2010 Program Topic Ideas:

I have been reading how universities start and maintain chapters, which inspired the following program ideas for next year. Please review and comment on them and share ideas you are interested in discussing.
- Why membership is important.
- What development is and is not.
- Why it is important to build membership, relationships; and how to do it.
- What value does your organization have for current and potential members?

Nonprofit Quarterly's Newswire

Nonprofit Quarterly is offering Nonprofit Newswire, which features updated stories about nonprofits. As you can see from the headlines below, the recent news is all about the economic challenges facing organizations across the US. Click here for the November 30th update (headlines listed below).

State Legislators Considering their Approach to Next Round of Cuts
Nov 29, 2009; Rapid City Journal South Dakota lawmakers are preparing for a grim legislative session to decide whether to cut programs across the board, slash some programs more deeply, or simply eliminate particular spending categories.

Strange Blip in Individual Donations
Nov 24, 2009; Spokesman-Review Are Spokane nonprofits struggling due to the collapse of mid-size charitable contributions?

A Blight on Our Collective Name
Nov 25, 2009; The Sacramento Bee A venerable Sacramento nonprofit closed its doors this summer, after providing fewer and fewer services to its clients while a larger share of its charitable contributions went to the group's leaders and their families.

Cresswell Church Coughs Up Almost $26,000 in Real Property Taxes
Nov 21, 2009; Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder A local church has been hit with a $26,000 tax bill (for 5 years of unpaid taxes), due apparently to its housing a nonprofit child care center.

The Central NY Business Journal reported that A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta is the latest affiliate of Bassett Healthcare.

The two organizations inked a deal Oct. 16 making Fox the fifth and largest Bassett affiliate. The affiliation is effective Jan. 1. Fox is a 100-bed community hospital.

"This is a decision that will benefit the communities we serve, and it's the kind of collaboration the state is encouraging," Bassett President and CEO Dr. William F. Streck said.

In the current recession, the affiliation allows Fox to deliver care in a more cost-effective way, Fox CEO John Remillard said.

The agreements signed by the two institutions' boards state that Fox will become an affiliated hospital in the Bassett Healthcare Network under the Bassett corporate structure. Bassett will provide management and medical services to A.O. Fox Hospital.

The CEO of Fox Hospital will become an employee of Bassett. Fox Hospital retains its status as an independent hospital corporation. Fox physicians remain as they are now, either employed by Fox or independent practitioners who have privileges at Fox.

Current hospital staff will be Fox employees.

Bassett Healthcare is a network of practitioners, hospitals, and health centers in eight counties that employs over 3,000 people and covers 5,000 square miles in upstate New York.

Nonprofit Job: Opportunity for Chenango

In advance, I wish to thank you for sharing the following career leadership opportunity with your colleagues and professional network:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Norwich NY: Rural leadership opportunity with Opportunity for Chenango, a Community Action Partnership fostering family, housing, community economic development in the beautiful hills of Chenango Co. Seek executive who enjoys leadership cultivation and team building while adept at managing multiple projects and financial complexity; 46 public contracts plus fee-based energy subsidiary. $7.8m budget; 139 employees. Negotiable mid to high 70k + benefits. Forward resume in Word by 12/10/09 to susanm@nonprofitjobs.org
Visit http://www.ofcinc.org to learn about OFC For job detail, click on http://www.nonprofitjobs.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.jdetail&jid=27958
Equal Opportunity Employer

Best regards, Susan Maini, Search Consultant
Enterprise Inc
Tel 774-286-9954

Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce Networking Seminars 2009-2010

How to Use Web 2.0 for Your Business

October 29, 2009 – Creating Your Website on a Budget

8am-9:30am at Howard Johnson Inn & Suites, Hartwick Seminary

$14 member/$18 non-member

When potential customers search the web for your business what do they find? (Try it.) Without a website, you are entirely at the mercy of what others say about your business or, worse, your business may simply not exist. A website is an important part of letting customers know who you are, what you do, and how to find you. In this breakfast seminar we will look at the importance of being on the web and provide step-by-step instructions to get you started. We will look at the basics of domain names, web hosting, and design options, from DIY to professional design firms. We will talk about selecting content, such as text, images, and links. Finally, we will look at easy-to-add bells and whistles like blogs, video, downloads, and e-commerce. Food and networking opportunities included.

December 17, 2009 – Building Your Business Network Online

11:30am-1pm at Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown, NY

$20 member/$24 non-member

Businesses need other businesses to survive and thrive. The Web provides excellent opportunities to find suppliers, business partners, business advice, and other resources. We will look at online directories, communities of practice, and business networks as resources for your business. Specific examples will include the Chamber website, LinkedIn, and PartnerUp. We will also talk about how to find and participate in niche online communities that fit your needs. Food and networking opportunities included.

January 21, 2010 – Does Your Business Need Facebook Fans or Twitter Followers?

8am-9:30am at Templeton Hall, Cooperstown, NY

$14 member/$18 non-member

There is a lot of buzz around Facebook and Twitter. Some business owners, family members, and friends may already be using one or both services to socialize, share pictures, and play games. But are they more than a diversion? Can they really help you brand your business, attract new customers, and turn them into repeat buyers and advocates for your products or services? We will explore the basics of what these social media platforms are and how businesses are using them. We will also provide a step-by-step guide for getting started and guidelines for use. Food and networking opportunities included.

March 18, 2010 – Using the Internet for Meetings, Calls, and Chat

11:30am-1pm at Tunicliff Inn, Cooperstown, NY

$18 member/$22 non-member

Did you know that you can talk to almost anyone on the planet that has a computer for free? Have you ever needed to share a presentation and collaborate on documents without expensive or time-consuming travel? Do you understand how “chat” is different from e-mail and why chat is a considered a great customer service tool? We will look at web-based communication tools, like Skype, DimDim, and various chat platforms. We will discuss how to use them, what’s free and what’s not, and how they can support customer, employee, and partner communication. Food and networking opportunities included.

April 8, 2010 – Web-based Tools for Your Business

(tentative) at Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY

$14 member/$18 non-member

All businesses have processes that are best managed using software, such as accounting, contact management, and document management. But do you need to buy the software, manage installation and upgrades, and worry that the failure of your computer means loss of critical business information? An increasing number of valuable software applications are now available via the Web. The best part is that many of these applications are free, can enable multiple users (and access from anywhere), and have backup and data recovery built in. We will look at examples including project management from Zoho, office applications from Google, and online storage from Mozy. Food and networking opportunities included.

September 16, 2010 – Web 2.0 Series Finale, Best Practices on the Web

8am-9:30am at Otesaga Resort Hotel, Cooperstown, NY

$20 member/$25 non-member

Wrap up event for the Web 2.0 seminar series. The event will focus on sharing best practices and success stories of member businesses. Food and networking opportunities included.

Members Only: Pre-register today for all six sessions for $90!

Funding to support the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce 2009/10 Business Seminar Series is provided in part by Otsego County Office of Economic Development.

Charities being sued for not paying overtime

A recent story in the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, IN discussed a case of a nonprofit worker at a Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida. The article relates that the employee worked seven days a week at the nonprofit charity that provides housing for sick children and their families during medical treatment. She regularly worked about 70 hours a week, and it turns out, is owed more than $20,000 in unpaid overtime for the job she left in April.

When she asked for some time off, and then to start clocking in and out , and her employer told her that she was not allowed to. She filed a lawsuit against the charity Sept. 10 in Miami federal court, alleging overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In the troubled economy, charities and nonprofits have been hit hard. Donations are down, staff has been cut, and some corners are being cut.

Michael Casey, managing partner of Epstein Becker & Green's Miami office, said major national nonprofits like the Boy Scouts of America and United Way run sophisticated operations similar to big corporations.

"The problem hits the smaller, local nonprofits just like it hits the smaller employers," he said. "The dismal economy has caused a lot of employers to fudge quite a bit on the wage-and-hour front. They will tell some employees, 'We can't afford the OT, but we need the work done.' The law says you can't do that."

The lawsuit against Ronald McDonald House was not filed on a whim. The Labor Department investigated Siberio's claim and determined her employer was a nonexempt charity violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Scheve said.

"I can only remember a handful of nonprofits we have sued," he said.
"It's not that we target them," Scheve said. "It's just that they are an employer like everybody else. Just because they do something good doesn't mean they get a free pass."

Soraya Rivera-Moya, the executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida, declined to discuss the pending litigation. "We are focused on providing comfort and care to more than 50 families who stay at the Ronald McDonald Houses of South Florida every day."
In some ways, nonprofits are just mirroring other businesses.

A new Labor Department report said the rights many Americans have taken for granted - minimum wage, overtime pay, meal and bathroom breaks, access to workers compensation - are disappearing from the workplace.

The report looked at 4,387 workers in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, and found 22 percent had suffered overtime abuses of some type in the previous week.

The Fair Labor Standards Act stipulates that covered employees must be paid time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a week.

Nonprofits are prone to push this boundary, said Jennifer Chandler, director of network support at the National Council of Nonprofits in Washington.

"Even though they are mission-based and doing wonderful things in the community, they still have to follow the law," she said.

The Labor Department is cracking down on nonprofits, especially in the recession where nearly a third have cut staff and services, Chandler said.

Lawsuits by former employees also have increased. Read more here.

Nonprofit Offers Info on Health Care Reform

LEAF ED Julie Dostal passed on this info from National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) regarding nonprofits and health care reform:

Nonprofits and Health Care Reform
Over the past several months, we have been in consistent communication with you regarding the health care reforms developments and how they impact the treatment of alcoholism and addiction. The following e-mail is an update regarding how health care reform may impact your NCADD Affiliate, as a non-profit organization.

As we're sure you're well aware, the debate to reform the nation's health care system is in full swing. NCADD is working with a variety of human service organizations to monitor and influence the impact of the reforms on the nonprofit sector. Currently, there is a proposal in the House that does not offer nonprofits the same availability to program subsidies that would be offered to for-profit employers to help provide health coverage to their workers. We strongly encourage you to contact your representatives this week regarding this issue and are providing a draft letter (below) from the Independent Sector for you to use….

LETTER
Dear Representative/ Senator:
On behalf of [organization], I am writing to urge you to ensure that health care legislation includes subsidies to help nonprofit employers provide health coverage to their workers.

Nonprofit organizations employ over 14 million people in the United States -- almost 10 percent of the U.S. workforce -- who are integral to the vital services these organizations provide to communities across the nation. The vast majority of nonprofits are small businesses, employing 50 or fewer workers, and like our for-profit counterparts, we generally lack access to the range of health insurance choices available to larger businesses. During these difficult economic times, we are facing rising demands for our services with fewer private contributions and government resources to help meet that demand. Without assistance, most small nonprofits will be forced to cut staff, cut benefits, and cut programs. [Consider sharing specifics about the number of people your organization employs, the types of services you provide, and the importance of health care reform to your organization.]

We urge you to support the inclusion of some form of financial assistance, like the one offered in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved bill, to both nonprofit and for-profit employers to help pay the cost of health insurance premiums. The tax credit included in the bill adopted by the House Ways and Means Committee would generally not apply to tax-exempt nonprofits and so some other form of assistance is needed to provide them with assistance comparable to that being provided to small, taxable businesses.

Again, we feel it is imperative that Congress ensure that any health care reform measures provide direct incentives to nonprofit employers so that they may have affordable access to health insurance options for their employees.

Sincerely,
[Executive Director Organization]