Each year we ask our members and clients to give us feedback about how we're doing, and ideas for how we can serve you better. Our 2011 survey is open through May 15.

To show our appreciation we are offering an opportunity for you to enter your name in a drawing for a coupon to attend one of our trainings, valued at $150. You can enter the drawing at the end of the survey, which should take about ten minutes to complete.  

Take the survey now! 

Starving Infrastructure Damages
Effectiveness & Sustainability

By Kay Sohl of Kay Sohl Consulting

Part 3 in the Indirect Costs Series

How much is too much for a nonprofit to spend on administration/overhead/indirect costs? Perhaps a better question would be how much is too little for a nonprofit to invest in infrastructure? Unfortunately, it's a much less common question with some very disturbing answers.

Read the full article 

Update on Senate Bill 40

SB40 allows the Attorney General to issue an order disqualifying a charitable organization from receiving contributions that are deductible for the purpose of the Oregon income tax and corporate excise tax if the Attorney General finds that the charitable organization has failed to expend at least 30 percent of total annual functional expenses on program services when those expenses are averaged over the most recent three fiscal years. The Oregon Senate passed this bill on April 11 and it's moved over to the House. You can track this legislation on OregonLive.com. Read a copy of testimony in support of the bill from the Nonprofit Association of Oregon here. 

New IRS Form 990 for the 2010 Tax Year

New IRS Form 990 form and schedules are available here. Most relevant to the advocacy community include the changes the IRS made to Schedule C, where organizations disclose lobbying and election activities. According to a summary of the changes (available here) the Instructions for Part II-A clarify that this section needs to be completed by all Form 990 filers for which the 501(h) lobbying expenditure election was valid and in effect during the 2010 tax year, whether or not the organization engaged in lobbying activities during that tax year.

New Resource for Upcoming Election Season

To help you plan for your upcoming nonpartisan election work in 2011, Alliance for Justice released the second edition of  The Rules of the Game: A Guide to Election-Related Activities for 501(c)(3) Organizations. It's a user-friendly guide that reviews federal tax and election laws that govern nonprofit organizations in an election year, and explains the right (and wrong) ways to organize specific voter education activities. Order your copy today.

Alliance for Justice Online Trainings

"Lobbying Rules for Nonprofits"

April 28, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (EST)

"Advocacy Capacity Assessment & Evaluations"

May 24, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (EST)

2011 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon

Oregon Business magazine announces a new survey and new rules for participation in this year's 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon survey. The survey is open to any 501(c)-type organization. At least ten workers (including volunteers, which is new this year) and 10% of paid Oregon employees must respond to the new survey. Participating organizations must also complete an employer questionnaire. 

Learn more and register your organization for the survey 

Registration is free, and your nonprofit will receive a summary of the data on your organization - an invaluable tool for assessing the strengths of your HR program and identifying areas for improvement.

Executive Searches

Our Executive Transition Services team is currently conducting executive director searches for Hacienda CDC, Hemophilia Foundation of Oregon, and Saturday Academy.

Attend an Upcoming NAO Workshop Near You!

In addition to regular sessions of nonprofit networks that meet around the state, this Spring/Summer we are hosting several workshops in Bend, Eugene, Medford, and Portland. Presented by experts in the field, these full-day workshops focus on timely topics:  

Foundation and Corporate Grant Strategies (April 21 in Portland)

Working With the 21st Century Volunteer & Promoting Your Volunteer Program (May 12 in Portland) 

Board Development: Strategies for Success (May 17 in Eugene)

Social Media (May 25 in Bend)

Advanced Grant Strategies (June 8 in Portland) 

Creating Productive Groups through Effective Decision-Making (June 28 in Portland)

Social Media (July 20 in Medford) 

View the full event calendar 

Get Connected to the Services You Need!

Looking for an accountant to help you with your year-end audit? Need assistance with evaluation planning? Are you looking for a consultant to lead your strategic planning process? The Nonprofit Consulting and Services Directory is a searchable database that connects you with consultants and businesses offering the services you need. You can search by category of service (e.g., graphic design), by county, and by business name. It's quick and easy!

View the directory 

Want to get listed? If you are interested in having your consulting services or business listed in the Nonprofit Consulting and Services Directory, please complete an Affiliate Membership application today! 

Run by Portland State University's Center for Public Service, located within the Mark. O Hatfield School of Government, the Oregon Fellows Program gives public and nonprofit organizations access to a pool of exceptional, diverse, smart, energetic, and highly committed graduate students from many of the nation's top universities. A great source for affordable and high-value summer interns!  Learn more about the program 

A recent study by the Foundation Center finds that the more than 76,000 grantmaking foundations in the U.S. gave an estimated $45.7 billion in 2010, an amount virtually unchanged from 2009. The 2011 edition of Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates found that giving in 2010 remained just 2.1% below the record amount of $46.8 billion awarded by foundations in 2008. Although more than 45% of respondents said they had reduced their funding last year, the actions of other grantmakers buoyed the field. The survey findings suggest that foundation giving will grow between 2% and 4% in 2011, propelling it past the 2008 level. Grantmakers also appear optimistic about 2012.

Learn More about the Benefits of CFRE

The 2011 CFRE Prep Course Series is offered to AFP members for $60, non-members for $120. Learn more at the free information session on June 15. 

Register and view upcoming session dates.

Nike Employee Grant Program of The Oregon
Community Foundation 

Applications are being accepted for the next round of the Nike Employee Grant Program of The Oregon Community Foundation. The application for this funding cycle closes June 1. The total available for this grants cycle is $300,000. Grants will be one-year awards, generally between $5,000 and $20,000. This is Nike's "backyard" program, aiding nonprofits in communities where local Nike employees live - Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington. Most grants will be made to projects that use sport or physical activity to leverage other community benefits, but some grants will be awarded for projects that address broader family and children's issues. For more information and to apply visit www.oregoncf.org/nike.

Kaiser Permanente Northwest RFP

Kaiser Permanente Northwest is seeking proposals from community-based organizations and government agencies for their Healthy Food Access initiative. Seven to nine grants of $30,000 to $60,000 will be awarded annually over a three-year period for activities and interventions that increase access to healthful food policy and/or environmental change strategies in the following Oregon counties: Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, Yamhill and parts of Columbia, Hood River, Linn, and Benton. Learn more about this RFP