Charitable Advisors

We all struggle to get our organizations noticed. Here are some tips from NYC PR pro, Sharon FensterA public-relations executive's greatest challenge is to help her organization stand out from the crowd, to get the editor's attention, to keep it and to translate it into ink. Believe it or not,...

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In Cincinnati, we have almost 1600 weekly subscribers. In Indianapolis, where we have been publishing since 2001, we are past 9500 weekly subscribers. Over these years, we have sent millions of informative e-mails – to help fill thousands of nonprofit job openings, promote thousands of training events, and share successes...

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Glasspockets.orgHow does the foundation of the 21st century achieve transparency? Does it post a searchable grants database at its web site? Does it use Twitter or Facebook to distribute news about its program priorities? At www.glasspockets.org, a web site launched February 1 by the Foundation Center, foundations that have taken...

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Several years ago, a foundation client of mine sent me to a national conference of foundations where I met the President and CEO of the Durfee Foundation in California. Durfee's primary capacity building/leadership development strategy was a well-planned sabbatical for the CEO that forced the leader to delegate and grow...

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Which of these would have the greatest impact on your ability to do your work and serve your clients, patrons, or consumers? We are excited to announce NPower Indiana's new Tech Angel Awards, which will grant over $60,000 in products and services to three Indiana nonprofits next month. The application...

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Share your experienceAt the BoardSource Conference last November, Jane and I met Mary Hiland, LCSW, PhD, a board researcher and consultant from California who was in the midst of researching how boards improve their operation or “get better”. At that time, she had already interviewed more than 20 board and...

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I always feel a bit more reflective as one year ends and a new year begins. This year, in particular, has varied from very difficult to very different for most of us. For 2010, I am grateful to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Charitable Advisors and our capacity-building work...

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I have exciting news to share that I believe will be of interest to our Indiana readers as we continue our efforts to support the nonprofit community. I launched the Cincinnati Not-for-Profit News in March 2008 after the success of our e-newsletter here in central Indiana. A big key to...

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Last year, 17 non profits and 425 walkers raised over $60,000. Over the past 7 years, close to 100 organizations have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, in total. I have been involved since the 2nd or 3rd year walking for several different organizations. I think of 'Walking for Dreams'...

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The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Indiana 2009 released by the Indiana Institute for Working Families (Institute), a program of the Indiana Community Action Association (IN-CAA), shows that more Hoosiers are lacking the resources needed to meet their basic needs. The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a more meaningful measure of income adequacy compared...

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Several nationally prominent nonprofit thought leaders have partnered with Duke University and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create the Social Impact Exchange. This will be a concerted effort to identify nonprofits and programs that are having real impact and connect them to resources to expand and replicate that impact....

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I’m sure most families have Halloween plans for Saturday, but the IRT has a great family show going on right now - The Giver, based on the popular novel by Lois Lowry. The IRT is offering a special 2-for-1 ticket offer for either the 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. show on...

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A new study tackles the on-going conversation about whether nonprofits can save money and improve services by combining or outsourcing backoffice operations.Small to mid-sized nonprofits have always struggled to meet their needs for the administrative and professional services that support their core program work. Often referred to as “back‐office” needs,...

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Conventional Wisdom Says: To not undermine a new leader's authority--and to allow the organization to develop in new ways--the founder must leave the organization completely when they step down from the top leadership position.Table for Two's Findings Say: While not for most organizations, there are conditions under which a founder...

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While the idea of networks is not new to philanthropy, grantmakers are paying increased attention to the concept. In part, this is thanks to the advent of new technologies that have revolutionized the way we engage with one another. While networking still takes time and resources, connecting across organizational, geographic...

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The Foundation Center is offering a FREE training on effective grantseeking - Fundraising in a Challenging Environment - Monday, 9/14/09, 1:30-3:30pm at Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library. http://foundationcenter.org/cleveland/training/fcaclindianapolis.html...

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If you get through the first few paragraphs of this recent Guidestar.org article there is some useful information about what is important to many of your most prized board members or prospects.“Six recurring themes were identified as the foundation for most issues and solutions: connectivity, no surprises, importance of time,...

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As we head into the fall, it is time for nominating and governance committees to be ramping up for January board member transition. Bridgespan offers some words of wisdom in:A key ingredient to increasing a nonprofit organization's impact in the community it serves is having the right people on the...

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Our own Will Austin, founder of the Institute for Affordable Transportation - B.U.V. in Indianapolis is among the people and organizations profiled in financial expert Jeff Smith’s new book. In “GenerationBIG ~ The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action,” Smith, together with co-authors Tom Ruwitch and Mark Patterson, profiles a number...

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Since their release in 2007 by Independent Sector, the Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice have helped nonprofit organizations across the country reflect on and strengthen their operations. To make it even more practical, here comes the Free Principles Workbook: Steering Your Board Toward Good Governance and Ethical Practice...

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In an entry this past Spring, I posed the question of some nonprofit leaders delaying retirement due to the economic crisis. In my mind, being the Executive Director of a smaller nonprofit is one of the toughest jobs there is. Whether you are 30 years old or 70 years old,...

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Public Allies' mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, non-profits and civic participation The Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (INRC) will receive a $373,453 AmeriCorps grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to partially fund a total of 30 AmeriCorps ‘Public Allies’ members who will support Indianapolis...

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We know we can always count on the professionals at Fieldstone Alliance in Minneapolis for great resources. Toward that end, consultants Tom Triplett and Alexis Cress developed the following list of 20 emergency funding ideas. These are revenue sources that can be accessed quickly—usually within 30 days. Not all of...

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In mid-June, I co-facilitated a conference call for about 20 consultants who provide support to nonprofit organizations going through some type of executive transition – could be retirement, firing, or routine turnover for a better position. These consultants were from across the country and many have been doing this work...

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On June 1-3, 2009 twenty consultants from as far away as Hawaii, gathered at Leadership Ventures in Indianapolis to learn and share about the process of nonprofit executive departures and new executive arrivals. I was honored to serve as the local trainer joining Tim Wolfred and Byron Johnson from CompassPoint...

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