Are You Ready For A Capital Campaign?

Pop quiz: What do you think is the most common error nonprofits make during capital campaigns? If you answered "not being prepared enough" then, congratulations, you are absolutely correct.

The fact of the matter is, as M. Jane Williams wrote in her book "Big Gifts," too many nonprofit managers view capital campaigns not as a compliment to their fundraising, but as the answer to all of their problems. As a result, they tend to rush into them before they have a clear idea of what they want to do. Capital campaigns can be a big boost to an organization, but only when they are done correctly.

Williams went on to explain that only nonprofits that already have well-run development programs and a successful track record of major gifts should attempt capital campaigns; but that's only one aspect that will test an organization's readiness. Williams listed these 10 other questions that you must answer “yes” to before beginning:

• Does your organization really know itself and its aims?
• Is there a history of philanthropic support for the organization?
• Is your organization seen as a positive and necessary asset to its community or constituency?
• Is there agreement among board members and staff that the cause is worthwhile? 
• Will they give time and funds to the effort?
• Is your case for support valid and salable?
• Do you have the leadership to make the campaign work?
• Do you have an active prospect cultivation program?
• Can you identify at least 50 to 100 prospects in a substantial gift range and a loyal giving constituency below that level?
• Can you obtain one gift that is at least one-tenth of the total campaign goal?
• Do you know who the campaign chairman should be? Will he or she accept this role?

Boosting The Effectiveness Of Your Nonprofit's Annual Funds

There is no question that annual giving from donors is the lifeblood of a nonprofit's fiscal health, so it would seem to make no sense to try and improve on it. But according to Aileen Meyer, there are plenty of ways you can boost the effectiveness of an organization's annual funds.

Speaking at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference in Chicago, Meyer, director of development at Lourdes College, recommended three tips that will take your annual funds to the next level:

• Using data and analytics, nonprofits can help you tangibly understand where to focus the efforts of your annual fund program. Some key areas to focus in are, your return on investment (ROI), donor segment trends, retention trends, gifting levels, gift source and stewardship.
• Increasing the size of your annual fund would not be possible without acquisition efforts. Costly as it might be, doing acquisition is a surefire way to take your annual fund to the next level. When locating acquisition donors, Meyer said that your organization should pinpoint who to ask, locate the correct solicitation method, estimate an appropriate entry-level ask amount and use giving likelihood scores to indentify the best prospects for donor acquisition. 
• Finally, to convert these donors to repeat donors nonprofits should steward creatively by reporting the use of their gift immediately and enrolling them in a First Time Donor Program. By building on these interests and connections, nonprofits can form a relationship with these donors and fold them into their annual funding file. 

Linking An Event To Your Mission

Special events are very popular among nonprofit leaders as they allow them to raise money without actually talking about raising money. That's exactly the wrong approach, according to Jeff Shuck, president and CEO of Event 360, Inc.

Shuck said at a recent DMA Nonprofit Federation New York Nonprofit Conference that organizations need to use events not as a way to avoid fundraising conversations, but as a way to spark them. Following are the areas emphasized by Shuck, and then the key metrics for each:

• Event: Number of events, participant satisfaction, repeat attendance.
• Participants: number of participants, registration time, team participation.
• Donors: Number of donors, donors per participant, percentage of participants with zero donors, percentage of self-donations and goal, number of emails sent per participant.
• Gifts: Number of gifts, amount per gift.
• Revenue: Return on investment (ROI), compound annual growth rate, growth against the national benchmark.

Shuck also suggested the following action steps: Drive team participation (possibly through team captains), consider registration fee incentives, be careful not to undermine the fundraising culture, segment and focus on getting participants with goals off the dime.

5 Ideas For Financial Growth

Finding ways to achieve financial growth in this tough economy sometimes seems futile. While there has been significant progress since the height of the Great Recession, some nonprofits are still struggling to find their way. The temptation to curl up in a corner until things get better can be very strong, but organizations must resist if this urge if they are to succeed.

During a recent DMA Nonprofit Federation conference, Neoma Harris of St. Joseph's Indian School spoke about steps her organization has taken to strive for growth in the aftermath of the Great Recession. She offered the following advice:

• Bond with your new donor. Use thank you packages and second-gift mailings. Go back with a premium or theme similar to what grabbed them first.
• Add an outsider's voice. The school tested a “mock” newspaper article insert in its Matching Gift house special and got a 40 percent lift and $9.64 higher average gift.
• Coordinate mail and online. The school's May "Graduation" house appeal received a 3.65 percent response and $20.12 per gift with mail only and 5.7 percent and $29.25 per gift through mail and email. Email brought in $4,000.
• Remember new markets and programs. The school has found fundraising success in Europe, and it launched a stand-alone mail program for Cheyenne River Indian Outreach.
• Test, test, test. The school had success with coupons and “super sized” coupons.

Charity Distances Itself From Anti-Muslim Film

The head of a California-based charity tried to distance his organization from an anti-Muslim film that has sparked protests around the globe, saying he was duped into participating in the movie.

The Los Angeles Times reported today that Joseph Nassralla, president of Media for Christ, wrote in a statement on the blog of anti-Muslim advocate Pamela Geller that he first became involved with the film known as "Innocence of Muslims" when its filmmaker, a fellow Egyptian immigrant named Nakoula B. Nakoula, approached him for help. He allegedly told Nassralla that he was working on a film about Christian persecution, and wanted to use Media for Christ's broadcast studio for filming.

Nassralla insisted in his statement that was all he had to do with the film, and that the final product of the movie was completely different than the movie that was described to him. He accused Nakoula of altering the film "without anyone's knowledge, changing its entire focus and dubbing in new dialogue." He also said he was unaware that Nakoula listed Media for Christ on the government documents for the movie.

Despite distancing himself from the movie, Nassralla placed the blame on the violent reaction against "Innocence of Muslims" not on the filmmakers, but on "those who are murdering and rioting." The film has angered many Muslims by depicting the prophet Muhammad as clumsy and a sexual deviant. Those images and other rhetoric in the movie are being blamed for violent protests across the Middle East, including last week's breach of the American embassy in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, which resulted in the death of U.S. ambassador Chris Stephens and three others.

Media for Christ, which was established in 2005, runs a satellite television network called The Way TV, which airs sermons and hymns as well as anti-Islamic sentiments. The host of one of its shows, Steve Klein, worked as a script consultant for "Innocence of Muslims."

You can read the full story in The Los Angeles Times.

The September 15 Issue Of The NonProfit Times

Want to know all about donor management software? What about the status of workplace giving in the top 10 towns in the United States? The Septmeber 15 issue of The NonProfit Times has that and a lot more within its pages.

Here are the details of the top stories in this newest issue of NPT:

Special Focus

• Donor Management Software: A look at how major gifts officers are increasingly using mobile devices to keep in touch with prospects.

Articles

• Top 10 Towns: Workplace giving, typically a staple of American philanthropy, is in flux. This is especially true in some of the top cities in the U.S., including Austin, TX.
• The YWCA USA Reorganizes Starting With A New CEO, Plan: The YWCA USA will usher in a new era by the end of the year, not only with its first permanent CEO in more than two years, but also a new governance structure for the 250-affiliate organization for women.
• Blackbaud Folding Convio's Common Ground Product: Blackbaud's merger with Convio has bought many changes to the company, including the departure of CEO Gene Austin. Now comes word that Blackbaud will be discontinuing CRM system Common Ground. In addition, the nonprofit software company announced a restructuring plan that would eliminate 51 positions.

Columns

• The Social Media Myth: Here’s a question for you and anyone who slaves away in the dungeons of fundraising: Are social media, as they convert to commercial purposes, competitive with email and direct mail?
• Time Vs. Money: Members of corporate volunteer councils (CVCs), groups of businesses that come together to discuss and share best practices on employee volunteer programs, need to have a shared vision and open lines of communication between the various entities or risk ineffectuality, according to members of HandsOn Network’s Corporate Volunteer Council Advisory Council (CVCAC).

Head over to our website to read these article in their entirety. If you want to view the full version of the issue online, subscribe to our digital edition.

4 Ways For Your Nonprofit To Go Viral

Every nonprofit wants their online content to go viral. It’s practically the Holy Grail of the online world. Of course, something so coveted doesn’t come easy. If you want your content to be the next Internet phenomenon, you are doing to have to do some work.

Whether it's a YouTube video of a recent special event or a blog post about the organization's mission, nonprofits are always looking for ways to enhance the exposure of their content. In "Nonprofit Management 101," Zoetica CEO Beth Kanter wrote that nonprofits need to encourage others to share their work if they want it to go viral. She suggested the following techniques to make this a reality:

• Give permission to share. Tell your audience that you want them to take your content and repurpose, remix, or recreate it. This can be done by using a Creative Commons “Share, Share Alike” license.
• Be explicit. Sometimes people are inspired on their own, but it also helps to reward them for sharing or creating your content. Kanter suggested creating a contest that gives a prize to the user who makes the best use of your content. You’d be amazed at what people will do free stuff.
• Stock the pond. No one likes to be first, so you may need to get staff and other insiders to jumpstart your effort.
• Lift up examples. Encourage and publically recognize people who create content for you. This can be done by highlighting their contribution in a blog post, on your website, or at an event.

North Texas Giving Day Brings In $14.4 Million

The fourth annual North Texas Giving Day raised $14.4 million for more than 900 nonprofits yesterday, easily surpassing the $10.7 million raised last year.

This blog covered last year's Giving Day which, at the time, set a record for the event. The 2012 incarnation made sure that record didn't last long, as donors from across the nation and the world submitted 37,858 gifts totaling approximately $14,439,441.

According to a report in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, nonprofits that received donations between 7 a.m. and midnight Thursday on the North Texas Giving Day site also got a partial match from a pool of $1 million in matching and prize funds.

Donations from this year's event came from every U.S. state and 14 countries, including Canada, Austria, Brazil, China, and Finland, according to the Communities Foundation of Texas, which first launched the event in 2009. During last year's Giving Day, participation picked up in Tarrant County, Texas, after the Dallas area dominated donations during the first two years. Dallas was once again in the lead this year, receiving $9,710,961. Meanwhile, Tarrant County received $2,014,992, an increase from the $1.6 million it got last year.

“We are absolutely blown away by the record-breaking generosity and goodwill of North Texans,” said Communities Foundation of Texas president and CEO Brent Christoper in a statement. “This is a testament to the strength of our community and our shared desire to make North Texas the most viable, best place to live. We are humbled to say the least.”

The Salvation Army of Dallas-Fort Worth led all organizations this year with $554,483 raised. It did not, however, win the $10,000 prize for most donors. That honor went to KERA TV Channel 13 which, although it only raised $78,965, had 948 eligible gifts. The PBS affiliate also received another $10,000 for having the largest increase of donors over last year. The two $10,000 prizes were sponsored by the Dallas Foundation and Hoblitzelle Foundation, respectively.

You can see the rest of the statistics on the North Texas Giving Day leaderboard.

Nonprofit Arts In Washington A Boon To Economy

Nonprofit arts organizations and their patrons across Washington spent $1.51 billion in local economic activity during fiscal year 2010 according to a new report released by Americans for the Arts.

According to a report in The Washington Business Journal, the total expenditure generated $120 million in local tax revenue and $21 million in state revenue during the period of July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Of those totals, 63 percent was organizational spending and 37 percent was from the audience.

The nonprofit arts industry is worth $135 billion on a nationwide level and, according to the study, supports 4.1 million jobs and generates $87 billion in household income.

Volunteers also played a big role in the strength of arts and culture in the Washington area. More than 33,000 volunteers donated 1.5 million hours to organizations in the region, with that time representing an estimated worth of more than $33 million.

The data for the Americans for the Arts study was collected from 299 arts and culture organizations and 4,351 in Washington. The study did not include the Smithsonian Institution which, according to the organization's Form 990, accounted for $2.1 billion in total culture spending in 2010, in addition to representing 58 percent of the local industry.

You can read the full story in The Washington Business Journal.

Marketing: 3 Promotional Mistakes

The word "promotion" has a negative connotation these days. Product placements in movies makes audiences' eyes roll, and people don't hesitate to press that "skip ad" button on YouTube when an advertisement plays before a video. Yes, marketing can be quite a challenge today.

While it's true that most people would rather not have to see promotions, marketing your brand or a specific product does not have to be a negative. By avoiding some common promotional mistakes, your campaigns will be more successful and, as an added bonus, people will be less annoyed with your organization.

In his book "Managing a Nonprofit Organization," Thomas Wolf listed three mistakes that some nonprofits make during promotions. Avoiding these are key to ensuring a successful campaign:

• Don’t assume that saying more in a promotional device is better. Short, carefully selected messaging is always more effective.
• Don’t miss easy opportunities to acquire names, addresses, and other pertinent information. Incentivizing people to provide email addresses and other information will be valuable in later sales and fundraising solicitation.
• Don’t oversell your product or service. If customers or constituents have specific expectations about what you are selling and these expectations are not met, they will be disappointed. Promotion based on exaggerated claims will generally lead to unfulfilled expectations.

Northeastern Receives Record Donation

Two Northeastern University graduates who initially dropped out of the school teamed up to give their alma mater a record donation of $60 million.

Richard D’Amore and Alan McKim both dropped out of Northeastern as undergraduates but were encouraged to return by Professor Daniel McCarthy. The two former students’ $60-million donation is now the largest gift to the Boston school since a $20-million donation in 2006. As a result of the gift, Northeastern’s College of Business and Administration will become the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Northeastern plans to use the $60 million to launch new programs, attract top faculty, increase financial aid to students, subsidize cooperative education programs, and offer more opportunities for students to study and work abroad. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is the first college or school to be named at Northeastern, and the $60-million gift is the fourth largest to name a business school in the United States.

A 1976 graduate, D’Amore had previously donated $5 million to the school in 2009 to support innovation and entrepreneurship. McKim, a 1988 graduate and founder and CEO of Clean Harbors, met D’Amore when the two teamed up to endow a professorship currently held by McCarthy. D’Amore is co-founder and general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based North Bridge Venture Partners.

“Once in a generation, history is made in the life of a university. This is one of those moments,” said Northeastern President Joseph Aoun in a statement.

“Northeastern has had a huge impact on me — both personally and professionally,” D’Amore said in a press release. “I hope that what Alan and I are doing will inspire others to do the same.”

5 Steps To The Perfect Special Event

To some nonprofit leaders, planning for a special event is akin to having a root canal. Yet despite the difficulties they can present, events have the potential to seriously boost both fundraising and an organization's reputation.

During the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 49th International Conference on Fundraising, Jennifer C. Stewart of the Providence Healthcare Foundation offered suggestions to attendees on how they can minimize the pain of planning for a special event. She said that the key to success rests on the following five considerations:

• Setting goals and objectives. Set them one year in advance. Planning is everything.
• Budgeting and cost per dollar raised. Stewart suggested setting the budget before planning even begins. It’s necessary to be specific in creating a budget. Also, lowering expenses and promoting that cost-cutting shows sensitivity to the times.
• Committee involvement. It is good to create a member expectations protocol, and to be clear about fundraising roles. Don’t undervalue or under-appreciate volunteers.
• Being sensitive to the times. It is good to chart all event details on a month-by-month basis. Set reasonable timelines and stick to them.
• Event follow-up. Thank-you notes should be sent to all donors no more than two weeks after the event (preferably sooner). Report event fundraising results and add testimonials in those notes. Announce the following year’s event date.

Following these steps is a good way to make planning your organization's next special event a lot less painful, and a lot more successful. Let us know what you think of Stewart's suggestions in the comments section.

Nonprofit CFO Sentenced In Wire Fraud Case

The former chief financial officer of a nonprofit in Knoxville, Tenn. was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison today on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

According to a report in The San Francisco Chronicle, Cameron J. Potter was also ordered by the U.S. Attorney's Office for East Tennessee to repay the government more than $400,000. Federal investigators charged Potter with using his position as CFO of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) to embezzle more than $403,000 in organization funds through fraudulent transactions, counterfeit checks, and diverted receipts. He used the money to pay for personal expenses, such as cars, a second house, and sports memorabilia.

Potter pleaded guilty to the charges a year ago, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Phillips.

The prosecutor in the case said that Potter created fake invoices to businesses with names similar to consultants employed by SACE, and paid them with the organization's American Express account. The money was then transferred to his own accounts through an online banking service.

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

Virginia City Council Tackles Nonprofit Tax Exemption

Tax-exempt status was the topic of conversation during a meeting of the Richmond, Va., city council, as members tried to determine which organizations shouldn't have to pay property taxes after a ban on tax-exempt applications was lifted.

Nonprofits in Richmond had been unable to apply for tax-exemption for the past several years because of a moratorium on such applications. But after the historic Byrd Theater encountered economic difficulties, the ban was lifted, setting the stage for the Monday meeting.

According to a report on Richmond CBS affiliate WTVR, Councilman Marty Jewell said during session that he believed nonprofits in the city deserved a break because of the down economy. Councilman Bruce Tyler agreed, remarking that the city potentially footing the bill for some of these organizations is important because of the services they bring to the community.

Councilman Chris Hilbert argued that the moratorium on tax-exemption applications should be reinstated, remarking that the current review process makes it difficult for the city to determine which organizations truly need tax breaks. Hilbert plans to reintroduce the moratorium during an upcoming meeting, according to WTVR.

Tax-exempt organizations often have to pay fees to the government, making what are known as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). The NonProfit Times reported in May that Brown University reached an agreement to double its current payments to the city of Providence, R.I. In addition, a survey from last year showed that 63 percent of nonprofits pay some form of fee to state and local governments.

Fewer than two dozen nonprofits had their tax-exemption applications approved by the end of the meeting, with the remaining groups combining to pay nearly $160,000 in annual property taxes to the city of Richmond.  You can read the full story on WTVR's website.

Post Your Nonprofit Jobs With NPT

With the job market still not quite in full recovery, job seekers are always looking for new places to find work. That's why nonprofits looking to advertise their open positions should consider posting with the Nonprofit Job Seeker, the career center of The NonProfit Times.

The Nonprofit Job Seeker features an array of competitive pricing options that will help ensure that your job gets the most exposure possible. Every new position that is posted on our site is also tweeted to our NPT Jobs Twitter feed, allowing job seekers to be informed of new jobs instantaneously.

For employers that want to get the maximum amount of exposure, we have a special posting option that utilizes all forms of media. For just $595, your nonprofit will get the following options to promote your job posting:

• Listed in featured job section of the main page of our career center.
• Banner ad to run for 30 days on the site.
• Job tweeted to @nptjobs & @nonprofittimes list three times each.
• All ads are automatically posted to our Facebook career center page.
• Listing in the print and digital editions of our magazine.
• Post of your listing on our Jobs Blog.
• Banner on the NPT Jobs eNewsletter.
• Ad will be posted in the Job of The Week section in our weekly eNewsletters.

Contact Stephanie Johnson for more details on this special.

It's important for organizations to reach the right candidates when posting jobs online, and the Nonprofit Job Seeker has become a go-to source for individuals looking for nonprofit jobs. Visit our employer site today for more details on how to post your job.

Nonprofits Testify In Favor Of Specialty Plates

Leaders from nonprofit groups testified before Indiana lawmakers Wednesday, urging them not to stop the sale of specialty license plates, which they say account for much of their fundraising.

According to a report from CBS News, a legislative study committee heard about an hour of testimony on the subject from representatives from local nonprofits such as the Indianapolis Zoo. The issue of specialty plates first arose last year when conservative lawmakers attempted to kill the sale of plates for the Indiana Youth Group (IYG), an organization for gay youth. That effort failed but the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) eventually took away plate privileges from IYG and two other nonprofits, accusing the organizations of trading low-digit plates for contributions.

IYG maintains they did nothing wrong.

Nonprofit leaders who testified Wednesday said that plate programs are a legitimate public-private partnership that help organizations provide services for which the state would usually pay. Individuals pay $40 for the specialty plates, with $25 going to the organization and $15 going to the BMV. There are currently 459,000 of these plates on cars in Indiana.

"From the tax revenue standpoint, the specialty plate program is a win-win-win for the State of Indiana," said Charles Hyde, director of membership for the Indianapolis Zoo.

Sen. Earline Rogers (D-Gary) questioned the wisdom of the Legislature approving which groups would receive plates, saying that politics could enter the equation. Meanwhile, former state legislator and treasurer Joyce Brinkman testified that lawmakers should only issue plates to organizations whose activities help state services. She also recommended a regulatory system be put in place, something to which nonprofit organizers said they would be receptive.

Committee Chairman Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) said that Wednesday's hearing would be the only one on specialty plates before the panel reports to the Legislature, which is expected to take up the issue in January.

You can read the full story on CBS News' website.

5 Ways To Keep Your Online Devices Safe

Most devices in offices these days are connected to the Internet. Whether it's the standard computer or a smartphone, our technology is online nearly 24/7. While this is mostly a good thing, it also has risks. If you aren't careful, you could be on the receiving end of a virus that could severely hamper the hard work of your organization.

Thankfully, there are ways to safeguard your devices from such risks.

In "Nonprofit Management 101," Holly Ross, executive director of Portland, Ore.-based Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), wrote that it's extremely important for organizations to take the safety of their devices seriously. She recommended using the following five techniques to ensure that your operations continue to run smoothly:

• Firewall: This is basically a gate between the outside world and your network of computers. It’s essential that you have a firewall set up to keep spammers, hackers, and other malicious people from infiltrating your network to use it for nefarious purposes.
• Antivirus protection: Antivirus software should be installed on each of the computers on your network. Worms and viruses continue to be written every day, so it’s essential that you purchase the regular update packages for whichever program you choose to use.
• Backup: Most people view backing up as insurance for extreme situations such as natural disasters, but the backup is most important in many day-to-day situations.
• Passwords: The simplest thing you can do to protect your organization’s data and files is to put in place a strong password policy. Ensure that staff are both using different passwords for logins and changing their passwords frequently.
• Physical security: Equipment like laptops, printers, and desktop computers should be secured to desks with cable locks so they can’t be removed.

How To Minimize Risk From Employees

In the nonprofit world, risk usually comes from two sources: Employees or process.

According to Melanie Lockwood Herman in “Ready…Or Not: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Executives,” process-based risks are much easier to handle. If there is something in the organization that isn't working, all you need to do is determine the best possible steps to address the issue.

Dealing with risk from employees is a little trickier.

As opposed to process risks, Herman said that people risks are best addressed through prevention, detection, and correction. This is done through these four steps:

• Creating policies and procedures that clarify job responsibilities and standards of permitted and prohibited conduct.
• Communicating the nonprofit’s policies through written policy materials, online resources, and in-person briefings. You should also consider making policies available in multiple formats.
• Designing employee and volunteer training to address key aspects of the job and recommended approaches for coping with adversity and undesirable circumstances.
• Holding all personnel accountable for the organization’s key risk management policies.

Liberty Mutual To Up Charitable Giving

Liberty Mutual will increase its charitable giving in Massachusetts this year, at the same time as other major financial institutions in Boston plan to maintain their previous levels of support.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, the Boston-based insurance company will up local donations to $17 million, an estimated 20 percent increase from the $14.2 million it distributed last year. This change is being made possible largely because of the company's signing of a three-year, $8 million deal renewing its sponsorship of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

The insurance giant is also donating $1 million in nonprofit grants to promote its 100th anniversary. One of these grants will be used to conduct a series of public concerts in Boston.

“We care deeply about the community,” Melissa MacDonnell, director of Liberty Mutual’s philanthropy programs, said in a statement. “We were born here 100 years ago, and we’ve grown to become an international company in 27 countries.”

While Liberty Mutual is increasing its donations, other institutions that have large operations in Boston are staying at their previous giving levels. Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America, which is struggling with millions of dollars in losses stemming from its purchase of the mortgage company Countrywide, announced it would give $12 million to Massachusetts charities. This is the same amount the bank has given in previous years.

John Hancock also announced its donations would be staying the same, with a spokesperson saying the company expects to donate $11.5 million locally, which is around the same number as last year. The financial services company had already raised $6.8 million for nonprofits this year, thanks to a sponsorship program with the Boston Marathon.

You can read the full story in The Boston Globe.

Online Advocacy And You

As the 2012 presidential election starts to heat up, it's important for nonprofit managers to give themselves a refresher course on the rules governing their organizations when it comes to advocacy.

In the newest issue of The NonProfit Times, guest authors Janice M. Ryan and Ronald M. Jacobs go over what a 501(c)(3) organization can and cannot do during the election season. If done correctly, an organization can do the following things:

• Help register voters;
• Conduct get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities;
• Publish voter guides;
• Create candidate questionnaires;
• Host candidate appearances;
• Host debates;
• Conduct issue advocacy;
• Allow leadership and staff to be politically active; and,
• Create an affiliated organization.

One of the most popular forms of advocacy these days is the online variety, and there are additional rules governing them. According to Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum and Lisa M. Hix of Venable LLP, organizations must be wary of election-related content they post on their web sites. As stated in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Rev. Rul. 2007-41, "If an organization posts something on its web site that favors or opposes a candidate for political office, the organization will be treated the same as if it distributed printed material, oral statements or broadcasts the favored or opposed candidate."

This is something you want to avoid, obviously, so Tenenbaum and Hix offered the following ideas to make sure your nonprofit follows the rules while still remaining involved in the political process:

• A link to candidate-related material alone will not constitute political campaign intervention.
• Facts demonstrating that the link is not campaign intervention include: All candidates for an office are represented, and exempt purpose is served by offering the link and the link does not directly connect the organization?s website to a Web page that contains material favoring or opposing a candidate for public office.
• Organizations should carefully monitor content, and links. A website that contains a view of legislation, as well as a link to a voting legislator's email, will be considered a "call to action."
• Check sites for links added inadvertently or without authorization.