Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with non-profit

IT advice for non-profit

dougiedd — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:57:31 -0800

How likely is it that in the next 2-3 years cloud computing (using for example google chrome OS with web apps running off thin clients) will be the norm and how should a non-profit organization with high tech needs (healthcare) but limited tech resources begin to position itself for the changes this might entail?

help me get a small site built!

canine epigram — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:57:45 -0800

what's the best way to get a web site built for a non-profit? I'm in the unenviable position of having taken on the webmaster position for a hacked together web-site (php/mySQL) for a small non-profit - mostly because nobody else would or could do it.

The web site desperately needs overhauling and it's impossible for any non-technical users to update it. Most of the content (with the exceptions of event pages/calendar/seasonal info) would not be updated that frequently.

I don't know php and my html skills are decent but basic. I'm in grad school and working full-time, so I don't have time or the inclination to build something by myself.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a pro or semi-pro who we can pay a nominal fee (remember, non-profit) to help us set up something relatively simple that meets our requirements and can be maintained by our non-technical members.

I read this previous thread which had
some good suggestions about possible platforms. I hoped that if I listed the basic requirements, people might point me in the right direction and suggest how to find a web-savvy developer interested in a small job for a non-profit.

It needs the following:

the pages should be easily updatable via some sort of user-interface, including text and pictures.

ability to add pages and a way to navigate to them.

an integrated updateable calendar (being able to set reminders for events would be nice) and events page.

whatever software should not require a lot of patching or be a security nightmare - we have no IT. None. Zip. Nada. (this suggests that WordPress might not be ideal)

internal members pages and file repository system that can be accessed via a web interface

easily maintainable mailing lists for the community.

some customization - our logos, colors, etc.

Help our printing to go green!

melissam — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:09:57 -0800

How can I make my non-profit's printing more green? We've been using a company that rhymes with Bovineright Dints, but we want to go greener and frankly their customer service is abominable. As it's a non-profit, we don't exactly have a ton to shell out in terms of money, so I need something that is priced reasonably. Our last print job was several thousand color postcards and cards for an event, but sometimes we do smaller print jobs of 100 or so for sub-programs. I have already started getting price quotes, since my end goal is a report on how much it would cost our organization to use green printing.

Does anyone have any good tips or experiences that might help this project be a success?

Seeking shared online multi-part project managing solution

Scram — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:59:36 -0800

I am working with several other people to seek sponsorship for a non-profit event. There is a fairly simple but lengthy series of actions that needs to be completed to track each unique sponsor. We've thought about having a binder with a printed page showing tasks for each sponsor, but it would be preferable if there was an online solution any of us can access for checking off and date-stamping completed tasks, with a place to add notes. A sample workflow would be something like: page is named for a sponsor, sponsor is contacted (checked, need room for notes), sponsor is invoiced (checked, date), check is received and deposited (checked, dates), sponsor is thanked (checked, date), sponsor info is added to website and event map (checked, dates).

Is there some simple, preferably free, way of doing this? We are already using Google Documents to share some text-based information, but none of us is a whiz with the various tools there, and perhaps we're overlooking some obvious solution. Our event website is running Drupal, and one of us knows how to code it.

Thanks, hive mind, for any suggestions you can offer.

Approaching a Foundation?

tessalations999 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:53:05 -0800

How do I approach a foundation to inquire about a grant? My boss gave me a list of foundations that he wants me to eventually write grants to help fund our non-profit. He told me to approach the program officer to get a better sense of what the foundation would fund and what their application process is, expectations, etc. What is the best and most professional way to approach the program officer about this issue? Email? Phone? Meeting? Should I be focusing on presenting my program well to them or just focusing on getting information about the foundation itself? Thank you very much, I appreciate any ideas or suggestions you might have.

What can an NPO do with its money?

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:44:03 -0800

What happens to a non-profit's cash on hand if they dissolve? A friend has a family member with a non-profit organization, that's been incorporated as such for many years. Years ago, a wealthy individual donated $100,000 to the non-profit. The NPO hasn't touched the money, doesn't do anything day-to-day and the money sits in a money market account.

It's years later. The original donor has no interest in getting the money back. What are appropriate uses of the money? Do they need to follow a charter set forth by the NPO? (This doesn't seem enforceable to me.)

Further, if the NPO were to effectively dissolve, what would happen with the money? Could it be distributed back to the members? (Seems unlikely.)

Finally, if nothing else, could a scholarship be formed to help pay for the schooling of my friend with the money?

The money can't be entirely untouchable, right? This person was the sole donor to the organization (or one of very, very few) and the organization isn't in any way active.

I'm just wondering if the money is an island or what would happen at dissolution of the NPO.

Where can I start looking for grants for "going green"?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:51:41 -0800

GreeningGrantFilter: I'm a volunteer at a soup kitchen who recently got asked to look for sources of funding for a "green" initiative. I have lots of experience chopping vegetables and coming up with ideas in the past, but on this issue of financing....none at all. A large (physically, and in terms of client base) urban soup kitchen is looking for grant aid (other type of assistance welcome too, in terms of consulting, etc.) to "go green" in its operations....not just because it's the right thing to do, but also because they're spending nearly $2000 per month in paper goods and associated trash costs--overwhelming for a place that's virtually running on a month-to-month basis given the current need and economic crunch.

This is one of the largest soup kitchens in our region (and serves 6 nights a week) and unique in other ways as well (consistent efforts to use fresh produce, salads at every meal, meals cooked from scratch--not dumped from cans--whenever possible, etc., (even as they serve 150+ per night), meeting restaurant standards of serving and presentation and cleanliness, etc.), so it might make an attractive cause and serve as a nice test case for an environmental group.

We currently need to retrofit an existing dishwasher on site to be operational and to bring it up to code, as well as buy all associated supplies for the switch (trays, cups, plates, etc.) so there is a definite plan in place. Donors in past years have been local and regional (financial institutions, churches, fraternal organizations, etc.) and I'm wondering if there's a directory or short list of donors on a national level who are interested in environmental issues whom I could be researching and contacting regarding this.

I have access to some online databases through a university, obviously the internet, etc. What I don't have is any grant research experience, or much connection to environmental organizations/foundations at this point.

Throwaway address is greensoupkitchen@gmail.com

Top social justice issues and organizations

roaring beast — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:07:02 -0800

What are the most important social justice issues in the world today (such as AIDS, poverty, clean water, human trafficking, slavery, etc.) and what is one organization that is working in that field to make a difference? I am giving a presentation on this topic, and specifically looking for organizations where "normal" people could learn about the issue and get involved to help change the biggest problems in the world.

Multi-State Tax Exemption

slagerst — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:42:13 -0800

Can my New York State 501c3 non-profit buy something in New Jersey and avoid paying NJ sales tax? We use our NY State ST-119.1 Exempt Organization Certificate all the time with our NY vendors, and even with some NJ vendors that maybe just don't know any better.

For the first time, a NJ vendor told me to avoid paying NJ tax I needed to provide a NJ ST-5. Looking at the NJ Tax site, and more specifically the ST-5 application form, it seems that a NY ST-119.1 cannot be used to obtain a NJ ST-5, and a NY ST-119.1 should not work in NJ. Furthermore, the NJ ST-5 application requires a county and municipality code, which only apply to NJ.

Can this really be true? The federal IRS certified us as non-profit and federal tax exempt, and NY state agreed, but NJ has no mechanism to honor that?

Dammit, IRS, I'm an actor not a tax lawyer.

crookedneighbor — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:13:06 -0800

Where can a theater company get legal and tax advice in NYC? We're finally incorporating as a theater company and have many questions (for example: how long after we start the 501(c)(3) process can we start accepting tax-deductible donations?). I've heard there are lawyers who do pro bono work for non-profits; how can I find them? Is it possible to get tax advice without spending a lot of money? If we do have to hire someone, how much does it usually cost?

What IT systems would Jesus use?

allkindsoftime — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:50:28 -0800

Looking for a IT consultant for a largish-church in NYC - please help? Asking for a friend, who manages media / communications for a large church in NYC. They need to conduct and evaluation of their current hardware / software environment for:

1) Church office internal systems
2) Church website hosting / management / design (site already exists but they want to pursue some new direction as well as plan an intranet)
3) Data storage / security / etc.

Further, they need to develop a strategy / vision for where their systems need to be in the future for more optimized operations.

The church currently has ~15,000 "clients" (for lack of a better word) that it communicates with regularly through snail and virtual methods, and does not feel their systems are up to speed with what they need for management of information exchange (church communications, demographic surveys of the clients, etc.). The data in its current state is fragmented, with some departments having certain information but others not having access to it, etc..

The church is looking to contract an IT Consultant that can help them with this evaluation and strategy development. I work in consulting but my firm deals primarily with large (for-profit) clients, so what we're looking here for specifically is a consultancy / firm that works with smaller clients, and (if possible) for non-profits in particular.

There's no formal RFP in process yet, they're just currently looking for someone capable for this effort before confirming scope / budget / scheduling. Any ideas?

TIA.

Free and Easy Open Source Accounting Software Recommendations?

franklen — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:57:38 -0800

Looking for your experiences with open-source accounting software. I am helping co-found a non-profit organization and need software that is free (if possible), easy to use for non-accountants, and preferably open-source. Someone recommended OSAS (Open Systems Accounting Software) and gnucash. Has anyone used these or any other programs they would recommend or not recommend?

Making a career in theater, sans stage

ictow — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:48:24 -0800

I think I'd like to make a career in the management side of (preferably non-profit) theater. How should I go about doing that? I'm moving to Chicago in the fall, a town baptized in the birthing fluids of improv. It seems like every improviser who moves there is trying to grab some of the spotlight. But I'd rather be in the office making sure we can afford the spotlight, and maybe figuring out new ways people can use the spotlight. I see that Columbia College has 2 programs that highlight exactly what I'm interested in (Arts in Youth and Community Development or Performing Arts Management), but I'm dubious as to how useful those would be in pursuing a career. I've currently got a B.A. in English with plenty of debt, so I'm only interested in more school insofar as it will equal steady income to slowly (oh god how slowly) pay my loans back. I'm thinking maybe I should try instead to get an MBA and just make arts/ non-profit management my focus, or if that's putting too much faith in the "education = career felicity" equation.

My gut tells me to take a "start from the bottom" approach, but luck plays such an enormous role in that it makes me nervous.

So. Enough exposition. Is it better (read: faster and less costly) to try to get a bottom-rung job and rise up the ranks, or would it behoove me to go to school? If I need to go to school, any recommendations as to programs in Chicago? Heck, I'll even take recommendations outside of Chicago. I'm young-- toss me to the wind.

I can get the book, now I want the bank.

parmanparman — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:50:20 -0800

I have been asked to put together a package to find publishing companies to sponsor some work of a non-profit - also called corporate underwriting. It's not publicists I want, I think I need marketing departments. I have a few questions on how to do this... I think I need to reach out to marketing departments. I am great on the phone, but I don't think cold-calling when I'm looking for sponsorships is the best idea. Any tips you might have of getting a list of people in the publishing or book industry who are responsible for underwriting and sponsorship decision-making would be a real help. If there are people here who have insight about how to make an approach, I would also really appreciate it. Thanks for any advice!

Before we start we just wanted to say that this gig sucks!

Weebot — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:21:32 -0800

So, how do you hire a big-name band to do a private event? I work at a medium-to-large sized non-profit in a well-to-do area that is going to be having a 50th anniversary celebration in late 2008. It's going to be big, and there is a big opportunity to raise a lot of money for the organization. As such, we're going to be spending relatively lavishly for the event. We've allocated about $40,000 to hire a band (though the organization is willing to pay up to $100,000). The questions I have are: how do you go about hiring a somewhat well-known band for an event like this? Is it really just a matter of going through their management, or are there any tricks involved? How well-known a band can you even get with that amount?

Oh yeah, bonus points for band/artist suggestions, though that's not really necessary.

(One of the administrators had quixotically wanted to see if we could get Bruce Springsteen to do it—someone had some sort of connection in the office—but when we contacted his management they politely told us that his asking price [$2.1 million] and our offer weren't exactly a match. If only we were Mr. Burns.)

Should we be a non-profit?

macrowave — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:05:20 -0800

Would it be in my tiny alt-monthly print newspaper's interest to become a non-profit? Our print run is under 5000 but our content is increasingly amazing. A small publishing group in my community is dissolving and offering to turn their non-profit status over to us but few of our members can even begin to grasp what this would mean. We are located in Chicago (Pilsen), and have been growing in contribution/readership, but have failed to make a dime. This is not by any means a money making venture. Our members have been infighting about what non-profit status would mean in terms of available grants. I've offered to research our options but I don't know where to begin. I plan on going to the Thompson Center this week to talk to folks, but I'm not sure what I need to be asking. I'd like any relevant advise or contacts, period, but my/our specific questions thus far are:

- Some of our editors seem to think that it is easier to obtain grants as individual artists/ writers as opposed to on behalf of a collective. Does anybody have any Chicago-specific advise to contribute?

-We don't really make ad revenue and have given up on it in favor of benefit shows, local art involvement, and various "get $800" schemes. Do we even NEED non-profit status? Is it something that we should view as a "what if?", or is it a "pointless waste of time"? (The only benefit that 's been brought up is the notion of donators being able to write checks to a company as opposed to an individual.)

- The name of the publisher's non-profit that wants to give us the status isn't the first one that we'd pick for ourselves. It's not entirely terrible, but it doesn't really speak for our paper at all. Is there a chance that we could change the name if we were to take this on? Is this even important?

Is any of this even important?

Again, questions would be appreciated as well as answers. This is a fact-finding mission and I'm not even sure what facts need to be found.

Need help finding cheap/free advertising for my nonprofit

mrflibble — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:00:57 -0800

Looking for inexpensive ways to advertise for a nonprofit Simple version:
I've founded a nonprofit based in Michigan and just added a job board I want to get the word out about. The jobs board is free. It will always be free.

Funding is nearly nil, as in, whatever is currently in my wallet.

Any and all options are welcome. I'm not afraid of walking the streets posting fliers. I'm not afraid of making 1000 phone calls.

Whatever you got, lay it on me.

Thank you

More detail if you'd like (not essential to the question but explains more about the organization if you're interested):

The organization is called City Job Club and the main goal is to help job-hunters and career-changers find enjoyable employment. Eventually I want to be able to give people in other cities the tools to start their own "job club" so they can help out their community.

What makes City Job Club different from what exists is the community aspect. I know there are support groups here and there but I really want to accomplish that on a much larger scale. "The one place we want a high turnover" The general idea is that no one's a job hunting pro. Together though, with everyone's input and feedback, the community as a whole can be a pro.

The jobs board is something like a mini monster.com but free forever.

The target audience is primarily employers with 250-300 or less employees. I figure larger companies have the money and resources to pay the $400 for an ad. What I'm trying to accomplish is to bring out the jobs that are there but are hidden due to the costs of advertising positions using the mainstream methods. Smaller business just don't have the resources or money to cope with what's currently available.

Whats out there: $400 per ad for monster and careerbuilder, $650 just to peruse up to 400 resumes for a week, about $165 for a small 5 line newspaper ad. Plus, with the way the economy is out here, people apply for just about everything they see so a single ad could potentially yield 1000 responses. Because of this, the smaller runners rely on word of mouth, insiders, or a poster in their window.

Many small businesses don't even have an HR department.

I want to prove that there are more jobs out there. We just don't hear about them.

Thanks again for all your input!

Cheap website design for a Non-Profit/NGO

sk381 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:03:32 -0800

Could someone recommend options for very cheap website design for a Non-Profit/NGO? Some people are trying to set up an association (Nami India) along the lines of NAMI USA , to offer information and support and to act as an advocacy group for people with Mental Illness in India.

They would like to have a pretty simple website with features like a blog, a discussion forum and perhaps a chat facility.

The entire operation is being funded personally at the moment and hence resources are running quite low.

Does anyone have any experience employing the services of someone who could do this kind of a job very cheaply?

Any freelance designers looking to add more experience to their portfoilo for free?!

Thanks

Is there profit to being a non-profit?(???)

mrgreyisyelling — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:51:40 -0800

An individual looking to buy a multi-family home to create a low rent situation for several artists. Is there a benefit to becoming a non-profit? Is there money to help support this venture that I should be chasing after? Not very complicated: I'm in the process to purchasing a piece of property, to allow a small group (8-10) of artists to live and work for reduced rent. Suddenly it occurred to me that I'm playing the role of a non-profit - I've been crunching numbers so hard I hadn't given it much thought.

1. Is there some benefit to purchasing this property as a non-profit, rather then a single nice guy?

1a. If I do go as a non-profit (what ever that means), does that mean I have to charge the logistically lowest rent? What does that mean to the profit from the property if/when I sell it again?

2. Is there money out there for this purpose that I should be pursuing that might help us out? (Currently living in Connecticut, but my search isn't limited to this state) Any way to make the monthly payments as low as possible.

3. And while I'm at it: Whats the wisdom to making a piece of property a co-op situation, rather then a tenant/owner situation? And would/should it still be considered a non-profit.

4. if things go ugly - is there a way for property to become profit again?

facts: Second piece of property, I AM a a low income artist as well, and I would like to live here as well.

Don't worry, I'm not going to run out and buy the house today or tomorrow base on what ever you say. Yes I'm going to go talk to a 'real' person if my 'internet friends' generally make noises like this could be a good plan.

Matching Designers & Non-profits

silusGROK — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:10:25 -0800

I'm helping a long-time friend who has recently taken the helm at a small non-profit and needs some web design work done. I've come across a number of web sites that connect designers with non-profits over the last few years... but can only remember Guru.com. I'd like to recommend a service to her, but I'm coming-up short. Does anyone here have experience with a firm like/better than Guru? Guru may end-up being our final choice, but I can't imagine they're the only players in the field.

Marketing and PR help (maybe pro-bono)?

parmanparman — Mon, 14 May 2007 05:11:03 -0800

Where can I find or find out about PR and marketing help for non-profits in the Washington, DC metro area? I heard there are some PR and marketing firms that offer pro-bono PR and marketing advice to non-profits, but I am loath to find such resources outside of New York and Chicago. Specifically in the Washington, DC area (MD and VA included), where could I find such professional help?

Help me find my name!

damiano99 — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:31:00 -0800

We have a small 501c3 charity and someone is offended at our name because they worry it's too close to theirs and wants us to change it. Help us find an alternative. Any and all suggestions welcome. (Story inside) Some background:
My wife and I have a small 501c3 (non-profit) charity we founded. We've been active for about 5 years. At that time, for lack of any better ideas, we named it after ourselves: "Firstnames Lastnames Outreach"

We work with various organizations, some secular, some religious (Red Cross, Catholic, Presbyterian, etc) doing aid and community work overseas. Our focus as a non-profit is simply to help people wherever they are. We make no distinctions based on race, religion, social strata, country, etc. Regardless of who they are, what they are and where they are we simply want to help them as best we can. We tell others that we simply love people and simply want show them that love. Most of our work goes on in the poorest areas of the world.

100% of what comes in goes back out on the field as we take no salary and pay the overhead out of our own pocket from our day jobs.

We've been small for the past several years but now suddenly, we're getting more backers and volunteers who are swelling our ranks.

My father, who has been a more traditional-style missionary for 40 years also has a 501c3, albeit a strictly religious one. His 501c3 is named after himself. Now, suddenly he has voiced extreme opposition to the name of our foundation since the last name is the same as his. We think he's worried people will confuse us with him, which bothers him as we don't do things his way particularly as he's much older and nearing the end of his day-to-day work. Plus, we're pretty sure as we've gotten bigger and more successful that he *might* be feeling threatened for some silly reason.

The long and short of it is that he caused a big blowup and basically asked us to change our name to something else. We have waffled back and forth quite a bit and have decided that in the interest of family peace (among other reasons, we just had a baby and we don't want to throw her into the whole "your grandparents are selfish and mean" scenario) and so we're now searching for a new name. Can anyone make a suggestion? Any and all are welcome.

Some of the ones we thought of up to now are:
Magnificent Obsession Outreach
Open Hands Foundation
Love without Limits, Inc

Thanks.

Non-profit membership management software?

stefnet — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:17:05 -0800

What is the best software to use for managing the membership of a non-profit organization? I've recently become the membership chairperson of an organization and I'm trying to make the process more efficient. Do any of you have any recommendations for software (preferably for OS X) to manage membership information?

The org. currently uses Access on the office computer, but it seems like overkill and I'd also like to be able to have the info on my laptop as well (hence the OS X). I need to be able to input general contact information, membership status, the date their dues were last paid, etc. I do not need to track fundraising or other financial information.

And, of course, it would be helpful if the software were open-source/free/not incredibly expensive. Is Access the way to go or is there something made especially for this kind of information?

Thanks!

Site helpless sights help?

parmanparman — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:22:18 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good Drupal page designer for a small non-profit? I am working for a very tiny non-profit (two people: myself and a very pragmatic nun) that produces a well-respected public radio show (http://www.interfaithradio.org). I am trying to find a good, intelligent web developer who knows Drupal that can do a great, small (5-10 pages) design for us that we can plug into an already available Drupal CMS. I dream of some pro-bono angel coming along, but that never seems to happen.

I have hit many of the major places (Craigslist, Sitepoint, etc) but we haven't gotten any bites that include rate quotes or interest in non-profit work, and we are really strapped for resources to get some group off-the-street to do it unless they have non-profit or small company rates (preferably both!).

Frankly, I do not know where else to go and would appreciate any advice, comments, and encouragement any of you might have.

I know I've already asked many of you for advice on what we should do with the site, so thanks for all of those: those comments make up roughly 70% of the changes we are seeking to make.

How do I make my life work as an ultra-busy gtd-using college student?

Ash3000 — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:35:08 -0800

How can I perfect my gtd system as a college student with a very specific set of tasks? I'm an extremely, extremely busy college student trying to balance a heavy worklord with being the head of a statewide, youth-run nonprofit. I recently adopted gtd, but I'm finding it difficult to find a good system for me. I curently use:

-gmail
-a treo 650 (I'm not spoiled, I used my own money)
-and google calendar.

But I've run into some basic questions:
1. Should I schedule events on my treo or gcal? If I do gcal only, then I feel like using my treo only to store my tasks is a bit wasteful, and I need to have easy internet access (read: takes less than 30 seconds) to gcal at a given moment to make sure something doesn't fall through the cracks. If I use only my treo, I'm missing out on the wonderful google calendar, even though I don't need to worry about the access. If I use both, it's difficult for me to check my entire schedule at a given moment and know I've got everything.
2. I have a very, very deadline-heavy set of work right now, so it's hard just to put things in tasks and feel confident I'll reach it before the date - same goes with studying. Should I just schedule in big blocks of study and leave the tasks for the 'just has to get done sometime?'
3. Those who were superbusy but contented in college: how did you feel like you were both getting great stuff done in the world but also enjoying your college years? Some of my earlier questions might hint that college has been a rather bittersweet experience for me, and it's still something I struggle with.

There are other questions, I'm sure, but I'm on my way to class (yeah, busy) and wanted to get this out as soon as possible. I'll add anything in the comments if they come to mind. I know this might all sound ridiculous, but I'm in a state where I know I need to be as efficient as possible. Thank you.