Nonprofit Employers - Beware a Social Media Mine Field

I am a huge fan of LinkedIn. It is the social media I utilize the most. I also use many others for these blogs and other social meeting about nonprofits. Tax exempt nonprofit organizations are businesses. Many are using social media for funding, publicity, and for general information. It is natural for a nonprofit business to place glowing things about themselves when posting for a job notice or simply describing the organization at LinkedIn, for instance, their own web site or elsewhere. Here are some reasons why that may be a really bad idea:

Publicizing the great things about a nonprofit as an employer or for seeking funding, volunteers and support on LinkedIn could come back to haunt you. Attorneys in an article in the National Law Journal suggest the following:

• Avoid glowing remarks about employees - this may be used against the organization in a discrimination or harassment law suit
• Plaintiff's lawyers are searching the internet for evidence in any alleged unlawful firing or harassment case
• LinkedIn is the number one place for employment managers to look for information about candidates along with other social media. However, information found on the Internet about a candidate cannot be used by the nonprofit in a discriminatory manner.
• Potential candidates for employment also search LinkedIn, other social media and other Internet resources for information about the nonprofit and any known employees.
• Avoid show casing existing employees. If you say something that could be construed as negative or positive, either way there could be a law suit.
• Limit the listing of employees on a web site or social media site using only the employee's name, job title and dates of employment, most particularly if you are supporting that person in search for employment.
• If a supervisor indicates glowing remarks about a current employee, such as a recommendation in LinkedIn and elsewhere, and the employee is eventually fired by the CEO, the information could backfire in a discrimination suit.

I suggest you consider a written policy, procedure and recordkeeping about the use of the social media specifically about the organization or current or former employees. Middle and upper management and supervisors should understand the policy and adhere to it.

I also suggest you Google the name of the organization, your own name and other supervisors to see if anything is being written about any of you by a former employee, a former customer or anyone else. .

Anyone can sue anyone at any time about anything. You do not want to lose that law suit. Prepare by understanding the risks and risk management. Talk to your attorney about these issues.

See the article from the National Law Journal:

Lawyers warn employers against giving glowing reviews on LinkedIn by Tresa Baldas July 6, 2009

http://tinyurl.com/mvb7xq

RESOURCES

How to Find a Lawyer for Your Nonprofit Organization -

http://stepbystepfundraising.com/how-to-find-a-lawyer-nonprofit/

Insurance Questions for Nonprofits -

http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/144-221/40-8

http://idealist.org/media/pdf/FAQ/080324Insuring.pdf

Concern for Leaders of Small and Mid-size NPOs in This Economy

How are leaders of small and mid-size nonprofits handling themselves, their people and fiscal problems? What are you facing as a small to mid-size nonprofit leader in this economy? Many executive directors and other leaders of small and mid-size nonprofit organizations are not finding much personal support for their work and needs resulting from America’s economic problems. I read many articles and see training events about how to increase funding in a bad economy. I read material about how to lay off staff and handle the human resources of the organization. There is material about finding new leaders for the future of nonprofits and baby boomers transferring into the third sector. But what do we see about how you are handling yourself? The life of a leader or executive director is a lonely job in the best of times. It does not improve in times of trouble. Here you will find a list and brief discussion of concerns you may be facing and some hints on handling them.

I am certainly not an expert or the last word in these matters, but the dialogue should be on the front page for you – and it is not there. This is my offering to you. Many of us care about what you are facing. Many of us, including me, have faced this one or more times in our NPO lives.

I believe the bottom line mission for most nonprofits is to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. This is about comforting you, if you are among the disturbed.

There are three parts:

• Issues
• Hints to cope with the issues
• Resources

See if any of these issues are real for you. See if the hints give you a start to handle the issues of leadership in bad times. Please feel free to add your thoughts on both the problems and the hints to confront them.

ISSUES

As the pressure of work increases for leadership and staff at small to mid-size nonprofit organizations it can exacerbate the personal problems we have always had. It can seem like an expanding downward spiral of unresolved, unsolvable issues, both old and new which can occur.

We carry our own life-baggage wherever we go. That baggage will surface more deeply when things go wrong. We have a tendency to repeat our errors. Now can be time to work on one of those pieces of luggage.

Stress at the workplace is something we all face from time to time. This is a deeper level of stress. What can be done to minimize it and its effects?

You may be finding it difficult to develop priorities in programming, funding, management, administration, filling in for former employees and personal time. There may be too much in your work plan. Cut it down to a size based on importance. Take a sheet of paper. Have one column for the most important and why and another column on least important and why.

Concentrate on the doable and the needed, not the hoped for.

So where did you find leadership training for these bad times: there is lack of training and skill development for problem-solving and reduction in funding and loss of employees. Few of us have experienced a downward spiral of funding, and loss of employees, closing of offices and reducing the numbers of customers who can be served. There has been no training offered to prepare you for this. That should not stop you. You will have to make hard decisions about money and people. You did not start the fire and you cannot put it out. You can bring your flames under control – in fact you have to.

Are staff members tense and not acting civilly with each other, with you and with customers?

Are you facing growing morale problems from staff about layoffs, salary and benefits, their fears and not enough office supplies and equipment? Expect that to happen. The employees who remain will feel guilty about having a job and others were let go. They will miss many of those who have left. They will hate picking up others’ files and working with the new customers. They will have difficulty prioritizing and decision making. Open communication wide. Look for a process that will give staff the opportunity to talk and to be heard. Your job may be simply to LISTEN. You may not be able to fix this one. In one instance they may find a breath of relief because at least someone weak has left.

Do you find you are not sleeping well, not eating well and have been losing weight?

Do you find you are not sleeping well, are eating too much junk food and gaining weight?

Have you increased the consumption of alcohol to calm you down? Or doubled the number of cigarettes you smoke?

Do you find yourself periodically avoiding staff by working at night and on the weekend? Is there a fear of facing them and complaints or guilt? You have to face your own sense of guilt. You did not cause the funding to decline. The hardest problem for a leader is not the act of making a bad decision in rough times. It is the failure to make a decision, even if it is difficult or bad. None of the decisions will be good but they will be necessary. Get back to the office on the regular clock.

The more you avoid staff the more you will lose touch. Share the facts and the implications of what is occurring to the organization and seek help to find answers.

Are you trying to figure out how to overcome the reduction in grants/fundraising? Are you spinning your wheels just looking for money and getting nowhere? Are you looking at Federal Recovery funding that may not really fit your mission? You may not be able to find new grants.

It may be that you are so used to fixing problems that here is one you cannot fix. You may simply have to make the organization functional. Seeking grants is the most difficult part of a resource development plan. The board and you may have to face factors that cannot be easily solved. You may have to consider merger, shared services, co-locating, new associations or bankruptcy.

Do you believe that out there is a foundation that will fund your program? Let me be direct. There is not. The only exceptions are if someone close to your organization has a deep relationship with that foundation and can be persuasive or through a local or community foundation. Other than that, right, now none will fund you. But do not stop applying to the very few foundations that have a direct fit with your mission, goals, objectives and grant requirements. You can try to build relationships now for the future.

Is the organization having a difficult cash flow problem because the state or other funders are late sending payment for services?

Are you trying to keep the board involved? Are you attempting to prevent board members from leaving because of the problems facing the organization?

You find yourself uncertain of the future of funding and new transparency and accountability requirements. How can you change the administration of the organization to meet those new factors?

You have thought of seeking personal professional help but you fear using the organization’s employee assistance program or seeking that help. Are you concerned about showing personal weakness?

Do you have a fear of seeking counseling at the local level where you are known and you have no contacts elsewhere?

Are you experiencing an increased sense of dread, fault, depression, anxiety, anger and personal failure? How are they affecting you and those around you?

Do you find yourself working harder and long hours with little accomplished?

Do you have a growing poor sense of self-worth and self-esteem and an increased personal uncertainty about your abilities?

Do you find or have a sense that staff is having or showing less confidence in you and your leadership?

Are you finding it very difficult getting up in the morning and looking forward to going to work?

You love your job, but this new world is eroding that love. You feel this is not what you signed up for.

Are you finding it very difficult talking to family and friends about what is going on at work and your reactions to it?

HINTS TO COPING, OVERCOMING

Face the fact it is normal to be abnormal in a crisis. The times are insane but that does not mean you have to be. There is so much you cannot control or change. So spend some valuable time deciding on what you can control and change.

Go back to your core being. What brought you to this nonprofit world and this job? What were the attractive parts? What did you anticipate you would work on to improve the organization, its service and product and yourself? What did you want to work on to improve the organization and yourself? How did you want to grow on the job? Can you still do these things? How can you make them happen? It is a time for some self-reflection about why you are here. It is difficult but it is still the job you want. Let your core being – your soul - help you face today’s realities. Check in with you and look for what you are failing to see.

Exercise. Find a routine that fits you. (This is easy for me to say since I am the founder, owner and sole resident of the PSLS, the Principality of the Sedentary Life Style. However, in the past century when I did work exercise was an irregular part of my life.)

Look at your sense of trust in yourself and others. Have you allowed doubt in your abilities and the abilities of others creep in? Why? What happened? Begin working on your self-trust. You do have the abilities and the sense of mission, vision, values and passion to keep the organization performing. Trust that sense.

Make one small change in your schedule, your life. Always shower in the morning (or evening) at the same time. Take a lunch break away from the office at least three days a week. Make a commitment to have dinner with your family every night. Develop one new routine that allows you to think about that change and commitment.

What could you have controlled that would have changed or prevented things? Is there anything you really could have done? If not, then do not take on that guilt and sense of fault. It is not yours. Let it go. You do have to handle the results and adjust but not with guilt and fault. Guilt and fault finding will not solve a darn thing.

Go back to organizational basics. What are the mission, vision and values of the organization? Are you still on mission? How are you with your personal mission? Are you still on pace? Go back to the mission and see if there has been a drift and see what you can do about it. Are the board and staff still focused on the same mission? Plan the future on that mission.

Learning to cope with stress – we have all faced stress before and we handle it in different ways and rather well mostly. You can do that here also. Is it developing a routine you can depend on that relieves the stress? Is there someone you can talk to about the stressors? Perhaps only to listen to you, not to solve or fix them for you

Listen. Listen more intently, eye to eye, not eye to Twitter. Listen without interrupting. Listen at home and at the office. Take a tickle lock. Listen to others.

Review how decisions are made in the organization. Review the strategies being used. Can they be tweaked to be better under the current problems?

Maintain civility within staff and within the board. Show your leadership in the way you all talk to each other.

I am not a fan of the statement “Do more with less”. The current crisis is about doing more with even more less. That is unrealistic. You, the board and staff have to look at what you have been doing and determine what the best process is to reduce the work to a meaningful and reasonable level. With less resources and more demand for services, you cannot meet it. The fact of the matter is you have never had enough resources to serve everyone in need. So you made choices about who received service. That decision has to be made again in keeping with grant requirements and talent and availability of staff.

What are you doing to adapt to change? We have constant change in our lives. There is a corporate culture of change in every nonprofit that we do not face and do not encourage as a status for staff. Now is an opportunity to look at change and how it can be positive, not always negative, and can be part of the culture. People do not like to be changed but they can accept reasonable changes.

This is not the time for leadership-is-correct thinking. It may take improvisation through a group development plan and activities.

Should there be an open review of the goals and objectives and activities of the organization with staff and the board? What should or could be changed to relieve stress and become workable? You do not have to fix everything. You do have to make the work functional and reasonable, however.

This is a real opportunity for developing a business plan for the organization for the next 3-5 years. What would you and the board do differently if most of the funding were restored? How will the organization face its future for its customers? Planning can help. This is a real opportunity to consider restructuring the organization. Including customers in that planning is a necessity. Your planning may help you see what the future can look like and it may lead you to make honestly some hard decisions such as bankruptcy, merger, co-location, carry on or other options.

Facing adversity – leaders like to talk about how they like taking on challenges and adversity. You are a leader. Here is a real opportunity to show your leadership in new ways. Go back to your leadership styles, your abilities, and your weaknesses and mend them to this new dynamic in your life and the life of the organization.

Communicate, don’t isolate – do not withhold information from the board and staff. It may need some sense of timing, but board and staff need to know what is really going on. You will also want to work on overcoming the tendencies for rumors.

Be receptive to others’ ideas.

Consider talking with a few other NPO leaders in your community about what they are facing and how they are coping. There may be a way to start a group healing process with a pro bono counselor as facilitator.

Prepare a succession plan with the board. It does not matter if you are thinking about leaving. It does matter that you help provide a positive look at the future for the board in the leadership of the organization.

Perhaps it is time for you to move along. You have done all you can. You will work to leave the organization in the best possible light to find new leadership.

Perhaps it is time for the organization to fold its tent and close down. There are state and IRS legal processes to follow in that event. Work with the board and an attorney to do this properly.

If needed seek out personal professional help. This is not an admission of fault or guilt or neurosis. It is an admission that perhaps you need additional reinforcement to handle your life and the job, to look at alternatives within yourself. Most leaders fear this decision that others will find out. If your organization has an employee assistance plan, you may find that too open. You may be saying to yourself this is a small community and everyone will find out. I say, baloney, They are excuses. Talk to your personal medical provider about options. How long has it been since you had a full physical examination? Seek assistance from a job counselor, psychologist and/or psychiatrist or spiritual advisor. Once you take that first step you will wonder why you feared it. You may find that talking about your issues, adopting breathing exercises and/or medication help you stay focused and clear headed.

There are many of us concerned about how you are doing. It is my hope that you find at least one thing here that will help you. Please be open with me. If I am missing the target for you please add your thoughts.

Thank you for what you are doing.

RESOURCES

STRESS...At Work (May 19, 2009)
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/

Recession Is Bad for Health - Americans Are Taking Grave Chances With Their Health Because of Recession and Money Fears (May 21, 2009)
http://www.webmd.com/news/20090521/recession-bad-health

Managing Job Stress - What to Do About Job Stress (Last Updated: July 10, 2008)
http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/managing-job-stress-what-to-do-about-job-stress

Work, Stress and Mental Health (June 09, 2008)
http://blogs.webmd.com/anxiety-and-stress-management/2008/06/work-stress-and-mental-health.html

How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress - Coping with work stress in today’s uncertain climate (Last modified: November 2008.)
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

Finding Leaders for America's Nonprofits from Bridgestar (April 20, 2009)
http://resources.bridgestar.org/Documents/FindingLeaders.pdf

How to Cope When Coworkers Lose Their Jobs - Layoff Survivors Experience Feelings of Guilt, Sadness, Loss, and Fear by Susan M. Heathfield, About.com
http://humanresources.about.com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/survivors_cope.htm

Leadership Guide by Brian Fraser (March 2009)
http://www.transitionguides.com/newsltr/Full%20Articles/LG_March%202009%20Resiliency%20Corner%20-%20Brian%20Fraser.pdf

Six Ways to Manage Leadership Stress by John R. Ryan (January 9, 2009)
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2009/ca2009019_489882.htm

Facts about Terminating or Merging Your Exempt Organization (IRS May 2009) http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/p4779.pdf

State Nonprofit Incorporation Forms and Information (Including those for mergers and termination)
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=167760,00.html

The Mission Statement - The Spiritual Rudder
http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/mission-statement-spiritual-rudder.html

In Praise of Small and Mid-size Nonprofits - On the Side Streets of America
http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-praise-of-small-and-mid-size.html

The voice says, who will go for us, who will speak for us, who will care for us, who will show us?
http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/voice-says-who-will-go-for-us-who-will.html

24 Factors In Developing an Exit Strategy for Nonprofit and Nongovernmental Organization (A Business Plan in Reverse)
http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/24-factors-in-developing-exit-strategy.html

The eighth international conference on occupational stress and health. “Work, Stress, and Health 2009: Global Concerns and Approaches” will be held at the Caribe Hilton Hotel, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 5-8, 2009, with Preconference Workshops on November 5. This conference is convened by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

The Work, Stress, and Health conference series is designed to address the constantly changing nature of work and the implications of these changes for the health, safety, and well-being of workers. This year the conference will highlight work, stress, and health as a subject of global concern affecting developed and developing countries alike. Numerous topics of interest to labor, management, practitioners, and researchers are covered in the series, such as work and family issues, workplace violence, long hours of work, the aging workforce, and best practices for preventing stress and improving the health of workers and their organizations. Expert presentations, panel discussions, and informal get-togethers with leading scientists and practitioners will provide an exciting forum for learning about the latest developments on an impressive range of topics.

http://www.apa.org/pi/work/wsh.html

Please feel free to add to this RESOURCE list.

Nonprofit Collaborative or Partnership Agreements:

It is no secret that for nonprofits (and the communities and constituents served) the major buzzwords are collaboration and partnership. For some nonprofits it may mean the difference between survival and dissolution. Is it clear what groups mean when these words are used? For instance, does the “collaboration” discussed in an application for funds mean a referral system, or does it mean a letter saying “we support” each other or is there something more in depth? How should a joint-project be addressed to commit resources together to resolve a community or a customer problem? What about a joint proposal for a grant; how will that be handled; how will the decision of who is lead applicant be made?

It is useful to consider developing good faith partnership agreements detailing who the partners are, what each will provide and to whom. The parties should perform due diligence in developing the relationship. There can be no secrets. The agreement should have a mutual hold-harmless clause, responsibilities for insurance, maintaining each other's independence and stating a beginning and ending date. A part of the agreement may include an authorization of release of information between the agencies for customers to sign. The issues of grievance and disputes between the parties and the process for handing them need to be spelled out, such as who has final say on paying bills, arbitration and so on.

In addition there should be solid discussion and written statements about most or all of the A-Z considerations below. These need to be put on the table, discussed and resolved.

A. Ethical issues – what are they for the partnership? Are there conflicting values or beliefs or corporate culture? Are there legally required ethical standards or professional standards? Is there a process for addressing these issues?

B. Conflict of Interest – What are they and how may they be perceived? Are the parties prepared to put them out front for discussion and resolution, how are they handled by each organization

C. Confidentiality- are there any issues of confidentiality; how will that be handled, will there be personnel and HIPAA issues?

D. How will referrals between the partners be made? Will they be different from current arrangements? Are there customer, legal or ethical barriers?

E. Are there new liability and insurance issues?

F. How will you plan and begin to balance the usual day-to-day activities and the new partnership work, will programmatic mission, vision, values, culture, spirituality, experience, competency and priorities affect the partnership?

G. How will leadership be determined? Will there be a plan for succession of leadership? How will leadership develop in the partnership? This can be an excellent opportunity to develop new leadership in both or all organizations.

H. Entrepreneurial spirit -- nothing is "free" – What budgetary needs are there for planning the partnership and for maintaining it? What will be the costs, what are the full (hidden) costs? How will administration and fiscal responsibilities be approached? Is there a business plan for this venture?

I. What are the goals, objectives and outcomes and how are they measured within the partnership? Is there a different view among the partners about measurement, goals and objectives? Look at monitoring results; customer and funder satisfaction; how will you publicize results?

J. Is there agreement about the use of written work plans, job descriptions and supervisory relationships for community work and developing/maintaining the partnership?

K. How do you organize and sell the partnership to other management personnel, staff, boards, current funders, other groups in the community? Have there been scans of the staffing for the day-to-day activities and the proposed new activities?

L. What if you propose the idea of a partnership with your management personnel and your office staff and they are not ready or willing to accept it? How will that be addressed? How will you handle the issues before they arise? How will rumors be handled? How will disagreements be handled?

M. How will the ambiguity in partnerships for staff who are management in the middle and not part of the negotiations creating the partnership be addressed? You will need top and middle management as leadership in the community, as follower in the community, handling failure and managing the partnership

N. What are the plans to handle the division of planning, tasks and fiscal aspects and other implications of the partnership - Communication, communication, communication

O. Is the technology between the partners sufficient to produce necessary reports and for communication?

P. How will the partners face diversity in the partnership, diversity of boards, staff and customers?

Q. How will you avoid stakeholders looking at the partnership as a threat to certain segments of the community; has there been a community scan of not only need but also the perceptions that exist now and can occur later? What are the potential economic, social and political repercussions for this partnership?

R. Has there been an assessment of the community’s readiness for the partnership, the value of local presence, co-location, job sharing and ubiquity -- how will the customers, their communities and nonprofit organizations roles evolve naturally and how will they change by the collaboration? How well do the leaders know the people and the demographics?

S. Is there agreement to viewing a continuum of services, involvement, tasks, roles, strategies, activities and feedback, feedback and feedback and evaluation

T. How will staffing issues in the partnership be developed – will there be an overriding concept about what is expected of staff; or expected of some staff; or a special unit; or no expectation at all for some staff – will there be joint staff meetings and planning sessions?

U. Will the partners seek grants and funding together and/or separately during the agreement, developing additional agreements and contracts between the parties on other issues?

V. How will training and orientation be developed for board and staff, management staff, fiscal personnel and support staff for partnering?

W. How and who will handle media and public relations during and the conclusion of the partnership; how will bad press be handled?

X. What steps will be taken to prepare the customers’ communities and partners as advocates supporting the partnership, shared customers and customer education

Y. What are the opportunities for partnering – employment, job training, housing, health issues,: Medicaid or food stamps outreach, homelessness, youth and children, technical assistance, domestic violence, self-sufficiency issues for customers, technology infrastructure and innovation for the customer communities, access to services, AIDS/HIV, lead-based paint, elderly, diversity, cultural and language-based activities, gay and lesbian initiatives, housing, poverty, disability-related issues, rural or urban activities, the arts, school/education/parent/community issues, drug and alcohol addiction, unsafe working conditions, migrant workers, the interface of employment and welfare, plant closing, community development, environment and many others

Z. What is the anticipated future? What will the partnership leave with the community for their own use in the future? What are the partners open to consider in the future? How will control and spin-off, future collaboration, partnering and cooperation, possibility for merger or alliance be viewed – how will you know when it is “over and done”? What are the benchmarks for the future?

The written agreement needs the assistance of an attorney to avoid pitfalls before they will happen -- and they will happen. Each partner should seek its own attorney for review or creation of documents. I hope the considerations above will assist in that preparation. It is an exciting movement and there should be every incentive for all to want to do it again.

RESOURCES

Community Partnership Toolkit - http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/CustomPubs/CPtoolkit/CPToolkit/

Why Is It Important to Develop a Community Partnership? - http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/cf_pages/partnerships.htm

Three community partnerships celebrated –
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/april29/community-partnership-awards-042909.html

Community Partnership Initiative - http://www.communitypartnership.us/

Building Effective Community Partnerships - http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/resources/files/toolkit1final.pdf

Your Nonprofit Library Fourth Shelf – Handling Press Releases, Working With the Media and Social Media

Do you have a Media Plan? An Advertising and Marketing Plan? Are you looking at branding your organization? May staff use social media in work? Do you have a media guide as part of or an adjunct to your business plan and personnel policies to help the organization share the Good News of the agency. The media guide also sets standards for staff about press releases, talking to the press/media and use of other communication opportunities. As with all other activity, it takes planning by an organization to utilize assistance from the press/media appropriately.

See Top 10 Reasons for Creating a Communications Plan by W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Jan 8, 2009
http://www.fundraising123.org/article/top-10-reasons-creating-communications-plan

Is it clear to staff, volunteers and board who may speak to the press/media? How does your organization respond to a cold call from a reporter? How does the organization respond to a disastrous headline in “today’s” newspaper or on TV? How will you handle the appearance of your newest employee in a suggestive or naked photo on YouTube?

You need written policies, procedures, and recordkeeping about how the organization relates to the media.

A staff-training event about the press/media can be very helpful. Newspapers and other local media may welcome a chance to discuss how best to contact and utilize them for information publication? Develop alone or with other agencies media training or workshop by a local editor or television newscaster, news blogger, or communications professor.

But what if newspapers are doomed as hinted in this article by James Surowiecki a staff writer for the New Yorker recently. The causes of the decline in newspaper are:

• Fewer readers
• Decline in advertising
• The Weak economy
• Free access to news on the internet including the news in newspapers

But Surowiecki does not think newspapers are doomed. There are other types of futures including the possibility they may become nonprofit organizations. For the full article, see:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2008/12/22/081222ta_talk_surowiecki

Print media will remain on paper or on the web. New forms of communication are developing and this paper will help you consider those as well. I am no expert here. I have however found many articles and blogs by experts for your use and study.

Communication:

Why Optimization of Press Releases for Search Engines Is Essential

Over 27 million people use Google News and Yahoo News every month to find pertinent information. When doing a news search, the results often display relevant press releases and articles from the many thousands of different news sources. Neilsen/NetRatings reports the unique audiences of Yahoo News and Google News currently rival the online audiences of other current events and global news destinations such as CNN and BBC News and others. If the marketing strategy of your business includes the Internet, each and every one of your press releases should be optimized and distributed to the major news search engines.

The Facts on Journalists:

• 98% of journalists go online daily
• 92% go online for article research
• 81% go online to do searching
• 76% go online to find new sources, experts
• 73% go online find press releases

The Facts on The Average American:

• 68 million American adults go online daily
• 30% use a search engine to find information
• 27% receive news online

Sources: Middleberg/Ross Survey and Pew Internet and American Life Project
http://www.press-release-writing.com/options-pressroom.htm

When preparing a press release, consider carefully what the headline will be - tell the story in that headline or the opening sentence.

Always remember that the reporter may not have the same view of events and activities that you have. No reporter will give you the privilege to review the article before printing. If you are thinking about talking to a reporter "off the record", you need to be sure both of you understand what you mean; there is no common definition of that phrase and it is not a sacred bond.
Whatever you say to a journalist, assume it is on the record. If you ask to be off the record be prepared to be told “no”.

It can be helpful either alone or with other nonprofit groups to set up a meeting with the editor of the local press to talk about coverage of nonprofit groups. I have found editors very willing to have such meetings and to offer opportunities for op-ed pieces to be written by nonprofit leaders.

With technology available to your NPO, resist using it for everything you want to say in a press release. Bombarding the press and media by fax and e-mail will not endear you to them and it will result in no coverage when you really want it.

There are new ways of communicating through social media, blogs, e-mail, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Grouply, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Podcasting, LiveJournal, Delicious (social bookmarking), Technorati, Flickr, RSS feeds and so many others. The nonprofit leader must sort through them, assess what will work best for the mission and staff of the organization and begin using them. But the task becomes so daunting at times because there is a new one developed almost every week it seems. How will you distinguish between them? This article offers you guidance from some of the brightest and best social media giants with their passion for nonprofits.

The savvy nonprofit leader will also subscribe to at least one free service to keep informed when she/he and the organization are mentioned on the web. You will find many free services in this article, How to track media mentions of your org with RSS - http://netsquared.org/reptrackrss1
Advertising, promotion, marketing, public relations, publicity, sales, fundraising, and e-commerce -- what are they? How are they done? - http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/346-281/45-58

Please add to this list through the comment section below.

Topics:

• Preparing a Press Release
• Writing and Op-Ed Piece
• Press Release Writing Style and Grammar
• Formatting and Proofreading a Press release
• Timing a Press Release
• Using Photos
• Writing Newsletters
• Using Quotations in a Press Release
• Lists of radio. TV and newspapers locally and nationally
• Social Media
• Web Sites That Offer Marketing and Branding Material
• Activism
• Annual Reports
• Subscribe to Media-Related Newsletters and Blogs
• Books - A Short List

Preparing a Press Release

Press Release Content Basics - http://www.press-release-writing.com/content-basics.htm

Avoiding the Most Common Traps of Writing a Press Release –
http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t125-traps.htm

10 Tips for Writing a Feature Press Release - http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/feature_press_release.jsp?source=nov08nwsltr

11 Strategies for Being a Great Business Writer - http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/24/72/223536.php (Free membership required)

12 Tips for Writing Great Press Releases – http://www.press-release-writing.com/downloads/PressReleaseWriting-12Tips.pdf

Knight Communication online guide, News Release Workshop - http://www.knightcommunications.org/workshop/index

Ten Immutable Laws of Storytelling - http://agoodmanonline.com/pdf/free_range_2007_06.pdf

What Makes a Press Release Newsworthy? -
http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t229-news.htm

Ten Commandments for Being the Company Spokesperson Quotations – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t236-spokesman.htm

Use Press Releases Effectively During The Holiday Season - http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t221-holiday.htm

Pitching Nonprofit Stories to the Media: Make it Timely, Newsworthy and Relevant - http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitpromotion/a/pitching.htm

Sample press releases - http://www.press-release-writing.com/sample-press-release.htm

Press release template - http://www.press-release-writing.com/press-release-template.htm

Reaching the Right Audience – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t225-audience.htm

Creating An Online Press Room and Extending The Life Of Your Press Release - http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t216-pressroom.htm

Robert Wood Johnson free material on press releases and communications from its Quarterly Capacity-Building Audio Seminars for Grantees Communications Strategies in Addiction Prevention and Treatment Grantmaking - http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=34006

Writing an Op-Ed Piece (An op-ed piece is an article that appears in a newspaper on the page opposite the editorial page.)

Nine Tips for Writing Op-Eds That Get Published – http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=7102

Tips for Getting a Charity's Views Into a Newspaper's Editorial Pages. Read the “Dos” and “Don'ts” here – http://philanthropy.com/jobs/2003/05/29/20030612-885735.htm

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Editorial Style Guide - http://ur.rutgers.edu/styleguide/

The League of Women Voters of New Jersey League Editorial Style - http://www.lwvnj.org/members/resources/editorialstyle.shtml

Press Release Writing Style and Grammar

The leader on media coverage and news reporting is the AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press_Stylebook and http://www.apstylebook.com/

See article about Media Strategy To Go with Your Business Plan – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t146-timetable.htm

Journalists Tool Notebook (Great links to resources) - http://www.refdesk.com/jourtool.html

Getting a Grip on Grammar – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t195-grammar.htm

Writing Style Guide (Given to all journalists at The Economist) -http://www.economist.com/research/StyleGuide/index.cfm

Formatting and Proofreading a Press Release

Press Release Formatting 101 - http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t224-formatting.htm

Suggestions for formatting a press release - http://www.press-release-writing.com/formatting-suggestions.htm

Ten Invaluable Tips For Proofreading Your Press Releases – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t170-tentips.htm

Proofreader's Marks - http://www.press-release-writing.com/resources/proofreadersmarks.pdf

Timing a Press Release

How often should you have a press release? – http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t231-howoften.htm

As a general rule of thumb, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday early to midmorning are the best times and days of the week to distribute a press release - http://www.press-release-writing.com/prguru/prg3.htm

Public Relations Strategies and Media Relations: Tips for Nonprofits and Advocacy Campaigns - http://www.fenton.com/pages/5_resources/nowhearthis.htm

Using Photos

Should You Send Photos with Your Press Releases?
http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t232-photos.htm

General Releases for Photos, Videos - http://www.videouniversity.com/releases.htm

Writing Newsletters

Tips for Perfecting the Email Newsletter – http://www.nptimes.com/instantfund/07Sep/IF-070913-1.html

Writing e-Newsletters - Tricks of the Trade – http://www.cottongraphicdesign.com/ezine-marketing/24857.php

Writing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Friendly E-newsletters Develop Digital Newsletters that Get Great Circulation - http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/writing_seo_friendly_enewsletters

Writing Great ALT Tags (for images) for Your E-Newsletter, by Kivi Leroux Miller - http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2007/03/07/writing-great-alt-tags-for-your-e-newsletters/

Using Quotations in a Press Release

Use Famous Quotes to Spice up your Press Release - http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t223-famousquotes.htm

quoteWorld.com - http://www.quoteworld.org/

The Quotations Archive - http://www.aphids.com/quotes/index.shtml

Famous Quotes.com - http://www.famousquotes.com/

Quoteland.com - http://www.quoteland.com/

Thinkexist.com - http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/top/

Reference Desk for Facts and More - http://www.refdesk.com/

Four Types of Interviews for Getting Powerful Quotes in Press Releases - http://www.press-release-writing.com/newsletters/t196-powerfulquotes.htm

Lists of radio, TV and newspapers locally and nationally

NewsLink for Media and Press - http://newslink.org/news.html

U.S. Newspaper List - http://www.usnpl.com/

International Telephone Directories - http://www.infobel.com/en/world/index.aspx

Newseum, displays certain daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form - http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/

All the Top Nonprofit News - http://nonprofit.alltop.com/

Social Media

Civic Engagement on the Move: How Mobile Media Can Serve the Public Good - http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.4197611/k.6190/Civic_Engagement_on_the_Move_How_mobile_media_can_serve_the_public_good.htm

Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media A place to capture and share ideas, experiment with and exchange links and resources about the adoption challenges, strategy, and ROI of nonprofits and social media - http://beth.typepad.com/

12 Tips for Nonprofits On Getting Started With Social Media: Social Networking Is Investment in the Future by Joanne Fritz, About.com - http://nonprofit.about.com/od/socialmedia/tp/Tipsstartsocialnetworking.htm

9 Steps to Prioritize Nonprofit Social Media Training and Experimentation by Britt Bravo - http://www.netsquared.org/blog/britt-bravo/net2thinktank

What Can Social Networking Do for Your Organization? Tips and tools to help your nonprofit get the most out of online networks - http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/archives/page9215.cfm

Looking for training Net2ThinkTank: Key Questions about Social Media Training - http://www.netsquared.org/blog/amysampleward/net2thinktank-key-questions-about-social-media-training

Here is the story of one NPO using Second Life. GoodDogz.org is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. They believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, they’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters. Second Life and Nonprofits - My Take
http://www.bethjbates.com/index.php/2008/10/02/second-life-and-nonprofits-my-take/

Video About Nonprofits and Second Life - http://secondlife.techsoup.org/content/second-coming-second-life-video

How to raise the profile of your nonprofit in 2009 - http://www.nj.com/helpinghands/nonprofitknowhow/index.ssf/2009/01/how_to_raise_the_profile_of_yo.html

50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice, July 27, 2008
http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-steps-to-establishing-a-consistent-social-media-practice

Beware: Your 'tweet' on Twitter could be trouble: Latest networking craze carries many legal risks. http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202426916023

Feedback From Users Of Twitter As A Training Tool - http://newlearningplaybook.com/blog/2008/12/31/feedback-from-users-of-twitter-as-a-training-tool/

Social Media Outreach: Non-Profits are the Key posted by Rezwan –http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/blog/2008/01/21/social-media-outreach-non-profits-are-the-key/

Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking: Advice and Commentary - http://www.coyotecommunications.com/outreach/osn.html

Social Media Tool Box created by the WeAreMedia community - http://www.wearemedia.org/tools+template

Resource Kit for Creative Community Engagement - http://creativecommunity.flexiblelearning.net.au/

Understanding the Legal Issues for Social Networking Sites and Their Users - http://technology.findlaw.com/articles/00006/010966.html

Web Sites That Offer Marketing and Branding Material

All About Marketing - http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/mrktng.htm

Branding Your Nonprofit Through Your Website - http://www.alderconsulting.com/branding.html

Smart Chart; Helping Nonprofits Make Smart Communication Choices -
http://www.smartchart.org/

Media Strategies for NGO Sustainability! - http://www.sangonet.org.za/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7710&Itemid=446

Fact Sheet: Marketing for Charitable Nonprofit Organizations - http://www.archrespite.org/archfs7.htm

Essential Fundraising News Release - http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitpromotion/a/newsrelease.htm?nl=1

New Rules in Public Relations - http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/documents/New_Rules_of_PR.pdf

CHIP and Children’s Medicaid Campaign Graphic Identity and Branding Style Guide - http://www.chipmedicaid.org/files/outreach/logos_graphic/CHIP_GraphicsStandardsGuide.pdf

Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog - http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/comments/5_ways_to_get_people_to_sign_up_for_your_email_list/

See What Your E-Newsletter Looks Like in Different Email Programs -
http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2009/01/06/see-what-your-e-newsletter-looks-like-in-different-email-programs/

Activism

Tools for Citizen Journalists - http://www.kcnn.org/tools

American Opportunity: A Communications Toolkit –
http://www.opportunityagenda.org/american-opportunity-communications-toolkit

Smart Chart: A Tool to Help Nonprofits Make Smart Communications Choices –
http://www.spitfirestrategies.com/pdfs/smart_chart_2.pdf

Affordable New Tools and Strategies for Online Activism - http://www.idealware.org/articles/online_advocacy_tools.php

From Business Week, The Chart of Social Media Behavior in the U.S. - http://images.businessweek.com/mz/07/24/0724_6insiid_a.gif

A Triumph of Trust: Five Principles of Nonprofit Social Media Strategy by Michael Gilbert - http://news.gilbert.org/TriumphOfTrust

The Media and the Law - A handbook for community journalists (From South Africa)
http://fxi.org.za/PDFs/Publications/MediaandtheLawHandbook.pdf

Five Ways to Save Money Using Online Conferencing Tools - http://www.nptimes.com/technobuzz/TB20081223_2.html

Evaluating Online Activities - http://www.coyotecommunications.com/culture/online2offline.html

Annual Reports

What Must Be in an Annual Report? - http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/242-151/45-58

Tips for Creating a Good Annual Report - http://www.zpub.com/sf/arl/arl-tips.html

Ten Tips for Writing a Great Annual Report - http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitpromotion/a/annualreps.htm

Subscribe to Media-Related Newsletters and Blogs

Getting Attention is a free e-newsletter, published bi-monthly by Nancy Schwartz & Company - http://www.nancyschwartz.com/

PRW Newsletter is a free e-newsletter from Press-Release-Writing.com - http://www.press-release-writing.com/prw-newsletter.htm

Beth Kantor’s Blog - http://beth.typepad.com/

Books – A Short List

Publicity for Nonprofit: Generating Media Exposure That Leads to Awareness, Growth, and Contributions by Sandra L. Beckwith

Strategic Communications for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Working with the Media by Kathy Bonk, Emily Tynes, Henry Griggs, and Phil Sparks

The Associated Press Stylebook by Associated Press

Attracting the Attention Your Cause Deserves by Joseph Barbato

The Copyeditor's Handbook by Amy Einsohn

Please add to this list through the comment section below.

The Real Clients of the Nonprofit CEO – It’s the Staff – Here Are 29 Reasons Why

We can make an argument that the clients of the CEO are the people served, the community, the board or the supporters and funders. And they are truly clients from time tom time for the CEO. For me, however, the number one client is – staff. Here are my top 29 aspects that the chief operating officer or executive director must exhibit for the nonprofit or nongovernmental organization employing her or him.

1. Listen to staff, board and community. There is a reason this is first. CEOs and other leaders have a tendency to always talk at meetings. Learn to be brief if it is necessary to speak. Learn to actively listen to others. Listening is more and demands more than hearing people. Take it all in – the words, the phrases, the inflections, the facial expressions, body movements or lack thereof, the context, the group in the room, the emphases. The worst line a manager can say to staff is “I have an open door policy.” No you don’t. You are always willing to arrange a suitable timely period to talk. Make yourself available in person when both of you can talk.
2. Provide leadership and encourage others to lead as appropriate and as needed. You are not the only person in the organization who can provide leadership. Use and let knowledgeable staff to develop and provide leadership when appropriate.
3. Maintain and translate an understanding of the organization’s mission, values, vision, ethics and culture. Stimulate the energy and focus of the staff about why the whole thing exists and their roles. Translate the mission, vision and passion to board, employees and volunteers
4. Know what everyone in the organization is doing to further the mission and he vision. You do not need to know how they do it, but you should know what they are doing and why they do it.
5. Guide the organization through though and good times. One of the most difficult times for a CEO is when she/he does not know the answers or a best guess about the future. In these hard economic moments the CEO has to find and look at the facts and make best judgments for the mission and vision of the organization. There is an old saying, make haste slowly. When facing decisions, which decision are you likely to regret the most; it may be the right decision to make?
6. Relate and develop relationships between staff and board. Avoid being the funnel between the board and staff. Make room in terms of paid time for some staff to attend board meetings. If the board and the staff are to be working on the same mission and vision, why should the CEO stand in the way?
7. Play a supportive role in downsizing. That is not a contradiction of terms. It’s your job. I don’t care what it is, freezing or reducing salaries and benefits, laying people off, closing offices, shutting down programs, reducing hours, giving some people lead time to leave their jobs – it is difficult. No one will feel good about any of the decisions. Morale will fall. Gossip will increase. Facts will be twisted. Lies will be created out of whole cloth. Know it in advance. During this entire maelstrom, the support you give is to stay focused on the mission and vision of the organization. Tell the truth. Tell the staff what the current situation is and what the future presents, no matter how bleak. You are dealing with human lives. Spend time with staff and their pain. See #1 above – actively listen and respond with understanding. They may beat you up, but the problem is bigger than you and you can be bigger than the criticism. Take the high moral ground. The attack may be at you, but not about you. It is about the bad decisions that have to be made. It is about the causes that may not be fully understood. But you have to do it. Often times not making a decision is worse than making a bad decision.
8. Develop fair, equitable salaries and benefits comparable to similar employment in the public or private sector. In good time and in bad times this may be my most critical point about our sector. We have bought into the myth that people work for nonprofits for personal satisfaction and they expect lower pay and benefits. As the CEO you should serve your clients much better than this. Salary comparability studies should be made. They are not difficult. I do not mean comparing your staff with nonprofit staff elsewhere. I mean compare staff salaries to comparable public and private wages and benefits at the local, regional or state levels. That comparability may be your staff is being paid currently at fifty% of the other sectors...are you satisfied and proud of that? What about mileage? In many nonprofits staff account for 70% to 85% of the budget. Generally the only salary out of that which is closest to comparable is the CEO’s. Yes, higher salaries will mean fewer staff members. That is the way it will be. Fewer staff members may translate into fewer case numbers. It may increase the quality for those cases handled. We have to do something here. We are cheating the staff, lying to funders about what the mission really costs and ultimately in my view the public. I do wonder if unionized nonprofits are faring well on this point.
9. Create good, clean, safe and appropriate work space, comfortable chairs, desks, file cabinets, desk top equipment, and comfortable and attractive public areas. Have accommodations for disabled employees and guests. I am not talking top of the line and hiring a decorator. I am talking about showing dignity and caring for the work area. Each employee should have her/his stuff. Paint sometimes can do wonders over a couple of weekends – yes, as work time if necessary. Some staff member or board member or volunteer may know somebody who can reupholster the chairs in the common areas for the cost of the material.
10. Provide sufficient and appropriate equipment and technology. Computers, monitors, calculators, printers, copiers, software programs, and other technology should be available, maintained and upgraded for staff to perform their work effectively and efficiently. And staff should be trained on how to use it.
11. Budget for periodic relevant and fair training for staff and yourself. Although not every employee needs to attend a training event annually, there should be budget line items for training and travel for more than the CEO and other top echelon people. There can be room for paying for continued education for licensed staff. But more than that, other training is available in nonprofit accounting, support work, dealing with difficult people, employee relations and more.
12. Assure productivity, goals and objectives are being measured and being met or revised as needed. You should be receiving regular reports showing the key features – not all features – about how the organization and individual staff members are producing, whether they are meeting goals and objectives in a timely fashion and you should assess where there are weaknesses, strengths and where changes may need to be made.
13. Oversee supervision and leave nothing to chance or favoritism. Do not assume the senior employee, the highest degree or licensed person or the most experienced are doing what they are supposed to do and with quality. Verify they and all staff are doing the job correctly, meeting contract or legal compliance and are timely with work and reports.
14. Know where the money is and where it is going. Receive and review fiscal reports including originals such as bank statements and check books. Check frequently that separation of duties for fiscal matters is functioning. Look at cancelled and voided checks for number sequential, payee and amount with billings. Review all payroll material.
15. Know and utilize the lessons from the past and be creative in the long run - your own and the organization. We all learn from the past. And for most of us we will repeat the mistakes from the past. This is a sensitivity you as CEO should exhibit and retrain yourself to avoid them.
16. Spend time planning fiscally along with the goals, objectives and activities of the organization. Look at the books in the context of what the staff and the organization are doing. What are you spending the money on? Do you have knowledge about the cost centers of the organization and why the money is spent that way? Do the priorities match the expenditures?
17. Lead by guiding, modeling, mentoring by following when others know more than you do. You do not know everything and you do not know more than your staff put together. You can model what expectations are with humility and grace and honor and silence for others.
18. Insist on evaluation of all employees on a regular basis including you. This starts with you. Help your board develop a legally defensible annual evaluation system with timely written evaluations for all employees and a written annual evaluation of you
19. Assure responsible hiring. Develop the written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping of written on recruiting, hiring, training, and firing, Develop written personnel policies and procedures.
20. Offer staff opportunities for growth, development and promotion. This can look to be next to impossible for a staff of 25 or less but it is not. Employees need to grow in their jobs and their accomplishments. Find creative ways to do this in consultation with staff.
21. Help create and maintain a cultural competent environment. Set the mood, the standards and the actuality for cultural diversity in the organization. Be sensitive and aware of activities that may create barriers to the diversity and those that encourage a natural environment for diversity.
22. Foster mutual respect and problem solving among staff. Set the tone and the skills for respecting differences of opinions and convictions. Provide the atmosphere for staff to resolve their own differences before heading to you or a supervisor - or the rumor mill
23. Encourage a corporate culture that fosters cooperation, initiative, creativity, partnering, honesty, open communication, behavior and change. A silent and an acknowledged corporate culture exists in every organization. Your task is to keep those two cultures carefully aligned for the results listed above.
24. Recognize and celebrate organizational and individual achievement, workable innovation and results. A negative environment may be productive but not without its costs. That is also true for a positive supportive organization – too much time spent on creature comforts of staff will have its costs. The staff is not the reason the organization exists but they are your clients. Salute them for work well done.
25. Consider openness to new forms of work including telecommuting, networking, communicating. These may help the organization function more efficiently and effectively. It does take time thinking and planning in order to save in the future. Consider these along with other ways to be a better program.
26. Partner at the top level with similar organizations working on the same mission in the region, state, country politically. Small and medium sized programs can suffer from being alone, not connected to other organizations that share similar missions, visions and history. CEOs should spend time looking for compatriots for partnering for support and even political support. You can gain muscle for the clients of the organizations and for your organization about public policies and funding nationally, statewide or regionally. You are not alone, why act that way? You can perform advocacy. Learn the rules. See Resources below.
27. Throughout the organization foster an understanding about partnering with other organizations. Lead staff to partner with others and to be aware of services and activities that can be used by the organization’s clients. Duplication is wasteful. Funders are looking for realistic partnering not just simple referrals or nice-nice between CEOs.
28. Find time for reflection, soul searching, contemplation, silence. I have a spiritual sense of our work in the nonprofit world. Our work is above us and guides us. I am not talking about religion or any God. I am talking about spending time with your soul and the soul of the organization. Think about you. Where are you doing well and where must you grow? Find a silent period on the clock or off it, but find it for the organization and for you.
29. Prepare for succession of staff, board and yourself. One of the most important concepts an organization’s people have to understand and live with is change. Staff and board members will reign. The great CEO -, and founding person – will lead for change. Succession planning at levels is important. There needs to be in place a process to develop corporate memory so that what is lost by the person is not also an information lose. It is very important that the board have a plan for your successor. That could be tomorrow. Plan for it. Plan on it.

Resources

Making Performance Management Work ... Better - http://compforce.typepad.com/compensation_force/2008/11/making-performance-management-work-better.html

Reducing the Fear Factor Workers look for reassurance from their employers as the financial downturn raises economic anxiety to new heights, by Ed Frauenheim and Jessica Marquez - http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/25/98/06/index.html

The Numbers behind Workers’ Financial Fears: From unemployment to home foreclosures to declining wages, employees’ economic fears are well founded. - http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/25/98/06/259812.html

Looking for the Exit on Wall Street, by Jessica Marquez - http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/25/98/06/259810.html

Most Employers Exercising Caution on Slashing Jobs, by Jessica Marquez - http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/25/98/06/259809.html

Lobbying and the Law = http://www.mncn.org/lobbylaw.htm

Nonprofit Advocacy and Lobbying - http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/advocacy_lobbying.htm

Alliance for Justice Worry Free Lobbying for Nonprofits - http://www.afj.org/for-nonprofits-foundations/resources-and-publications/free-resources/worry-free-lobbying-for-1.html

Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations: Shaping Public Policy at the State and Local Level - http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=27

Introductory guide to policy & lobbying for nonprofits - http://www.slideshare.net/SSE/introductory-guide-to-policy-lobbying-for-nonprofits

Why Don’t Nonprofits Fire Poor Performers and Jerks?

24 Factors In Developing an Exit Strategy for Nonprofit and Nongovernmental Organization (A Business Plan in Reverse)

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

One Phase of Nonprofit Organizational Readiness for Grant Funding: Recordkeeping

Every organization needs well-planned, carefully maintained files in order to handle applications, grants and to function effectively. Setting up a useful filing system can be an easy task if several basic decisions are made beforehand. This article offers an outline of what an organization can expect to maintain: written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping. It will discuss the need for maintaining, retrieving, archiving and destroying records and accountability for each.

I have included a list of resources for deciding on retention deadlines and management of records.

There are those of us who see the mission and the vision of an organization as a spiritual process seeking and expressing the values of the organization. It is outward, not inward. It is the pursuit of excellence, not necessarily perfection. It is an experience of constant renewal; there is a dimension of the human soul and an orientation of the heart. It is a way of making sense of the insensible and insensible.

Beginning and working in a nonprofit organization is a leap of faith. It is walking to the end of a cliff and taking one more step. It is a calling that is difficult to put down. It is a risk about which we are passionate. With this spiritual side of an NPO, there are the hard facts that leadership, paper work, recordkeeping, management, budgets, grant writing, fund raising, cleaning the bathroom are the outward and visible signs of that inward and spiritual belief in the mission and the vision of the organization.

And so here we go.

How long should you keep records? Some records may have to be kept 3 years, some 7 years, some permanently. Your state or the grant or contract may have minimum requirements for keeping records. It is my suggestion that you have a written policy about keeping these records and more such as business-related web sites and significant e-mail at least through the state or Federal statute of limitations for bringing a lawsuit against the organization and any subsequent appeals. The statutes of limitation are different state by state and with the federal law; they are based on the type of suit or administrative complaint.

It is important that you meet with an attorney to assist on this and other policies to be certain you are appropriately protected.

Specific people should be assigned responsibility for maintaining specific files. Once these assignments are made, everyone in the organization should know who can assist in locating needed information, as well as to whom various documents should be given for filing. When an organization has staff and an office, the staff usually maintains the files for the organization in the office. Public disclosure laws require certain information be located in all offices with three employees or more. Privacy laws may affect the way you handle personnel records and the records of applicants for employment.

In an organization without staff, generally the secretary is responsible for maintaining corporate records, correspondence, and membership files, while the treasurer is responsible for all financial records. The bylaws should clearly state that the officer, secretary and treasurer are obligated to return all records to the organization president or chairperson when relieved of duties. Make sure board members know who is responsible for what, and that nothing falls through the cracks.

Nonprofit organizations should have a written, mandatory document retention and periodic destruction policy. Policies such as this will eliminate accidental or innocent destruction. In addition, it is important for administrative personnel to know the length of time records should be retained to be in compliance with the law and with contracts.

I also suggest checking with your attorney and accountant before destroying any records.
But First: An Important Tip - Always return all material to the proper file promptly to avoid loss of important documents.
Records and Files to Be Kept
The following are samples of records you should keep permanently, even if the law or a grant permits a shorter period. Your state/province may have statutes of limitation for legal action that will influence the maintenance and destruction of records. Some of these records will be important to preparing a grant application.

• Audit reports of accountant or board committee
• General ledger
• Cash books, petty cash, client funds
• Charts of accounts
• Transfer registers
• Bank statements
• Property lists and inventory, serial numbers, date of purchase, original cost, grantor(s) who paid for it, purchase records
• Checks (canceled, and especially for taxes, purchase of property, salaries, contracts, etc.)
• As appropriate copies of staff licensing (i.e. social worker, doctor, lawyer, psychologist, nurse), staff and volunteer motor vehicle insurance if driving clients or for other work duties
• Employment contracts
• Personnel records and material filed by applicants for employment
• Hiring policy, procedure and application forms; establish a written policy for the retention of applications, resumes and employment inquiry letters, from three to six months but there is an argument that you need to keep them through the statute of limitations for any potential law suit.
• All employee withholding, transmittal, reporting, forms filed.
• Written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping such as Personnel Manuals, Equal Employment, Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy, Violence in the Workplace Policy and Procedure Manual, Standards of Practice, Ethics, etc.
• Employee benefits and records of accrual, employee time and travel sheets
• Policies, applications and records of volunteers
• Correspondence (legal and important letters)
• Records of all gifts received and letters of acknowledgement
• Deeds, mortgages, easements and bills of sale
• Financial statements (at least end-of-year, other months optional unless required by law or a grantor)
• End of year trial balances
• Insurance policies and other records, correspondence, claims
• Current accident reports and claims
• Journals and minutes of Board meetings and attachments
• Charter or incorporation papers with amendments, bylaws and amendments and change of registered agent, state and local approvals and reports
• Purchase of Service Agreements.
• Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)
• Copies of all Federal, State and local tax documents, e.g.: Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), IRS designation letters, state identification number, all correspondence with the IRS and state including annual reports, 990 and so on
• All correspondence to or from federal, state and local taxing agencies, tax returns, extensions, worksheets, reports, income tax forms etc.
• Property records (costs, depreciation, blueprints, plans, etc.)
• Trademark registrations, patents and copyrights and applications
• Material related to any threat of or actual lawsuit or administrative claim including but not limited to civil rights, ADA and other potential liabilities, subject to statute of limitations; avoid destruction of e-mail and other records that may impact litigation
• Client or customer's files; client or customer complains, contracts, a state or federal Statute or a licensing organization may set time lines for retaining these files but be conscious of the statute of limitations for legal action by a client or customer
• Copy of all matters posted on your web site
• Significant and relevant e-mail, instant messaging, and other telephonic communication systems
• Labor contracts
• Training and orientation material
• Hardware and software licenses
• User names and passwords

Important Tip: Nonprofit organizations should give careful consideration to written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping separating duties between officers and employees. For instance the duties of opening envelopes with checks, registering the checks, preparing bank deposits and accounting for funds are different duties that should be shared by various board officers or employees. Talk with your accountant to develop these written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping to increase accountability.

There are two other files that the organization and development people should create, The Dream File and The Memory File:


The Dream File – This file should contain the dreams of programs and activities that leadership, staff and others present for funding ideas. They may be somewhat far fetched. They cannot be off-mission, however. The record of a dream may be simply a few lines; it may be several pages with details started. Take the time to dream and capture the dreams for potential funding opportunities and partnerships. Add to the dream file material from what you read or what you hear, a line may make a good opening to a grant application if on mission I have used lyrics of Bruce Springsteen successfully more than once to lead off the cover letter.


The Memory Files - These files should contain information that a potential funder may request. Have them clearly available so that there will be no delay or lost opportunities for grants. There is no consistency about what funders want. These are samples of commonly requested material:

• Original verified copies of the Articles of Incorporation and any amendments, and copies of the bylaws and all amendments,
• History and mission of the organization,
• The completed IRS Form 1023, FEIN, state identification number or other papers
• The last three years of 990s, audits and management letters,
• Employee and board job descriptions,
• Leadership resumes,
• Current annual budget,
• Board minutes and fiscal reports for the most recent 12 month period,
• Evaluations and monitoring reports by any funders,
• Press coverage, Internet references
• Names and short biography of board members and staff management and leadership,
• Templates of the description and brief history of the organization, its mission, goals, objectives, activities,
• List of current funding sources,
• Business or strategic plan, needs assessment and priority studies,
• Building plans and
• Any other papers you believe may be relevant to a government, foundation or corporation.

The copies sent to a funder should be legible and presented in and orderly and best possible fashion. It may help to have an appendix sheet listing additional material. Some applications require consecutive numbering from page 1 through the last page. A copy of a that is crooked or the bottom cut off is not the way to do it.


Funders may request all material be on back-to-back paper for conservation. Others may request 20 copies of everything. Follow the instructions. Provide what they ask for. Follow instructions as to what they do not want. You are putting your best foot forward here. Show your professionalism, your passion and abilities.


Considerations

The recordkeeping about recordkeeping should give guidance concerning categories of records, access to records, forms, schedule for retention or destruction, schedule for archiving if appropriate, methods for retrieval and notice of who is responsible for the action.

The board needs to develop written policies, procedures, forms and recordkeeping capability for fiscal, legal, contract, employment and other accountability. Who will maintain the corporate files for fiscal accountability? Who does not have access to certain records? How will the board know what is going on?

Where do you keep these records? What facts and documents of your organization are available to the public? If you receive public funds there may be requirements from your state law or funding source about more public accountability. If you have staff, there are certain personnel records that may not be released, such as health records. On the other hand, there are some personnel records open for inspection at least to funders. What other records should an organization retain permanently and in what format? Who may have access to the records?

What policy and procedure will you have for destruction and retention of records? What system will be used for retrieval of documents? Who has access and who has the right of access to these records?

Where do you store the old records for your organization? In a disaster, how vulnerable do you think these records will be? There are consultants to help you assess the vulnerability of your organization to disaster, but they may be more costly than you can afford. But what can you afford if you lose everything?

The best advice: Plan ahead. Keep copies of backup material off site. Store it in an electronic vault or secure web site if necessary. Double-check your insurance – does it cover floods if you are near water or other disasters? Develop a plan for protecting your business so you will be up and running as soon as possible.

If you are going to seek grants, be certain you have looked carefully at the responsibilities, recordkeeping and reporting in the application and in the contract.

I am required to tell you that I am a licensed attorney in New Jersey. It is not my intent to provide you with legal advice. I may have given you legal information but I have not given you legal advice. Reading this material is not a substitute for seeking legal assistance in these decisions.


Resources


Document Retention Limits

A limited list from Pfau Englund Nonprofit Law can be found at http://www.nonprofitlaw.com/retention.shtml


Records Retention Schedule at Delaware Association of Nonprofit Agencies’ web site - http://www.delawarenonprofit.org/toolstemplates/managefinance_faq2.php


Document Retention In The Digital Age: How Long Is Long Enough? By Philip L. Gordon of Littler Mendelson, P.C. - http://library.findlaw.com/2004/Sep/27/133589.html


Management

The Basic Guide to Nonprofit Financial Management by Carter McNamara at http://www.mapnp.org/library/finance/np_fnce/np_fnce.htm

See the Policies for Financial Accountability at Idealist/Action Without Borders http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/56-25/50-5


Financial Management - http://www.allianceonline.org/FAQ/financial_management

Foundation Center Tutorial, Proposal Budgeting Basics - http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/prop_budgt/


The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Implications for Nonprofit Organizations – http://www.independentsector.org/issues/sarbanesoxley.html


Compendium of Standards, Codes, and Principles of Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations - http://www.independentsector.org/issues/accountability/standards2.html


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


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


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/report/principles/Principles_Guide.pdf and http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/


What Must We, What Can We Disclose to the Public, Staff, Board and Clients? - http://www.nonprofits.org/if/idealist/en/FAQ/QuestionViewer/default?category-id=1&item=1505&sid=40057025-157-xBkAU


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


Nonprofit Governance and Accountability - http://www.jhu.edu/listeningpost/news/pdf/comm04.pdf


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

Grant Writing Tools Web Sites - http://www.idealist.org/npofaq/19/64.html

IKnow is Interactive Knowledge for Nonprofit Organizations Worldwide - http://www.iknow.org/Main.cfm?Main=14


Is a Grant Right for Your Agency? A helpful one page check list from U.S. Department of Agriculture - http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/grant_checklist.pdf