Nonprofits Assistance Fund is here as a guide to help you make informed, prudent, and strategic financial decisions that will put your organization in the best position for the future.
Sustenance in Lean Times
These are uncertain times, especially for nonprofits. We are in the challenging position of trying to meet increased needs, while at the same time trying to anticipate what will happen to our, already tight, income streams. Where can you find reliable and useful advice on ways to navigate the economic downturn and position your organization for the future?
How Nonprofits assistance fund can help
- The Assessment of Recession Risk and Preparedness for Nonprofit Organizations is a starting point to help you identify potential risk factors and proactive steps to take right now. With this information, your organization will be better prepared to develop strategies and approaches to respond to the economy and plan for a sustainable future.
- Managing and Adapting in a Time of Uncertainty offers a framework to respond to the challenges nonprofits face in this economic downturn and set priorities with mission in mind.
- By considering several possible scenarios, you will be ready to make informed budget and management decisions. Try our Scenario Planning Worksheet, a step by step guide to nonprofit contingency planning.
- Can you access your cash? Our Cash and Investment Analysis worksheet will help nonprofits sort through their liquid assets to easily distinguish between cash that’s liquid and available and other types of restricted, designated, or hard-to-access funds.
- Nonprofit Survival: Four Steps to Take Now a resource article by Kate Barr and Judith Alnes of MAP for Nonprofits for the Minnesota Council on Foundations' Giving Forum.
- Improving Nonprofit Decision Making amid Economic Crisis highlights the importance of taking action. Read this article written by Kate Barr for the Spring 2009 issue of Nonprofit Quarterly.
- How financially healthy is your nonprofit? With this Financial Self-Assessment, you’ll have a better idea. Use the checklist to assess your organization’s financial management practices.
Balancing the Mission Checkbook
Kate is blogging on the economy’s possible impact on nonprofits, sharing strategic financial management advice, and other timely analysis on Balancing the Mission Checkbook.
- Balancing the Mission Checkbook: The Economy: Here are a few recent posts prompted
by the current financial situation:
The Nonprofit Harvest
The web is full of news stories, blogs, and wikis that provide resources and recommendations on nonprofit financial management. We’ll seek out the most useful content and post it on our new blog, Nonprofit Harvest.
Social Media
- Facebook: Our facebook page is a place we share resources, pose questions, and offer tips on nonprofit finance, and how the current economy may impact nonprofits.
- Twitter: For up to the minute tips and links, follow @NAFund on twitter. And you can help us collect information by using the hashtags #npecon and #npfin.
- Delicious: We are bookmarking useful tools and resources on delicious, a social bookmarking site. Check out our collection or join our delicious network to help us find useful content.
Resource Collections
These collections are a great place to start looking for information on how the economic downturn might impact nonprofits and steps you can take to help your organization.
- Economic Downturn Articles from Blue Avocado. Blue Avocado is an online magazine for community nonprofits. They share a lot of useful advice and ideas on a range of topics. Jeanne Bell of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services produces much of the financial management content.
- Focus on the Economic Crisis from The Foundation Center: Features news items, commentary, research advisories, and blog posts from PhilanTopic
- The Economy and Philanthropy from the Minnesota Council on Foundations. Their blog, Philanthropy Potluck, regularly includes resources and news stories on the economy for grantmakers and grantseekers.
Miscellaneous
- Philantopic has done an excellent job collecting news stories on the economy and its potential impact on the nonprofit sector. Their posts are a mix of analysis, provocative ideas, and tangible suggestions to help your organization during this uncertain time. I suggest reading all of their posts on this topic, and have included a few that I think are especially relevant to nonprofits:
- Alan Strand runs Not-For-Profit Accounting, a website devoted to nonprofit finance and accounting. His resources and blog update readers on changes to accounting rules and emerging trends, as well as answering accounting questions.
- Lucy Bernholz blogs at PHILANTHROPY 2173,
where she regularly comments on the future of philanthropy. Lucy
shares some predictions on the possible short-term impact of the
economy for foundation and individual giving, as well as ideas for
innovating the business of giving.
The Federal Budget, the Stimulus Package, and State budgets
National and General Information
- The Center on Budget Policy and Priorities is a great resource, with many useful articles on state budgets and the stimulus package.
- Bulletin on How Nonprofits Can Apply for Stimulus Package Funding from Giving USA and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
The Minnesota Perspective
- Minnesota Budget Bites: This blog from MCN's Minnesota Budget Project is a leading authority on the state budget. It is committed to "independent research, analysis and advocacy on budget and tax issues, emphasizing their impact on low- and moderate-income Minnesotans and the organizations that serve them."