e-Community March 2009

Dear Friends,

I need your help. I work in an industry that defines itself by the one thing we don't do - make a profit. Considering the word "profit" comes from Latin meaning "to make progress", the unfortunately named Nonprofit Sector is in serious need of a branding campaign.

Nonprofit is a tax status, not a description of our work. A nonprofit organization measures its success by the social benefit it generates - a profit that is shared by a community rather than a few business owners. Take a few seconds to take part in our poll. Help us re-brand the Nonprofit Sector by voting on a better name for our social profit businesses. Vote Now!

Thinking about nonprofit organizations in terms of the social profit they produce may help you decide how to invest your community giving dollars. I often ask myself, "If I invest in this organization, what is the social profit they will generate?" If the outcomes meet my expectations and fit with my priorities, I invest a portion of my social capital in their work.

When you invest in Community Shares, each dollar we spend on the Community Giving Campaign generates $10 in donations to other nonprofit organizations. So, the social profit of investing $100 in Community Shares is $1,000 in additional community investment. That sounds like progress to me.

Thanks and regards,


Alyssa Kopf
CEO, Community Shares

Making your gift go further!

Community Shares values inspired philanthropy where people convert intention into action. Taking your community goodwill and putting it into action in a focused meaningful way. As you think about personally meaningful giving there are things you can do to leverage your community investment...

1. Consistent, long term giving is important. Consistent giving over time is very effective. The receiving nonprofit can plan more effectively, you will give more over time, and you will be more likely to see the return on your investment over the long term.
2. Give unrestricted funds as part of your giving. It is fashionable to ask “What percent of budget is spent on administration and overhead?” In other words, donors want all of their money to be spent on programs. There are good reasons for this but don’t force a nonprofit to invest in “program” only. Having a quality infrastructure is very important. Let the nonprofit decide where to best invest your dollars. Hold them accountable on delivering their mission and delivering quality programs but don’t “handcuff” them!
3. Participate in an employee giving program at your workplace. Payroll contributions through your company are a great way to give more money over time.
4. Ask your company to match your gift. Many companies will match your charitable giving to some extent.
5. Get your kids involved. Make philanthropy a family process! It makes giving money and volunteering fun and lays the groundwork for your kids to be the next generation of givers.
6. Get your friends and family involved in your cause! If you are passionate about something, tell your family and friends. They know you and will respect your interest. This leverages your individual philanthropy into something larger.
7. Venture Philanthropy. Groups like Social Venture Partners Denver can be very effective in making venture investments along with management, marketing, and IT expertise to nonprofits in startup phases.
8. Just do it! Every dollar counts just like every vote counts. It doesn’t take much to have a positive effect. Nonprofits are expert at leveraging every dollar. For example, $5 a month enables a sick child to visit a doctor twice a year at local nonprofit health clinics like Clinica Tepeyac.

- Jesse

Rich and Eric are rockstars!

This last month Community Shares was very fortunate to have Richard Male and Eric Hozempa lead a series of seminars for our member nonprofits on the topics of fundraising and corporate partnerships. Rich and Eric have a wealth of experience and create the perfect tandem for providing real solutions for the unique challenges nonprofits face. They are truly the rockstars of the nonprofit sector! For more information on Rich and Eric visit Richard Male & Associates.

Each session was attended by a diverse group of member representatives, providing a great opportunity to network and share tips with each other on their respective strengths.

Thanks to Tamara and the Daniels Fund for hosting our Seminars. It's a great place for nonprofits to hold meetings and they were able to accommodate all our audio/video and space needs.

- Kyle