All of the resources in VNR’s on-line library are free of charge and can be downloaded either directly from this site or from our link to another website.
Annual State of San Fernando Valley Nonprofit Sector Report A brief report on the nonprofit sector in the Valley is produced each year by VNR. The 2008 report features findings from a recent UCLA Center for Civil Society research study. A free copy is downloaded from 2008 State of San Fernando Valley Nonprofit Sector (28KB PDF).
Communicating Your Organization's Culture to Job Candidates offers nonprofits suggestions for how to help potential new staff understand and fit into an organization's culture as well as do the job. The article can help a nonprofit determine its organizational particular culture, communicate that information to potential employees, develop a job announcement/posting, interview candidates and extend an offer. To access the article: www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1177
Crossing Borders, Sharing Journeys Lead Writer: Sarah Gleason. Publisher: Fieldstone Alliance. This report
outlines seven broad factors found to contribute to
effective capacity building with immigrant and refugee
lead organizations (IRLOs). Case studies illustrate
practices used when working with IRLOs and highlights
principles that other capacity builders can apply when
working with similar groups. A print copy can be ordered from Fieldstone (cost: $15.00 plus shipping), or a free copy may be downloaded from Crossing Borders, Sharing Journeys (1.5MB PDF).
Deeper Capacity Building for Greater Impact: Designing a Long-term Initiative to Strengthen a Set of Nonprofit Organizations Author: Paul Connolly, 2007. This paper,
funded by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation,
explains how to design a long-term capacity-building
initiative. It is written primarily for funders,
including foundations or corporate community
involvement departments. The article may be downloaded from Deeper Capacity Building for Greater Impact (2MB PDF).
The Facebook Philanthropos: How much giving do online contests and networks really generate? Author: Georgia Levenson Keohane. Nonprofits increasingly are using “social
networking” approaches to reach potential donors, and
some have sponsored online contests to draw in
donations. This article from Slate Magazine discusses
how these approaches are created and how well they work.
The article may be read online at: The Facebook Philanthropos.
Good Practices for Nonprofit Board Governance The California State Board of Equalization's 2008 conference for Valley Nonprofits included this session on board governance. The session's handout presents a variety of tips and information resources on how to set up and run a good nonprofit board of directors. A free copy may be downloaded from
Good Practices for Nonprofit Board Governance (19KB PDF).
Hanging Together: Capacity Building and Collaboration in Tough Times Recent research was presented at this presentation to the Glendale Healthier Community Coalition about how to keep collaborations alive and well, including sustainability and evaluation approaches. The session handout also includes a brief presentation of strategies for raising funds in tough times. Each section includes resources for further learning. A free copy may be downloaded from Hanging Together: Capacity Building and Collaboration in Tough Times (16KB PDF).
Latino MFG—Involving Spanish-Speaking Families in Mental Health Services (forthcoming) A manual is being
developed for implementing the Multifamily Group (MFG)
program, culturally adapted and in Spanish, to involve
families in services for an adolescent mentally ill
family member. It will be available in 2010, after
pilot testing in public mental health agencies in the
San Fernando Valley. A project overview may be downloaded from Latino MFG Project Overview (13KB PDF).
Lessons from the Field: Improving the Grantee Experience at the David and Lucile Foundation This report
describes how the Packard Foundation, one of America’s
largest philanthropies, developed and implemented
“Grantee Experience Standards,” a set of criteria for
high-quality interactions and clear communications
between grantmaker and grantee. A free copy may be downloaded from Lessons from the Field (1.4MB PDF).
MENDing Poverty Conference Newspaper Articles. Feature coverage of the June 18, 2008 MENDing Poverty conference was provided in articles by Susan Abram in the Daily News and by Paula Doyle in The Tidings.
MENDing Poverty Conference Outcomes Report summarizes activities at the June 18, 2008 MENDing Poverty Conference, held at MEND and co-sponsored by VNR. The conference was a success, attended by more than 150 people. The report includes links to two newspaper articles about the conference, and to a handout about Millennials and the nonprofit sector from one of the major conference presentations. A free copy may be downloaded from MENDing Poverty Conference Outcomes Report. (18KB PDF).
Millennial Strategy Program This PowerPoint provides an overview of facts and figures about the emerging Milliennial generation, which have many implications for the nonprofit sector. It was part of a workshop at the June 2008 MENDing Poverty conference, led by Jack MacKenzie, Executive Vice President of Frank N. Magid Associates and head of its Sherman Oaks-based office. A free copy may be downloaded from Millennial Strategy Program (2,737 KB PDF).
New Ways to Strengthen Nonprofits This workshop at the California Association of Nonprofits 2008 Annual Conference focused on cost-effective and creative approaches to capacity building that can help keep nonprofits strong, especially when resources are as limited as they are now. It featured four innovative capacity-building programs, including one sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation, each described briefly in this resource document. A free copy may be downloaded from New Ways to Strengthen Nonprofits (169KB PDF).
Planning for the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leadership This workshop, co-sponsored by the Valley Care Community Consortium, highlighted challenges of leadership transition faced by Valley health and human service nonprofits. One workshop handout provides information about executive director and board transition management, and about characteristics of young nonprofit staff. A free copy may be downloaded from Planning for the Next Generation Handout 1 (21KB PDF). A second handout is in the form of a PowerPoint, with detailed information on transition challenges and strategies, including a description of "executive transition management," to obtain a free copy by e-mail, contact VNR and request Planning for the Next Generation Handout 2.
Raising the Bar—Involving Families in Mental Health Services (forthcoming) A set of resource materials is being developed for implementing the Multifamily Group
(MFG) program to involve families in services for adult
mentally ill family members. These materials will
be available in 2009, after implementation in mental
health agencies throughout the San Fernando Valley. A free copy may be downloaded from Raising the Bar (13KB PDF).
Resource Directory for Nonprofit Capacity Building in Los Angeles The fifth edition of this Directory
(May 2008) offers a starting place to identify
individuals and organizations providing
capacity-building services and resources to nonprofit
organizations in Los Angeles County. It provides
information on Consultants, Foundations, Grantseeker Information Centers, Human Resource
Provider Organizations, Information Centers, Management
Support Organizations, Nonprofit Management Higher
Education Programs, Nonprofit Resource Centers in
Surrounding Counties, Technology Resources and Volunteer
Centers. Contact and brief descriptive information
is provided. A free copy may be downloaded from Resource Directory (88KB PDF).
Resource Guide for Writing Successful Proposals: A First Course for Young Nonprofit Leaders describes a number of resources that can help nonprofit staff or boards learn how to write effective proposals for public or private funders. This brief document was created for a September 3, 2008 VNR "lunch and learn" workshop. A free copy may be downloaded from Resource Guide (70KB PDF).
What Science and Common Sense Say About Collaboration
and Sustainability This handout presents science-based
principles about collaboration and sustainability,
presented in a keynote speech by VNR Executive Director
Thomas E. Backer, PhD to the 2007 annual conference of
the Valley Community Care Consortium. A set of
readings for further exploration of these topics also is
provided. A free copy may be downloaded from VCCC Speech (19KB PDF).
Workshop on Capacity Building for Small Family Foundations—Resources Information resources are
provided in this workshop handout to help smaller
foundations in the Valley get stronger and meet their
philanthropic goals. A free copy may be downloaded from Workshop on Capacity Building for Small Family Foundations—Resources (33KB PDF).
Workshop on Board Governance and Development—Resources Information resources are provided in this workshop handout about operating a board efficiently and recruiting new board members. A free copy may be downloaded from Workshop on Board Governance and Development (14KB PDF).
