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Answered Questions:

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Question:

How do I create a pay equity system at my organization?

Responding Expert: Auxillium West   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Can you point me in the direction of resources on illustrating the impact of board decisions on the organization, staff, program, and clients? This would help board members understand the impact of their decisions. Thanks.

Responding Expert: Wesley Lindahl, Ph.D   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

To what extent do we/should we expect board members to serve as volunteers? Can a board member be identified as a volunteer since they are involved in policy making?

Responding Expert: Susan Ellis   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I am interested in exploring the non profit management marketing/fundraising/development career path. Any direction on ways to network with current non profit executives?

Responding Expert: Eric Johnson   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

How can nonprofits decipher what is newsworthy and capture the attention of the media?

Responding Expert: Kathy Schaeffer   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I am a relatively new executive director -- six months on the job -- and I feel very overwhelmed. Everyone seems to have different expectations of me--from my staff to the board to donors to clients—and the pressures are incredible. I didn't realize that this position would be so lonely. Where can I go for help?

Responding Expert: Rhonda Goldstein M.S.W., C.P.C.C.   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I need to know what the language is for removing a nonprofit director under its bylaws. Is there a specific process if a number of board members want to remove another board member from the Board?

Responding Expert: Kathryn Vanden Berk   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I want to become expert at developing fundraising revenue budgets. How to be realistic in what we can achieve, but to also plan for growth. Can you recommend any classes or other resources where I can learn to be a better budget manager? Mangaging the expenses is not the problem. Managing the revenue expectations is where I need further skill.

Responding Expert: Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

As the executive director of a large nonprofit organization, it has been suggested to me that my organization should adopt “Sarbanes-Oxley” reforms. Given that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act does not apply to nonprofit organizations, where should we focus?

Responding Expert: Jeffrey Lozer   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

How can we breathe some new life into our Board?

Responding Expert: Lolita Sereleas   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Workplace literature tells me that feedback on performance is important to employees. Managers in my organization hate to do performance reviews because most employees expect a raise afterwards. How do you get around this?

Responding Expert: Mary Corbitt Clark   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

How big is the nonprofit sector in the Chicago area in monetary amounts?

Responding Expert: Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

The non profit medical research institute that I volunteer at holds a evening dinner gala annually at which over 500 people pay $250 to attend. Can you suggest some questions we can ask attendees after the event is held. These questions would help us plan for improvements as well as increase future contributions.

Responding Expert: Deborah Halpern   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I know that many nonprofit organizations undergo strategic planning on a regular basis, but I’m not quite sure what is involved in this process. Can you give me a brief outline of activities and tell me what benefits we might expect from such a process?

Responding Expert: Valerie Hogan   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

How can I be a better listener at work?

Responding Expert: Jerry Pinney   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I'm looking for information regarding Nonprofits process for making major technology decisions. Please refer any case studies, research articles, and/or forums that discuss Nonprofit technology planning.

Responding Expert: Tim Mills-Groninger   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

My organization “talks the talk” about supporting a healthy work/life balance for its employees, and we even have work/life programs like flex-time available to us. The reality is that there isn’t a healthy work/life balance amongst the staff here. I’m worried that if I start changing my schedule, or leave right at 5pm every day, I will be penalized and it will hurt my opportunities for advancement within the organization. Do you have any advice?

Responding Expert: David Blair   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

The non-profit organization I work for has endeavored to make a lot of organizational changes over the past 3 years. In my department, however, the manager has only paid the merest lip service to these changes. In short, he's a bully. To disagree with him in any way is to end up being "written up" via a memo to human resources, who has thus far intervened in only minor ways. This manager persists in being arrogant, arbitrary, and outright mean, until the person is driven to quitting. We are trying as a group to begin a serious dialogue with HR. How should we proceed?

Responding Expert: David Blair   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

We hold a silent auction every year at our gala event, but have heard that moving it online instead could bring us more revenue. How can we get started?

Responding Expert: Kathleen Langheck   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I am a consultant that works with schools—typically regarding program evaluation. In my experience, schools and their staff seem to find it difficult to think of the school as a “workplace” for adults. Yet, in nearly every study I have conducted the climate and culture of the school appear to be significant hurdles to improvement. Most of educators’ energy is directed at “the work” of caring for and educating students. The pressure of the No Child Left Behind Act has added additional stress and narrowed the focus so that attending to workplace issues is not even on the radar! Any suggestions, resources, advice?

Responding Expert: David Blair   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

As the Executive Director of a fairly new nonprofit organization, I know that I need to work on board development, fundraising, long-term planning and management—and, of course, continue to direct my staff, grow our current programs, and promote my organization! These are all critically important initiatives for us, but I have no special funds available and I literally can’t do everything. How can I be more effective without driving myself nuts?

Responding Expert: Elizabeth A. Kaye   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I am looking for information on how to account for items sold on consignment at charitable events. Does the entire income and cost of a consigned item need to be reflected in gross income and special event expenses ?

Responding Expert: L. Kenwood Lewis   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Please share some tips on attracting potential board members.

Responding Expert: Jacqueline Gilbert   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I keep hearing about social enterprises and earned income as a way for nonprofits to raise more money. Can you tell me more about what this involves and how to get started?

Responding Expert: Eva Booker   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Our organization takes the time to interview prospective volunteers so that they know what we expect and we get a sense of whether the volunteer is a good “fit” for our organization. At times, following an interview, we enroll a volunteer who, in assignment, turns out to be not what we expected. Is there a way to head this off?

Responding Expert: William W. McLeod   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

My organization experienced a 20% employee turnover rate last year. Do you feel that employee turnover and burnout are inevitable in this sector due to comparatively lower compensation and the stressful nature of the work?

Responding Expert: Mary Corbitt Clark   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I understand that there are various forms required when filing for nonprofit status. What documentation does the IRS require to process an application for tax-exempt status and what criteria does the IRS use to grant tax-exempt status?

Responding Expert: James W. Patton   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I work in the field of Alumni Relations, and am looking for benchmarks or best practices to compare our program to. Could you please steer me in the right direction?

Responding Expert: Thomas Read   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I live in a neighborhood that is currently going through a planning process. My question concerns the "community input" component: Does this matter, or will the City and the planning team do what they want anyway?

Responding Expert: Ruth Wuorenma   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I would like to make my non-profit organization a great place to work for employees. But many of the innovative workplace programs and practices I have read about are too expensive for our small nonprofit organization. How can small nonprofit organizations create great workplaces without having to break the bank?

Responding Expert: Mary Corbitt Clark   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

A few weeks ago I was pleased to get a call from a reporter. She wanted to get the local angle on a national study showing an increase in a particular problem that our organization deals with. We talked for a few minutes and I couldn’t wait to read the article in this week’s paper. What a disappointment! She completely missed the boat on how our organization is helping to resolve the problem in our community. What did I do wrong? Can someone give me some guidelines to follow when dealing with a reporter?

Responding Expert: Harold A. Bergen   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I just read about an Executive Director of a nonprofit who was working with a personal coach and attributed some of her success to the coaching process. Can you explain what coaching is all about and how it works?

Responding Expert: Jerry Pinney   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

We are planning a donor trip and will charge each participant a fee which covers the cost of each activity to take place on the trip (tickets, dinners, tours, etc., plus an administrative charge that covers the cost of staff to organize, manage and service the trip. Could any part of the fee being charged to attend the trip be considered a tax-deductible contribution to our organization? And how should our finance department account for the revenue and expenses generated from this trip.

Responding Expert: Kathryn Vanden Berk   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Can you please tell me the impact of online & offline communication on the non profit sector as well as what the future holds for it?

Responding Expert: Jennifer Avers   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I am a long-time executive director of a mid-sized nonprofit here in Chicago. I am beginning to think about retirement, perhaps two years from now. I am wondering what sorts of things my board and I should be doing to help get my organization ready for this important transition?

Responding Expert: Nancy Fuhrman   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

We’re considering creating a 7-10 minute video for our organization’s anniversary gala, but don’t want to spend hard earned dollars on something we can only use once. Are there ways to leverage our investment?

Responding Expert: Elizabeth Dunlop Richter   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

In today’s economic climate how do we design a donor recognition program that is both meaningful and tasteful but doesn’t break the bank?

Responding Expert: Charles W. Lustig   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Our animal care league recently received a sizeable gift from the estate of an elderly woman who lived across the street from our shelter. Other than giving her a wave once in a while and commenting on her lovely garden a few years ago, I can’t say that I really knew her. She occasionally gave us small gifts, never more than $50, and was not a regular contributor. We are grateful for her generosity and will add her gift to our small, but growing, endowment. It got us thinking. Maybe we should be doing more to build our endowment. What do we need to consider?

Responding Expert: Jack Jadel   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Our organization is fortunate to have volunteers who stay involved by working on committees. However, it is extremely difficult to find a time when all members of a committee can come to our office for meetings. Every member makes important contributions, so I don’t want to leave anyone out. Any ideas on how to reach everyone efficiently?

Responding Expert: Mark Rissman   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I keep hearing about the need for nonprofits to be innovative, to reach out and collaborate, expand our revenue streams and so on. But, as the head of a small, financially strapped 501(c)(3) here in the city, we have our hands full just getting by on a daily basis and coming up with enough funds to meet our monthly budget (which is lean). How do we find the time to innovate and where do we start? More importantly, where do we find the extra funds to support such efforts?

Responding Expert: Diane Decker   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

My Board doesn’t seem to be able to leave me or my staff alone. They interfere with most of the things we do. What am I doing wrong?

Responding Expert: Peter R. Sawers   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

How has the tsunami tragedy caused the fundraising of “other” causes to be adjusted or delayed? I have a client that is more environmental and we’re planning to launch a prospect campaign at the end of this month. Should we hold off?

Responding Expert: Susan Munro   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

There are so many products out there to help make your online community more robust. Our main goal is to acquire and maintain a list of correct e-mail addresses for our constituents. This will help us reduce costs and improve communication. What are some best practices for e-mail address acquisition, or where can I find them?

Responding Expert: Eve Smith   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

Can you recommend a good accounting software for a nonprofit organization with a budget of $1M, which will grow to $3M in two years.

Responding Expert: Dhiren Shah   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

I'm planning to do online fundraising at my organization. Besides getting a secure donation form, what else do I need and what else should I be thinking about in order to successful in this area?

Responding Expert: Betsy Harman   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

We are exploring ways to collect, track & report client information and outcomes and are in the process of developing our own computer application. It is slow going due to the limited resources and knowledge base. We have, however, found one web-based application designed for Community Schools and wonder if there are recommended web-based applications for other services - such as child day care, youth services, counseling, etc? Any guidance and/or recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks much.

Responding Expert: Jason Saul   View the Answer Here

 

Question:

By way of introduction, I work with, a non-profit research and education company out in Des Plaines. Could you please help us answer a question we're exploring about the costs involved with running our education programs and developing our training. Our question concerns overhead and general/administrative costs. We're trying to determine if there are any standards for how non-profits/associations account for overhead and G&A on their programs (meaning "indirect expenses," such as rent, phones, computers, secretarial work, electricity, and so on). We are exploring our procedures and how they measure up against the industry. Thanks in advance for your help!

Responding Expert: James G. Quaid   View the Answer Here