The US Economic Stimulus and Nonprofits February 25, 2009 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Have you been wondering if the economic stimulus package affects your nonprofit?  Aren't sure where to look?  The National Council of Nonprofits is issuing reports daily reviewing and summarizing the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on nonprofits.

Here is the web page you will want to bookmark:  http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/stimulus

Reports currently published include:  Nonprofit Grant Opportunities (they are outlined by sector) and Stimulus Grant Tips and Thoughts.  Coming later today is a report outlining whether and how states are distributing federal stimulus funds.

Let us know if you find these reports helpful!

So Many Places, So Little Time! February 19, 2009 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Being a fundraising software vendor, the GiftWorks team gets myriad invitations to exhibit and sponsor nonprofit trade shows throughout the country.  We love to travel and meet potential clients and show our software in person.  We love meeting nonprofit industry experts who share wisdom and ideas.  We love forming partnerships with other organizations who are as committed to serving the nonprofit community as we are. Unfortunately, while we would love to go everywhere, we need to make difficult choices. 

This year we have decided to spend most of our travel and exhibition budget supporting our state nonprofit association partners.  We currently have 11 (yes, 11!) state nonprofit associations who actively recommend GiftWorks to their membership.  This year, we are prioritizing their trade shows, which will take us to all parts of the United States and gives us the chance to do what we love, which first and foremost, is meeting grassroots nonprofits that are making a difference in their communities.

We will also be attending some AFP events a little closer to home. So we won’t be at the AFP International Conference in New Orleans, but we will be at AFP Franklin Forum in Philadelphia and the AFP Fundraising Day in New York City. We will also continue our support of the Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Bootcamp in New York and San Francisco.

We do appreciate all of the invitations we receive, and while we can’t accept them all, we do plan to cover a lot of ground in 2009 and hope to have the opportunity to meet you in person somewhere!

Cinder Blocks vs. Software: The struggle for scalability February 9, 2009 By John Walker

I just returned from a week in the Dominican Republic where I helped build a house for a needy family. When I arrived at Paraiso, DR on Sunday, a fishing and farming village four hours west of Santa Domingo, the home site was a vacant lot and a pile of cinder blocks. When my group of eight volunteers, seven Canadians and one American, left the following Friday, there was a four room stucco home complete with electricity and running water. Ismael Leger and his wife Judy, the new owners, even served us dinner in their neat, new, hurricane-proof home before we left. It was a life changing experience for me, to say nothing of its impact on Ismael and Judy.

 The project happened through a nonprofit called Cambiando Vidas, a U.S.-based 501(c) 3 led by Jose Abreu. Jose is an energetic Dominican who uses humor, charm and his cell phone to rally volunteers, community members and contractors to make the next-to-impossible happen with what appears to be ease. And Jose does this with good humor despite great personal sacrifice: he works for a small salary and he’s away from his family for weeks at a time building homes for others. He talks scornfully about the high administrative costs of other organizations and he personally ensures that nothing gets in the way of turning volunteer time and money directly into homes.

 

One evening, as we relaxed after a day of mixing concrete, our group talked about how to make the remarkable work of Cambiando Vidas scalable. One person joked that we needed to clone Jose. Joking aside, it would be hard to hire staff with half of Jose’s passion. Afterall, he’s following his dream, not merely working in a job.

 

As I sat on the airplane from Santa Domingo to Miami and then back to Washington, DC, I thought about this question of scalability. While I can’t say that a clear answer appeared to me, one light bulb did go on: I was happy to be involved in part of the solution- GiftWorks Fundraising Software. Never before had it been so clear to me why GiftWorks makes sense for organizations like Cambiando Vidas. It’s because people like Jose know that, while they need to be astute about fundraising, ultimately laying cinder blocks for needy families is what their organizations should be doing, not learning how to use expensive software.

If any of you have insight on scalable growth drop me a line. We could all benefit from your insight.

Missouri Nonprofits: Data Migration Grants Available February 9, 2009 By Mary Pat Donnellon

Missouri Technology for Good is an organization whose mission is "to foster and support the growth and effectiveness of public charities which serve the people of Missouri, by helping 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations embrace technology and process management as a means of furthering their missions."  One way they have chosen to meet this mission is to offer 3 GiftWorks data migration grants to Missouri nonprofits implementing GiftWorks in 2009.  We hope our nonprofit friends in Missouri will apply for this opportunity! 

Another organization that recommends GiftWorks and assists with data migration is MAP for Nonprofits in St. Paul, Minnesota.  They have helped many nonprofits in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area get up and running with GiftWorks with excellent service and support.

These are just 2 examples of the many organizations our GiftWorks team collaborates with that are dedicated to helping nonprofits succeed.  GiftWorks is certainly intuitive and easy-to-use for techies and non-techies alike, although we do offer a range of data migration and other services for those who prefer a little more hands-on assistance.  We are also glad to refer and recommend outstanding organizations like MAP for Nonprofits and Missouri Technology for Good who can help as well.  Please call or send us an email for a recommendation in your area!