May, 2016

NEWSLETTER

2015 YEAR-IN-REVIEW:

Major Accomplishments

Before we share what our exciting plans for 2016 are, we would like to thank our donors and partners for the strong results we had in 2015. With support from donors large and small in 2015, we are able to continue to provide workshops, leadership support, and capacity building services. And with that support, here's a look at 2015 by the numbers:

126: Organizations received direct support to improve their effectiveness and efficiency.
21: After school organizations working to improve services to kids through a Department of Youth and Community Development Program.
10: Business improvement districts that the Support Center is helping grow their donor base, expand their board and measure their results.
19: Community organizations in Newark, NJ that we are supporting with one-on-one consulting projects.
17: Organizations assisted in understanding the risks of CEO transitions through Executive Search and Transition Management service and Interim Executive Placements.
32: Experienced executives gaining knowledge about the role of an Interim CEO through our Interim Executive Training.
1,650:Executive nonprofit leaders and managers build their knowledge and skills though more than 120 workshops/webinars/panels representing over 600 nonprofit organizations.

Other highlights from 2015:

Expanded our work in the sector promoting "organizational redesign" as an option for building strength, voice, and effectiveness in our communities, helping the nonprofit community understand its full-range of options regarding redesign.

Increased our efforts to build better governance - increasing Board member's understanding of redesign options for nonprofit board members and deeping a targeted partnership with BoardSource (Washington, D.C.) to enhance this effort.

Increased the number and range of tools and resources for the sector. We utilized our website, e-news, and Journal for Nonprofit Management as vehicles to provide resources and tactics to guide and support boards, leaders of nonprofit organizations, and specialists dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations in their transition, turnaround, and restructuring work.

Developed stronger, more engaged working relationships with other providers such as the Human Services Council, Community Resource Exchange, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, the Lawyers Alliance, and Third Sector New England.

Developed new working relationships with funders including the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, Small Business Services, and the Victoria Foundation.

INTERVIEW WITH KEITH TIMKO:

First 100 Days as CEO

As you may know, the Support Center underwent its own leadership transition with an engaging a new leader, Executive Director, Keith Timko, beginning January 1, 2016.


See what our new CEO, Keith Timko has to say about his vision for the Support Center in 2016!

This was a part of a planned succession with Keith taking over as an internal candidate. As part of the process, the Board conducted an organizational assessment speaking with funders, partners, board members and staff (a true thank you to all who participated in those interviews). We heard many encouraging words about what we are good at-being a convener of organizations and professional development (link to workshops) and change consulting (link to consulting). We are also grateful for feedback around where we can be better.

What are the top 3 goals for the Support Center in 2016?

Collaboration - We don't believe in going it alone. On June 15, we plan to host an event called Ahead of the Curve, where we will convene social sector leaders and their partners from public and corporate sectors, to deliberate over the collective challenges we face as a sector and develop solutions and best practices to integrate into the work of our individual organizations.

Communication - As we continue to work with nonprofit partners on efforts ranging from board building to strategic planning, we know there is more that we can do to tell the stories of this work. As nonprofits, we are all in the business of a building a better world together, and the more that we can share our stories-both the successes and the challenges-the stronger we will be. So as we move ahead in 2016, we look forward to telling the stories of how these efforts at building capacity are paying off-or not paying off as cautionary tales for others.

Evaluation - We want to focus more on impact assessment -- for our own work and the work of our partners. Understanding the impact of our work and articulating it will be a major goal of 2016. We hope you will stay tuned this year as we tell the stories of our partners and the impact of our work together.


	See what our clients have to say about their experience working with Support Center!

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: GODDARD RIVERSIDE

Strategic Planning

CASE:

Goddard Riverside, one of New York City's leading human service organizations, works to meet people's basic needs - food, shelter, education - and to bring them together for mutual aid, social action, and to celebrate our richness as a society. With the support of the Clark Foundation, Goddard partnered with the Support Center throughout 2014-2015 to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan. In order to do so, we worked closely with Goddard Riverside's Executive Director, Stephen Russo and their Board Chair, Betsy Newell.

RESULTS: The result was Goddard's first agency-wide strategic plan. The Board and staff, with input from the community and its partners, discussed how to build a sustainable plan for the years ahead and reaffirmed the importance of the settlement house philosophy to everything they do. The areas that Goddard addressed through this work with the Support Center included:

Commitment to programmatic reach - Ensuring programs are responsive to current and emerging community needs.
Governance - Building a dynamic and informed Board of Directors structured and equipped to govern effectively so the agency is better positioned to achieve its mission.
Staff leadership - Inspiring and developing all staff to further Goddard Riverside's mission and exemplify its values.
Resource development - Growing sustainable support for all Goddard Riverside endeavors through diverse funding streams and increased visibility.
Infrastructure - Ensuring an infrastructure that provides high quality, flexible and sustainable services that support Goddard Riverside and extends its values to all.

The Strategic Plan was approved in the first quarter of 2016 and the Support Center has maintained an ongoing relationship with leadership at Goddard.

VALUES STATEMENT: To achieve their goals, members of Goddard Riverside's board and staff, drafted a values statement that captured the essence of they were and what they wanted to accomplish. Below is a list of core values that were jointly identified.

Community: We believe in nurturing and celebrating community life and supporting connections among neighbors.
Fiscal Responsibility: As responsible stewards, we recognize our duty to safeguard the agency's substantial resources and to utilize and preserve its assets for current and future generations through sound financial management, by operating within our means, and by ensuring a diversified funding base which is at the core of sustainability.
Innovation: We listen and respond to the everyday concerns and issues facing our neighbors. We are a laboratory for new ideas. We continually experiment, learning from our successes and failures.
Integrity: Our staff and our board are guided by the highest professional and ethical standards and a rigorous commitment to excellence. We are transparent and accountable to all stakeholders, and we respect the environment and the impact of our operations on it.
Leadership: We lead by being open to change and opportunities, staying attuned to the social forces shaping our society and by sharing our learning with others.
Lifelong Learning: We believe that a fulfilled life extends beyond the basics of food, clothing and shelter to include opportunities for education, continuing education, cultural enrichment and meaningful interactions with others.
Partnership: We work hand-in-hand with people, no matter what their life circumstances, background or age, to achieve the kind of life they want for themselves and their families. Our board and staff work collaboratively and we actively seek out and cultivate partnerships with organizations and individuals who are committed to making a real difference in our community and in the greater social fabric of our city.

GRANTMAKER PARTNERSHIPS:

The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey

Many grantmakers have a keen understanding of how management and governance issues can affect their grantees' ability to carry out their missions, and invest in capacity building interventions such as board development, organizational assessments, strategic planning, leadership coaching and other services. The Support Center works with its grantmaker partners, such as the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, to effect organizational change among their portfolio of grantees to maximize the impact of their investment. Our work with nonprofit cohorts offers targeted organizational support; provides opportunities for shared learning around specific issues or organizational challenges, and deepens collaboration and collective impact within a community.

The Support Center has partnered with Horizon Foundation for New Jersey since 2014 to assist NJ-based CBOs with a range of governance and management challenges through 3 to 6 month consulting engagements.The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey builds their work on three key cornerstones: Caring, Creating and Connecting. Caring: The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey cares about their fellow New Jersey residents. Through relationships with community leaders, they support programs that help everyone manage important health issues. Connecting: Better health starts with better education. That's why the Foundation funds programs that make health literacy and education more accessible and easier to understand for everyone. Creating: Culture and creativity are essential to the health of New Jersey communities, which is why the Foundation supports arts and cultural programs that entertain, illuminate, and enrich the lives of their fellow New Jersey residents. The capacity building project has enhanced the foundation's investment in healthy New Jersey communities by improving its grantees' ability to deliver vital services ranging from free or low-cost healthcare, cancer prevention education, mental health, and substance abuse services.

TESTIMONIALS FROM PARTICIPATING GRANTEES

"The Support Center and their consultants are an invaluable tool for small organizations who suffer from the ability to take advantage of the various resources. We are so grateful to Horizon Foundation, the Support Center and Richmond for recognizing our potential and believing in our ability to enrich the lives of those in our community."

- LiveSunSmart

"Let me

reiterate

LVA's

appreciation for this opportunity and for what we as a group were able to learn and accomplish."

- Literacy Volunteers

NEW PRACTICE AREA:

The 2016 New Jersey Impact Investing &

Social Entrepreneurship Kickoff

Over the past few years, we have realized that the social sector is evolving with a need for greater accountability, clarity around impact and a movement to a more diverse financial base. Within this space, we have seen enterprising nonprofits develop new business and earned income strategies and also make great strides in understanding how they are making the world a better place. We're thinking of this as a loosely defined "impact investment" space where impact-oriented funders and donors can connect with high-impact organizations. On Friday, February 26th over 60 social entrepreneurs gathered for an all-day kick-off event for the 2016 NJ Social Entrepreneurship Kick-Off. The meeting opened with an overview of resources currently available to social entrepreneurs.

Nancy Eberhardt of Pro Bono Partnership spoke of the legal resources available and commonly encountered questions including: tax issues, for-profit vs. nonprofit structures, guidelines for joint ventures and avoiding conflicts of interest and public support rules.
The Support Center alerted participants to upcoming events including the 2016 Social Enterprise Training Series as well as the May 4, 2016 NJ Impact Investment Gathering to be held at Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ.
Eddie LaPorte, Director of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives, spoke about the state of NJ's support for development of Social Entrepreneur Ventures (SEVs) to create innovative approaches to address social issues and their upcoming application deadlines.
Professor Jeff Robinson of Rutgers Business School led a session on new developments in social enterprise and also spoke about relevant programming with the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Newark, NJ.
A panel featuring Interfaith Neighbors and the Kula Caf�; the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey and Soups and Sweets; RISE and the Greater Goods Thrift Store;Prevent Child Abuse NJ and Parent Universe; and Elijah's Promise and the Better World Market explored the successes and setbacks of new business models.
Key points discussed included the tension between an existing organization and a newventure and the allocation of resources, the need for marketing, the role of the board in understanding and supporting a social venture and mission alignment, the (in)ability of nonprofits to invest sweat equity into a social venture and the key role of volunteers to subsidize operations, ethical considerations and when to make the hard choices about keeping a social venture up and running vs. discontinuing the effort.