Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart Program

Every so often someone comes up with something that leaves you scratching your head and saying "Hmmm...why didn't I think of that?"  Sandy Rees has done just that.  She has put together the Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart Program and every part of it is fabulous!  I think the name is misleading because even if your nonprofit has been around a while, there's a lot you can take away from this program.  I looked over her curriculum and I just had to post it, there's so much good information there.  BTW, Sandy did not pay me anything to provide these compliments, I just know good material and expertise when I see it.  Bunnie

Dear Nonprofit Founder,

You’ve taken a brave step! You’ve identified a need and decided to do something about it. My hat’s off to you!  I know it’s likely been something very personal for you.

You’ve poured your heart and soul into starting a new nonprofit. You’re so excited about helping people in need, and now you realize there’s a business side of the organization to run and money to raise. Ugh. This is not what you had in mind when you launched your new organization! You’ve probably got more questions than answers. And not sure who to turn to for information and guidance.

Are any of these questions rolling around in your mind?

■Where do I start? There’s so much to do!

■How do I find good Board members. I just need people. Now!

■Do I need to find an attorney to be on our Board? And maybe an accountant?

■How do I spread the word about my good cause?

■How can I get something on TV or in the newspaper about my new nonprofit?

■How do I raise money without begging or annoying people?

■How can I possibly compete with the big nonprofits in town?

Let me help you with my Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart program

I will take you by the hand and personally walk you through the process of getting everything started and running so you can raise awareness of your organization and begin fundraising.

I’ll save you time. No reinventing the wheel. No wondering what will work. I’ll give you tips and shortcuts for proven techniques. No more losing sleep over which fundraiser will work best for you. No more stressful decisions about which Board members will be a good fit.

I’ll share resources with you. I’ll tell you which books to read, which websites to spend time on, and which newsletters you should be reading.

I’ll answer every question you can come up with. If there’s something I don’t know the answer to, I’ll ask one of my colleagues in my vast nonprofit network.

I know this is not just a job. This is your passion! This is your calling! And I want to help you get it off and running as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Why me?

I’ve been helping small nonprofits get up and running in their fundraising, marketing, and Board Development for years. I’ve worked with so many small nonprofits that I know what works and what doesn’t. I can help you avoid the common pitfalls that slow down the growth of many worthwhile organizations. I get so excited helping groups like yours and I genuinely want to see you succeed. I know you have big work to do and if I can help you get off the ground faster, then you can be about changing peoples’ lives.

Here’s what you get in the Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart:

There are 4 main pieces to this unique program: education, coaching, accountability, support.

Education.

Each month for 5 months, you’ll have access to a recorded webinar that you can watch at your leisure. I’ve included my outline for the educational content here so you can see what you’ll learn.

1.Boards (September)

A.Roles & Responsibilities

B.Recruiting (Skills matrix)

C.Governance

D.Fundraising

2.Marketing & Communications/Getting the Word Out/Telling your story (October)

A.Key messages

B.Target audiences

C.Website

D.Newsletters

E.Speaking engagements

F.Working with the Media

3.Get ready to fundraise (November)

A.Mindset

B.Case for Support

C.Mission statement

D.Vision statement

E.Understanding Fundraising

i.Donor Pyramid

ii.Diversified revenue streams

F.Infrastructure

i.Donor tracking software

ii.Systems

G.Budget

H.Permits for fundraising, 501c3

I.Volunteers

4.Grantwriting (December)

A.Research

B.What to ask for

C.How much to ask for

D.Writing tips

E.Follow up

5.Individual donor development (January)

A.Where to find donors (target audience)

B.Build your list

C.How to ask

i.House parties

ii.Champion letters

iii.Ask/Friendraising events

iv.Online fundraising

As you can see, there’s a LOT of content!! I’m going to give you exactly what you need to move forward in each area.

I’ll also be providing you with handouts, including checklists, worksheets, templates, and sample documents.

The Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart program will start in September and continue on through January 2011.

Coaching. Each month, you’ll get to join me live on a Q&A call with your fellow program participants. We’ll talk about where you are and what you’re doing. You can ask any question you like and you’ll get to hear what others are doing. I find that there’s tremendous benefit in this group dynamic! You’ll likely learn more from each other than you will from me! If for some reason you can’t make the Q&A call, don’t worry. I’ll record them and share the recording with you so you can listen in.

Accountability. Each month, you can participate in an Accountability Day. This is a fantastic activity if you’re feeling a bit stuck on any topic. The Accountability Day works like this: I’ll tell you the date of the Accountability Days in advance. Early that day, you’ll check in with me via email or Facebook chat and tell me what you want to get accomplished that day. You’ll go do the work, then come back later and tell me what you got done. It sounds so simple, but it’s very powerful! If you’re having trouble getting something done, I can talk with you about what’s getting in the way and help you get moving again.

Support. You’ll have 24/7 access to me through email and a private Facebook group. I’ll be available to answer questions or give you a word of encouragement during the program. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader and supporter, urging you forward. If you get frustrated or need a listening ear, I’ll be here to listen to you and help you.

Obviously, I’m offering a LOT of time to you in this program! To make sure I can give you the attention you want and need, I’m limiting the number of nonprofit participants in this group to 20. If you are a co-founder, you may both participant and still count as only one nonprofit participant.

Learn more about Sandy and this seminar at http://getfullyfunded.com/nonprofit-startup-jumpstart

Be a Part of Something Big

I was nosing around the internet and stumbled onto Part of Something Big. It struck a chord with me. How many times during my children's school years did we do fundraisers? Like Richard Averitt, I often felt more compelled to write a check rather than buy useless products I didn't want or need. Let's say it here: the wrapping paper was overpriced; the pizzas weren't very good; and I didn't need all those magazines. Richard's concept is interesting in that it provides motivation on two levels; one is to support the community fundraiser and the other is to support products that have relevant meaning. Enjoy the read. Bunnie

Be A Part of Something Big

by Richard Averitt, Founder of Part of Something Big

In 2006, my son started kindergarten in a public elementary school here in rural Virginia. Soon after, he came home with a school fundraising catalog full of scented candles, caramel clusters, and “I love Grandma” mugs. He was all fired up about the prizes, including some flashy plastic gizmos, which he could get if we only spent $250 in shopping to support his school.

What followed was a difficult conversation that ultimately sparked a big idea. I told him we didn’t participate in this kind of school fundraiser because we didn’t really need these things and they were generally overpriced junk. We would simply prefer to make a donation.

My son scowled “All of the other kids are going to get prizes and I won’t!” I explained to him that we know a lot of parents who felt like we did and he was not likely to be the only one left out. My six year old son sat quietly for a minute and then asked, “Dad, if so many people don’t like this, then why don’t they change it?” In that moment, I realized that fundraising had not changed since I was a kid and it was high time we tried to do something about it.

I set out to interview all the people I could think of who are touched by this kind of product fundraising and look for opportunities to improve the experience. We found hundreds of parents, teachers, PTA presidents, and customers who were fed up with fundraising but felt compelled to buy things to support the people and causes they care about. That seemed to be the key. We decided we might not be able to get rid of product fundraising altogether, but we could make it more about the people and the causes we all care about.

Introducing... A Part of Something Big, an inspired fundraising company, founded by parents with the simple idea of fixing each of the things we didn’t like about our children’s product fundraisers. We sell only products that make a difference in our communities and our world. Our soaps are made by women in a substance abuse recovery program outside Chicago. Our coffee is from co-ops around the world who farm without destroying the forest. Our chocolate is spectacular and comes from the worlds only co-op owned chocolate company which has revolutionized a rural township in Ghana. We sell products which support fair-trade, micro-finance, social-development and environmental stewardship initiatives. We surround the program with educational activities and lesson plans to start the conversation in our schools and churches about the choices we make every time we spend a dollar. We believe that the value of a product is also a measure of the values it represents; and the stories of the people who create them are part of the pleasure.

In 2008, we piloted our program in six schools and are actively signing up schools for the fall of 2009. Our biggest challenge right now is finding PTA leaders who will seize the opportunity to do something bold, something that matters. Everyone we talk to tells us that they love what we are doing – but we need people to take the next step and sign up their school or civic organization. Our entire concept is based on putting your money where your mouth is and we need our fans out there to do the same thing! Fundraising is a necessary evil in most of our lives and few of us like it. But it doesn’t have to be a system based on guilt or an office quid-pro-quo. Like any endeavor we choose to be a part of, fundraising can be something we are really proud of if we choose to make it that way.

A Part of Something Big as a company will live or die on the backs of courageous moms and dads who decide to lead their schools, non-profits and communities along to a different future. It will take vision for them to imagine what fundraising can represent. It will take courage to be the person who says “Follow me” and we can raise the money we need and make a difference in our world at the same time. It will take perseverance to bring a concerned parent group along; nervous about the risk of switching the devil they know for the chance at something better. If you believe this idea is worth preserving, we are here to serve you and your community. Sign up today and be A Part of Something Big.

Contact Richard at http://www.partofsomethingbig.com

Live Blogging for Nonprofits

Ah, social media! It's everywhere, all the time and frankly, loads of fun! Erik Evans joins us again with an article on live blogging during events. Haven't you noticed that at practically every conference you attend people are multi-tasking with their devices even as workshops are being conducted. Live blogging can help you keep your attendees focused on your organization and what's happening in real time. Thanks again Erik! Bunnie

Live Blogging for Nonprofits

by Erik Evans
Public Relations and Web Information, Sons of Norway

If last year’s election cycle taught non-profits nothing else, we learned that live blogging from an event is of great interest to the public at large. Whether it was on the campaign trail, at the RNC/DNC or even from the inauguration ceremony, people loved reading real-time accounts of an event they were unable to attend. The same can be said of an association or non-profit’s members.

For many of these two groups we often hear member comments about their regret in not being able to attend large events because they lived too far away, the cost of attendance were too high, etc. A good way to overcome this challenge is by taking a note from what we saw from the campaign trail and began blogging live from the events you host or sponsor.

For example, if you are hosting or sponsoring a big event, turn your blog into THE resource for up-to-date information about the event, which helps build excitement amongst your members/audience who were already planning to attend. Then, during the event, make live posts with real-time updates about what's happening at the event, issues being discussed, interviews of VIP's and post photos from social events.

It's an exciting challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. You'll learn quickly that if you are going to do this, you're often expected to be in more than one place at a time. For that reason alone, it’s best to try and plan out your days ahead of time and learn as much as you can about what’s going on when. Also, trying to carry a camera, laptop, assorted cables, etc. proved to be difficult and sometimes a hindrance as well.

In the end, though, it can be well worth the effort because of three important results you may see. First, it keeps non-attending members engaged in the event by making them feel like they were part of the experience. Second, by showing them all the fun and excitement they missed, you are showing that attendance is worth the travel and cost of attendance. Essentially, you are increasing the chances that these folks will attend in the future. Last of all, you have probably exposed a whole new group of people, those who read the blog but aren't members, to your organization in action. This kind of exposure can be very helpful in recruiting new members.This is especially true when you work with the event planners to get into places/meet VIP's that most attendees can’t, then blog about it. It’s like giving your readers a proverbial backstage pass, which engages and entices them to participate in the future.

Also, I've learned that blogging live from events can stretch your current sponsorship budget even further. You see, blogging about an event you sponsor can be just as valuable to the planners as a cash contribution because it can lend weight and added credibility. The best part is that the cost is minimal on your part and it’s something you should probably be doing anyhow.

In the end blogs can serve a lot of purposes, all of which help strengthen a non-profit and increase interaction with its members.

To learn more about live-blogging, or using other forms of social media as a resource, contact Erik Evans at eevans@sofn.com.

Giving Members and Donors Value

by Bunnie Riedel, Host of Nonprofit Conversation

The latest news is that the economy has “bottomed out.” But as I recently said, nonprofit fiscal health will lag some twelve to eighteen months behind the for-profit sector. So even if tons of new jobs were created tomorrow and the economy had a complete turn-around in the next twelve months, nonprofits will still be feeling the pain for at least the next two years.

What does that mean for you? It means you have to be as sharp and entrepreneurial as you can be because you are in hot competition for membership and donor money. You must make sure that you provide value to your members and donors and if you’re already providing value, you must make sure you communicate that value.

Take a long, hard look at your organization. What are your members and donors getting out of giving you money?

Everywhere I look there are lots of sales. Business understands that shoppers are seeking the greatest value return on their purchases. What I might have spent $10 on a year ago, I now want that same product for $7 (or even less), I am seeking bargains. Is your organization a “bargain”? Will I, as a member or donor, feel like I am really getting my money’s worth?

Let’s look at overhead. What percentage of your budget is spent on creating products or services or programs that meet the needs of the members/donors? Have you looked at your rating on Charity Navigator recently? Is your organization listed on Guidestar or with the Better Business Bureau? And if so, what information is available on those websites? Is it good or is it less than stellar? If your organization is too top heavy, meaning too much of your income is being spent on non-programmatic expenses, it’s time to do some trimming.

People are very savvy these days and certainly electronically connected, and they are looking for value. I would even urge you to hire a consultant to assess your organization with fresh eyes. And if you haven’t Googled your organization lately, I urge you to do so; you should always see how your organization comes up and who is saying what about you and your organization. Googling every week or so can save you a lot of aggravation and certainly make sure your members/donors (and potential members/donors) have a good impression of the organization.

What do your members/donors want in exchange for their money? Networking? Training? Discounts? Good will? To help others? To build something? A cause they believe in? If you think of your members/donors as shoppers and your services as products you are selling, it will be easier to look at your services and assign value to them. And if you can’t, if there is no value, then perhaps it’s time to get rid of those valueless services. When is the last time you surveyed your members/donors and asked them what they want? It’s called “market research” when for- profits do it, maybe it’s time for you to do some market research. I recommend you consider conducting in-person focus groups with your members/donors so you can really get a feel for what they think is important.

So let’s say that your non-programmatic expenses are in line and you know exactly what your member/donors want and you have created the ultimate value and your services are really a bargain. Now what? It does no good to have fabulous services and programs if nobody knows about it. For-profits advertise constantly “We are the best! You have to shop here! You can’t miss out on this terrific product! You can’t get this kind of value anywhere else!” However, one of the line items most ignored by nonprofits is the marketing budget. These days you can do so much marketing for free on the internet, and you certainly can be constantly marketing how fabulous you are to members/donors. Here’s a few tips:

• Facebook (get your members/donors to become your fans)



• Twitter (get your members/donors to follow you)



• Blogs (yes, have a blog and spend some time getting others to blog about you)



• Digg (write articles and Digg them)



• Pitchengine (I love those guys! Free social media releases!)



• Ezine articles (put your blog out there as an expert article)



• Your story (write about your organization)



• Constant Contact (go green, save trees and deliver newsletters)



• Direct Mail



• Public Service Announcements and videos (spend a couple of bucks on a quick video to post on your website and Youtube, etc.)
  

Wait! Did she say “direct mail?” Yes. While it’s great to go green and do everything electronically, there’s still nothing like that direct mail appeal. As I said in a previous post on writing membership renewal letters, the beauty is that your members/donors can add your appeal to their bill box, so it gets paid just like every other obligation.

Everything in the above paragraphs is really dependent on your members/donors, their demographics and their technical savvy. If you have a constituency that is not “wired” you will still need to employ the old fashioned methods, which is perfectly fine although may cost you more.

At the next Board meeting have this discussion: How do we give value to our members/donors? By constantly striving to give value you can beat out your competition for dollars and make sure that when the economy does finally recover, your organization will still be standing.


Calling Nonprofit Executives, Board Members and Consultants! Want to write for Nonprofit Conversation? Email Bunnie at info at riedelcommunications dot com. Pitch your idea! I'm all ears!

Contact Bunnie at info at riedelcommunications dot com