Meet the Refugee Inspiring Me to Live Below the Line  

The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) is proud to be joining with other leading international organizations as a participant in the Live Below the Line campaign, which challenges people to live on $1.50 for five days to raise awareness of extreme poverty and hunger around the world and to raise funds for organizations like HIAS. Along with helping to promote awareness about refugee issues, this campaign is also directly linked to our programs-in Chad alone, this year HIAS is distributing more than 8,730 tons of food to refugees from Darfur in the refugee camps where we work. Refugees, among the most vulnerable people in the world, must often deal with the impact of extreme poverty and hunger, in addition to all of the other trauma of their condition. 

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a descendant of Jewish immigrants to America, told Jewish activists on Thursday he supports fixing the immigration system but will oppose attempts to pass comprehensive reform in the House of Representatives. Continue reading here.

Balancing the Mission Checkbook: Depreciate Your Way to a Healthier Nonprofit

Depreciation is seldom given the respect it deserves. For many who are first encountering the term, it is a mysterious financial concept best considered only by CPAs. At Nonprofits Assistance Fund, we hold depreciation among our favorite tools for building reserves and planning for the future stability of an organization. Learn more here.

Studying the Role and Finances of Fundraising Galas among Jewish Organizations

The Forward has been running a remarkable investigative series on Jewish philanthropy, and this week they are focused on the sometimes elaborate and expensive fundraising parties run by some Jewish charities. Altogether, write the authors, who looked into the finances of 3600 organizations, approximately $95 million was spent on these types of events for a return in event income of $139 million, excluding donations made at the events. Read more here. 

A Relationship Map that Leads Somewhere, April 7, 2014, eJP, by Barbara Maduell

Does this story sound familiar? Board members embrace the idea of launching - or growing - your organization's major gifts program. They get the importance of donor-centered, peer-to-peer fundraising and are ready to partner with staff to establish and deepen relationships with top prospects. The systems are in place, the case has been written, and now ... it's time to "map relationships." You arrive at a board meeting with a list of your Top 100 donors, and ask board members to put their initials next to "anyone they know." The list travels around the room, and comes back to you 90 minutes later, BLANK. If you're lucky, five donors have initials squiggled alongside their names. Continue reading here.

Who Brands Your Nonprofit? Who Tells Its Story and How?

Organizational identity within the nonprofit sector is also shaped by stories. Unfortunately, the very makeup of the institution and the demands to prove the value, relevancy and effectiveness of its work creates the need for a simplified narrative-one that veers away from the complexity of addressing difficult, sometimes unsolvable issues toward a heroic journey that leads to proof of success. As these types of narratives have proliferated, nonprofit storytelling has become homogenized, with organizations making use of similar plotlines, structures, and conventions in order to express impact. How can we strengthen our identities if we only project a one-dimensional portrait that is controlled though a single point of view?  

Five Best Practices in Nonprofit Crowdfunding

Nonprofit crowdfunding is changing the landscape in online fundraising. As more and more donors are being exposed to crowdfunding for products and services, they'll expect your fundraising to shift towards those approaches as well. Here are five best practices you need to follow in order to crowdfund successfully for your nonprofit.