Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

Next Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: August 3-7

Evening hours next week! We will be open until 8:00pm on Tuesday, August 4.

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Tuesday, August 4, 12:00-3:30pm
How to Start a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
Presented by Georgia Lawyers for the Arts
Price: $150

Tuesday, August 4, 5:15-6:45pm
Grantseeking Basics

Tuesday, August 4, 7:00-8:00pm
Introduction to Foundation Directory Online

Wednesday, August 5, 9:30-11:00am
Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits

Wednesday, August 5, 2:30-4:00pm
Financial Fitness: Good Financial Policies for Nonprofits
Presented in collaboration with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

Thursday, August 6, 10:00-11:15am
How to Approach a Foundation

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 Events Calendar.

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Check out our webinars.

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 Monday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesdays of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Giving in Installments

I saw an interesting article in our local paper, the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), about local charities allowing patrons to buy tickets to big-ticket special events on an installment plan:  "Charitable Giving Goes Layaway Route". The term "layaway" is not typically used; and those who buy tickets over time can expect discretion. According to Vicki Palefsky, chair of the Alliance Theatre's spring gala: "It preserves folks' dignity. It allows them the opportunity to give at a higher level than they might otherwise be able to, preserves the donor base, fills the house, and ensures that you'll reach your financial goals."

Have you had any experiences with creative ways you're handling special events?  Please let us know.  To learn more, check out our FAQ "Where can I find information on fundraising through special events?"

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Connect with the Foundation Center on Twitter, Facebook, and More

Earlier this Spring, we decided to join the many nonprofits already using Twitter to connect with donors, clients, and the general public. We have been actively tweeting from our FCAtlanta account (twitter.com/FCAtlanta) for more than two months now, and we have been very pleased with the response.

You may not be aware, however, that there are more than a half dozen other Foundation Center Twitter feeds you can follow:

• fdncenter - Main Foundation Center feed
• FC_econcrisis - Updates from our Focus on the Economic Crisis
• pndblog - Current news items from Philanthropy News Digest
• FCCleveland - News & updates from the Foundation Center-Cleveland
• FCNewYork - News & updates from the Foundation Center-New York
• FCSanFrancisco - News & updates from the Foundation Center-San Francisco
• FCWashington - News & updates from the Foundation Center-Washington (DC)

You can also follow the Foundation Center on Facebook, MySpace, and other social networks:

 Facebook:

• Foundation Center fan page
• Foundation Center group profile (requires login)
• Foundation Directory Online fan page

  MySpace:

• Foundation Center profile

  Idealist:

• Foundation Center organization profile

Have your own account on Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace? Be sure to connect with the Foundation Center to receive updates on research, publications, classes and events, special offers, and more.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

More Details on the Social Innovation Fund

The Corporation for National and Community Service has recently published answers to frequently asked questions about the forthcoming Social Innovation Fund. This fund, authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, will award grants in the range of $1 to $10 million to existing grantmaking institutions (government agencies, private foundations, etc.) to in turn provide subgrants to nonprofit community organizations to expand or replicate proven initiatives or to develop new initiatives for underserved populations. Although Congress has not yet approved funding for the plan, President Obama has requested that $50 million be appropriated for the Social Innovation Fund for FY 2010.

Besides providing much-needed capacity-building support for community nonprofits, the fund will also work to maximize the impact of government funding by requiring grantmaking institutions to implement evidence-based practices in the funding decision process and to use measurable outcomes to assess the effectiveness of their subgrants. In addition, both grantmaking institutions and nonprofit community organizations that are awarded grants will be required to provide matching funds, such that every $1 in government spending will ultimately result in $3 in funding for programs and services.

For more information on the Social Innovation Fund, read CNCS' Frequently Asked Questions on the Social Innovation Fund or see the following articles and online resources:

What Exactly is the Social Innovation Fund?
&
Why the Social Innovation Fund Matters
Sean Stannard-Stockton - Tactical Philanthropy

Details on the Social Innovation Fund from the Serve America Act
America Forward

White House Seeks $50-Million for 'Social Innovation'
Chronicle of Philanthropy

$50 Million Social Innovation Fund To Target Education, Health, Economy
NonProfit Times

Mrs. Obama Announces New Fund to Aid Nonprofits
New York Times

What Is the Social Innovation Fund?
The White House Blog

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Next Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: July 27-31

Evening hours next week! We will be open until 8:00pm on Thursday, July 30.

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Tuesday, July 28, 9:30-11:00am
Grantseeking Basics

Tuesday, July 28, 11:15am-12:15pm
Introduction to Foundation Directory Online

Wednesday, July 29, 10:00-11:15am
Your Board and Fundraising: An Introductory Class for Small Nonprofits
Followed by a presentation on the legal responsibilities of nonprofit board members.

Thursday, July 30, 5:15-6:45pm
Proposal Writing Basics

Thursday, July 30, 7:00-8:00pm
Proposal Budgeting Basics

New class!
Friday, July 31, 10:00-11:15am
Fundraising in a Challenging Economy

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

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Check out our webinars.

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 Monday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesdays of each month, (10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Special Discount on Grantseeker Training Courses

Register now for our three most popular grantseeker training courses and save $86 with any combination of cities and dates! Register for all three courses at the same time for only $499 (a $585 value).

Proposal Writing Seminar
Learn what today's grantmakers look for, and gain insight into their review process. Expert instructors show how to craft a breakthrough proposal package, step by step.
See upcoming dates and register >>

Proposal Budgeting Workshop
Learn the best way to present your financial needs to secure funding. Using case studies, you develop strategies to convince grantmakers that your project is a smart financial investment.
See upcoming dates and register >>

Cultivating Grantmaker Relationships
Learn how to make contact with new prospects, ensure the funder feels connected to your mission, and secure long-term commitment.
See upcoming dates and register >>

Each course is applicable for six CFRE^TM points for initial or re-certification. 

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Musings about Social Media

I read an interesting guest post by Guarav Mishra at Beth Kanter’s blog, Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media today. The article, The 4Cs Social Media Framework, discusses four underlying themes Mishra identifies in social media: Content, Collaboration, Community and Collective Intelligence.  He believes that the various tools used in social media—Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.—are transient, but these concepts will last.

He describes content in terms of the ideas that these tools allow everyone to create.  However, he also defines the 1:9:90 rule: 90% of all users are consumers, 9% are "curators" (commenters, taggers, linkers to content), only 1% are creators of content.

Collaboration refers to the ability of social media to turn many small individual efforts into “meaningful collective results.”  Conversations among consumers and curators generate buzz which can turn into collaboration.

Mishra defines community as the “sustained collaboration around a shared idea, over time and often across space” that social media can generate.  Collective intelligence he relates to the ability of social media tools to extract meaning from individual actions.

According to Mishra, “…the 4Cs form a hierarchy of what is possible with social media. ..Compelling content is a prerequisite for meaningful collaboration, which is a prerequisite for a vibrant community, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for collective intelligence.”

For more information about using social media, you can search in our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature using the keyword “social media”.

Do Mishra's ideas reflect what you are experiencing with social media? Let us know how you are using social media tools. 

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

The IRS and Tax-Exempt Organizations

The Internal Revenue Service regularly publishes “Tax Tips” at their web site.  Back in the spring, they issued Tax Tip 2009-60, “Six Important Facts about Tax-Exempt Organizations.”

Taxpayers donate millions of dollars every year to charitable organizations. In this publication, the IRS lists six things you should know about the tax treatment of tax-exempt organizations:
 
1. Tax returns for tax-exempt organizations are available to the public, as are their applications for exemption.
2. The list of donors to a tax-exempt organization filed with the Form 990 is excluded from the information available for public inspection.
3. The easiest way to determine if an organization is tax-exempt or not is to ask them. You can also search in IRS Publication 78.
4. Not all exempt organizations are eligible to accept tax-deductible charitable donations.
5. Exempt organizations that are not eligible to accept tax-deductible donations are required to disclose that to potential donors.
6. You can report inappropriate activities by charities to the Exempt Organizations Examination Division . 

Looking for more information about the tax returns of foundations and nonprofits?  See our free online course, Demystifying the 990-PF, or How to Read the IRS Form 990 & Find Out What It Means, a helpful guide from the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York.

Share your experiences with the IRS; you can use the comment box below.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Atlanta

Next Week at the Foundation Center-Atlanta: July 20-24

We invite you to our classes this upcoming week:

Tuesday, July 21, 10:00-11:15am
Introduction to Fundraising Planning

Tuesday, July 21, 11:30am-12:30pm
Introduction to Corporate Giving

Wednesday, July 22, 1:00-2:00pm
Prospect Research Basics: Researching Individual Donors

Wednesday, July 22, 2:30-4:00pm
What You Need to Know About Fiscal Sponsorship
Presented in collaboration with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

Thursday, July 23, 10:00-11:00am
Finding Foundation Support for Your Education
Followed by a special presentation on the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

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

Can't visit the Foundation Center this week? Check out our webinars.

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 Monday through Friday, 10am-5pm (first Tuesdays of each month, 10am-8pm). No appointment is necessary. See our web site for directions and parking information.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

United Way V.I.P. (Volunteer Involvement Program)

The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta’s V.I.P. prepares people to serve on nonprofit boards and helps nonprofits find potential board members.  The program develops and places ethnically diverse and underrepresented populations into leadership roles in nonprofit agencies, in order to create a more open and caring community.

For individuals interested in joining the United Way V.I.P.,  the next class of V.I.P. will take place in September 2009. The application deadline is August 21, 2009.  You can find a fact sheet, timelines, and application on the web site.

For nonprofits in search of passionate, prepared board members, you can register your needs and download an application form on the United Way web site.

To learn more about getting your board members involved in fundraising, you can register for the Foundation Center’s class “Your Board and Fundraising:  An Introductory Class for Small Nonprofits”. Can’t make the class at those times?   Consider taking it as a webinar. 

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta