Charities Review Council — New Standards, New Tool for Nonprofits

April 29, 2010

The Charities Review Council has announced its revised Accountability Standards and a new online Wizard that will help guide nonprofits through the review process.

Charities Review Council is an independent resource for individuals and philanthropic organizations that want to make more informed giving decisions. You may recognize the logo to the right from different nonprofit websites you’ve visited. The seal signifies that an organization has gone through the Council’s review process and has successfully proven that it meets certain best practice standards across a range of accountability criteria including public disclosure, governance, finance and fundraising.

Originally written in 1998, the Accountability Standards were revisited and revised to keep up with the economic, demographic, legal and societal changes of the last decade.  “The standards are the result of a year-long, broad grass-roots effort that engaged diverse voices among nonprofit leaders, grantmakers, individual donors and academicians,” reports former Council board member Claire Topp, a Dorsey & Whitney law firm partner, who headed up the committee that oversaw development of the standards. “As such, they reflect state-of-the-art standards that balance donor expectations with nonprofit operational realities.”

Changes to the Standards include a more robust analysis of a nonprofit’s financial health, as well as a greater allowance for infrastructure expenses as a necessary investment.  For more information on the recent changes, read the Standards FAQ.

The Accountability Wizard is an online, educational assessment tool that helps guide nonprofits through the review process. The tool assists the user in collecting information to ensure that his or her organization’s policies and practices are sound. The Council’s Accountability Standards are supported and promoted by a number of Minnesota grantmakers and other promotional partners, many of them MCF members.

To learn more about the Council, the new standards, or how the Wizard can help you comply, visit smartgivers.org, or sign up for the upcoming webinar on May 4.

Just as Charities Review Council has standards for nonprofits, MCF has a set of Principles for Grantmakers, to which all members subscribe.  Such standards and guiding values enhance transparency and public trust in the independent sector. MCF members often display a seal signifying their subscription to the Principles on their websites, like this example on The Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation website.

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Let’s Talk About It

April 28, 2010

At last week’s Facing Race Ambassador Awards event, keynote speaker Naomi Tutu challenged the audience to continue conversations about race. In her speech, Ms. Tutu challenged the notion that by ignoring America’s long-standing issues of race, racism and oppression we were solving the issue, and further asserted that avoiding challenging conversations about race could be compared to having a puss filled wound and repeatedly covering it with bandages and packing, keeping the infection in, saying in every facet of our lives, what we ignore is sure to come back to haunt us.

She said, “Conversations can be frightening – they tell you who you are as a human being. However, the gift on the other side of the challenge is the building of relationships and community. God has given us the gift of diversity. It is an insult to pretend you do not notice it. Enter a conversation because the differences we bring can be gifts to one another. In a child’s world, noticing differences are an opportunity to move the conversation forward.”

Her words stirred me and got me wondering why we as people, as professionals, as co-workers, and co-board members don’t have conversations about race more often. Why is it that when the topic of race comes up, even in conversations related to diversity, inclusion and justice, we tend to back away, change the subject, or shut-down? Why is it that we can spend hours talking about disparities, difference, and what _______ should do, but only minutes about racism itself… intentional, unintentional, individual, and institutional racism?

Though there are many ism’s that should be addressed, racism is arguably the ism that lasted the longest and has the potential to continue into perpetuity in large part due to our inability and/or unwillingness to have open, frank, and crucial conversations in our day-to-day lives about it. So what can we do to change it?

For some, it’s been as simple as having lunch. In 1997, Joe Martin a long time Bank of America executive in Greenville, SC challenged the community to set-aside one day each week to have lunch with someone of a different race. These lunches not only provided an easy opportunity to have discussions about race and racism, but a way to begin building cross-racial relationships that extend beyond the formality of day-to-day business interactions.

Others have chosen even more intentional means such as visiting a worship place with different style and different cultures than you’re used to, or setting up a play-date for your children with children of different races, attending community events that take you out of your comfort zone, and interacting with the attendees to learn more about them as individuals and as a community. The options are as diverse as we are, but you still might be wondering how to actually have the conversation. I mean having lunch with a person of a different race doesn’t guarantee that you will actually talk about race and racism. Like any conversation with a purpose, it must be intentional, and there are tools to help us not only become more knowledgeable but prepared to have those crucial conversations.

A book has recently been released entitled “To Be Free: Understanding and Eliminating Racism” that I believe can help those who strive to know and do more to address racism. The book was written by Thomas Peacock and Marlene Wisuri, and the forward was written by Eric Jolly.

The book was produced with support from several Minnesota foundations and MCF members and free copies have been distributed at several recent events. Though the book was written to assist educators in preparing youth to prevent and eliminate racism, its content is enlightening and motivating for adults as well. Each chapter ends with a summary of its key themes and activities to promote understanding of its topic that could easily be used in a group setting for workplace dialogues and training.

I encourage you to use this book, available at aftonpress.com to create your own conversations about race and racism, and share with us and your peers on the blog your own solutions for continuing eliminating racism through conversation. And to share the words that were shared at the Facing Race Ambassador Awards event, the conversation about race will end when racism ends.

- Tawanna Black, MCF diversity fellow

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Know Some Outstanding Leaders? Nominate Them Today!

April 26, 2010

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) is currently accepting nominations for the first ever Nonprofit Leadership Awards. The awards will recognize individuals in three different categories for their work building the effectiveness and capacity of the nonprofit sector in Minnesota. The categories are:

  • Catalytic Leader: This award will go to someone who has effectively led “from the middle,” using informal authority to shape the direction and progress of their work.
  • Visionary Leader: This award will be given to one who has at least five, but no more than twenty, years of experience in senior leadership with a nonprofit.
  • Transformational Leader: This award will honor an individual who has served the field for more than twenty years.

For more information about each of the categories, as well as an online form to submit nominations, visit mncn.org. The deadline for submissions is May 7. Award recipients will be honored at MCN’s Leadership Conference: Thriving in the New Normal on June 3.

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Volunteer — it’s good for you (and potentially for the Earth, too!)

April 22, 2010

So you’ve probably heard by now that today is Earth Day — the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, in fact. We’d also like to let our readers know that this week is also National Volunteer Week. In honor of the occasion, a survey was released by UnitedHealthcare and VolunteerMatch, that found that 68 percent of people who have volunteered in the past year say that volunteering has made them feel physically healthier.

The survey of more than 4,500 adult Americans found that 41 percent of them had volunteered in the past year, and 7 in 10 reported having donated to a nonprofit. Of those who volunteered, 84 percent felt that volunteering improved their physical health, and 95 percent agreed that volunteering also improves emotional health.

Interestingly, volunteering was also correlated with a healthier Body Mass Index (BMI), with a significantly lower amount of volunteers identified as obese (31 percent) when compared to non-volunteers (36 percent.) Twenty-nine percent of volunteers who reported suffering from a chronic condition said that volunteering helped them manage their illness.

So if you’re looking for a way to feel healthier, and celebrate Earth Day yet today, why not take a walk and pick up litter this evening in your neighborhood? Or if you’re looking for ways to volunteer your time to benefit the community that are more sustained (and sustainable!) check out VolunteerMatch.org, where you can search on volunteer opportunities that focus on improving the environment.

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Bush Foundation Announces 2010 Leadership Fellows

April 21, 2010

The Bush Foundation has chosen 19 individuals as the Bush Leadership Fellows for 2010. These women and men are visionaries who have identified opportunities to solve some of the tough social problems of the day including the disparities among races, between rich and poor, the need for informed public policy development, the disadvantages faced by immigrants, and much more.

The fellows will receive support for full-time academic and/or self-designed study that’s focused on engaging communities to solve problems through acts of courageous leadership. The fellows include art educators, educational and cultural competency consultants, philanthropists, college administrators, a construction business owner, journalist, physician, health care project coordinator, city-level policy aide, curriculum developer, and leaders of organizations working on tribal higher education, neighborhood revitalization, and economic and community development. Specific information, including biographies and pictures for each fellow, can be found at BushFellows.org.

Initiated in 1965, The Bush Leadership Fellows Program is dedicated to the development of leadership skills in accomplished, motivated individuals who are eager to prepare themselves for greater leadership opportunities and to create positive change in their communities. The fellowship was initiated in 1965 by one of the original executives of the 3M Corporation, Archibald G. Bush, who in 1953 created the Bush Foundation with his wife Edyth. The Bush Foundation is an MCF member.

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Diversifying our Leadership Ranks: COF’s Career Pathways Program Launch

April 20, 2010

If you closed your eyes and tried to picture a room full of foundation CEO’s in 2020, what would you see?

If your vision mirrors what that room would look like today, chances are that you’re struggling with how to diversify the leadership ranks of Minnesota’s foundations and giving programs, just the way many of your peers are.

While affinity groups and networks  are doing their part as conveners for individuals who are new to the field or still under-represented in the field, there is still much work to be done to create inclusive and engaging organizations for all aspiring philanthropy professionals. This gap lies in tandem with the need to aggressively advance the leadership pipeline that will ensure that our senior ranks are as diverse as the populations our funds support. But good news is on the way.

The Council on Foundations is launching a Career Pathways program to help prepare candidates from diverse backgrounds to successfully achieve positions in philanthropic leadership. This year-long program combines opportunities for networking with professional development addressing critical leadership elements while preparing participants to compete for leadership roles.

According to the program description, candidates selected for the program will participate in three small-group learning sessions, each over the course of a couple of days, facilitated by expert faculty representing senior executives and trustees in the field of philanthropy, as well as in other fields. In addition to the in-person group gatherings, candidates will participate in self-directed career planning, one-on-one coaching, mentoring, and job shadowing opportunities. They will analyze and identify their individual leadership styles and traits and be exposed to a range of issues foundation executives face in their day-to-day work.

Applications are currently being accepted for the program and can be accessed at the Council’s website (pdf). Applications must be submitted by May 13, 2010.

Do your part and encourage someone you know to apply for the Career Pathways Program, today.

- Tawanna A. Black, MCF diversity fellow

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The Next Best Thing to Having Coffee with a Program Officer

April 19, 2010

As a volunteer for several nonprofits, I’ve contributed to my share of grant applications. In crafting each one, I’ve often asked myself, “What else could I do to my application that would increase our chances of getting funded?” Or more often, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could take a funder to coffee and pick his or her brain?”

With so much changing in the nonprofit and funding world, it’s more important than ever to learn what makes a grant proposal rise to the top as funders are increasingly becoming more focused because of tight resources and more diligent about asking potential grantees to articulate their anticipated outcomes and effectiveness.

The Minnesota Council on Foundations recently solicited insight from its Program Officers Network. Here is some of what they shared:

  • Read a foundation’s mission and giving guidelines upfront to ensure they fit with your funding request. Don’t try to fit a square peg in a round hole.
  • Even if you have an ongoing relationship with a funder, don’t assume the guidelines have remained the same. Ask for the most recent guidelines and deadlines.
  • Make a courtesy call to ensure the funder’s contact information is correct.
  • Be clear and succinct in answering questions. Funders read many proposals, so avoid giving them too much information.
  • Provide data and needs analysis to support your proposal, if it’s requested.
  • Make sure the budget numbers line up.
  • Have key goals/outcomes and measurables. Be clear and specific on what you want to accomplish and how you will know if you’re successful.
  • Make sure the activities you’ve proposed line up with your goals. Consider using a logic model.
  • Be proactive and transparent about how you are addressing challenges. For instance, talk about the income and expense management choices you are making to end the year with a balanced budget.
  • If you’re using social media, incorporate this into your application. How are you using social media to leverage the expertise of your organization for the benefit of program participants and the community?
  • Don’t wait until the last minute of the deadline to submit your proposal. Computer glitches and network issues are not an acceptable excuse for a late application.

If you’d like to learn more directly from funders, attend one of MCF’s Grantseeking for Beginners one-day seminars. In addition to learning all the basics — from researching relevant funding sources to developing strong and effective grant applications, during a grantmaker panel discussion, you’ll get your “take-a-funder-to-coffee” insight into the proposal review and decision-making process.

MCF’s next Grantseeking for Beginners is Wednesday, May 19, at the Owatonna Country Club. Thanks to the support and sponsorship of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, $50 scholarships are available to eligible registrants.  Plus, sign up by May 12 to save $30 off the registration fee.

Grantmaker panelists on May 19 are:

Future seminars are Aug. 19 in Chaska and Nov. 9 in St. Paul.

If you can’t make the seminar, but want to learn more about a resource that can help you do your grantseeking homework on funders, check out Minnesota Grantmakers Online, MCF’s searchable database of funders and grants.

You could also check out our previous blog on “Funding Insight Directly from Funders.”

- Chris Murakami Noonan, MCF communications associate

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