Kerry and all,
All of these, are indeed sage advise. Something that the ICANN
(Initial?)
Interim board should be aware of and obviously are not. However I must,
along these lines, with someone like Frank Fitzimmons on the ICANN
(Initial?) Interim board, I am very surprised.
One thing I did not see mentioned here, was how to handle ongoing
donations funding and a good model for that...
Kerry Miller wrote:
> http://www.lawlewis.com/nonpfaqs.htm
>
> [...]
> Q. How can I best approach a potential donor with a request for
> funding?
>
> A. There is no single "best" way to approach a potential donor, as
> donors vary so much, but if we limit the scope of this response to
> private and corporate donors the following may be useful.
>
> Draft a business plan, to show the potential donor how you will use
> donations to your nonprofit. Show that you have identified the
> specific need you wish to alleviate, how you will provide the
> services required, why you and not some other group is best
> placed to meet that need, the costs you expect to incur in meeting
> the need, and from where you expect to receive the funds to do so.
>
> [*]A major part of your presentation to a prospective donor,
> especially a corporate donor is to clearly define how the donor will
> benefit from making a donation.[*] Assume that donated money
> must provide a comparable return, whether it be in "goodwill",
> increased corporate identity recognition or in directly increasing
> sales.
>
> Private donors also have expectations associated with donating to
> nonprofits, and failing to identify, and then [failing to] meet those
> expectations will make your fundraising efforts less effective.
>
> Major donors plan their giving program a year in advance, so plan
> your fund raising activities with this in mind.
>
> Q. The Board of Directors of my nonprofit seem to have lost faith
> with the purpose for which it was set up, as they do not participate
> as much as they could, what can be done to reinvigorate the Board
> to make it more effective?
>
> A. Boards of Directors are responsible for setting policy and acting
> as the nonprofit�s ambassadors to the community at large. As the
> nonprofit enters the various phases of its development, the
> demands on the skills of the individual Directors changes.
>
> Initially, the founding Board needs to be small, compact and
> involved in the details of setting up operations, but as the nonprofit
> becomes established as a force benefiting the community and
> begins to grow in both needs met, and funds received, the Board
> has different challenges to meet. No longer is it necessary for
> Directors to volunteer to provide services directly meeting the
> purpose of the nonprofit, rather, their role becomes one of
> community outreach, fundraising, promoting the benefits of the
> nonprofit to the community at large.
>
> As the role changes, so too must the individuals comprising the
> Board. Leadership and diplomacy is required to redirect the
> energies of directors who no longer have the skills the nonprofit
> requires to continue growing. New Directors are needed to carry
> out the changing role, but do not be too quick to discard those who
> have served a long time. An Advisory Board can play a very
> constructive role in guiding the Board, and in assisting with special
> projects.
>
> Q. I have heard that members can make running a nonprofit very
> complicated, but how can one exist without a grassroots support
> network?
>
> A. The California Business and Professions Code provides for both
> Membership and Non-Membership nonprofit Corporations. If a
> nonprofit decides to have "statutory" members, such members
> have rights and duties similar in nature to those of a shareholder in
> a for-profit corporation. For example, "statutory" members [*]elect
> Directors[*], make certain decisions, and may make certain
> demands on the nonprofit corporation. It is recommended that
> nonprofit corporations avoid designating anyone "statutory
> members" and avoid a level of bureaucracy such would otherwise
> impose.
>
> Instead, Make it crystal clear in the bylaws that even if a group of
> individuals wishes to belong to the nonprofit, and contribute to its
> purposes, and even be called "members" there is no intention to
> grant such a group the rights and duties of "statutory membership."
> Running the nonprofit will be a lot simpler, and yet the benefits of
> sharing the purposes of the nonprofit with a group of individuals
> remains.
>
> ===
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman INEGroup (Over 95k members strong!)
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Contact Number: 972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208
