NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work)

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NewsNotes Vol. 78 December 2008

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Dear Friends of NEW,

NewsNotes has a new look and feel, but still contains all of the same great information that it always has. We hope that you enjoy the new format. Your feedback and input is welcome.

Can you believe that the 2008 holiday season is almost over? Before ushering in the new year, all of us at NEW want to express our gratitude for allowing us to serve you in 2008. NEW helps nonprofits succeed by strengthening nonprofit management and offering solutions to issues facing our nonprofit community. We hope that we were able to positively impact your organization in 2008 and we look forward to serving you in 2009.

With warm wishes for a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year,

The Staff at NEW

Please note: The NEW offices will be closed December 24 - January 4

In this Issue

Lead Story
Stay Calm, Keep Focus on Fundraising in Uncertain Times
The Bulletin Board
Available Office Space, Conference Room Space, Save the Date - Michigan Nonprofit Super Conference
Caught in the NET
Get Linked - LinkedIn
It Benefits You
Pfizer Legacy Grant Program: Big Idea Grants, MLK Week of Service, Bidder Conferences
npServ™ News
npServ™ offers Free Hardware
Resource of the Month
Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center
Event Calendar
Trainings, Conferences, Webinars and More
Supporters of NEW

Stay Calm, Keep Focus on Fundraising in Uncertain Times

By Jeffrey Byrne, Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc.

With the market swinging at dizzying rates and an array of alarming headlines in the news, it's important, now more than ever, to stay calm and keep our focus on our annual and major gift fundraising work during these last months of the year. You don't want to seem like Nero, fiddling while Rome burned, by pushing forward blithely with solicitations and seemingly little regard to the current crisis. At the same time, it's critical to keep in mind that we must exercise our fiduciary responsibility to move worthy projects forward in order to meet the very real human needs that we work daily to address in the nonprofit sector.

The Bulletin Board	Caught in the Net
Space currently available at the NEW Center Opportunities to move into the NEW Center in Ann Arbor are few and far between. Find out whether this space is right for your 501(c)(3) nonprofit! Contact Lia Stevens at(734)998-0160 x 209 for more information. Conference Room Space Available. The NEW Center offers flexible conference room facilities that are available for use by any nonprofit organization (tenancy at the NEW Center is not required). Contact Lia Stevens at(734)998-0160 x 209 for more information. Save the Date Michigan Nonprofit SuperConference 2009! Tuesday and Wednesday, May 5-6, 2009 Hyatt Regency Dearborn.	Tools, News and Information from the Net Get Linked LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries. LinkedIn’s Groups Directory allows you to find communities of professionals who share a common experience, passion, interest, affiliation or goal. NEW is one of many nonprofit groups that can be found in the LinkedIn Group Directory. NEW would like to extend an invitation to all of our NewsNotes readers to become members of the NEW LinkedIn group. And, while you are there, be sure to check out the other great nonprofit groups as well.
It Benefits You
Pfizer Legacy Grant Program: Big Idea Grants The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is looking for big ideas to dramatically improe the quality of life in Washtenaw County. Grant requests between $50,000 and $200,000 will be accepted. The AAACF Distribution Committee will evaluate proposals and recommend grant awards. The final decision will bemade by the AAACF Board of Trustees. This special grant-making program is made possible by the Pfizer Foundation's gift of $1 million to the Washtenaw County community, through AAACF, in the wake of Pfizer's closure of its Ann Arbor Labs. Deadline for submission is February 4, 2009. For more information MLK Week of Service Volunteer Services at United Way for Southeastern Michigan is ramping up for another successful Martin Luther King Day of Service. If your agency has volunteer opportunities during the MLK Week of Service, which will be the week of Monday, January 19 through Sunday, January 25, contact the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. Bidder Conferences New Detroit is proud to announce that it is adding two additional Bidder Conferences for those organization wishing to participate in the fifth year award from the Compassion Capital Fund under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The purpose of the initiative is to support organizations in the following areas: leadership development, organizational development, program development, revenue development strategies, and community engagement. The dates and time are: December 19, 2008, at 5:00 PM. to 8:30 PM and January 30, 2009, at 1 PM to 3:30 PM. If you are interested in attending a Bidders Conference, you must register on-line, using the Registration Instructions in PDF format. For additional information, please contact Ophelia Twine-Henry This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
npServ™ Offers Free Hardware	Resource of the Month
The holidays came early for npServ™! A generous donor has gifted our group with 15 computers to share with new npServ™ users. If your organization has been considering offloading IT maintenance to our "geeks," now is a great time to do it! Sign up for npServ™, take advantage of this offer, and qualify for another $500 in grant money too! Contact Linh Song at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.	Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/economy Find facts & analysis, impact on nonprofits and action steps. Also find a link to this website through ResourceConnect (see Web Resources - Financial Management - general ).
Event Calendar
January 9 and 16 (9 AM - 3 PM) Financial Management Solutions for Nonprofit Success (Advanced QuickBooks) This two-day training utilizes practice exercises in a computer lab setting. Topics include foundation material like chart of accounts, the use of classes/lists and items, transaction procession, report generation, budgets and customization to fit your agency’s needs. Visit www.esc-detroit.org for details. Presented by: DESC and MNA. Sponsored by McGregor Fund, the Public Library of Southfield and Information Technology. Location: Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield, MI Cost: Ranges from $75 to $100. Call 248-395-2840 for more information. *January 13 (3-6 PM)* BoardConnect^® Presents: Serving on a Nonprofit Board Learn about the roles and responsibilities of a board member, including board operations, strategic planning, resource development, oversight and ambassadorship. This training is for community members interested in serving on a nonprofit board. Location: The Chesterfield Township Library, 50560 Patricia Ave., Chesterfield, MI Cost: $55 (save $5 when you register online), $40 for DRC Members, MNA Members and Leadership Oakland Members. *January 13 (8:30 - 11:30 AM)* Benevon - Creating Sustainable Funding for Nonprofits Valuable and practical information that address the sustainable fundraising solutions. You will hear real life success stories from your peers about how they have implemented a systematic four step process to engage organizational supporters in a way that respects the donor, capitalizes on your mission, clearly states the needs of the organization, and builds on good stewardship. It is suggested that each organization identify and register two key leaders. The combination should include the lead development staff member and one of the following: CEO, CFO, Board Member. Presented by: The Hawkins and Helmuth Group of Merrill Lynch Location: The Community House, 380 South Bates, Birmingham, MI Cost: Free *January 14 (1-4 PM)* BoardConnect^® Presents: Building Your Board Learn about the important aspects of recruiting new members for a nonprofit's board of directors including recruitment planning, identifying and cultivating candidates, and electing new members. Cost: $55 (save $5 when you register online), $40 for Detroit Regional Chamber Members, MNA Members and Leadership Oakland Members. *January 15 (1-2 PM)* How to Get Your Board to Raise Money (Webinar) A fast-paced one-hour session, presented by a seasoned board member, about ways to get your board to be better ambassadors. Learn how to jump start their involvement in raising money! Cost: $49 *January 27 (3:30 - 5 PM)* Get Connected Join your peers for a quick get together to address Succession Planning for CEOs/EDs. Pick up some new facts and/or techniques from a leader in the field. Location: The NEW Center, 1100 North Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI Sponsored by the Doyle Fund for Nonprofit Workforce Capacity Building and Doyle Partners. January 30 (9-10 AM) The Nonprofit Buzz: Succession Planning for CEOs/EDs This month's show features a discussion with Nancy Axelrod, the author of Chief Executive Succession Planning: The Board's Role in Securing Your Organization's Future. The Nonprofit Buzz is NEW's live streaming Internet radio show. Tune in on the web at www.metrochickradio.com for the latest in what's going on in the southeast Michigan nonprofit community. Location: www.metrochickradio.com Cost: Free Sponsored by the Doyle Fund for Nonprofit Workforce Capacity Building and Doyle Partners.
Supporters of NEW
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation DTE Energy Foundation The James A. & Faith Knight Foundation The Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation Online Technologies Corporation The Power Foundation W.K. Kellogg Foundation Special thanks to NEW's founding partner the McKinley Foundation
NEWSNOTES is proud to celebrate its seventh year of publication, with delivery to over 1,300 subscribers every month! We welcome your This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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