Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco

Thiel Foundation Names First Class of '20 Under 20' Fellows

The San Francisco-based Thiel Foundation, created by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, has announced the inaugural class of 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellows.  

Selected from a pool  of four hundred applicants, twenty-four fellows will each receive $100,000 to not attend college for the next two years, at least, while they work on turning their innovative ideas into successful technology companies. Fellows will pursue scientific and technical projects in a range of  fields, including biotechnology, career development, economics and finance, education, energy, information technology, mobility, robotics, and space, and will be mentored through a network of tech entrepreneurs and innovators.

For a complete list of 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellows, visit the Thiel Foundation Web site. Read the full press relesae here.

Just Published! 2011 Fair Pay for Northern California Nonprofits

A few short months ago, I posted a call to participate in the 2011 Northern California Nonprofit Compensation & Benefits Survey. This is one of the most used, most requested print resources in our library.

Our community is very fortunate to have this local resource---with 431 participating nonprofits, reporting on over 23,000 jobs, the recently published 2011 survey is the biggest and most robust in its 33-year history! The 2011 survey will help your organization:

• Set fair salaries and benefits to attract and retain the best employees
• Evaluate industry standards for compensation for a range of positions
• Budget and plan for the cost of adding new staff members
• Analyze your own jobs and compensation
• Stand up to the scrutiny of an increasingly skeptical public
• Compare your salaries and benefits with others in your community, not with organizations totally out of your local economic market.

The survey also helps your agency find out how the local nonprofit community is coping with the recession.  Here are some questions the survey can help nonprofit managers answer:

• How do the salaries paid at our organization compare with those paid at similar, local organizations?
• Are organizations still freezing salary levels, or are more planning to increase salaries during the next year?
• How common are bonuses or incentive pay for jobs like ours?
• Are organizations shifting benefits costs to employees?
• How do pay levels for male and female Executive Directors compare?

To purchase, visit: www.nonprofitcomp.com, or email the publisher, Nonprofit Compensation Associates, survey@nonprofitcomp.com. OR stop by the Foundation Center library and peruse our copy!

What Do Funders Look for When They Review Proposals?

Jane Geever, consultant and author of The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal Writing, takes a moment to share some information on what funders look for when reviewing proposals. She also offers advice on putting together successful proposals and avoiding things that send up red flags.

Do you have a sticky question related to proposal writing or development? Check out the Proposal Development Forum at GrantSpace. You can post questions, ask for peer feedback, and get specific about the art and skill of proposal development. Free registration at GrantSpace is all it takes!

Boning Up on Boards

Nonprofit boards are frequently the topic of questions for the Foundation Center. This is probably because boards provide governance and accountability for all nonprofit organizations; therefore, everyone in the nonprofit sector is familiar with them. Still, boards are often complicated, multifaceted, and elusive machines with their own idiosyncrasies and problems. Needless to say, I was glad when the Spring 2011 issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ) arrived at the library brimming with useful information about boards. The following articles are a few highlights:

In "Beyond Financial Oversight: Expanding the Board's Role in Pursuit of Sustainability" (pp 10-15) Jeanne Bell, co-author of the new book Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, writes about how many board members overlook possible strategic rolls in favor of focusing on the financial health of their organizations.

"The Inclusive Boardroom: Leveraging the Transformative Potential of Diversity" (pp 32-38) discusses the ever-present issue of diversity. In an ideal world, board members would represent all backgrounds - ethnic, economic, and gender, but this is not usually the case. According to the article, in the US "86 percent of board members are white (non-Latino); a mere 7 percent are African American or black; and 3.5 percent are Latino." The article discusses a model of inclusion beyond just aspiring to create a diverse board, but one that "integrate[s]--rather than assimilate[s]--diverse members."

One of the articles from the current issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly that is not about boards per se, but peaked my interest nonetheless, "The Nonprofit Difference" (pp 57-62) discusses the fundamental differences and similarities between nonprofits and for-profits. Many people new to nonprofits from the for-profit world, and vice versa, will find this article useful.

Perhaps you don't have time to read the issue cover-to-cover. I recommend reading "The Take-Away" (pp 71-72) for the digest version of all the articles.

The good news: If you didn't find the answer to that burning board question in the latest NPQ there are plenty of great (often FREE) resources available online. For instance, "Board Cafe" accessible through Blue Avocado as well as some areas of BoardSource are invaluable when it comes to navigating the world of nonprofit boards.

Funding Opportunity with the California Council for the Humanities: California Story Fund

The California Council for the Humanities has re-opened grantmaking for the California Story Fund. The California Story Fund (CSF) is a competitive grant program that supports community-centered, story-based public humanities projects that uncover and share the stories of California’s communities. These projects contribute to our evolving understanding of our California—past and present. The program has granted over $2 million to nearly 300 projects since its inception in 2003.

The submission deadline for this grant is Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 5:00 pm PT. Apply online at the California Council for the Humanities' website.

This Week at the Foundation Center (May 16-20)

Mondy, May 16, 2:00-3:30 am Introduction to Corporate Giving

Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 am-12:00 pm Fearlessly Facilitating Decision Making

Wednesday, May 18, 5:00-6:30 pm Grantseeking Basics; 6:30-7:30 pm Introduction to Finding Funders

Our library is open Monday through Friday free of charge and no appointment is necessary.

Library Hours:

Monday:  11:00 am-6:00 pm
Tuesday/Thursday/Friday:  10:00 am-5:00 pm
Wednesday:  10:00 am-8:00 pm

You Asked for it, You Got it! Donor Databases

Finding the perfect donor database is tough, and it's not for lack of choice. There are nearly two hundred donor databases on the market, but it's difficult to decided which one is right for your organization. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, fans and foes. The challenge is finding a system at a price you can afford, with strengths that meet your needs, and weaknesses that won't get in your way.

The good news is we're holding a session at the Foundation Center San Francisco on May 24th that will help solve your database dilemma. Robert L. Weiner of Robert L. Weiner Consulting and Tracy Kronzak Heller Consulting are delivering a hands-on workshop that will include a review of the basic steps involved in selecting and implementing a database, as well as a fun, challenging, small-group simulation of the process for selecting a database.

The workshop is appropriate for executive directors, fundraisers, donor database managers, and anyone else who needs to help their organization choose a new fundraising database. Register now!

 

YNPNsfba Book Club: June is Reader's Choice

Attention all members of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network San Francisco Bay Area (YNPNsfba) Book Club: June's title is Reader's Choice. That means that you can head over to the YNPNsfba Book Club Blog to vote for your top-pick for the June read. Choose from:

• Free for All: Fixing School Food in America by Janet Poppendieck
• Work Hard. Be Nice.: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America by Jay Mathews
• School Lunch Politics: The Surprising History of America's Favorite Welfare Program by Susan Levine
• The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District by Richard Whitmire

Be sure to vote for your top-pick before May 13th. See you at the book club!

SF Opera Funding Overhaul: Challenges & Plans

Saturday's Chronicle arrived with a story that was a little too heavy for the weekend, but worth reading. David Gockley has renewed his position as General Director of the San Francisco Opera; however, his tenure continues with a very real (and not unusual) funding challenge. Although the San Francisco Opera has a substantial endowment, it is not large enough to sustain the organization in perpetuity. Gockley loses sleep over the fact that "annual expenses are about $7 million more than we can reliably fund, and half of our annual gifts are made by just 11 individuals who are over 65 years old."

The funding reality has caused Gockley to re-examine operations and take aim at the structural weaknesses in the organization's budget. His steps toward a more sustainable plan include:

• Reducing the number of productions from nine to eight while maintaining the same number of performances
• Consolidating space occupied by the organization's operations
• Building the organization's endowment to relieve reliance on a small number of aging donors

What steps is your organization taking to ensure sustainability?

San Francisco-based College Fund is a Success

I was so pleased to catch this story in today's Chronicle: Meritus College Fund celebrates 15 years.

According to their website, Meritus College Fund began in 1996 by Dr. Henry Safrit along with friends who wanted to enable access to higher education for local public school students. Meritus recruits donors to provide four-year scholarships to low income students who have demonstrated strong potential for college success despite challenging life circumstances.

Since 1996, Meritus has awarded 438 scholarships totaling more than $5 million, with the help of more than 450 supporters--from individuals, businesses, and foundations.

Who is eligible to apply? San Francisco public high school seniors who demonstrate financial need, have achieved a GPA of 3.0-3.7, and plan on attending a four-year college are invited to apply for a Meritus scholarship. However, the 2011 Scholarship Application is now closed. Please check again in the Fall of 2011. For more information, please visit the Meritus College Fund website.