How dynamic is your board?

Are you considering board service but unsure of what might be involved?

Have these questions answered by our panel at Bridge to Excellence. Rethinking Board Service: Fundraising in the New Normal will explore why dynamic board engagement is a critical element in a nonprofit’s ability to achieve its mission, impact and outcomes.

Board service can be one of the most fulfilling and challenging experiences. Hear inspirational stories and learn from your peers about how we can survive the new normal of fundraising and fulfill our missions by being innovative and open to new ideas.

Panelists include: Daynise Couch, Organized Neighbors of Edgehill; James Crumlin, Jr., Bone McAllester Norton PLLC; Meredith Benton, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Yuri Cunza, Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Bernard Turner will moderate the session.

There’s still time to register for Bridge to Excellence!

by debb Wilcox

As financial and time resources become limited in difficult economic times, and more and more demand is made for those resources, the promise of “doing good work” is no longer enough to stimulate donations.

Behind the veil of mystery and assumptions as to what motivates donors lie the clear needs that drive them to give or not to give to your organization. In this day of the Internet and Social Media, data about such issues abound. But “data” is one thing; “useful data” is the thing.

Uncovering the veil to yield meaningful and relevant data is key to help make the challenging task of fundraising a bit easier. In most situations the best way to glean insight specifically about your donors and your potential donors is to collect it first-hand. This takes forethought and proper planning. During the session on May 16^th, we will review some examples of what others have learned from conducting research for fundraising efforts using CNM and OpinionPoint..

I look forward to sharing some of the proven research techniques used by OpinionPoint. You will learn about collecting data so you can determine what resonates with your donors and avoid sending messages that may actually drive donors away.

Learn more and register!

In this week’s Road to Conference installment, read more about Bridge to Excellence’s closing speaker, Penelope Burk and her donor-centered fundraising strategy:

What do your donors want?

Donor-Centered Fundraising is the breakthrough strategy that enhances donor loyalty and inspires more generous gifts by considering what you can do for your donors.

Based on seven years of research and testing with hundreds of charities and donors, Donor-Centered Fundraising is the only statistically-supported fundraising philosophy that brings donors and charities together to achieve measurable, long-term results.

Today’s fundraising practices and beliefs were developed in a time when donors were less demanding, competition was less severe and fundraisers could rely on an unlimited supply of people who were willing to give.

But now wealth is shifting to a new kind of donor who is more questioning and harder to reach, the number of organizations raising money exploded, and donors are trending towards supporting fewer causes.

Donor-Centered Fundraising is a pragmatic, interactive and forward-thinking seminar designed to help decision-making staff and volunteers capitalize on these new market trends. In a succinct and compelling manner it answers the age-old question, “What do donors want?”, then articulates a practical strategy that satisfies donors’ needs.

Learn more at Bridge to Excellence on May 16!

Register by May 3 to take advantage of the extended Early Bird registration rates.

In this week’s Road to Conference, check out this video from Keynote speaker Deirdre Maloney as she talks about the mission myth:

Busting the Mission Myth: Deirdre Maloney

Deirdre Maloney helps organizations meet their missions through better business, and helps their leaders sleep better at night. She does it through her work as a published author, national speaker, and proud president of Momentum LLC. Deirdre gained much of her experience as the executive director of Colorado AIDS Project, a multi-million dollar nonprofit, as well as while serving on numerous boards and committees. In addition to her other roles, Deirdre currently teaches marketing for the University of San Diego.

Deirdre has provided keynote and workshop presentations at events around the country, including the National Association of Women Business Owner’s national conference, the Colorado Association of Nonprofits statewide conference and the Northwest Development Officers Association conference. Her first book, The Mission Myth, was released in November 2011. Her new book, Tough Truths: The 10 Leadership Lessons We Don’t Talk About was released in October 2012. Deirdre’s writings and blog posting are featured far and wide, including in the Huffington Post.

Deirdre earned her Master in Public Administration Degree at the University of Colorado at Denver. She received the 2011 Rising Star Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners and was named one of the “Top 20 Women Who Rock” by San Diego Metro Magazine.

by Dan Prater, Drury University

I think everyone at one time or another has felt misunderstood. Maybe someone misinterpreted your words or your nonverbal signals? It can be frustrating.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that is has been accomplished.” Do you know if your organization’s messages are accomplishing their intended goals?

What happens when nonprofit organizations are misunderstood? Or when organizations don’t take the time to understand an ever-growing diverse audience?

Nonprofit organizations rely on the community for support, and fundraising is about connecting with those in the community and building relationships. But what happens when cultural differences become a roadblock to forming those relationships? Or when organizations use culturally-insensitive messaging?
 
Join me for a fun and interactive session where you’ll explore your own CQ (cultural quotient), discover how miscommunication- verbal and nonverbal – frequently occurs across cultural boundaries, and how these misunderstandings can cripple your ability to develop strong community support.
 
Gain new information on hidden class rules, learn how to personalize communications and build meaningful relationships that will translate into success for your nonprofit.

by Dave Parker, CauseImpact

Management guru Peter F. Drucker significantly raised the bar for the social sector in the mid-1980s when he wrote: “The 21st Century will be the century of the social sector organization.”

We’ve seen extraordinary change since Drucker made this prediction.  Circumstances are changing, and they are changing fast. They’re changing for all of us as individuals, organizations, communities and entire industries.  The social sector is going through such change and, as a result, many social sector organizations have adopted innovative and entrepreneurial strategies to in order to chart new paths to purposeful and profitable growth.
 
From these strategies come new ventures to generate earned income revenue, many of which generate significant recurring social and financial results. 
 
How are they doing it?  It starts with good ideas.  Good ideas can come from anywhere and anyone.  Discovering and appreciating them requires us to be attuned to the world in an open and anticipatory way.  Organizations, in any sector, that consistently come up with winning ideas have clarity in specific areas combined with a regular process for vetting ideas.
 
Become an Idea Machine: Our session at the Bridge to Excellence at Belmont University on Thursday, May 16th will equip you and your organization with the key secrets to finding the best earned income revenue ideas for your organization. 
 
Change is hard and becoming more entrepreneurial can seem daunting.  Drucker offers us good news:  “Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art.  It is a practice.”  Join us on the 16th to get off to a great start!

Metro has continued the Community Enhancement Fund Grant Program (CEF) for Davidson County nonprofits for 2014.

The CEF is designed to meet community needs by funding:
• Services not currently provided by Metro Nashville Government.
• Services which enhance those already provided by Metro Nashville Government.

All applicants must attend a mandatory applicant training session.

Applicants must attend an information session on Tuesday, April 2 from 2-4 p.m. or Wednesday, April 3 9:30-11:30 a.m. Both sessions will be held at the Howard Office Building, first floor, 700 Second Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37210. Free parking is available behind Lindsley Hall (the castle building on the Richard Fulton Campus).

Pre-registration is not necessary, but be sure to sign-in upon arrival in order to get credit for attending.

Attendees who want to review a copy of the handbook during the training are advised to print out a copy to bring with them. In an effort to reduce paper consumption, we will be providing only a limited number of paper copies of the handbook at the training.

Find more information here.

We’re getting excited for Bridge to Excellence on May 16 at Belmont University!

As we look forward to this year, this video highlights the best of last year’s conference: Bridge to Excellence video.

In 2013, the theme is Fundraising. It’s hard and it starts before you make the ask. Learn how brand awareness, community and board engagement, donor satisfaction and financial viability are all pieces of the fundraising puzzle.

And don’t forget: There’s just more than two weeks to score a discount with the early bird registration rate! Register before April 15 and members will pay $150 for this day of networking and learning. Register at cnm.org.

In their special nonprofit edition, The Nashville Ledger focused on innovation as a key driver to nonprofit success, citing initiatives like Collaboration College, Oasis Center’s Neuroclarity, and Dismas House’s Triple Thread Apparel.

“To survive the Great Recession and its aftermath, many nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee tightened their belts and searched for ways to meet increasing demands for services despite diminishing resources.

Some are beginning to thrive again.

“Our nonprofits have stabilized, but at a somewhat lower level than where they were at before the recession,” says Lewis Lavine, executive director of the Center for Nonprofit Management, a Nashville-based agency that works to improve the skills of nonprofit executives.

“Most lost 18-20 percent (of contributions and financial assets) and were forced to reduce staff and/or programs,” he adds. “They returned to their missions and eliminated things that weren’t quite as essential as they thought. Very few went out of business, but they still faced huge challenges.”

The strongest local survivors are agencies that are using newfound entrepreneurial skills, collaborating and sharing resources with other nonprofits and carefully tracking the outcomes of their services, local nonprofit experts say.

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