March 1 Issue Released

The March 1, 2012 issue of The NonProfit Times has just been released.  Let's take a look at the content you can expect to find within its pages:

Special Report:

• 10 Things To Consider In A CRM Package: This Special Report examines the factors your nonprofit should consider when purchasing a Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system.  Factors include whether CRMs are the best solution for your nonprofit, what constituents you are trying to support, and what processes to use in order to support these constituents?

Articles:

• Where's Your 990?: NPT examines the kind of information charities redact from their Form 990s when posting them on their website.
• Pink Ribbon Gets Black Eye: What does one of the previously most trusted nonprofit brands in the nation have to do to regain the trust of donors?
• Blackbaud And Convio: Find out the details of the merger between Convio and Blackbaud in this in-depth report.

Column:

• Tweeting For A Better World: You’ve got to get out there, or so nonprofits are told. “There” is the world of social media: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the ever-expanding array of web-based and mobile technologies that can turn communication into an interactive dialogue.

Read the full articles over on our website.

Hawaii Nonprofits Fighting Against Itemized Deduction Caps

Hawaii nonprofits are pushing back against a 2011 law that they say will discourage charitable giving for the local population.

The Pacific Business News reported yesterday that local nonprofits, led by the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, asked state lawmakers to remove a provision in a State Senate bill that places a cap on the amount of itemized deductions can claim on their charitable contributions.  The cap applies to individuals that earn an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or more, a joint or surviving spouse that earns $200,000 or more, and a head of household that earns $150,000 or more.

Nonprofits say that these caps will remove a big tax incentive to give for wealthy individuals.  The thought is these people would be more willing to spread their money around via large donations to charities.  While this is certainly not the only reason people give donations, nonprofits say that it does help boost giving.

The issue of charitable deduction has been national in recent months.  President Barack Obama has repeatedly tried to cap it, most recently in his latest federal budget proposal.  He had last tried to insert it in the American Jobs Act he proposed last fall.  That provision was eventually pulled from the bill by Senate Democrats.  An October 2011 study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University estimated that itemized giving would decline by nearly $800 million in the first year if Obama's proposal were to have been instituted.  That decline would increase to $2.43 billion in the second year.

You can read the full article on this story on The Pacific Business News website.

Can Illinois Nonprofit Hospitals Keep Their Tax Exemptions?

Illinois governor Pat Quinn last year told the state to stop challenging nonprofit hospitals' property tax-exemptions so the state could come up with a solution.  The goal was to come up with guidelines for what would constitute appropriate levels of care by March 1.  With that deadline quickly approaching, details are emerging about potential proposals.

The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that the state is considering competing proposals that would set up standards for how nonprofit hospitals could keep their tax exemptions.  This issue came to the forefront after the Illinois Department of Revenue denied three hospitals their tax exemption, citing a 2010 Illinois Supreme Court ruling that defined the amount of money that needed to be put into care.  Gov. Quinn later told the state to hold off on any further rulings so he could work with the hospital industry and legislators to find a compromise.

The first proposal was sent to the Governor's office on Feb. 17 by the Fair Care Coalition, a group of healthcare advocates.  Their plan states that each hospital would have to provide 6 percent of its total revenue for charitable benefits in order to keep tax exempt status.  Eighty percent of that would have to be in the form of free or discounted care for poor patients.  Failing to meet these standards would not only make hospitals ineligible for tax exemption, but would also make them pay into a pool of funds that would be distributed to nonprofit and public hospitals that met this criteria.  It seems unlikely the Illinois Hospital Association would agree to this proposal, as they have opposed similar measures in the past.

Another proposal came on Monday from the Civic Federation.  Under the Federation's proposal, hospitals would be required to provide charitable care and other benefits to the community equal or greater than the amount they would pay if they paid property taxes.

Gov. Quinn's March 1 deadline is only two days away.  It's not clear what will happen if a compromise is not reached before that date.  You can read the full story in The Chicago Tribune.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Interactive Marketing Associate

Marketing jobs have certainly changed a lot in the last decade or so.  With the increasing popularity of the Internet and computers, marketers have turned to that medium for a lot of their work.  It's now virtually unheard of for a nonprofit or other business not to have some sort of e-mail marketing campaign.  If this is the kind of work you are interested in, the Nonprofit Job Seeker has an exciting opportunity available.

The New York City office of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international humanitarian organization, is looking to hire an Interactive Marketing Associate.  Working under the supervision of the Integrated Marketing Manager, this position will help implement the organization's e-marketing and telemarketing campaigns.  The accepted applicant will also work closely with the web and programming team to maximize income and create and improve performance of web donation forms.

Other Responsibilities:

• Works with fundraising systems team to ensure that gift processing standards and financial controls are followed as they relate to online giving.
• Assists in reporting needed by the Integrated Marketing Manager on all aspects of data for telemarketing campaigns.
• Maintains understanding of direct marketing campaign tools, and campaign plans, and backs up Integrated Marketing Manager in the development of direct marketing campaigns across all channels.
• Responsible for monitoring reports on marketing expenditures on a per project basis, as needed, and participates in budgeting process.

Requirements:

• 4-year Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience, in relevant field.
• At least 3 years of relevant work experience, preferably at a nonprofit.
• Solid understanding of web-based donations applications and web development best practices such as accessibility, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), readability, etc.
• Experience with online direct marketing implementation.
• Ability to work with little supervision.

You can read more about this job, including salary information, on our website.  If you think you have what it takes to take on this position, apply immediately!

IRS Adjusts Disclosure Requirements

As we creep ever closer to tax season, the IRS has announced some changes to its disclosure requirements in an effort to make them easier to understand.

The North Bay Business Journal reported today that, in a recently released Jan. 11 memo, the IRS outlined changes to Form 990 for the 2011 tax year.  While the changes are relatively small, they are designed to help reduce some of the headaches that come with disclosure requirements.  Among the changes is a clarification of what could be considered income for executives and other highly compensated employees, including information from their W-2 forms.  This change should make it easier for nonprofits to know what they need to report when it comes to executive compensation.

Another change that was discussed in the memo involves how nonprofits should treat partnerships on their balance sheet.  It is now required that organizations report the share of assets between the partner organizations as a separate item, showing the ending capital from the joint venture.  The IRS also sought to clarify requirements to foreign activity, which is important for nonprofits that run missions overseas.  Foreign investments can now be valued up to $100,000 before disclosure, whereas organizations were only required to disclose this information if the investments resulted in a $10,000 net revenue or expense.

While all these changes are designed to make the Form 990 easier to understand, it will undoubtedly lead to more work for nonprofits come tax day.  We'd like to hear your thoughts on these new changes.  Do you think they will make things easier, or do you foresee new headaches because of them?

You can read the full story in The North Bay Business Journal.

Komen Surveying Supporters

After a couple of relatively quiet weeks, it seems that Susan G. Komen For the Cure is stirring up controversy once again.  This time it comes in the form of a survey.

In the latest edition of NPT Weekly, we report on a story that the Irving, Texas-based organization had hired a consulting firm to do some damage control in the aftermath of the Planned Parenthood controversy.  This firm created a survey that was to be sent to supporters asking them a variety of questions about their opinion of the nonprofit.  Among the questions were whether the organization owes donors an apology, followed by a list of potential apologies that would be acceptable.  The survey also asks supporters to rate a list of potential new spokespeople, including musician Melissa Etheridge.

While it's not exactly unusual for a nonprofit to test messaging through a survey, the reaction has been fairly strong because they don't usually become so public.  Rebecca Devine, co-founder and principal of Philadelphia, Pa.-based Maven Communications, told The NonProfit Times that Komen needs to be asking these same questions with core stakeholders.  She also said the organization should be holding one-on-one discussions with donors to ask how they can make the situation better.

You can read the full story on our website.  For more stories like this, make sure to sign-up for NPT Weekly or our other free eNewsletters.

Featured Job: Political Representative

Politics is a big part of today's society, and fundraising is a big part of politics.  If you ever wanted to integrate these two things into your career, the Nonprofit Job Seeker has just the job for you.

Orlando-based Florida Realtors is looking for a highly motivated individual to be its next Political Representative.  The accepted applicant will be responsible for one-third to one-half of the organization's districts, and will plan, organize, and coordinate fundraising and political activities on behalf of the Realtors Political Action Committee and the Issues Mobilization Committee.  The job will also involve assisting in state and federal lobbying occasionally.  Other responsibilities include:

• Planning, organizing, and conducting workshops/instructional seminars at the district level and at state meetings to train and motivate local political involvement.
• Designing, developing, and producing political education materials, grassroots efforts, and fundraising plans for use by local boards/associations.
• Coordinating the Key Contact Program, which pairs Realtors with local jurisdictions.
• Communicating regularly with local boards/associations to monitor progress and provide follow up assistance.
• Assisting and guiding local boards/associations in the implementation of fundraising techniques and programs.

Think you have what it takes for this job?  Make sure you meet the following requirements before you apply:

• Must have proven abilities in coordinating a large and continuing fundraising and education program.
• Must possess strong communication and organizational skills.
• A four-year degree in a related field is required.
• Should have the capability to perform work under constant stress.
• A working knowledge of the political process is a must.
• The accepted candidate should be prepared to travel regularly to fulfill duties of the position.

Once you are sure you meet all of these requirements, apply for this job on our website!  Make sure to read application instructions carefully.

Nonprofits Want Talent, Not Cash

When leaders from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation convened nonprofits involved in the 2008 Summit on Corporate Volunteersism, they had one question: What resources do you need to continue to build sustainability?  Their answer was not more money, it was more talent.

The Washington Post published an article today by Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, in which she discussed the nonprofit sector's need for more talent in strategic areas of importance.  On the other side, businesses are having trouble retaining their talent and differentiating their products and services in order to stay competitive.  These two needs have led to the expansion of pro bono work, which is when businesses allow their employees to volunteer for nonprofits in need.

Businesses of any size can let their employees do pro bono work, but large corporations have led the way.  Companies like Deloitte, IBM, and Morgan Stanley have already provided more than $300 million worth of volunteer time to their employees.  This is not to say smaller companies are not doing their part.  In fact, Case wrote that these companies are starting to increase skills-based volunteering in their communities.  She cites the Omaha-based Nebraska Global, a software investment fund, which has seen its 51 employees volunteer over 4,500 hours to local nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln.  The company also plans to lead a campaign to recruit 100 Nebraska business to start their own pro bono programs.

Has your organization been the recipient of any pro bono volunteers from local businesses?  We'd like to hear any stories you have.  Meanwhile, you can read the full story on this topic in The Washington Post.

Slavery Museum Loses Tax-Exempt Status

For nearly two decades, former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder had talked about the need to teach future generations about slavery.  That desire created his push for the U.S. National Slavery Museum.  On Wednesday, his efforts received a huge blow.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the museum had its tax-exempt status revoked by the IRS, creating another setback for the ambitious effort.  Grand plans had been made for the museum to be built along Interstate 95 in Fredericksburg, Va., but it has yet to be constructed.  Fundraising problems and debt slowed construction, and the nonprofit was forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the fall.

The news of the museum losing its tax-exempt status should come as no surprise.  Nonprofits are required to file a return or notice to the IRS every year.  Organizations that fail to do this for three consecutive years are eligible to lose their exempt status.  The Slavery Museum's last federal returns were back in 2007.

Despite all these troubles, it seem as if Wilder plans to keep up the fight for the museum.  He released a statement last year pledging that the museum would be constructed, and an attorney for the organization recently filed a proposed reorganization plan that would be considered by creditors and a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge.  The plan would start a new fundraising campaign designed to bring in $900,000 a year with the ultimate goal of sharing these funds with the public.  The money would also be used to repay its creditors within four years.

You can read the full story in The Washington Post.

Nonprofits Get Hotel Tax Revenue

Nonprofits in Crystal Lake, Ill. are going to be seeing an influx of revenue thanks to some local hotels and motels.

The TribLocal reported today that local nonprofits were awarded a portion of hotel and motel tax funds that are collected by the city each year.  The City Council distributed the money Feb. 21 among the 10 groups that submitted proposals.  Each of the organizations received a portion of the funds requested, with the total money doled out adding up to $292,167.

The revenue that the city collects from hotels comes from a 5-percent tax on overnight stays at hotels and motels.  The funds are invested in the community towards programs and events that promote overnight stays in the city.  Here is a breakdown of the money received by the nonprofits:

• The Raue Center for the Arts got the largest amount of money at $150,000.  The group has received over $422,000 the last three years.
• The Lakeside Legacy Foundation got more than $35,000 after receiving $20,000 the previous year.
• The Historic Downtown District of Crystal Lake also received $35,000, the same amount they got last year.
• The McHenry County Youth Sports Association was awarded $52,000.  Last year they had requested $80,000, but they lowered their initial request to $60,000 this year.

You can read a full report of the funds distributed in The TribLocal.

Pennsylvania Nonprofit To Study Gas Drilling

With concerns rising over gas drilling in a Pennsylvania rock formation, a nonprofit has stepped up to see if there are any health risks as a result of the work.

CBS News reported today that the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project has opened an office in western Pennsylvania to study the effects that gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formations may have on public health.  People in the community worry that, because they live near the drilling sites, their health is at risk.

The project already has several paid staffers, including a nurse who will do house calls in Washington county for citizens who believe they are sick because of the drilling.  The nurse will also provide referrals, help patients with the healthcare system, and consult with environmental health specialists.  The organization's director, Raina Rippel, said all of the services are free of charge.

Rippel told CBS News that the Environmental Health Project has met with public health officials, and will continue to work with them to try and find a definitive answer.  As of now, it is not entirely clear that gas drilling is the reason people are getting sick.  Rippel admitted that the sicknesses seen could have been caused by pollutants from other industries.  Coal mines and oil wells have been identified as possible culprits of methane gas appearing in drinking water wells.

You can read more about this story on CBS News' website.

Nonprofit Insurer Gets Federal Loans

A national membership group of independent workers was awarded federal loans, setting the stage for a new nonprofit insurer.

The Register-Guard reported today that the Freelancers Union was awarded $59.48 million in low and no-interest federal loans on Tuesday.  This money was used to create a nonprofit, consumer-run health insurance plan in Oregon.  The Union was also awarded loans to set up similar plans in New York and New Jersey, and other organizations were given the green light to set up programs in Montana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.

The new insurer will be run as a Consumer Oriented and Operated Plan (CO-OP), a new plan for individuals and small businesses that was created by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.  According to Freelancers Union founder and executive director Sara Horowitz, the CO-OP will be open to all Oregonians, not just members of the Union (though members will get access first).  Customers will be able to join the plan in October 2013, with benefits becoming available in January 2014.  Horowitz told The Register that she anticipates the program will insure 35,000 workers after five years.

The CO-OP plans to give its members insurance through a partnership with Providence Health & Services, a Catholic-sponsored health care system in Oregon that also operates in Alaska, California, Montana, and Washington.  The cost of the plan is yet to be determined.

This is not the first time the Freelancers Union has dabbled in nonprofit healthcare.  In 2009, the organization founded the Freelancers Insurance Co., which provides health insurance to over 23,000 New York Union members and their families.  The insurance costs about a third less than the average plans on the individual market.

You can read more about this story in The Register-Guard.

NY Mardi Gras Celebrations To Benefit Nonprofits

Today's Mardi Gras celebrations won't be limited just to New Orleans.  Although the events in the Big Easy will get most of the attention, cities across the country will be holding their own celebrations.  At one such event in Buffalo, N.Y., some nonprofits will be the recipients of much more than beads.

The Buffalo Business First reported today that the city's 17th annual Artvoice Mardi Gras celebration will be expanded this year.  Events will take place from Buffalo all the way to Southtowns, with money from each celebration going to individual nonprofits.  The money will come from the sale of $5 bracelets, which get attendees into participating establishments.  Some 46 restaurants and bars will be involved in the festivities this year.

One organization that benefited from last year's celebration is Give for Greatness.  The organization was only a campaign last year, but Artvoice helped transform it into a full-fledged nonprofit with 57 beneficiaries (up from 48 last year).  Mardi Gras activities in four Buffalo-area nonprofits will support Give for Greatness this year.

The charitable giving for Give for Greatness doesn't end with the Mardi Gras celebrations.  Fundraising activities for the organization are expected to run through Cinco de Mayo.

You can read the full article in The Buffalo Business First.

Attracting Volunteers With Facebook

It's hard to come up with more than a few people in our lives who aren't using Facebook.  Even if you don't use it much for personal reasons, you probably use it to attract people to your nonprofit's website and to engage supporters.  But did you know it's also a good way to attract new volunteers?

If you aren't using Facebook to bring volunteers to your organization, you are missing out on a key recruitment tool.  So how do you do it?  Let's just say it's a little more complicated than posting a status update that reads "We need volunteers."  Here are five ways to effectively use Facebook as a volunteer recruitment tool:

• First of all, you need to make sure the people you want to reach are even using Facebook.  The site usually attracts a younger audience so if that's not the demographic you want, then it probably doesn't make sense to use it extensively.
• Think about the kind of posts that will attract volunteers.  Avoid direct appeals in favor of photos, videos, or recaps of past volunteer events.  These serve a dual purpose: They recognize past workers while showing potential volunteers what they can expect if they work for you.
• Make sure you're attracting the right people—if there's a minimum age or some other qualification, make that clear in your posts.
• Offer a diverse array of volunteer opportunities, and make sure to have rock-solid practices for training your volunteers.  In short, prepare your organization for volunteers as best you can—and then begin recruiting on Facebook.
• Maintain good general Facebook practices, and make sure all the other groundwork -- from your organization’s main website to volunteer management guidelines and processes to a policy for Facebook commenting -- is in place.

Now that you have these best practices in mind, you are ready to start posting.  Let us know your experiences with using Facebook as a recruitment tool in the comments section.

You can read more tips like these by signing up to our weekly e-newsletters.

Santorum Lags Behind In Charitable Giving

It seems as if there is a new front-runner in the GOP primaries every month.  That honor goes to Rick Santorum this month, with the former senator from Pennsylvania overtaking Mitt Romney and his other rivals in the last few primaries, including a three state sweep in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri.  With increased notoriety comes increased public scrutiny, the latest of which comes in the form of Santorum's charitable giving.

CNN Money reported last week that Santorum lags behind GOP rivals Romney and Newt Gingrich when it comes to charitable donations.  This information comes from the candidate's tax returns, which shows that he gave $81,500 to charity over the past four years.  This makes up only 2.2 percent of his $3.6 million in total income since leaving the Senate.  It got even lower in 2010, when his giving made up only 1.76 percent of his $923,411 income.  In comparison, President Barack Obama gave 14.2 percent of his income to charity, while Romney and Gingrich gave 13.8 and 2.6 percent respectively.

Data from the IRS and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) show that taxpayers that have an income of $500,000 or more donate 3.4 percent of their total income to charity, putting Santorum's giving on the low end of the spectrum.  Santorum puts a lot of stock in his religious faith and Ken Berger, president and CEO of Charity Navigator, notes that religious individuals tend to give more to charity than the non-religious.  That makes his giving rate seem even lower.

Santorum has long been an advocate of charitable giving and nonprofits, which makes his low giving rate even more puzzling.  In 2005, while he was still in the Senate, he sponsored the CARE Act, which was to promote the interests of charities and provide incentives for Americans to donate.

You can read the full story on Santorum's charitable giving habits in CNN Money.

The Question To Always Ask A Job Reference

It can be very difficult to get any of the information you really want when you question an applicant's job reference.  Modern employment laws make it hard, if not impossible, to ask any specific questions about a former employee.  If you are going to ask one question, however, Jack DeBoer has the perfect one.

DeBoer wrote in his book "Risk Only Money" that many employers these days don't really want to shoot straight with you when it comes to discussing employees who were not that great.  They don't want to face the possibility of a lawsuit if their answers costs that person the job, even if it's hard to prove it.  If you are going to get the information you need, DeBoer wrote that you should ask the following question: "If you needed the skills of this employee, would you rehire this person?"  This is a great question to ask because it's a simple yes or no answer that requires no further explanation, and it allows the employer to tell the truth without violating any laws.

DeBoer also suggested that hiring managers should learn to read between the lines when listening to an answer.  For example, if you ask how trustworthy the former employee is, listen for any hesitation in the answer.  Anything less than "Oh, absolutely!" can be a signal that you aren't getting the whole truth.  You can also try asking about the employee's performance rather than their character, as DeBoer wrote that there are fewer laws restricting those kinds of questions.

Employee screening can sure be difficult, but the tips above should make it a little easier to get the information you really need.

Nonprofit Exec Testifies In Corruption Trial

The former executive director of a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit testified yesterday in the corruption trial of the organization's founder, ex-congressman Mike Veon.

The Tribune-Review reported today that John Gallo, who was executive director of the Beaver Initiative for Growth (BIG), testified that he knew there was trouble for the nonprofit when he discovered checks written in its account that had no connection to the organization.  Gallo was the first witness in the case against Veon, who is accused, along with co-defendant Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink, of theft-related offenses and conflict of interest.  The two are also accused of funneling $10 million in state grants to BIG.

Before being ousted in 2006, Veon was a Democratic power broker from Beaver Falls, Pa.  He is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence for previous corruption charges, and faces 19 felonies in the BIG case.  Perretta-Rosepink faces six theft-related counts.

Gallo told the jury that he first found the suspect checks after returning from a month's leave.  The checks were written by Perretta-Rosepink and included a $5,000 payment to the late Rep. Terry Van Horne, who had no association to BIG, and payments to a legislative office in Midland.  Veon's lawyer, Joel Sansone, accused Gallo of stealing money from the organization, citing numerous expenses for flat amounts, such as $400 and $150.  Gallo denied those claims, but acknowledged he could not remember all of the nonprofit's expenses. 

Prosecutor Deputy Attorney General Laurel Brandstetter told the jury that Sansone's allegations were "baseless," and accused Veon of using BIG money not to bolster the local economy, but to pay his legislative chief of staff and his law firm for consulting services, among other things.

The trial will resume on Tuesday.  You can read more about it in The Tribune-Review.

Make Your Job Candidates Say "I Do"

After what seemed like an eternity of reviewing resumés and conducting job interviews, you've finally decided which candidate you want to hire. Now it's time to offer them the job.
Before you get too excited there's something you need to remember: Just because you want this person for the job, doesn't mean they want you. When crafting your job offer, you have to make sure to give them every reason to say yes.

Since you have presumably dealt with this applicant for a while, you should have a pretty good idea of what it he/she wants. With that in mind, Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem, in their book "The Big Book of HR," present 10 issues that are most important to job seekers:

• Commute;
• Salary;
• Incentive compensation;
• Time off benefits;
• Flexible schedule;
• Opportunity for work/life balance;
• Health and other benefits;
• Ability to progress in the organization;
• Training and development opportunities; and,
• Availability of coaching and/or mentoring opportunities.

It's not likely that all of these issues will be important to your preferred candidate but a good number of them probably will. It's up to you to determine which of these issues, if they are not met, would be the biggest deal-breaker. If this is someone you really want to work at your nonprofit, then you should do your best to accommodate them, or at least point out which issues you are most willing to be flexible about.

Finally, Mitchell and Gamlem suggest you include the following information in your job offer e-mail:

• State your enthusiasm for this candidate to join your firm;
• The start date for the job;
• Starting salary; 
• Additional compensation, if applicable;
• Contingencies, such as the candidate's references must check out, or he/she must pass the drug screen;
• Benefits summary;
• Reporting relationships;
• Date when offer expires; and,
• Place for candidate to sign if he/she accepts.

Nonprofit Sues Tax Collector Over Public Records Request

A Florida based nonprofit is suing a Palm Beach tax collector for refusing to release public records of a $1.9 million settlement her office reached with over a dozen online travel companies.

The Palm Beach Post reported yesterday that Citizens for Sunshine, a government watchdog group based in Sarasota, Fla., had sent a member to the office of Palm Beach tax collector Anne Gannon to inspect the document, but was denied access by Gannon's staff.  These types of legal settlements are usually considered fair game under public records law, but Gannon's office says it can't release the documents until it notifies the attorneys of the travel companies.

Citizens for Sunshine disagrees, saying the public has a constitutional right to see the documents, and has asked a circuit court judge to order Gannon to release the records.  Additionally, the nonprofit wants reimbursement for their legal fees.  Gannon told The Palm Beach Post that she plans to release the documents on Tuesday.  Additionally, she said she was not aware of the group's initial request.

The documents in question reflect a settlement that ended a lawsuit that Gannon filed in 2009 that alleged that certain travel companies, including Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, were not giving the county all of the tourism taxes they collect from the hotel rooms they book.  The was for $1.9 million, nearly $1.3 million of which will be used to pay tourism-related expenses.

You can read the full story in The Palm Beach Post.

Professional Development For Volunteers

While nonprofit volunteers will often move on to different opportunities once their work is done, that doesn't mean you don't have an obligation to help them out with their future careers.

Helping your volunteers with their professional development is a good way to show how much you appreciate their work.  And, as John L. Lipp writes in "The Idiot's Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers," it's also a great strategy to keep them motivated.  While this training will help volunteers develop career skills for later in their life, it can also lead to promotions within the organization.

In order to keep things fresh, Lipp recommends bringing in special guest speakers to speak on specific topics.  You may also want to schedule webinars that your volunteers can attend.  Either of these choices provide a level of interaction that will enable your volunteer workers to better enhance their skills.

So how often should you offer these professional development courses?  While Lipp acknowledges there is ongoing debate on how much is necessary, most agree that some follow-up training should be offered at least once a year.