sustainability

In the vernacular of nonprofit fundraising, stewardship means building and maintaining good relationships with donors and volunteers. The hope is that they’ll make additional contributions of money, time and effort to the organization in the future.
The Homeless Youth Resource Center, a Family and Youth Services Bureau grantee in Salt Lake City operated by Volunteers of America Utah, is always looking for ways to serve youth better. So when a 2005 survey of young people at the center revealed that a large fraction of regular visitors identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning, staff members had a moment of self-...
For community-based organizations, community foundations can be a lifeline. Unlike big national grant makers, these public charities define their missions according to geography -- benefiting nonprofit groups in a particular city, county, state or region. So though no potential source of funding is a sure thing, community foundations are a good bet for nonprofits with a strong history of serving...
The past two years have shown how essential a solid financial strategy can be for nonprofits. New Hampshire’s Child and Family Services, a statewide charity with headquarters in Manchester, has weathered the recession without any layoffs or reduction in services thanks to diverse revenue sources—including an endowment, private and corporate donors, the United Way, and state, local,...
As we near 2010, the slowing unemployment rate and a gradual rise in consumer spending have given hope that the recession may be nearly over. But nonprofits and charities, particularly those that assist hard-hit youth and families, continue to face the challenge of serving more people while bringing in fewer dollars.
In these tough economic times, hiring a full-time grant writer or using a consultant may not make the most financial sense. As an alternative, small nonprofits can tap into the talents of their staff to put together grant proposals. “What you ultimately want is to use your staff’s greatest strengths,” says Kristen Valentine, chief fundraiser for Bread for the City, a social...
Foundation and government grants don’t last forever. They often require strict reporting back to the granting organization. And grants can only be used for a particular purpose, leaving organizations strapped when emergency cash is needed. Those are just a few of the reasons nonprofit groups might want to seek gifts from individual donors, says Patricia Hung, executive director of the...
With rare exception, nonprofit organizations of all stripes have to raise money to keep their operations going and to fulfill their missions. But rather than build a strategy linked to their missions, many nonprofit leaders mistakenly see fundraising as an end in and of itself, says Justin Pollock, managing director of programs at the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations.
Nothing in life is free, and that holds true for grants. When deciding whether or not to seek funding from a foundation, government agency or corporation, busy youth-service professionals need to weigh the costs and benefits of writing the grant proposal, managing the project, and reporting back to the funder, says John Porter, executive director of the American Grant Writers'...
This spring, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, in Silver Spring, Md., was staring at a $7 million deficit, declining membership and outdated facilities. To stay afloat, the organization began the arduous task of making cuts to staff, programs and services.
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