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CDP PRESS
January 2012
Volume 10, Issue 1 

Prospective Board Members and the Right Questions      

 

When the time comes to look for new board members, there are a couple strategies you can take.  You could meet up with the prospective member one-on-one, or with another current member, for coffee. Or you could come at it from another angle.

Put together profiles of several potentials and bring them to a board meeting.  Then, all together, sort the individuals into 3 groups.

Group A - Candidates who are well-known by the board and can be added immediately if the initial meeting goes well.
Group B - Candidates are not well-known, but if there is mutual interest, membership can be pursued.
Group C - The candidate doesn't seem like the right fit, but depending on who accepts or declines the offer, they can be moved up to Group B.

Having the right questions ready, too, can make all the difference. Here are some great ones to keep in mind.

For yourself:

What can this person do for us? Don't only think about who the person is, but what benefit would they be to your board. For example, you might want a certain person on your board because you believe they can connect you to a certain part of the community. Don't assume they can, but ask them if they think they could.
 
For the individual: 
  • What interests you about our organization? Which aspect interests you the most?
  • What are some of your previous volunteer experiences and leadership roles?
  • What appeals to you about board services as a volunteer activity?
  • If you were to join this board, are there any experiences you would like to have or people you would like to meet?
  • What skills, connections, resources and expertise do you have to offer or are willing to use for the organization?
  • Do you have any worries about joining the board?
  • Is there anything you think you would need to make this experience a successful one for you?
  • If fundraising is an important aspect for your board, clearly state the expectations you would have for the individual and ask if they think it feasible.

The candidate may have questions of their own before agreeing to join your organization's board. Here are some that you should be prepared for.

  • Why are you interested in me as a board member?
  • What role do you see me playing on your board?
  • What are your expectations and commitments?
  • What is unique about your organizations? Your board?
  • Are there particular discussions this board has difficulty handling?
  • What weaknesses are there in the way the board works together and with staff?
  • What are the major issues this board is facing? How are you addressing them now?
  • If I were to join this board, what would you want me to do during my first year?
  • If I were to join this board, what could I reasonably expect to get out of this experience?

For more, check out the full article on Blue Avocado

Storage Space
 
Archive Boxes
The CCR has space available in the basement and attic for storage. If you need a place to stock your records or are running out of space at your current location, please contact us to discuss options of renting space here.
 
You can give us a call at 513.858.1738 or email Kim Poulin at
Grant Readiness Assessment
 

For the month of January, we are offering a special deal to our Facebook friends. By this time you have probably planned your budget and calendar for 2012. (If you haven't, the clock is ticking...the new year is upon us.) With funding cuts, donations down and nonprofits like you being forced to tighten your belt, it can be a struggle to maintain the programs that you have let alone start any new ones. Thinking about applying for grants to help relieve the pressure? We know that grants are highly competitive so we want to help your organization submit valuable information to potential funders. Submit a Grant Readiness Assessment form for your project or organization and CDP will give you a written assessment of your grant readiness for FREE. 

 

You can submit the Grant Readiness Assessment form in one of two ways.

  1. Complete the form on our website and email the requested documentation (see below) to marilyn.shearer@communitydevelopmentprofessionals.com or
  2. Download the Grant Readiness Assessment form and submit it with the requested documentation (see below) to marilyn.shearer@communitydevelopmentprofessionals.com 

To register for this opportunity, visit our website here.   

 

The other documentation you will need to submit is:

  • Current Budget
  • Most Recent Financial Statement and Audit if available
  • 501(c)(3) Letter of Determination (if applicable)
  • Current Board Roster
  • Agency Brochure
  • Organizational Chart
 

 

Dollar SignFunding Opportunities

 For assistance in researching these or other grant opportunities, contact CDP.  
   
 
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
National Endowment for the Humanities
SUMMARY:
Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions - such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities - improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials.
ELIGIBILITY:
U.S. nonprofit organizations are eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
DEADLINE:
May 1, 2012 (for projects beginning January 2013)
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:
http://neh.gov/grants/guidelines/PAG.html   

AHS Foundation
SUMMARY:
The AHS Foundation provides support for organizations providing services that relieve poverty, advance religion and education and provide innovative solutions to community issues.
ELIGIBILITY: This Foundation gives only to charitable non-profit organizations classified as tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) by the IRS.  They do not give to individuals.
DEADLINE: on-going
APPLICATION: Send a letter proposal with a brief description of the need for the grant and the intended use of funds to Thomas Wright, Secy.-Treas at c/o Lowry Hill, 6th and Marquette, Minneapolis, MN 55479.  Grants are usually between $5,000-$40,000.

American Electric Power Foundation
SUMMARY: AEP supports non-profit organizations with a focus on improving quality of life.  Whether targeting improvements in education or tackling the issues of hunger and homelessness, AEP's giving is meant to help non-profit organizations address and positively impact community life.
ELIGIBILITY: Must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt.  No grants to individuals or to United Way agencies.  No grants to religious, fraternal, service and veteran organizations except for non-sectarian social service activities available to the broader community, such as a senior center or a church-owned housing project.  No grants to those with a purpose that is solely athletic in nature.
Deadline: on-going
Application: There is no formal application.  Visit website for more information.

CLH Foundation
SUMMARY: This Foundation supports organizations serving the Greater Cincinnati area in the fields of interest: Civic, the arts, education, health, mental health, justice, environment, youth and community.
ELIGIBILITY: There are no limitations. Send no more than three pages of information.
DEADLINE: None
CONTACT INFORMATION: Christine Heekin, 201 E Fifth Street, Suite 2200, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. 513.321.6999.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

SUMMARY: Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts.
ELIGIBILITY: Tax-exempt public agencies, Universities, Public charities, a small percentage of grants go to individuals and for-profit organizations for work that is charitable or exempt under 501(c)(3) by the IRS. There is a long list of what they do not fund on their website here.
DEADLINE: on-going
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: http://www.knightfoundation.org/apply/  
In This Issue
Prospective Board Members and the Right Questions
Storage Space
Grant Readiness Assessment
Funding Opportunities
Tip of the Month
2012 Funding Directory
Community Calendar
Useful Resources
MonthlyTipTIP OF THE MONTH 
Remote Computer Access 

 

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This is great for when you are on the run and need an important document off your desktop at the office. There is even the option to access your computer through your Android device or
iPhone/iPad.

LogMeIn Pro offers the next level up in remote access with file transfer, HD quality, file share, remote print and remote management.

Find out more by clicking the LogMeIn logo above. 
About CDP Press 
CDP Press is a free publication for local government officials, non-profit professionals and educators who are working together to develop viable communities.  

Community Development Professionals
332 Dayton St.
Hamilton, OH 45011
(513) 858-1738

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MonthlyTip2012 Funding Directory  
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Funding Directory of Ohio - CD Does your organization need money? Do you want to save time on tedious research?

Then...order one of our Funding Directories!

CDP offers three comprehensive funding directories created especially for non-profits: Funding Directory of Ohio, Funding Directory for Ohio Educators and National Funding Directory for Pregnancy Resource Centers.

Any Funding Directory is $99.99 for CD-ROM or as a spiral-bound hard copy for $169.99 and you get the CD-ROM for FREE!

Click on the picture above to get to the order page. Order yours today! 
Community Calendar

 
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 Thursday, January 19, 2012

Volunteer Recruitment and Management

CDP Bridgeworks Training

The Center for Community Revitalization, Hamilton, OH

Description Volunteer Recruitment and Management is a half-day workshop focusing on topics such as how to recruit and retain volunteers, record keeping for volunteers, and the role of volunteers in non-profit organizations. This workshop is appropriate for Executive Directors, Board members or other staff persons involved in volunteer management.(Half Day; $69/person)

 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Understanding Budgets

CDP Bridgeworks Training

The Center for Community Revitalization, Hamilton, OH

Description Understanding Budgets is a workshop designed to educate participants on the basics of non-profit budgeting. This training covers topics such as the benefits of budgets, characteristics of budgets, defining key financial terms, and steps for effective budgeting. This workshop is appropriate for Executive Directors, Board Members, Bookkeepers and other key staff persons involved in accounting procedures. (Half Day; $69/person)   

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Fundraising and Donor Development

CDP Bridgeworks Training

The Center for Community Revitalization, Hamilton, OH

Description This is a full-day workshop that offers an overview of individual donor development, direct mail campaigns, event planning, and developing business relationships. You will leave understanding the roles that your Board and staff play in this process and knowing how to bring in more resources for your organization. This workshop is appropriate for Executive Directors, Directors of Development, Marketing Directors, Board members or other staff persons involved in fundraising. (Full Day; $99/person) 

  

Thurs-Fri, February 9-10, 2012

National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness 

Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, CA

Description  Vulnerability plus a crisis: the recipe for homelessness. After three years and more of heightened unemployment, crises that families used to weather now leave them in shelters, on the streets, or in a host of unstable housing situations. Youth, on their own or as new parents, are also increasingly vulnerable; unable to attach to the labor market but unsupported by families or the safety net, they are also threatened by homelessness. At its National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness, people from across the country will gather to share successes and challenges, to learn the results of research, and to understand coming changes in policy, practice, and context.

Registration Early (until 12/5) - $400; Regular (until 1/16) - $450     

  

Friday, February 17, 2012

Back to Basics

CDP Bridgeworks Training

The Center for Community Revitalization, Hamilton, OH

Description This is the basic training for CDP's non-profit partners and recommended as a precursor to CDP's other trainings and workshops. Organizations will learn the six components of organizational development and will be given the tools they need to address each component effectively. This training is highly interactive and requires active participation on the part of each attendee. Organizations are required to commit to action items at the end of training and are offered a certificate upon successful completion of training and action items. Organizations are encouraged to send the Executive Director, 2 or more Board members and 1 or more key staff persons to this training. (Full day; $99/person)   

  

Wed-Sat, April 11-14, 2012

23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference

Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

Description National Youth Leadership Council and youthrive, the Upper Midwest Affiliate of PeaceJam International have joined forces for 2012 to bring you one outstanding event.

Join us April 11-14, 2012 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the most comprehensive service-learning professional development opportunity in the world! Attend the 23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference� and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference, bringing you the largest gathering of youth and practitioners involved in the service-learning movement.

 
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              Phone: 513-858-1738
              Fax: 513-858-1739 www.communitydevelopmentprofessionals.com