United Way of Southern Kentucky celebrates Day of Caring today

931 volunteers are supporting 114 community service projects across 5 counties 

 

Today marks the third annual United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) Day of Caring event!  This morning, 931 volunteers fanned out across five counties--Allen, Barren, Logan, Simpson and Warren--to improve lives and strengthen their communities.

79 area companies and non-profit organizations are joining United Way for this one-day service opportunity, giving their employees a chance to step away from their desks and reach out to their neighbors.  Projects include everything from painting classrooms to making sleeping mats for the homeless.  

Western Kentucky University will celebrate the volunteers and completed projects on the university's South Lawn with festivities beginning at 4:30 p.m., including music, food, prizes, special guests, volunteer awards, and kid's activities.  The area's ABC affiliate news channel, WBKO-13 is hosting a live brodcast from the event at 5:00 p.m.

UWSK's next major event is the US Bank "Balloons, Tunes and BBQ" held September 8-11 at the Warren County Regional Airport.  Learn more here. 

 

"Can a thank you letter contain an ask?" and 4 other articles worth reading    

 

There have been some excellent non-profit and governance articles published in the last few weeks.  The list below represents some we think are worth reading.

"Can a Thank You Letter Contain an Ask?" --Michael Rosen, Michael Rosen Says
"Breaking the Rules: Changing How Boards Operate" --Holly Hall, Chronicle of Philanthropy
"Turning Board Members into Effective Fundraisers" (audio) --Tony Martignetti, Chronicle of Philanthropy  

"Savvy Research can Help Grant Proposals Succeed" --Jennifer Berkshire, Chronicle of Philanthropy
"Should Staff Contact with the Board Be Restricted?" --Jan Masaoka, Blue Avocado
 

Quick Takes

 

Tax Reform and the Charitable Deduction

Drawn from the National Council of Non-Profits "Nonprofit Advocacy Matters" e-newsletter, July 25, 2011

 

Wrapped up in the debt ceiling debate are negotiations over reforms to the Internal Revenue Code, which aim to eliminate hundreds of tax breaks.  The itemized deduction for charitable giving appeared back on the bargaining table when the Senate's so-called Gang of Six released the outline of a $3.7 trillion deficit reduction plan that, among other things, calls on Congress to "reform, not eliminate, tax expenditures for...charitable giving."  Entering the debate, Steve Taylor, Vice President for Policy for United Way Worldwide, wrote to the Senators to point out that the charitable deduction "may be the only deduction that confers no other benefit to the taxpayer." He went on, "The deduction simply allows the taxpayer to give back more to their communities through charity."

Operating Reserves, Your Safety Net 

Drawn from the Indiana Association of United Ways "Notes & Quotes" e-newsletter, July 26, 2011

During the last recession many nonprofits turned to their operating reserves to keep from going under.  Be clear about which and how many assets you can peg as operating reserves.  An operating reserve is the unrestricted and relatively liquid portion of your nonprofit's assets. Operating reserves are for emergencies, not routine cash shortfalls, and are normally stable over multiple years.  Nonprofits with diverse funding can typically maintain smaller operating reserves-say less than three months of expenses. But for most three to six months of operating expenses can be viewed as a "safe harbor."  How much you should keep depends on your organization and what you might have to pay from the reserve. 
  

Reduced Rate Opportunity - Communities for Change Symposium

 

The Communities for Change Symposium, being held at Metro United Way in Louisville, August 3-5, is designed to provide local leaders with a better understanding about how to connect and mobilize community resources to track and manage change over time. This three-day symposium is designed to bring together community advocates, business and nonprofit leaders, policymakers, local government officials, and school administrators in a dialogue about using management information systems to create community change.  Click here for more information and the full agenda.

The event is being hosted by nFocus Software in partnership with Metro United Way, Jefferson County Public Schools and the City of Louisville.  nFocus is offering Kentucky United Ways and other local leaders a special registration rate of $150 (regular registration is $350).  Registrants can also attend just the breakfast and keynote presentation by Dr. Shelley Stewart at the Brown Hotel for $25.

To receive this rate, please RSVP no later than July 29, 2011 to Elizabeth Mistarz via email at emistarz@nfocus.com or by phone at (407) 210-3748.  Registration at the reduced rate is limited to 40, so please register ASAP to reserve your spot.