Don Griesmann's Nonprofit Blog

The Best Web Sites To Find Grants

2011-07-12T17:17:00.009-04:00

There are hundreds of data banks listing grant opportunities. Many of them require a membership fee or they are dated. The list of funders and links here are valid when published.

Some of the data banks I have included require a user name, a password and an e-mail address. In some instances your account will require activation through a return e-mail to you to be returned to them or clicking on a link. Please read the privacy notice at the web site, if there is one, and decide whether you want to give the information required.

The list includes links to U.S. foundations and corporations and for the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. There are data banks aimed at international NGOs. There are specialized banks for animals, women, human rights, health, the environment and international development. I have included what I consider to be the best data banks for U.S. government funds including funds for international purposes...

This is the second new article about finding grant opportunities available at this blog. The earlier one is How to Find Grant Opportunities . You may be aware that I send out 6-8 grant opportunities announcement almost every evening through my Twitter account, http://twitter.com/#!/dgriesmann

There are over 1.3M nonprofit tax exempt organizations in the United States. Most of them are looking for grants to fund their missions. The funds available from nongovernmental sources, foundations, corporations and trust funds are miniscule compared to government sources.

The parameters for inclusion here are –

no fees
open to all
meaningful list
broadly based
user friendly
timely

I hope that readers will add their favorite links to data banks of grant opportunities to this list, meeting the same parameters.

My overriding principle for this and other articles about grants is - what is on the internet that NPO/NGOs can secure with no cost or gimmicks? We have many dedicated people in our sector who deserve our thanks who put almost everything we need to know out there for no cost. The hard part of course is mining it for value. That is what I try to do about grants - mining them for value. I have mined here the best data banks that can serve you well. The goal here is to make your search as little frustrating as possible.

The following is not an all inclusive list. I have tried to find as many data banks as possible. They can help you decide which grant opportunities to review and which may not be worth your time. I have added my own comments about the web sites as needed.

The Foundation Center has an excellent Guide to Funding Research for grantseekers that should be read by everyone, staff, consultant, volunteer or board member, starting out for the first or 30^th time searching for grants, - http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/gfr/

I have included information and links for international grant opportunities. According to the Foundation Center there were over $7.6 billion in grants given to 15,675 international recipients in 42,169 foundation grants. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/maps/

Grants.gov is an excellent source for timely notice of federal grants, sorted by opening or closing date over the past 7 days. It includes domestic and international grants. I suggest this should be a “favorite” if you are interested in federal grants because it changes regularly http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=Search&dates=7&docs1=doc_open_checked
Federal Grants Wire, a useful search tool for finding federal grants, government grants and loans. They currently index 2,481 federal grants and loans organized by sponsoring agency, applicant type, subject area http://www.federalgrantswire.com/
Federal Business Opportunities (Fed Biz Ops) with 25,000 - 32,000 contract opportunities, some for nonprofits. This is not an easy site to navigate but if you are looking for business contracts rather than grants this where you can start https://www.fbo.gov/?s=home&tab=list&mode=list
NonProfitExpert.com, detailed listing of grants and good information for grant seekers; review the categories listed on the left hand side. http://www.nonprofitexpert.com/federal_grants.htm
Jon Harrison and Michigan State University have a comprehensive list of funders alphabetized by subject http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/2sgalpha.htm
Youth Grants for NPOs working in that service area http://www.youthtoday.org/grants.cfm
Rural Assistance Center has an excellent directory of foundations with funding links by topics, and links to state resources http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_topic.php
Common Grants material has a list of foundations that accept their universal grant application form. The list of foundations is in alphabetical order and is searchable by location, program type and beneficiary http://www.commongrants.com/participating-funders
Meyer Foundation’s list about funding opportunities, outside Meyer, includes information on ways to strengthen nonprofit organizations, research about people and communities that Meyer cares about, and useful links for nonprofits and grantmakers
http://www.meyerfoundation.org/resources/Other+Funding+Opportunities/
FundsNet Services.com has excellent information about grants and you can browse through categories of grants from Animal & Wildlife Grants to Women Grants - http://www.fundsnetservices.com/
Women’s Funding Network connects and strengthens more than 160 organizations that fund women’s solutions across the globe http://www.wfnet.org/the-network/member-directory
Google directory of foundations in alphabetical order, look at the links to categories to save some time http://directory.google.com/alpha/Top/Society/Philanthropy/Grants/Grant-Making_Foundations/
Grant Makers in Health has partners listed and linked alphabetically -http://www.gih.org/link_no_cat2664/link_no_cat.htm
Environmental Grantmaker Association has an alphabetical list and links - http://www.ega.org/funders/funder.php?op=list
Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation funders are listed at the University of Wisconsin grants’ library http://grants.library.wisc.edu/organizations/animals.html
California Polytechnic State University, listed by subject in alphabetical order - http://www.calpoly.edu/~grants/3_FoundSubj.html
Foundation Center has a list of the 100 largest U.S. grantmaking foundations ranked by the market value of their assets, based on the most current audited financial data in the Foundation Center's database as of April 27, 2011. http://fdncenter.org/findfunders/topfunders/top100assets.html
ChristianGrants.com features links by key words and by work projects including building campaigns, program support, outreach ministries and more http://www.christiangrants.com/
National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources (NAEIR) features a catalog of donated merchandise for supplies http://www.naeir.org/
A reader suggested - ScanGrants™ is designed to facilitate the search for funding sources to enhance individual and community health – medical researchers, social workers, nurses, students, community-based health educators, academics and others
http://www.scangrants.com/

For international grants:

Canada’s CharityVillage has a section with a list of grantors in alphabetical order, searchable by categories http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/nonpr17.asp and
Canadian international grants - http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/nonpr9.html#sep1211
Canada funders can be found on FundsNet Services.com http://www.fundsnetservices.com/searchresult.php?sbcat_id=29
Nobel Peace Prize has a list of international foundations http://www.nobelpeaceforum.org/grantsandrelatedresources.htm
Grants from foundations aimed at United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and other international funders at Fundsnet Services.com http://www.fundsnetservices.com/showcats.php?sbcat_id=10
Jon Harrison's list of Women in International Development, a compilation of web pages of potential interest to NGOs seeking funding opportunities related to women in international development- http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/2wid.htm
The International Human Rights Funders Group has a grants tool designed to enable both grantmakers and grantseekers to search for human rights funders by several key criteria: areas of rights funding, activities supported and geographic focus at http://ihrfg.org/funder-directory-search
Grant Makers without Borders does not provide grants but does have an excellent directory of foundations and other organizations interested in international grantmaking http://www.internationaldonors.org/advicegs/index.htm
LGBTQ Funders Directory provides information on funders of organizations and projects working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities. All of the groups included in the directory have provided financial support, of varying types, to LGBTQ programs. http://www.lgbtfunders.org/seekers/directory.cfm
ChristianGrants.com features international opportunities with links by key words and by work projects including building campaigns, program support, outreach ministries and more http://www.christiangrants.com/
Grantmakers Online.com, an interactive database of world-wide funders, in Beta form, and a little clumsy but highly useful, http://www.grantmakersonline.com/

For other international listing see the companion piece, below, about free e-newsletters that provides timely notice of grant opportunities -

Through the Looking-Glass for International Grant Opportunities

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/through-looking-glass-for-international.html

For e-newsletters about grants, see

How to Find Grant Opportunities

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-find-grant-opportunities.html

Are you sure your organization is ready to receive and appropriately account for the assistance from a grant? Before you say “Yes”, please read this

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding – Recordkeeping

http://tinyurl.com/3tlrylr

How to Find Grant Opportunities

2011-06-28T14:41:00.017-04:00

Every leader, employee, board member and volunteer with a nonprofit, tax exempt, nongovernmental organization is looking for grants. This Blog post will give you e-newsletters and two Twitter accounts where you can receive grant and scholarship information daily or weekly at no cost.

There are thousands of local, state, regional and national foundations and corporations that accept grant proposals. But each has its own requirements, process, mission, eligibility, forms, reporting and accountability standards. The Foundation Center and others have large data bases that are for sale. But there are source to find grant opportunities that cost nothing. There are e-newsletters and Twitter messages available to keep you up to date on many grant possibilities. How do you keep up with Federal sources of grants? Again there are free e-newsletters available.

You should also be alert to your state or province government and local foundations that provide grants. Your local United Way or similar organization may have information they are willing to share.

The most difficult process to secure funding for nonprofits is through the grant writing activity. Folks starting out should first have in place a resource development plan that includes grant seeking and also, fund (friend-) raising, use of social media, events, capital funding, social enterprise (not for everyone), volunteers, collect dues, user fees, contracts for service, sell products, equipment donations and so on.

The place to start seeking grants is in your local delivery area, town, city, county, parish, province, state. Developing relationships and friends is absolutely critical, not only for fundraising but also for securing grants and finding leads to sources of funding. Making friends and developing contacts takes work by the board, volunteers and staff. The organization has to develop spheres of influence among its supporters, people who share the organization’s mission, activities and values.

There are a number of places to find information easily and on the cheap...no money. There are a number of e-mail notices about grants which I am listing here. One source of grant funds is corporate giving such as grocery chains, utility companies, pharmaceutical companies, national products and others. I have not found any common source for that information. It takes digging.

Corporations are more likely to give to programs that are in their community, an office, manufacturing plant, research and development center, any physical presence. A corporation is even more likely to provide support if an employee volunteers or serves on the board of the organization.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in Third World countries should see where there are international companies, offices, excavation, mining, research and development, manufacturing, security and so on. They may provide support, not always money, for the project that matches up with their business model. I am sensitive to the fact that many international companies can be the source of problems in Third World countries. I have seen, however, some international companies not only from the US but also Sweden, Norway, Australia, India provide help to NGOs and provide help for individual children in need of serious medical attention when referred by a NGO.

Program precedes money. Planning precedes program. You start by doing something toward your mission. There are no funders sitting around looking for people to fund. They rarely fund start-ups. They are looking for organizations that meet THEIR mission and requirements. See

http://tinyurl.com/6268rd3

For daily, instant and timely grant notices you can follow me on Twitter, @dgriesmann

For daily scholarship information opportunities, follow @ScholarshipsGL on Twitter

Federal grant notices by agency, a hit-and-miss proposition but absolutely valuable - http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription.jsp

First Gov in Spanish - http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/Temas/Salud-Nutricion-Seguridad.shtml

Federal Register Table of Contents published daily - Lengthy listing of the Federal government at work, meeting announcements, and publications about rules and so on. This used to be the only place to find grants but not any longer. Still, I have found grants through this source not listed elsewhere. It will take about 1-3 minutes to scan the Table of Contents, click on Online mailing list archives, http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/

GrantsAlert.com for education grants from Joseph B Mizereck and Associates Inc also features fellowships and awards for educators http://www.grantsalert.com/

FundingAlert from the Washington DC Mayor's Office of Partnerships, small number of listings, mostly Federal but I have found some gems here http://opgs.dc.gov/opgd/cwp/view,a,1318,q,587660,opgdNav,%7C34802%7C.asp

GrantStation through their Insider newsletter or multiple sources, small number of listings but very helpful with descriptions, deadlines and links, http://www.grantstation.com/

Youth Service America, sign up for newsletters, http://ysa.org/about

National Human Services Assembly, sign up for newsletter, http://nassembly.org/

Capital Venture from Linda Lysakowski http://www.cvfundraising.com/

Miami-Dade Grant Opportunities newsletter, an excellent source with brief descriptions, deadlines and links by categories http://miamidade.gov/wps/portal/Main/grantsmembers

Foundation Center PND RFP Bulletin http://foundationcenter.org/newsletters/

Procopio Fundraising RFP Bulletin http://www.procopiofundraising.com/foundation-research.aspx

For international grants:

Chapel-York newsletter, http://www.chapel-york.com/subscribetogrants&resources.html

UK Office for Civil Society Funding Central newsletter , create a profile and subscribe to the newsletter “Reminders of approaching deadlines ” or one that interests you, http://www.fundingcentral.org.uk/profile.aspx

Are you sure your organization is ready to receive and appropriately account for the assistance from a grant? Before you say “Yes”, please read this

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding – Recordkeeping

http://tinyurl.com/3tlrylr

Preparing A Nonprofit Board Welcome Kit and Check-off List:

2010-05-17T22:54:00.005-04:00

Some nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations have Board Welcome Kits, material that helps a new board member begin the learning process about the intricacies of the organization. Such Kits briefly tell the story and the history of the agency (and if the agency is part of a national body that history as well). The board in most organizations is the leadership for creating and establishing policy, keeping the vision, passion and mission at the forefront. In most NPOs the board members are expected to give funds and help raise funds for the organization. The Kit should address the role of the board and list the functions as follows:

Establishing and reviewing the budget
Selecting and receiving the report of the auditor
Hiring, evaluating, and firing the executive director
Setting the mission and broad policy for the organization
Approving all grants and contracts (with recognition some applications have to be filed without board approval but are subject to later review)
Overseeing accountability to clients/customers, funding sources, and other source-standards
Participating in strategic and long-range planning
Establishing priorities
Evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization
Establishing the role of individual board members contributing to the organization and in fund raising
Understanding the legal aspects of board membership, fiduciary responsibilities, ethics of a nonprofit organization, loyalty, conflict of interest, and confidentiality.

There may be limits to the board's authority and responsibilities that are required by law, by ethics or by contracts. The Kit can describe briefly how staff handles its activities and outline that client/customer information will not be provided to board members except statistically. There are instances that individual board members may attempt to pressure staff to break policy to assist a relative or friend; the Kit should address the process for ALL clients/customers to receive assistance. There can be pressure from funding sources and politicians as well to help someone outside of the intake process. The Kit should address that, but there should be some conscious agreement how that will be handled as well.

The Kit should address what insurance the organization has and its sufficiency of coverage, how board members may be reimbursed for agency business travel, which they serve without a stipend (although some organizations pay members). Does the budget include a line item for board training and travel? There should be an indication of the effect of a board member seeking employment with the organization - resign before applying for a job. A short section in the Kit about the management of the organization clearly stating the executive director hires, evaluates and fires staff, that there are staff meetings, and that there is supervision and formal evaluation of staff. The Kit can have the following checklist with some detail:

Information board members should have (list of board and contact information and staff, organization chart, budgets, etc.)
The awareness of when a board may legally have closed meetings within the state and what documents are open records to the community and the media
The good faith responsibilities of the board (attend meetings, receive and read material before the meetings, assure minutes are accurate, issues serving on other community boards, etc.)
Awareness of organizational operations (incorporation papers, bylaws, human resources, conflict of interest, possible litigation, etc.)
Knowledge of the human resources of the agency (clear personnel policies, staff reflective of the community diversity, adherence to all written policies, grievance procedure for staff and for clients/customers, board orientation process, etc.)
Information about the finances (internal controls, regular financial reports and projections, annual audit, property inventory, tax forms filed timely and paid timely, role of board as contributor and as a fund-raiser, etc.)
Involvement in planning (is there a 3-5 year plan consistent with mission, annual evaluation of program effectiveness and efficiency, etc.) and
Participation in community relations (dealing with the media – whose responsibilities, clear guidelines on client information, assessment of community needs and priorities, relationships with other nonprofits and government service offices, representative board, etc.).

One discussion that has to occur periodically is the expectation as part of the corporate culture that board members contribute financially annually according to means and passion, the board historically and the staff that the board have to help raise funds and the board’s expectation it is not the staff's responsibility to raise the necessary money. There is significant literature that citizens are tired of receiving letters to support this or that. There are also significant studies indicating that for many nonprofits, the board disagrees with staff about the role of fund-raiser. Without meeting that issue and having it clear and agreed upon as corporate culture, there will be an unhealthy aspect where the rubber meets the road, where the board perceives its role.

The board needs to have a clear understanding who will maintain the records and that the records belong to the organization, not the person. The board needs to develop an accounting procedure for reconciling accounts regularly and auditing the accounts by members who are not handling the funds. What paperwork will be needed in order to generate a check?

The board needs to develop written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping capability for fiscal accountability. Who will maintain the corporate files for fiscal accountability? How will the board know what is going on?

If you are involved with a nonprofit organization as a staff member, volunteer, board member, or funder, are you sure that the organization is following all legal and contractual obligations? Do you have written policies and are you following them? Where do you place your loyalty, values, passion, vision – this nonprofit group or another nonprofit on whose board you serve? What community do you serve and represent?

As a board member or staff member do you know about your rights and responsibilities about advocating for pubic policy affecting your organization, its clients, customers and the community it services?

Are you thinking about incorporating a not-for-profit organization? Do you or the organization have a business plan, a mission, a vision, goals and measurable objectives, appropriate activities and are they being met? What roles are expected of the board or staff and are those expectations being met? When was the last time the organization was given a wellness checkup? Just as we humans need medical and dental checkups and our motor vehicle needs a checkup, so do nonprofit organizations need a checkup. Are you part of a sick organization that needs a tune up or are you humming on all cylinders? Do you want to know how well your group is?

Here is the start of an online library.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Implications for Nonprofit Organizations –

http://www.independentsector.org/issues/sarbanesoxley.html

Audit Committee Toolkit - http://www.aicpa.org/Audcommctr/toolkitsnpo/homepage.htm

Checklist for Accountability - http://www.independentsector.org/issues/accountability/Checklist/index.html

Article by Jeffrey S. Gittler, CPA for Guidestar in August 2011, Roles and Responsibilities of Nonprofit Audit Committee Members

http://www2.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2011/nonprofit-audit-committee-roles-and%20responsibilities.aspx?hq_e=el&hq_m=1234478&hq_l=11&hq_v=e088500728

Insurance Questions for Nonprofits – http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/144-221/50-5

Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Standards and Best Practices - http://www.ecfa.org/Content.aspx?PageName=ECFABestPractices

Maryland Nonprofits: Standards for Excellence - An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector - http://www.marylandnonprofits.org/html/standards/04_02.asp

Standards for Charity Accountability - http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=4dd040fd-08af-4dd2-aaa0-dcd66c1a17fc

2010 New Year’s Resolution – No New Nonprofits Unless…

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-new-years-resolution-no-new.html

Minutes: The Ongoing Record of Your Nonprofit Organization

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Agenda

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding: Recordkeeping

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/one-phase-of-nonprofit-organizational.html

The Nonprofit Business Plan - Program Precedes Money. Planning Precedes Program

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/nonprofit-business-plan-program.html

http://www.idealist.org/media/pdf/FAQ/080123NP_Biz_Plan.pdf

Before you join that board... from the Wall Street Journal, November 28. 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577018071821606512.html#articleTabs%3Dcomments

2010 New Year’s Resolution – No New Nonprofits Unless…

2009-12-31T16:01:00.006-05:00

This article outlines my reasons for suggesting that the United States does not need any new tax exempt nonprofits organized or recognized in 2010 unless…. In a way this is a challenge to consultants, dreamers, unincorporated groups, legal clinics and others NOT to assist anyone in creating a nonprofit tax exempt organization unless… Do not reply to questions about incorporating on social media. This article will provide my ideas of “unless”, a list of facts that say no more NPOs and headlines from around the country showing how funding is just an empty bucket - unless..You will see the picture from the national, state and local perspectives.

In 2010 there should be no new nonprofit tax exempt organizations incorporated at the state level and recognized as tax exempt by the Internal Revenue Service…

Unless you understand the nonprofit will not be “your nonprofit” and you have enlisted an incorporating board that is interested in the concept and capable of performing the necessary tasks of incorporating and operating the organization and
Unless you understand there is no “free money” from the federal or state governments. The federal government distributes funds through scholarships, fellowships, contracts, grants and loans. Each requires an application, meeting eligibility requirements, demonstration of a task to be undertaken, proof that the task was performed and the money used appropriately and in many instances a report evaluating the use of their funds and
Unless you understand that foundations and corporations set the standards for how and what they fund and your organization has to meet those standards to be considered. It is not unusual for a foundation to fund less than 5% of the applicants in a given year. That was before the current fiscal crisis across the world and
Unless you understand that any funding your NPO will receive will probably be from individuals and possibly local service groups such as the Junior League or Rotary Club, local churches or other houses of worship and local businesses. The NPO may be eligible for a contract from local, county, parish or state agency to provide certain services and
Unless you realize that creating a web site with a button for people to contribute money really does not work if no one knows the organization. Many people put up a web site and a button for funding before they finished with the process for tax exemption. Take that web site down. Seeking funding over the Internet can be illegal in many states unless the organization is registered to solicit funds in that state. For a list of states that require registration see the Unified Registration Statement created by the National Association of State Charities Officials and the National Association of Attorneys General This is a complex matter and you may want to talk to an attorney about how to solicit funds on a web site without violating other state laws and http://www.multistatefiling.org/
Unless you have a concept of what it costs to develop and operate a nonprofit in terms of shared leadership, time, thought, study, serious planning, hard work, evaluation and annual reporting as well as money and
Unless you have no intention of attempting to raise more than $5,000 a year for the next 5 years and
Unless you have enlisted or been encouraged by an “angel”, funder or investor to create the NPO for a specific mission and
Unless you are forming a NPO because of a tragedy, disaster or calamity in conjunction with other organizations as the best vehicle to handle services and to raise funds and
Unless you have performed due diligence and created a board of mixed talents, diversity, shared passion and vision concerning a truly unserved issue or need supported by some empirical evidence. If the need is an underserved need, why not join with the current providers and increase the service or product? And
Unless you understand that there simply are not grants available to pay for the incorporation process. If you and others cannot raise the first $1,000 or so to incorporate, then where do you think you will get the money to run the organization? When someone asks, as many do, does anyone know where I can get a grant to start my nonprofit, we should either not respond or tell the truth – you are not ready to start a nonprofit. Go volunteer at a local nonprofit and
Unless you understand that any funding you may want to seek will be from the local or regional area being served by the organization and
Unless you understand that fundraising is about relationship-building with individuals and groups to want to provide the organization with resources, money, volunteers or equipment. Fundraising is friendraising and friend-maintaining and
Unless you have developed a business plan that

explains clear identification of the organization on credibility, history
explains your vision, your mission, the goals and objectives, the kind of services that will be provided and the activities, functions and results in detail. How are your goals and objectives measurable? Assesses the problem being addressed, experience, goals and objectives, purpose and methods.
gives description of the service you will provide, how you will provide it and the community or the market your organization will be in
demonstrates your character. Character is the general impression you make to a prospective supporter, contributor or funder. Describe the character of your organization and its leadership. Supporters and funders will form a subjective opinion as to whether or not you are sufficiently trustworthy actually to be able to perform the service and to handle the funds.
provides the educational background and experience of the board and staff for review
shows the quality of the references and the background and experience of your leadership and employees because they will also be taken into consideration
illustrates the research you performed and the conditions and trends in the needs you want to meet
explains the need for your service and the demand for it; how is it unique?
explains any barriers that you will have to face at the beginning, how you will maintain and sustain your activities as a nonprofit organization and how you plan to overcome those barriers
demonstrates that you may have discovered a gap in services; describe that gap, why you believe it exists and how you will close that gap.
assesses how anyone will know you are meeting your stated goals and objectives and meeting them timely?
answers the question, "So what?" So what if you will perform these activities? So what if you outline an extremely busy and detailed activity list? What will be different because you perform these activities in the way you perform them? What difference will it make? How will people or the problem improve or be alleviated or resolved? What have you changed or accomplished? What impact will be made and measured? Many are not able to articulate and prove they accomplished or changed anything. So…what will you change, how will you change it and how will you know your activities produced the change? Explain how you will create and how you will deliver your service and meet the identified priorities and need(s).
specifies how you will get your service out the door to customers/clients or supporters and meet the needs you see. Describe how you intend to provide your service and who will use it. How will people know about the service?
describes your distribution plan and advertisement plan. Describe how you are going to market the mission, the vision, the activities, the results. Describe how you will reach potential customers and clients, how they will learn about the organization. Give the details of your marketing plan.
demonstrates that it takes a TEAM to raise a nonprofit organization – to raise it, to maintain and to sustain it. That team begins with the governing body. Describe the governing body of the organization, the board and indicate whether you will have members. Explain who will direct the day by day operation of the nonprofit.
shows you are going to raise money, seek grants, hold fund raisers, collect dues, sell products, explain how you intend to raise the money, why you need the funds, how you will use the money, and how you will maintain fiscal records. Include budget totals - total project cost, funds already obtained
shows how you will account for the money and what records you will keep. Describe your plan to secure funding and other resources and give a contingency plan in case your initial plan fails.
includes projections and budgets for the expected performance of your nonprofit for the upcoming three to four years.
demonstrates your understanding of basic accounting and the financial concepts for nonprofits that are crucial to the success of your organization

FACTS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT START A NONPROFIT IN 2010 – THERE ARE ALREADY TOO MANY NONPROFITS

According to the Independent Sector Fact Sheet -

There are over 1.9 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. The Internal Revenue Code defines over 27 categories of organizations exempt from federal income taxes, including private country clubs, labor unions, business associations, fraternal organizations, and many others.

The majority of these organizations – about 1.5 million of them – make up the “independent sector.” The independent sector includes 501(c)(3)s (public charities, private foundations, and religious congregations) and 501(c)(4)s (social welfare/advocacy organizations). Together these organizations are sometimes referred to as the independent sector to emphasize their unique role in society, distinct from government and business.

There are approximately 1.4 million 501(c)(3) organizations, including hospitals, museums, private schools, religious congregations, orchestras, public television and radio stations, soup kitchens, and foundations

The total number of independent sector groups has approximately doubled in the last 15 years.

Most nonprofits are small. More than 73 percent of reporting public charities reported annual expenses of less than $500,000 in 2005. Less than 4 percent of reporting public charities had expenses greater than $10 million.

http://independentsector.org/programs/research/Charitable_Fact_Sheet.pdf

That's too many nonprofit tax exempt organizations

According to studies by the Foundation Center in 2007 there were 74,470 private foundations and corporate foundations and 717 community foundations to which over 1 million nonprofits could apply for funding

Of the 845,786 active nonprofit charitable organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under Code section 501(c)(3), 301,214 filed Form 990 or 990-EZ returns for accounting periods that began in Calendar Year 2006. Those not required to file included churches and certain other religious organizations, as well as organizations with annual gross receipts totaling less than $25,000.

A new study by a Stanford group shows that over 50,000 new nonprofits are recognized by the IRS as tax exempt organizations EACH YEAR over 80,000 new groups filed in the year after September 11, 2001

The IRS approves tax exemption for new groups every 10-15 minutes

http://www.stanford.edu/~sdsachs/AnythingGoesPACS1109.pdf

Even with government funding there is not enough money to go around for those nonprofit tax exempt organizations already existing to make a lasting impact.

IRS AND STATES SHOULD TIGHTEN THEIR GATEKEEPER ROLES

A major problem in the burst of new nonprofits can be laid at the feet of the states and the IRS. They are the gatekeepers for the third sector. In my opinion they have lapsed in their duties to assist and protect the public in approving nonprofit status and tax exemption for just about anything. In the past several years the IRS has tightened its reporting process for current groups and totally ignored its approval process. Here are some suggestions -

States and IRS should tighten conflict of interest that no employee may sit on the board, no more than two related people may serve on a board at any time unless the board is three members and then no relatives can serve.
There should be a time limit for people to serve on the board of a nonprofit with a maximum of five or less consecutive years and no officer will serve more than two consecutive years.
States should ask about the plans of the organization to use the internet, social media and other forms of communication to raise funds.
States should ask for more information for incorporating similar to questions asked by the IRS on Form 1023 about fundraising, activities and a 3-year projected budget .
The minutes of all boards should be a public document and signed copies filed with the state annually. The IRS should tighten its appraisal of the relationship of the budgets to sources of revenue and activities that are projected – are they reasonable given the mission of the organization?

Please add any changes you would like to see below.

LOOKING FOR FUNDS AND GRANTS IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES – THERE ARE ALMOST NO RIGHT PLACES

The decisions made now by foundations will impact their ability to maintain their own administrative needs and make grants in 2011. Some foundations are more concerned about their ability to maintain a level of funding for their current grantees in 2011 than they are about 2010. Most if not all foundation boards create budget plans and projections for 3-5 years in advance. While foundations are required to expend 5% of their funds each year, they can and may provide 7% in 2010. They can then reduce the percentage to 3% for 2011.

If you think you will have your nonprofit funded by a grant read on -

Foundations are well connected to and experienced with those NPOs they are funding currently.
Many foundations have increased the percentage of funding they provide in a year to work with current grantees to maintain a level of service but not new applicants
Many foundations have stopped their application process to focus on current grantees only
Many foundations have made adjustments to their priorities making basic needs their priorities: food, shelter, jobs.
A few foundations have been collaborating and jointly funding certain nonprofits that have been vetted and are well known to them to maintain the level of service.
Foundations generally look for nonprofits that have a 3-5 year history of accountability and experience to even consider an application.
A few foundations are interested in only start-up grassroots organizations, usually with emphasis on poverty, women, advocacy, race or other similar interests.
Some foundations, local and state funding sources are suggesting or requiring that groups merge when they review new applications for grants
A number of foundations have ceased accepting any new applications until further notice
Many foundations that have staff have reduced the number of employees
The funding from the Recovery Act (ARRA) is going only to nonprofits with which the federal, state or local governments have funded in the past
The federal Pipeline Safety Technical Assistance Grants currently available is very unique - A nongovernmental group of individuals is eligible for a grant under the TAG program if its members are affected or potentially affected by pipeline safety issues. A nongovernmental group of individuals is eligible for a grant under this grant program if the group’s members are affected or potentially affected individuals who are or are willing to become incorporated as a non-profit organization where they are located. The new deadline is January 18, 2010. http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=50220

Key survey findings from the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers for 2010

The recession has served as a crucible for many grantmakers, providing an impetus to reduce expenses, reevaluate priorities, and promote and engage in collaboration.
A lower percentage of grantmakers reported a decrease in assets in 2009 (65%) than in 2008 (86%). Some saw a decline in 2009 as a result of increasing their payout rates.
Grantmakers expect to give fewer grants in 2010 than in 2009.
More respondents expect their grants budgets to decrease than increase in 2010. Nearly half expect a decline; roughly one in six expect a decline of 5% or less. Nearly one-third expect grants budgets to increase. Approximately one-quarter are not sure.

http://www.washingtongrantmakers.org/s_wash/bin.asp?CID=10634&DID=32122&DOC=FILE.PDF

NATIONAL AND LOCAL HEADLINES SHOWING THE CURRENT AFFAIRS OF CUT-BACKS AND DYING NONPROFITS THAT HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE – WHAT DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO OFFER IN THIS CLIMATE?

National and local headlines and articles about the drop in support for current nonprofits

Little cheer this season for charity fundraising - Ho, ho, no: Nearly two-thirds of charities polled say this November and December have been as bad as—or worse than—last holiday season. By Miriam Kreinin Souccar December 22, 2009 8:52 AM Crain's New York Business Review.com

With less than two weeks left in the critical fundraising season, charities are struggling to bring in donations.

Nearly two-thirds of charities polled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy last week said this November and December have been as bad or worse for fundraising as last holiday season, with 32% reporting declines of 10% or more. Most nonprofits bring in more than half their annual donations during the last three months of the calendar year.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20091222/FREE/912229997

Foundation Giving Faces Steeper Decline Than Expected By Ian Wilhelm Chronicle of Philanthropy November 4, 2009

A new report suggests that grant makers will cut back their giving this year more than previously expected.

http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10043

Housing nonprofit shutting down after 35 years Agency transfers properties, so residents won't be affected. By John Keahey, Salt Lake Tribune Updated: 12/23/2009 06:01:06 PM MST

Rising costs and declining contributions are forcing a nonprofit that develops affordable housing to turn its properties over to larger agencies and shut down its operations.

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_14059292

ECONOMIC SCENE: No quick recovery for charitable giving = The Great Recession has hurt charitable giving — and may keep on doing so for some time By David R. Francis / November 30, 2009 Christian Science Monitor

…giving to foundations is likely to decline more than 10 percent, the Foundation Center in New York noted earlier this month. Many of the nearly 600 foundations surveyed have cut staffs to weather the recession.

One of the few exceptions was religion. Some 37 percent of 1,540 congregations reported an increase in donations in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. Another 34 percent reported fundraising to be flat, according to a survey by the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University, Indianapolis.

“Religious giving appears to be recession-proof,” says Timothy Seiler, director of a school for fund-raising at Indiana University.

If history is any guide, easy times for charities won’t return soon. Looking at individual giving after the Depression and the deep 1973-75 recession, a study by GivingUSA concluded that inflation-adjusted giving by households and individuals won’t reach their 2007 level until at least 2012, if the recession ended in June.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2009/1130/economic-scene-no-quick-recovery-for-charitable-giving

Plight of the nonprofit: (Delaware) State's groups struggle By MIKE CHALMERS • The Delawareonline News Journal • December 8, 2009

Delaware's nonprofit groups lack the organization, financial stability and sufficient support from foundations, corporations and individuals to handle the state's growing needs, a new report finds.

The need for greater cooperation and leadership is clear, the report's backers said Monday.

"No one sector can address these challenges alone," said Mary Kress Littlepage, a Florida consultant who wrote the report for a group of Delaware nonprofit and corporate leaders.

The Delaware report, titled "Philanthropy in the First State," found:

More than 35 percent of Delaware's roughly 1,000 active nonprofits operated at a loss each year from 2002 through 2007.
Of the 390 philanthropic foundations in Delaware, only 23 made significant donations to nonprofit groups here.
Donations from corporate foundations in Delaware make up just 2 percent of giving by all major foundations, compared to almost 10 percent nationwide.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091208/NEWS/912080345/Plight-of-the-nonprofit-State-s-groups-struggle

Tweeting for $10: new appeals for holiday giving in tough times Posted by Kristi Heim November 20 2009 Seattle Times

With the lingering recession expected to cut into holiday giving, charities are soliciting smaller donations and increasingly using free social media to publicize their efforts, The Seattle Times reports.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thebusinessofgiving/2010318612_holiday_giving.html

American charities may not have a happy holiday - American charities have weathered a significant drop in giving this year, and while they're hoping for a holiday miracle, a recent survey shows they will probably see a decrease in year-end generosity. By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP Associated Press Writer Page modified November 16, 2009 Seattle Times

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010281678_apusmeltdowncharity.html

A Survey Shows Pain of Recession for Artists

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/arts/design/24study.html

Newseum trims its staff once again 29 employees have lost their jobs; meanwhile, Smithsonian's buyout offer gets 158 takers By Jacqueline Trescott Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, December 2, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120103965.html

Haven for Disabled Workers Feels Job Market's Sting NOVEMBER 28, 2009 Wall Street Journal

Lott Industries is a nonprofit organization in Toledo OH that trains adults with developmental disabilities to do light assembly work and other tasks. In 1993, Lott became the only program of its kind to earn the auto industry's prestigious Quality One supplier award.

Now, Lott and its 1,200 workers are in danger of becoming another casualty of recession. Seven major contracts vanished in late 2007, representing 80% of its business, when Ford Motor Co. closed a nearby stamping plant. Next, in 2008, went the General Motors contract for truck transmission parts. Earlier this year, business with a Honda parts supplier dropped off. Cleaning and other nonautomotive work also dried up as companies brought those functions back in-house to keep their own employees busy.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125918205048464519.html?mod=djemITP

As Foundations Close, Anxiety for Charities By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Published: November 11, 2009 New York Times

See http://www.linkedin.com/answers/non-profit/philantrophy/NNP_PHL/591594-1717676 and

http://www.nonprofitlocal.com/modules/wordpress/2009/11/23/dust-off-crystal-ball-gaze-2010/

Hard times hit Wilder Foundation; jobs, services being cut - The Wilder Foundation plans to cut 260 jobs and end programs affecting about 5,000 individuals and families. By JEAN HOPFENSPERGER, Star Tribune Last update: October 14, 2009 - 10:57 PM

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/64328772.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUncacyi8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

Declining donations drive MADD to trim staff - Citing a nearly 20 percent drop in donations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is cutting staff at its national office and in 11 states, including West Virginia. By P.J. DICKESCHEID Associated Press Writer, The Seattle Times

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010091901_apwvmaddcuts.html

Third of Region’s Nonprofits May Close - Economy, rise in demand create perfect storm for nonprofits By Diane Weaver Dunne Hartford (CN) Business Journal October 19, 2009

The recession has hit the region’s nonprofits hard, with nearly a third concerned that they may shutter their operations in the coming year, according to the annual survey conducted by the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut of the nonprofits in its 40-town service area.

Susan Dunn, executive director of the local United Way chapter, said it was “alarming” that one in three nonprofit executives said that they were either “concerned” or “very concerned” that they might close in the coming year.

In last year’s survey, the vast majority of respondents — two out of three — were concerned that funding would dry up in the coming year. They weren’t entirely wrong. The recession has dealt them a double whammy: corporate, public sector and individual funding is down, resulting in a reduction in staffing, while the demand for services has increased 72 percent.

Decreased or flat government, corporate and individual funding was felt by most of the region’s nonprofits. Government funding from local, state and federal budgets also fell, with two out of three saying they will be affected by changes in public sector budgets. Even when government funding remains flat, it translates into a loss for nonprofits because their costs continue to go up

Charitable giving is also down. Individual and corporate funding fell by 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively over the previous year. As a result, nearly a third have tapped into their reserve funds, double the number in 2008. Notably, 25 percent do not have any reserves and 6.4 percent have depleted their reserve funds, consistent with the survey’s findings that nearly a third of the region’s nonprofits may close. Most of the nonprofits are holding their own by finding ways to economize their operations, reduce staffing, cut programs that have lost funding, and by increasing collaboration with other nonprofits.

And few expect the federal government’s stimulus program to help alleviate their financial strain.

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news10618.html

The 2010 Crisis in Philanthropy September 25, 2009 – 9:21 am | By Sean Stannard-Stockton

http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/09/the-2010-crises-in-philanthropy

Nonprofit Groups Face Trouble Coping With Pension Obligations Chronicle of Philanthropy October 02, 2009

http://philanthropy.com/news/?id=9712&pth&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=lefttop

Decline in United Way Giving October 01, 2009

http://philanthropy.com/news/?id=9700&pth&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=lefttop

Legal-Aid Study Finds Continuing 'Justice Gap' for Poor October 01, 2009 http://philanthropy.com/news/?id=9697&pth&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=lefttop

Claremont Museum of Art is on verge of closing doors October 5, 2009

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/10/claremont-museum-of-art-is-about-to-close-its doors.html

Grantmaker policies threaten nonprofits September 29, 2009

http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/news/grantmaker-policies-threaten-nonprofits

Recession delivers a double blow to many charities By David Crary (AP) – Sep 29, 2009

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvUtmDJUw9kiAQKf98S2rZHv4l0QD9B14N4G1

Red Cross to Auction Off Little Pieces of Its History By STEPHANIE STROM Published: October 2, 2009 NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/us/03redcross.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntemail

Stanford Puts $1 Billion in Assets on Block University Aims to Unload Partial Interest in Illiquid Investments; Private Equity Is Watching OCTOBER 3, 2009 BY CRAIG KARMIN AND PETER LATTMAN Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125452509356560725.html?mod=djemTMB

Salary cuts for one third of US museum directors Survey shows widespread pay reductions, hiring freezes and layoffs By Jason Edward Kaufman | From issue 206, October 2009
Published online 5 Oct 09 The Art Newspaper

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Salary-cuts-for-one-third-of-US-museum-directors/19366

It’s Official: Three Unions Merge to Form Nurses ‘Super Union’ December 9th, 2009 | Lindsay Beyerstein Today’s Workplace a workfairness Blog

Nurses have been called the new face of organized labor. Like an increasing percentage of the rest of America’s labor movement, the typical RN in the U.S. is female, college-educated, and working a non-outsourceable job in the service sector.

This week, American nurses banded together to wield unprecedented power in the workplace and in national politics. Delegates in Phoenix yesterday approved a three-union merger to create National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest union of registered nurses.

Eight months in the making, the merger joins the California Nurses Association, the United American Nurses, and the Massachusetts Nurses Union to create a new super union with a combined strength of 150,000 members.

http://www.todaysworkplace.org/2009/12/09/it%E2%80%99s-official-three-unions-merge-to-form-nurses-%E2%80%98super-union%E2%80%99/

Two nonprofits that support Yosemite to merge Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, December 21, 2009

The Yosemite Association and the Yosemite Fund, two nonprofit organizations that provide private financial support and interpretative programs in Yosemite National Park, have decided to merge.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/20/BAI21B6I1L.DTL#ixzz0aQxapbKU

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/20/BAI21B6I1L.DTL

Nonprofits: Misery loves company - The struggling nonprofit world may be on the cusp of a merger boom. By Lawrence Delevingne, Reporter Last Updated: February 20, 2009

http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/20/magazines/fortune/nonprofit_merger.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009022012

There are my reasons for my 2010 New Year’s Resolution – No New Nonprofits Unless…

RESOURCES

Anything Goes: Approval of Nonprofit Status by the IRS, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Stanford October 2010

http://www.stanford.edu/~sdsachs/AnythingGoesPACS1109.pdf

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding: Recordkeeping

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/one-phase-of-nonprofit-organizational.html

Agenda and Minutes of First Board Meetings

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/agenda-and-minutes-of-first-board.html

Minutes: The Ongoing Record of Your Nonprofit Organization

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/minutes-ongoing-record-of-your.html

Your Nonprofit Library Third Shelf – See What the IRS Demands of Your Tax Exempt Organization After it is Recognized as Tax Exempt

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/your-nonprofit-library-third-shelf-see.html

According To My Crystal Ball, Your Nonprofit Organization May Be Toast In 2009

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/according-to-my-crystal-ball-your.html

The Stories of Nonprofits Dying

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/stories-of-nonprofits-dying.html

Nonprofits – New Things To Know About D&O Insurance

2009-12-28T09:09:00.007-05:00

A vital part of managing a nonprofit organization is the assessment of risks involved. Accidents happen. Mistakes happen. Not knowing what you are doing happens. Intentional bad things happen. They can lead to claims and law suits involving thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars... The organization, the board, individual board members, staff and volunteers can all be sued. The insurance coverage has to include both the cost of legal representation and potential damages, subject to a deductible. Nonprofit leaders who fail to assess the risks in the operation of the organization can open themselves as individuals as well as the organization to financial damages. There are two policies that are mentioned most frequently that nonprofits must have. They are Accident Liability Insurance and Directors and Officers Insurance (D&O). This article is about new concerns for D&O insurance. Please note there are limited protections for volunteers of nonprofit organizations for errors and omissions and as directors and officers, but it is – emphasis here – limited. A cost of doing business as a nonprofit organization must include the cost of appropriate and adequate insurance. And Sisters and Brothers here is where detail is the Devil. This article is about new details that have developed. They were featured recently in the International Risk Management Institute, Inc., D&O Compass e-newsletter and are featured here by permission. I have also provided a RESOURCE and DEFINITIONS section to help you develop an online library of articles, knowledge base and contacts about insurance.

Directors’ & officers’ liability insurance (D&O insurance) — Insurance that provides coverage against wrongful acts which might include actual or alleged errors, omissions, misleading statements, and neglect or breach of duty on the part of the board of directors and other insured persons and entities. Many D&O policies include employment practices liability coverage.

(Source – Nonprofit Risk Management Center – see DEFINITIONS below)

D&O insurance is not like a new coat that you buy off the rack. Based on the definition where may the organization be vulnerable? What items on the D&O menu of coverage are needed? What amount of a deductible can the organization live with? D&O does not cover theft, forgery, theft through technology, illegal use of computers, property damage, bodily injury, fire, pollution or environmental claims. Are you sure you know what D&O can cover? Having the assistance of an insurance agent or attorney knowledgeable about nonprofits and insurance can assist you in making wise choices.

TOPICS:

ISSUES
RESOURCES
DEFINITIONS

ISSUES

Case #1 - Using D&O insurance for coverage of Employment Practices Liability (EPL) – there are strong reasons review your D&O policy and if necessary to add additional language and coverage for protection of the nonprofit organization and its nondirectors and nonofficers or purchase an additional separate EPL policy
Case # 2 - D&O insurance adds protection to the organization and it also provides legal counsel to defend the organization and to handle claims. But there are some details that can cost the organization a significant amount of money in legal costs if not clarified at the beginning. Here is the story of a hospital that was hit with substantial attorneys’ fees for failing to look at details even though it was insured.

CASE # 1 - EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY

The Towers Perrin Survey of Insurance Purchasing Trends released this fall revealed that a majority of insureds rely on their D&O policy rather than a stand-alone form as a source of employment practices liability (EPL) coverage.

More specifically, the survey indicated that 57 percent of participants purchase EPL coverage as part of their D&O policy (33 percent bought a stand-alone policy, while 10 percent did not buy EPL insurance).

Adding an EPL coverage endorsement to the D&O policy does indeed provide inexpensive coverage (i.e., premiums range from 10 percent of the D&O policy premium to no additional premium). Yet, obtaining EPL coverage in this manner is not without certain pitfalls.

When designing and negotiating EPL coverage under a D&O form, here are several tips to help you avoid the drawbacks commonly associated with EPL endorsements to D&O policies. In descending order of importance, coverage should:

Provide entity coverage, since virtually all EPL claims name the corporate entity;
Be subject to a separate policy limit (to avoid diluting D&O limits with EPL claims);
Name nondirectors/nonofficers as insureds, in addition to directors and officers;
Cover a broad range of workplace torts in addition to merely discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination;
Contain a separate, lower retention, since D&O retentions are generally much higher than those under EPL forms.

When seeking to cover EPL exposures, the adage "you get what you pay for" clearly applies to EPL endorsements under D&O policies. Some, but not all, EPL endorsements to D&O policies incorporate these coverage aspects. Yet if these items are not incorporated within such endorsements, the actual scope of EPL protection will be limited.

Our next issue of D&O Compass will be in January. Best wishes for joyful holidays along with good health, prosperity, and happiness in the New Year.

All the best,

Bob

Bob Bregman, CPCU, MLIS, RPLU
Senior Research Analyst
International Risk Management Institute, Inc.

(End)

CASE # 2 - D&O COVERAGE TIP - WATCH THE BURDEN OF PROOF ON ALLOCATION OF COSTS

Under many D&O policies, especially those written for large, public companies, the duty to defend (and the concomitant right to control the defense) is reserved to the insured, and the insurer merely agrees to reimburse defense costs. One practical implication of this arrangement is that the insured may be held to implicitly carry the burden of proof on the issue whether defense and indemnity costs can be allocated between covered and noncovered claims. In this case there are issues of negligence and intentional wrong conduct.

In Camden-Clark Mem. Hosp. Ass'n v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 682 S.E.2d 566 (W. Va. 2009), the court explained that, generally, the insured bears the burden of proving that all or a portion of a judgment is encompassed by the insuring agreement of an insurance policy. Courts recognize an exception to that rule if the insurer has the duty to defend. In that situation, the insurer who is in control of the defense is in the best position to develop the factual record necessary to make an allocation, and so courts hold that the burden of proof on the allocation issue should be shifted over to the defending insurer.

The problem in the Camden-Clark case was that the insured hospital retained the duty/right to defend suits under a self-insured retention (SIR) to its medical professional liability policy. Accordingly, it hired its own defense counsel and exercised exclusive control over the defense of a large medical malpractice claim. Although the professional liability insurer had a right (within the policy form) to associate in the defense, it never did so.

After a lengthy trial, the jury returned a $6 million verdict for the claimant, which included punitive damages for trying to cover up the medical mistake after the fact. The hospital's professional liability policy covered negligence but excluded intentional conduct. Although the hospital's defense attorney submitted special interrogatories, he never quite asked the jury to allocate the damages specifically between negligent conduct (which was covered) and intentional conduct (which was not covered).

The West Virginia Supreme Court held that, since the professional liability insurer did not exercise any control over the defense of the claim, there was no reason to shift the burden of proof on the allocation issue to the insurer. That burden stayed with the insured hospital. Because the hospital's defense attorney failed to ask the jury to make an allocation between negligent conduct and intentional conduct, the hospital failed to carry its burden, and the hospital lost the opportunity for a partial insurance recovery for the amount of the damages associated with the negligent conduct.

Although the Camden-Clark case involved a hospital professional liability policy, its analysis is applicable to any kind of insurance policy, including D&O policies. Other courts have recognized that, when a D&O insurer does not have a duty to defend, the burden of proof on the allocation issue remains with the insured.

This may come as a surprise to many D&O policyholders. First, it would seem that the insurer should be required to show that a portion of the damages falls within an exclusion, and so the insurer should carry the burden of proof on the allocation issue in all cases. But that is not how courts see it.

Second, D&O policies typically say that the parties will use "best efforts" to make the allocation without specifying which party technically bears the burden of proof should that issue be litigated.

Don't get caught unawares. If control of the defense is important enough to lead to the purchase of a reimbursement D&O policy that does not include a duty to defend, the insured should remain cognizant that the right to control the defense carries with it the implicit burden of proof on the allocation issue. Remind your defense attorney (who may not be up to speed on the nuances of insurance law) to ask the jury to allocate the damages between covered and noncovered claims so that you can preserve your opportunity for a partial insurance recovery.

Alternatively, you might try to modify your reimbursement D&O policy so that it expressly says that the insurer bears the burden of proof on the allocation issue. In practical terms, that would mean that, if a nondefending insurer thinks there is an allocation problem, it must assert its contractual right to associate in the defense of the case to develop the factual record necessary to make an allocation in a later declaratory judgment action after the liability case is over.

(End)

“Used with permission of the publisher, International Risk Management Institute, Inc., Dallas, Texas, from D&O Compass, copyright International Risk Management Institute, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited. You may subscribe to D&O Compass or other free risk management and insurance newsletters from IRMI on its website. http://www.irmi.com/newsletters/default.aspx ” http://www.irmi.com/

I want to acknowledge my deep appreciation to IRMI and Natalie J. Ewton. Marketing Direct Mail Coordinator & Permissions Editor, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) for their gracious cooperation. As Ms. Ewan stated to me, “Normally we don’t allow this, but given the nature of your blog we will make an exception if you are willing to sign a reprint authorization agreement and acknowledge our copyright… “ – I appreciate the trust in this work..

Reading this article is no substitute for consulting with an attorney about these issues. The author is a volunteer in his community and in the virtual world of nonprofits on the Internet He is a licensed attorney in New Jersey. He has no clients. He seeks no clients. He accepts no clients or consulting work. He may offer legal information in this blog and other material from time to time but not legal advice. If you write or say to him, “I have a short legal question…”., he will have no answer for you except consult an attorney.

RESOURCES

For additional web sites featuring information, resources and helpful articles insuring nonprofit organizations, see –

Glossary of Risk Management and Insurance Terms -

http://nonprofitrisk.org/library/glossary.shtml

Why is Directors' and Officers' insurance important? BoardSource Q and A about D&O insurance - http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.150

What Boards Need to Know about Liability Insurance by Pamela Davis - http://www.charitychannel.com/articles/article-categories/nonprofit-boards-and-governance-review/article/2238/bioid/483/xmid.aspx

Directors and Officers Insurance - Part 1 by Pamela Davis

http://www.charitychannel.com/articles/article-categories/nonprofit-boards-and-governance-review/article/2179/bioid/704/xmid.aspx

Directors and Officers Insurance - Part 2 by Pamela Davis - http://www.charitychannel.com/articles/article-categories/nonprofit-boards-and-governance-review/article/2178/bioid/483/xmid.aspx

GuideStar articles about insurance considerations –

Insurance Trips and Traps for Nonprofits -http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/npo_insurance.jsp

Making Insurance Easier to Administer -http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/insurance_admin.jsp

Nonprofit Directors and Officers Insurance: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/do_insurance.jsp

Risk Management Tutorial for Nonprofit Managers - Nonprofit Risk Management Center http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/tools/basic-risk/basic-risk.shtml

Insurance Needs by the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), a nonprofit research institute focused on support for risk management

http://www.nonprofitexpert.com/insurance_needs.htm

State Liability Laws for Charitable Organizations and Volunteers Published in September 2001 by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (Updated in August 2005 and 2008 with additional case cites -.Section on New Jersey updated in January 2009.) This publication is based on a careful review of legislation and databases that report judicial outcomes. If any readers identify an area where the information presented is incomplete, inaccurate or misleading, they urge you to contact them so that they may update their records and this publication. To provide an update or information with respect to any statute or relevant case, please call (202) 785-3891 or send relevant information to: info@nonprofitrisk.org

http://www.aspenrmg.com/Resources/state_liability_laws_for_charitable_organizations_and_volunteers.pdf

Insurance Guide for Nonprofit Organizations – Blue Cafe Interview of Pamela Davis

http://www.blueavocado.org/content/board-members-guide-nonprofit-insurance

Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, This toolkit from the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University defines risk management and offers links, resources, and ideas for effective risk management in a nonprofit organization. –

http://www.npgoodpractice.org/Topics/Financial/LegalConsiderations/Default.aspx

Insurance Overview for New Jersey Nonprofits from the Center for Nonprofits - http://www.njnonprofits.org/ins_overview.html

(Risk Assessment and Management)

Basic Considerations in Risk Management and Risk Management by Carter McNamara

http://www.managementhelp.org/legal/rskmgmnt.htm and http://www.managementhelp.org/risk_mng/risk_mng.htm

The Violence Vulnerability Assessment: Sometimes Ignored - Always Essential! - by James N. Madero, Ph.D.

http://www.irmi.com/Expert/Articles/2006/Madero10.aspx

Risk Assessment Road Map Toolkit, Insurance Rating Assessment - State of Oregon -

http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/SSD/Risk/docs/RiskAssessmentInsurance.doc and

http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/SSD/Risk/RiskAssessmentRoadmapToolkit.shtml

Smart Contracting Toolkit – State of Oregon

http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/SSD/Risk/SmartContractingToolkitOverview.shtml

Risk Management for Non-for-Profit Organizations by Paulette Vinette, CAE – http://www.charitychannel.com/articles/article-categories/nonprofit-boards-and-governance-review/article/2216/bioid/xmid.aspx

(Workplace Safety)

Accident Preparation and Response Tutorial is a free web-based tutorial designed to teach nonprofit organizations how to respond effectively to accidents. It focuses on the nonprofit's and its staff's actions shortly after an accident, during which missteps can have a significant impact on legal and insurance outcomes. It includes checklists to print and to keep in appropriate locations

http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/accident-response/intro/1.htm

Nonprofit Risk Management Center's Workplace Safety is No Accident: An Employer's Online Toolkit to Protect Employees and Volunteers is a must read for all nonprofit managers - .

http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/workplace-safety/nonprofit/wsp.htm

Workplace Safety Is No Accident - Tutorial with sample policies and procedures -

http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/workplace-safety/nonprofit/tutorial/1.htm

(Fraud, Theft)

Fraud Prevention Check-up from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners -

http://www.acfe.com/resources/fraud-tools.asp?copy=checkup

Sample Fraud Examination Documents from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners -

http://www.acfe.com/resources/fraud-tools.asp?copy=samples

Sample Fraud Examination Checklist -

http://www.acfe.com/documents/sample-documents/fraud_examination_checklist_sample.pdf

(Volunteers and Insurance)

Developing and Managing Volunteer Programs -

http://www.managementhelp.org/staffing/outsrcng/volnteer/volnteer.htm#anchor1409580

No Surprises Volunteer Risk Management Tutorial -

http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/volunteer/volunteer.shtml

A Patchwork Of Protection: Sources Of Volunteer Immunity For Medical & Public HealthVolunteers - http://www.troutmansanders.com/mc/art-gravely-whaley.pdf

Federal Volunteer Protection Act - http://www.njnonprofits.org/vol_protect_act.html and

http://www.fcomi.org/Documents/Volunteer%20Protection%20Act.pdf

Sample of a state law, Massachusetts’ Officers and directors of charitable corporations; tort liability -http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/231%2D85w.htm

(Resource Library-type Material)

The Insurance Information Institute has free resources and material for nonprofit groups -

https://www.riskinstitute.org/peri/component/option,com_bookmarks/Itemid,44/mode,0/catid,40/navstart,0/search,*/

(Other)

The National Safety Council - http://www.nsc.org/

Nonprofit Risk Management e-news

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001rj64Pj8NTf4NHDF4yKln5aWt1u60JpWmf3J6a_csCD3AcEWQw2QgRdDqSjJsOQgZWkY52u1Mk_78L7ReUOmzd-ZT7zHF_mWcbupoVKtVPaHaIQvf3Dzdx0CRzH5m7gz8k7rWlloR0cF7LiQzklElNqHHJgSz42uiGq8Fz-VzuZR4rxHM9TIEq74wREGvWCcIN47GS150Kabrajq4oK-JhkdfH5NMQwkhQceaCyi1CB9ZES0BO9ulscJBtFRIV2F3IDGZ1XtxHGKepRYqSjN1aNu5vsnONSRp

Insurance Against Liability - http://www.mapnp.org/library/legal/lia_inrs.htm

Insurance for NPOs from CIMA - http://www.cimaworld.com/

Business Continuity Planning – Tutorial designed to help you and your organization develop, implement, and test a workable plan to prevent the interruption of mission-critical services, even in the event of a major business interruption.

http://nonprofitrisk.org/tools/business-continuity/business-continuity.shtml

Risk Management Essentials is the Nonprofit Risk Management Center's 16-page newsletter distributed three times a year http://nonprofitrisk.org/library/newsletter/newsletter.shtml

Insurance Questions for Nonprofits - http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/144-221/40-8 and http://idealist.org/media/pdf/FAQ/080324Insuring.pdf

DEFINITIONS selected from the Nonprofit Risk Management Center:

Commercial general liability insurance (CGL) — Covers liability exposures that are common to all organizations; a combination of three separate coverages, each with its own insuring agreement and exclusions: Coverage A = general liability; Coverage B = personal injury and advertising injury liability; and Coverage C = medical payments.

Commercial property insurance — Covers risk of loss to an organization’s buildings or personal property. Usually includes buildings, personal property of the insured, personal property of others on site and in insured’s possession. Coverage can be on an all risk or specific perils basis.

Employee benefits liability (EBL – Sometimes called E&O) — Covers errors and omissions in the administration of the insured’s employee benefits such as health insurance or pension benefits.

Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI or EPL) — Insurance that provides coverage for claims arising out of employment practices. EPLI policies generally cover the organization, its directors, officers, and employees.

Insurance — Traditional risk-financing tool used to transfer the financial hazard of risk. An insurance policy spells out what is or is not covered caused by all or specific perils (causes of damage or injury). Insurance is also a contract whereby an organization agrees to indemnify another and/or to pay a specified amount for covered losses in exchange for a premium. For many nonprofits, insurance provides the funds to pay for the nonprofit’s unexpected losses of people, property and income, while ultimately keeping the organization in operation.

Insurance program review — A review of the nonprofit’s existing insurance coverages for the purpose of identifying coverage gaps, overlaps and commenting on the adequacy of specific policy terms, limits and deductibles...

Personal liability policy (volunteers) — Provides protection if the volunteer is liable for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the performance of his or her duties; generally written on an excess basis. Purchase separately or bundled with accident medical reimbursement and/or excess automobile liability insurance for volunteers.

Property insurance — Insurance that covers direct damage to the nonprofit’s property and equipment including consequential losses (business income, loss of rents, extra expense) caused by an insured peril.

Risk assessment — A thorough examination of the exposures of the nonprofit, both insurable and uninsurable

Risk management committee — A representative group of staff, volunteers and advisors who identify exposures, develop a risk control program, and establish a risk-financing strategy for the nonprofit. May act in place of a staff designee in small nonprofits. In midsize and large organizations, they may work in partnership with the staff designee (such as finance director or professional risk manager).

Umbrella liability insurance — Provides excess coverage over several primary policies, such as CGL, auto liability and employer’s liability. Increases the amount of liability insurance beyond that of the basic policies carried by the nonprofit and reaches out to cover areas of unknown exposures lacking in the basic insurance policy.

http://nonprofitrisk.org/library/glossary.shtml

Nonprofits and Staff – Save a Life With AHA & Hands-Only™ CPR

2009-12-10T21:31:00.005-05:00

I have joined the American Heart Association and the Ad Council to save a life in their Hands-Only_™ CPR Campaign. Hands-Only_™ CPR, or CPR without mouth-to-mouth breathing, is a two-step technique that involves calling 9-1-1 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest until professional help arrives. The Ad Council and American Heart Association recently launched a national multimedia public service advertising (PSA) campaign that encourages bystanders to use Hands-Only_™ CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) when an adult collapses and is unresponsive. When an adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, his or her survival depends greatly on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Unfortunately, less than 1/3 of those people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in a public location get that help. Most bystanders are worried that they might do something wrong or make things worse. That’s why the AHA has simplified things.

During a cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops beating normally and the victim collapse into unconsciousness. Oxygen-rich blood stops circulating. Without quick action, such as immediate CPR, a victim of cardiac arrest can die within four to six minutes. Every day, nearly 800 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospitals, according to the AHA, and less than 10 percent will survive to hospital discharge. However, studies show providing CPR to an adult who has collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest can more than double or triple that person's chance of survival. Nonprofits and their staff can help one another, families, customers and others by learning this easy but vital life-saving task.

A brief video simply and candidly demonstrates how to do it beginning with calling 9-1-1 and using your hands only. Hands-Only_™ CPR, or CPR without mouth-to-mouth breathing, is a two-step technique that involves calling 9-1-1 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest until professional help arrives. Forty-four percent of adults say they would not perform CPR because they're not confident in their ability, according to a national AHA survey conducted in 2008. Consumer research also shows that people often hesitate because they're not comfortable with giving mouth-to-mouth CPR. Well, there is an alternative method now that we can use to save a life.

The PSAs — distributed to about 33,000 media outlets nationwide this week - will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media. An integrated social media program will extend the reach of the PSA campaign online with strategies designed to engage and educate adults throughout the country. See additional RESOURCES at the end of this blog article.

Through the Hands-Only_™ CPR campaign, the American Heart Association and Ad Council hope to reach all adults, particularly women age 55 years and older who are most likely to be the spouses of potential victims.

Hands-OnlyTM CPR is recommended for use on teens or adults (anyone over the age of 8) whom you witness suddenly collapse.

Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help.

It’s not normal to see an adult suddenly collapse, but if you do, call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help. Take a minute and look around this site and invite your friends! Increasing the number of people who know about Hands-Only_™ CPR will increase the chance that someone can help when an adult suddenly collapses, and more lives can be saved.

Adults who suddenly collapse and are not responsive are likely to have sudden cardiac arrest and their chance of survival is nearly zero unless someone takes action immediately. If sudden cardiac arrest is the cause of the collapse, Hands-OnlyTM CPR is an easy, effective way for any bystander to more than double the victim's chance for survival. If an adult has collapsed for reasons other than sudden cardiac arrest, Hands-Only CPR could still help by causing the person to respond (begin to move, breathe normally or speak). If that occurs, Hands-OnlyTM CPR can be stopped. Otherwise, chest compressions should continue until EMS providers arrive.

Check out this video to see Hands-Only_™ CPR in action. http://handsonlycpr.org/

If you ARE CONFIDENT in your ability to provide CPR that includes breaths with high-quality chest compressions with minimal interruptions, then provide either the conventional CPR that you learned OR Hands-Only_™ CPR

If you ARE NOT CONFIDENT in your ability to provide CPR that includes breaths with high-quality chest compressions with minimal interruptions, then provide Hands-Only_™ CPR

In both cases, continue Hands-Only_™ CPR until an AED arrives and is ready for use or EMS providers take over care of the victim.

"Hands-Only_™ CPR is an easy and effective technique that has the potential to save lives every day if we can educate more Americans about it and reduce their fears and hesitation," said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council.

"This new campaign beautifully depicts the power of hands in helping to save a life," Conlon said. "I believe it will empower more bystanders to take action when they see someone in cardiac arrest."

"For years the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest has been abysmal," said Clyde Yancy, M.D., American Heart Association president. "Bystanders hold the key to increasing survival. We hope this campaign will break through the barriers people have when they see someone in cardiac arrest – so that anyone who hears this message can help save a life."

Created pro bono by Gotham Inc., an ad agency in New York, the campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and Web PSAs. The PSAs direct audiences to visit www.HandsOnlyCPR.org, where they can gain access to information and resources on the technique, including an instructional video.

Visitors to the Web site can also download a free instructional application for their smartphone that teaches the technique. The application is available on the iPhone and iPod touch, Blackberry, Palm Pre and Android (Google) platforms.

"It's a rare occasion when advertising can help save lives," said Peter McGuinness, CEO of Gotham. "We hope that through this campaign, we can encourage all bystanders, trained or untrained, to do something when they see an adult suddenly collapse."

American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, it is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers — they fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join them in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.

The Ad Council

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

Gotham

Gotham's 160 employees service the integrated communication needs of clients in fashion and beauty, retail, healthcare, financial services, and packaged goods categories. Clients include: Lindt, Fresh Direct, Yellowbook.com, Sony Ericsson, Best Western, Maybelline, Remington, RSM McGladrey, Newman's Own and Wedgwood. For more information, visit www.gothaminc.com.

I want to thank Lauren Sammak for asking me to help through my nonprofit/philanthropy contacts. It is my pleasure.

Lauren Sammak

Manager, Digital Publicity, Fanscape, Inc.
360 N. La Cienega Blvd., 3rd Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

323.785.2818

lsammak@fanscape.com

RESOURCES

Hands-Only_™ CPR Frequently Asked Questions

http://handsonlycpr.org/faqs.html

Hands-Only CPR Gets Thumbs Up - Not Trained in Conventional CPR? Chest Compressions Alone Could Save Someone in Cardiac Arrest By Kelley Colihan March 31, 2008 WebMD Health News

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080331/hands-only-cpr-gets-thumbs-up

Latest News and Views and Links

http://handsonlycpr.org/latest-news.html

AIDS and Nonprofits – A New Resource Tracking Tool; Where’s the Money for AIDS?

2009-11-05T14:02:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) and the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group (EFG) will jointly launch our annual resource tracking publications, U.S. Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2008 and European Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2008. In this article you will also find synopses and references to reports about the dwindling giving for AIDS in the U.S. and Globally. For nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations this is known only too well and the rest of us need to hear it also. I have also added links to possible grants.

Funders Concerned About AIDS and the European HIV/AIDS Funders Group Report

What can you expect in this year’s reports?

• New insights into U.S. and European HIV/AIDS funding trends from 2005 through 2008;

• Grantmaker forecasts on 2009 HIV/AIDS-related funding levels;

• Notable geographic trends in international and domestic HIV/AIDS funding;

• Narrative profiles highlighting examples of funder innovation;

• An enhanced directory and select profiles of funding organizations located outside of the U.S. and Western and Central Europe engaged in HIV/AIDS.

A New Approach for 2009

This year we’re doing things differently. To encourage you to access and share this critical assessment of U.S. and European philanthropic investment in HIV/AIDS, we’re giving you the publications in multiple formats.

Beginning on November 17th, you can find a new Resource Tracking Toolkit on the FCAA and EFG websites.

Now, in one convenient package you will be able to:

• View a PowerPoint presentation of the key data highlights;

• Download the PDF publications, press release, and slides of select charts and highlighted trends;

• Learn how other top funders communicate the impact of their role in HIV/AIDS philanthropy to their constituencies.

The toolkit will provide you with the resources to share this critical new data with your colleagues, grantees and Board to underscore the importance of your work.

How can you use this information?

• Reinforce your presentations and meetings with key messages, data points and new context for HIV/AIDS philanthropy;

• Demonstrate the impact of your institution’s role in HIV/AIDS philanthropy and strengthen internal support for your grantmaking with foundation boards, colleagues and other key stakeholders;

• Identify new colleagues and issues for potential collaboration and new issue areas or strategies to enhance the effectiveness and reach of your HIV/AIDS funding;

• Help the field of HIV/AIDS philanthropy grow by encouraging your colleagues, partners and Board members to participate in resource tracking;

• Tell us what you think and how you use this information! Your feedback will help us continue to enhance this product every year.

RSVP by Friday, November 13th to receive an email when these materials are available online. RSVP by e-mail mailto:rsvp@fcaaids.org

GLOBAL: AIDS funding at "dangerous turning point"

JOHANNESBURG, 5 November 2009 (PlusNews) - Wavering international support for HIV/AIDS efforts is resulting in funding shortfalls that could wipe out a decade of progress in rolling out AIDS treatment, the international medical and humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has warned.

In a report called "Punishing Success? Early signs of a retreat from commitment to HIV/AIDS care and treatment", released on 5 November, MSF highlights worrying indications that the two biggest international funders helping developing countries expand their AIDS programmes are starting to scale back or flatline their contributions.

The board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which largely relies on money from developed countries to award grants in 140 poor countries, will soon decide whether to cancel its 2010 call for funding proposals.

If so, it will be the organization's first year since 2002 without a funding round; the total amount of HIV grants recommended for funding in 2009 was 35 percent lower than in 2008.

Countries like Malawi are heavily dependent on Global Fund grants to finance their antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programmes. The MSF report notes that with the Fund in crisis, Malawi's chances of achieving universal access to treatment are sinking.

For the full report and the recent acts by the Obama administration please see

http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?Reportid=86902

Where is the funding for AIDS? Most of the funds are going to research, not prevention, treatment and support of people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS

SOME FUNDING RESOURCES FOR HIV/AIDS

USAID/Uganda
The deadline is November 30, 2009
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=49821

U.S. National Institutes of Health
The deadline is November 18, 2009.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-10-008.html

STARS Foundation Impact Awards
The deadline is 19 January 2010
http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk/impact-awards/how-to-apply/

USAID/Malawi
Closing Date for Round 1 Concept Paper Submission: November 30, 2009

Closing Date for Annual Program Statement (APS): September 7, 2010
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=49399

Hivos, the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation
Applications are accepted throughout the year. There is no deadline.
http://www.hivos.nl/eng/content/view/full/5441

Jerome Robbins Foundation
There are no deadlines
http://jeromerobbins.org/

USAID/Uganda
The deadline is November 30, 2009
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=49821

United Kingdom Comic Relief
Deadlines - 20 November 2009 and 5 March 2010
http://www.comicrelief.com/apply_for_a_grant

The Death of a Nonprofit - Kids Care in Houston TX – But Why Did It Die?

2009-10-31T07:04:00.004-04:00

This is the story of the death of a nonprofit, Kids Care in Houston TX. Kids Care received extensive national notice, significant support, a high-profile board and national and international awards and recognition. Carol and Hurt Porter, Jr. started Kids Care in their kitchen in 1984. It grew to feeding 20, 000 people a month in the first Meals on Wheels program for hungry children The Porters branched out to provide health care and provide cultural-enrichment programs for inner-city kids. Whole families were being fed. Carol Porter was called the “Mother Teresa of Houston”. Carol spoke before the United Nations about her work as a nongovernmental organization. In 2002, however, extreme news coverage from a Houston television reporter Wayne Dolcefino on the local ABC affiliate changed everything. Dolcafino wrote 40 articles in the series. He won an Edward R. Murrow and an Emmy for his Kid Care series. The allegations included personal use of corporate credit cards, the ownership of a new car, funds spent on hair care, Italian tile for their home, unpaid taxes, expensive restaurants, hotels and a strip club – and more. But what is this story truly about?

Is this a story about

• nonprofit theft, corruption and embezzlement;

• a story of gross mismanagement;

• the failure of an influential board’s oversight;

• really bad business practices;

• a case of high performance and poorly designed structure to maintain itself;

• an overreaching mission that grew beyond the ability of its creators, staff and board;

• poor public relations;

• straight out-and-out racism;

• the story of a muck-raking self-serving reporter;

• an over-aggressive Attorney General;

• a misinformed Internal Revenue Service?

Whatever your conclusion, the fact is Kids Care died. But why?

Killing Kid Care - Carol and Hurt Porter Jr. ran a well-connected, million-dollar "model charity" in Houston—until it all came crashing down By David Theis September 18, 2009 AllBusiness

On a recent Saturday afternoon, a group of parishioners from Berean Adventist Church on Houston's near East Side gathered to fill grocery bags with donated food. It was part of a weekly post-church ritual organized by the Porters- Carol and Hurt Jr. The Porters round up donations from grocery stores and bring the fruits and vegetables to be sorted, bagged and delivered to the neighborhood's numerous elderly and shut-in residents.

As the group counted out how many bananas, mangoes and yams should go into each bag, Carol and Hurt were lively and engaged. Carol, who's 64, is a talker anyway, a dynamo of a woman. Hurt Jr. (he and his father were named Hurt because of the pain their mothers suffered during childbirth), who's 67, was noticeably more voluble here than at home, where his quiet demeanor perhaps shows the effects of the Job-like trial the Porters have lived through for most of this decade.

Until 2002, the Porters headed a nationally prominent charity, Kid Care. Started in the kitchen of their modest northside house in 1984, Kid Care had grown spectacularly, feeding more than 20,000 a month in the nation's first Meals on Wheels program for hungry children. As donations came in, the program had branched out into delivering health care and providing cultural-enrichment programs for inner-city kids.

Kid Care became well-known in short order. It was named as one of Bush 41's "Thousand Points of Light"- No. 866. Carol, a lifelong Republican, stood behind Bush 43 in the Oval Office when he signed the Faith-Based Initiatives Act. Kid Care had gone international, recognized as an NGO by the United Nations, where Carol had spoken. Carol was an ABC News "Person of the Week." Her face, along with those of needy children, adorned billboards all around Houston. A New York Times article called her "the Mother Teresa of Houston."

(Snip)

Then disaster struck, in the form of muck-raking Houston television reporter Wayne Dolcefino. In September 2002, on the local ABC affiliate, Dolcefino produced the first in a series investigating how Kid Care spent its money. He found plenty that was suspicious: money apparently spent on the Porters themselves - on fancy meals and hair salons, on personal property taxes, on friends and relatives and, as the nail in the coffin, on strip-club outings.
As Dolcefino's series ended, the Porters were sued by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. The AG's office shut down Kid Care and ordered another charity for children opened (without the Porters' involvement) in its place. The IRS joined in, claiming the Porters owed $550,000 for unreported income.

(Snip)

How had a "model charity" fallen so far, so fast? Were the Porters victims of a sensationalistic, ratings-hungry reporter and an attorney general who too readily accepted his reports as fact? Had their impatience with "bean-counting" and sound business practices doomed them when Kid Care went from a self-funded mom-and-pop charity to one with a $1 million budget and 15 employees? Was Kid Care poorly served by a board of directors who didn't exercise enough oversight? Or were the Porters brought down by the size of their ambitions for Kid Care - to not just feed hungry kids, but draw them out of the cycle of poverty?

The answer, in all cases, is yes.

(Snip)

At a 2002 board meeting, held after Dolcefino's series had begun to air, the board and the Porters discussed Kid Care's problematic "crisis intervention" program. Money tended to be spent wherever Kid Care staff saw a pressing need - whether it was a one-time school uniform purchase for a needy kid, a birthday party for a Kid Care volunteer who'd never had one before, or private-school tuition for a former Enron employee's child. "Crisis intervention" was a loosely used term, and it allowed Dolcefino to portray it as a way for the Porters to hand out money according to their personal whims.

(For the full engrossing story about a great nonprofit vanishing from the face of the earth in a very short period of time read on. Could it happen to you?)

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/13144761-1.html

RESOURCES

Kid Care, Carol Porter, Wayne Dolcefino - The Kid Care story fizzles to a finish As told to Richard Connelly Published on December 11, 2007 The Houston News

http://www.houstonpress.com/2007-12-13/news/kid-care-carol-porter-wayne-dolcefino-weighing-marijuana-and-stopping-on-red/

Fed Up With Hunger from Life on Purpose, Undated

http://www.lifeonpurpose.com/index.php?task=more-info&page=66&websectionid=198

P.S. I’m sorry Published 20.DEC.07 Article from the Jewish Herald-Voice

http://kidcareinc.org/id18.html

'Mother Teresa of Houston' Fights Hunger and Government Aid by Sam Howe Verhovek, Published: Monday, February 6, 1995 New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/06/us/mother-teresa-of-houston-fights-hunger-and-government-aid.html?pagewanted=all

Better Business Bureau Suspends Membership of Kid-Care Charity. Article from: September 6, 2002 Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Article date:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-91161024.html

Don Griesmann's Nonprofit Blog

The Best Web Sites To Find Grants

Canadian international grants - http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/nonpr9.html#sep1211

How to Find Grant Opportunities

Preparing A Nonprofit Board Welcome Kit and Check-off List:

2010 New Year’s Resolution – No New Nonprofits Unless…

The 2010 Crisis in Philanthropy September 25, 2009 – 9:21 am | By Sean Stannard-Stockton

Nonprofit Groups Face Trouble Coping With Pension Obligations Chronicle of Philanthropy October 02, 2009

Decline in United Way Giving October 01, 2009

Legal-Aid Study Finds Continuing 'Justice Gap' for Poor October 01, 2009 http://philanthropy.com/news/?id=9697&pth&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=lefttop

Claremont Museum of Art is on verge of closing doors October 5, 2009

Stanford Puts $1 Billion in Assets on Block University Aims to Unload Partial Interest in Illiquid Investments; Private Equity Is Watching OCTOBER 3, 2009 BY CRAIG KARMIN AND PETER LATTMAN Wall Street Journal

Salary cuts for one third of US museum directors Survey shows widespread pay reductions, hiring freezes and layoffs By Jason Edward Kaufman | From issue 206, October 2009
Published online 5 Oct 09 The Art Newspaper

It’s Official: Three Unions Merge to Form Nurses ‘Super Union’ December 9th, 2009 | Lindsay Beyerstein Today’s Workplace a workfairness Blog

Reasons Not to Incorporate a Nonprofit Organization

The Nonprofit Business Plan - Program Precedes Money. Planning Precedes Program

In Praise of Small and Mid-size Nonprofits - On the Side Streets of America

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding: Recordkeeping

Agenda and Minutes of First Board Meetings

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/agenda-and-minutes-of-first-board.html

Minutes: The Ongoing Record of Your Nonprofit Organization

Your Nonprofit Library Third Shelf – See What the IRS Demands of Your Tax Exempt Organization After it is Recognized as Tax Exempt

According To My Crystal Ball, Your Nonprofit Organization May Be Toast In 2009

The Stories of Nonprofits Dying

Nonprofits – New Things To Know About D&O Insurance

Nonprofits and Staff – Save a Life With AHA & Hands-Only™ CPR

Hands-Only CPR Gets Thumbs Up - Not Trained in Conventional CPR? Chest Compressions Alone Could Save Someone in Cardiac Arrest By Kelley Colihan March 31, 2008 WebMD Health News

AIDS and Nonprofits – A New Resource Tracking Tool; Where’s the Money for AIDS?

The Death of a Nonprofit - Kids Care in Houston TX – But Why Did It Die?

The Stories of Nonprofits Dying

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/stories-of-nonprofits-dying.html

Nonprofit Theft – “A Few Bad Apples” or the Invisible Reality?

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/nonprofit-theft-few-bad-apples-or.html

Responses to Article “Nonprofit Theft – ‘A Few Bad Apples’ or the Invisible Reality?”

http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/responses-to-article-nonprofit-theft.html

Don Griesmann's Nonprofit Blog

The Best Web Sites To Find Grants

Canadian international grants - http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/nonpr/nonpr9.html#sep1211

How to Find Grant Opportunities

Preparing A Nonprofit Board Welcome Kit and Check-off List:

2010 New Year’s Resolution – No New Nonprofits Unless…

The 2010 Crisis in Philanthropy September 25, 2009 – 9:21 am | By Sean Stannard-Stockton

Nonprofit Groups Face Trouble Coping With Pension Obligations Chronicle of Philanthropy October 02, 2009

Decline in United Way Giving October 01, 2009

Legal-Aid Study Finds Continuing 'Justice Gap' for Poor October 01, 2009 http://philanthropy.com/news/?id=9697&pth&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=lefttop

Claremont Museum of Art is on verge of closing doors October 5, 2009

Stanford Puts $1 Billion in Assets on Block University Aims to Unload Partial Interest in Illiquid Investments; Private Equity Is Watching OCTOBER 3, 2009 BY CRAIG KARMIN AND PETER LATTMAN Wall Street Journal

Salary cuts for one third of US museum directors Survey shows widespread pay reductions, hiring freezes and layoffs By Jason Edward Kaufman | From issue 206, October 2009 Published online 5 Oct 09 The Art Newspaper

It’s Official: Three Unions Merge to Form Nurses ‘Super Union’ December 9th, 2009 | Lindsay Beyerstein Today’s Workplace a workfairness Blog

Nonprofits – New Things To Know About D&O Insurance

Nonprofits and Staff – Save a Life With AHA & Hands-Only™ CPR

Hands-Only CPR Gets Thumbs Up - Not Trained in Conventional CPR? Chest Compressions Alone Could Save Someone in Cardiac Arrest By Kelley Colihan March 31, 2008 WebMD Health News

AIDS and Nonprofits – A New Resource Tracking Tool; Where’s the Money for AIDS?

The Death of a Nonprofit - Kids Care in Houston TX – But Why Did It Die?

The Stories of Nonprofits Dying

Salary cuts for one third of US museum directors Survey shows widespread pay reductions, hiring freezes and layoffs By Jason Edward Kaufman | From issue 206, October 2009
Published online 5 Oct 09 The Art Newspaper