Paying a fundraiser a commission is a controversial issue. Many professional organizations ban the practice outright in their Codes of Ethics. Here in Israel, while such is also the practice among professional fundraisers, every week advertisements appear for commission based positions in parts of our fundraising community. From Prospecting, we bring you a recent post on the subject. We think this is a relevant and important issue in our international Jewish community. Therefore the complete post follows... When Susan Herr ran a struggling charity, she was sometimes tempted to reward her fund raisers financially for their success, not just for their effort. “My (desperate) thinking: I’ve got no money to hire someone and if this gal can bring in some funds, why ...

The American based Jewish Funders Network came to town this past week, but you'd never know it. You see, the community of Israeli philanthropists participating in the Conference put a noose around the JFN's neck and held them hostage. They told the JNF they "suffer at the hands of Israeli gossip columnists" and pushed the JNF team against the wall. The sessions were closed to the media; a 180 degree turn from the JFN's normal practice. The official program stated the sessions were closed not to “undermine the participants’ feelings of privacy and security”. I was told by more than one participant of the JNF's need to have this, their first ever Conference in Israel, succeed; pretty much regardless ...

The U.S. election season has put the issues of diversity and gender on the national radar. Now, a new book looks at gender equity through the lens of North America’s Jewish organizations, where 70 percent of professionals are women, yet few hold top positions. In Leveling the Playing Field: Advancing Women in Jewish Organizational Life, three experts in organizational change provide strategies and tools for those who want to champion gender equity in the workplace. This new “how-to” book draws upon best practices in leadership theory and human dynamics to tackle gender inequity, a deep-rooted problem that has been discussed for years by Jewish leaders with little being achieved. In the book, the three authors paint a compelling picture of gender ...

The NonProfit Times announced the launch of an online portal that gives free access to corporate donation data for fundraising research to nonprofit grant writers and others researchers. The address is www.nptgrantsearch.com.

The research portal was launched with more than 4,300 searchable records of corporate donations valued at $1 million or more to U.S. charities.

 

The only free service of its kind, users can search, view and save information about the corporate donor, ...

Billed as a "a one-stop shop for tools to help advance your organization's mission in a smart, cost-efficient way," the newly launched Google for Non-Profits portal offers quick links to the most commonly used tools in the Google suite of services. It also highlights some cost-saving benefits that are available only to nonprofits. This site features ideas and tutorials for how you can use Google tools to promote your work, raise money and operate more efficiently. And to get inspired, you'll also find examples of innovative ...

Treat your e-mail subscribers with respect and protect your organization’s reputation through consistent database policies. Optimize one of your best resources. "Email marketers' most valued asset is the mailing list, but few take the necessary steps to protect it. Here are common vulnerabilities to avoid. What's your greatest email marketing asset? It isn't your list software, creative designs or even your budget. None of those really matter if you don't have a healthy, vibrant and engaged mailing list. Without your subscribers, whom I will assume have all opted in to receive your mailings, you have no marketing program, or at least not one that recovers its costs and adds value to your company. So, what are you doing to ...

Social-enterprise leaders gathered in Boston this week are seeking a new legal structure — the low-profit, limited liability company, or L3C — as a way to encourage investments by foundations and others in businesses with a social mission, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports: "As the lines between the nonprofit and for-profit worlds blur, social-enterprise leaders continue to look for new legal structures that are better suited to such blended activities than current designations... One proposed legal structure discussed at the meeting — the low-profit, limited liability company, or L3C — is designed to increase the number of program-related investments, or PRI’s, that foundations make in social-purpose businesses by making those enterprises easier to find. Proponents hope that foundation investment in those ventures ...

Writing in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Jeff Brooks asks us... Does your newsletter (and/or website) contain any of the following?

• News about back-office staff.
• Photo of well-heeled donor presenting a giant check to your organization.
• Photos of people standing around (possibly holding wine glasses) at your fundraising event.
• Articles whose sole purpose is to educate donors.

If you answered yes to any of these, your organization may suffer from Nonprofit Navel-Gazing Syndrome (NPNGS). This condition causes nonprofits to believe that their own understanding of the world must be shared by others—especially donors. This leads to a lack of respect for donors who “don’t get it.” This elitist attitude prevents effective fundraising. continue reading here We do not necessarily agree with Jeff and as you can ...

Here at eJewish Philanthropy we've spent months speaking about online fundraising and social networks. Little did I know some in our Jewish world are still finding validity with radio to reach their target audience! Take a peak at a current AJC initiative. And keep in mind the use of this line in the advert: Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy give AJC the highest grades for integrity and efficiency.

 

March 4, 2008 - New York - Israelis are enduring daily rocket attacks from Gaza and need your help, says American Jewish Committee Executive Director David A. Harris. “People near the border have been killed, houses damaged, and children scarred for life,” he says ...

15 Reasons Why People Donate

You can email your donor base until you're blue in the face. You can make your donate button larger than the vat of coffee sitting between you and your computer monitor (yes, we can see it from here). You can share the latest statistics about your cause, and even make your brochure look flashy while you're at it.

 

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