Assessment of the Chief Executive: A Tool for Nonprofit Boards, is an online assessment tool from BoardSource. This tool allows nonprofits to confidentially survey board members and receive summaries of their input on executive performance; it provides an alternative to paper-based surveying. For more information and pricing, contact BoardSource at 877/892-6273 or visit:
Assessment of the Chief Executive Demo for an online demonstration.
Board Self-Assessment: Assess to Advance is an online tool by BoardSource. The tool helps nonprofit boards reflect on how well it they are meeting governance responsibilities, establish a common understanding of those responsibilities, and discover critical areas for improvement. For more information and pricing, contact BoardSource at 877/892-6273 or visit: SAMPLE Board Self-Assessment.
BoardSource Strategic Planning Toolkit BoardSource's new toolkit, Strategic Planning: Understanding the Process, includes 21 tools that guide boards through the strategic planning process and help define the right approach to planning for their nonprofit organization. Topics covered in the toolkit include: Improving board and organization readiness to engage in the strategic planning process, optimizing resources and personnel, and maintaining and nurturing a plan. For more information and to purchase go to: Strategic Planning: Understanding the Process
BoardSource Toolkits BoardSource's popular downloadable toolkits feature advice and practical tips from their library of nonprofit governance materials. Featured Toolkit topics include: Recruiting a Stronger Board, Effective Orientation of New Board Members, Assessing and Supporting the Chief Executive, Fundraising, and Surviving the Financial Crisis. All Toolkits are $25 for Boardsource members or $38 for nonmembers. For more information on these and other Toolkits and to purchase go to: Downloadable E-Toolkits
Building Nonprofit Capacity: A Guide to Managing Change Through Organizational Lifecycles In this book, authors John Brothers, Senior Fellow at the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, and Anne Sherman, of TCC Group, offer help to nonprofit leaders in figuring out how to effectively navigate change within their organizations, no matter how large or small. They use the theory of nonprofit "lifecycle advancement' as a type of change management that can help organizations build capacities that are appropriate to each stage of their organization's evolution. For more information, go to: Downloadable E-Toolkits
California Association of Nonprofits The California
Association of Nonprofits (CAN) is a statewide
membership association of almost 2,000 diverse nonprofit
organizations with a mission to strengthen and expand
the professionalism, governance, influence and
effectiveness of California nonprofit organizations.
For more information: www.canonprofits.org.
Capaciteria Free service designed to help
nonprofits find the best resources to build their
institutional capacity; provides a comprehensive,
searchable database directory of categorized
administrative resources. For more information:
www.capaciteria.org.
Cathay Bank Foundation's mission is to enhance the growth and success of communities where the Bank does business, by providing grants in the areas of Community & Economic Development, Education, Civic & Community, and Health & Welfare. Letters or Inquiry are accepted year round and reviewed on a quarterly basis. For more information and to apply visit their website at www.cathaybank.org.
Center for Healthy Communities The Center is
located in downtown Los Angeles and is part of The
California Endowment. It provides educational
events, hosts community meetings, and works to
strengthen the nonprofit health sector, and engage the
community in building coalitions. For more
information: www.calendow.org/chc.
Center for Nonprofit Management The Center for
Nonprofit Management works to foster healthy
neighborhoods and communities by improving the
performance of Southern California nonprofit
organizations serving underserved populations; provides
seminars for professional development, consulting, a
nonprofit resource library and publications. For
more information: www.cnmsocal.org.
Coaching and Philanthropy Project a CompassPoint Nonprofit Services program, was created to assess and advance coaching as a strategy for building effective nonprofit organizations. To consolidate and share knowledge about coaching, the project has created easy-access materials, including action guides for grantmakers, nonprofits, and coaches as well as an online toolkit that includes FAQs, tools, case studies, and reports to help inform nonprofit and grantmaking decision-making about coaching. To access these materials, go to:
Coaching and Philanthropy Project.
Communications Resources for Nonprofit Organizations is a section of The California Wellness Foundation's website, which examines the role of communications and tactics that can help further the missions of nonprofit organizations. Included are resources on developing a strategic plan, advancing policy and advocacy issues, working with the media, creating advertisements and framing issues. To access this section of the website, go to:
http://www.calwellness.org/resources/communication_resources.htm
http://www.calwellness.org/resources/communication_resources.htm
Community Partners Community Partners is a
nonprofit based in Los Angeles that works as both an
incubator, project manager and intermediary for emerging
nonprofits; website offers a searchable database of
current projects arranged by category and area, with
contact information for each group. For more
information: www.communitypartners.org.
Community Relief Fund In response to the economic crisis and the impact it is having on front-line human service organizations, the Kresge Foundation has established a 24- to 36-month, interest-free program-related investment fund offering bridge loans of $250,000 to $500,000 each to high-performance human service organizations so that they may be better able to meet ever-increasing demand for food, shelter, and other emergency services. Homeless and domestic-violence shelters, safety-net providers, affordable housing and supportive services, legal aid services, emergency assistance providers, and multi-service health and human service organizations are encouraged to apply. For eligibility information and application information go to: http://www.kresge.org/index.php/what/community_relief_fund/.
Downsizing: Doing It Right, While Minimizing the Pain is a new publication by PBP Executive Reports, useful for both businesses and nonprofits, that offers reduction-in-force guidelines and suggestions that can help to minimize the pain of lay-offs while maintaining employee morale. It also covers getting positioned to bounce back when the need for minimizing is over. Advice includes: Specific must-do tasks for 7 critical areas within an organization, setting the selection criteria to avoid legal repercussions, and reduction-in-force pitfalls and how to avoid them. 24 pages, price $99. Instant PDF download delivery. For more information and to order go to:
www.pbpexecutivereports.com/er.asp?O=22S&LDownsizingH
Executive Leadership Study - Daring to Lead In partnership with CompassPoint and the Meyer Foundation, the Center for Nonprofit Management encouraged participation in 2011 Daring to Lead, a national research project to help learn more about the career paths, tenure, challenges and professional development needs of nonprofit executive directors. To view the results of the Daring to Lead survey, go to:
Daring to Lead 2011
Executive Service Corps of Southern California
This organization is devoted to enhancing management
skills in the nonprofit sector through involvement of
retired executives in volunteer consulting service.
For more information: www.escsc.org.
Executive Service Corps of Southern California Consulting Scholarships ESC, which recently co-sponsored with VNR a workshop on fundraising during the recession, provides capacity-building support to nonprofits in the Valley and throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. ESC's consulting services fall into broad categories of operational development (e.g., strategic planning), fund development (e.g., building individual donor support), and leadership development (e.g., board development and staff development). Consultation also can be custom-tailored to meet other needs of nonprofits. All services are offered by dedicated retired/semi-retired executives. The typical client engagement is for twelve months at a cost of $4,000 for the year. ESC currently has scholarships available that would reduce this amount significantly. To learn more about ESC's services and these scholarships, contact Jesus Romero at 213/381-2891 or JRomero@escsc.org
Flintridge Center
Provides continuing education opportunities through the Community Services Program for community-based nonprofit groups so that they may develop greater organizational strength. Integrated program components include seminars, workshops, fundraising resources, one-on-one consultations with nonprofit experts, and Conversation with the Funder lunches. Quality, affordable meeting space with presentation technology is available at the Flintridge Retreat Center 7 days a week and weekday evenings.
For more information: www.flintridge.org.
Flintridge Philanthropy Resource Library
The San Gabriel Valley's only Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center. The collection features more than 1,200 reference materials focused on the nonprofit sector, including fundraising, nonprofit management, board development and program development, as well as a small circulating collection. Four computer workstations offer access to Foundation Directory Online, Wealth Engine, GrantStation and Foundation Grants to Individuals. Staff assistance is always available.
For more information: www.flintridge.org.
Fortifying L.A.'s Nonprofit Organizations: Capacity Building Needs and Services in Los Angeles County is the report of a study commissioned by the Weingart Foundation and conducted by TCC Group. To facilitate discussion about how to respond to the report's findings and recommendations, the Foundation, in partnership with the UCLA Center for Civil Society, will host a convening this Spring for the nonprofit community. Hard copies of the report are available by email request to capacityreport@weingartfnd.org. The full report and its executive summary are also available for download at the Foundation's website, www.weingartfnd.org.
Foundation Center's MapShot is an online interactive map providing data on U.S. foundation giving in response to the economic downturn. Part of the Center's initiative to provide information, news, and research on the impact of the recession on the philanthropic sector, the map displays data by state, county, city, Zip code, and congressional district. It presently includes information on more than $56 million in foundation grants and program-related investments (PRIs).
http://maps.foundationcenter.org/economic_crisis/RecipTypeUS.php.
http://maps.foundationcenter.org/economic_crisis/RecipTypeUS.php.
Foundation for Financial Planning provides grants to nonprofits for pro bono advice and outreach activities that connect the financial planning community with people in need. For more information go to Foundation for Financial Planning.
Foundation Source Access is an online giving marketplace that allows nonprofits to reach out to multiple private foundations for funding. The site is organized around the philanthropic interests and major nonprofit causes targeted by the foundation world. Nonprofits create profiles in Access for their organizations and for their fundraising projects. There is a small fee to list fund raising projects in the Access directory. To register to use Foundation Source Access, please visit Register for Foundation Source Access or for more information, please contact access@foundationsource.com
Govern More, Manage Less is a new book just released by Boardsource, designed for chief executives and board members. Author Cathy Trower suggests actions that will help boards balance their responsibilities and understand how to practice macrogovernance and avoid micromanagement, despite increasing demands for procedural accountability. She provides guidance on how to shift the board's central focus from management to governance, from compliance to performance. For a description of the book, to view the Table of Contents and Introduction and/or to purchase it, go to: Govern More, Manage Less.
Grant Professionals Association This nonprofit membership association holds annual conferences, publishes a semi-annual journal, and works to establish a formal credentialing process for grant professionals. For more information, go to:
Grant Professionals Association
Grant Professionals Association
Grants for Capacity Building, Management & Technical Assistance 2010 is a publication helpful for identifying prospective funders for general support or specific projects of nonprofits. Published by the Foundation Center, it has descriptions of over 12,000 grants worth almost $2.5 billion from over 900 foundations. It includes grants for fundraising assistance, developing marketing plans, leadership development and staff training, etc. For more information and to purchase the guide, go to:
Grants for Capacity Building, Management & Technical Assistance
Grants for Capacity Building, Management & Technical Assistance
H & R Block Company's Affiliate Program allows nonprofits to earn money by referring customers to H&R Block. As Block's affiliate, an H&R Block-approved link to hrblock.com is placed onto the affiliate's own website. When users click on the link or banner and purchase online or software tax solutions the affiliate makes money. H & R Block handles the transaction, processing and customer service. They track all sales through a neutral third party and make online reporting available to the affiliate so it can always know how much is being earned. H & R Block mails a check for every calendar month in which the cumulative commissions total at least $25. For more details and/or to fill in an application go to: www.hrblock.com/universal/alliances_join.html
Help A Reporter Out (HARO) provides a chance for nonprofits to get free publicity. Founded in 2008 by Peter Shankman, HARO brings nearly 30,000 reporters and bloggers, over 100,000 news sources and thousands of small businesses and nonprofits together to tell their stories, promote their brands and sell their products and services. HARO is entirely free to sources and reporters, and unlike a majority of social media services, is independently owned and funded and has been profitable since day one. In addition, HARO serves as a vital social networking resource for sources, reporters and advertisers who use the service. To learn more, or to sign up and participate, go to: Help a Reporter Out - Free Publicity.
IssueLab Forum for Nonprofit Research IssueLab is an online publishing forum for research on the nonprofit sector. All research studies posted are on an open archive that is free for professional as well as the general public to access. For more information: www.issuelab.org.
LEF Foundation provides grants averaging between $2,000 and $5,000 for arts and culture projects primarily in California, Hawaii, and New Mexico. Focus areas include: Architecture & Restoration, Film, Performing Arts & Visual Art, and Environment & Community Needs. Letters of Inquiry are accepted year round and reviewed on a quarterly basis. For more information go to:
www.lef-foundation.org.
LA Fellows is a program of Los Angeles Valley College's Job Training Department. , is It provides unemployed individuals with career training, networking, and volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits while they seek full time employment. The program is seeking nonprofit organizations interested in hosting an LA Fellow. Organizations interested in participating should be able to effectively use a highly skilled, mid-manager level individual in a project- based role. The application deadline is March 21st. For more information and to obtain an application, please call 818/947-2941 or e-mail deutchag@lavc.edu
Maddie's Fund provides grants to support adoption of shelter dogs and cats and build a no-kill nation. It offers starter grants to build local coalitions developing their infrastructure, community collaborative grants for animal welfare organizations and veterinarians that save all healthy dogs and cats, lifesaving awards that recognize established adoption guarantee and no-kill communities, veterinary medicine grants for the development of shelter medicine programs, and medical equipment grants to provide medical equipment funds to adoption-guarantee shelters that employ at least one full-time veterinarian. For more information go to Maddie's Fund.
New Purchasing Options for Nonprofit Organizations Every nonprofit organization needs basic office supplies and business services. The Nonprofit Purchasing Group (NPPG) just launched a website to provide a one-stop discounted shopping experience for nonprofits across the nation. Members receive easy and discounted access to supplies and services from all types of business vendors. For more information, go to: www.nonprofitpurchasinggroup.org
Nonprofit Finance Fund provides financing, consulting, and advocacy services to nonprofits and funders nationwide, and now has an office in Los Angeles, where it operates a Nonprofit Sustainability and Effectiveness Initiative in Los Angeles (detailed on the NFF website). For more information, contact the Los Angeles director, Karla Salazar, at karla.salazar@nffusa.org or visit NFF's website:
www.nonprofitfinancefund.org.
www.nonprofitfinancefund.org.
Nonprofit Job Seeker, the job board for the Nonprofit Times, provides listings of nonprofit jobs nationwide as well resources for nonprofit job seekers and employers. For more information go to www.nonprofitjobseeker.com.
Nonprofit Webinars provides educational and professional development offerings for trustees and staffs of nonprofit organizations. This site offers a wide variety of presentations free of charge on a number of topics, including advancement, governance, management, organizational development, and other areas. For more information and to view the webinar schedule go to: Nonprofit Webinars.
The Nonprofit Workforce Coalition is a national campaign to recruit, prepare and retain a skilled and diverse next-generation of nonprofit sector leadership that is part of American Humanics. It is comprised of nonprofit organizations, associations, foundations and academic centers focused on identifying and addressing issues facing the nonprofit sector workforce. The campaign also offers an e-newsletter with updates on all activities, including research and conferences. For more information, call Stephen Bauer at 816-551-6415 X108 or email him at steve.bauer@humanics.org. To access the website, go to: Nonprofit Workforce Coalition.
The Operating Reserves Policy Toolkit for Nonprofit Organizations is now available to serve as a technical reference for nonprofit board and staff policy committees, as well as their financial consultants and professionals that wish to build operating reserves policies for their organizations. The two lead sponsors on the project are the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy of The Urban Institute, and the United Way Worldwide. For additional information, please e-mail Bess Hamilton Foley at: BessfromNORI@gmail.com
Philanthropic Capacity Building Resources PCBR is a
free, searchable database containing 398 descriptions
for capacity-building grantmaking and direct programs of
U.S. foundations, as well as 22 profiles of intermediary
organization programs. The PCBR Database is sited
on the Human Interaction Research Institute’s website,
www.humaninteract.org/reports/pcbrdatabase.asp.
Product Donations Available for Nonprofit Organizations Good360.org is a project operated by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. Its mission and purpose is to redistribute merchandise donations from participating corporations to nonprofits serving people in need. Goods range from clothing to diapers, mattresses and furniture to office and school supplies, to personal hygiene products and beyond. Inventory changes every day. To register and participate, go to: www.good360.org
Roster of Needs Assessment Tools This roster
contains 18 self-assessment tools nonprofits may use as
part of planning for capacity building. Information on
cost, level of complexity (low-medium-high) and
estimated time to complete are included for each. Most
can be used by any type of nonprofit, though a few were
constructed specifically for one subject area, such as
the arts (titles indicate clearly which these are).
Users can find out more about a tool by clicking on its
title, which makes a connection to the developer's
website. For more information:
www.dsyf.org/resources_CBI.asp.
Shared Services: A Guide to Creative Collaborative Solutions for Nonprofits is the first comprehensive guide for nonprofit executives looking to create shared services programs. Written by Jackie Cefola of Third Sector New England's Nonprofit Center, China Brotsky of Tides and Roxanne Hanson of The NonprofitCenters Network, the guide is based on interviews with executives of shared services programs and knowledge gathered through field research across the United States and Canada. From simple equipment sharing to complex multi-service operations, this guide provides the roadmap to create a successful program. To download free sample pages and to order a copy of the guide go to: Shared Services: A Guide to Collaborative Solutions for Nonprofits.
Southern California Grantmakers This organization provides information, networking and technical
assistance for foundations in Southern California.
For more information: www.socalgrantmakers.org.
TCC Group’s Core Capacity Assessment Tool CCAT is
an online questionnaire that assesses a nonprofit based
on four organizational capacities: adaptive, leadership,
management and technical. It also assesses
organizational culture. The 146-question tool generates
a list of strengths, challenges and recommendations of
the organization, based on replies from staff and board.
In addition, it yields a capacity-building plan, with
steps an organization can implement on its own or with
outside help. For more information about
CCAT, contact Alexandrea Ravenelle at 212/949-0990, ext.
202 or via e-mail.
Third Sector Report is a website in partnership with the Long Beach Business Journal as part of its mission to foster a continuity of quality nonprofit leadership in the communities served. On that website are several columns written by Jeffrey Wilcox, as well as accessibility to other publications including a book, also written by Wilcox, titled The Nonprofit Leader Of The New Decade. In order to access the materials it is necessary to register, sign in and pay a fee. To learn more and to access the web site go to:
http://www.thirdsectorreport.org/.
Third Sector New England (TNSE) is a nonprofit management support/capacity building organization based in Boston. TNSE has created free online reference tools including a frequently asked questions section in audio-video format on a variety of capacity building and nonprofit management topics. For more information visit their video blog at: http://tsne.wordpress.com/category/vlog/.
Turn Reluctant Board Members into Enthusiastic Fundraisers is aimed at nonprofit board members who are reluctant to ask for money for their organizations. The report offers 10 steps to maximize a board's fundraising potential, especially during the current hard times. It also discusses how to shift the focus away from the "ask" to building and keeping relationships, and explains how to make fundraising more comfortable and enjoyable. Cost for an immediate PDF download of the report is $99. To order go to: www.pbpexecutivereports.com/er.asp?o=72W&F=A&L=fundraise1&id=537803766
"We Are Family Too" Fund supports local animal welfare programs nationwide and addresses the country's difficult financial climate. Grants are available through the Petco Foundation, whose mission is to raise the quality of life for pets and the people who love and need them. Grants are provided to shelters that have seen an increase in surrendered animals due to the rise in foreclosures and evictions, as well as to organizations that have programs that help families in their communities stay with their companion animals during these hard economic times. Examples of funded programs include resources for pet-friendly rentals, spay and neuter services, short term foster homes, etc. Applications may be submitted at any time and generally take up to twelve weeks to process. To submit an online application for help, go to: "We Are Family Too" Fund.
Weingart Foundation Core Operating Support For an undetermined period of time, the Foundation's core support grants will be available for organizations that have been impacted by the recession that began in 2008. Core support is unrestricted funding that enables an organization to carry out its mission. Priority will be given to organizations whose primary mission is delivery of safety net services and infant, child or youth development programs for at-risk and economically disadvantaged populations. Priority also will be given to organizations that have eliminated core staff positions and/or reduced core program services due to funding reductions; and that are financially viable, evidence strong management and resource development capacity, and operate effective programs. For more information, go to www.weingartfnd.org
