Montana Nonprofit Association

promoting a strong nonprofit sector in MONTANA

Montana Nonprofit Association Blog

Musings, stories, and resources for the nonprofit sector in Montana.

An Enriching Time Was Had By All: Observations from MNA's Spring Training Program

(Org. Development, Conference) Permanent link

by Teresa Geremia-Chart, Organizational Development Director

This spring over 430 nonprofits participated in one or more of our 13 Principles and Practices implementation webinars and seminars covering topics ranging from Governance & Leadership, Human Resources, Fundraising, and Communications/Technology, and finishing with a couple of outstanding Financial Management workshops earlier this month.   Webinars took us into the offices of our members throughout the state from Miles City to Whitefish; seminars took us from Hamilton to Helena, and Great Falls to Missoula with a great trip to Butte in the middle. 

First, thank you to our nonprofit members for taking the time from your busy schedule to explore ways to improve your efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability by improving your organizational development.  Second, I want to thank our training partners, from Barb Harrington of the Sponsorship Network in New York and Andy Robinson in Vermont, to Terry Profota of Sage Solutions in Bozeman, Ruth French of Associated Employers, Jan Schweitzer of Anderson ZurMuehlen, our friends at NTEN and GrantStation, and Kelly Bruggeman of First Interstate Bank Foundation, Lynda Bourque Moss of the Foundation for Community Vitality, and Carol Lewis of Philanthropy Northwest. 

One observation from this training series is that nonprofits are willing to share their experiences and strategies with other nonprofits.  Collaboration is what distinguishes us from other sectors where competition separates success from failure.   Some of the best time spent at trainings was hearing how nonprofits at various stages of development first wrestled with and then successfully applied management theories to improve their own organizations.  

Another observation is how many hats nonprofit managers must wear.  Unlike large corporations or government, few nonprofits have HR departments, CFOs, attorney's on retainer, or even professional fundraisers.  Most nonprofit managers must become experts (and fast) at governance, raising funds, managing finances, and hiring and supervising personnel and volunteers. Moreover, nonprofit managers must also understand legal requirements in areas of corporate governance, grant management, IRS fund management, and federal and state labor laws.  My hat is off to all of you; and for our part, we'll continue our work to help ease your task by providing as many resources as we can through our Principles and Practices, online materials and links, continued trainings, and of course our annual conference, which is described below.  

Throughout the trainings, I had a great time sharing the experience and content on Twitter.  Below is a selection of some of the best tweets from the series.

  • The person who typically commits fraud in a nonprofit is the person least expected to commit fraud
  • 2008 grants in Montana totaled 1,151 - median grant size in MT was $9,500 compared to regional Northwest median at $7,500
  • From Philanthropy Northwest Trends in Northwest Giving Report 2010 http://bit.ly/93ehWI
  • Individuals remains the biggest source of giving to nonprofits over corporation and foundation giving
  • Sustainable nonprofits have 4 capacities - leadership, adaptive, management, technical - From TCC group: http://www.tccgrp.com/
  • Nonprofit board tasks should be SMART:  specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely
  • Nonprofit board responsibilities fall within 5 buckets:  leadership, governance, stewardship, management, and highly engaged volunteer.
  • Nonprofit ED evaluations are based on criteria and done annually, get input from full board - check out @NatlCouncilNPs ED compensation information.
  • Fed grant requirements OMB Circular A-122; A-110; and A-133 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars
  • Wage Claims #1 reasons for lawsuits against nonprofit employers, 2nd is harassment
  • Unpaid interns must be students and/or learners - in MT must complete an application with DOL - New Fact Sheet
  • Churches get the majority of individual gifts because they ask and ask often...and big - 10% of income - and they ask everyone
  • All board members should know your funding mixture - how much from gifts, from foundations, earned income, etc.
  • Board assignment: Each - sit down with a blank piece of paper, write your organization mission in your own words.
  • NTEN/MNA webinar: Baby Boomers are embracing popular consumer technology apps. nearly 20 times faster than younger gens.
  • Number one comment heard by GrantStation from international funders is: "Yes, we fund in the U.S., but no one ever applies."
  • Barb Harrington says to reinvest 15-20% of sponsorship for advertising, tickets, and giveaways 

 

Last Edited by Training at 6/22/2010 2:01 PM Comments (0)

Good news on the nonprofit health insurance front? Read on...

(Policy, Products and Services) Permanent link
by Brian Magee, MNA Executive Director

Brian-eNews

We have been saying for quite some time that MNA is part of a growing movement across the country to strengthen the nonprofit sector through collective action and influence. This is new territory for all of us and we’re learning as we go, but the early returns are very encouraging. In particular, MNA’s healthcare related work over the past year – both on the federal policy side and our homegrown Group Benefits Trust - is a prime example of the power and potential of this movement. This month’s article sheds some light on the results of this important work.

On the policy front, MNA worked closely with our fellow state associations through the National Council of Nonprofits to ensure nonprofits were included in the small employer tax credits that passed in this year’s landmark healthcare legislation. When legislation was first introduced, nonprofits were not afforded the same benefits as small businesses – we were essentially left out of the equation. The good news is that our network’s intense lobbying of Congress changed all of that by moving our country’s leaders to see both businesses and nonprofits as “small employers” requiring assistance. Collective action produced the desired result.

The new health care reform law now allows small nonprofits to claim up to a 25 percent tax credit when they pay for at least half of the health insurance premiums for their employees. To claim the credit, the nonprofit must have 25 or fewer employees, average wages must be less than $50,000, and the nonprofit must pay at least 50% of the insurance premium cost for employees. Eligible nonprofits can start claiming the credit immediately. These are real significant savings which translate to more dollars in the bank accounts of many small to midsize nonprofits. Click here for more details on the small employer tax credit.

At the same time that MNA has been engaged in national advocacy efforts around health care reform, we have been working diligently to contain costs here at home. After several weeks of negotiations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT), MNA’s Group Benefits Trust (the Trust) announced recently that health insurance premium costs for the 2010 plan year beginning July 1 would increase by an average of only 3.7%. This means that MNA members participating in the Trust have one of the lowest premium increases for an employer sponsored group benefit plan in Montana. Since its inception in 2007, the Trust has averaged a 6% annual increase, far below the Montana and national average. And finally, in what has become a rare event, two of the seven plans offered by the Trust will have a premium decrease for the upcoming year. Click here to read MNA’s press release on the Trust.

In the coming weeks, MNA will be sharing with you more information about positive Trust developments including the addition of stronger preventive benefits, ala carte benefits such as vision and dental, and a first rate wellness program. Our hope is to leverage this strong renewal and partnership with BCBSMT to significantly grow the Trust well beyond the current 43 MNA member employers of the Trust who provide health insurance for 700 employees and many dependents across Montana. If you haven’t looked into the Trust in awhile, we encourage you to do so. Please do not hesitate to contact Brad Robinson at MNA should you have questions about the Trust and MNA’s health insurance program.

As for MNA, our work on the policy front and on your behalf never rests. I’ll be visiting with our congressional delegation as part of Nonprofit Lobby Day on June 16th in Washington DC. I’ll be sure to thank them for their support of nonprofits as small employers and update them on our success with the Trust. Stay tuned for next month’s “From the Desk” when I’ll provide a full report from my trip to the Hill.

 

 

Last Edited by communications at 6/11/2010 10:33 AM Comments (0)