News:
Cash-Strapped Boston Going After Nonprofits Tips Section:
Finance …
6 cash flow lessons to learn Management …
Learning to trust informal organizations Legal …
4 fraud facts found by survey Job Posting of the Week:
Project Manager of Contract Services - Albany, Ga Cash-Strapped Boston Going After Nonprofits The City of Boston, which already has a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) agreement with numerous nonprofits, has asked hospitals, universities and other nonprofits to pay more. Boston's property tax accounts for roughly 64 percent of its revenues and the city wants to raise an additional $5 million from charities. The amount already raised via PILOTs was not available. “It's about fairness,” Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said in an interview with a local radio station. “It's about how do you want to participate in this city that you get city services from: police, fire, public works. I think you should share in those costs.” The mayor released the results – 128 pages – of a two-year study and plan. The idea is to formalize the PILOT arrangements across all tax-exempt organizations in Boston, although the program for now will still be voluntary. According to the mayor, Boston College paid $289,531 in PILOTs in 2010 while Boston University paid almost $5 million. The Museum of Fine Arts paid $99,400. PILOTS would be based on 25 percent of what a nonprofit's property bring if its were taxable, with an exemption on the first $15 million. Tips Section Finance …
6 cash flow lessons to learn When income equals out-flow, then the budget's in balance. It's so simple to consider, so difficult to maintain. Having the money to operate is, of course, an abiding concern of nonprofit managers. But sometimes even the simplest concepts can be difficult to bring to reality. In his book “Nonprofit Cash Flow,” David Gray offers several lessons about cash flow. They are: • A balanced budget does not mean you cannot get into trouble. A balanced budget is a wonderful thing, but you must know when the money is likely to come in and when it is likely to go out. • Learn to see trouble coming. Plugging “What if … ?” scenarios into your cash flow report will help you plan and make informed decisions. • Budget for a surplus. Budgeting by spending less than you bring in protects you, first, because there might be enough wiggle room to get through a year without a crisis and, second, because if you actually have one you can build a reserve. • Having an emergency fund helps you avoid crises. Many cash flow crunches can be foreseen, but emergencies do occur. Having funds to handle one problem can help with another. • When stuff hits the fan. As painful as it might be, there could be a time when the only recourse is to close the doors. • Cash flow reporting makes you clairvoyant. Updating it regularly will make it appear that you can see into the future. Management …
Learning to trust informal organizations Office water coolers, literal or figurative, can be great places for discussing sports events or which employees were seen going into a wine bar together. They can also be venues for a rehashing of an employer's policies and plans, in an informal way. As Kristin Clarke noted in an article in the journal “Associations Now,” many managers dislike and distrust such informal groups and actively work to suppress them. Drawing on the work of Jon Katzenbach and Zia Khan, Clarke asserted that such informal organizations, rather than work against the formal organization of the company, could be a useful and potentially powerful supplement. Informal organizations include workers' personal values, communities of common interest and pride-building connections and can extend from the board throughout the entire organization. The authors suggested that managers seek to utilize informal organizations in productive ways, asking themselves the following questions: • Do I know who the go-to people are throughout my organization? • If I need to find out, do I know how, or am I always trying to think of how to go through the formal side of the organization? • Do I think the informal peer-to-peer interactions in my organization are supported by what we're doing formally, or are the formal elements inhibiting or slowing things down? • Am I satisfied with rational compliance in terms of behaviors I need, or do I want (and can I get) emotional commitment from people? Legal …
4 fraud facts found by survey For many people, the word “fraud' conjures images of a guy with a pasted-on smile trying to sell the Brooklyn Bridge. Nonprofit managers have learned, however, that fraud can occur in many forms, and often this educational experience is a bitter one. During the recent AICPA Not-For-Profit Executives Forum in Anaheim, Frank J. Navran, a consultant on ethics issues, offered several startling, and disturbing facts about fraud in the nonprofit sector, based on several surveys. Sadly: • The high standards of ethics in nonprofits are eroding. Fifty-five percent of nonprofit employees report observing misconduct. This is now level with the business and government sectors. Fraud includes alteration of documents or financial records, lying to external stakeholders and employees and misrepresenting hours. • More nonprofits are “midsize.” It is the midsize organizations that experience the most misconduct. • When it comes to ethics, nonprofits have a governance problem. Thirteen percent of nonprofit employees said it is the board that sets the ethical tone of the organization, compared to 6 percent and 11 percent in business and government, respectively. Where boards are seen to set the tone, perceptions of ethical leadership are lower. Where executives are seen to set the tone, perceptions of ethical leadership are higher. • Effective ethics programs work well in nonprofits. The signs of a “strong ethical culture” include strong ethical leadership, supervisor reinforcement, peer commitment to ethics and embedded ethical values.  | www.nonprofitjobseeker.com Dec Job Posting Specials
Get an additional 30% off job postings from now till December 31,2010 use online Promo Code DECOFF Job Posting Prices and Packages: Single Online Posting for 30 days $200
Single Online Posting for 60 days $245
Five Job Posting Package $850
Nine Job Posting Package $1500 |
Job Posting of the Week About Alzheimer's Association
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers' (GWISR) mission is reducing poverty, underemployment and unemployment. Our career centers and other job training, placement and advancement programs make this possible by giving people the support and skills they need to not only find and maintain employment, but become self-sufficient.
Job Description
Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers' (GWISR) mission is reducing poverty, underemployment and unemployment. Our career centers and other job training, placement and advancement programs make this possible by giving people the support and skills they need to not only find and maintain employment, but become self-sufficient. It is the organization's goal to change a life for a lifetime and break the cycle of generational poverty by intertwining job training and placement services with financial literacy and financial education. Our company is unique in that the majority of our programs are funded through the revenue generated at our 10 retail stores and 2 affiliates – Columbus Community Campus and PowerWorks Industries. These operations, which span 50 counties in West Georgia and East Alabama, generate annual revenues in excess of $18 million. In 2009, GWISR served and trained 12,295 people and placed 2,006 into employment, generating an economic impact of $35.1 million. Entering a new strategic plan in 2011, we are encouraged as we move towards a $38 million organization reinvesting millions annually back into our mission by 2016. Our successful, self-funded business model is the result of long-term strategic planning and consciously executed business decisions. Responsibilities: As Project Manager of Contract Services you will report directly to the Director of Contract Services and be responsible for the planning, organizing and supervising of all phases of the AbilityOne programs to include, but not limited to, custodial, grounds maintenance and/or commercial contracts. The Project Manager will assist in the development of custodial maintenance skills of disabled workers that will prepare them for competitive employment and will perform hands-on leadership to include: counseling, leadership and motivation. The Project Manager of Contract Services will be responsible for interpreting contracts to ensure operations are in complete compliance with the Statement of Work. CLICK HERE TO SEE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION AND TO APPLY | For more information about job of the week postings or about NPT jobs. Please Contact Susan for more information 973-401-0202 ext 206 or mailto:susan@nptimes.com |
Changing positions? Or have you moved to another organization? Then, make sure you still get NPT's family of enewsletters by simply updating your profile . Copyright @ 2010 The NonProfit Times . To forward NPT Weekly to your colleagues so they can also subscribe click here . |
| 
The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management
