Attorney general appoints public integrity officer for Binghamton office

Pressconnects reported that a public integrity officer has been appointed for Binghamton office by the Attorney general.

BINGHAMTON -- Do you know of any public corruption in the Southern Tier?

If so, the state Attorney General's office wants to hear from you.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has appointed Michael Danaher, Jr., of Binghamton, as public integrity officer to serve in the AG's Binghamton regional office.

This gives taxpayers a place to go to report complaints of government corruption without fear of local politics influencing the outcome, according to Schneiderman's office.

"When it comes to combating local public corruption, the people of Binghamton deserve a dedicated 'cop on the beat.' Having a public integrity officer here will go a long way to root out corruption and address the concerns of Southern Tier taxpayers," Schneiderman said in a statement

Read more here

CEO/President of the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers

Location: 104 W. Lockhart Street, Unit 2
Northeastern PA, South Central NY, PA 18840

Base Pay: $50,000 - $65,000 /Year

Description
The Community Foundation based in Sayre, Pennsylvania is currently searching for a high energy leader with an entrepreneurial spirit. The successful candidate will have had prior experience managing nonprofit organizations, prior fund-raising experience, prior experience with a 501C3, demonstrated financial management skills and ability to implement strategic initiatives. Selected candidate will have significant independence with their work - opportunity for a creative self- starter. Also an opportunity to make a big difference through a culture of philanthropy. Bachelor's degree required. CFRE or related certification preferred.


JOB SUMMARY: The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for growing the impact and influence of the Foundation throughout the region it serves (Bradford, Potter, Sullivan, and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania and Tioga County in New York State. The CEO mentors and supports the Foundation’s staff while also providing leadership and support to the Board of Directors, Foundation advisory boards, area charities, and within the community at large. The top priority for the CEO is to expand and manage the Foundation’s relationships with donors, professional advisors, affiliates, community leaders, and key nonprofit agencies throughout the region served by the Foundation with the goal of increasing the Foundation’s philanthropic assets by linking people with the charitable needs and programs that matter most to them as well as with key community and regional priorities. Other responsibilities include: working with the Board and staff to set and accomplish the strategic goals of the Foundation; assuring regular fiscal oversight of the Foundation’s charitable portfolio and component funds in concert with the Finance and Investment Committee and any consultants; assuring outstanding service, stewardship and responsiveness to the needs of existing donors; providing administrative oversight on a daily basis to ensure that all processes and protocols necessary to fulfill the Foundation’s mission are successfully implemented; providing marketing leadership to continually and effectively increase awareness of the Foundation’s philanthropic services and grantmaking accomplishments; overseeing and supporting grantmaking processes for both discretionary and donor-restricted funds; the delivery of technical assistance services to area charities; and representing the Foundation at a wide range of public meetings, charity events, and other venues as well as working with funding collaborations at the regional, statewide and national levels to advance the mission of the foundation.

For more detailed information on this exciting opportunity please call 570-888-4759 or visit our web site at http://www.twintierscf.org.

Requirements
Knowledge, skills and abilities: Demonstrated leadership ability and management skills to oversee the human relations and technical administration aspects of operating a complex and professionally driven community foundation. Exceptional listening as well as written and oral communications skills to build productive relationships with donors, professional advisors, volunteer leaders, charities and the community at large. Astute volunteer leadership skills to maximize the effectiveness of volunteer leaders and advisory boards. Strong organizational, planning, and multi-tasking skills to develop shared programmatic visions and manage multiple priorities. Demonstrated service orientation and ability to work with diverse groups of people, including a sincere interest in working with people to fulfill their own charitable intentions and a motivation to exceed donor expectations. High level of creativity to develop new approaches while solving a wide range of programmatic challenges and gift planning problems. Ability to think independently while engaging others in participative decision-making. Ability to understand and interpret financial reports, investment analyses, and other fiscally oriented materials. Knowledge of major and planned giving concepts and approaches to donor cultivation and stewardship. Sincere commitment to community service and the humility to make a difference in the life of a community without the need for broad personal recognition. Ability to use computer-related software and technology to accomplish tasks (e.g., wordprocessing, database, and presentation software as well as Internet resources).

Education: Bachelor’s degree, with coursework in the areas of marketing, English/communications, business, finance, and other areas related to the work of a community foundation required. Advanced degree or professional certification in the field of financial planning, charitable gift planning, law, accountancy, trust services, etc. preferred. Professional education in fundraising, planned giving, donor relations, marketing, and/or related areas preferred. CFRE or related certification preferred. Over five years of comparable experience and training may be substituted.

Experience: Previous experience leading and managing a complex nonprofit entity, a comparable for-profit entity, or a department of a larger business required. Experience in engaging volunteer leadership and donors in advancing the mission of a nonprofit organization required (either as a board director or a key staff person of a nonprofit organization). Experience with major gift fund-raising as well as donor cultivation and stewardship, or alternatively, experience developing high-net worth client relationships and new business capacity in a relevant for-profit field required. Background serving in a high public contact capacity while mentoring and supporting diverse staff required.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions: Must be able to work in a variety of settings; must be willing to work long and irregular hours as needed and travel frequently throughout the multi-county region served by the Foundation; must be able to operate and have access to a vehicle for work-related travel (with mileage reimbursement); operate office and computer-related equipment; must be able to maintain composure and service orientation while managing multiple deadlines or working with challenging personalities.

Confidentiality: Will have access to confidential/sensitive information -- must maintain strict confidentiality. Must be a strategic communicator who can separate personal opinion from the official voice of the Foundation.

July 29th Feelin’ the Love: The Care and Feeding of Funders

It’s The Little Things. Let’s face it. If it weren’t for our funders, many of us would shutter our doors. Most of us know — as we should know — the exact percentage of contributed income required to balance our operating and program budgets. Our funders give so much, and (mostly) ask for so little in return. But how often do we really think about things from their perspective? For the most part — it is the little things that matter. Unfortunately, and often to our organizational peril, it is the little things that become so easy to overlook.

AUDIENCE: Board Chairs, Executive Directors/CEOs, Development Officers.

LEVEL: Intermediate through advanced.

DESCRIPTION: This half-day workshop will focus on the “give and take” of fundraising — from the funder’s point of view. The first segment will cover the tips, tricks, tactics, and talent that will help you attract funders, and keep them coming back for more (of you!). The second segment will be a panel discussion of esteemed funders in our region, representing every sector of the world of funding.

WORKSHOP PANEL MEMBERS:
Corporate Funding – Howell M. Palmer, CFO Security Mutual Life Insurance Company (SMLNY), and member of the SMLNY corporate contributions committee

Private Foundation Funding – Judith C. Peckham, Executive Director of the Klee Foundation
Community Foundation Funding – Diane L. Brown, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for South Central New York

Government and Agency Funding – Doug Sauer, CEO of NYCON, Inc, and Treasurer and Past
President of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN)

Individual Philanthropy – Robert H. Linn, Retired

Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young – Syracuse and community volunteer

REGISTRATION:
(Limited to two people per organization)
To register for this free program, please provide the following information by Friday, July 22. For your convenience, you can register by filling out and mailing the form below, give us a call, or send us a fax or E-mail to: The Community Foundation for South Central New York, 520 Columbia Drive, Suite 100, Johnson City, NY 13790, Phone (607) 772-6773, Fax (607) 722-6752 or E-mail to: cfscny@stny.rr.com

DATE Friday, July 29, 2011
TIME 8:00AM–12:00PM
LOCATION WSKG Studios
601 Gates Road, Vestal, NY 13850
COST Free
PRESENTER: Susan J. Palmer, Founder and President of The Palmer Westport Group
SPONSORS: The Community Foundation for South Central New York and WSKG Public Broadcasting

AGENDA:
8:00AM Coffee, juice, muffins
8:30AM Welcome, thank you and introductions
Brian Sickora, President and CEO, WSKG
Diane L. Brown, Executive Director,
Community Foundation
8:40AM Content overview and agenda review
Susan Palmer
8:50AM The Lay of the Land: Giving trends today
Susan Palmer
9:05AM You WANT the Gift
Susan Palmer
The Dating Game
Love and Marriage
9:30AM You’ve GOT the Gift
Susan Palmer
“I am SO BUSY!”
Breaking up is (NOT) hard to do
10:00AM Winning back the “Ex”
Susan Palmer
10:30AM Break
10:45AM Panel: Self-introductions
11:00AM Panel Discussion
What makes me (or my organization) tick?
How to win me, how to lose me.
Q&A with workshop attendees
11:45AM Closing remarks
Diane L. Brown, Brian Sikora

Two area leaders to serve on state task force

Peter Dunn, president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation, Inc. of Syracuse, and Sharon Ball, executive director of the Broome County Arts Council in Binghamton, will serve on a statewide committee on nonprofit organizations.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced the 29 members of his Leadership Committee for Nonprofit Revitalization.

The task force is charged with presenting a series of recommendations to reduce the regulatory burdens and costs for nonprofits while strengthening accountability, according to the attorney general's office.

Statewide, nonprofits employ between 17 and 18 percent of New York's work force, Schneiderman said in a news release. He noted that the attorney general's office oversees nonprofits operating in New York.

Schneiderman earlier this year said he would work with the state's nonprofit sector to help eliminate "unnecessary" bureaucracy that has long plagued nonprofits, such as redundant audits, overlapping reporting requirements, and delays in processing and payment of contracts.

He made the announcement at the April meeting of the Association for a Better New York, a foundation providing funding for social, educational, and civic initiatives that enhance the quality of life in the five boroughs of New York City.

Schumer: Losing Tax-Exempt Status Could Be An Unfair Blow To New York’s Nonprofits

Schumer: Losing Tax-Exempt Status Could Be An Unfair Blow To New York’s Nonprofits

Report Provides County-By-County Breakdown Of The Over 6,000 New York Nonprofit Groups That Lost Tax Exempt Status – Groups Can Correct Error, But Have To Do It Soon Before Costs Go Up

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer unveiled a new section of his website to aid New York nonprofit groups that may have mistakenly lost their tax exempt status. Schumer is strongly encouraging nonprofit groups to check a recently-released Internal Revenue Service (IRS) list, available on Schumer’s website, to ensure that they have not been mistakenly stripped of their tax-exempt status – a move that could cost these groups thousands of dollars. Schumer’s webpage was launched shortly after media reports indicated that several nonprofit groups, including the New Windsor Little League and Plattekill Public Library, were included on the list released June 8th, despite the fact that their paperwork was up to date and filed with the IRS. Several nonprofit groups were never contacted by the IRS, despite several attempts to send mailings and other communications to warn the groups of the looming deadline to avoid losing their designation as a 501(c)(3) group.

“Little leagues, public libraries, museums, meal programs, and other nonprofit organizations that are the very fabric of communities throughout Upstate New York are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status and paying thousands of dollars in penalties through no fault of their own,” said Schumer. “Whether because of a lost notice in the mail or paperwork errors, no nonprofit should needlessly lose their tax exempt status. Every nonprofit group in Upstate New York should take a moment to ensure that they won’t be forced to pay unnecessary taxes this year. I’ve launched this new page on my website to make it easy and painless for groups to make sure that they’re not on the list, and to take steps to correct the problem if they are. Remaining tax-exempt helps keep costs down while boosting fundraising for charity organizations.”

"The good work of community charities has a vital impact on the everyday lives of New Yorkers,” said Doug Sauer, Chief Executive Officer of the New York Council of Nonprofits. “Whether it is providing volunteer first responder assistance, providing food and housing to families in need, caring for our children, disabled and elderly, fostering economic development or creating and promoting arts and culture - charities are integral to our quality of life in ways that are often taken for granted. NYCON is eager to do what we can to assist those organizations whose tax status have been revoked so that they continue their important contributions."

On June 8th, the IRS released a list of 275,000 nonprofits nationwide who automatically lost their tax-exempt status because they failed to file annual reports for three years in a row. The list included over 19,000 New York organizations, including more than 6,000 across Upstate New York. While the IRS believes that many of these organizations are no longer operational, they acknowledge that some groups on the list might not have been aware of the requirement, and are taking steps to allow these nonprofits to reinstate their tax-exempt status. In making the announcement, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said that, “We realize there may be some legitimate organizations, especially very small ones that were unaware of their new filing requirement.”

The list includes a diverse range of nonprofit groups including sports leagues, public libraries, museums and other educational programs, conservation groups, religious organizations, business networking groups, and others. There are over 106,000 registered nonprofits in New York state, according to the New York Council of Nonprofits, employing over 1.2 million New Yorkers statewide. Included in this total are 3,000 food pantries that feed approximately 3 million people each year. Over 17,000 people work in New York museums, which help contribute over a billion dollars to the state’s economy each year, thanks to visits from 6.6 million families, senior citizens, and students. In 2010, the American Red Cross in New York responded to 3,920 local disasters, and has trained nearly 590,000 people in First Aid. The group has also trained over 168,000 people in emergency preparedness, collected over 400,000 units of blood, and helped over 66,000 military families through their Armed Forces Emergency Services and Community Outreach Programs, according to the New York Council of Nonprofits. New York charities play an important role in communities across the state, and should be allowed to continue to do their good work in a tax-exempt state that will help their bottom line, allowing the nonprofits to serve more Upstate New Yorkers.

Here is how the nonprofits who lost their tax-exempt status break down across the state:

• In the Capital Region, approximately 952 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In Western New York, approximately 687 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, approximately 867 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In the Southern Tier, approximately 562 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In Central New York, approximately 811 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In the Hudson Valley, approximately 1,942 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.



• In the North Country, approximately 426 nonprofits lost their tax-exempt status.

Being included on the list means that these nonprofits are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, and that any income the group receives may be taxed. This has the effect of raising taxes on the nonprofit, while also putting a serious damper on their fundraising. The Pension Protection Act, passed by Congress in 2007, requires tax-exempt organizations to file an information return or notice each year with the IRS. Smaller groups are required to file for the first time in 2007, and the law automatically revokes the tax-exempt status of groups that do not file for three consecutive years. As a result, the first nonprofits to be revoked under the new law saw their status removed based on 2010 returns, filed in April of this year.

Fortunately, as long as groups are aware that they have been improperly stripped of their tax-exempt status, they can take corrective action at minimal cost to the group. Any nonprofit that can demonstrate that it has met its filing requirement for one or more of the last three years can fax copies of their past tax returns to be reinstated at no cost to the group. Additionally, those groups with under $50,000 in income that have not filed tax returns over the past three years can file for reinstatement for a reduced fee of just $100. If the groups fail to file by December 31, 2011, that fee jumps to $400-850 for 2012. Due to the limited window to take advantage of cheaper and easier ways to reapply for tax-exempt status, Schumer is encouraging nonprofits across Upstate New York to check his website and the list of those that lost 501(c)(3) status to ensure that their paperwork is up to date. If a group finds that they have lost their tax exempt status, they can follow the instructions on Schumer’s website and take steps to see that it is reinstated.

The new section of Schumer’s website can be accessed by visiting http://schumer.senate.gov/Public/irs_6_22_11.htm

Baruch College Publishes New Case Studies On Nonprofit Advocacy

The Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management of Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs has published three multi-media case studies funded by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation under its "Improving the Performance of Public Institutions" program. The case studies document landmark attempts by nonprofit organizations to drive policy changes on key issues in New York City including solid waste management and environmental justice, child welfare and foster care and equitable funding of New York City schools. For free copies of the case study materials and more information about the project, visit the project website at:

“the primary aim of the case studies is to help those interested in the work of nonprofits to understand how these organizations can become more effective advocates.”
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/spa/researchcenters/nonprofitstrategy/CaseStudies.php

“We have published these cases as part of our commitment to documenting the key role that nonprofits play in the civic life of this city and to providing education materials that can be used to train the next generations of nonprofit leaders,” says Jack Krauskopf, Director of the Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management.

The case studies are unique and provide background of the advocacy campaigns, identify the outcomes and impacts, analyze the role of the advocacy organizations and coalitions, and determine the key factors in the success or failure of the different elements of the campaigns.

Each written case narrative has an accompanying video of interviews with the advocates highlighted in the case, and an appendix with links to supplementary online documentation and examples of print and visual media coverage of the issues. An additional background paper, Understanding Nonprofit Advocacy, explores definitions of advocacy and the challenges in evaluating the outcomes of advocacy campaigns. In addition, Teaching Notes provide instructors with additional information on how to use the cases.

Professor John Casey, the project coordinator, notes that “the primary aim of the case studies is to help those interested in the work of nonprofits to understand how these organizations can become more effective advocates.”

Margaret C. Ayers, the President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, comments that “our focus on advocacy reflects our desire to maximize the impact of our limited philanthropic dollars. By influencing government policies and programs, our grantees affect the expenditure of millions of dollars in public funds--an impact many times the size of our grants budget. Policy change rarely happens quickly or easily. To mount these kinds of long-term campaigns, advocates need long-term funding and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation is committed to supporting them.”

For more about Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs, go to http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/spa/home.php.

June 20 Meeting for Disaster Assistance for Broome County Government and Private Nonprofits

April-May 2011 Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds
FEMA (1993 DR) NY

DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

APPLICANT BRIEFING FACT SHEET


A briefing for applicants requesting Federal/State disaster assistance due to the April-May, 2011 Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds will be held on: Monday, June 20, 2011 at: 9:00 AM for Broome County. The briefing will outline provisions of the FEMA declaration for public assistance that provides reimbursement for eligible storm related and flood expenses to county, municipal, state and certain private non-profit organizations. This briefing is not intended for residents, private property owners or businesses.

TOPICS AND ISSUES TO BE COVERED

- Program Overview - Application Procedures
- Eligible Applicants - Debris Clarence
- Funding and Payments - Emergency Services Costs
- Contracting - Eligible Expenses
- Preparation of Claims - Documentation and Records


WHO SHOULD ATTEND

 The Executive Officer, Supervisor, Mayor or Director.

 Someone familiar with the types of disaster damages or costs, such as the Public Works or Highway Superintendent, Engineer, Maintenance Supervisor or Facility Manager.

 The person responsible for documentation and record keeping of disaster costs, such as the Clerk or Finance Officer.

LOCATION INFORMATION

 Location Address: Downtown Center – Binghamton University Downtown Center, 67 Washington St, Binghamton - ROOM 120, FIRST FLOOR
 Driving instructions: Please use the Water Street Entrance to the parking lot.
Buzz into the parking lot, tell them you are with the FEMA meeting.
 Local Point of Contact: Tom Vroman, Broome County Emergency Services
 Telephone Number: 778-1887

Registration / Briefing

The briefing will last approximately two hours. Participants will complete and submit a Request For Assistance (RFA) application and associated documents at the briefing and receive instructions about remaining steps and procedures.

9 nonprofits awarded United Way of Broome County grants

Nine local nonprofit organizations will receive money from the United Way of Broome County for various innovative programs or purchases that respond to high-level needs in the community.

United Way announced recipients Thursday of its Venture and Special Assistance Grant Program, which targets education, income or health issues.

Program grant recipients are:

» ACCORD ($6,130) for a supervisor to work with the court in dispute resolution.

» Broome County YMCA ($8,032) to provide minority free swim lessons.

» Handicapped Children's Association ($3,000) to establish an early nutrition program.

» Johnson City Senior Center ($3,927) for a wholesome-cooking nutrition program.

» Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network ($8,122) for the Working Moms Need Healthy Babies, Too program.

» Rural Health Network, South Central New York ($10,098) for the Healthy Community: Northern Broome project.

Special assistance grants were awarded to:

» Binghamton Neighborhood Project ($12,000) for the Design Your Own Park competition.

» Danielle House ($2,663) for new guest suite furniture.

» Family Enrichment Network ($12,649), for Project SafeStart to provide safe cribs and education to the local child-care community.

"Each of the projects receiving a grant ... represents an opportunity to improve the lives of community members and to create lasting changes," said Ann McNichols of the United Way's Community Impact Cabinet. "These opportunities would not exist without the funding made possible through the United Way and the Howland Foundation."

Some Tier organizations lose tax-exempt status

The Press & Sun-Bulletin reported:

What do Vestal Fire companies 1, 2 and 3, the IBM Quarter Century Club and the local chapter of Optimist International have in common?

They're among the approximately 275,000 organizations that lost their tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service because they didn't file legally required annual reports for three consecutive years.

"The IRS believes the vast majority of these organizations are defunct," said IRS spokeswoman Dianne Besunder.

Approximately 176 nonprofits from Owego to Sidney are affected. They include American Legion posts in Owego and Conklin, Kiwanis clubs in Endicott and Chenango Valley, the Broome County Sheriff's Benevolent Association, several cemetery associations, and Lions clubs in Vestal and Chenango Valley.

The Endicott-Vestal-Endwell Kiwanis Club just started in October, said member Alan Kline, who learned about the revocation from a reporter. The club, which didn't realize it had to file, will reapply for its nonprofit status, he said.

"It's less than a year that we've been incorporated," he said. "They should still have us, I hope."

The list also includes some lesser-known organizations: the Russian Moods Male Chorus, the Ozalid Club, the Southern Tier Dart League and the Brush Owners Association. The Binghamton Masonic Temple, Inc. and the Senior Citizens Club of Binghamton both list 66 Main St. as their address -- the old Masonic Temple, which has been empty for decades.

Also listed are four Vestal fire companies -- 1, 2 and 3 and Willow Point -- and Binghamton Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards to help solve area crimes and works alongside area police departments.

Vestal Fire Chief Christopher Lupold couldn't immediately be reached for comment and a call to the Binghamton Police Bureau's crime prevention unit, which normally deals with Crime Stoppers, wasn't immediately returned.

Last year, the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad received notice it was in danger of losing its nonprofit status. UVES sent in the needed forms, resolving the issue.

The Press & Sun-Bulletin reached out to multiple nonprofits on the list Friday afternoon. Many couldn't be reached because they listed only post office boxes; for others, numbers weren't listed, were no longer in operation, or calls and e-mails went unanswered.

The Pension Protection Act, passed by Congress in 2006, requires most tax-exempt organizations to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS. Small organizations were required to file for the first time in 2007. The law automatically revokes the tax-exempt status of any group that doesn't file the required documentation for three consecutive years, according to the IRS.

Last year, the IRS published a list of at-risk groups and gave smaller organizations an additional five months to file; about 50,000 did.

Revocation means groups will have to pay corporate income tax on annual revenue and may have their state tax exemptions revoked. Donors also won't receive tax deductions for gifts, according to the National Council of Nonprofits.

Groups can apply to have their tax-exempt status reinstated by filing additional forms with the IRS.

The New York Council of Nonprofits is going through the IRS' revocation list, said Valerie Venezia, the group's vice president of membership and marketing.

A number of the organizations on a previous list of those who still needed to file before the deadline weren't defunct; rather, they were usually small organizations that had transitions in leadership, were volunteer-driven or hadn't heard about the change in the form 990 filing requirement, she said.

More Information:
The New York Council of Nonprofits can provide assistance to its nonprofit members who have to file again for their exemption status. Members can call (800) 515-5012 or visit www.nycon.org for help. For more on what to do in case of revocation, visit www.councilofnonprofits.org/revocation.

Cub Care Children’s Center receives grant

The Cub Care Children’s Center will be presented with a $9,277 grant by the Community Foundation for South Central New York at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

The grant will make it possible for the center to purchase a SNUG PLAY system, the first of its kind in New York State.

The Cub Care Children’s Center is located at 201 Main St. in Vestal. For more information, contact Deborah Fitzgerald, executive director, at (607) 786-9006.

New Initiative Aims to Help Nonprofits Show Economic Impact

Nonprofit Quarterly reported on a recent Hartford Business Journal story:
The Hartford Business Journal reports that the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority has selected the University of Connecticut’s Nonprofit Leadership Program to develop and oversee the “Connecticut Data Collaborative,” to be an online resource for nonprofit staff, state policy-makers and the general public to document nonprofit economic impact. According to David Garvey, executive director of the UConn program, the target date for completion is 2013 and the estimated annual maintenance cost for the new online platform is 5,000.

In its final form, the site will be a searchable resource that runs off mapping technology and will enable researchers to not only identify the nonprofits that are working in specific communities but also to evaluate their impact and performance based on information provided in 990s. Responding to his sense of whether nonprofits would be hesitant to share this kind of financial information in the new tool, Garvey said, “The way we look at this is it is public information, and we have to look at the harsh realities of Connecticut. The 990 is one number taken at a point in time; it’s not the complete story of a nonprofit. It’s low hanging fruit, so let’s get that out there.” Still, he added, “Do we want to add more data? More quantitative data? Yes.”

Ron Cretaro, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, noted that particularly for small nonprofit organizations “that are narrowly focused and tend to fly under the radar,” of donors and policy makers, the new system will be a tremendous asset. “We’ll be able to demonstrate the economic impact of nonprofits,” he said. “We’ve been hungry for this kind of information to all be pulled together. It’s an achievement of collaboration.”

Similarly, Carol Walter, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, told the Business Journal that the new resource sounded “promising.” She added, “It’s not for not wanting to, but a lot of nonprofits are busy putting out fires and keeping our heads above water. A platform like this could be really beneficial because you’re able to go to one place.” Visit here for more info.

Fueling Good Program Offers Chance to Win Free Gas

IT’S YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THEN SOME.
For the 2011 Fueling Good Program, we’re focusing our support on four charitable categories: Education and Social Investment, Energy Assistance and Conservation, Environmental Protection and Restoration, and Health and Well-Being. Your organization must serve one of these interests and have 501(c)3 status to be eligible to participate. Please choose a category during registration. Thank you, and best of luck!

Get an overview of Fueling Good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvZDcdn9q5U

How it works:
· Starting June 1, nonprofits will be able to register at http://www.fuelinggood.com/ to participate in the summer program. From July 14 – August 11, local communities will begin voting at that site for charities of their choice. (The full rules/details will also be available on the site starting June 1).

· CITGO will be awarding gas to 12 nonprofits at the end of August, with more to follow in the fall.

Who is eligible?
· 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the 27 states where CITGO operates.