ACN has a partnership with Forefront, Illinois’ statewide association that represents grantmakers and nonprofits, as well as their advisors and allies. 

Forefront is a wealth of resources for both early stage and established nonprofits, with opportunities such as an onsite Library housing an extensive physical collection of books and journals on nonprofit topics (plus a newly-added database of ebooks for remote access). 

They can conduct searches of foundation directory online, provide grants/grantee lists and run wealth profiles and reports. They also provide templates and samples for nonprofit topics such as board policies. And both members and non-members can book a research appointment with one of their consultants. 

Members can take advantage of job posting opportunities, including salary/benefits research as well as in-person and online professional development on best practices, grantmaking, leadership, fundraising, developing talent, board engagement and evaluation. They also offer an ICAT capacity assessment survey tool (free yearly for members). 

ACN hosts joint events with Forefront and we also have a special membership category for Forefront members. 

We are grateful to Forefront for helping us to empower the local nonprofit community.

by Sherry Quam Taylor

I don’t want to sound harsh, but most New Year’s resolutions don’t stick. The daily demands of life and our natural resistance to change - well, they get the better of us and we don’t get the results we were hoping for.Are you approaching your nonprofit growth plan like a New Year’s resolution?

Without a plan, your nonprofit’s revenue growth isn’t that different from New Year’s resolutions. To raise more money and secure larger donations, you need a growth mindset and a plan to get the results that got you so excited in the first place.

Resolution #1 Become Proactive

It’s easy to get stuck being reactive in nonprofit. But there comes a time when a leader has to make a conscious decision to press pause and put a proactive plan in place that will grow the organization and its funding.

Is it time to pause for planning? Have you truly established your organization’s financial need—one that would actually propel growth? Do your top donors know your true need and their crucial role in your organization year after year? Do they understand your funding structure? Are you presenting your financials to donors on a regular basis?

Push into these activities and lean into investment-level conversations with your donors this year. Then you’ll see investment-level results.

Resolution #2 Become Aware of the “Competition”

Nonprofits don’t usually think of themselves as “competitive,” but right now, there are dozens of other nonprofits in America with similar missions to yours. You are competing for donor dollars. So, what makes someone give to you over another organization?

You must set yourself apart by providing a satisfying donor experience and conveying your uniqueness. Donors want to give to an organization that serves their interests. Serve your donors! Focus on what their investment in the mission can do through your organization.

Resolution #3 Become Disciplined

Most growth initiatives fail when they’re not given the time they need to succeed. Implementing development systems doesn’t happen by magic--you have to take the time to do it, over and over. Simply put, development is discipline.

Take another look at your budget. Your income goals should direct how to spend your time. For example, a typical organization should hope that 50-75% of their revenue is coming in from their Top 30 individual gifts. With this, your revenue-generating staff should spend a comparable amount (50-75% in this example) of their time on this activity.

This is where I see nonprofits get stuck - spending too much time on activities that yield small dollars. Watch that you're not spending a disproportionate amount of time on things that don’t generate significant revenue.

Make A Resolution...With A Plan

What about you? Dreading the thought of climbing that fundraising hill again? Wondering where you’ll find new donors in 2020? You’re not as bad at fundraising as you may think. Perhaps you’ve never had to do it in your previous career . . . or you've never been taught how to do it.

Start here with my HOW TO: Find Major-Donors in 2020 Guide. You’ve got this!

About Sherry Quam Taylor

Sherry teaches nonprofit leaders how to pivot from spending only time on low-dollar activities to investment-level opportunities. The leaders she works with are experts in their field, but when it comes to individual fundraising, they’ve simply never been trained how to do it, so it feels frustrating. She helps them learn how to solicit in a way that involves less dread and gets results. She does this through her private coaching and 90-day fundraising accelerator. Website: www.QuamTaylor.com

Membership organizations, like associations, have special challenges.These organizations need to appeal to a variety of member types, each with their own needs, wants and aspirations. This calls for a strategy!

The key to a successful member engagement strategy is relevance to prospective, new and current members. This is where segmentation – tailored approaches and messaging -- comes in.

RECRUITING

Make a great first impression.

1. Develop a brand that is well-respected in your industry.

Your brand is your best recruiting tool. More than a logo and tagline, it represents all the experiences with your organization. It needs to communicate your value, mission and vision. Developing a compelling and durable brand requires research, strategy and planning.

2. Know (don’t assume) your target market.

Who are your association’s main prospects? What business problems do they have? What benefits do they seek? Understanding the answers will help you communicate your value.

3. Produce effective membership materials.

Do they “speak” your prospects’ language? Are they clearly written with consistent messaging, and do they look professionally designed? Do they show your interest in your prospects’ development.

4. Consider different levels of membership.

Having a strategy with a scaled fee and benefits (basic, premium, etc.) can allow you to capture more prospects and generate more income from membership.

ONBOARDING

Generate excitement around the benefits of membership and new relationships.

5. Create an onboarding communications plan.

Make your new members feel welcome by telling them what to do first and where to go for help. With marketing automation, it’s easy to create a sequence of emails to send automatically based on join date.

6. Plan a new member orientation session.

An orientation session will give new members the “lay of the land” so they can take advantage of benefits right away while meeting other new (and current) members.

7. Host events to introduce new members to current members.

Networking events, such as “Happy Hours,” create perfect opportunities to connect new members and veterans to each other in fun or unique venues.

Download our e-book for the final 4 tips on BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS with members … and more on member engagement!

by Brenda Berman, McKenna Design Group

About McKenna Design Group

Founded in 2002, McKenna Design Group specializes in helping trade and professional associations and social impact organizations fulfill their missions through effective branding, marketing and technology solutions. McKenna Design Group: We Are Future Shapers. 

ACN Founding Member Kelly Kleiman

In this our 30th anniversary year, we are grateful for our longtime members—some who have been with us since the very beginning, when ACN was just a handful of people that met casually in a lakefront park.

Much has changed in ACN over the years, including our name and the size of our group. One thing that has stayed consistent is the focus of our membership: 51% of ACN members have been a paid consultant for 6+ years and 91% have worked in the nonprofit sector for 6+ years (2019 ACN Member Engagement Survey).

ACN Founding Members

• Kelly Kleiman, NFP Consulting

“When we started ACN we were still trying to get nonprofits and funders to understand that consultants to nonprofits weren’t just the recently unemployed. I hoped it would grow and help its members grow their practices, but I never envisioned the magnitude of the growth. Referrals from my ACN colleagues, exposure in the online directory and RFPs have all been essential in my sustaining a healthy consulting practice for 30 years.” 

Kelly Kleiman
Principal, NFP Consulting, ACN Founding Member

ACN Members of 15+ Years

• Elizabeth Richter, The Richter Group – BOARD MEMBER
• Margaret Hennessy, Hennessy Consulting Inc.
• Amy Cornell, Cornell Consulting, Inc.
• Carol White, CBWhite – MEMBER ENGAGEMENT TEAM
• Steve Pratapas, Pratapas Associates, LLC
• Amy Wishnick, Wishnick & Associates, LLC - COMMITTEE MEMBER
• Joyce Golbus Poll, J.G. Poll & Associates – COMMITTEE MEMBER

My initial ACN membership coincided with my launch into independent proposal writing. Fast forward fifteen years and I am still involved. Why? ACN’s member network continues to be a rich source of referrals. Nonprofit executives find me on the ACN website. There is access to RFPs and strong educational programs. ACN and my consultancy practice—they go hand in hand.

Joyce Golbus Poll
J.G. Poll & Associates        

ACN Members of 10-14 Years

• Wendy Siegel, Millennia Consulting, L.L.C.
• Gail Straus, GKS Consulting, LLC – COMMITTEE MEMBER
• Jan Stempel, Stempel Consulting
• Mary Morten, Morten Group, LLC
• Laura McAlpine, McAlpine Consulting for Growth, LLC

ACN Members of 5-9 Years

• Amy Schiffman, Giving Tree Associates, Inc.
• Roger (Whit) Shepard, RWS Consulting, Inc.
• John Davidoff, Davidoff Mission-Driven Business Strategy
• Jeff Marcella, Marcella Consulting Corporation
• Meghann Beer, Meghann Beer Nonprofit Consulting
• Debra Natenshon, DBN & Associates
• Annisa Wanat – COMMITTEE MEMBER
• Theresa G. Lipo, Nonprofit and Philanthropy Advising

I joined ACN after being invited to one of their events by a colleague. I had been feeling somewhat isolated in my practice and knew it was time to start networking and connecting with others in the field. I found the community of dedicated professionals I had been looking for and started to volunteer on committees, ultimately serving on the board for three years. Through ACN, I've had the opportunity to gain exposure to clients, learn new business skills, and grow my network, which has had a powerful impact on me personally and professionally. I'm still grateful for that initial invitation to an ACN event!
 
Theresa G. Lipo
Philanthropy and Development Consultant

• Rena Henderson Mason, Bold Agenda
• Jonathan Eisler, Perspectives Ltd. – BOARD MEMBER
• Belinda Li, Citta Partnership – COMMITTEE MEMBER
• Barb Vicory, Wg2 Consulting & Management
• Joseph Villinski, Xseed Fundraising Solutions

Thank you to our longtime members for being advocates for ACN, as well as your dedication to mission-based work in Chicago and beyond.

Show your ACN pride

ACN Members: Download ACN member badges for your website or email signature. Longtime members: we have special badges just for you!

By Amy Wishnick, ACN Member
Principal, Wishnick & Associates

The cold open works for Saturday Night Live, not so much for a nonprofit board meeting. Isn’t it respectful of board members’ time to launch directly into the business at hand? Even though it may seem that way, I’m not so sure.

Nonprofit boards are fueled by many things. Most notably, of course, is an individual director’s connection to the mission. And, effective, thriving nonprofit organizations are led by board members who are committed partners in their leadership and governance roles. To be successful in this endeavor, board members need to trust each other. And, to build trust, they need to know each other.

My observations, based on attending hundreds of board meetings as a consultant and a board member, suggest that board members tend to arrive ‘just in time’ for board meetings that go straight to business. The push to be efficient may diminish board members’ connection to their board buddies and impact their chance to enjoy the camaraderie of the board room. It bypasses acknowledging that everyone is back together to lead the organization.

So, let’s imagine ways to foster trust, collegiality, and a companionable atmosphere:

• Have a meal together, whether supplied by the nonprofit or BYO, if a board meeting takes place over a mealtime. (Don’t get me started about the perils of ‘hangry’ board members.)
• Begin the meeting with a true welcome statement, rather than jumping directly into the agenda.
• Go around the table so each board member can share something personal that happened since the last meeting related to the organization or in general.

Ensuring ways to build rapport increases the opportunity to get to know one’s colleagues. It boosts the satisfaction and geniality that can so enrich the board experience. With the sense of friendliness that accompanies teamwork – and a board is a team – nonprofits reduce the risk of alienating some directors. Board members are less likely to put distance between themselves and the organization when board meetings are framed as welcoming and open, and the members know their colleagues.

Next time you attend a nonprofit board meeting, take a moment to evaluate the feeling and flow. Make your voice heard and suggest changes to support an atmosphere that fosters connection, which is in everyone’s best interest, board member and nonprofit.

For more ideas to make board meetings engaging and effective, please check out these other blog posts:

http://wishnickandassociates.com/category/nonprofit-board-of-directors/

Amy Wishnick, Principal of Wishnick & Associates since 2004, loves consulting with nonprofits. She works nationally with clients on strategic planning, executive leadership transition management, board development and governance, different types of assessments, meeting and retreat facilitation, and more. She is a past president of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits and serves on the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management’s selection committee for the Alford-Axelson Awards for Managerial Excellence. 

ACN supports local nonprofits!
 
We know many of our members work with groups that are participating in #GivingTuesday on Dec. 3, 2019 and leading up to this year's giving day we are highlighting campaigns from local and national nonprofits that work with our members.
 
ACN Members: To feature your client's #GivingTuesday campaign, please share a tweet/Facebook post via this Google form (you must be a current ACN member to participate).
 
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter where we will be curating a list of #GivingTuesday campaigns to support this year. 

Spotlight on ACN Partnerships
By Liz Duffrin, ACN member

ACN members Donna Lake and Ellen Shepard collaborated on a strategic planning and communications project for a food pantry.

Donna Larkin Lake, a communications strategist, didn’t know a single ACN member when she arrived at the annual meeting in June 2018. But over the breakfast buffet, she had a “wonderful conversation” with Ellen Shepard, CEO of Community Allies, who works with community and economic development groups. They exchanged cards.

Several months later, Shepard contacted her with a project that was a perfect fit for both. Shepard would lead strategic planning for a food pantry, while Lake, former communications director for Northern Illinois Food Bank and Greater Chicago Food Depository, would craft messaging for the plan, and train the board of directors to carry out a communications strategy.

“I show up at the ACN meeting not knowing anyone, and a few months later end up having this fabulous partnership that benefitted my business and my learning,” said Lake, president of Larkin Lake Strategic Communications.

Shepard was also surprised at their fortuitous meeting, acknowledging that she is “not a natural networker, so I tend to go to these events and think, ‘I met people but nothing came of it.’ But this partnership was a reminder to me that the seeds you sow could bear fruit later—someone you meet today may be someone you can call on down the road.”

The two consultants still didn’t know each other well when they began working together in the fall of 2018. “The contract was in my name, so there was a little fear: how confident can I be turning stuff over to Donna?” Shepard recalled. “But I felt comfortable quickly.”

The collaboration turned out to be even more successful than either had anticipated. Lake offered to take notes in two planning sessions but also lent her expertise to the discussion. “She knew some questions to ask and what might be missing,” Shepard said. “Having another consultant in the room who knew the food pantry world was great for me.”

Between sessions, Shepard said she often relied on Lake as a thought partner. “‘Let me say this out loud and see if it makes sense.’ And we talked through it in detail. What I was able to provide the client was much stronger with Donna’s input.”

Including Lake in planning sessions also turned out to be critical to the later success of the communication effort. “Ellen could have completed the strategic plan with the board and handed me the report and asked me to craft messages from that,” said Lake, “but I wouldn’t have understood firsthand the passion that was coming from the board and why the particular strategies they wanted to move forward with were important to the organization.”

In the meetings, Lake said that she also learned from watching Shepard lead the group so skillfully—keeping the pace and focus while drawing out the quieter members and pausing to let ideas percolate. “Having been a spokesperson for nonprofits, I sometimes feel the need to fill the silence. Watching Ellen in action has made me a better listener, which will help me serve my clients better.”

Their advice to other consultants: “There are a lot of talented people in Chicago—get out and get to know them,” said Lake. “There are people out there who can help you, but it’s about networking to establish those relationships.”

Collaboration “made both of our businesses stronger,” she added, “and helped us serve our clients better. I think that together, we’re stronger.”

At our popular recent program, Understanding Social Enterprise: Models, Funding and Legal Structures, the consultant and nonprofit attendees had lots of questions—many of them being: What the heck do all those acronyms stand for?

Our expert moderator and panelists Suzanne Griffith (Vega Partners), Belinda Li (Citta Partnership), Erica Spangler Raz (Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights), and Bradley Summers (Wells Fargo) used their varied background in legal, fiscal and management to make sense of the social enterprise ABCs.

B Corp: B Corporation (or B Lab)
B Corporation certification is a private certification issued to for-profit companies by B Lab, a global nonprofit organization with offices in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a partnership in Latin America with Sistema B. To be granted and to preserve certification, companies must receive a minimum score on an online assessment for "social and environmental performance," satisfy the requirement that the company integrate B Lab commitments to stakeholders into company governing documents, and pay an annual fee ranging from $500 to $50,000, depending on annual sales. (Wikipedia)

CFA: Chartered Financial Analyst
A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a globally-recognized professional designation given by the CFA Institute, (formerly the AIMR (Association for Investment Management and Research)), that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas, such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis. (Investopedia)

CPWA: Chartered Private Wealth Advisor
Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It's designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. (Investments and Wealth Institute - CPWA)

CRPC: Certified Retirement Plan Counselor
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) is a professional financial planning designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning. Individuals may earn the CRPC designation by completing a study program and passing a final multiple-choice examination. Successful applicants earn the right to use the CRPC designation with their names for two years, which can improve job opportunities, professional reputation and pay. Every two years, CRPC professionals must complete 16 hours of continuing education and pay a small fee to continue using the designation. (Investopedia)

L3C: Low-Profit Limited Liability Company
A low-profit limited liability company (L3C) is a legal form of business entity in the United States that was created to bridge the gap between non-profit and for-profit investing by providing a structure that facilitates investments in socially beneficial, for-profit ventures by simplifying compliance with Internal Revenue Service rules for program-related investments, a type of investment that private foundations are allowed to make. (Wikipedia)

PRI: Program Related Investment
Program-related investments are those in which:
1. The primary purpose is to accomplish one or more of the foundation's exempt purposes,
2. Production of income or appreciation of property is not a significant purpose, and
3. Influencing legislation or taking part in political campaigns on behalf of candidates is not a purpose. (IRS.gov)

UBIT: Unrelated Business Income Tax
Even though an organization is recognized as tax exempt, it still may be liable for tax on its unrelated business income. For most organizations, unrelated business income is income from a trade or business, regularly carried on, that is not substantially related to the charitable, educational, or other purpose that is the basis of the organization's exemption. An exempt organization that has $1,000 or more of gross income from an unrelated business must file Form 990-T. An organization must pay estimated tax if it expects its tax for the year to be $500 or more. (IRS.gov)

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we’ll update our list.

Want to learn more about implementing a social enterprise in your organization? Find an expert in our member directory or reach out to our Executive Director to connect with one of our social enterprise member experts: execdirector@acnconsult.org.

By: William A. Price
www.growthlaw.com

1. Don’t apply for property tax relief before you get your federal exemption letter. You have the burden of proof of exemption, and though the IRS “Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval” is not enough to prove state qualification, it is a required part of the application packet.
2. Don’t apply if your zoning or building code compliance is wrong. Local taxing bodies get notice of property tax exemption requests, and if your site is not correctly zoned, you may have local use prohibitions, not just property taxes to pay.
3. Don’t apply if your organizational entity is not in good standing. Religious or charitable not for profit corporations have to file incorporation papers and annual reports with the Secretary of State. Religious corporations have to file with local county clerks. Proof of current filing status is part of the required property tax application package.
4. Don’t apply if your other taxes are not paid. Local and state sales tax, federal and state income tax withholding authorities, and other local tax registrars will be informed of any property tax exemption request, and they will get unpaid tax penalties and collections if you are not in compliance, whether or not they also contact the property tax exemption section of the Illinois Department of Revenue or the local assessment appeals boards that rule on your exemption application.
5. Don’t apply as a charity or religious use property if you cannot prove your use is “exclusively” charitable or religious. The county boards of review, Department of Revenue and reviewing courts all require evidence of free services to all those in need, not just nonprofit operations that do not return profits to individual owners.
6. Don’t apply as a school if your services are part-time and do not completely avoid the need for public education for children served by your school.
7. Charitable or religious (or other exempt owner type) title to the property is required, not just a leasehold. You can work with an owner to subdivide and purchase a property on note and mortgage terms that give it back if you don’t make payments, but the ownership has to be free and clear in the exempt entity, not held for profit, or the exemption does not apply.
8. Make sure you have proof of exempt use for every room and floor and part of a property. Anything less can result in exemption for less than 100% of property tax bills.
9. Don’t forget the parking lots: these may be exempt if adjacent to and maintained for the benefit of adjacent parcels with exclusively religious or charitable exemptions.

Spotlight on ACN Partnerships

by Liz Duffrin, ACN Member

Meghann Beer, who once helped launch and lead a community development nonprofit working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, joined ACN in 2012. She had just moved to Chicago from Bloomington, Indiana, where she consulted for nonprofits and taught nonprofit management at Indiana University.

Debra Natenshon joined ACN in 2013. At the time, she was the CEO of a national nonprofit consulting group but wanted to transition to consulting in Chicago.  

When fellow consultant Carol White introduced Meghann and Debra at an ACN event several years ago, their connection was almost immediate.

The two found they had complementary skill sets, and even better, “We liked each other right away,” says Debra. “That’s an important ingredient in knowing you’d like to work together.”

Their chance to collaborate finally came in 2017 when a board member of a large educational service vendor approached Debra with a major project: “The client wanted a strategic plan but embedded in the plan, they needed a fundraising assessment,” she says. “I didn’t have that specific expertise, but I thought of Meghann immediately.”

At many points during the year-long endeavor that followed, each of them remarked that she would never have taken on the project without the other.

Besides having a partner to share the workload, Meghann says, they valued each other’s varied experience and skills. “We were able to grapple with challenges and think through the process in order to make valuable recommendations to the client.”

The client’s challenges involved businesses processes, board governance, strategy implementation and personalities, Debra recalls. “If you’re an independent consultant with a complex project, you’re often working in an echo chamber. It was really important with this project to have each other as thought partners.”

By the end of the project, the client’s strategic planning task force was pleased with how far they had come and impressed with the clarity of the plan and fundraising assessment.

The two offered advice to other consultants looking for partnerships:

•         Get to know your potential partner, says Debra. “Make sure you trust the person and have an understanding of the skills they bring.”
•         Decide in advance who is taking the lead on which part of the work.  “You want the experience to be seamless for the client,” Debra explains, “so it needs to be clear for the consultants.”
•         Build in time for reflection and collaboration in addition to time spent with the client or on a deliverable, Meghann advises. “That time was critical for our thought process.”

Debra names the chance to meet potential collaborators one the biggest benefits of an ACN membership. “It’s marvelous to meet other consultants with complementary skill sets. There’s no shortage of work in Chicago,” she observes, “but the work is often more complex than one person can do alone.”