Become an educated organization and begin to make changes. As nonprofit organizations you will recoup you costs more quickly than for-profits.

Check out Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and its information on Alternatives to Oil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatives_to_oil

Check out this web site on the use of Hemp and all of the products produced from it. http://everything.hemp.com/

Steps to take to lower impact to the environment and lower your costs.

1. Take advantage of video conferencing
2. Buy products on line, in bulk and those that have a lesser impact on the environment and ultimately lower your costs. Look for recycled or local products.
3. Request local businesses carry products that are made of recycled material.
4. Send email instead of mail.
5. Create a web experience for volunteering and delivering some of your services.
6. Raise money to be make changes to be carbon neutral.

1. List Your Priorities of Programming Ideas
2. Elements to Use in Action Steps/Approaches/Strategies (Working Together)

• Strategic Planning (What, where, when and why baseline)
• Maximizing Assets: People, Organization, Effort, Space, Allocation of costs, Labeling, Cost allocation plan, Assignment of job function.
• Referral and Intake Systems
• Cross Pollination: Using resources already available and maximizing capacity.
• Whom do you serve: Geography, community, age and service type. (Who shows up in the Service Plan or the Strategic Plan?)
• Reality Check on ability to serve
• Equal Access Goal (Where are the cases? Where are the resources?) Geo coding for allocating resources. (Transportation weight to consider. How do you manage yourself to complete all of your daily tasks?)
• Low Lying Fruit
• 20-40 Minute Rule
• Day Job Syndrome (Capacity to change, evolve, develop vs. the day to day job) (Capacity to change, evolve, develop vs. the day to day job)
• Investment Risk Scale of Capital (Can what I am committed to doing be used for something else if I am wrong?)
• Management Choices for change vs. Institutional Choices for change
• Defining Outcomes
• Branding: Ownership, reporting, sharing, confidence and leadership
• Communication: web, telecommunicating, Co-location, transparency, team responsibility, and risk
• Continuous Quality Improvement (How do you learn?)
• How do you compete? Niche vs. General and Narrow vs. Broad. What does your mission allow?
• Who are my Funders?

1. 1. Donors
   2. Foundations
   3. State
   4. Federal
   5. City/Town
   6. Community
   7. Individuals
   8. Your Organizations Assets

If you are interested in overcoming barriers check out the previous post:

http://mynonprofitwebsite.com/blog/2008/04/30/nonprofits-evolution/

The use of tax credits and the economic might of the USA to improve the lives of the America people should not be so hard.

The reason for Tax Havens is the motivation not to pay taxes. Therefore, create zones of tax havens in the US where unemployment is the highest. Create the incentives to be in areas of the economy where there is the greatest needed to create new industry. Today the greatest need is energy independence. This is an area of National Security that has long been ignored.

Whether the country begins in Michigan or Ohio, two former power houses of manufacturing and industrial production or in Appalachia, jobs allows an individual to put food on their table, clothing on their back and a roof over their head.

The federal government has the largest amount of Research and Development money spent in many fields. Target the money to be spent in locations that meet economically depressed zones. Let anyone apply but require a minimum 51% of the money has to be spent to employee people who come to work in the designated zone. The money is intended for the economic development of the area targeted, any attempt to subcontract the work or any work around to companies outside the zone should be view as not in good faith.

This is the best way for public policy to work. It brings business, government, organizations and the community together in a coordinated effort.

What measure of return does a donor want or expect to receive with their donation?

What percent of success does the donor expect?

What is a passing grade for a program to be considered successful?

Depending on the service or population there are results on many programs throughout the country. A passing grade ranges from 60%-100%.

If the donor invested the money they would expect a minimum return of a government bond around 5%. If the donor invested in their retirement future, a return of 8%-15% would more likely be expected.

Therefore, can the organization provide a report to the donors as to what outcome the organization achieved with their donation?

The time of accepting donations and not reporting back is closing. Organizations need to be able to report outcomes.

Is it true that the Gates Foundation’s dominance in malaria research will stifle the diversity of views of many scientists? There has been written objection that the newly created Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington will mirror the core tasks of the World Health organization.

I agree with the mirroring of the tasks but with one exception. The pressure of members’ countries will not influence it. It is an independent Institute free from a country’s financial control.

Control and influence is dependent upon the amount of outside financing.

The Gates Foundation’s 105 million grant very much allows for the setting of the standard without the politics.

“Behavior is important for the reason that you may introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. You might be mean, but they might be tougher. It is important because you may destroy the world but if we don’t want the earth to destroy it’s self we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness. Talking first is better than fighting with fists. We should be more like Dr. Martin Luther King.”

He also wrote “What is a Best friend?”

I asked him why he was thinking about this. He was watching the news with me and said that it sounded like people were just being mean. Why do people not talk?

I raise this as an important aspect of human interaction since people always think the worse of someone base on assumptions. Therefore, organizations need to always be prepared to clearly respond to any misrepresentation of their brand, mission or services.

Heating Oil is up 42% and rising.
1.    Have an energy audit performed, invest in the recommendations and get the rebates.
2.    Apply to foundations and donors to utilize solar and other one time environmental changes to decrease costs, take control your heating costs and reinvest into your programs.

Gasoline is up 28% and rising.
1.    Implement telecommuting and teleconferencing for staff
2.    Evaluate vehicle use for efficiency and effectiveness
3.    Convert to hybrid vehicles, change usage, change vehicle types
4.    Apply for one time grants or donors to purchase fuel efficient vehicles

Medical is up 6%-35% depending on your size and rising.
1.    Switch plans
2.    Change to deductible plans and set up Health Services Accounts for employees
3.    Provide a level of Self Insurance
4.    Employee Health Initiatives

Food is up 4% and rising
1.    Buy from Food Cooperatives
2.    Buy in bulk from Warehouse vendors
3.    Buy in bulk with other nonprofits
4.    Create your own foodstuffs thorough preserving
5.    Open your own grocery

Harvard University Faculty are using the Internet to publicly release their articles.  The power of exposure to the masses will increase circulation of their articles.  The articles will be available for free.

It was found that the circulation of their articles in expensive scholarly journals was limiting their exposure to a small group of people and not providing sufficient access and  exposure of their works.

Distribution of their research  as widely as possible will likely create more collaborations and opportunities.

The same is true in the sharing of successful programs and their outcomes.  The use of the Internet  is a great tool for promoting an organizations brand and successes.

Where is the leadership? How many have to die? Thousands of youth killed by youth. Youth have been speaking out and seeking relief but find adults not willing to listen and support them. WHO MUST BE SACRIFICED IN DEATH TO MAKE THE ISSUE IMPORTANT?
How many Virginia Tech’s, Northern Illinois and Columbine’ killings have to happen before you pay attention to the crisis? Did the government forget to tell us that there was another battle going on here in this country?

What donor will make an impact? What organizations will make an impact? What will Obama, Clinton, or McCain do about this War in the USA? Which Candidate has the ability to reach this generation and have the biggest impact? What will you do?

Serious issues and Generation O wants to be heard. EMO speaks out through his weekly cartoon: http://mynonprofitwebsite.com/blog/category/emo-cartoon/

In 2004 in the USA:
Total Homicide deaths 16,611
Total Suicide deaths 31,647
Total 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 others does not solve the problem or that killing of one self does not solve the problem.

My son and I had a great discussion today about best friends and its meaning not being the same among people. So I ask you to think what is a best friend?

A best friend is not just one person. It is a community of friends who represent your friendships that will be there at various times in your life or the life of the organization. Your best friend is an emotional tie that in one’s mind. It is a moving assignment ultimately assigned to the support that comes from the person you least expect when you need it the most. Your true friends are those that are there when things get tough. However, do not let friends pressure you to make choices that cause trouble for you or your organization. There are those who will call themselves your friend to get you or your organization to do what they want.

CEO’s, CFO’s and COO’s as leaders consider what is best for their organization and its members, its community and its friends. Their leadership style provides for dealing with the various levels of friendship that the organization has with individuals.

How does your organization balance these friendships?