Nonprofit Connectors

Showcase: Free Costumes for Kids

NPC:  Tell us a little bit about your organization, Free Costumes For Kids. Why was it started?

Chris McCarthy:  Free Costumes for Kids was the brainchild of my sons, Joe and Casey McCarthy.  They had added a line of Halloween costumes to their website, Gigaweb.com.  They knew that they would have returns and thought what better to do with them than give them to needy children.  Then they thought, why not ask people to also recycle their gently used costumes or donate new ones.   And, voila, Freecostumesforkids.org was born.  

 

NPC:  Who does it serve?

 
Chris McCarthy:  Right now it is serving underpriviledged kids in Palm Beach County, Florida, but we are hoping to expand in years to come.  

 

NPC:  How long have you been in operation?

 

Chris McCarthy:  This is our first year.

 

NPC:  How many people did you serve your first year? And, this year?

 

Chris McCarthy:  We are hoping to serve 1,000 kids this year.

 

NPC:  What is your most difficult challenge as a nonprofit?

 

Chris McCarthy:  Our most difficult challenge this year has been getting drop off sites.

 

NPC:  What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a nonprofit?

 

Chris McCarthy:  Ask.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  People truly want to help, so if they can, they will.  

 

NPC:  How can people get involved?

 

Chris McCarthy:  Send and email to ChrisMcCarthy@freecostumesforkids.org or call   561 789-2421

 

    
NPC:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

 

Chris McCarthy:  We are changing lives, one costume at a time!  Whatever you have to share, can make a difference too!

*Chris McCarthy is the Vice President of Free Costumes for Kids. For more information, please visit the website at www.freecostumesforkids.org. 

I'm all wrapped up

This past weekend, I was in Las Vegas spending time with a very dear friend. She had another friend visiting who was giving her whip cracking lessons. He told her to stand still, and he would wrap the whip around her. So, with a flick of his wrist the whip cracked in the air, inches from her head, and then the whip gently wrapped her body.

Next, it was my turn. I was a little reluctant at first, but thought how many more times will I have this opportunity. I stood still with my hands to my side. Then the whip expert said, “Are you ready?" I said, "I guess so." With my heart pounding, he cracked the whip and it made a loud pop in my left ear. And then I felt the soft leather gently wrap my torso. What a thrill!

I'm sure many of you have experienced the same type of thrill maybe from a rollercoaster ride or go-carting. You may even have shared the thrill of my experience when you decided to start your nonprofit organization. You know the thrill as you wait for your IRS status to come through. The thrill and anticipation as you developed your programs and broaden your services. 

There are so many new nonprofits waiting to actually experience this thrill. These are the individuals who are still trying to figure out how to get started. Do you have any words of encouragement for new CEO's going through the process?

 

 

Directors & Officers Insurance

Directors & Officers Insurance (commonly referred to as D&O insurance), is often overlooked by nonprofits for the simple reason they are uncertain whether or not they really need D&O coverage. Read this article noting compelling reasons to protect your organization. This should reassure you that D&O insurance has significant value to even the smallest nonprofit organization.

When a person becomes a board member, she assumes a level of responsibility for the organization and thus exposes herself to claims for not managing the organization properly. Even if the case brought against a board is thrown out, the organization still bears the brunt of having to pay the legal fees. Legal expenses could be brutal for a small organization and could even put them right out of business.
In general, D&O insurance includes coverage of an officer or director in the discharge of his/her duties. This includes but is not limited to:

• Any actual or alleged act
• Misstatement or misleading statement,
• Neglect or breach of duty
• Omission and/or error

As with all insurance policies, read the policy carefully to ensure it includes all the necessary components for your organization. Here is a checklist of issues to review when looking to purchase D&O insurance.

Key strategies for implementing new ideas

Brainstorming new ideas may be your passion; implementing new ideas on the other hand may be where projects breakdown. When bringing your key leaders together your organization can gain passion and purpose in utilizing true collaboration.

Here are a few key strategies to assist you in seeing those well-dreamt projects through to fruition.

• Include your entire team in gathering ideas. You never know where a great idea may come from, and it could very well be the part-time volunteer that comes up with the next best thing.
• Check with the community that you serve to see if anyone has a suggestion for how your organization can improve its current services, or implement something new. A suggestion box is a great way to gather ideas from community members.
• Surveys are effective in helping organizations gauge the successfulness of a program. We recommend surveys that also gauge the interest of the community and staff members. This sort of questionnaire will assist your organization in not only considering what new ideas to try, but will also tell you what current programs are working well.

Remember to include everyone; it helps to grow a stronger organization if you get the buy-in from as many people as possible. In addition, it is very important to make sure that whatever new ideas you implement fit with the organization’s mission statement and strategic plan.

Check out the organizational assessment tool offered free through The Hartford Foundation’s Nonprofit Support Program.

Creating Bylaws for your organization

Bylaws contain the fundamental principles regarding the nature of the organization and the institutional structure by which the board of directors operates. Bylaws establish the specific criteria for decision-making, and should meet the specific needs of each organization.

The following questions will help to guide you through the process of drafting a set of Bylaws for your organization.
•What is the purpose and mission statement?
•How and when will you elect board members? How many will there be? What number of board members will be conducive to helping your company achieve its mission? What will the term limits be? When can a director be removed and what is the process? What will the procedures be for resignation?
•What committees will be the most essential for your board?
•How often will the directors meet? Is it a quorum?
•Should your Board be insured?
•How often should your bylaws be reviewed and updated?

Putting together a set of Bylaws is a daunting and necessary task; however, there are many resources available to help you and your Board through the process. Take advantage of the Foundation Center and the Lectrin Law Library, just to name a few. You can find templates for nonprofit Bylaws at Easy Forms.

An organization cannot exist until the Bylaws are formally adopted by the Board and comply with the state laws governing the organization.

National Volunteers Month

April is National Volunteers Month. It’s a set aside time for us to honor and show our deep appreciation for the men, women, and children who keep our nonprofit organizations operational. There are many nonprofit organizations in the country that are only able to offer services because of their fine volunteers.

There are quite a few organizations that no longer exist because their volunteers gave up. Don’t let this happen in your community. Consider just a simple gesture of appreciation to honor the volunteers at your local community center, Boys and Girls club, and other neighborhood nonprofit organizations consider giving a very simple, and sincere, Thank You.

Also remember to check out Volunteer Match to see what organizations can use your special skill or talents. Volunteer!

Volunteers are the heart of a nonprofit

Planning a nonprofit starts immediately a great idea hits you smack between the eyes. You’ll start with the formation of your vision. Then that will grow into your mission statement. Next you’re looking down the road at a budget and trying to anticipate how much something like this will cost to operate and share with the world. Finally, you’re ready to launch into the paperwork. However, you need volunteers. So, my advice to you, before you make the investment into the paperwork and officially forming your nonprofit get your volunteers lined up.

Volunteers are the life-line to all nonprofits. These are the individuals that believe in giving back to the community and are just looking for a place to lend a hand. Volunteers do the work of the nonprofit. The truth is without volunteers your nonprofit will very likely never grow.