There is something about summertime that triggers feelings of nostalgia—happy childhood memories of sunshine, freckled-skin, barbeques, and cannonball jumps into the pool. For those of us in adulthood, the days of “school’s out for summer” are long over. Luckily, there’s a place we can go to relive the youthful splendor of days past. 67 years ago this week, Disneyland, the epitome of frivolous adventure and fantasy, opened its doors in Anaheim, California. The place where orange groves once stood now welcomes 14 million visitors a year: adults and children alike who are eager to enter a realm of enchantment. But before you giddily skip off to buy your Annual Passport, check out these five headlines from nonprofit news this week.
1. Attracting The Elusive Millennial Donors
At over 80 million strong, Millennials are essential to the expansion and diversification of any nonprofit organization’s donor base. But organizations that have focused largely on older donors for the past few decades are now at a loss when it comes to ways they can attract the elusive Millennial population. What draws Millennials to an organization? The Nonprofit Times has a quick summary of six fundamental steps your organization can employ to entice Millennial donors.
2. How is Your Identity Affecting Your Leadership?
Social identity can be defined as the characteristics, beliefs and personal experiences that make us unique as individuals and differentiate us from one another. Learning to navigate social identity in the nonprofit workplace can be tricky, but it is pivotal in order to lead effectively and efficiently. The Community Resource Exchange (CRE) conducts leadership development training with nonprofit managers in order to tackle questions of how identity shapes their roles as leaders. Check out the link above to find out how your identity may be affecting your leadership.
3. Young Volunteers, Lifelong Partnerships
Awareness of doing social good is #trending, and the time to capitalize is now. Attracting young volunteers to your nonprofit organization is easier than ever with the right tools and can benefit your organization in the long-term. Social media channels enable organizations to share cause-driven content to targeted populations and to engage audiences with calls to action. Offline strategies can be equally helpful as they allow you to share your experiences in person. Click the link to find out how your organization can benefit from an infusion of young volunteers and begin creating lifelong partnerships.
4. For-Profit to (Legit) Nonprofit
More and more entrepreneurs are considering the nonprofit business model. Oftentimes the decision to transition a for-profit into a nonprofit boils down to the financial pros and cons without a true understanding of what it means to be working for the benefit of the public. With tax exemption comes certain responsibilities and a greater level of compliance requirements. What happens when the for-profit and nonprofit world collide? How can you make the transition successfully? Click on the above link to read about two cases that illustrate the dos and don'ts.
5. Profit in Progressive Protesting?
In this new political era, The Nonprofit Times has a timely article on how nonprofits can maximize their financial resources by tapping into the energy and activism sparked by last year’s election. If a protest aligns with your organization’s mission and has the ability to activate your base as well as additional contributors, progressive protesting can be profitable. While nonprofits have traditionally steered away from political activism, click on the link above to find out how it can be beneficial to your organization so long as you stay in compliance with IRS rules and regs.
That’s it for this week’s Friday Five! We’re scurrying off to dig out our Mickey ears from the back of the closet. See you next week!
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