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| Contact Us |
PO Box 1091
Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone: 701-258-9101
Toll Free: 888-396-3266
Fax: 701-223-4645
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| Connect with North Dakota's
young professionals |
Connecting Communities, Connecting You is the mission of the North Dakota Young Professionals (NDYP) network. NDYP takes that to heart in partnering with nonprofits, such as NDANO. Young Professionals are anywhere between 20-40 years old and live across all areas of North Dakota. They work in all walks of life, from teachers and lawyers to welders and farmers.
YPs want to be involved in the community. If your organization has a board opening or volunteer opportunities available, submit them now. Your request will be sent to more than 600 YPs in North Dakota. Submit a board opening or email volunteer opportunities today. |
| Win a Sponsorship Makeover valued at $500 |
Register to attend the NDANO Annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference by April 15, and your nonprofit will be eligible to win one of three free Sponsorship Makeovers courtesy of featured conference speaker Barbara Harrington.
Conference lodging scholarships are also available. Learn more.
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| Call for nominations for annual North Dakota nonprofit awards |
NDANO invites you to submit nominations for the Walt Odegaard Leadership Award and the Innovation Award, which recognize the exceptional effort of a North Dakota nonprofit leader and organization each year. The deadline is April 30. Learn more. |
| Be aware: possible backlash from
budget cuts and staff reductions |
Have you experienced a drop in private donations? Have your sources of government funding been cut? Have you trimmed costs at every turn? Have you reduced hourly or staff positions? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you could be at risk for a wrongful termination lawsuit. Although a reduction in staff may be necessary for the financial health of your organization, a nonprofit and its board of directors can be sued because of it. Nonprofits may have legitimate reasons for reducing jobs; however, terminated employees may not view it that way. If they feel wronged or discriminated against, they could file a lawsuit. Charges of wrongful termination are often combined with charges of discrimination. Federal and North Dakota state law prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status or pregnancy. Here's an example of a recent wrongful termination lawsuit: A 61-year-old female assistant at a nonprofit was terminated due to funding cuts. After her dismissal, the assistant filed a lawsuit alleging that she was terminated because of her age. The nonprofit stated that she was dismissed for financial reasons, and was forced to hire a law firm to defend themselves against the allegations. During discovery, it was revealed that the nonprofit had lost a government grant. The nonprofit's defense costs exceeded $40,000. It is important to be aware of the risks nonprofits face every day. Costly litigation and settlements, loss of donations, negative publicity and loss of your nonprofit status are just a few of the consequences your organization could face if you don't have insurance when a claim occurs. Even if the charges are dismissed, you could incur defense costs and the lawsuit could be a distraction from your mission. Nonprofits do not have to face these risks alone. A nonprofit management liability insurance policy from Monitor Liability Managers, LLC, protects the organization from expenses arising from legal claims and litigation. This type of insurance is much more affordable than you think with premiums starting at $650 and minimum deductibles of $500. If you don't have insurance, contact the Bain Agency, NDANO's cost-saving partner for D&O insurance policies, to receive a quote or more information. Contact Steve Bain toll free at 877-234-2233. This article was written by Jennifer Pearson, Monitor Liability Managers, LLC. | |
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| Nonprofit employees can benefit from college loan forgiveness |
NDANO published information about this program in the December 2008 issue of Nonprofit Network, and a member recently asked us to share the information again. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in full-time public service employment by forgiving the remaining balance of their eligible federal loans after they satisfy the Program's public service and loan repayment requirements.
Those individuals with certain federal student loans for college (Federal Eligible Direct Loans) may qualify to have the outstanding principal balance and accrued interest cancelled under the following conditions: (a) the borrower makes 120 monthly payments on the loan after October 1, 2007; (b) the borrower is employed by a "public service organization" at the time that loan forgiveness is requested and granted, as well as during the period the borrower makes the required 120 monthly payments; and (c) the loan is not in default at the time of the request. "Public service organizations" include full-time jobs at a nonprofit that is a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Other public service organizations include federal, state, local or tribal governments, agencies or entities; public child or family service agencies; tribal colleges or universities; and private organizations that provide public services like emergency management, public safety, public interest law service, public care for children, elders or disabled, or public health, education or library services. The National Council of Nonprofits, of which NDANO is a member, has posted additional information here. |
| National Civilian Community Corps accepting project proposals |
Do you have projects that you've been trying to complete for a long time or a special project that you could use assistance completing? Could the energy of a team of 10-12 young adults help you complete them? AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a full-time team-based national service program that works with nonprofit organizations, state and local agencies, and Indian tribes to complete projects that typically last 6-8 weeks. Members in the past have tutored students, constructed low-income housing, built and repaired trails, worked to prevent crime, managed community volunteers, and worked on disaster prevention, relief and recovery projects. The concept form deadline is April 16 for Round 5 (June 17- July 27) projects. Please contact Alana Svensen at 319-472-9655 for more information. |
| Online Resources |
Evidence of Change: Exploring Civic Engagement Evaluation
In many cases, not knowing how to demonstrate results of civic engagement and social change work has hindered service providers from adopting these activities and has prevented them from receiving funding for this work. This report from the Building Movement Project, the Alliance for Children and Families and the Ms. Foundation for Women culminates with a set of recommendations for how to increase the nonprofit sector's capacity to respond to the increasing need for tools to measure the impact of civic engagement and social change work.
New census fact sheets and posters
Nonprofits Count has added a new fact sheet series, "About the Census," to its online toolkit. Available in both English and Spanish, the "About the Census" one-page series focus on the issues around counting various constituency groups. Titles include "Counting Children," "Counting College Students," "Counting Group Quarters" and more. Two new posters promoting the 2010 Census are available. To order a free poster, click here.
Nonprofits, Voting and Elections
Nonprofits, Voting and Elections is the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network's 16-page primer for 501(c)(3) nonprofits on nonpartisan voter participation and education activities. The guide lists the top 10 nonpartisan voter engagement activities commonly pursued by nonprofits, answering questions like: What kinds of voter engagement can my organization do? What are easy ways nonprofits can encourage its communities - staff, board, constituents and volunteers - to participate and vote on a nonpartisan basis? To order one free copy, send an email with your name and mailing address here.
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Training Opportunities |
GiftWorks Webinar
*Eight Steps to Successful Fundraising Appeals - Thursday, March 18
Fundraising guru and author Mal Warwick will discuss the "Eight Steps to Successful Fundraising Appeals" and "The Cardinal Rules of Fundraising Letters." The webinar is scheduled from 1-2 p.m. CDT. Registration is free, but space is limited. Register here. AFP North Dakota Northern Plains Chapter Training
Bismarck Audioconference
*LIVE Q & A Fundraising Session - Wednesday, March 10 Questions about capital campaigns, annual gifts, direct mail and planned giving will be answered by Gordon Binek, executive director, BSC Foundation; Cordell Dick, owner of Cordell G. Dick, CPA, CFRE Consulting; and Ron Schatz, director of the office of stewardship and resource development, Diocese of Bismarck. This event is from 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Horizon Building on 1815 Schafer St. in Bismarck in the first floor conference room. The cost is $15 for AFP and NDANO members, and lunch is served. RSVP by March 5 to Christina Burns at 701-224-2486. Fargo Audioconferences
*Selling Major Sponsors - Thursday, March 11
*The Innovation Impulse - Wednesday, March 24
*The Truth About What Nonprofit Boards Want: Passion and Partners - Tuesday, April 6 Ten monthly programs are offered February-November at the Bremer Bank training room, 1444 45th Street S., from noon - 1:30 p.m. for a cost of $110. Contact Howard Barlow at 701-492-2633 to register or for more information.
Grand Forks AudioconferencesContact Denise Laymon at 218-745-6008 to learn more. Jamestown Quarterly Workshop- April 9
Presenters for the Jamestown conference include Tyler Hermon of eTapestry on database and website tools and Sue Henry, workshop and training diva, on social media. NDANO members are eligible for member rates. Visit the website to learn more or contact Denise Laymon or 218-745-6008.
Idealware Online Seminars
*Considering Social Media for Your Organization - Wednesday, March 10
*Making the Most of Social Networking Sites - Thursday, March 11
*Getting Started with Mobile Outreach - Thursday, March 18
*Getting Started with Email Fundraising - Thursday, March 25
*Getting Started with Online Conferencing - Thursday, April 1
These online seminars are from noon-1:30 p.m. CDT. NDANO members receive a 15 percent discount. Register here.
Wahpeton Fundraising Training*Non-profit Fundraising Training - March 15-16 & 22-23 Offered by the Richland/Wilkin Leave a Legacy group, this four-day training will be led by Jim & Scott Holdman of MoD Fundraising. Attendees are encouraged to attend all four days and to bring their staffs to this training. This event is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with lunch included at the Plains/Prairie Room at the ND State College of Science Student Center. The cost is $50 per person. For more information or to register, contact Colette Barton of United Way of Richland/Wilkin County at 701-642-1250.
Grassroots & Groundwork Conference
*Seizing Opportunities to Reduce Poverty and Build Community Prosperity - May 13-14
Scholarships are available for this Portland, Ore., conference hosted by the Northwest Area Foundation. Learn more.
NDANO Annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference
*New Directions for a Changing Landscape - June 2-3
Register to attend the Bismarck conference by April 15, and your nonprofit will be eligible to win one of three free Sponsorship Makeovers valued at $500. Lodging scholarships are also available. Learn more. |
| Meet a Member - Minot Adult Literacy Volunteers |
The Minot Adult Literacy Volunteers (MALV) provides free and confidential one-on-one tutoring to improve literacy skills for adults in Minot and the surrounding area. Formal and informal assessments are used in setting individual goals. Most recently updated statistics from the National Institute for Literacy tell us nearly 14 percent of the adult population in Ward County cannot read above a fourth-grade level. As a result of one-on-one tutoring, adults are able to reach individual literacy goals. Many are able to improve their feeling of self-worth as they make progress - to be able to help a child with homework, read a bedtime story to a grandchild, or return to an educational setting for a GED. The outcome is increased independence and a sense of community as jobs and driving tests are secured or citizenship tests are passed. Both those who wish to improve their literacy skills in general and those who are learning/improving their English as a nonnative language are supported. The organization's immediate goal is to increase public awareness; the stigma associated with seeking assistance in basic literacy must be eliminated. An increase in the number of individuals actually served is the overall objective in creating heightened awareness in the local community. The MALV has an annual need of about $8,000. Supplies/materials (books, workbooks, computer software, paper), tutor training, part-time wages of an executive director, and office expenses make up the budget. The MALV has book sales and other literacy-related events to produce supplemental income. Grants and donations are sought to be able to continue this service to the community. The MALV program is housed in the Minot Adult Learning Center. A small office area is provided as an in-kind support. This allows for many resources to be shared, and support is reciprocally provided. For more information, contact Angelina Edison, MALV executive director/program coordinator, at 701-852-2614. If you are interested in having your nonprofit featured in an upcoming newsletter, e-mail NDANO. Requests are honored on a first-come, first-served basis.
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| Partner Profile - D&O Insurance |
NDANO has a cost-saving partnership with Monitor Liability Managers, Inc., and the Bain Agency to provide an exclusive Directors and Officers Liability Program to the NDANO membership at preferred pricing. The Directors and Officers Liability coverage includes broad coverage for "wrongful acts" and employment practices liability for your organization including all directors, trustees, officers, employees, volunteers, staff and committee members. In addition, defense costs are unlimited. The NDANO Directors and Officers Liability Program is administered by the Bain Agency of Bismarck. For more information, contact Steve Bain at 877-234-2233 or visit the website. | |
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