#anat_gerstein

[nonprofittalk]

Pitching Notes: Lissa Blake Publisher, New York Nonprofit Press

We’d like to introduce you to Lissa Blake, the new publisher of the New York Nonprofit Press, which provides coverage of the nonprofit industry in the New York City area. Lissa, who grew up on Long Island, has an event production background and is overseeing a new look, feel, and content for the New York Nonprofit Press.

"I want New York Nonprofit Press to be the resource that nonprofits depend on for breaking news, current trends, predictions, and information on their industry," she says.

We sat down with Lissa to find out what is in store, so you can better determine whether you have the right stories at the right time for the New York Nonprofit Press.

NYNP recently changed ownership. What changes will readers see?

Thankfully, the editorial side is still run by Fred Scaglione, who helped start the paper in 2002. That is the one part of the paper that will remain the same. We will be making visual changes: modernizing the look of the monthly printed edition, our daily e-newsletter and our web site. We are also adding live events to the platform.

Obviously with my event background, this was a likely expansion of the paper. This year we are doing four events. We are planning to highlight our re-launch of the paper, e-newsletter and website in April. This will celebrate a new look and a new beginning for the brand.

On June 2nd, we are holding the first ever Nonprofit OpCon, an event for nonprofit executive directors and top level operations staff to discuss how to streamline operations and processes. We will have representatives from city and state government and nonprofits, and people that provide services to nonprofits, to exchange ideas and information.  We also will hold two events this fall.

What's your vision for the publication?

I would like to maintain the uniqueness of our paper. There is not much else out there doing what we do. At the same time, I would like to explore other areas of the nonprofit sector that are logical extensions of health and human services, including higher education, arts and culture, and healthcare provision hospitals and clinics.

Between our paper, e-newsletter and events I want the New York Nonprofit Press to be the resource that nonprofits depend on for breaking news, current trends, predictions, and information on their industry.

What nonprofit stories do you most enjoy?

There are two types of "best stories". One is when we really investigate and dig deep into an issue or ongoing trend. People do not want to just hear the news; they want to understand it from all angles.

The second type of great story is about people. We have implemented a few new features such as Front Line Heroes, CEO Corner and Employer of the Month. For example, Front Line Heroes features people who are not at the top of the organization but are out in the field, with the children, or with the impoverished or underserved, and making a difference day-to-day.

What are the elements of a good story in the NYNP?

Everyone has a gala and everyone has fundraising activities. It's important to make yourself different and appealing to the readers. Human interest stories are always popular. Creating new techniques, methods, and procedures that others may want to follow also is something specifically of interest.

What role does the NYNP play in the greater New York City area?

We are the only publication that covers the New York Health & Human Services nonprofit industry in-depth. People read us cover to cover to learn about ongoing issues, who is going where, what events are happening, and who is hiring. There is nothing else like us for New Yorkers at all.

How should people reach you or a colleague to pitch a story?

They can reach me at [email protected]. Although Fred handles most of the editorial content himself, I can make sure he sees the right stories at the right time.

[nonprofittalk]

$0.88 of Every $1 for Programs: That's Nothing to Brag About!

The following article by Anat Gerstein appeared in the New York Nonprofit Press in March 2015.

By Anat Gerstein

The New York nonprofit sector was shaken recently with the announcement that FEGS, a behemoth nonprofit with a solid long-standing track record in the human services sector, was shutting down because of a huge funding gap. Some believe that FEGS might have run into trouble because of reduced government reimbursement rates, which fail to cover the cost of running programs and providing services--a challenge for many nonprofits.

But, a larger issue looms. Nonprofits are coming up short on funding their full administrative costs and supporting the kinds of administrative capacity expansions--such as creating a research and evaluation team--critical to all well-managed organizations. Some people call these costs "overhead," but "management" or "administrative costs" is much more fitting.

There is some good news: changes in the guidance from the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), called "Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards," became part of the Code of Federal Regulations on December 26, 2014.

The new guidance requires states to pay grantees' fully-loaded administrative costs. It's a big win for the nonprofit sector (and comes thanks to a three-year campaign spearheaded by the National Council of Nonprofits). Although there's still a loophole that allows government to cap the administrative costs in some cases, the regulations require payment of at least 10%. While 10% doesn't cover the true management costs of running organizations well, it is a step toward recognizing full costs.

Foundations and other funders are also making a priority of supporting building out nonprofits' management capacity. With growing expectations that nonprofits show outcomes for investments, this kind of support can't come soon enough. Organizations that can prove that their programs work have more access to funding and opportunities to expand.

Performance management isn't the only area where nonprofits need to increase investments.

The Nonprofit Finance Fund, in preliminary findings from their annual state of the nonprofit sector survey, found nonprofits are most concerned about sustainable funding and attracting and retaining top staff.

To be successful in raising money, today's nonprofits not only need a good fundraiser, they also need IT systems to support fundraising efforts and a communications expert to consistently craft the kind of content that connects with donors and potential donors. To retain top talent, in addition to compensating them, nonprofits must invest in IT, HR, and operations.

Of course, most nonprofits know all this. So what can be done about it?

1. Nonprofits must stop calling it overhead! These are management, administrative, or indirect costs, and they are absolutely necessary.

2. Nonprofits should stop talking about how little is being spent on management, and start talking instead about how investment in management has led to improved results (and the ability to report on them).

3. Nonprofits must define management costs and talk to funders about them (along with #2 above). If funders want to support strong programs, they should know what it takes to run them.

Focusing on and investing in management leads to success. Just look at Row New York, Graham Windham, and Leake & Watts, winners of last year's New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards, which are managed by the NonProfit Coordinating Committee of New York. This paper documented their management practices and corresponding successes in the December issue. These organizations have increased fundraising, brought on smart, dedicated staff, and shown outcomes of their programs. For their investment in management, they have grown and have been able to more efficiently and effectively serve their clients.