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The Collaborative Voice of Wisconsin's Nonprofits July 2009

In This Issue
Sector News Jobs Management Tip Workshops & Seminars Technology Tip Preferred Vendor Highlight New Members About Us
Resource Quick Picks
Beth's Blog "Digital immigrant" coach and professional blogger writes about using social media tools in the nonprofit sector for social change. Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog On "Robin Hood Marketing" — the concept of stealing corporate savvy to sell just causes. Network for Good Learning Center Free articles and training on nonprofit marketing, fundraising, and social networking. Step By Step Fundraising Practical articles, samples, and strategy ideas on fundraising and nonprofit management.
Jobs
For more info: WNA Career Center Project Coordinator: Wisconsin Community Fund, Madison >>> See all 111 jobs <<< WNA Members: post jobs for just $25 each - and less! Seekers: Look for FREE!
Join WNA Today!
Membership Year Begins Jan 1 Not yet a member? Become part of the collective voice promoting the impact of our vital sector. Visit us at www.WisconsinNonprofits.org or contact Elaine Glowacki, Member Services Coordinator, elaine@wisconsinnonprofits.org or 608-238-7103. Not sure you're a member? Click HERE.
Referral Bonus
Members: Refer a NEW member to WNA and choose one: 2-for-1 Registration for the annual WNA Summit Exclusive e-collection of Nonprofit Quarterly management/trend articles A featured book from Fieldstone Alliance Let us know whom to expect. When your referral joins, we'll contact you so you can choose your bonus!
About Us
Wisconsin Nonprofits Association Our purpose is to increase the effectiveness, visibility, and credibility of Wisconsin's nonprofits through advocacy, resource sharing, and technical support. We find common ground for common good to offer a collective voice for nonprofits. Staff Executive Director: Mary Riordan Member Svcs: Elaine Glowacki
WNA is a proud member of:

Thank you to our
2009 Annual Funding Partners:

Dear Elaine,
Association News
New Legislative Action Center Keeps You Informed and Engaged Would you like to make a big difference to the Nonprofit Sector in just 5 minutes? That's all it takes when you visit the new WNA Legislative Action Center to learn the issues and send an email to your elected officials. Through this site our Public Policy Committee tracks state and federal legislation that impacts Wisconsin nonprofit organizations. Click HERE to join our free action network and receive updates.You'll also find a link to the Legislative Action Center in the right-hand column of our website. Check it out and let us know what you think. Summit 2009 Photos
Nonprofit Sector News & Information
Obama's charitable-deduction proposal criticized President Obama's proposal to reduce the charitable deduction for high-income taxpayers represents a "war on philanthropy" at a time when nonprofits are battered by the recession and in significant need of donations. The Role of Email in Your Communications Mix Nonprofits have a lot of choices when it comes to communications - from direct mail, to websites, to social networking sites and more. With Spam on the rise and open rates down, what role should email play in a successful communications strategy - and when should nonprofits choose to use it? The Drive towards "Highly-skilled" and "Pro Bono" Volunteering There is nothing inherently new about volunteers donating professional expertise, but in the past year a variety of summits and action campaigns have examined the potential of intentionally and strategically applying business talents to the nonprofit world. ... As always, the emphasis of the new initiatives is on recruiting the volunteers, encouraging corporations to donate employee time and talent. But, also as always, it is not enough to push for service unless the basics are in place to utilize the offered expertise. The following are six premises that need to be challenged – not to negate pro bono projects but to assure their success. Easier Said Than Done: Three Laws of Fundraising Dynamics Exciting discoveries from Easier Said Than Done Labs that will pave the way to donor dollars. Video: Are you a stupid marketer? Watch and decide! Hilarious and educational. (Note: Once you click on this link - scroll down a bit on the page where you land to find the video.) (3:21) Defining Social Justice Philanthropy: What's Your Favorite Shade of Pinko? Those of us in the business of grantmaking often get so caught up in the mechanics of our work that we lose sight of the transformed lives and communities we strive to bring into being. We forget the good we set out to accomplish. This is a great shame. But next to losing a sense of the good we can accomplish through our work, the worst evil that can befall us is to have little sense of anything else. We need not only a vision of the world we want to see, but a bracing clarity about the how of social change. New Pro Bono Project Help for Madison-area Nonprofits The Leadership Greater Madison Alumni Association recently launched Community Action Teams, a new program to assist 501(c)(3) nonprofits and small businesses in Dane County with a means to accomplish that one project that may make a difference for that organization.
Management Tip
7 Things To Consider For Your D&O Policy Times are tough and budgets are tight but if you think you’ll save a few bucks by cutting Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance, you might want to think again. Though D&O insurance might make up a large percentage of a small nonprofit’s budget, an organization would find it difficult to attract board members without it, according to Katherine Berkman, chairman of San Francisco-based Calender-Robinson Co. “It’s hard to get qualified board members to sit on your board (without D&O insurance),” she said. D&O insurance protects a corporation’s directors and officers from liability in case a lawsuit is brought against them relating to a company’s or nonprofit’s business. more ... Note – Contact Monitor Liability, our D&O Preferred Vendor, for more information: Andrew Morse, 800-557-0550, m.agency@att.net.
Workshops and Seminars
See Full Calendar for More Free Teleconference: Dialing In, Logging On and Nodding Off 7/28/09, 12-1pm. Given the current economic climate, everyone's looking for ways to cut costs and work smarter. And that means more organizations (including yours) may start scheduling teleconferences, videoconferences and webinars instead of in-person meetings. On paper, where the savings clearly add up, this makes plenty of sense, but is anybody calculating what is lost when we meet this way? Webinar: Getting Started with Online Personal/Team Fundraising 7/29, 12-1:30pm. Leverage the passion of your staff, volunteers, and supporters by asking them to fundraise for you! There's a class of new software tools that help your supporters setup their own fundraising page (with their own stories, pictures, and fundraising targets) and then solicit their contacts on behalf of your organization. We'll talk through some best practices for succeeding with distributed fundraising, and take a look at some of the software options available to support it. Cost: $40.* From IdealWare, a WNA Preferred Vendor. WNA Members receive a 15% discount when you use your special members-only link. Webinar: Considering Social Media for Your Organization* 8/5, 12-1:30p. There's a lot of talk these days about social media - blogs, RSS, podcasts, YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, social networking, MySpace, Facebook, oh my! What are these things, and why do they all have funny names? How can they help you to engage your constituents and spread the word about your organization? We'll provide a hype-free look at at how social media tools and techniques can fit into your online communications mix, how to make they work for you, and some examples of what other organizations are doing. Cost: $40.* From IdealWare, a WNA Preferred Vendor. *WNA Members receive a 15% discount when you use your special members-only link.
Technology Tip
Webinars for Nonprofits: Getting Started By now, most of us have participated in a webinar, but it’s one thing to participate and another to produce one. So, here’s a quick guide to getting started in webinar production for nonprofits.
Preferred Vendor Highlight
Managing Executive Transitions – New Book from Fieldstone Alliance Gives Nonprofits a Proven Approach to Managing Leadership Turnovers Leadership transitions are stressful and time-consuming for any organization. On the other hand, an executive turnover offers unique opportunities for renewal and fresh thinking. Managing Executive Transitions gives nonprofits a proven process that enables them to handle this major event in a way that prevents problems and seizes opportunities for positive change and greater mission impact. Fieldstone Alliance is committed to strengthening the performance of the nonprofit sector. Through consulting, training, publishing, and demonstration projects, it provides solutions to issues facing nonprofits, funders, and the communities they serve. (Fieldstone Alliance was formerly Wilder Publishing and Wilder Consulting departments of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.) WNA Members receive a 15% discount off Fieldstone's list price when they use the members-only link or special code.
New Members - Welcome!
Burleigh Street Community Development Corporation, Milwaukee Wigamig Owners Loan Fund, Inc., Lac du Flambeau And welcome back, renewing Members!
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Madison, Wisconsin 53701-1662
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