Columbus Action Network

miles — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:02:15 +0000

Create a Short Term Project

Omar Faruk — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:14:19 +0000

Lots of folks who want to make a difference aren’t sure they’re ready to run a long term project or nonprofit.

If you’re one of those people, you can still make a big impact on the lives of others.

You might consider creating a short term project.

In many cases a short term approach is the best way to get things done.

Here are a couple of examples where less (time) may be more:

Perhaps you personally know a group of people overseas who’ve suffered through a natural catastrophe and you want to get relief aid and support to them directly and specifically. You can start up a short term project that gets them the help they need. When things are better and your goals have been achieved, you shut down the project.

Or maybe you’re involved with a local project in a developing country that wants to build a new school in a rural area but can’t receive tax deductible donations from U.S. citizens. You can start up a project that allows money and materials to go directly to that building effort. When the building is done so is your project.

Normally, short term projects work best when the challenge is very specific, straightforward, and has a clear beginning and end. And in situations where you’re concerned about creating dependency, a short term project can be a good way to give you leverage to encourage people to take responsibility for their own lives.

So if you don’t want to run a long term effort, but you see a real need you want to address, consider creating a short term project.

Fiscal sponsorship is an ideal arrangement for those who want to develop short term efforts.

If you’re considering a short term project, get in touch with us. We’d be glad to help you think it through.

Targeted Giving

Omar Faruk — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:12:06 +0000

More and more projects and nonprofits are encouraging donors to support very specific aspects of a project rather than give ‘general support’ to the project as a whole. Many donors like the idea of knowing exactly where their monies go so highly targeted giving is becoming an important trend.

And when we say ‘highly targeted,’ we really mean it! Instead of giving to a project’s ‘general fund,’ lots of donors prefer to put up the monies to buy a specific number of school books for a particular group of children, or mosquito netting adequate for a specific village, or a tractor for a rural agricultural project, or a specific new home for a particular urban earthquake victim. These are obviously just a few examples of highly targeted giving, but they give you a sense of how more and more donors choose to give.

It’s true that every project needs general discretionary funds in order to allow for flexibility, so we like to see donors who will give the kinds of funds social entrepreneurs can use at there discretion.

But we strongly support this newer trend as well. Highly targeted giving allows donors to know exactly where their monies are making an impact.

That in turn helps donors to more easily hold projects accountable for follow through. It also encourages donors to develop more direct and personal relationships with the people who receive their support.

Some of our projects, for example, have built this ‘intimate donor’ element directly into the heart of their strategy and business plan. They believe creating greater intimacy between donors and recipients is likely to lead to more giving and participation over time.

If you’re a donor considering support for one of our projects or a social visionary developing a new project, The Action Network allows you to target gifts as specifically as you’d like. We’ve set up our online giving portal to support even the most narrow and specific giving targets. Whether you want to target the ‘general discretionary fund’ or target a pair of shoes for a specific child, we’ve got your covered!

We specialize in flexible fiscal sponsorship that allows both donors and social entrepreneurs to realize their very specific desires and visions. If you’re thinking of donating to important social work or you want to create new efforts for social change, get in contact with us. We’re here to help you.

Job Posting for INTERN

Omar Faruk — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:01:46 +0000

IMMEDIATE START Columbus Action NetworkLocal community non-profit seeks flexible, outgoing, detail-oriented individual with proven experience in facilitating events, managing volunteers, and donor programs. Ideally this candidate should have the ability to handle multiple projects as required. Business writing skills are paramount with an exceptional attention to detail. Work schedule is flexible. Candidate will gain valuable experience with regard to establishing a nonprofit (e.g. legal filings, volunteer management, fund-raising, event planning, etc.) JOB TITLE: Administrative Intern: This position is a short term unpaid part-time four month internship position. References from community leaders will be available at the completion of the internship. The internship may become a full-time paid position following that period.The intern shall be responsible for assisting the President and Board of Directors in planning and launching various programs in early 2011.DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:Duties include but are not limited to the following tasks:

Create and edit organizational documents, program literature, marketing documents.
Assist with special events related to program activities and additional events as needed.
Responsible for coordinating and organizing volunteers.
Assist with database management to track donor, vendor, and volunteer information.
Schedule meetings with potential partners and donors.
Assist with creating marketing materials to support events.
Place follow-up calls with members, donors, and partners.

APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGES OF TIME ALLOCATED TO TASKS :

Communications – 25%
Development – 15%
Events – 20%
Marketing- 20%
Operations and Other Duties – 20%

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong business & PR writing recommended
Able to work in a fast-paced environment with the ability to easily multi-task
Strong communication and organizational skills
Comfort level with fundraising
prior volunteer experience preferred
flexibility and willingness to assist with projects as needed

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to info@columbusactionnetwork.org. All inquiries will be treated with consideration without regard to age, race, gender, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.