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Jun 27

The Essential Ingredients of Nonprofit-Friendly Banking

By Sponsor Insight, Uncategorized

By Amandula Anderson, First Vice President & Manager of Nonprofit Services, The National Bank of Indianapolis

Nonprofits manage frequent and varied types of transactions, from donations to payroll, which means that you need easy access to funds. In this area, you want to look for a combination of convenience from modern digital banking tools and a local team that knows your organization and is accessible in the moments that matter most.

Everyone knows I love sweet treats. But if you know anything about baking, you know that measurements are key to creating the right texture and flavor. A proper blend of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs will translate into a good cookie. There are also primary components that lead to the right style of nonprofit banking to feed your success as an organization.

Ease of Access & Digital Tools

Convenience and strong digital capabilities are essential to help your organization remain responsive to donor and operational needs. The right banking partner can work with you to address these factors and determine which transactional tools you need to accomplish your financial goals:

  • Simple onboarding and documentation processes
  • A full suite of online and mobile banking capabilities with real-time account access
  • Remote deposit capture, ACH, and payment portals for efficient donation processing
  • A local team available when you need them plus a local branch presence; not just a call center

Cost Efficiency & Competitive Pricing

Every dollar your organization can save on banking is a dollar you can re-direct to your mission and its impact. The approach is simple: your resources should advance your mission and not be absorbed by fees. Structure your accounts around how your organization actually operates by securing key benefits, such as:

  • Nonprofit-specific checking and depository accounts with competitive fees
  • Ability to earn interest or earnings credit on balances
  • Flexible structures tailored to activity level (from simple to complex organizations)

Governance, Controls & Security

Your organization operates with board oversight, donor expectations, and compliance pressure, so transparency is non-negotiable. You need to protect what has been entrusted to you with financial tools and controls that support strong governance, audit readiness, and donor confidence. Look for the following:

  • Robust fraud mitigation tools including Positive Pay and ACH blocks/filters
  • Secure, permission-based online access for multiple users
  • Systems that support oversight, reporting, and financial transparency

Cash Flow Management Capabilities

Nonprofits face complex cash flow and restricted funding requirements that require more than basic checking accounts. You want a provider to go beyond basic banking by helping you manage the full lifecycle of your funds and even the most complex financial operations, including:

  • Comprehensive treasury capabilities:
    • Receivables (lockbox, remote deposit)
    • Payments (ACH, wires, bill pay)
    • Cash optimization (sweeps, zero-balance accounts)
    • Data & reporting tools
  • Ability to streamline the full cash cycle, from donation to deployment
  • Investment services to support your long-term sustainability

Service Model & Mission Alignment

This is the most important factor, in my professional opinion. It’s priceless to find a partner who understands your mission and not just your balance sheet. This is where you want experience in nonprofit banking by way of:

  • A dedicated nonprofit services team with specialized knowledge
  • Local decision-making and tailored solutions
  • Deep community involvement through board service, volunteering, and financial support and investments

Find a Partner, Not Just a Provider

Ultimately, you want your bank to be invested in the success of our community. While larger banks with a national scope offer scale and standardization, do not overlook locally based institutions that offer programs that may become more meaningful to your organization. Local causes align well with localized support that focuses on relationships, strategy, and your mission.

According to 501c3Center.com, here are the questions you should ask before choosing a bank and opening your accounts:

  • What documents are required to open a nonprofit account?
  • Are there monthly service fees, and can they be waived?
  • Can multiple board members access the account?
  • Is there a dedicated nonprofit team on staff?
  • What fraud protections or alerts are available?
  • Does the bank offer integrations for online donations or accounting tools?

Final Thoughts

There’s not a one-size-fits all recipe when it comes to choosing the best bank for your nonprofit. The answer depends on multiple characteristics including your size, goals, and whether your operations are local or national. Start a conversation with a banking partner. You might just find a solution that’s sweeter than you ever imagined.

Nov 21

Supporting Lactation in the Workplace

By Uncategorized

How Nonprofits can align mission and compliance.
By Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank

Nonprofits are accustomed to deftly navigating the space between service and business.  While we are committed to producing high impact outcomes for our communities, we are equally invested in operational excellence including accounting, marketing, facility management, regulatory compliance, and human resources (HR).

Even organizations that feel adept in human resources and regularly invest in their workforce may feel less comfortable discussing lactation in the workplace.   Two areas are quickly changing this HR landscape.  First, supporting breastfeeding is good for babies and for business!  In fact, investing in workplace lactation support results in a 3-to-1 return on investment[1].  And now, thanks to the PUMP Act, it is the law[2]. 

Workplace Lactation

Breastfeeding or chest feeding has long been considered a public health imperative, offering unparalleled, well-researched health benefits for both mother and baby[3]. What is often overlooked are the economic benefits to the employer for supporting lactation in the workplace. Recent labor statistics suggest 6 out of 10 women in the workforce are new mothers, representing the fastest growing workforce segment[4]. Additionally, employers can look forward to:

  1. Reduced Health Care Costs:  Breastfeeding is associated with lower healthcare costs for both mother and child. Breastfed infants tend to have fewer infections, respiratory illnesses, and ear infections, which means fewer pediatric visits and hospitalizations. Breastfeeding also benefits maternal health by reducing risks of breast and ovarian cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. Lower healthcare claims reduce insurance costs for employers.
  2. Decreased Absenteeism: Both mothers and fathers of breastfed infants often report fewer instances of illness in their babies, leading to fewer sick days taken to care for a child[5]. Fewer absences help maintain continuity and productivity, reducing the cost and disruption associated with unplanned leave.
  3. Improved Employee Retention: Companies that support breastfeeding have higher employee retention rates among new parents – 60% better retention[6]! Reducing turnover saves businesses recruitment, onboarding, and training costs.

Higher Productivity and Morale: Supporting breastfeeding through lactation accommodations can boost employee morale, showing that the organization values the health and well-being of its employees. This leads to greater productivity, loyalty, and satisfaction among working parents.

Enhanced Public Image: Companies that offer family-friendly policies, including breastfeeding support, may see an enhanced reputation, which can attract talent and improve brand perception among consumers who value social responsibility.

Pump Act Compliance
The United States offers several protections for pregnant and breastfeeding employees including the Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act).  This bi-partisan law expands employer obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and provides workplace protection to nearly 9 million additional breastfeeding employees.  Understanding these regulations can help you retain healthier, engaged employees and prevent costly fines.  Specifically, the PUMP Act requires:

  • Exempt and non-exempt breastfeeding employees are protected up to one year after their infant’s birth.
  • Employers must provide a place, other than a bathroom, shielded from view and free from intrusion for pumping.
  • Employees may take reasonable break time to pump. Frequency and duration may vary by employee.
  • Covered employees must be completely relieved from duty during pump breaks or paid for time spent pumping.

Resources for Nonprofits, Employers, and Employees
Free resources are widely available online to help you navigate policy development and supports.  Please consult your trusted HR advisors to review your compliance requirements and remember state, local, and/or union regulations may be more generous than the federal requirements.  The Department of Labor maintains an excellent website at dol.gov/agencies/whd/pump-at-work.  Additionally, the Office on Women’s Health offers womenshealth.gov/supporting-nursing-moms-work.   Finally, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee has built a tremendous resource regarding the Economic Case for Breastfeeding and related resources at usbreastfeeding.org/breastfeeding-references.html#nationalcost.

Thanks to a partnership from the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, The Milk Bank is also able to offer resources to employers across Indiana and the Midwest – including a free webinar (11.21.24) and lactation room starter kit.  You can access these supports at themilkbank.org/employer.

Investing in breastfeeding support not only can help position you as an employer of choice, but can help build a wonderful workforce with a substantial business advantage.

[1] Washington Business Group on Health. Breastfeeding Support at the Workplace. Washington, D.C.; 2000. Issue No. 2

[2] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pump-at-work

[3] https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/breastfeeding-references.html

[4] https://www.womenshealth.gov/supporting-nursing-moms-work

[5] Cohen R, Martek MB, Mrtek RG. Comparison of maternal absenteeism and infant illness rates among breastfeeding and formula-feeding women in two corporations. Am J of Health Prom; 1995. 10(2):148-153.

[6] https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/how-workplaces-can-support-returning-mothers.aspx

Oct 08

How to Prepare for Effective Training: Start with Clear Work Instructions

By Uncategorized

By Julie Struble, Charitable Advisors

In the nonprofit world, we often juggle multiple responsibilities—from managing donor relationships and overseeing programs to onboarding new hires and meeting stakeholders’ expectations. One of the most valuable tools we can provide our teams to help them navigate these tasks is documented processes. They don’t just keep the ship running smoothly—they ensure that staff can consistently achieve high-quality outcomes and be prepared for any challenge, including their training and onboarding.

Why Documented Processes Matter
Having documented processes in place offers a multitude of benefits for your organization, particularly when it comes to training and development. Let’s break down the key reasons:

  1. Achieving Consistent Outcomes
    Documented processes provide a clear roadmap for staff, ensuring they can consistently meet accreditation standards and funder requirements. When everyone knows how to perform their duties correctly, it becomes easier to meet organizational goals and maintain high performance across the board.
  2. Faster Onboarding and Training
    With a guide in place, new hires and program staff can be brought up to speed in weeks instead of months. This reduces the time spent on repetitive explanations, allowing employees to become productive more quickly.
  3. Ensuring Continuity in Case of Absences
    If a team member is sick, on vacation, or leaves the organization, documented processes allow another person to step in seamlessly. This ensures continuity, and your organization’s operations won’t miss a beat.

Steps to Prepare for a Training Program

Preparing for effective training requires careful thought and planning. Once you’ve created documented processes for your team, it’s important to choose the right format for training. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Select Key Processes to Document
    You don’t need to document every task—just focus on those that are critical to your organization’s success. For most nonprofits, this will be five to twelve key processes that directly impact outcomes, whether they relate to donor management, program delivery, or compliance.
  2. Write a Purpose Statement
    For each process, define the expected outcome and the consequences if the task isn’t completed correctly. This helps your team understand why the process is essential. For instance, if a grant report is submitted late or inaccurately, what are the consequences for funding or accreditation?
  3. List Inputs and Outputs
    Document the tools, software, and data necessary to complete the task (inputs), and describe the measurable result once the task is completed (outputs). Connecting these outputs to your organization’s quarterly or annual goals helps give the team context and shows them how their work contributes to the mission.
  4. Break It Down Into Milestones
    Divide larger tasks into key milestones. Then, document one milestone at a time with a simple step-by-step process (typically 8-10 steps). This makes it easier for team members to follow the workflow. If there are more than 10 steps, break the task down into smaller milestones.
  5. Review and Refine the Process
    Once the process is drafted, review it with your team. Check for any missed steps and refine where necessary. Share the documented process during a departmental meeting to gather feedback and finalize it for approval by the department manager or executive director.

November HR Nonprofit Peer Group webinar

Documenting processes might seem like a time-consuming task, but the payoff is well worth it. With streamlined procedures in place, your nonprofit can achieve its goals faster, provide higher-quality services, and operate more efficiently. And the best part? With the right approach, you can draft a process in as little as 15 minutes.

Join us on Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. for Maximizing learning outcomes: Choosing the right training format webinar. Our presenters will guide us through the best training format for your staff.  See below to register.

Aug 20

How Zero Trust Edge Security transforms hybrid remote work 

By Uncategorized

By Cody Lents, COVI
Organizations of all sizes are adapting to environments that have their people working from anywhere and at any time. With this rapid adoption of new workflows and working styles, the technology infrastructure and the cybersecurity solutions that protect them can seem like a maze of impossible puzzles. Many are overwhelmed just trying to keep up with the number of pieces involved let alone actually solving the challenges themselves.

Let me tell you a story about a simple solution that solves one such challenge.

An organization we recently worked with was experiencing significant team growth. Their staff was spread across various locations, including work from home, and they relied heavily on cloud-based tools like Google Workspaces and Microsoft 365 for collaboration and data storage. With limited IT resources, they were increasingly concerned about the security of their sensitive data and communication channels. The rise in cyber threats targeting organizations like theirs added to their worries. They needed a solution that would secure their network without requiring extensive in-house expertise.

Enter Zero Trust Edge Security. This modern security framework offers comprehensive protection by verifying every access request, regardless of where it originated. It was the right solution for them to secure their remote workforce, cloud applications, and on-premises data seamlessly.

Zero Trust Edge Security (or Zero Trust for short) transformed their operations. Their staff went from a “hope” based strategy manually jumping through numerous security hoops to a “data” based strategy, becoming a secure and resilient organization. This allowed them to focus on their core mission; raise more funds through sponsorships, events, and grant initiatives; and elevate their programming to see greater depths of impact. Their success demonstrates that organizations of all sizes can achieve high levels of security with the right guidance, and the right tools. Zero Trust can be a game-changer for organizations, providing robust protection and enabling them to thrive in a digital world.

So, what is Zero Trust?

If you look it up online, you’ll find something like this:  a Zero Trust Network (ZTN) is a security model and strategy that assumes no part of a network, whether inside or outside the perimeter, is inherently trustworthy. It requires strict verification of every user, device, and system attempting to access resources on the network.

A simplified explanation is that traditional IT network security trusts anyone and anything inside the network. A Zero Trust architecture trusts no one and nothing.

The core principles of Zero Trust include:

  1. Verify Explicitly: Always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points, including user identity, location, device health, service or workload, data classification, and anomalies.
  • Least Privilege Access: Limit user and system access to the minimum necessary and only for the duration necessary to complete the task. This helps to minimize potential attack surfaces and damage from potential breaches.
  • Assume Breach: Design the network architecture under the assumption that an external or internal breach has occurred or will occur. This involves segmenting the network to contain breaches and minimize lateral movement, monitoring, and analyzing traffic for suspicious activity, and maintaining rigorous access controls and logging.
  • Micro-Segmentation: Divide the network into smaller zones to maintain separate access controls for different parts of the network. This limits the ability of attackers to move laterally within the network.
  • Continuous Monitoring and Validation: Implement continuous monitoring of user activities, devices, and network traffic to detect and respond to threats in real-time. Regularly reassess and validate user permissions and network policies.

By adopting a Zero Trust Network approach, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity posture, reduce the risk of data breaches, and better protect their critical assets and sensitive information.

A breach represents the ultimate break in your team’s effectiveness, and the goal of Zero Trust is to stop this from happening. It’s important to keep in mind however, that poorly configured Zero Trust can be just as inhibitive. That’s why in order to meet our goal, the right expertise and the right tools matter.

Summary

Implementing a proper Zero Trust solution can greatly improve efficiency within an organization. This approach ensures that all employees have a single, unified system to protect their applications and digital tools. It simplifies access control for internal resources and optimizes the performance of its IT infrastructure, usually without adding the burden of managing extra passwords or additional log in experiences.

This appropriate implementation and configuration is key to any successful zero trust network and essential for an efficient edge security solution.

An experienced IT partner will be able to understand your unique challenges and how they relate to the overall cybersecurity landscape and develop an appropriate implementation plan for you.

Jun 06

The Leadership Handoff – Who’s Next?

By Uncategorized

We invite you to share your thoughts in our short, anonymous survey

Where are we now?

By Bryan Orander, president at Charitable Advisors

Some twenty years ago, demographers predicted a leadership crisis as Boomers retired, leaving fewer Gen X leaders to succeed them. Fortunately, this transition has been less dramatic than initially feared. In many organizations, Boomers have stayed on longer, allowing Millennial leaders a few more years to accumulate experience and become successors.

Our succession planning and executive search efforts focus primarily on ED/CEO roles. However, we’ve noticed that when a CEO retires, there’s often another member of the leadership team also nearing retirement.

A decade ago, my perception was that many nonprofits had deep benches of middle managers with years of experience who could grow into senior leadership roles. In recent searches, we’ve observed that this bench strength is limited beyond the senior leadership team.

Questions: Who will succeed the senior leaders in your organization? 

Shifting Priorities/ Focus on Burnout

After decades of unwavering dedication to clients, patients, or patrons in exchange for marginal compensation, nonprofit staff are reassessing their priorities. Reducing burnout and limiting long hours seems like a good thing, but what does it mean for the sector when capable leaders at all levels start expecting reasonable work schedules and competitive pay and benefits?

Is there less interest in traditional nonprofit leadership roles?

Last week, I listened to an HR podcast in which the speaker noted that fewer young people are interested in the perceived hassles of business leadership roles. While I want to argue that leadership in the nonprofit sector offers the chance to champion a cause rather than just managing people and budgets, are we seeing the same trend in nonprofits?

Question: What are you observing in your own organization?

Please share your thoughts with us through this survey. This survey is anonymous unless you choose to share your contact information at the end. If you would be open to a conversation for a follow-up article, please share your name and e-mail or phone number.

Questions or suggestions, please contact Bryan Orander or 317-752-7153 or Chelsea Ohlemiller 

Take the Next Leaders Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7RVXB2G

Nov 27

CAFE: Investing in the community through strategic partnerships

By Sponsor Insight, Uncategorized

by Melanie Priest, director of grants services, Hedges

Collaboration. Relationships. Connections. Alliances. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, these are all words that are synonymous with partnerships. Strategic community partnerships in the nonprofit sector are the key to success for many reasons including:

  • Achieving greater programmatic impact;
  • Increasing visibility and awareness;
  • Diversifying staff skills and expertise;
  • Improving sustainability; and
  • Attaining additional resources such as increased volunteers and funding

In fact, of 1,192 grant makers surveyed by the Urban Institute, 69 percent reported that they actively encourage collaboration among grantees. Of those respondents, 42 percent indicated they often require partnerships as a condition for funding. Grant makers also indicated that strategic partnerships with clearly defined roles improve cooperation among agencies, leading to greater accountability, capacity building, and better program results (Mission Driven Strategies for Effective Nonprofit Program Development, Candid, 2020).

One Indianapolis nonprofit organization that has emerged as a leader in investing in the community by developing and engaging in strategic partnerships is the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE).

CAFE has served as an anchor institution in Indianapolis’ Far Eastside neighborhood for the past 26 years. Guided in the last two years by CEO Kendra Nowell, the organization has widened and deepened its role, moving from a traditional community center to a community leader committed to building the long-term sustainability of the Far Eastside.

Sensing the organization had outgrown its previous vision and mission, CAFE’s board of directors and key staff engaged in a process in 2023 to review, reflect on, and revise its vision, mission, and values statements, concluding with new, adopted statements to guide the organization’s continued impact in the Far Eastside.

Through this process, CAFE casted a vision where the Far Eastside is an “inclusive, thriving, and safe community where people of all ages can live, learn, work, and play with a spirit of caring.” CAFE will achieve this vision through a mission that places a strong emphasis on partnerships. The updated mission is to “elevate quality of life within the Far Eastside by strengthening partnerships, maximizing resources, and empowering residents to achieve their highest potential through increased economic mobility, stability, and self-sufficiency.”

As a result of this new vision and mission, CAFE has leveraged its position as a pillar of the Far Eastside and focused attention on how to best invest and improve the Far Eastside community through partnerships. While CAFE has worked in the past 26 years to diligently to develop community collaborations, the shift to more strategic partnerships that truly advance the neighborhood has become evident in the following ways:

Delivering programs. CAFE collaborates with an array of local community organizations, apartment complexes, schools, and churches to provide direct services for clients in the areas of housing, legal services, immigration services, mentoring, employment readiness and skill building, early childhood education and childcare, health care services, and other basic needs. The number of partners is too long to list and ever evolving to meet clients’ needs however a few examples include Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, IndyReads, Pathway Resource Center, Easterseals Crossroads, Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center, and the John H. Boner Center. In recent years, CAFE has also partnered with grassroots organizations such as and businesses such as Heart2Heart Counseling, The Ross Foundation, and J. Posley LLC which truly understand the community through lived experiences of the Far Eastside neighborhood and are able to deliver services with a focus on cultural competency.

Sharing space. CAFE partners with community organizations to rent space onsite at its facility. This provides clients with many services under one roof which is valuable in a neighborhood where residents often face transportation barriers. CAFE’s 56,000-square-foot facility houses its own comprehensive services along with programs provided by La Plaza, Family Development Services/Head Start, the Marion County Health Department’s WIC program, Finish Line Boys and Girls Club, the Damien Center, Marion County Sheriff’s Parole services, Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s Work One program, and Warren Township School’s Walker Career Center.

Convening and facilitating: CAFE also convenes and facilitates many groups that exist to advance a variety of community improvements and economic development projects that increase the vitality of the neighborhood. Groups and initiatives like the Far Eastside Community Council, Collective Impact Council, Apartment Managers Roundtable, and the Eastside Neighborhood Action and Community Team hold their meetings at CAFE’s facility and are instrumental in addressing needs related to education, employment access, crime, safety, and food access.

In the past two years, there have been increased opportunities for funding to elevate the quality of life while reducing violence and poverty for vulnerable populations who have experienced inequities for generations. The Central Indiana Community Foundation’s Elevation Grant and the Urban League’s Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative are both opportunities that align with CAFE’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.

These revenue streams have enabled CAFE to embark on enhanced partnerships and invest in the Far Eastside community by working with community-based organizations. To date, CAFE has partnered with and invested in six organizations that have a spectrum of experience, capacity, and readiness to complete the requirements for the grant proposals as well as to manage significant funds. The organizations are Crown Community Development Corporation, The Kween Project, M.O.V.E., New Direction Church, Project Free University, and The Ross Foundation. CAFE worked with these organizations by:

Allocating resources. CAFE’s consultants work closely with the organizations to learn more about their programs, identify programmatic outcomes and impact, and develop budgets. As a result of this information exchange, comprehensive grant proposals are prepared and submitted on behalf of the organizations. The expenses for these services have been covered by CAFE.

Taking fiscal responsibility. Once the grants are awarded, CAFE’s staff works with the organizations on management of the grants. Managing the grants during periods of one or two years requires regular reporting, careful monitoring of how the funds are spent along with gathering the corresponding documentation, and data collection and analysis.

Building capacity. CAFE’s staff and consultants do not do the work for these organizations alone. It is because of true collaborations and significant input and effort from the organizations’ staff members that the partnerships have been a success. The funding has enabled the organizations to hire more staff, provide services to more clients, and make a deeper impact. The organizations have also learned how to manage grant funding. In fact, two of the organizations are now managing grant awards without CAFE as a fiscal agent and another is emerging and aspiring to get to this level.

CAFE’s partnerships with these agencies have provided the funding needed to significantly expand and enhance their programs, build organizational capacity, and achieve greater sustainability. These investments and collaborations are solutions that will contribute to increasing the quality of life and the vitality of the Far Eastside community for years to come.

Melanie Priest is passionate about making Indianapolis a great place to live, having strong connections in the community, and helping nonprofits share their stories of impact. For nearly 25 years, Melanie has worked closely with the Central Indiana philanthropic community to provide creative solutions to complex problems. As Director of Grants Services at Hedges since 2012, Melanie has secured hundreds of grant awards for dozens of Indianapolis nonprofit organizations to ensure they are able to advance their missions.

Jun 07

Build resiliency into your nonprofit strategic planning

By Sponsor Insight, Uncategorized

by Angela E. White, CRFE, Johnson Grossnickle and Associates

Life is full of opportunities and challenges, and we certainly faced our share in 2020. However, not everything we’ve gone through in the last year is negative. There are some lessons learned we may want to keep — opportunities to capitalize on in the future. It is important to learn from each challenge so you can prepare, mitigate, and more easily turn the next challenge into an opportunity. That’s called resiliency. It sounds easy — but let’s be honest, it isn’t.

Resiliency is the ability to recover from a setback, adapt to new challenges, and keep going in the face of adversity. In a nonprofit, as a staff or volunteer leader, one of the best tools to foster resiliency no matter what is thrown at your organization — internally or externally— is a strategic plan, which:

  • Provides a road map to lead your organization from where you are now to where you would like to be in the future;
  • Sets priorities and focuses your organization’s resources; and
  • Establishes measurable goals and a template to evaluate progress and adapt to a changing environment.

During a recent JGA webinar, I shared six tips to help you create a resilient organization by building resiliency into your strategic planning:

  1. Prepare for the unexpected. Include learning sessions at the beginning of your strategic planning process to provide the knowledge you need to make your organization more resilient.
    a. Acknowledge internal and external threats,
    b. Consider different scenarios and plans,
    c. Stay informed about trends, and
    d. Identify lessons learned.
  2. Concentrate on the customer experience: For nonprofits to be resilient, it is important to think about who your core “customers” are and who your potential “customers” might be as you think about implementing your mission and opportunities for growth.
    a. Provide excellent customer service,
    b. Help your customers (constituents, donors, etc.) make their lives easier,
    c. And anticipate their needs.
  3. Find a niche: Finding your niche doesn’t mean staying stagnant — or just doing what you’ve always done. This is where your mission statement is key. Let it serve as your anchor in this process.
    a. Establish what is unique about your organization and bolster your special traits,
    b. Strengthen and create partnerships, and
    c. Continue to strengthen financial sustainability.
  4. Invest in good tech: Put technology in place to implement a business continuity plan to make your organization resilient and to best position yourself to implement your strategic plan.
    a. Put the right technology in place,
    b. Ensure technology helps you, and
    c. Don’t spend time doing tasks that take you away from your constituents.
  5. Cultivate a productive work culture: The values section of your strategic plan is key to strengthening your work culture and helping you build resiliency. Keep those values central to your future planning and invest in your people as they are the ones who are going to make your strategic plan a reality.
    a. Build a resilient culture through open communications and trusting relationships,
    b. Prioritize learning opportunities, and
    c. Foster team building.
  6. Give back to the community: In your strategic plan, make certain you have embedded opportunities for staff and volunteers to touch and feel your mission, so they understand their role in giving back to the community and supporting the important work you do.
    a. Provide opportunities for staff and volunteers to engage with the mission,
    b. Serve the community, and
    c. Be transparent to foster trust in your organization by stakeholders and the public.

You can learn more about weaving resiliency into your organization’s plans by listening to the complete Nonprofit Resiliency and Strategic Planning webinar recording. If you’d like to discuss undertaking a strategic planning process, creating a short-term plan tailored to your changing environment, or gathering strategic intelligence to inform decision making, we’ve put together a list of special fast-track packages to help you in 2021.

Angela E. White, CFRE, serves as Senior Consultant and CEO of Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates. She previously served as Executive Director for Institutional Advancement at the University of Indianapolis and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Angela is a faculty member at The Fundraising School at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, presents on behalf of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and serves on the Committee on Directorship for CFRE International.

Feb 09

2020: Resumen de un año inolvidable {CICF}

By Uncategorized

por Brian Payne, presidente de la Fundación Comunitaria de Indiana Central (Central Indiana Community Foundation); Tom Kilian, presidente de la Fundación Comunitaria del Condado de Hamilton (Hamilton County Community Foundation); y Jennifer Pope Baker, presidenta del Fondo de Mujeres de Indiana Central (Women’s Fund of Central Indiana)

(Para leer en español, haga clic aquí) Translated by LUNA Language Services

Los titulares están diseñados para captar nuestra atención. Los titulares de 2020 hicieron que las personas de esta comunidad y del país confrontaran la historia racista de Estados Unidos, además de nuestra realidad actual. Desde la destrucción única de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en las personas de color hasta la vigilancia excesiva y la protección insuficiente de estas mismas comunidades, las historias en todo el país destacaron el racismo sistémico que se encuentra arraigado en los cimientos de nuestro país.

Reconocer y sanar las heridas de más de 400 años de opresión sigue siendo desafiante y doloroso. Desmantelar los sistemas que mantienen vivas estas prácticas racistas bajo un velo de daltonismo y una ingeniosa reinvención, a menudo, parece inviable. Pero, citando a James Baldwin, “nada se puede cambiar hasta que se enfrenta”.

A pesar de estos desafíos, la Fundación Comunitaria de Indiana Central (Central Indiana Community Foundation, CICF) y sus filiales, la Fundación Indianápolis (Indianapolis Foundation) y la Fundación Comunitaria del Condado de Hamilton, y el Fondo de Mujeres de Indiana Central, continúan comprometidos con orgullo con los esfuerzos que crean una comunidad que funcione para todos, independientemente del lugar, la raza o la identidad. Cuando creamos nuestros fondos de ayuda equitativa para la crisis económica y de salud ante la COVID-19, nos probamos a nosotros mismos que el principio de “equidad primero” se ha arraigado verdaderamente en nuestras organizaciones. Hemos estimulado a nuestros directivos, al personal y a los embajadores, para que sean innovadores en el apoyo y enriquecimiento de los activos de los vecindarios. Reestructuramos nuestras políticas y prácticas para satisfacer las necesidades de la comunidad. Nos asociamos con directivos corporativos y cívicos para hacer compromisos, con el fin de erradicar el racismo dentro de sus puestos de poder y en sus vidas personales.

Así que, sí, estamos orgullosos de lo que hemos logrado, pero también reconocemos todo lo que aún nos falta en este trabajo. Necesitamos el compromiso de todos para hacer que la equidad se convierta en una realidad. Si se sienten inspirados, y pueden hacerlo, hagan un aporte a nuestro Fondo de Aliados en la Equidad (Equity Partners Fund).Este regalo ayudará a empoderar a las personas, a cambiar los sistemas y a hacer de Indiana Central una región conocida por ser la comunidad más antirracista del país.

Tenga en cuenta que cuando estos titulares hayan pasado, mantendremos nuestra misión de equidad y continuaremos nuestro trabajo para desmantelar el racismo sistémico. Seguiremos eliminando las barreras que separan las oportunidades de muchos de nuestros vecinos. Y crearemos una ciudad incluyente y una comunidad de Indiana central para todos.

Haga clic aquí para ver más de nuestras noticias destacadas.

Feb 09

2020: An Unforgettable Year in Review by CICF

By Uncategorized

by Brian Payne, president of Central Indiana Community Foundation; Tom Kilian, president of Hamilton County Community Foundation; and Jennifer Pope Baker, president of Women’s Fund of Central Indiana

(Para leer en español, haga clic aquí) Translated by LUNA Language Services

Headlines are designed to catch our attention. The headlines of 2020 made people across this community and the nation confront America’s racist history in addition to our current reality. From the unique destruction of the COVID-19 pandemic on people of color to the over-policing and under-protecting of these same communities, stories across the country highlighted the systemic racism ingrained in our country’s foundation.

Recognizing and healing the wounds of over 400 years of oppression continues to be challenging and painful. Dismantling the systems that keep these racist practices alive beneath a veil of colorblindness and clever reinvention often seem unfeasible. But to quote James Baldwin, “Nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

In spite of these challenges, CICF and its affiliates, The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, continue to proudly commit to efforts that create a community that works for everyone — no matter place, race or identity. We have proven to ourselves that “equity-first” principles have truly become embedded in our organizations when we created our equity-based relief funds for the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. We’ve galvanized our leadership, staff and ambassadors to be innovative to support and uplift neighborhood assets. We’ve restructured our policies and practices to meet community need. We’ve partnered with corporate and civic leaders to make commitments to end racism within their seats of power and in their personal lives.

So, yes, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we also recognize how far we still have to go in this work. We need everyone’s commitment to make equity a reality. If you’re inspired to — and are able — please make a contribution to our Equity Partners Fund. This gift will help empower people, change systems, and make Central Indiana a region known for being the most anti-racist community in the nation.

Know that when these headlines have passed, we will hold to our mission of equity and continue our work to dismantle systemic racism. We will continue to remove the barriers separating opportunity from so many of our neighbors. And we will create an Inclusive City and a Central Indiana community for all.

Click here to view more of our highlights.

Sep 22

IRS Releases Guidance on Executive Action Deferring Payroll Taxes

By Uncategorized

On August 28, the IRS issued guidance that provides some explanation of how employers can defer withholding and remitting an employee’s share of Social Security tax when wages are below a certain amount. The guidance in Notice 2020-65 was issued to implement President Trump’s executive action signed in early August.

The guidance is brief, and private employers still have questions about whether, and how, to implement the deferral. The President’s action only defers Social Security taxes; it doesn’t forgive them, meaning employees will have to pay the taxes later unless Congress passes a law to eliminate the liability.

Tax deferral background

On August 8, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum that permits the deferral of the employee portion of Social Security taxes for certain employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The memorandum directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to defer withholding, deposit and payment of an eligible employee’s share of Social Security taxes (or the employee’s share of Railroad Retirement taxes) on wages or compensation paid from September 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. It applies to employees whose wages or compensation, payable during any biweekly pay period, generally are less than $4,000, or the equivalent amount with respect to other pay periods. The determination of applicable wages is made on a pay-period-by-pay-period basis. Amounts can be deferred without penalties, interest or additions to the tax.

Note: Under the CARES Act, employers can already defer paying their portion of Social Security taxes through December 31, 2020. All 2020 deferred amounts are due in two equal installments — one at the end of 2021 and the other at the end of 2022.

New guidance

Issued on August 28, the three-page guidance postpones the withholding and remittance of the employee share of Social Security tax until the period beginning on January 1, 2021, and ending on April 30, 2021. Penalties, interest and additions to tax will begin to accrue on May 1, 2021, for any unpaid taxes. The notice doesn’t stipulate that the deferral is required, suggesting that the deferral may be optional.

The guidance states that “if necessary,” the employer “may make arrangements to collect the total applicable taxes” from an employee. This appears to answer one question that employers have about what happens if an employee leaves a job later this year or before the deferred taxes are due. However, no additional details are given on how an employer should make arrangements to collect unpaid tax.

Pushback from business groups

Before the guidance was issued, several business and payroll groups stated that their members would not implement the deferral. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than 30 trade associations sent a letter to members of Congress and the U.S. Department of the Treasury calling the deferral unworkable.

“If this were a suspension of the payroll tax so that employees were not forced to pay it back later, implementation would be less challenging,” the letter states. “But under a simple deferral, employees would be stuck with a large tax bill in 2021. Many of our members consider it unfair to employees to make a decision that would force a big tax bill on them next year… Therefore, many of our members will likely decline to implement deferral, choosing instead to continue to withhold and remit to the government the payroll taxes required by law.”

The National Payroll Reporting Consortium, a payroll services industry association, stated there are “substantial” computer programming changes that are needed to implement the deferral.

“Payroll systems are designed to apply a single Social Security tax rate for the full year, and to all employees equally,” the consortium explained. “Applying a different tax rate for part of the year, beginning in the middle of a quarter, and applying such a change to some employers but not others, and to some employees but not others, is quite complex. Not all employers and payroll systems will be able to make these complex changes by September 1.”

Going forward

There are still unanswered questions about the payroll tax deferral. If you need assistance or have questions about how to proceed at your business, contact Deirdre Bird at dbird@vlcpa.com or Jami Vallandingham at jvallandingham@vlcpa.com. We can help you decide whether to participate and how to go forward.