After three months of interim executive director work, I have learned a lot, been surprised by a few things, and generally enjoyed the work and felt like I was contributing. Below are the details of both positions.
Nonprofits and Lobbying
How can your organization be a tool for real change? It’s not enough to help people, you need to make sure that elected officials know the needs of their constituents. Is the legislature discussing a bill to close the Medicaid gap? If that impacts the families you work with, you need to let them know what that bill means to families who can’t get health insurance. Is Congress discussing rules that impact nonprofit organizations? They need to hear from you about the potential impacts.
Upcoming Board Trainings
I’m offered the following two board trainings through the Human Services Federation. If you are interested in a similar training for your board, let me know.
HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR BOARD IN FUNDRAISING
November 17th, 12:00 – 1:00 | Nonprofit Hub
Staff need the help of board members to fundraise. Board members know they should help but don’t know where to start. This workshop is targeted at fundraising staff, executive directors and board chairs, and will give you practical ideas on developing a strong board that enjoys raising funds.
CULTIVATE YOUR NEXT BOARD LEADERS
December 12th, 12:00 – 1:00 | Nonprofit Hub
Need more board members to fill empty slots? Need board members with certain skill sets? Have board members stepping down soon? Wondering who is going to take over as the board chair?
You’re not alone! Join us for an informative presentation on building a stronger board, and take back practical ideas to grow your organization. The training is targeted at executive directors, board chairs, or nomination committee members.
You’re not alone! Join us for an informative presentation on building a stronger board, and take back practical ideas to grow your organization. The training is targeted at executive directors, board chairs, or nomination committee members.
Budgeting for Small Nonprofits
Just starting out? Have a small organization up and running but haven’t quite gotten around to writing down a budget? Even if you are just thinking about starting a nonprofit, you can benefit from a budget. A budget is a spending plan, and the most important part about it is the planning aspect, which makes you really think through your potential income and expenses. Here’s some help to get you started.
Sales Tax for Nonprofit Organizations in Nebraska
Do you have to pay sales tax if you are a nonprofit organization? If you are in Nebraska, you usually have to. Since sales tax regulations vary greatly by state, I can’t address all of the different types, but I’ll give an overview of what Nebraska requires.
Low Cost Benefits for Nonprofit Employees
All nonprofits struggle with providing good benefits to staff without breaking the bank. Here’s a few suggestions that are cheap or free and will make employees feel valued. Pay and insurance benefits are always primary, but that’s not all a nonprofit employee wants, as then they’d go find a corporate job!
The 7 Best Google Resources for Nonprofits
Google provides a ton of great resources for nonprofit organizations completely free. This includes their G Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive), as well as advertising, and video chats. Go to Google’s page for Nonprofit Management Resources and select G Suite for Nonprofits to sign up to use Gmail, Google Drive and many other resources. This program is open to all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, you just need to be registered with TechSoup and Guidestar to qualify. (Not a 501(c)(3) yet? You can start with the paid version at only $5 per user per month and access all the G Suite features.)
Welcome to Ingrid Kirst Consulting
You can expect weekly posts on a wide range of topics about successfully running small nonprofits. This will include the areas of recruiting and training board members, online tools to make your work easier, rules and regulations for nonprofits, fundraising, grant writing, event planning, and much, much more!
After 20 years working in nonprofits, I can share a wide range of information that will save you time and energy. For eleven of those years, I was the Executive Director of an organization called Community Crops, in Lincoln, Nebraska, which helps families grow their own food through a network of community gardens. When I started at Crops, it was a project hosted by another nonprofit. Since we had grown larger than that organization, I completed the process of incorporating the organization and filing to be a 501(c)(3). From there, the organization grew to a twelve person team with a $400,000 budget serving hundreds of families. As a result, I have experience with every aspect of running an organization, from the beginning when I did everything, to when I left when I was managing the higher level aspects of the organization.
I’m excited to start blogging to share my expertise with other organizations so they can avoid mistakes and function more efficiently. I’m also available for consultations to nonprofits in the Lincoln area, or elsewhere by phone/e-mail.
I welcome your feedback on this or any other post on the blog.
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