February 18, 2021

In light of this, I am excited to share that today we are releasing our latest episode of NAO’s podcast The Public Space, titled The Race to Lead in the Nonprofit Sector. Sean Thomas-Breitfeld, Co-Director of the Building Movement Project discusses the racial gap in nonprofit leadership and offers tangible actions to address the gap. Be sure to check out our latest episode! NAO’s The Public Space features thought leaders who share strategic ideas and solutions that spark positive change in civil society. Never miss an episode, subscribe to The Public Space wherever you get your podcasts.

Also, I want to be sure you are aware of a virtual course offered by the Center for Equity and Inclusion (CEI), Reframing Racism. Now in its fifth year, Reframing Racism has provided hundreds of equity leaders a learning opportunity to build common language, framework, and understand how racism is perpetuated in this country. Participants leave with new perspectives and deepened commitment to sharing their learning in their own communities. CEI announced more dates across this year for this virtual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion learning intensive, and is now taking enrollments for the February 23-25 intensive. For all other dates, visit here.

In response to a groundswell of requests from nonprofits across the state, we are pleased to announce that NAO’s Compensation & Benefits Survey is now open. After an unprecedented 2020, the use of this survey is key to evaluating your organization’s compensation and benefits strategy to help attract and retain the best talent. We invite all Oregon 501(c)(3) organizations to participate in this survey, which will be open until March 3, 2021. The more organizations that respond the better the data will be. Click here to participate.

The Guiding More Good Virtual Conference is just a month away. Have you registered?

Carrying on the tradition created by the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship, NAO is excited to present the 2021 Guiding More Good Virtual Conference. This conference will bring together exciting expert speakers, practical resources, and opportunities for virtual networking. Sessions will cover topics such as fundraising, finance, and board governance. This event is especially applicable for smaller nonprofits, primarily those that are all-volunteer or with 1-2 staff members.

Limited scholarships available. Register today!

Our friends at Independent Sector remind us that President Biden's American Rescue Plan is making its way through Congress and now is our best chance to shape it.

The $1.9 trillion proposal contains a wide range of important relief and economic stimulus measures, with a few positive provisions for the charitable sector and the people we serve. Unfortunately, the package does not yet meet the urgent requests recently outlined by more than 2,700 nonprofit organizations across 50 states including over eighty here in Oregon that signed the letter.

Take just 60 seconds right now to send an automated note telling your legislators not to let the American Rescue Plan leave nonprofits stranded. Here is the link. 

Unemployment Insurance Update: Our colleagues at the National Council of Nonprofits reported that Representatives DelBene (D-WA) and Casten (D-IL) have introduced the Emergency Unemployment Relief for Nonprofits Act, legislation that would increase the federal coverage of the unemployment costs of reimbursing employers from 50% to 75% between April 1 and October 3, 2021. The text of the legislation (sunsetting on Aug. 29) was included in the unemployment provisions of the House Ways and Means Committee budget reconciliation bill. The news release announcing the bill today quotes my friend and colleague across the Columbia River, Laura Pierce of Washington Nonprofits, saying, “Nonprofit jobs are down an estimated 7.4% nationally. Increasing federal reimbursement to self-insured nonprofits is the biggest step we can take right now to preserve the nonprofits we love and increase employment in our sector.”

Charitable Giving Reports: The Blackbaud Institute released its 2020 Charitable Giving Report and it doesn’t look as bad as some had expected - but smaller nonprofits definitely felt the impacts on giving from a downturned economy. Giving was up in the aggregate by 2%, but down by 7.2% for nonprofits with less than $1 million in revenues. Online giving was up by 21% across the nation. 

Also released from the Congressional Research Service is a report titled: Temporary Enhancements to Charitable Contributions Deductions in the CARES Act, asserting that the $300 above-the-line deduction put into practice for 2020 taxes likely only generated $100 million in increased giving, but will cost $1.5 billion in lost tax revenues. The report’s author is well known to nonprofit advocates as a pessimist when it comes to charitable giving incentives. Still the data is worth looking through and we’ll be doing some analysis to understand how there is such a large disconnect between funds generated and losses to tax revenues.

State-by-State Analysis: Recognizing that the severity of the pandemic and economic downturn has varied across states, the Urban Institute has collected health, economic, and fiscal data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia to show how each individual state has changed during this crisis and suggest what might be needed for recovery. How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Transforming State Budgets. Be sure to set the search for the Oregon data as you use the tool.

Becoming a Great Board Member: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Board Governance, Wednesday, February 24, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: In this webinar, presented by Jenn Clemo, NAO’s Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Resources, you will learn about the nonprofit board of directors and gain an understanding of what it means to be an effective board member. Jenn will provide a thorough overview for new board members or those looking to refresh themselves on the fundamentals. More details and registration information here.

2021 Annual Nonprofit GAAP Update, Thursday, February 25, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: Gary McGee, CPA, Founder and Managing Partner of Gary McGee & Co. LLP will lead this annual nonprofit accounting and auditing update session. You’ll learn about new and proposed accounting and auditing standards, and how they will affect nonprofit organizations and their auditors. Topics will include Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) guidance specific to nonprofit entities, AICPA accounting and auditing activities, and a Single Audit update. More details and registration information here.

The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint Course: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap and Built-It-Yourself Toolkit for Crafting an A+ Grant Proposal, March 1 through May 3: If you are ready to invest in growing your grants success join GrantsMagic U for this self-paced on-demand course. Presenter, Maryn Boess, veteran grant writer, consultant, and grantmaker, will share strategies and insider tips to help you build solid, fundable proposals with planning tools, worksheets, roadmaps, and fillable templates that help you organize the details of your work in a way guaranteed to take you to the next level of grantseeking success no matter where you are starting out. NAO Members can access a discount on registration. More details and registration information here. 

Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Fundraising Through Uncertainty, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – March 1 through March 29, 12 – 1:15 p.m. PT: Join a group of your peers for this series with fundraising expert Laurel McCombs. Learn how to push forward through the ongoing uncertainty to not only achieve your fundraising goals for this year, but strengthen your development program for the future. This series is most appropriate for executive directors and development directors from small, rural-staffed organizations. More details and registration information here.

Ambassador Training: Better Word-of-Mouth Marketing, Tuesday, March 2, 10 – 11:30 a.m. PT: Even in the era of social media, the most effective marketing strategy is word of mouth. Regardless of your role – board, staff or volunteer – you can represent your organization more effectively and encourage positive buzz. Join Andy Robinson, Principal of Andy Robinson Consulting, to learn how to engage potential supporters, develop compelling messages, and deliver them effectively. More details and registration information here.

Bigger Impact Together - What Your Organization Can Do to Forge Stronger Collaboration Through Creative Partnerships and Mergers, Wednesday, March 3, 10 – 11 a.m. PT: Nonprofit leaders often question how to maximize effectiveness and find greater efficiency in support of their missions. Based on their recent experience merging the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship into NAO, Jim White, NAO’s Executive Director, and Jenn Clemo, now NAO’s Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Resources, will discuss principles of deep collaboration and partnerships that can lead two organizations to unify. More details and registration information here. 

Merger: A Strategy for Nonprofit Sustainability, Thursday, March 4, 10 – Noon PT: Merger and other forms of organizational alignment are time-tested strategies for nonprofits to increase mission impact, improve financial health and enhance long-term sustainability. During the current public health and economic crisis, merger is a timely and viable option for many organizations to consider. Merger: A Strategy for Nonprofit Sustainability unpacks what nonprofit leaders needs to know about a range of options to restructure organizations. More details and registration information here. (NAO Members visit the Members Only Area for a discount code).

Nonprofit Financial Strategy in Response to Crisis, Thursday, March 11, 10 – Noon PT: The current public health crisis has disrupted nonprofits’ operations and funding sources, with longer-term impacts that remain unknown. Organizations face immediate budget impacts and potentially serious threats to sustainability. Organizational leaders need help to navigate through this situation and bring board and funders along to a place of greater sustainability. More details and registration information here. (NAO Members visit the Members Only Area for a discount code).

NAO’s 2021 Guiding More Good Virtual Conference, Saturday morning, March 13, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Carrying on the Center for Nonprofit Stewardship’s tradition, this conference will bring you exciting expert speakers, practical resources, and virtual networking opportunities. Session topics include fundraising, finance, and governance. This event will be especially applicable for smaller nonprofits, primarily those that are all-volunteer or with 1-2 staff members. More details and registration here.

Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Effective Board Management for Small Nonprofits, five Thursday weekly interactive sessions – March 18 through April 15, 11 – 12:15 p.m. PT: This five-part series builds on the lessons from the Becoming a Great Board Member webinar to include tools for effective board management. Join a cohort of nonprofit leaders to learn about board management best practices while gaining insight from each other’s challenges and solutions, and problem solving together. This cohort is for new and potential board members who want to understand the fundamentals of board service, seasoned board members looking to increase their board’s effectiveness, and staff and volunteers who support the board. More details and registration information here.

Nonprofit Learning Cohort – Creating a Strong Volunteer Program for Small, Rural Nonprofits, five Monday weekly interactive sessions – April 12 through May 10, Noon – 1:15 p.m. PT: Are you a small, rural nonprofit that utilizes volunteers but doesn’t have a robust system for recruitment and retention? Are you struggling to adapt your volunteer program to meet the challenges of the virtual world we’re living in? Join a group of your peers for this five-session interactive series that will help you create a strong volunteer program that provides a framework for organizational success and benchmarks for volunteer engagement and satisfaction. More details and registration information here.

If you have any questions or difficulties registering, contact NAO's Training Program Coordinator at training@nonprofitoregon.org.