Getting Started in a Nonprofit Career

StartThere is something wonderful about knowing that you are working for a non-profit organization. You know that without a doubt you are going to be helping someone deserving each time you go to work. If you are interested in a non-profit career, you should know that there are likely to be some big differences between your current job and the one you are about to accept.

The biggest difference when you have a non-profit career is that you are going to have to make sure that it is very obvious just how important you are to the organization that you are working for. Non-profit organizations never have enough money, and they need to justify every penny that they spend. This means that you are going to be expected to present regular itemized expense reports on a very consistent basis and that you had better be able to justify every expense you list.

Work reviews are also going to be something you experience with some regularity. Since non-profits are so conscious of the amount of money that is getting spent, they are constantly going to be looking at the performance of their paid employees and trying to decide if they can afford to justify the salary.

The other thing you are going to have to prepare yourself for is working with a committee. The type of committee you work for is going to depend on the size of your organization. Large organizations like the Red Cross have committees that are made up of people who have been involved in the program professionally. Smaller programs have committee members who come from all sorts of walks of life, and the only thing they often have in common is their belief in their organization. The important thing to remember when you are dealing with a committee is that it takes them awhile to make a final decision and it usually involves a great deal of debate.

If you have never been involved in a non-profit organization before, you should first start volunteering before making a career change. The time that you spend volunteering will give you a true behind the scenes glimpse into the inner workings of the organization and the people you will be working with.

 

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admin, March 8th 2011 | Posted in Where To Start

Choosing a Nonprofit Profession

jobsThere are lots of reasons to choose a nonprofit profession. One reason is that you enjoy knowing that while you are earning a salary, you are also helping people. Another excellent reason is that the atmosphere of nonprofit organizations is always slightly different than more standard professions. If you have decided that you want to work for a nonprofit organization there are few things you need to consider which will help you decide if a job is right for you.

It is easy to get so wrapped up in the idea that you are going to be helping someone that you lose sight of the fact that you do need to get paid for your time. You are going to have bills and there is no reason that you should not have a job that is going to allow you to cover your living expenses. If the salary the non-profit is offering is not enough for you live on, you are going to have to look for another job. You can always become a volunteer instead.

You really need to look before you leap. There are some nonprofit organizations that do a lot of good deeds but are miserable to work for. The main reason is that they are run by a committee that does not have their act together and spends most of their time arguing. The best way to learn about the organization is to either volunteer with them first, or to talk to past and current employees. The more people you speak to the better.  There are great nonprofits out there, but you should make sure before you sign any contracts or change jobs.

When you apply for a job you really want to make sure that you and the organization are very clear on what your job description is. You do not want to assume that you are being hired for one job, only to find out that after a few months you are going to be expected to be doing something completely different. Make sure that you job description is included in your contract.

Do not accept a job with a non-profit organization until you have been provided with a contract that lists your job description and salary. Make sure that you have a lawyer check over the contract and make sure that it is binding.

 

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admin, February 1st 2011 | Posted in Where To Start

Funding a Brand New Nonprofit Organization

moneyIt is one thing to say that you are going to start a nonprofit organization or to dream of putting together a company that can reach those in need. However, it is a completely different thing to actually get one up and running. One of the more challenging aspects of starting the nonprofit organization is coming up with the initial seed money to invest in your project.

Before you start collecting money, you are going to have to come up with a business plan. This plan will help you in two specific ways. The first thing it will do is help you decide exactly what purpose your organization is going to fill and who or what it will be helping. The second thing the business plan will do is provide you with something that you can give to local business people when you approach them about a potential start up donation. The stronger your knowledge of business is the easier drafting the business plan is going to be. Keep in mind that you need to create a plan that is going to show how you hope to start your organization with a minimal amount of money.

You need to start networking and creating interest in your potential organization. Just because you are not officially up and running does not mean you shouldn’t talk about yourself. Do not be afraid to tell everybody about your plan. You never know when you are going to run into someone who has a great fundraising idea, or, even better yet, is willing to donate the startup funds.

Don’t be afraid to try things that might seem silly at first. Just because you are starting a serious organization does not mean that you can’t put on a car wash or sell baked goods to help you earn money. Not only will this help you come up with some much needed seed money, but it will also help you generate some interest in your organization.

The local business people in your area are going to be you biggest source of startup capital. Approach them with your business plan and ask if they would be willing to help out. Make sure that you acknowledge them for their donation, and do not ask for a lot of money. Thank everyone who helps you along the way.

 

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admin, January 12th 2011 | Posted in Money

Find Your Dream Job at a Nonprofit Organization

Looking for a change in careers? If you want to change your atmosphere and belong to a company that strives to help others, why not look into the nonprofit world? Nonprofits are a whole new ball game. It is rewarding but there are a few things to know before going into nonprofit.

Do some research. Make sure you choose a nonprofit you feel passionate about. You may even want to volunteer for a while before making your final decision. If you are not passionate it will make it harder to stay there when things become a little tight and tough. Also, the nonprofit may do great work and help people but they may be terrible to work for. It is a more relaxed atmosphere then a tradinial office environment so things will be different. That could make things fun and that could make things a bear, research, spend some time there before deciding. See how the environment is.

Nonprofits never seem to have enough money. They are under the mercy of what is given to them. When the budget gets tight, there may be some cuts in your salary or your job even. Make sure you make it a known fact that the work you do helps the business. You want to make sure what you do is non replaceable and known so you can secure your job position. On the other hand, if you feel that you love your company and don’t mind the occasional cut, make sure you are making enough money to live off of. If you are not then you need to consider another job and just volunteer your time at the nonprofit.

Nonprofit is a great field and definitely worth looking into! Just research a nonprofit organization in advance before you decide to apply.

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admin, June 12th 2012 | Posted in miscellaneous

Improve Your Fishing by Adding a Boat Dock

Not everyone who owns waterfront property feels the need to rush right out and buy a boat. Many of the people who own waterfront property do so because they enjoy being near the water. Many of these individuals take fishing very seriously and benefit from a walkway or track system that makes their hobby more accessible.

Many fishermen who don’t like boats struggle with trying to get far enough out into the water so that they actually stand a chance of catching a fish. If you prefer to fish without venturing out in a boar and are tired of having to wade out in the water, one of the things you might want to think about is having a boat dock installed somewhere on your property.

Allowing you access to deeper water without having to get wet is only one of the reasons that you might have better luck once you have had a boat dock installed on your property. Another huge advantage of hiring a piers company to install a dock is that you are actually going to be creating a habitat that will appeal to the fish. When your boat dock is first installed, the moorings will be really clean, but over time algae will start to grow on the moorings. When this happens small fish will start to move in close to the boat dock where they can feed on the algae and insects. The presence of the smaller fish will attract the larger fish. The longer your boat dock is in place, the more fish it is going to attract.

If you are planning on creating a boat dock and using it exclusively for fishing, you are going to want to make sure you have it installed in an area that gets a great deal of direct sunlight. The more sunlight the boat dock is exposed to, the better the algae is going to grow, which means you will start catching fish a lot faster than if you had installed the boat dock under a shady tree. The warmer water also means that the fish will be more active than if they were in cold water, and more likely to put up a fight when they latch onto your hook.

You can’t just put up a boat dock. There are some rules and regulations that you are going to have to comply with. The exact restrictions on boat docks are going to depend on the area that you live. Most lakes and rivers have rules about how far into the water your boat dock can extend, the type of boat dock that you can use, and they won’t allow you to put in an area where it could be a hazard to other people who use the lake.

The weather and seasonal water conditions of the area are going to have a huge impact on the type of boat dock you will be able to install. You can find many ideas for walkways and docks online and even buy wholesale dock accessories at a great bargain.

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admin, December 5th 2011 | Posted in Piers

Steps for Starting a Non-Profit Organization

In today’s society there are so many people with great concepts on how to help others. They have a concept that could change many people’s lives but have no idea where to get started. Many people are afraid of all the work it may take to get their idea out there and made into a non-profit organization. There are some easy steps to take to make this dream come alive.

The first thing to do is to know what your organization will be and what it will stand for. Develop a plan and set your vision in place. Get organized with details and the audience that you will target. Also, figure out a name that will grab people’s attention and make them want to know more about what you are doing.

Next, you will need to register your organization with you state. There is paperwork to be done for each state and may require some time. Once the paperwork is done and has been approved, you must apply for a 501-c3 for tax purposes. This will help with fundraising. People will be able to give to your organization, get back a receipt, and then able to claim what they gave on their taxes. This will also attract more givers if they know you are set up as a 501-c3.

Another thing to do is to have a Director for your organization. The Director does not have to live in the state you are applying with and can even be out of the country. Many of the organization create bylaws at this point. There are no rules for your bylaws. They can be what you want to see happen with your organization.

The first step to really start operating your non-profit organization is to have a business meeting. This can be for anybody you would like involved and those who will be employees. Make sure you get an Employee ID card once you start hiring employees. Starting a non-profit can be time consuming and seem tedious but once that organization lifts off, it is all worth it.

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admin, November 18th 2011 | Posted in miscellaneous

The Technology that is Changing Lives

One of the things my wife and I agreed on when we got married was that we wanted to have lots of kids, and we wanted to start having them as quickly as possible. Another thing we agreed on was that we wanted them to be raised in an environment that was as safe as possible. For my wife, that was easy, she didn’t have any bad habits that could potentially harm our future children. I was not the same. My wife and I made a pact, before we even started to try to have kids, I was going to have to give up cigarettes since neither of us wanted to bring children into a world where they were constantly going to be exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

I tried to quit. I really gave it my best shot. The problem was that after a few days, my attitude was so bad that my wife was practically shoving the cigarettes into my hand. Even though I tried all of the stop smoking plans, including patches, gums, and hypnosis. Nothing worked. I figured that I was never going to be a father.

My wife was the one that came up with a workable solution. Someone she worked with had recently made the switch to something called the electronic cigarette and absolutely loved them. When my wife came to me and said that she wanted me to try battery powered cigarettes she had read about on e-cigarettes reviews, I actually laughed at her. I had never heard of such a ridiculous idea. Still, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give them a whirl.  If smoking a Safe Cig would make her happy, I would try it.

I cannot imagine a person being more skeptical than me. I was sure that the Blu cigs electronic cigarettes were nothing more than a hoax, a way to scam people out of a few bucks, and I was embarrassed that my wife had been duped, and that I had allowed her to shell out so much cash on a starter kit.

My problem with the e-cigs was that I didn’t understand how they worked. I am still a little fuzzy on the exact details, but the only thing you really need to understand is that they are powered by a lithium battery and that there is a tiny cartridge. Inside the cartridge is nicotine. When the e-cigarette is turned on, the cartridge warms up and releases a vapor. I was stunned when I found out just how much  this vapor looked and tasted just like the smoke I have been enjoying my entire life. I really couldn’t find any difference at all.

Technically speaking, the e-cigs are not quit smoking devices, the FDA doesn’t recognize them as such, but since I have started using them I have gone from using cartridges that provide a maximum amount of nicotine to cartridges that contain a great deal less. Someday I am hoping to be using the nicotine free smokeless cartridges. My wife always made me use cigarettes outside, but since the e-cigs don’t produce any secondhand smoke, she and I have decided that we can keep the house safe enough for a baby even when I‘m smoking indoors. If you are a parent or the spouse of a nagging non-smoker, read the South Beach Smoke reviews.  This technology could change your life.

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admin, May 30th 2011 | Posted in Stress Relief

A Women’s Shelter Director Finds a New Hobby

I love my job. I can think of very little that is more worthwhile than spending all of my days helping out women who have been in abusive relationships regain their life. As much as I love my life, it is not the most joyful job. Day in and day out I am surrounded by women whose lives are really, really bad; these are women who do not have any hope. There are times when I feel like I am falling into a deep pit of despair.

If I had not discovered bingo I probably would have started to drink. Oddly enough, it was one of the women who came to the shelter that taught me how to play UK bingo. She had a cell phone and had started to play in an attempt to earn a bit of extra cash for herself.  I had never met anyone who knew how to play bingo online!  The website that she told me about sounded like a good way to lose out on your money and time, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to check it out for myself.

It only took me a couple of minutes to become a member and sign up to play bingo online.  I played two rounds and I was officially hooked!  I never would have thought that cash bingo would ever become such a big part of my life, but it has. Whenever things at work get to bad, whenever I start to question humanity, I pull out my smart phone and play one or two games of bingo bonus and lose myself for a few minutes. Taking a short break from reality is usually enough to get me through the day.

For me the websites that have the best online bingo games are the ones that have a cell phone app. The cell phone app means that I can play bingo online whenever I start to feel stressed. I recently discovered that having play bingo online is an excellent way to distract some of the troubled kids that walk into the shelter. Just yesterday I spent twenty minutes teaching a young girl how to play UK bingo, which distracted her enough that I was able to get her mother settled in.

As an added bonus, not only has playing the game helped ease my nerves while I am working, I have also managed to earn some extra money playing cash bingo. I have not won much money, but I have won  a few jackpot games to purchase a couple of pairs of nice earrings for myself.

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admin, May 16th 2011 | Posted in Bingo Fundraising

One Nonprofit Organization Has an Unusual Beginning

A few years ago I had the desire to begin a non-profit organization to help purchase goody bags for children with cancer. Cancer is a difficult disease and scary for adults and children alike. For a child, spending time in the hospital can be extremely scary. I wanted to make goody bags to deliver to the hospital once a week to children who were currently admitted. These bags would have nice toys and DVD’s along with some fun things like coloring books and crayons. My friends all agreed that it was a great idea and we put our heads together to figure out how we could get started.

My friend, Sarah, was crazy about playing online games, and had recently began to visit bingo sites. She said that many of the sites required no deposit bingo fees and you could win great money. We decided to all play a round and it was very enjoyable. Since we were on a college campus it would be easy to raise money by offering some sort of way to participate online. We liked the no deposit bingo sites. We also wanted to be able to include our family and friends as well. Now, we just needed to figure out how to do that.

We stumbled upon Wonder Bingo and realized how we could make a bingo game for ourselves where people donated money to the non-profit in order to play. This would be a fun way to generate money and since bingo sites were already popular they could maybe even generate some business from general internet users. Wonder Bingo was fun to play and we all agreed they should look into it more.

It was crystal clear that an online wow bingo tournament was going to be our fundraiser. We worked on setting up our site and made flyers and spread the news by word of mouth. We set up a booth on the college campus where students could donate bags and toys to get our goody bags started. We pleaded that people bring the best and we were amazed by the quality of toys that were brought. It was like Christmas in April around the school campus.

As we began to set up the site we had many people make comments such as “Bingo?  Cool!  I love that game!” Excitement began to spread and when we finally arrived on opening day we could not believe how the money grew before our eyes. We were amazed that bingo sites had so much traffic. After just the first day we were already well on our way to meet our goal. In fact, by day three we had passed our half-way mark.

My dreams of starting a non-profit were realized. It was much easier than I thought thanks to the help of my friends. Often, as I walk down the halls of the hospital pushing my cart full of goody bags I stop and think about how a simple game of bingo started it all.

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admin, May 15th 2011 | Posted in Bingo Fundraising

Weighing the Benefits and the Risks

No one wants to be in pain.  Certainly no one wants to take a pain medication any longer than they have to.  Unfortunately with some chronic illnesses this is exactly what is necessary to allow you to have the quality of life that you’ve previously enjoyed.  Chronic illnesses do not have to dictate how we spend our lives.  Pain can be all consuming but by taking a pain reliever that controls your pain effectively, you can get back to what you were doing and not let the disease rule you.

For people with back pain, or chronic disease processes such as Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and similar illnesses, the only relief that they are going to get is from a strong pain medication.  This is something that they will need to rectify themselves since the moderate to severe chronic pain that they experience will require nothing less.  In choosing a pain medication, there are many choices available. NSAIDS and narcotic drugs are all choices that have been used previously with some degree of success but also with some significant side effects as well.  There is a medication, however that is available that can treat long term pain effectively with the minimum of adverse effects

Tramadol, the generic form of Ultram is a non narcotic pain reliever that works by blocking the pain receptors in the brain.  No message of pain being sent to the body equates to no pain felt.  It is a truly wonderful medication in its efficacy.   This medication is also found in extended release forms so there is less worry about break through pain or taking a ton of medication.

Buying Tramadol long term has its benefits though.  It is a non addictive medication when used as directed.  Your physician will know what dosage is right for you without fear of your dependence on the medication.  This will allow you to have the most control over your pain with the least side effects as well.  Tramadol side effects are fairly well tolerated and transient as well.  What this means is that they do not last long.  By using Tramadol long term, you are minimizing the side effects associated with it as well.   Cost is another benefit to long term usage.  By choosing to buy tramadol or cheap ultram online you are getting the best value for your money.  Online pharmacies have very little overhead and that savings is passed down to you.  Who doesn’t want to spend as little of their hard earned cash as they can on necessities like medication.

There are negatives however.  Tramadol can become addictive when abused or not used as directed.  Tramadol addiction can be very painful both physically and mentally to recover from and can be devastating to families who love someone with this addiction.  No medication is perfect, however by using meds just as your doctor orders you will be assured of staying safe and pain free.  So, weigh both the risks and the benefits before you decide to buy Tramadol or any other medication.  Getting the pain relief that you need will never feel so good!

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admin, May 1st 2011 | Posted in Health

Leading My Students by Example

Teaching high school is a very rewarding job.  I started out my career in education because I wanted to be a football coach, but it has become so much more than that over the years.  While coaching is definitely one of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching high school, I also enjoy investing in the lives of my players and students.  I try to set a good example for them so they can know that it is possible to live right and become more than the status quo in this world.

Last year, I was teaching a health class to the sophomores when we started a unit on the dangers of smoking.  I have been a heavy smoker since I was a young teenager.  When I was a kid, smoking was just something that everyone did and no one really thought much of it.  I know that I’m getting older and it’s dangerous, but I just never had the nerve to try quitting before.  While I was teaching my students about the dangers of smoking, many of them were laughing at the irony of it.  They had all seen me smoking on the football field and so they knew that I didn’t really put much credit into the lesson I was presenting them.

That was the day when I knew things had to change.  In order to set a good example for my students, I threw away my cigarettes and ordered e cigarettes to replace them.  Electronic cigarettes still contain nicotine which has its own set of health risks, but it eliminates the tar, smoke, and tobacco that make smoking so deadly.  Making the switch has really helped my health in many ways.  I don’t have the nasty cough that I struggled with for years since I made the switch.  I also love that I don’t smell like an ash tray anymore.  If you have been smoking for years, you can learn more about making the switch too by looking online at some e cigarette reviews written by smokers that have made the switch to e cigarettes.  Here are some of the best sites that I use to order my e-cigs.

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admin, March 31st 2011 | Posted in Health
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