pic by hunter

The Stimulus bill has $300,000,000 to be spent for replacing part of the federal fleet vehicles that meet a much higher fuel standard.

President Obama has a goal to put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon on the road by 2015, with the cars built in America.

I would propose that the federal government partner with Zipcar or like programs to purchase their vehicles and have them available to both employees and the general public.  If the federal government allows the cars be available to the public as well for the evenings and weekends then costs will be lowered.

Some people may have concerns about the cars being secured or targeted.  Unless point to point the car is always going to be in a government secured setting then the point on security is flawed.  Most government cars have government license plates and/or signage but get parked wherever a meeting happens to be.

When using a Zipcar type system gas, insurance and mileage (up to 180 miles) is included in the hourly cost.  It is simple and is the most efficient car pool service one can find.

Nonprofits should consider partnering with Zipcar type services for their fleets of cars and vans.  It just might provide a cost savings and increase the organization’s ability to obtain new vehicles at no additional cost to the nonprofit.

pic by Owen video

Debit Cards have been one of the single most useful tools to come out of this century.

It has allowed for efficient use of ones time, access to funds and no debt to be incurred.

The merchant has little delay in getting their money and the buyer has the ability to buy where ever and when ever the need arrives.

It is also the most sanitary means to pass money.  Cash is one of the single most germ prone items that is unavoidable unless you use your debit card.

The credit card made it too easy to incur more than what one could afford but that is what the financial institutions wanted in order to create profits.  The highest debt now is held by Generation Y and Generation X.

The young generation of consumers has been using the Debit cards and making choices that stop debt from increasing.  This choice means not attending college on loans unless there is a clear way to assure there is a job to cover the expenses.

Since debit cards are less profitable to financial institutions Congress needs to assure that the consumers will not be charged for the ability to use the cards as such and that businesses will not be charged fees that are far exceed the cost to transfer the money to their accounts.

pic by SuBee Buzz

Accountability is what donors, foundations, state and federal governments are looking for when deciding to fund programs.  An organization needs to justify what outcomes their services plan to achieve.  An organization needs to be able to provide clear means for how their outcomes will be measured.  Organizations that have shown to be leaders in obtaining results are increasing their access to funds while others are experiencing a decrease of funds. 

Pic by bcanada92

The US government owns 80% of AIG.  However, the power to vote rest with three individuals being paid $100,000 a year whom are not accountable to anyone but themselves.  The New York Fed recruited them but wanted non-controlling control over AIG.  The US government is about to take a 36% ownership position in Citigroup.

Federal and State governments have required increased accountability of nonprofits boards but has failed to follow its own rules for over sight with billions of taxpayer funds.
Nonprofits Boards are not allowed to delegate their responsibilities.  The US government must not delegate its ownership responsibilities.

It is time to appoint Warren Buffet to represent the interests of the US tax payers to maximize their value as owners of any financial institution.  Only then, can the nonprofit community and individual investors TRUST to put their money back into the stock market.

cartoon by dro-mo

There are many voices and opinions on why there is a failure to educate students.   I find it unacceptable that a large segment of government has been stating that during times of economic hardship one should not support education reform and competition by Charter Schools. I find the statement “it will further harm students in the public system if more money is given to Charter schools” a failure to communicate facts and just down right ridiculous.  For those districts and schools where students are failing, which there are many, the budget is not an appropriate excuse to delay providing students an education to enable them to obtain their diploma.

If the school is failing to communicate and create that education connection with a student in order to accomplish the objectives necessary to graduate, the school district needs to let go and allow others to educate the student.

One positive fact I would like to point out that No Student Left Behind has produced is the ability to more quickly identify and communicate where there is failure and allowed for correction.

cartoon by TFT

The weight of educational standards vs achievements needs to be more on the educational system to produce results than on the backs of the students.

Fordham Institute using the standards of a state to evaluate schools found Massachusetts to be one of the highest standards and Wisconsin to be one of the lowest.  Further, it found that 2,000 high schools out of 28,000 produced half the dropouts.

The need for a national standard is shown to be an important means to create more equality in the US for achieving an education.  Education should not be dependent upon the luck of where you live.  Such a standard would mean a form of segregation.

Vouchers are not the answer for improving the public education system because it improves the private education system and they are not held to the same testing standards required of the public education system.  However, Charter schools are part of the public education system and bring new facilities, private money and a redistribution of each dollar to focus on the education of the student.  The current city/town run public education system has many layers of administration that the cost per student must cover.  Charter schools have a thin layer of administration and bring additional funds into the public education system.  Further, it brings back into the public education system those students that have paid to attend private schools.

Charter schools are about reducing the burden on students to learn, reducing the barriers the student must over come to be able to learn and bringing resources to bear for each student to utilize to achieve their goal of a diploma and college as an option.

Posted on Flickr by Irish Spacemonk

Recent articles have been pushing the idea that just maybe our Nation should stop pushing the idea of owning a home as the ideal to the American Dream.

I would like to highlight how short sighted such a notion is.

• A market driven approach means that the investor/landlord controls price.
• A market driven approach means that at the discretion of the investor/landlord the price can change.
• A market driven approach means the investor/landlord can take advantage of the short term shifts in the market to their advantage.
• A market driven approach means the individuals less able to adapt to the marketplace will be harmed the most.

1. Home ownership provides cost containment on future increases.  Control of the housing expenses stays with the homeowner.
2. Income grows and cost stay relatively the same.  Thereby less of an individual’s income goes towards housing.
3. Even the costs of repairs when done in a planned manner, with many being done by the owner can be within ones means.  Labor is usually 50% of the costs, so if done by the home owner real savings can be realized.  For those repairs needing specialized individuals building a reserve is the best way to afford these repairs.

The same can be said of nonprofits owning their property and utilizing their volunteer network to maintain their property.  This is especially true of those whom are in expensive markets.  Your organization is not in the business of providing a return on an investment to an individual or individuals. Therefore, why spend your money doing so. Your money should be spent on securing the future of the organization and its mission.  Giving money to a property owning provides no long term return for the organization unless there is a mutual parallel mission.  A good set of examples are the many faith base organizations whom have nonprofits working out of their space for below market rent.  That is the right partnership in accomplishing ones joint mission for the communities they serve.

cartoon by erichews

Nonprofits have been doing lots of worrying and hunkering down.  However there are those that are taking the opportunity to invest in their future by taking advantage of the Stimulus money. So instead of getting depressed, think out side of the box and strengthen the organization with this one time money over the next two years.

Cartoon by Jessamyn 

Nonprofits can lead the way how to conduct business on line. 

Charitable mission driven.

Positive effect towards cause.

It is not only being polite but conducting oneself for the well being of the country.  Wall Street needs to remember that if it is harmful, do not even think about doing it.

cartoon by Saturnnight

Russia invaded the country of Georgia
Georgia attacked one of its autonomous enclave regions
China invaded Tibet
Argentina invaded the Falklands
Ethnic cleansing in Kosovo
Ethnic cleansing in Darfur
Greece invades Cyprus
USA invades Iraq
USA invades Afghanistan
Iraq invades Kuwait
The list can be as long as you wish it to be.

What is the focus to use boycotting?
What is the mission and vision towards the effort of implementing a boycott?
What is the likely effectiveness of a boycott?

What is the incentive for a nonprofit to join the cause?

If it is about making a point and using resources that do not promote the health of the organization than think twice before directing resources towards the effort.