Nonprofit fundraisers know that donors feel good as they support a cause; but they also know it is important to say thank you as well.
Texas Bill about Sanctuary Cities
Status February 2, 1pm:
Re: SB4 (here is an explanation of what it is and a link to the Senate hearing: About SB 4: Against Sanctuary Cities )
Action you can take:
- Citizens can go to the Capitol in Austin and register their position for or against the bill.
- You can choose “don’t testify” when you indicate your position. This means you don’t need to speak about it (if you don’t want to).
- The longer the list the stronger the impact.
- You can also observe the hearings in the Senate gallery.
Notes about registering:
- You can do this while the hearing is going on.
- The hearing is expected to go on until at least 9pm
- There are 4 computers set up in front of the Senate Chambers (the East portion of the main Capitol building – second floor)
- It takes only a minute or two to register your name and address and your position.
- You can register as representing your self (you don’t need to name your place of work for example).
This is a picture of a charming pair doing their civic duty:
A Tip for Nonprofit Boards
Are you a member of a nonprofit board. Pretty big responsibility, isn’t it? Here is a gentle poem to help you stay the course.
And thank you for all you do for your community!
Grant Writers: Avoid Shiny Objects
Ever want a handy reminder to stay ‘on point’ in your grant-writing endeavors? This poem can help!
Award-winning Poems About Nonprofits
For Nonprofit Geeks, like me, who follow the excellent and super-funny blog about nonprofit life titled “Nonprofit with Balls” (NWB), you know that this week the “Nonprofit Poet Laureate of the Milky Way Galaxy” was crowned. Some background: NWB (written by Vu Le) had a nonprofit poetry contest this spring. Over 250 poems were submitted; 15 were picked for awards (and the top poet was deemed Nonprofit Poet Laureate of the Milky Way Galaxy). I encourage you to read the results. They truly are top-caliber; ready for a literary magazine or a liberal arts college poetry class or an emotional movie montage.
I entered the contest. Though I did not win, place or show – I will share the entry here. One note: a running joke in the NWB blog is that hummus is a staple at nonprofit events and functions. I thought by including a running joke, I would win favor with the judges. (Nope).
If you want to be inspired and moved, read the winning entries. Alternatively, read the poem below.
My Dog
My dog runs to greet me at the door when I come home.
Does he seem so happy because I submitted a 36-page grant application on time?
Or because I successfully executed a mail merge for a fundraising appeal?
Or because I typed the monthly board minutes in record speed?
Does my dog show me so much love because he knows I am trying to save the world?
No.
My dog knows not the cares of the nonprofit staffer.
He only knows that I feed him, I walk him…
And I smell like hummus.-Susannah Erler
P.S. You should know that I don’t actually have a dog. Including a dog was another (unsuccessful) attempt to win favor with the judges.
Photo: National Library of Australia, 1910
Heartfelt Work – Saving Lives
We hear about the good work that large nonprofits do. But it is less common that the stories of the foot-soldiers and smaller nonprofit organizations make it into public awareness.
Here is one of those stories; when one-on-one human connections were made. A mother needed help, someone listened, reached out to another – across borders. Requests were sent, generous people responded, and a life of a child was saved as a result.
I see it as the power of people who care – and the power of nonprofit organizations. Here are the words of the board chair of a small nonprofit organization, called Hearts Unite the Globe, doing a tremendous job spreading the word and also connecting the Congenital Heart Defect community. I’ll let her tell the story of this child’s lifesaving operation:
I am feeling so grateful right now. A few months ago a woman wrote to me from Africa. She had heard my radio show* and she wrote asking me for help. As a single mother in Africa, she had no way to pay for open-heart surgery for her son and the pediatric cardiologist said he would die without surgery soon.
I reached out to the two gentlemen I knew helping children in Africa and after many, many emails, many many prayers and much effort on the part of untold number of angels Elvis had his open-heart surgery TODAY! He’s recovering in the ICU and tomorrow I get to meet him and his mother! Such an amazing blessing! Please pray for Elvis and his mother Esther. They’ve been through so much, they are so very far away and they still have a long path to travel upon but I truly believe angels are watching over them.
Thank you to Ann Logan-Lubben, her husband Jack Lubben, Laura Schleicher, Laura Redfern, Frank Jaworski and all of the supporters of Hearts Unite the Globe. Because of the work we are doing with the radio show, we really are helping others.
I especially want to thank HeartGift, the nonprofit organization that flew Esther and Elvis here and have provided life-saving surgery at no cost to this family. I really need to recognize two angel dads who were so helpful in trying to get Elvis where he needed to be — thank you so much Peter Mbogo Kamau of the Take Heart Association Project and Fareed Matthews of Brave Little Hearts SA — both of these wonderful gentlemen continued correspondence with so many people in an effort to help little Elvis. Truly, this was a labor of love for so many people. I am very touched with how people came together to provide a miracle for Elvis.
– Anna Jaworski, Board Chair, Hearts Unite the Globe. January 21, 2016
*Heart to Heart with Anna (about Congenital Heart Defects on Blog Talk Radio) a service of the nonprofit organization Hearts Unite the Globe
Greater Good Strategies
Especially for Grant Writers – a Poem
On this day – Haiku Tuesday – the Nonprofit Geek will now present to you a poem especially for Grant Writers. If there had been room for an extra line, I would have added that it is also important to get the nonprofit team to give Grant Writers information long before the application deadline. Please enjoy this haiku poem:
Nonprofits: Forget About “Better Late Than Never”
Last week the Greater Good Geek blog focused on nonprofit researcher Penelope Burk’s findings. This week “The Geek” will highlight another of Burk’s ‘best practices’ in writing thank you letters to donors – which can be summed up in two words:
Be prompt.
Burk conducts surveys of those who donate to nonprofit organizations. Getting a prompt thank you note is something donors do expect. Burk’s research on thank you letters, by the way, culminated in a list of the 20 Characteristics of Great Thank You Letters which was published in Burk’s Donor-Centered Fundraising.
But donors’ expectations is just one reason to be prompt. Another reason comes from the IRS. They state that a donor is required to “keep a contemporaneous written acknowledgment for a charitable contribution.” That key word – contemporaneous – essentially means “be prompt.”
Mentioning the IRS is always a good excuse to point you to their handy Charitable Contributions Guide for Tax Exempt Organizations. “The Geek” suggests having this guide at your fingertips and reviewing it periodically.
So because the Greater Good Geek is always looking for fun ways to remember nonprofit best practices, here is a haiku poem to remind you of this important thank you note element. Have a great #HaikuTuesday as well!
One proven tip for thank you notes to donors
Nonprofit researcher Penelope Burk has written extensively about fundraiser best practices, including “donor-centered thank you letters.” Today’s “Greater Good Geek Nonprofit Haiku Tip” focuses on one of these proven tips for a great thank you note. In fact, here is more info on and the citation for Burk’s research (check out number 9 – the inspiration for today’s poem).
Excited About Haiku Tuesday? So are we!
If you find you don’t even have time to read blogs and newsletters, here is a new way to get your fix of nonprofit tips and learning: Weekly Tips in a short Haiku!
Over $10 Million in Grants Awarded
Here is a list of grants that Susannah Erler (Director of Greater Good Strategies) has obtained for nonprofit organizations.
A Poem and Tip for Nonprofits – All in One!
In honor of Haiku Tuesday – here is the latest Nonprofit Tip (and poem) for you. Please enjoy!
greater good geek 