Friday, March 22, 2013

Your March Madness Camp Finance Discount Offer


Are you feeling the March Madness?
The Camp Finance Team at NYCON sure is!
 
The games are finally underway...and you've probably spent some serious time putting together your picks, butwhile you were brushing up on your bracketology, we were busy putting together our 2nd Annual "March Madness Camp Finance Discount Offer!"
We had a great response to this offer last year and while we are finalizing workshops and speakers for 2013 we wanted to let you register early...at adiscount!
We want to make sure the people who are "mad" about Camp Finance can save on their registration.
From now through the "Final Four" (April 7th, 2013) you can get a $50 discount on paid Full Conference registration for Camp Finance.
Just click here and enter discount code
"MarchMadness"

This all inclusive rate covers the workshops, meals and your overnight stay at the lovely Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY on October 10th.
Just a little Thank You to all of you who are as fond of Camp Finance as we are.  We love seeing you on the mountain and are looking forward to a great conference again this year!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

NYCON Brings You Upcoming Webinars, News & Nonprofit Notes

Expand Your Employee (and Volunteer) Benefits Packages at an Affordable PriceGive employees and volunteers what they want with the NYCON Visioncare Plan through Humana!


We know that the Employe Benefits "Market" can be complicated.  Our job is to help make that world more simple, and affordable for nonprofits. To help you understand each type of benefit, it's coverage features and it's costs we are rolling out a series of short 30-minute webinar spotlights on our administered programs: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts and our Vision Program - which is new for 2013! 

[Thursday!] 3/21/2013
4/11/2013 
Stay tuned for our Flexible Spending Account & Life Insurance Webinars in the Spring....

Upcoming NYCON Membership Orientation   
Great information for new and returning members!
3/22/2013 [Please note the date change]
Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar]
 In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE.  
  
We will be talking about these benefits.
Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance
NYCON empowers our members with the best practices, policies, and procedures as well as information on ever-changing regulations, funding, accountability and more.

Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits

NYCON leverages the purchasing power of thousands of nonprofits to bring you economies of scale on everything from Office Supplies to Fundraising Software.
The Nonprofit Voice in New York State NYCON represents our members on the local, state and national level, giving voice to small and medium sized nonprofits everywhere.  



Nonprofit Audits in a Nutshell  
[Free Members Only Webinar]
March 28th, 2013    3:30pm to 4:30pm 
Like yours, many nonprofit organizations often find themselves   wondering...
  • Do we need to have an independent audit? (And what does that entail anyway?)
  • Are there special rules for us because we receive government grants?
  • How can we prepare so that the process goes smoothly?  
  •  What's the board's role?
To answer these questions and more, the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) is excited to bring you Nonprofit Audits in a Nutshell, a free webinar on March 28th at 3:30pm Eastern, hosted by our national network, the National Council of Nonprofits. This webinar features practical tips from nonprofits about their audit practices, as well as experts from BoardSource and Raffa and is designed to give you background on everything you need to know about the independent audit process (from legal requirements to practical advice).    
Thanks to the support of First Nonprofit Foundation, this exclusive webinar is available, free of charge, to all members of NYCON Don't miss this opportunity - Register Today! Free and Open to Current NYCON Members Only (click here to renew your membership for 2013 before registering.)

[Corporate Member Spotlight] DoGoodBuyUs Webinar
April 11th, 2013  2:00pm to 2:30pm

As nonprofits around the country look for ways to bolster their fundraising, hundreds of organizations have turned toDoGoodBuyUs as a way to bridge the gap between causes and the consumer market.DoGoodBuyUs works with nonprofits around the world, helping them sell the products they (and now they) have created. AtDoGoodBuyUs (http://www.dogoodbuy.us) they believe consumerism can change the world so, they created the largest marketplace of charity made products. Now anyone can "do good" just by buying beautiful, often handmade items that support the worthiest causes. From tea to t-shirts, from rain boots to coffee, from jewelry to soaps, the list of amazing products go on.
DoGoodBuyUs is the newest Corproate Member* of NYCON. On this spotlight webinar you will learn: 


  • Why products have become a successful part of many NPO's strategy
  • How to get started, what the process is like, services offered and more..
  • The long term benefits
Join us on April 11th at 2pm for a quick 30 minute overview on just how DoGoodBuyUs can Do Good by your nonprofit & community.
*Please note that this company is not a NYCON Endorsed Corporate Partner.

Building a Powerful Grants Calender!
[Lunch & Learn Webinar] 

Presented by Cynthia Adams, Founder, Grantstation.com


April 12th, 2013
Free for current NYCON Members 

$50 for Non-members 

This webinar will take participants through the processof establishing a grants calendar for the next 12 to 18 months. Fast-paced, and filled with action steps, Cynthia Adams will discuss how to design and adopt a Grant Decision Matrix before beginning the process of building a specific grants strategy for each project. All participants will also receive a set of worksheets that they can use to create their own approach to building grants calendars and grants strategies for their organizations. This webinar is for beginning, intermediate and advanced grantwriters.  

Monday, March 18, 2013

Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's Weekly News

News From State Comptroller Thomas P. Dinapoli

DiNapoli: General Electric Agrees to Examine Risks from New PCB Hotspots in Hudson

General Electric Corp. has agreed to prepare an analysis of the actions required to remove recently discovered polychlorinated biphenyl contamination contaminated sediments from the Hudson River and report its findings to shareholders, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced Monday. The analysis will be completed by the end of 2013. In response to the agreement, DiNapoli withdrew a shareholder resolution calling on the company to do such an evaluation.

DiNapoli and Saratoga DA Murphy: Former Fire District Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Stealing Taxpayer Funds

The former treasurer of the Charlton Fire District has admitted to embezzling $500,000 in public funds as the result of an audit and investigation by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and further investigation by Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy, III and the New York State Police.

DiNapoli: Argyle Clerk Rings Up $8K in Personal Debt on Town Credit Card

A former clerk in the Town of Argyle in Washington County used a town credit card to purchase more than $8,000 in personal expenditures, which included $2,900 to a flooring contractor and $1,500 to an insurance company, according to an audit released Monday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli: Mill Neck Manor Overcharged Taxpayers by More Than $280,000

Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, a Nassau County provider of special education services for children with hearing disabilities, charged taxpayers more than $280,000 it wasn’t entitled to, including extra salary and benefits for the school’s executive director, according to an audit released Thursday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli: Challenges Remain For New York City Budget

New York City’s budget is balanced in the current fiscal year and Mayor Bloomberg has presented a balanced preliminary budget for fiscal year 2014, but a number of issues pose significant budget risks in the years ahead, according to a report released Tuesday by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

DiNapoli: Nassau County Needs to Improve Contract Process

While Nassau County is following established guidelines for approving contracts, the authorization process often misses approval deadlines, according to an audit issued Thursday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Auditors found that because of the lengthy review process vendors began working on half the contracts an average of seven weeks prior to the contract being signed by the county.

Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Municipal Audits

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Tuesday announced his office completed audits of the theTown of Columbus; the Town of Hamlin; the Village of Lyndonville; the Town of Mansfield; the Town of Otselic; and, the Town of Pittstown.

Comptroller DiNapoli Releases School Audits

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Tuesday announced his office completed audits of: theNiskayuna Central School District; the Patchogue–Medford Union Free School District; the Pine Bush Central School District; and, the South Glens Falls Central School District.

To see the article online click here.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Non-Profit Times Weekly News Letter

The Non-Profit Times Weekly News Letter
NPT Weekly E-News Letter

SPEA Connect Online MPA and Cartificate Programs

Make a difference in your organization and with your constituents by earning the #2 ranked MPA degree from Indiana University.  When you enroll in one ofSPEA's online graduate programs you will learn from some of the world's leading nonprofit management and public affairs experts.  SPEA's #1 ranked nonprofit curriculum allows working professional to develop expertise in fund development, grant administration, financial management, human resources, management and program evaluation. 

The NonProfit Times has started some arguments over on LinkedIn. Join us now to take part in all the fun.
AG Might Hamper Advocacy Work
Regulations proposed on nonprofit advocacy groups by the New York attorney general could hamper efforts by organizations doing legitimate advocacy on public policy, according to one watchdog group.
Read more...
Be a Better Fundraiser in One Day

Fundraising Day In New York 2013
America's premier one day conference. Register at www.frdny.org
June 7, 2013 at the Marrriot Marquis New York
For greatest savings, register by March 31st!
Finance...
4 vital elements to due diligence
Many people think of “due diligence” as a by-the-numbers adherence to some set of printed (before the Ice Age, maybe?) guidelines that will keep certain rear ends covered.
Read more...
Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefit Reports

Purchase and download your copy of the nation's most comprehensive reports on 252 nonprofit positions from entry level to the executive office including base salary, bonus practices, total cash compensation, salary increases, employee turnover, and more. All this and more is available in the new 2012 Salary and Benefits Report from The NonProfit Times and Bluewater Nonprofit Solutions.
Advocacy...
5 ways to influence change
One of the most discussed, yet least understood, aspects of leadership is change. Everyone talks about it but it's an entirely different matter when it comes time to implement it. Add to that the fact that people generally don't like change, it's no wonder that implementing it is easier said than done.
Read more...
Job Special
Featured Employer Special $595

Contact Mary Ford with any questions, or for placement @ 973-401-0202 Ext 206 or email at mary@nptimes.com 

What's included:
* Online 30 day posting at www.nonprofitjobseeker.com
* Also posted at indeed.com
* Listed in feature job section of main page of nonprofitjobseeker
* Banner ad to run for 30 days that ad is running, SITE WIDE
* Job tweeted to @nptjobs & The NonProfit Times Twitter list 3 x each
* All ads are automatically posted to our Facebook career center page
* Two hundred-word listing in the print and digital editions of our magazine
* Blog post of your listing on http://nptjobs.blogspot.com
* JOBS Banner on NPTJOBS enewsletter (299,910 circulation)
* BONUS: Ad will be posted in the Job of The Week section in our weekly eNewsletter
Boards...
A dozen reasons to “retreat”
Retreats for board members usually sound great to everybody but the board members who have to go on retreat. They often retreat from them as fast as they can.
Read more...

To see the article online click here.

News from NYCON

Dollars through the Door: Who Does What in Nonprofit Fundraising? [Lunch & Learn Webinar]
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT) 
Online - Call And Login Information Will Be Sent To You
24-48 Hours In Advance Of This Workshop

Register Today Limited Spots Available
This session provides an introduction to the diverse strategies nonprofits can use to generate revenue for their organizations with an emphasis on planning, sustainability and the role of Executive Staff and Board Members in fundraising efforts. We will be covering four key topics that typically arise when discussions of "fundraising" occur. 

These are

  • the importance of integrating fund development planning at the board and staff level.
  • how to build and effective board/staff partnership including the role of each in creating and implementing a plan.
  • overcoming the fear of the "ask" with consistent, impactful messaging and considering new and innovative entrepreneurial approaches.

New Year, Great Time to Explore New Employee Benefits that You Can Afford!

We know that the Employe Benefits "Market" can be complicated.  Our job is to help make that world more simple, and affordable for nonprofits. To help you understand each type of benefit, it's coverage features and it's costs we are rolling out a series of short 30-minute webinar spotlights on our administered programs: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts and our Vision Program - which is new for 2013!
3/21/2013 
4/11/2013 
Stay tuned for our Flexible Spending Account & Life Insurance Webinars in the Spring....


Nonprofit Audits in a Nutshell  
[Free Members Only Webinar]
March 28th, 2013    3:30pm to 4:30pm 
Like yours, many nonprofit organizations often find themselves   wondering...
  • Do we need to have an independent audit? (And what does that entail anyway?)
  • Are there special rules for us because we receive government grants?
  • How can we prepare so that the process goes smoothly?  
  •  What's the board's role?
To answer these questions and more, the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) is excited to bring you Nonprofit Audits in a Nutshell, a free webinar on March 28th at 3:30pm Eastern, hosted by our national network, the National Council of Nonprofits. This webinar features practical tips from nonprofits about their audit practices, as well as experts from BoardSource and Raffa and is designed to give you background on everything you need to know about the independent audit process (from legal requirements to practical advice).    
Thanks to the support of First Nonprofit Foundation, this exclusive webinar is available, free of charge, to all members of NYCON Don't miss this opportunity - Register Today! Free and Open to Current NYCON Members Only (click here to renew your membership for 2013 before registering)

Upcoming NYCON Membership Orientation  (for all new and returning members!

3/22/2013
 [Please note the date change]

Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar]
 In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE.  
  

We will be talking about these benefits.

Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance

NYCON empowers our members with the best practices, policies, and procedures as well as information on ever-changing regulations, funding, accountability and more.

Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits

NYCON leverages the purchasing power of thousands of nonprofits to bring you economies of scale on everything from Office Supplies to Fundraising Software.
The Nonprofit Voice in New York State NYCON represents our members on the local, state and national level, giving voice to small and medium sized nonprofits everywhere. 

Special 4-Day Bonus Issue from the Blue Avocado


Free Webinar! Google Analytics for the Enthusiastic Beginner
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 3:00 pm eastern /12:00 noon Pacific
Speaker:  Bonnie Massa, Massa & Company
Wonder what all the hype is about around web analytics? Thanks to Blue Avocado and American Nonprofits, you can join this overview of Google Analytics, a free web analytics tool that shows you how visitors are using your site. We will start with how to capture data on visitors and then hit the highlights of using Google Analytics to improve your website. This overview is for beginners and executives that want to know the value of the tool but not necessarily how to operate it . . . Click here to register free . . . offer closes March 15, 2013.
Another Free Webinar! Nonprofit Sustainability:  Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability 
April 12, 2013  12:00 pm eastern/9:00 am pacific
Speakers:  Jan MasaokaBlue Avocado and CEO of CalNonprofits, and Steve Zimmerman, Spectrum Nonprofit Services
Too often program goals are discussed separately from financial means, although we all know that both must be discussed together. Jan and Steve will present the methodology for doing so from the book they co-authored with Jeanne Bell: Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability. This model can be used as an adjunct to or substitute for traditional strategic planning. Click here to register free. Offer ends March 15.
Board Recruitment Time? Learn the Blue Ribbon Nominating Committee Technique
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 3:00 pm eastern/12:00 pm pacific
Speaker:  Jan Masaoka, Blue Avocado and CEO of CalNonprofits
Board recruitment discussions usually start with the tired question, "Who do we know?" Instead, let's start with "What are the three most important things for the board to accomplish this year, and what kind of board members do we need in order to do so?" Tested successfully with hundreds of nonprofits, we'll also tackle some difficult questions such as whether and how to recruit people of different races or educational backgrounds, whether to have clients or parents (or other direct beneficiaries) on the board, and whether to have fundraising or donation requirements. Based on the tested and popular Blue Ribbon Nominating Committee technique. Click here to register free . . . through March 15 only.
Free "Gift of Learning" online courses from Cornerstone
This was such a hit in the last Bonus Issue, we’re pleased to offer this again. And we’re grateful to Cornerstone to offer this once more to Blue Avocado readers and American Nonprofit members!
The Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation established the “Gift of Learning” program to over 40 classes of downloadable e-learning content -- such as leadership training, effective communication, project management, and desktop product tutorials -- to nonprofit professionals at no cost.
The Foundation is offering this to five individuals per organization...and 300 organizations will be selelcted to receive the access to the Gift of Learning library. How do you become eligible? The first 300 Blue Avocado readers that respond on March 15, 2013 (starting 9 am Pacific/12 noon Eastern) are eligble.  Send an email to Blue Avocado's Susan Sanow at blueavocado@hotmail.com with the subject line "Gift of Learning” will be awarded the opportunity to access thousands of courses. Your e-mail must include the following information:
• Your organization's name
• Nonprofit tax ID number: you must have U.S. 501(c)(3) status to qualify
• Name of the contact person, and contact person's e-mail address and phone number
Once we reach 300 interested organizations, this offer will expire.
If your organization is chosen to participate, you will receive an introductory email directly from the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation no later than March 29, 2013. Selected nonprofits will have access to the Gift of Learning for a three month period (April 1, 2013-July 1, 2013.)
(And if you were awarded the "Gift of Learning" last fall, please step aside and let another organization benefit!)
April 1? No Foolin'… It’s a Blue Avocado Contest!
As April Fool's Day approaches, we wonder what our best April Fool's joke news headlines would be for the nonprofit community. So give it a try. Submit your headline with a 2-to-3 sentence opening paragraph. Here is a sample to get you started:
AmeriCorps to Exclusively Serve Businesses in 2014
The AmeriCorps program announced that beginning in 2014, AmeriCorps Volunteers will only be placed in small for-profit businesses.  While historically placed with nonprofits, it is clear that nonprofits are better managed and there is a greater need to support the small business community.
Submit your April 1 headline and 2-3 opening sentences tosusan@blueavocado.org.  Use the subject line April Fool's. Send in your entry by Friday, March 22, 2013.  You may be featured in our special April Fool's Day issue!  What's in it for our top 10 favorite/funniest entries? You'll win a copy of Jan Masaoka’s book, The Nonprofit’s Guide to Human Resources. Good luck!

Saturday, March 9, 2013

National Council of Nonprofits Offers 3 Ways Board Oversight Keeps Nonprofits Out of Trouble


This article was reprinted with permission from Nonprofit Knowledge Matters, a publication of the National Council of Nonprofits.


What is “Oversight” Anyway? 
Board members are told that their role is to provide “oversight.” But what does that really mean? We were curious to investigate how board governance “experts” define board “oversight." We compiled this “Top 3 list” in case you are curious too.
1.  Follow-through (aka “accountability”). What good is setting policy if the policies aren’t followed? Ellis Carter, Esq., author of the CharityLaw Blog, points out in her piece titled, “Top 15 Non-profit Board Governance Mistakes (From a Legal Perspective)," that exercising oversight is all about making sure that someone (the board) actually follows up on the authority the board delegates to staff and committees:Oversight is commonly exercised through policies and procedures so long as the board ensures that the policies and procedures are actually followed.” An example of the follow-through challenge for boards is apparent in boards’ relationships with executive directors. In that relationship, appropriate “oversight” includes selecting the “right” person to lead the organization, reviewing and approving the appropriate level of compensation for the staff leader, evaluating his/her performance, and ensuring that there is a leadership succession plan in place. But as we know from numerous surveys and reports, including BoardSource’s Nonprofit Governance Index 2012, one of the oversight balls that boards are most likely to drop is evaluating the executive director’s performance. If boards were better at follow through, they would be regularly evaluating executive directors. More consistent follow-through would also help to avoid common symptoms of tensionbetween the board and CEO that signal insufficient (and indeed, a harmful lack of) oversight. 
2.  Seeing sustainability, not just dollars (aka “financial oversight”)When a board reviews the organization’s budget or considers whether adequate internal controls are in place, these activities are quite properly part of a board’s financial oversight responsibilities. But too often, the activities focus on the immediate cash flow instead of long-term sustainability. Boards that see their role as monitoring the financial health of the nonprofit, rather than just the financial status, will be more likely to ensure that there will be enough resources in the pipeline to continue providing programs -- or alternatively -- that it’s time to make a course correction. As Jeanne Bell, CEO of CompassPoint, points out in her Nonprofit Quarterly article, "Beyond Financial Oversight, Expanding the Board’s Role in Pursuit of Sustainability," in practice “financial oversight” is often defined as a handful of board members who monitor timely financial reports and drill down on budgets. Unfortunately only infrequently do boards look at the organization’s financial sustainability, which Bell describes as the entire “interdependent mix of programs and fundraising activities that work together to achieve a set of impacts and financial results.” As Jan Masaoka points out in her Blue Avocado article, "Ten Myths About Nonprofit Boards," it’s a myth that approving budgets is the “cornerstone” of the board’s financial oversight. By viewing its financial oversight role through a strategic lens, instead of merely an approve-the-budget lens, boards are more likely to see farther, towards financialsustainability. We like the practical way Andy Robinson and Nancy Wasserman put it in the chapter of The Board Member’s Easier Than You Think Guide to Nonprofit Finances entitled, “Finding the Best Altitude For Financial Oversight.” The authors point out that “inexperienced boards tend to work at the wrong altitude by focusing on details better left to staff….” (How’s that for “oversight”?) They offer a chart illustrating examples of what’s properly the board’s role (example: “use actual financial data for planning, oversight, and evaluation”) versus the domain of staff (example: “develop a diversified fundraising plan reflecting budget goals and organizational needs”).
For more insights from these authors on the board’s financial oversight role, we share this author interview with our readers.
3.  Avoiding trouble (aka “legal compliance"). While board members are not expected to know every law or regulation that applies to the operations of the nonprofit they volunteer for, it’s clear that making sure that the nonprofit does not violate any laws (or overstep its mission) is the board’s role. In fact, BoardSource includes legal compliance right at the top of its list of “What do boards do?”  What if the board doesn’t know what legal obligations apply? As a fiduciary, the board is expected to either learn – or delegate that role to someone else (which then triggers the follow-through oversight requirement) so that the board can be assured that all the bases are covered. In order to be able to provide oversight in this area, boards should try to learn enough about the applicable legal requirements to ask the right questions, such as “Have we filed all the required annual filings with the IRS?” Fortunately, the IRS has improved its website in recent years so it’s relatively easy to research IRS requirements. For state law requirements, the National Council of Nonprofits’ network of State Associations offers board training and state-specific guidance about legal requirements for charitable nonprofits in their states. Reviewing basic legal requirements during board orientations is one way to prepare new board members for their legal compliance oversight role. But even with that background, some board members may not connect the dots between their own oversight responsibilities and the risks of non-compliance. Charity regulators are not shy about investigating the conduct of a nonprofit board, or even proposing their own list of “best practices” for nonprofit boards (such as this very long list of board oversight recommendations produced by Kentucky's Auditor of Public Accounts). When a legal requirement, such as filing annual reports with a Secretary of State, has been missed, this is a red flag for state regulators to investigate the overall conduct of the board, and that could spell a “heap of trouble” for the nonprofit. Consequently, board oversight for legal compliance needs to be taken seriously.
A board that is governing from a perspective of “Let’s follow-through, stay at the right altitude, and take the high road to stay out of trouble” is more likely to focus on how effective the organization is in addressing its stated mission. A board that takes its oversight role seriously is also more likely to spot issues that could spell trouble for the organization down the road – or around the next bend. When a board realizes that it is accountable for not only the “good,” but also “the bad, and the ugly,” that board is more likely to take its oversight role as a champion for the nonprofit’s mission and fiduciary for its assets seriously; those are the boards that will stay out of trouble.
We hope that these musings on the top three ways boards’ oversight keeps nonprofits out of trouble helps you find the right “altitude” for your own board’s oversight. Don’t forget to check the sidebar for more resources, including our invitation to attend a free webinar, Nonprofit Audits in a Nutshell, on March 28th 3:30-4:30 pm (Eastern), sponsored by First Nonprofit Foundation. Jenifer Holland, a governance consultant with BoardSource, will address the board’s role in the audit process.Join us!

Nonprofits confront cutbacks in Sullivan


Nonprofits confront cutbacks in Sullivan



By 


BETHEL — More than 100 people representing some of Sullivan County's largest employers attended an annual gathering of nonprofits at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Wednesday.
Speakers at the Nonprofit Leadership Summit 2013 emphasized that state and federal cutbacks, combined with a flat, charitable-giving environment continue to put the squeeze on the county's nonprofits.
At the same time, New York's rules and regulations and other hurdles, like turf battles among the nonprofits themselves, remain obstacles when these organizations try to share costs and collaborate to provide services more efficiently.
Three years ago, county officials came up with the idea of inviting nonprofit leaders to an annual summit at Bethel Woods. Linda Hartley, one of the three summit organizers, said the gatherings have had mixed results in fostering collaborations.
Nonprofits like the Center for Discovery, New Hope and Catskill Regional Medical Center form the backbone of the county's economy.
Catskill Regional and New Hope sent representative to this year's seminar. Catskill Regional Medical Center spokesman J.P. McGuirk said the hospital comes more for the tips from the speakers than for the opportunity to network with other nonprofits.
"There is a lot of pressure with federal and state cutbacks," McGuirk said. "We have to come up with new and creative ways to raise money and operate."
Hartley said the biggest success to date is a growing cooperation among several county arts organizations, including Bethel Woods and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.
She said representatives of roughly 15 arts groups got together during a breakaway session last year and continue to meet with the Sullivan County Visitor's Association. They are planning an annual festival. She said other collaborations have been harder to foster.
Doug Sauer, chief operating officer of The New York Council of Nonprofits, said partnerships can involve simply sharing information all the way up to merging. One major obstacle to forming close, legally binding affiliations, he said, is that New York state doesn't make it easy. Although nonprofits in other states can apply online and complete the process in a few months, combining services usually takes years in New York state and requires approval from multiple state agencies, he said.
Other speakers gave tips on the use of social media, recruiting volunteers and leadership building.
While organizers were pleased with the turnout, only a small percentage of the county's 600 registered 501(c)(3) organizations, attended the summit. (A 501(c)(3) organization is a charity or public service entity that qualifies for tax exemption under that section of the tax code.)
Organizers are also attempting to compile a database of the county's active nonprofits.
"We still need to have more people," Hartley said. "There are some here, but not enough."
To see the article online click here.

NYSACRA Action Alert

NYSACRA Action Alert

PLEASE consider reaching out to your assemblyman and senator to express your concern over the cuts proposed below. Springbrook provides invaluable support to people with developmental disabilities. The proposed 6% cut equates to $1.2 million for this organization.The proposed 6% cut equates to $1.2 million for this organization. The phone calls take less than a minute each. PLEASE PLEASE call.


As you are well aware, the proposed 2013-14 Executive Budget proposes a 6% across the board cut to all voluntary not-for-profit providers throughout the State of New York, effective April 1, 2013.  If this cut is enacted, the developmental disabilities system of supports and services will be negatively impacted, dramatically.  NYSACRA has received information from members as to how the reductions will be absorbed if a restoration is not successful.  Agencies will be forced to: reduce services and supports, eliminate entire programs, layoff all levels of staff including direct support professionals.  We all know how this will translate if the cuts are to be taken: the great strides we've made as a sector will quickly erode and the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) will be negatively impacted.

Both houses of the State Legislature are in the process of negotiating and getting ready to release the respective one-house budget measures.  While we understand the 6% across the board cut to the not-for-profit developmental disabilities sector is gaining great attention in the State Legislature, we need to continue advocacy efforts and therefore we are asking agencies, parents and family members, agency staff and direct support professionals, self advocates to make two telephone calls this week.

WHO TO CALL:
Please make two telephone calls, one to your State Assemblymember and the other to your State Senator in their Albany Offices

WHEN:
This week (the week of March 4th)

WHAT'S MY MESSAGE:
"I'm a constituent and I am concerned the proposed 6% across the board cut to the not-for-profit developmental disabilities providers will negatively impact supports, services and programs.  I wish to thank my Assemblymember/Senator for his/her support of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and ask him/her to support restoration of the 6% proposed cut in the one-house budget bill."

HOW:
Contact the Assembly Operator at 518-455-4100 and ask to be transferred to your Assemblymember's Office. (if you do not know who your Member of the Assembly is, go towww.assembly.state.ny.us to identify your Member.  You may also obtain his/her direct Albany Office telephone number, rather than going through the Assembly Operator).

Contact the Senate Operator at 518-455-2800 and ask to be transferred to your Senator's Office (if you do not know who your Member of the Senate is, go to www.nysenate.gov to identify your Senator. You may also obtain his/her Albany Office telephone number on the website, rather than going through the Senate Operator).


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING ADVOCACY AND EFFORTS!
LOOK FOR MORE NYSACRA ACTION ALERTS
THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK