One of my earliest memories of Jewish holidays is from Sukkot. I remember being part of a group of small children being led down a narrow walkway that ran along the side of the synagogue to a space behind the building where we entered this hut-like structure hung with fruits and decorations. I had the sense that this was a special place, and the sweet fruit and other treats we were given only confirmed this for me.

We learn that Sukkot is one of the three major festivals of the Jewish calendar and has its origins in the Torah. When first mentioned, we read that the temporary dwellings of Sukkot commemorate the dwellings our ancestors experienced during the time of the exodus from Egypt. In Deuteronomy, the meaning of Sukkot is expanded to broaden the significance of the festival. "You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities." Deut. 16:14. It is a time to celebrate with family, but also with the broader community, particularly the stranger and those who may be in need. It is important that everyone be given the opportunity to fully participate in the tradition and the expression of thanks that permeate Sukkot.

As a child, I had a sense of the wonder of Sukkot when I entered the Sukkah, of being a part of something grand and welcoming. It is this same sense that our agencies and all of our Jewish communal institutions seek to transmit to our clients and our constituents. All are welcome. All are part of the community. All may feel the sense of possibility as we peer through the roof of the Sukkah into the heavens above.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Jewish Women International (JWI) is calling attention to the lack of corporate funding for domestic violence programs and services. Did you know that 1 in 4 women in the United States experiences domestic violence in her lifetime? Yet less than 1% of corporate philanthropies include domestic violence in their giving guidelines or list domestic abuse as an area of interest. As women and as consumers - we need to stand up and demand change.
 

With their economic clout, corporations are ideally positioned to fund life-saving domestic violence services, underwrite public awareness and prevention campaigns, and create in-house policies for their own employees who are experiencing abuse. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it's time for companies to finally make domestic violence a philanthropic priority - and for women, a powerful and growing economic force, to accept nothing less.
 

Click here to learn ten ways you can help boost corporate giving for domestic violence.

Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?"

NDEAM's roots go back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." Upon its establishment in 2001, ODEP assumed responsibility for NDEAM and has worked to expand its reach and scope ever since.

Although led by ODEP, NDEAM's true spirit lies in the many observances held at the grassroots level across the nation every year. Employers, schools and organizations of all sizes and in all communities are encouraged to participate in NDEAM, and ODEP offers several resources to help them do so. Activities range from simple, such as putting up a poster, to comprehensive, such as implementing a disability education program. Regardless, all play an important part in fostering a more inclusive America, one where every person is recognized for his or her abilities - every day of every month.

To get NDEAM resources or learn more about how your organization can participate, please visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/.

Charities are more likely to meet fundraising success when their boards pursue at least seven types of fundraising activities, such as holding events and seeking gifts from friends, according to a new study.

The study-conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative-assessed the use of 11 approaches to involving board members by examining the progress of 1,602 nonprofits in meeting their 2011 fundraising goals.

Below is a list of what the board can do and here's a podcast on one idea of how to energize people in the community to participate.

The techniques studied were:

• Sharing their contact lists.
• Seeking contributions from friends or associates.
• Securing sponsorships from companies.
• Making personal introductions to potential donors.
• Visiting prospective donors.
• Hosting a fundraising event.
• Allowing the use of the board member's name in solicitations and other materials.
• Chairing fundraising events.
• Thanking donors.
• Rating prospective donors on their ability to give.
• Helping develop fundraising plans. 

The study found that the power of board members to help nonprofits achieve their fundraising goals varied by the nonprofit's size:

• Organizations with budgets under $3-million were more likely to succeed when their boards helped in a wide range of solicitations.
• For charities with budgets of $3-million to $10-million, the number of fundraising activities pursued by trustees didn't matter as much. But those who met their fundraising goals were most likely to be successful when their trustees asked others to give, allowed their names to be used in solicitations, or rated potential donors on their ability to give.
• Among charities with budgets of $10-million or more, getting the board personally involved in reaching out to other supporters increased the chances of fundraising success. 

Katya's heard a lot of smart people talking about mobile the last few months, and two consistent themes are worth sharing.
 

First, mobile is a huge opportunity. It allows us to reach people at new moments, including dawn (66% wake up with their phone). More and more, people will be opening emails and visiting sites on their smartphone. Around 67% of people already shop on their phone. Just as giving has followed but lagged online shopping trends, the same will prove true with mobile. So the headline here is, mobile will bring a whole new set of possibilities to your work.

But while mobile expands the ways in which we can engage with people, we need to recognize that we win by seeing not only opportunity but also constraint. We can't shrink down our website or giving page, stick it on smartphone and call it a day. No one wants massive amounts of options on a tiny screen. So we have to make hard choices about what we will feature on mobile. Less is more. We must have complete simplicity in design and choices, or it won't work at all.

Embrace the potential, but also the limitations.

With the release of the "Measuring the Networked Nonprofit:  Using Data to Change the World", author Beth Kanter is looking forward to participating in conversations about how nonprofits can use measurement, data, and learning to for social change.

"Big Data" is a theme being discussed this past month in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. It refers to large data sets that require powerful software tools to capture, storage, search, sharing, analysis, visualization and sense-making.
 

Here's a terrific round up of posts about "big data for small nonprofits" from Wild Apricot. But Beth thinks jumping into a process:  "Gather, Analyze, and Act"  without defining success (or failure) on the front end might lead to wasted time.

• Define results
• Identify research to formulate a hypothesis
• Identify KPIs
• Gather data
• Jutjitsu data
• Make decisions based on data 

Click here to learn how DoSomething.Org does it.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the application period is open for a new funding opportunity to build local resilience, through a Whole Community approach, in communities across America: the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge.

The opportunity is provided through the Rockefeller Foundation and FEMA and will be administered by the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation who will act as a third-party intermediary to encourage local communities to engage in creative activities that enhance disaster resilience. Funding levels will range, with a maximum award of $35,000, and applications are open to most local, state, and tribal agencies and governments; business entities; associations; organizations and groups. Submissions will be accepted through October 26th.

Key assessment areas for the awards will be the applicants' demonstration that their approach to community resilience is innovative, collaborative with community stakeholders, sustainable, repeatable-in that the approach enables other communities to replicate their successful outcomes-and  beneficial to the community in measurable ways. 

Additional information on the Challenge program criteria and application process can be found at www.fema.gov and www.ResilienceChallenge.org. 

The National Human Services Assembly projects that Sequestration, should it come to pass, would cut a minimum of $39 billion from human development programs across the federal government. NHSA secured this information from an OMB report on the impact of sequestration, the Children's Budget and other sources (sources noted on page five of the attached).

The Jewish Federations of North America, the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund, the Jewish Funders Network, and the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes are pleased to announce the creation of a conference dedicated to a discussion of how to build Jewish communities that are more inclusive of individuals with disabilities and their families.

• the difficult concepts and questions communities must address in order to develop a culture of inclusion
• how to develop the tools that allow a community to make an immediate impact on inclusion for individuals with disabilities, their loved ones and caregivers
• the issue of inclusion from the perspective of funders
• a look at innovative best practices addressing individual issues within the broader context of inclusion 

This conference will feature leaders with experience in helping communities to promote a culture of inclusion and will provide an opportunity for federation professionals, family service agency professionals, educators, planners and lay leaders to develop the tools necessary to begin the effort to accomplish this important goal.  

Click here if you plan to attend the 2012 General Assembly and the Disability Inclusion Initiative - $82

Click here if you only plan to attend the Disability Inclusion Initiative - $118

For more information about this conference, click here or contact David Feinman with JFNA.

 

Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta's CEO Gary Miller and President Seth Cohen recently attended the BoardSource annual conference and national competition for The Prudential Leadership and Excellence in Board Governance Award.
 
JFCS was among five finalists for the award, submitting this video which showcases their process of moving towards a more diverse board: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOCo1iKx-HY&feature=plcp. While JFCS did not win the top honor, they did come home with a $2,500 cash award for the agency and made many new friends and admirers who were inspired from their story of leading the JFCS through a Board diversity process.  

 

Identifying and cultivating the right donors and prospects is the key to driving your organization forward. But finding your top donors with significant wealth, disposable income and an inclination to give to your organization can be a challenge.

On the days October 16th, 17th and 18th, top thought leaders from various B2B circles will share their insights on the Search, Social and Mobile industries. Engage with this online summit to learn the golden rules and best tools available to achieve success in growing brand awareness, generating leads and boosting ROI.

October 16th-18th - REGISTER HERE

You can attend any or all of the 45-minute webinars at this summit at no cost, submit real-time questions to presenters and vote in audience polls during the live online event. If you are unable to attend the webinars live, you can view them afterward on demand.

At this webinar you will learn:

• Why nonprofit employers are paying more for their unemployment taxes--and what it costs you.
• Understanding the legal option for nonprofits to leave the unemployment tax system and just reimburse  the state for claims.              
• How your nonprofit can potentially save thousands of dollars annually with this reimbursing option.
• Learn about the advantages and disadvantages and whether it's right for your nonprofit. (Best for nonprofits with over $1 million in payroll.)    
• How 501(c) Agencies Trust helps AJFCA member agencies reimburse, safely and securely, with services to reduce your costs. 

Thursday, October 18th, 3:00pm ET or Wednesday, October 24th, 1:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE

Please contact Heidi Posada, 800-442-4867 x142 with questions.

Better Nonprofit Storytelling

Learn about better nonprofit storytelling with the Nonprofit Marketing Guide. Here are the three kinds of stories you'll learn how to tell if you participate: