Nonprofit Connectors

Ten ways to get free publicity for your nonprofit

A marketing plan is a necessary part of almost any business planning process. There are many marketing techniques available that are free, and as a nonprofit, you may find these strategies very doable. So if your marketing budget is pretty much non-existent, there are many ways to increase your visibility to attract more members or advertise special events. Here is a list of only ten:

1. Create a press release- checkout my previous Blog on press releases.
Send out a press release to the media when your organization has new employees or board members, partners with another business or organization, or sponsors an event or a worthy cause.

2. Get blogging- Blogs are all the rage. Blog about your nonprofit, the nonprofit world, volunteerism or anything related to your cause. The search engines love blogs, and blogs pull traffic (including journalists) to your website. In addition, post comments on other blogs devoted to your topic. This allows the nonprofit world to get to know you. (See "Blogging for Business")

4. Write an article about your nonprofit and write letters to the editor -Write articles that are informative and helpful to your members and volunteers. There may be local magazines that will publish your articles, and then you can post them or link them to your web site. See “How to Use Newspaper and Magazine Editorial Pages”

5. Check out National Public Radio, a great resource for nonprofits. Search their site for previously aired programs about nonprofits. (See "How to Get Booked on National Public Radio")

6. Call local TV and radio stations to spotlight your organization –Get FREE publicity on Radio with a well-crafted press release. Many radio and TV stations have programs in place that spotlights new organizations or events on a weekly basis. Check your local stations to see what they can provide.

7. Put out a monthly newsletter or email bulletin. Invite people to sign up for your monthly email bulletin in which you can provide news and helpful tips. You may want to publish "Top 10" tips lists that explain how to do something, or solve a problem on a regular basis. (See "Special Report #16: How to Write Tips Sheets That Catch the Media's Attention.")

Directors & Officers Insurance

Directors & Officers Insurance (commonly referred to as D&O insurance), is often overlooked by nonprofits for the simple reason they are uncertain whether or not they really need D&O coverage. Read this article noting compelling reasons to protect your organization. This should reassure you that D&O insurance has significant value to even the smallest nonprofit organization.

When a person becomes a board member, she assumes a level of responsibility for the organization and thus exposes herself to claims for not managing the organization properly. Even if the case brought against a board is thrown out, the organization still bears the brunt of having to pay the legal fees. Legal expenses could be brutal for a small organization and could even put them right out of business.
In general, D&O insurance includes coverage of an officer or director in the discharge of his/her duties. This includes but is not limited to:

• Any actual or alleged act
• Misstatement or misleading statement,
• Neglect or breach of duty
• Omission and/or error

As with all insurance policies, read the policy carefully to ensure it includes all the necessary components for your organization. Here is a checklist of issues to review when looking to purchase D&O insurance.

Creating Press Releases

Creating Press Releases

This isn’t necessarily a nonprofit specific topic, yet it is quite relevant. Press releases are an excellent source of marketing, and have the potential to connect you to the people you are trying to reach through your community work.

There are several great web resources that you can use to guide you through the process. Check out Microsoft Online free press release templates. There is no need to struggle in figuring out how to make this happen, just take the help and use it to your best advantage.

The key thing to note you must have a newsworthy piece to report. So consider what contribution your organization has, or will, make to the community, and write about it in five paragraphs or less.

Have fun spreading the word about the good works you are doing!

Five things to know when creating policies and procedures

Setting up a nonprofit is complicated and overwhelming. So, make the creation of your policies and procedures basic. Here are five things that will help you to keep it simple:

Keep it general- At this point in the creation of your policies, your goal is to keep it basic. You are only doing the preliminaries at this stage in the game. Once the final board has been identified, and put into place, then together you’ll revisit what you’ve started. It is up to the entire board to make the final decision on the policies.

Don’t reinvent the wheel- Take help and use available templates.

Make sure your policies support your Bylaws- We talked about the Bylaws and their importance. Make sure your policies agree with and support your Bylaws. You don’t want contradictions between the two.

Remember to tie in your organization’s mission statement- At all times, remember to reiterate your organization’s mission statement in everything you write, share, and produce. Your mission statement is one of the key elements of your organization; make sure to promote it.

Ease into the process - Don’t stress and feel as though you have to complete this document all at one time. As your organization grows and changes, you’ll find that you’ll revisit your policies quite often. This is a growing and changing document.

Enjoy this time of discovery as you explore the depths of what your organization can be!

Key strategies for implementing new ideas

Brainstorming new ideas may be your passion; implementing new ideas on the other hand may be where projects breakdown. When bringing your key leaders together your organization can gain passion and purpose in utilizing true collaboration.

Here are a few key strategies to assist you in seeing those well-dreamt projects through to fruition.

• Include your entire team in gathering ideas. You never know where a great idea may come from, and it could very well be the part-time volunteer that comes up with the next best thing.
• Check with the community that you serve to see if anyone has a suggestion for how your organization can improve its current services, or implement something new. A suggestion box is a great way to gather ideas from community members.
• Surveys are effective in helping organizations gauge the successfulness of a program. We recommend surveys that also gauge the interest of the community and staff members. This sort of questionnaire will assist your organization in not only considering what new ideas to try, but will also tell you what current programs are working well.

Remember to include everyone; it helps to grow a stronger organization if you get the buy-in from as many people as possible. In addition, it is very important to make sure that whatever new ideas you implement fit with the organization’s mission statement and strategic plan.

Check out the organizational assessment tool offered free through The Hartford Foundation’s Nonprofit Support Program.

Creating Bylaws for your organization

Bylaws contain the fundamental principles regarding the nature of the organization and the institutional structure by which the board of directors operates. Bylaws establish the specific criteria for decision-making, and should meet the specific needs of each organization.

The following questions will help to guide you through the process of drafting a set of Bylaws for your organization.
•What is the purpose and mission statement?
•How and when will you elect board members? How many will there be? What number of board members will be conducive to helping your company achieve its mission? What will the term limits be? When can a director be removed and what is the process? What will the procedures be for resignation?
•What committees will be the most essential for your board?
•How often will the directors meet? Is it a quorum?
•Should your Board be insured?
•How often should your bylaws be reviewed and updated?

Putting together a set of Bylaws is a daunting and necessary task; however, there are many resources available to help you and your Board through the process. Take advantage of the Foundation Center and the Lectrin Law Library, just to name a few. You can find templates for nonprofit Bylaws at Easy Forms.

An organization cannot exist until the Bylaws are formally adopted by the Board and comply with the state laws governing the organization.

How can working with a VA benefit you?

Last week you learned about the concept of “Virtual Assistance.” , and this week we can look at exactly “how” a VA can benefit your organization. If you are looking to work smarter, not harder, working with a VA could be the key to taking your organization to the next level.

Each organization is unique. A great VA will help you to examine the goals and objectives of your organization. Together, you will take a close look at the list of what you want to accomplish, but haven't been able to. The VA will closely analyze the day-to-day operations and create systems that will move you forward to achieving your mission.

Just a few ways a VA will benefit your organization:
• Freeing up your time to concentrate on providing outstanding services to your community
• Ensuring that your organization stays cost conscious by only billing for time actually worked on your
organizations needs
• Maximize your bottom line by minimizing time wasted

I am a VA who specializes in working with volunteer Boards of Directors of nonprofit organizations. Please visit Virtual Details to learn more about how a VA can benefit your organization.

Simplify your life and get the help you need with a virtual assistant

Are you overwhelmed? Are you on administrative overload? “Did you know that trying to do everything is costing you 40-60% in lost revenue and productivity?” If you can’t see past your paperwork, then it may be time to consider working with a virtual assistant. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, “The good news is the explosion of the Internet and the global economy has produced not only the virtual organization, but also a new business opportunity; the virtual assistant.

So what is a virtual assistant? According to AssistU, one of the leading communities within the virtual assistance industry, VA’s are micro-business owners and independent entrepreneurs who provide administrative, creative, and possibly personal support while partnering in long-term collaborative relationships. Using emerging technologies, VA’s support their clients' needs remotely, from their own office on a contractual basis. Virtual Assistants take over "day to day" tasks, allowing clients to focus on those activities that will grow their business and support their goals. VA’s are actually small business owners themselves who offer a variety of talents and skills to other business professionals. What a perfect combination!

By partnering with a VA:
• You will only pay for the time you use, and accrue no additional employee overhead.
• You will use your time to focus on the tasks that will propel you towards obtaining the goals and objectives
for your organization.
• You will be free of administrative tasks that are dragging you down.
• You will improve the quality of life with the gift of time added to your day .
• You will take control of your schedule, spend more time with family and friends, and simplify your life!

Check out the upcoming Online International Virtual Assistants Convention. This internet-based event is for business owners and any other business professional who are thinking about working with a virtual assistant. You will learn:
• What to look for in a Virtual Assistant
• What services VAs can perform
• How VAs can add value to your business and save you money

What are you waiting for? It’s time to simplify your life!

Oscar night for volunteers

It is wonderful to be recognized for a job well done. I’m just returning from my vacation in Hollywood, CA where I actually got to walk through the Kodak Theatre where the Oscars have been held since 2001.

It was an amazing experience for a movie buff like me because it’s nothing like I imagined. It’s an actual theatre in the midst of shops, near a courtyard with a few popular night clubs, and on a very busy two lane road in the heart of the city, Hollywood Blvd and Highland. Yet, I could feel the presence of the red carpet excitement. Along the walls as you walk into the Kodak Theatre are placards of the award winning movies from the beginning of the Academy Awards in 1929 with designated space assigned up to the year 2071. So generations will be able to walk into this Theatre and garner the glory and honor of these highly esteemed movies.

The same should happen with your volunteers. Perhaps you start a plaque on the wall to honor your volunteers, or you give a lovely certificate, a parking space, buy the person coffee for a month, week, or day. Do something that shows your volunteers you appreciate their contributions, sacrifice of time, and unmatched passion. Make a big production out of it and allow everyone to participate. After all, volunteers are the heart of ever single nonprofit organization.

National Volunteers Month

April is National Volunteers Month. It’s a set aside time for us to honor and show our deep appreciation for the men, women, and children who keep our nonprofit organizations operational. There are many nonprofit organizations in the country that are only able to offer services because of their fine volunteers.

There are quite a few organizations that no longer exist because their volunteers gave up. Don’t let this happen in your community. Consider just a simple gesture of appreciation to honor the volunteers at your local community center, Boys and Girls club, and other neighborhood nonprofit organizations consider giving a very simple, and sincere, Thank You.

Also remember to check out Volunteer Match to see what organizations can use your special skill or talents. Volunteer!