2004 Websites of the Week
December 19, 2004 -
January 1, 2005
OMB Watch's nonprofit advocacy project has announced
the launch of its new "Nonprofit Issues Blog." "Weblog," and "blog," are
popular terms to denote a website (or a portion of a website) that contains
short, frequent posts and Web links. The entries are usually sorted in
reverse chronological order and archived by category and date. OMB Watch's
new blog will cover a wide range of nonprofit issues, and will be updated
throughout the week by OMB Watch staff. Go to:
www.ombwatch.org
December 12 - 18, 2004
Qm² which stands for Quality Management to a Higher
Power is a consulting firm that serves cultural organizations and the
boards, business, and foundations which support them. The firm’s website
contains a broad range of useful resources in the following categories:
management, strategic planning, fund raising, learning organizations,
meetings/teamwork, employees, finances/budgeting, marketing, and more. The
site also includes well written reviews of books that will be of great use
to nonprofit leaders. Go to:
www.qm2.org
December 5 - 11, 2004
Outcome Measurement Resource Network
The United Way of America's Outcome Measurement
Resource Network offers information, downloadable documents, and links to
resources related to the identification and measurement of program- and
community-level outcomes. The Outcome Measurement Resource Network has
7 sections:
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Purpose and Frequently Asked Questions |
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What's New: Listing of recent additions
and sign up option to receive email notifications when the Outcome
Measurement Resource Network is updated |
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Outcome Measurement - What and Why:
Introduction to what outcome measurement is and is not, key terms, and
the rationale for and benefits of engaging in outcome measurement |
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UWA Outcome Measurement Resources:
Descriptions, excerpts or downloadable copies of United Way of America
outcome measurement resources |
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Who is Involved in Outcome Measurement:
Selected outcome and performance measurement initiatives within the
United Way system; national health, human service, and youth-serving
organizations; public sector agencies; and other nonprofit organizations
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Resource Library: Full-text resources and
links on program outcome measurement, community-level initiatives, and
related topics |
Go to:
national.unitedway.org
November 21 - December 4,
2004
Board Café is the electronic newsletter exclusively for
members of nonprofit boards of directors. Board Café offers a menu of ideas,
information, opinion, news, and resources to help board members give and get
the most out of board service. Each issue will bring you a cornucopia of
"Little Ideas," as well as one "Big Idea" you can use in your board work.
There are over 60 issues in the archive with articles that cover topics
like: How Much to Pay Your Executive Director 7/23/02; The Board Should
Raise Money: True or False? 3/18/2002; What to Do When You Really, Really
Disagree with a Board Decision 2/14/03; and much more. Subscribe
online and receive your copy each month via e-mail. Go to:
www4.compasspoint.org
November 14 - 20, 2004
Established at The Aspen Institute in 1991, the
Nonprofit Sector Research Fund seeks to enhance both the quantity and
quality of nonprofit research. The Fund is focusing its work in three areas:
1) Nonprofits and Public Policy, 2) Nonprofit Relations with Business and
Government; and 3) Foundation Policy and Practice. Be sure to check out
“Projects & Findings”. This section contains findings from research studies
carried out by Nonprofit Sector Research Fund grantees. Also see the NSRF
Publications Page. The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund produces a variety of
publications, including annual reports; Snapshots, a newsletter which
presents key findings from research activities supported by the Fund;
Working Papers based on Fund-supported research; Nonprofit Research News, a
newsletter reporting on the Fund's activities and research; pamphlets
containing statements from convenings sponsored by the Nonprofit Sector and
Philanthropy Program; and a variety of books that take an in-depth look at
issues affecting the nonprofit sector. Go to:
www.nonprofitresearch.org
November 7 - 13, 2004
The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs provides education, training and
consulting services for social entrepreneurs in the United States and
abroad. The website includes introductory resources to social
entrepreneurship, a glossary, bibliography, links to other useful websites
and more. Go to:
www.socialent.org
October 31 - November 6,
2004
The Nonprofit Financial Center (NFC) provides financial management support
and resources to nonprofit organizations nationwide. This includes financial
management consulting and training, accounting and advisory services, online
resources, and educational publications. NFC is an accredited sponsor of CEU
credits by the International Association for Continuing Education and
Training, an accredited sponsor of CPE credits by the Illinois Department of
Professional Regulation, and certified by the US Treasury as a Community
Development Financial Institution and a Community Development Entity. Go to:
www.NFConline.org
October 24 - 30, 2004
The Center for Association
Leadership, founded by the Greater Washington Society of Association
Executives (GWSAE), is an organization of people, resources and ideas
focused on the future of associations. The site offers an extensive array of
programs, knowledge resources and community networks including a
Knowledge Resource section where you'll find association case studies,
models and samples, articles and whitepapers, book reviews, the Ten Cool
Ideas collection and expert recommendations covering all aspects of
association management.
Go to:
www.centeronline.org
October 17 - 23, 2004
Useful Links for Nonprofits -- IKNOW
This site provides a directory of useful links for
nonprofits on issues ranging from education and fundraising to current
legislation, strategic planning, and volunteerism.
Go to:
www.iknow.org
October 10 - 16, 2004
The Working Manager is guided learning, a body of knowledge, a reference
tool, a research base and a monthly magazine all in one. Updated every month
with new material, the comprehensive website aims to help everyone,
particularly working managers, improve their management knowledge and skill.
The Working Manager is built on the Theory of Learning Styles so that
everyone can learn in their own particular way. The site includes a
“Learning Advisor” that will help you assess your own learning style and
give you advice on the best ways to use the site. The Working Manager will
also be very helpful to people who are responsible for designing training
for others. Go to:
www.theworkingmanager.com
October 3 - 9, 2004
The Management Information Exchange (MiX) website
offers community-based organizations (CBOs) a free, reliable and consistent
source of management information and expertise. It addresses the nuts and
bolts challenges of motivating people, managing change, communicating for
results, working with boards of directors and developing high performance
management systems. The MiX website collects useful articles, reports,
sample documents, and research from nonprofits, government agencies, and
corporate sources and makes them readily available at the click of a mouse.
The information is drawn from the management practices of successful CBOs
and from the private and nonprofit sectors. It is tailored to be directly
relevant to the conditions under which community based organizations operate
and provides a way to exchange first-hand experiences and expertise in an
on-line peer network. Go to:
www.lcmmix.org
September 26 - October 2,
2004
Since 1977, the Program on Nonprofit Organizations, which is based at the
Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University, has operated
as an international center for multidisciplinary studies of philanthropy,
voluntarism, and nonprofit organizations. The work of scholars affiliated
with the Program has appeared in books and scholarly journals, as well as in
its own working-paper series. Go to:
http://ponpo.som.yale.edu/
September 19 - 25, 2004
ncreasingly, foundations are providing grants to help nonprofit
organizations carry out their missions more effectively. A wealth of
literature has emerged as experts examine the impact of capacity building
programs. This resource list contains citations to selected works from the
Foundation Center's bibliographic database, Literature of the Nonprofit
Sector Online (LNPS), for grantmakers and nonprofits interested in learning
more about capacity building. For complete bibliographies on related topics,
search LNPS using "Technical assistance" in the subject heading or "capacity
building" in the keyword field.
Information is grouped in the following categories: General Guidebooks,
Surveys and Reports, Case Studies, Recent Articles, and Internet Links.
Go to:
fdncenter.org
September 12 - 18, 2004
The Social Enterprise Alliance is a membership
organization devoted exclusively to building sustainable nonprofits through
earned income strategies. The Alliance accomplishes this through a network
connecting entrepreneurial nonprofits with learning opportunities, technical
assistance and resources to further their efforts.
Alliance members are predominantly nonprofit practitioners and
grantmakers, but include technical consultants, for-profit businesses and
academics as well. Practitioner members range from early stage entrepreneurs
seeking the nuts and bolts knowledge to start and run an earned income
activity to well-established practitioners seeking an opportunity to
exchange ideas with other leaders of the field. The Social Enterprise
Alliance links nonprofit executives who have operated in isolation with an
ongoing forum for addressing the needs and concerns of the enterprising
nonprofit. Go to:
www.se-alliance.org
September 5 - 11, 2004
The National Civic League (NCL) is an advocate for community democracy. It
is a non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization dedicated to
strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL
fosters innovative community building and political reform, assists local
governments, and recognizes collaborative community achievement. NCL
accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing,
research, and the All-America City Awards, America's original and most
prestigious community recognition program.The National Civic League's web
site contains information on a broad variety of topics related to its
mission. The website includes an assortment of online community building
resources, articles, and speeches from experienced facilitators,
researchers, and leaders. Go to:
nclweb.org
August 29 - September 4,
2004
The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN)
works to support the diverse people and organizations who help nonprofits
understand and employ technology effectively. We create opportunities for
nonprofit staff and technology support providers to identify peers and
develop professional support networks, share information and resources, and
work collaboratively on a range of projects. We operate as a membership
association of nonprofits and their staff, technology support organizations,
Circuit Riders and independent consultants, for-profit technology companies
and funders. Go to:
www.nten.org
August 22 - 28, 2004
The first program of its kind in the United States, the Standards for
Excellence Institute is a national initiative that promotes the highest
standards of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management,
and operations, and facilitates adherence to those standards by all
nonprofits. The Institute, an operating division of Maryland
Association of Nonprofit Organizations (Maryland Nonprofits), uses the
Standards for Excellence program, a comprehensive system of nonprofit sector
self-regulation as its vehicle for effective change. The
Standards for Excellence program works to strengthen the ability of
nonprofit organizations to act ethically and accountably in their management
and governance, while enhancing the public's trust in the nonprofit sector.
For more information, go to:
www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org
August 15 - 21, 2004
he Urban Institute is a nonprofit nonpartisan policy research and
educational organization established to examine the social, economic, and
governance problems facing the nation. It provides information and analysis
to public and private decision makers to help them address these challenges
and strives to raise citizen understanding of the issues and tradeoffs in
policy making. Go to:
www.urban.org
August 8 - 14, 2004
The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy (CNP)
conducts and disseminates research on the role and impact of nonprofit
organizations and philanthropy. In addition, CNP conducts research on and
analyzes trends in the operations and finances of U.S. charitable
organizations through data developed and maintained by its National Center
for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) and other sources.
NCCS serves as a comprehensive source for information regarding U.S.
nonprofits through its extensive databases of information collected by the
Internal Revenue Service and others. The data provided by NCCS provides the
foundation for the many research projects at CNP. NCCS is also actively
involved in improving the quality of nonprofit sector data by, among other
initiatives, encouraging and supporting the use of electronic filing of
required IRS forms for nonprofits. Go to:
www.urban.org
August 1 - 7, 2004
For more than 40 years, the nonprofit Human Interaction Research Institute
(HIRI) has helped nonprofits, communities and funders meet the challenges of
innovation and change. HIRI’s research and interventions use behavioral
science approaches that cover the spectrum of systems change–finding what
works, getting it used, and determining whether it works in a new setting.
HIRI has done pioneering work about the dissemination of innovations and the
evaluation of human service programs. Projects span a wide range of
nonprofits in health, human services, and the arts. A main purpose of this
website is to share some of these publications, along with basic information
about our key areas of work. All of HIRI’s work is publicly funded, and thus
its results are available free of charge or at cost of reproduction and
handling to interested parties. Current priority areas are: (1) nonprofit
capacity building, (2) community collaborations and (3) philanthropy. Go to:
www.humaninteract.org
July 25 - 31, 2004
The Yale School of Management - The Goldman Sachs
Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures held its Second Annual
Conference and Awards Ceremony in May 2004. The Conference gathered
nonprofit organizations, nonprofit board members, academics and students,
and foundation officers to network with one another, celebrate award
recipients of the National Business Plan Competition, and participate in a
host of activities that inform business venturing among nonprofit
organizations.
Master classes and workshop sessions were held
throughout the Conference to help advance participants' understanding of
business enterprise, led by experts in the field of nonprofit
entrepreneurship and business management. We invite you to visit our website
to view a selection of presentations, handouts, and business plans
disseminated at the Conference. To view speeches, presentations and
handouts, go to: www.ventures.yale.edu.
July 18 - 24, 2004
FirstGov is the US government’s official web portal. FirstGov for Nonprofits
includes links to a broad range of resources for nonprofits available
through agencies of the federal government. Inks include: agency-specific
nonprofit resources; fundraising and outreach; grants, loans and other
assistance; laws & regulations; management and operations; online services;
registration and licensing; and tax information. Go to:
www.firstgov.gov
July 11 - 17, 2004
Fast Company Magazine has launched two new online
resource centers focusing on leadership and innovation. The Resource Centers
of Excellence blend new Web-only content, material from the magazine’s
archives, and additional tools and services -- including online discussions
and polls.. In the future, the magazine plans to roll out additional
resource centers.
For innovation resources, go to:
www.fastcompany.com/resources/innovation/
For leadership resources, go to:
www.fastcompany.com/resources/leadership/
July 4 - 10, 2004
This site summarizes the benefits of benchmarking, outlines a methodology,
and lists the keys to success in the area. The “free resources” section
includes articles, case studies, and white papers to guide you through the
process. Go to
www.apqc.org/best
June 27 - July 3, 2004
This website offers resources by management guru and
author of "Good to Great", Jim Collins. It provides access to the teaching,
writing and ideas of Jim Collins including insights, articles, audio files,
answers to the latest questions and more. Go to:
www.jimcollins.com
June 20 - 26, 2004
The Nonprofit Advocacy Project works to strengthen the
voice of the nonprofit sector in important public policy debates by giving
tax-exempt organizations a better understanding of the laws that govern
their participation in the policy process. Utilizing the resources of four
attorney-trainers the Nonprofit Advocacy Project serves this need through
workshops, research & publications, public policy, lawyers & accountants,
technical assistance & resources.
Go to:
www.allianceforjustice.org
June 13 - 19, 2004
Here are two websites that offer access to a range of free resources: The
first, the HR Powerhouse is described as your guide to HR tools, news and
FAQs. Register for a free HR newsletter and access to a number of online
management tools. Go to:
www.hrpowerhouse.com. The second site, HRTools.com, is a resource for
building your HR toolkit with resources on staffing, legal compliance,
training & performance, compensation & benefits, safety, and much more. Go
to:
www.hrtools.com.
June 6 - 12, 2004
MIT (OpenCourseWare) OCW is a large-scale, Web-based electronic publishing
initiative funded jointly by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT OCW's goals are to provide free, searchable, access to MIT's course
materials for educators, students, and self-learners around the world. With
the publication of 700 courses, MIT OCW offers free access to educational
materials from 33 academic disciplines and all five of MIT's schools. The
site does not require any registration. Go to:
ocw.mit.edu. For a link to courses offered through the Sloan
School of Management on topics of interest to nonprofits, go to:
ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management.
May 30 - June 5, 2004
The Foundation Center offers an array of online
training courses to help you succeed in your fundraising efforts. You can
find these online courses listed in the Center's "Virtual Classroom". Go to:
fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/
May 23 - 29, 2004
The Conflict Resolution Network was founded in 1986
(then under the auspices of the United Nations Association of Australia).
Its purpose is to research, develop, teach and implement the theory and
practice of Conflict Resolution throughout a national and international
network. The website contains an extensive array of resources most of which
are free. Go to:
www.crnhq.org
May 16 - 22, 2004
Since 1993, Harvard Business School’s Initiative on Social Enterprise has
focused on building ties between business and the social sector. The
Initiative’s goals are to develop leadership and management skills among
social enterprises, enable business leaders to contribute to society via
social enterprise, and to do research on social enterprise. Although the
Initiative is part of Harvard Business School, with a strong focus on
research, it reaches out to the public through a series of Executive
Education programs (“Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management,”
“Governing for Nonprofit Excellence,” and “Performance Measurement for
Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations,” for example). This is a
useful site for nonprofit and social enterprise professionals who want to
stay abreast of leading-edge research and practice in the field. Go
to:
www.hbs.edu/socialenterprise.
May 9 - 15, 2004
The 3M Meeting Network contains useful information designed to make you
more effective and successful with meetings. Resources include dozens of
articles & tips on how to run effective meetings - from the basics to
advanced facilitation skills; Articles on creating & delivering
presentations, and creative downloadable presentation templates & art;
Databases of meeting facilitators, planners & trainers; Presentation product
information and more. You can also sign up for an e-mail newsletter. Go to:
www.3m.com/meetingnetwork
May 2 - 8, 2004
The website of the Association of Fundraising Professionals offers a
comprehensive list of FAQ’s sorted by major topics including: grants and
grant proposal writing, internet fundraising, support and case statements,
deductibility of membership dues, evaluating fundraising costs,
cause-related marketing, planned giving terminology, form 990 rules, and
much more. Many of the FAQ responses lead to more excellent resource links.
Go to:
www.afpnet.org
April 25 - May 1, 2004
This site provides information about the laws and regulations conrolling
nonprofit organizations in the U.S. Examples: Lobbying and
political activity, financial accounting, planned giving, postal discounts
and much more. Go to:
www.muridae.com/nporegulation
April 18 - 24, 2004
The Innovation Network is a nonprofit evaluation organization offering
online resources to share knowledge and build evaluation skills for other
nonprofits and funders. Designed to help organizations incorporate ongoing
learning into their operations, these resources include tools for effective
program planning, including evaluation and budgeting tools. For detailed
program and evaluation planning, the Innovation Network has developed the
Logic Model Builder™ and the Evaluation Plan Builder™. Both are designed to
walk you through the processes of crafting a particular kind of planning
framework (either a Logic Model or an Evaluation Plan), and to provide
helpful information, examples, and resources. Go to:
www.innonet.org
April 11 - 17, 2004
A change in executive leadership is one of the most
important, challenging and powerful opportunities a nonprofit organization
will face. On average, more than one in ten executive director jobs turns
over each year. That number is projected to climb by 15 percent or
more as the baby-boomer generation--many of whom founded core organizations
in their communities 20 to 30 years ago--begins to reach retirement age. A
2002 article in the Washington Post put the estimate even higher: 40-70
percent of executive directors retiring over the next five years. You will
find excellent resources on executive transition in the nonprofit sector at
the website of TransitionGuides, a firm dedicated to sustaining and
strengthening nonprofits through better managed leadership transitions and
related organizational development. Go to:
http://www.transitionguides.com/index.htm
April 4 - 10, 2004
If you are thinking of starting a nonprofit
organization or family foundation, this site can help you with basic
information on most legal matters you’ll need to consider. The site is
offered by Hurwit & Associates, a provider of legal services to nonprofits,
and the information is first rate. You’ll learn the basics of how to start a
nonprofit including state-by-state incorporation and compliance
requirements, alternatives for organizational and governance structures, tax
implications, legal perspectives for nonprofit managers, liability and risk
scenarios, and an interesting look at trends for the 21st century nonprofit.
This site is well organized, easy to navigate, and appears to be kept up to
date. Go to:
www.hurwitassociates.com
March 28 - April 3, 2004
The Community Tool Box is created and maintained by the
Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development at the University
of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas (U.S.A). The core of the Tool Box is the
"topic sections" that include practical guidance for the different tasks
necessary to promote community health and development. For instance, there
are sections on leadership, strategic planning, community assessment, grant
writing, and evaluation to give just a few examples. Each section includes a
description of the task, advantages of doing it, step-by-step guidelines,
examples, checklists of points to review, and training materials. Go to:
ctb.ku.edu/about
March 21 - 27, 2004
The Drucker Nonprofit Innovation Discovery Site shares lessons and
discoveries contained within the hundreds of annual nominations for the Peter F.
Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. The Discovery Site is revised each year
to include new discoveries of innovation in fund development, management,
decision-making, alliances and partnerships, and more. Go to:
pfdf.org/innovation
Each of the programs in the Discovery Site is recognized as the Nonprofit
Innovation of the Week. The Nonprofit Innovation of the Week email notice
shares a short description of the program and invites subscribers to visit
the site for the complete summary and contact information. To receive the
Nonprofit Innovation of the Week email notice. Go to:
pfdf.org/subscribe
March 14
- 20, 2004
The Financial Management Training Center offers free web based courses on
a broad range of financial management topics. Courses are downloaded to your
computer by clicking on the hyperlinks on the opening webpage. Short Courses
come in three formats: Microsoft Word documents, pdf files (requires Acrobat
Reader) and exe files (self-extracting file). Finally, you can find Lecture
Notes from other financial management courses. Go to
www.exinfm.com/training
March 7 - 13, 2004
BoardSource Questions and Answer Archive contains FAQ’s
organized into 20 categories including: Assessment, Board Development, Board
Meetings, Board/Staff Relations, Chair/CEO Partnership, Committees,
Compensation, Financial Issues, Fundraising, Legal Issues, Organizational
Issues, Recruitment & Orientation, Roles and Responsibilities, Strategic
Planning, and more BoardSource has compiled the most interesting and
relevant inquiries from the 6,000 calls its staff receives every year. Go
to:
www.boardsource.org.
February 29 - March 6, 2004
Grant Thornton International is a major accounting, tax
and business advisory organization dedicated to mid-size organizations. The
firm’s not-for-profit industry practice regularly develops articles,
newsletters, surveys and helpful tips that may be of interest to you. Go to:
www.grantthornton.com
Publications include a series of booklets that provide
advice and information for newly elected board members and trustees of
not-for-profit organizations. They are tailored to specific sectors within
the not-for-profit industry: general, higher education, membership
organizations, and social service organizations. Each covers such topics as
the board's role, board member liability, budgeting, fund raising, internal
controls, and board criteria and selection.
For a free printed copy of any of these booklets,
contact Nancy Wine, national
director of marketing for not-for-profit organizations, at 617.848.4915.
To download any of the publications in PDF format, go
to
www.grantthornton.com
The series includes:
February 22 - 28, 2004
FindTutorials.com
offers hundreds of tutorials and online training courses ranging from to
Many of these tutorials are free.
FindTutorials.com
offers the option of signing up for 12 months of access to more than 400
tutorials for only $149. This website can help you learn new IT skills to
help in your current job or increase your chances of finding another job.
The more than 450 online training courses range from highly technical, such as
those leading to a MCSE certificate, to very basic, such as an Introduction to
Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Go to
www.findtutorials.com
February 15 - 21, 2004
Compumentor is a nonprofit organization specializing in technology
assistance for community-based organizations and schools. Compumentor
provides technology planning, implementation, and support services, and is
the home of
DiscounTech,
a discount technology store just for nonprofits. Through
DiscounTech
nonprofits can purchase software from participating partners such as
Microsoft, Lotus, Intuit and others, at a substantial discount. For
example, Office Professional 2003 which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
Outlook, Publisher, and Access, can be purchased for a $20 administration
fee. Go to
www.compumentor.org
February 8 - 14,
2004
Wouldn't it be great to conduct a regular survey among
customers, members, community stakeholders, and other key constituencies?
Ask them to rate your programs, services, products, make suggestions for
improvement, assessment your community image, or answer questions to create
a community-wide opinion poll?
Well, now
www.zoomerang.com
allows you to do absolutely free, custom-designed, online surveys, and send
them by e-mail or by building links into your Web sites. It looks great,
works great, and can be a fantastic tool for your organization. Go to
www.zoomerang.com.
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