Photo by: Thomas Hawk

SBA`s Deadline for Physical Damage Disaster Loans for Private Non-Profit Organizations is November 25. 

The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds eligible Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) of the November 25 deadline to submit disaster loan application for damages caused by severe storms and flooding that began September 18. PNP’s located in Carroll, Catoogsa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Dooley, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Houston, Newton, Paulding, Peach, Rockdale, Stephens, Taylor and Walker counties in Georgia are eligible to apply to SBA.  Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges. To read the entire article/notice, please follow then hyperlink to the Reuters web-page.

pic by Chloe John

Ford Foundation Focus Supplements Federal Foreclosure Purchases

Wall Street Journal reported that the Ford Foundation is providing an initial $50 million to help municipalities buy foreclose property.  The Foundation will provide an additional $100 million over the next five years.

Check out the article with this link.

Nonprofits whom are working with local and state agencies should keep this funding source in mind.

 pic by jessamyn

No you cannot have housing if you abandoned public housing without good cause.
No you cannot have housing if your not meeting the 30 hour a week work requirement.
No you cannot have housing if you have not saved 30 % of your income.
No you cannot have housing if you have been evicted from public or subsidized housing.
No you cannot have housing if your household has someone with an outstanding default or arrest warrant.
No you cannot have housing if you rejected one offer of housing without a good reason.
So what if there is a 5-8 year wait list for section 8 housing vouchers.
So what that you are waiting for a section 8 voucher that is worth thousands of dollars.
So what that the minimum wage of $8 at forty hours a week provides at 30% income only $416 to use towards rent.
So what that public housing area crime statistics are higher than most other locations.
So what that you feel your life is at risk in public housing.
So what that your child must experience a life cycle that includes gang recruitment.
So what that the economy is in a recession, no one hires you while in a shelter and you do not know where your going to live in order to know how you will get to the job.
So what that you did not know that someone in your household has an outstanding warrant.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of without good cause.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of a good reason.
So what that the interpretation of life consequences can be random.

Your homelessness is not about measuring the fact that your attaining the goals jointly agreed upon.

Your homelessness is necessary so that government can serve as many as possible knowing that the majority will succeed just by the fact that human nature drives people to overcome obstacles.

Nonprofits need to balance what the government will pay for and what their private funders will pay for.

The strategy to overhaul the Homeless Shelter system by more quickly moving the homeless into more permanent housing only works if there is sufficient subsidized housing or housing within 30% of a persons income will fail unless there is a large increase in subsidize and truly affordable housing. The traditional service model of serving long-term needy families and individuals in emergency housing is evolving to separate the chronic families/individuals from short term needy families/individuals. I question whether a more medical services model is necessary to better target those whom want treatment and those whom refuse treatment.

Maybe the new government motto should be “Be an Active Participant or Get Lost”

If you want real answers check your local nonprofits since they are usually available even when the government is not.

(pic by hartboy)

Nonprofits to do some heavy lifting for the economy.  Ready and willing to bring their muscle and means to the table to overcome the enemy.

How do you stretch a dollar at your nonprofit? You accept more in kind contributions. Know what you use consistently each month and letting the community know what that is, will provide a means for businesses to donate if they do not have the cash. It is amazing how quickly it adds up. For example, a specific toner cartridge costs $20 plus, a ream of paper $4, toilet paper $7 (family size), paper towels $6 (family size), gas cards, etc.

Use your web site and solicitations to inform a person or business how they can help all year long. If your nonprofit is only asking in November and December, your placing your request at risk of ending up in what i call the Maybe Motivated Pile.

In the last two months of the year I received 63 requests for donations from nonprofits and picked three. However, certain solicitations during the year stood out and received a donation to fulfill our family contributions.

My point:  Make giving a year long process and provide for many levels of opportunities to inform and have people participate in the organization.

It is important for a nonprofit to plan on how it is going to raise money or support for its organization. To help nonprofits in their outline of the planning the process I have provided 6 questions below.

1. Do you have a Strategic Plan?

2. Do you have a Development Plan?

3. Is the Development Plan incorporated into the Strategic Plan?

4. Can you describe for your nonprofit each outcome in three sentences or less?

5. Is each outcome for the nonprofit something that can be publicize?

6. Do you know what it costs the nonprofit to deliver each outcome?

If you answer no to any of the six, your nonprofit needs to improve to be more successful in raising money.

In observing Earth Day my six year old and I had fun in the woods.  His conversation went something like this;

“The world is perfect and correct when I am walking in the woods. Then, next winter we cut down trees and in the spring we use them to cook our food. Then we use the leaves to make the fire with. The planet is real. It is important for animals to live on the earth; us too.

Are we an animal??

We need to be nice to nature, do not kick nature and kill it. If we are nice to nature, it will be nice to us.  We take care of nature like pets.”

Our joint action: We planted 26 trees that were grown by us and involved no use of vehicle transportation  to an area effected by construction and used fallen trees to cook our dinner and conserve our use of foreign fuels.  Any organization with its staff or community can start trees in a small space to be used elsewhere locally.

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.

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 elected officials 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.