While I’m no dummy when it comes to nonprofit governance, I recently picked up a copy of Nonprofit Law and Governance for Dummies (by Jill Gilbert Welytok and Daniel S. Welytok) to see if it could teach this old dog some new tricks. Although very generalized, there are some great tips and tidbits that even I wasn't aware of. From stakeholders and incorporation to obtaining tax-exempt status, this work maintains a focus on jump-starting an organization. This book covers a wide array of structures and nonprofit models, as well as regulatory influences over the public sector.

I was pleasantly surprised with the features of this book in comparison to other nonprofit texts, and here are my five favorite features of Nonprofit Law and Governance for Dummies.

1. Price – this book is quite cheap on amazon, ebay, and other online retailers. Compared to some of my pricey nonprofit textbooks, this book offers a big bang for your buck.
2. Subdivision of Content – If you’re like me, you’re a busy person who may not have time to sit down and read an entire chapter at a time. Nonprofit Law and Governance has done an excellent job of breaking down chapters and subject matter so that even if you only have a few moments, you can easily knock out a page or two and learn something new.
3. Definition – No need to use google as a reference or flip back and forth into the index. The Welytok duo painstakingly defines any terminology the reader may be unfamiliar with. From IRS tax lingo to various legal jargon, the authors were deliberate in ensuring that readers would understand the content, regardless of prior nonprofit exposure.
4. Quickness – For being a 300+ page book, this read went very quickly, and I attribute the ease of reading to the division of content. That being said, even if you’re going to sit down and absorb this work all at once, it’ll go fast.
5. Depth – This book begins with the basics and works its way through incorporation, board responsibilities, committee structures, auditing, operations, cooperatives, legal and accounting regulations, relations with the IRS, and much more. The book begins on the outer edge of nonprofit management and works its way toward the inner workings of charities and how they work within federal regulations.

Ultimately, I think this book is an excellent road map for anyone considering the undertaking of creating a new nonprofit, as well as anyone new to a nonprofit management role.

Still too busy to pick up a copy and read Nonprofit Law & Governace for Dummies? Well, Dummies.com created a cheat sheet which summarizes the book's main points for you. At the very least, give the cheat sheet a try.

The basic principal of sites like Groupon Grassroots is collective giving – small donations in large quantities bringing in huge sums for good causes. Although the page was created by a unique team separate from the developers of the deal site, Groupon’s branding can bring a new audience to the idea of daily donations. Currently, Groupon grassroots maintains a different database than subscribers of the Groupon coupon site, but with the reach Groupon achieved in such a small period of time, I can easily see how the Grassroots page could quickly grow.

I was impressed to see that 100% of donations go directly to not just the organization, but the specific program advertised on the website. This is a great motivator for donors who don’t want to support administrative costs or overhead.

Groupon Grassroots, along with similar sites, like Philanthropr, are encouraging signs for the future of collective giving and online solicitation. With social media sharing/posting opportunities via the sites, this is also a positive shift toward social media based philanthropy. Visit them on facebook and twitter for more info.

A while back I downloaded a copy of Mark Pitman’s “Ask Without Fear” and I recently was able to sit down and give it the focused read it deserved. Pitman introduces his experiences in fundraising and shares the acronym REAL as how to experience success: Research, Engage, Ask, and Love. The work is divided into the various sections of REAL, and he is deliberate in supporting his assertions with personal anecdotes and his own professional experiences.

The first section of REAL, research, begins with an account from Pitman of an “ask” that took place on the anniversary of an accident which rendered the donor a widow. Pitman stresses the importance of understanding the donor, timing the ask, and how research can ease the process of fundraising.  From gift tables to tiered goals, Pitman explains that large donation targets require support from large and small gifts. Pitman then works his way through the resources we have for research: university databases, old paper files, and even the ability to outsource prospect research to vendors like Blackbaud. Wherever the research originates, Pitman encourages the reader to be comfortable objectifying information and to remember that research is merely the first step.

The book moves onto the engagement portion, where Pitman discusses the value of relating donor interests to the cause and getting to know the donor beyond their checkbook. When the time comes to engage the prospect, providing them with a unique experience can distinguish your organization and bring them closer to the services the nonprofit provides. In house information, mailings, and close communication keep prospects and donors in-the-know without a high-end pricetag.

Pitman shifts the next section toward the actual ask, and begins immediately at setting up the appointment. I found this section to be the most educational, as Pitman discusses how to make the ask, from props and tools during the conversation to how to get something out of the meeting even if the prospect declines, such as referrals to other prospects. He also spends time discussing how to make the ask tangible in the eyes of the donor, like when Heifer Project tells donors $120 is a pig and $20 is a chicken. Later portions of this section cover rejection, objection, and other hiccups in the ask process.

The final section of the REAL process, love, took me by surprise; I was expecting a chapter on donor stewardship, but instead I got a lesson on how to continue cultivating a relationship even if a prospect declines to support the cause. Pitman stresses the importance of lifelong relationships and how each donor is unique.

Pitman also devotes time to fundraising myths, which range from reliance on spell-check to providing prospects with too many options when deciding their commitment level. He also spends time encouraging fundraisers to put themselves in the donors shoes, in addition to utilizing a special assessment to classify donors better. Pitman includes his resources at the end of the work, providing a wealth of additional information should questions linger after reading.

Overall, I found this to be a great, short read; this is a quick how-to that could be read in an evening, and I think would be very informative to new fundraisers or nonprofit staff who haven’t been on an ask before.  

For more information about Marc or his book, please visit his website.

I love charity and I love to eat, so when food and philanthropy mix I get very excited! Lucky for me (and everyone else who participates) Austin Restaurant Week has begun. From now through April 4^th, participants can choose from a host of restaurants in downtown, central, or north Austin with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Meals on Wheels and More. Menus and prices are fixed depending on whether you’re visiting for brunch, lunch, or dinner and reservations should be made through the Austin Restaurant Week website to ensure appropriate tracking, but this is well worth the effort. Visit Austin Restaurant Week 2012 for more information.

Perhaps one of the more exciting aspects about Austin Restaurant Week teaming up with Meals on Wheels and More is that the organization is celebrating 40 years of service in the Austin area this year. Since inception, Meals on Wheels and More has expanded from 8 volunteers to more than 7,000 and they reach more than 5,000 Austinites in need. In 2011 alone, Meals on Wheels and More has served just under 1,000,000 meals, and the charity now covers pet visits for the elderly, grocery programs, meal programs, and many other community initiatives.

It has been a rocky quarter for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the wake of the Planned Parenthood funding controversy. In the wake of the funding pull and reinstatement, several high-level Komen officials are stepping down.

Yesterday, the Huffington Post reported that three officials from Komen’s headquarters in Dallas resigned, in addition to the Chief Executive Officers of affiliates of Oregon and New York City. To top it off, the Washington Post released this afternoon that LaSalle D. Leffall, the Chairman of the Board, has left his post as chair (although he will remain on the board). These actions have shifted Komen’s founding board member, Robert Taylor, out of retirement.

The public relations backlash from the organization’s doubletake is running its toll on the remainder of this year’s budget cycle as well. Affiliates are postponing or cancelling events, and National Headquarters is undergoing an extensive internal budget review. Still, some affiliates are citing no significant change in donor relationships post-planned parenthood flip. Nevertheless, there is a growing sentiment among Komen and affiliates that confidence in leadership and mission needs to be reaffirmed.

While Komen continues to sort out messaging and donor relations in the wake of their conflict with Planned Parenthood, representatives from Planned Parenthood are meeting this weekend in Portland for their annual conference, Komen funding in hand.

While Austinites enjoy a thriving nonprofit sector and a variety of related publications, a disappointing trend has emerged as national news outlets scale back their charity coverage.

Making big news this week was the announcement from the New York Times that they were dropping their dedicated charity beat, spreading philanthropy coverage across multiple departments, where it will compete with other subject matter for the limelight. Much to the disappointment of nonprofit professionals, the New York Times isn’t alone in their reduction in charity news coverage. According to the Chronicle on Philanthropy, The Washington Post hasn’t employed a full-time nonprofit writer in more than four years, leaving many nonprofit professionals wondering what impact this decline in staffing will produce in coverage.

To the defense of the New York Times, the drop in coverage in the paper was met with a bump in philanthropy reporting in the sister publication, the New York Times Magazine. Yet few outlets have gone out of their way to compensate for the lack of coverage. Both the Los Angeles Times and the USA Today neglect dedicated philanthropy reporting, and a general browse of the Life/Living sections doesn’t turn up much, if anything at all.

In-depth reporting of nonprofit work on a national scale is continued through sources like the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nonprofit Times, Nonprofit World Magazine, and others if the reader is interested enough to seek out these sources. In some cities, local news stations and 24-hour news cycles have produced a need for new stories, improving the chances for some organizations to obtain some much – needed airtime. Many nonprofit administrators are hopeful that social media campaigns will compensate for the decline in coverage through traditional outlets.

Locally, greater Central Texas residents will find the Community Impact newspaper filled with nonprofit features, fundraising event announcements, and other information, while the Austin American Statesman continues to hold a dedicated beat on charity news (Charity Chat with Andrea Ball). Digital/print magazines like Giving City also provide great coverage of charity events, reaching more than 19,000 readers via email and print readers. Hopefully Austin can continue to outlast the national trends in coverage.