Refresh Your Founding Momentum 9-9-15

Resting up on Labor Day from the hard job of being the key person responsible for your small nonprofit's mission and organization??? Well, take Tuesday to get started on the essential backlog, then plan to bring your hopes, plans and challenges to talk about here on Wednesday  at  When It's *All Up to You in the 2nd fl. training room at Central Library from 10- 12 am. Sue Greenberg, from VLAA will give the group some how-to tips on prioritizing time, sharing the load with an effective board and other important factors in nonprofit growth. Could be just the support session you need to refresh your energy for the fall season.

Resolved to Start a Nonprofit in the New Year???

Know anyone thinking about doing good in their community in the new year by starting a new nonprofit?  
Invite them to come to Central's 2nd fl. training rm. Tues. Jan. 6 for Thinking about Starting a Nonprofit? Part 1: Best Choices & Basic Steps, a 2-hour (11am- 1pm) a free overview of decisions to consider before you incorporate, as well as all the steps involved in starting and growing a successful organization.  Sue Greenberg from Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) and Laurie Hauber from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's (LSEM) Community Development Project will share their experience and expertise by discussing such issues as legal incorporation options,  potential sources of funding, and how to build a good governing board and a realistic budget.  
Then, on Tues. Jan. 20--same time, same place -- Part 2: Nuts & Bolts for Success & Sustainability potential founders who have completed  1) a mission statement and 2) a program plan (as described at the Part 1 session) are invited to bring them to get advice and information about important details to include in their organization's filing of articles of incorporation, bylaws and 501(C)3 application.
 These sessions are scheduled 11am-1pm and participants are welcome to bring their lunches to eat during the sessions; beverages will be provided. Please note the parking information elsewhere on this blog. If you have questions or to preregister so that we'll have enough materials ready, e-mail me or phone 314-539-0357 and leave a message. 
Special appreciation to VLAA and LSEM, Sue and Laurie, for cosponsoring and co-planning these sessions.

Insurance Guidance 4 Artists in all Genres

• Find out HERE about Every Artist Insured FREE meetings & appointments for help choosing options and signing up for Affordable Care Act coverage in 2015.  Sponsored by VLAA and RAC, along with the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County.  

4-15-14: Ways to Do Good Well w/o NPO Status

Tues. April 15, 3-5 pm  Doing Good in Your Community.  Got and idea or a project for improving your community but not the time or resources for creating and running a new nonprofit organization? Come hear from practitioners about the ins-and-outs, the resulting satisfactions of, and regional supports  for volunteering,  collaborating with other organizations and/or using a fiscal sponsor to achieve your goals.  Call 3114-539-0357 or email kparks@slpl.org for more information or to reserve a place at this free G&FC event, co-sponsored by Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA)  &  Area Resources for Community  & Human Services (ARCHS) 2nd fl training rm.

1-15 Class Offers Helps for Creative Writers

At the 3rd Central for Creatives session tomorrow, 4-5:30 pm, Sue Greenberg of VLAA will recommend books about the legal and business aspects of publishing and promoting your writing and I'll show how to search Foundation Grants to Individuals Online and some free online funding sites. Next published author Eric Lundgren will talk about additional helpful  resources available at Central Library for writers wanting to move their careers to the next level. Then Andrea Johnson, Creative Experience specialist, will demonstrate possibilities for using the collaborative nature of the Creative Experience space, including the availability of iBooks Author and other software and tutorials, for writers. Email cexp@stl.org to sign up. Next month--Central for Creative Musicians. 

If you missed last month's session for visual artists, the list of  books recommended by Sue and fine arts subject specialist Mary Frechette is available on the Dec. 19th posting of Central's Fine Arts Room Blog!

2-19 New Program:When It's All Up to You!

For several years here at the G&FC we've been compiling lists of resources for the one-person development office: On Feb. 19th Sue Greenberg from VLAA will expand that concept by discussing of the responsibilities and practicalities of leading a nonprofit whose mission depends on minimal staff and/or dedicated volunteers.  She'll talk about such essentials as time management, working with your board, internal controls, planning for future success and succession, etc. If you're a founder or executive director in this situation, come to the 2nd Floor Training Room here at Central Library  3 -5 pm and bring your questions and best advice.

Report on Recent GFC Classes...

• A couple of the new or additional books/websites recommended by VLAA's Sue Greenberg and the individual artists/writers/musicians/filmmakers who attended our Feb. 24 session on moving your career to the next level included The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Beam, Take Ten for Writers by Bonnie Newbauer, The Art of Nonconformity by Chris Guillebeau and www.kickstarter.com. Contact me if you would like the full list of resources discussed at this event. Also -- just a reminder that the VLAA website is full of help for individual artists as well as for arts organizations.
• Dennis Kennedy outlined 6 keys to social network success and fellow ACC panelists JulieAnn Broyles, Elizabeth Cox, & Pete Salsich III discussed important disclaimers, good organizational policies and on-line practices at our March 10 Legal Aspects of Social Media for Nonprofits event. For more about information technology law and any additional presentations by the panel, follow http://denniskennedy.com/blog/. Our next ACC panel presentation here at the G&FC will be The Fine Print for Nonprofits: Contracts April 28.

January Event for Nonprofit Board Members

No Stupid Questions: Financial Oversight for Nonprofit Board Members
Thursday, Jan. 13, 3-4:30 pm Schlafly Branch Library
Overseeing financial matters may not be your main motivation for serving on a nonprofit board of directors but legally, this responsibility cannot be left to the executive director, the CFO, the board treasurer or the finance committee. This session will address questions board members may have about:

• The role of the board treasurer
• Bookkeeping systems
• The difference between cash and accrual accounting
• Budgeting and financial statements
• Internal controls
• Key policies
• IRS accountability
• Audits
• Warning signs of financial stress.

This free event is cosponsored by the St. Louis Public Library’s Grants & Foundation Center and Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts and will be led by VLAA Executive Director Sue Greenberg and UHY Advisors. Registration is required so enough class materials can be provided. E-mail me or call 314-539-0357.

As Political Season Heats Up, What about Advocacy for Your Nonprofit?

To help you select your nonprofit/fundraising reading , we've asked VLAA summer interns to describe and comment on some of the books available in our G&FC collection (and elsewhere.) Here's another review:

The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations by Marcia Avner

This guide was written for 501(c)3 charities. Other types of nonprofits are governed by different rules and should seek out other materials. The author herself, however, seems to suggest that this guide is one of several that organizations should read before launching a lobbying campaign. The handbook was creatively written. Besides the basics of lobbying, it discusses such topics as deciding whether to become part of a coalition, rehearsing meetings with the legislature, activities lobbyists should avoid, and how to handle failure. The author also describes organizing group treasure hunts and field trips to familiarize nonprofit members with the places and people involved in the lobbying process and with the lobbying process itself. In addition, the guide’s sample checklists and worksheets will facilitate compliance and good record-keeping, alerting readers to the fact that nonprofits are limited by laws governing reporting and expenditures. Lastly, the guide contains sample lobbying materials used by a nonprofit organization in Minnesota, including a proposal, campaign summary sheet, and a lobby-day agenda. While the author does provide some information about the differences between direct and grassroots lobbying, the distinctions are limited in scope.

-- Shannon Martínez, Law Student at Saint Louis University School of Law

More Books for Income-Seeking Artists

At yesterday's session here for individual artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers, Sue Greenberg from VLAA described books every artist should read to help advance their careers in the profession. These included legal and business guides for specific artistic genres and some more general advice and inspiration like Robert Fisher's Getting to Yes, Richard Shell's Bargaining for Advantage, Heather Bhandari's Art/Work, and Moss Hart's Act I. Yesterday's p(art)icipants also recommended Paul Virilio's Art and Fear and J. Jason Horeijs' "Starving " to Successful. (Most of these are, or will soon be, part of SLPL's collection.) If any of you have additional recommendations, feel free to post a comment here.
BTW, VLAA has several wonderful, free publications or downloadable guides on various aspects of the arts "business." Look under "Get Smart" on the VLAA website below.

Books Every Working Artist-Writer-Musician-Filmmaker Should Read

March 18, 3-5pm Central Library Mtg. Rm. 1. Sue Greenberg from VLAA St. Louis will share her "Top 12" list of information about the best ways to handle the legal, financial and marketing issues creative artists must confront in order to succeed in their chosen careers. Call or e-mail the G&FC to sign up so there'll be enough helpful hand-outs available at this session.