4 Reasons Your Nonprofit Isn't Having Fundraising Success

Fundraising can be considered a game of chance. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. If your nonprofit is losing much more often than winning, however, there could be something wrong with the way you are playing the game.

In the book "Five Good Ideas,"  Ross McGregor, former CEO of Ketchum Canada, lists some of the more common reasons nonprofits don't experience more fundraising success. One of the practices he most highly recommends avoiding is to hire a fundraising consultant to ask for support on your behalf. These individuals should instead be used, McGregor said, to help shape your overall fundraising strategy.

McGregor also listed four other mistakes organizations make in their fundraising practices:

• They don’t ask;
• They don’t make fundraising a priority;
• They hope that their good work will automatically attract financial support; and,
• They fear rejection.

Did A California Nonprofit Receive Special Treatment?

The assistant general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is under investigation to determine her alleged role in awarding a $20,000 no-bid contract to a nonprofit she once chaired.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Juliet Ellis earns $195,000 a year for her role at the Commission. Her main job is to figure out how to implement PUC's new policies regarding environmental justice and community benefits. Ellis was formerly chair of the Oakland-based nonprofit Green for All, according to 2012 financial-disclosure documents filed with the city of San Francisco, and this has raised questions about what role she played in approving the July contract for the organization.

PUC guidelines state that administrators are allowed to take on outside work so long as they have special permission and on the condition that there is no conflict of interest.

While Ellis reportedly assured her superiors at PUC that she had no role in the approval of the contract, but an investigation by The Chronicle casts some doubt on that claim. An insider at PUC reportedly told the publication that Ellis was involved in almost every discussion regarding Green for All, and worked with them to "develop the scope of work."

PUC has suspended the Green for All contract indefinitely until the investigation by authorities is complete.

You can read the full story in The San Francisco Chronicle.

Oregon Nonprofit Sued Over Book Publishing

A nonprofit online library based in Oregon is being sued by Penguin Publishing for allegedly posting entire books online of which the company holds exclusive rights.

The publishing giant filed the suit on Friday, seeking an injunction and damages against American Buddha Library, according to The Oregonian. The brief alleges that the nonprofit posted to the web such novels as Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" and "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. The publishes also accused the organization of misusing new translations of "The Golden Ass" by Apuleius, and "On the Nature of the Universe" by Lucretius.

The suit alleges that Penguin discovered the postings in December 2008 and immediately notified the nonprofit of the alleged copyright infringement. The company then filed an infringement suit against American Buddha in a New York federal court, which ruled that it lacked jurisdiction over the nonprofit.

American Buddha's website notes that it "makes available selected artistic and literary works under a system of voluntary, free online lending, under the fair use exclusion from copyright liability accorded to libraries and archives," and used that defense in response to Penguin's suit. The organization also claims that, by using its site, users agree not to violate copyrights "by piratical behavior."

You can read the full story in The Oregonian.

Nonprofit Jobs: Executive Director

Looking to make it big in a nonprofit job in Florida? Our newest featured position will be of interest to you, especially if  you are looking for a job in the c-suite.

The PACE Center for Girls in Jacksonville, Fl., is looking to hire an Executive Director to provide vision, leadership and management of resources to ensure the mission of PACE is accomplished in the local community. Specific responsibilities include:

• Advocating for the needs of girls in the local community;
• Participating in special assignments and projects;
• Providing input and communication pertaining policies, procedures and strategic direction setting;
• Motivates and inspires passion for agency, mission and excellence in roles of responsibility;
• Selects and places highly qualified staff in all positions;
• Develops and implements a succession plan for all major roles in the Center;
• Manages Center finances within approved budget;
• Demonstrates an understanding of the monthly financial reports and is able to identify trends and discrepancies;
• Follows finance policies and procedures to ensure timely compliance;
• Develops a group of supporters that are commensurate in size and capacity to the local community; and,
• Recruits, trains and develops board members on a continuing basis.

Successful candidates will have a Master's Degree in Social Services, Education, or Nonprofit Management from an accredited college or university. Applicants must also be proficient with Mircosoft Office programs and should possess 7-10 years experience managing multiple programs in a child serving agency, preferably in an at-risk environment.

You can find out more information by visiting our career center.