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Nonprofit Startup Resources

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Course 406 - Theology of Work

Course 406 - Theology of Work (3 credits) This course will look at the theology of work and how work fits into ministry and God’s Kingdom.

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Organizational Start-Up

EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS TOPIC

Organizational Start-Up

Articles, Excerpts, Tips & More

Maintaining a Positive Relationship Between Your Nonprofit and Your Church: Four recommendations for how to maintain good church-nonprofit relations once a new church-based nonprofit is up and running.
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Four Quick Tips for a Positive Church-Nonprofit Relationship: Church-nonprofit relationship management in a nutshell.
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Seven Key Questions for a Good Church-Nonprofit Relationship: This printable resource will get church-initiated nonprofits and their founding churches on the right track for effective ongoing communication.
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Recommended Books

The Wilder Nonprofit Field Guide to Crafting Effective Mission & Vision Statements: This short manual will help your organization to develop or revise mission and vision statements that clarify your focus and bring direction to your work.
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Be Pure Before God and Israel:: This resource lays out the Jewish sacred texts and practical guidelines for developing, implementing, and maintaining a non-profit entity.
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Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church: This resource will help congregational leaders considering starting up nonprofit organizations through their faith-based facilities.
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The 12-Step Program: This brief primer provides a high-level overview of the basic steps for launching a community ministry.
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Recommended Links

Congregational Resources Guide: Resources for Congregations: This Web site focuses on connecting leaders of congregations with the resources that will help them to “gain insight into problems and to encourage transformation in their communities of faith.”
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Christian Community Development Association (CCDA): CCDA is the leading network of Christians engaged in revitalizing their communities through the key principles of relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.
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The Community Toolbox: With over 6,000 pages of practical information related to community development covering 250 different topics, this is probably the most comprehensive community development Web site available.
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Alban Institute: The Alban Institute is an ecumenical organization that provides resources for congregations in the form of consulting services, research, book publishing, and educational seminars.
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National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED): The NCCED serves and encourages Community Development Corporations through research, education, fund-raising and training.
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Evangelicals for Social Action: ESA is a leading evangelical association conducting practical research and advocacy on social justice issues. ESA sponsors the resource-rich web clearinghouse site, Word & Deed Network.
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Churches at Work: Churches at Work is a website database of churches across the country that are reaching out to help meet the human needs in their communities.
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Client Management and Outcomes Tracking Databases

Client Management and Outcomes Tracking DatabasesWhen your nonprofit works directly with clients, it can be difficult to figure out exactly how your organization is helping, and which resources you're providing are the most valuable. A nonprofit might provide a young adult with access to an after-school program, life skills training, drug abuse prevention, and mental health counseling services. When that young adult succeeds in life, enrolls in college, and lives independently, how do you know which services made the biggest impact?

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Seven Key Questions for a Good Church-Nonprofit Relationship

        

ORGANIZATIONAL START-UP RESOURCE

 

Seven Key Questions for a Good Church-Nonprofit Relationship

(Adapted from Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church by Joy Skjegstad,  The Alban Institute, 2002.  Used with permission.  Obtain this item.­)

As you begin planning for your church-based nonprofit organization, it’s important that you keep the lines of communication open between the nonprofit and the nonprofit’s founding congregation. This list of seven questions is designed as a printable resource to help the nonprofit’s board and staff in discussing and preparing effective channels of communication between the nonprofit and the church.

1.  What communication tools will you use to communicate with your congregation?

  • church bulletin
  • church newsletter
  • announcements from pulpit
  • church special events
  • sermons
  • nonprofit’s brochures or newsletters
  • new member class or packets
  • presentations to classes or small groups
  • nonprofit special events
  • church board meetings or committee meetings

2.  What is your schedule for communicating with the congregation about the nonprofit?

3.  Who are the key church staff members you need to stay in close communication with?

4.  What strategies will you use to communicate with them?

5.  Which key church lay leaders do you need to stay in close communication with?

6.  What strategies will you use to communicate with them?

7.  Are there any informal lay leaders of the church who should be “in the loop” regarding the nonprofit?

 

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Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church

    RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church

by Joy Skjegstad

Purchase Now!
The Alban Institute, 2002.

Summary:

A former executive director of a church-based nonprofit organization, Joy Skjegstad lays her practical experience and insider perspective on the table in this helpful, easy-to-read how-to book. She addresses such practical topics as defining the organization's mission, setting up a board, raising funds, managing personnel and legal issues, and maintaining a positive relationship with the church.

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

Starting a Nonprofit is an excellent resource for congregations preparing to set up nonprofit organizations, and for church-based nonprofit directors interested in refreshing their organizational structures. In addition to useful guidelines, Starting a Nonprofit offers many concrete examples of nonprofit start-ups, including different models of relationships between the church and the nonprofit, and offers numerous insights about board development and personnel and legal issues. The book contains checklists of things to do or consider as you begin, self-assessment tools, sample job descriptions, progress evaluation steps, and suggested answers to common problems that every nonprofit faces. The book also points the reader to a number of practical resources.



Related Articles
Qualities of Effective Board Members
Maintaining a Positive Relationship Between Your Nonprofit and Your Church
Four Quick Tips for a Positive Church-Nonprofit Relationship
Seven Key Questions for a Good Church-Nonprofit Relationship
Structuring Your Board of Directors
Related Books
Community Ministry: New Challenges, Proven Steps to faith-based initiatives
The ABC’s of Community Ministry

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Database Planning Guide

CareerPlanner.com's Analysis of the Top Careers for the FutureCompuMentor's Database Planning Guide for Nonprofits is designed to help small and medium-sized nonprofit organizations to develop a database plan, and as a result, purchase or build a database that effectively serves their needs.

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Race, Class, Gender, Faith & Nonprofit Funding Bias

This presentation examines funding biases of nonprofits across race, class, gender and faith. Research shows that while 52.4% of those in poverty in the USA are people of color, only 16.5% of nonprofits are led by people of color, and only 3% of foundation funding goes toward organizations that are led by people of color. Feel free to share this on your Blog or Website using the embed code link at the bottom right of the presentation. Post any comments or questions below after logging in.

Race Class Gender Faith & Nonprofit Funding
 

 

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Nonprofit Incorporation Checklist

Nonprofit Corporation Checklist:

  • Research goals and mission
  • Develop a plan and recruit board members
  • Establish Corporation
    • Adopt Articles of Incorporation and File with the State
    • Name the Board of Directors and adopt Bylaws
    • Obtain an EIN - Tax ID number by filing form SS-4 with the IRS
    • Obtain Tax Exempt status by filing Form 1023 with the IRS
  • Establish a Conflict of Interest Policy
  • Establish financial management
    • A corporate banking account,
    • An accounting system adequate for
      • organi
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Free book: The Freedom of Faith-Based Organizations to Staff on a Religious Basis

The Freedom of Faith-Based Organizations to Staff on a Religious Basis

by Carl H. Esbeck, Stanley W. Carlson-Thies, and Ronald J. Sider


Washington, D.C.: Center for Public Justice (2004)

This important new book sets the record straight on the right of faith-based organizations to hire staff compatible with the religious mission and vision of their programs.

Are faith-based social-service providers permitted to select staff based on religion if their programs receive government funds?

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Course 406 - Theology of Work

Course 406 - Theology of Work (3 credits) This course will look at the theology of work and how work fits into ministry and God’s Kingdom.

Read more

"Give" is a four letter word."

Submitted by Pastor JackWilson on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 19:57

Perhaps one of the hardest things for which to raise money is humanity.

People love to save whales, trees, spotted owls and an entire host of variables. Yet you tell them about people who are starving and so many times you will hear. "that's a shame".

Now of course I am plugging my own cause of which I am very interested in seeing succeed but this really does apply to all such causes.

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Podcasts

People Powering Non Profits Podcast: Free MP3s

Soumis par Cesar Espinoza le jeu, 02/25/2010 - 12:21

An audio podcast on working in the non profit sector. 

Click link to People Powering Non Profits Podcast: Free MP3s

Nonprofit Startup Courses

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Volunteer Opportunities: Nonprofit Startup

Title Organization Name City, State/Country
City Vision Internship - Case Supervisor City Vision
Willisburg, KY
United States
opportunities in kenya orphans center BARAKA CHILDREN FAMILY
MATUU
Kenya
City Vision Intern-Receptionist/Adm Asst City Vision
Joliet, IL
United States
Missions Internship Global Outreach
Bramwell, WV
United States
Summer Intern Words To Works Ministries
Jacksonville, FL
United States
International Placements with Oasis Oasis International Placements
London
United Kingdom
Logistics Support Volunteer World Relief
Juba
Sudan
Program Assistant World Relief
Goma
Congo (Kinshasa)
YAO Internship Position Opportunity International Canada
Toronto, ON
Canada
Resident Assistant HOPE Housing
Bloomfield, IN
United States
Title Organization Name
Grant Researcher/Writer Boston Urban Youth Foundation
Grant Writer S.A.Y. Yes! Pico Union
Phone Bank City Rescue Mission
Travel Coordinator World Gospel Outreach
Travel Coordinator World Gospel Outreach
volunteer Tape Ministries Northwest
Member Recruiter (1 hour per week) Disabled Chamber of Commerce
Media List Manager City Union Mission
Web Quality Control - Development City Union Mission
News Letter Intern Freedom House Ministries
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