Preparing for the Worst
July 16th, 2010
As our friends and neighbors in Nashville have unfortunately experienced, the worst can happen, and it can happen out of the blue, with little warning.
As we all know, many nonprofits play a critical role during emergency response and recovery; however, emergency preparedness is an issue that affects everyone in our community.
Preparing your organization to guarantee its ability to carry out its mission during an emergency- from natural disaster to an office fire – should be a priority, even for those organizations who will not be part of the immediate emergency response.
This quarter, the CNP will feature several opportunities for nonprofits to learn more about preparing for the worst.
On August 12th we will feature as our TVI luncheon speaker Lewis Lavine, speaking on the topic of “Lessons Learned from Disaster”. Lewis is the CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Management in Nashville, and personally experienced the issues of trying to operate a business in less than optimal conditions following the massive flooding in Nashville. He also worked extensively with the nonprofit community and federal and state authorities in the aftermath of the flooding, coordinating the immediate response as well as the continued clean up efforts.
We are also offering a workshop on July 15, presented by Greg Smith, Hamilton County Emergency Management Planner, on creating a Continuity of Operations Plan, known as a COOP. Greg hails from Florida, and has worked with a number of entities, including nonprofits, on creating plans to prevent organizations from becoming a victim of a disaster due to a lack of preparation.
COOP planning is meant to ensure your organizations ability to operate and recover from a wide range of emergencies and disasters, including:
1) Ensure effective and continuous performance of essential functions during and after emergency.
2) Protect facilities, equipment, records, and other assets that support essential functions.
3) Reduce disruptions to operations.
4) Minimize loss of life and injury to employees.
5) Prepare for resumption of normal operation and the continuation of as many essential functions as possible until normal operations can resume.
Emergency preparedness requires strong partnerships, and the CNP is pleased to be able to provide resources and foster the conversation around developing the ability of the nonprofit community to respond and survive in the event of a disaster.
Posted by CNP Staff
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Nonprofit Matters Newsletter Now Available for 3rd Quarter
July 9th, 2010
The latest Nonprofit Matters Newsletter is now available! Check out 3rd Quarter workshop/event schedule, learn about disaster planning for nonprofits, and much more!
Nonprofit Matters Newsletter- 3rd Quarter
Posted by CNP Staff
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Is a Press Release the Best Use of Time
July 8th, 2010
Press releases are a way to publish your organization's event information or news stories at no cost. To a nonprofit organization this sounds great, but, the Philanthropy Journal reports that even though press releases are free, they may not be worth your time.
Philanthropy Journal (PJ) states that there are several occasions where an organization should think twice before spending time writing a press release. If an organization is announcing an event, PJ suggests listing the event in a community calendar or posting the information on Facebook. PJ also says that if you have an important news story to share, share it on Twitter or contact a local journalist.
For more information and tips on how to share your organization's event information or news stories, visit http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/resources/marketingcommunications/when-press-release-isn%E2%80%99t-answer.
Posted by CNP Staff
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Volunteerism up in 2009!
June 17th, 2010
Each year, the Corporation for National and Community Service publishes Volunteering in America, which is a report comprised of volunteer information and statistics from the previous year.
Volunteering in America 2010 was published on June 15th and for the nonprofit organizations that rely on the generosity of volunteers, the findings are encouraging. In 2009, volunteerism increased dramatically. 63.4 million Americans volunteered in 2009, an increase of 1.6 million volunteers from 2008. This is the largest increase in volunteerism since 2003. In total, volunteers donated 8.1 billion hours of their time. Out of the 50 states and Washington D.C., Tennessee ranked 32nd in volunteers with 1.4 million volunteers!
For more information on the Corporation for National and Community Service or to read more results from Volunteering in America 2010, please visit www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
Posted by CNP Staff
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Giving USA 2010
June 15th, 2010
Charitable Giving for 2009 Down by 3.6 %
The Giving USA 2010 Annual Report on charitable giving was recently released on June 9, 2010. Although charitable giving in 2009 fell 3.6 percent, the results are not as dire as Giving USA had initially predicted, and the drop was attributed directly to the recession. Americans donated $303.74 billion in 2009, which is the third straight year that charitable giving reached over $300 billion.
Giving USA found that Americans gave more to environmental, human services, animal-related and international affairs groups and less to education, arts, culture and humanities organizations in 2009.
For more information on the Giving USA 2010 Annual Report, please visit http://www.givingusa2010.org/.
The Giving USA Foundation is an organization dedicated to "advancing the research, education and public understanding of philanthropy", and has published a report each year since 1956 supplying data and reports of charitable giving for the previous year.
Posted by CNP Staff
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