Forum Bits 
The newsletter of the regional association network 
September 4, 2015    
In This Issue
What You Had to Say About Our Annual Conference
New Webinar Series on Nonprofit Financial Management
Looking for Program Ideas?
Recent RA Releases
Philanthropy Ohio on the Move
Upcoming Programming for RA Staff
Webinar: Covering Nonprofit Costs
New Feature: Edit Your RA's Profile
Reminder: Webinar Series on Philanthropy Consulting
Forum Network in the News
RA Blogging Highlights
Upcoming Events
Forum Office Contacts
Save The Date
FOTH 2016

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.

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

GEO- Help Grantees Strengthen Evaluation Capacity
  

There is widespread and growing recognition in the nonprofit sector about the importance of evaluation - not only for measuring impact, but also for improving programs and better serving communities. While grantmakers generally see evaluation as necessary, most are not yet investing enough resources in this area.

Reports from the Field




Policy: The Essential Investment (Blue Shield of California Foundation)

Top 10 Association Management & Operations Resources



 
Creating Job Descriptions that Work for You

Finding the Middle Ground on Member Engagement





Top 10 Philanthropy Resources











Newsletter Archive

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What You Had to Say About Our Annual Conference
I felt this year's conference was lively and energetic and it provided a really fun learning environment. I was able to take away several key tools and practices I learned from my peers that I hope to implement within our RA.

The conference was (as always!) a great week of connecting with colleagues and hearing/seeing what others are doing. This is my main goal when I attend the conference.

This was my first conference, and I'm very glad I went. I learned so much, met a lot of really good contacts, and walked out with a number of action items for our organization. Thank for pulling such an excellent product together despite the challenging year.

The results are in and this year's program was a success with 98% of respondents rating the conference as excellent or good. The sessions overall were well-received with 91% of respondents rating both the plenary and breakout sessions as excellent or good. 

Thank you to everyone who filled out the evaluation for this year's conference!

Top-Rated Sessions
  • Opening Keynote: David Grant, The Social Profit Handbook
  • Breakout session: 50 Shades of Engagement
  • Plenary session: Philanthropy's Response to Community Anger & Injustice
  • Closing Keynote: Teresa Younger on "The Role of Philanthropy in Shaping Public Policy and Building Diverse Movements for Equality" 
  • Breakout session: Philanthropic Investing for Social Innovations
Suggestions for the Future
You also shared ways we could do better including building in longer breaks, more networking time, job alike discussions over multiple days, more skill building/association management sessions, and more sessions for senior level attendees. 

Your suggestions for session topics included:
  • How to best serve members throughout your region
  • How to manage and lead funder and cross sector collaborations
  • How to measure impact
  • Coaching skills or facilitation training
  • How to create a convening
  • Uncovering and articulating RA value
These suggestions along with the full conference evaluation will be shared with next year's planning committee.

Stay tuned for an announcement next month with the location and dates for next year's conference!

Want to volunteer to serve on the planning committee for next year's program or have a session topic idea to add to the list? Contact Courtney Moore to volunteer or share additional feedback.

New Webinar Series on Nonprofit Financial Management
The Wallace Foundation
The Wallace Foundation is sponsoring a series of two webinars for regional associations and your members. Please consider sharing with your networks. Please contact Mary O'Neill with any questions about this webinar series.

The Skills to Pay the Bills: Boosting Nonprofits' Financial Management
Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, 2-3pm ET
 
Where can nonprofits get free, trustworthy, hands-on tools and guides about financial management? StrongNonprofits.org- a web-based toolkit of free resources is designed to help nonprofits understand and manage their financial health. Regional associations, their funder members and other partners who work with nonprofits are invited to explore and freely use this website. Join us for a guided tour of the website, learn about its key tools and guides and hear about a training evaluation that informed the creation of the site. 

 
Building a Program-Based Budget, and Other Secrets to Successful Financial Management
Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, 2-3pm ET     
 
Do you know the real cost to your nonprofit of running each individual program? Developing an accurate budget can help you better understand your program's true costs. This webinar will demonstrate a free, newly developed planning tool designed to assist nonprofits with aligning budget line items for restricted (and unrestricted) revenue sources. 

Participants will receive a free copy of the tool for use in their own organizations, as well as a virtual tour of StrongNonprofits.org- a free, web-based financial management toolkit and an introduction to some of its other top tools, such as:
  • A cash flow projection template
  • A guide to budget development
  • A tool for making decisions on new funding opportunities
  • A webinar to help board members understand their financial responsibilities
This hands-on training is sponsored by The Wallace Foundation and will be provided by Hilda Polanco, CEO and Founder, and John Summers, Director, of Fiscal Management Associates.

Looking for Program Ideas?
Have you searched the Grantmaker Education Programming Directory? This searchable database of regional associations' "best" grantmaker education programs, favorite speakers, and planning tools, was developed by and for regional associations to help them more effectively and efficiently meet their members' diverse educational needs. It is easy to search and filter to help you find your next great event. 

What was your regional association's best program of the summer? Have you added it to the directory?

Submitting a program is easy through our web form.

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

Recent RA Releases
Florida Philanthropic NetworkWhere We Stand: Improving Post-Secondary Success in Florida
This position paper details the support of Florida Philanthropic Network, through its Education Funders Affinity Group, for establishing a statewide goal to have 60% of working-age Floridians possess post-secondary degrees or certifications by the year 2025. The paper also outlines FPN's support for related policies that can help achieve this goal.

Philanthropy Ohio on the Move
Philanthropy Ohio Logo Philanthropy Ohio's Central Ohio office has moved into a new space in downtown Columbus!

Please update your records with their new address: 500 South Front Street, Suite 900.
Upcoming Programming for Network Staff
Register Now
Public Policy Round Robin (NEW DATE)
Wednesday, September 9, 2-3 pm ET

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

Join the call at 1-866-740-1260, participant code: 2632687

From Get on the Map to Regional Giving Reports
Tuesday, September 15, 3-4 pm ET

What if we could develop a model for scaling the collection and analysis of regional data, so that any regional association that wants to produce an annual giving report has a cost-effective mechanism for doing so? Representatives from more than a dozen regional associations have been working with Foundation Center over the past six months to develop such a model. It leverages the data collected through the Get on the Map campaign, feeding it into regionally-focused databases that can be used to generate annual giving reports.
 
CEOs and staff of regional associations, please join our Foundation Center colleagues for a webinar to discuss this approach to regional giving reports, including ideas for operationalizing the model in 2016.


Webinar: Covering Nonprofit Costs - Update on Government Action and the Role of Philanthropy
PolicyWorks Logo
Grantmakers Welcome: Please share with your networks! 
The National Council of Nonprofits will also be inviting its members.

Government and Philanthropy across the country are talking about the importance of covering nonprofit costs. Specifically, governments at all levels - local, state, and federal - that hire nonprofits to deliver services are now required to reimburse nonprofits for the reasonable indirect costs (sometimes called "overhead" or "administrative" costs) they incur on behalf of governments when federal dollars are part of the funding stream. And in the world of philanthropy, we are seeing efforts underway to raise awareness among foundations and other grantmakers to work with their nonprofit partners so that the full cost of doing work is covered. 
 
Join us for a brief webinar to discuss the current implementation status of the OMB Uniform Guidance and hear from regional associations of grantmakers and state associations of nonprofits that are working to educate members and policymakers on the general issue of indirect costs. 
 
Speakers: Nancy Jamison, San Diego Grantmakers; Jan Masaoka, CalNonprofits; and David Thompson, National Council of Nonprofits.


New Feature: Edit Your RA's Profile Online & Add New Staff
Designated regional association staff members can now edit their organizational profiles, including adding and removing staff, directly through the Forum's website. Help us keep your record up-to-date so that we can serve you better!

At least one staff member at each regional association has been given an "Administrative Contact" role for the Forum's website (each RA can have up to 2 administrative contacts). These users will see an Edit option next to the name of their organization on their My Account page and through the Member Directory. The Edit option will take administrative contacts to a page where they can update organizational information such as mission, staff size, addresses, and social media accounts. By clicking on the Connections tab at the top of the page, the administrative contact can add and remove staff, update titles, and assign additional roles.

If you have questions about how to best use this new feature or assign the administrative contacts for your RA, please contact Val Rozansky or Courtney Moore.

Reminder: Webinar Series Opportunity on Philanthropy Consulting

NNCG logo

Please consider sharing this opportunity with your members.

 

Based on the groundbreaking Spring issue of The Foundation Review, the first edition dedicated to the practice of philanthropy consulting, the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) is presenting a series of seven webinars that will dive deeper into many of the publication's article topics. Remaining webinars include:

This series is co-sponsored by the Council on Foundations, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, The Foundation Center, Learn Philanthropy, Northern California Grantmakers, and The Foundation Review.

 

NNCG members can register at no cost and non-NNCG members can receive a multi-webinar discount. 

 

Forum Network in the News
Recent media mentions of regional associations around the country:

Connecticut Council for Philanthropy: New programs help keep children healthy (quotes President, Maggie Gunther Osborn)

Minnesota Council on Foundations: Counted Blessings (mentions survey conducted by MCF)

Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers: Here's how D.C. business thinks region should react to painful sequestration (quotes President, Tamara Copeland)

Highlights from RA Blogging

Upcoming Events
Calendar of Events
FOR REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Wednesday, September 9, 2-3 pm ET: Public Policy Round Robin. Conference Call.

Tuesday, September 15, 3-4 pm ET: From Get on the Map to Regional Giving Reports. Webinar.
 
FOR REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & YOUR MEMBERS  (Upcoming 90 Days) See Full Listing

Wednesday, September 9, 1-3 pm ET: Tri-State Community Foundation Partnership Webinar Series: ABC Lite. Webinar. Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Council of Michigan Foundations, Philanthropy Ohio.  

Friday, September 11, 1-2 pm ET: The Victories of the Paid Leave Movement - Will Legislative Wins Reach the Low Wage Workforce? Webinar. Workforce Matters and Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce

September 16-18, 2015: Philanthropy Forward '15. Cincinnati, OH. Philanthropy Ohio.


Monday, September 21, 2015: 2015 Corporate Philanthropy Institute | Authenticity. San Francisco, CA. Northern California Grantmakers.

Wednesday, September 23, 2-3 pm ET: The Skills to Pay the Bills: Boosting Nonprofits' Financial Management. Webinar. Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

October 7-9, 2015. Philanthropy West Virginia Annual Conference | Launching Solutions in the Mountain State. Davis, WV. Philanthropy West Virginia.

Thursday, October 8, 2015: San Diego Grantmakers 2015 Annual Conference. La Jolla, CA. San Diego Grantmakers.

Wednesday, October 21, 1-3 pm ET: Tri-State Community Foundation Partnership Webinar Series: Making a Software Change. Webinar. Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Council of Michigan Foundations, Philanthropy Ohio.

October 22-24, 2015: 2015 Philanthropy Southwest Annual Conference. Santa Fe, NM. Philanthropy Southwest.

October 25-27, 2015: NY Funders Fall Conference | 2020: Moving Forward Together for Greater Impact. Syracuse, NY. NY Funders Alliance.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015: 2015 SCG Annual Conference | Closing the Opportunity Gap. Los Angeles, CA. Southern California Grantmakers.

October 28-29, 2015: 2015 MCF Annual Conference | Impact by Design. St. Paul, MN. Minnesota Council on Foundations.

Tuesday, November 3, 2-3 pm ET: Building a Program-Based Budget, and Other Secrets to Successful Financial Management. Webinar. Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

November 3-4, 2015: GCYF 2015 Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families.

November 8-10, 2015: CMF 43rd Annual Conference. Kalamazoo, MI. Council of Michigan Foundations.

November 11-13, 2015: SECF's 46th Annual Meeting. Asheville, NC. Southeastern Council of Foundations.

Wednesday, November 11, 1-3 pm ET: Tri-State Community Foundation Partnership Webinar Series: Starting a Gift Annuity Program. Webinar. Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, Council of Michigan Foundations, Philanthropy Ohio.

Thursday, November 19, 2015: 2015 Viewpoints - Statewide Conference on Philanthropy. Oshkosh, WI. Wisconsin Philanthropy Network.

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
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