Philanthropy Front and Center - Washington, DC

Community Foundations Grow and Increase Giving

The Foundation Center's new study, Key Facts on Community Foundations, finds that between 2006 and 2007 the nation's community foundations grew in asset size by close to 14% and increased giving by over 20%. Moreover, between 2007 and 2008, community foundations increased giving by close to 7%, surpassing increases in giving by both independent and company-sponsored foundations.

Though strengthened by increases in their assets, community foundations will face funding challenges similar to other grantmakers. Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center notes, "Community foundations may fare better than other types of grantmakers, given their large pool of donors and leading role in responding to those affected by the economic crisis. But most will have no choice but to pull back on giving in the near term."

Learn more about community foundations' giving patterns and funding priorities by downloading the report at no charge from the Gain Knowledge area of the Foundation Center's web site.

Next Week at the Foundation Center (June 1-5)

June is Funding for Education Month! All month long we’ll be offering special events, free classes, and webinars focused on what’s happening in education funding.

Classes:

FOR INDIVIDUALS:

Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts
Tuesday, June 2, 5:30-6:45 pm

Finding Foundation Support for Your Education 
Wednesday, June 3, 12:00-1:00 pm

FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS:

Grantseeking Basics & Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
Held offsite in Hyattsville, Maryland
Wednesday, June 3, 7:00-9:00 pm

Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits
Held offsite in Washington, DC
Thursday, June 4, 10:00 am-12:00 pm

The classes and program above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our Events Calendar.

 Indicates Focus on Funding for Education Programs

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online Professional, borrow books, and get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. See our website for directions.

Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

Read the Latest Studies on Family and Corporate Foundations

Two recently released reports provide useful perspectives for nonprofit grantseekers on company-sponsored and family foundations in the U.S.

Key Facts on Corporate Foundations presents data on, among many other topic areas, estimated giving, allocation of funding by subject area, and forecasts about future funding by the nation's 2,500 corporate foundations. Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center, states in this report: "Corporate foundations will not be alone in having to reduce giving this year, but the cuts may well be deeper than for other types of grantmakers." Learn what else is happening with corporate foundations.
Download the full report>> [pdf]

Published jointly by the Foundation Center and the Council on Foundations, Perpetuity or Limited Lifespan: How Do Family Foundations Decide? presents results from the first national survey of family foundations on the topic of lifespan planning. Learn what family foundations are considering when they make these long-term decisions and see what factors and characteristics influence whether a foundation plans to exist in perpetuity or limit its lifespan.
Download the full report>> [pdf]

Grants to Help DC Public and Charter Schools

The Collaborative for Education Organizing, a special initiative of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, is currently accepting grant proposals from eligible organizations working to organize and mobilize middle and high school parents of District of Columbia public schools students (including District of Columbia public schools and charter schools) to influence teaching and learning policies that will lead to increased graduation rates.

Applicants must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status or a tax-exempt fiscal agent. Priority will be given to collaborative projects that involve more than one organization.

One-year grants of up to $100,000 each (with the opportunity to renew) are available. Successful applicants will also receive extensive capacity-building and technical assistance support.

All interested applicants must attend a mandatory community briefing on June 3 or June 5, 2009. Please RSVP for these briefings by May 29, 2009.

The complete Request for Proposals and details on the community briefings are available at the CFNCR web site. Applications are due on June 24, 2009 by 5:00pm.

Insight on Nonprofit Mergers

Is your nonprofit considering merging with another organization to help weather the current economic crisis?

Then you may want to review a recent post by Clinton O'Brien on Frogloop, the blog from Care2. Titled Nonprofit Mergers and Alliances - Don't Try This at Home?, the post summarizes a discussion with Guidestar CEO Bob Ottenhoff and Network for Good CEO Bill Strathmann held here in DC last week.

During the discussion, Strathmann talked about his own experiences when Network for Good merged with Groundspring in 2005. He noted, “Mergers are made for financial reasons but fail for people reasons” -- a view shared by other management experts.

The two speakers addressed issues that merging organizations may face, including "culture" clashes, difficulties in uniting different technologies, and the impact of layoffs. They also suggested that assistance from a third party, such as a charitable foundation, can help foster trust and cooperation -- and possibly provide bridge funding during the process.

A list of resources on nonprofit mergers and collaborations can be found on the Lodestar Foundation web site. We also found some interesting articles available online:

• The Reality Underneath the Buzz of Partnerships: The Potentials and Pitfalls of Partnering by Francie Ostrower. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Vol. 3 (Spring 2005)
• Merger Mania? National, Regional Groups Continue Negotiations to Join Forces by Don McNamara. Nonprofit Times, Vol. 19 (1 September 2005)
• Multi-Agency Planning: Working Together Just Makes Sense by Thomas McLaughlin. Nonprofit Times, Vol. 16 (1 December 2002)

You can find additional resources on nonprofit mergers and alliances in our library, including:

• The Nonprofit Mergers Workbook: The Leader's Guide to Considering, Negotiating, and Executing a Merger by David La Piana
• Forming Alliances: Working Together to Achieve Mutual Goals by Linda Hoskins and Emil Angelica
• Nonprofit Mergers: The Power of Successful Partnerships by Dan H. McCormick

To locate more resources on this topic, search the Foundation Center's Catalog of Nonprofit Literature; you could start by searching on "Nonprofit organizations--mergers" in the subject field.

Next Week at the Foundation Center (May 25-29)

Classes:
Your Board and Fundraising: An Introductory Class
including a special presentation by BoardSource and Greater DC Cares
Tuesday, May 26, 10:00 am-12:30 pm

Grantseeking Basics
Wednesday, May 27, 9:30-11:00 am

Introduction to Foundation Directory Online
Wednesday, May 27, 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Proposal Writing Basics
Thursday, May 28, 11:00 am-12:15 pm

Proposal Budgeting Basics
Thursday, May 28, 12:45-1:45 pm

Introduction to Corporate Giving
Friday, May 29, 10:00-11:15 am

Prospect Research Basics: Researching Individual Donors
Friday, May 29, 11:45 am-1:00 pm

The classes and program above are free to attend, but registration is required. For programs offered over the next three months, please see our Events Calendar.

Library:
Use Foundation Directory Online Professional, borrow books, and get reference help free of charge with no appointment necessary. See our website for directions.

Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
10:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am-8:00 pm

Library Closing:
We will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.

Listen! Nicole Hanrahan Discusses Earned Income, Community Wealth, and Social Enterprise

Nicole Hanrahan, director, Community Wealth Ventures, discusses strategies nonprofits can use to generate their own revenue based on her experience as a consultant to an array of organizations pursuing business ventures in areas of economic development, education, and other major fields. In this interview conducted by Pat Pasqual, director of the Foundation Center-Washington, DC, Ms. Hanrahan shares advice, tips, and pitfalls to avoid when beginning a nonprofit social enterprise aimed at earned income. Listen!

From The Answer Desk: Where Can I Search for Job Openings in the Nonprofit Sector?

In case you missed our program earlier today, How to Land a Nonprofit Job in Today's Economy, here are some useful resources for nonprofit job seekers.

A: In addition to consulting general sources like classified advertisements in your local newspaper and web sites like Monster.com and craigslist.org, many web sites provide searchable listings of jobs currently available in the nonprofit sector.

The Job Corner at the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest provides listings of current full-time job openings at U.S.-based foundations and nonprofit organizations. Sign up to receive the Job Bulletin free of charge.

The following web sites also provide searchable listings of nonprofit positions currently available:

Philanthropy Careers at The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Nonprofit Jobs at idealist.org

Jobs at Nonprofit Times

Job Seeker Center at Opportunity Knocks

Career Center at Philanthropy News Network Online

Community Career Center

Nonprofit Jobs at ExecSearches.com

BridgeStar, a service of the BridgeSpan Group

All Foundation Jobs, a service of the Council on Foundations

Careers at The Chronicle of Higher Education

Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Job Center

Sponsorship Industry Careers, a service of IEG (registration is required)

New York Foundation for the Arts: Jobs in the Arts (registration is required)

For nonprofit jobs specifically in the DC area:
Center for Nonprofit Advancement: Nonprofit Careers

Have a question? Ask Us!

The Job Corner at the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest provides listings of current full-time job openings at U.S.-based foundations and nonprofit organizations. Sign up to receive the Job Bulletin free of charge.

The following web sites also provide searchable listings of nonprofit positions currently available:

Philanthropy Careers at The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Nonprofit Jobs at idealist.org

Jobs at Nonprofit Times

Job Seeker Center at Opportunity Knocks

Career Center at Philanthropy News Network Online

Community Career Center

Nonprofit Jobs at ExecSearches.com

BridgeStar, a service of the BridgeSpan Group

All Foundation Jobs, a service of the Council on Foundations

Careers at The Chronicle of Higher Education

Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Job Center

Sponsorship Industry Careers, a service of IEG (registration is required)

New York Foundation for the Arts: Jobs in the Arts (registration is required)

Have a question? Ask Us!

Learn More About Social Media for Your Nonprofit

Social media is a hot topic in every industry right now, and the nonprofit sector is no exception. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and other Web 2.0 sites are quickly becoming important pieces of every nonprofit's marketing and outreach strategy. 

To help you with your social media questions, the Foundation Center will be hosting a live online discussion on the topic. On Wednesday, May 20th, George Nemeth will be taking questions about nonprofits and social media at the Foundation Center-Cleveland blog. To participate in this live session, visit the FC-Cleveland blog between 12:00 and 1:00pm ET. Nemeth will be available to discuss blogging, Twitter, podcasting, Facebook, and all other social media.

Currently, Nemeth is working at Optiem in the Digital Content and Media Department as a social media marketing specialist with an emphasis on organic search. George has to his credits the creation and promotion of online and offline communities, including the Cleveland Social Media Club, Brewed Fresh Daily, and Meet.The.Bloggers.

If you have been wondering how your organization might benefit from getting more involved in social media, bring your questions. George has the answers!

Register for this online discussion here. For more information on how this live session works, see this post from the Foundation Center-Cleveland blog.

---

This post is from Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta.

I wanted to pass along a few tips I picked up at the recent Georgia Nonprofit Summit, which was held on May 11th & 12th. I was fortunate to be able to attend a session on social media led by Kelly Hornbuckle and Carl Muth of the Georgia Restaurant Association (you can view their slides here). Some of the guidelines they shared for getting your organization involved in social media and social networking included:

• Find a good place to network
  Explore different social networking sites/tools and see which ones are best for your organization and its purposes.
• Scope out your surroundings
  See how other nonprofits are using specific sites/tools and develop your organization's plan for utilizing social media. Get to know the major audience and how they use the site.
• Say your hellos
  When you join a network, let others know by connecting with them. Advertise your presence. Cross-marketing is key!
• Listen to the tone of the conversation
  Make note of how others communicate on the site and compose your own messages accordingly. Keep it professional, but don't be too formal.
• Add to the conversation
  Have something meaningful to say (Yes, even on Twitter). Give your messages a purpose and use social media to supplement more traditional outreach methods.
• Monitor the reactions
  Respond to comments, interact with other users, and measure the effectiveness of your outreach. Track page hits, followers, fans, comments, and other indicators to evaluate your success, and use present outcomes to set objectives for the future.

To help you with your social media questions, the Foundation Center will be hosting a live online discussion on the topic. On Wednesday, May 20th, George Nemeth will be taking questions about nonprofits and social media at the Foundation Center-Cleveland blog. To participate in this live session, visit the FC-Cleveland blog between 12:00 and 1:00pm ET. Nemeth will be available to discuss blogging, Twitter, podcasting, Facebook, and all other social media.

Currently, Nemeth is working at Optiem in the Digital Content and Media Department as a social media marketing specialist with an emphasis on organic search. George has to his credits the creation and promotion of online and offline communities, including the Cleveland Social Media Club, Brewed Fresh Daily, and Meet.The.Bloggers.

If you have been wondering how your organization might benefit from getting more involved in social media, bring your questions. George has the answers!

Register for this online discussion here. For more information on how this live session works, see this post from the Foundation Center-Cleveland blog.

---

This post is from Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta.

I wanted to pass along a few tips I picked up at the recent Georgia Nonprofit Summit, which was held on May 11th & 12th. I was fortunate to be able to attend a session on social media led by Kelly Hornbuckle and Carl Muth of the Georgia Restaurant Association (you can view their slides here). Some of the guidelines they shared for getting your organization involved in social media and social networking included:

• Find a good place to network
  Explore different social networking sites/tools and see which ones are best for your organization and its purposes.
• Scope out your surroundings
  See how other nonprofits are using specific sites/tools and develop your organization's plan for utilizing social media. Get to know the major audience and how they use the site.
• Say your hellos
  When you join a network, let others know by connecting with them. Advertise your presence. Cross-marketing is key!
• Listen to the tone of the conversation
  Make note of how others communicate on the site and compose your own messages accordingly. Keep it professional, but don't be too formal.
• Add to the conversation
  Have something meaningful to say (Yes, even on Twitter). Give your messages a purpose and use social media to supplement more traditional outreach methods.
• Monitor the reactions
  Respond to comments, interact with other users, and measure the effectiveness of your outreach. Track page hits, followers, fans, comments, and other indicators to evaluate your success, and use present outcomes to set objectives for the future.

Reward Special DC Area Philanthropists and Fundraisers

The Washington, D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has issued a call for nominations for outstanding philanthropists and fundraisers who will be recognized and honored with awards at the Eighth Annual National Capital Philanthropy Day awards luncheon on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Individuals and organizations in the Washington metropolitan area are encouraged to nominate individuals and organizations in one of the following six categories:  Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Volunteer, Outstanding Corporate Partner, Outstanding Foundation Partner, Outstanding Diversity Leader, and Outstanding Fundraising Professional.

The deadline for submission of nominations is May 29, 2009. To nominate a person or an organization, call (202) 547-0155 or visit the Washington Chapter's web site for more information.