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Weekend in Boca VIFrom Accountability to Impact

May 17, 2013

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A Little About Me

– Communications Director – Manage GuideStar’s public relations,

media relations and social media work

– GuideStar project lead on Money for Good: www.guidestar.org/moneyforgood

– Contact me at lnichols@guidestar.org or

202-637-7614

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GuideStar’s Mission

To revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice by providing information that:

• advances transparency,

• enables users to make better decisions, and

• encourages charitable giving.#OfficeDepotFndnBoca

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User and evaluation data (via GNP, P-pedia, GW,etc)

Tax data (via IRS)

Nonprofit information (GuideStar Exchange)

Programmatic information (DonorEdge

partnerships)

UsersGuideStar

Data GuideStar Collects

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Today’s Agenda1. Learn how donors and

funders behave and research nonprofits today

2. Learn what these groups want in terms of information on nonprofits

3. Learn what nonprofits can do based on this information to improve their fundraising and operations

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A nonprofit’s investments in training, planning,

evaluation, and internal systems—investments in itself—are how are how a

nonprofit sustains and improves its impact on

the world.

Is Overhead Dead?

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The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle

Low Pay, Make Do, Do

Without Culture

Underfunding of Overhead

Funder Unrealistic

Expectations

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• Greater demand for transparency and accountability

• Greater personal engagement in philanthropy

• Greater demand for data on which to base decisions

The Era of Assumed Virtue is Over

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Money for Good

http://hopeconsulting.us/pdf/Money%20for%20Good_Final.pdf

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Money for Good

Only 1/3 of donors research ~5% research to find the best NPO

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Money for Good II

www.guidestar.org/moneyforgood

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New Nonprofit Report Design

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The Truth About Watchdogs

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

1. Focus on impact. The unmet need. Show how well you are achieving your goals

2. Chart your impact. Answer five key questions that will bring you and your donors clarity on your approach and accomplishments. For more go to www.chartingimpact.org

3. Update / complete your GuideStar Exchange profile at http://bit.ly/GuideStarExchange

4. Use GreatNonprofits to gather input from stakeholders at www.greatnonprofits.org

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1. What is your organization aiming to accomplish?

2. What are your strategies for making this happen?

3. What are your organization’s capabilities for doing this?

4. How will your organization know if you are making progress?

5. What have and haven’t you accomplished so far?– A framework for advancing strategic thinking.

– A standardized method for sharing concise information with key stakeholders and the public.

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Benefits Include:• Encouraging people to invest their money,

time, and attention in effective organizations.

• Highlighting the difference your organization makes.

• Sharpening your approaches.

• Positioning your organization to work with and learn from others.

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

1. Focus on impact. The unmet need. Show how well you are achieving your goals

2. Chart your impact. Answer five key questions that will bring you and your donors clarity on your approach and accomplishments. For more go to www.chartingimpact.org

3. Update / complete your GuideStar Exchange profile at http://bit.ly/GuideStarExchange

4. Use GreatNonprofits to gather input from stakeholders at www.greatnonprofits.org

Gather Input from StakeholdersIndividual Reviews

Yelp-like reviews written by individuals in the community

Collects individual reviews and provides a 1-5 star rating for each organization

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Stakeholder Reviews

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Expert Reviews

Assessments about nonprofits made by sector experts or third party research groups that focus on analyzing the impact an organization is having.

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

1. Lead with impact and competence. Donors want to be sure their money isn’t being wasted and that you are making a difference. They look to NPOs to find that info

2. Highlight third party accolades, like Philanthropedia, GreatNonprofits, Charity Navigator

3. Update your GuideStar Exchange profile. You can link directly to it and it will populate many other portals.

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Celebrate Your Success!

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What is the GuideStar Exchange?• Comprehensive database of

nonprofit information• Designed to connect nonprofits

with current and potential supporters– Millions of people come to

GuideStar to learn more about nonprofits each year

• Allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with grantmakers, potential donors and volunteers

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The Power of Your Data

IRS, GuideStar Exchange,

Other Partners

GuideStar

Clients and Partners

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Don’t Just Take Our Word For It“[Online] fundraising is built

upon GuideStar. Change.org, Network for Good, and

Facebook Causes (just to name a few) are pulling your

organization's information from GuideStar...donations made to your organization are mailed to the address listed in GuideStar!

Nonprofits need to understand the importance of keeping their GuideStar entry

current."#OfficeDepotFndnBoca

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Congratulations Office Depot Foundation!

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GuideStar Exchange Benefits• In exchange for the information they provide,

Exchange members receive• The GuideStar Seal on their nonprofit report, and ability

to display it on your website and print materials

• Access to our Promotional Tool Kit, which includes a sample press release, e-mail, and social media posts to promote your GuideStar Exchange Seal

• Access to an embeddable Search Toolbar for your supporters that will allow them to donate $0.01 to you every time they do a search online

• Special 20% discount on online development training

• First access registration for GuideStar webinars#OfficeDepotFndnBoca

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Claim Your GuideStar Exchange Form

www.guidestar.org

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New Fluid, Easy-to-Use Interface

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

1. Know your donors. Donors are a diverse group and not everyone is going to be the right fit for your message. Make sure that you are talking to the right groups

2. Target your message. Make sure you tell your story in a way that appeals to each groups

3. Follow up. Thank your donors and let them know what you did with the money and how you are improving what you do. Don’t ruin it by asking for more

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Know Your Donors

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

1. Know your donors. Donors are a diverse group and not everyone is going to be the right fit for your message. Make sure that you are talking to the right groups

2. Target your message. Make sure you tell your story in a way that appeals to each groups

3. Follow up. Thank your donors and let them know what you did with the money and how you are improving what you do. Don’t ruin it by asking for more

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Collect, Communicate, Connect

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More Money for More Good Guidebook

– Info: In-depth findings on how individual donors, advisors, and grant-makers use information today, and are likely to use information tomorrow

– Insights: How nonprofits can increase fundraising and help create a more effective sector

– Applications: Case studies of organizations that use information to drive donor engagement

– Tips: 10 tips to help nonprofits collect better information, communicate their story, and connect with donors

www.guidestar.org/moneyforgood#OfficeDepotFndnBoca

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QUESTIONS?

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Thank You!

Lindsay J.K. Nichols lnichols@guidestar.orgGuideStarUSA@GuideStarUSA+GuideStarGuideStarGuideStarUSAGuideStar

GuideStar Blog: http://trust.guidestar.org

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