Conference Speaker: Planned Giving

Sharon Morgan, Associate Director, Gift Planning Office
WSU Foundation (foundation.wsu.edu)

Sharon is responsible for identification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospects for planned and complex major gifts. Sharon has closed outright gifts, traditional planned gifts, and bequest expectancies totaling over $25 million while working in the Gift Planning Office of the WSU Foundation since 1999. She also serves on the board of the YMCA at WSU, a small nonprofit organization, and chairs its Resource Development Committee. She has also assisted in setting up their bequest society (Lamplighters). Sharon holds a Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law.

Join Sharon and get an overview of gift planning theory and practice, including some marketing and legal considerations.

The first annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Fund Development Series will be held Thursday, February 17th, 2011, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference Speaker: Financial Management

Angela Richardson, CPA & Ralph Conner, CPA

LarsonAllen (www.larsonallen.com)

Angela has over a decade of experience in accounting and auditing, including both public and private sectors. Her experience includes substantial planning and supervising of audits of nonprofit and governmental entities in accordance with OMB Circular A-133. In addition, she provides professional consulting and training to various nonprofit organizations related to board governance as well as performs quality control reviews for other CPA Firms.

Ralph’s professional experience includes planning and supervising audits of nonprofit and governmental entities in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and OMB Circular A-133. Ralph devotes the majority of his time to dealing with issues that affect community health organizations, voluntary health and welfare organizations, social service agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. He has provided audit and consulting services to nonprofit organizations for over 20 years. His experience with nonprofit organizations includes strategic financial and business planning, organizational development and restructuring, consulting and reporting on internal accounting controls, and indirect cost allocation plans.

Join these speakers to learn about basic financial management of a nonprofit organization, including best accounting practices, challenges facing smaller nonprofits, trends within the industry, and basic benchmarking tools to help manage the organization.

The first annual Inland Northwest Nonprofit Conference – Fund Development Series will be held Thursday, February 17th, 2011, at the Spokane Masonic Center. For more information visit the AE website.

Conference: Early Bird Special - Purchase Day Pass by 2011

Early Bird Discount: Take an additional 10% off of a Day Pass if purchased prior to 2011! Day passes include 4 classes of your choice, lunch, and access to all networking opportunities and vendors.

Day passes already include a 10% discount, but an additional 10% will be deducted if purchased before 2011.

Before 2011 Discount Price: $153



After 2010 Price: $170

Once the official registration system is available, you will be able to purchase classes, or additional day passes for other members within your organization (at 50% off) on AE Consulting’s website.

You will be contacted by email to confirm your class choices. All classes WILL be available for Early Bird purchasers.

*Offer EXPIRES December 31st, 2010

*Full refunds will be available within 30 days of being requested. If you need a refund, please contact us directly.

Recruiting Presenters for Nonprofit Conference

AE Consulting will be hosting the first annual Inland NW Nonprofit Conference – Fund Development Series, February 17th, 2011, at the Spokane Convention Center. We will be hosting a 1-day educational conference open to all area nonprofit organizations and covering topics such as grants, marketing, board development, legal, and much more.

Right now we’re in the throes of creating all our marketing materials to spread the word and recruit speakers! For details, please access the Speaker Outline by clicking the image on the top right of this post.

Please feel free to forward this information on to anyone you feel is a local expert in the subject area. If you are interested in presenting, please email info@ae-consulting.net with the class session in the Subject header, we'll reply with a brief application.

We should have the capabilities to begin registration for the conference by December via ae-consulting.net and updates via our blog at ae-consulting.blogspot.com.

Grant Makers, Grant Seekers & Some Tips on Clearing the Way

While reading Grassroots Grants, by Andy Robinson, although written over 10 years ago, it is apparent that there are core topics within the grants writing process that remain unchanged. Since the publishing of this book, the primary change has been the increased use and dependence on the internet. Otherwise, the challenges, processes, and passions within the work are the same.

Obstacle number 1: understanding what the grantor wants to fund.

Grant seekers face a huge challenge when interpreting what the grant makers want to fund. They first have to determine who would fund them, what they want to fund, and then, how to approach.

Luckily, the advent of websites allows an expedited route to getting information on funding priorities and guidelines; however, grant seekers are still butting up against the written word, which leaves much room for misinterpretation.

Here are some testimonies Robinson points out from his survey to grant makers on what they want from their grant seekers:

The Compton Foundation’s Edith Eddy says, “What really annoys me is people who send us volumes of materials when, as an environmental funder, we ourselves are doing everything we can to conserve paper. Keep it simple, keep it short.”

John Powers of the Educational Foundation of America states, “Every contact you have with a foundation is a window through which your work will be seen. It is important to be accurate, thorough, and prompt. Sloppiness in spelling, grammar, typos, style, and jargon will lead the reader (funder) to infer that the organization is sloppy and possibly ineffective in its work.”

Diane Ives of the Beldon Fund admits, “Quite frankly, the proposal is the least important part… It’s the whole relationship process, building a relationship with the foundation.”

What this clearly states is that there is no one size fits all solution when approaching grants makers. They’re all different. It is up to the seeker to keep in mind the following tips while charting their course:

1. Follow the guidelines and rules they have written on their websites.

2. Aim to establish a relationship with a grantor before writing a proposal – write, call, or email a LOI (Letter of Intent).

3. Avoid jargon and fancy language in your letter – a brief combination of detail including constituent testimonials, data, and anecdotal information is very useful.

4. Edit, proof, peer proof, and repeat.

5. Keep going! And track all your contacts.

Locating the right fit for grants takes time and perseverance, but finding that match can mean saving a program, helping that many more kids learn to fish, keeping one more stomach full. I feel it’s worth it. Any comments from grant seekers or makers are welcome:

Maximizing a Consultant Relationship from the Outset

Consultants are a dime a dozen. However, when you establish a functional relationship with a great consultant, you’ve struck gold! By definition a “consultant” is one who gives professional or technical advice, or, one who consults another. Sounds generic right? This works to your benefit. You can source a consultant, or a group of them, for any organizational need. There are multiple advantages when hiring a consultant. They can have flexible work schedules, broad networks, and integral knowledge of the local community. Consultants also pay their own business taxes and insurance fees and can offer an outside opinion without the bias or lack of experience that has been presenting an obstacle to your organization.

To maximize the time and money spent between your organization and the consultant, it’s important to consider a few key elements prior to signing any contracts. Here’s a brief snapshot of what I recommend taking into consideration on your side and from the consultant side as well as tips to getting started on the right foot:

When considering hiring a consultant, know the answers to the following questions:

· What specific area(s) of your organization have the greatest weaknesses? Strengths?
· What is your budget for hiring outside services?
· What outcomes are you expecting?
· Have you discussed this idea with your Board? (Suggested reading from The Nonprofit Consultant Blog, Continuous Improvement for Nonprofits)

Keep in mind the challenges from the consultant side:

· Not working in-house, or daily, with an organization can present drawbacks.
· Short-term projects have a higher risk of returning lower results (dependent upon project).

Tips to building a solid relationship from the beginning:

· Make sure you have a feasible communication system established. Are you a phone or email person? Should meetings be held weekly, monthly, or face-to-face?
· Outline a schedule for progress reports and establish openness around feedback, both negative and positive.
· Establish project milestones and timelines and put it all in writing.
· Should a project go well, consider keeping the consultant in the loop on your organization’s progress either via emails, lunch meetings, or even board meetings. This will keep them connected and will allow for less ramp up time down the road once a new project arises.

Consultants can seem expensive and sometimes they can be, which is why it is important to establish a solid plan of action and clear communication in order to allow the project an opportunity to succeed! Consultants are typically worth what you pay them, but there is responsibility on both sides. If done correctly, working with a consultant on certain projects can prove to add tremendous value. To ensure your dollars are well spent, take the above points into consideration and feel free to add to the discussion below.

More on "How to hire a freelance grant writer" here!

The Nonprofit Consultant Blog: Get Seen By Private Foundations

Free registration to increase your visibility toward private foundations who don't accept unsolicited proposals...free before Oct. 1...worth a quick gander and possible sign up before they start charging...

The Nonprofit Consultant Blog: Get Seen By Private Foundations: "If you've done any sort of prospecting for new foundation grants, either using one of the resources from the Foundation Center or any other ..."

Despite a Dwindling Economy, In-Kind Donations Rise Above

As a result of the economic downturn, many companies cannot afford to give monetary donations to the nonprofit organizations they support. This year alone sixty-eight companies decreased their cash donations from $4.3-billion to $3.9-billion according to a report from USA Today. That’s the bad news. Now for the good news: Corporations are increasingly substituting cash with in-kind donations including equipment, software, and employee time.

In this recent study conducted in collaboration with The Chronicle of Philanthropy, USA Today concluded that although cash donations from US-based companies have dropped 7.5 percent in 2009, non-cash contributions have experienced a 5 percent increase. Many companies are looking to make up for their decrease in financial assistance to nonprofits by encouraging their employees to volunteer and donate more time.

So who’s donating in-kind locally?

• Avista Corp. is encouraging their employees to donate to community school supply drives.


• Microsoft Corp. is providing technology skill training to out-of-work people.


• The Make-Up Studio owner, Julie Farley, invites customers to donate new or gently used makeup for local charities supporting low-income women such as The Hope House, Our Place, and Women’s Hearth. Farley has titled her mission Project Beauty Share.


• The Sandpoint Fire Department offered auction items for Holly Eve, an event that raises funds for several nonprofits. The items included firefighter memorabilia, a birthday party at the fire station, and six firefighters working two days at the winning bidder’s home (see full article from the Spokesman here).


• Numerica Credit Union employees raised $16,000 to donate between Hospice Services in Spokane, North Idaho, Tri-Cities and Wenatchee.

What local companies do you think should be recognized for their philanthropy?

2nd Annual One Night One World Celebration

Join us for the 2nd Annual One Night One World Celebration taking place during Sustainable September on the 10th on Isabella’s rooftop downtown Spokane.

Starting at 5pm until 9pm, we’ll serve 3 courses of organic cuisine (mingling-style), local wine & beer, host a silent auction, music, and some light comedy to raise funds for One World Spokane. Individual tickets are $45 each and include dinner and a drink. Limited tickets and sponsorship available at www.oneworldspokane.com.

Any questions or donations for silent auction, contact Andrea Estes at andrea@ae-consulting.net, or (206) 355-7514.

Social Media and Search Engines Unite

According to a recent blog post by Top Rank Marketing Blog, search engines are starting to enhance their relationships with major social media sites. Currently, the major data sharing is between the social sites Facebook and Twitter and the search engines Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These search engines are taking this a step further, working to create a sort of symbiotic relationship by cross-sharing data across both platforms.

In the past, search engines relied on different sources and even each other to compile their search results. Now, these search engines are updating their data sources to pull from social media sites as well, which allows them to include real time search (Learn more about real time search) and social search (Learn more about social search) into their results. This opens up a world of opportunities for businesses participating in social media to gain more online exposure.

As real time search and social search become more prevalent in search engine results, participation in social media will gain even more importance in business marketing. Content shared through social media will be not only noticed by those who follow your company by way of social media, but will also have a higher chance of being noticed by those conducting an online search relating to your product or service.

AE is curious. What type of social media are you using to boost business and search engine visibility?

C.A.S.T. awarded $27,000 from Wal-Mart Foundation

AE Consulting recently won a $27,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation's State Giving Campaign that will go toward supporting the Fishing Kids Program through the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation! This is wonderful news for the program and foundation. And as always, great timing. Thank you Wal-Mart Foundation!

Establishing an Online Presence for Your Small Business, Part 3 of 3

Americans conducted 15.4 billion searches in the month of March according to comScore, a company that tracks U.S. search engine market share. Approximately 65.1% of these searches were done through Google. These statistics further prove the necessity for businesses to establish their presence online to take advantage of the large number of consumers using the Internet to find products and services.

In parts 1 and 2 of our series we explained that the ideal form of online presence is a website, which you can have developed professionally or you can create one yourself. If your company does not currently have the financial resources or time to develop a website, your next best option to establish your company’s online presence is to claim your business using Google Places, a simple and free service offered by Google. Regardless if you have a website or not, every business should take advantage of this service. In this article we will go over the basics of Google’s local search and how you can use it to your advantage to attract customers in your area who are searching for the products or services your company offers.

Understanding Google’s Local Business Search
Here’s how it works: whenever someone uses Google’s search engine and looks up a business name or key words/phrases along with a geographic phrase (i.e. Italian restaurants in Spokane, Washington), they are provided with local business listings (LBL) and a map and phone number for each listing. Notice that the first results displayed are seven local businesses, which are known as the Google 7-Pack – the top seven listings for a local product or service. You can view all local results by clicking the link below the 7-Pack.

What makes local business results different than regular search listings is that they are derived using Google maps. This means that if your business has a spot on the map, then more likely than not it will be included in Google’s local business results.

The Benefits
Claiming your business is free, simple, and rewarding. As mentioned above, most likely your business is already listed through Google, but by registering you are able to edit and update your business listing yourself. Not only can you ensure that the information provided is correct, you also have the ability add more information about it such as your website, services, hours of operation, photos, coupons and much more. You can visit Google Places anytime to update your business’ information or to see how many people have clicked on your listing.

Getting Started
Before you begin you must have an account with Google (Sign up here). Next, check to see if your business is already listed with Google by searching [your business name in your city, zip code]. If your business is included, click on the listing and you will see a link titled, “Business Owner?” in the top right corner of the listing page. Click on this link and go through the process of validating your business, which can be done by phone or mail. Once you receive confirmation that you are validated as the business owner, you can proceed to edit and modify your business’ listing. If your business is not already listed with Google, visit the Google Places homepage and click on the link titled, “Add new business.” Go through the necessary steps as instructed. To learn more about this process and for troubleshooting, visit the Google Places User Guide. You can also learn more about Google Places by tuning into this helpful webinar.

Once your business is registered with Google Places, you can start modifying your places page to meet your company’s advertising needs. There are multiple factors that enhance your business’ ability to rank higher in Google’s local business results. David Mihm, a professional SEO consultant based in Portland, Oregon, has teamed-up with others in the Internet marketing field to compile an excellent list of these factors, listed by importance. To see his list, go here.

This concludes our 3-part online presence series. We hope that you have found this information useful and encourage you to contact AE Consulting should you have further questions on how to establish your business’ online presence.

Seahawks Fish & Feast Fundraiser Great Success

RENTON, Wash. – The fourth Annual Seahawks Fish & Feast Charity Fundraiser raised more than $20,000 for the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation. Twenty local disabled or disadvantaged children received a once in a lifetime experience on a guided fishing trip with a Seahawk player, coach, or Sea Gal last Sunday. The event is structured to emulate an actual C.A.S.T. event with a twist of celebrity.

AE and Seahawks Community Outreach managed the full production of the event. We're looking forward to next year! Special thanks to all those who were involved. CLICK the above link to a short video covering this unique event.

The Importance of Transparency

The blog post from Cause Capitalism titled, How Transparency Can Benefit Your Company (There’s More To Be Gained Than Consumer Trust), by Olivia Khalili, expands upon a quote from Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, “If you’re not scared by what you’re revealing, than you’re not being transparent enough.”

Practicing transparency applies not only to for-profit businesses, but to the nonprofit sector as well. The suggestion that you should be scared when exposing your organization’s practices, flaws and all isn’t entirely true. Transparency doesn’t have to be scary. In other words, honesty should lead to profitability. A professional journalist, investor, and friend of mine recently told me with incredible conviction that she would not donate to an organization if she couldn’t easily read about where her money was going. The following suggestions are proven steps in creating transparency for your donors, grantors, supporters, and constituents:

1. Establish a well-written and informative website;
2. Post your Annual Report or 990 on the site (as a PDF); and/or
3. Register and maintain a presence on sites such as GuideStar and Charity Navigator.

If your small business or nonprofit and would like guidance on establishing transparency, contact an AE Consultant to discuss your options.

Establishing an Online Presence for Your Small Business, Part 2 of 3

In Part 1 of our series we discussed the importance of having an online presence to cater to the increasing number of consumers who are using the Internet to research products and services. We explained that a website is the most common form of online presence and your ideal (and more expensive) option is to invest in a web developer to design and develop your site. If you are on a tight budget and cannot afford a professionally developed website at this time, your next option is to build it yourself.

How to build your own website step-by-step:

1. Obtain a domain name – The domain name is what people type into their address bar to get to your site (www.ae-consulting.net). Picking a domain identical to your company’s name is ideal, but due to limited availability this may not be an option. In this case, find a domain that best reflects what your company offers (Learn more about choosing a domain name).

2. Find a web host – In order for people to access your website, you must have a web host. A web host is a company that leases space on a server where people can publish their websites. There are tons of web hosts out there so do your research to find one that meets your needs (Learn more about finding a good web host).

3. Build your website – The website is what people actually see online. When creating your site you have two options: using a template or starting from scratch. Many web hosts offer website builders where you simply choose a design and fill-in the blanks. You can also purchase templates online. If you plan on building your site from the ground up, you will need to know HTML, the language of web pages (Learn about HTML). Remember to follow basic design principles and web usability strategies to enhance user experience.

4. Managing your content – Your site content includes text, images, and multimedia. Make sure all content has a purpose, whether it is to inform customers about your company or answer any potential questions they may have (Learn about the copywriting process). Also, ensure your content doesn’t contain “too good to be true” words (Learn about copy mistakes). It is also important to keep your site updated with new content so visitors have a reason to check back.

Building your own website takes time and can be an overwhelming process. What do you find to be most intimidating when considering building your own website? This concludes part 2 of our series. Next, we will be discussing your third alternative if hiring a web designer and building your own website is currently not an option for your business.

Nonprofits Could Lose Tax Exemption Status

According to the New York Times post on April 23, 2010, an estimated one-fifth to one-quarter of some 1.6 million charities, trade associations, and membership groups will lose their tax exemptions on May 15 at midnight thanks to a provision buried in a 2006 federal bill aimed at pension reform. If you have not filed taxes for three consecutive years, including those with revenue under $25k, you need to contact a tax professional immediately. Please reference the linked article for more information.

Welcome Erin to AE's Team

We'd like to welcome Erin Freehan to AE's team as a level 2 Consultant. She will be working with existing and new clients, has a background in PR and marketing, and has extensive experience with nonprofits. As our client base continues to grow, it is important for us to ensure we're offering quality services to each client, thus a new consultant was needed! Welcome Erin! We look forward to your contributions to our team and client projects.

Free Webinar for Nonprofits: Finding the Perfect Donor Database in an Imperfect World

Tune in to this free webinar for nonprofits on April 15th at 11 a.m. Pacific time. The webinar will cover how to choose a donor database, focusing on the following topics:

1. What to expect from a fundraising database.
2. When to consider a change.
3. How to make the decision.
4. Why not build your own database?

Having a database is essential to tracking critical organization information such as donor, volunteer, and supporter info. The challenge is ensuring your staff is using it consistently and correctly.

Particularly, we like the part about building your own database. Why? Because your very own database can be customized to meet your current needs and is flexible if these needs change in the future.

Contact your AE Consultant for tips on how to get the team on board!

CYT-Spokane's historically accurate portrayal of The Legend of Pocahontas

CYT-Spokane is a non-profit, theater arts organization providing instructional sessions and live musical performance opportunities for youth ages 6-18. The organization offers three fully staged musical productions performed at the Bing Crosby Theater this year. On May 21st CYT will debut The Legend of Pocahontas with four separate show times.

“When people hear Pocahontas, many associate it with the Disney production. What is different about CYT’s Pocahontas production is that it is a historically accurate portrayal with original songs and dances,” stated Lydia Kinne, CYT’s Box Office Manager and Registrar.

This original CYT musical tells the story of the Algonquin Indian tribe and their princess, Pocahontas. The production has a cast of eighty-one, which is a particularly large cast for CYT, offering the opportunity for a large number of local youth to participate. The cast will sing and dance to live music performed by volunteer musicians, showcasing a variety of musical instruments and talents.

When asked what is unique about CYT’s productions, Kinne explained, “The comradery of the cast. When watching the show you can see the strong friendships and bonds that have developed as a result of the production.”

CYT-Spokane was the first branch established outside San Diego in 1998 and since has strived to maintain its current mission while adapting to the changing needs of the local community. Nearly 1,000 children participate annually in the educational programs and theatrical productions with approximately 12,000 patrons attending the shows hosted at the Bing Crosby Theater.

The organization has opened up limited opportunities for sponsorship of their productions to local companies interested in supporting youth arts in the community. There are three levels of sponsorship; Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Each level offers a combination of solid advertising before, during, and after the shows through various routes of media.

To get your company involved in supporting this annual community event, contact Andrea Estes with AE Consulting at (206) 355-7514 or andrea@ae-consulting.net.

Establishing an Online Presence for Your Small Business, Part 1 of 3

According to a recent Kelsey Group Study approximately 97% of consumers use the Internet to research local products and services. This number proves the necessity for all businesses – regardless of size and services – to have an online presence to generate new customers and retain existing ones. This surprising statistic prompted AE Consulting to write a blog series highlighting our top three approaches for businesses to establish their presence online.

In this series of articles, we’d like to outline your options and let you choose which suits your needs and budget best – the recommendation is that you’ve opted to do at least one of the options suggested once you’re done reading the entire series.

The most common and popular form of online presence is a website. The ideal option is to hire a professional services company to design and develop your business’s website design and content. This option is best suited for companies that intend to be established and growing for more than two years. If you intend to dissolve your business under two years, we’d recommend taking a more inexpensive route when establishing your web presence (Learn about these options in parts two and three of our series). Hiring these services is an investment, but one that will prove its return in a matter of months.

Before you hire a web designer it is important for you to understand what makes a successful website. The overall design should follow basic design principles to garner positive attention and relay your company’s message (learn about website design). Your website must also be strategically laid out for usability to promote user experience (learn about usability mistakes). Most importantly, your website needs to utilize search engine optimization (SEO) – implementing various design and content strategies to position your website to appear toward the top of a list when someone conducts a search. SEO ensures that people actually visit your website, providing your business a return on investment (learn about SEO). Without strategic writing, structure, links, meta-tags, etc., your site will be a dime a dozen in cyberspace.

Web design prices vary depending on skill and amount of work involved. If you do decide to go this route, do your research. Find a web designer that has extensive experience with website design, usability, and SEO tactics (learn about considerations when hiring a web developer).

AE would like to know your thoughts. What challenges are preventing your company from developing a website? This concludes part one of our three-part series. Next, we will discuss the second option for establishing your business’s online presence if a professionally developed site is not your ideal option.

Best wishes to our intern, Chang-Peng

AE Consulting would like to recognize Chang-Peng for his solid research work done as our marketing research intern over winter quarter. He completed several research projects for our start-up and did so with patience and persistence. Chang-Peng came to us through the MBA program at EWU's Spokane campus due to his interest in marketing and desire to get some real world experience before graduation.

Many thanks for your contributions and best of luck in your career in the business world! You have a bright future ahead of you.

Experts Discuss Revised Form 990

Nonprofit board members are faced with new responsibilities as a result of the revised Form 990, which now requires information on board structure, policies, and practices and disclosure of full compensation for key employees and board members.

Yes. Those are some big changes to swallow in one sitting. Although the form has been in effect since 2008, the changes were so extensive that many still have questions. Attached is a discussion from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which provides helpful tips on how to fulfill these new requirements and will hopefully answer any lingering questions.

Exotic bird freedom around the corner

TLC Bird Haven, a nonprofit organization established in 2001, is launching a capital campaign to raise funds for its new free-flight bird sanctuary building slated for construction this year. TLC's current facility is a safe haven for nearly 50 abandoned, disabled, special needs, and unwanted exotic birds, all of which are parrots.

It's the goal of Joanie Lamm, President, to use her own land to establish a large free-flight building in addition to the current facility. The building will house the birds in an as-close-to-nature as possible habitat and offer enough space to take in as many birds as necessary from any part of the country.

TLC's bird sanctuary will provide a safe haven for all exotic birds that are special needs or unwanted. The facility also has boarding services available for more temporary needs.

TLC needs support from individuals or businesses to help build the free-flight building. They have the land and all other necessary resources, but will need to fundraise close to $100,000 for construction. The new free-flight building will also be accompanied by an educational facility, both of which will be open to the public to offer an opportunity to the local community to learn about exotic birds and encourage the conservation of the animals over time.

Please go to www.tlcbirdhaven.org for more information and to get involved.

Interesting Blog on SEO Advantages for Small Businesses

Check out this blog on the advantages small businesses possess when it comes to search engine optimization methods. It maintains that small businesses have the ability to be both creative and agile when developing SEO strategies in comparison to larger competitors. The blog offers great tips for the small business to ensure its online content marketing and SEO programs are a success. Be sure to take a look at the comment section below the blog. It offers great insight and tips as well.

Nonprofit Leadership Series Launches in Seattle

The Center for Nonprofit Success kicks off its Seattle seminar series on March 10th from 8:30 a.m. - noon at Seattle Pacific University. This monthly series focuses on various aspects of nonprofit management offered over the course of six seminars. Topics include board development, executive transition, public relations, and other issues affecting long-term sustainability.

The first session on Building a Strong and Healthy Board covers responsibilities of a nonprofit board, how to structure boards for effectiveness, techniques and approaches for board assessment and recruitment, and more. The speaker, Renee Herrell, CFRE, has been a consultant for the past five years and a development professional four years previous focusing on board development.

Five sessions will follow featuring topics in Executive Leadership (April 14), Volunteer Management (May 12), Public Relations (June 2), Strategic Alliances (July 7), and Social Media (September 1). Each seminar costs $110 and can be attended individually or as a whole.

The Center for Nonprofit Success is a nonprofit specializing in bringing highly relevant information that nonprofit leaders need to run their organizations successfully. For more information visit cfnps.org.

Internet Marketing Workshop for Spokane Businesses

Are you ready to improve your company's online presence, yet have no idea where to start? Check out this half-day workshop on February 4th presented by GetListed.org's Local University, a recently formed nonprofit group dedicated to teaching small businesses the ways of the web.

Join leading marketing experts, including representatives from the Google Local Business Center, who will be presenting a basic introduction to search engines, free opportunities for search engine exposure, search engine optimization (SEO) tips and techniques, social internet marketing strategies, and much more.

The workshop will be held at the Northern Quest Casino, offering two identical half-day sessions (8 am - noon and 1 pm - 5pm). The event costs $129, but use the code "bowling2010" and save $50!

For more information visit getlisted.org/spokane.

New Book Provides Resource for Educators

Gini Cunningham, Education Consultant and Principal of Energized Learning, released her book The New Teacher's Companion: Practical Wisdom for Succeeding in the Classroom, on January 14th at the Patsy Clark Mansion. The book aims at providing novice teachers with the necessary tools to become accomplished educators. Cunningham offers a sequential guide to the classroom covering initial preparation, procedure planning, instruction essentials, and how to measure and increase student success.

After spending over 30 years in the education system, Cunningham was motivated by the large turnover rate of teachers within their first five years of teaching. She wanted to provide a resource for educators to turn to when they are feeling overwhelmed or helpless in the classroom. Throughout the book Cunningham shares personal experiences and observations, demonstrating teaching methods using real-life scenarios.

Gini Cunningham resides permanently in Nevada and travels throughout the west frequently. She has her Masters in Education, is Board Certified in Early Adolescent/Young Adult Literacy, and has 30 years of K-12 teaching experience.

Her company, Energized Learning, provides educational consultation, workshops, and seminars for any level of educator or educational facility. She also offers free tele-seminars the first Tuesday of each month. Topics include Classroom Management, Rules & Procedures, Organizing the Year, and much more.

For more information on Gini Cunningham and Energized Learning visit www.energizedlearning.net. Her book, The New Teacher's Companion, can be purchased at shop.ascd.org and www.amazon.com.

TLC Bird Haven Ready to Go!

TLC Bird Haven (tlcbirdhaven.org) is ready to begin their capital campaign for a new free flight exotic bird sanctuary on its current sanctuary property in Deer Park! Check out their new web site and videos on Facebook (search for Joanie Lamm).

Please support the new building development and fundraising by telling anyone you know who is a bird lover and making a contribution through the web site!

CLICK HERE to watch a video on a TLC resident, TIKI!

CYT-Spokane Building Capacity and Asking for Support

Children's theatre arts organization seeking sponsorship for 2010

January 5, 2010, Spokane, Wash. – CYT-Spokane is a non-profit, theater arts organization providing instructional sessions and performance opportunities for youth ages 6-18. CYT offers three fully staged musical productions, performed at The Bing Crosby Theater in fall, winter, and spring and several summer camps are offered for ages 5-18. The organization has opened up limited opportunities for sponsorship of their theatre productions and programs to local companies.

There are various levels of sponsorship that offer combinations of company publicity, employee/family involvement, gifts, and an opportunity for children you know to participate in CYT's educational programs. All contributions are 501(c)3 tax-deductible and are greatly needed to support the growth and sustainability of these programs. Come enjoy a well recognized production while giving to your community by supporting a local children's arts program.

Information on CYT-Spokane can be found at www.cytspokane.com. For details on production or program sponsorship for your business, please contact Andrea Estes, andrea@ae-consulting.net, or (206) 355-7514.