those great people because money isn’t something which we can swallow up alone, either we use it for our own development or for the development of many others who will in return bless us. Only a small amount of money from our huge earnings would surely help to build up a non-profit organization. Just a small effort and results will be clear by setting up a non-profit organization.

Non-Profit Organization, helping the poor, Being a leader, The Center for Association Resources

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Targeting in Social Programs – Not Just for Government Organizations

A critique on public opinion regarding the efficacy of non-profit organizations in distributing aid.

Non-profit organizations have the potential to be an invaluable resource in combating many social problems that exist in our modern society. A shrinking middle class and a struggling economy have contributed to many people seeking out help from non-profits. Many of these people are, for the first time, experiencing a situation in which unemployment, lack of access to health care, or the loss of their home, and old biases against non-profit organizations as “too fat” or “wasteful” have been abandoned in wake of the need of the services provided.

This major intellectual paradigm shift among the upper middle class has been the side effect of some very unfortunate events. However, in a down economy, it is vital that non-profit organizations (NPO’S) continue to receive donations from the surviving middle and upper class. Members of these classes have not experienced the same negative impact from the economic downturn, and thus, many are skeptical that donating money to a non-profit is an effective means to get money or services into the hands of those who need it most.

To combat this, the best recommendation would be for non-profit organizations to examine the targeting that they use when delivering these services. Outside of the obvious methods of trimming waste from the bureaucracy of some larger NPO’s, the best method in effectually cutting waste would be better targeting in who receives the aid that is available. Two methods, discussed largely in the context of eliminating government waste in social programs by Richard J. Zeckhauser in ‘Targeting in Social Programs: Avoiding Bad Bets, Removing Bad Apples’, are extremely applicable to NPO’s as well: avoiding making bad bets in allocating funds, and identifying bad apples as individuals that are not truly in need of help.

“Bad bets”, for example, might be people who are requesting long term aid but are likely to obtain work in the near future. NPO’s can extend short term aid to these individuals, but they are not a good bet for long term aid, because the likelihood of overlap between help from the non-profit and compensation from work is high. “Bad apples”, on the other hand, require NPO’s to better screen candidates for those who truly do not need aid. Requiring more verification or paperwork, while adding time to the approval process, would be one example of a method of combating bad apples.

While the implementation is different for each non-profit organization, the concepts commonly iterated behind better targeting in government social programs are extremely applicable to non-profits, and should be considered a good place to start when a NPO wants to be able to combat the popular view that non-profit organizations are inherently uneconomical.

Kelley Scott is a free-lance writer/blogger from Chicago, IL

Non-profit organizations, NPO, social programs, targeting, waste, ineffective,The Center for Association Resources

Filed under: Center for Association Resources, Fund Raising, Marketing, Non-Profit, Planning, Strategic Planning, Strategy, The Center for Assocation Resources info, ineffective, Non Profit Organizations, NPO, social programs, targetting, The Center for Association Resources, waste