To Facebook or Not to Facebook

We’ve been having a discussion in the office about whether or not SCCF needs a presence on Facebook. The concesus: yes, but how? I believe having an ineffectual or inactive social media presence may be more detrimental than not having one at all. As an active Facebook user, I’ve had good and bad experiences with nonprofits and social media.

With that in mind, I’m reading Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media and gaining a few insights. They have quite a few examples, although the layout not the best. Still wrestling with how to apply it to our foundation – if you have a nonprofit, how are you using Facebook? If your a user, how would you like your nonprofits to connect with you?

How to Set Up a Giving Circle

One of the recent trends in giving is the rise of “Giving Circles” —individuals who come together to pool their assets to make a difference with their giving.

Setting up a Giving Circle is easy, and you may be surprised how meaningful it is to give among friends. Here are six basic steps to help you get started:

Step 1 – Set Goals and Structure
Identify a group of your peers, colleagues, or family members who may share a common interest and invite them to get together. Your first meetings will focus on setting up the Circle’s structure such as giving guidelines, meeting schedule, and deciding a name.

It is up to your group to determine the contribution amount that each member should make. There are circles that require $500, $5,000, or more in annual commitments. It is important for the group to have complete consensus on the final amount.

Step 2 – Establish Your Mission

Your group needs to decide which charities you would like to focus on. You may also wish to simply designate a general category, such as evangelism, inner city, youth, or poor and needy.

Step 3 – Open a Giving Fund
Your group can open a Fund at SCCF by making a suggested tax-deductable contribution of $2,500 or more.

Step 4 – Create Work Groups
Once your focus is established, having members volunteer for particular tasks will build personal commitment in your Circle. For example, one work group could organize meetings and Circle events, another could manage the Fund online (recommend grants, review Fund balances, etc.), while another might research new giving opportunities.

Step 5 – Develop Partnerships

Determine how you want to be involved with the organizations that you fund. Will you also volunteer for
an organization that you have funded? Web development, program planning, and mentoring are some examples of ways your members might get involved.

Step 6 – Evaluate Your Impact
Take time to examine your short-term and long-term goals on a regular basis. This will help develop a sense of satisfaction and show how your contributions are making a difference.

Candid feedback from the organizations you have funded and partnered with will always be an important ingredient of this process.
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Original article by Pam Pugh, Copyright © 2008, The National Christian Foundation

Giving in the News: Community Foundations Fare Relatively Well During Recession, Report Says

Community foundations increased their giving in 2008, bucking the belt tightening that swept nearly all quarters of the philanthropic world, according to a new report by the Foundation Center.

More than 700 community foundations gave $4.6-billion last year, a 2.7 percent increase when adjusted for inflation. The increase outpaced the rate of growth reported by independent and corporate foundations and, for the first time on record, community foundations gave more money than corporate grant makers, the report said.

But with the country mired in the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, community foundations probably will not be able to maintain their level of generosity this year, according to the study. Nearly three-quarters of foundations surveyed said they anticipated giving less in 2009.

Still, community foundations are better positioned than some grant makers. A flurry of new donors and bequests, as well as strong increases in their asset values, have buoyed community foundations in recent years, according to the report.

What’s more, the sour economy may cause some philanthropists to scrap plans to set up separate, endowed institutions, which are expensive to operate, and instead create donor-advised funds with community foundations, the report said.

10% of Foundation Grants

The grant-making clout of community foundations exceeds their number, the study found. Community foundations accounted for 1 percent of the total number of grant makers in 2007, according to the report, but their giving made up 10 percent of all foundation grant dollars.

Like other types of foundations, they were more likely to support groups that help children and poor people than charities working in other fields.

Community foundations were more inclined, meanwhile, to provide general support than were other types of grant makers, the report said.

From The Chronicle of Philanthropy.  By Caroline Preston.  A free copy of the report can be downloaded from the Foundation Center’s Web site