North Valley Nonprofit Council

March 13, 2008

What a day! 

I wanted to thank each of you that attended yesterday's North Valley Nonprofit Council meeting, at the Market Cafe in Chico.  We've had a full house for each of the council meetings since its birth in Spring '07. 

For those of you who were unable to attend the Keynote speaker for the afternoon was Donnie Peterson (insert), a brilliant consultant and motivator for area nonprofits re: the role of technology and collaboration in the success of an organizations (and much much more).

Check in on this blog during the next couple of days, as I promise to post the links and specials tips Donnie presented. 

As for those of you who did attend - thank you so very again! 

I look forward to witnessing and participating in you (and your organizations) online, marketing and financial evolution.

As always just let me know how I can help.

Bloggette,

Alexa Valavanis 

Learning is HIP!!

Learning is HIP.org is a new 501(c) (3) founded by Chico’s own Dr. Lee Hoffmann. The mission: To transform struggling students into independent learners! Combining more than 70 years experience in public education, three generations of instructors deliver the Hoffmann Integration Process. HIP training provides a scientifically proven program that tackles learning difficulties and improves behavior and self-confidence. Low academic performance often leads to unemployment and crime. With early intervention, HIP training not only rescues the child, it protects and benefits the community.

Evaluations are always free and, if training is indicated, academic improvement can be gained in as few as twelve weeks at half the cost of most other tutoring programs. You can help students get HIP by scheduling an evaluation, making referrals, volunteering at our events and contributing to the Learning is HIP.org fund.

Learning is HIP.org is excited to partner with the North Valley Community Foundation in whom we have a friend dedicated to philanthropy. Join us and the NVCF by getting HIP to academic success!

BLOG - IT'S THE THING TO DO (POST YOUR NONPROFIT OR SERVICE HERE)

Send me a few paragraphs about your nonprofit organization; the services you provide our community (accounting, legal, NPO consulting, strategic planning, marketing, etc); or, random thoughts on philanthropy, community, new solutions to our communities challenges. 

I would love to post it! Also, include any relevant links to websites and I will include those too.

Email to avalavanis@nvcf.org

Thank you,

Alexa Valavanis, CEO

North Valley Community Foundation 

Land of the Eternal Spring

By, Alexa Leigh Valavanis

Friends,

I am blogging to invite you to participate in a round table discussion re: the formation of an international humanitarians group (Sierra Nevada Brewery, February 15th at NOON).

I hope you don’t mind if I begin this blog with a journal entry I wrote while working in Guatemala. I share these words with you now, as if they were written yesterday, for my passion for international humanitarian work has not subsided. In fact, I share this particular entry with you because it was on this day, many moons ago, that I committed my career to helping our brothers and sisters around the globe (and here at home).
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2003. Land of Eternal Spring.

He woke in a field of green with the soft concentration of the Latin sun against his back. The generous shade from the glossy coffee leaves dangled overhead and provided a subtle transition from his dreams to his day. The world was quiet save a few morning birds, as the final dew drops whispered on their ascent back to heaven. His hands were stained from yesterday’s labor. His jeans and shirt resembled the earth he worked inside. His teeth were dirty. His feet were sore. His morning thoughts still caught in the dream he’d had each night for the past two years.

In his dream, he walked for miles until he reached his village. It was here, where his wife and children worked to keep their modest hut, from tin-roof to dirt floor, clean and ready for papa’s return. He stepped onto the porch and the familiar smell of homemade tortillas and chicken soup dropped him to his knees. It had been too many days and nights of longing to let go of standing up. In the dream, his children wore clean clothing and smiles as they shared stories from school. He looked outside and noticed even the old avocado tree, which stood bent outside the kitchen window for decades, had a youthful sway. They ate and laughed, and carried on as the crescent moon begged for their attention. He told his family memories collected from the coffee fields; about the ripening fruits he named one-by-one in hopes their harvest would bring him home. They listened to their papa until the warm night bowed her head to dawn.

It was this sunrise which found him still, asleep beneath the coffee leaves, without his family or the youthful sway of the avocado tree. He looked up at the open sky, hung above Guatemala’s Highlands, and offered his daily promise to his wife and children. It was the promise of returning home with enough money for food and school for his babies - perhaps, a new life where they could welcome each sunrise together. Until then…he would work each day and hold them in his dreams each night.

Inspired by Juan Antonio – Coffee Field Worker in Fraijanes, Guatemala
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Hope you can join us at Sierra Nevada Brewery on February 15th (NOON). Please invite anyone else you’d like to.

Alexa Leigh Valavanis
CEO, North Valley Community Foundation

International Philanthropy on the Rise

By, Sherry Holbrook

There has been a dramatic increase in cross-border philanthropy in recent years. Now, more than ever before, U.S. based charitable organizations are being formed to promote international charity. With more media exposure and a more mobile population, the public awareness is increasing. This has resulted in more U.S. citizens donating to charities for use abroad. Monetary resources provide for medical care, food, housing, education, agricultural training, water and support of human rights and civil liberties, along with many other services. As the CEO of Orphan Care International, I know how important monetary donations are. We would not exist and we could not assist without them. Donors need to be aware, however, that there are some tax restrictions on making gifts overseas. The U.S. Tax Code regarding cross-border philanthropy is complex, and must be examined on a case-to-case basis.

The North Valley Community Foundation, of which I am a board member, is committed to helping non-profits such as Orphan Care International be able to do this work, and adhere to state and federal laws. The Holbrook Charitable Trust was formed with North Valley Community Foundation to assist with donations to Orphan Care International a US based nonprofit. NVCF is an incredible asset to OCI. With their strengths, reputation and success, donors can give with the with confidence. I'm proud to be associated with them!

North Valley is a Great Area for "Friends"

By, Abe Baily

The upcoming annual dinner for "Friends of Work Training Center" got me to thinking about who our "friends" are. Given a definition of "friend" that has at least the "respect," "trust," "affection for," and "desire to spend time with" elements aren't there a very goodly number of folks in this area who are friends? Of any of our groups? Of the North Valley Community Foundation? The beauty of the English language coupled with the openness of mind you hope for in a friend enables the inclusion as friends many who are perhaps labeled differently. Colleague, fellow worker, client, supplier, neighbor, family member, employee, manager, agency head, donor, caterer, journalist, physician, attorney, are just a few of the terms which, in the North Valley, could easily also be friends. For many, even most, who I’ve met in almost four decades in this beautiful part of the world, just about anyone they meet is a potential friend and treated as such.

Often, we may believe that because we are very busy, and we perceive that others are very busy, that the outreach to a friend would not be appreciated, maybe would even be annoying. Of course that is possible, but if my experience is any guide, the odds are that your overture will be appreciated and be felt as confirming that we are in this “community” together, trying to maintain and honor its history and blessings and work to make it even better for all our existing and future friends.

Abe Baily, Vice President, Board of Directors, Work Training Center

Enjoy the Dance!

By, John Burghardt

We tend to live our lives with a close focus to our immediate surrounding, a bit like watching your feet when you are learning to dance. You can get through the dance that way but you end up missing the magic and melodies of the world around you.

One of the distinct advantages of a complex society is that the efficiencies allow us the luxury of time and space to look up from our feet, beyond our personal food, shelter, safety and procreation issues and consider the world around us. In fact, we can truly look way beyond even the world around us for the first time in human history.

There is an inexplicably quiet revolution taking place in our (mankind’s) understanding of the universe around us. We have seen more and learned more about our universe in the last twenty years than every generation of explorers in all of recorded history combined. Very few of us are aware, but we are, for the first time, literally reaching out to the stars and beyond. We should all be part of this epic revolution. Take a chance and look through NASA’s picture of the day achieves and share the privilege of seeing what no other generation has ever seen.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html

You’ll never really enjoy the dance until you learn to look up.

It Takes Someone Who Can OMAP!

By, Roger Williams

The leader of an effective non-profit organization must have the knowledge and skills to Organize, Mobilize, Actualize and Publicize. Without these concepts being effectively melded, an organization will languish or fail.

Organization takes the form of a mission statement, bylaws, agendas, minutes, a yearly plan statement, a yearly result statement, and detailed budget information. Mobilization happens with a well-chosen board, committee structure, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, an understood decision-making process, and a training system for all the members.

Actualization occurs when the mission statement is fulfilled by an information or fund raising event(s) And finally publication ends the cycle with constituents being informed of the results via print, non print and web page information. An internal evaluation must have occurred within the board too.

The leader must possess all these skills, but have the ability and skill to delegate specific responsibilities to as many board members as possible. The glue, which holds everything together is communication, which is the direct responsibility of the leader.

When you chose your leader make sure he or she knows how to OMAP.

Roger Williams
President, Chico High School Foundation

Training Opportunities

Butte College - The Training Place

UpcomingTrainings:

• HR-Every Manager’s Responsibility: Setting Performance Expectations:
Feb 1, 8:30-11:30am

• Communication & Conflict Management: Communication Tools for Delivering Your Message: Feb 5, 8:30-11:30am

Located at:
2320 Forest Ave, Chico, CA 95928
For additional information on seminars as well as
registration information, please visit us on the web at
The Training Place or call: Phone: 530-895-9015 F Fax: 530-879-4380

NVCF's Nonprofit Leadership Institute

Next Training : January 24, 2008

8:30am - 12:30pm Training Place at the Chico Campus of Butte College
"HOW TO START A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION"
Nonprofit Leadership Institute or Call to Register 530.891.1150 ext 23 to register ($60)


Another Training : February 6, 2008
8:30am-12:30pm Training Place at the Chico Campus of Butte College
"HOW TO BUILD A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION"
Nonprofit Leadership Institute or Call to Register 530.891.1150 ext 23 to register ($60)

The Power of Numbers, Roger Williams

“The power of a group of providers, plus the power of compound interest will empower the teaching staff to deliver powerful learning experiences for students.” Roger Williams, 2007

Just think if a group of 100 parents donated $10 monthly for ten months, $10,000 could be raised annually for a chosen project. For the sake of example, let’s say the group selected the art programs at your school. If the group maintained the same annual giving program for five years the investment principal would be $50,000, plus a percentage of compound interest growth, to invest in the arts.

This example illustrates a simple, effective way for parents to support school programs. The advantages are many. The group of donors controls the investment. The group participants can take a legitimate charitable deduction on their annual tax returns. These same donors can take advantage of the North Valley Community Foundation banking and investment services. This past year endowments, such as the one I’m proposing, earned 14.1%. If the group decided to donate all it’s money during the Annie B. investment period, an additional percentage of money could be added to the investment total. This year 14% was added to the investment totals.

This concept is almost too good to be true, but fortunately for the Chico High School Foundation (CHS) it is true! The CHS foundation raised approximately $50,000 in 2007 and earned an additional $6,700 from the Annie B. incentive funds.

Everything starts with a desire to support your school and a call to Alexa Valavanis, the Chief Executive Officer of NVCF. I would also be happy to help you get started.


Roger Williams

President of the Chico High School Foundation

Thoughts from a Local CPA

What do I get out of it?

As a CPA, I have noted a common characteristic with other CPAs. We are always busy. The most common greeting I get from friends is the question “Are things slowing down for you yet?” That of course refers to tax season, but it also says something about us CPAs as professionals. We tend to be very involved with what we do for a living to the point that we neglect other things in our life.

I believe to be a whole person, you should take your talents and use them to give back to the community. As a CPA, I know something about taxes and accounting, so how do I use that to give back to the community? A very rewarding way I have found is to belong to volunteer organizations, in my case North Valley Community Foundation as a board member. I have met and worked with some very interesting people on the board and those served by NVCF that I would not a chance otherwise. NVCF has also helped build my knowledge of the nonprofit area, especially in the regards to planned giving. This knowledge, in turn, makes me more valuable to my clients.

In interest of full disclosure, I am a strong supporter of NVCF. Serving on any board can be rewarding, but I can say that being a member of the board of NVCF has given a lot back to me.

Joan Stoner is a CPA with her own practice: Stoner, Jeffers and Associates. Joan can be reached via email at joan_stoner@sbcglobal.net.

Stand and Direct

Nonprofit TIP #1 - Laura Cootsona

Commonly a board goes through a rough patch when you elect or simply get stuck with a bad chair. For one to two years everyone endures agenda-less meetings, pet projects, tangents, or simple boredom. You hope against hope that the next appointee is a bit more organized than the last.

Here’s the problem, as is typical with board members in general, most chairs don’t have a clue as to what they should be doing up there in front of the room. Let’s set the record straight. The Chair is best described as a conductor. Baton in hand, score in front of him, orchestra looking at him in the eye. Conducting.

I believe the best role of the chair is to prepare and conduct, but do nothing else. He shouldn’t have a pet project, chair the fundraising committee, or repair the computers. Rather she, should think hard about engaging each board member for service, oversee the executive director, inspire the vision and mission engagement, meet with the executive committee and run a memorable meeting. Done well, this chair will leave her mark

Laura Cootsona is the primary facilitator for NVCF's Nonprofit Leadership Institute. Cootsona began her work in the nonprofit as a small child following her parents’ example. While at UC Berkeley, she worked primarily with the homeless and then found her niche in fundraising consulting while completing her Masters program in Nonprofit Management at the University of San Francisco. During her consulting career she has worked with schools, social service agencies, religious outreach groups, and arts organizations. Laura can be reached at laura@lrcconsulting.com.

Philanthropy & Local Living, By Jessica Rios

For quality of life and economic vitality reasons, I invite others to join me in a dialogue about philanthropy aimed at supporting the locally owned, independent business sector in our region.

In the words of Judy Wicks, co-founder of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), "By working cooperatively, locally owned businesses and conscious consumers can create an alternative to corporate globalization that brings power back to our communities by building sustainable local economies -- living economies that support both natural and community life."

Many residents of the Chico area truly love living here. It's also true that the Chico area faces immense economic challenges. Leaders in our community are addressing these challenges in a variety of ways, one of which is to strengthen the local economy by preventing dollars from leaking out of our region – otherwise known as economic leakage.

Money that stays in our community improves our parks, police and fire departments, and our schools. We receive tangible benefits by choosing to spend our money at local businesses when we have the opportunity.

Think Local Chico (TLC) is in formation to generate support for the issue of local living economies and raise awareness among consumers, business owners and public representatives. Our guidepost is a vision of a world where communities retain their own unique characteristics instead of looking and feeling the same; where restaurant owners support local farmers; where manufacturing within a region is able to support an increasing percentage of that region's needs; where relationships are built and strengthened by the geographic and relational closeness of buyer and retailer; where our community is well-cared for because business owners see first-hand the impacts of their decisions.

For more information contact Jessica Rios 530-228-0120 or loverios@gmail.com.

Local Professional Advisor

Post from Brooks Houghton, Local Attorney

This blog is a great idea. Most blogs are simply bully pulpits for their creator. This is refreshingly different. As a informational insturment for all of the Nonprofits, here and elsewhere to participate with their comments, questions and suggestions all are the beneficiaries. This strengthens all of us. There are common problems and questions which come up all of the time and it is great and essential to have a central place for rapid discussion. I compliment you on your vision.

Financial Manager - Blog

Passing Down What’s in Your Heart, Kim Huber

When most people think about estate planning, they envision trusts, trustees, executors, lawyers and all the other complications associated with providing for loved-ones. All this, of course, is necessary and often takes a team of experts to put together. There is something, however that you can do on your own, modify whenever you wish and that will outlast the largest estate, an Ethical Will.

An Ethical Will is a piece of you—a legacy of your life—a kind of farewell love letter to your family and community. You can make it as short or as long as you wish. It is a way for you to tell your family and future generations how you feel about life, your experiences, decisions you have made, and the moral standards you hope they will inherit from you.

There is no right or wrong way to start. You can begin with something that happened today or go back to your childhood. Just let it come from the heart and the words will flow. You could include stories about your ancestors, people or events that shaped your life, previously untold tales or things that you did which you now regret. It does not need to be in writing. You can record it on a simple tape player or in front of a video camera.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

· Over time, write down ideas --a few words or a sentence or two about things like:

o Love

o Life's lessons

o Important personal values and beliefs

o Important spiritual values and beliefs

o Hopes and blessings for future generations

o Forgiving others and asking for forgiveness

o Something you learned from grandparents / parents / siblings / spouse / children

o Something you learned from experience

o Something you are grateful for

· Write about important events in your life

· Imagine that you only have a limited time left to live. What would you regret not having done?

· Save items that articulate your feelings like quotes, cartoons, etc

· Review what you've collected after a few weeks or months

· Clump related items together -- patterns will emerge

· Revise and expand the related categories into paragraphs

· Arrange the paragraphs in an order that makes sense to you

· Add an introduction and conclusion

· Put this aside for a few weeks and then review and revise

Besides offering guidance to your heirs, an Ethical Will may help you come to terms with your own mortality. It is a way of creating something of meaning that you wish to pass on and will survive after you are gone. After you compose your Ethical Will, make sure someone knows about it ... a close friend, your attorney, and/or a trusted family member. Be sure to stipulate who you would like to receive it, and when.

Passing down what is in your heart may be one of the most cherished and meaningful gifts you can leave to your family and community.

Kim Huber is a Registered Representative with and securities offered through Linsco/Private Ledger, member NASD/SIPC.

Kim can be reached at (530) 891-0717 or Kim.Huber@lpl.com