August Greetings!!!
There has been some exciting news - Friends of Grove Street Cemetery now has a Facebook page.
So we invite everyone to take a peek and maybe you would like to follow us on Facebook. It has just been about 7 weeks since it has been in place for us.
Come one - Come all!!!
All the best to everyone,
Patricia Illingworth
Chief Docent
What exactly should a nonprofit board do when it learns that its trusted Treasurer has redirected some of its funds?
Below is the Washington Post story about the theft experienced by the Talbot Watermen Association. The Treasurer helped herself to the nonprofit's funds and members of the organization called the cops. Presuming that the nonprofit has liability insurance, much of their loss should be recovered.
The good news. Below the Washington Post article is what the Association shared with its members. On the Association Website the item is simply titled "Talbot Watermen Association Official Statement. Clicking-on this title gets one to the statement. Fair enough.
Good step: once financial theft is learned or even perceived: call the cops! Next step, fix the systems and policies that enabled the theft. Finally, talk to your constituents. Kudos to the Association for moving forward in what I believe to be correct actions.
EASTON, Md. — Maryland State Police have charged the former treasurer of a Talbot County nonprofit with stealing from the organization.
Forty-year-old Lisa N. Gowe of Neavitt was charged Thursday with theft scheme, $100,000 plus.
Troopers say in January, members of the Talbot Watermen’s Association contacted state police and alleged that Gowe, then the group’s treasurer and event organizer, depleted the association’s bank accounts.
Investigators say bank records show that Gowe wrote numerous checks written, made withdrawals, debits and electronic money transfers that were not authorized.
Police say Gowe used the money for herself and not the Watermen’s Association. Washington Post
Talbot Watermen Association, Inc. Official Statement (Website)
POSTED ON JULY 25, 2015
As most of you are now aware, our past treasurer Lisa Gowe has been arrested for embezzling money from our Association. As a Watermen Community and a Association, we have pulled together and will overcome this setback. This is our official statement :
Lisa Gowe’s criminal charges are the result of an investigation by the Maryland State Police. The investigation was requested by our Association when we discovered discrepancies between information provided between Ms. Gowe and information provided by the bank. We were shocked and disheartened to learn that our once trusted treasurer was, in fact, untrustworthy. Since learning the details of the apparent embezzlement, we have consulted with attorneys and accountants, and have instituted new financial controls and oversight. We are saddened by our prior treasurer’s actions, for her family, for our members, and for our supporters throughout the community. We have asked the State’s Attorney to seek restitution as a component of the criminal process.
Outreach Nonprofit Consulting (ONC), a student organization at Yale School of Management (SOM), provides pro bono consulting services to nonprofit organizations in the New Haven area. For 20 years, ONC has brought together nonprofit leaders and Yale MBA students to achieve a positive impact in the New Haven community.
ONC is currently accepting applications from nonprofit organizations that wish to solve an important organizational challenge in one of these key areas: Financial Planning, Human Resources, Marketing/PR, Operations, Design & Innovation, and Strategy.
Selected organizations will typically work with a team of Yale SOM student consultants from January–May 2016.
To qualify, an organization must meet the following criteria:
Important Application Dates
Sat, Aug 22: Application due date
Fri, Sept 5: Finalists notified about their selection status
Fri, Aug 22-Fri, Sept 5: Finalists meet with SOM Outreach Coordinator to further define their projects and discuss desired outcomes
Wed, Oct 8:
Finalists present their project at mandatory “Meet-the-Clients” evening session with student consultants
Apply here. Applications are due Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 11:59pm.
Please craft your proposal carefully to communicate a well-defined project that will address a pre-existing need for your organization.
Learn more about ONC at its website.
Family Centered Services of CT is sponsoring a Back to School program for the children that we serve. Our goal is to outfit 125 kids with all the necessary supplies from backpacks to markers to notebooks.
The follow is a list of needed supplies:Backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, rulers, binders, scissors and sharpeners. Donations can be dropped of at Family CT, 235 Nicoll St, New Haven CT or we will pick up.
For more information or to arrange pick up contact: Shannon Ryan at 203-624-2600 ext. 121
A big shout out to Frank Pepe Pizzeria and Gary Bimonte for hosting our annual dine out event today at Pepe's on Wooster Street, New Haven. Pepe's has been working with Family Centered Services of CT for a number of years. Come on down and enjoy a meal with family and friends. Dine Out runs all day today, July 28. Come and enjoy.
Social entrepreneurs will love what Porter has to say about the role of business in solving social problems: LINK.
Generally, when I ask nonprofit CEOs about their boards there are two types of answers: polite and complaining. Usually both types of answers are given by each CEO I encounter. So, it should come as no surprise when an accounting firm asks 100 nonprofit CEOs about their boards, the responses are less than positive. It's kind-of just the way it is as CEOs only have so much control over their boards and boards have such wide--ranges of experiences and are in various stages of development and face, depending on their sector, wide-ranging experiences and challenges.
The results from the Marks Paneth accounting firm survey of 103 nonprofit CEOs generally in the "big" nonprofit category should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been to more than two nonprofit board meetings. Yes! Nonprofit boards are often challenged by understanding an organization's finances. And yes, nonprofit board members should have better training.
Thank you for making a mountain out of a molehill. The real need here is not to "document" (100 respondents does not document in my opinion) but to provide the answers for effective training and support. This would be a survey.
I do however need to congratulate this firm: they are definitely fine marketers.
Nonprofit Executives Say Board Members Are Too Removed From Some of Their Key Responsibilities, According to Survey Findings
Directors Are Often Light on Performance Monitoring, Strategic Input and Making Good Connections for the Organization, Executives Say in Marks Paneth National Survey.
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/15/15 --Nonprofit executives recognize their board members' passion for the mission but say directors are removed from some of their key governance responsibilities.
Those are among the findings of Nonprofit Pulse, a national survey of nonprofit leaders byaccounting firm Marks Paneth.
On the plus side, 73% of nonprofit executives say their boards "have a passion for the mission," and most (61%) say their boards are engaged but don't micromanage. Further, most (57%) say directors "closely monitor financial expenditures" and have "strong attendance" at meetings (54%).
But when it comes to some specific and sometimes mission-critical activities, board members fall short in the eyes of many nonprofit executives, according to the survey findings. (It included over 100 executives at nonprofits with annual budgets between $10 million and $100 million -- namely Presidents, Executive Directors, CEOs, CFOs, Board Chairs, Treasurers, Development Directors and Vice Presidents.)
Relatively small percentages of nonprofit leaders say directors do the following "very well":
Only 15% say the board "closely monitors dashboard performance compared to peer organizations".
Only 28% say board members are highly strategic in providing guidance.
Only 29% say the board connects the organization to external sources.
Only 47% say board members lend their professional expertise to the board.
Only 45% say the board closely monitors investments.
CIO, CTO & Developer Resources
In addition, half of nonprofit executives say board members follow the overall performance of the organization but fail to look into specific programs.
"It's probably not an overstatement to say nonprofit leaders love their boards. However, these executives have suggested they would benefit from deeper or more thoughtful board involvement in key areas of governance and strategy," saysMichael McNee, CPA, Partner-in-Charge of the Nonprofit and Government Services Group at Marks Paneth.
"One solution to get more productive involvement from boards is member training. But our survey suggests that director availability and cost present significant obstacles," says McNee. The majority of leaders say directors' limited time is a roadblock to training, and 48% say cost is a deterrent.
To receive a copy of the Nonprofit Pulse and/or to speak with a leader from Marks Paneth's Nonprofit and Government Services Group, please contact Katarina Wenk-Bodenmiller of Sommerfield Communications at (212) 255-8386 or katarina@sommerfield.com.
Methodology
The Nonprofit Pulse: A Leadership Study from Marks Paneth represents the findings of a survey of nonprofit leaders in the United States. The 103 professionals participating in the research include Board Chairs, Presidents, Executive Directors, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Treasurers, Chief Operating Officers, Development Directors, Vice Presidents and Board members and are with organizations with annual budgets between $10 million and $100 million. The research employed self-administered questionnaires completed online by respondents. The national list of professionals surveyed was compiled by Marks Paneth LLP, the research sponsor, and by Michaels Opinion Research. Interviews were completed during the period of November 12 to December 31, 2014.
About Marks Paneth LLP
Marks Paneth LLP is an accounting firm with more than 550 people, including over 70 partners and principals. The firm provides public and private businesses with a full range of auditing, accounting, tax, consulting, trade remediation and valuation services as well as litigation and corporate financial advisory services to domestic and international clients. The firm also specializes in providing tax advisory and consulting for high-net-worth individuals and their families, as well as a wide range of services for international, real estate, hospitality, media, entertainment, nonprofit and government services clients. The firm has a strong track record supporting emerging growth companies, entrepreneurs, business owners and investors as they navigate the business life cycle.
The firm's subsidiary, Tailored Technologies, LLC, provides information technology consulting services. In addition, its membership in Morison International, a leading international association for independent business advisers, financial consulting and accounting firms, facilitates service delivery to clients throughout the United States and around the world. Marks Paneth, whose origins date back to 1907, is the 35th largest accounting firm in the nation and the 9th largest in the mid-Atlantic region. In addition, readers of the New York Law Journal rank Marks Paneth as one of the area's top three forensic accounting firms for the fifth year in a row.
Its headquarters are in New York City. Additional offices are in Washington, DC, New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and the Cayman Islands. For more information, please visit www.markspaneth.com.
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Position Description
Operations Manager, New Haven Land Trust
Our Mission
The New Haven Land Trust promotes the appreciation and preservation of natural resources in New Haven for the benefit and education of the community. We do this through land conservation, community gardening, and environmental education.
Our Culture
The Land Trust is a rapidly growing non-profit with a strong, community-focused mission. We harness the strengths of community members, volunteers, employees and our other organizational partnerships in a positive, yet dedicated way. The Land Trust’s approach is one of “can do”, where staff and volunteers are encouraged to be persistent, think outside of the box to confront challenges, and take ownership over the organization’s ongoing projects and mission. If you are someone who doesn’t give up after hearing “no”, who puts all your energy and passion into the projects you implement, and who enjoys working collaboratively with a diverse group of individuals, then you will fit in at the Land Trust.
Position
The New Haven Land Trust seeks an Operations Manager with strong organizational skills and a passion for community and environment, who can both manage the administrative tasks of the organization and play a supporting role to the many ongoing projects and strategic initiatives that the Land Trust is implementing.
Work Commitment
The Operations Manager will work 40 hours per week and will report directly to the Executive Director.
Compensation
$40,000/year with benefits.
Primary responsibilities of the Operations Manager will be:
Bookkeeping: This includes recording financial transactions and reconciling monthly statements, creating financial reports, making bank deposits, and managing accounts receivable and payable.
Office systems: Develop, strengthen and maintain office systems that ensure that key information is effectively recorded, filed and organized, office communication systems are in place, and a sufficient inventory of supplies is on hand.
Database management: Manage the Land Trust’s donor, volunteer and contact lists.
Outreach and communications: Assist with design of the Land Trust’s communication strategy. Keep the Land Trust’s social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, website and email – active and alive with current information and notices. Assist with design of brochures and outreach material.
Events planning: Spearhead the planning and execution of Land Trust meetings and fundraisers such as our Annual Meeting and Fall Fundraiser.
Ensure the smooth running of office procedures: Triage incoming phone and email communications, order supplies, maintain an effective filing system.
Grant writing: Draft, compile and process grant applications for ongoing and future Land Trust programs.
Liaison and Representative: Assist with coordination, attend and in some cases lead various stakeholder meetings including both internal and external meetings.
Responsibilities will vary with specific tasks assigned as needed and to address the changing needs of the organization.
Ideal Skills and Qualities
The Operations Manager must demonstrate the following skills, experience, and expertise:
Strong organizational and financial skills
Candidates must be highly reliable with a keen sense of responsibility. They must bring a can-do attitude to their work, with a creative approach to solving problems. This includes an ability to multi-task while maintaining strict attention to detail and work well under pressure. Candidates must also have experience in keeping financial records and maintaining a tight financial management system.
Excellent project management skills
Proven track record in setting project objectives and timelines, managing tasks against a project plan, and providing insightful evaluation following completion. Ability to manage multiple project components and make adjustments in response to changing conditions.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
This includes oral and writing skills and an ability to relate to and communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and styles. Experience running meetings, giving presentations, developing and executing marketing and communications strategies are all highly desired. Ability in Spanish language is a plus.
Experience in managing office systems.
Including ease with managing documents in Google Docs and Dropbox; facility with Adobe, and Microsoft Office Suite. Expertise in managing database systems, and in promoting through social media platforms is also required. Bookkeeping software experience is also highly desired.
New Haven Knowledge
Knowledge of New Haven’s diverse neighborhoods and in particular New Haven’s food system and environmental arena is highly desired.
Passion for environmental and food system issues is required.
Please send cover letter and resume by August 7, 2015 to justin.elicker@newhavenlandtrust.org. Please include “Operations Manager” in the subject line.
New Haven Land Trust is an "equal opportunity employer." New Haven Land Trust will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Values matter and should drive the policies and practices of a nonprofit.
In the so-called City of Brotherly Love the so-called Sisters of Mercy (yes, irony on both counts) fired a teacher because she is married (a value the Roman Catholic Church does embrace) but, wait for it, to another woman.
According to the core values of Roman Catholicism, relationships including marriage between two people of the same sex is not permissible. So, when the Sisters of Mercy (again, irony) learned from ever-so-faithful parents (remember the "casting the first stone") that one of their female school teachers was indeed married to another woman, according to their core values, they were compelled to remove that teacher from the school. The article below speaks primarily to the head of the church's position in support of this action, again as consistent with the Church's core values.
The lesson: right or wrong, nonprofit values matter and acting according to those values is necessary and proper. This story should remind all nonprofit boards of the importance of periodically (at minimum during the 3-5 year strategic planning process) reviewing, updating, and, reconciling their values in recognition that these fundamental statements of belief will indeed guide all policies and practices of their institution.
Kudos to the Sisters for being clear about and standing by their values! At the same time I am led to wonder whether the Sisters and their Church aren't a bit confused about how to reconcile this value with at least two of their other stated core values: mercy and love.
Chaput: Waldron right to fire gay teacher
KATHY BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
LAST UPDATED: Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 1:07 AM
POSTED: Monday, July 13, 2015, 3:25 PM
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said Monday that the Mercy Sisters who run Waldron Mercy Academy showed "character and common sense" in firing a lesbian teacher who has been married since 2007.
In his first direct comment since the firing became public last week - after parents of two students found out about the marriage and complained - Chaput said in a statement, "Schools describing themselves as Catholic take on the responsibility of teaching and witnessing the Catholic faith in a manner true to Catholic belief.
"There's nothing complicated or controversial in this. It's a simple matter of honesty.
"I'm very grateful to the Religious Sisters of Mercy and to the principal and board members of Waldron Mercy for taking the steps to ensure that the Catholic faith is presented in a way fully in accord with the teaching of the church. They've shown character and common sense at a moment when both seem to be uncommon."
MORE COVERAGE
Editorial: School that fired gay teacher gets public money
Support grows for fired gay teacher
Firing of lesbian roils Catholic school
The archdiocese, through its spokesman, has insisted it had nothing to do with the dismissal of Margie Winters, the director of religious studies. She was fired June 22 after refusing to resign. She has maintained that school administrators had known of the marriage and had told her she could be open with faculty but to keep the information from parents.
After the complaints were lodged, Nell Stetser, the school principal, told parents in an e-mail that in order to continue as a Catholic school, Waldron had to comply with Catholic teachings and the authority of the archdiocese.
In a letter to parents Monday, the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community Leadership Team said that it upheld the decision and that if Stetser had not fired Winters, "our Leadership Team would have had to do so."
Some Waldron staff and some nuns are supporting Winters vigorously.
And a group of parents and others supporting Winters, calling themselves Stand With Margie, said in response to Chaput's statement, "Margie Winters' ministry ... was faithful to the teachings of the church. ... Margie was terminated from her position simply because she is married to her wife, Andrea Vettori. Stand With Margie is a community that believes this is fundamentally wrong and that together we should discuss how to be more inclusive in life and in our church."
As the same-sex marriage movement has rippled across the United States, same-sex married couples who work at Catholic institutions are finding it difficult to keep their jobs, according to Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, an organization for LGBT Catholics. She said she knew of more than three dozen cases of teachers in same-sex marriages being fired from Catholic schools.
"It's been absolutely horrendous," she said. "It's only going to get worse."
The U.S. Supreme Court last month declared same-sex marriages constitutional. Religious liberty has been a major priority for U.S. bishops, who contend the ruling has made it difficult for Catholics to practice their faith.
Whether the religious-liberty principle applies to faith-based institutions that accept public money is under debate. Waldron Mercy, a 92-year-old private coed school with 532 students, has received more than $270,000 in state tax credits in the last two years, and more than 70 students have received financial aid since 2005 under a program called the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, according to the school's website.
"Legally, there's no problem with Catholic schools firing same-sex people," Duddy-Burke said, since they are private faith-based organizations. "Morally, it doesn't equate with what Catholics expect from their institutions."
More than 100 people, including some Waldron staff and nuns, attended a prayer vigil in Narberth on Sunday night to support Winters, who was hired eight years ago.
Stand With Margie's Facebook page has more than 9,000 likes and many wrote to condemn Chaput's statement.
"I just called and left him a message telling him how cowardly and disgusting this statement is," wrote Natalie Bucciarelli Pedersen. "I encourage others to do the same."
"The urge to beat him with a bible is rising," wrote Matt Ryan.
"This man is misguided. ... It's 2015 for the love of God!!!!" Mary Rowely Meixell wrote.
A GoFundMe account set up by parents and students has raised nearly $14,000 for Winter and Vettori.
In 2013, French and Spanish teacher Michael Griffin was fired from Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem after filing for a marriage license in New Jersey, where he and his partner lived.
Griffin said he had brought his partner to many school functions, they both wore rings, and an administrator had attended a ceremony for their civil union in 2008.
Duddy-Burke said she hears privately from school administrators who do not want to follow orders to fire staff. Stetser, for her part, wrote, "In the Mercy spirit, many of us accept life choices that contradict current church teachings."
But with Pope Francis visiting in September during the World Meeting of Families, "Philadelphia is under a lot of scrutiny," Duddy-Burke said. "It's sort of Catholic central for the U.S. right now."
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150714_Chaput__Waldron_right_to_fire_gay_teacher.html#Hiju8rUrdV1pgk48.99
In case helpful, there's a site call techsoup.org that I'm told offers deep discounting on software for non-profits. I am not affiliated in anyway; just like to pass along useful information if it can help your organization. Enjoy your day!
City Atlas: New Haven is compiling a comprehensive list of nonprofits in the New Haven area with the hopes of facilitating easy collaboration & increasing public awareness and involvement.
If you'd like to be included, fill out THIS FORM!
google form link | facebook post
#nhv #gscia
@cityatlasnhv
Planning to engage your community online requires a disciplined thought process just like any other form of strategic planning. The more time and considered planning you give to the process, the more likely you are to run an effective and meaningful online engagement... continue reading:
About City Atlas: New Haven
City Atlas is a new project about the future of New Haven. We feature and promote the
sustainability goals of New Haven and Yale, and help connect members of the Yale community
to the city's new initiatives and civic organizations. We aim to strengthen the ties between social
justice, sustainability, and community building.
City Atlas: New Haven is modeled on City Atlas: New York (newyork.thecityatlas.org). City Atlas:
New Haven is the beginning of a network of sites in partnership with universities, drawing on
talented young people to create a new, locally relevant platform for a public conversation about
the future. (A project is beginning in China as well, at beijing.thecityatlas.org).
What we’re looking for:
You, Your ideas, and Your Creativity!
Do you want to get involved? Hone those communication, photography, or other skills? Are you
interested in sustainability, improving your city, or getting something cool in New Haven on the
radar? City Atlas: New Haven wants to help you do it!
We are looking for content that is local and relevant to New Haven. Therefore, we want to
invite submissions from all areas and perspectives across the city of New Haven who have
different stories to tell or “insider knowledge.” What’s your story? What do you love about New
Haven? What’s your vision for the future of New Haven?
If you are interested in producing content for City Atlas, we would like to know you can think
creatively and critically. Here’s the challenge:
**You can look to pieces on City Atlas: New York (http://newyork.thecityatlas.org/index/) for
guidance.
How To Submit:
Interested applicants should send a pitch of their idea and/or a brief sample of the medium they
are interested in producing via email to liana.epstein@thecityatlas.org with “City Atlas: New
Haven Content Submission” in the subject line. Please address the questions listed above and
tell us what your story can bring to the project, and why it should be told!
Have questions? Want to learn more?
Contact Liana Epstein at liana.epstein@thecityatlas.org
Details for submitting ideas here: City Atlas: New Haven | Content Submission
***Link here: http://bit.ly/1KboYp2
The following Comstock Magazine article offers prescriptive (not necessarily research based) advice to nonprofit boards on how to be functional. Again with this presumption that nonprofit boards are predominantly dysfunctional! Now I'm not denying that there are indeed dysfunctional nonprofit boards (this is pretty much my stock and trade as a governance consultant) but nonprofit boards by-and-large function, they just do not always function efficiently and effectively.
My first wish, lets not focus on dysfunction but efficiency and effectiveness. Nonprofit board work should focus on results, not conditions. Maybe this is semantics for some but the difference to me is about what I truly care about - supporting nonprofit boards so they can achieve mission.
But back to the article. In my experience, board members are frequently highly engaged individuals. Depending on the board's stage of development, engagement ranges from making it to all the scheduled board and committee meetings to actively volunteering (especially for boards in their infancy and adolescent stages) and passionate people. Do boards engage in doing the work of governing? Perhaps less so. Are they engaged? Yes. So, are is all the advice given in the following article correct? Maybe. I for one do indeed agree that all great boards begin, not solely, with great chairs. But they equally begin with selecting the right people for the job. Composition matters. And yes, term limits matter when enforced but the question is to whom do they matter and for what outcome.
Well readers, please take a look at the following and be sure to consider that the question is: do the following "tips" increase my board's effectiveness and efficiency? And remember, the conversation is one for all to have, not just one.
Let’s Get Functional
3 tips for better board performance
BACKARTICLEJUN 18, 2015By Kim Tucker
Our region’s nonprofits save lives everyday. Many of them do so despite answering to dysfunctional boards. From all-volunteer, grassroots organizations to multi-million-dollar, statewide agencies, we’ve heard the stories of boards that lack leadership, management, strategy and vision.
Most board members join an organization for the right reasons, but many fail to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, executive directors complain their board lacks engagement and makes unreasonable demands. Obviously, a disconnect exists, but this scenario has a solution and can be fixed. Here’s how:
First, recognize that highly functioning boards share these attributes:
An engaged board chair — someone not over-committed, who is available, responsive and supportive of the executive director
A culture of accountability among board members
Board term limits that are followed and celebrated
Objectives that are accomplished between board meetings
Structured meetings with the advance distribution of consent calendar and meeting materials
Exceptional board management requires strong leadership. The board chair should pay attention to and make great use of individual board members’ talents and interests. A strong board chair should also establish a culture of accountability with personalized job descriptions that leverage members’ spheres of influence. Board leaders should inform members that the expectation is an individual contribution averaging six hours of monthly service outside of board meeting time.
Successful board meetings are dynamic exchanges wherein everyone engages, and discussions are about the strategic and long-term. Does that sound like your last meeting? If not and you’re a board chair, consider how your style might contribute to a lack of engagement. Are you too focused on consensus? Do you steamroll through the agenda, not allowing time for meaningful discussion? Do you let that one annoying board member dominate the discussion? If so, accept responsibility, and take corrective action.
You are responsible for the culture of the board, and you can change it to one of accountability, respect and impact. Transforming a board into an exceptional one, or at least improving its performance, is an exercise the board chair shares with the executive director. Together, consider these upgrades.
Recruit strategically. Give up pursuing for your board the nine players in your area who run big corporations, and focus instead on a diverse group that aligns with your mission. Recruit new board members who are passionate about the organization and have a firm grasp on whom or what it serves and how it goes about achieving its mission.
Train your new folks well. Once you identify a new board member and they willingly accept, remember that it’s not the qualified who are called, its the called who get qualified. Provide great mission-centric exposure and information, and make sure the board has an orientation protocol that offers periodic training on a variety of subjects. The protocol will get your new members up and running and will establish a pipeline for new board members.
Training for new board members should include an introduction to a strong committee structure where newbies can visualize a good fit for their skills. Start by combining all internal, external and governance-related functions into three committees, with every member assigned to just one committee. Getting work done at the committee level and between meetings allows time for big-picture discussions at the board meetings.
Whether a board member is new or has been around a while, institute an individual board development plan for each person. Toss out the old job description that gently suggests 75 percent attendance at meetings, and instead convey higher expectations. Create a fill-in-the-blank template that generates ideas of how each individual can make a difference for the organization. You’ll be amazed how ho-hum can morph to wow when board members are empowered with information and direction.
Commit to individualized attention. Part of the job of board chair is to conduct meaningful, strategic planning and board evaluations annually. Meet one-on-one with each member of your board at least once a year. The outcomes will be valuable when considering whom to groom as a potential leader.
If you are an executive director, get to know these board members. Conduct your own one-on-one interviews, especially with new board members, and do it well within the first 90 days of their term. It will be very helpful to you to know how each board member can support the mission, i.e. support you. A great board will have your back if relationships are formed early, expectations are clear and courtesy and respect are mutual.
If you serve on a nonprofit board and feel out of the loop or think you don’t matter, think again. Consider the above-mentioned upgrades — and speak up!
Don’t forget, you are on a board because you bring skills to the table. Your nonprofit’s impact depends on the engagement of all board members. If strategic, mission-centric board pursuits aren’t happening, take it upon yourself to lead change.
Greetings To All!!!
\Grove Street Cemetery will again be celebrating the July 4th holiday with the Governor's Foot Guard and paying honor to David Humphreys as part of this American celebration.
The festivities will begin at 09:00am on July 4th.
Please come join us!!
All the best,
Patricia Illingworth
Chief Docent
203.389.5403
Part-time Positions Available at New Haven Reads. We have two part-time positions now available at New Haven Reads: an Assistant Site Director at our Dixwell Site and a Book Bank Assistant. To learn more about these positions, please check our our website: http://newhavenreads.org/home/get-involved/careers/. Any questions? Email Kirsten at kirsten@newhavenreads.org!
New Haven Bike Month was a celebration of biking culture this past May 2015 in collaboration with Elm City Cycling, the New Haven Department of Transportation, the New Haven Parks Department, and many other community members. It included over 160+ events, including over 50 large group rides, 30 bike repair clinics, 5 Open Streets events, and much more.
We had two main goals with New Haven Bike Month:
1. To promote the already tremendous number of biking activities happening in New Haven.
2. And to expand -- by neighborhood, type of rider, etc. -- what it means to be a part of the biking community in this city.
We are very proud of what we were able to accomplish and begin during this past May. Movements, however, are only sustainable with consistent and regular reflection on both the successes and weaknesses. In early June, after sending handfuls of Thank You letters to our partners, the New Haven Bike Month organizers, volunteers, and participants met up for an After-Potluck/Debrief to discuss what worked, what didn't works, future goals, and next steps. In addition, a survey was sent around to folks who were unable to attend the debriefing session.
Here is a link to the summarized debrief notes.
Have feedback as well? We would be thrilled to listen, whether you heard of Bike Month of not, whether you participated in Bike Month or not, your thoughts are extremely valuable. Here is a link to survey.
For more information on New Haven Bike Month, here is the link to our website.
Want to get involved further? Want to meet up with the organizers to discuss all things biking in New Haven? Email caroline.tanbee.smith@gmail.com.
Intern with City Atlas: New Haven!
City Atlas: New Haven (modeled on an existing project in NYC), will be a hub for sustainable initiatives in New Haven, and a way to link up a conversation about the future with other cities around the world. We're seeking summer interns for the 2015 season. If you're interested in contributing ideas to improve New Haven we'd love to have you join our team!
Get in touch if you're interested, and please circulate this opportunity to your friends, classmates, students from other New Haven schools, colleagues, and anyone else whom you think would be interested in working on our team this summer.
See attached PDF (below) for internship details and feel free to contact Liana Epstein, lead developer, at liana.epstein@artistascitizen.org with questions! Thanks!
City Atlas Summer Internship Description
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About City Atlas: New Haven
City Atlas is a new project about the future of New Haven. We feature and promote the sustainability goals of New Haven and Yale, and help connect members of the Yale community to the city's new initiatives and civic organizations. We aim to strengthen the ties between social justice, sustainability, and community building.
City Atlas: New Haven is modeled on City Atlas: New York. City Atlas: New Haven is the beginning of a network of sites in partnership with universities, drawing on talented young people to create a new, locally relevant platform for a public conversation about the future. (A project is beginning in China as well, at beijing.thecityatlas.org).
Check out City Atlas: New Haven!
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