July's Nonprofit Roundtable: Successful Planning For Yourself

The importance of managing a professional’s own personal skills and knowledge was the featured conversation at the July 15 meeting of the Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable. Like most, if not all, sectors, the nonprofit sector is managed and guided by professionals—managers, directors, fundraisers, marketers, program developers and leaders, HR personnel, IT experts and many others. As specialists in their fields, maintaining current skills is crucial for their respective organizations to pursue their missions and visions effectively.

What was the last class, workshop, webinar or conference you participated in? Who hosted it? Was it free or did you pay? How and why did you choose it?

While many of us are content with our jobs, positions and companies/organizations, others eventually want to move upward and outward. All wanted to continue to develop their skills, and none of those who attended the Roundtable meeting believed that s/he knew everything. So, in fact, we are all interested in strengthening our capabilities and keeping up with new trends, new technologies and new information that can positively impact or negatively impact us, whether we know it or not.

During our meeting, we addressed three questions:

What do professionals in your field need to know to be current?

Answers: Social media, volunteer management (especially how to address issues with volunteers), compliance and legal requirements, financial management (where is the money and how do you connect to it), learning knew storytelling styles and techniques, employee safety and readiness, state and local policies, internship management, payroll, workplace safety, GAP (general accounting practices), effective networking, evaluation on alignment with the organization’s goals, and community updates.

Where can you learn these kinds of things?

Answers: Foundation Center (www. http://foundationcenter.org/sanfrancisco), Vocus (www.vocus.com), CompassPoint (www.compasspoint.org), Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com), Chambers of Commerce (www.oaklandchamber.com), CARD (www.CARDcanhelp.org), California Association of NonProfits (www.calnonprofits.org), local Toastmasters Clubs (www.toastmasters.org), Association of Fundraising Professionals (www.afp-ggc.org), Planned Giving Council (www.ncpgcouncil.org), Taproot Foundation (www.taprootfoundation.org), East Bay Community Foundation (www.ebcf.org), Volunteer Center of the East Bay (www.volunteereastbay.org), and Volunteer Match (www.volunteermatch.org) to name only some.

What affiliations – professional associations—exist for your field?

Answers: American Society of Association Executives (www.asaecenter.org), Development Executives roundtable (www.dersf.org), and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (www.calvoad.org) to name a few.

Many of those listed provide free or low-cost trainings and workshops, as well as send out regular newsletters of other learning and conference opportunities. The importance of professional development and lifelong learning cannot be emphasized more strongly—for both personal and professional stability and growth.

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Have you been intrigued, startled or perhaps even jealous by the tremendous success of the Ice Bucket Challenge that has captivated the nation and the world? Have you wondered how your organization could implement such a successful campaign? Do you think that the Challenge has been an act of fundraising terrorism on the nonprofit community? Please join the co-chairs and other members of the Oakland area nonprofit community at the September meeting to a thorough discussion of the matter. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 from 2:30pm - 4:30pm at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, 475 14^th Street, Oakland, CA.

Also, if you would like to promote your organization, please bring a door prize or some snacks.

Contacts:
Co-Chair Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair Jerry Metzker, Development & Communications professional (jmetzman@earthlink.net)

Chamber Liaison Nikki Mendez, Membership Director (nikki@oaklandchamber.com)

"A" Is for Advertising – or Promotion, If You Prefer

If asked, most of us can recall a commercial jingle, image or logo that captivated or tickled us. Some examples that were shared at the April 15 Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable meeting included, “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener” and “Where’s the beef?”

Most of those that pop into our heads are from the private sector, and while many nonprofit brands are very familiar (the Red Cross, Human Rights Campaign or Girl Scouts), many, many more are not, even in their own local communities. For those of us in the nonprofit sector, there is a hefty disconnect between our organizations and advertising, and not just financial. Under the strict criteria of financial limitations, we explored how we could utilize the intentions of advertising without actually advertising.

Joyce Hooks of dealsnapt (www.dealsnapt.com) guided attendees through a rich conversation of how to create an economically possible pattern of advertising to our communities in order to increase familiarity and our connections. She began by separating marketing from advertising. Marketing, she shared is “the link between a society’s material requirements and its economic patterns of response. In brief, it’s everything you do to promote and brand your business.”

Advertising, however, is “mass media content extended to persuade audiences of readers, viewers or listeners to take action on products, services and ideas.” Specifically, advertising gets a person to do or buy something. Successful advertising simultaneously expresses the culture in the moment and adds feeling to that.

Her suggestions for expanding an organization’s reach include:

• ·        Establish collaborations – do something together (have you seen the nonprofit double-page ad in East Bay Express?)
• ·         Defining and concentrating on your target audience – in the present and the future (How do you connect to kids for life?)
• ·         Review your metrics - target, test and repeat
• ·         Analyze the cost and return on investment (ROI) to determine if your plan is affordable

To conclude, Hooks shared the advertising potential of membership in dealsnapt. Dealsnapt is a mobile app that is a market for mobile smartphone users who are looking for the best local deals. Local merchants offer deals and promotions whenever they want directly in the app. The shopping community is notified instantly and has the ability to share, rate and comment on deals. Nonprofits that join dealsnapt engage in a mutually beneficial promotional relationship.

Following Hooks’ presentation, NonProfit Roundtable Co-chair Âna-Marie Jones of CARD (www.CARDcanhelp.org) shared several ideas on how to promote your organizations:

• ·         Offer yourself as a solution to a problem that most people think they have
• ·         Engage others to speak on your behalf – the most powerful form of advertising is word of mouth
• ·         Evaluate what you hand out in the community – how do these things say what your organization does

Following the introduction, Jones divided up attendees into teams for an exercise. First, we each shared what we considered one awesome thing that you wish people would know? (Yes, the question purposefully opens itself to interpretation.) Then the teams were tasked with the following situation: You are making a presentation about your organization at an event, but all of your logoed gift items and handouts are not available. Someone hands you a sample of someone else’s gift items, and in only a few minutes, you need to use these items as if they were yours.

The goal of the task is to find ways for people to bond with the item, particularly in a way that reminds them of you. For example, a Sharpie_®, in the hands of someone talking about at-risk youth can be used to make a big “x” to describe the life situations of the youth, and then immediately translated into a pen to check off success points. This combines the items with words and gestures and invites people to bond with the item. Once bonded, they will remember, and may even use the item in the same way.

Jones also encouraged attendees to leverage what they can from for free or at a very low cost. And then use your items, your words and your gestures to brand your agency in their consciousness.

This is how you advertise.

Special thanks to Dale Marie Gordon of Torrey Pines Bank (dgorden@torreypinesbank.com) for bringing a door prize.

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The next Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, from 2:30-4:30pm in the Chamber Boardroom. Please join us in a conversation about volunteers, the flowers of our organizations.

Contacts:
Co-Chair: Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD (AMJ@CARDcanhelp.org)
Co-Chair:Jerry Metzker, Development & Marketing Manager of Biotech Partners (jmetzker@biotechpartners.org)

Chamber Liaison: Nikki Mendez, Membership Director (nikki@oaklandchamber.com)

NonProfits Are a Force

At its February meeting, the Oakland Chamber NonProfit Roundtable welcomed the Chamber’s Interim President Dan Quigley for a rich discussion about the aspirations and goals of the nonprofit sector in both the Chamber and the community. As the Chamber goes through its transition from longtime President Joseph Haraburda (who recently retired after many years of incredible service to Oakland) to its new president Barbara Leslie (see February 27, 2014 Chamber blog for more information), part of the process includes checking in with members. And the nonprofit community comprises over 10% of Chamber membership.

The meeting started with a quick overview of the nonprofit sector as a collection of businesses, featuring several statistics from the National Center for Charitable Statistics (http://nccs.urban.org/):

·         There are 1,409,430 tax-exempt organizations in the USA, including: 948,769 public charities, 96,655 private foundations and 364,006 other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.

·         In 2010, nonprofits accounted for 9.2% of all wages and salaries paid in the United States.
Nonprofit Share of GDP was 5.5% in 2012.

·         In 2011, public charities reported over $1.59 trillion in total revenues and $1.49 trillion in total expenses.  Of the revenue: 22% came from contributions, gifts and government grants; 72% came from program service revenues, which include government fees and contracts; and 6% came from "other" sources including dues, rental income, special event income, and gains or losses from goods sold.

·         Public charities reported $2.87 trillion in total assets in 2011.

·         Between 2001 and 2011, the number of nonprofits has increased 25 percent; from 1,259,764 to 1,574,674 million today. The growth rate of the nonprofit sector has surpassed the rate of both the business and government sectors.

·         In 2010, nonprofits contributed products and services that added $779 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product; 5.4 percent of GDP. Nonprofits are also a major employer, accounting for 9 percent of the economy’s wages, and over 10 percent of jobs in 2009.

·         In Alameda County, there are 7512 registered nonprofit organizations (public charities, private foundations & others).

With this information increasing the energy of the participants, Chamber president Dan Quigley led a discussion of three different subjects. The first was in response to the simple question: “What is the Oakland Chamber doing well?” The answers:

 

The NonProfit Roundtable is a great opportunity to connect and learn.

Website directory and calendar are easy to use and informational.

Nikki Mendez (Membership Director) is a powerful, passionate advocate.

The specialty groups like the Young Professionals and Women in Business Roundtable are terrific.

There are a great number of events and different types of events that give members a lot of choice and many ways to participate.

Recognizing nonprofit companies as businesses is outstanding.

 

The second question was “What can the Oakland Chamber do to make your membership more meaningful?” Quigley even asked attendees to fill in the blank, no matter how outlandish: “Wouldn’t it be great if the Oakland Chamber of Commerce _______________________________?” Suggestions included:

Work on more ways to connect nonprofits with private businesses.

Provide targeted training or invite the Foundation Center to lead a training activity.

Create a way to share event management resources and materials.

Host intimate networking events.

Hold “Come meet our nonprofits” event.

Develop ways to connect private business with nonprofits.

Connect nonprofits more with mid-size businesses—i.e. those who don’t have philanthropic strategists on staff.

At the Annual Meeting, present an award to a corporation that does something innovative to benefit the community; or award a non-profit for its service or innovation.

Host a nonprofit fair.

Add “What are you community partnering interests?” question to membership application.

Hold one breakfast/business fair every year.

Connect nonprofits to corporate Board members.

The third question Quigley posed was “What can the Chamber do to enhance the quality of life in Oakland?” The answers included:

Survey all members to find an all Chamber event.

Lead a community-wide safety project.

Brand private and nonprofits together.

Support and fund the formation of a professional Oakland theater space/company.

Lead an Oakland school partnership with companies to strengthen schools (What can happen after the Superintendent’s breakfast?).

 

As a solid collection of local employers, many small businesses, including nonprofits have particular interest in the several proposals at the federal, state and city level for raising the minimum wage. While the Chamber has not taken an official position as of yet, Quigley is collecting opinions and reactions to the various suggestions being discussed. Comments shared include:

Should there be a difference between an adult minimum wage (which may be needed to support family) and a teenager minimum (money to save and use for discretionary income)?

There are social and emotional benefits of higher wages.

As wages go up, will there be more demand on workers?

 

The Chamber encourages all of its members to continue the minimum wage conversation. To share your perspective, email Dan Quigley at dan@oaklandchamber.com. As the Chamber continues under new leadership, we anticipate many more such conversations to meet members’ needs, strengthen the business climate in Oakland and continue to improve the overall quality of life of our community.

 

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