Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

Back By Popular Demand: Webinars to Help Your Nonprofit Survive & Emerge Stronger

Now that we've lived through over a year of the economic downturn, you may be seeing the light at the end of tunnel in your nonprofit -- or maybe that light hasn't reached you yet and you're still in crisis mode. Regardless of your current position, you'll benefit from our new webinar training series, Turning Economic Crisis into Opportunity: How Nonprofits Can Survive and Emerge Stronger.

If this series sounds familiar, that's because we debuted it in October to a very positive response, so we've decided to repeat it. In the four sessions, you will learn to evaluate how well your organization uses resources to achieve its mission; apply the most effective short-term and medium-range strategies to ensure its survival; determine which revenue option is best; and implement the five essential characteristics of effective, sustainable nonprofits.

By understanding and strengthening your current financial health, you'll be prepared to make the most of economic recovery and secure your long-term sustainability. In addition, you'll develop skills that help you adapt to any economic climate.

Registration fee: $45 for each session.
Special offer: Register by November 30 for the complete four-part series for only $135...
YOU SAVE $45! Get four webinars for the price of three!

Click any title to get details and register.

• Special Offer: Complete Four-Part Series for $135
• Assessing Your Nonprofit's Financial Health, Tuesday, December 1
• Survival Strategies for Your Nonprofit, Thursday, December 3
• Strengthening Your Nonprofit's Income Portfolio, Tuesday, December 8
• Beyond the Recession: Building Sustainability, Thursday, December 10

New Videos in our Events Archive

We've recently added several new recordings of classes and events from this past Summer to our local Events Archive:

Revise, Revamp, Rejuvenate: Ways to Survive the Recession
Atlanta, GA
August 27, 2009
Terri Theisen of Theisen Consulting LLC explores options facing nonprofit organizations in these tough economic times.
Watch the video »

Best Practices in Financial Management for Nonprofits
Atlanta, GA
August 5, 2009
Wendy Stewart, Senior Vice President and Senior Client Manager at Bank of America and Rachel Epps Spears, Executive Director, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta discuss financial recordkeeping and reporting, investment policies, and internal controls to help nonprofits remain financially fit.
Watch the video »

What You Need to Know About Fiscal Sponsorship
Atlanta, GA
July 22, 2009
Rachel Epps Spears, Executive Director, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta, shares the pros and cons of having a fiscal sponsor and what organizations can do to avoid potential problems when entering into a fiscal sponsorship agreement.
Watch the video »

Following the Money Trail: The Impact of the Economic Stimulus on Education in Georgia
Atlanta, GA
June 30, 2009
Lauren Veasey, Program Officer, Southern Education Foundation discusses the impact of the economic stimulus on education in Georgia.
Watch the video »

Our national Events Archive provides free access to recorded Foundation Center programs, classes, and other events held at locations across the U.S. View videos and webcasts, listen to or download audio recordings, and read transcripts of selected events by visiting this section of our web site.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Resources for Artists and Arts Organizations

During Funding for Arts Month, we are continuing to offer special events and resources aimed at helping artists and nonprofit arts organizations become better grantseekers and increase their funding. 

Don’t miss our last Arts Month workshop on Thursday, October 22.  Elizabeth Labbe-Webb, VSA arts of Georgia, will present “So You Gotta Wheelchair Ramp…What Next?” This session is designed to explain the original Americans with Disabilities law and to discuss the changes that were made in January. It will explore the "why" of the ADA as well as some tried and true ways to help arts and cultural organizations deal with the "how" in their own spaces and programming. This workshop is step one for any organization or artist committed to ensuring that they continue to be leaders in the work of making the arts and culture open and inviting to underserved populations.

Listen to our interviews with leaders in the arts:

• Adam Natale, director of membership and program development at Fractured Atlas, talks about advocacy for the arts and his organization.
• Sherry Heyl, founder of Concept Hub, Inc., a social media agency in Metro Atlanta, talks about social media and her presentation during Funding for Arts Month.
• Lisa Tuttle, Fulton County Arts Council Public Art Program Education and Outreach Coordinator, talks about Fulton County's public arts program and her program on public art project proposal writing during Funding for Arts Month.
• Erik Speakman, of Speakman Management Consulting, discusses partnerships and sustainability for arts organizations and about his program on collaborations and partnerships during Funding for Arts Month.

If you are an individual artist searching for funding, we recommend our reference guides for artists, filmmakers, musicians, and writers. These guides list helpful web sites and resources available at our libraries, including:

• Battenfield, Jackie. The Artist's Guide. Da Capo Press, 2009.
  Provides advice and resources for artists in several areas including startup, marketing, exhibitions, networking, financial management, business issues, daily operations, and other topics.
• Warshawski, Morrie. Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Video Projects. 2nd ed. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2003.
  A step-by-step guide that covers planning a project, doing research, writing a proposal, soliciting donations from individuals, and more.
• Pen Literary Awards
  This database provides a comprehensive listing of PEN's awards programs for writers working in a variety of genres. It is available for free use at the Foundation Center-Atlanta library.

Managers of arts organizations can identify useful books and articles by browsing our topical resource list Funding and Managing Arts Organizations. To find other arts-related materials that we have recently added to our library collections, search the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Resource Market for the Arts on October 5!

October is Funding for the Arts Month here at the Foundation Center-Atlanta.The kick-off event for the month will be a Resource Market for the Arts—a day to network with peers and learn about available funding, resources and services. Join us on Monday October 5 for the Market where representatives of local organizations who fund the arts and/or provide services to arts organizations will be available to answer your questions about their programs and chat one-on-one.

Preceding the Market at 12:00 pm, Adam Natale, Director of Membership and Program Development,  Fractured Atlas, and Jan Selman, Executive Director, ALL-Georgia, will discuss how advocacy can sustain funding for the arts.  Find out how you CAN influence politicians' decisions about the arts and how to wield your power and successfully advocate for arts funding and increase awareness of the impact of the arts and culture on communities.

Topics will include:
• Why advocacy is important for culture and arts nonprofits at the legislative and community levels
• Tips for strategic and effective advocacy
• Creating advocacy action plans

Listen to our podcast with Adam Natale about advocacy and about his organization.

When:
Monday, October 5, 2009
1:00 - 3:00 pm  Resource Market for the Arts:   
12-1:30 pm  Sustaining Arts Funding Through Advocacy:  

Where:
Rialto Center for the Arts
at Georgia State University
80 Forsyth Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

These events are cosponsored by the Foundation Center-Atlanta, Fulton County Arts Council, Alternate ROOTS, City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Georgia Council for the Arts, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund and Southern Arts Federation.

Visit our calendar to register for our other programs and events in October:
•  Developing Your Communication Plan for Social Media, October 9, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
•  Professional Growth for Individual Artists: The Business of Art, October 13, 5:30-7:00 pm
•  Beyond Survival: Collaboration, Partnerships and Sustainability, October 15, 2:00-3:30 pm
•  Public Art Project Proposal Writing, October 20, 6:30-8:00 pm
•  So You Gotta Wheelchair Ramp...What Next?, October 22, 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Resource Market for the Arts

Join us on Monday, October 5, from 1-3 pm at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University for our annual Resource Market for the Arts.  Over 25 agencies who provide resources, services and/or funding to arts organizations and artists will be available to describe their services and answer your questions. 

Preceding the Market at 12:00 pm, Adam Natale, director of membership and program development at Fractured Atlas, and Jan Selman, executive director of the Arts Leadership League of Georgia (ALL-GA), will present Sustaining Your Arts Organization Through Advocacy. Learn how to bolster your organization's case for funding through arts promotion and advocacy. The discussion will include why advocacy is important for culture and arts nonprofits at the legislative and community levels, tips for strategic and effective advocacy, and creating advocacy action plans.

Check our October calendar for information about our other programs during Funding for Arts Month in October. And at our web site you'll find Focus on Arts Funding — a "one-stop shop" of free, easily accessible information including an interactive U.S. map of arts grantmaking, podcasts, research reports, and helpful links.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Coming in October: Our Funding for Arts Month

Throughout October, the Foundation Center is celebrating Funding for the Arts Month!
Join us to learn more about arts funding at special events, free classes, and webinars. 

Visit our October calendar to register for upcoming programs. You might also want to subscribe to Arts Funding Watch, our free e-alert service featuring recent grants and news in the arts. At our web site you'll find Focus on Arts Funding — a "one-stop shop" of free, easily accessible information including an interactive U.S. map of arts grantmaking, podcasts, research reports, and helpful links.

The kick-off event for the month will be a Resource Market for the Arts—a day to network with peers and learn about available funding, resources and services. There's information for everyone!

When:

Monday, October 5, 2009
1:00 - 3:00 pm

Where:

Rialto Center for the Arts
at Georgia State University
80 Forsyth Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Preceding the Market at 12:00 pm, Adam Natale, Director of Membership and Program Development, Fractured Atlas, and Jan Selman, Executive Director, ALL-Georgia, will discuss how advocacy can sustain funding for the arts.

Visit our calendar to register for our other programs and events in October:

• Developing Your Communication Plan for Social Media, October 9, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
• Professional Growth for Individual Artists: The Business of Art, October 13, 5:30-7:00 pm
• Beyond Survival: Collaboration, Partnerships and Sustainability, October 15, 2:00-3:30 pm
• Public Art Project Proposal Writing, October 20, 6:30-8:00 pm

The Resource Market is co-sponsored by The Foundation Center-Atlanta, Fulton County Arts Council, Alternate ROOTS, City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Georgia Council for the Arts, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund and Southern Arts Federation.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Live From Low-profit Limited Liability Companies (L3C): A For-Profit with a Non-profit Soul

Download or view the slides from this presentation (PDF).

At its most elemental level, the low-profit limited liability company, or L3C, is a cross between a nonprofit and a for-profit. It is a new form of business enterprise that is designed specifically to further a socially beneficial mission, and, in the right circumstances, can qualify as a program-related investment for foundations.

Want to know more? Cass Brewer, a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin in Atlanta, will explain the nuts and bolts of this new kind of for-profit structure with a nonprofit soul. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session for participants.

How it Works
Although this in-person program will happen in our Atlanta library, we will provide real-time reports on what's being said and done, right here at our blog. In the viewer window below, you can easily submit comments and questions. Our staff will ask posted questions during the program's Q&A session.

 

Resource Market for the Arts

October is Funding for Arts and Humanities Month at the Foundation Center-Atlanta.

The kick-off event for the month will be a Resource Market for the Arts—a day to network with peers and learn about available funding, resources and services. There's information for everyone!

Preceding the Market at 12:00 pm, Adam Natale, Director of Membership and Program Development, Fractured Atlas, and Jan Selman, Executive Director, ALL-Georgia, will discuss how advocacy can sustain funding for the arts.

When:

Monday, October 5, 2009
1:00 - 3:00 pm

Where:

Rialto Center for the Arts
at Georgia State University
80 Forsyth Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Visit our calendar to register for our other programs and events in October: 

•  Developing Your Communication Plan for Social Media, October 9, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
•  Professional Growth for Individual Artists: The Business of Art, October 13, 5:30-7:00 pm
•  Beyond Survival: Collaboration, Partnerships and Sustainability, October 15, 2:00-3:30 pm
•  Public Art Project Proposal Writing, October 20, 6:30-8:00 pm

These events are cosponsored by the Foundation Center-Atlanta, Fulton County Arts Council, Alternate ROOTS, City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Georgia Council for the Arts, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund and Southern Arts Federation.

Kayron Bearden, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Upcoming Special Classes and Events: September & October 2009

Coming up in September and October, we have a number of special classes and events scheduled. We will be featuring one unique event each month to celebrate our 15th anniversary this year. In addition, throughout October we will be holding a wide range of special programs as part of our Funding for Arts Month. Check back at our Events Calendar for more events and classes as they are updated.

Contracts for Nonprofits
Wednesday, September 9, 10:00-11:30am
Presented in collaboration with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
Nonprofits commonly enter into agreements with sponsors, vendors, and even fellow nonprofits. Most of the time everything goes off without a hitch. However, do you know how to protect your nonprofit in the event that something doesn't go as planned? During this workshop, our speaker will help nonprofits understand:

• What is a contract?
• Why have a formal written agreement?
• What should be included in a contract?
• How can a contract be terminated?
• Why have warranties and disclaimers?
• What is an indemnification clause?
• How can nonprofits establish a contracting process?

Presenter: Jill V. Termini, In-House Counsel, United Parcel Service (UPS)
Click here to register.


Using Social Media for Development: Flash in the Pan or Wave of the Future?
Thursday, September 10, 10:00-11:30am
 This event is a special Foundation Center-Atlanta 15th Anniversary program.
Join us for a lively, interactive discussion about how nonprofits can use social media to:

• Advance your mission
• Increase donations and attract new donors
• Raise awareness and drive web traffic
• Mobilize volunteers

Presenter: Kelly Hornbuckle, Manager of Marketing & Communications, Georgia Restaurant Association
Click here to register.


Low-profit Limited Liability Companies: A For-Profit with a Non-profit Soul
Wednesday, September 16, 2:00-3:30pm
At its most elemental level, the low-profit limited liability company - L3C - is a cross between a non-profit and a for-profit. It is a new form of business enterprise that is specifically designed to further a socially beneficial mission and, in the right circumstances, can qualify as a program-related investment for foundations.
Presenter: Cass Brewer, partner at Morris, Manning & Martin
Click here to register.


How to Use Research to Get Noticed by Funders
Friday, September 25, 2:30-4:00pm
Join us for an informative workshop that introduces research methods that provide funders with a succinct snapshot of your program/organization in order to prevent funders from having to sift through 'fluff' in your grant proposals. In this workshop, you will learn:

• How to convert intangible or abstract concepts of your program into variables that can be measured and presented clearly to potential funders
• How to create a logic model that provides an 'at a glance' perspective of your program or organization
• Why research is critical to separate your organization from others competing for the same funding

Presenter: Melanie Sloan Edwards, President/CEO, Camel Consulting
Click here to register.

Resource Market for the Arts
(at the Rialto Center for the Arts)
Monday, October 5, 1:00-3:00pm
This event is part of our Funding for Arts Month.
Representatives of local organizations who fund the arts and/or provide services to arts organizations will be available to answer your questions about their programs and chat one-on-one. Organizations represented include the Fulton County Arts Council, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, Southern Arts Federation, and the Georgia Council for the Arts.
Click here to register.

Developing Your Communication Plan for Social Media
Friday, October 9, 11:00am-12:30pm
This event is part of our Funding for Arts Month.
The web is evolving into a global interactive marketplace. Every minute, new content is being posted on various forums, review sites, blogs, media-sharing sites, bookmarking sites, in chats, and on wikis. These ongoing conversations are both a threat and an opportunity to a brand’s reputation.
Presenter: Sherry Heyl, Founder, Concept Hub, Inc.
Click here to register.


Challenges and Opportunities of the Economic Crisis
(in Room 1045, The Hurt Building)
Tuesday, October 13, 2:30-3:30pm
 This event is a special Foundation Center-Atlanta 15th Anniversary program.
Bradford K. Smith, president of the Foundation Center, will provide his perspective on the impact of the economic crisis on the philanthropic sector – both foundations and service providers – and the challenges and opportunities these turbulent times present for the future.
Click here to register.

Professional Growth for Individual Artists: The Business of Art
at the South Bend Center for Arts & Culture (inside South Bend Park)
Tuesday, October 13, 2:30-3:30pm
This event is part of our Funding for Arts Month.
To be competitive in our current art world, there are essential skills artists of all disciplines should learn to develop professionally. Join us for stimulating discussion on how your work as an artist can be fully presented and experienced when you develop skills in the business and administrative side of artistic practice.
Click here to register.

Beyond Survival: Collaboration, Partnerships and Sustainability
Thursday, October 15, 2:30-4:00pm
This event is part of our Funding for Arts Month.
Current economic challenges are making it more important for arts and cultural organizations to focus on the sustainability of what each agency does uniquely different than others. A key to sustainability is being ‘competitive’ in this uniqueness and looking to partner with others to address areas in which the organization is not strong.
Presenter: Erik Speakman, Founder and Principal, Speakman Management Consulting
Click here to register.


Public Art Project Proposal Writing
(at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center)
Tuesday, October 20, 6:30-8:00pm
This event is part of our Funding for Arts Month.
This workshop will use the Fulton County Public Art Program proposal template as a foundation for understanding public art proposal writing as a whole. This presentation will offer insight into the proposal writing and commission selection process. Participants will receive examples of successful proposals, get insights into developing narratives and budgets, and learn about available resources and opportunities for public art commissions in other locales.
Presenter: Lisa Tuttle, Public Art Program Education and Outreach Coordinator, Fulton County Arts Council
Click here to register.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Fall 2009 Seminars at the Foundation Center-Atlanta

This fall we are offering several essential courses to help you get through today's tough fundraising environment.   Scholarships are available for Georgia  under-resourced nonprofits; see if your organization qualifies.
   
September:
Outcome Thinking and Management: Shifting Focus from Activities to Results: September 18, 2009, 9am-4pm
Learn  how to adopt the popular outcomes approach to your projects and grant proposals.

October:
Foundation Fundraising:  An Introductory Course: October 1, 2009, 9 am - 4 pm.
Gain a thorough introduction to the world of foundations and instruction in identifying prospective funders.

November:
Cultivating Grantmaker Relationships:  November 3, 2009, 9 am - 4 pm.
Strengthen the partnership between your organization and its funders.

Foundation Fundraising:  An Introductory Course:   November 11, 2009, 9 am - 4 pm.
Gain a thorough introduction to the world of foundations and instruction in identifying prospective funders.

Securing Corporate Partnerships:  November 13, 2009, 9 am - 4 pm.
Learn the unique characteristics of corporate funders and where to make inroads to gain their support.

December:
Foundation Funding Research:  Strategies for Finding and Evaluating Prospects:   December 9 -10, 2009, 1 - 4 pm, Day One, and 9 am - 4pm, Day Two.
Learn to chart your organization's needs and find funders using Foundation Directory Online Professional,the Foundation Center's top-tier online database of grantmakers.

Joanne Kepics, Regional Training Coordinator, Foundation Center-Atlanta