Earlier this year, the Center organized a series of Nonprofit Town Hall meetings around the state that gave nonprofits an opportunity to connect with elected officials, learn about nonprofit sector trends and policy issues, and share their concerns about how the current political climate may affect their organizations. Here's a recap of the insights from elected officials, nonprofits' fears, opportunities for nonprofits, and key data.

What is sustainability? The term is used in different ways to suggest various things - all of which encompass financial, fundraising, and programmatic aspects of a nonprofit. There are no major decisions that do not have simultaneous, intertwined implications for mission and money. Blue Avocado's Deconstructing Sustainability provides a context for describing sustainability and guidelines to apply it across your organization.

What is a fiscal year? How does a nonprofit choose the best fiscal year-end or change its fiscal year to better suit the organization? Langdon & Company's Nonprofits: Choosing or Changing Your Fiscal Year-End offers considerations for an organizations' unique circumstances.  Langdon & Company participates on the Not-For-Profit Committee of the NC Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Workers' compensation provides medical treatment and wage replacement for employees who get injured in an on-the-job accident or develop a job-relate disease or disorder. Consider these five important reasons nonprofits need workers' comp.

Too many small nonprofits get on the "special event hamster wheel" and go from one event to the next. It's exhausting for their staff and volunteers, and it's exhausting for donors and the community. There are more effective ways to raise money. Is It Time to Ditch That Fundraising Event? will help your nonprofit determine if you should keep it, tweak it, or dump it.

Many people who work in nonprofits struggle with burnout. Seven Ways Top Nonprofit Leaders Avoid Burnout offers practical strategies - like having lunch together and giving each other kudos - to help you and your nonprofit avoid burnout.

Interns can be terrific additions to a nonprofit's capacity, but it's important to clarify whether they are unpaid volunteers or paid employees. In Interns: Employee or Volunteer, the National Council of Nonprofits outlines compensation, benefits, and practical pointers for intern positions.

Your website is the center of your online universe and your most important marketing hub. It's where you communicate and engage with your supporters, promote your mission, share success stories, and for many of you, it's a crucial part of your fundraising. It also plays a huge role in attracting prospects and volunteers to your nonprofit. Before anyone gives money or signs up to help a new organization, where do they go first? Online to its website.

Firespring gets it: You want to be up-to-date with the latest in technology, websites, and online tools, but you have a limited budget. The Center has partnered with Firespring to help you meet your specific challenges in creating an engaging, robust, yet affordable online presence. As a Center Member, you get significant savings on essential online tools and a mobile-responsive website that allows you to:

• Easily update and change your content, images, webpages, and more without the help of a programmer.
• Provide online event registration.
• Boost your fundraising through online donations and fundraising tools.
• Keep visitors on your site longer with secure payment processing.
• Privately communicate with donors, board members, staff, and volunteers through a centralized, password-protected area within your site.
• Get unlimited live support (you get to talk to friendly people!) and a money-back guarantee.

A cool fact about Firespring: The company is a Certified B Corporation that's led by people who are committed to leveraging their people, products, and profits as a force for good. In other words, they care - about you, your mission, and the people you serve. Learn more and join a free webinar on May 18 for a preview.

Start planning now for the 2017 Conference for North Carolina's Nonprofits on September 13-15 at the Embassy Suites & Convention Center in Concord. Rates are posted and we'll update the keynote, workshops, and concurrent sessions as they're confirmed.

Member Benefits In a Nutshell, April 26
Join this webinar to get all the juicy details about how the Center can serve you.
NonprofitSTRONG Summit, April 28
Hosted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network-Triangle and co-sponsored by the Center, join a full day of networking and professional development around: equity, diversity, and inclusion; taking your career to the next level; and nonprofit professional essentials.