Relationships 101: Working With Consultants

		March 2015 Nonprofits often get by with versatile staff members and a lot of help from reliable volunteers. But sometimes you need a level of expertise or experience only a consultant can offer. Whether you're looking to implement a new system, replace an existing one, or customize software for your organization's particular needs, a consultant can help you think through your options, facilitate implementation, and work with your team to make sure everyone is up and running with your new technology solution. However, if you've never worked with a consultant before, it can be challenging to know how to communicate with them and how to understand internal and external roles. How can you navigate this relationship to ensure that your organization gets what it needs, the project runs smoothly from start to finish, you stay on budget, and everyone feels good about the process. Like all good relationships, it takes work. Our friends at TechSoup asked us to write an article guiding organizations through the process of establishing and maintaining those relationships. Read "How to Find, Hire, and Collaborate with Technology Consultants" for free here. Other Resources Last year we worked with ongoing partner SYNERGY: UJA-Federation of New York and Synagogues to research and write a white paper about how synagogues can use data-driven decision-making to transform their congregations. We’re pleased to announce that this free report is available today. While the report itself is specific to synagogues, we believe there’s overlap with the nonprofit sector as a whole, and lessons to be drawn for how all organizations can and do use data. Download “Data Maturity for Synagogues: Incorporating Data into the Decision-Making Culture" for free.  We’ve got articles in the works on data migration, board portals, Content Management Systems for libraries, and more. We're also finishing up research for a number of reports, including a Consumers Guide to Case Management Systems and case studies about large nonprofits' performance management and what small organizations can learn from their examples.  Upcoming Training Our research doesn't just inform our articles and reports--it informs our training, as well. Find the full list here, or join one of those listed below.  Jumpstart Your Social Media Strategy Three 90-minute webinars, Wednesdays March 18 to April 1, 1:00pm - 2:30pm Eastern. $95.00. Are you making the most of your social media presence? It’s not enough to be on one or two platforms. You need a strategy that can help you convert “likes” into a stronger voice, more donations, and activism that makes an impact. Read more or register >>> Visualizing Your Data Through DashboardsThursday March 19, 2015, 1:00 - 2:30pm EST. $40.00.  Your senior staff and board of directors can benefit from the ability to view high level metrics for your organization, but it’s not obvious how to easily pull it all together. We'll outline what has worked for other organizations to define the metrics that should be tracked, strategies for compiling data from different systems, and possibilities for putting it all together into a visual dashboard. Read more or register >>> Six Reasons Why Infographics MatterTuesday April 7, 2015, 1:00pm - 2:00pm, Eastern. FREE.  Why infographics? If you’ve never created one, they can seem daunting and expensive. However, when you find the right data and have the right story to tell, your Infographic can reach a wide audience and make a big difference in your community and beyond. Join us for a free webinar as we look at the six reasons why people love infographics—and why you might consider adding them to your communications mix. Read more or register >>> back to top If you know someone else at your organization or another that might benefit from our resources, let them know how to find us. Have questions or concerns about Idealware? We love hearing from you—drop us a line at info@idealware.org, or email one of our staff. Thanks for all you do to support nonprofits and Idealware. We’ll see you next month…  back to top You received this email because you signed up for Idealware updates. If you are no longer interested in hearing from us, click here to unsubscribe. Idealware | 1 Pleasant St., Suite 4E | Portland ME | 04101			SUBSCRIBE If you have received this email second-hand, you can subscribe on the Idealware website. Subscribe Now » DONATE TO IDEALWARE Have Idealware reports and articles saved you time? Money? Allowed you to make better decisions? If so, please donate what they are worth to you and help keep these resources coming. Donate Now » CONNECT WITH US Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to get more software resources, links, and news about Idealware.

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Nonprofit Knowledge Matters

View this email in your browser            Wanted: Courageous Board Members For too long, a myth has hung over the nonprofit community like a scary fog:  that nonprofit advocacy is somehow spooky. Nothing could be further from the truth, because advocating for missions is a core part of our sector’s proud legacy. If you eat in smoke-free restaurants, drive safely on divided highways, have a Social Security card, use your civil rights, or are a voting female, then you are benefiting from the past advocacy work of nonprofits – and board members. That’s why we are excited to let you know about a new campaign,Stand For Your Mission, launched to raise awareness - specifically among nonprofit board members - that being an advocate for the nonprofit’s mission is an important role for every board member to play. Advertisement Don’t just sit on a board: Stand for your nonprofit’s mission. The Stand for Your Mission campaign calls on all nonprofit board members to stand up as powerful champions for the missions they serve. The campaign is designed to unleash the full potential of nonprofit organizations to advance their missions in their local communities by engaging board members more directly as advocates on behalf of their organizations. The goals of the Stand for Your Mission campaign are to: Bring about a sustainable shift in the understanding and expectations around board engagement in advocacy; Move advocacy from an ancillary to a key board leadership role; and Strengthen the nonprofit sector’s ability to advance the public good. Importantly, this new campaign is not being advanced by ghosts, ghouls, or goblins, but by trusted, mainstream organizations in the nonprofit and grantmaking communities that recognize the need to change the culture around nonprofit advocacy so it is embraced as an effective, everyday tool for advancing nonprofit missions. The National Council of Nonprofits collaborated withBoardSource, the Alliance for Justice (with its Bolder Advocacyinitiative), the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the Campion Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to curate a set of core resources for board members, CEOs, and grantmakers. Please share the Stand for Your Mission discussion guide as a useful resource with your board. Read on for more resources for courageous boards Talking about That Which Shall Not Be Named [what it really costs to be a charitable nonprofit] While we wish we could just wave a wand, magical thinking won’t stop those who rate and rank nonprofits by focusing on the cost of a nonprofit’s operations, rather than its impact in solving community challenges. So what can nonprofits do to shake off this aversion to costs? Remember Harry’s invisibility cloak? Throw it off! Be bold and brave enough to have candid conversations with donors about what it really costs to deliver programs and services.   Bring financial sustainability closer in 3 easy steps First, let’s toss out the shape-shifting term “overhead” that means something different to everybody and instead just call all these costs what they are, whether “fundraising,” or rent, or “general administrative.” Second, let’s ignore any apparent incentives to be fuzzy about the full expenses needed to deliver a nonprofit’s services or programs. Instead, by fully embracing our own costs, nonprofits will help manage expectations about what is really needed to solve problems in communities. Third, let’s find the courage to talk about the costs, especially with donors and grantmakers – and document them, demonstrating accountability and candor consistent with a culture of transparency. We think this is the right approach – and we’re inviting you to join us by:“owning your own costs.” Read on for more on owning your own costs. Join us for a Special Webinar to Raise Awareness About Costs At the National Council of Nonprofits, we and our State Association network are tackling misconceptions about costs one step at a time. Transparency about costs first requires knowing how much it actually costs to provide services and deliver programs. This means that someone at every nonprofit should be able to properly account for program related costs as well as those costs that cut across all the activities of the nonprofit. We know this can a challenge, so our network is hosting a special program designed to help your nonprofit #OwnYourOwnCosts. Please join the National Council of Nonprofits and our State Association network for a free webinar about proper cost allocation, so we can all own our own costs and spread the message that all costs, whether for fundraising or administration, or anything else related to advancing our nonprofit’s mission are essential. Guest speaker: Jeff Russell, founder and CEO of Jitasa October 23 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern Resources for Board Members Good governance (National Council of Nonprofits) Checklist for IRS Form 990 board governance policies(National Council of Nonprofits) Board members’ voices count! Video: Your advocacy can make a difference More resources about scary stuff Creating Order From Chaos – Roles for philanthropy in disaster planning and response(Jessie Ball duPont Fund) Risk, risk, and more risk – and resources for managing it (National Council of Nonprofits) Losing tax-exempt status(National Council of Nonprofits) 501h election: A simple way to protect your nonprofit from lobbying missteps (National Council of Nonprofits) What information must a nonprofit make available to the public? (National Council of Nonprofit) Worth Reading Is your nonprofit scared of social media? Aespire explains the three myths of social media. New! The Sustainability Mindset, by Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman This month’s poll: Does your board monitor the impact of public policies on your nonprofit's mission delivery and resources? Tell us in this quick, one-question poll and look for the results in next month's Nonprofit Knowledge Matters. Share this newsletter with your staff, board, and nonprofit colleagues Did you receive this email from a friend? Sign up now to receive this free e-newsletter each month. © Copyright 2014 National Council of Nonprofits. All rights reserved  1200 New York Avenue, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 | www.councilofnonprofits.org

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Drafting the Ideal Team: Risk Lessons from the NFL - RISK eNews

April 30, 2014 Drafting the Ideal Team: Risk Lessons from the NFL By Arley Turner Next week is my favorite event of the pro football offseason, the NFL Draft. During the draft, the General Manager of each franchise generally leads the selection of the team’s “draft picks.” Each prospective team member is carefully screened before the GM decides which players will be targeted as new players for the coming season. Every draft pick has the potential to be a star player, a solid contributor, or in some cases, a poor fit. So how do the NFL’s most successful teams choose their draft picks, and what can nonprofit leaders learn from the process? Study the Tapes, But Save Time for Candid Conversations In the NFL, studying tapes of a player’s past performance is the beginning, but never the end of the screening process. In the new film Draft Day, the fictional GM of the Cleveland Browns has an opportunity to choose a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. But rather than basing his decision solely on the tapes and trophy, the GM calls other scouts and the quarterback’s college coach to learn more. The time spent talking to people who know a prospective employee is incredibly valuable. Keep in mind that a prospective employee is motivated to tell you what they think you want to hear. References are an opportunity to hear about the prospect’s skills, talents and weaknesses from another source. Don’t be cynical about reference checks! Always allot sufficient time in your screening process to talk to people who truly know your top candidates. Consider Culture and Rhythm Throughout the screening process it’s essential to remember that every new hire needs to fit your culture, and also the rhythm of your nonprofit. In Draft Day, the GM constantly asks prospects what’s most important to them. While some players understandably reply, “winning,” the GM’s clear preference is for players who put family and loyalty over winning ball games. As you design your screening process for key positions, make certain you are screening for culture and rhythm mismatches. Recognize the human tendency to look for information that confirms your initial impressions about a candidate (the confirmation bias), rather than tuning in to information that suggests a mismatch. Get Your Draft Picks on the Field without Delay When asked in 2013 whether he hoped to find immediate starters in the crop of draft picks, Denver Broncos GM John Elway replied, “That's always the goal, to find these guys and get them on the field as fast as we can.” (Source: The Denver Post.) Venture capitalist and author Ben Horowitz echoes this idea in his book, “The Hard Thing About Hard Things.” Horowitz urges leaders to “aggressively integrate” new executives after hire. His tips include: providing monthly, weekly and even daily objectives to help the new hire produce “immediately,” insisting that new leaders get up to speed fast, and providing opportunities for interaction with peers by providing a “list of people they need to know and learn from.” Horowitz is a proponent of a 30-day window for new executives, writing that “If in thirty days you don’t feel that they are coming up to speed, definitely fire them.” Screening and selecting new hires for your mission-focused organization may not seem as glamorous as making draft picks in the NFL. But the consequences are just as vital to the people and communities you serve. By exercising care as you “draft” new team players, you have the best opportunity to fortify your mission for the long term, and add dedicated teammates to your cause. Arley Turner is Project Manager at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. She welcomes your comments and questions about risk topics, the Center’s Affiliate Member program, the 2014 NFL Draft or the Denver Broncos. Arley can be reached at (202) 785-3891 orArley@nonprofitrisk.org. Affordable, Convenient Risk Management Training Each month the Center records a brand-new Risk Webinar featuring up-to-date content on issues that are top-of-mind for nonprofit leaders. The one-time cost for each program is $59, or apply to become an Affiliate Member to enjoy unlimited access to our “vault” of more than 100 hours of risk management training. Frustrated with the limitations of your annual performance review process? Learn what’s new in the field of performance management by purchasing this month’s program on Managing Risk in Performance Management. Next month’s program, on The Insurance Marketplace will be released on Monday, May 5. To purchase any recorded program or peruse the “webinar vault,” visit our 2014 Webinars page today. New Sessions Added to Upcoming Risk Conferences The conference programs for the Center’s 3 risk-themed conferences are taking shape! We invite you to browse the schedules, workshop descriptions and registration details for each event, by visiting the conference webpage. To suggest a topic for the Risk Summit in Chicago, click here.	Risk Webinars Fit-to Suit Risk Policies My Risk Management Policies, Version 2.0 helps you create custom risk policies for your organization in a matter of minutes. Need well-written policies? This cloud app makes policy drafting easy. After completing the quick registration process, search by keywords, categories or peruse an alphabetized list of 150 templates. Each template offers many options to consider. Some of the templates force you to make practical choices. For example, you might prefer an informal style over formal language. Or perhaps you want to strictly prohibit something that other nonprofits allow! With My Risk Management Policies, Version 2.0, custom-fitting policy language to suit your nonprofit is easy and dare we say… fun! Version 2.0, What’s New? We’re excited to announce some terrific new features, plus a bold new design. Many of the new features were developed with client feedback in mind. You spoke and we listened! Multiple users, one account— The new version has two levels of users: Account Holder and Added User. This means that two or more staff from one organization can collaborate on the drafting of policies. Want to get your outside counsel involved? No problem! The Account Holder for your nonprofit may grant system access to expert advisors through the “added user” feature. Policy drafting tips — We’ve added policy drafting tips at the top of many templates. This is our chance to offer a few hints from our years of experience drafting and editing risk policies for nonprofits! More policies than ever before — We have added nearly 50 new policy templates and updated many of the templates in the first version, and we’re not stopping there! As always, we welcome your suggestions for new policy types, new policy language, policy options and more. Send your requests toinfo@nonprofitrisk.org. To begin developing customized Risk Management Policies for your nonprofit,click here. The one-time licensing fee for My Risk Management Policies is only $179 or just $29 if your nonprofit is an Affiliate Member of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center.
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© 2014 Nonprofit Risk Management Center