Nonprofit Advocacy Matters | February 10, 2014

Low Drama, Expectations on Effort to Extend Federal Debt Limit The federal government reached its maximum borrowing authority (debt limit) on February 7, with neither chamber of Congress in session to address it and none of the urgency and rancor that policymakers have expressed during past fiscal showdowns. One reason is that recent experience demonstrates that the U.S. Treasury Department can exercise extraordinary measures, like delaying pension payments, to postpone the need to borrow more cash than permitted by law (although this time that tactic will last only a few weeks). Another reason is that lawmakers tend to agree that the federal government shutdown in October eroded public support for high-stakes, and high-drama, negotiating tactics designed to bend political will in favor of greater fiscal restraint. As a result, politicians across the spectrum appear in agreement that legislation to extend federal borrowing authority will be enacted during February. Nonprofit Input Requested Government Seeks Help in Clarifying New OMB Guidance on Federal Grantmaking The federal government wants to know what you want to know. Specifically, federal officials are asking nonprofits and others affected by the new OMB Guidance on uniform grant reform to tell them what is unclear and what needs extra explanations. As part of its public awareness efforts, the Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR) is conducting webinars and developing responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Ultimately, they want to make certain that interpretations of the Guidance are consistent across the many levels of government and the grantee/contractor community. The more clarification that can be provided prior to implementation in late 2014, the fewer differences there will be and therefore the fewer problems as everyone gets acclimated to the new Guidance. Nonprofits are encouraged to submit questions at cofar@omb.eop.gov so that COFAR can publicly clarify areas that are not fully understood.  States Consider New Charity and Solicitation Regulations, Fees Multiple state legislatures are looking at either imposing or increasing filing requirements, filing fees, and regulatory burdens on charitable nonprofits wanting to fundraise in their states. Here is a recap of recently filed bills: A new bill in Colorado would amend the state’s Charitable Solicitations Act to clarify rulemaking authority, prohibit solicitation by unregistered persons on behalf of charities, require appointment of registered agents, and clarify existing fines for failing to file required notices on time. Delaware, a state currently without charitable solicitation requirements, is considering legislation that would require most nonprofits to annually submit their IRS Form 990s. Some larger organizations would be required to undergo financial audits. This blog post by the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) reports how it and many other nonprofit groups have been working with the Attorney General to improve the bill. New legislation in Florida would require all nonprofits, including those reporting less than $25,000 in donations, to register with the state to solicit funds. The bill would empower the state’s charity regulators to revoke the sales tax exemptions of nonprofits that spend less than 25 percent on program costs for three consecutive years. It also would create new audit requirements for nonprofits receiving higher amounts of donations, and create a new annual financial reporting requirement. Maryland legislators are considering a measure granting to the Attorney General the same powers enjoyed by the Secretary of State to investigate and enforce compliance with charity regulations. The bill also would create a Charitable Enforcement Fund and assess application fees from fund-raising counsel ($250) and professional solicitors ($350). Legislation in Oregon would increase the Attorney General’s power to enforce nonprofit regulations and raise penalties and fees for nonprofits that fail to comply with requirements. Concerned about the unintended consequences that could result for smaller organizations, the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) recommended changes to limit burdensome reporting requirements and ensure noncompliant nonprofits are allowed to correct their mistakes. NAO’s suggestions were incorporated in anamendment legislators adopted last week. “We are going after sharks, not minnows,” the bill sponsor said in agreement. Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill that would require nonprofits to electronically file, and the Commonwealth to post, all charitable solicitation documents on a searchable database. The measure would also set up a Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Account, funded through registration fees and dedicated to paying for regulatory oversight. Finally, as of January 1, Nevada nonprofits are now required to register with the Secretary of State to solicit donations. “Nobody likes new regulations, but the sector has agreed that additional transparency is important,” Phil Johncock of the Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits (ANN) said. ANN has created a toolkit to help smaller nonprofitscomply with the new rules. Taxes, Fees, PILOTs Stormwater Fees: Local policymakers in Maryland and Illinois are considering options for lowering the burden that new stormwater fees impose on nonprofits. Baltimore County officials announced last month that they are setting aside $3 million in funding for nonprofit remediation projectsto help lower the costs incurred by the organizations. "These faith-based organizations and nonprofits are experts in serving the community — not in stormwater remediation and engineering," said County Executive Kevin Kamenetz in a statement. "By sharing the County's technical resources and targeted funding, these organizations can reduce their impact on the environment while still fulfilling their service mission." Similarly, council members in Winnetka Village, Illinois are considering an ordinance that would offer nonprofits exemptions to the new stormwater fees that will go into effect this summer if nonprofits allow for stormwater improvement projects on their property. PILOTs: Connecticut’s Speaker of the House plans to propose legislation that would require the state’s nonprofits, namely hospitals and colleges, to pay local property taxes. Nonprofits would be able to avoid the taxes by instead reaching “voluntary” payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with municipalities. Taking another approach, Connecticut’s Governor is proposing an $8 million increase in state payments to municipalities for nonprofit hospitals and colleges. PILOTs: In a curious twist in the usual PILOT story,legislation in Wisconsin would require municipalities that successfully negotiate PILOT payments from nonprofits to share the revenues with overlying taxing bodies, such as school districts and state and county governments. If enacted, these taxing bodies would be able to access a portion of the PILOT payments in relation to the amounts they would collect from nonprofits were they not tax-exempt. Advocating with the State of the Union Address To Susan Dreyfus, President and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, the annual gathering in the U.S. Capitol for the State of the Union Address is not just a listening experience but also a participatory event. Which explains her 5½ -minute video response to the President’s speech, combining praise for positive actions by the Administration with a call for greater attention to the economic impact of nonprofits. In the video, Dreyfus urges the President, Members of Congress, and state and local policymakers to include nonprofits in their efforts to protect and grow the small business community: “We [nonprofits] are businesses, we too are job creators, and we are part of the economic vitality of our communities.” She gave as an example her organization, the Alliance of Children and Families, which as a network represents 500 human serving organizations across the United States with a combined budget of $6.8 billion and 130,791 employees that pay taxes on $4.1 billion in wages and compensation.  Dreyfus also effectively makes the case that regulatory challenges affect all small businesses, for-profit and nonprofit alike. She specifically thanked the Administration for the new OMB Guidance that, among other things, is “requiring reasonable overhead and administrative rates” in federal contracts and grants, and identifying “outdated, duplicative, and redundant processes and regulatory rules and doing away with them so that we can do what businesses are always wanting to do: have the environment you need to thrive, to innovate, and succeed.” She concludes with a heads-up for America: “It is important for America to realize that without the nonprofits in your communities being able to do what they do every day, but also the fact that we are job creators, we are economic contributors, and we are part of a vibrant America.”

Health Care Costs and Spending in New York State

New Report: "Health Care Costs and Spending in New York State" New York's health care spending overall and per capita are among the highest in the  nation. The State's health care spending has accelerated over time and is projected  to further increase in coming years, outpacing both inflation and overall economic  growth. A new NYSHealth-funded chart book, "Health Care Costs and Spending in New  York State," pulls together a compendium of information on health care costs,  spending, and payments based on existing State and national research. Prepared by  Health Management Associates, the slides in this online chart book synthesize a wide  range of data into an easy-to-use resource that covers the impact of rising costs,  drivers of spending growth, variations in spending, and the relationship between  quality of care and spending. It illustrates trends over time, highlights regional variations  within the State, and contrasts New York with the nation and other states. Readers  are encouraged to download and use these slides in their own presentations. Access the chart book.

Get the tools you need with Idealware's seminars

		February 2014 Upcoming Idealware Training We've heard your requests loud and clear: You want more toolkits and courses. We're happy to oblige--and with a little effort, we've already kicked off one course with two more already coming up before spring has even sprung. Our courses all run from three to 10 weeks, depending on the topic, and are designed to take you from the beginning of a project all the way through to the end by covering everything you'll need to know along the way. We know that the keys to success include learning practical strategies, real examples, and personalized advice derived from experience, and our toolkit courses combine all of this support into one neat package. Just last week, we kicked off From Audit to Redesign: The Complete Nonprofit Website Toolkit. If you're curious about what one of our "toolkit" courses looks like, this one's a great example. Because there are a lot of steps to consider when it comes to redesigning your website--and many avenues you can take to accomplish them--we give you everything you need to make informed decisions about your website in one course, whether you're making a few tweaks or doing a complete overhaul. Although The Nonprofit Website Toolkit is now in its second week, it's not too late to sign up. As with all of our toolkits, every session is recorded, so you can catch up and review whenever you want and as often as you want. This particular course is 10 weeks long, so you still have plenty of time. We have several more toolkit courses (and a few shorter webinars) coming up to meet your tech training needs. If you've never taken a class with Idealware, we think the toolkits are a great place to start. You really get to know our trainers, and you walk away feeling like an expert, with a finished product to show for your time. back to top New Course: The Social Media Policy Toolkit February 19 to March 5As social media transparency and two-way conversations become the norm, many nonprofits are racing to develop social media policies that govern who does what, what's OK (and not OK) to say on behalf of the organization, and how to handle sticky situations. But even more than legislating these details, the process of creating such a policy can help you and other leaders in your organization engage in important discussions that will mature your organizational culture and better position you to take advantage of the tools and opportunities at your disposal. In this new course based on our popular Nonprofit Social Media Policy Workbook, we'll explore why the process is as important as the product, how to make these conversations productive and strategic (and maybe even fun), and why a social media policy is an important milestone of digital maturity. We’ll spend an entire hour on each of the following topics: responding to comments (especially negative ones) and personal voice vs. professional voice. Throughout this course, we’ll rely heavily on conversations and examples to help you create a policy that fits your organization. EveryWednesday, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST, $95. Read More or Register>>> Want to learn more about this course? Check out the short promotional video we just posted here: http://youtu.be/nk6ZkHMrCio New Course: Mastering Your Mix: A Practical Approach to Integrated Communications March 19 to April 16Between more traditional channels of communications like direct mail, email, and newsletters, and all the new channels you’ve adopted—like social media, multimedia, and blogs—there’s a lot to think about when it comes to your organization’s messaging. How do you create and maintain a consistent voice across so many channels? How do you coordinate your various communications to work in tandem rather than competing, engaging constituents and inspiring them to take action rather than confusing, overwhelming, or annoying them? This brand new course is the perfect complement to our popular publication, A Practical Guide to Integrated Communications: A Workbook for Nonprofits. Over five weeks, we will help you to define your categories of communications, explore their roles in your messaging, and assess your current state of effectiveness before walking you through the planning, scheduling, and implementation stages. Along the way, you’ll learn to measure the response you’re getting to adapt your techniques for better results, and ultimately learn to holistically integrate your communications. Every Wednesday, 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST, $200.Read More or Register>>> Single Seminars Thursday, February 20 - Getting Beyond the Like: Social Media EngagementPeople “like” you, but what is that actually doing to support your organization’s bottom line? We’ll talk critically about how you can move constituents up a ladder of engagement from a simple “like” to actually get them to do something for your organization. Sign a petition, attend an event, join a movement and yes, even donate—it’s possible to get your constituents to do all of these things as a result of social media actions, but it’s not easy. Armed with case studies, industry research and plain old common sense and experience, we’ll work together to recalibrate your social media mindset in order to provide more value and cultivate a deeper commitment. 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST, $40.00. Read More or Register>>> In Person, Portland, Maine: Wednesday, March 5 - Tech and Donuts: Practicing Practical Program EvaluationFunders need evaluations that demonstrate how you're meeting your stated outcomes, but gathering the proper data can be complicated. However, all organizations should be able to know how they’re doing. We’ll walk through how you can evaluate your programs by showing what data might already "live" in your systems, presenting a practical approach to measure outcomes, and giving you strategies to grasp the effectiveness of your organization's programs. In this new spin on the Maine 501 Tech Club, which we’re affectionately calling “Tech & Donuts,” we’ll talk about our perspective on program evaluation, and why it’s so important. Having worked onUnderstanding Software for Program Evaluationand The Reality of Measuring Human Service Programs: Results of a Survey in the last six months, program evaluation is a topic near and dear to Idealware’s collective hearts, and we look forward to hearing your experiences. As an added incentive, we’ll be bringing donuts and coffee from Little Bigs in South Portland, another favorite of Idealware, to help you get through the second half of your work week. This is a casual meet-up at our office in Portland, Maine, and we encourage you to bring a friend or fellow nonprofit staffer, and meet some of the folks from Idealware in person. 8:00 - 9:30 AM EST, FREE. Read More or Register>>> Thursday, March 6 - FREE: 10 Ways to Integrate Your Communications You know that you should integrate your communications, but how do you get started? How do you take different channels with different audiences and allow them to shine individually while creating a cohesive voice for your organization? Let us help you with 10 steps that can get you going in the right direction. When we released A Practical Guide to Integrated Communications: A Workbook for Nonprofits, we were very pleased by the response. However, integrated communications is a dense, often confusing subject, which requires a little extra time upfront to get moving in the right direction. In this class, we’ll go over ten of the most straightforward, bang for the buck steps you can take to start making your communications work together for the biggest impact. 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST, FREE. Read More or Register>>> Thursday, March 20 - Getting Started with Email Fundraising Fundraising via email requires an understanding of a number of different elements--designing an email campaign, writing an email, avoiding spam filters, broadcast email tools, online donation tools, and more. We'll walk through what you'll need to know to design your own email fundraising campaign. 1:00 - 2:30 PM EST, $40.00. Read More or Register>>> Check out our website for even more great online training: www.idealware.org/online-training 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 | One Pleasant Street, Suite 4E | Portland ME | 04101

New Guide Helps Funders Adopt a Transparency Mindset

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Cheryl Loe Communications Project Manager The Foundation Center (888) 356-0354 ext. 701 communications@ foundationcenter.org	Catherine Lennon Communications Director European Foundation Centre +32 2 508 3075 clennon@efc.be
New Guide Helps Funders Adopt a Transparency Mindset Philanthropists Indicate That Openness Leads to More Effective Social Change in "Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparency" New York, NY — February 6, 2014. As funders face an increasing demand by the nonprofit sector, the public, and governments to be more transparent, a new GrantCraft guide released today in collaboration with Glasspockets provides practical advice for funders to publicly share various aspects of their operations, work, and knowledge. Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparencypresents real-world case studies that demonstrate the value of foundation transparency in strengthening credibility, improving grantee relationships, facilitating greater collaboration, increasing public trust, reducing duplication of effort, and building communities of shared learning. The guide joins a growing collection of resources published by GrantCraft, a joint service of the New York-based Foundation Center and Brussels-based European Foundation Centre that taps the practical wisdom of funders to develop free resources for the philanthropy sector. "The research we conducted for this guide demonstrates that funders who openly communicate about their work are finding it to be a win-win strategy," said Jen Bokoff, director of GrantCraft at the Foundation Center. "Grantees, funding partners, the public, and philanthropy professionals themselves all benefit when foundations make their work and their knowledge broadly accessible." A commitment to transparency means a foundation is making available information on aspects of its work, including past grants awarded, the grantee selection process, performance assessments, and strategy documents. In addition to web sites, foundations are also employing social media, video, conferences, publications, and other media to share knowledge about their work. Funders profiled in the guide listed many benefits of transparency, such as gaining efficiencies in time, receiving better and more appropriate grant proposals, and increasing effectiveness based on feedback loops and greater awareness of peer efforts. Other key insights in the report include: Seventy-five percent of survey respondents reported observing an increased demand for funder transparency over the past five years. Numerous interviews with funders and an analysis of blog posts and survey responses indicate that true transparency comes down to a mindset, one in which funders believe they are most effective when they approach all aspects of their work by saying "let's publicly share this." While transparency can be challenging for many reasons, including limited staff time and potential vulnerability, funders interviewed agree that sharing what they know and creating space for dialogue are essential to accelerating change. The guide is divided into five sections, each of which addresses a key aspect of transparency: sharing grantee data, sharing performance assessments, improving relationships, improving the practice of philanthropy, and recognizing opportunities for connecting. Each section explores transparency with funder stories, a list of challenges, action steps, and discussion questions. The guide does not advocate for a "one-size-fits-all" approach, but rather, uses qualitative research to show how each foundation can determine a level of transparency for itself that is appropriate, beneficial, and part of an ongoing process. The guide is based on an international scan of the field, and one of the real-life examples comes from South Africa: Jason Hudson, the Shuttleworth Foundation's chief information officer sums up its strategy as follows: "We have a mildly aggressive obsession with being transparent. We open up our financials and share our planning, learning, and relationships as we go along. It's not easy and, at times, quite uncomfortable, but by doing this, we hope to have partners who come with better ideas, offer improvements, and even run with things on their own. That's what we want." Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparency is complemented by online components, including podcasts and the complete results of the transparency survey. Knowledge tools on the Foundation Center's newly-redesigned Glasspockets web site help foundations incorporate transparency activities into everyday practice, and an ongoing conversation can be found at theTransparency Talk blog. The Glasspockets site is also home to a new videothat makes the case for foundations to be transparent, as well as an infographicthat reveals trends with foundations and social media. Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparency and related resources were funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It can be downloaded for free atwww.grantcraft.org/transparency. About the Foundation Center Established in 1956, the Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit the Center's web site each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and at more than 470 Funding Information Network locations nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call (212) 620-4230. About the European Foundation Centre The European Foundation Centre, founded in 1989, is an international membership association representing public-benefit foundations and corporate funders active in philanthropy in Europe, and beyond. The Centre develops and pursues activities in line with its four key objectives: creating an enabling legal and fiscal environment; documenting the foundation landscape; building the capacity of foundation professionals; and promoting collaboration, both among foundations and between foundations and other actors. Emphasising transparency and best practice, all members sign up to and uphold the European Foundation Centre Principles of Good Practice. For more information, please visit www.efc.be. View Press Releases The Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230

Nonprofit Knowledge Matters | Perspectives on Nonprofit Leadership

Vision: Looking Back to Look Forward by Tim Delaney Most people know that the transitional month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings who looked both backwards and forwards at the same time. But how many of us know about the power of the Janus Effect? I certainly didn’t, until reading a brilliant book, The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. In it, the authors recount the Janus Effect research that can help nonprofits. Corporate CEOs were divided into two groups and asked to: “think of things that might (or will) happen to you in the future” and “think of things that have happened to you in the past.” In answering the questions participants were to list 10 events, attaching dates to each event. But the order of questions was switched. Group A was asked to think of the future first; Group B to think of the past first. When comparing results, CEOs in Group B – which first thought of the past – consistently envisioned twice as far into the future than those in Group A that looked at the future first. Since reading The Leadership Challenge many years ago, I’ve enjoyed tapping into the power of the Janus Effect in various ways that you can use, too. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. In fact, here’s how our staff at the National Council of Nonprofits recently invoked the power of looking to the past to sharpen our view of the future.

Lead In! by Jennifer Chandler In the popular book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, Sandberg urges aspiring leaders to “believe in yourself,” “give it your all,” and never doubt your ability to navigate conflicts between your personal and professional lives. By doing this Sandberg believes you can rise to a leadership position, and once there, make changes that will benefit others who come after you. While it may not be her primary message, she asserts that it is a leader’s obligation to leave the workplace a better place for those who follow. While spending a day with nonprofit leaders recently, I was reminded of Sandberg’s assertion. We were going through the familiar process of identifying challenges and opportunities for a SWOT analysis, when the discussion settled somewhat uncomfortably on the challenge of succession planning as a widespread challenge that no one wants to talk about, but everyone worries about. ​With the candor often shared by executive directors who are relieved to find themselves with peers, bonding over shared war stories, succession planning was described as “the one issue NONE of my board members will look in the eye” and “the biggest, baddest vulnerability we face.” Stories were shared about the death of a founder, leaving an organization in such chaos it almost closed its doors; the challenges of cross-training an organization with only three staff members; and the risks of being the one to raise the issue if you actually plan to stay in your job. It was clear that for this group of leaders, succession planning touched a raw nerve.  Read on for more leadership insights

Clean up! To start off the New Year with a clean slate, or at least a clean database, we invited Steven Shattuck ofBloomerang to share with us his tips on, “3 Ways to Clean Up Your Donor Database in 2014.” Your donor database is a living, breathing ecosystem. Contained within are thousands of individual needs, expectations and passions. Tapping into the unique giving personas of your donors is impossible when your database consists of one giant lump of donors, each of whom receive the same letter template via one communication channel. Those fundraisers who have mastered segmentationare able to communicate on an individual level, unlocking the true potential of every donor in their database. You can do it too, and the beginning of the year is a great time to get started. Read on for three ways to clean up your donor database for 2014