Arts Nonprofits Pool Their Know-How to Tackle Non-Artsy Problems by Benjamin Sutton on February 26, 2015 0

New York City, for all its wealthy patrons, charitable foundations, and municipal support systems, is a treacherous place for arts nonprofits, but a new cooperative framework dubbed ArtsPool seeks to alleviate organizations’ administrative stresses.

Conceived as a project of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (ART/NY) and launched with three pilot members — ART/NY, Big Dance Theater, and Harbor Lights Theater Company — the service provides assistance with financial and workforce management, tools for meeting various nonprofit compliance requirements, and other essential support. ArtsPool’s creators know all too well how important these services are.

“ArtsPool’s development team collectively have over 80 years of nonprofit arts experience and have seen firsthand the need for a new administrative framework,” Sarah Maxfield, one of the initiative’s managers along with Guy Yarden and Max Dana, told Hyperallergic via email. “Fundamental to the design of ArtsPool is an economy of scale model, so we plan to grow smartly, at a rate that keeps pace with our developing infrastructure.”

Though hardly as sexy as the more creative projects that performing and visual arts nonprofits pursue, the financial, managerial, and bureaucratic stability provided by ArtsPool can empower organizations to push themselves aesthetically and conceptually. Its array of services includes everything from providing board members with quarterly reports and processing tax forms, to maintaining various New York State filings for nonprofits.

The idea for the service grew out of a paper that Maxfield and Yarden wrote in 2011 titled “Collective Insourcing: A Systemic Approach to Arts Management.” At present, in addition to providing support to the three pilot member organizations, the service offers a free “Compliance Toolkit” for groups to use to stay on top of the various municipal, state, and federal requirements for meeting nonprofit requirements. The toolkit offers organizations that might be interested in joining ArtsPool a taste of the expertise and resources it offers.

“During the pilot year we hope to increase membership to approximately a dozen organizations, though the rate at which we expand will be contingent on next rounds of funding so that we can scale up responsibly,” Maxfield added. “Organizations interested in becoming a member should contact us by filling out a simple formon our website.”

Tagged as: Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, ArtsPool, Big Dance Theater, Harbor Lights Theater Company, New York City, non-profit

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Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2014 State Of The City

Join us for full liveblog coverage of Mayor de Blasio's first State of the City Address. 

The mayor is scheduled to speak at noon from the main stage at LaGuardia Community College's Performing Arts Center in Queens. 

Moving from the "Tale of Two Cities" theme of his winning campaign, de Blasio will pivot to a unification message that highlights his top policy priorities for the first year of his administration. 

“From day one, we have worked to make this ‘One City’ - where everyone rises together.We've taken on big challenges with bold, progressive solutions. We have set the pace, and in the State of the City address, we will lay out a broader agenda that drives change further and leaves no New Yorker behind,” de Blasio said in announcing the address. 

Sure to be highlighted in the speech: de Blasio's drive for the state's permission to raise taxes on the city's wealthiest residents to fund full-day universal pre-kindergarten programming.

Also big on de Blasio's agenda during the campaign and his first month in office: Issues of "income inequality," reforming the NYPD's "stop and frisk" tactics, unsettled labor contracts, and much more. 

Read more: http://liveblog.nydailynews.com/Event/Mayor_Bill_de_Blasios_2014_State_Of_The_City#ixzz2t9TyHr2w


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NYC Opera may file for bankruptcy

The beleaguered company's board voted to start winding down its operations as its effort to raise $1 million through a Kickstarter campaign falls flat.It appears that the fat lady is warming up to sing.

The board of the troubled New York City Opera voted Thursday to file for bankruptcy next week if it doesn't raise $7 million by Monday, a spokeswoman for the company said.

Prospects appear bleak. It has raised $1.5 million since announcing earlier this month that it needed to raise $7 million to keep the 2013-2014 season going. The company hoped to raise $1 million of that through a Kickstarter campaign, but as of late Thursday afternoon, 973 donors had pledged $156,463.

The Opera had also said it needed an additional $13 million to have a 2014-2015 season.

The company has been struggling for several years despite producing innovative and well-reviewed work.

It started running deficits in 2003, according to published reports. It missed a season in 2008-2009 when its longtime home, the New York State Theater, at Lincoln Center was refurbished. However, it left that theater in 2011 to save money and began performing in other venues around the city. George Steel, the company's general manager and artistic director, has managed to balance the budget in recent years but the company had been dipping into its endowment to pay bills.

"It would be absolutely appalling to imagine a city as great as New York not being able to have two major opera companies," Kasper Holten, director of opera at London's Covent Garden told the Associated Press. "If you look at London, if you look at Berlin, if you look at Moscow, if you look at Vienna, they have two opera houses, and of course New York should have two opera houses."

The opera was founded 70 years ago, and was deemed "the people's opera" by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Over the years, it fostered the careers of stars such as Beverly Sills, Plácido Domingo and Renée Fleming.

Mr. Steel and the board were not available for comment.

NY Daily News: Disgraced Grandson of Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, Sprung from Prison, Promptly Lands Gig with New Nonprofit

Disgraced grandson of state Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, sprung from prison, promptly lands gig with new nonprofit

EXCLUSIVE: Ricardo (Richard) Izquierdo Arroyo works in “case management” for Neighborhood Association for Inter-Cultural Affairs

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BY JENNIFER H. CUNNINGHAM / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 9:12 PM

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SMITH, BRYAN, FREELANCE NYDN

Ex-con Richard Izquierdo Arroyo now works with homeless former prison inmates, the Daily News has learned. The grandson of a state assemblywoman and nephew of a city councilwoman served nearly a year in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $200,000 from a taxpayer-funded nonprofit property management company.

He's got the political connections, he’s out of jail and now he has a new job helping homeless ex-cons get their own lives back on track.

The politically-connected former head of a Bronx charter school — who served time for embezzlement — has quietly taken up a position at a another nonprofit, the Daily News has learned.

Now paying restitution after serving nearly a year in federal lockup, Ricardo (Richard) Izquierdo Arroyo works on “case management” for Neighborhood Association for Inter-Cultural Affairs.

Izquierdo resigned as the head of The South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts in 2009, after he was charged with looting more than $200,000 from SBCC Management Corp., an unrelated taxpayer-funded nonprofit that managed low-income apartment buildings in the South Bronx.

He pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $115,000 to pay for lavish meals and trips, and spending some of the pilfered funds on his grandmother, state Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo.

Izquierdo Arroyo then served 10 months in federal prison.

But now, his LinkedIn page lists his job as “case management” for NAICA, which “has been providing housing intervention and assistance services to residents of the Bronx since it was established in 1974,” according to its Facebook page.

It was unclear Monday if Izquierdo Arroyo has any background in case management. He lists his case management experience as his current position, according to his LinkedIn page.

Izquierdo Arroyo did not return requests for comment Monday. His boss, Eduardo LaGuerre, told the Daily News in an emailed statement that NAICA currently employs “several individuals that have criminal records but who are now contributing members of our society.”

“Mr. Izquierdo was hired as a case manager for his experienced (sic), skills and ability to relate to homeless man (sic) that are seeking an opportunity to better themselves,” LaGuerre said in the statement.

LaGuerre said Izquierdo Arroyo has been an exemplary employee at NAICA and previously worked at another nonprofit, “Promesa/Basics, Inc., where he also provide (sic) excellent services to the homeless residents in their shelter.” LaGuerre did not respond to an emailed follow up from the News asking what Izquierdo’s background in case management was.

LaGuerre said Izquierdo Arroyo has helped homeless ex-cons become productive members of society.

“Everyone in our society deserves a second change (sic) once they have been rehabilitated and done the time that our Judicial system placed upon them,” LaGuerre said in the email.

LaGuerre did not respond to a follow-up email requesting the amount of Izquierdo Arroyo’s salary.

Besides being Assemblywoman Arroyo’s grandson and her former chief of staff, Izquierdo Arroyo is the nephew of Bronx Councilwoman Maria Del Carmen Arroyo.

Predictably, his appointment has raised a red flag among observers of New York’s not-for-profit sector.

Doug Sauer, CEO of the New York Council of Nonprofits, questioned whether his appointment was politically motivated.

“How did he get this job over any other candidate?” Sauer said. “Was it openly solicited? What is the compelling argument that overrides his history, which affects the organization that hired him?”

“It doesn’t pass the smell test.”

Sauer said although a case management position is a relatively low-level job that does not have access to the nonprofit’s finances, he wondered whether NAICA performed a background check on Izquierdo Arroyo.

“I don’t know of not-for-profits who would expose themselves to this,” Sauer said. “It’s not about the politics, it’s not about the family connection, it’s about the charitable purpose of the organization.”

jcunningham@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/politically-con-nected-ex-felon-lands-gig-nonprofit-article-1.1343029#ixzz2TYYt5XdO

BBB Sponsors Charity Effectiveness Symposium in NYC

February 28th, 2012 8 am to 12 pm

Hosted by:
Baruch College School of Public Affairs, 55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street, 14th Floor

Keynote Remarks:
"The Art of Thinking Big: Lessons from Grassroots Leaders"
Maria Mottola, Executive Director, New York Foundation

Panel Discussions by Experts
"Meeting Challenges with Creativity: Views from Innovators"
Moderated by Timothy J. McClimon, President, American Express Foundation
David Garza, Executive Director, Henry Street Settlement
Paula L. Gavin, President, National Urban Fellows
Evie Hantzopoulous, Executive Director, Global Kids

"Managing Great Performance: Differentiating Your Organization Through Stellar Planning and Evaluation"
Moderated by Hilda H. Polanco, CPA, CCSA, Founder & Managing Director, Fiscal Management Associates, LLC
Sister Paulette LoMonaco, Executive Director, Good Shepherd Services
Megan McAllister, Program Officer, Altman Foundation
Peter York, Senior Partner and Chief Research & Learning Officer, TCC Group

Update: Jason Lilien, Bureau Chief, Charities Bureau, Office of the New York State Attorney General

Cost: $25.00

For more information: Please contact Luana Lewis, SVP-Programs & Services, BBB Education and Research Foundation, 212.358.2842, llewis@newyork.bbb.org

How New York City Helps Nonprofits Get More Bang For Their Buck

Billings-Burford, the head of NYC Service, discusses the courage and innovative spirit organizations must have to use volunteers to help expand their services.

In the face of a volatile economy, adaptation is key. Families, small businesses, and all levels of government must adjust to the ever-changing environment. Nonprofit organizations are no exception.

This post is part of a series on the future of service in America, in conjunction with Catchafire.
As resources become increasingly limited, the need for services provided by those organizations grows. However, often these limited resources also prevent nonprofits from maintaining the status quo of service delivery, and in response, organizations are forced to cut programs and focus staff energy on development work. But this can severely hamper innovation.

To avoid--or at least reduce--reliance on those usual models of dealing with limited resources, nonprofits must develop and implement bold, innovative adaptations. Such innovations require immense courage, but have the potential to both maintain an organization’s service delivery and foster a mentality of renewal desperately needed in the nonprofit sector.

Rosabeth M. Kanter of the Harvard Business School describes two types of courage: intellectual courage, required to challenge conventional wisdom, and moral courage, required to stand up for a principle rather than stand on the sidelines.

“”There are two types of courage: intellectual courage, required to challenge conventional wisdom, and moral courage, required to stand up for a principle.

In the years since our launch in 2009, NYC Service has witnessed the most success and added the most value to organizations that have demonstrated both of these types of courage by using volunteers in new and strategic ways.

Engaging volunteers in unprecedented roles is a central tenet of the NYC Service philosophy. The first to take this approach in municipal government, our ideas have certainly been met with resistance. But nearly three years later, our partnerships with City agencies have maintained or expanded the delivery of services to New Yorkers. Shape Up NYC, an initiative of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, recruits volunteer fitness instructors to teach free classes, attended by an average of 3,000 New Yorkers each week. This represents a 150% increase in attendees, an expanded capacity that would have been impossible without volunteers.

This new approach to volunteerism isn’t just happening in New York, it’s happening in cities around the country through the Cities of Service coalition. Thirty mayors have already hired a Chief Service Officer or launched a high-impact service plan, with more doing so each month. And it’s working. In May 2010, when Nashville experienced a flood of historic proportions with over $2.5 billion in damages, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean tapped citizens to power recovery efforts and to help prevent future flooding. Using volunteers, Nashville planted over 800 trees in strategic areas and built almost 100 rain gardens to help reduce the build-up of storm water. Similarly, nonprofits must tap volunteers to administer programs that may otherwise be cut.

“”Innovations challenge conventional wisdom and thus require intellectual courage. Their implementation almost always requires moral courage.

Skills-based volunteering is another example of using volunteers strategically. Individuals with industry-specific skills are an underutilized resource for nonprofits that need assistance in specific areas. Nonprofits like Catchafire and Npower specialize in recruiting and placing such volunteers, but nonprofit volunteer departments can build such a strategy into their operations. This matching model has proven successful; through Taproot’s Professional Services program, the Mentoring Partnership of New York was paired with volunteer website developers and graphic designers who updated the organization’s website and produced new marketing materials.

By definition, innovations challenge conventional wisdom and thus require intellectual courage. Their implementation almost always requires moral courage. As the economic recession continues, this courage will be required by even more organizations. Nonprofit leaders must identify new and untapped resources--we make the case here for volunteers, but there are surely others--to maintain and even increase the impact of their organizations.

Though volunteerism itself is not a new concept, using it as a serious strategy to meet critical community needs is still in an experimental phase. NYC Service has proven its effectiveness and encourages nonprofits across the board to pursue a similar approach.

Nonprofits agree to merger: really not that rare

Crain's NY Business reported about a recent nonprofit merger, calling it a rare occurence. This actually isn't the case as many nonprofits pursue mergers and collaborations, especially with increasing economic pressures.

The article reports that: In an unusual move for the nonprofit world, Creative Center: Arts in Healthcare will become a program of University Settlement.

The Creative Center: Arts in Healthcare, a small nonprofit that finds artists to work with seriously ill people, is merging with University Settlement, a New York social services agency.

Under the terms of the agreement, The Creative Center will disband as its own 501(c)3 and become a program of University Settlement. Its longtime executive director, Robin Glazer, will continue to run the program as a University Settlement employee.

Mergers are rare in the nonprofit world. Even agencies that run similar programs like to stay in control. Ms. Glazer said that University Settlement approached her about coming under its umbrella a couple of years ago in the height of the recession. Though The Creative Center—which has an operating budget of $350,000—wasn't in financial trouble, Ms. Glazer wanted more stability for her nonprofit. University Settlement has an operating budget of about $21.5 million.

“(We) came at this merger from a position of strength and collaboration, and recognized that even excellent small and scrappy nonprofits are at risk in the current environment,” she said. “We wanted to ensure that all our excellent work would continue.”

The Creative Center was founded in 1994, and serves around 20,000 people a year. Through a grant from Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation, its programs are being replicated in 22 hospitals around the country. In its new home at University Settlement, Ms. Glazer expects the program to expand.

“We are thrilled to welcome this high-quality program into the University Settlement family, bringing additional skills, services and reach to our wide range of programs,” said Michael Zisser, CEO of University Settlement, in a statement.

Unions Say City Opera Offer Would Gut Chorus and Orchestra

The NY Times reported that a day before New York City Opera was to announce its first post-Lincoln Center season, the company’s unions charged on Monday that the company had made proposals for a new contract that would gut the chorus and the orchestra, and turn the “people’s opera” into a freelance outfit.

The unions released City Opera’s terms, which call for ending guaranteed weeks of work and number of members, It would eliminate vacation pay, tenure, leaves and the current health insurance plans. In addition, instrument insurance — an important perk paid for by American orchestras — would stop.

Choristers and orchestra players would be paid only by the rehearsal and performance. The proposals promise that members of the chorus and orchestra rosters would be given preference for future jobs.

“It’s devastating,” said Gail Kruvand, the chairwoman of the orchestra’s negotiating committee. “It essentially eliminates the orchestra as we know it.”

The union officials said it was too early to respond with proposals.

The company has long been living beyond its means. The general manager and artistic director, George Steel, and the board chairman, Charles Wall, have said major cuts are needed to reduce fixed costs, like those for the labor force. They decided to move the company from its longtime home, the David H. Koch Theater (formerly called the New York State Theater), as another way of saving money.

Company officials did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. However, a spokeswoman, Maggie McKeon, issued a statement saying: “In light of a challenging economic climate, New York City Opera created and is executing a very difficult, but strategic new model that reverses a decadelong trend of debilitating deficits. As negotiations continue, New York City Opera will remain acting in good faith to find the best solution for everyone involved.”

Read more here.

Cultural groups rejoice as city restores proposed cuts

Crain's New York Business reported that despite threats of deep cuts to institutions from the Metropolitan Museum to Staten Island's Botanical Gardens, nearly all of the money was restored in the city's final budget.

After yet another year of in which local cultural institutions were threatened by proposed deep budget cuts from the city, nearly all the money was restored in the final budget for this fiscal year.

The cultural institutions group—made up of all the arts groups in city-owned building ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island—received an initial restoration of $20.5 million of its proposed $33.7 million cut. Sources say Mayor Bloomberg is going to put in an additional $10 million from discretionary funds, nearly fully restoring the CIGs funding.

Funding for the hundreds of arts institutions that are not in city-owned buildings, like the Museum of Modern Art, received a restoration of $9 million, basically erasing their proposed cut.
Arts executives had expected little restoration this year because of the city's precarious financial state. Though they were thrilled with the final numbers, they questioned why they have been forced to go through this “budget dance” every year.

“We are very grateful for the City Council and the mayor's concern and commitment to the cultural sector,” said Norma Munn, chairperson of the New York City Arts Coalition. “There were people going without pay checks over the last few months because we were having such a tough time in the sector, so every dime counts.”

The New York Public Library, which waged an aggressive campaign to keep its city funding, received a restoration of $36.7 million of its proposed $40 million cut. Library officials said the final budget would allow it to avoid layoffs and keep all libraries open at least five days a week.

“When it comes to libraries, the real winners this budget season are New Yorkers,” a spokeswoman for the library said. “Thanks to a sizable restoration from the City, all of our 90 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island will remain open.”

Nonprofits brace for employment hit

Crain's NY Business related that Gov. Andrew Cuomo was hailed for shaving 2.3% off the state budget. But what was good for Albany may be bad for the city—especially social service organizations, which say the ripple effect could mean the loss of more than 11,000 nonprofit jobs here.

That estimate comes from the Human Services Council of New York City, an umbrella organization of nonprofits, which calculates that a job is lost for every $35,000 in cuts. The group says Mayor Mike Bloomberg proposes $400 million in social services cuts largely because Albany requires the city to provide certain services but does not always fund them.

“The city had to make up the differences in mandated services,” said Chris Winward, senior policy analyst at the Human Services Council.

Funding for social services has actually increased $218 million statewide since last year, but that doesn't cover the growing cost of providing mandated services, a mayoral spokesman said.

The Human Services Council said most of the lost jobs would be among social workers and case managers. Because the funding is expected to be cut at the start of the city's fiscal year on July 1, many organizations have already sent out 30-day layoff notices to workers, Winward said.

Predicting job losses is more art than science. Social services advocates are dusting off their worst-case scenarios from last year as the city's budget battle kicks into the homestretch. A mayoral spokesman could not comment on the layoff prediction, saying that the city funds services but does not tell organizations how to manage their work forces. Read more here.

Charitable Nordstrom store slated for NYC

Crain's New York Business.com reported that the retailer to donate earnings from its downtown location to charity; mix of merchandise has yet to be determined ahead of fall 2011 opening.

Nordstrom has signed on for a downtown location. The Seattle-based department store has inked a long-term lease for more than 11,100 square feet at 350 W. Broadway, a new building between Grand and Broome streets. The retailer plans to open what it bills as a “unique” concept store at that address in the fall of next year. All earnings at the new store will be donated to nonprofits. Earlier this year, the retailer opened a Rack discount store in Union Square.

“Nordstrom chose 350 W. Broadway as an ideal venue because it is a one-of-a-kind property in a cutting edge, highly trafficked neighborhood that appealed to the company for this new concept,” said Oliver Katcher, senior vice president of landlord RFR Realty, in a statement. Details of the lease, including the duration and asking rent, were not disclosed. However, asking rents for the building were $175 per square foot for the ground floor, and $45 per square foot for the second level, according to brokers.

The name of the new concept store has yet to be determined, but will not contain the name Nordstrom, according to the company.

“It's a unique, philanthropic-based store concept,” said Pamela Lopez, a Nordstrom spokeswoman. “All profits will go to nonprofit organizations.” It is not yet decided if the outpost will feature exclusive merchandise. The West Broadway shop will be the sole national outpost of its kind. Ms. Lopez added that, while Nordstrom would love to have a flagship in New York someday, the company has nothing to announce yet.

An Eye of the Future Conference in NYC September 28th

For Nonprofit Executives, Board Members, Marketing Managers, Fundraisers & Students

Join us for a unique, one-day educational event for nonprofit professionals on Tuesday, September 28th from 8:30am to 4:30pm at the Down Town Association Club.

An Eye of the Future will feature three panels of corporate and nonprofit experts as they explore cutting-edge strategies in Marketing, Board Leadership and Fundraising to help nonprofits sustain their organizations in today's uncertain economy.

Speakers include:

-Anu Gandhi, Director of Consumer Marketing for American Heart Association's Go Red Campaign, will discuss how to make your nonprofit stand out in a crowd of worthy causes

-Beth Stellato, VP, Goldman Sachs and Manager of the company's partner placement program, will discuss recruiting young professionals

-Rob Carter, Vice Chairman of Changing Our World and a global fundraising strategist, will discuss how to go from predicament to partnership when funding your cause

-Scott Roen, VP of American Express OPEN Forum and Steve Rubel, VP of Digital Insights, Edelman PR, will discuss social media techniques to promote your brand and cause online

-Asif Talukdar, Director of Business Development for GuideStar, will address how to position your nonprofit as a viable organization

And more! To register, email: events@ebsr.org or call: 866.287.3937

This event is open to ALL nonprofit organizations.

The Clark Foundation and Nonprofit Finance Fund Establish $6 Million Working Capital Loan Fund for Nonprofits

The Clark Foundation has allocated $2 million from its endowment to the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) to establish a working capital loan fund for its grantee partners. The Foundation has partnered with NFF, through a program-related investment (PRI), to establish this new working capital loan fund. NFF will make an additional $4 million available to Clark grantees and will administer the loans to qualified grantees.

This program-related investment is notable because it comes from the Foundation's endowment, not funds traditionally reserved for grantmaking. As the nonprofit sector continues to struggle amid economic uncertainty, leveraging foundations' dollars from their endowments could substantively increase the availability and impact of philanthropic dollars.

According to Jane Forbes Clark, President of The Clark Foundation, "The Directors of the Foundation wanted to respond to an issue that is seriously affecting nonprofits during these uncertain economic times." Doug Bauer, Executive Director of the Foundation, explained that there is an increased need for working capital due to the long gaps between when a nonprofit provider delivers services and when it gets reimbursed, mostly from government contracts. "The creation of this working capital loan fund can help alleviate the operational strain that many of our grantees are facing. They are attempting to meet an increased demand for their services while watching cash flow slow to a trickle due to delayed payments. Providing a loan from our endowment makes sense, as it allows us to make an immediate positive impact on our grantees while preserving our core assets for continued philanthropic use," Mr. Bauer said.

The Clark Foundation will realize a modest return on its investment into the loan fund that is similar to other conservative investment strategies, all while providing new access to needed capital for grantees delivering vital services to many communities in New York City.

"Nonprofits operate on razor-thin margins, and even strong organizations struggle to access the working capital necessary to grow and thrive," said Clara Miller, President and CEO of NFF. "Cracking the corpus represents a sea change in terms of how philanthropy functions to support social impact, and holds tremendous promise as we increasingly look to the nonprofit sector to meet critical and ongoing community needs."

NFF will begin making loans to The Clark Foundation's grantees during summer 2010.

About The Clark Foundation
The Clark Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that help people out of poverty and lead independent lives in New York City. The Foundation also supports an array of educational, medical and cultural programs and organizations in and around Cooperstown, NY. Founded in 1931, it now ranks among the largest foundations in terms of assets and grants awarded in New York State and the country.

About Nonprofit Finance Fund
A national leader in social sector finance, Nonprofit Finance Fund connects money to mission success through consulting, innovation, and direct investment. Founded in 1980, NFF (www.nonprofitfinancefund.org) provides services that build the capacity and durability of nonprofits. A leading community development financial institution with over $80 million in assets, NFF has provided over $200 million in loans and access to additional financing via grants, tax credits and capital in support of over $1 billion in projects for nonprofit clients nationwide. NFF has a staff of more than 75 serving nonprofits nationally from offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles.