Nonprofit Literature Blog

Nonprofit Branding: What Sets You Apart from the Rest?

When focusing on the outcomes of services that organizations provide, nonprofit leaders may overlook the communications efforts that can increase support and strengthen their position to have greater impact.

Consultant Sarah Durham notes that early-stage organizations find themselves creating logos and brochures as needed in a process she calls “accidental branding.” Groups may find themselves working reactively rather than proactively in their communications efforts.

In her new book, Brandraising, Durham provides tips to help your organization develop a a strategic approach to distinguish itself from other groups that are also providing excellent services. Durham covers several topics:

-Find out how to define and use your nonprofit’s “personality”
-Learn how to develop the right logo and use typography effectively
-Understand how to improve the experience of you stakeholders online and in person
-Identify the steps for relaunching your brand

To learn more, look in our library’s New Books section for Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications (Jossey-Bass, 2009).

Click here for a Google Books preview.

Tip: Identify other articles and books in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature on nonprofit marketing and communications with this prepared search.

Fundraising for Films and Documentaries

If you are seeking funds for your film, take a look at the arts section of our library collections. For example, you will find a copy of Shaking the Money Tree by Morrie Warshawski. The guide describes the advantages and disadvantages of different funding sources, including individuals, foundations, and corporations. Brief sections also provide tips for student filmmakers and individuals interested in online fundraising. The 3rd edition contains sidebars with advice from experts and includes two new sample grant proposals in the appendix.

For more information on this topic, view our Frequently Asked Question, "Where can I find grants for film or videomakers?"

Another tip: Be sure to ask our staff about using the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online database on the library computers to find film-related grant opportunities.

Donor Intent Lawsuits: What Do They Have in Common?

The number of cases filed against universities and other nonprofits over donor intent issues have increased over the years. Can litigation be avoided when changing conditions lead institutions to drift away from the original purpose of the gift? 

In a recent issue of Trusts & Estates, Kathryn W. Miree and Winton C. Smith, Jr. report on what they noticed when examining key donor intent lawsuits:

“In many of these cases, we find the age-old failure to communicate. One of the key common triggers that led donors to file suit was the fact that nonprofits didn’t consult them. The charities decided to change the gift terms—but brought neither the donors nor the courts into the decision making process.”

Perhaps if the nonprofits had discussed the matter with donors and their descendants under less adversarial circumstances a compromise could have been reached without litigation. While it may take time and resources to renegotiate gifts with donors, the authors argue, “…working with living donors is far more cost effective than subsequent lawsuits, and allows the charity to position itself as a good steward of the gift.”

Miree and Smith provide additional tips for charities and donors on gift planning and management in the article: The Unraveling of Donor Intent: Five Key Cases Show Us the Way These Lawsuits Might Be Avoided in the Future (Trusts & Estates, December 2009, p. 44-53).

What has your experience been with donor intent disputes?

Terms for Philanthropy in Different Languages

The latest issue of Alliance Magazine contains an article that explores the terminology used for philanthropy in Germany, southern Africa, and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).  

For example, a Hindi word for philanthropy is paropkar which translates to “helping others – normally without any expectation of a return favor”.

The relevant terms in Chinese include shanxin (“kind heart”) and cishan (“compassionate benevolent”).  

If you are in Germany, you might use the phrase gemeinnütziges Engagement ("activities benefiting the general public"). 

Andrew Milner, author of the article, writes, “So philanthropy, where it is not a complete stranger, has a different personality in different cultures.” As philanthropy is increasingly discussed in a global context, nonprofits need a strong understanding of philanthropy related terms that may have important local connotations. 

Find out more about other terms and learn what they mean in Milner’s article, “The Game of the Name” (Alliance – December 2009).

Before You Hire a Consultant…

Nonprofit organizations may utilize consultants to improve the effectiveness of their organizations. If you plan to bring in a consultant, consider taking a look at the Foundation Center’ classic publication, Succeeding With Consultants: Self-Assessment for the Changing Nonprofit, by Barbara Kibbe and Fred Setterberg (Call Number: 600 KIB). The book contains checklists to help you identify your organization’s strengths and weaknesses in six areas: governance, planning, fund development, financial management, public relations and marketing, and quality assurance. The guide also contains a sample consulting proposal, timeline, and budget.

If your focus is on fund development, look for the new book in the library stacks, Fundraising Consultants: A Guide for Nonprofit Organizations by Eugene A. ScanLan (Call Number: 608 SCA). Published by John Wiley, the guide’s initial chapters help nonprofits determine whether organizations are ready to hire a consultant. Other sections of the book explore several key areas: the request for proposal, proposal for services, interview, contract, consulting project, and wrap-up. A limited preview of Fundraising Consultants is available at Google Books.

Happy New Year!

Developing a Technology Plan for Your Nonprofit

To remain competitive, your organization will need to use technology effectively to manage its information assets and extract the data it needs at any given moment. Your nonprofit may also be exploring various approaches for online communications and fundraising. With an increasing number of new technologies and software platforms added to the market every day, developing a strategy to best utilize these tools may seem daunting.

You can begin thinking about your organization’s technology needs by taking a look at a new book in our library, Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. Members of the Nonprofit Technology Network contribute chapters that explain various aspects of technology planning. The authors explain how to:

-determine the stage of your organization to identify technology requirements
-manage the anxiety of technological change at your organization
-analyze the return on investment for the implementation
-hire technology personnel
-create a budget and fundraise for projects
-engage your supporters online
-fundraise with your Web site

You can preview Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission at Google Books.

The volume is published by Jossey-Bass and edited by Holly Ross, Katrin Verclas and Alison Levine.

A Journal for the Volunteer Community

The International Journal of Volunteer Administration (IJOVA) explores ideas and trends on voluntarism and volunteer management in the U.S. and abroad. It is published three times a year by the Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.  The feature articles in the latest issue examine several topics:

-documenting programs and evaluating impact
-understanding volunteer psychological contracts
-professional development programs for volunteers
-research on crisis hotline volunteers
-best practices for web sites of volunteer programs

Find out more about the journal at the IJOVA web site.  While a subscription is required for current issues, Volume XXIV has been posted for general access.

Click here to see other articles related to volunteers.

Dealing with the Fundraising Roller Coaster

Kim Klein has released a new book, Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times: What Good Causes Need to Know to Survive and Thrive. The volume provides advice to help social justice organizations strengthen their financial positions, handle financial crises, and overcome other fundraising challenges.

For general advice:

-Look in Chapter Four for Klein’s ten fundamental truths about fundraising
-Check Charter Six to learn how to create a healthy working environment for your development office
-Discover some quick tips on evaluating your fundraising program and strengthening your donor base in Chapters 8 and 9.
-Learn how to develop your volunteer fundraising team in Chapter 11.

If your nonprofit is facing a financial crisis:

-Chapter 15 will help you with immediate next steps
-Chapter 16 provides guidance on damage control
-Chapter 17 explains fundraising approaches for the next six to twelve months

Find out more from Klein’s book Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times (Chardon Press, 2009) by visiting our libraries or previewing it in Google Books.

Social Justice Philanthropy: Case Studies

Are you interested in reading case studies of foundations that are supporting social change initiatives? Change Philanthropy is a new book that presents funding strategies and lessons learned over the years from a number of grantmakers, including the Ford Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Global Fund for Women. Each chapter focuses on a different funder, covering a variety of topics such as advocacy campaigns, socially responsible investing, business development in neighborhoods, support for immigrants, community funding boards, disaster recovery, and other areas.

Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice (Jossey-Bass 2009) was written by Alicia Epstein Korten.

A limited preview is available at Google Books.

Here is an automated search for foundation case studies (from the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature).

New Foundation Center Research

The report, Benchmarking Diversity: A First Look at New York City Foundations and Nonprofits is examines survey data from 95 grantmaking foundations and 540 nonprofit organizations in the five boroughs. (free download)

 

The latest research advisory, Foundations' Year-end Outlook for Giving and the Sector, indicates that foundation giving will likely decline by more than 10 percent in 2009 with continued reductions expected in 2010. The survey findings are based on responses from close to 600 foundations. (free download)

Also new:
The Foundation Center has just released the Celebrity Foundation Directory which includes descriptions of thousands of foundations established by individuals in entertainment, politics, sports, and more. Available only in PDF format, the directory can be purchased here.