Connection
OPPORTUNITIES | |
We're happy to share these items of interest from around our local network. Please e-mail us any opportunities you would like to be featured in future editions! (The Nonprofit Connection usually goes out during the first ten days of the month.)
Training
OPPORTUNITIES
+ "Social Rules of Social Media," Nonprofit Direct Teleseminar, Wednesday, August 17th, Noon, $15 for up to five people. In this teleseminar, author Taylor Ellwood will discuss the social rules and etiquette of social media and offer suggestions on how to be more social to grow your followers. He will also do a social media critique of several nonprofits to demonstrate the principles he's discussing. Taylor Ellwood is the author of "Understanding the Social in Social Media" and "Social Success in Social Media". He is a business and social media coach who helps his clients understand how to integrate social media into their business. Registration is online.
+ "The Power of Nonprofits," NC Center for Nonprofits Statewide Conference, Sept. 22-23rd, Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, prices start at $129. This conference, which we here at HandsOn always consider to be one of the best training values in the state, features two days packed with new ideas, timely information, and great networking. Choose the full conference or just one day to stretch your training dollars. We hope, with the conference within commuting distance, that many of you will be able to attend this year. View the brochure and register online!
+ ConvergeSouth's Nonprofit Track, Thursday and Friday, October 6th-7th, NC A&T SU, Greensboro, $40 This fantastic conference, which is one of the biggest technology conferences in the south, has this year created a track specifically for nonprofits--with a corresponding registration rate, to boot! The focus is to make sure that nonprofits aren't left behind in the social media revolution. I cannot stress enough what a fantastic opportunity this is for all of you! And you really can't beat the price. For the schedule, go here--track 101 is the one created for nonprofits. Registration is online; early bird deadline is September 1st! (Many thanks to our long-time friend Jeff Smith from Smitty's Notes for the head's up!)
Funding
OPPORTUNITIES
+ Bill Johnson Trust to Support Nonprofits in Stokes County! The Winston-Salem Foundation is now accepting grant applications to the Bill Johnson Trust for Stokes County from Stokes County nonprofits. While the grants are relatively small, these funds can be used to support = nonprofit organizations or informal groups in Stokes County for worthy public and charitable purposes, with an emphasis on developing leaders and inspiring others. You can read their full press release here. Application deadline is September 15th!
+Sodexo to Award Funds to Youth! Youth Service America will award 25 Sodexo Youth Grants of $500 each to support youth-led service projects that address the issue of childhood hunger during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week (November 13-20, 2011). They're looking for projects that engage peer youth, friends, families, neighbors, Sodexo employees, and other community members in creative, youth-inspired solutions to ending childhood hunger in your community. Learn more about the application process on YSA's website. Application deadline is September 16th!
+ Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust Releases Revised Guidelines for Health Care Division Proposals for Fall, 2011! While the Trust says goodbye to program officers Susan Richardson and Edgar Villanueva, they are in the process of refining their funding priorities in the Health Care Division. This fall, the Division will consider applications for all of their Funding Interests and their related Impact Strategies, including access to primary care, community-centered prevention, diabetes, and mental health and substance abuse. Two special pools of grant dollars, of up to 15% of the fall cycle's awards, will be reserved for the following types of proposals: applications where traditional health care nonprofit organizations propose creative and meaningful work with non-health partners in Tier 1 counties, and applications that propose to work to impact the health status of Tier 1 counties through new delivery systems and structures. They are particularly interested in models that will leverage success in urban areas for dissemination or implementation in rural North Carolina with considerations for scale, travel, cost, local resources etc. As always, an advance consultation is required before submission of a proposal. If interested, please contact John Fulk, Program Associate, at 866-551-0690. The deadline for submissions is September 15th, but an advance consultation should be pursued well before that date. For further details, please see their website.
Other
+ Engage Winston-Salem State University Students As Volunteers By Participating in Their Fall Semester Service Fair! While I know it is hard to imagine, students will be arriving back on campus in just a few weeks! WSSU is now accepting registrations from organizations wanting to participate in The Office of Career Services' 2011 Fall Semester Volunteer Service Fair on Thursday, September 1st from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Cleon F. Thompson Student Services Center Breezeway. This event will allow service organizations to share volunteer opportunities with members of the WSSU community for the forthcoming fall semester.
If you want to have a presence at the fair, please complete the registration form on the WSSU Career Services RamTrak website no later than August 18th! Only 40 spaces are available, so register now! For more information, contact Dana Walker at 336-750-2129.
+ SECU Family House to Host Housewarming Party on September 13th!
The SECU Family House, a HandsOn Supporting Partner will be opening
in September to provide affordable lodging for families caring for loved ones in one of our local hospitals. They hosting a House Warming Shower and tour at the House to help stock their pantry and fill their shelves. Grab an extra pack of toilet paper or a broom next time you are at the store and bring them with you to receive a great tour of the House. There's two times to experience the shower on the 13th: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and again from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Refreshments will be provided. The public is welcome, but please
RSVP to Lisa Northrop at 336-793-2822 by September 7th.
+ Come Experience the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville and Share the Harvest!
The Garden, a HandsOn Supporting Partner, is sharing the amazing harvest of its Moravian Kitchen Garden with other local nonprofit organizations. Ready for harvest NOW are eggplants (purple, pink and white,) purple peppers (sweet and hot,) basil (lemon, Greek, Italian and Thai,) and leeks. The tomatoes are green, but will be ripe soon. The Garden offers Harvest Tours of the Kitchen Garden, along with tastings and recipes. The Moravian Kitchen Garden has four, 24 in. high raised beds and can accommodate gardeners in wheelchairs! To schedule a tour, contact Toni Hays at 336-996-7888. For more information about sharing the harvest, contact Catherine Hendren.
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HandsOn
JOIN / GIVE NOW
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HandsOn NWNC invites nonprofits to financially support our mission to build the capacity of local nonprofits and increase volunteerism. In exchange for a minimum $50 donation, our Supporting Partners receive a variety of discounts on our program offerings and other special opportunities, that can lead to savings as great as $800 per year! Vendors and consultants who work with nonprofits are also encouraged to become Supporting Partners. Join HandsOn and Become a Supporter
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August 2011- Vol 4, Issue 8
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| Greetings! |
It's mid-August, and the summer is almost gone, the sales tax holiday is behind us, and kids are getting ready to go back to school. As my daughter prepares to enter kindergarten on the 24th, I am more aware than ever of the short, precious days of summer. Wasn't Memorial Day just a few weeks ago? While I could definitely tolerate some cooler temperatures, I'm not quite ready to let go of the longer days, evenings by the pool, or my pre-schooler. Let's all try to bask in the pleasures of August while it lasts! However much I want summer to stay, here at HandsOn, we're gearing up for a full fall calendar of new and expanded programming! Our September, October and November newsletters will be packed with details, and I hope you'll make room for many of our events on your own busy calendars. Even as we try to be pro-active in meeting the needs of nonprofits and volunteers, we also have the flexibility to be pro-active as well, so if there is something you'd like to see, let us know and we'll do our best to make it happen! This month, we're getting ready to welcome our next Women's Emerging Leaders class participants in September, finalizing details for our September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance, and starting to recruit board members to take part in our Leadership Development classes. (The HandsOn Board Leadership Development class we just scheduled for March 2012 has the honor of being the 100th event in our online registration system. We've come a long way in just under 4 years!) Even more exciting, in about a week, we'll begin accepting applications for the High Five Award. With support from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, we're thrilled to be able to bring back this program which honors outstanding innovation within our local sector with a $5,000 cash award and recognition at our November Nonprofit Awareness Month Celebration and Best Practice Breakfast. We're finalizing details on our speaker for that event, and hope to make the official date announcement soon. Your job is to start thinking of ways that you've implemented an innovative program or practice in response to a current challenge or opportunity. Our High Five Award serves to inspire and challenge nonprofit organizations from across our service area, but in order to do that, we need to hear from you! Be sure to head to our website next week, and we'll be sending a head's up e-mail to all of our Supporting Partners when the applications go live. As we all face the reality of the end of summer, and the busy schedules that fall brings, I hope that you and I both take the time to focus on today and relish the gifts that exist within it.
All the best,  Executive Director |
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September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance
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Service Projects: Sept. 6th-10th, 2011
Locations: Various sites across Winston-Salem
Memorial Service: Sunday, Sept. 11th, 4:30 pm
Location: Winston-Salem State University's bell tower
Join us as we honor the victims and heroes of September 11th with service!  We invite you to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks by participating in a wide variety of volunteer projects that will take place from September 6th-11th.
Becoming part of the national 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance allows volunteers to honor all those impacted by the events of that day while providing the opportunity to strengthen our community through service. Our service projects will give volunteers the chance to learn new skills, show off their abilities with beautification projects or even burn a few calories by gardening, painting or building a house! Did we mention it's also a fun way to spend time with family, friends and colleagues? These service projects, organized by some of our nonprofit partners, will culminate with a memorial service for all of our service volunteers and the wider community at Winston-Salem State University's bell tower on Sunday, Sept. 11th at 4:30pm. If you're interested in volunteering with us for this week of service, please complete the volunteer application and return via email. If you're interested in participating as a volunteer leader to help manage a project or an aspect of the event planning, please complete the volunteer leader application. For questions, contact Michelle Bennett or call 336-724-2866. We're looking forward to engaging hundreds of volunteers from across our community on this special day of service!
Register Now!
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Women's Emerging Leaders Program Kick-Off:
Leadership Essentials for Women
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Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 14th and 15th
Location: Senior Services (see map) DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS EXTENDED TO AUG. 31st!
Our Women's Emerging Leaders Program kicks off with a two-day leadership intensive class based on a curriculum designed by the Center for Creative Leadership. We still have a few slots available! Because so many people take vacation in late July and early August, we have extended the deadline through the end of this month to encourage more women to apply. We know that many of you have been interested since we successfully piloted this program last spring, and now your chance to participate is here! Also, for the first time, the program is open to mid-level female staff serving not only in Forsyth County, but also Davidson, Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties as well. Combining this two-day leadership intensive class in September with our Nonprofit Essentials series, WEL is designed to prepare women to take on bigger roles within the nonprofit sector by developing both leadership skills as well as nuts and bolts management skills in areas critical to the success of nonprofits. For more details, please see the full program description. Applications are due August 31st, 2011! For questions or further details, please contact Kathy Davis or call 336-724-2866. We're excited to see your applications!
Cost: $150 per person for Supporting Partners/ $200 all others. This cost is for the entire WEL program, and includes both Leadership Essentials and Nonprofit Essentials, representing a significant discount! (We normally charge $300 for Nonprofit Essentials alone! You can learn more about our Nonprofit Essentials series here.)
(Not sure if you're a Supporting Partner? You can view the list on our website.)
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HandsOn Board Leadership Development
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Thursday, October 13th, 9:00 am to Noon
Location: Senior Services (see map)
Board members play a critical role in the success of organizations. Strong, knowledgeable boards help organizations gain credibility, build financial resources by providing access to the community, and serve as advocates and ambassadors of the organization.
To help nonprofits increase the effectiveness and leadership capacity of their boards, we created this workshop specifically geared for board members who are in leadership positions or who are moving towards leadership roles on nonprofit boards as officers or committee chairs. Topics include a review of board officer roles and responsibilities, committee chair accountabilities, attributes of effective board and committee leaders, a self-assessment leadership instrument, advanced Roberts Rules of Order training, planning processes and tools, leading and conducting effective meetings, group communications, appraising board and committee effectiveness, and other topics of interest as identified by workshop participants.
The workshop will be led by Karl Yena. Karl retired from RJR Nabisco, Inc. as Director of Worldwide Organization Development & Training. He served over 20 years as a senior level manager providing consulting services to RJR corporate and operating company management of Del Monte, Nabisco, Sea Land Shipping , Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. on a national and international basis. Karl has designed and facilitated over 100 distinct training programs and he continues to provide training and development to several Fortune 500 firms. An avid volunteer, Karl works annually with over 100 nonprofits in North Carolina and in the Eastern US. Over the past 30 years, he has served on over 200 non-profit Boards.
Cost: $25 per person for Supporting Partners/ $35 all others. Cost includes a light breakfast and extensive handouts. We deliberately limit the size of this class to encourage a more intimate learning environments, so register soon! (We will be offering this class again in the spring to coincide with different board year calendars; you can find details here.)
(Not sure if you're a Supporting Partner? You can view the list on our website.)
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
FREE Guide to the Best Fundraising Strategies!
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For the past few years, many nonprofits have been investing in the same-old fundraising strategies, but experiencing greatly diminishing returns. To help share best practices, and to learn what is really working in the current economy, GuideStar released a report last month that outlines the most successful fundraising strategies of 2010.
Entitles The Fundraising Strategies That Worked Best in 2010- and Could Work in 2011, this report is a great resource for those looking for ideas to boost their fundraising potential. This report reviews the results of the Nonprofit Research Collaborative 2010 Fundraising Survey, discusses what those results suggest for fundraising in 2011, and offers ways for nonprofits to maximize fundraising abilities. See what strategies yield the biggest results, which activities were not as successful, and look ahead to the end of 2011 and beyond. And didn't I already mention that it was FREE? You can download your copy of the report here.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
2010 Volunteering In America Report Released!
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The best data reported on the rates of volunteerism across the country comes each year from the Corporation for National and Community Service's Volunteering in America report. They publish their data in a great, easy-to-use website. In total, 62.8 million citizens gave 8.1 billion hours of service in 2010. The report demonstrates that volunteers and nonprofit organizations have stepped in when needs arise.
Notably, Generation X volunteers (born 1965 to 1981) devoted more time to service in 2010 than ever before, giving more than 2.3 billion hours. This demonstrates a shift researchers are seeing across the "volunteer lifecycle" - the arc of civic involvement that tends to increase as citizens feel a deeper connection to their community through personal networks, their workplace and their children's schools, according to the report. Youth volunteering also remained at all-time highs. While the national volunteer rate has dropped slightly, those who serve are giving more time. The proportion of volunteers who serve 100 hours or more increased between 2009 and 2010 from 33.2 percent to 33.8 percent. The median number of hours served per volunteer appears to have increased from 50 to 52 per year. In Winston-Salem, they calculated that 26% of the population volunteered.
We encourage you to check out the site--the data can be very useful in crafting support for your volunteer program!
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