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Our Increasing Voice in the Nonprofit Sector

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently published a list of 10 nonprofits to watch in 2012. While they are all great groups that I encourage you to read about, I want to call special attention to number 10 – Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN). If you’ve never heard of YNPN and you’re involved the nonprofit sector, you need to look them up (You can find their national information here and if you’re in the bay area, the local chapter’s website is here). YNPN provides training, resources, networking, and more. It’s traditionally been completely volunteer run and it’s free to be on their incredibly helpful listserv which has a plethora of job openings, local events, and advice. Whenever people tell me they’re interested in finding a job in the sector, that’s the first place I point them to.

As the article notes, YNPN has hired its first full-time employee in its fifteen year life. This is huge. Going from an all volunteer run agency to hiring staff is one of the biggest jumps a nonprofit can take. It’s truly a testament to the need for the work the group is doing – there really is a ton of possibility for the group – for advocacy, to enhance educational opportunities, to expand other resources… and the list goes on and on.

This is an exciting moment for us Millenials. The value of our voice in the nonprofit sector is continuing to increase and it’s gotten so big that we’re moving forward in a big way. The article eludes to her next steps, and I’m very excited to see where she and the agency go. Because the sky’s the limit when it comes to the young voice in the nonprofit sector.

-N.C.

My Top Three Fundraising Tips

Most people fill their days off with hours of reality television, shopping, and sleeping in. Not me (OK, I did sleep in a few days last week!). Last Thursday morning I ventured to San Francisco to Foundation Center to participate in the very informative Top Ten Fundraising Tips by Darian Rodriguez Heyman, the editor of Nonprofit Management 101 (which I was lucky enough to purchase an autographed copy of!). Darian gave a great talk reviewing some tips outlined in the book, a compilation of input from various experts in the field. He started with a very poignant anecdote about Bill Cosby’s grandmother’s view of whether a glass is half empty or half full – her response was, “it depends on if you’re pouring or drinking!”

Darian gave ten tips for fundraising, and I’d like to highlight my three favorite tips that he reviewed.

1. Stage a Thank-a-Thon. Fundraising isn’t all about asking for money. It includes everything from prospecting, to stewarding, to asking, to thanking. Darian posed this as a way to get your board engaged in the fundraising process – print out a simple script for board members (and I would add other volunteers who can speak eloquently about your organization), have some pizza, and schedule an hour after work one day where everyone can gather and make calls to say thanks – without asking for money. It’s a win-win situation for your board, your donors, and you.

2. Never Submit a Cold Grant. This point really can relate to anyone from whom you’re asking for money, not just grantors. Funding is all about relationships, and that includes grants. Just because the grantor doles out thousands of dollars each year doesn’t mean you have to be afraid to talk to them. Most of them prefer you talk to them. Get in touch with the Program Officer and ask for advice on your application. Darian went so far as to suggest asking them to review your application – I’ve never done that, but he’s had proven success doing it! Doing this causes them to mentally adopt your project, even if they never actually review it.

3. Utilize the Upcoming Volunteerism Revolution. OK, so I took liberty on changing one of his tip titles with this one, but this was a point he made. Volunteerism is moving toward people truly wanting to be part of the solution, and they don’t just want to stuff envelopes – they want to leverage their skills and expertise in helping you. Keep this in mind when engaging your volunteer force.

I’d like to end with one more point Darian made that really resonated with me – people don’t give to you, they give through you. People are giving to the impact you make. Fundraising isn’t personal to the fundraiser, it’s personal to the donor. They are connected to the change your nonprofit is making. You’re just the middle man.

-N.C.

P.S. I’m so excited that I can just pop over to events in San Francisco now! The city is full of nonprofit activity. Here’s a photo I took while stuck in traffic after the event!