August 17, 2023

Hello Nonprofit Leaders and Supporters,

Happy National Nonprofit Day! Today is your day, Nonprofit Leaders! This is a day to recognize the impact your nonprofits have in our communities. It's a day to celebrate the individual lives and communities that are being changed for the better through your organizations. It is also a day to be grateful for the enormous trust that the community puts in us and in everyone who supports nonprofits through their daily work, their volunteerism, or their gifts of financial support. We all know that nonprofits are a cornerstone of our communities. Today is your day, so take a moment to treat yourself to whatever is your favorite indulgence. I also encourage you to reach out to someone else in the nonprofit sector that you haven’t been in touch with for a while, reconnect with them and thank them for their work. We keep our sector strong when we support one another.

So, I wish you a Happy National Nonprofit Day to you all and thank you for your support of NAO!

Jim White

NAO Executive Director

Nonprofit News

Preorder Your Copy of Hanif Fazal’s Debut Book Today

Many Oregon nonprofit leaders have had the opportunity to participate in the fantastic DEI workshops and programs facilitated by Hanif Fazal through the Center for Equity and Inclusion. We are so excited to read Hanif’s book, An Other World, when it hits bookstore shelves on October 17. We would highly encourage everybody to pre-order this book that is part memoir and part call-to-action that includes personal stories, life experiences, and lessons on identity throughout. If you have worked with Hanif before, you know that this book will be a must read and if you haven’t gotten the chance to get to know Hanif and his work, this book will be a great introduction. 

On that note, we are absolutely thrilled to announce that Hanif will be our opening speaker for the High Desert Conference (HDC) on October 17. Each attendee of HDC will be given an advanced copy of An Other World to begin to read before it’s available to the general public. For more information on Hanif’s opening address, his affinity group discussion, and the rest of the inspiring agenda for HDC, visit here.

Join us at a Nonprofit Salon near you!

One of the best ways to build a more robust nonprofit sector is to invite all staff members and volunteers to network, form relationships, and collaborate. We know that the opportunity to get to know your nonprofit colleagues across your communities is crucial to the work you do. Our Salons allow you to relax, have a couple of beverages, eat some snacks, and spend time with other nonprofit professionals. That’s it – there is no different agenda or facilitation – these are truly meant for you to have the time and space to create your community of colleagues who truly understand what it’s like to work in the nonprofit sector.

We hope to see you at an upcoming salon on September 13 in Portland, September 20 in Corvallis, September 27 in Medford, and September 28 in Eugene. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Register here. 

Earn Your Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership – Virtual Info Session

Through a partnership between NAO and Pacific University, you can earn a master’s degree that prepares you to make a positive impact in just 13 months. The Master of Nonprofit Leadership (MNL) program is 100% online, with courses offered online asynchronously or on Fridays, weekends or evenings! Interested in learning more? Join MNL Instructor Ricardo Contreras on August 30 at 4 p.m. to discuss diversity and engagement, followed by a Q&A session with MNL Director Corky McReynolds. Register for free here.

Strategic Health Benefits Planning for Your Next Renewal

Annual employee health insurance renewals can be daunting for employers, but a variety of alternative health plan design options available today means any employer can provide outstanding benefits, and even save money in the process.

On Wednesday, September 13th at 10 a.m. join Nonstop, CFO Selections and MMA for a 30 minute complimentary webinar to uncover strategic action-based steps employers can take to ensure they adopt an innovative plan for their employees. With a focus on addressing equity, driving employee satisfaction and achieving cost savings, and access to care - you will discover how planning ahead can make your next renewal a success. Transform your next renewal from a dreaded event into a success story. Reserve your spot today.

At the State Level

Last Call for Task Force applications! 

The Governor’s legislative Task Force on Modernizing Grant Funding and Contracting is accepting applications to serve on a 15-member body responsible for examining how the state’s granting and public procurement practices limit the wages of employees of nonprofit organizations and making recommendations to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. There are nine positions reserved for nonprofit representatives. The Task Force is expected to convene in October 2023 and anticipated to meet monthly. The Task Force’s work is to be completed by September 2024. NAO highly encourages any interested in nonprofits to apply by the close of business on August 24th.

Nonprofit Workshops (In-person or Virtual)

Agile Engagement: Strategies for Building Lasting Donor Relationships (Portland)

September 21, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Matt Lehrman, Social Prosperity Partners

As nonprofits adjust to the "new normal," building and maintaining lasting donor relationships in times of change and uncertainty is critical. This highly interactive workshop offers a practical and innovative framework for emphasizing adaptability in donor relationships. Discover practical tools and techniques grounded in tenacity, agility, and humanity that will help you build strong donor relationships designed to endure whatever the future holds. More details and registration information here.

Take FIVE: Five Steps to Focused Impactful Volunteer Engagement (Klamath Falls)

October 3, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Janet Capetty, Take FIVE Training

Organizations need and want volunteers - and volunteers want to contribute! Drawing on years of experience working with volunteers and training others to do so, Janet Capetty offers this session that outlines five simple steps to achieve Focused Impactful Volunteer Engagement. Take FIVE Training helps nonprofits further their mission by actively engaging volunteers, giving those volunteers a positive experience, and keeping them involved and returning for more. More details and registration information here.

Government Grants: 2-Part Readiness Series (Estacada)

October 18 and 25, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Facilitator: Hannah Cortez, The Dotted i

Join us for this two-day grant writing series that will increase your understanding of government grants and help you prepare to secure funding! In this series, we will offer hands-on learning activities, peer networking, and expert knowledge on preparing to seek local, state, and federal grant funding. In addition to in-class instruction, participants will have weekly homework to deepen their learning and have direct access to course trainers for feedback and support. Through this training, we hope to demystify the government grant process and give participants a better understanding of how this type of funding can be leveraged. More details and registration information here.

Effective Supervision (Bend)

October 26, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Cliff Jones, Capacity Building Partnerships

Employees are your organization’s greatest resource. Effective support and direction for your staff and understanding ways to work across differences will help create an environment where people can fully contribute and advance your organization’s mission and goals. Cliff Jones, Consultant Partner at Capacity Building Partnerships, offers a holistic approach to supervision. He has helped hundreds of supervisors in nonprofit settings develop skills and supervision methods that make a difference. In this workshop, we will explore the essential elements of a supervisor’s role with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens; offer insight into the specific challenges of supervision in the nonprofit environment to help you identify concrete goals and changes that you can implement with individual staff and teams; and examine strategies to address unclear expectations between staff and supervisor, ambivalence about authority, low pay, and heavy workloads. More details and registration information here.

Take FIVE: Five Steps to Focused Impactful Volunteer Engagement (Coos Bay)

November 1, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Janet Capetty, Take FIVE Training

Organizations need and want volunteers - and volunteers want to contribute! Drawing on years of experience working with volunteers and training others to do so, Janet Capetty offers this session that outlines five simple steps to achieve Focused Impactful Volunteer Engagement. Take FIVE Training helps nonprofits further their mission by actively engaging volunteers, giving those volunteers a positive experience, and keeping them involved and returning for more. More details and registration information here.

Government Grants: 4-Part Virtual Readiness Series (Virtual)

November 7, 9, 14 and 16, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Facilitator: Hannah Cortez, The Dotted i

Join us for this 4-part grant writing series that will increase your understanding of government grants and help you prepare to secure funding! In this series, we will offer hands-on learning activities, peer networking, and expert knowledge on preparing to seek local, state, and federal grant funding. In addition to in-class instruction, participants will have weekly homework to deepen their learning and have direct access to course trainers for feedback and support. Through this training, we hope to demystify the government grant process and give participants a better understanding of how this type of funding can be leveraged. More details and registration information here.



Nonprofit Learning Cohort (Virtual)

Cultivating a Thriving Multigenerational Organization

September 12, 19, 26, October 3 and 10, 12 – 1:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Alexandra Reese, OpaStrategy

Are you struggling to lead a high-performing multigenerational organization? It’s perfectly understandable, given the unique composition of the workforce. For the first time in modern history, there are five generations in the workforce. Each generation has a unique life stage and shared lived experience, so each brings its own priorities, needs, communication styles, and work preferences into the workforce. Most organizations have more diversity than ever in their workplace. How can you create a cohesive team and culture while embracing this rich diversity within your organization? In this highly interactive cohort, we will answer the above question together so you can create a high-performing multigenerational organization. More details and registration information here.

Bringing It In: How to a Create a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Workplace Where People Belong

October 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, Noon – 1:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Erica Briggs, NAO

The standard operating procedure for the workplace is to ensure that each cog in the wheel is working for the whole. This ignores the value of the cog and assumes the wheel is the best mechanism for movement toward the change we want to see in the world. When we step back and see each person for who they are and what they bring to the larger whole, we can better determine alignment for the individual and the organization. This cohort will focus on best practices of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), not as an appendix to the body but as an integral part of the whole system of organizational wellness. More details and registration information here.

Building a Healthy Board

November 7, 14, 21, 28 and December 5, 10 – 11:15 a.m. | Facilitator: Kari Anderson, Incite! Consulting

If you’ve chosen to serve the nonprofit sector, you’ll eventually come into contact with a nonprofit board of directors. Whether you’re a staff member or a member of the board, you want to do the right thing, right? But you can’t do the right thing if you don’t know what it is, why it’s important, and how to do it! This cohort will include a baseline in board education, clarification of board/board member/staff roles, what board committees “really” do, how to tackle hard conversations and deal with bad behavior, and succession planning. You’ll come away with a clearer understanding of the important role that boards and board members play in the success of a nonprofit, as well as strategies to implement to make your organization even stronger! More details and registration information here.

DEI Audit and Assessment: Managing the Work in Between Where We Are and Where We Hope to Be

November 7, 14, 21, 28 and December 5, Noon – 1:15 p.m. | Facilitator: Erica Briggs, NAO

Growth in any area requires an honest audit of organizational history and an objective tool to assess success and continued growth areas. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) audits can help identify existing workplace conditions and help strengthen weak spots to build excellent cultural resiliency. However, as with any test, audits can be met with fear and resistance, pulling people apart and building walls. This cohort will share key considerations on how best to approach a DEI audit and how to use this process to deepen relationships and build bridges that lead to learning and growth. More details and registration information here.



NAO's Regional Networks

Want to connect with other nonprofit leaders in your area? Join us at a regional network in Bend, Corvallis, Medford, Portland, or Springfield! NAO's regional network sessions are designed for nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers. They are open to any nonprofit leader who wants to learn more about best practices while advancing their skills in nonprofit management, financial accountability, equity, and inclusion.

The 2023-24 network series will offer a combination of in-person and virtual sessions between September and June. Click through to see the scheduled event for each network and to buy a Member Pass!

Bend

Nonprofit Network of Central Oregon (NNCO)

Corvallis

Mid-Valley Nonprofit Network (MVNN)

Portland Metro

Equity and Inclusions Leaders Network (EILN)

Nonprofit Fiscal Managers Network (NFMA)

Nonprofit Leaders Network (NLN)

Medford

Rogue Valley Nonprofit Network (RVNN)

Springfield

Lane County Nonprofit Network (LCNN)



NAO Webinars

Avoiding Nonprofit Fraud & Embezzlement

August 22, 10 – 11 a.m. | Presenters: Susan Bower and Lottie Zorn, Oregon Department of Justice

Susan and Lottie will provide an overview of DOJ’s oversight of charitable entities and fiduciaries and discuss one of the most common and troubling issues DOJ sees – embezzlement. Discussion points will include: Uncharitable headlines: tales from the trenches and why nonprofits are ripe for fraud; Prevention: how to reduce the risk of embezzlement; Detection: what to look for and how to root out embezzlement; and Recovery: what to do when embezzlement occurs. More details and registration information here.

Getting on Track for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

August 22, 12:30 – 2 p.m. | Presenter: Leigh McIlvaine, Clarity Loan Forgiveness Consulting, LLC

Join Leigh McIlvaine of Clarity Loan Forgiveness Consulting for a 90-minute webinar that clearly lays out the rules, requirements, and process for receiving federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Attendees can expect to learn about the types of loans, payment plans, and employment that qualify for PSLF. This webinar will also focus on a critical time-sensitive PSLF opportunity that ends December 30, 2023. Leigh will address the recent Supreme Court decision overruling the Biden Administration’s One-Time Student Debt Relief as well as beneficial new regulations and payment plans now available to borrowers. Attendees will leave the webinar feeling confident that they have the tools and knowledge to successfully navigate the PSLF process while minimizing their loan payments and maximizing their financial well-being as they pursue loan forgiveness. Free to NAO members! More details and registration information here.

Board Bright: Engaging Your Board in Fundraising

September 12, 3 – 4:30 p.m. | Presenter: Sarah Spangler, NAO

A well-prepared and passionate board is essential to successful fundraising. This 90-minute addition to the Board Bright series will provide strategies for setting your board up for fundraising success. Learn how to create fundraising expectations from the get-go, increase your board’s understanding of the organization’s revenue needs, find ways for everyone to play a role, and build board ambassadors for your cause. Free to NAO members! More details and registration information here.

ChatGPT for Frontline Fundraisers

September 19, 1:30 – 3 p.m. | Presenter: Anne Murphy, Empowered Fundraiser

In today's fast-paced fundraising environment, connecting with donors, engaging supporters, and raising funds is crucial to the sustainability of nonprofits. Time is precious, and several tools can help you streamline your fundraising strategies. Join Anne Murphy of Empowered Fundraiser for a comprehensive webinar providing insights into using ChatGPT, an AI-powered language processing tool, to enhance your fundraising efforts. More details and registration information here.



NAO Conference (In-person)