Approaching Business: Getting Corporate Support for Your Non-Profit

Pattie Johnson has written a thoughtful piece called Approaching Business: Getting Corporate Support for Your Non-Profit in the June issue of the NonProfit Times.

She outlines the various ways non-profits can partner with corporations as well as providing four key strategies on how to obtain corporate support. Her perspective is important because corporations need to be approached differently than non-profit or public entities.

New Resource! Non-Profit Times - The Leading Business Publication for NonProfit Management

Need guidance as a non-profit executive or leader in your community? Check out the NonProfit Times - the leading business publication for nonprofit management.

The NonProfit Times offers resources such as a salary survey, free enewsletters, a resource directory, among other information to help non-profit executives more effectively manage their organizations and projects.

To sign up for their free magazine and enewsletters, click here.

Request Free Technology Donations by June 30

Tech Soup Stock: Bringing Technology Donations to Non-Profits provides a comprehensive list of corporations that provide donated technology products to non-profit organizations. Some corporations offer their donated products between July 1 through June 30. So it is not too late to make a request for this fiscal year and then submit another request for products after July 1.

To find out more about this free resource, check out their Donation Program Section.

Tech Soup - The Technology Place for Non-Profits

Confused about to use technology to improve the quality of your afterschool program? Look no further than Tech Soup - the Technology Place for Non-Profits.

This comprehensive website offers tools, tips and resources to help every non-profit with an array of their technology needs including free downloads and information on where you can get donated software and computer equipment. In addition to their on-line resources, they also offer two free newsletters. One provides information on technology resources and forums and the other provides information on products that are available for non-profits. To get on their mailing list, sign up here.

The Sustainable Non-Profit: Spending Your Web Dollars Wisely

Karen Roberts, in her article, Spending Your Web Dollars Wisely, outlines five key steps to help non-profit organizations develop a quality website. She wisely points out that an unprofessional looking website may "alienate donors, volunteers, and corporate partners". There are do-it-yourself kits that can provide professional templates to help organizations develop a web presence. They can be purchased through hosting services such as Go Daddy among others. Non-profits also use volunteers to help them develop their new websites identified either through their Board or local colleges or universities.

In addition to providing a way to market your program, many websites also provide a way to raise funds for non-profit activities and programs on-line fundraising is a growing and successful method to raise money and should be considered as part of your overall sustainability strategy.

Free Newsletters from the Foundation Center

The Foundation Center offers 8 different free electronic newsletters that may help you in your sustainability efforts. Among their topics are:

1) Arts Funding Watch
2) Education Funding Watch
3) Health Funding Watch
4) Marketplace Updates
5) PND News Alerts
6) PND Job Alerts
7) PND RFP Alerts
8) PubHub Alerts

In order to register to receive then, click here.

The Foundation Center Offers a Short Course in Proposal Writing

The Foundation Center, the nationally recognized organization dedicated to philanthropy and grantseeking, has a wealth of information about the "art and science" of grantwriting. Among their many on-line resources, they offer an on-line Proposal Writing Short Course. In addition to English, they provide the course in five other languages including Spanish.

This is one place to start to get your questions answered about grantwriting. Check it out!