A Central Valley Resource Guide

Capacity Building Resources for Nonprofit Organizations based in the Central Valley Sponsored by the Community Leadership Project and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center The Community Leadership Project is a joint effort funded by The David and Lucile Packard, James Irvine, and William and Flora Hewlett foundations to strengthen grassroots organizations that serve low-income people and communities of color. The project was underwritten with $10 million from the three foundations and targets small and midsized organizations in three geographic areas: the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley.

May 2010

I have learned the novice can often see things that the expert overlooks. All that is necessary is not to be afraid of making mistakes, or of appearing naïve. Abraham Maslow, psychologist and author of “A Hierarchy of Needs” and several books on motivation theory.

Introduction..........................................................................................................................3

A Note from the ILRC on Capacity Building ........................................................................4

A Snapshot of Nonprofit Management ................................................................................5

Leadership...........................................................................................................................6

Executive Coaching.............................................................................................................9

Fundraising Development....................................................................................................11

Financial Management and Planning ..................................................................................14

Human Resources and Personnel.......................................................................................16

Board Governance ..............................................................................................................18

Technology ..........................................................................................................................20

Strategic Thinking and Planning..........................................................................................23

Resource Directory..............................................................................................................25

Consultants..............................................................................................................25

Management Support Organizations .......................................................................30

Nonprofit Management Higher Education Programs ...............................................34

Technology Resources ............................................................................................37

Volunteer or Internship Services..............................................................................38

Table of Contents

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The ILRC is pleased and honored to support the critical organizational development of grassroots organizations in California’s Central Valley. Having the good fortune and planning to now be a 31-year old organization, we have gone through many phases and forms of organizational growth and planning, and feel we know something about the challenges, rewards and opportunities that come with focused capacity building for nonprofit organizations. In creating this resource, we hope to provide the perspective not of an outside expert, but rather of a peer. This is the experiential lens through which we approached this handbook, prepared especially for the grantees of our Community Leadership Project (CLP). This handbook is not an exhaustive instructional manual on capacity building. Rather, it is an overview of capacity building fields for you to explore. Each section contains concepts and practices that lay the foundation for growing or evolving organizations. We also stress the effectiveness of taking a step-by-step approach to the opportunities available to you and your staff. It is exciting to embark on an organizational developmental plan that will strengthen and stretch the impact of your staff and organization. While the options may seem overwhelming, we hope to provide you with the support to sort through and plan for the selective development that will best aid your organization. With this approach in mind, we structured this handbook in the following way:

1) Each section has a brief discussion of one of the significant, fundamental concepts that is key to nonprofit organizational success.

2) Then, we provide some thoughts and suggestions to get started with assessing your needs in that substantive area, and some of the priorities to keep in mind.

3) Each section also contains hyperlinks to online resources for digging deeper, further reading, as well as information on training courses.

4) The second half of the handbook is a resource directory. Building from a previous directory created in 2006 by the Human Interaction Research Institute, funded by the Hewlett Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation, and augmented with our own research and experience, we have listed the contact information for various Central Valley-based agencies that assist nonprofits in organizational development. Please note, reference in this directory does not constitute an endorsement of the services or agencies listed.

Our goal is to make this resource useful to you. We welcome your feedback, questions, and perspectives. Just like an organization, this handbook is a dynamic resource, built on collaboration and partnership. We look forward to updating the directory throughout the Community Leadership Project grant period based on your feedback. Please keep in touch – email (clp@ilrc.org) your suggestions and comments. Thank you and good luck!

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Introduction

“No matter where the organization might be in time and place, capacity building is a potentially high-yield investment that can improve program success dramatically.” Paul M. Connolly, “Deeper Capacity Building for Greater Impact: Designing a Long-term Initiative to Strengthen a Set of Nonprofit Organizations,” for the James Irvine Foundation.

A Note from the ILRC about Capacity Building

Capacity building has become a focus of many vibrant, dynamic nonprofit organizations because of its potential to enhance a nonprofit's ability to work towards its mission and improve organizational development, effectiveness, and performance. Capacity building efforts can include a broad range of activities, such as management or staff development, fundraising or revenue-earning initiatives, leadership coaching, supporting collaboration with other nonprofits, or shoring up infrastructure and operations in the area of technology, personnel systems, or financial management. However, once an organization has assessed its capacity building needs, it can be difficult to know where to begin. With that in mind, we’ve written this resource guide to provide you with some thoughtful tips for getting started.

Additionally, we want to share some insight on the process of working with outside consultants or support agencies. Help for strategic development is available – organizations do not have to figure out everything on their own. Hiring a consultant who is effective and a good match for your needs can be one way to expand and support your staff’s expertise. We are pleased to provide you with copies of an excellent resource issued by the Center for Nonprofit Management, entitled “Nonprofit Consultants: How to Choose Them, How to Use Them.” This concise booklet covers “10 steps to identify and access management assistance” in an educational presentation that raises the questions you’ll want to answer in order to decide if a consultant, and which one, is right for your organization. A few of the key messages include:

1) Working with your staff and board to frame a ‘statement of need’ in order to assess if a capacity building project is best served by an outside consultant.

2) Hiring a consultant means creating a working partnership. A consultant can be a source of support, confidence-building, and critical analysis and perspective; but he or she will rely on the work you and your staff do to fully inform the process and outcome of a capacity building project.

3) Selecting a consultant is similar to hiring a staff person – you’ll need a job description, performance expectations, key goals, the pay rate and budget for the entire project, and first-hand references from trusted sources. The selection of a consultant will require an investment of staff and community trust, time, resources, and money.

Resources and Further Reading • Capacity Building Defined and Demystified. Through their website, Fieldstone

Alliance provides some articles about capacity building. • Crossing Borders (Sarah Gleason and Fieldstone Alliance). A report on capacity

building work with immigrant- and refugee-led organizations (IRLOs), detailing several factors that contribute to effective capacity building, including relevant experience, cultural competence, and a client-centered approach.

• Capacity Building for Nonprofit Organizations: A Resource List. A compilation of resources available on the website of the Foundation Center.

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Running and staffing a nonprofit is a major responsibility. The CLP’s emphasis on capacity building is intended to support organizations when they can take a moment to pause, and reflect on the important work they do every day. Here, is a simplified list of 12 organizational tasks to complete every year. Managers at nonprofit organizations should take some time to ask themselves – are we doing these critical tasks, and can we do them better or more efficiently? Capacity building can support this analysis and the implementation practices or changes to your existing practices.

• Prepare your budget. Estimate the organization’s income and expenses for the coming year and compare them to actual numbers for the current year. Ask your board of directors to discuss and approve the projected budget.

• Evaluate performance. Review your programs and your employees once a year. Set goals and objectives for both people and activities.

• File your forms. File your nonprofit’s 990 Form with the Internal Revenue Service when it is due (four and a half months after the close of your fiscal year), and prepare any required reports for state and local authorities.

• Have a party. Recognize and acknowledge your organization’s volunteers, board members, and employees with at least one celebration every year.

• Review your insurance. See that you pay your annual premiums in full and that your organization is covered for all risks.

• Prepare a fundraising plan. Make realistic estimates and prepare an action plan showing how the organization’s fundraising activities will be carried out for the upcoming year.

• Communicate with donors. Include them in your news and events throughout the year.

• Back up your computers. In fact, you should do this task weekly, but it’s often forgotten. Don’t lose your nonprofit’s donor list or financial records due to a computer crash.

• Review terms of board members. Make a chart to keep track of when officer and board member terms expire, reminding you to recruit new members and fill officer slots.

• Read your organization’s mission statement. Better still, frame it and hang it over your desk so you’re always reminded of why you’re doing what you’re doing.

• Review your organizational plan. Plans are made to be followed and, as necessary, revised. If you haven’t looked at your organization’s plan in a while, do so now.

• Take a vacation. You’ll come back to work with new ideas and renewed energy.

Excerpted from the Nonprofit Kit for Dummies.

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A Snapshot of Nonprofit Management

Leadership development can help grow and sustain organizations, as well as leaders. What is leadership? Many philosophies and definitions for leadership abound. Perhaps a simple morsel for thought is that good leadership is about putting values into action. One analogy – organizations are like living things, with their own culture and life cycle – from youth through adulthood to mature elder. Most organizations and their leadership needs change over time, as they grow and mature and strive to provide the most effective services. As organizations mature, similar to individuals, they may feel the time is ripe to re-evaluate leadership needs and goals. Since each stage of development needs different leadership styles and skills, it is important for leaders to have resources, support, and perhaps new skills to support their organizations. This is where leadership development coaching and consulting help.

Leaders need to understand that leadership is a process – not a state. Leaders can never “get there.” Leaders are always “getting there…” Leaders need to accept that their leadership development is an ongoing process that will never stop. Leadership involves relationships – when people change, relationships change – and maintaining any positive relationship requires ongoing effort over a long period of time. Helping People Achieve Their Goals, by Marshall and Kelly Goldsmith, Leader to Leader.

You may seek training opportunities for one or two key directors in your organization, or choose to broaden the scope and include more staff. Perhaps you will want a leadership model that reflects the mission of your organization. For example, one of the pillars of the ILRC’s mission and commitment is support for democracy building. Therefore, we developed an internal leadership model that seeks to involve all members of staff who are engaged in a project, giving each a voice in how it is designed and implemented, in order to reflect internally the values of democracy and participation we promote externally. This model works for us because it is consistent with our values. Evaluating your own organization’s values can inform new models or practices through all levels of your staff, and provide a foundation for more cohesiveness and teamwork. Getting Started

Think about where your organization is in its life cycle. Is it a new or emerging organization; a developing organization that is seeking to expand its original programs and vision; a mature organization that is an institution in its community and viewed as a resource for other emerging organizations, partners, and community members? Perhaps your organization has outlived the original problems it was founded to address, by either solving the initial

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Leadership

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

problem or not adapting, as best practices or competition in the field emerged. This can be a challenging step, but great results can be achieved if organizations are very honest!

Define the existing leadership style and structure, and compare it to the above. Examine the areas where it is causing tension, clashing with your organization’s values, or perhaps slowing down the growth of your organization and staff.

With a coach, in a class, along side a mentor, or through independent research, learn about a range of leadership models. Share your findings with key staff and your board of directors to see if any new models or structures could improve your organization. Bring in staff and volunteers to discuss this process if you can.

Seek financial support to allow program staff release time for critical leadership development activities. Some foundations are very supportive of this process and funding release time. If you don’t have dedicated foundation support, perhaps you can dedicate unrestricted funds from donations and earned revenue, to support salary and training for those participating.

You may receive push-back or feel guilt over not doing the “program work” of your organization. Be confident that investing now in your organization’s leaders and developing a leadership model that mirrors your organization’s values will ensure the integrity of your organization and allow it to continue doing the good program work in which you are already engaged.

Resources for Digging Deeper

Leadership development courses offered by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services (based in the San Francisco Bay Area).

Exploration of one emerging leadership model based on the Leaderful concept, where staff members are supported, trained, and committed to adapt a collective, collaborative leadership approach throughout the entire organizational functions.

Further Reading

• Coaching Skills for Nonprofit Managers and Leaders (Judith Wilson and Michelle Gislason)

• The Leadership Challenge (Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner)

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What It Takes to be a Leader

They do what they say they will do. They keep their promises and follow through on their commitments.

Their actions are consistent with the wishes of the people they lead. They have a clear idea of what others value and what they can do.

They believe in the inherent self-worth of others. And they learn "how to discover and communicate the shared values and visions that can form a common ground on which all can stand."

They are capable of making a difference in the lives of others - and liberating the leader in everyone.

They admit their mistakes and realize that attempting to hide mistakes is much more damaging and erodes credibility. When they admit to making a mistake, they do something about it.

They arouse optimistic feelings and enable their people to hold positive thoughts about the possibilities of success.

They create a climate for learning characterized by trust and openness. Excerpted from: Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Jossey-Bass Inc.

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How Can Coaching Help? Coaches often help organizations by working individually with Executive Directors or other senior managers to help them discover their own solutions to organizational problems. They typically do this by asking a series of thought-provoking questions and offering listening and support. Coaching sessions are individualized, confidential, goal-oriented, and focused on improving organizational results. Here at the ILRC, our executive staff uses coaching to orient and support staff in new and evolving leadership positions. In one instance, our newly promoted Executive Director engaged in bi-weekly coaching sessions for the first year of his tenure. Our Deputy Director also engaged a coach to support her growth into the responsibilities of a new position at the ILRC. Coaches can assist executive staff to address a variety of issues including the following tough issues:

Managing crisis situations or conflict Improving management, supervisory, and delegation skills Creating a healthy organizational culture Planning for succession or developing leadership in existing staff Increasing performance and productivity Strengthening their own leadership and managerial skills Improving communication and interpersonal relationships with staff, board,

clients, and/or volunteers Fine tuning skills in practical areas such as budgeting, public speaking, goal

setting, meeting facilitation, and human resources Developing organizational and time management skills, and encouraging the

same in others Leading with vision while also managing day-to-day activities Reducing over-commitment and stress Making room for strategic thinking, even when pulled in many directions Maximizing staff effectiveness, rather than micro-managing

How Does Coaching Work?

“Consulting and coaching are the most effective ways to strengthen leadership capacity…” Paul M. Connolly, “Deeper Capacity Building for Greater Impact: Designing a Long-term Initiative to Strengthen a Set of Nonprofit Organizations,” a paper for the James Irvine Foundation.

The fee structure and arrangements will vary. Typically interviews with potential coaches are conducted by phone. Once you’ve chosen a coach, in your initial coaching session you and your coach will spend time getting to know each other, clarifying the coaching agreements and expectations, and outlining the goals and objectives on which you want to focus. The first session is almost always in person.

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Executive Coaching

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

Subsequent, on-going coaching can range from 30-90 minutes every 2-6 weeks, and can be held by phone or face-to-face, depending on the arrangement. Unfortunately, San Joaquin Valley has far fewer coaches than in the more urban and coastal regions near Los Angeles or San Francisco. However, many coaches are available to meet by telephone, which greatly expands the options of coaches and likelihood of finding one that is a good fit. Resources for Digging Deeper

CompassPoint Executive Coaching Referral Service

International Coach Federation

Institute of Management Consultants USA

CompassPoint’s Online Toolkit for Working with Coaches

Further Reading

Executive Coaching Project: Evaluation of Findings

What an Executive Coach Can Do for You

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Fundraising: More than the necessary evil of nonprofit work Fundraising can be the lifeblood of an organization. It involves some of the most important communication on behalf of your clients because it gives you an opportunity to educate and influence the public, and engage them in your work. You are experts and leaders in your field, and have a unique perspective on how organizations, individuals, communities, corporations, and foundations can engage with you to address mutual issues of concern. Foundations rely on nonprofits to fulfill their mission and their giving obligations and want to hear about the challenges facing your clients, your vital program work, the best practices and emerging trends in the field, and the impact of the support you are providing. Individuals give for a variety of reasons, usually because of a personal or emotional investment in the issues you address. Businesses often give to raise or develop their profile in the community, or to improve the lives of their potential and existing customers. In any case, with an individual, a business or corporation, and with a foundation, your organization is an expert in its field and has the unique role of educating and engaging those invested in your community. Getting Started

Develop a fundraising plan, including your organization’s needs and wants, realistic goals, and key members of staff responsible for each element of the plan. You’ll want to spend some time discussing your options for diverse streams of income and support. While related, fundraising from institutions (which involves grant writing and soliciting corporate support), and fundraising from individuals (which involve campaigns, events, and a regular cycle of communication), do need to have their own calendars and checklists for planning and action.

Engage and mobilize your board of directors, volunteers, clients (if appropriate), and greater community to raise money or seek resources in areas of their own expertise. Many board members have foundation, business, and personal contacts who can be called upon to support the organization. Be sure to tap into their connections, and help them to talk about your programs so they can make the case for support.

Work with your staff, your board, volunteers, and anyone who represents your organization to financial supporters, so all can confidently articulate your mission and key programs with clarity and enthusiasm. Each opportunity to interact with potential supporters can be an enriching experience if your audience is engaged to ask follow up questions or is presented with an opportunity to become more involved. You may want to spend some time as an organization developing a pitch – a quick description of the organization that accurately describes your work and why others would want to support it.

Use the books, resources, coaches, and classes available to gain the skills and tips in each area of development you have prioritized. The ILRC grants manager uses the systems outlined in Demystifying Grant Seeking to

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Fundraising Development

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

organize the files and calendar for all ILRC proposals and grants (referenced below), and dips back into it from time to time to keep herself organized.

Develop some stock language about your work, so you can consistently describe your work. This saves time in the long run, as you write many different letters and proposals, and also ensures consistency. Each time you write to a new potential funder, you will want to consider their priorities and how you can adapt your stock descriptions to make your work compelling to them in a way that stays true to your mission and goals.

Research funding sources (individuals, foundations, and businesses) that are interested in your clients or invested in your programs, especially those with whom your board, staff, and volunteers may have connections.

Set up fundraising goals and a calendar for approaching each of your targets, in the manner best suited to them. For example, board members and volunteers can approach individuals at key times of the year, agency directors and staff members can write compelling proposals according to emerging needs and the funding cycles of the foundations on their action lists, and marketing or other staff members can approach businesses about marketing and sponsorship opportunities, ways to support communities that may also be their customers, or in-kind and other giving opportunities.

Keep clear and accurate records of your fund raising goals, activities, and accomplishments. Maintain a calendar of reports and thank you letters, and make those letters personal to show your appreciation as well as professional to demonstrate your competency and leadership. Acknowledge your financial support publicly, according to your supporters’ instructions or guidelines.

Use the ways you communicate with each of your supporters or partners to build relationships. Even if a proposal or request for a donation is rejected, continue to communicate with your contacts and cultivate their interest in your organization. This can be an opportunity to learn more about their priorities and how you can describe your organization differently or adapt (without abandoning your core mission) to their priorities.

Resources for Digging Deeper

• The Foundation Center. The Foundation Center is a national nonprofit service organization recognized as the nation’s leading authority on organized philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust. They have a robust, searchable database of foundations for grants seekers, which you can subscribe to at various levels, or use for free at their libraries. The closest Foundation Center library to the San Joaquin Central Valley is in San Francisco. However, the Foundation Center also has Cooperating Collections that are free funding information centers in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers that provide a core collection of Foundation Center publications and a variety of supplementary materials and services in areas useful to grantseekers. These are located throughout the state, including a number in the San Joaquin Valley. The list of locations can be found here (or navigate via this URL in a web browser - http://foundationcenter.org/collections/ccca.html).

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• Klein & Roth Consulting Services. A great resource, publisher of a number of useful books, and wise counsel for those just getting started with individual giving campaigns.

• Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. A multiracial organization that promotes the connection between fundraising, social justice and movement-building, providing training, resources and analysis to help strengthen organizations, with an emphasis on those focused on social justice and based in communities of color.

• Mal Warwick Associates. The website of this experienced nonprofit fundraising consultant contains a wealth of online information, including past newsletter archives, on direct solicitation campaigns.

Further Reading

Fundraising through giving campaigns

• Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times: What Good Causes Need to Know to Survive and Thrive (Kim Klein)

• Raise More Money: The Best of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal (Edited by Kim Klein and Stephanie Roth)

Fundraising through program grants

• Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You Really Need to Do to Get Grants (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit and Public Management Series)

• Grantwriting for Dummies (Beverly A. Browning)

• Grassroots Grants: An Activists Guide to Grantseeking (Andy Robinson)

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Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

Whether your organization’s budget is $25,000 or $2.5 million, the fundamentals of financial integrity are based on common principles. Maintaining the integrity of your financial management system is one of the keystones for your continuing success. Poor financial management can severely damage an organization by wasting resources, ruining its reputation, and inhibiting its ability to deliver quality services. Proper training and a healthy system of adequate checks and balances ensure efficiency and transparency, and support best practices. Since we are part of the public and charitable support sector, we have an obligation to uphold financial management systems that are in the best interests of those we serve, and those who support us. Getting Started: ways to support, implement and develop sound financial management practices

• Take some time to understand ‘generally accepted accounting principles’ (GAAP), so you can more comfortably communicate with accounting professionals, whether they are part of your staff, board, banks, granting institutions, donors, or tax preparers.

• Begin with the basics — understand common financial terms, choose your accounting methods, and work with financial statements.

• Keep your bookkeeping in balance — set up a chart of accounts, record transactions, plan your budget, and balance your cash flow to make informed decisions about all past, current and future financial transactions.

• Understand the specific requirements of your funding sources, especially government grants.

• Establish a firm system of internal controls and risk management. These may sound like technical terms, but all staff who handle agency financial resources or participate in budget development would benefit from literacy in these key areas.

• Carefully consider how to manage your payroll obligations, as this will most likely be the biggest liability for your agency. This may include hiring an outside payroll service to process employee paychecks, calculate taxes and deductions, and complete tax forms.

• Do you need an annual audit by an independent accountant? Even if your budget size does not yet trigger an audit requirement, understanding the principles of an audit is one part of sound financial management. Form an internal audit committee or financial advisory committee, understand applicable standards of financial and tax reporting, and develop and maintain a thorough system of documentation.

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Financial Management & Planning

“Good financial management should be put into place when an organization is founded and continue throughout the life and growth of the organization. Since it’s harder to put good financial management practices into place once an organizational culture has developed, it is especially important and easiest to start these practices early in small organizations.” From Nonprofit Financial Management Concepts, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

Resources for Digging Deeper

• A glossary of common financial management terms, excerpted from Financial Leadership for Nonprofit Executives (Jeanne Bell and Elizabeth Schaffer)

• More on the fundamentals of a basic system of internal controls and the particular risks that small nonprofits may face.

• If you are just getting started, or want to consider a standard nonprofit chart of accounts, this site will explain more and provide some tools for getting started.

• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services regularly offers a full range of financial management trainings. Topics will include budgeting for nonprofit organizations (including grant proposals), financial management concepts (including strategy and planning), and use of accounting software such as Quickbooks.

Further Reading

• Financial Leadership for Nonprofit Executives: Guiding Your Organization to Long-term Success (Jeanne Bell and Elizabeth Schaffer)

• Streetsmart Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers (Thomas A. McLaughlin)

• Nonprofit Bookkeeping & Accounting For Dummies (Sharon Farris)

• Unified Financial Reporting System for Not-for-Profit Organizations: A Comprehensive Guide to Unifying GAAP, IRS Form 990 and Other Financial Reports Using a Unified Chart of Accounts (Russy D. Sumariwalla and Wilson C. Levis). Note: this book was published in 2000, and is best considered a reference book for setting up a well-structured fund management system.

• Audit & Accounting Guide: Not-for-Profit Entities (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)

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Trust, credibility, respect, fairness, camaraderie and morale are some of the bedrock qualities of a thriving organization, and what works on the outside, works on the inside, too. The high quality and values that you share with your clients will be strengthened by the internal systems in place to support your employees’ ability to thrive and contribute to a safe and respectful workplace. Employer policies have been well-documented, and need to be considered with professional regard. We advise taking these following steps to establish a foundation for the well-being of your organization and employees.

“Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can't expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don't exceed the employees' expectations of management.” Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks

Getting Started

• The board and staff leaders need to discuss and carefully consider the personnel policies that will guide you along every step of employee hiring and management. One way to begin would be to consult Nolo Press’ library of employer handbooks, covering the full range of issues from mandatory non-discrimination policies to workplace safety, to wage and hour laws.

• House these policies and guidelines in your organization’s unique employee or personnel handbook, which will clearly explain expectations to your staff. We also advise working with an employment lawyer to review your handbook, to help you with legal compliance issues. The ILRC would be happy to share our employee handbook as an example or reference guide.

• The health and safety of your employees are important concerns and significant costs to the organization. Therefore, health and medical benefits should be clearly considered and documented, as well. Many smaller organizations use health insurance brokers or other group insurance providers who are able to specifically support organizations with fewer than twenty employees. As part of your employment policy considerations, you’ll want to discuss and define what type of benefits your organization will offer to all staff.

• Helping your employees succeed in their roles will help you serve your clients and fulfill your organization’s mission. Therefore, employees will need to have a clear understanding of their job responsibilities. Job descriptions for each position will be the best and standard way to document these expectations. Through internet resources or other publications, you will be able to find many written examples of positions that are common or critical to nonprofit community organizations. You will want to spend some time crafting the positions and their descriptions to be particularly useful to the agency needs. Additionally, if the position is new, the description may need to be updated or revised when the employee has established some

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Human Resources & Personnel

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

experience within the responsibilities. Relevant and clear job descriptions are one component of longer term (and longer lasting) employee success.

• Within a 12-18 month period, conduct employee evaluations in order to provide staff with a forum for receiving and giving formal feedback that is specific to job performance. Again, this is a system that is best informed by good employer policy, consistent and enforceable workplace expectations, and strong employee relations.

Resources for Digging Deeper

• Nolo Press is known for ‘plain English’ guides to common legal issues that we all may encounter in our daily lives. Their website offers an on-line encyclopedia, with many FAQs, on a wide range of personnel and employer topics. This is a good place to start to become familiar with the responsibilities you face as an employer.

• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services offers several very good employer or manager trainings, covering supervision, performance evaluations, and other best practices for communication of management expectations.

Further Reading Nolo Press was established in 1971 on the principle that the law should be accessible to all. They have published and updated many handbooks on specific areas of human resources and employment law topics. The ILRC is willing to share with you the systems or documents we have created in these areas as well. Please contact Shari Kurita, ILRC Assistant Director at skurita@ilrc.org for more information.

• The Employer’s Legal Handbook (Fred Steingold)

• Create Your Own Employee Handbook (Amy DelPo and Lisa Guerin)

• The Performance Appraisal Handbook (Amy DelPo)

• The Job Description Handbook (Margie Mader-Clark)

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One of the first steps you took to obtain your IRS-recognized nonprofit status may have been to select your board of directors. You recognized that an engaged and effective board is key to your organization's success. Your board is a source of philanthropy, community support, and representation in the multiple roles they play in service to your organization and mission — as leaders, planners, stewards, fundraisers, and partners. They are a valuable asset to your work and public accountability, and deserve support for their important roles and contributions. Your board may be high achieving in all of its key functions. Yet, it may also be time to expand or diversify your board by adding new members who represent different constituencies within your service population. Also, in order to recruit new members or support your current board, your governance documents may be in need of updating. The ILRC recently underwent a governance evaluation process, led by a board team working in conjunction with students from the Mills Legal Clinic of Stanford Law School, who provided us with fully updated by-laws and governance guidelines. While it was a careful and time-consuming exercise, constituting approximately nine months of discussion and project management, the result is a stronger, more cohesive board leadership.

Getting Started

• Clearly stating the expectations for your board members: In order to retain your active board members, or to enthusiastically recruit new board members in partnership with your current board, you may want to revisit or develop your board job description so that the role and expectations of board members are up to date and clearly stated. Some fundamental expectations may include supporting the mission of the organization, having the time and commitment to attend regular meetings and special events and to serve on board committees, making an annual financial commitment, accepting the appropriate role in regards to governing, oversight, and fiduciary responsibilities, and speaking knowledgeably for the organization.

• Expanding and diversifying your board: Your board can be the strongest core of your volunteers and supporters. Building board membership provides opportunity to add key expertise, such as employment law or human resource experience, financial management or special event enthusiasm, in addition to key constituency representation. You’ll want to begin with a discussion amongst board and staff leaders to design a recruitment strategy or hold a recruitment brainstorm.

• Sustaining your board’s effectiveness: Each board member’s role is enormous, as the entire group is the official governance body of your organization. While these responsibilities include fiscal management and upholding best management practices for transparency and accountability, many of your board members became involved because they believe in the mission of your organization or represent the community your organization

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Board Governance

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

serves. Balancing and enlivening the full range of the board’s involvement can provide for a process that deepens their commitment. This process can also clarify roles, evaluate current functions, and engage in planning for new activities or ways to participate in the organization’s programs.

• Supporting your board’s development: Because the board’s partnership is critical to the success of your organization, a periodic update of their governance skills and collaborative working relationships may refresh their commitment, too. We understand that board members are very busy people, but be careful not to neglect their needs as well. Discuss or look for opportunities to engage your board so this partnership continues to thrive.

Resources for Digging Deeper

• Board Café Archives. A wealth of board-related articles compiled from past newsletters on nonprofit boards written by CompassPoint staff and consultants. Now, Board Café is a regular column in the online magazine Blue Avocado, an e-magazine written for people who work and volunteer in the nonprofit sector. New Board Café articles can be read on the Blue Avocado website or you can receive it via email by signing up for a free subscription at www.blueavocado.org.

• The Multiple Roles of Nonprofit Boards. A resource list including citations to selected works from the Foundation Center's bibliographic database, Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

• Governance Matters. Governance resources designed for nonprofit leaders to strengthen their boards and serve their communities better. Peer-learning roundtables, workshops, and educational resources listed on the website.

The ILRC has a working Board Handbook which we would be happy to share as a resource. Please contact Shari Kurita, ILRC Assistant Director at skurita@ilrc.org for more information. Further Reading

• Wiley Publishers has an extensive list of publications dedicated to board and governance-related topics. Please visit their website to view the titles and summaries.

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Technology has provided many tools for people to communicate with each other. Ranging from your phone system to email server to mobile devices, we have more choices available for how to reach out and talk with each other, with more options being developed or upgraded all of the time. The critical starting point may best be informed by understanding the most effective way to communicate with those you wish to serve. Do your clients respond best to printed materials, phone conversations, email or text alerts, or face-to-face meetings? Are these habits or preferences shifting if your population spans multiple generations and/or different ethnic groups? Additional considerations include the experience of your staff. Who is comfortable with computers and the various programs that your office uses or needs, such as Word, Excel, or other programs such as databases? Who uses social media most and best understands its potential for your organization? Is there agreement about the effectiveness of learning how to use computers, and if they allow you to serve your clients better? If you implement new technology systems, how will your staff be trained and how with the system be maintained? Technology decisions can pose some of the most strategic choices and considerations to make. When budgeting for the acquisition of new or improved technology systems, you’ll also need to factor in staff costs, training, and future maintenance or upgrade requirements. Getting Started: developing a technology strategy and implementation plan

• Create an Information Technology (IT) management team. First steps for the team to tackle include:

o Assemble a staff team to begin discussing needs, ideas, any reluctance, and directions for critical technology development. At this stage of planning, you may want to broaden the team to include board members or other advisors if they have relevant expertise, interest, or experience.

o Provide a realistic technology budget that takes into account the organization’s technology plans.

o Find a focal point for future technology planning, and specific technology projects such as website construction or database planning.

o Discuss staffing needs, and impact on current staff roles and responsibilities.

• Diversifying the membership of the IT management team could help ensure that such technology policy is useful for all members of an organization.

• Ongoing responsibilities of the IT management team may include the following: o Establish a yearly technology budget, addressing equipment

(hardware) and software needs, data management tools and

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Technology

software, website development, network and email systems, and security and privacy policies.

o Document procedures and policies for technology usage and development.

o Improve data and information security, and if you have one, network server security as well.

o Evaluate the need for regular systems administration, and your strategy for maintaining and acquiring it

o Create a staff training plan.

More Thoughts on IT Roles and Responsibilities The following list of roles and responsibilities are inherently present in organizations that possess any level of computing technology. While the official titles and job duties of the particular staff assigned to these roles may vary among organizations, or not reflect formal titles, the table below captures the functional role these individuals are playing in supporting and developing the computing environment of an organization.

Roles for participants of an IT Team

Technology Steering Committee – Responsible for setting priorities, recommending budget items, and establishing policies and procedures.

Technology Strategist (aka Chief Information Officer or CIO) – Responsible for establishing the future direction of technology usage for the organization.

Network Administrator – Manages the network, server, user accounts, and backups.

Systems Administrator – Ensures individual workstations are properly configured and are running properly.

Database Administrator – Ensures that the database is accessible to users, secure, and running well.

Backup Administrator – Responsible for ensuring that system backups are running and are verified.

Technical Troubleshooter – Responsible for resolving day to day technology issues.

Website Administrator – Responsible for establishing the direction and functionality of the website and administering basic content updates.

Email Administrator – Responsible for setting up and terminating email accounts, resetting passwords, implementing email forwards, etc.

External technical support – Vendor(s) relied upon for supporting hardware and software.

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Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

Resources for Digging Deeper

• TechSoup.org is the premier resource for discount software and technology information for nonprofit agencies, allowing nonprofits with limited budgets to make more affordable technology investments. TechSoup.org offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. Nonprofits interested in participating in the discount software program will be required to fill out an eligibility application establishing that they have 501(c)(3) status.

• TechAtlas has tools to assist an organization with evaluating the level of training that is required for each staff member through its survey tools.

• “Technology Training: The Nonprofit Viewpoint” is a TechSoup article that discusses the need and value of staff training.

• “Managing Technology Use Risks on TechSoup” This article contains more information on establishing computer usage polices.

• “Technology Budgeting Basics” This TechSoup article discusses the basics of technology budgeting.

• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services has an archive of articles focusing on Information Technology (IT) planning and implementation.

• To have a website or not to have a website, and what can it do for your cause? Here’s a resource available through Slideshare on “Five Ways Every Nonprofit Should Use the Internet.”

Resources on Ergonomics and Healthy Computing

• TechSoup: “An Introduction to Ergonomics”

• Ergonomics.org: this website is a good resource for ergonomic computing information.

• Safe Computing: this website sells devices to aid in ergonomically correct computing.

Further Reading

• An excerpt from The Accidental Techie: Supporting, Managing and Maximizing your Nonprofit’s Technology (Sue Bennett). This book details the challenges and critical decisions that many nonprofits face while putting technology to use for your mission, staff and clients. The excerpt provides some insight into seeking funding for technology development and investment.

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Strategic planning and strategic thinking provide organizations with tools for decision-making and growth Organizations undergo strategic planning processes for a number of reasons. Some struggle with such an overwhelming need in their communities that every hour of the day is spent responding to crises, without the time to consider opportunities to evolve, or to become more effective in the delivery of programs. Others would like to take some time to address the root causes of the issues facing their clients along side longer term solutions. At some point, your organization may be required to produce a strategic plan in order to secure funding. A good strategic planning process will help your organization identify its core programs or services that are mission driven and financially and politically possible. This will help staff and leadership make good choices about which areas to grow, how to focus fundraising efforts, and where necessary, identify programs or projects that are perhaps no longer in line with the existing or new direction of the organization, or not possible to fund or complete. A strategic planning process typically takes six months to a year, and results in drafting a blueprint for the organization going forward over the next three to five years. Strategic planning traditionally explores the programmatic directions and opportunities for the organization, either guided by an outside consultant or an experienced staff member who can assess the organization with input from key staff members. An alternative to creating a conventional organizational strategic plan is to infuse critical decisions with strategic thinking principles, and practice strategic decision-making throughout the lifespan of the organization. Getting Started

Attend a Strategic Thinking class through CompassPoint, to see how strategic planning principles can be integrated into all of your decision-making processes. This will allow you to adapt any concrete strategic plans you make as needed, without losing site of your stated end goals

Identify your ability to engage in a strategic planning process. Make sure you have release time for key staff members to participate in the construction and review of the plan document. Decide in advance how much time you have for strategic planning, as well as how far in the future (three to five years?) planning will address. Be clear about why you are engaging in the planning process and how you will use, evaluate, and modify your plan over time.

Engage a consultant or experienced planner – or perhaps you already have someone within your organization who has or could attain the skills to lead the project. In either case, make sure the person understands the type of plan you are seeking and has the skills to guide the process through to the creation of a functional plan.

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Strategic Thinking & Planning

Please see the Resource Directory starting on page 25 for agencies that provide support in this area.

Be prepared to articulate your mission, your core values, and the state of your organization, both internally and how externally within the context of your community. It will be critical to consider the opportunities and threats facing your community, such as emerging trends, new legislation and policies, and competing or complementary agencies in your community.

Resources for Digging Deeper

CompassPoint provides coaching, classes, and tools for strategic planning and thinking.

Foundation Center has a free library in San Francisco, links to limited online resources, and publishes a resource for foundations that fund strategic planning.

Further Reading

Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd Edition (Michael Allison and Jude Kaye)

Simplified Strategic Planning: The No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast (Robert Bradford, Brian Tarcy)

Applied Strategic Planning: An Introduction (Timothy Nolan, Leonard Goodstein, Jeanette Goodstein)

The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution (David La Piana)

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Consultants............................................................................................................. 25 Management Support Organizations ...................................................................... 30 Nonprofit Management Higher Education Programs .............................................. 34 Technology Resources ........................................................................................... 37 Volunteer or Internship Services............................................................................. 38

Note: The listings are organized alphabetically within each grouping. Please share any feedback, additions, updates or questions about these listings with us at clp@ilrc.org. CONSULTANTS 3fold Communications Contact: Kim Tucker, Director of Nonprofit Services 1722 J Street, Suite 17 Sacramento, CA 95811 916/ 442-1394; Fax 916/ 442-1664 3fold primarily serves for-profit businesses and enterprises, and also has a nonprofit services arm. They offer brand advocacy and communications consulting, insight into industry best practices, and strategic marketing to attract new funding, increase their clients’ influence, and strengthen their impact. They also focus on board development and strategic planning processes.

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Blue Thistle Consulting Contact: Oscar Wolters-Duran 99 Longridge Road Orinda, CA 94563 800/ 805-8918 E-Mail: oscar@bluethistleconsulting.com Website: www.bluethistleconsulting.com Blue Thistle Consulting specializes in helping small nonprofit organizations develop new ways to grow and accomplish their mission. They have worked with several organizations serving communities of color in the Central Valley, helping them develop strategic plans, strengthen their board of directors, and identify new ways to

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Resource Directory

raise funds. In addition to strategic planning services, Blue Thistle has experienced trainers and coaches, providing directors, managers, and line staff with tools to build important skills and knowledge.

**************** California Capital Financial Development Corporation Contact: Deborah Muramoto 2000 O Street, Suite 250 Sacramento, CA 95811 Tel: 916/442-1729; Fax: 916/442-7852 E-mail: info@cacapital.org Website: www.cacapital.org California Capital's mission is to provide capital and development assistance to increase economic opportunities for underserved communities and non-profit community groups serving: seniors, people re-entering the mainstream workforce, women's groups, immigrants, minorities, and micro-entrepreneurs.

**************** Empowerment Strategies Jacqueline Ryle, PhD P.O. Box 9281 Fresno, CA 93791 559/226-3623; Fax 559/226-6276 E-mail: drjryle@mac.com Empowerment Strategies provides coaching, facilitation, training, board development, conflict resolution and other services to strengthen organizational capacity.

**************** Fischer Communications Contact: Bobbi Fischer, Principal 1440 Broadway, Suite 713 Oakland, CA 94612 510/868-3355; Cell 925/366-5173 E-mail: bobbi@fischercommunications.com Website: www.fischercommunications.com Fischer Communications works in health care, social services and government organizations; develops and implements strategic communications plans, media relations and media advocacy campaigns, social marketing programs and other communications activities; provides mentoring and media training programs as well as communication workshops for local, state and national nonprofit organizations.

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Kevin Fong Organizational Design 415/309-6848 E-mail: Kevin@kevinfong.net Website: www.kevinfong.net/index.php

Kevin Fong provides consulting services focused on organizational design and leadership development, supporting clients to build frameworks for leadership, communication, governance and strategic direction. He is willing to engage all levels of an organization to understand the cycles of long-range and strategic thinking and respond to both anticipated and unanticipated changes in a constructive manner, and is experiences in supporting communication & conflict resolution, leadership development, strategic planning & implementation, systems & space design, and teambuilding.

**************** Full Circle Projects, Inc. Contact: S.A. Kushinka or Tom Dawson 116 New Montgomery Street, Suite 605 San Francisco, CA 94105 415/296-5145 SA Kushinka: 415/296-5146 Tom Dawson: 415/296-5147 E-mail: sak@fu1lcircleprojects.com or tom@fullcircleprojects.com Website: www.fhllcircleprojects.com Full Circle Projects develops projects to match the needs, capabilities, resources and missions of clients in the areas of strategic technology planning, feasibility studies for EHR, data warehousing and shared systems; technology project management; information system design; software procurement; implementation planning, management and support; and technology capacity building for a variety of public and private community nonprofits.

**************** Maria Gitin & Associates Contact: Maria Gitin, CFRE P.O. Box 216 Capitola, CA 95010-0216 831/708-2560; Cell 831/344-6176 E-mail: msgitin@mariagitin.com Website: www.mariagitin.com Maria Gitin & Associates offers training, coaching and consulting that specializes in small to mid-size capital campaigns, board development and strategic planning with an emphasis on cultural competency and work with diverse organizations. Consulting services are offered primarily in Northern California.

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Harder & Company Community Research Contact: Clare Nolan MPP (Vice President) 299 Kansas Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415/522-5400; Fax 415/522-5445 Email: cnolan@harderco.com Website: www.harderco.com Harder & Company Community Research has offices in San Francisco, Davis, San Diego, and Los Angeles. They provide community-based research and strategic planning services to nonprofits, government, and foundations; help clients use data to plan programs, allocate resources, and operate more effectively; and specialize in program evaluation and diverse stakeholder engagement, often commissioned by funders of nonprofit organizations.

**************** Adele James Consulting 2121 Natomas Crossing Drive, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95834 916/ 564-3607 info@adelejamesconsulting.com Website: www. adelejamesconsulting.com Adele James Consulting is an organizational development consultancy specializing in program planning and design, grant proposal development, research and analysis, meeting facilitation and training design, and capacity building. Their aim is to support individuals, teams and organizations in maximizing their unique capabilities and working more effectively.

**************** JAYBEE Consultants Contact: Beryl Michaels, Principal 5505 Coronawood Lane Carmichael, CA 95608 916/486-4926; Fax 916/486-4926 E-Mail: JBConsultants@comcast.net JAYBEE Consultants specializes in strategic growth management for nonprofits, including organizational assessments, team-based capacity-building action planning, coaching for executive directors and board presidents, board development, meeting facilitation and executive search.

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LPC Consulting Associates, Inc. Contact: Lynne Perez Cannady 2015 J Street, Suite 205 Sacramento, CA 95811 916/ 448-8026; Fax 916/ 448-1056 Email: support@lpc-associates.com Website: www.lpc-associates.com

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LPC specializes in program evaluation, with related experience in evaluating planning and collaboration; developing and conducting needs assessment studies; and facilitating a variety of processes that are integral to evaluation research. Services include evaluation design, logic model development, evaluation and needs assessments, strategic planning, and capacity building.

**************** Melano and Associates Contact: Gabriela Melano 103 Pepper Lane Petaluma, CA 94952 707/ 794-9765 Melano and Associates are organizational development consultants working for the greater good; focusing on collaborative decision-making processes and non-adversarial conflict resolution theories and practices (including mediation, negotiation, group facilitation and systemic planning, vis-à-vis cross cultural issues. They conduct qualitative and participatory research projects with a particular focus on multi-cultural populations.

**************** Theresa Nelson & Associates Contact: Theresa Nelson 446 Hudson Street Oakland, CA 94618 510/420-0539; Fax 510/420-1817 E-mail: Theresa@theresanelson.com Theresa Nelson & Associates specializes in fund development and strategic planning for nonprofit organizations; focuses on creating long-term value for donors, volunteer leadership and staff; works with Board volunteers and staff using a collaborative approach.

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Paul Pierce Organization Design & Development 636 E. Floradora Fresno,CA 93728 559/264-4421 E-Mail: paul@paulepierce.com Website: www.paulepierce.com Paul Pierce provides leadership and team development; strategic planning and vision development/refinement; graphic facilitation for organization, board and community meetings; organization design & development.

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MANAGEMENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS Center for Civic Partnerships Contact: Tanya Kleinman, Assistant Director 1851 Heritage Lane, Suite 250 Sacramento, CA 95815 916/646-8680; Fax 916/646-8660 E-mail: tkleinman@civicpartnerships.org; ccp@civicpartnerships.org Website: www.civicpartnerships.org Center for Civic Partnerships serves as a support organization to strengthen individuals, organizations and communities through learning, leadership development and networking; provides skill building workshops, consulting and technical assistance services, awards, and referrals to financial and programmatic resources.

**************** CompassPoint Nonprofit Services Contact: Jeanne Bell, CEO 731 Market Street, Suite 200 San Francisco, CA 94103 415/541-9000; Fax 415/541-7708 E-mail:info@compasspoint.org Website: www.compasspoint.org For over 30 years, CompassPoint has served the Bay Area nonprofit community and beyond through the delivery of high quality programming for nonprofit organizations and staff, including workshops, consulting, initiatives, conferences, research, and publications. Their mission is to increase the impact of community nonprofits and the people who work and volunteer in them. They place particular emphasis on working with staff and organizations that serve vulnerable populations, that are based in communities of color, and that lead social change.

**************** Great Valley Center Contact: Heidi Arno 201 Needham Street Modesto, CA 95354 209/522-5103; Fax 209/522-5116 E-mail: heidi@greatvalley.org Website: www.greatvalley.org Great Valley Center supports activities and organizations that promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Central Valley; works to build capacity of community nonprofits through individual leadership development programs (such as the Great Valley Fellow Program, which offers outstanding young professionals apprenticeship opportunities in the public, private and nonprofit sectors) and conferences; issues reports on the state of the Central Valley.

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Nonprofit Resource Center Contact: Ann Lucas, Executive Director 1331 Garden Highway Sacramento, CA 95833 916/285-1840 Fax: 888/550- 6772 Website: www.nprcenter.org Nonprofit Resource Center serves as a management support organization by providing training, consultation, organizational assessments and information services; presently serving Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada region counties. They also conduct and host Ask the Expert events, the Executive Directors’ Network, and BoardLink, an online matching service to help recruit, train and place potential nonprofit board members.

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Northern California Community Loan Fund 870 Market Street Suite 677 San Francisco, CA 94102 415/ 392-8215 E-Mail: info@ncclf.org www.ncclf.org The Northern California Community Loan Fund provides financing and expertise to strengthen low-income neighborhoods and enable disadvantaged people to build a better future. Their Fiscal Fitness and Facility Fitness programs help community organizations build their financial-management and space-acquisition capacity through consulting, workshops and advice. They offer a variety of workshops and workshop clinics to help nonprofits target and monitor their resources: money, people, and facilities. These workshops focus on achieving financial management excellence and making strategic choices about facilities.

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One by One Leadership Contact: Gloria Meyers 1727 L Street Fresno, CA 93721 559/233-2000 Extension 103; Fax 559/233-2810 E-mail: gmeyers@leadershipfoundations.org Website: www.onebyoneleadership.com One by One Leadership is a faith-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage people in urban leadership that results in the economic, educational and spiritual transformation of the community.

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Relational Culture Institute 3485 W. Shaw Suite #103 Fresno, CA 93711 559/276-2304 Fax: 559/276-2304 Website: www.relationalculture.org/aboutrci.html Relational Culture Institute is a network of Central Valley congregations working to develop grassroots leaders and associations in underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley. They seek to provide opportunities to link community organizations and associations in regional networks and strategic partnerships in order to increase the overall quality of life for families throughout the region.

**************** Sierra Nonprofit Services Contact: Donna Wilson, Executive Director P.O. Box 905 591 S. Washington Street Sonora, CA 95370 209/533-1093; Fax 209/533-1001 E-mail: info@sierranonprofit.org Website: www.sierranonprofit.org Sierra Nonprofit Services provides comprehensive resources for nonprofit innovation and growth through learning and leadership activities, such as workshops in leadership skills, nonprofit management, board development, grant writing, fundraising, and leadership and teamwork among board and staff maintains a comprehensive listing of nonprofit organizations operating in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mariposa and Amador counties. Also a Volunteer Resource Center for Tuolumne, Calavaras and Mariposa Counties. They provide free access to Foundation Center grant search databases through their Foundation Center Cooperating Collection site. Please note, at this time, the organization list currently only covers Tuolumne, Calaveras and Mariposa Counties.

**************** United Way of Stanislaus County Contact: Francine DiCiano, Interim CEO PO Box 3066 422 McHenry Avenue Modesto, CA 95354 209/523-4562; Fax 209/523-4568 E-mail: dtrulin@uwaystan.org; hpope@uwaystan.org Website: http://uwaystan.unitedwaysecure.org United Way of Stanislaus County assists in the long-range community planning process by discovering gaps, overlaps and duplication in services.

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United Way of Fresno County Contact: Yvonne Freve, Vice President, Community Building 4949 East Kings Canyon Road Fresno, CA 93727 559/244-5710; Fax 559/228-8159 E-mail: info@UnitedWayFresno.org Website: www.UnitedWayFresno.org United Way of Fresno County provides nonprofits with no-cost training in grant writing, legal issues, research and other topics; provides meeting and training facilities and leases office space to nonprofits at special rates; acts as a fiscal agent for federal and state programs and assists in the development of collaborative efforts.

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United Way of Kern County Contact: Della D. Hodson, President 5405 Stockdale Highway, #200 Bakersfield, CA 93309 661/834-1820; Fax 661/834-2952; Della 661/834-1559 E-mail: della.h@uwkern.org Website: www.uwkern.org United Way of Kern County helps individuals and nonprofit organizations to develop partnerships that will create a stronger, healthier and safer community.

**************** United Way of Merced Contact: Flip Hassett, Executive Director P.O. Box 2026 1744 N. “G” Street, Suite H Merced, CA 95340 209/383-4242; Fax 209/383-4254; Cell 209/321-1202 E-mail: flip@unitedwaymerced.org Website: www.unitedwaymerced.org United Way of Merced provides funding support to established nonprofits, with a focus on smaller agencies that seldom receive exposure.

**************** United Way of Tulare County Nonprofit Management Services Contact: Emy Blankenship, Director of Community Impact 1601 East Prosperity Avenue Tulare, CA 93274 559/685-1766; Fax 559/685-9541 E-mail: emy@unitedwaytc.org Website: www.unitedwaytc.org/Nonprofit_Management_Services.php

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United Way of Tulare County provides financial resources and management services to community nonprofit organizations; helps to build capacity through managed self-assessment leading to strategic planning. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS American Humanics Nonprofit Administration Program Contact: Robert Palacio, Chair California State University, Fresno Social Science Building, Room 225 5340 North Campus Drive, M/S SS97 Fresno, CA 93470-8019 559/278-2234; Fax 559/278-6468 E-mail: bobp@csufresno.edu Websites: www.csufresno.edu/sociology/degrees/humanics.shtml and www.humanics.org The American Humanics Nonprofit Administration Program is an interdisciplinary academic program that prepares and certifies students and community members in management and leadership for nonprofit community benefit organizations; offers a nonprofit internship program.

**************** California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS) Contact: Gail Wadsworth, Interim Executive Director 221 G Street, Suite 204. Davis, CA 95616 530/756-6555, Ext. 17; Fax 530/756-7429 E-mail: gwadsworth@cirsinc.org ; info@cirsinc.org CIRS conducts public interest research that aims to strengthen social justice and increase the sustainability of California’s rural communities. Their research has informed public policy and action for social change while providing information to organizations and individuals working to ameliorate rural injustice. They also do targeted research including evaluations, planning studies and needs assessments to help community-based organizations, foundations and public sector agencies identify ways to improve programs and advocate for more effective policies.

**************** Center for California Studies Contact: Timothy A. Hodson, Executive Director California State University Sacramento 6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819-6081 916/278-6906; Fax 916/278-5199 E-mail: calstudies@csus.edu ; hodsonta@csus.edu Center for California Studies combines multi-disciplinary educational resources with government and community services to address California policy issues.

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**************** Center for Economic Development Contact: Dan Ripke, Director California State University, Chico Chico, CA 95929-0765 530/898-4598; Fax 530/898-4734 E-Mail: dripke@csuchico.edu Website: www.cedcal.com Center for Economic Development specializes in planning, community development, employment generation, natural resource management, leadership training and other areas; provides economic development assistance to communities of Northern California; develops annual economic and demographic profiles for 21 counties in the Northern California service region.

**************** Center for Public Policy Studies Contact: John Garcia Ph.D. California State University, Stanislaus Bizzini Hall Building #2 Room #100 801 Monte Vista Avenue Turlock, CA 95382 209/667-3342; Fax 209/667-3725 E-mail: jgarcia@csustan.edu Website: www.csustan.edu/cpps Center for Public Policy Studies facilitates regional and community problem-solving through activities and research projects that bring together diverse constituencies and perspectives to clarify issues, consider options and build consensus; focuses on economy, natural resources, population and demography, governance and community development.

**************** Central Valley Health Policy Institute Contact: John A. Capitman, PhD, Executive Director California State University, Fresno 1625 East Shaw Avenue, Suite 146 Fresno, CA 93710-8 106 559/118-2157;Fax559/228-2168 E-mail: jcapitmancsufresno.edu Central valley Healthy Policy Institute provides tailored support to government, healthcare and community organizations through analysis of health and health services information; collaborates with diverse groups on solving healthcare delivery challenges; offers a year-long intensive health policy leadership program, a health policy fellowship program and individual work with organizations to assist in proposal development.

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**************** Jan & Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning California State University, Fresno Contact: Chris Fiorentino, Director 5241 N. Maple Ave. M/S TA120 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 559/278-7079 E-mail: chrisf@csufresno.edu Website: www.csufresno.edu/cesl Jan & Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning aims to create a better community through service and learning; provides students, staff and faculty opportunities to be involved in service that ranges from one-time volunteerism to in-depth, long-term service internships; creates linkages between the University and the community.

**************** School of Business and Professional Studies University of San Francisco (USF) Contact: Kathleen Fletcher 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117 415/422-5121 E-mail: fletcher@usfca.edu Website for School of Business and Professional Studies: http://web.usfca.edu/bps/ Website for Nonprofit Administration degree: http://web.usfca.edu/templates/bps_ps_masters_home.aspx?id=2147485453 The USF School of Business and Professional Studies offers the Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) degree for people already working in the nonprofit sector or planning to work in the nonprofit sector. Two-year program, classes convenient for working adults (evenings and/or Saturdays).

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TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES BCT Consulting Central Valley Office/Headquarters BCT Consulting, Inc. 497 N Clovis Ave, Suite 310 Clovis, CA 93611 Website: www.bctconsulting.com

Bay Area Office BCT Consulting, Inc. 719 San Benito St, Suite B Hollister, CA 95023 559/322-1989; Fax 559/472-7300 Email: crawn@bctconsulting.com

BCT Consulting provides computer network support, web design, application programming and other technology services, located in Clovis, California. Specializing in keeping up to date on the latest technology so that their technicians, programmers, web designers and office support staff can provide clients with the quality support for technology needs. BCT will also provide hourly discounts for nonprofits agencies.

**************** TechSoup Contact: Ricci Powers 435 Brannan St., Suite 100 San Francisco, CA 94107 415/633-9341; Fax 415/633-9444 Email: accountmanagement@techsoupglobal.org Website: www.techsoup.org TechSoup Global works towards the goal of helping every qualified nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization to obtain essential technology knowledge and resources. TechSoup.org offers nonprofits a web-based center for technology needs of free information, resources, and support. In addition to online information and resources, TechSoup offers a product philanthropy service called TechSoup Stock. Here, nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products.

**************** ZeroDivide Contact: Tessie Guillermo, President & CEO 425 Bush St. Suite 300 San Francisco, CA 94108 415/773-0388 E-mail: millie@zerodivide.org; webcontact@zerodivide.org Website: www.zerodivide.org ZeroDivide provides funding and technical assistance to nonprofit social enterprises that leverage technology to increase economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals, prepare youth for educational success, and collectively influence policies for social change.

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VOLUNTEER OR INTERNSHIP SERVICES Community Service Scholarship Program California State University, Fresno Contact: Aleta Wolfe, Career Experience Counselor Career Services 5241 North Maple Avenue, WS TA61 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 559/278-2381; Fax 559/278-6483 E-mail: aletaw@csufresno.edu Website: www.csufresno.edu/careers Community Service Scholarship Program provides matching funds to assist CSU Fresno students who are placed with nonprofit agencies throughout the Fresno area; upon completion of special projects, students earn scholarships and academic credits.

**************** Hands On Sacramento Contact: Nancy Findeisen, CEO Community Services Planning Council 909 12th Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 916/447-7063 Extension 328 E-mail: info@handsonsacto.org; nfindeisen@communitycouncil.org Website: www.handsonsacto.org Hands on Sacramento designs Community Works volunteer projects which are managed through the collaboration of a project leader and a nonprofit agency; trains volunteers and project leaders to cultivate leadership and encourage creativity in the development of projects.

**************** Students for Community Service California State University, Fresno Contact: Deborah Brewer, Administrative Support 2450 East San Ramon Avenue, WS SR 120 Fresno, CA 93740-8032 559/278-7079; Fax 559/278-7634 E-mail: dbrewer@csufresno.edu Website: www.volunteerfresno.org/scs.html Students for Community Service provides students with volunteer opportunities to promote community service and service learning; is responsible for all activities related to the University’s role in establishing service-oriented partnerships with other educational institutions and with the community; works with a variety of service-learning projects and initiatives (i.e., Fresno Reads, Jumpstart Fresno, etc.).

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VolunteerMatch Contact: Robert Rosenthal, Director of Communications 717 California St. 2nd Floor San Francisco CA 94108 Main Office 415/241-6868; 415/241-6872; Fax 415/520-9650 E-Mail: support@volunteermatch.org Website: www.volunteermatch.org Volunteer Match helps organizations, businesses, and campuses engage volunteers; gives organizations tools to recruit and manage volunteers; works with business leaders wishing to begin employee volunteer programs in their organizations by providing basic recruiting tools as well as enterprise systems for tracking and reporting CSR; and provides services nationally, including the Central Valley, with heavy representation in the Fresno area.

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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that provides trainings, materials and advocacy to advance immigrant rights. The ILRC works with immigrants and citizens to make critical legal assistance and social services accessible to all, regardless of income, and to build a society that values diversity and respects the dignity and rights of all people. Find us on the web at www.ilrc.org.

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