Be Prepared: Emergency Preparedness is Not an Option

In 2011 alone, the US has witnessed more than its fair share of natural disasters, from blizzards to heat waves, wild fires, the unexpected earthquake that rocked Virginia, and most recently, the flooding and damage wreaked by Hurricane Irene.  For those of us who have escaped or survived disaster, we are hopefully reminded that it’s time to get our act together and prepare for emergency situations.   Though we can never be completely prepared, every little bit helps and some simple steps can put ourselves—and our organizations—in a much better position than no preparedness at all.

Knowing Your Limits: Advocacy in the Age of Twitter

Most nonprofits have embraced online video, blogs, email, and social media as ways to spread their messages and encourage constituents to take action for social change.  But even as nonprofits see the enormous promise of new tools and media, the risks are just as obvious. Can an organization lose its tax-exempt status because of a careless Tweet? Can an advocacy group accidentally exceed its lobbying limits because of a comment on a blog? Alliance for Justice's Legal Director of Advocacy Programs Abby Levine shares a new guide to help the nonprofit community better understand the legal landscape of advocacy in the modern online world.

We're Just Getting Started: Preventing Massive Budget Cuts

Remember the nasty national deficit debate back in August? The fight is not over. President Obama and Congress punted the issue to a committee charged with reducing the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade.  The most critical questions the Gang of Twelve must address is how much more cuts can Americans bear? What are the alternatives to massive cuts?  In an effort to shed more light on this issue, Tides and the Greenlining Institute will co-host the first of a series of conference calls, “Beyond Politics: Navigating a New Reality,” with keynote speaker Ellen Nissenbaum, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities.

Darian Rodriguez Heyman's Top Ten Fundraising Tips

Darian Rodriguez Heyman, former Executive Director of the Craigslist Foundation and editor of the new book Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals, offered his Top Ten Fundraising Tips last week to the Tides Learning Community.  Though he joked about recognizing many faces in the room and wondered aloud what these nonprofit leaders still hoped to learn about fundraising, Darian's presentation offered ideas appropriate for emerging leaders and seasoned nonprofit professionals alike.

Show Me the Money: Nonprofits Talking Taxes

Did you walk on the sidewalk, drive on a road, eat in a clean restaurant, or drink clean water from your faucet today?  Were you thinking: “What a great day to be a taxpayer!”?  We often forget the structures and services we depend on everyday are paid for by taxes.    However, over the past several years, with this year being the worst, the word “taxes” has been surgically sown to the word “cuts.”  In this guest post, Kim Klein and Anne Ryan offer their thoughts on the California State Budget and what nonprofits can do to focus on revenue.

Support the Social Safety Net, Preserve Charitable Deductions

Tides CEO Melissa Bradley recently signed on to a letter initiated by our colleagues at Independent Sector, and signed by leaders from the nation's leading foundations and non-profit organizations, urging President Obama and Congress to preserve the tax incentives for charitable giving.  As our elected officials in Washington discuss reductions in spending to lower the national debt, the signatories argue against sacrificing our nation's social safety net and entitlement programs, and caution against jeopardizing the non-profit sector's workforce and programs by capping tax incentives for charitable contributions.

Share Space for Efficiency and Effectiveness

One of the most significant costs for any organization is the price of office space and back-end services. Collaboration through shared space can help maximize your operating budget while at the same time providing unexpected benefits.  Learn more from China Brotsky, Senior Vice-President at Tides and Managing Director of Tides Shared Spaces, who recently contributed a "Tip of the Week" to the Nonprofits 101 Resource Center blog.

Following Your Passion and Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Joel Solomon, Tides Board member and philanthropic activist, is passionate about creating conditions for societal well-being through social enterprise.   His vision for his legacy is to help build effective infrastructures that will create a multiplier effect to support organizations to use money wisely and to create conditions for societal well-being for future generations.

Atlantis Launches: Tides Project Aboard, America's Future Ahead

The space shuttle Atlantis has lifted off the launch pad, marking the last Space Shuttle Mission for NASA.  This shuttle, like many before it, will be carrying experiments – including those from the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, a project of Tides.  Tides provides the NCESSE with expert management strategies and tools to open the world of science to as many students as possible.

Measuring Impact, Sharing Success

Members of the Tides community -- from philanthropists to activists and policy makers -- are constantly creating change in our local communities and on a global scale.  But what metrics do we use to gauge our success?  What stories can we tell to attract  supporters?  At Tides, we know that members of our community are most effective when we're able to measure our impact.  That's why we're excited to partner with others in sharing tools that help make sense of successes, reevaluate challenges, and plan more effective strategies.