August 9, 2010

August 9, 2010

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In This Edition:


News Update:

• Buffet Puts Philanthropic Pressure On Billionaires


Tips Section:

•Finance...
3 important phases of a merger

•Management...
4 practices of innovative organizations

•Religious Fundraising...
A strategic plan is more than a basic idea

 

 

 






bluewater


Buffet Puts Philanthropic Pressure On Billionaires

 

By Mark Hrywna

The number is $600 billion. That’s how much some 40 billionaires pledge that they will give to charity from their fortunes, after some prodding by fellow billionaire Warren Buffet.

Granted, much of the money would probably be given to charity anyway. But the grandstanding by the so-called Oracle of Omaha is intended to move others to half their fortunes. Buffett hopes to not only inspire others to give, but also boost “smart philanthropy” in America.

Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates earlier this summer publicly announced their intention to give away half their fortunes to charity and ask others in the super wealthy set to join them in “The Giving Pledge.” Last week, they announced that 40 have signed on and Buffett plans to enlist them to go out and get more pledges. The 40 includes many who have already been prominent in philanthropy circles: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, eBay founders Pierre and Pam Omidyar, Peter G. Peterson, Ted Turner, David Rockefeller and T. Boone Pickens.

The Giving Pledge, www.givingpledge.org, is described as an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving at least half of their wealth to philanthropy during their lifetime or after their death. That could mean as much as $600 billion eventually flowing to charities and causes of all kinds.

 

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Finance...
3 important phases of a merger 


Any merger in the nonprofit sector can be a tricky one, each with its own specific considerations. Even with singular features, however, Thomas McLaughlin, director of consulting services, Nonprofit Finance Fund, maintains that every merger has three distinct phases.

 

Understanding these phases, McLaughlin says, can be very helpful in identifying and tracking costs, even though merger costs will vary greatly by location and circumstance. The three phases are:

 

• Feasibility determination. The early stages consist of discussion and information sharing. These are usually cost free. Next is a more rigorous look, often referred to as “ due diligence.” This is where confusion occurs, because for-profits and nonprofits operate quite differently. McLaughlin says that a better term is “ mutual learning.” Leaders must try to learn as much as possible. Costs are usually low, largely for facilitation and supportive research and analysis.

 

• Implementation planning. The objective here is to make operational the lessons of the feasibility phase. Costs here are higher than in the feasibility phase, but they still tend not to be unmanageable for most organizations. In some cases, legal or financial complications might require special assistance.

 

• Integration. This is where the biggest expenses almost always will be incurred. Managers will find that most of their revenue sources will change in a fairly predictable way, but abrupt, or discontinuous, change can cause a sharp spike up or down. Discontinuous changes abound in nonprofit mergers.

Management...
4 practices of innocative organizations

Innovation makes the nonprofit world go around  and the for-profit world, and almost anything in between, all right, except maybe for government. In his book “How to Change the World,” David Bornstein suggests that innovation is integral to the success of any effort undertaken by a nonprofit.

Further, Bornstein maintains that there are four practices of innovative organizations, practices that he has derived from years of observation of nonprofits throughout the world.

The four practices that he says organizations should utilize are:

• Institutionalize listening. According to Bornstein, innovative organizations institute systems and guidelines for listening to their clients; they don’t just leave this aspect to chance. Childline, a 24-hour response system for children in India, schedules meetings and “open houses” with street children. An institution for disabled people in Hungary has volunteers write narrative reports of successes and failures, and they are encouraged to be blunt.

• Pay attention to the exceptional. A wealth of knowledge can come from exceptional or unexpected information, particularly unexpected successes.

• Design real solutions for real people. One of the hallmarks of social entrepreneurs is that they are realistic about human behavior. They spend a great deal of time thinking about how to get their clients actually to use their products or services.

• Focus on human qualities. In the book, Bornstein cites examples of people who make hiring decisions, not on a resume or formal credentials, but on “soft” qualities such as empathy, flexible thinking and a “strong inner core.”

 

 

 

Religious Fundraising...
A strategic plan is more than a basic idea

Know where you want your parish to go in the future, but have no idea how to get there? It might be time to create a strategic plan, according to Theresa Shubeck, executive vice president of Ruotolo Associates Inc.

Shubeck explained during the National Catholic Development Conference in Arlington, Va., that a strategic plan isn’t just a list of goals. A strategic plan helps organization realize their vision by dedicating resources and energy into the dream for the future.

But it still takes a lot of work. Shubeck outlined what your basic plans should include for nearly a year:

First steps (approximately four months):

• Prepare organizational chart that describes the roles and corresponding responsibilities for committees;

• Recruit chairs and subcommittee leadership;

• Create a survey to allow all parishioners to give feedback about the parish’s vision and goals;

• Review the parish mission statement and see if the tenants still apply; and,

• Communicate all survey results to the parish members

Second steps (approximately two months):

• Identify the goals and objectives of the parish by analyzing the parish staff reviews;

• Propose strategies to subcommittees;

• Gather further information through focus groups and surveys; and,

• Conduct subcommittee meetings as needed.

Long-range steps (approximately four to five months):

• Continue to meet in subcommittees as necessary;

• Track costs and responsibilities for implementing strategies, as well as creating a timetable and evaluation methods;

• Draft the strategic plan;

• Finalize all goals; and,

• Present strategic plan to parishioners

 

 

 

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