From Helpful sites

See you in November 2023!

July 12th, 2023

The team at Cause & Effect is taking a sabbatical through the end of October.

Here’s a great piece on the benefits of sabbaticals. Creative Disruption.

If you haven’t had the conversation within your organization, it is long past time to start work on a sabbatical policy.

Meanwhile, enjoy the summer ahead and we will reconnect in the fall.

Gayle with her bicycle

2013 set records for charitable giving

January 21st, 2014

If you’re waiting for a rising tide of charitable giving, you may already have missed it.

Charitable giving in the U.S. reached an all-time high of $416 billion in 2013, according to the Atlas of Giving’s latest report on giving in the last 12 months, an increase of 13.3% over 2012. Looking ahead, the Atlas projects giving growth of just 4 percent for 2014.

The 2013 Atlas of Giving report was released today, via a live stream announcement featuring Rob Mitchell of the Atlas.

Giving to philanthropies that receive most of their gifts from major donors and foundation grants grew the most. Human services received 19.1 percent more gifts and grants than in 2012. Environmental organizations saw giving grow by 18.5 percent. That’s because a booming stock market and recovering real estate caused a huge jump in the value of assets, according to Mitchell.

Religious organizations did not fare as well, reflecting their reliance on the current incomes of less affluent donors. With employment high and wages flat, giving to religion rose just 8.8 percent.

Looking ahead, you still have a chance to claim a piece of 2013’s stock market Read more

Nonprofit data at your fingertips

September 30th, 2010

I’d like to give a shout out to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, a project of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, at the Urban Institute. I find that I probably visit the NCCS free Table Wizard at least once a month. (Of course, I’m always scrounging for data).

Maybe it’s just me, but I often overhear conversations among nonprofit executives, service providers, or board members who make statements like “I wish we knew how many nonprofits there were in our state” or “how does our organization measure up to the larger nonprofit landscape in terms of revenues.” I suggest that they check out NCCS.

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Getting to the point powerfully- articulating your case for support

September 23rd, 2008

I stumbled onto the recording of “Communicate: Think Big and Build Simple for Big Dollars,”? a conversation with Tom Suddes of The Suddes Group through the Network for Good Learning Center. Network for Good Learning Center

Suddes makes the following points:

(Sigh: A man after my own heart… For transformational change is my mantra… that’s why your organization exists. And if your organization doesn’t know what transformational change it is working to create, you’ve got more work to do than just learning how to communicate better.)

You need to first talk about your IMPACT, the transformational change that your organization exists to create.

Then, Suddes implores, you need to communicate toyour donors how their “investments” (aka gifts) make that IMPACT happen.

You need to do it in simple, powerful messages.

Suddes is a big believer in the power of three (e.g. “veni, vidi, vinci”) for making messages compelling, memorable and penetrating. He suggests a 6 word WHY (the impact) a 3 word WHAT and a 3 word HOW.

There’s lots of good stuff in the interview with him. And lots of other great stuff at the Network for Good Learning Center. Check it out… it’s free.

Good Morning America

September 8th, 2008

Speaking of Women’s Voices for the Earth, Good Morning America ran the segment on Green Cleaning Parties Sunday morning. People started signing up right away.

Here’s the link to the story:

And the link to get your own Green Cleaning Party kit.

Women?s Voices for the Earth