Monday, October 31, 2011

Saving Philanthropy Program This Week


This week, The College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University, in collaboration with the Klee Foundation is pleased to host documentary filmmaker, Kate Robinson for a screening of her film Saving Philanthropy along with its executive producer, Kate Robinson.  The film addresses a fundadmental challenge facing nonprofit organizations and philanthropy today: effective performance measurement.  Saving Philanthropy provides practical steps in measuring the success of nonprofit organizations' program, including case studies of two successful organizations, ROCA and Nurse Family Partnership.  The screening is a terrific (and free) professional development opportunity.  Please consider attending. 

You will have two opportunities to see the film, both of which are free and open to the public: 

1.  Thursday, November 3rd, 2:30-4:30 at WSKG, 601 Gates Road in Vestal.  If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Leah Joggerst, at liacovel@binghamton.edu so that we can get a head count.

We will also be showing the film in Ithaca:  


2.  Wednesday, November 2nd, 3:00-5:00, at Cinemapolis, 120 East Green Street, Ithaca, with a panel discussion including local foundation and nonprofit leaders. 

You can learn more about the film at www.savingphilanthropy.org. 

Friday, October 28, 2011

Nonprofit Knowledge Matters | Protecting the Charitable Giving Incentive

Protect the Charitable Giving Incentive

Using Our Outside Voices in the House … and in the Senate


Nonprofits are not used to raising our voices. We teach others to use their “indoor voices,” and we mediate disputes so others won’t yell in anger. We heal the wounded, silently. We feed the hungry, quietly. At times we play loud music and paint loud colors on canvases. But you get the picture: we are not used to yelling.

Recently Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, was in Georgia, Montana, and New York, encouraging nonprofits to raise their voices -- literally. In rooms filled with nonprofit leaders attending major conferences, he designated half the room the loud "Yes” crowd, and the other half the “Nos.” Tim then pointed to one side – “YES” came the refrain; then to the other side and louder “NOs” reverberated. After a few volleys, the friendly competition could be measured in deafening decibels. Tim then instructed the “Yes” side to remain silent – they weren’t allowed to use their voices. After a couple more volleys of loud “NOs” that were met with silence, Tim noted what policymakers hear: silence from the majority who are too busy and too unsure, versus resounding and unmatched “NOs” from the vocal opposition. Each time the “No!” voices boomed against the silence, members of the audience grasped the danger of remaining silent.

Silence is the nonprofit sector’s worst enemy. If nonprofits don’t raise our voices, we are powerless. Right now, it’s urgent that all nonprofits speak up.

The charitable giving incentive is at risk.
Congress is considering, on a tight timeline, how to reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion. Slashing the deficit by that much guarantees that every option to save money will be on the table, without much thought as to the consequences – unless the downside is abundantly clear. The National Council – and so far, more than 20 other national organizations and 2,800 community-based nonprofits across America – think it is abundantly clear that if the Supercommittee recommends elimination of the charitable giving incentive, then individuals and communities served by nonprofits will suffer.

Raise your voice now!
Sign on to the Nonprofit Community Letter to protect the charitable giving incentive.
See which nonprofits in your state have already signed on.
Learn more about the charitable giving incentive.
Spread the word! Tweet: 
The #charitable giving incentive that supports #nonprofits is at risk! Take action now to protect it. bit.ly/olnPHp (via @NatlCouncilNPs)
or
#Nonprofits, tell the #supercommittee not to change the #charitable #giving incentive http://bit.ly/rZcH5q #takeaction (via @NatlCouncilNPs)
Advocacy by nonprofits is legal – and needed.
Join your State Association to keep informed about capacity building and policy issues that impact all nonprofits.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Saving Philanthropy Film November 3rd

The College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University
invites leaders of local nonprofit organizations, funders and other interested community members to a screening of the documentary film:

Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results
Kate Robinson, Film Producer, will be joining us to facilitate a panel discussion following the screening.

Thursday, November 3, 2011
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
WSKG Public Broadcasting, Inc.
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850

Please RSVP to Leah Joggerst at 607-777-5801 or liacovel@binghamton.edu by October 27.

The imperative for the philanthropic community to foster a managing to outcomes culture is the theme of Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results, a one hour educational program produced by brother and sister filmmakers Robby and Kate Robinson airing on PBS December of 2011.

Saving Philanthropy speaks to non-profit directors and funders who value outcomes but are struggling with how to define and measure them. The film is designed to offer a clear, straightforward framework for implementing a managing to outcomes strategy. Saving Philanthropy contends that a non-profit organization operating without a clear strategy for managing to outcomes is akin to a ship at sea sailing without a charted course, yet hoping to miraculously reach its destination.

This event is free and open to the public. We are grateful to the Klee Foundation which provided the funding for this event. The Community Foundations of Tompkins County and Elmira, Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes as well as the Triad Foundation have contributed to make Ms. Robinson’s visit possible. Refreshments sponsored by the Binghamton University Foundation.

Monday, October 17, 2011

New NLRB Poster Requirement - new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012.

New NLRB Poster Requirement : new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012.

Below is information about the new National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) required poster describing employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months. The new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012.
The Board’s jurisdiction extends to most small business owners. However, some very small employers whose annual volume of business is not large enough to have more than a slight effect on interstate commerce are exempted. In the case of retail businesses, including home construction, the Board’s jurisdiction covers any employer with a gross annual volume of business of $500,000 or more. The Board’s non-retail jurisdictional standard applies to most other employers. It is based on the amount of goods sold or services provided by the employer out of state (called “outflow”) or goods or services purchased by the employer from out of state (called “inflow”), even indirectly. Under this standard, the Board will take jurisdiction over an employer with an annual inflow or outflow of at least $50,000. See “Frequently Asked Question” Link below for more details about the Board’s jurisdiction standards.
A workplace poster that describes employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act is now available for free download from the NLRB website at www.nlrb.gov/poster
Private-sector employers within the NLRB’s jurisdiction will be required to display the poster where other workplace notices are posted. The National Labor Relations Board has postponed the implementation date for its new notice-posting rule by more than two months in order to allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses. The new effective date of the rule is Jan. 31, 2012. The decision to extend the rollout period followed queries from businesses and trade organizations indicating uncertainty about which businesses fall under the Board’s jurisdiction, and was made in the interest of ensuring broad voluntary compliance. No other changes in the rule, or in the form or content of the notice, will be made. Employers who customarily post personnel rules or policies on an internet or intranet site must also provide a link to the rights poster from those sites. In addition, copies of the Notice will soon be available without charge from any NLRB regional office.
For further information about the posting, including a detailed discussion of which employers are covered by the NLRA, and what to do if a substantial share of the workplace speaks a language other than English, please see our Frequently Asked Questions. . For questions that do not appear on the list, or to arrange for an NLRB presentation on the rule, please contact the agency at questions@nlrb.gov or 866-667-NLRB.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Community in Recovery: Southern Tier NY After the Flood of September 2011

A Series of Public Forums for the Community and the University
All sessions are free and open to everyone.

Coordinators: Allison Alden (aalden@binghamton.edu)
Donald Loewen (djloewen@binghamton.edu)
Location: Binghamton University campus, Academic A, Ground floor Rm. 08 (AA G08)
Binghamton Campus Map: http://www.binghamton.edu/maps/
Time: Wednesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 Psychological Impacts of Natural Disasters
"Trauma, Coping, and Resilience" Steven Lynn, Dir. of the Psychological Clinic, Prof. of Psychology; and Anne Malaktaris, Ph.D. student in Psychology.
Community participant: Mr. Keith Leahey, Executive Director, Mental Health Association of the
Southern Tier

Oct. 19 Socio-Economic Implications of the 2011 Flood
“Social Vulnerability to Natural Disasters: Does Binghamton fit the Model?” Mark Reisinger, Assoc. Prof. of Geography and Kevin Heard, Asst. Director GIS Core Facility
Community participant: Mr. Tarik Abdelazim, Director of Planning, Housing, and Community
Development for the City of Binghamton

Oct. 26 Emergency Response and Recovery (Panel discussion)
Panelists include:
Tim Faughnan, Binghamton University Chief of Police and Incident Management Team leader at Binghamton's Events Center; Greg Jenkins, Flood Relief Coordinator of 1st Presbyterian Church of Conklin; Major Ron Lee, Salvation Army; Rebecca Snow, Red Cross

Nov. 2 Flooding Factors and Environmental Impact
“The Nature of the Flood: Flood Frequency and its Implications for Flood Planning.” Peter Knuepfer, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences and Director, Environmental Studies Program
Community participant: TBA, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Nov. 9 NGO Response to Community Crises
“Nonprofit Organizations and Disaster Relief: Lessons from 9/11” David Campbell, Assoc. Prof. of Public Administration
Community participant: Alan Hertel, Executive Director, United Way of Broome County, Inc.

Nov. 16 Crisis and Leadership
“Leadership During Crises” Shelley Dionne, Assoc. Prof., School of Management
Community and student participants: Diane Brown, Executive Director, Community Foundation of South-Central New York; Julia Lucia, Student at Binghamton University

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Voluntary Compliance Program announced by IRS to address worker misclassification

Information for your members: You may have seen that in late September the IRS announced a voluntary compliance program for employers (including nonprofit employers) to enable those who have mistakenly classified workers as independent contractors to make a correction, along with a modest payment, and avoid the usual penalties of noncompliance. This program’s announcement offers an opportunity to remind nonprofits about the risk of misclassification and share information with them about the voluntary compliance program. See the National Council’s website materials on this topic.

Here is the text of the IRS announcement about the voluntary compliance program (from the IRS’s EO Update circulated on October 4):

“The IRS has launched a new program that will enable many employers, including tax-exempt employers, to resolve past worker classification issues and come back into compliance by making a minimal payment covering past payroll tax obligations rather than waiting for an IRS audit. To be eligible for the new Voluntary Classification Settlement Program an applicant must:

Consistently have treated the workers as nonemployees in the past

Filed all required Forms 1099 for the workers for the previous three years

Not currently be under audit by the IRS, Department of Labor or a state agency concerning the classification of these workers.

Full details, including FAQs, will be available on the Employment Tax Pages of IRS.gov and in Announcement 2011-64.”

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Nov 3 Film Viewing: Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results

Binghamton University Announces

Save-the-Date:
November 3, 2:30-4:30PM
The College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University
invites leaders of local nonprofit organizations, funders and other interested community members to a screening of the documentary film:

Saving Philanthropy: Resources to Results

Kate Robinson, Film Producer, will be joining us to facilitate
a panel discussion following the screening.

Thursday, November 3, 2011
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
WSKG Public Broadcasting, Inc.
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850

The imperative for the philanthropic community to foster a managing to outcomes culture is the theme of Saving Philanthropy; Resources to Results, a one hour educational program produced by brother and sister filmmakers Robby and Kate Robinson airing on PBS December of 2011.

Saving Philanthropy speaks to non-profit directors and funders who value outcomes but are struggling with how to define and measure them. The film is designed to offer a clear, straightforward framework for implementing a managing to outcomes strategy. Saving Philanthropy contends that a non-profit organization operating without a clear strategy for managing to outcomes is akin to a ship at sea sailing without a charted course, yet hoping to miraculously reach its destination.

This event is free and open to the public. We are grateful to the Klee Foundation which provided the funding for this event. The Community Foundations of Tompkins County and Elmira, Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes as well as the Triad Foundation have contributed to make Ms. Robinson’s visit possible.