Communications Best Practices

• Developing Relationships with Reporters and Broadcast Media and Spokesperson Skills are brief and to-the-point free tutorials from the SPIN Project.
  
• Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes offers advice from Andy Goodman on how to create a memorable PowerPoint presentation like the one he gave on “Storytelling as Best Practice” at the 2007 LFP Annual Meeting.
• The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation has posted some "must reads" on their website including In Other Words, A Plea for Plain Speaking in Foundations by Tony Procio. In this book and its sequel, Proscio takes aim at "insider lingo" to help you free your writing of jargon.

Resources from the 2007 LFP Annual Meeting

• Andy Goodman is a popular communications consultant and trainer who presented the plenary session on storytelling. You can order additional copies of his book Storytelling as Best Practice at his website www.agoodmanonline.com.
• Beth Kanter, professional blogger and consultant to nonprofits in the effective use of technology, was the workshop leader for "Nonprofits and Web 2.0: Introduction to the Next Generation of Internet Tools." Beth Kanter graciously provided a list of resources for those interested in learning more about Social Networking tools.
• Douglas Varley, J.D., a member of Caplin & Drysdale's Washington D.C. office, and keynote speaker on "Rules of Engagement: Election 2008," provided a handout at the session which is available here.
• Pattie Johson, Director, Foundation Center in Atlanta and workshop leader for "Basics of Successful Fundraising: Planning and Research," has provided the following resources from her session:
  • The Foundation Center's website at http://www.foundationcenter.org
  • Worksheets from Basics of Successful Fundraising:  Planning and Research.  This site contains blank copies of the worksheets used in the fundraising session; it will remain up until April 2008.
  • A flyer about the Foundation Center’s web site describing what can be found there.

Ask an Expert

• Pro-Bono Service: Ask An Expert is offered by the Stanford Social Innovation Review and the Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) who have teamed up to provide answers to questions you have about managing nonprofits.
• TechSoup - great technology resource for nonprofits. Offers up-to-date advice including: how to create and distribute an HTML newsletter, the latest in spam legislation, what database management systems could be appropriate for your organization and much more. They also offer discount prices to nonprofits on software products from Microsoft, Cisco, Lotus, Symantec and others. Check out the blue TechSoup Stock tab on their website for more information.

Nonprofit Leadership

• The Guide for Nonprofits outlines 33 highly recommended practices to insure ethical conduct, accountability and transparency for nonprofits and foundations. The Guide was produced by the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, a group of foundation and nonprofit officials convened by Independent Sector at the behest of Congress.
• BoardStar podcasts offer short audio interviews (less than 10 minutes) full of tips for nonprofit leaders.
• Standford Social Innovation review offers new podcasts on The Nonprofit Accountability Trap, Fostering Nonprofit-Corporate Relationships and more.

Funding

• Forum of Regional Grantmakers new website highlights trends in philanthropy. Check out their report Giving Circles Are Here to Stay.
• Grants.gov - allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies.

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