Issue 1
April 17, 2002

Introducing NEWSNOTES, a monthly email newsletter published by Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. NEWSNOTES includes items of interest to the nonprofit community in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas, as well as resources available at NEW. NEW is located at 1100 N. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104; ph. 734-998-0160; fax 734-998-0163.

NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its partners:

IN THIS ISSUE

LEAD STORY

Making a Strong Board a Reality Plant Some Seeds This Spring

Have you allowed dust to settle on your organization's board manual? Feeling that some spring sunshine might do your boardroom some good? Seeking some forward-looking ideas on your board's agenda? This spring is the perfect time to rejuvenate your board of directors.

Building and maintaining a strong board of directors is a critical component of every nonprofit organization. This task takes time and energy, but the benefits it reaps can make the difference between a business-as-usual board and a group of committed and proactive volunteers. Imagine a board of directors that is energized, strategic, and viable! Start getting your board in shape now with a strategic planning meeting or an in-depth look at your finances and the board's fundraising plan.

If you've been neglecting your board of directors lately, even thinking about board roles and responsibilities might make your head spin. Take heart! There's help available this spring to tackle your organization's tough issues of trusteeship.

• Nonprofit Enterprise at Work's upcoming board development workshops:
  • Engaging Your Board to Further Your Mission,
    Thursday, April 18, 2002 9 am - noon $50
  • The Executive Director and the Board: Friends or Foes,
    Wednesday, May 1, 2002 4 - 7 pm $50, supper included
  • Unlocking Board Talent for Fundraising Success,
    Tuesday, May 7, 2002, 4 - 7 pm $50, supper included
  • How to Be a High-Performing Board,
    Thursday, May 16, 2002, 4 -7 pm $50 supper included
• Board Builders matching program
• Resources in the Nonprofit Reference Library
• Board Basics Training: Host a Board Basics trainer at a time and location convenient to your board, delivered as part of NEW's on-site education programs. This package includes a pre-meeting with our trainer to prepare for the training session, delivery of the training module, discussion on challenges unique to your board, and materials for up to 20 board members. Contact Liz Peintner for more information.

You'll also find help on the Web - here are some of our favorite sites:

• BoardSource
• The Alliance for Nonprofit Management
• Georgia Center for Nonprofits
• Chronicle of Philanthropy: Building a Better Board Forum
• Email Newsletters
  • Board Café
  • Nonprofit Boards and Governance Review

FEATURED ITEMS

Managing for Nonprofit Excellence Spring Workshops

See NEW's workshop offerings for more educational opoprtunities in nonprofit management

Arts Minigrant Program

The next application deadline for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) Minigrant Program is July 1, 2002. MCACA provides grants of up to $4,000 for locally developed, high quality arts and cultural projects. NEW administers this program in Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw Counties. Application materials are available on NEW's website. Information about free grant assistance workshops at the NEW Center on May 2 and May 30 can be found on NEW's Website as well.

Excellence Awards

Nonprofit Enterprise at Work will host the 7th Annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor on May 22, 2002 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Sam Kirkpatrick, President, Eastern Michigan University. All are welcome. Please RSVP by May 8 to NEW at 734-998-0160.

Nonprofit Reference Library

The Nonprofit Reference Library is open to the public 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday (or by appointment) to provide you with answers to your nonprofit management questions.

If you're looking for potential funders, come use FC Search, THE search tool from the Foundation Center. FC Search gives you access to the Foundation Center's entire database of over 65,000 foundations, corporate givers, and grantmaking public charities, as well as over 200,000 grant records. The fully searchable database will dramatically reduce the time you spend performing fundraising research. Choose from 21 search criteria to generate targeted lists of funding prospects in a matter of seconds! Full text results of your search can be saved to a disk, and then you're on your way to developing that winning grant proposal. Contact Ann Gladwin (734-998-0160) to make an appointment or ask her to do a funder search for you for a fee.

Open House: Wednesday, April 17 in recognition of National Library Week. Drop in from 3 to 4 PM to see what your library can do for you!

Washtenaw County Nonprofit Resource Directory

All nonprofit organizations in Washtenaw County are encouraged to enter information in this new online, searchable database. Members of our community are using the Directory already, even though it is not complete. Users can customize a search by such items as type of service offered, population served, or simply by zip code. To add your organization's information, click on submit a new organization on the directory's home page. The Directory is made possible by the generous support of Washtenaw County, The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and Washtenaw United Way.

Onsite Training

Nonprofit Enterprise at Work offers a range of workshops in nonprofit topics for your organization, staff, and work teams. For more information, contact Patricia Pancioli at (734) 998-0160.

Technology Resources

FREE website development assistance for nonprofits: Does your nonprofit organization need a new website? NEW's SBC Ameritech WebConnect program can help! This program offers FREE website development assistance to nonprofit organizations in southeast Michigan. For more information contact Neel Hajra at 734-998-0160.

New online recommendation for area nonprofits: Are you a nonprofit organization seeking high quality technical service providers with a 5 star recommendation? In conjunction with NPower Michigan, University of Michigan School of Information graduate students are developing a searchable online recommendation system for nonprofit organizations to make informed decisions about the technical service providers that they choose. The project is making headway, but needs more reviews to populate the database. If nonprofits collaborate and share their information resources and experiences, everyone will be able to find higher quality technology services. A few minutes of your time will make a big difference in the nonprofit world! NPower Michigan is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping other nonprofits use information to serve their communities better (www.npowermichigan.org). For more information or to contribute reviews of your own technical service providers, please contact Pragya Sen (psen@umich.edu) or Christine Yee (cwyee@umich.edu).

Leadership²Go

Executive Directors, join your peers in this spring's second Leadership²Go event, a benchmarking tour of Focus: HOPE in Detroit. During our visit to one of the areas most prominent civil rights organizations, we will tour the operations behind their award-winning educational and social services. Don't miss this chance to network with your peers and explore challenges in nonprofit leadership. Friday, May 3, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, $20 to cover lunch and transportation. Please RSVP if you plan to participate.

Volunteerism SuperConference April 29-30

The Michigan Nonprofit Association hosts a statewide conference dedicated to strengthening our local communities through the promotion and development of volunteer service. We'll see you there!

NEW Center Building News

NEW Center has some office space available to rent to nonprofit groups: L-shaped private suite on first floor, 218 sq.ft., ¼ suite, 77 sq. ft. Contact Lia Stevens 734-998-0160 ext 210 for more information on rentals and our affiliate program.

Conference room space is available for area nonprofits: For general information on conference room rental visit our website.

REGULAR FEATURES

Nonprofit Bulletin Board

Visit NEW's Nonprofit Bulletin Board to post and view notices about free resources, fundraising opportunities, and other items relevant to the southeast Michigan nonprofit community.

Nonprofit Calendar of Events

Visit the Ring!Michigan Calendar to find and post upcoming nonprofit events. Just select a county below and GO!