Location:  Hildene

Introductions

Announcements

LinkedIn – An NNN group has been set up.  Go to http://bit.ly/5hQuuh to get to the NNN site and create your log-in and profile.  You can then post announcements, job postings, etc.

Manchester Music Festival – Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 20, at the First
Congregational Church in Manchester.  For additional information, call 362-1956.

Websites for Nonprofits

Network for Good – Donors can give online; also nonprofits can sign up for webinars.

Google Checkout – Register your organization; special rates for nonprofits.  Go to
https://checkout.google.com/seller/npo/index.html.

Common Good Vermont – Networking site for nonprofits.  Go to http://www.cctv.org/resources/for-nonprofits.

Beth Diamond — 2-1-1 (United Way) – Website for Vermont — http://www.vermont211.org .  This is a health and human resource site for the entire state.  2-1-1 is a program of the United Way (not a government agency). 

You can list your nonprofit; call to keep you information updated.
 
Mostly nonprofits are listed and some accept Medicare and Medicaid.

Survey – Margaret Donovan – There will be a meeting on Tuesday, December 15, at 4:00 p.m. at the Spiral Press Café in Manchester Center to discuss questions for the survey. 

General Discussion

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, January 8, 8:00 a.m., at the Mark Skinner Library, Manchester, Vermont.

Location:  The Collaborative

Now that we are ending another year, there has been discussion with the board and some great ideas from others about the future structure/function of the NNN.   Margaret spoke about the idea of compiling a survey from NNN members to see what this group sees as a good next step to take. Step one is to compile a list of everyone’s service or mission – a 5-line description, so we are clear on who is doing what and for whom. We also decided to set up a Link-In group so that it would be easy to submit these descriptions.

Jennifer Flannery from the Collaborative talked about the Federal grant process, especially in regards to health & human services grants. She directed grant-seekers to go to grants.gov to start the process, and then you need to provide an assessment of the organization showing that you have the ability and capacity to carry out your plan, as well as a way to track it.

A Daily Digest is available via email that can inform people of the monies available which, Jennifer assured, is now quite a bit. She acknowledged that it is a very particular and detail-heavy process but also that when money is awarded, it is available in a timely manner.

For state grants, go through the appropriate state department in VT. It is easier to develop a relationship with funders on a state level. Communications and follow-through inspire confidence and help assure future grants.

Seline spoke more generally about grant writing (not specific to Fed or state grants – how to appeal to foundations, e.g.).

Below are the handouts from Jennifer and Seline.

Questions and answers from the group discussion. 
• If you have one project to fund, should you approach multiple funders?

 - Generally, yes, it is acceptable and then should you be fortunate enough to get multiple awards, you should apply the funds to a closely affiliated project. Often communication with the funders can alleviate any problem.

• How to pay for a grant writer? 
  – Most grant writers charge an hourly fee, and it is NOT tied to the amount of the grant or whether or not a grant is awarded. Rates vary from $50-$150/hour.

Dick Malley spoke about Stratton Foundation as a funding organization. Stratton Foundation’s grants range from $500-$5,000 in a year. Stratton’s grants application is available for download. The Foundation serves 16 towns and likes to see how the money will enhance your organization and the community it serves. It also likes/needs to see how you are partnering and getting support elsewhere. Follow-up, reporting, and thanking are all critical for any donation received, even from a foundation, in order to lead to another grant. He talked about the process (applications come in, get vetted by a committee, and then ALL applications go to the board, who discusses them at length). As a community foundation, they want to see ways to help communities grow stronger. In addition, they encourage communication with the Foundation. Ask questions, bounce ideas off them, etc.

One suggestion made was to purchase as a group access to the Foundation Directory.

The December meeting will be the holiday party and board elections for the new year. In addition, Wendy Rae Woods will talk briefly about the United Way.

Susan Marmer reminded us that at the October meeting we talked about using the back page of the Journal to highlight non-profit events and profiles. Susan Plaissance from the Journal came to address that possibility. The Journal is very interested in participating with NFPs. The Journal will now be put together in Chester or elsewhere, which will free up editors and journalists.

Useful website: www.grants.gov

Search federal grants by target area, sign up for a daily digest, and register your nonprofit to submit grants online.

Items to have in place when applying for or just after getting a Federal award:
Employee Policy Manual that includes:
Nondiscrimination Policy
Drug Free Workplace Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy

Ideally before you are awarded but before you get the money a Fiscal Policies and Procedure Manual that includes:
Federally approved and mandated policies and procedures.

Having federal grants totaling more than $500,000 in one fiscal year requires your organization to have an audit by a qualified accounting firm.  Audit results are submitted to a federal office.

Federal Fiscal Year 10/1 through 9/30
State Fiscal Year 7/1 though 6/30

State grants are best found through the web pages of agencies that match your mission.

General Tips:
Always read all the instructions
Always exactly follow the instructions
Always use their language when answering a question
Always have someone else look at your work
Develop your language to persuade those who don’t care about your mission

Objective Development:
A simple acronym used to set objectives is called SMART objectives. SMART stands for:
1. Specific – Objectives should specify what they want to achieve.
2. Measurable – You should be able to measure whether you are meeting the objectives or not.
3. Achievable – Are the objectives you set achievable and attainable?
4. Realistic – Can you realistically achieve the objectives with the resources you have?
5. Time – When do you want to achieve the set objectives?

Some things to consider before writing a grant:

Research the Potential Grantor
o Your organization or project should meet the priorities of the grantor
o Do you have a connection to the organization’s board/staff?

Make an Internal Assessment of Your Organization
o Data is key
 Financial
 Evaluation
 Data that makes you stand out from others
o Capacity to manage the grant and how you will follow up with the grantor

Building Blocks of a Proposal

Cover Letter
o First introduction of your organization to the reader
o Be clear and concise

The Executive Summary
o A comprehensive statement about your project/organization
o Gets the reader’s attention

Statement of Need-Why should Your Project be Funded
o What is the need and how will your organization address the need?
o Include background information-research, statistics, and historical data.

Organizational Information
o State why your organization is unique and include a brief statement of who you are serving and why.
o State why your organization is qualified to accomplish the stated goals/objectives.

Goals and Objectives:
o Keep your goals broad, but your objectives concrete and realistic.
o Be able to show measurement (e.g., increase, decrease, improve).

Methodology or Program Design
o How will you accomplish your goals?
o What you will need to accomplish your goals?

Evaluation
o How will you measure the projects success?
o Can it show the impact the gift has made?

Sustainability
o How will the project/organization be sustained?
o Will funding now facilitate long-term success?
o What are your plans for the future?

Timeline
o What is the timeline for accomplishing your goals?

Budget
o Be accurate! 
o State how much the grant proposal is for and provide an explanation
o Do you expect to raise money from other sources?
o Include the value of your volunteers’ time and in-kind support

Other Things to Think about
o Partnering organizations
o Other funding sources

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, December 4, 8:00 a.m. at Hildene (Visitor Center), Route 7A, Manchester, Vermont.

Location:  Hildene

Introductions

Board Recruitment

Welthy Soni-Myers — Interim Director for the Virginia Microenterprise Network and the incoming chair of the Bennington County United Way Recruiting.

Recruiting

Who the board of directors is make a difference.

Need to nurture and cultivate the board.

When recruiting, determine board type – (a) working/hands-on; (b) policy-making/set direction/strategic plan; or (c) fundraising.

Board president is most important member; has to understand mission and goals.

Lee Krohn – Professional photographer; founding member of the Manchester Community Land Trust; serves on the Manchester Fire Department Board Selection.

Board Selection

Be clear about selective roles.

Find a good executive director (be clear re: boundaries and role).

Don’t have board micro-manage.

Three W’s in finding board members – Work, Wealth, and Wisdom.

Make board meetings interesting; keep the board motivated.

Dick Malley — Executive Director for the Stratton Foundation and President of the Board of Directors for the Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity.

Experience/Skill Set

Find people with board experience; bring in a new perspective.

What kind of skill set is the nonprofit looking for.

Look for people to help the organization grow and get to the next stage.

Where to find prospective board members – (a) inside the organization; (b) donors; or (c) advisory committee.

Orientation: Be clear about the mission and challenges. Let them know what they are getting into.

Hold board retreats: Get to know other members; read the bylaws; and go over strategic plan/goals. Have each board member state their goal for the year.

Advisory Boards

Need communication from the organization; what are the needs.

Can assign a particular task.

Should meet a couple of times a year and recognized at annual meeting.

New Perspective

Reach out to younger people and get them involved in leadership roles.

Lee stated that high school youth are involved on the town boards.

Nominating Committee

Very important committee for the organization’s future/board development.

Board Meetings

Should be purposeful.

Send out agenda in advance.

Announcements

Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce –Art of Action Initiative is underway. Note: September 12 – Depot Festival.

Dave Katz — Eastern Star – Members will participate as a food vendor at the Depot Street celebration on September 12th. The money raised supports Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for kids in South Hero.

Jennifer Slattery – The Collaborative – Refuse to Use Kick-Off — September 13, 1:30 — 3:00 p.m. at the Burr & Burton Academy Gym.

Manchester Music Festival – Fall concert tour begins September 17. For additional information, call 362-1956.

Joe Hurley – Bart Center – September 19 — 2nd Annual NO LIMITS Benefit Bike Ride at the Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park. For additional information, call 802-447-1054.

Kerri MacLaury – Big Brothers Big Sisters (Northshire) – Volunteer to be a Big at a lunch time (30 minutes) and/or community-based (1 hour/week) program(s).

Wendy Rae Woods – United Way of Bennington County – Will be featured on GNAT- TV Kaleidoscope program. For more information, call Wendy at 367-1155.

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, October 2, 8:00 a.m., at Riley Rink at Hunter Park, Hunter Park Road, Manchester Center, Vermont.

Location:  Southern Vermont Arts Center
Introductions

The Top 10 Things (Give or Take) Creatives Love/Hate about Their Clients(and Vice Versa)
David Van de Water – Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc.
Phone:  (518) 233-6449; E-Mail:  van@mohawkpaper.com

Communication is an outreach to tell your story.  Building a relationship between the nonprofit and designer is a key element in designing a plan.  Below are ten points for a successful relationship.

Organizations See Communications as an Investment – Not an Expense
Plan programs to make money, not save money.
Link projects to initiatives.
A logo is not just an identity; it could also be a style, attitude, or tone of voice in written communication.
Start with small projects.
Treat Design Consultants as Partners – Not Vendors
Build a relationship on trust.
Get consultants involved; have them meet the board and attending meetings.
Stay with one design shop.
Recognize and reward results.
Understand and Clarify the Roles of Team Members
Assess talents and assign to appropriate projects.
The nonprofit is the executive director of the project(s); stay above the consultant; direct them.
Nonprofit is involved in decisions.
Focus on Objectives not Deliverables
Identify objectives, create a strategy, and develop a plan that everyone agrees with.
Emphasize what’s important again and again.  Be clear and be open.
Get consultants involved early.  Build your plan incrementally; don’t throw everything out there all at once.

Be Willing to Take Risks
Be secure and confident when presenting your plan.  Ask designer for talking points.

Make Sure There are Adequate Resources
Time, money, or quality.  Pick two.  With enough time the nonprofit can be very creative with a limited budget (a key for nonprofits).
If a designer rushes through a project, have them go back and re-work it.
Good photos and good writing make for great work.
Give the designer access to information and the management team.

Keep Things Simple
Focus – Tell a limited story well.  People look at pictures first, then read a headline and caption, and lastly read the story.  Don’t need to say everything.

Stick Around
Again, relationship is key. 
Periodically, re-energize the relationship.

Want to do Great Work with Nice People
Nonprofit work is special; have an important story to tell.
Elevate the work to higher level, make a difference, and stand out.

Announcements
Beth Meacham – Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce – Two marketing opportunities for nonprofits:  Sidewalk Sales 8/13-16 and Art of Action Initiative – 9/12 – Depot Festival.

Kate Fox – Casting for Recovery – On behalf of Betsy Gentile (Marlboro College), Kate handed out brochures for the upcoming Certificate in Nonprofit Management course.  The program starts September 18 and ends January 8.  Classes will be held at the Berkshire Bank, Richville Road, Manchester Center.

Dick Malley – Stratton Foundation – The Foundation has 16 available grants.  The deadline is September 1.  Check the website (strattonfoundation.org) for additional information.

Martha Heilemann – Southwestern Vermont Healthcare – The hospital is hosting a public forum at the Manchester Elementary School on Monday, August 31, at 7:00 p.m. entitled “How the Hospital Saves the Community.” 

Dave Katz — Eastern Star – Members will sell popcorn and other food at the Depot Street celebration on September 12th.  The money raised supports Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for kids in South Hero.

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, September 4, 8:00 a.m., at Hildene (Visitor Center), Route 7A, Manchester, Vermont.  The topic is “Board Development: Recruiting and Attracting New Board Members.”

Location:  Mark Skinner Libarary

INTRODUCTIONS

CommonGoodVT.org

Lauren-Glenn Davitian, Executive Director — Center for Media & Democracy

• CommonGoodVT.org is managed by CCTV’s Center for Media & Democracy (www.cctv.org), a 25 year old free speech and community media organization with experience in network building and using communication tools to promote social change.
• When VANPO closed, the Vermont Community Foundation wanted to fill the gap.  CCTV received a grant from the foundation to create a nonprofit network and launched CommonGoodVT.org.  This site serves as a clearinghouse of relevant tools, training, and technical assistance for nonprofits and their stakeholders. 
• Where do nonprofits go for help with a project?  What can a state-focus group do?  The focus of CommonGoodVT.org is to bring nonprofits together for networking purposes.  A person is considered a mini-hub with a network of contacts surrounding them.  Nonprofits build relationships and should leverage their network.  The internet is a way to bring people in and get information out.
• When creating a post (i.e., video, twitter, etc.) on the internet, tag videos as “npvt” and twitter posts as “#npvt.”  Tagging allows CommonGoodVt.org  to go out and “sweep” the internet for relevant, useful information which is then posted on the website

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, August 7, 8:00 a.m., at the Southern Vermont Art Center.  The topic is “The Top 10 Things (Give or Take) Creatives Love/Hate about Their Clients (and Vice Versa).”

Location:  Hildene

INTRODUCTIONS

Attracting Major Donors

 Rich Thompson Tucker – Burr and Burton Academy

 - The number one reason people do not give is “they were not asked.”
 - Call and visit your donors to thank them.
 - Keep in touch with your donors.
 - Donors like recognition.
 - Highest motivator for giving to an organization is the mission statement. 
– Ask your donors what inspired them to give.
 - Greatest frustration – communication.
 - Board should be involved in fundraising via networking and cultivation. 
– Board should also give to the organization.
 - Personal visits to donors are the best way to raise funds. 
– The maximum number of people from the organization to take on a visit is two.
 - House parties are a great way of making introductions.
 - If a possible donor has no interest, move on.
 - The most underutilized skills in fundraising is listening.
 - Keep your donor close.

How to Attract Affluent Donors

 Andy Campanella — Financial Advisor — Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management
 Matt Santangelo — CFTA and Vice President — Merrill Lynch Trust Company

 - Have an effective investment portfolio.  Donors want to see transparency.
 - Nonprofits can take some risk.
 - Become familiar with the different types of gifts, i.e., bequests, charitable
  remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, etc.
 - For a list of foundations go to FoundationCenter.org.
 - Service and recognition are very important to donors.  Visit them. 
– Found out what is their passion/what gets them excited. 
– Donors are motivated to give to make an immediate difference.

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, May 1, 8:15 a.m., at Burr and Burton Academy  (Hunter Seminar Room), 57 Seminary Avenue, Manchester, Vermont.  The topic is “How the Chamber of Commerce Works with Local Nonprofits.”

Location:  First Congregational Church

INTRODUCTIONS

FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS

Dick Malley – Habitat for Humanity and The Stratton Foundation

Habitat for Humanity works with faith-based organizations and has received tremendous support.  Habitat works with each congregation to involve the members.

The Stratton Foundation does not give funds to the faith-based organization but does support inter-faith initiatives (such as money for heat, emergency food fund, meals on wheels, etc.).  The Foundation created an urgent need fund for food, fuel, and healthcare.

Rabbi David Novak – Israel Congregation, Manchester

Rabbi Novak formed a committee to donate funds (such as summer lunch program, food cupboard) to nonprofits on a local and international level.

The committee, which is not faith-based but action-based, does not wait to address or work on an issue.  They are not only inspired by the sacred text but act on it.

Kathleen Clark – Federal Church of East Arlington

Reverend Clark considers the congregation as part of the community.  They get work done through partnerships with nonprofits (senior meals program, Arlington Food Shelf, lunch program).

Beverly Carroll – First Congregational Church — Manchester

Beverly coordinates facility use.  The church is committed to working with nonprofits and wants to be a meeting house.  However, they have maintenance expenses and sometimes there is a charge for the room.

Sue Andrews — Inter-Faith Council

The focus is on social action – better ways to serve the community – be pro-active. 

Recently launched the Bennington County Free Clinic.

Next issue is food security – working with food banks, food stamps, WIC, community gardens, and farmers.

Some Inter-Faith Council programs are:  summer lunch, food cupboard, auto angels, neighbor-to-neighbor, emergency needs, and holiday drive.

Because of the current economic situation, there is more need and the need is changing.  People who never asked for assistance need to know how to access services.  One “positive” is that people who never sought aid before have had their eyes opened.

We cannot look to someone else for help (the State); we have to look at each other and work together.

The next NNN meeting will be held on Friday, April 3, 8:00 a.m., at Hildene (Beckwith Room in the Visitor Center) Route 7A in Manchester.  The topic is “Attracting Affluent Donors to Your Nonprofit.”

On January 14th our project The Free Medical Clinic celebrated it’s grand opening with 225 celebrants and began seeing patients the next day.  We now have 45 doctors, 12 nurses and 100 other volunteers.  Thc clinic serves uninsured patients throughout Bennington County and  the nearby towns of the two adjacent  states.  The Interfaith Council of the Northshire is collaborating with us on this project.  A new board and a Medical Advisory Committee are coming into being that will oversee the clinic’s work.  The board will be called The Bennington County Interfaith Community Services, Inc. and now has it’s own non-profit status separate from the Council.   For services and information call 447-3700.

*Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity* – we will be building next at 25 Asa’s Way, North Bennington.  We anticipate a late April start.  

Please check our website for information.      www.benningtonareahabitat.com.

We don’t have a facility to host our monthly meeting, but we would be pleased to organize a build day on a Wednesday or Saturday for members of our group!

*Stratton Foundation* – McCarty and Focus Grant applications are due by April 1.  

Please check the website
    (www.strattonfoundation.org) for information and to download an application.  

Please call, Dick Malley at 297-2096 if you have any questions.