NTEN:Change on Nonprofit Collaboration

Happy 2013 from NTEN:Change!

With all the end-of-year campaigns and, for many of us, time off, chances are you haven't been able to read the latest issue of NTEN:Change yet. We certainly understand the time crunch around this time.

We thought you might be interested in these articles in particular from our December Issue on Nonprofit Collaboration, however, so we hope you'll take a look when you have a few minutes:

Leadership Cheat Sheet: Is Your Organization Ready to Collaborate? Five Questions for Board and Staff, from La Piana's Heather Gowdy and Bob Harrington. Read the article.

Advocacy: Sharing A Cause (and Data) Across Multiple Orgs. Developing a High Touch, Human Platform for Collaboration, from Upwell's Rachel Weidinger. Read this article.

DIY: 5 Tips for Working More Effectively With Consultants , by Dennis Deery. Read the article.

Of course, there are also case studies, how-tos, nonprofit leadership profiles, a podcast, and much more in the current issue: click here to open in the e-reader.

If you'd like to downoad the PDF version of the issue, click here to start the download . You can also access a text-only version of the articles (for translation or accessibility needs).

To read the latest issue click here.

Nonprofits Have Big Role in State

As Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo and legislators shape their plans for New York next year, they should pay close attention to the state's vibrant not-for-profit sector, as it is the standard-bearer for innovation and service to the state and its people. The 80,000 not-for-profit organizations in the state play crucial roles: leading efforts to prevent or cure disease, alleviate poverty, advance education, address environmental and social concerns, and ennoble through culture.

New York's robust charitable sector, including such powerhouses as Columbia University, Sloan-Kettering, the Red Cross, the Ford Foundation and Lincoln Center, as well as community-based organizations, such as local drug-prevention programs, small community theaters and religion-based charities, help fuel the state's economy, generating over $150 billion in revenue annually and employing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Second in size only to the government as an employer in the city, the nonprofit sector provides more jobs than the financial and insurance industries combined.

Working together, state government and nonprofits can help maintain our state's primacy as innovator, incubator and magnet for investment. Here's how.

* Adjust taxes to encourage more giving. For example, reward taxpayers for increases in year-over-year charitable giving and incentivize artists to donate their work to charity auctions in support of good causes.

* Promote regulatory, administrative and legislative reforms that make it easier to start and operate nonprofits, especially in high-tech, medical research and green industries.

* Encourage and facilitate partnering among nonprofits and between them and for-profit businesses. For instance, provide a clearinghouse so that environmental groups can pair up with green-tech businesses or so arts-in-education organizations can collaborate with founders of charter schools.

* Incentivize nonprofits to hire recent college graduates to fill needed roles while they learn important lessons about professional development and social responsibility.

* Rearrange state budgets with existing charitable resources in mind. For example, recalibrate school aid and Medicaid expenditures so that public spending on students, the elderly and the disabled complements and stimulates private nonprofit resources and support.

* Safeguard against encroachments on sales- or property-tax -exemptions, which would hurt already-stretched hospitals, elder-care facilities and YMCAs.

* Promote visibility for worthy nonprofits by providing voluntary check-offs on state tax forms.

* Include nonprofit destinations in the state's promotion of tourism and convention activity.

* Make nonprofits part of New York's federal lobbying strategy.

The public's trust in state government may be at a low ebb, but public support for nonprofits endures. By recommitting himself to the well-being of our valuable nonprofit institutions, Mr. Cuomo can take important steps toward reclaiming the state's role as a national beacon and perpetuate its highest ideals.

by Lesley Freidman Rosenthal, for original article click here.

SCNY ED Group September 14th Program: Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions

Presented by Doug Sauer, CEO, NY Council of Nonprofits

Doug Sauer, CEO of the New York Council of Nonprofits, will speak about Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions. With nonprofit resources getting tighter and expenses increasing, concerns growing about more regulations and accountability demands, and the search for solutions other than belt-tightening, service cut backs, and ramping up fundraising efforts, nonprofits are looking for new opportunities. Mr. Sauer will discuss partnerships, mergers and acquisitions as solutions and ideas for nonprofits during these challenging times.

Date: Tuesday, September 14th
Time:
8:30 am- General meeting
9:00am to 10:30pm- Program
Cost: FREE to nonprofit directors
Location:
American Red Cross, Southern Tier Chapter
620 East Main Street
Endicott, NY 13760

REGISTER HERE

Tri-Cities Opera Reshapes for the Future

The Board of Directors of Tri-Cities Opera have announced a variety of changes to better position the company financially while improving its service to local and regional audiences.

Months of research have examined opportunities to reduce expenses, off load costs and provide better efficiencies. Most recently TCO concluded a workshop looking at these issues with the President and CEO of OPERA America.

As a result, the following changes have already taken place:

1) The development of new partnerships through Binghamton University's School of Music.

2) Peyton Hibbitt, Co-founder and Artistic Director Emeritus has been offered an adjunct faculty position as part of the MM-Opera program at Binghamton University.

3) Duane Skrablak, Senior Artistic Director has retired.

4) Peter Sicilian has been asked to be the Stage Director for Cosi fan Tutte, the first production of the 2010-2011 season.

5) John Mario Di Costanzo has been engaged by both Tri-Cities Opera and Binghamton University. He will be music director and conductor of the opera performances at the Forum and he will teach classes and give individual instruction at the University.

6) The Resident Artist Training Program will continue with available resources concentrated on fewer singers and with added opportunities for the singers to network with artists working in the industry.

TCO was founded in 1949 by Peyton Hibbitt and Carmen Savoca. By 1950 they had launched this community's first full-scale opera Cavalleria Rusticana, using a full orchestra, native language and complete stage settings -rare for any local opera - anywhere.

In 1971, TCO began its Resident Artist Training Program (RATP). Through the 1990s singers came to train and stayed for several seasons before launching careers. These singers provided the primary talent for TCO's main stage presentations.


Over half of North America's opera companies were established after 1970, and one quarter of the total were established since 1980, making the growth of opera throughout North America a relatively new phenomenon.

Many of these newer companies also offered training programs with greater financial support than was available at TCO and the added value of important exposure to industry professionals. This made it more difficult for TCO to attract and keep singers. In the past few seasons, the company has had to engage singers outside the company for primary roles.

"The business model which served us well is no longer workable," said General Director Reed Smith. "However, with the guidance of OPERA America, and given the strengthened relationship with Binghamton University we believe we are now headed in
the correct direction."

OPERA America serves the opera field by supporting the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera. It counts 117 professional companies in 43 states in its membership, including Tri-Cities Opera. It also provides support and consultation to opera companies.

"The re-structuring of Tri-Cities Opera represents an important step forward for this historic company," said Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of Opera America. "For more than 50 years, the company played an essential role in the development of young
American artists, paving the way for an explosion in the number of training programs across the country. With the recent re-structuring, the company is making a bold and strategic move to improve its service to local and regional audiences, and increase its financial stability into the future. As it did in 1949, Tri-Cities Opera is responding the current needs of its community."

"Tri-Cities Opera is making some bold changes but the fundamentals of the company are still intact," said Dirk Olds, TCO Board Chairman. "It was absolutely necessary that the
company re-tool itself for the future and we feel these changes will result in a wonderful improvement of our services. It's as if we have just upgraded to 'TCO Version 2.0'".

Tri-Cities Opera was founded in 1949 by Carmen Savoca and Peyton Hibbitt. The company enjoys an exceptional reputation in the opera world for its resident artist-training program, sets, costumes and opera productions.

Tri-Cities Opera has announced its program for its main stage productions and its 62nd season: Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte will be presented October 15 and 17; Verdi's La Traviata will be performed February 11 and 13, 2011; Offenbach's The Tales of
Hoffman will end the season on April; 29 and May 1, 2011.

Recap and Handouts for June 8th Collaboration: A Step by Step Guide

On June 8th Denise Dyer, Regional Youth Development Coordinator, NYS Office of Children & Family Services presented on the topic Collaboration: a Step by Step Guide to the South Central NY Executive Directors’ Forum. Denise started the program with a discussion of our worst experiences with collaboration (encouraging the participants to be careful to not name names). She has attached the list so readers might be able to find experiences to which they can relate.

After eliciting from the group the value of collaboration Denise went on to provide several definition and then provide and discuss handouts about what leads to a successful collaboration. Throughout the discussion Denise tied these factors to what had gone awry in our experiences.

Denise has been kind enough to share her handouts with the Forum members. Please see the attachments.

• Presentation
• 19 Factors Influencing Successful Collaborations
• A Collaboration Checklist

Have your own thoughts or feedback? Share it here.