Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

This Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: June 4-8

Evening hours this week! We will be open until 8:00pm on Tuesday, June 5 for Grantseeking Basics and Introduction to Finding Funders, starting at 5:15pm. Join us for a class or hang out in our library and catch up on your nonprofit reading!

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Thursday, June 5, 12:00pm-3:30pm
How to Start a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
$150
This course is for those who are looking for practical information, hands-on guidance, and education on navigating the legal pitfalls in relation to establishing a nonprofit organization. This course is presented by Georgia Lawyers for the Arts.

Tuesday, June 5, 1:00-2:30pm
Grant Writing for Beginners
At the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's Central Library
Chataun Dennis, Chief Consultant and Founder of Grant Source, will provide simple and easy instructions for new nonprofit grant writers.

Tuesday, June 5, 5:15-6:45pm
Grantseeking Basics
Gain an introduction to the world of foundation fundraising.

Tuesday, June 5, 7:00-8:00pm
Introduction fo Finding Funders
Learn to find funders for your nonprofit with the Foundation Center's comprehensive funding research tool, Foundation Directory Online Professional.

Thursday, June 7, 10:00-11:30am
Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
Learn the characteristics of effective nonprofits and assess whether yours is ready for foundation fundraising.

Unless otherwise noted, the classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our training calendar.

While you're visiting, use our library:

• Search Foundation Directory Online Professional and other research tools for free
• Borrow books about nonprofit management and fundraising
• Ask our staff of experts for information assistance

We're open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesday and last Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Be sure to check the schedule for our live webinars. You can also visit our Multimedia Archive for recorded webinars, transcripts from our live chats, short videos, and podcasts. This week, check out Creating a Nonprofit Business Plan that Works, a panel discussion explaining the components of a professional business plan, how to tailor it to your particular mission, and techniques for carrying out your plan in order to attract the funders, and generate the earned income your organization will need to carry out its mission. Have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

The Importance of Team-Building

Earlier this May, the Inward Bound Center for Nonprofit Leadership held a great workshop called Building Teams: How to Change your Group into a Team, as part of their Coaching Skills For Leaders series. The session provided knowledge on how teams behave to produce results, the duty of leaders to assess the system that encompasses their teams, and how to put your team on track to high productivity and high positivity. Here are four takeaways from the session to help you build stronger teams at your organization:

Team Identification
What does it take to create or rebuild teams so that they are effective and enjoyable to serve on? The first step in this process is assessing where the team is at. Are they highly enthusiastic or feeling down? Is there an atmosphere of general respect or is there hostility and/or a lack of diversity? How productive is your team? Are there goals in place and is accountability present? Does everyone have a clear sense of who can be depended on for each task?

Understanding the productivity and positivity of team is critical to making progress. This will allow you to obtain a quick understanding of the current dynamics of the team and how to move forward. Ideally, teams would be highly productive and highly positive but this is often not the case and teams can quickly shift in their productivity and positivity as small changes are implemented.

Your Role as a Teammate
Recognizing the type of team you're on helps you recognize where you are personally as a team member. Cathy Perry stated at the beginning of the session that "leaders create a 'state of pause' in an organization" - a time to think, reflect, and build greater understanding. Realizing your role as a team member creates a state of pause not only for yourself, but also for your team. This can be used as an opportunity to reflect on everyone’s individual role and contributions. You might be a highly interactive person on a low-communication team, or a methodical worker on a fast productivity team. It helps to know where you stand so that the team can utilize your strengths to create quality productivity, and a positive experience for all who are involved.

The Make-up of Nonprofit Teams  
Unfortunately, much of the nonprofit sector consists of teams that are very positive but demonstrate low productivity. This type of group is extremely optimistic, communicates well and possesses camaraderie, but often lacks focus, resists change, denies urgency and is not results-oriented. To combat low productivity, nonprofits need to be honest about the effectiveness of their organizations and have open conversations about their teams, seeking assistance when necessary. It is important to remember that anyone on a nonprofit team can initiate positive change. Don’t be afraid to create an open conversation with your team about the team’s effectiveness, regardless of the role you play on the team.

The Importance of Accountability
For a team to have high productivity and positivity, everyone has to adhere to the principle of accountability. Every team member needs to be clear on their roles and responsibilities in the team. There have to be agreed upon rules and behaviors that team members follow to maintain balance, positivity for themselves, and their teams. This can only be effective if team members routinely hold each other accountable for what they have agreed to. This creates an atmosphere of trust, keeps negative emotions at bay, and provides a stable foundation to tackle obstacles the team may face.

For more information about the work and upcoming programs of The Inward Bound Nonprofit Leadership Center, be sure to check out their website. You can also connect with them on LinkedIn.

Lauren Kline and Chanell Turner, Social Media and Program Interns, Foundation Center-Atlanta

The Inward Bound Nonprofit Leadership Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Cathy Perry, PCC. The purpose of The Center is to bring leadership coaching to organizations who serve the poor and marginalized, and to invest in nonprofit leaders. They accomplish this mission by offering leadership development programs and training, publicizing case studies, encouraging the spread of Coaching worldwide, and acquiring outstanding Coaches to conduct coaching and training.

This Week at the Foundation Center- Atlanta: May 28-June 1

Evening hours this week! We will be open until 8:00pm on Thursday, May 31 for Proposal Writing and Budgeting Basics, starting at 5:15pm. Join us to get an introduction to the world of proposals or hang out in our library and catch up on your nonprofit reading!

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Thursday, May 31, 5:15pm-6:45pm
Proposal Writing Basics
Learn the key components of a proposal to a foundation.

Thursday, May 31, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Proposal Budgeting Basics
Learn to prepare and present a budget in a grant proposal.

The classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our training calendar.

While you're visiting, use our library:

• Search Foundation Directory Online Professional and other research tools for free
• Borrow books about nonprofit management and fundraising
• Ask our staff of experts for information assistance

We're open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesday and last Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Be sure to check out our live webinars. You can also visit our Multimedia Archive for recorded webinars, transcripts from our live chats, short videos, and podcasts. We also have a live chat happening on GrantSpace this week for social entrepreneurs! Funding for Social Enterprise: Myth or Reality? will take place Tuesday, May 29 from 7:00-8:00pm. Even if you can't make it for the live chat, be sure to check out the transcript afterward. Experts Tom Dawkins, co-founder of startsomegood.com, and Josh Cohen, managing partner at City Light Capital,will discuss crowdfunding and investments for non-501(c)(3)s. Have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

2012 Digital Giving Index Update from Network for Good

Online giving platform Network for Good just released their Digital Giving Index update for the first quarter of 2012, which includes trends and analysis for $25 million in donations to more than 200,000 charities. This includes donations to Network for Good’s nonprofit customers through their own websites, and to other nonprofits through more than 35 corporate partner websites and Network for Good’s two giving portals, www.NetworkforGood.org and www.SixDegrees.org.

The Digital Giving Index shows information on changes in online giving, breakdown of donation dollars, and average gift size by channel. Giving channels in the study include: individual charity websites, charity portals, social giving (peer-to-peer) websites, and applications. Major takeaways:

Online giving increased across all channels in Q1 of 2012, and total online giving rose 16%.

• Charity Websites donations across generic (doesn’t look like the nonprofit’s website) and branded charity websites saw growth at 12% and 36% respectively.
• Portal Giving grew 3%. This was in line with expectations of modest growth since portal giving usually keeps a steady pace.
• Social giving saw an increase of 20%. This includes giving events (giving challenges and cause marketing campaigns), and personal fundraising campaigns where individuals may ask family or friends to support their favorite charity.

Most charitable giving through the Network for Good platform happens via charity websites, followed by social giving and portal networks.

• Giving through charity websites continues to make up over 60% of total dollars raised in 2012, holding onto the title of most popular giving channel for yet another quarter. It fell only slightly to 65% from 68% over the same period in 2011.
• Social giving in 2012 continues to stay steady around 20%, but is expected to increase since peer-to-peer giving is gaining in popularity.
• Portal giving is remains around 10% — not much of a change from 2011. This number does not take into account the month of December or large scale natural disasters, during which portal giving can reach 25% of giving.

Branded pages still see larger and more frequent donations than their generic counterparts. 

Average gift size grew for both generic and branded donation pages in Q1 of 2012, however average gifts on branded donation pages tend to be around 20% larger than on generic donation pages ($104 v. $82). When charities produce a donation experience for their supporters that reinforce and solidify their brand, their average gifts increase over time.

Gift sizes continue to increase for portal giving, and have increased dramatically for social giving.

The dollar amounts contributed through portal giving increased by $10 (still excluding natural disasters), from $94 in the first quarter of 2011 to $104 in the first quarter of 2012. Witn the exception of natural disaster response, portal giving donations are usually made by donors that want to manage all of their charitable giving in one place.

The average gift size of social giving for Q1 of 2012 grew by 90% since 2011. Social fundraising is characterized by lower dollar gifts, but the size has been gradually growing from just under $40 in Q1 of 2010 to $100 in Q1 of 2012. This shows that event-based personal fundraising is on the rise; family and friend connections are proving to make social giving a viable alternative.

These are just the highlights from the first quarter report, so be sure to check it out for yourself to get the full set of statistics and insights!

Chanell Turner, Program and Social Media Intern, Foundation Center-Atlanta

The Right Words Do Make a Difference in Your Proposal

Editor's note: this post comes to you from Ellen McCarty, Certified Grants Specialist and guest presenter at the Foundation Center-Atlanta. Through her consulting firm, McCarty and Co., Ellen provides services to nonprofits that will help them achieve their mission and vision, make a meaningful contribution to their communities, and achieve long-term sustainability and personal fulfillment. 

When teaching grant writing workshops, I’m often asked to share “tricks of the trade” that will edge out the competition. Every seasoned grant writer has learned tips that can help a nonprofit shine. Some tips are learned after years of writing grants while others are just common sense. Yet, it is often the common sense tips that are overlooked.

As a grant reviewer for local, state and federal agencies, I’ve had the opportunity to review proposals for all levels of funding. I’ve learned a lot. An often overlooked mistake that nonprofit staff make is the effective use of Impact Words. When used effectively, these words can convey to the grantmaker that the organization is experienced and competent.

For example, consider these two sentences:

• “With funding from the ABC Foundation we will help students make better grades and have more choices.”

• “With funding from the ABC Foundation, we will implement an innovative new program that has provided documented evidence that peer-to-peer study groups’ help struggling students improve by one to two letter grades by the end of one semester. Fifty percent of the students will leverage their higher grades to obtain grant money for college or to enroll in technical programs of their choice.”

Which organization would you fund? The nonprofit with the good but vague intentions or the nonprofit that demonstrated a degree of thoughtfulness and preparedness that made you want to learn more about their new program? The answer is obvious.

So, here’s my tip for the week:

Upon completing a grant proposal, review it, or better yet, have someone who has not been involved
with the proposal review it and weed out the weak and ambiguous words. Replace them with Impact Words that clearly demonstrate your organization’s strengths and expertise. In the end, words do make a difference.

Examples of Impact Words include:

• Execute
• Demonstrate
• Experienced
• Provides evidence
• Comprehensive

This Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: May 21-25

Holiday closing this week! Due to Memorial Day Weekend, we will close early this Friday, May 25, at 1:00pm, and will open again for normal hours at 10:00am on Tuesday, May 29.

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Wednesday, May 23, 9:30-11:00am
Grantseeking Basics
Learn how to become a better grantseeker! In this class we will cover: what you need to have in place before you seek a grant; the world of grantmakers; the grantseeking process; and available tools and resources.

Wednesday, May 23, 11:30am-12:30pm
Introduction to Finding Funders (Hands-on)
Learn to find funders for your nonprofit with the Foundation Center's comprehensive funding research tool.

Wednesday, May 23, 2:00-3:30pm
Lobbying and Political Activity for Nonprofits
Learn about the legal limits of lobbying and political activity in nonprofit organizations from presenter Kristen Nugent of Hunton & Williams. This class is presented in collaboration with the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta.

The classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our training calendar.

While you're visiting, use our library:

• Search Foundation Directory Online Professional and other research tools for free
• Borrow books about nonprofit management and fundraising
• Ask our staff of experts for information assistance

We're open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesday and last Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Be sure to check out our live webinars. You can also visit our Multimedia Archive for recorded webinars, transcripts from our live chats, short videos, and podcasts. If you have questions about nonprofit human resource management, listen to our newly posted Philanthropy Chat: Nonprofit Staff Management & Retention! Pratichi Shah, human resources strategist and founder of Flourish Talent Management Solutions shares how nonprofit organizations should be as purposeful in managing staff as they are at managing their programs to successfully achieve their missions. Have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

This Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: May 14-18

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Tuesday, May 15, 2:00-3:15pm
How to Approach a Foundation
Learn how to build relationships with foundation prospects and prepare for calls and meetings with funders.

Wednesday, May 16, 2:00-3:30pm
ABCs of Government Funding
Learn the basics of applying for government grants from presenter Ellen McCarty, Certified Grants Specialist.

Thursday, May 17, 9:00am-4:00pm
Building a Sustainable Nonprofit
$195
On a limited budget, maintaining a healthy organization can be a real challenge. This course, taught by Pam Sugarman, president of Sugarman Consulting, focuses on strengthening your financial stability and monitoring how well your organization aligns its resources with its mission.

Unless otherwise noted, the classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see ourtraining calendar.

While you're visiting, use our library:

• Search Foundation Directory Online Professional and other research tools for free
• Borrow books about nonprofit management and fundraising
• Ask our staff of experts for information assistance

We're open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesday and last Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Be sure to check out our live webinars. You can also visit our Multimedia Archive for recorded webinars, transcripts from our live chats, short videos, and podcasts. If you're interested in collaboration, check out the transcript from our recent live chat on Sharing Spaces & Services: Smart and Sustainable, with China Brotsky of the Tides Foundation. Get info on trends, upsides and downsides, strategies, and resources, from a leading expert on the subject and a director who leads a shared space for ten nonprofits. Have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Meet Our Interns!

The Foundation Center-Atlanta is proud and excited to announce that Georgia State University students Chanell Turner and Lauren Kline will be joining us as interns for the summer! They will be bringing their already-extensive knowledge of the nonprofit sector to assist us with our programs and social media. You'll see them working hard around our office for the next three months, so please say hello and get to know them!

Lauren Kline is a 3^rd year student at Georgia State University and is studying Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership. Lauren is interested in nonprofit capacity building, social entrepreneurship, social media and event planning. At school Lauren serves as the Co-President of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, an organization that seeks to equip students with practical skills needed for careers in the nonprofit sector. In the past year Lauren has been awarded the NextGen Scholarship from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, the Undergraduate Excellence Award for the Department of Policy and Management and Dean’s List. Before interning at the Foundation Center, Lauren completed an internship at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits where she was responsible for maintaining Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

What excites you about interning with the Foundation Center-Atlanta?

I am always eager to learn and I am extremely enthusiastic about the many learning opportunities that interning with the Foundation Center will offer. I am looking forward to gaining additional experience in social media and program management. I am also excited about meeting all the amazing people that pass through the Foundation Center.

What do you want to do in the future?

After completing my summer internship at the Foundation Center, I hope to continue gaining nonprofit experience and diversifying my skills through additional internships; I plan to hold an internship every semester until I graduate in spring 2014.

Chanell Turner is a senior at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies of Georgia State University. She is pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership. Chanell has been involved in many activities on campus such as Toastmasters, Alpha Lambda Delta, and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. She has also been awarded with placement on the Dean’s and President’s list. Her activities outside of campus include community service and recently interning at Operation HOPE where she was responsible for community outreach, donor research, and marketing. She has recently taken on the honor and responsibility of becoming the Co-President of Georgia State University’s Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, which is an organization that develops graduate and undergraduate students to become nonprofit professionals.

What excites you about interning with the Foundation Center-Atlanta?

I am really excited about developing the skills I already have (research, information technology, and outreach), and gaining new ones to support the Foundation Center as well as local Atlanta nonprofit organizations. The Foundation Center acts as an intermediary between nonprofits and the foundations that fund them. I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn a lot more about that relationship, and experience the structure and operations of an organization like The Foundation Center. I also want to learn more about the world of fundraising and development as well as program evaluation.

What do you want to do in the future?

I am looking to graduate from Georgia State University in spring of 2013, and go on to graduate school to earn an MPA.  I would like to continue interning and eventually working in the nonprofit sector to gain more skills in development, nonprofit management, and program implementation. I definitely want to work for a nonprofit organization in the future that deals with youth development, refugees, or one that serves a unique need like The Foundation Center. 

This Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: May 7-11

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Tuesday, May 8, 9:30-11:00am
Proposal Writing Basics
Learn the key components of a proposal to a foundation.

Tuesday, May 8, 11:15am-12:15pm
Proposal Budgeting Basics
Learn to prepare and present a budget in a grant proposal.

The classes above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our training calendar.

While you're visiting, use our library:

• Search Foundation Directory Online Professional and other research tools for free
• Borrow books about nonprofit management and fundraising
• Ask our staff of experts for information assistance

We're open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesday and last Thursday of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Be sure to check out our live webinars. You can also visit our Multimedia Archive for recorded webinars, short videos, and podcasts. New on GrantSpace: ‘Exponential Fundraising’: A Conversation with Jennifer McCrea. Developed by Jennifer McCrea, senior research fellow at Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, 'Exponential fundraising' posits that the fundraising process is fundamentally joyful, and has the power to strengthen and transform the organizations and people involved. Enjoy the video and have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Upcoming Live Chat! Funding for Social Enterpreneurs: Myth or Reality?

If you have an idea for positive social impact, but lack 501(c)(3) status, how can you get funding? Our live online chat in May focuses on this very question. Funding for Social Entrepreneurs: Myth or Reality? takes place May 29th, 7:00-8:00 PM ET, and will cover the following topics:

• What makes for a viable "social venture"?
• Where do social enterprises typically get startup capital?
• How is funding for social enterprise different from more traditional business and nonprofit models?
• What makes for a strong pitch when seeking funding for a social venture?
• How (and how well) does crowdfunding work?
• How do you measure the success of a social enterprise?

Get info on trends, strategies, and resources from 2 leading practitioners: 

• Tom Dawkins is Co-Founder of startsomegood.com, a popular crowdfunding site that helps social good initiatives raise funds and grow a community of supporters.
• Josh Cohen is Managing Partner at City Light Capital, a venture capital firm investing in USA-based, high-growth companies dedicated to tackling some of society’s toughest challenges.

Come ready with your questions, and we'll try to get them all answered on Tuesday, May 29, 7:00-8:00pm ET (that's right - it's an evening chat for those of us in the western hemisphere!), at our free, live, online chat. Register now!

Meanwhile, learn more at our Knowledge Base Article, What is social enterprise? and our recent video interview, Social Enterprise and Sustainability: A Conversation with Paul Lamb.