Drafting a Mission Statement

Mission, vision and values

Resource: What Should Our Mission Statement Say? http://www.tgci.com/magazine/How%20to%20Write%20a%20Mission%20Statement.pdf

Recruiting Board Members

Resource: “Everything you need to know about boards,” from Learning to Give. http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=56

  Consulting lawyers, accountants can help you to:

Become a non-profit  corporation, and get tax exempt status, IRS section 501(c)3.

You might want to try to get an attorney and an accountant to be on your board to get help for this free or low cost.

Drafting corporate by-laws:

Resource: Template for nonprofit by-laws: http://users.aristotle.net/~nonprofit/startup/bylaws.htm

Once you are incorporated:

1. Register Your Non-profit with your State ( usually Secretary of State)
2. Open a bank account, to do this you need to obtain a Federal Employer Number from Internal Revenue Service http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html
3.  Obtrain Limiting Liability Insurance and Directors and Board Insurance. Resource: Information from Nonprofit Risk Management Center: http://www.nonprofitrisk.org/

Get an Accountant or Attorney to help you file for IRS Tax Exempt Status. Some states require you that you become a state non-profit organization too, in order to do fund raising.

Resource: Internal Revenue Service Nonprofit  website:http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits 

Resource: IRS pamphlet explaining the process: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4220.pdf

 If ( when) You Hire Employees:

Be sure to comply with the State Unemployment and Worker’s Compensation Insurance laws.

Starting a Non-Profit

With 2012 set to be the year of cause marketing, event planning has evolved to become an integral part of the nonprofit operation. No longer driven by email marketing and offline activities, modern events are planned online and through the real time interactions of social media, and this has helped nonprofits to reach a wider target audience and empower more motivated collaborators. With this in mind, which cause marketing campaigns and nonprofits managed to hit the heights in 2011, and blazed a trail for others to follow?

Nonprofit Events in 2011: The Top 3 Case Studies

 Breast Cancer Campaigns and Chilli Sauce: In October 2011, women’s health nonprofit Breast Cancer Campaigns partnered with leading UK events planners Chilli Sauce to raise awareness for their cause. In collaboration, they constructed the World’s Largest Bra and placed it by the side of the Thames river in commemoration of Wear it Pink Today. This unique visual event, which created a significant interest through social media site Twitter, engaged a brand new audience of donors and raised real time funds like no other in 2011.

Share Our Strength and Taste the Nation: One nonprofit that went it alone in 2011 was U.S. outlet Share Our Strength, which strives to put an end to poverty and childhood hunger. On a national scale. It’s world famous Taste the Nation event is held annually and within numerous local communities, and invites people to sample the finest food, drinks and wine while supporting a socially relevant cause. As each event in 2011 was organized and marketed through social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, it is easy for interested parties to donate, sponsor a restaurant and purchase their ticket.

Help for Heroes and the Big Battlefield Bike Ride: Help for Heroes has a huge presence in the nonprofit world, and its annual Big Battlefield Bike Ride is one of the most ambitious and challenging on the calendar. It was last held in June of last year, and competitors gathered at Southwick Park before traversing a full 350 miles across France in a bid to raise funds for returning and wounded servicemen. A challenging series of slopes and hills, the event was also promoted with vivid imagery and an integrated audio visual social media presence, and managed to create interest throughout the whole of Europe.

 Whether nonprofits look to conceive and manage their own events or collaborate with innovative event planners like Chilli Sauce, the application of social media resources and real time tools is crucial to every stage of the process. From organizing the logistics of an event across communities to marketing it and managing donations, an integrated social media presence can boost both its efficiency and the levels of awareness that surrounds its cause.

The Bottom Line

1. Size – a very small or new non-profit is more likely to have the resources and talent to use a cash accounting system. . This is when the income (cash or checks) is counted when received and expenses are counted when paid.

2. Staff or volunteer talent. Do you have volunteer or paid accountant? Or othe paid accounting staff. If your volunteer treasurer is not an account, again using a cash accounting system makes the most sense.

3. Available bookkeeping software  – many packages are available for cash or accrual accounting methods

If you have a volunteer or paid accountant using an accrual system will help you to create a budget, using account codes, and make a profit and loss statement  . In an accrual system, expenses are counted as they occur, even if the money is received later. For example, a grant letter from a foundation stating you will receive $25,000 is counted as of the letter date under an accrual system, but not counted under a cash system until the check is actually received.

The advantage of the cash accounting system is that you know where you stand at all times based on bank balances. Under the accrual system, you can have a  zero bank balance but show income of $25,000 if the actual donation or grant has not yet arrived.

The accrual accounting system is much more common and is used by accountants, and auditors. If your organization uses accrual accounting be sure to have regular cash flow reports so that you get caught with a cash shortage.

Non-profit Bookkeeping Systems

If you are a nonprofit professional and seeking employment the competition is fierce. Many nonprofits would like to hire, but just don’t have the resources. Nonprofit Jobs are out there, you just have to look longer, and be willing to move if necessary. So don’t give up.  Social service skills are going to continue to be needed to help pull the country out of this recession and it’s aftermath.

If you have been laid off, leverage your experience to become employed again. If you have fund raising skills highlight them in your resume, along with foundation and government colleagues and networks.

Keep you computer skills up to date by volunteering or tutoring. Or takes some classes to boost your weaker skills.

Have you always wanted to start a business? Maybe a social entrepreneurial business would be a good fit. You help others and earn a living for yourself and others. The Internet also provides a new way to help others and earn a living. You can blog or write articles for websites providing expert information that will be of benefit to others. You could become an Advice and Info columnist!

Nonprofit Jobs

What if you could help stop genocide today?

The Persecution Project Foundation is sending out an urgent request for advocacy on behalf of the Nuba People in Sudan.

The situation is dire. Their government is making a concentrated effort to eradicate the Nuba People. They are being exterminated because they are indigenous, black African or because they fought for the independence of Sudan and when the lines were drawn, they ended up in North Sudan.

These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The tactic being used by their government is the same one they used in Darfur:

• They are being bombed and driven from their villages

• Soldiers are going house to house and killing Christian or those they suspect helped South Sudan gain their independence

• Because of the timing of the air raids they have been unable to plant their crops –so they on the verge of famine. Without relief, their food consists of nothing except greens.

Would you help us spread awareness of their plight by:

1) Speaking up for them on Facebook or Twitter

2) Reposting this blog post.

To learn more ways you can help, please visit www.SavetheNuba.com.

One person can’t save the Nuba alone, but a community of people can.

Save the Nuba

This is especially true for finding funding for social workers who make up such a large and important part of social service agencies budgets. Already underpaid in most cases, social workers often can’t afford to purchase their own continuing education courses.

One creative solution is finding a donor who will endow a social workers position so that you have sustained, and ongoing funding for this position. This concept is based on what universities do when they endow a department Chair or a research project Chair. Another idea is to include the social workers salary, benefits and ongoing education as part of a project cost. Or split the cost between two projects. For example, if your agency provided services to homeless folks and those with domestic violence issues you could divide the cost between the two projects if the social worker works in both areas. Finding a way to fund continuing education for social workers who work with low income folks is very important and much needed, so be creative!

Keeping Social Workers Up-to -Date with Newest Treatments

One way to gather needed data is to ascertain program results by surveying clients about their needs, serivices provided and progress made.  A survey questionnaire completed at the time of entering a program, and another upon completion of a program is very helpful in determining if you program is meeting it’s goals. The data gather from the surveys can be passed onto funders to bolster your organizations’s case for requested funding.

Carefully planning the survey questions is important, as well as making sure that the survey is neutral, and doesn’t lead the client to a conclusion. Start compiling your survey questions by anticipating what services will be provided, and what data you need to provide to funders.  Often funders will have a grant report form that you will need to complete, this can be a good source to help you develop the right questions.  Consider asking a local college professor of statistics to have his or her class design and develop your survey or hiring a consultant to do so.

Additionally, many online survey companies provide templates and sample questions. You may want your survey to be anonymous or you may want to use it to track a client to ensure that the appropriate services are provided.

Ascertaining Program Results

To Receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) you must meet these requirements:

• Must have a valid Social Security Number
• You must have earned income from employment or from self-employment.
• Your filing status cannot be married, filing separately.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien all year, or a nonresident alien married to a U.S.
• citizen or resident alien and filing a joint return.
• You cannot be a qualifying child of another person.
• If you do not have a qualifying child, you must:
• be age 25 but under 65 at the end of the year,
• live in the United States for more than half the year, and
• not qualify as a dependent of another person
• Cannot file Form 2555 or 2555-EZ (related to foreign earn income)
• Investment income must be $3,150 or less for the year.
• You must meet these EITC Income Limits, Maximum Credit Amounts and Tax Law Updates

Earned Income and adjusted gross income must each be lessthan:

• $43,998 ($49,078 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children
• $40,964 ($46,044 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children
• $36,052 ($41,132 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child
• $13,660 ($18,740 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children

How Much Money Can you Get?:

• $5,751 with three or more qualifying children
• $5,112 with two qualifying children
• $3,094 with one qualifying child
• $464 with no qualifying children

It is important that if you are hiring a professional tax,  that they have an up-to-date tax CPE certification. Earned income credit, child care credit and other tax refunds could be lost if your tax professional it not completely up-to-date in their knowledge of the U.S. tax code.

Non-profit organizations, now is the time to get started holding seminars, posting notices and doing everything you can to reach out to low income working poor families to ensure they receive their Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit program is the largest anti-poverty program in the U. S.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Saturday, Oct. 29, includes free family programs, at the museum on the National Mall

Kids will enjoy free pony rides, war-pony painting demonstrations, storytelling and art lessons. Everyone will enjoy the Horse show put on in conjunction with the Washington International Horse Show.

The Washington D.C. Mounted Police and Crow Nation present the U.S and Crow Nation colors on horseback Saturday at 3 p.m. on the museum’s Outdoor Welcome Plaza. Singer KJ Jacks (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) will perform the U.S. national anthem.

The National Museum of the American Indian is first national museum dedicated to the culture and arts of Native Americans.

The National Museum of the American Indian in keeping with the American Indian heritage of protecting the land has put in place many ways to save energy, increase water efficiency, ensure indoor air quality and sustainable sites.

The Museum located on the National Mall it has almost hundreds of species of plants from an upland hardwood forest, lowland freshwater wetlands, eastern meadowlands and traditional croplands.

Annually, the National Museum of the American Indians will hold the Living Earth Festival, and the Indigenous Farmer’s Program. Their website for educators, American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges, provides wisdom and information that has been passed down by Native Americans concerning the living earth.

More information about the museum and opening ceremonies at www.AmericanIndian.si.edu

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

A reception and silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a program at 7 p.m. Black tie optional or Native dress is requested.

The event entertainment includes Native flutist R. Carlos Nakai and The Jared Stewart Band. Hattie Kauffman, award-winning television journalist with CBS, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. The Fund will honor Elouise Cobell for her groundbreaking work to uphold American Indian contract rights and ensure an education for Natives in the future.

Tickets are $150 per person.

Event sponsors:

CADDO Solutions
The Coca-Cola Company
First American
IBM
Jenzabar, Inc
Kauffman and Associates, Inc
Lannan Foundation
Lumina Foundation
McDonald’s Corporation
Native American Bank, NA
Nissan North America, Inc
Oneida Nation Foundation
Rick and Heather Black
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians
Tule River Indian Tribe
USA Funds
UPS Foundation
Watershed Investment Consultants
Wieden+Kennedy
Wilke Family Foundation

For tickets and sponsorship information, please visit www.collegefund.org/gala.

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo “Educating the Mind and Spirit,” The American Indian College Fund is the premier scholarship organization for Native Americans attending college . The Fund was created in 1989 to raise funds for scholarships and support America’s 33 tribal colleges. The Fund provides more than 6,000 scholarships annually.

American Indian College Fund Annual Flame of Hope Gala