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Keynotes for Nonprofits -
January 2012
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WORKSHOPS, WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
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2012 Grantmaking Outlook from the Minnesota Council on Foundations Webinars
Every year, MCF surveys our members to ask them what they anticipate will happen with their grantmaking and assets for the coming year. When MCF surveyed members in November 2011, they added an additional question, asking what funders anticipate their funding will do in certain subject areas. They are taking those results and coupling them with data from MCF’s Giving in Minnesota Report to offer four webinars in early 2012.
Each webinar will focus on one of these subject areas: Arts, Education, Health, and Human Services. On the webinars, they’ll share an overview of the Outlook data, dive deeper into one of the subject areas, and have an in-depth Q & A with two or three funders in that subject area. These webinars will be of interest to grantmakers and grantseekers alike.
MCF hopes that by offering these programs as webinars, it will be easier for nonprofits and funders in rural Minnesota to be able to participate. The links to each webinar with more information can be found below. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Jacobs, sjacobs@mcf.org.
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Bridges Out of Poverty
Friday, February 10th
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Hutchinson
The Bridges Out of Poverty workshop, based on Dr. Ruby Payne’s A Framework for Understanding Poverty, reaches out to service providers whose daily work connects them with the lives of people in poverty. The Bridges training contains case studies, detailed analysis, helpful charts and exercises, and specific solutions you can implement right now.
Topics include increasing awareness of the differences in economic cultures and how those differences affect opportunities for success. This session will cover:
- Creating a mental model for generational poverty
- Research realities
- Hidden rules, language, story, cognition and family structure
Cost is $45 per person; lunch is provided. For more information or to register download the workshop registration form or contact Susan at 877/804-3466 ext 3 or susan@hfhmn.org.
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New Diversity and Inclusion Programming from MCN (Webinar)
February 14th; part two of a six-part series
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Nonprofits that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and have an inclusive organizational culture are more effective in accomplishing their mission. To this end, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits is proud to offer a new line of programming addressing Diversity and Inclusion in 2012.
Beginning in January, please join MCN and your nonprofit colleagues for a new six-part webinar training series, hosted by Dr. Mai Moua. These webinars can also be viewed as a group in Willmar, followed by a facilitated discussion about diversity and inclusion at the organizational, community and regional levels.
Visit MCN's Central Chapter Regional Trainings page for more information.
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Professional Development for Busy Professionals
Lunchtime Learning Sessions in St. Cloud
Resource Training & Solutions presents Take it in Thursdays. These lunchtime learning sessions include dynamite presentations on important topics affecting your work each day. Upcoming sessions include:
- SMART® Boards for your Business
Thursday, February 16th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
- iPad/iPod Apps for Business
Thursday, April 12th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
- Highly Effective People
Thursday, May 10th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Cost is $15 per session or $12 if registering two or more guests and includes lunch and materials. Visit www.resourcetraining.com or call 320/255-3236 for more information or to register.
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Governing in the New Era
Wednesday, February 29th
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Bremer Bank, 1100 W St. Germain, St. Cloud
Designed for Board & staff of organizations who understand the fundamentals of board roles and responsibilities, this session will take you to a new level of value-added board discussions that can move your organizations in a direction of transforming society. We strongly suggest that Executive Director and one or more board members attend together.
In this session, you will:
- Understand the three models of governance as leadership
- Explore methods for adding value through fiduciary & strategic discussions
- Discover Generative Governance as a fresh approach to familiar territory
Cost is $10 per person or $15 for two or three people from the same organization ($5 per person beyond the 3rd representative). Includes lunch & materials. Please register by February 24th to kdgrochow@bremer.com or 320/656-3382. Space is limited!
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Taking the Mystery out of Grant Writing!
Thursday, March 15th
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
St. Cloud State University Welcome Center
SCSU Center for Continuing Studies and Central Minnesota Community Foundation present Taking the Mystery out of Grant Writing, an overview of the grant seeking process.
Cost is $79 if registered by Friday, February 24th or $89 after that date. Registration will be available through the St. Cloud State University website in early February. For additional information contact Gail Ruhland at gmruhland@stcloudstate.edu, or Susan Lorenz at slorenz@communitygiving.org.
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Archived Webinars and Materials:
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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Initiative Foundation Now Accepting AmeriCorps VISTA Applications
Application deadline is Friday, February 3rd
Initiative Foundation is now accepting applications from central MN organizations interested in hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA member from August 2012 - August 2013 to help them fight local poverty.
VISTA is a national service program likened to a domestic Peace Corps. VISTA members serve full-time for a year doing anti-poverty, capacity-building work in selected Host Sites. To enable them to serve, VISTA members receive a modest monthly living allowance (currently $927/month), medical coverage, child care assistance if eligible, professional training, and an end-of-service Cash Award of $1,500 or an Education Award of $5,550.
Host sites will be selected this winter and VISTA members recruited this spring then starting service in August. Eligible host sites include 501(c) nonprofit organizations -- not just 501(c)(3)s -- and government agencies.
Complete details including requirements of Host Sites, financial obligations, site selection criteria, and application form can be found here http://ifoundvista.blogspot.com.
If you have questions after reviewing the VISTA Host Site Request for Applications (RFA), feel free to contact Chris Fastner, Initiative Foundation VISTA Program Manager, (cfastner@ifound.org) for further information.
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Free Paint and Coatings Available Through Initiative Foundation, Valspar
During 2012 the Valspar Corporation will again offer nonprofits and communities a chance to apply for free paint and coatings through its “Minnesota Beautiful” partnership with the Initiative Foundation.
Representatives from the Initiative Foundation and Valspar will select 8-10 restoration or beautification projects to receive paint and coatings based on their visual impact, public benefit, volunteer participation and support, intended use and benefit to the needy.
Projects that may qualify for a grant include historic buildings, community centers, public buildings, facilities for seniors or people with disabilities, murals or other visual impact projects. Ineligible projects include denominational churches, city maintenance, schools (except murals) and privately owned buildings. Projects must take place in one or more of the following counties: Benton, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena or Wright.
“We appreciate Valspar Corporation’s continued support, especially given the challenging economic times that many of our communities and non-profit organizations are facing,” said Dan Frank, Initiative Foundation program manager for community development and Valspar program administrator for central Minnesota. “Their consultants offer the grant recipients quality coatings as well as advice on surface preparation, product selection and application. It’s a great partnership.”
Applications are due by March 5, 2012. For more information or to apply visit www.ifound.org or contact Dan Frank at dfrank@ifound.org or (877) 632-9255 toll-free.
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Medica Foundation Grants Information Session
Thursday, March 15th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Hoppe Auditorium, St. Cloud Hospital
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, together with the CentraCare Foundation will host a grants information session for the Medica Foundation. These grants are for organizations and programs with a health care focus. For more information contact Christa Otteson at cotteson@minnesotanonprofits.org.
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Otto Bremer Foundation Grants
Applications deadline is Friday, February 17th (for consideration on May 24th)
The Otto Bremer Foundation assists people in achieving full economic, civic and social participation in and for the betterment of their communities. Their work to help build and maintain vibrant communities is based on the vision and legacy of their founder, Otto Bremer, whose commitment to the Bremer bank communities and to those working to make their lives better continues to guide the Foundation.
For applicant information and guidelines, see the website or contact the Foundation toll-free at 888/291-1123. For questions or guidance related to the Otto Bremer Foundation, grant-writing or other capacity building inquiries, contact Bremer Bank’s Nonprofit Resource Specialists. Serving the St. Cloud and surrounding area is Kathy Grochow at kdgrochow@bremer.com or 320/255-7137.
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Community Service/Community Services Development Grants (CS/SD)
Application deadline is Friday, March 16th
Since the 2001 legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature has provided $6 million each year to the Department of Human Services (DHS) to help communities rebalance their long-term care service delivery system and increase their capacity to help people age 65 and older to stay in their own homes and communities.
These dollars are given out to organizations through the Community Service/Community Services Development grants, also known as CS/SD. The CS/SD grants promote targeted development to meet the challenges of Aging 2030 and the forecasted pressures on Minnesota's long-term care system.
CS/SD grants help to expand and integrate home and community-based services for older adults that allow local communities to rebalance their long-term service delivery system, support people in their homes, expand the caregiver support and respite care network and promote independence including:
- Improving chronic disease management in Minnesota's communities
- Expanding long-term care capacity by linking formal and informal long-term care services
- Supporting caregivers and promote independence through market-based solutions
Key Dates:
- March 16, 2012 - CS/SD application deadline
- April 2012 - Review applications
- May 2012 - Negotiate contracts
- June 2012 - Decision/Announcement of FY 2013 Grantees
- July 1, 2012 - FY 2013 Grantees begin
Contact:
Jacqueline Peichel, Community Program Policy Consultant Department of Human Services, Aging and Adult Services Division PO Box 64976 St. Paul, MN 55164-0976. Phone: 651/431-2583 Email: Jacqueline.s.peichel@state.mn.us
Need help developing your CS/SD Proposal for FY 2013? Technical assistance is available from the Central MN Council on Aging at 320/253-9349 or lori@cmcoa.org.
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Initiative Foundation Moving to Online Grantmaking in 2012
The Initiative Foundation makes grants for projects and programs that advance our mission to unlock the power of central Minnesota people to build and sustain healthy communities. We do this through our programs, Innovation Fund, and community and donor advised funds.
Our Innovation Fund grants (totaling approx. $200,000 in 2012) will be awarded through a competitive process. In an effort to make it easier and more efficient for grant seekers to apply for Innovation Fund grants, we will be transitioning to an online grantmaking system in 2012.
Inquiries and full proposals will be accepted through this new system.
Inquiries are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed quarterly. If the proposed project appears to fit within priority funding areas and meets funding criteria, you will be invited to submit a full proposal for the next available round of funding. If your organization is invited to submit a full application in response to your LOI, the appropriate materials will be forwarded to you.
Inquiry
Due By:
| Notified for
Invite /
Decline of
Full Proposal:
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Full Proposal
Due: |
Final
Decision
Made By: |
Jan 31
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Feb 7
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Mar 2
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Mar 30 |
Apr 27
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May 4
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Jun 1
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Jun 29
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July 30
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Aug 17 |
Aug 31
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Sept 28
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| Oct 26 |
Nov 2
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Nov 30
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Dec 31 |
Instructions and the link to our new online system can be found at www.ifound.org/grants_howto.php.
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THINGS TO KNOW / RESOURCES
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Nonprofits Assistance Fund Starts Open Office Hours
Need help understanding your cash flow needs? Have follow-up questions after one of our trainings? In January 2012, Nonprofits Assistance Fund introduces Open Office Hours for nonprofit staff who have financial questions or need technical assistance.
What: Nonprofits Assistance Fund provides financial assistance sessions to help nonprofits answer immediate questions, increase understanding of an organization’s financial situation and provide insight to financial concerns.
When: Thursday afternoons 12 - 7 p.m.
Where: By phone or in-person at Nonprofits Assistance Fund’s office:
2801 21st Avenue South, Suite 210, Minneapolis, MN 55407
How: Nonprofit staff can call 612.278.7180 to schedule one (1) hour sessions on Thursday afternoons on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Click here for more information.
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Start-up Nonprofits Beware: Ensure your Tax Preparer is Registered with the IRS
By Ellis Carter, Charity Lawyer, January 10th, 2012
Charities should be aware that it is now illegal for anyone to receive compensation for preparing a return for someone else if they have not obtained a PTIN from the IRS first; a paid preparer who is not registered with the IRS is perpetrating fraud. If a charity chooses to work with an unregistered paid preparer, it opens itself up to IRS scrutiny and, possibly, denial of tax exemption plus additional attorneys’ fees to resolve any issues arising from the initial filing. Charities also need to keep in mind that the organization, regardless of whether or not a paid preparer was used, is ultimately responsible for the information in its exemption application. View article...
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Grant Management Tip
From Kathy Grochow, Bremer Nonprofit Resource Specialist
I came across a great tip from “The Grantsmanship Center” in its December 2011 newsletter related to the challenges following the receipt of a grant. Here is the tip:
As soon as you're notified of a grant award, you should convene a meeting with everyone in the organization who will have any involvement in carrying out the grant obligations. This includes administrative support staff as well as program staff. Everyone should be clear about their roles in recordkeeping, data collection, processing of transactions, reporting, and the decision-making chain of command. After that first meeting, schedule regular meetings to monitor progress on the grant implementation and to address any problems that have arisen.
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The Audit Dance: Nonprofit and auditor roles are distinct but complementary
By KDV Nonprofit Advisor - October/November 2011
nonprofit-advisor@kdv.com
A nonprofit and its external auditor are somewhat like dance partners performing a well-choreographed routine. To execute the dance properly, each dancer must complete specific moves and coordinate timing with his or her partner. Likewise, your organization and its audit firm each have particular duties in the audit process but share the same end goal: a set of financial statements that fairly present your financial condition and operating results.
Defining responsibilities
Your auditor is responsible for expressing an opinion on your financial statements. The opinion is based on planning and performing an audit in line with required standards to obtain reasonable assurance that your financial statements are free of material misstatement — whether from error or fraud.
Your nonprofit, on the other hand, is responsible for preparing the financial statements and for related tasks, such as developing estimates (an allowance for bad debts, for example) and adopting accounting policies. It’s also your job to establish, maintain and monitor effective internal controls over financial statement reporting and to prevent and detect fraud, as outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ standards.
In designing the audit plan, the auditor considers the internal controls you have in place to guard against risks. But, in the audit opinion, he or she provides no assurance on the effectiveness of those controls. The auditor may advise on appropriate accounting principles and their application, and may even assist in the preparation of the financial statements at your request outside of the audit as a matter of convenience, as long as he or she has determined that your not-for-profit has the ability to understand and approve those statements.
The responsibility for the financial statements remains with your organization. You also are responsible for adjusting the financial statements to correct material misstatements.
Your auditor must maintain independence, in both fact and appearance. Although he or she can provide suggestions to help your not-for-profit develop policies, your auditor can’t assist in selecting and implementing those policies.
The auditor also can’t make the adjusting journal entries that might be required to close your books. Your nonprofit has the responsibility to maintain, adjust and close the financial records before the audit.
Using your board as a resource
During the engagement, your board of directors — the audit committee in particular — can be a valuable resource for your not-for-profit. The board’s significant fiduciary responsibilities dovetail with many of the audit-related duties. And a well-represented board may have members with accounting experience who can assist.
In particular, qualified board members may be able to confer with the independent auditor during the planning process, prepare the financial statements and reconcile accounts to limit the number of adjustments needed during the audit.
Well worth it
The time your nonprofit spends preparing for the audit can be significant, and coordinating the roles of your auditor and your organization may be a bit ticklish. But the end results — a fair assessment of your financial health, viable options to address any exposed vulnerabilities and transparency for your public — make it well worth the effort.
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Reframing Governance
By David Renz, The Nonprofit Quarterly, January 25th, 2011, article adapted from its originally published version in the winter 2007 issue of NPQ
The article Reframing Governance highlights shifts in nonprofit governance models, authority and decision making that have led to the new governance model we see today. Read this article on nonprofitsquarterly.org.
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IRS Releases New Online Search Tool for Tax-exempt Organizations
By Ellis Carter, Charity Lawyer, January 21st, 2012
The IRS launched a new online search tool, Exempt Organizations Select Check, to help users more easily find information about tax-exempt organizations. View article...
Users can now go to one location on IRS.gov to search for:
- Organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (formerly listed in electronic Publication 78). Users may rely on this list in determining deductibility of contributions, just as they did with Pub. 78
- Organizations whose federal tax exemption automatically revoked for not filing a Form 990-series return or notice for three consecutive years (Auto-Revocation List)
- Form 990-N (e-Postcard) filers and their submissions
View article...
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A Baker’s Dozen: New Year Resolutions for the Development Officer
By James Toscano http://thegoodcounsel.com
- I will always remember that it’s the donor’s money.
- I will always remember that fundraising is about the donor, not me.
- I will always remember that donors need to be thanked and feel wanted as a vital element in the organization.
- I will learn to cherish volunteers.
- I will always remember that Board members can often be very helpful.
- I will always remember that individual, personal peer solicitation gets the best results and should be the model for all that I do.
- I will always remember to do all that I do with enthusiasm, energy and ethics.
- I will always remember that sitting in my office is not the activity for which I am paid.
- I will always remember to not only plan but to actually ask for a gift, always asking for a specific amount, perhaps more than once a year.
- I will always remember that there are many ways for a gift to be given.
- I will learn that demographic change means significant change in our future constituency.
- I will always remember that there is something new to learn every day, starting, perhaps, with Spanish.
- I will always remember to never say die.
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Creating Effective Webinar Presentations
When researching how to create an effective webinar, a colleague stumbled across this page that is full of webinars for nonprofits: http://www.synthesispartnership.com/resources3.html. Scroll down the page; they appear to have some useful information.
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Conducting a Program Evaluation for the First Time
By Idea Encore Network www.ideaencore.com
This is the second part in a two part series on evaluations for your nonprofit. These evaluation resources offer good tools for nonprofit professionals with little previous experience in evaluating programs.
- Thinking about Evaluating Your Program? These Strategies Will Get Your Started from Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation covers identifying and documenting outcomes, activities and indicators to be evaluated.
- If You Evaluate It, They Will Fund: Program Evaluation Essentials, a presentation by the Leavenworth County Development Corporation for Nonprofit Webinars, discusses the importance of program evaluation in attracting grants and funding.
- Center for Nonprofit Management in Southern California's Organizational Self-Assessment: Putting Your Finger on What Needs to Improve is a tool for staff leadership, organizational infrastructure, work processes, interpersonal relationships, resources and structures.
- Evaluation: Measuring What Matters in Nonprofits describes three performance metrics useful for evaluating nonprofit performance, including resource mobilization, staff effectiveness, and mission fulfillment.
- Evaluation Design: Methodological Approach and Sampling from the Online Evaluation Resource Library goes over some more technical aspects of conducting an outcomes evaluation such as deciding what data to collect and choosing a sampling method.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota – Recruiting Kids of Military Families
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota is very excited to announce that we have been awarded a contract from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to serve 70 children who have a parent/guardian in the military.
We would really appreciate your help in spreading the word to military families and helping us to recruit/identify mentors to be matched with these children. Please see the press release announcing the award of this contract, and a flyer to help recruit children of military families.
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This newsletter is designed to share funding opportunities, resources, and conferences or training events of common interest for program participants and supporters of the Initiative Foundation. For more information about these and other training opportunities, contact Cathy Hartle.
If you wish to be removed from this mailing list or if you have other names/e-mails to add please contact Tricia Holig.
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Nonprofit Succession Planning : Workshop Toolkit
Is your nonprofit ready? This was the question presented at the February 2008 workshop: Succession Planning, Creating Sustainable Leadership in Nonprofits.
The nonprofit sector is facing a significant transition in leadership over the next few years. In rural areas this situation has the added complexity of a much smaller resource pool of human resources. Planning for a smooth (and inevitable) transition is a critical function of a healthy organization to ensure the future leadership of their organization.
Presented by Gary Dietrich of NorthWay Group (Grand Rapids), this workshop provided the critical framework necessary for nonprofit organization's present and future leadership.
Workshop Toolkit:
> Presentation
> Workshop Handouts
> Emergency Succession Plan Template
> "Staying Engaged, Stepping Up" (by the Annie E. Casey Foundation)
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