Job Opportunity!

Click here to see the details of a job opportunity as a director of development for the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival and Merry-Go-Round Playhouse 

New Webinar for Spring & Summer

Know Thy Self: Assessing Organizational Readiness When Taking on the World of Restructuring [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Doug Sauer, CEO, New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Tuesday May 7th, 2013    11:00am to 12:30pm    Register Now      Affiliation discussions are a discovery process - uncovering and clarifying motivations, interests, organizational facts and circumstances, strengths and weaknesses. It is a process where potential partners learn about each other and yes, learn about themselves as well. Successful affiliation talks depend largely on each party being prepared, as transparency starts internally first. The more clarity your board and staff leadership can get as to the organization's true operational, fiscal, and "mission" health, the better positioned the organization will be in type of restructuring or collaboration. This webinar, led by our seasoned restructuring expert, Doug Sauer CEO, will guide attendees as to the questions that you should first ask yourselves and then extend to your potential partner.

Register Now

Explore Employee Benefits that You Can Afford! May: Spotlight on  Flexible Spending Account Program (FSA) and Life Insurance Programs  We know that the Employe Benefits "Market" can be complicated.  Our job is to help make that world more simple, and affordable for nonprofits. To help you understand each type of benefit, it's coverage features and it's costs we are rolling out a series of short 30-minute webinar spotlights on our administered programs: Health Insurance,Flexible Spending Accounts and our Vision Program - which is new for 2013!   Up next... 5/9/2013 Flexible Spending Account Prgm thru NYCON [Webinar] 5/23/2013 Life Insurance Program Spotlight [Webinar]

Social Media Myth Busting: If You Build It, Will They Come? [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Andrew Marietta, Regional Manager, Central NY Office, NYCON and Valerie Venezia, Vice President, Membership & Marketing, NYCON June 14th, 2013 11:00am to 12:30pm  Register Now Sometimes it seems like there's a new hot social media tool launched every day of the week. Figuring out what these tools do, how our nonprofit should use them, and frankly, if you need to use these tools can boggle anyone's mind. As busy nonprofit staff and board members we need to know what specific tool do we use for our specific goals? How do we measure success? This webinar will help cut through the clutter of social media mayhem and help you simplify, refocus, and target social media tools based on organizational needs and a focused message (and maybe even some actual metrics!)   Register Now

The Two Good (& Short) Webinars You May Have Missed this Month...

Last week NYCON hosted and recorded two very short, informative webinars on two very different topics. These were two great webinars that you (probably) missed. Take a few minutes and check them out when it's convenient for you!  First, our Dental Program Spotlight:  NYCON's most popular (and very affordable) employee benefit, this program provides two optoins, comprehensive coverage and a array of providers to choose from. Take a few minutes and listen to Eric Laughlin of CS Plus give a quick overview of how the program works, what it covers and how much it costs. CLICK HERE. DoGoodBuyUs Corporate Member Spotlight:Does your nonprofit have great goods to sell? Are you looking for an online marketplace to help you spread the word? Check out the 20 minute Corporate Member spotlight we did with Zach Rosenberg, Founder of DoGoodBuyUs.CLICK HERE.

From the SUDDES Group, The Daily Nuggets Blog: Just Ask

Tom Suddes

CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives) Training in Colorado on Wednesday. Also getting everything ready for a big week in Ireland.

I know our Point of View is game changing.

I know we’ve got a lot of great Framework and Processes for FI Teams.

I know if you follow the Roadmap, you have a guide for big funding boosts.

I also know that none of that means squat if you don’t JUST ASK!!!

Three PDF’s that you can print and share that might help.

1. JUST ASK. JUST ASK. JUST ASK. (An overview)

2. You’re in SALES, get over it. (Some great sales quotes.)

3. Our Just Ask Strategy, plus Call Reluctance.

To see more online click here.

Mohawk Valley Leaders Group: Community Foundation April 29th

The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. Announces: Publicity and Grantmaking 101 April 29th Featuring AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR SANDRA BECKWITH  This half-day training for nonprofits will feature  award-winning author Sandra Beckwith in a lecture titled "Publicity for Nonprofits."  Beckwith will provide you with the necessary tools to increase the effectiveness of your public relations and media relations strategies. BIG NEWS IN GRANTMAKING The program also will feature exciting information about The Community Foundation's new role in the community and changes in its grantmaking process. Nonprofits seeking grants from The Foundation won't want to miss out on this announcement and how their programs might benefit with these changes.                        Date: April 29, 2013 Time: 9:00am-12pm Fee: Free Location: Dorothy Smith Center (RCIL) 1607 Genesee St Utica, NY REGISTER HERE Mohawk Valley Nonprofit Leaders Program: Jim Donovan on Major Gifts and Motivating Your Board May 3rd Presented by Jim Donovan Learn how to increase major gifts in a tight economy and motivate your board in participating in major gift fund raising.   Session based on his books: Take the Fear Out of Asking for Major Gifts 50 Ways to Motivate Your Board These will be available the day of the seminar at a discount or can be ordered in advance at http://donovanmanagement.com/wptest/dmi-publications/ Background: Jim Donovan is originally from Chadwicks, New York and the son of the late Senator James H. and Esther Donovan. The Donovan family has a donor-advised fund and a scholarship fund at The Community Foundation, which has provided dozens of scholarships and grants to local students and groups.    More information on the speaker Jim Donovan can be found on his website: http://donovanmanagement.com/wptest/ceo-profile/    Date: May 3rd, 2013 Time: 9:00am-11:30am Fee: Free Location:  Mohawk Valley Community College  (IT/Theatre Bldg: Excellus Blue Cross-Blue Shield Training Room IT 225)  1101 Sherman Drive    Utica, NY 13501 REGISTER HERE Stay Informed about the Sequestration Impact! Resources and Info NYCON's Facebook page Give Voice http://fiscalpolicy.org/sequestration-would-cut-human-service-spending-in-new-york-state http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/sequester-factsheets/New-York.pdf http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/sequestration-state-impact/ http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-context/21889-sequestration-s-impact-the-americorps-case-study.html

New York Council of Nonprofits: What do we offer you?   The Source for Nonprofit Training, Education and One-on-One Assistance The Cost Saving Solution for Nonprofits The Nonprofit Voice for New York State Sign up for our e-mail newsletter and get the latest news impacting NY's nonprofits and learn about solutions and help for your nonprofit. For more info or questions, contact Andrew Marietta at 1-800-515-5012 ext 141 or amarietta@nycon.org. Interested in Employee Benefits for Your Employees? Take a look at three of NYCON's most popular programs, Delta Dental, Flexibile Savings Accounts and Life Insurance Plans. NYCON adminsters each of these programs, answers your questions, and gives you and your employees the customer service and value you deserve! Visit here for more info or contact Andrew Marietta at 436-3124 oramarietta@nycon.org. About the Mohawk Valley Nonprofit Leaders Group  This group, supported by the New York Council of Nonprofits, formerly Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS), offers nonprofit executive directors from Oneida and Herkimer Counties opportunities for peer support, networking and professional development. The group meets on a quarterly basis.

The NonProfit Times Weekly E-Newsletter

IRS Reports 10,000 Fewer Nonprofits In 2012

There were 10,000 fewer registered tax-exempt organizations in 2012 than in 2011. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data Book for 2012, which was released Monday, there were 1,484,818 501(c) organizations for the fiscal year ending in September, compared with 1,494,882 in 2011 – a decrease of 10,064, or about 0.68 percent.Read more... Professional Development... 5 principles for ethical mentoring “I never meant for that to happen.” Just as the above lament can be the swan song for a nonprofit that doesn't follow good organizational practices, it can also be the epitaph for a mentoring partnership gone wrong. Read more... Human Resources... 15 interview questions you can legally ask There are a lot of laws these days that restrict the kind of information you can request from candidates during job interviews. Since you probably don't want to get in trouble with the law, it's important to know the questions that you can and should ask. Read more... Management... 6 reasons change is good It's usual to resist change. Those who aren't pulling their own (or any) weight know that their gigs can be threatened if they don't do a whirlwind job of convincing change agents just how essential they are. Those who are pulling their own weight (or more) know that their livelihoods are threatened because they are too busy working to prove how essential they are to the operation. Read more... To Read More Click Here

Webinars Missed from NYCON, Plus New for Spring & Summer!

The Two Good (& Short) Webinars You May Have Missed Last Week...

Last week NYCON hosted and recorded two very short, informative webinars on two very different topics. These were two great webinars that you (probably) missed. Take a few minutes and check them out when it's convenient for you!   First, our Dental Program Spotlight:  NYCON's most popular (and very affordable) employee benefit, this program provides two optoins, comprehensive coverage and a array of providers to choose from. Take a few minutes and listen to Eric Laughlin of CS Plus give a quick overview of how the program works, what it covers and how much it costs. CLICK HERE. DoGoodBuyUs Corporate Member Spotlight: Does your nonprofit have great goods to sell? Are you looking for an online marketplace to help you spread the word? Check out the 20 minute Corporate Member spotlight we did with Zach Rosenberg, Founder of DoGoodBuyUs. CLICK HERE.

NYCON Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar] Good for Prospective, New & Returning Members! April 18th, May 17th or June 14th - Your Choice Register Now

In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE.  We will be talking about these benefits. Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance  Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits The Nonprofit Voice in New York State    Register Now

Creating a Strategic Culture: Going Beyond Planning [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Susan Weinrich, VP of Organizational Develoment Services, NYCON Friday, April 19, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT) Call And Login Information Will Be Sent Via Email Register Now  Developing a strategic plan is an important component of organizational success; developing strategicthinking throughout the organization, however, is what enables an organization to make timely and effective decisions before, during, and after the establishment of a strategic plan. This session will provide guidance and offer suggestions on how you can leverage the impact of your strategic plan (if you have one) and build a culture where Board and staff leadership look forward rather than backward and seize opportunities rather than manage crisis. Learn how to improve your organizational decision making and move forward with shared purpose, commitment, and vision.

Register Now

Know Thy Self: Assessing Organizational Readiness When Taking on the World of Restructuring [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Doug Sauer, CEO,  New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Tuesday May 7th, 2013    11:00am to 12:30pm    Register Now      Affiliation discussionsare a discovery process - uncovering and clarifying motivations, interests, organizational facts and circumstances, strengths and weaknesses. It is a process where potential partners learn about each other and yes, learn about themselves as well. Successful affiliation talks depend largely on each party being prepared, as transparency starts internally first. The more clarity your board and staff leadership can get as to the organization's true operational, fiscal, and "mission" health, the better positioned the organization will be in type of restructuring or collaboration. This webinar, led by our seasoned restructuring expert, Doug Sauer CEO, will guide attendees as to the questions that you should first ask yourselves and then extend to your potential partner.

Register Now

Social Media Myth Busting: If You Build It, Will They Come? [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Andrew Marietta, Regional Manager, Central NY Office, NYCON and Valerie Venezia, Vice President, Membership & Marketing, NYCON June 14th, 2013 11:00am to 12:30pm  Register Now  Sometimes it seems like there's a new hot social media tool launched every day of the week. Figuring out what these tools do, how our nonprofit should use them, and frankly, if you need to use these tools can boggle anyone's mind. As busy nonprofit staff and board members we need to know what specific tool do we use for our specific goals? How do we measure success? This webinar will help cut through the clutter of social media mayhem and help you simplify, refocus, and target social media tools based on organizational needs and a focused message (and maybe even some actual metrics!)   Register Now  For more click here.

Important Foundation training for nonprofits Register Now

PUBLICITY and GRANTMAKING 101

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR SANDRA BECKWITH

This half-day training for nonprofits will feature  award-winning author Sandra Beckwith in a lecture titled "Publicity for Nonprofits."   Beckwith will provide you with the necessary tools to increase the effectiveness of your public relations and media relations strategies.

BIG NEWS IN GRANTMAKING

The program also will feature exciting information about The Community Foundation's new role in the community and changes in its grantmaking process.Nonprofits seeking grants from The Foundation won't want to miss out on this announcement and how their programs might benefit with these changes. The event is free! To Register Click Here Or  MONDAY, APRIL 299 a.m. to noon registration 8:30 a.m. Dorothy Smith Center (RCIL) 1607 Genesee St., Utica

Foundation receives regional award recognizing commitment to Herkimer County

HERKIMER, N.Y. —

The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. recently was chosen to receive the 2013 Appreciate Herkimer County Award for Community Development. The Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce is honoring The Community Foundation because of their work in advancing development in Herkimer County.

“We looked for an organization that serves the same footprint as the chamber and one that is concerned with the future of this area, not only from an economic development standpoint, but one that appreciates the arts, the importance of health and the protection of our environment,” said John Scarano, executive director at the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce. “The Community Foundation is all of this and more. It reaches out to help invest in both counties and in many cases to chamber members. For this, the chamber and its membership will always be grateful.”

In 2012 alone, The Community Foundation invested more than $500,000 in nonprofit programming and initiatives in Herkimer County. Recent investments in Herkimer County included grants to Bassett Hospital, Little Falls Hospital and Herkimer County schools in areas ranging from economic development to increasing literacy.

“We are truly honored to receive this award. Through partnership initiatives we will continue to strive to identify and address the area’s most important issues,” said CEO and President Peggy O’Shea. “For more than 60 years, our work toward bettering the community has been made possible by our donors and this award serves to highlight their generosity and passion for this community.”

The Foundation will receive the award at noon Thursday, April 25, at the Knights Inn of Little Falls, 20 Albany St., Little Falls.

The Community Foundation has been a force for improving lives and promoting philanthropy throughout Herkimer and Oneida counties since 1952. The Foundation has made more than 5,200 grants totaling more than $41.3 million in support of causes ranging from education, healthcare, the arts and the environment. Grants are generated by 290 funds that make up The Foundation’s endowment, established and advanced by area residents.

Nonprofit CEOs face pay limits in July

New $199G cap targets health, human services

After learning that two top executives at a New York City nonprofit that serves the developmentally disabled earned nearly $1 million each and got other benefits, Gov. Andrew Cuomo 15 months ago issued an executive order limiting executive salaries of organizations that contract with one or more of 13 state agencies to $199,000 a year.

The order, which also restricts administrative spending, directed the departments to issue regulations within three months. Proposed regulations came out after 90 days had elapsed and were to have taken effect Jan. 1 of this year. Due to the issue’s complexity and questions and criticism from the nonprofit sector, they were revised and the implementation date was moved to April 1. Additional changes were published in March, and the start date is now scheduled for July 1, nearly 18 months after Cuomo’s executive order.

To Read The Full Article Click Here

Greater Hudson Heritage Network Announcement

Today announces the launch of the new  

Connecting to New York's Collections website!

  www.c2cnys.org 

Last fall, Greater Hudson Heritage Network was awarded $250,000 through the fall of 2014, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to present preservation training  in connection with the collection types identified as "at risk" in New York State: books and paper; photographic collections; digital materials; and historic objects. Training will be provided via:

• webinar series (14 in all), viewable independently or in groups to encourage discussion and networking

• web-based "How-To" video tutorials providing instruction to organizational staff and to a more general audience who may have personal collections

• circuit rider mentoring program where professionals offer 'house calls' to organizations throughout the state

• C2CNYS.org - an interactive cross-disciplinary knowledge portal website website - will serve as the 'go-to' site for collections care best practices, a 'home' for disaster preparedness plans, conservation and preservation resources, the webinar series, and the "How-To" video tutorials

To read more click here.

News from NYCON

Just Like the Tournament, the Camp Finance Discount is Almost Over! Register Before April 7th to Save...  Register Today  Are you still feeling the March Madness? The Camp Finance Team at NYCON still is... and we want to make sure the people who are "mad" about Camp Finance can save on their early registration. From now through the end of the  "Final Four" (April 7th) you can get a $50 discount on paid Full Conference registration for Camp Finance. Just click here and enter discount code"MarchMadness" to get $50 off of your paid Full Conference registration (Sorry, no discount applies to Day Trip Registration Rates.)    Looking forward to seeing you on the mountain!  Please note: This discount offer applies to Credit Card Online or Pay By Phone Orders Only. If you prefer to have our Staff take your payment and registration via phone please contact Amber Vanderwarker at 1 (800) 515-5012 ext. 126.    We've Got ANI!  Welcome our Newest Conference Sponsor ANI is an insurance company governed by nonprofits themselves.  ANI is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit that is governed by other 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits. They aren't just a "program" of an insurance company that specializes in nonprofits. Insuring nonprofits is their entire mission.

Explore Employee Benefits that You Can Afford! Spotlight on our Affordable Dental Program for Employees, Volunteers & Board Members April 11th, 2013 10am We know that the Employe Benefits "Market" can becomplicated.  Our job is to help make that world more simple, and affordable for nonprofits. To help you understand each type of benefit, it's coverage features and it's costs we are rolling out a series of short 30-minute webinar spotlights on our administered programs: Health Insurance,Flexible Spending Accounts and our Vision Program - which is new for 2013! Up next... 4/11/2013  [Benefit Spotlight Webinar] Dental Insurance Plans & Administration through NYCON  Stay tuned for Flexible Spending Account &  Life Insurance Webinars...

DoGoodBuyUs! [Corporate Member Spotlight] Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM (EDT) Online - Call And Login Information Will Be Sent To You 24-48 Hours In Advance Of This Workshop REGISTER NOW

At DoGoodBuyUs (http://www.dogoodbuy.us) they believe    consumerism can change the world so, they created the largest marketplace of charity made products.  With each purchase, 50%+ proceedsare dedicated to fighting poverty, hunger, disease, environmental degradation and other life-threatening ills around the globe! As nonprofits around the country look for ways to bolster their fundraising, 100's have turned to DoGoodBuyUs as a way to bridge the gap between causes and the consumer market. DoGoodBuyUs works with nonprofits around the world, helping them sell the products they (and now we) have created. DoGoodBuyUs is the newest Corproate Member* of NYCON. On this spotlight webinar you will learn:   Why products have become a successful part of many nonprofits revenue generation strategy How to get started, what the process is like, services offered and more.. The long term benefits Join us on April 11th at 2pm for a quick 30 minute overview on just how DoGoodBuyUs can Do Good by your nonprofit & community. *Please note that this company is NOT a NYCON Endorsed Corporate Partner.

REGISTER NOW

Building a Powerful Grants Calendar [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Cynthia Adams, Founder, Grantstaion.com Friday, April 12, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM (EDT) Call And Login Information Will Be Sent To You 24-48 Hours In Advance Of This Workshop Register Now

This webinar will take participants through the process of establishing a grants calendar for the next 12 to 18 months. Fast-paced, and filled with action steps, Cynthia Adams will discuss how to design and adopt a Grant Decision Matrix before beginning the process of building a specific grants strategy for each project. All participants will also receive a set of worksheets that they can use to create their own approach to building grants calendars and grants strategies for their organizations. This webinar is for beginning, intermediate and advanced grantwriters.

Register Now

NYCON Membership Benefits Orientation [Webinar] Good for Prospective, New & Returning Members! April 18th, May 17th or June 14th - Your Choice Register Now

In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE.  We will be talking about these benefits. Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance NYCON empowers our members with the best practices, policies, and procedures as well as information on ever-changing regulations, funding, accountability and more.   Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits NYCON leverages the purchasing power of thousands of nonprofits to bring you economies of scale on everything from Office Supplies to Fundraising Software.   The Nonprofit Voice in New York State NYCON represents our members on the local, state and national level, giving voice to small and medium sized nonprofits everywhere.   Register Now

Creating a Strategic Culture: Going Beyond Planning [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Presented by Susan Weinrich, VP of Organizational Develoment Services, NYCON Friday, April 19, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (EDT) Call And Login Information Will Be Sent Via Email Register Now Developing a strategic plan is an important component of organizational success; developing strategic thinkingthroughout the organization, however, is what enables an organization to make timely and effective decisions before, during, and after the establishment of a strategic plan. This session will provide guidance and offer suggestions on how you can leverage the impact of your strategic plan (if you have one) and build a culture where Board and staff leadership look forward rather than backward and seize opportunities rather than manage crisis. Learn how to improve your organizational decision making and move forward with shared purpose, commitment, and vision.

Register Now