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Non-Cash Gifts Boosted Corporate Giving Tips Section:
Finance …
8 tips for establishing cash reserves Fundraising …
10 effective ideas for the reply device Management …
15 elements of the theory of change Job Posting of the Week:
Auction Manager - Davis, Ca Non-Cash Gifts Boosted Corporate Giving Overall corporate giving to nonprofits increased 7 percent for 2009, to almost $10 billion, driven by increases in non-cash giving while cash giving tailed off for the second straight year. The aggregate increase, from $9.28 billion to $9.93 billion, is mainly a result of corporate mergers and increased donations of medicine by pharmaceutical companies while at the same time most companies reported reducing their corporate philanthropy, according to Giving in Numbers: 2010 Edition by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP). Non-cash giving increased 16 percent, from $5.29 billion to $6.13 billion, while cash giving dipped almost 5 percent, from $3.99 billion to $3.8 billion. Non-cash contributions also increased the share of corporate philanthropy, making up 62 percent of giving last year, compared to 57 percent in 2008. The study indicates that corporate giving fell at 59 percent of the companies surveyed, with 40 percent of companies decreasing by 10 percent or more. Some 36 percent of firms increased giving, with one out of five increasing giving by 10 percent or more. The New York City-based CECP surveyed 171 firms about their 2009 contributions, including 61 of the Fortune 100. Read Complete Article Tips Section Finance …
8 tips for establishing cash reserves For many nonprofit leaders, the answer to the question of how much money is enough to have in reserve is pointless – there is no such thing as enough. Many managers will base an answer on experience they have gained over the years. Others, however, will just pick an arbitrary number. In his book “Nonprofit Cash Flow,” David Gray offered a formula for deciding the appropriate cash reserve. Bear in mind, this formula is nowhere near as hard and fast as any formula your math teacher dropped on you. The formula: • How big a gap to expect? One clue is estimating what the largest expected net cash flow shortage is likely to be. • Estimate your earned income. Review earned income from the last few years and estimate what you can expect for the coming 12 months. • Estimate your donated income. Review results from the previous few years, but also find out if the fundraising team expects any big changes. • Are you sure? Try to determine the degree of certainty behind the overall fundraising amount. Are you 90 percent certain, 75 percent? • Timing is everything. If your reserve is just enough, a late-arriving donation can cause real problems. • Prepare for the crisis you don't see coming. Remember that many factors can have a ripple effect (e.g., 9/11). • How uncertain are you? This relates to the certainty percentage. • Is credit available. Judicious use of credit can be a blessing. Fundraising …
10 effective ideas for the reply device Return to sender. If there is a donation inside, that's exactly what nonprofits want. It's when it isn't returned to sender that there is a problem. In his book “Breakthrough Fundraising Letters,” Alan Sharpe offered advice about the instruments used to conclude a request for funds. They can be called reply device, response form or many others things. Whatever the name, Sharpe offered several guidelines about making them effective: • Assume the reply device is the only piece in the package your donor will read. • Ask the donor to do as little as possible -- make the process as quick and easy as possible. • Involve the donor in some way that moves them closer to making the gift. • Restate why you are asking for funds now -- keeps selling the idea of making a contribution. • Reiterate the benefits the donor receives. • Include an “acceptance statement” written in the voice of the donor. • Leave lots of room for donors to write. • If the reply device is designed to solicit large gifts, don't call it a reply device. • Include the organization's name and address, just in case the reply device and reply envelope get separated. • If you are requesting gifts by check, tell the donor who to make the check payable to. Management …
15 elements of the theory of change The mission is a noble one: helping people somewhere, or everywhere, making the world a better place. It's the getting from the idea to the achievement that can be a problem. The book “Getting Results in Nonprofits and Philanthropy,” published by The Bridgespan Group, contains an article by Susan J. Colby, Nan Stone and Paul Carttar that appeared originally in the “Stanford Social Innovation Review.” The authors wrote that nonprofits need to clarify their intended impact, and they use the term “theory of change.” Intended impact is a statement of what the organization hopes to achieve. Theory of change explains how the intended impact will happen. To clarify an organization's theory of change, they suggested determining the following elements: • What is the cause-and-effect logic that gets us from our resources (people and dollars) to impact? • Where are the gaps or leaps of faith in this logic chain? • What are the most important elements of our programs' content and structure? • What assumptions led us to choose these particular program elements? • Are their other ways by which we could achieve the desired outcomes? • What is the minimum length of time our beneficiaries need to be engaged to achieve these outcomes? • What else do our beneficiaries need to achieve these outcomes? • Involve the donor in some way that moves them closer to making the gift. • Restate why you are asking for funds now – keeps selling the idea of making a contribution. • Reiterate the benefits the donor receives. • Include an “acceptance statement” written in the voice of the donor. • Leave lots of room for donors to write. • If the reply device is designed to solicit large gifts, don't call it a reply device. • Include the organization's name and address, just in case the reply device and reply envelope get separated. • If you are requesting gifts by check, tell the donor who to make the check payable to. Job Posting of the Week The Pacific Auction Company seeks experienced events fundraiser in Southern California . Minimum of five years experience in non-profit fundraising and events management as well as live and silent auction management. Must have proven track record in silent and live auction execution and be comfortable public speaking. The ideal candidate would be an entrepreneur at heart; willing to take risks, work hard and think creatively 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 |
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