Our recent article by Tony Poderis on the subject of Donor List Selling or Exchanging came just as our friends across the big pond at the DRF Group were introducing a new 40 minute video entitled, "List Swap Essentials".

Here is how they are pitching the video to their UK nonprofit groups-

The Essentials of List Swap Fundraising will guide your charity through the 5 keys to successful legacy fundraising:

• Recruiting new donors
• List Swaps - The Economics
• List Swaps - The Key Issues
• The four keys to implementation
• Legal do's and don'ts

Get a glimpse inside the UK fundraising scene and see how they operate. You just might get an insight or small tidbit that will give you an edge over the competition.

I got this link from their email newsletter, but normally they sell this video for £49.95. You should really sign up for their free newsletter and get lots of good information like this. Here's a link to their website where you can check them out and sign up: DRF Group.

Ok, I've tortured you enough, here is the link to the video: http://www.eurodm-drfgroup.co.uk/listswapvideo/listswap_video/indexT.lasso

The IRS is offering free online courses for nonprofits. These short courses will help you keep your nonprofits organization's exempt status.

There are 5 interactive courses (no sign-up required) that feature questions and answers & games and exercises that provide you with tools and knowledge in the following topics:

• Tax-Exempt Status
• Unrelated Business Income
• Employment Issues
• Form 990
• Required Disclosures

They have also included a resource library with course descriptions and summaries, a glossary of terms used and links to each IRS form and publication discussed.

The courses use cartoon characters to get the message across. You can tell they are a government production, but they seem to work. To take a look, surf on over to their website: http://www.stayexempt.org

U.S. News has sifted through trends in the economy and the workplace and has identified 25 professions that will be in growing demand as baby boomers age, the Internet becomes ubiquitous, and Americans seek richer, simpler lives.

They identified the job of fundraiser as one of the top 25. Here is what they had to say:

"Whether it's for a political party or the Little League, many people like the idea of being a fundraiser, except for one thing: "I could never ask for money." Fact is, only a small percentage of a development director's time is spent on "the ask." In fact, the ask is often easy if you've built a relationship with the donor and made the donor's involvement in the organization pleasant. Most of a development director's time is spent recruiting, training, and motivating volunteers, developing a database of donors, overseeing E-mail and phone campaigns, and running fundraising events, like a splashy gala. The best development directors naturally inspire trust. They're intelligent but low key and comfortable being self-effacing–that makes donors feel as though they're a cut above. Low-pressure, polished sales executives do well as development directors

They quoted a median salary of $78,902 and said this about training:

"Generally, fundraisers are trained on the job, although they may take courses offered through such organizations as the Association of Fundraising Professionals or the Foundation Center."

SmallBizU is offering a free online presentation in Strategic Planning and Execution. While this course is aimed at business entrepreneurs, everything it covers directly applies to nonprofits.

Here is how SmallBiz describes itself:

SmallBizU is for those individuals seeking thought-leadership. Designed specifically for small businesses, this online university seeks to instill a formal business intelligence-the capacity to solve problems, meet challenges, and create valued products. Those abilities break down into three basic domains: the ability to learn and to think strategically, the essential crafts we learn to get work done, and the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships.

To view this presentation please follow this link: http://www.smallbizu.org/sp/

Looking for a source for gifts, rewards, or prizes for your new members, volunteers, fundraisers, or as rewards for a job well done? How would you like to give gift certificates away for dining out?

I thought that would get your attention!

Restaurant.com is a website that offers gift certificates to restaurants all over the U.S. and discounts them up to 60%. There are a few catches (aren't there always) but usually they are pretty simple:

• There are some cities where there aren't any participating restaurants.

• Read the fine print. Many gift certificates require a minimum purchase or a specific type of purchase (i.e. ordering two entrees).

These could also work for fundraising auctions (dinner with a board member), tricky trays, and fundraising basket raffles. Just use your imagination.

For more information check out: http://www.restaurant.com/

It's one of the new buzz words, Giving Circles. But are they really that new? And just what are they?

A partial description from Wikipedia:

• Giving Circles are a form of philanthropy consisting of groups of individuals who pool their funds to donate to their communities and seek to increase their awareness and engagement in the process of giving. Through this process, they seek to impact their own communities or larger areas - possibly to global impacts. The circles can serve as a form of shared, or collective, giving in the context of community economic development or other social ventures.

• Members of giving circles donate their own money, decide together where to give their money, and have some sort of social or educational interaction associated with the giving. Many circles, in addition to donating their money, also contribute their time and skills to supporting local causes.

• Giving Circles as they currently manifest themselves are a new trend, but they are built on old traditions dating back hundreds of years to mutual aid societies and other forms of giving for the community. Several years ago, Giving Circles were predominantely composed of women. Women continue to make up the majority of today's Giving Circles - but today the make up of Circles are more diverse in race, age and gender.

• The structure of the circles can be informal or formal. On the informal side, circles may vote and choose and organization to support and each member writes an individual checks. Formal circles may have their money housed at a local community foundation and have staff people that support the work of the circle. Giving Circles range in size from a handful of members to several hundred.

Sound interesting? Looking for more information? Here are some websites and downloadable reports on giving circles:

• An ABC News story, Charity Giving with a Group, looks at the Giving Circle phenomenon.

• Giving Circles, from New Ventures in Philanthropy, has lots of resources about and for giving circles including: FAQ, templetes and documents, and a downloadable Guidebook to Giving Circles.

• Giving Circles and Fundraising in the New Philanthropy Environment, a new study based on interviews with 17 nonprofit leaders whose charities received funding from giving circles. Looks at the challenges and opportunites with this type of fundraising.

Are you ready to start your media blitz for a new event? Or perhaps you're gathering your resources for a future campaign?

Whatever the reason, Congress.org has a comprehensive list of contacts for you. And it's free too!

Find national, regional, and local media contacts. Look for editors, reporters and producers. Search by state or zip code. Search by newspaper, TV, radio, and more. And if you're looking for contacts in government you are in luck also:

• President & Vice President
• Congress
• Federal Agencies
• Supreme Court
• State Officials
• Local Officials

Get postal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Did I mention it's free!

So bookmark this site, it's a valuable reference- http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media

Protect sensitive information or risk fines and penalties

In the recent wake of credit card thefts, identity thefts, and other unsavory online criminal activities, businesses that handle credit card data are now required by state and international laws to protect sensitive information or risk fines and penalties.

While many of these laws will undoubtedly affect large e-commerce outfits, nonprofit accepting online donations or dealing with certain types of personal information will also need to take certain precautions to keep data safe.

Read the whole article over at TechSoup, the technology place for nonprofits.

Auctionpay announces complimentary on-demand web seminars full of information and tips to improve fundraising auctions.

Best practices provided by an experienced on-site events manager. Hear tips to achieve higher event revenue and solutions to avoid common auction pitfalls.

I've listened to this 26 minute presentation. It's a combination of audio and slideshow with lots of good tips for every phase of an auction.

View this presentation here: https://admin.acrobat.com/_a700532016/p77141099/

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced the fourth year of its signature philanthropic program -- the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. In 2007, the Foundation will allocate $20 million globally to the initiative, which recognizes, nurtures and rewards organizations, local heroes and student leaders helping to rebuild and revitalize their communities in 44 of the bank's major markets.

"Bank of America created the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative to provide community support where it's needed most -- at the local level," said Andrew Plepler, president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. "In addition to recognizing individuals and young leaders making a difference in their neighborhoods, this program is about building partnerships with nonprofit organizations and providing critical funding flexibility, enabling them to better serve their clients and strategically plan for long-term sustainability and growth."

Working with community partners, the Foundation developed the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative to provide the 44 participating markets with essential support through three key programs:

• Neighborhood Builders: $200,000 in grant funding and leadership training over the course of two years to two local nonprofit organizations working to promote vibrant neighborhoods. These grants are "unrestricted funds" -- highly unusual in the nonprofit community -- and can be utilized by the organization to cover operating expenses and build program capacity.

• Local Heroes: recognition of five community heroes whose achievements and leadership on local issues contribute significantly to neighborhood vitality. Recipients will direct a $5,000 contribution to an eligible nonprofit of their choice.

• Student Leaders: development of five exemplary high school students with an interest in improving their neighborhoods. To further their personal and educational growth, the Foundation provides funding for each student to participate in a paid, eight-week summer internship with a community-based organization as well as a series of leadership training and community service activities with local Bank of America executives.

Award recipients will be chosen by a local selection committee comprised of private, public and nonprofit sector leaders and chaired by the bank's local presidents in the 44 Neighborhood Excellence Initiative communities. Applications and nominations for the awards will be available online at http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation. The deadline for applications is March 9, 2007 for Student Leaders and June 29, 2007 for Neighborhood Builders and Local Heroes applications. Applicants are encouraged to submit as early as possible:

National Volunteer Week is the time to thank one of America’s most valuable assets – volunteers – and call the public’s attention to all that they do to improve our communities. This year’s National Volunteer Week is April 15 - 21.

The 2007 theme is "Inspire By Example" because it truly reflects the power volunteers have to inspire the people they help, as well as, to inspire others to serve!

This year the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation is asking you to recognize your volunteers' achievement by joining the thousands of organizations working to deliver the President's Volunteer Service Award to deserving volunteers during National Volunteer Week and throughout the year.

Free help is available for you at their website including planning materials, media templates, recognition ideas, and background information: http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/

It was recently brought to my attention by a Cyberzine reader that we don't cover the sponsorship of individuals and that there is a great hunger for more information on the subject. Their immediate need was for the sponsorship of individual athletes.

I was able to refer them to a couple of different sources for more information:

• http://www.fencing.ca/downloads/sponsorship_info_eng.pdf - This is a PDF file for seeking individual sponsors for fencing athletes in Canada.

• http://www.amazon.com/Athletes-Guide-Sponsorship-Individual-Sponsor/dp/1884737781 - The Athlete's Guide to Sponsorship: How to Find an Individual, Team, or Event Sponsor (Paperback) by Jennifer E. Drury, Cheri Elliott listed here by Amazon.com

If you have any knowledge of any other resources please let me know so I can pass them on.

Thanks,

Deane
brengled@fundsraiser.com