See which nonprofits are making headlines—and why.

Every day or two, Yahoo adds news and opinion pieces about philanthropy and volunteerism.

PNNOnline refreshes original content daily, searchable by environment, health, human services, and other categories. Register for free and submit news and research from your nonprofit. Major news agencies sometimes pick up stories from PNNOnline.

Philanthropy News Digest, published by The Foundation Center, reports on grants awarded to various funding categories, such as aging, arts, education, and health.

Back to top

Sign up for free news and tips delivered to your email box—or read them online.

Though aimed at businesses, Marketing Sherpa’s weekly e-zines offer detailed case studies and advice relevant to nonprofit communications and marketing, including best practices in online newsletters and interactive websites.

Twice a month, Nonprofit Times, which bills itself as “the leading business publication for nonprofit management,” will send easy-to-skim tips on topics such as using your mission statement as a marketing tool and writing more persuasively.

The volunteer-run Charity Channel offers subject-specific newsletters. For example, E-Philanthropy has tips on how to write and design websites that move more people to support your organization or use its services. In October 2003, the site began asking for a subscriber fee of $2-3 per month.

The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University is a treasure trove of articles and research abstracts on the anatomy of a press release, creating effective newsletters, spreading your message by “word of mouse,” and communicating as effectively within your organization as beyond.

Back to top

Discuss marcomm topics with your peers.

Charity Channel’s scores of discussion forums include charity public relations, general charity communications issues, and development writing. In October 2003, the site began asking for a subscriber fee of $2-3 per month.

Philanthropy News Digest has an active message board of mixed usefulness. But you can easily skim threads for topics such as writing letters that attract event sponsors or how much financial information to include in your annual report.

Back to top

Persuade your board to increase your communications budget.

The Communications Network, a group of over 300 nonprofit communications professionals, posts PowerPoint presentations and handouts from its excellent annual conference.

Back to top

Check how your department budget compares with those at other nonprofits.

The complete annual survey from Abbot and Langer could double as a footrest, but the free summary gives enough data to gauge how salaries and fringe benefits compare in nonprofits of similar size, category, or location.

The Nonprofit Times reports on its annual salary survey each February.

GuideStar, the national database of U.S. charitable organizations, gathers and distributes data on more than 850,000 nonprofits that have 501(c)3 status with the IRS. There’s no charge to register for advanced searches, which let you check nonprofit 990 tax forms to see what individual nonprofits allocate for publications and outsourcing to consultants.

Of course, as James M. Greenfield reported in the September/October 2000 issue of Advancing Philanthropy, some charities fail to properly report their fundraising costs on their Form 990s.

Back to top