Forum Bits 
The newsletter of the regional association network
 
April 10, 2015    
In This Issue
RA Characteristics Report
Latest Additions to the Forum Website
Find Your Next Program in the Grantmaker Education Programming Directory
Recent Regional Releases
Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Programming
Forum Network in the News
RA Blogging Highlights
Upcoming Events
Forum Office Contacts
Forum Resource Spotlight

101 Series

  

What is the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers? What's a regional association? How do associations work in philanthropy anyway? All your questions are answered in the Forum's 101 Series.

 

Save the Date!

Forum Office Contacts
 
Have a question for the 
Forum Office?
 
 
Be Sure to Check Out

Foundation Landscapes- Education
  

This new online portal from Foundation Center will serve as a hub of information about education philanthropy. The website draws dynamically from a variety of Foundation Center information resources to provide the most current education-related reports, news, case studies, funding data, and other digital content.

Reports from the Field

Top 10 Association Management & Operations Resources

 

3 Key Insights On E-newsletters

 

3 Tips to Turning Your Association into Something Your Members Can't Live Without 

 

10 Twitter Best Practices for Nonprofits

 

 12 stock photography sites for nonprofits

 

Board Smarts: Minimize Minutes to Maximize Board Reports

 

Flipped Learning: What's Its Place in the Association Meeting Space?

 

Lessons from a Stalwart

 

Thorough Vetting Needed When Hiring Nonprofit Consultants

Who are your Most Important Members?

 

Who Observes Your Reserves?

 

Top 10 Philanthropy Resources

Are Your Trustees Involved Too Much-or Too Little-in Grantmaking?

Express Yourself

Four Tips for Cross-Sector Collaboration

No More Excuses: Pass the America Gives More Act

Nonprofit Collaboration: Toward a More Perfect Union

Power Play in L.A.

A Simple Process for Taking on Non-Grantmaking Roles

 

Turning Empathy into Action
 

What makes a foundation great? Six steps to brilliance and impact 

 

Newsletter Archive

Miss an issue of Forum Bits?
 
Network Hires

Adena Hill has joined Southeastern Council of Foundations as Manger of Public Policy.

Connect With Us At

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RA Characteristics Report

RA Characteristics Report The latest edition of the Regional Association Characteristics Report is now available.

 

It captures membership, budget, communications, governance, programming, and services information about each regional association within the Forum Network.

 

Questions? Contact Courtney Moore with any questions or to edit your data.

 

Latest Additions to the Forum Website

Get on the Map RA Materials

A collection of resources, marketing materials, and other collateral developed by regional associations to support the Get on the Map campaign. 

 

Have a resource to share? Send to Dan Brady for uploading.

 

Find Your Next Program in the Grantmaker Education Programming Directory

As you continue to build your program offerings for 2015, we hope you'll take a few minutes to search the Grantmaker Education Programming Directory.

The directory has been called "fantastic," "amazing, and "user-friendly" by RA staff members.

Have a program to include? Submitting is easy through our web form.

If you have any questions about the directory, please feel free to contact Dan Brady.

 

Recent Regional Releases

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Programming
Register Now

Public Policy Round Robin (RA Staff Only)

Tuesday, April 14: 2-3 pm ET

 

These monthly calls are an opportunity for regional association staff to exchange information on policy work, both legislative and administrative.

 

Please register in advance

 

Quarterly Policy Webinar: Moving Affinity Groups to Policy Work (Grantmakers Welcome)

Wednesday, April 22: 2-3 pm ET

 

Public policy work is hard. Collaborative work is hard. Add the two together and you get a complex enterprise. There have been no magic formulas or can't-miss strategies. Determining why and how to take on policy work requires steady inquiry, analysis, strategy, openness, and horsepower. But the results can be significant. 

 

Based on interviews with members of regional association affinity groups, the Forum has created a self-assessment tool and planning checklist to help affinity groups engaging in policy work determine how well they're set up for success.


 
During this webinar we will review the tools and hear from members of regional associations that are engaging in RA affinity group policy work. 

 

Moderator: Mark Sedway, The Giving Practice, Philanthropy Northwest

 

Please register in advance

 

Hot Topic: Working on health care policy issues with members (RA Staff Only)

Monday, April 27: 1-2 pm ET

 

During this call you will have the opportunity to talk about the current status of your initiatives on this topic and your opportunities/challenges.

 

Please register in advance

 

Forum Network in the News

Recent media mentions of regional associations around the country:

Donors Forum: Illinois's Donors Forum Challenges SOI of State Budget Cuts (Rick Cohen commentary in Nonprofit Quarterly on Donors Forum's new reports on SROI)

Donors Forum of Wisconsin: Connecting to Philanthropy: Community collaborative tackles Milwaukee's teen pregnancy rates (contributed by Communications and Marketing Manager, Melinda VerDuin)

 

Highlights from RA Blogging
Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers: Adventures in Philanthropy

 

Upcoming Events

Calendar of Events

FOR REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS


Tuesday, April 14, 2-3 pm ET: Public Policy Round Robin. Conference Call. Register online to participate.


Monday, April 27, 1-2 pm ET: Hot Topic: Working on health care policy issues with members. Conference Call. Register online to participate. 

 

July 21-23, 2015: Forum Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD. Save the Date!

 

FOR REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & YOUR MEMBERS  (Upcoming 90 Days) See Full Listing


April 19-22, 2015: 2015 Philanthropy Southwest Spring Summit. Austin, TX. Philanthropy Southwest.


May 14-15, 2015: Strategy Development in Grantmaking. Des Moines, IA. Iowa Council of Foundations and Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Tuesday, May 19: Lifting All Boats: Leadership, Capacity, Impact. Somerset, NJ. Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.

May 20-21, 2015: Community Foundation Boot CampAnkeny, IA. Iowa Council of Philanthropy and Indiana Philanthropy Alliance 

June 8-10, 2015: 2015 Family Foundation Forum. Philanthropy Southwest and Southeastern Council of Foundations.
 
Forum Office Contacts
OfficeDan Brady, Communications Manager (202-521-9161)
  • Contact Dan with questions about the Knowledgebase, content management, listservs, social networking, and online content strategy.
Courtney Moore, Member Services and Operations Manager (202-888-7428)
  • Contact Courtney for general information about Forum membership and services, regional association contact information, conference and teleconference logistics, member surveys, and orientation for new regional association staff. Courtney is also the main contact for regional association staff updates.
Mary O'Neill, Interim Director (202-457-8784)
  • Contact Mary with questions about grantmaker education, public policy, organizational partnerships, and special projects such as the Essential Skills and Strategies for New Grantmakers.
Val Rozansky, Director of Knowledge Services (202-888-7430)
  • Contact Val with questions about the Forum's Knowledge Management Initiative, KM system partnerships, membership databases, and all issues relating to technology and electronic communications. 
Erin Skene-Pratt, Director of PolicyWorks for Philanthropy (517-402-2440)
  • Contact Erin with questions about the Forum's public policy work including protecting the charitable deduction, building capacity of regional associations to engage in policy, and the PolicyWorks for Philanthropy initiative.
Courtney Moore, Member Services and Operations ManagerForum Logo
Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
202-888-7428|[email protected]