I have been reading a lot lately about both positions and have found it amazing that neither side really promotes the choices a woman has in their argument. The only aspect of the argument that comes out clear is the creation of fear of the other opinion winning. The two groups seem to have lost their way and are no longer supporting the woman but supporting a cause.

Does the right to choose mean that a woman has the option to:

• Give birth and give the child up for adoption.
• Be supported by a family expecting to adopt their baby
• Have the child and know there are the supports she needs
• Have the child and not know there are supports she needs
• Have the child and know the hardships she and her baby will have with no supports
• Have a medical procedure that removes the fetus
• Take a pill and the fetus detaches

A huge resource being ignored by both factions is that there are thousands of families ready to step forward to be an alternative for the woman and her infant to be. That includes support to women today, while she is carrying the infant and in most cases medical care the families will pay for. Many families are even having open adoptions so that the birth mother can choose to be part of the child’s life if they so chose. Everywhere infants are wanted by families to bring into their loving homes.

Pro-choice does not mandate an abortion

Pro-life does not mandate parenthood

Stop the arguing and educate individuals about all of their choices.

Both groups should be affiliated with adoption agencies. Just say yes and families will come.

I close with one other note: Child abuse and neglect in the US is rampant and many children are in need of a family. Raising a child takes a community not just one person. Therefore, organizations should be willing to support the woman and her infant and in some cases their other older children.

It takes no energy to fail. No effort at all to fail.

The opposite is true of success. The more successful an organization or an individual wants to be, the more likely that more output is necessary to achieve it. However, increased output does not always bring success. The output must also be strategically directed to maximize its possibility for success.

History has shown that being poor, living n poverty, or living under tough conditions does not prevent success. It may take more output to achieve the level of success envisioned, but it is not the ultimate barrier.

Believing you can succeed is the first barrier to overcome. If you believe you will fail, you will fail.

It is the same for those that an organization serves. If those you serve believe they will fail, then they will fail.

Remember it takes no output, no energy, to achieve failure and for a person to say, ” See I was right that I was going to fail.”

Too many successes are measured base on the expected final outcome.

Organizations need to focus on smaller measurable accomplishments for those groups that historically fail. Building on previous incremental successes builds a stronger foundation from which to build larger successes.

The incentive of colleges and universities to get you the best loan rate is based on what is best for them in the form of convenience and student tuition. Unless a college or university is guaranteeing you the best rate information, why would you trust them?

Any one looking for college loans should ask lots of questions and share information with other students. Make sure that each opportunity brings another option and never sign until you are really sure you have done your part. The four years you have the money and do not pay interest only builds what you have to pay.

I came across one great reason to be an “AAA” member that really saves you money.

AAA is offering its members a reduction of up to 2% on the standard Federal Plus Loan rate of 8.5% TO AS LOW AS 6.5%.

AAA is offering its members a reduction of up to 3% on the standard Federal Stafford Loan rate of 6.8% TO AS LOW AS 3.8%.

Now that is an organization making a difference. Click on www.aaa.com/studentlending or call them at 1-800-422-2536. Pass on this information to your employees, your friends and any college student who is looking for college loans.

In my review of sites and services I have come across several that are great tools for organizations to use to keep costs low or to utilize for information about events.

Consumer Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

Great value for your money in identifying products that are the best buy and providing a review on the products. Saves money and staff time.

Vista Print: http://www.vistaprint.com The best price anywhere for most printing and some free stuff to go with it.

AAA: http://www.aaa.com Low cost way for back up transportation roadside services, discounted college loans for employees, travel, insurance, financial and accessing discounts from many different vendors.

Who Fish: http://www.whofish.org/ for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire is a free service of local events that is great to use for planning outings. There are many other similar sites for other parts of the USA. If you have a hard time finding one just send me an email with information about your location.

Constant Contact: A low cost email service for making your organization professional and able to keep donors and interested parties in the know and up to date. You can create and send professional email newsletters, fundraising appeals, renewals, and event updates.
Another feature offered is Survey by Constant Contact, where you can easily and cost-effectively get feedback and evaluate programs to report to your donors and interested parties. Click on the link below that best describes your organization or call 1-866-876-8464 .

http://www.constantcontact.com/market/nonprofits/index.jsp nonprofits

http://www.constantcontact.com/market/associations/index.jsp Associations

http://www.constantcontact.com/market/religious/index.jsp religious organizations

Example of pricing:

Your Email List Size		Your low monthly fee
		Email Marketing		Survey*		Bundle*
0-500		$15		$15		$30 $22.50
2,501-5,000		$50		$50		$100 $75.00
10,001-25,000		$150		$150		$300 $225.00

Nonprofits service millions of people each day.  The government gives a break on fuel costs to millions of individuals each day but not to nonprofits.

While non profits are exempt from paying property taxes and income taxes, they are required to pay gasoline taxes and fuel taxes and to reimburse employees for transportation costs. 

So I challenge the nonprofit community to show the government how much it contributes annually in fuel and transportation related taxes.

As the largest employer sector in the country, you make a big difference and get little credit.

Stand up and be counted.  Being part of an Association is one way to be that voice. 

Did the government forget to tell us that there was another battle going on here in this country?

photo by KM Benny

photo by Dunechaser

photo by kevin dooley

Are too many youth learning from government that killing is an easier solution? Is government teaching war is an easier solution as a bully? How do we stop the increasing number of crosses?  The murderous war in the US will only stop if we serious attack the causes of murder in the US.

photo by TheAlieness

In 2004 in the USA:
Homicide deaths 16,611
Suicide deaths 31,647
Injuries due to Firearm deaths 29,036

Ages 1-4 Homicide is 4th likely means of death  (354) 2.2 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 5-14 Homicide is 4th likely means of death (318) .8 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 5-14 Suicide is 5th likely means of death (292) .7 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 15-24 Homicide is 2nd likely means of death (4,877) 11.7 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 15-24 Suicide is 3rd likely means of death (4,214) 10.1 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 25-44 Homicide is 5th likely means of death (4,877) 8.5 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)
Ages 25-44 Suicide is 4th likely means of death (11,403) 13.6 per 100,000 (car accidents is first)

With the billions being spent overseas to keep other countries safer for their citizens, many individuals are at risk here.   Should there be a stronger policy on domestic violence?  How many people must die before we each make it a priority.  I ask, is it time to declare War against the  youth dying in our own streets each day?

Protect our Children:  Create the support to stop the thousands killed each year by those who kill.  Teach our youth and citizens that killing does not solve the problem or that killing on self solves the problem.

If your organization has received money in the past and the killing continues, should you be doing something else or change your approach?  No more talking, no more I need money to do something.  Educate your geographic area about facilities where there are alternative options to participate.  Volunteerism needs to be strong, not just talk, and involve us all.

Ask yourself, “What is my community not doing that it should”.

Make a list of needs and show what has been accomplished.  The items not accomplished become the identified target list for others to step forward and accomplish.

It is amazing how many youth for whom you can make a difference just by providing your time.  If the school building does not have activities after school, that is the first place to start volunteer programs.

As nonprofits, there is a fine line that these organizations need to make sure they do not cross.  It is fine to educate government officials and the public about a subject with facts.  It is wrong as a nonprofit to use your efforts, material and space to convince parties how to vote.   Some faith-based organizations seem to have forgotten the difference.

It is especially more likely to cause a faith-based organization problems when the effort the organization is pushing does not directly effect the organization.

Educating is about showing how an action will effect your organization.  Not what your organization’s opinion is on how others should be effected.  The IRS has every right to enforce the rules prohibiting it. 

If an organization wants to lobby, then find an association that will represent your interests.  An Association incorporated under 501 c 6 is allowed to lobby for the business interests of its members as defined in its incorporation. 

Employees view their employer as a means to an end. How can your organization help lower the stresses of the employee and let them focus on their job?

Their concerns focus on the cost of food, clothing, housing, education, transportation, childcare, and retirement.

For single individuals, their top two concerns are housing and quality of life.   College loans will dramatically effect the standard of living that their salary will support and their quality of life.

For employees with families, their top two concerns are housing and childcare.   College loans will more likely adversely effect the standard of living that a salary will be able to support and a family’s quality of life.

Here is one suggestion: Housing

While your organization may not seem to have a mission in affordable housing, the wages you pay default your organization into having a major interest in the housing market due to effects on your employees.  Therefore, have a role in supporting affordable housing for your employees.  Most organizations need space to operate and pay rent.  Most employees live in a rental or own and pay a mortgage.  Together the organization and the employee carry even more weight in the property market. Pooling with other organizations makes the number of units even more affordable and scalable.

A means to reduce the burden of hiring credentialed staff is to reduce the burden of education costs to the employee.  Have as part of each employee’s annual goals and duties a training plan. The training plan is developed jointly with the employee. As an employer you allow for a specific amount of the employee’s time for learning and supporting career advancement. The more an organization wants to support employee retention, the more the organization should support career development as an in-service and as academic credits.

However, education does not have to be expensive. The state college and university system from a cost benefit analysis is the best buy. The Wall Street Journal in past years has written on such as well. This is especially important for prerequisite type courses required for a specialty.

Assist employees in obtaining more credentials by providing education grants equal to the cost of courses at your local community college, state college or state university. Use these as retention tools.

Idea of the day: for every two years with your organization, an employee gets one course paid for up to a maximum. Allow the grant to be given to a child of their choosing.

Here is a famous quote to consider:  “A man said to the universe, ‘Sir, I exist’.  ‘However,’ replied the Universe, ‘The fact does not create in me a sense of obligation.’”

There are over one million nonprofits in the USA.  Every month hundreds more are created.  I helped to create two just last week.  The majority of them are under $25,000 in revenues. 

Today giving requires that an organization makes it easy for the donor to give.  This means being able to  touch and feel the organization in some manner.  How will the donor know who and where your organization serves, how to contact the organization, and if it is a 501 C 3? 

If you do not have a web presence you’re saying you do not want donors to find out about the organization.  You do not want their donation.  Having a web site is no longer a costly expense.  It only takes someone a short time to create a presence.

If you do not file a 990 tax form, you’re saying I might have something to hide.  While the 990 is not required for those under $25,000, I would recommend you file for the record.

If you have a web presence but do not allow a means to donate, you’re saying no thank you , give somewhere else.  There are too many easy means to set this option up to ignore doing it.

Another reason to have a web presence is due to the number of volunteers and potential employees who check the internet to learn about a potential volunteer site or employer. 

So make a difference for the organization - have the internet work for you - and make sure you exist!