Grant Opportunity: Meyer Foundation LOI deadline

The next deadline for Letters of Inquiry (LOI) to the Meyer Foundation is Friday, October 2.

Click here to learn more about the Foundation's two-step application process. Click here to learn more about grant-seeker qualifications.

Join Us This Week

We hope to see you this week at one of these upcoming workshops at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Click each listing below for event and registration details.

• Tuesday, September 29, Community Conversations Forum: Serving Immigrant Communities
• Wednesday, September 30, Revisiting Your Mission Statement

Today from the Leadership for a Better World Forum

We're among those Tweeting live from today's sold out event Leadership for a Better World: Creating Social Value through Innovation. Click here to follow along on Twitter.

And if you haven't already, follow the Center on Twitter!

Discuss Serving Immigrant Communities with The Washington Post

Diversity in our region is more prominent than ever. Do the roles these groups play in the community have a story to tell?

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is delighted to announce the opportunity to meet with Washington Post staff writer, Nurith Celina Aizenman, as part of our Tuesday, September 29 Community Conversation Forum on Serving Immigrant Communities.

Here’s an opportunity to talk to a Washington Post reporter about issues facing immigrant communities. This dialogue encourages the nonprofit community to bring its stories to the attention of The Washington Post.

Event Details:
When: Tuesday, September 29, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Where: Center for Nonprofit Advancement, 1666 K Street, NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20006
Special Cost: $15 for Center members; $30 for all others. Please bring your own lunch.

Click here to register.

Need to contact the Center?

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is located at 1666 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. Contact us by phone at 202-457-0540 or by e-mail at info@nonprofitadvancement.org.

Technology Day of Service

NPower Greater DC Region is coordinating volunteers from IT departments of several local corporations to provide pro bono Stable & Secure Scans for interested nonprofits, on Saturday, October 17. Space is limited, so don’t wait to take advantage of this opportunity!

Skilled technology volunteers will meet with you to assess your organization’s current technology environment against 12 key benchmarks that include standards for hardware, software, security, and on-going tech support. Organizations will each receive a report with recommendations that address the areas of greatest need and assist with better business planning. NPower may coordinate face-to-face follow-up meetings as needed.

NPower is the DC area’s only nonprofit that provides technology services exclusively for other nonprofits. The Stable and Secure Scan is a powerful tool for the small to medium sized nonprofits in our community.

“NPower is pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to our nonprofits partners,” says Julie Chapman, president, NPower Greater DC Region.

If you are interested in participating in NPower’s Technology Day of Service, please complete this Participant Request Form.

Click here for additional information or contact Terry Roberts at Terry@npowergdcr.org.

Grant Opportunity: AmeriCorps Planning Grants

The Corporation for National and Community Service announced the availability of $500,000 for planning grants to assist national organizations and Indian tribes in developing new AmeriCorps programs.

The purpose of planning grants is to support the development of AmeriCorps programs so applicants are better prepared to compete for a multi-state AmeriCorps grant in the following grant cycle.

The national planning grants will be available to public or private nonprofit organizations, including labor organizations; faith-based and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories Indian Tribes; or partnerships or consortia operating in more than one state are eligible. Community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations and intermediary organizations operating in more than one state are encouraged to apply for planning grants.

Applications are due 5:00 ET Monday, October 19, 2009. Click here for additional information. For a printed copy of the notice, or to ask questions about the program, call 202-606-7508, or e-mail americorpsnational@cns.gov.

Free Webinar: Implementing FAS 117-1 For Endowment Fund Management

Clifton Gunderson LLP is offering two free webinars on Thursday, October 8 on Implementing FAS 117-1 For Endowment Fund Management and Addressing the Reporting and Auditing Challenges Facing 403(b) Plans.

CPE credit is available. Registration closed October 7. Click here for additional information and registration.

Grant Opportunity: Community Summer Jobs Program

From Center Member Volunteer Fairfax:

For the eleventh year, the ExxonMobil Foundation will award 60 nonprofit agencies in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., grants to fund a summer internship. The Community Summer Jobs Program (CSJP) provides full-time college students with an eight-week paid summer internship to assist nonprofit organizations and gain experience at agencies with diverse mission areas. CSJP also offers training to organizations for recruiting and selecting interns and provides assistance with organizing their summer internships. ExxonMobil CSJP interns help increase agencies’ capacities while giving students the opportunity to learn more about nonprofit careers.

This year, the grant amount is $2,750.

Agencies interested in applying for the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program (CSJP) grant for Summer 2010 are invited to attend the upcoming informational seminar on Tuesday, October 20, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. in Fairfax. This session is mandatory for new agencies that would like to apply for 2010 summer funding. For security reasons, you must RSVP by Thursday, October 8.

Click here for additional information.

Free Nonprofit Finance Symposium

Halt Buzas & Powell is offering free sessions on Tuesday, October 20 in Alexandria, Va., and Thursday, October 22 in Baltimore with industry experts presenting information to benefit the growth and prosperity of your organization.

CPE credits are available. Seating is limited. Click here for additional information and registration.

Join Us Next Week

We hope to see you next week at one of these upcoming workshops at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Click each listing below for event and registration details.

• Tuesday, September 22, Center 101 – Explore the Benefits of Membership
• Wednesday, September 23, Understanding Financial Information for Board and Staff
• Thursday, September 24, Managing Board Members
• Friday, September 25, 10 Keys to Making Good Organizational Decisions

Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program Open House

The Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership at Georgetown University is hosting its Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program Open House on Wednesday, October 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Certificate Program is designed to strengthen the leadership and management capacity of mid-to-senior level staff, board members, government and foundation grant makers, career transitioners, and others working with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

The Open House will provide prospective students with an opportunity to meet with the program director, faculty and alumni, as well as to receive more detailed information about the program.

Click here for more information about the Open House. Click here to RSVP.

Don't Miss the "Leadership for a Better World" Forum

There's a new addition to the agenda of Leadership for a Better World: Creating Social Value through Innovation, an inaugural forum held on Friday, September 25 in Washington, D.C.

Communicating Social Change, an afternoon session presented by Shannon Hebert, Vice President of Integrated Marketing at National Geographic Global Media, will examine core strategies to communicate a company’s social responsibility practices and activities. The session will showcase recent National Geographic case studies and how these partnerships inspired consumers and successfully communicated social change.

Shannon joins a truly global line-up of speakers that includes Seth Goldman, President & TeaEO of Honest Tea; Alan Webber, founder of Fast Company magazine; Paul C. Light, author of The Search for Social Entrepreneurship; and Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the Harvard Business School.

Register today to reserve your chance to participate in this exciting event! The first 150 registrants will receive a free copy of either Alan Webber’s or Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s new books. In addition, all attendees will receive 25 percent off a one-year subscription to Beyond Profit magazine, a media partner for the event.

We hope you will join us to explore how your organization can implement socially responsible strategies and engage more deeply in values-based leadership.

Event Details:
Date: Friday, September 25, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004
Cost: $175 (student and group rates available)

Click here for additional information or here to register.

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is a proud to serve as a Media Partner for the Better World Forum.

Free Leadership Succession and Executive Transition Clinic

Are you an executive director who’s thinking it might be time for retirement or a job change? Are you a leader of a board whose executive director has announced his/her intention to resign? Is your board ready to begin succession planning? The answers can be found here!

Join the Center for a free Leadership Succession and Executive Transition Clinic on Wednesday, September 16 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Co–sponsored by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, Maryland Association of Nonprofits and TransitionGuides.

Click here to register for this free clinic.

Vote for 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Awards

The Getting Attention blog is inviting you to cast your vote for the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards. The 60 tagline finalists have been culled from over 1,700 entries in 13 categories.

Click here to enter your vote today. Polls close midnight, Wednesday, September 30.

Join Us Next Week

We hope to see you next week at one of these upcoming workshops at the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Click each listing below for event and registration details.

• Tuesday, September 15, Using the Logic Model to Guide Program Planning and Performance Measurement
• Wednesday, September 16, Choosing Fundraising Software and Other Data Management Options
• Thursday, September 17, Can You Hear Me Now: Improving Your Active Listening Skills with Board and Staff

New Nonprofit Agenda Now Online

The September/October 2009 issue of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement's print newsletter, Nonprofit Agenda, is now available on our Web site.

Inside this issue:

• An Invitation to the 30th Anniversary Celebration
• Ten Quick Ways to Invigorate Board Meetings
• Meet Our Newest Nonprofit Members and Partners in Advancement
  
• Learn About The Washington Post 2010 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management
• Explore the Newest Center Member Benefit
• See How the Center is Addressing Nonprofit Training and Capacity Building Needs
• Explore Corporate Philanthropy
• Learn More About Pivotal Transitions for Changing Times
• Get Ready for our 2009 CEO Leadership Series
• Meet a Center Member
• Get the Latest Member News

Click here to download the PDF. And don't forget to explore the offerings in our latest catalog of courses from the Center's Learning and Leadership Institute. View upcoming classes by date or subject.

New Report Shows Nonprofits Could Benefit from Outsourcing

From the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation:

"The current economic situation has only intensified the ever-present need for executives of small and mid-sized nonprofits to find effective ways to reduce overhead costs. According to a new report released today by the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation and the Management Assistance Group, outsourcing is a promising strategy for these nonprofits to meet their back-office needs, but there are many barriers that prevent outsourcing success.

"The study, “Outsourcing Back-Office Services in Small Nonprofits: Pitfalls and Possibilities,” is based on a survey of Meyer Foundation grantees; interviews with grantmakers, consultants and a range of back-office service providers; and a review of current literature on the subject. The goal for the collaboration was to identify alternative back-office services that could strengthen operations, relieve pressures on executive directors and lead to greater efficiencies, particularly in this difficult economy.

"Key findings include:

• Outsourcing may not offer short-term cost savings but can offer significant long-term benefits and cost savings.
• Current business models for outsourcing often are not well suited for serving small to mid-sized organizations, many of which are complex and have significant unmet needs.
• There is great opportunity for business entrepreneurs with a deep knowledge of and sensitivity to the nonprofit sector and innovative new business models.
• Areas most in need of better solutions include: human resources, marketing and communications and financial planning.
• Barriers that prevent nonprofits from outsourcing back-office services include: the inability to find specialized skills at a reasonable cost, lack of time to find and contract with providers and negative past experience.
  

'Our previous research revealed the importance of management infrastructure and administrative support in preventing leadership burnout and turnover in nonprofits,' says Meyer Director of Programs Rick Moyers, referring to the Foundation’s 'Daring to Lead 2006' report. 'There is an urgent need for innovation in how small and mid-sized nonprofits handle their back office functions, and increased use of outsourcing can help address that need.'

"The 48-page study offers ideas for grantmakers, back-office service providers, nonprofit executives and business entrepreneurs as they consider how to better meet the back-office needs of nonprofits. It also proposes a framework for evaluating outsourced back-office services."

Click here to download the report and three-page executive summary.

Join the Celebration!

Join the Center for Nonprofit Advancement as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Greater Washington region’s nonprofit sector in 2009 and 30 years of service to the community at this year’s Annual Celebration and Meeting on Thursday, October 29 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

With a theme of “Building on Success,” the event will include addresses from the Center’s chief executive and board president as well as recognize outstanding leaders from the region’s nonprofit and policy maker arenas.

The celebration will include the presentation of the Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman 2009 EXCEL Award and the Phyllis Campbell Newsome Public Policy Leadership Awards.

Presenting sponsors include M&T Bank and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement Benefits Trust.

Special Cost: $45 per ticket; Tables of 10 for nonprofits are $500; Tables of 10 for corporations are $1,000.

Special Location: Pavilion Room, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

Reserve your seat today!

Click here to learn more about the Center's 30 years of service to nonprofits.

Accepting Applications: Award for Nonprofit Diversity Leadership

The National MultiCultural Institute is accepting applications for the 2009 Leading Lights Awards for Nonprofit Diversity Leadership. The Leading Lights Diversity Awards celebrate exemplary leaders in the nonprofit sector whose demonstrated courage, innovation and commitment to diversity light a path to a more inclusive society.

Annually, three (3) awards are presented to organizations that serve as role models for enhancing diversity and encouraging respect and inclusion within their organizations and with the diverse communities they serve. Individuals through their work in and on behalf of non-profit organizations are also eligible for recognition. Award recipients are selected from the following nonprofit sectors:

• Education
• Social/Human Services
• Health Care
• Arts & Culture

A fourth award, recognizing an individual or organization that has been at the forefront of addressing an emerging critical issue related to multiculturalism, will be periodically awarded.

Click here to learn more and to download the application.

The application deadline is September 30.

Register Early and Save: Leadership for a Better World

Focus on strategies for creating, leading and sustaining organizations for social impact: join the University of Maryland's Center for Social Value Creation and the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) on Friday, September 25 for a one-day forum, “Leadership for a Better World: Creating Social Value through Innovation,” at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.

Speakers from across all sectors will lead interactive discussions, panels and breakout sessions. Attendees will have opportunities throughout the day to join in the conversation, network with colleagues and speakers, and collaborate with one another in exploring solutions to today’s most pressing social and environmental issues in business.

Register before Friday, September 4 for a discounted rate.

Event Details:
Date: Friday, September 25, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004
Cost: $125 through September 4; $175 after September 4. (student and group rates available)

Click here for additional information or here to register.

The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is a proud to serve as a Media Partner for the Better World Forum.