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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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/

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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

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Fund raising in non-profit organizations

It deals with strategies and methods involving the fund raising of non-profit organizations

Fund raising has always been an issue for most non-profit organizations. It is also a limiting factor in the reach and functioning capacity of the organization. A regular flow of funds is required to keep the organization in its tracks. All non-profit organizations should have a definite policy towards fund raising. Though fund raising is no easy job, it can be managed well with steady flow of funds and quality capital, all made possible with some fore planning and good execution.

Everything starts from the administration of the organization itself. The goals of the organization must be clearly set and should be viable for effective propaganda and response. For example, a group that simply says “save the trees” or “cancer research foundation” is going to pass up as just another organization. This should not be the case. The goals and achievements of the organization must clearly be seen from anybody’s perspective. It is what sets the targets and urges people to contribute funds. A good spokesperson and contact personnel are a must.

Managing the collected funds is another important factor. The contributors would also like to see how their money is being used up. A good team capable of budget planning is required. It can also be done by another third party. But it is better to keep the management of funds transparent as that itself can be used as a propaganda tool effectively.

A fully dedicated team of people is required to be set up for the sole purpose of fund raising. It must consist of planners, team leaders, liaisons, creative designers, advertisers and special people who can raise funds using their skills or status (e.g. Celebrities). This team must foresee and execute the various plans made towards fund raising. They must identify potential targets and decide on the way of approach. Having an effective team solely for this purpose can be the difference between efficiency and bankruptcy.

Target identification is the step involving the identification of the people from which the organization can raise funds. The most important target group will be the people who are directly connected with the goal of the organization (e.g. Persons affected by cancer are viable target groups for cancer research institutes). Other important target groups are business tycoons, general public, politicians, stars, celebrities and so on. Employing different methods for each of these groups are vital for success.

The methods that can be used for fund raising vary from simple handouts and posters to mega campaigns. But in order to be effective, it must be target specific. The common methods that can be employed are posters, handouts, TV shows, rallies, ads, demonstrations, campaigns etc. General public can be campaigned with posters and rallies, as well as mass media. A single TV show covering the activities of the organization can generate a lot of funds. Creative ads and posters in net can be a great propaganda tool (e.g. Green Peace ads). Corporate companies can be made to contribute by striking deals so that they can use the publicity and the organization can use the funds. Billionaires can be canvassed for donations. Having a celebrity in the organization can work wonders. In this age of social networking, a good ad in websites like Twitter can be very effective.

There are also other sources like fund raising shows, but it all comes to how the organization effectively uses them to further spread their propaganda. Instead of focusing on the immediate requirements, a definite long term policy and a good administration system towards fund raising can get any non-profit organization free from financial woes.

fund raising,non-profit,non-profit organization,methods of fund raising,The Center for Association Resources

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Consultancy Guidance Notes of Volunteering Impact of NGOs

Focus on non-profit organizations, associations, and management of non-profit organizations.

Focus on non-profit organizations, associations, and management of non-profit organizations.

Volunteerism which is otherwise called a Good Samaritan Service. Volunteers and Non profit Organizations take the yoke on their back to serve the nations irrespective caste and creed or any nations.

At the same time we need to analyze the impact of volunteerism on targeting the developmental goals. The impact study has to be made from the past to the present with the achievement and success , what hinders the development and what defects and deficiency faced by the Voluntary organization. Moreover, the studies of the above has to evolve the methodology to solve the deficiencies and defects. Consultancy Guidance Note on Methodology to assess the impact of volunteerism on development goal has to be discussed elaborately.

At the time of war or havoc such as calamities, earthquake, flood and Tsunami, a numerous doctors, nurses and engineers and scientists and teachers are engaged to the spot with the help of Non Profit Organizations to help the sick, the injured, the disabled and the handicapped and the downtrodden the displaced and the neglected and so on.

The growth of the volunteerism has started with main focus on environment and development from 20th century onwards. The formation of Volunteering groups and NGOs have prepared the plans and projects for combating the cause of depletion and degradation of land, erosion of soil and deterioration of forests etc., and they mainly concentrated on the developing countries to solve the problems. They understood the real problem arises due to poverty in the poor countries that cause entire damage to the environment. Similarly they have discovered that the over production and overconsumption will lead to desperate condition of greater pollution and climate change.

Starting from the year 1972 the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit has opened eyes of all nations to hold new North and South discussions.
Steps have been taken to focus the poor people in poor countries for their survival.

North and South relationship has increased the funds and assistance to the environment and development initiatives as discussed at Rio. The NGOs from the developing nations utilized the funds available to the success of the above initiatives

However ,NGOs had not fulfilled their ambition of the rich countries due to rapid population and migration and fragile eco systems which needed more effective volunteering planning and programmes.

Concerning the issue of air and water pollution and waste disposal all developing countries face difficulties. The ecological challenges are huge to be solved there with the help of NGOs but here too huge amount of fund requires. The NGOs are not able to raise fund from local contribution.

In the year 1992, a study concluded the key issue who controls the resources and need Technical solutions. World Bank required environmental assessment of its projects.
In poor countries there are still too many giant aid projects such as highly controversial dams that are displacing entire communities in Thailand, Argentina and India. Even the thousands of smaller projects with the lofty goals of electrification, irrigation and reforestation often backfire.

The foreign aid given to the NGOs was utilized with much care for promoting equitable and participatory development. Their accountability and transparency was questioned by the authorities.

UN studies revealed in certain countries misuse of the fund to their loans .

Viable plans already exist. The development assistance to be ensured to the poor women, the landless, subsistence producers, migrants and other who need it most and can use.

Environmental and developmental groups commonly called NGO offered less environmental protection . NGOs are calling for the restoration and strengthening the UN centre on transnational corporations which would set and enforce regulations and international corporate actively.

A Few tips of Technical proposal for promoting Volunteerism of the NGOs

Volunteerism on Development necessitates

Field visit with a number of evaluators and to monitoring the place very often.

Submission of detailed report of those needy and deserve assistance have to be given to the authorities.

The micro level planning and action plan has to be prepared from the village concerned not by the top level authorities.

Review of requirement to the actual local condition situation should be analysed.

The authority may be held responsible for the defects and deficiency or corruption should be notified public and their seriousness of their mistake must be made known to everywhere.

There should be clear cut review for the public contribution which is collected from the beneficiaries

The village which has grown with the help of volunteerism may be taken as model to draw a design to other places

Sustainable and Environmentally development has not been carried out instead economic urgency is fulfilled.

Some NGOs acting in a business line are to be blacklisted.

Indigenous knowledge is to be given much attendance by the authorities encouraging Rural Participatory Approach for planning and implementation of project.

Higher officials and experts have to consult with the local area people for their estimate and measurement of the work for some reasons.

The North finds South with disparity or sometimes impose sanctions or awards will decrease the planning activities.

Technical know how is very limited to pass in the developing countries by the developed nations through NGOs.

Population pressure does not make field motivators of the NGOs to stop functioning in a dejected way.

significantly, a NGO as a non profit making organization should reveal transparency and accountability in their volunteerism

NGOs have prepared the plans and projects for combating the cause of depletion and degradation of land, erosion of soil and deterioration of forests etc. The Center for Association Resources

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Non Profit Organizations at a Glance

The running of Non Profit Organizations

The term trading means the exchange of goods and services with a view of making profits. The sole trader concern, partnership business and all other forms of organizations commence business with the view of profit making or wealth making. So they are known as trading concerns and apart from this there are some institutions like hospitals, educational institutions, cooperative societies, trade unions, trade associations, public art organization etc. which are non trading organization. These sort of nonprofit making organizations are established with a view of providing services and not with the object of profit making. An organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to its owners or shareholders is called NPO or nonprofit making organization. These organizations make use of the surplus to pursue its goals. The definition of the nonprofit making organizations remains the same though with slight variations. The advantage that this sort of organization enjoys over other organizations is that they are exempt from income and property taxation.

Now the question arises, who owns these sorts of organizations? The basic difference arises from the mode of ownership itself. The profit making organizations may be owned privately or by shareholders etc but in the case of the nonprofit making organizations the ownership is entrusted in the controlling members or with the boards. So these sorts of organizations are wholly managed and run by the so called members or the boards. The nonprofit making organization also makes surplus, these surpluses are retained by the organization and is used for self-preservation, expansions and developments. These organizations are also like the profit making organization in the mode of operation as they also keep an eye on the management, performance, accountability and transparency of the organization.

Apart from the profit making organization, nonprofit making organizations often take up the form of charities or service organizations. They may be setup as a nonprofit corporation or as a trust or as a cooperative. They are also called as foundations or endowments. The name foundations can be tagged to nonprofit corporation or volunteer organizations or grass roots groups.

Their appearance and name in the internet is also different. These sites don’t use the common domain name of .com but instead they make use of domain names like .org, .edu, .museum or .corp. The formation of this sort of organization differs from country to country. In each and every country they have their own rules and regulations governing the nonprofit making organization.

There are a large number of nonprofit making organizations aiming at the social welfare of the society. The best example of a nonprofit making organization is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the US.

Npo,Non Profit making organisation, foundation, trusts, society,The Center for Association Resources

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Learning About Non-Profits

This article is about a specific non-profit organization, the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

The nonprofit agency I chose to write about is the Eastern Illinois Food Bank. They are trying to simply trying to prevent hunger by providing food for food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other programs to feed the hungry. They accept discounted and donated food and distribute it to 220 emergency food programs, as well as operate two programs: the BackPack Program and the Foodmobile program. The first helps hunger in low-income school districts and the later increases access to food in rural and under-resourced communities. There are food banks all over the country and I feel like their attempts to provide food and eliminate hunger are very effective.

The Eastern Illinois Food bank is having a program called “lose weight and feed your community” which donates 11 cents to Feeding America for every pound a person pledges to lose through March 31, 2011. This is a beneficial cause which can encourage families who may have overweight parents or kids to exercise and donate money for their good efforts. Kids need strong, healthy, role models so it is important that they see the parents exercise and eat right and this program could give those parents more incentive to do so. At a local level these programs can help advocate a healthy lifestyle as well as stopping hunger. Since there are food banks all over, they work together to implement change on a national level yet each one focuses solely on their areas.

Non-profit organizations are very important because they usually work in order to benefit basic human needs instead of focusing on their own profits! Especially organizations such as the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, they help to provide food to needy families as well as school districts of poor communities. They work hard to help people in need which I think is a very valuable asset to a company’s success! Fund raising proposals are important in non-profits such as the food bank because they do not make money on their own. Therefore, these companies need to focus on charity projects and getting donations in order to raise money. At the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, both monetary and food donations are always welcome!

Eastern Illinois Food Bank,The Center for Association Resources

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