Common Ground - 2016 Spring

common ground

Spring 2016

North Carolina Center for Nonprofits | Spring 2016

The ideal board member is committed to your organizations mission and suc-cess, connected in the community, and talented in their field. Where do you find these incredible folks and how do you keep them engaged once they begin serv-ing? Heres what some of the states most experienced board leaders say is the secret to success for finding and recruit-ing great board members.

Identify the gapsBefore recruiting new members, it

is essential for the board nominating committee and staff to understand the boards current composition and what its needs are, rather than talking about people in terms of their availability and interest, said Tog Newman of Winston-Salem, a past chair of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, NC Arts Council, and South Arts, among others.

Consider using an assessment matrix that details the skills and strengths of each board member and the areas the board needs to address and fill. Include gender, race, geographic diversity, and any other relevant criteria to help ensure your board reflects the community you serve. A sense of humor and follow through are also important.

Always be recruitingKeep an ongoing file of prospective

nominees, whether or not its recruit-ment season at your nonprofit. Tog emphasizes that in addition to recording the name of the prospect, include the name of the person who recommended them. Both board and staff should keep an active prospect file to which names can be added throughout the year.

Know who your friends arePeople who have had a positive

experience with your nonprofit either through a volunteer experience or by participating in a program or event can be another pool of potential board members. People whove demonstrated an interest in and understanding of your organization have the potential to be really strong board members, said Scott Wierman, President of The Winston-Salem Foundation, who has served on numerous boards, including as chair of the Center.

The most effective board members are often those who participate with the organization other than as board mem-bers to learn the organization and what its day-to-day and bigger picture needs are, said Scott.

Do your homeworkThe work of the

nominating committee is important because its securing the future leadership for your organization. Thats all the more reason to do your homework to ensure youve got the right people on board.

Trisha Lester, act-ing president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, said After our nominations

committee identifies potential board can-didates, we get on the phone and learn more about them. Committee members or staff have confidential conversations with ED/CEOs to learn what kind of board members they were. Were they just resume builders, or did they do what they committed to and follow through? And, its not just one conversation, but a couple about each prospective candi-date.

Dont soft-sell the job Once youve chosen the people you

want to invite to sere, its important to be upfront about what their responsibili-ties will be if they decide to serve. This also means telling them that your board is not an honorary board; its a work-ing board, said Dr. Loleta Wood Foster, President of Assessment, Counseling, and Consulting and a former Center board member.

You need to let them know as clearly as possible what the expectations of them are as board members, she contin-ued, and also let them know why youre interested in them being a board mem-ber, and what it is they bring to the table.

Communicating these responsibilities orally is just the first step. You need a thorough and honest job description of what the organization is expecting so that there arent any misunderstandings down the road, said Scott.

Board members appreciate the detail and accountability, as well. From an ac-countability role, as a member of a board,

CONTINUED PG. 10

A Good Board Member Doesnt Have to Be Hard to Find

People who have had a positive experience with your nonprofit through a volunteer experience or by participating in a program or event make for a great pool of potential board members.

Photo: www.semble.com/media/7869ae20-1ff8-4570-b92f-814d194f9833

Nonprofits at a Crossroads 2016 Conference, Sept 21-23 2Culture Is As Important As Dollars 3Thank You for Telling It Like It Is 4Meet our Newest Money-Saving Partner 5

New Overtime Rules 7

How Are Nonprofit Jobs Faring? 7Survival Tips for Emerging Leaders 8

Win Gold for Your Election Efforts 11Avoid Landmines in Advertising Sales 12The Collaborative Nonprofit 12Succession Planning Is Sound Risk Management 13Good Stuff Free (or Almost) 13Digital Detox for a Day 15New Members and Sustainers 16


Nonprofits at a CrossroadsSeptember 21-23

Common GroundEditor Joye Hodges

Graphic dEsiGnEr Caroline McDowell

contributorsBridgette Burge, Sarah Easley, Cynthia Gibson, Ally Grif-fioen, David Heinen, Joye Hodges, Beth Kanter, Trisha Lester, Dennis Walsh, Lynne Walter, Tim Wolfred

board of dirEctorsChair: Scott Wierman, The Winston-Salem FoundationVice Chair: Barbara Jessie-Black, PTA Thrift ShopTreasurer: Walter Davenport, CPA, National Association

of State Boards of AccountancySecretary: Trisha Lester, North Carolina Center for

NonprofitsJennie Eblen, Eblen Short Stop Stores, Inc.Lance Edwards, United Way of Asheville & Buncombe

CountyKatie Galbraith, Duke Regional HospitalMichael Murchison, Murchison, Taylor & Gibson PLLCBrandon Neal, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.Susan Shore Schwartz, The Cemala FoundationRichard Stevens, Smith Anderson, L.L.P.Nancy Young, Winston-Salem State University (retired)Emily Zimmern, Levine Museum of the New South

(retired)

staffBridgette Burge, Director of ProgramsTracy Careyette, Chief Financial OfficerNannetta Christiani, Accounting AssistantSarah Easley, Marketing and Events AssistantDavid Heinen, Vice President for Public Policy and

AdvocacyJoye Hodges, Director of Marketing and EventsVeronica Joo, Membership AssistantTrisha Lester, Acting PresidentRob Maddrey, Director for SustainabilityCaroline McDowell, Executive AssistantSandy Pickett, Sustainability ManagerKylie Seib, Administrative SecretaryDeron Tse, Technology AssistantGeia Williams, Director of Member Assistance

MissionTo enrich North Carolinas communities and economy through a strong nonprofit sector and nonprofit voice

2016, North Carolina Center for Nonprofit Organiza-tions, Inc. All rights reserved. Approval required for reprints. Contact Caroline McDowell.

Every day, countless times, you find yourself here. Youve got some big deci-sions to make and theres no easy path, no clear direction. Youre at a cross-roadsagain. Leave the GPS at home!

Join us for the 2016 Conference for North Carolina's Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofits at a Crossroads, on Septem-ber 21-23 in Research Triangle Park, three days packed with interactive learning, exciting speakers, relevant conversations, and excellent net-working at North Carolinas largest annual gathering of nonprofit lead-ers.

KeynoteNonprofits Role in Connecting

the Many Americas by Farai Chideya,

award-winning author, journalist, and educator, will explore the critical ways that nonprofits must be part of the dia-logue to help build an equitable, diverse, and inclusive sector and society.

Deep-Dive IntensivesAll nonprofits are required to comply

with a wide array of federal and state laws and regulations. Get answers to the most common legal questions during the 2016 Legal Update for North Carolina Nonprofits, presented by Beth Allen

of GreerWalker, Dianne Chipps Bailey of Robinson Bradshaw, and David Hein-en of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

Does the road to sus-tainable impact for your organization seem like a bumpy journey through the fog to an unknown

destination? Get a roadmap for defining innovations, spreading impact, and as-sessing the most promising strategies for your nonprofit during The Road to Sus-tainable Impact: Tools for Scaling Social Innovation, presented by Robyn Schryer Fehrman and Erin Worsham of Duke University's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship.

Becoming a Networked Nonprofit: Digital Strategies to Enhance Your On-line Presence, presented by Beth Kanter, will help you map your social media and other online channels, utilize best practices for engagement and content strategy, and assess your online engage-ment to identify areas for improvement.

Back By Popular DemandEnjoy refreshments and meet non-

profit folks from all over the state at the Conference Kick-Off Reception, Sept. 21.

For first-timers, the Newcomers Orientation will offer tips for getting the most from your conference experience and make new connections.

Seventeen concurrent sessions will cover everything from fundraising and boards to financial management and volunteers, and will include conversations with corporate and foundation funders.

Lunch Conversations with Grant-makers will offer opportunities to chat informally with grantmakers from across the state.

Talk with experienced consultants and nonprofit leaders about issues in your daily work during confidential appointments with our Curbside Consultants.

Something NewCoaching for Your Nonprofit Career

offers one-on-one conversations about your nonprofit career, professional and leadership development, networking, and more.

Embrace failure during FailFest, where organizations can share their failures in a supportive environment and find ways to turn them into valuable learning experiences.

Whether youre on an interstate, city street, or country road, weve got the knowledge, tools, and connections to help you succeed. Registration is open.

Farai Chideya

North Carolina Center for Nonprofits | Spring 2016 3

Culture Is As Important As DollarsThree years ago, UnderDeveloped

sounded an alarm about the state of non-profit fundraising, identifying challenges organizations face when it comes to rais-ing the resources they need to succeed.

High turnover and vacancies in devel-opment director positons, a lack of basic fundraising systems, and no shared fund-raising responsibility among key staff and board leaders create a vicious cycle.

However, nonprofits can break this cycle by building capacity and systems, and fostering a culture of philanthropy.

Beyond Fundraising: What Does It Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? outlines the core elements of a culture of philan-thropy in which everyone board, staff, and executive director has a part in raising resources. Its about relationships keeping donors and attracting new ones

and acknowledging they have more to bring to the table than just money.

In a culture of philanthropy, fundrais-ing is less a transaction and more a way of operating. It aligns mission and pro-gram goals more seamlessly with revenue generation and reflects the true defini-tion of philanthropy: a love of humankind and a voluntary joining of resources and action for the public good.

In A Fundraising Culture... In A Culture of Philanthropy...

Philanthropy = grants by institutions or gifts from wealthy individuals Philanthropy = love of mankind

Development staff is responsible for revenue generation Everyone in the organization shares some responsibility for revenue generation by serving as ambassadors and building relationships with potential donors and constituents

Its all about the money Its all about the relationships

Donors = money Donors = skills, talents, time, and money

Donors are contacted only when money is needed Donors are contacted regularly with invitations to participate in activi-ties, progress updates, and information about how their contributions are helping

Fundraising and engagement are siloed and have different contact lists There is one list for every person whos affiliated with the organization in some way (e.g., volunteering, donating, organizing, etc.)

Fundraising is seen as a one-off or add-on Fundraising is incorporated into and across every staff position and activity in the organization

Culture is seen as touchy feely Culture is the most important factor in determining an organizations effectiveness

The board relegates fundraising to the development committee The board development committee directs the participation of the entire board in fundraising

Its about acquiring donors Its about keeping donors

Mission, program goals, and operations are separate from revenue generation

Mission, program goals, and operations are aligned with revenue generation

The focus is on short-term tactics like appeals and events The focus is on the longer-term strategy behind the tactics

The organization functions with a scarcity mindset The organization functions with a mindset of abundance

The organizations leaders make decisions based on whats available The organizations leaders make decisions based on what the commu-nity needs and a shared vision of how to meet that need

The community isnt engaged The community is intentionally engaged and participates as a partner with the organization

Development staff/directors are relegated to secondary status Development staff/directors are part of the leadership team and equal partners with other senior staff; they participate in all planning, strat-egy, financial, and organizational meetings

Development goals arent part of everyones job description Development goals are part of everyones job description

Board and staff have sporadic contact Board and staff have regular opportunities to engage and interact

The focus is on big gifts All gifts are important

Donations come first Donations come after we engage people in our work

We will win over every donor for our organization We will listen and refer donors to other organizations that align more closely with their aspirations

Money is dirty Money is what we need to do our work

There are rigid lines between organizations departments, including development

Job responsibilities and departments are more fluid; more collabora-tion to meet goals

These questions will help nonprofits begin building a culture of philanthropy.

Do we have staff leadership that believes in a culture of philanthropy? Monona Yin, a program consultant who leads the Capacity Building Initiative at the Four Freedoms Fund, has ob-served that the most important factor

in ensuring success in building a culture of philanthropy is having some kind of leader or person with power in the organization who gets it. You cant just train people in this stuff; you have to make sure they have ongoing support. Its a leadership issue. Its especially important that the executive director

is committed to this process because its impossible to build a strong culture without the executive leading it. Accord-ing to UnderDeveloped, the director has to be an instigator, a champion, and a role model to bring fundraising into the heart of the organization and keep it there.

CONTINUED PG. 14


Thank you!Results of Our Membership & Advocacy Survey

The Value of Membership

85%rated the Centers overall value as excellent or good. Twelve percent said it is average, 2% said fair, and 1% said poor. You rated the value of all the Centers programs and services higher than last year with an average score of 4.2 (where 5 is excellent, 4 is good, 3 is average, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor). All our programs or services received an average rating of 4 or higher.

Membership Makes a Difference

73%reported that the Center helped to strengthen your organizations. Thats 2% higher than last year. Camille Berry, development and communications manager with the Community Home Trust in Chapel Hill says, The Center provides information and resources that can help a nonprofit strengthen its efforts in fulfilling its mis-sion. The Statewide Conference never ceases to prove educational and is a great vehicle for connections. We are pleased and proud to be a Member.

74%said the Center helped them grow professionally or personally, a big increase over the two most recent surveys. Krista Woolly, executive director of Community Care Clinic of Rowan County says, You must join for your own professional develop-ment, to meet like-minded folks that want to help you, and to be connected with other nonprofit leaders.

55%said the Center helped save you time, one of the most precious assets. Carole Taitt, director of Hoke Reading Literacy Coun-cil says, This is the place I search for answers and always find the right one! Laura Laughridge, HR generalist with the Crossnore School in Avery County, encourages groups to save time saying, If you need guidance, how-tos, or tem-

plates, the Center is the THE first place to go.

50%have saved money with help from the Centers money-saving programs. From unemployment insur-ance to computers, background checks to workshop fees, youll find more than 30 ways to save money through your membership.

Connection to the Nonprofit Sector

66%reported feeling con-nected to the nonprofit sector as a whole and, of those, 90% credit the Center for helping with this sense of connection. When the Center was stareed in 1992, less than 2% of nonprofit leaders felt connected to a larger nonprofit community. Weve come a long way! Keep up the good work, says Andrew Kurtzman, executive direc-tor of Scotland Community Health Clinic. It helps me feel connected to the bigger picture of nonprofit issues and chal-lenges.

You can help share that sense of connection by reminding every board and staff member that they also have ac-cess to the Members-Only services and programs through your annual member-ship. Each person simply needs to create an account on the Centers website with their own personal username and pass-word. Please help us stay in touch with your staff and board by updating your contact list.

The Directory of Members, search-able by mission, region, or title is another

great way to stay in touch with your peers. Check the Nonprofit Calendar frequently to take advantage of training statewide.

What You Tell Peers

95%would recommend the Center to other non-profits. THANK YOU! This is the best testament to the trust youve placed in the Center. Soula Bantsolas, commu-nications and donor services manager with Cumberland Community Founda-tion says, Kudos to the Center. We are pleased to be a Member, and we recommend the Center often, which we wouldnt do if we didnt trust you to provide great services like the legal com-pliance update and the jobs board.

What Is Most Useful Providing information and resources

and advocacy with and on behalf of non-profits were rated the most important functions of the Center. Jennifer Stultz, executive director of Gaston County Education Services says, We are grateful for information received on nonprofit director salaries, policies on contracting services, developing a conflict of interest policy, an update of our bylaws, and a to-tal review of our entire nonprofit status.

Members report that the top five areas their organizations have improved with help from the Center are: legal compliance contacts with other nonprofits collaborations and partnerships communications advocacy for your mission

Chris Richardson, financial develop-ment officer with the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford says, We appreciate the resources, especially those on legal

Changed Choices in Charlotte launches women into new lives beyond prison walls. Its annual retreat brings together staff, volunteers, board members, and clients for a weekend in the moun-tains.

I attended the conference this year and am especially grateful for a potential new funder that was introduced to us by another attendee. And just last month, we were approved by their Trustees for a $25,000 general operating grant!

Karen Kovach, Executive Director

The Center and its resources provide the power of a larger collective to our small organization.

LuAnn Arena, Development Director

Each spring, the Literacy Council of Buncombe County in Asheville hosts its annual spelling bee (its 25th this year) with teams spon-sored by local businesses, nonprofits, community associations, colleges, book clubs, and friends that compete before a costumed, cheering audience.


compliance and public policy implica-tions, and the frequency with which these are updated.

High marks were given to the public policy updates and the action alerts on important sector-wide issues. Kim James, finance and development manager with Good Samaritan Clinic in Morganton says, This is the place where your singular voice is supported by a multitude of other voices across the state, and your opinion means something. You can affect change when you join and link yourself arm-in-arm with others through this membership.

Room for ImprovementWith the presidential election year

in full swing, several Members noted the need for more information and training on permissible voter registration and turnout processes, advocacy initiatives, and lobbying rules for 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The Center has already begun addressing these important questions with its Nonprofit Town Halls, held throughout the state earlier this year, and in several webinars and workshops.

A higher number of Members reported longer-than-usual waits when contacting Member Assistance for confidential support and access to the Centers pro bono programs. We hear your concerns and are working to expand staff and volunteer capacity to meet the needs of the program and respond more quickly. There is especially high demand for help from pro bono attorneys, CPAs,

and human resources experts. If you or others you know are interested in volunteering, please contact Bridgette Burge.

In response to some requests to reach a live person when calling, we've trained additional Center staff to answer our phone. With 15 staff serving more than 1,500 nonprofits, youll still sometimes reach our voicemail, but more often youll hear a friendly voice the first time you call.

Several recommended that the Cen-ter publicize its services more broadly and frequently. The Center responded by creating a new marketing and communi-cations position to expand its outreach efforts.

Its a Privilege to Serve YouWe are thrilled that our Members

so greatly value the programs, services, and opportunities we provide within the nonprofit sector.

Your candid feedback helps us serve you better, and together we are stronger and better able to do the important work of carrying out our missions on behalf of North Carolinas communities.

Were always eager to hear from you, so please share your thoughts and stories anytime.

Bridgette Burge

Meet Our Newest PartnerAffinityFundraisingRegistration

Nonprofits are required to register with most states to conduct fundrais-ing activities, but compliance in multiple states can get messy, time-consuming, and potentially very expensive.

The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits has partnered with Affinity Fundraising Registration to offer our Members discounts of up to $1,100 on services and make it easier for NC nonprofits to comply with charitable registration laws in 40 states.

Affinity offers three different levels of service from self-serve to full-serve that are affordable and provide the resources to help non-profits navigate individual state requirements before beginning the registration process.

Family-owned and operated, Affinity has offered a full range of registration services to nonprofits of all sizes and types since 2009.

To learn more, check out Affinity Fundraising Registration online, contact Marketing & Communications Manager Maia Lee, or call 877-320-2299.

Stay tuned for a more details on a webinar for Center Members.

Bridgette Burge is director of programs at the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

To learn about all the benefits that come with membership, check out an archived version of the Your Benefits in a Nutshell webinar when it's convenient for you.

For topical webinars co-hosted by our money-saving partners, see page 16 and visit The Nonprofit Calendar.

The Centers work on sales tax exemp-tion and charitable contributions was truly a success story. Being a part of the Center is crucial to success for us all.

Shere Vodicka, Executive Director

Young supporters with the North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs in Raleigh visit the NC Legislature to advocate for healthy food access.

The Ronald McDonald House of Winston-Salem has a unique group of volunteers through its Pet Therapy Program canines!

The Center is a huge help in providing networking opportunities and advocat-ing on behalf of all non-profits. They played a huge role in turning back the IRS' attempt to increase donor substantiation rules.

Chuck Kraft, Executive Director


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How Are Nonprofit Jobs Faring?In its recent surveys of the nonprofit

sector, Nonprofit HR found that nonprof-it hiring is accelerating while corporate hiring remains stagnant. However, most nonprofits lack the recruitment, engage-ment, and retention strategies they need to attract and sustain top talent.

Over the last two years, the nonprofit sector has anticipated creating new posi-tions at a significantly higher rate than the for-profit sector: 2015: 50% of nonprofits versus 36% of for-

profit companies. 2016: 57% of nonprofits versus 36% of for-

profit companies.

This also follows the actual increase in hiring by nonprofits over the last two years: 2014: 50% of nonprofits increased the

size of their staff, while 18% of nonprofits decreased their staff.

2015: 51% of nonprofits increased their staff and only 15% decreased their staff.

However, even with this increase in projected hiring, nonprofits still struggle when it comes to recruiting and hiring qualified candidates. In fact, there are two specific challenges nonprofits face that have steadily increased between 2015 and 2016:

In 2015, 52% of nonprofits did not have a formal recruitment plan/strategy (91% relied upon their own networks for recruit-ing). In 2016, this number jumped to 60%.

In 2015, 67% of nonprofits did not have a formal recruitment budget. The figure increased to 77% in 2016.

Even though nonprofits have antici-pated and seen growth in the number of new staff they hire, the nonprofit sector has significantly lagged in dedicating the necessary financial resources to recruit-ing applicants.

Furthermore, in 2016, 84% of nonprofits reported they had no formal retention policy in place to keep current staff. This, coupled with a lack of formal recruitment and hiring practices, may lead to higher nonprofit staff turnover rates in the future.

Turnover is always a challenge in the nonprofit sector. In the survey years, nearly one-fifth of nonprofit positions experienced turnover. Some of the big-gest challenges nonprofits have faced over the last two years regarding high turnover rates include: Inability to pay competitive wages: 27%

(this is the number one staffing challenge for nonprofits over the last five years).

Inability to promote staff (20%).

Excessive workload/insufficient resources for staff (19%).

Also important to note for future recruitment and hiring trends is that 29% of nonprofits express they face challeng-es in retaining employees who are under 30 years of age.

The kinds of nonprofit jobs where the most growth is expected have changed over the past two years. In 2015, the area that was expected to have the highest growth was direct services at 46%.

In 2016, development and fundraising jobs were anticipated to have the highest growth at 44%, while direct services was only expected to have 42% growth. This change may point to nonprofits recogniz-ing more and more the importance of dedicated fundraising staff, or because nonprofits are feeling better about the overall economy, or a combination of these factors.

Lynne Walter

Lynne Walter, MSW, is a freelance writer with the North Carolina Center for Non-profits. Compiled from 2015 and 2016 data from the Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey, produced annually by Nonprofit HR.

New Overtime Regulations ApprovedThe U.S. Labor Department (DOL) an-

nounced final overtime regulations that go into effect on December 1, 2016 and mean that most employees earning less than $47,500 per year will be entitled to overtime compensation, regardless if they are currently classified as executive, administrative, or professional (white-collar) workers. Here are key details and how the rule applies to nonprofits: Salary Level Threshold: The new regula-

tions raise the standard minimum level for salaried, exempt workers from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to $913 per week ($47,476 per year). The new level is pegged to the 40th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers from the lowest wage Census Region in the country. The final rule also raises the compensation level for highly compensated employees (subject to less-detailed duties tests) from $100,000 to $134,004 annually to match the 90th percentile of annual earnings of full-time salaried workers nationally.

Automatic Increases: The final rule estab-lishes a mechanism for automatically up-dating the salary and compensation levels every three years, with the first update to take place in 2020.

Duties Tests: White-collar employees can be exempt from overtime only if their jobs

meet all three tests for executive, admin-istrative, or professional employees. In ad-dition to receiving a salary at or above the new thresholds, each exempted employee must also exercise the job duties of those categories and be paid on a salaried basis. (for more information, see Classifying Em-ployees Correctly). The final DOL regula-tions make no changes to the duties tests.

How It Applies to NC nonprofits: North Carolina is one of 10 states that

incorporates by reference current Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations into the state wage and hour law. Barring action from the N.C. General Assembly this summer, the changes to the federal rules will automatically apply to virtually all NC nonprofits and their employees. In other states, the new overtime rules will only apply to nonprofits that are subject to "enterprise coverage" (nonprofits with $500,000 or more in annual commercial sales) and to other nonprofit employees who are subject to "individual cover-age," meaning their job duties include transactions in interstate commerce (such as handling credit card transactions or regularly making out-of-state phone calls). The DOL issued special guidance for nonprofits with examples of how "enterprise coverage" and "individual coverage" applies.

DOL also announced it will not enforce the higher salary thresholds until March 17, 2019 for providers of Medicaid-fund-ed services for individuals with intellec-tual disabilities in residential homes and facilities with 15 or fewer beds.

Employers have various options to comply with these overtime changes, ranging from increasing exempt employ-ees salaries to the new level, converting them to hourly employees and paying overtime, or making other changes to benefits or operations.

Nonprofits with budget years end-ing June 30 will need to develop new budgets for the fiscal year that take these new changes into account. Nonprofits with budget years ending December 31 have more time to adjust and plan for 2017. Stay up-to-date on overtime regu-lations throughout the year.

Adapted and reprinted with permission from the National Council of Nonprofits, a national network of state associations that helps achieve greater collective impact by nonprofits and the communities they serve. The Center is a proud member of this national network.


Words to the WiseSurvival Tips for Young Emerging Leaders

What advice would you give your younger self? Thats the question that kicked off a panel discussion of executive directors at the Young Nonprofit Pro-fessionals Network-Triangle NCs 2016 #Nonprofit STRONG Summit of which the Center was a sponsor.

The panel included Angeline Echever-ria of El Pueblo, James Miller of the LGBT Center of Raleigh, Kelly Phoenix of Nour-ish International, and Melinda Wiggins of Student Action with Farmworkers, and it was facilitated by Bridgette Burge, the Centers director of programs.

These four seasoned executive direc-tors shared their advice for emerging leaders on progressing in your career and tips for surviving and thriving as a leader in the nonprofit sector.

Be open to new opportunities Not everyone starts their career with

the goal of becoming an executive direc-tor, but when opportunity knocks, these leaders say, bravely open that door and see whats on the other side.

James says he always envisioned him-self to be a direct services guy until the opportunity at the LGBT Center arose. It was then that I realized I couldnt deny my desire to change the world," he said.

Angelines goal was to engage in transformative work, but she didnt really see herself as an executive director. She changed jobs every few years, seeking positions that offered new challenges and opportunities to expand her skills and expertise. By the time she applied to the executive leadership position at El Pueblo, she felt equipped for the work. It felt like the right thing at the right time for me, she said. "Follow your pas-sion. If it feels right, it's an opportunity worth exploring."

Melinda had enjoyed being a program manager at Student Action for Farm-workers when she was asked to step into the directors role. My question was will I have to fundraise? The board said yes, so I said no, but they said, think about it. Im glad I did because I love my job, and now I love fundraising, too.

Get yourself a mentorNo matter what your nonprofit career

path is, find a mentor in the sector.Get yourself a mentor and get one

right away, even if youre happy in your current job, said Kelly. She also advised young leaders to become active in local professional development programs like YNPN. "And, read every career develop-ment book anyone ever recommends to

you. If you want to become a leader in your field, invest in yourself personally and professionally.

James motto is, Never deny some-one whos offering you help. One of his professors helped shape his life direction and the way he leads now. She always treated me like a colleague, not a mentee. She was very deliberate in her work with me, pragmatic and also practical. Work-ing with her gave me the confidence to really step forward and explore and push into new directions.

Your mentor doesn't have to be an executive director. Find someone you respect. Someone who can be a positive sounding board for you. I still call my mentor til this day. In fact, I told her I was serving on this panel, and she was really excited for me, said James.

Your mentor can be any age. Melinda said, I have a lot of people I get advice from. Some of my mentors and advisors are younger than me but give me good perspective. I also have a peer support group. I cant imagine being in my posi-tion without talking to a lot of people that have a lot of different expertise and experience.

Dont let fear hold you back Angeline was the second youngest

person on staff at El Pueblo when she became executive director, which was a bit intimidating. "I was really scared that I wasn't going to be able to do it, she said, but advised young professionals not to let fear keep them from taking on bigger roles and responsibilities.

Kelly admitted that in her early days as an executive director she was afraid that she didnt have enough nonprofit knowledge to make the right decisions. But, I learned over time that theres no reason to let a lack of knowledge prevent you from going where you want to go. In this com-munity, there is a plethora of re-sources, informa-tion, and people who want to help you suc-ceed. You

can learn anything you need to know as you go, on the job.

Get the jobOrganize your rsum to provide

a snapshot of both job experience and volunteer work that show the causes you care about. Career objectives should align with the position and mission of the nonprofit to which you are applying.

Take extra care with your cover letter. Please do not send me a cover letter where you have done a find and replace with my organizations name and every other organization you are applying for, said James.

The cover letter should not be a nar-rative of your rsum said Melinda. Tell me something different about yourself, what you're about. The cover letter is the hook it determines whether or not I want to meet you.

Before you go into the interview, pump yourself up and be confident. Dont listen to the negative voice in your head and start doubting yourself," advised Kelly. "If you start doubting your-self, then Ill start doubting you, too.

Do your homework Before accepting a position, find

out all you can about the nonprofit, its programs, and its people. Kelly suggested researching the nonprofits Form 990, reviewing the board and staff lists, check-ing out their website and social media. Is the nonprofit sustainable? Is it having an impact? How are they spending their money?

I would look at the organization as critically as if I were a funder and planning to give them $100,000 of my money, said Kelly.

The panelists agreed that its critically important to get a sense of the organiza-

Nonprofit leaders Kelly Phoenix, James Miller, Angeline Echeverria, and Melinda Wiggins share their wisdom and secrets to success.


tions culture to make sure it aligns with your personal and professional goals. Youve got to ask a lot of questions, said Kelly. Are they bureaucratic? Are they old school? Are they innovative? Are they participating in things like [the YNPN Summit]? Are they at the front lines in their field? Do I know the people? Do I trust the people? Are they people I can learn from? Will I be challenged here?

Angeline recommended, Think hard-est about how their mission aligns with your purpose in life, your passion, what gets you going in the morning.

Secrets to successWhat makes someone qualified to be

an executive director? The short answer is more than one's years of nonprofit experience and field knowledge; its a combination of hard and soft skills.

This job is 85% passion, 10% practi-cal knowledge, 5% knowing how to read a cash flow statement, said James.

Executive directors must be resilient and stay calm during a crisis, said Kelly, whose international nonprofit has dealt with a fair share of crises. Fundraising is also a necessary function of the job.

You have to be willing to take risks. You have to be able to negotiate, under-stand how people are feeling, and solve problems, said Melinda. You have to

make decisions sometimes little or big, sometimes with people or without - but youve got to make them so if youre not good at making decisions, you probably shouldnt be an executive director.

Take care of yourselfThe non-stop pace, the never-ending

to-do list, the problems that wont go away without more staff and more moneynonprofit work can be exhaust-ing and stressful. More often, executive directors are burning out and leaving the sector. Self-care is a must, not a luxury.

At El Pueblo, Angeline requires staff to schedule vacation time and stick to it no email while away!

Also, I work close to 40 hours per week and encourage all my coworkers to do the same, said Angeline. Its bad that we have to remind each other to do that.

Ten years into her role as execu-tive director, Melinda was drained and exhausted and felt shed become too myopic about her work. She took a sab-batical to remind myself that there was more to life than my job.

But, equally important is the stuff you do every day and every week to keep yourself sane, said Melinda. She makes one day a week meetings-free, takes a lunch break every day, and walks each morning before starting work. Modeling

is really important for your staff.I make sure Im having conversations

with my staff to make sure theyre taking advantage of vacation time and work-life balance opportunities, said James. It needs to come from the top.

Joye Hodges

Joye Hodges is director of marketing and events at the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

The Young Nonprofit Professionals Net-work engages and supports future nonprofit leaders through professional development, networking, and social opportunities. YNPN has affiliate chapters in the Triangle and Charlotte.


CONTINUED FROM PG. 1I want to know am I doing OK? Am I fulfilling my expectations? said Scott. Being able to refer back to a written job description throughout the course of board members terms is a useful way for them to check in and make sure they are serving your nonprofit to the fullest extent of their capabilities.

Orient new membersProviding a written job description is

just the first step to acquainting new board members with your nonprofit. A solid, practical orientationis such an important thing, noted Loleta, but un-fortunately, many nonprofits often dont take time to have one.

An orientation is critical to creating a successful board member, agreed Tog. Orientation is so necessary that when staff picks the orientation date, it should be a date that every incoming board member can attend.

Orientations should last two to three hours, and several staff and current board members should attend to present information on the history of the organi-zation and its current work, an overview of the nonprofits constituents and stake-holders, a reiteration of board member responsibilities, and an introduction to the nonprofits financial and fundraising systems.

What often isnt discussed but as important is board culture. New board members should understand it and what the expectations are. A good orienta-tion also leaves ample time for incoming board members to ask questions.

Organize and engageThe work to create and maintain a

solid, active, working board of directors continues long after the orientation ends. Show board members that you value the time and energy they spend serving by making board meetings as organized and interesting as possible.

Send agenda and meeting materials to members ahead of time and include a consent agenda that board members can review and act on prior to the scheduled meeting. By doing so, Tog noted, a lot of the boards administrative business can be handled ahead of time and more face-to-face time can be devoted to meaningful discussions of the nonprofits pending and upcoming issues.

Bringing in program staff and outside presenters to speak also helps keep the meetings interesting, deepens board members understanding of the nonprofit and its work, and leads to deeper engage-ment. Keep board members in the know between meetings by sending brief but frequent updates on the big projects your nonprofit is working on, and be sure to include them when celebrating successes and achievements.

Loleta stressed that building rela-tionships is essential to keeping board members engaged and active. If mem-bers dont feel they belong, it doesnt matter to them if they show up or not. If there is a relationship, board members feel committed to being there because they know they are going to be missed, she said. Loleta advises nonprofits to take time to show recognition, acknowledge-

ment, and appreciation to those who have commit-ted to being on the board.

Conduct board self-assessments

Scott rec-ommends that boards con-duct regular self-assess-ments to help hold members accountable for their work. These evaluations often look at How is the board doing? Are opinions heard, views respected, is the organiza-tion making

the best use of board members time? Are board members not being fully utilized? Or, are they being overtaxed?

He noted that one board he serves on uses a board engagement report that was actually created by a fellow board member. The report details members attendance at meetings, organization fundraising events, financial contribu-tions to the nonprofit, the number of friends and colleagues theyve referred as donors or potential board members, and other details. The self-evaluation serves as a kind of mirror to hold up to ourselves to see what were doing, said Scott. And several board members have passed this idea along to other boards they serve on as a best practice.

While recruiting board members and involving them in moving your orga-nization forward can be challenging, establishing practices that you, your staff, and your current board carry out year-round can help soften these challenges and produce a solid board of directors, dedicated to advancing the important work of your nonprofit.

Lynne Walter

Lynne Walter, MSW, is a freelance writer with the North Carolina Center for Non-profits.


Win the Gold Medal for NonpartisanshipEvery four years, two events trump

everything else in media coverage the Olympics and the presidential election. As we inch closer to November, you may be wondering what your nonprofit can do to get involved in the 2016 election. The answer: Probably more than you think, as long as you remain nonpartisan! Heres a quick guide on the basics about nonprof-its and elections.

Why should your nonprofit get involved in the election?

The nonprofit sector serves many populations with a history of low voter participation. Nonprofits can have a stronger voice in the policy arena when the people they serve turn out to vote. And because nonprofits are trusted mes-sengers in our communities, people are likely to pay attention when we provide them information about elections and encourage them to register and vote. In fact, recent research has shown that voter turnout increases across all demo-graphic categories among people who are reminded (in a nonpartisan way, of course) about elections by nonprofits.

What are you prohibited from doing? As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, you cant

support or oppose candidates or political parties. This means you cant: Endorse candidates for office; Contribute money or resources to can-

didates, political parties, or independent PACs;

Coordinate activities with political cam-paigns; or

Give candidates access to your facilities, events, or resources unless you offer the same opportunities to all candidates at their fair market value. If you invite a can-didate to your nonprofits event because of his or her professional role (rather than as a candidate), its important that you not mention the persons candidacy.

What can you do? Your nonprofit can do a wide range

of nonpartisan activities to engage your board, staff, volunteers, and the people they serve in elections. You can: Educate voters on the voting process.

Nonprofits can provide information such as where polling places are located and when early voting is available that helps people participate in elections. With recent changes in state election laws, this is a par-ticularly important role for North Carolina nonprofits. The Center has some tips on what nonprofits need to know about the new voter ID requirement and other elec-tion law changes affecting people served by nonprofits.

Register voters. Nonprofits can offer voter registration cards at their facilities and events. If you provide direct services, you

can incorporate voter registration into your intake process or your regular interactions with clients.

Participate in get-out-the vote-activities. Nonprofits can encourage and facilitate voting simply by publicizing Election Day with posters and reminder postcards and emails, and by sharing toll-free numbers with basic voter information. Nonprofits also can provide or promote rides to the polls offered by nonpartisan community groups.

Voterize your nonprofit. Make sure that all of your nonprofits eligible staff, board, and volunteers are registered to vote at their current address. Join the Nonprofit Votes Count campaign to get the tools to do this.

Give your staff time off to vote or vol-unteer at a polling place. If your staff are regular voters, they are more likely to stay healthy.

Engage with candidates on your issues. A candidate forum or questionnaire is a great way to get your nonprofits issue into the public discourse. For a forum, you need to send identical invitations to all candidates. Its important to have a moderator to keep things balanced, and you must give every candidate an equal opportunity to speak and respond to questions. For a question-naire, be certain to send the same ques-tions to all candidates and publish unedited responses. For an example, check out the questionnaire that the Center sent to every state legislative candidate in 2014. Look for results of our 2016 statewide nonprofit candidate questionnaire this fall.

Advocate. Nonprofits can and should be advocates for their issues. Your nonprofit can still speak out for your mission and even lobby legislators during an elec-tion year, but you need to be careful not to imply that you support or oppose candi-dates because of positions theyve taken as elected officials. Its important to keep your issue advocacy separate from your voter registration and education activities.

Advocate on ballot initiatives. Right now in Raleigh, state legislators are considering putting several constitutional amendments (including at least one that could be harmful to the nonprofit sector) and initiatives on the ballot this November. Because voters are the lawmakers for these ballot ques-tions, nonprofits can take a position. Any public advocacy you do on these issues is direct lobbying, not political campaign intervention. If you are working with a referendum committee, your nonprofit may need to file campaign finance reports with the N.C. State Board of Elections.

What can your staff and board do? Despite the common misperception,

you are still allowed to have an opinion on politics if you work or volunteer for a charitable nonprofit. As individuals, your board, staff, and volunteers can support candidates for office. But, they need to

be certain they dont imply that theyre speaking on behalf of your nonprofit, and they cant use your organizations website, email address, social media presences, facilities, events, publications, or resources when theyre helping out political campaigns. And, if an employee, board member, or volunteer of your nonprofit is running for office, dont men-tion their candidacy in your nonprofits publications, website, or events, since this can imply an endorsement.

What will your funders think? Private foundations can fund many

nonpartisan voter engagement activities, but cant earmark money for lobbying on ballot initiatives and can only earmark money for voter registration if its done in five or more states and over more than one election cycle. You can use general support grants from foundations for advocacy and nonpartisan voter registra-tion. If you have government grants or contracts, you generally cant use this for lobbying or civic engagement. Check with your accountant and major funders to be certain youre tracking your expenses on election-year activities appropriately.

How can you stay nonpartisan?Throughout this article, we have

emphasized that it is important for chari-table nonprofits to remain nonpartisan. You may be thinking, to steal a line from the movie The Princess Bride, You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Good point. This article has given you the basics for what a 501(c)(3) nonprofit needs to do to operate in a way that is legally nonpartisan according to federal tax law. If you follow this article, you wont need to worry about losing your tax-exempt status (at least because of your election-related activities).

The reality in 2016 is that many issues have become so politically polarizing that nonprofits that speak out on them are ac-cused of being partisan. While it is legal for your nonprofit to take a position on social, economic, and policy issues that generate strong opinions among certain political parties or factions, its important to think carefully about whether this is core to your mission and how donors, clients, policymakers, and others in your community may react.

So voterize your nonprofit in 2016! Just make sure that you remain nonpar-tisan.

David Heinen

David Heinen is vice president for public policy and advocacy at the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.


Sale of Advertising A Potential Landmine

The Financial Management Help Desk recently received the following question from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regarding the sale of advertising in conjunction with its newsletter. This reminds us that whenever a new source of revenue is being considered, potential tax and reporting implications should be considered, as well.

Question. It was recently suggested that we sell advertising space to busi-nesses in our quarterly newsletter. My suggestion was that we provide a spot on the back of our newsletter where we could place the logos and phone num-bers for as many as four participating businesses to cover the cost of the news-letter, including printing and mailing. Are we jeopardizing our nonprofit status by offering this to businesses?

Answer. The sale of advertising at the level you are contemplating should not pose any risk to your tax-exempt sta-tus. However, under the circumstances you describe this would be considered income from an unrelated business activ-ity and would be subject to UBIT, the unrelated business income tax.

If there is net income remaining after subtracting allowable direct and allocable indirect expenses from gross advertising revenue, then you would pay corporate income tax on the net amount. The rules for these expense allocations are complex.

If gross revenue from unrelated activities is more than $1,000 for the tax year, you would be required to file IRS Form 990-T in addition to your regular Form 990 to report these amounts. With added accounting and tax preparation fees considered, this may not be a worth-while income source at the contemplated level.

In contrast to the sale of advertising space in a periodical such as your news-letter, which exploits the organizations exempt status, you can receive a qualified sponsorship payment (QSP) that is not subject to UBIT. An example would be printing flyers, brochures, and the like for an event or ongoing activity that includes information about the sponsoring busi-ness.

In exchange for its sponsorship payment, which a business can typi-cally deduct as advertising expense, the exempt organization can place in such materials information such as the busi-ness name, contact information, logo, and a brief description of product lines or services. However, no price information, comparisons with other businesses, or

endorsement by the exempt organization can be included.

A qualified sponsorship payment, in addition to a cash sponsor fee, may also take the form of products or services donated for use in support of an activity and bearing similar information.

If you would like to learn more about UBIT arising from advertising activities and the QSP exception, IRS Publication 598 is a good resource.

Dennis Walsh

Dennis Walsh, CPA, serves as a volun-teer consultant to nonprofits and reli-gious organizations, focusing on finan-cial management, legal compliance, and organiza-tional development.

Through The Micah Project, he provides guidance to individual and nonprofit organizations. He operates the Financial Management Help Desk for the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium and volunteers as a consultant with the Center's Accounting Pro Bono Assistance Program. Reprinted with permission.

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Succession Planning Is Sound Risk ManagementSuccession planning is a sound risk

management practice, critical to ensuring the viability of a nonprofit in the event of a key managers absence.

Leaders, boards, and organizations who can overcome initial reservations about succession planning ultimately find that this work generates unforeseen opportunities and excitement for the future.

Succession Readiness ChecklistWith this checklist, your organiza-

tion can determine which elements are lacking in your current operations, and create a succession or capacity building plan that outlines activities and timelines for filling the gaps and being ready for a smooth leadership transition. A strategic plan is in place with goals and

objectives for the near future (up to three years), including objectives for leadership development.

The board evaluates the executive direc-tor annually on general performance and achievement of strategic goals.

The board, based on its annual self-evalu-tion, is satisfactorily performing its major governance jobs financial oversight, executive support and oversight, policy development, and strategic planning and ensuring adequate resources to acheive the strategic goals and objectives.

Based on annual evaluations, the staff who report directly to the executive director are judged as solidly skilled for their positions.

The second-in-charge staff leader: Shares leadership of the organization

with the executive in having significant input for all major organizational deci-sions, and

Can lead the organization in the absence of the executive.

The top management team: Has a solid team culture in place in which

members support one another and can

reach decisions as a group efficiently and harmoniously, and

Has authority to make and carry out decisions within their respective areas of responsibility.

Another staff person or board member shares important external relationships (major donors, funders, community leaders) maintained by the executive.

A financial reserve is in place with a mini-mum of three months' operating capital.

Financial systems meet industry standards. Financial reports are up to date and provide

the data needed by the board and senior managers responsible for the organization's financial strength and viability.

Staff in administrative, financial, and technology management have documented processes and procedures for the systems they use that are easily accessible and kept up to date.

Top program staff have documented their key activities, and identified and trained an-other staff person to carry out their duties in an emergency.

The executive director has a job description that outlines key responsibilities and skills.

Nuts and Bolts of Departure-Defined Successioon Planning

Nonprofits with strong leaders, espe-cially long-term executive directors or founders, whose exits inevitably make a strong impact, should create a succession plan that considers the elements critical to setting the organization up for success with the next executive director.1. Deal with personal and professional bar-

riers for the departing executive director such as future employability concerns, inadequate retirement savings, unfinished business in the current job, and/or loss of identity and status attached to the current job.

2. Set the departure date.3. Form a succession planning committee.4. Prepare a communications plan (how soon

to tell whom and by what means).5. Identify organization vulnerabilities via a

sustainability audit.6. Design and implement strategies to ad-

dress the vulnerabilities.7. Identify the organization's broad strategic

directions three to five years out.8. Solidify the management team in light of

organizational vulnerabilties and skills demanded by the strategic directions.

9. Build the board's leadership abilities.10. Back up key executive relationships.11. Put finances in order.12. Build financial reserves and secure multi-

year program funding.13. Agree on the paramenters of the execu-

tive director's emeritus role, if one is set up.

14. Set the executive search strategy, i.e., decide whether or not to use an executive recruiter.

Adapted and printed with permission from Building Leaderful Organizations: Succession Planning for Nonprofits, by Tim Wolfred. The report, one in a six-part se-ries, was funded by The The Annie E. Casey Foundation, who fosters public policies, human service reforms, and community sup-ports that more effectively meet the needs of todays vulnerable children and families.

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CONTINUED FROM PG. 1Gail Perry agrees: If it doesnt come from the top, it may not be successful.

How can we get the board to become champions of a culture of philanthropy? Boards need to take responsibility for leading and modeling a culture of philanthropy in the organizations they govern. As Terry Axelrod notes, You can have great development staff but if the board doesnt care about developing this kind of philanthropic culture, it will become staff-driven and, ultimately, not be as successful. Ask board members what their philanthropic story is. Carve out part of every board meeting to talk about fundraising. Bring in people to help train board members in all aspects of development. Give board members the opportunity to interact with program staff and clients.

Beyond our board and staff leaders, do we have other champions in our or-ganization who can model and monitor our progress in developing a culture of philanthropy? Who are the influential people in the organization who are eager to move a culture of philanthropy including staff, volunteers, and donors? They can help bring others along because people will start believing in it when they actually see the new behavior at work and working.

Is our mission clear and easy to com-municate? While its good to have a clear mission that reflects shared values, its just as important that everyone in the organization can communicate it com-pellingly to potential donors and others involved in your work.

Does everyone in the organiza-tion understand philanthropys role in advancing the organizations mission and values and have opportunities to participate in development activities? Staff need to be able to see how fundrais-ing fits with the organization and how fundraising is essential and noble work. The more staff understand that develop-ment enables the organization to sustain and strengthen its service of others, the more cooperation and ownership will result. It also helps to provide staff and volunteers with a limited number of clear and simple things each can do to help the development staff take the organization in this new direction. The more hands-on experience people have with these activities, the more they will see how important their participation is in helping the organization get the resources it needs.

Do we have a vision of what the organization would look like with a culture of philanthropy that everyone can get behind? Because change is personal, the change vision has to

address peoples natural desire to see whats in it for them and how it will enhance the organizations work. Use the mission and vision to remind people of where the organization is headed in its path toward a culture of philanthropy when interest or commitment seem to be lagging. Explore how everyone in the organization, together, would describe the current culture and its personality and how it feels to work there, as well as how it affects peoples enthusiasm, commitment, behaviors, and interactions. How would people describe a culture that motivates its employees and volunteers, stimulates creativity and respect, and generates enthusiasm and collegiality?

How would we nurture and sustain this culture over time? Culture transfor-mation takes a long time so its important that organizations designate and assess their progress at regular intervals. What kind of process would help your organi-zation evaluate its organizational culture,

define desired changes, and make those changes? One core indicator, for ex-ample, is that fundraising efforts are donor-centric and focused on building deep relationships over time, not just asking for money when its needed. How could this be operationalized in your organization?

Can we develop policies, proce-dures, and measurable goals for making the plan concrete? Codifying things in writing conveys that the organization is serious and intentional about changing and provides a more formal blueprint for staff and the board. Put philanthropy on the institutional dashboard and include it in performance measures. Make it a stated part of the values statement. Reward and celebrate progress. And establish clear and measurable goals. For example, if none of the senior program staff give, a goal might be to achieve 100 percent giving by a specific date. Next, create the strategies and tactics youll use to achieve those goals. Use the

indicators in the appendix to assess how your organization is progressing. Invite everyonestaff, donors, board, volun-teersto participate in this process and make it the focus of a regularly scheduled meeting.

Roles for development staff: Integrate development into every staff and

board meeting. Ask program staff members for their advice

on development materials such as appeal letters, social media strategies, etc.

Spend one-on-one time with board mem-bers, donors and others involved in the organizations work. Get to know them individually. Find out their stories why did they get involved?

Share mission moments. At every staff and board meeting share a recent story about a client, donor or community mem-ber and how they are impacted or inspired by the organizations work. Encourage staff members to share their stories.

Shadow a program staff member in their work, and invite them on your donor visits.

Invite donors into your organization, not just for the usual guided tours but also to attend board or staff meetings.

Include donors on your board and invite them to share their perspective.

Create regular opportunities for program staff to share with development staff their experiences with clients or constituents in the field.

Celebrate success. When you reach 100% board participation or a board or staff member has brought in new donors, recog-nize and celebrate it.

Keep donors, staff, board, and other constituents updated on the organizations work, progress, challenges and accomplish-ments, including its development efforts.

Share stories of donors, the individuals whose lives have been changed by the donors gifts, and staff and volunteers who do the work.

Use donor communications more effec-tively. When planning pitches and other communications, look beyond how much donors give and personalize the contact with them as much as possible by consider-ing each persons giving history, aspirations and preferences.

Roles for Funders: Provide and support opportunities to bring

grantees leadership together to engage in peer-to-peer learning about building cul-tures of philanthropy in their organizations.

Provide financial resources for organiza-tions to have room to explore and imple-ment a culture of philanthropy.

Support data-based and more rigorous re-search that assesses the benefits, challeng-es and value of a culture of philanthropy. Specific research questions might include:

Do nonprofits need a culture of philan-thropy for successful fund development (and how is successful defined)?

CONTINUED PG. 15

CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPYFOUR CORE COMPONENTS


As the Internet has become integrat-ed into how professionals communicate, access information, and connect to one another at work as well as personal lives, there are both the positive and nega-tive changes our rapid adoption of social media and mobile phones has caused over the last decade. It has intruded on our attention and wellbeing and helped blur the lines between work and leisure time.

I was an early adopter of using the Internet in 1992 where I had a virtual job working online for a program of the New York Foundation for the Arts called ArtsWire. Over the years, I have experi-enced the ill effects of staring at a screen or sitting in a chair and pounding the key-board for hours and hours. Ive learned to take screenless breaks to calibrate my mind and body.

One easy way to take a screen break every day is to give your device a curfew, say good night iPhone several hours be-fore bedtime. Doing so, will help improve your sleep which is essential to being healthy and happy. I just got an advance copy of Arianna Huffingtons new book, The Sleep Revolution, and after you read it, you will make sure that you do every-thing possible to get a good night of rest.

Another way to take a break is a Digital Detox, a period of time when a person does not use technology, the Internet, or mobile phone in order to reduce stress. Going offline for 24 hours or more to reboot your brain can do your spirit, mind, and body a lot of good. And it is a lot of fun to do with other people so thats why I really like the idea of the National Day of Unplugging.

If you do a digital detox, you will discover how much time you actually waste on your device. What I do when I take a break is draw. It is so beneficial to concentration that I do it even when Im not doing a technology detox. And, you dont have to be a Picasso to do this.

A Zentangle: Meditative Drawing, created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, is a miniature abstract work of art created with a collection of patterns. It is created on a small piece of a paper called a tile so it can be completed in a short time. The process is a meditative art form, using pen and pencil (or you can add color with magic markers like I have). There are no mistakes. It is unplanned.

The benefits are that it helps with focus and concentration. Ive found that it lights up different parts of my brain and helps me think more creatively than star-ring at a screen or typing. If you want to give a whirl, here is a greater set: One Zentangle A Day by Beckah Krahula Zentangle Pens and Pencils Artist Tiles

What do you do to take a break from technology to revitalize your mind and body?

Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter has more than 30 years experi-ence in the nonprofit sector in technology, training, capacity building, evaluation, fundraising, and mar-keting. Her capacity

building programs help nonprofits integrate social media, network building, and rela-tionship marketing best practices. She has authored books including The Networked Nonprofit and Measuring the Networked Nonprofit, and is currently co-writing The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit. Beths Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media is one of the longest running and most popular blogs for nonprofits. Reprinted with permis-sion, www.bethkanter.org/detox-tech.

Beth will present Becoming a Networked Nonprofit: Digital Strategies to Enhance Your Online Presence during the 2016 Conference, Nonprofits at a Crossroads, on September 23.

After almost 12 years with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, we say goodbye to Paula Jones, our director of technology. Many of you have benefit-ted from her knowledge, presentations, and the broad stroke of her brush with the Center's online presence. Good luck in your new adventure, Paula!

Take a Digital Detox Day

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CONTINUED FROM PG. 14 Whats the value proposition for a cul-

ture of philanthropy in an organization? What evidence is there that a culture

of philanthropy has value to an organization?

Support the infrastructure needed to adopt a culture of philanthropy, e.g., technology tools, regular trainings, etc.

Commission case studies that that describe how organizations have moved toward a culture of philanthropy, whether its helped them raise funds, and other benefits or drawbacks its presented to their work.

Sponsor opportunities for the field to come together and build more consensus on the definition and indicators of a culture of philanthropy.

Building a culture of philanthropy requires patience and persistence, just like cultivating your donors. A million-dollar gift doesnt happen overnight, and neither does changing an organizations understanding of the role of philan-thropy.

Adapated and reprinted with permission from Beyond Fundraising: What Does It Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? by Cynthia M. Gibson.

This report is one of three commissioned by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund to address the chronic fundraising challenges highlighted in CompassPoint's report, UnderDeveloped.


We welcome and thank our newest Members and Sustainers for their commitment and support. Interested in supporting the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits or know someone who is? Learn more.

New MembersAfrican Diaspora Coalition of North Carolina,

RaleighAlleghany Council on Aging, SpartaAlternative Solutions, DurhamAnchor 6, GreensboroAutoimmune Encephalitis Alliance, DurhamAwakenings: Center for Inner Healing &

Empowerment, AlexanderHarold H. Bate Foundation, New BernBig Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte,

CharlotteCaring and Sharing, ElizabethtownCarolinas Great Pyrenees Rescue, Indian TrailCharlotte Center for Literary Arts, CharlotteEarth Angels Christian Ministries, FranklinFirst Presbyterian Church of Durham Day

School, DurhamGifted in Rhythm and Life, WilmingtonGirls on the Run Triad, GreensboroThe Health Foundation, North WilkesboroJob-Site Safety Institute, RaleighJubilee Home, DurhamLincoln Community Health Center Foundation,

DurhamMontessori Works, StarNorth Carolina Association of Community

Development Corporations, BattleboroPhi Lambda Educational Foundation, RaleighPlantPure Communities, Great NeckPreservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe

County, AshevilleRainbow Community School, AshevilleRaleigh Moms Care, RaleighRunning Over Connection, LouisburgSaluda Business Association, SaludaSaluda Downtown Foundation, SaludaSPECTRE Arts, DurhamStrong Fathers, DurhamTherapeutic Solutions Outreach, CaryTryon Country Club, TryonTzedek Social Justice Fellowship, AshevilleUnder One Sky Village Foundation, Mars HillUniversity of North Carolina at Pembroke

Foundation, PembrokeUrbanPromise Charlotte, CharlotteWildflower Cottage for Children, DurhamWilson Botanical Garden, Wilson

New Sustainers & DonorsHewett Consulting LLCTrade Street Capital Partners

Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 888-830-4989. The license is not an endorsement by the state.

New Members and Sustainers

Trail crew volunteers of Triangle Land Conservancy, a Center Member since 1992, help out once a month to support TLC's mission to create a healthier and more vibrant Triangle region by safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with nature through land protection and stewardship, catalyzing community action, and collaboration.

Affordable Training OpportunitiesProfessional development is important for all your staff and board. Check out these low-cost training opportunities.Start Planning Now: What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About the New Overtime Rules - June 17The U.S. Department of Labors new overtime rules mean more employees of NC nonprofits are entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours per week. This webinar will provide an overview of the new rules.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Liability Insurance Issues for Nonprofits - July 13This webinar will address what types of liability insurance nonprofits need to consider, what questions to ask brokers when shopping for policies, what's never covered by insurance, case studies, and plenty of time for Q&A.

Building a Grants Strategy - July 20For beginning and intermediate grantwriters, this webinar will show you how to design and adopt a Grant Decision Matrix for each project, and provide worksheets to create an overall grantseeking strategy for your organization.

2016 Employee Benefits Compliance Update - July 27As the smoke clears from changes of the Affordable Care Act, this webinar will look at key benefits compliance issues for nonprofits of all sizes and cover key topics including: basic eligibility rules for the ACAs Play-or-Pay and eligibility provisions; FMLA eligibility and com-pliance; and HIPAA privacy and security rules.

QuickBooks Made Easy - Aug 9-11 (desktop) and Aug 16-18 (online)Whether you're learning QuickBooks on your desktop or using it online, join these webinars for an overview of the software updates, the basics of setting up and entering transactions, allocating costs, tracking grants, fundraising and volunteers, and more.

For more, visit the Nonprofit Calendar. Also check out Center partners Nonprofit Finance Fund, Nonprofit Risk Management Center, Idealware, and Nonprofit Tech-nology Network who offer discounts on their live and recorded webinars.

Documents

Common Ground - 2016 Spring