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Resources for Nonprofit Directors

Nonprofit’s Questions This Week! [Video]

Nonprofit’s Questions This Week!

Host Julia Patrick welcomes Muhi Khwaja, one of the trainers at the Fundraising Academy at National University and Co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation (AMCF), and he provides insights on board treasurer selection, post-event practices, board onboarding, and board recruitment.

They begin by discussing the importance of finding the right treasurer for a nonprofit board. Muhi emphasizes the need to look for candidates with experience in nonprofit finance, compliance, and audit procedures. He suggests checking if potential treasurers have filed Form 990s, worked with nonprofits before, and have a CPA background.

Next, they address best practices for post-event activities, particularly after a gala. Muhi highlights the significance of stewardship in the donor cycle. He recommends sending personalized thank-you notes or emails to event attendees and donors, conducting surveys to gather feedback, and promptly following up with attendees and potential donors to build meaningful relationships.

Muhi also shares insights into onboarding new board members. He emphasizes the importance of a structured orientation process and discusses AMCF’s practice of having annual meetings and strategic planning sessions to reinforce board members’ roles and responsibilities.

Julia and Muhi then explore a unique question about whether the CEO or Executive Director of a nonprofit should have a vote on the board, agreeing that it’s generally not advisable for the CEO to have voting power on the board to maintain a clear separation of powers and avoid potential conflicts of interest.

The conversation shifts to AMCF’s current board recruitment efforts. Muhi explains that they are actively seeking board members with specific skill sets, such as marketing, philanthropy, and web development, to contribute to the organization’s growth. They also use a mentor-mentee approach to help new board members adapt to their roles.

Lastly, Muhi discusses AMCF’s upcoming event, the Muslim Philanthropy Awards and Annual Symposium. Scheduled for November 18th, 2023, the event celebrates Muslim-led organizations and explores the topic of endowments in philanthropy.

You can also listen to the show on your favorite podcast channel. Additionally, the American Nonprofit Academy provides news, inspiration, and training for the nonprofit and social impact community.

#fundraising #nonprofit #socialimpact

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Resources for Nonprofit Directors

Nonprofit's Questions of the Week [Video]

A lively talk about maintaining a culture of philanthropy within nonprofits, covering the importance of communication, transparency, and ethical practice in all fundraising efforts. This engaging Ask & Answer episode highlights the evolving nature of nonprofit fundraising and the ongoing commitment to ethical practices within the sector. Jack Alotto, a seasoned expert in nonprofit fundraising, shares his enthusiasm about the increasing participation in his CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) training programs, noting that the numbers remain high with classes reaching around 170 participants. He describes a new initiative tailored for Muslim-affiliated nonprofits, reflecting the inclusive approach of the training sessions. This enjoyable learning episode focuses mainly on the ethical dilemmas fundraisers often face. Jack emphasizes the importance of adhering to ethical standards, especially when dealing with competitive situations between nonprofits, advising against disparaging other organizations, stressing that the goal should be to enhance the entire community's well-being rather than focusing solely on individual success. This approach aligns with the AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) code of ethics, which promotes integrity and respect among fundraising professionals. One of Jack's statements from the episode encapsulates his philosophy on this issue: "I am reluctant to engage in a conversation which would disparage another nonprofit... we should continue to talk about the benefits of giving to our organization and the importance of making a gift to advance our mission. It's OK if they also want to give to another organization doing similar work. It just makes the whole community much better." With input from host Julia Patrick, the episode explores the role of ethics in donor relations, with Jack advocating for the inclusion of the AFP code of ethics in donor packets to educate and align expectations with donors.#fundraisingethics #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitmanagement

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Resources for Nonprofit Directors

Charities webinar - Contract exposure: managing risks in legally binding agreements [Video]

On Wednesday 11 May, Edward Bouckley delivered the next webinar in our charities bite size series. In the webinar Edward looked at some of the key aspects of managing risk when entering into commercial contracts. He discussed:• What risk management is.• What risk is and why properly managing it is so important to charities.• Some of the ways risks can be managed in contacts.Edward also looked at some of the steps that you can take to better protect your charity when entering into contractual arrangements.Here are the timestamps to help guide you through this webinar:0:52 Birketts at a glance1:18 What we will cover today2:09 What is risk management?3:07 What is risk and why is it important?3:59 Contractual risk5:58 Identifying risk10:05 Written contracts11:34 Assessing Risk13:10 The danger of "pre-contractual" agreements14:27 A cautionary tale16:21 Rights and obligations17:51 Risk - allocating and controlling18:48 Transferring risk: indemnities20:00 Controlling risk: limitation of liability21:29 Practical tips23:18 QuestionsThe webinar ended with a Q&A. Disclaimer: The content of this webinar is for general information only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice. If you require any further information in relation to this webinar please contact us in the first instance. Law covered as at May 2022. Meet our expert, Edward Bouckley: https://www.birketts.co.uk/our-lawyers/norwich/edward-bouckleyContact us at: https://www.birketts.co.uk/contact-usSign up to future webinars: https://www.birketts.co.uk/events​​​​ To ensure that you are invited to future webinars and receive our newsletters please opt in to our mailing lists and select the appropriate areas of interest. https://www.birketts.co.uk/register