Center for Association Resources

The Center for Association Resources supports mission-oriented organizations, assisting them in increasing relevance and accomplishing goals.

Non-Profit

Diversity in the Nonprofit Board Room

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From Top NonProfits:

One of the best assets of a nonprofit organization is its Board of Directors. One of the biggest challenges, however, is creating a board that is diverse, inclusive, and representative of the community it serves.

Jeri Eckhart-Queenan, a partner at The Bridgespan Group, believes: “The most effective boards are those that are able to bring together a diverse group of people that bring a range of thought and perspective.”

Having a diverse board not only provides a variety of backgrounds, skills, and resources, but also assists you in understanding your community’s needs. A heterogeneous board may, also, lead to diversity in donors, which is essential to the success of every nonprofit, and allow your organization to appeal to more grantmakers.
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On Living Out your Nonprofit’s Values

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From GuideStar Blog:

I’ll be honest- I’ve always been a little leery of organizational values. Frequently, these seem to be HR-driven campaigns to increase employee excitement, and, to be honest, they can sound more than a little cheesy. After all, who has time to spend thinking about what we value internally as an organization with pressing time-sensitive projects to complete?
After a couple of months working at GuideStar, however, I realized that I couldn’t have been more wrong! GuideStar’s values are what we refer to as the “4 Cs:” Clarity, Compassion, Courage and Collaboration. They are a core piece of how, what, and why we do the things we do. These “4 Cs” reflect the common beliefs of those of us who represent our organization, and also play a key role in our overall brand and brand platform.
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Nonprofit and Business Directors Must Be Vigilant — Board Liability Costs Could Be $2.2 Million!

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From The Huffington Post:

The personal cost of director inattentiveness is made painfully clear in an important federal appeals court decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals decided the decision, in re Lemington Homes, on January 26, 2015 for the Third Circuit. … [T]hese difficult facts arose from a small, nonprofit organization. … Yet the standard of director conduct applied by the appeals court is quite similar to that which might be applied to a traditional (business) corporate board. * (The case results) also addresses the appropriateness of punitive damages against officers and directors….

The court determined that (15 of 17) directors were aware of the mismanagement yet took no action, despite clear evidence of deficient care to the institution’s residents. …[T]his breach of care, (led to) $2,250,000 in joint and several compensatory damages. As such, the decision offers a particularly valuable — and practical — board education opportunity. Read More

How to Focus Your Focus Group

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From redroostergroup:

These days marketing research seems to be an amalgam of keywords, Google analytics, cross-tabs, big data, and all sorts of quantitative hubble-bubble. Even for someone who thoroughly enjoys lengthy journal articles, the progression toward a steadfast dependence on numbers can be both frustrating and daunting. Quantitative data often paints an incomplete, even skeletal, picture of consumer wants and needs, and it can be daunting because, well, math.

Never fear! Qualitative research still has a place in marketing, especially in the nonprofit sector. In order to provide meaningful service, you need meaningful information. Numbers illustrate how many donors contributed gifts of $1,000 or more in 2014, but they can’t reveal what about your organization proves consequential and compelling for your donors. When you are building value for your organization, these stories are crucial to your nonprofit’s livelihood; numbers can’t do the trick alone. Read More

Female CEOs Thrive In Nonprofits

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From Nonprofit 2.0:

College of the University of Denver found that women make up 75% of the nonprofit workforce. In contrast to the business world where there are only 20 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, more women in my sector have the opportunity to walk in the steps of a female predecessor. It also means that more women have the chance to hire women as well as mentor and promote them. Read More

The 2015 Nonprofit Benchmarks Report is here!

Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.

From Nonprofit Technology Network:

M+R and NTEN’s 2015 Nonprofit Benchmarks Report returns for the ninth year, the ultimate guide to nonprofit industry standards for online fundraising, advocacy, and list building. The data from the nonprofits we survey is big. So big, it couldn’t be contained by two measly dimensions, and had to be released in 3D. But the really exciting thing is that we’ve crunched numbers from a whopping 84 organizations this year ( last year we worked with 53 organizations), which means more data, more insight, and more takeaways about nonprofit fundraising, list building, and advocacy to share with all of you.

We’ve also added three new sectors to our line up, which means we have data from organizations working in environmental, international, rights, wildlife/animal welfare, hunger/poverty, cultural, and health fields (also: other). Read More