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Nonprofit Gateway

Managed by the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University.

Nonprofit Tips

Below are nonprofit cost saving tips and other useful information submitted by Gateway members. To post a tip, please login.

Use a Gift Chart When Asking a Donor for a Gift

Articulating a specific amount to ask from a donor is not easy, but it is necessary. One way to do that is to use your gift chart.

Crop costs while cropping images

Graphics editing programs are essential for website design and newsletters, but the industry standard costs close to $700.  Free, web-based programs are available that perform the same complex functions as Photoshop and offer the same advanced tools, such as layers and filters.  With some programs, you can even import photos from social networking accounts such as Facebook, Flickr, and other si

Trim your office supply bills

Negotiate with current providers for better prices or terms - especially on the products you use teh most.  Get group discounts by combining orders with other organizations.  Even simple coordination with companies in the same building can bring better terms or prices.  Always ask if there is a nonprofit discount with any purchase.

Four easy ways to reduce financial fees

FPO Solutions is a financial process outsourcing firm, and we have implemented several cost-saving measures for our nonprofit clients:

Corporate partnerships strengthen both missions

When I think about partnerships and what makes for strong ones, especially between nonprofits and the private sector, I remember one of my former bosses.  Very succinctly she would quip, "It's about trust, turf, cash, and credit."  I believe that but there's more.  In difficult economic times and when cost savings is a must, we need to be creative.

It's time to trim unemployment tax

As a nonprofit, your organization faces challenges on a regular basis.  Thanks to federal legislation, 501(c)3 organizations are allowed to opt out of their state tax-rated unemployment system to become a direct reimburser for unemployment costs.  The savings to nonprofits taking advantage of this is significant.

Change newsletter mode and save big dollars

Convert your organization's newsletters to an electronic format.  Send the newsletter by e-mail (rather than postal) to as many people as possible.  There are e-services that will allow you to transmit your newsletter to thousands of individual e-mail addresses - for free.  You will avoid the cost of printing, stuffing, addressing, and postage.  For a typical organization the savings can be $1

Free meeting scheduling software saves time

Doodle.com is a scheduling and polling tool-a freebie-that helps to make scheduling get-togethers considerably simpler than coordinating e-mails.  It's easy to set up.  The meeting planner creates a potential schedule, and Doodle sets it up as a survey and sends a link to send to the meeting participants.  Then, as the participants fill in the times they're available, Doodle records their answe

Just say no to sales tax

As tax exempt organizations, we are not required to pay most types of sales tax.  However, nonprofits may end of paying sales tax because an employee or volunteer needs to make a purchase and doesn't have their organization's tax exempt letter with them.  Explain to all volunteers and staff that this is an unnecessary expense.  Let them know in advance that you are implementing a "No Sales

Revisit your 403(b) and realize savings

The Treasury Department and IRS jointly issued final regulations governing 403(b) plans and certain Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) arrangements.  These are the first comprehensive set of plan rules issued in 40 years and are intended to minimize the differences between a 401(k) and a 403(b) plan. 

The Axelson Gateway is a resource for Chicago's nonprofit community managed by the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University. North Park University is not responsible for the content on this site.