Issue 50
August 24, 2006

NEWSNOTES is a monthly email newsletter published by NEW. It covers resources available at NEW in Ann Arbor as well as items of interest to the nonprofit community in southeastern Michigan. NEWSNOTES is proud to celebrate its fifth year of publication, with delivery to over 800 subscribers every month! We welcome your feedback and suggestions!

NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its Community Partners:

IN THIS ISSUE

LEAD STORY

Internet Imitates Life

By Sara Lee*

What are Americans doing online? The simple answer is everything. Checking the weather. Researching a product or service. Getting the news. Paying bills. Posting classified ads. Sending email. Meeting new friends. Buying groceries. And the list goes on.

For the most part, the online world mirrors the offline world. People bring to the Internet the activities, interests, and behaviors that preoccupied them before the Web existed. It is more than mere convenience that draws 73% of American adults online. In the digital age, more information and better information is more easily and quickly accessible. This changes the way we make decisions.

And it isn't just the small tasks that have Internet consumers online. It is the major life decisions too. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, nearly half of U.S. users went online for help with decisions such as finding a college for their child or looking for a new place to live. The survey reported that some 45 percent of Internet users—an estimated 60 million Americans—said the Internet helped them make big decisions or negotiate a major life moment during the previous two years.

This includes donating to charitable organizations. Greater access to information allows people to learn about an organization or topic more quickly and make decisions about participating in an event or giving to a charity easier. Online giving has increased more than two-hundred-fold in the past five years, from $10 million to about $3 billion. This transition to the Web will only increase as people become more accustomed to viewing the Internet as a resource for making decisions, both big and small.

Narrowing the Gap
Innovative organizations are reaching more people with their message by making the Internet a vital component of their daily operations. The National Endowment for the Humanities' (NEH) Digital Humanities initiative, for example, is putting the papers of the nation's first four presidents—Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison—online for all to see and study. This easy access to information narrows the gap between the scholar and the citizen, and gives all of us a greater awareness of the historic events that shaped the world we live in.

Connecting People to Causes
The Internet is connecting people to information of all kinds, and it is connecting them to philanthropic causes they care about. Disasters like Katrina merely highlight the increasingly important role the Web is playing in charitable giving and philanthropy.

A major reason online giving has increased so rapidly is the ability of charity websites to appeal to potential donors on a personal level. Individuals have 24/7 access to news and information about a myriad of nonprofit organizations and can donate to causes that stir their passions—whether helping victims in the aftermath of an earthquake or contributing funds for cataract surgeries in Africa.

With accessibility to Internet donor sites and a greater percentage of users online, the public can now find and support specific charities to suit their needs, stay apprised of current news, and donate with relative ease. A Kintera and Luth Research, Inc. study shows that roughly 65% of prospective donors will visit an organization's website before deciding to give. Out of those people, 75% say that their online experience affects their decisions to give, as well as how much to give.

The Digital Future
The Internet increasingly connects Americans to each other and to the world. In all areas of our lives, including both work and home, the interactive nature of the online experience drives new, expanded ways of acquiring knowledge and participating in activities. It also changes the way we support causes, making it more important than ever for organizations to communicate world-changing activities to supporters online.

The digital revolution will continue to transform how knowledge and information are disseminated. Such direct access to a myriad of information will help us all play a role in shaping the future that will increasingly be a digital one.

*Sara Lee is a Senior Director in Changing Our World's e-Philanthropy division—a leading firm advising nonprofits on technology, fundraising and strategy.

Read her original full-length article, published in May 2006, online.

You may contact the author at slee@changingourworld.com

Additional Resources:

ResourceConnect can put you in touch with website designers and web hosting services. Look under both service providers and web resources under the Technology heading.

See also the subheading Technology: "Online Fundraising" where you'll find "Primer on Online Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations".

Search Engines Help Nonprofits Raise Money and Awareness.

FEATURED ITEMS

NEW's Training Calendar

Remember to check out NEW’s Online Training Calendar to find the wide array of educational opportunities available to you throughout the state of Michigan. Select August 2006 to see what’s happening next week, and look ahead to plan your free days in 2007. Fifty-five different providers offer classroom trainings from Detroit to the UP. Choose from free one-time seminars to more costly three-day grant trainings. Search by category (advocacy to youth development), by month, or by location to find the training you need. Let us know what you think; we want this tool to work for you. Email Dallas Moore with your comments and suggestions.

BoardConnect

BoardConnect programs stayed hot through the summer—more than 80 nonprofits attended events at City Connect Detroit and the NEW Center in Ann Arbor in July and August. Enthusiastic community members are signing up to learn board member responsibilities and find board positions. Register for an upcoming workshop for your nonprofit or as a candidate for board service.

Caught in the Net

Don’t miss NEWSNOTES’ newest feature: “Caught in the Net”. Every month we’ll offer a sample of what is included in the many email newsletters we receive. Don’t be shy about sharing your favorites. Contact Ann Gladwin 734-998-0160 x 218.

Nonprofit Day September 27

Wednesday, September 27
Lansing Center, Lansing

Don't miss out! Register today for The Michigan Nonprofit Association’s (MNA) Nonprofit Day 2006 "Proceed with Caution...Doesn't Mean Yield!" This year's conference will focus on the upcoming elections and the nonprofit sector's role in the political process. Nonprofit Day will include presentations by candidates for Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State, and a luncheon discussion with pollsters and the media on their predictions for the outcome of this year's election. The day also includes sessions on the following topics: basic and advanced advocacy skills, message development, do's and don'ts during an election year, ballot initiatives that will impact nonprofits, and more.

The registration deadline for Nonprofit Day 2006 is September 12. The cost is $40 for MNA members, $55 for non-MNA members, and $20 for full-time students. Register online or call MNA at 517-492-2400. Nonprofit Day is a great opportunity to learn about key public policy issues impacting all nonprofits and how the nonprofit sector can work together to address them.

LeadersConnect to Discuss Good to Great and the Social Sector

Tuesday, October 3, 2006, 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Those of you who were fans of NEW’s Leadership²Go program will welcome a wonderful opportunity for executive directors and board chairs to get together, network with other nonprofit leaders, discuss some great concepts, and have a delicious breakfast!

Executive directors and their board chairs are invited to a seminar on Jim Collins’ monograph, Good to Great and the Social Sector. This monograph, based on his popular book Good to Great, applies his principles of truly great companies to the social sector.and shows how companies move from being merely good to truly great.

• Learn why good-to-great principles do indeed apply to the social sector.
• Address five particular questions about how to apply good-to-great principles to social sector organizations.

For more information contact Dallas Moore 734-998-0160 x228.

Bo Burlingham to Speak

Friday, October 6
Rackham Amphitheatre, UM campus

Bo Burlingham, author of Small Giants: Companies that Choose to Be Great Instead of Big will be the keynote speaker at a forum sponsored by the Domestic Corps Internship Program of The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. The October 6 Showcase is a day-long event highlighting creative partnerships between the nonprofit and business sectors. Nonprofit CEO partners, Domestic Corps interns and business leaders will speak on economic, social and environmental issues and the challenges they present in today's global community. The conference is free, but you must register for the limited seating.

Washtenaw Council of Private Agencies (CPA)

Members of CPA are reminded of these upcoming meetings on Fridays:

September 15, Hikone Community Center 2724 Hikone, Ann Arbor (map)

Tentative agenda: Client inclusion on boards, etc; Community collaborate follow-up; Council of Elders aka A Social Work Review Panel; Continuation of the Membership question

Questions? Contact Susan Wiant Crabb Executive Director, HelpSource (734-973-1900).

Fundraising Workshop with Kim Klein

Thursday and Friday, September 28 and 29
Lansing, Holiday Inn South

Fundraising expert Kim Klein will present her two-day intensive workshop entitled "Expanding Your Organization's Capacity to Raise Money from Individual Donors" on September 28 and 29 in Lansing. This workshop is part of the Mastermind Series hosted by the Michigan Association of Community Arts Agencies in partnership with several other agencies.

The workshop will provide you with practical advise on identifying donors, how much to ask for, when to ask, who should ask (and how to get them to do it) and most importantly how to build on the donor base. Get more information and register online. Contact Deborah Mikula (800-203-9633) with questions.

Michigan Nonprofits: Survey Needs Your Input

Michigan's nonprofit organizations face many challenges as they operate in times of growing needs and limited resources. To learn more about the financial condition of the state's nonprofit sector, Dr. Mark Wilson of Michigan State University, in conjunction with the Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Michigan Nonprofit Research Program, is conducting an online survey of Michigan nonprofits.

You are invited to share experiences about your nonprofit, including current financial and operating conditions, staffing, and your outlook for the future. Analysis of the information gathered in this survey will inform the sector, funders, and policy makers about current issues and offer guidance for the future development of Michigan's nonprofit sector.

The survey should take about 10 minutes of your time, and, ideally, should be completed by the Executive Director, Financial Officer, or a staff member knowledgeable about finances, staffing, fundraising, and organization future goals. Participants in the survey will receive a summary of findings.

The survey is available online through the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University:

Nonprofit Congress National Meeting

The Nonprofit Congress is an unprecedented initiative of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations to unite nonprofits and strengthen the charitable sector. This historic meeting will be held October 16-17 in Washington, D.C. Executive directors, staff and board members, volunteers, and students are encouraged to attend. Get re-energized about the important work that you do. Gain and share perspective on the issues that are important to nonprofits in your subsector. If you missed the deadline to submit an application to become a Michigan delegate, you can still register to attend the National Meeting as an at-large participant. Register before September 15 and save $75.

National Philanthropy Day Volunteer Recognition

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Detroit Chapter is hosting their 15th annual National Philanthropy Day celebration on Thursday, November 16 at the Dearborn Inn. This event is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions of your volunteers and highlight the services they provide to our communities. Distinguished Volunteer Recognition forms must be received by September 13.

Call 248-478-6437 with questions, including sponsorship opportunities for the evening’s event.

Board Seminar in D.C.: Scholarships Available

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. is offering a Board Member Seminar addressing issues of interest to individuals in leadership roles of nonprofit arts organizations. The seminar is scheduled for Thursday – Saturday, October 19-21. A grant from AT&T to the Kennedy Center includes scholarships to cover the $150 fee for five nonprofits in AT&T’s central region. Selections will be made on a first-come-first-served basis. Scholarship winners will pay their own travel and hotel expenses.

The seminar will cover specific challenges that Board members face, including developing strategic plans, evaluating and approving budgets, hiring senior administrative and artistic staff, and leading fundraising campaigns.

Find a full description of the program. Use the application form in the online pdf brochure, but send it to Sue Sonke, Corporate Manager -AT&T Foundation, 130 E. Travis, Suite 350, San Antonio, TX 78205 by September 11, 2006. You may also send to Ms. Sonke via email at ss5299@att.com or fax at 210-351-2599.

Reminders

BoardSource Leadership Forum, Chicago, December 2 and 3.

REGULAR FEATURES

By the Cup How to Find a Good Web Hosting Provider published by TechSoup Aug 1, 2006.
Seven nonprofit technology consultants share their favorite Web hosting providers and offer tips for finding a reliable, affordable service that meets your organization's needs. Subscribe to By the Cup.

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.

Events Calendar

Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau calendar of events. E-mail Nick Miller to request a password to submit an event.