It’s no secret that many in the nonprofit sector are feeling burned out. Our report on the Nonprofit Workforce Shortage Crisis found burnout to be one of the top three causes for staff vacancies. The Center for Effective Philanthropy recently profiled the Imago Dei Fund, which has a “Keep the Spark Alive” grant program that provides up to $2,500 for restorative activities, with quick grant approvals and minimal reporting requirements.

Here at NCN, we’re employing a similar strategy as part of the Leading from Strength (LFS) initiative that we launched last year with initial funding from the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund. The first program we launched as part of LFS is called “Thrive” and it provides our members with relatively small, but completely flexible, awards to invest in the well-being of their employees. They have deployed those funds for everything from team-building outings to wellness stipends for staff.

For the funders reading this newsletter, it doesn’t take large investments to make a huge impact on the lives of your grantees. If you can, help the organizations you fund invest in the wellness of the people who serve their communities every day.

Effective taglines can improve your organization's brand recognition and communicate key ideas about the impact of your work. Easterseals DC MD VA recently embarked on a journey to develop a new tagline that resonated with their audiences. By collaborating with experts, conducting extensive research, and involving their community, they developed a new tagline that helps tell the story of the wide range of work they do. In this guest article, Easterseals DC MD VA Vice President of Communications & Marketing Paula Moore shared the process for creating their new tagline, and tips for other nonprofits to update their own branding.

More than $86 billion available to charitable nonprofits and others are sitting in the coffers of state and local governments that must be spent or committed by the end of this year or the money is lost. This webinar, hosted by The NonProfit Times and presented by National Council of Nonprofits experts, is dedicated to ensuring nonprofits know about the availability of these dollars and how to access them before it’s too late.

The latest report in the Building Movement Project’s “Race to Lead” series examines the impacts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs on nonprofits and their staff. It should come as no surprise that respondents rated their workplaces more positively when DEI strategies were employed. The Building Movement Project will host a webinar on September 10 to further explore the report.

In the latest report from the Generosity Commission, Benjamin Soskis of the Urban Institute examines some of the causes for recent declines in giving and volunteering. The report pinpoints economic pressures, a decline in religious practice, reduced tax breaks for charitable contributions, growing social isolation, and the potential shift in giving behaviors as some of the causes.

In this month’s spotlight on voter engagement, we’re featuring this conversation with Chyann Sapp, Nonprofit VOTE’s Campaign Director for National Voter Registration Day. She answers the important question of why nonprofits should get engaged in promoting voting and shares how nonprofits can get involved to help their communities register to vote on this national day of civic engagement.

Everyone knows to call 911 in an emergency, but not enough people know to dial 988 when they are in personal crisis. We invite you to join a national initiative on September 8 to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This year’s theme is “No Judgment. Just Help.” Help friends, family, and the communities you serve to know about this vital resource.

Employers that submitted questionable claims for the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) have a new window of opportunity – until November 22 – to come into compliance, get a discount on repayments, and avoid future penalties. Knowing that there were many unscrupulous firms that were encouraging nonprofits and others to file ERTC claims that they were not eligible for, the IRS is urging employers with claims that show warning signs to review eligibility requirements and talk to a trusted tax professional to see if the disclosure program is a good option for them. 

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