Showing posts with label nonprofit budget NYS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nonprofit budget NYS. Show all posts

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Upcoming Events & Webinars

Best Practices for Internal Controls in Small Arts Organizations [NYSCA Webinar]
December 4th, 2014 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM 
business-see-saw.jpgThis webinar is free and the live version is open only to nonprofits receiving funding from the NYS Council on the Arts. The recording will be made available to NYCON Nonprofit Members.
 
Many small arts nonprofits have limited administrative staff, but the same expectations from funders (and regulators) regarding their organization's internal controls. NYCON has seen this issue come into sharper perspective as we, and many of our nonprofit members (including smaller arts groups) have had to go through the NYS Grants Gateway and Prequalification process in order to continue to receive our state funding. One of the biggest questions we heard during this process was "How can we possibly create, document and consistently apply complex Internal Control processes in an organization with 2 or 3 or 4.... staff people?" This training will focus on the implementation of simple, yet effective internal controls processes that allow your organization to reap the benefits of accountability, efficiency, and fraud prevention despite running a smaller nonprofit.
It's Not Too Late: Year-End Major Gifts Fundraising for Nonprofits [Webinar]
December 9th, 2014  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 
Presented by Andy Robinson, Consultant and Trainer
Andy Robinson Consulting, LLC
Cost:  $49 Member Rate $69 Regular Rate  REGISTER NOW
NYCON is proud to partner with our State Association colleagues in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina to bring you this webinar.
 
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The most effective way to raise money is face to face -- and the most lucrative time to ask is right now!  In this webinar, Andy Robinson will walk you through the process of major gifts fundraising, step by step. Whether you're a veteran fundraiser or new to the field, you can expect to gain practical information and advice to help in:
  • Identifying prospects
  • Setting up appointments
  • Meeting with donors
  • How to structure the conversation -- and "the ask.
Materials & Log-in/Call-In Instructions: Webinar materials (PowerPoint PDF and other handouts), along with instructions on how to log in and call-in, will be emailed to attendees prior to the date of the webinar.
Nonprofit Committee Structures under the New Nonprofit Revitalization Act [Lunch & Learn Webinar]
Wednesday, December 10, 2014 from 11:00am to 12:30pm
Presented by Susan Weinrich, VP of Organizational Development Services
Free & Open to NYCON Members Register Today
 
Join us for this webinar and explore the changes in nonprofit board committee structure under the new law. Many rules have changed regarding board committees and nonprofit board governance. Gone are standing and "ad-hoc" committees. Now we define them as "committees of the board" and "committees of the corporation." Do you know who can be on each committee? Do you know what the roles and responsibilities are for each? Do you need minutes for each? Who should chair them? How do we bring non-board members onto a committee? For committees of the Board, what authority do they really have and how do we ensure they are accountable to the board?  Join us for this webinar on the practical implications of committee structure changes - and learn where to start.
Nonprofit Fraud & Abuse: A Unique and Personal Perspective [Special Webinar]
Thursday, December 11, 2014   11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Free & Open to NYCON Members Register Today
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The mismanagement and misappropriation of nonprofit funds is a serious issue. Not only is it illegal, and carries with it significant penalties, it also takes valuable resources from people who truly need services and damages the brand of all nonprofits. It can also severely impact the lives of those involved with the organization. In this honest and frank webinar, you will hear from a former nonprofit executive director recently convicted of conduct relating to grants management fraud.

Learn about the path he chose, the decisions he made, the lessons he learned, and, most importantly, how to avoid this type of event occurring at your own nonprofit organization.
Executive Director Retreat for New Nonprofit Leaders
December 10th-12th, Latham,NY
Participants will be introduced, through practical application, to mastery of the diverse skills necessary to achieve success in their current role. Led by a multi-disciplinary team of experienced instructors, this retreat emphasizes real world elements of nonprofit
executive leadership, management and problem-solving.
 
Latest Job Postings on the [NEW] NYCON
Nonprofit Job Board...
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All Members can Post jobs for FREE!
Click to learn more.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

27 Nonprofits Receive Retreat Grants from Omega


27 Nonprofits Receive Retreat Grants From Omega To Strategize On How to Survive and Keep Thriving

Published 5:00 pm, Thursday, May 16, 2013
  •  Photo: PRWeb
    (PRWeb)

PRESS RELEASE

The company that placed this press release with PRWeb is responsible for its content. It is not edited by the Albany Times Union.
Omega’s 9th Annual Service Week to Focus on Nonprofits Reinforcing a Broad Range of Social Services, Including Those Supporting Strength & Safety for Women & Girls in the Mid-Hudson Valley & Beyond.
RHINEBECK, New York (PRWEB) May 16, 2013
As service-oriented nonprofits struggle to survive in the current budget-slashing environment, Omega is offering 27 nonprofits the opportunity for much needed planning retreats where they can develop solutions to the challenge of balancing high demands and low resources. For the ninth consecutive year, Omega has offered grants to its nonprofit peers to participate in their own strategic planning retreats at Omega’s 200-acre campus in Rhinebeck, New York. Since its inception, approximately 184 organizations and 3,178 people have participated in this unique retreat grant program. Omega’s annual Service Weekis comprised of two sessions. The first session focuses on Mid-Hudson Valley nonprofits that address social service, social justice, and safety-net needs. The second session brings together nonprofits that serve women and girls for a unique experienced called the Women Serving Women Summit.
“At a time when nonprofits that provide safety net services are forced to do more with less, our Service Week grants provide a rare opportunity for these organizations to get out of the office and take a step back from the front line of their work to plan, network, and build capacity,” said Carla Goldstein, chief external affairs officer at Omega and cofounder of the Omega Women’s Leadership Center. “The 2013 Women Serving Women Summit focuses on organizations working to ensure the safety of women and girls since their well-being and ability to thrive is crucial to worldwide social, political, and economic development,” concluded Goldstein.
All grantees are awarded two-day, two-night organizational retreats that include free room and board, a private meeting space, use of all the facilities at Omega, and a consultation with Omega’s partner, the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON). NYCON will also host a roundtable on fundraising.
“The positive value and impact of Service Week on grantee nonprofits and the communities they serve becomes more evident each year. Today’s service and business challenges are many, and Omega has truly stepped up to help—contributing space, support, and opportunity that only Omega can provide,” saidDoug Sauer, chief executive officer of NYCON.
Omega’s Service Week program is divided into two distinct sessions:
Session 1) 9th Annual Service Week, May 27–May 29. For nearly a decade, Omega has been committed to serving those who serve others through its annual Service Week grant program. Grantee organizations can utilize the time to develop strategic plans, cultivate relationships among their board members and with other nonprofits on campus, re-engage with their mission statement, deepen staff cooperation, and enjoy some much needed peace and relaxation. Service Week is funded in part by a grant from the Dyson Foundation that supports Mid-Hudson Valley nonprofits.
“Our participation in Service Week truly set the foundation for development within our organization. The backbone for a broad organization strategic plan that we formed at Omega has positioned us to take important steps toward implementation,” said Milan Bhatt, executive director at Worker Justice Center of New York, participants in the 2012 Service Week.
Session 2) 3rd Annual Women Serving Women Summit, May 29–31. The only nonprofit leadership retreat of its kind, the Women Serving Women Summit, a convening of nonprofits working to improve the lives of women and girls, is an integral part of the Service Week program. Coordinated by the Omega Women’s Leadership Center, the theme of this year’s summit, Building Safety & Strength, brings together national and regional organizations serving the needs and interests of women and girls.


Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/27-Nonprofits-Receive-Retreat-Grants-From-Omega-4522155.php#ixzz2Tl6lMvrI

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Nonprofits confront cutbacks in Sullivan


Nonprofits confront cutbacks in Sullivan



By 


BETHEL — More than 100 people representing some of Sullivan County's largest employers attended an annual gathering of nonprofits at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Wednesday.
Speakers at the Nonprofit Leadership Summit 2013 emphasized that state and federal cutbacks, combined with a flat, charitable-giving environment continue to put the squeeze on the county's nonprofits.
At the same time, New York's rules and regulations and other hurdles, like turf battles among the nonprofits themselves, remain obstacles when these organizations try to share costs and collaborate to provide services more efficiently.
Three years ago, county officials came up with the idea of inviting nonprofit leaders to an annual summit at Bethel Woods. Linda Hartley, one of the three summit organizers, said the gatherings have had mixed results in fostering collaborations.
Nonprofits like the Center for Discovery, New Hope and Catskill Regional Medical Center form the backbone of the county's economy.
Catskill Regional and New Hope sent representative to this year's seminar. Catskill Regional Medical Center spokesman J.P. McGuirk said the hospital comes more for the tips from the speakers than for the opportunity to network with other nonprofits.
"There is a lot of pressure with federal and state cutbacks," McGuirk said. "We have to come up with new and creative ways to raise money and operate."
Hartley said the biggest success to date is a growing cooperation among several county arts organizations, including Bethel Woods and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.
She said representatives of roughly 15 arts groups got together during a breakaway session last year and continue to meet with the Sullivan County Visitor's Association. They are planning an annual festival. She said other collaborations have been harder to foster.
Doug Sauer, chief operating officer of The New York Council of Nonprofits, said partnerships can involve simply sharing information all the way up to merging. One major obstacle to forming close, legally binding affiliations, he said, is that New York state doesn't make it easy. Although nonprofits in other states can apply online and complete the process in a few months, combining services usually takes years in New York state and requires approval from multiple state agencies, he said.
Other speakers gave tips on the use of social media, recruiting volunteers and leadership building.
While organizers were pleased with the turnout, only a small percentage of the county's 600 registered 501(c)(3) organizations, attended the summit. (A 501(c)(3) organization is a charity or public service entity that qualifies for tax exemption under that section of the tax code.)
Organizers are also attempting to compile a database of the county's active nonprofits.
"We still need to have more people," Hartley said. "There are some here, but not enough."
To see the article online click here.

NYSACRA Action Alert

NYSACRA Action Alert

PLEASE consider reaching out to your assemblyman and senator to express your concern over the cuts proposed below. Springbrook provides invaluable support to people with developmental disabilities. The proposed 6% cut equates to $1.2 million for this organization.The proposed 6% cut equates to $1.2 million for this organization. The phone calls take less than a minute each. PLEASE PLEASE call.


As you are well aware, the proposed 2013-14 Executive Budget proposes a 6% across the board cut to all voluntary not-for-profit providers throughout the State of New York, effective April 1, 2013.  If this cut is enacted, the developmental disabilities system of supports and services will be negatively impacted, dramatically.  NYSACRA has received information from members as to how the reductions will be absorbed if a restoration is not successful.  Agencies will be forced to: reduce services and supports, eliminate entire programs, layoff all levels of staff including direct support professionals.  We all know how this will translate if the cuts are to be taken: the great strides we've made as a sector will quickly erode and the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) will be negatively impacted.

Both houses of the State Legislature are in the process of negotiating and getting ready to release the respective one-house budget measures.  While we understand the 6% across the board cut to the not-for-profit developmental disabilities sector is gaining great attention in the State Legislature, we need to continue advocacy efforts and therefore we are asking agencies, parents and family members, agency staff and direct support professionals, self advocates to make two telephone calls this week.

WHO TO CALL:
Please make two telephone calls, one to your State Assemblymember and the other to your State Senator in their Albany Offices

WHEN:
This week (the week of March 4th)

WHAT'S MY MESSAGE:
"I'm a constituent and I am concerned the proposed 6% across the board cut to the not-for-profit developmental disabilities providers will negatively impact supports, services and programs.  I wish to thank my Assemblymember/Senator for his/her support of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and ask him/her to support restoration of the 6% proposed cut in the one-house budget bill."

HOW:
Contact the Assembly Operator at 518-455-4100 and ask to be transferred to your Assemblymember's Office. (if you do not know who your Member of the Assembly is, go towww.assembly.state.ny.us to identify your Member.  You may also obtain his/her direct Albany Office telephone number, rather than going through the Assembly Operator).

Contact the Senate Operator at 518-455-2800 and ask to be transferred to your Senator's Office (if you do not know who your Member of the Senate is, go to www.nysenate.gov to identify your Senator. You may also obtain his/her Albany Office telephone number on the website, rather than going through the Senate Operator).


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING ADVOCACY AND EFFORTS!
LOOK FOR MORE NYSACRA ACTION ALERTS
THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK

Friday, June 3, 2011

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.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

New Arts Advocacy Group Announced: ARTS NYS Coalition

Times Square Chronicles featured the following post on a new arts advocacy group:


New York City is the heartland of arts and entertainment including commercial and non-profit theatre. In fact, it is the cultural center throughout the country. However, the NY State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is proposing the largest cuts of any State agency. It seems like a small part of the budget, .0003%, but in reality, with current economic times as they are, perhaps it represents a good portion. Without having a complete budget at hand and someone competent to explain it, I’m like most New Yorkers . . . trying to figure it all out. What is known, however, is that funding for the State Council on the Arts has been consistently reduced by nearly 30% over the past 4 years, representing the largest cut to any state agency. If we’re to continue our place as a major cultural arts center, we must have the funds necessary.

As a state, we have many attributes of which to be proud, but the arts are the soul of New York. Everyday, artists and arts groups throughout the state provide New Yorkers and the multitude of national and international visitors with pleasure, education, new ways of seeing the world, and enormous economic benefits.

Nonprofit cultural organizations in New York City are major contributors to the city’s economy. This sector is the second-largest component of the arts industry and is closely tied to the commercial sector. These organizations also share a labor pool of artists and other creative workers with the commercial sector and often develop artistic products that transfer to Broadway or is otherwise utilized commercially. A similarly complex interaction occurs between museums and commercial galleries and auction houses.

The nonprofit arts industry is labor-intensive. Half of the direct spending by all nonprofit cultural organizations goes to wages and benefits, and about 11 percent is for fees and services, including outside artistic fees. The majority of the employees are city residents, and many of the vendors and workers who supply goods and services to these institutions are located either within the city or in nearby suburban counties.

New York City is also a mecca for those who work in commercial theaters also apply their artistic talent and technical expertise in nonprofit theater and in the motion picture and television industry.

Who is ARTS NYS Coalition?They are a group of colleagues who joined together to ensure that the public has access to information on the state of the arts in New York State. Currently, the coalition includes the New York City Arts Coalition and the Arts Councils of Dutchess, Greene, Onondaga (Syracuse) and Westchester Counties, Huntington, Northern Adirondacks, Saint Lawrence and Southern Finger Lakes regions, Arts Alliances of Harlem and Buffalo, New York Folklore Society, NYS Alliance for Arts Education, and Museum Association of New York.

Thus far, the coalition has established this website, http://www.artsnys.org/, which will be a resource for data on the arts in New York State as well as information on pending legislation at the state and federal level. This website, in partnership with Americans for the Arts, will provide contact level providing information for elected representatives and will allow individuals to send their representatives customized messages.

ARTS New York State Coalition will also plan and coordinate state-wide advocacy events for 2011 which will provide the arts community with opportunities to meet with elected officials to discuss arts funding in the 2011/12 New York State Budget as well as other issues. A designated Arts Day in Albany is scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2011 in addition to many arts advocacy events planned in local districts during the week of February 7 – 13, 2011. Today we have a new governor, who is facing serious budget deficits, and we need him and his administration to be aware of the extent of the past cuts and the need for thoughtful care as they develop the budget for 2012.

It is very urgent that the Governor of our state hear from those who enjoy and treasure the arts in New York State. Send your message to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today.

Lest we forget, cuts to the arts is not only state wide, but on a Federal level as well. In addition to contacting your local representatives, do the same with State Senators and Congressional reps.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Amid cutbacks, efficiency is priority

The Poughkeepsie Journal reported on the impact of the proposed NYS budget, which includes reactions from the arts, public universities, and local cities:

Issue: Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed cutting grant funding for New York State Council on the Arts by about 10 percent, from $35.2 million to $31.6 million.

Impact: Many community arts programs in Ulster and Dutchess counties are funded with NYSCA grants, said Benjamin Krevolin, president of the Dutchess County Arts Council. The Dutchess County Arts Council under the 2010-11 state budget distributed $20,250 in NYSCA grants to arts organizations in Dutchess and the same amount to those in Ulster. The funding went to such projects as a street painting festival in Tivoli, free concerts at Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie and the Wassaic Project in Amenia, which converted a former agricultural facility into space for artists.

NYSCA funding allocated under the 2010-11 state budget and distributed by the Dutchess County Arts Council also accounted for $13,945 more in Arts in Education grants, split among Dutchess and Ulster groups, Krevolin said. The money funded a mural project in Dover Elementary School and a rock opera at Onteora High School, among other projects.

"Someone is going to get left out," Krevolin said of Cuomo's proposed funding cuts. "Someone's not going to have the opportunity to build their community, to bring in a festival or an event or a program that's going to spur economic development or improve education."

Eve Biddle, co-director of the Wassaic Project, said the $2,000 her organization received each of the past two years was used for outreach and artists honorariums.
"A small cut," she said, "can have a big effect."

Higher education
Issue: Reductions in aid to the State University and City University systems would be 10 percent. Benefits under the Tuition Assistance Program would be kept at the same levels. Proposed legislation would enable SUNY to streamline its procurement processes and establish public-private partnerships.

Impact: Donald Katt, president of Ulster County Community College, said the 10 percent cut would represent a $500,000 cut in funding to the college. The figure, he said, would compound the effects of a $1 million budget cut from the prior fiscal year.

READ MORE HERE.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Legislators Get Back Pay! How About You?

The New York Nonprofit Press offered this relevant perspective now that the NYS Budget has been passed:

After finally completing passage of New York State’s FY2010-2011 budget – 125 days late -- New York State legislators have received checks covering back pay averaging $26,500. How about your agency?

According to an article in today’s City Hall, salaries and other monies owed to Assembly Members and State Senators – a total of $7 million – were paid out in full on August 3rd – the day they voted on the final budget bills. Legislators, according to the article, are now catching up on their mortgages and paying off other loans – if not simply dropping the cash into their savings accounts.

By contrast, there are widespread reports that New York State had taken no action to make payments to nonprofit contractors for services provides since April 1st when the new fiscal year began – even when there were existing contracts and, therefore a legal obligation to make payment.

Last week, NYNP reported on several agencies who were already owed as much as $1 million for services provided during this fiscal year. A Division of Budget spokesperson indicated that cash flow problems were standing in the way.

Now that the budget has been passed, when will payments under existing contracts be made to providers? And, how quickly can the state act to process and register new contracts to provide payment for critical services?

Nonprofits have mortgages and loans to pay off too – not to mention the salaries of staff who never stop providing services, budget or no budget.

What’s happening at your agency? Email your comments to editor@nynp.biz.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Abilities First to cut outpatient rehab services

Abilities First to cut outpatient rehab services
Sarah Bradshaw
Poughkeepsie Journal


A Poughkeepsie nonprofit that provides rehabilitation therapy for people with disabilities is cutting outpatient services next month due to a lack of government aid.

Abilities First Inc.'s Medical Rehabilitation Clinic is a New York state-approved diagnostic and treatment center, however the clinic will surrender its state Department of Health operating certificate as a designated Article 28 facility come Aug. 30.

In essence, Abilities First is giving up the certification that allows it to receive Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements from the state at a special rate. The clinic's about 150 outpatients served in 2009 could be referred to other facilities for their occupational, physical and speech therapy needs, as well as wheelchair assessment and custom-fitted brace services...

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE>