United Way Day at Keeneland! 

United Way Day at Keeneland is April 27!  Enjoy one of Central Kentucky's finest traditions while improving lives in the Bluegrass.  Keeneland is donating a portion of the general admission proceeds on April 27 to United Way of the Bluegrass.  Advance ticket packages are available now which include general admission, a reserved seat and lunch - a $15 value for only $5!  And the first 500 to arrive with an advance United Way ticket will receive a FREE LIVE UNITED tee shirt!

Click here to order your tickets today!

If you place your ticket order using the link above, please enter "UWKY" for where you heard about UW Day.  You can also order tickets from by calling Angela Crow at (859) 233-4462 or by email at angela.crow@uwbg.org.  See ya at the races!!

 

National Volunteer Week is April 10-16!  How will you LIVE UNITED?

 

In honor of next week's celebration of National Volunteer Week, United Way of Kentucky would like to say THANK YOU to all the volunteers who make Kentucky a better place to live every day!

How will you LIVE UNITED during National Volunteer Week?  Maybe you're reading with a local youth group, maybe you're cleaning up litter in your neighborhood, maybe its something you do every week! 

Let us know!  Take a quick survey below to tell us how you are celebrating service!  One or more great volunteer stories may be selected for publication in next week's News & Notes!

CLICK HERE TO TELL US HOW YOU ARE LIVING UNITED!

(Looking for a way to volunteer in your community?  Contact your local United Way today!)

What operating reserve is...and what it isn't 

From Greenwalt CPAs

 

An operating reserve is a portion of an organization's net assets that is unrestricted in nature and relatively liquid.  But it shouldn't be defined so narrowly that only cash or cash equivalents can meet its definition.  That would make it a working capital reserve created to ease routine cash flow swings.  Funds that shouldn't be considered part of an operating reserve include:

• Endowments and temporarily restricted funds that your organization doesn't have the prerogative to use as it sees fit
• Monies that have been designated for specific use by the Board of Directors or other governing body 
• Net assets tied up in illiquid fixed assets used in operations, such as your buildings and equipment

Rather, an operating reserve is more long-term in nature.  It generally spans a period of years and usually comes from operations that create a surplus.  Receiving unrestricted contributions, generating investment income and budgeting for a surplus are all ways to create unrestricted net assets.  And that, in turn, can be considered your operating reserve.
 

How do you find and recruit new board members from outside your circle?

 

No matter what the criteria for nominating new board members, more often than not, nonprofits tend to recruit from people they know.  This can lead to stagnation on the board and make it nearly impossible to implement substantial change.  So how does an organization reach beyond their circle to bring in new blood?

 

The month's Blue Avocado newsletter offers one solution.  It involves forming what the Avocado calls "a Blue Ribbon Nominating Committee", a one-time committee made up of all those people that organizations would love to have on the board, but for various reasons, will likely never join.   By bringing this select group to bear on nominations, you engage them (which is always a good thing) and you are able to draw from a larger pool of candidates, with the benefit of a built-in introduction.  Read how it's done at the Blue Avocado. 

United Way Southern Institute!

Asheville, NC · June 1-3 

Calling all United Way staff!  Asheville in June is a beautiful place to learn and network!  The 2011 Southern Institute is a fun and content-rich learning and networking opportunity, focused on personal, professional and system development.  United Way staff in every size market are invited to participate in this cutting-edge learning event, geared toward increasing our capacity to improve lives and conditions in our communities.

If you are looking for an innovative, low-cost learning opportunity, join us June 1-3 in Asheville, NC.  Early bird registration is just $225 (flex credits apply).  Rooms at the Biltmore DoubleTree start at just $109 a night! 

All United Ways are welcome!  Visit the conference website to learn more and register today!