Comprehensive Management Assistance Library Online

Carter McNamara has redesigned, rebuilt and extended the library at the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits: http://www.mapnp.org/

To see the comprehensive list of topics in the Free Management Library, visit http://www.mapnp.org/library/topics.htm

Here's how he explains his rationale: "The library upgrade was driven by my concern that there is a large number of necessary management topics that aren't mentioned enough in the world of on-line management information for nonprofits. Nonprofit information tends to focus mostly on what's specific to nonprofits (fundraising, public policy, volunteerism, taxes, regulations, etc.), rather than on the wide range of knowledge and skills needed to manage a nonprofit effectively. I'm hoping the new library will help bring nonprofits a more comprehensive, up-to-date and organized view of a broad range of topics. There are numerous on-line articles in many of these areas, but usually they aren't fully organized."

Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector in a Changing America

Another newly published book takes a sweeping look at the way philanthropy works in our society. This book grows out of the Ninety-Third American Assembly, which drew a hundred careful observers of the issues to the Getty Center in Los Angeles in April of 1998. It includes twenty-four papers prepared as background for the meeting, plus the American Assembly's own statement on "Trust, Service and the Common Purpose" which was issued at the time of the meeting (the editors are careful to note that not all participants would necessarily agree on any of the points made in the statement). The editors are Charles T. Clotfelter (of Duke University) and Thomas Ehrlich (formerly president of Indiana University and now at California State University).

A quote from the Introduction will give a sense of the goals and scope of the book:

"First, we asked, what forces will determine the shape and activities of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in the next decade? How will philanthropy and the nonprofit sector be strengthened or weakened by those forces? How can the challenges of grappline with these forces be transformed into opportunities?...

"We turned then to considering in what areas philanthropy and the nonprofit sector should concentrate attention in the next decade and asked whether the insitutions of the sector were better equipped to deal with these areas than government or the market. We focused particularly on eight areas: poverty and social injustice; educational quality and accessibility, health; vitality of the family; strengthening civil society; contributions of the arts to the quality of life; local, national and transnational issues of the environment; and access to opportunities afforded by new technologies....

Then "...we turned to whether changes are needed in the management, regulation or taxation of philanthropy on the nonprofit sector to ensure accountability, efficiency and innovation....

"Finally, we considered what steps are required to enhance the impact of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

An account of the meeting, a list of the chapters in the book, the full text of "Trust, Service and the Common Purpose", and a roster of participants can be found at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/amassembly/programs/philanthrop_TOC.htm. You can order the book for your own library through http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0253335213/internetnonprofi. If you use this link, we will receive a royalty that will be used to support the Internet Nonprofit Center.

Y2K Grants for Nonprofits

July 1 is the deadline for the second round of applications for grants from the Center for Y@K and Society. Full details are at http://www.y2kcenter.org/grants/.

Recognition for Employee Volunteer Programs

The Points of Light Foundation is seeking nominations for businesses with employee volunteer programs.

The Awards for Excellence in Corporate Community Service honor the overall employee volunteer program of a BUSINESS, including the actual community service projects and the program policies and corporate vision that support those volunteer activities. A nomination for the awards may be made by the business itself, a nonprofit organization, Volunteer Center, government agency, interested individual, or any beneficiary of the employee volunteer efforts.

The 1999 nomination form for the Awards for Excellence in Corporate Community Service is available at http://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/eccs_nomination.html, by e-mailing mclark@pointsoflight.org or calling the Awards Hotline at (202) 729-8184. Nomination submissions must be postmarked by July 9, 1999.

New Name for an Old Friend and Valued Resource

The Mining Company has changed its name to About.com. That means that Stan Hutton's pointers, insights and advice for people interested in nonprofits will be found at the About.com Guide to Nonprofit Charitable Organizations, http://nonprofit.about.com

There's an email version of his columns you can subscribe to as well.

Even More Reason to 'Make the Election'

501(c)(3)s have long worried that involvement in legislative affairs ("lobbying") might expose them to negative attention from the IRS. Congress passed section 501(h) to provide clear guidelines on permissible levels of lobbying activities; this section permits organizations to "elect" to be covered under its provisions by filing a simple one-time form with the IRS. Observers agree that too few organizations have taken advantage of this simplification and clarification of the rules under which lobbying can take place.

Recently Marcus Owens of the IRS wrote to the INDEPENDENT SECTOR to put to rest one fear many charities had expressed: that organization that make the election permitted by section 501(h) will be more likely to be audited. You can read the history of this issue and the text of the letter at http://www.indepsec.org/clpi/irs_letter_release.html

Receive Notices of Future Bulletins

We maintain a mailing list which we use solely for the purpose of announcing when a new "Bulletin" is published at the Internet Nonprofit Center. If you would like have your email address added to this list, please send email to bulletins@tess.org with your real name and address in the text. Announcements of future Bulletins will be sent to you whenever they are published.

Thank you for your interest.

Putnam Barber, President The Evergreen State Society :: http://www.tess.org June 6, 1999