Build a Balanced Nonprofit Board Workshop Nov. 12

The best boards are composed of people who bring a variety of skills, perspectives, backgrounds and resources to address the challenges confronting nonprofit organizations. Amy Ondr, BoardLinkStL exec. director, will show how to take a closer look at the composition of your board and define what diversity means for your organization on Thurs. Nov. 12 here at Central Library from 4-5:30 pm. She'll identify many underused and promising board candidate pools and give tips for improving your recruitment strategies. The event is free, but registration is required; e-mail me or call 314.539-0357 to sign up.

Useful Free E-Newsletters

I've subscribed to a few regular free e-newsletters which provide helpful background and/or updated information whether or not you purchase the company business products or services. They include:

• Board Cafe for nonprofit board members comes from CompassPoint Nonprofit Services; sign up at http://www.blueavocado.org/.
• Fundraising Well and Nonprofit Fiscal Fitness from http://www.blackbaud.com/ --scroll down to resources-newsletters to sign up.
• Convio Connection at www.convio.com/our-research/newsletter/.
• By the Cup info and comments about nonprofit technology comes weekly from www. TechSoup.org

Got any comments or other titles to recommend?

And e-mail me if you'd like to receive the G&FC News e-mail listing our new resources and upcoming workshops.

Doing Good Well Together in Bad Times

Two (imho) truly helpful programs here in St. Louis last week (see postings from 10/8 and 10/5 below) included discussions with local organizations who have strategically focused on surviving and growing in these difficult financial times and succeeded. One approach these groups seemed to share was to deliberately and creatively choose collaboration partners.
Some how-to's, what-not-to's and who-t0-withs of nonprofit collaborations and partnerships is the theme of G&FC programming now being planned for early 2010; watch this blog in November for dates and times. Many thanks to our partners -- see their websites at right--for providing the expertise for these programs.
In the meantime, check out one of our books about nonprofit collaboration or one written by Friday's speaker, Dr. Paul Light. We also have the title he recommended, Forces for Good by Leslie R. Crutchfield.

You are Awarded the Grant! Now What?

Dan Sise from UMSL's NPML will discuss Grant Management Basics at a free workshop here at Central Library Oct. 28, 3-5pm. He'll discuss issues, suggest practices and procedures and give examples from grant awards and agreements. E-mail or call us to register.

St. Louis CBO's & Capacity Building Seminar Set for Oct. 21

John McClusky, director emeritus of UMSL's NPML, Sean Thomas, executive director of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, and Erin Budde, head of community affairs for Wells Fargo Advisors, will discuss how Community Based Organizations (CBOs) embedded in urban neighborhoods can become successful agents of change on Oct. 21 at the J.C. Penney Conference Center, Rm. 126, on the UMSL campus from 3-4:30 pm. The free event is sponsored by UMSL's Community Partnership Project. For more information, visit http://umslce.org/index.php/seminar-series or call 314.516.6392.

2009 "$$$ & Sense" Nonprofit Report Survey Open

Area nonprofits who are considering or currently running a major funding campaign involving restricted donations are asked to complete a short survey which can be accessed at http://www.centerforgiving.org/. before Oct. 23. Benefits include additional marketing of your campaign to the public and potential donors (unless you choose to participate anonymously) as well as a complimentary "scrubbed" version of this report.

Light to Discuss Nonprofits' Future

Hear noted professor and author Dr. Paul C. Light define sector choices in these momentous times and discuss the future of area nonprofits with a panel of experts. The Oct. 23 event is part of the Nonprofit Services Center's Continuing the Dialog series, and costs $30. For more information and to register, link to the NSC website from this blog.