Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and Foundation Center Form Strategic Alliance

Having trouble viewing this e-mail? Click here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Cheryl Loe Communications Project Manager Foundation Center (888) 356-0354 ext. 701 communications@ foundationcenter.org	Dan Brady Communications Manager Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers (888) 391-3235 dbrady@givingforum.org
Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and Foundation Center Form Strategic Alliance Nationwide Partnership Will Expand Access to Data on Philanthropy, Improve Foundation Effectiveness New York, NY — October 6, 2014. Washington, DC-based Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers and New York-based Foundation Center have announced a new partnership to improve the quality and effectiveness of grantmaking through the strategic collection and sharing of data on philanthropy. The Forum is a national network of 34 geographically organized philanthropic associations that together have a membership of more than 5,500 participating organizations, making it the largest network in American philanthropy. Foundation Center is an independent nonprofit that is known as the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. "The philanthropic sector talks increasingly about such things as field alignment, strategic collaboration, and leveraging core competencies," said Bradford K. Smith, president of Foundation Center. "This partnership is a golden opportunity to put those principles into action." The Forum's mission is to leverage the collective knowledge of its association members so that each can be the highest quality provider of philanthropic support services in their regions, while a Foundation Center priority is to empower donors with the knowledge tools they need to be strategic. The partnership will tap the unique strengths of each organization in order to achieve shared goals. "The Forum Network has both deep regional roots and a broad national reach, and our regional associations' members are key to strengthening connections and knowledge sharing across the giving sector. However, at present, only a handful of our associations has access to up-to-date grantmaking data on their membership, and none have sophisticated online tools that allow the data to be queried and explored in real time," said Michael Litz, president and CEO of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers. "Opening these new resources to the Forum Network will be a game-changer for those striving to be more strategic and impactful in their philanthropy." The partnership will entail establishing platforms and systems for collecting data contributed by Forum members and translating it into knowledge services that will benefit not only the Forum membership, but the broader philanthropic sector. Specific plans include the following: Philanthropy Data: To support a vibrant and effective philanthropic sector, the partnership will launch a "donor data campaign" to encourage members of regional associations to centralize and standardize giving data at Foundation Center. This current data will be accessible to all members through an interactive mapping platform helping to inform funding decisions and track trends in each region. Philanthropy Research: Templates for research reports will be created so that information about regional giving can be more easily and efficiently published and shared, providing regionally focused funders with critical information about funding patterns in their communities. Philanthropy Tools: Data visualization, benchmarking, and knowledge management tools will provide regional associations with continuous access to comprehensive data on the work of their member foundations and empower users to draw actionable conclusions from the information. In recent years, Foundation Center and individual Forum member associations have partnered on a wide variety of projects, including more than 40 research reports and fact sheets, and Forum members have participated in Foundation Center's Funding Information Network. This partnership is a natural evolution of those preceding collaborations, all of which have in common the goal of spreading knowledge to strengthen philanthropy and the good it can achieve. The national scope of the partnership, however, will introduce efficiencies and broaden its impact. "Recent advances in information technology have put us in a position to collect and share knowledge far more efficiently than ever before," said Lisa Philp, vice president for strategic philanthropy at Foundation Center. "When this system for data gathering, sharing, and visualization is applied across an entire network of grantmakers, the opportunities for donors to collaborate and achieve their visions of a better world will multiply exponentially." ### Share on Twitter: Strategic alliance btwn @givingforum and @fdncenter will improve quality and effectiveness of grantmaking. bit.ly/FCforum14 About Foundation Center Established in 1956, Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. Foundation Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit Foundation Center's website each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and its network of more than 470 funding information centers located in public libraries, community foundations, and educational institutions nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call(212) 620-4230. About the Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers Established in 1998, the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers is a national philanthropic leader and network of 34 regional associations of grantmakers with a combined membership of more than 5,500 participating organizations. The Forum facilitates effective philanthropy by fueling connections and knowledge sharing across the giving sector, delivering efficiencies and cost savings for our 34 member associations, and providing tools and resources to advance policy change. For more information, please visit givingforum.org or call (888) 391-3235. View Press Releases Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230

Meet, Greet, Grin and Adjust - RISK eNews

You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.

A SOURCE for Tools, Advice, and Training to control risks… so you can focus on your nonprofit’s mission.
October 8, 2014 Meet, Greet, Grin and Adjust By Melanie Lockwood Herman After a whirlwind month during which we hosted three, back-to-back risk conferences, life at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center has returned to “normal.” What’s normal? Working with dedicated leaders from a diverse array of mission-directed nonprofits on projects ranging from the development of a cloud application for one client’s 2,800 stakeholder organizations, to performing risk assessments and designing in-person and online training. During a planning session for one of the workshops we’re delivering later this month, our team began talking about how personality types and communication styles contribute to the success of a meeting. And since we generally don’t know the personalities and styles of the nonprofit staff members who will be attending one of our custom workshops, we need to be prepared for anything. On that topic, Director of Client Solutions Kay Nakamura shared two articles that poke fun at the personalities that too often derail thoughtful agendas and the important goal of engaging everyone around the table. If you’ve ever attended a brainstorming session, you’ve probably met a few of these troubling attendee types. From the Black Enterprise article, “Top 5 Most Annoying—And Productivity-Stealing—Personalities in a Meeting,” meet Mr. Talk Alot and Ms. Micro-Issue: ·         Mr. Talk Alot: According to writer Janell Hazelwood, what delights this meeting attendee most is “the sound of their own voice.” She adds that Mr. Talk Alot is also the participant most likely to elaborate on points that need no further elaboration or engage in distracting side conversations. ·         Ms. Micro-Issue: This label is assigned to the attendee who cleverly derails the agenda and draws the conversation to a topic that is of great interest and relevance to her, but is arguably off-track and inapplicable to the rest of the group. From the Fast Company article, “The Top Ten Meeting Personalities,” meet the Multitasker, the Disrupter and the Interrupter: ·         The Multitasker: According to Jackie Yeaney, Chief Marketing Officer of Premier Global Services, “All of us are guilty of multitasking during a meeting. Some of us are better at it than others.” Signs of a multitasker? According to Yeaney, “when asked a question, the Multitasker frequently responds with, “Sorry, I missed that. Could you repeat that?” ·         The Disrupter: Taking a risk by not knowing exactly how a meeting will wind up is half the fun for many people who attend lots and lots of meetings. But there is a downside to the risk as well. Yeaney writes that “Changing the topic or taking people down a side street, the Disrupter can sometimes uncover new thinking or creative ideas. But the Disrupter can also blow up an agenda and make other meeting participants irritable and cranky. You'll know the Disrupter as they often end a sentence with “… but I digress.” ·         The Interrupter: What meeting wouldn’t benefit from a few good ideas? Yes, but, there’s a time and place for every brilliant comment. Yeaney cautions, “When a good idea comes to mind, the Interrupter can't wait to present it to the group. And does … right at that moment! This personality is not inherently bad because hey, it is a GOOD idea. But have caution: combining the Interrupter with distant relatives the Disrupter and the Long-Winded can create meeting anarchy.” Risk Rescue for Derailed Meetings Consider the risk tips below to prevent meetings from going off the rails, or to get them back on track when a familiar personality type gets in the way of your plans for a productive and meaningful conversation. 1.    Keep it Timely – A great technique to keep a meeting on track is to adopt and follow a timed agenda. A timed agenda indicates the estimated time that will be devoted to each key discussion topic. It’s a great tool for the meeting minder (the chair or facilitator), particularly when that person (you know who you are!) has a hard time interrupting the attendee who seems determined to hear her voice from start to finish. 2.    Choose the Chair with Care – Sometimes senior leaders in a nonprofit aren’t the best meeting facilitators. That’s ok. If there are critical topics to discuss, consider choosing the best meeting facilitator, instead of the staff member at the highest pay grade. A great meeting leader knows how to gently move the discussion from topic to topic, how to engage the quiet attendees, and how to respectfully get the disrupters and interrupters to stand down. 3.    Keep a Plan B Close at Hand – Meetings go off the rails for any number of reasons, including sabotage by a participant to “stuff happens.” When you fear your agenda is too skimpy for the time allotted, make sure you have a compelling, meaty topic in mind as an add-on. Always ask the group’s permission before going down the new path. If your concern is that the time may be inadequate, make certain you’ve identified one or two topics that can be postponed until the next time the group meets. Again, ask permission to take those topics off the table out of respect for the published end time for the meeting. 4.    Be Flexible – A common mistake is to try to control the discussion and the outcomes. The truth is that the most rewarding workshops and meetings often bring things to light that had been hiding in the darkness for too long. Facilitators who lead scripted and rehearsed brainstorming sessions quickly lose credibility and respect. “Why are we here?” and “This was a waste of my time!” are sentiments you don’t want to hear in the hallway or read on the meeting evaluation form. The futurists who predicted the demise of in-person meetings and conferences during the Internet age have thus far been proven wrong. Many associations are reporting record attendance at their annual conferences, and we heard over and over again at the Center’s recent risk events that conference and video calls are a poor substitute for face-to-face conversations about controversial and troubling risk topics. Yet even a thoughtful agenda is at risk of spiraling out of control when the usual suspects show up. By considering the risk of a meeting gone wrong before you conduct roll call, you’re in the best possible position to increase the odds that your next meeting, brainstorming session or workshop will be time well spent for all involved. Melanie Herman is Executive Director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Melanie enjoys discussing risk issues against the backdrop of a nonprofit’s mission during custom workshops for Center clients. She welcomes your questions about risk management and the Center’s consulting services and cloud applications. She can be reached at (703) 777-3504 or Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org.	Risk Webinars Fit-to Suit Risk Policies My Risk Management Policies, Version 2.0 helps you create custom risk policies for your organization in a matter of minutes. Need well-written policies? This cloud app makes policy drafting easy. After completing the quick registration process, search by keywords, categories or peruse an alphabetized list of 150 templates. Each template offers many options to consider. Some of the templates force you to make practical choices. For example, you might prefer an informal style over formal language. Or perhaps you want to strictly prohibit something that other nonprofits allow! With My Risk Management Policies, Version 2.0, custom-fitting policy language to suit your nonprofit is easy and dare we say… fun! Version 2.0, What’s New? We’re excited to announce some terrific new features, plus a bold new design. Many of the new features were developed with client feedback in mind. You spoke and we listened! ·         Multiple users, one account — The new version has two levels of users: Account Holder and Added User. This means that two or more staff from one organization can collaborate on the drafting of policies. Want to get your outside counsel involved? No problem! The Account Holder for your nonprofit may grant system access to expert advisors through the “added user” feature. ·         Policy drafting tips — We’ve added policy drafting tips at the top of many templates. This is our chance to offer a few hints from our years of experience drafting and editing risk policies for nonprofits! ·         More policies than ever before — We have added nearly 50 new policy templates and updated many of the templates in the first version, and we’re not stopping there! As always, we welcome your suggestions for new policy types, new policy language, policy options and more. Send your requests to info@nonprofitrisk.org. To begin developing customized Risk Management Policies for your nonprofit, click here. The one-time licensing fee for My Risk Management Policies is only $179 or just $29 if your nonprofit is an Affiliate Member of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center.
Pass it On! If you enjoy reading the Center’s Risk eNews and know others who would as well, please use the Forward email link that appears at the bottom of this issue. The link offers an easy way to share this issue with a colleague. When you use the link your colleague will receive an invitation to subscribe.
© 2014 Nonprofit Risk Management Center

Nonprofit Knowledge Matters

View this email in your browser

Wanted: Courageous Board Members For too long, a myth has hung over the nonprofit community like a scary fog:  that nonprofit advocacy is somehow spooky. Nothing could be further from the truth, because advocating for missions is a core part of our sector’s proud legacy. If you eat in smoke-free restaurants, drive safely on divided highways, have a Social Security card, use your civil rights, or are a voting female, then you are benefiting from the past advocacy work of nonprofits – and board members. That’s why we are excited to let you know about a new campaign,Stand For Your Mission, launched to raise awareness - specifically among nonprofit board members - that being an advocate for the nonprofit’s mission is an important role for every board member to play. Advertisement Don’t just sit on a board: Stand for your nonprofit’s mission. The Stand for Your Mission campaign calls on all nonprofit board members to stand up as powerful champions for the missions they serve. The campaign is designed to unleash the full potential of nonprofit organizations to advance their missions in their local communities by engaging board members more directly as advocates on behalf of their organizations. The goals of the Stand for Your Mission campaign are to: Bring about a sustainable shift in the understanding and expectations around board engagement in advocacy; Move advocacy from an ancillary to a key board leadership role; and Strengthen the nonprofit sector’s ability to advance the public good. Importantly, this new campaign is not being advanced by ghosts, ghouls, or goblins, but by trusted, mainstream organizations in the nonprofit and grantmaking communities that recognize the need to change the culture around nonprofit advocacy so it is embraced as an effective, everyday tool for advancing nonprofit missions. The National Council of Nonprofits collaborated withBoardSource, the Alliance for Justice (with its Bolder Advocacyinitiative), the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the Campion Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to curate a set of core resources for board members, CEOs, and grantmakers. Please share the Stand for Your Mission discussion guide as a useful resource with your board. Read on for more resources for courageous boards Talking about That Which Shall Not Be Named [what it really costs to be a charitable nonprofit] While we wish we could just wave a wand, magical thinking won’t stop those who rate and rank nonprofits by focusing on the cost of a nonprofit’s operations, rather than its impact in solving community challenges. So what can nonprofits do to shake off this aversion to costs? Remember Harry’s invisibility cloak? Throw it off! Be bold and brave enough to have candid conversations with donors about what it really costs to deliver programs and services.   Bring financial sustainability closer in 3 easy steps First, let’s toss out the shape-shifting term “overhead” that means something different to everybody and instead just call all these costs what they are, whether “fundraising,” or rent, or “general administrative.” Second, let’s ignore any apparent incentives to be fuzzy about the full expenses needed to deliver a nonprofit’s services or programs. Instead, by fully embracing our own costs, nonprofits will help manage expectations about what is really needed to solve problems in communities. Third, let’s find the courage to talk about the costs, especially with donors and grantmakers – and document them, demonstrating accountability and candor consistent with a culture of transparency. We think this is the right approach – and we’re inviting you to join us by:“owning your own costs.” Read on for more on owning your own costs. Join us for a Special Webinar to Raise Awareness About Costs At the National Council of Nonprofits, we and our State Association network are tackling misconceptions about costs one step at a time. Transparency about costs first requires knowing how much it actually costs to provide services and deliver programs. This means that someone at every nonprofit should be able to properly account for program related costs as well as those costs that cut across all the activities of the nonprofit. We know this can a challenge, so our network is hosting a special program designed to help your nonprofit #OwnYourOwnCosts. Please join the National Council of Nonprofits and our State Association network for a free webinar about proper cost allocation, so we can all own our own costs and spread the message that all costs, whether for fundraising or administration, or anything else related to advancing our nonprofit’s mission are essential. Guest speaker: Jeff Russell, founder and CEO of Jitasa October 23 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern Resources for Board Members Good governance (National Council of Nonprofits) Checklist for IRS Form 990 board governance policies(National Council of Nonprofits) Board members’ voices count! Video: Your advocacy can make a difference More resources about scary stuff Creating Order From Chaos – Roles for philanthropy in disaster planning and response(Jessie Ball duPont Fund) Risk, risk, and more risk – and resources for managing it (National Council of Nonprofits) Losing tax-exempt status(National Council of Nonprofits) 501h election: A simple way to protect your nonprofit from lobbying missteps (National Council of Nonprofits) What information must a nonprofit make available to the public? (National Council of Nonprofit) Worth Reading Is your nonprofit scared of social media? Aespire explains the three myths of social media. New! The Sustainability Mindset, by Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman This month’s poll: Does your board monitor the impact of public policies on your nonprofit's mission delivery and resources? Tell us in this quick, one-question poll and look for the results in next month's Nonprofit Knowledge Matters. Share this newsletter with your staff, board, and nonprofit colleagues Did you receive this email from a friend? Sign up now to receive this free e-newsletter each month.

© Copyright 2014 National Council of Nonprofits. All rights reserved  1200 New York Avenue, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 | www.councilofnonprofits.org

National Council of Nonprofits: Nonprofit Advocacy Matters

View this email in your browser               OMB Webcast Provides Clarity, Highlights Need for Collaboration with Nonprofits The Uniform Guidance from the White House Office of Management and Budget will be binding on most of the contracts and grants between state and local governments and nonprofits when federal discretionary funding is utilized, according to government officials during an OMB webcast conducted on October 2. Presented as a “conversation” among stakeholders, the webcast provided opportunities for various interests affected by the Uniform Guidance to raise questions and seek clarity on key topics that have caused confusion. OMB officials kicked off the event by discussing how the new Uniform Guidance, among other things, is intended to lower barriers to entry for smaller nonprofit organizations to perform services in communities on behalf of governments.   Matt Hammoudeh, Assistant Secretary at the Illinois Department of Human Services, discussed the steps taken in Illinois to implement numerous requirements of the OMB Uniform Guidance and to change state policies to ensure consistency across government programs. In responses to questions from David L. Thompson of the National Council of Nonprofits, Hammoudeh confirmed that the requirement in the Uniform Guidance for governments to pay nonprofits their indirect costs is binding on governments at all levels of contracting and grantmaking, and that nonprofits cannot be asked to waive their reimbursement rights. The Illinois official also made a strong statement against arbitrary caps to indirect costs, pointing out that caps undermine nonprofit innovation and hurt service delivery. Hammoudeh stressed the importance of the lesson learned by the state of collaborating with nonprofits at the beginning of the process to develop the changes needed to implement the OMB Uniform Guidance. He note that nonprofits are the experts who can identify in advance the positive and negative impacts that new policies will have on delivering services in communities. Other panels during the webcast addressed questions related to audits and internal controls, procurement, and innovative funding. OMB will post a recording of the webcast within a week.    Public Supports Clear Rules on What Counts as Politicking  A large majority of American voters (60 percent) believe that having clear rules defining political activity for social welfare organizations is important, according to a recent public opinion poll. Eight in 10 voters believe that political operatives and donors take advantage of vague rules and blurry lines defining what is and is not permitted. Among voters who had an opinion, a majority favored changing the way that activities of social welfare nonprofits organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code are regulated to establish clearer and fairer rules for what counts as partisan political activity. The poll, which was conducted for Public Citizen and released in conjunction with the Hudson Institute, comes at a time when the Internal Revenue Services is seeking to clarify the rules for 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofits (as opposed to charitable nonprofits) and recover from a scandal involving alleged targeting of various groups based on presumed political leanings.     Communications Challenge: When Technology Meets Regulation Calls and texts to old cellphone numbers could result in significant liability, according to legal pleadings in numerous federal class-action lawsuits. Briefly stated, nonprofits and other callers could potentially be liable if they make calls or send texts to cellphone numbers that they previously received authorization to call but, unbeknownst to the caller, had been reassigned to a new person who has not given “prior express consent” to receive communications. According to one report, more than 37 million cellphone numbers have been reassigned in the past 10 years, so the likelihood of organizations having old numbers on their records is great. The National Council of Nonprofits filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking for an expedited declaratory judgment confirming that “callers who obtain prior express consent from a called party are not liable for phone calls and text messages to telephone numbers for which the caller has obtained prior express consent, but that have been reassigned without the caller’s knowledge, or for other types of ‘wrong number’ calls.” The FCC may rule on the issue this fall.     Candidate Forums Connecting Office Seekers with Nonprofit Missions This election season several state associations of nonprofits are using candidate forums in non-partisan ways to educate the voting public about the candidates and their positions. Providers’ Council in Massachusetts recently hosted the Human Services Gubernatorial Forum where four candidates addressed 700 attendees on human services topics. Significantly, all four candidates expressed their support for a 2008 statute that was designed to bring human services reimbursement rates up to market value, but whose full implementation has been delayed. The video of the event can be found here. Connecticut Association of Nonprofits co-sponsored the state’s second 2014 Gubernatorial Debate last week. Big topics of the debate included economic growth in the state and education reform. Go here for a recording of the Connecticut debate.   The “No Vote No Grumble” campaign, of which the Hawai`i Alliance of Nonprofit Organization is a partner, will hold a gubernatorial candidate forum on Wednesday, October 8th. The mission of No Vote No Grumble is to “increase civic engagement, including registering and educating voters, especially with the underrepresented/underserved communities.” HANO stresses that this is an important opportunity for nonprofits to share their community’s concerns with candidates. The Colorado Nonprofit Association will be holding a forum during its 2014 conference that will focus on the races for Secretary of State and Attorney General. Colorado’s PBS station will record and air the forum, giving the public the opportunity to learn more about the candidates in these “down ticket” races that often get overlooked. Each forum gives nonprofits the opportunity to educate policymakers on the work and impact of the nonprofit community to their respective states and the ways in which lawmakers can work with nonprofits to identify and promote solutions in communities.     Taxing Student Housing on the Rise The tax-exempt status of student housing facilities is under attack in the courts, at city hall, and in the ballot box. The Texas Supreme Court agreed last week to decide whether the Texas Student Housing Authority must pay property taxes on a dorm facility on the campus of Texas A&M University. County tax assessors had determined that the use of the facilities during summer months by high school students disqualified the dorms under Texas law. In Waleska, Georgia, the City Council is considering a tax on student residence halls at Reinhardt University, a local nonprofit. The Mayor said that the idea for the tax on the small Methodist university was proposed by the state Department of Community Affairs. The city would base the tax on the state’s hotel-motel tax, but is awaiting comment from the Attorney General on the legality of the proposal. Georgia voters in November will also be voting on whether to tax student housing across all public institutions in the University System of Georgia.   Taxes, Fees, PILOTs Taxes: A bill in Pennsylvania would impose real estate taxes on nonprofits owning property valued at more than $200,000. The bill’s sponsor has repeatedly introduced measures to tax tax-exempt nonprofits in the Commonwealth based on the common misconception that taxpayers end up paying more, but without recognizing the numerous community benefits of nonprofits, including the lower cost to governments. PILOTS: Pittsburgh’s Mayor has proposed his budget for 2015 that assumes $24 million annual contributions, or payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs), from the city’s largest nonprofits. Large landholding nonprofits, such as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, have expressed a willingness to negotiate on contribution size, as long as they are allowed some say in how the funds will be allocated.   California Adopts Paid Sick Leave Employment Policy Governor Brown has signed the law requiring nonprofits and other employers, starting in July 2015, to pay employees one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. In an alert to nonprofits, CalNonprofits reports that the amount of sick time used can be capped by employers at 3 days per year (24 hours) and any unused sick time at the end of the rolling-12-month period must be rolled to the next 12-month period.    Southern Voters Consider Income Tax Restrictions Voters in Georgia and Tennessee will have the opportunity on November 4 to alter their states’ constitutions to significantly restrict the power of their legislatures to levy personal income taxes. Voters in Georgia will decide on Amendment A, which would permanently cap the top income tax rate at six percent. Polls show that the ballot measure has broad popular support. If approved by voters in Tennessee, Amendment 3 would prohibit the legislature from levying, authorizing, or permitting any state or local tax upon payroll or earned personal income. Critics of both measures argue against removing taxation from the tools the legislatures have to address economic downturns and unforeseen challenges.     Tax Approved to Fund Philadelphia Schools Pennsylvania passed a cigarette tax intended to provide additional funding for Philadelphia city schools. The new tax comes in time to avoid layoffs of more than 1,000 employees. Public schools in the area had been looking into alternative funding streams, such as fundraising through social media, as the vote on the tax loomed. However, a bill is still advancing in the state Senate that would lock in education cuts and result in future funding challenges that could result in appeals to nonprofits and the public to fill resource gaps.   North Carolina Budget Cuts Demanded The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management has instructed state agencies that their FY2015-17 budgets must be at least 2% lower than their current budgets. According to the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, state agencies in the past imposed disproportionate cuts on programs affecting populations and communities served by nonprofits through state contracts and grants.        Because Now is When Candidates are Paying Attention The people and communities served by charitable nonprofits “win” elections when all the candidates learn about the significant impact of nonprofits, look to nonprofits as community problem solvers, and agree with the policy priorities of nonprofit organizations. It’s not a partisan matter of who gets elected, but about using the elections to inform candidates and the public about the value of the contributions of nonprofit organizations. The non-partisan election-related activities performed by state associations of nonprofits and many other organizations across the country this election season are helping to educate voters and promoting good policy results.   The lead state article, above, highlights effective non-partisan advocacy actions in Colorado, Hawai’i, and Massachusetts in using candidate forums to focus on the work of nonprofits in communities. Other organizations, like the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, are engaging candidates through questionnaires that address a broad array of issues that will help voters gauge the priorities of each public office hopeful. Still other nonprofit advocates are sharing their public policy and legislative agendas with all of the candidates with the expectation that some will recognize the value, adopt the priorities, and give public voice to the needs of the communities that nonprofits serve. In all of these cases the same strategy is at play: communicate with the candidates about policy priorities while they are most interested in what constituents think – from now until election evening.       Federal Issues OMB Uniform Guidance 501(c)(4) Partisan Politicking Cell Phone Regulation State and Local Issues Candidate Forums: CO, HI, MA Taxing Student Housing: GA (2): TX Taxes, Fees, PILOTs: PA (2) Paid Sick Leave: CA Constitutional Amendments: GA, TN Public School Funding: PA State Budgets: NC Advocacy in Action   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦    Nonprofit VOTE Webinar Nonprofits Get Out the Vote Thursday, October 9th at 2:00pm Eastern Election Day is just four weeks away. Find out what non-partisan activities your nonprofit can legally do to encourage voting and help get your community to the polls. Register Now!     Survey Reminder Protect Positive Grants Reforms Take the Survey In less than three months, new reforms governing payments to nonprofits for their indirect costs (overhead) and other reforms will go into effect. You can help in the development of tools to turn the promise of the new reforms into reality for your organization and others by completing this short survey and encouraging your colleagues at other nonprofits to fill it out as well.    Worth Quoting “The cost principles are designed to provide that the Federal awards pay their fair share of the costs recognized under these principals.” - Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, August 29, 2014, explaining the underlying reason for the mandate in the OMB Uniform Guidance that pass-through entities (typically state and local governments) reimburse nonprofits for their indirect costs.      Worth Reading Federal Grant and Contract News for Nonprofits, Venable LLP, September 2014, highlighting new procurement standards that federal grantees and subrecipients will be required to follow under the OMB Uniform Guidance.   Worth Studying Income Growth Varies Widely Across States, Governing, September 19, 2014, providing state- and county-specific data on personal income growth since 2000 through 2011, utilizing three interactive maps.     Numbers in the News On November 4, voters will decide the following: 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives 36 U.S.Senate seats 36 Governorships 31 Attorneys General races 6,049 state legislative seats in 46 states 136 statewide ballot measures in 41 states   Nonprofit Events Oct. 6-7, Fall Nonprofit Conference, Colorado Nonprofit Association Oct. 7, High Desert Nonprofit Leaders Conference, Nonprofit Association of Oregon Oct. 9-10, Camp Finance, New York Council of Nonprofits Oct. 23, Helping 501(c)(3) organizations with charitable contributions (a primer), Internal Revenue Service webinar Oct. 28-29, Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Forum, Kentucky Nonprofit Network    Share this newsletter with your staff, board, and nonprofit colleagues         Did you receive this email from a friend? Sign up now to receive this free e-newsletter every other Monday. © Copyright 2014 National Council of Nonprofits. All rights reserved  1200 New York Avenue, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 | www.councilofnonprofits.org