Technology Roundtable - Topic for May 26, 2015

Worried that the accounting software program you use will no longer be supported in coming years? And that if you do upgrade, it won't support the only printer that's ever worked free of jams? Staying up nights concerned that your agency is not equipped to take advantage of technological efficiencies? Spending too much time creating tickets with the IT vendor for issues that seem to continually slow you down?  Hardware, software, web browser, email, bank, credit card, and web site compatibility or lack thereof, exacts a price on our work. Therefore, make plans to join us Tuesday, May 26, 2015 when our Summer Roundtable will gather to discuss all the ways technology affects our work.

At meetings end, we will determine the aspect of technology we can most benefit hearing about from an expert in the field. The follow-up meeting in June will feature that topic addressed by a speaker in the field.

Auction item processing technology - Topic for April 28 2015

At the Events discussion roundtable in March, many questions about technology for auction item bidding and processing went unanswered. Therefore make plans to join us this month, when Zach Myers of BidPal will present an overview of auction technology, provide a demonstration of BidPal, and address any other questions about auction item technology you may have.

Event Processing Roundtable - Topic for March 24, 2015

This meeting is the Spring Roundtable and will feature a compare/contrast among members of tools or best practices used for processing event donations. Please come prepared to share software, hardware, volunteer staffing, and paper processing practices your agency uses to manage all the activities related to events. Does your agency enlist the help of outside vendors? Does it use texting for silent auction bidding? Does it allow pre-event auction bidding online? Does your agency use paper and filing boxes? Or does it employ a combination of these?  Let us know!

At the end of our roundtable discussion, we will determine the areas that require follow-up expertise, which will be addressed by a speaker at the April meeting.

Endowments and Donor Designated Funds - Topic for February 24, 2015

This meeting is the Winter follow-up to the Winter Roudtable meeting held in January. During the Winter Roundtable, many questions precolated from discussion of Endowments and Donor Advised Funds. So, for this meeting, Gary Mudd and Steve Rommerskirchen of Kerber, Eck & Braeckel will provide expert follow up to elaborate on aspects of those types of gifts.

Specifically, they will address:

• How we can differentiate between endowments and donor advised funds?
• What are the best practices for endowment and donor advised fund policies?
• How can obsolete endowment spending policies get released when the original donor is no longer in touch with the non profit?
• How to determine when restrictions on gifts become so narrowly definied as to become non tax deductible.
• Footnote and 990 implications for endowments and donor advised funds.
• Best practices for budgeting and goal setting for endowments and donor advised funds 

Gift Acceptance Policy Roundtable - Topic for January 27, 2015

This meeting is the Winter Roundtable meeting and, together with the Winter Expert Folllow-up meeting in February, will tackle the many intricacies of Gift Acceptance Policies.

During January, most non profits are busy processing the calendar year end donations. The vast majority of those donations are unrestricted and carry no extra burden on the organization. But what about the few that will trigger complicating restrictions, tax reporting, or other responsibilites? Were those donations accepted without consideration of the implications? Was your gift acceptance policy researched? Does your nfp have a written gift acceptance policy?

If any of the above is familiar to your experience, then make plans to join us Tuesday, January 27, 2015 when we will discuss gift acceptance policies and complications involved with accepting restricted or other types of gifts that place additional responsibility on the non profit.
Please bring a copy of your organization's policy and any questions or specifics you would like addressed when we bring in a speaker in February for expert follow-up on this topic.

United Way's Benchmark Standards - Topic for December 2, 2014

If your nfp receives funding from United Way, then make plans to join us Tuesday, December 2, 2014 when Kathy Gardner of United Way will discuss their vision of funding going forward and how that will affect changes to existing benchmarking standards.

This meeting is the Autumn Expert Follow-up to the roundtable discussion held November 4 on watchdog groups and their benchmarking standards.

Watchdog Groups Roundtable - Topic for November 4, 2014

This meeting is the Autumn Roundtable, and the topic is watchdog groups.  The primary watchdog groups are BBB, GuideStar, Charity Navigator, United Way, Dun & Bradstreet, and many other regional and local ones. At this meeting, we will discuss issues related to intersecting and non-intersecting metrics, how watchdog group ratings affect grants and workplace giving/corporate matches, how watchdog groups metrics and ratings affect individual donors, and which watchdog groups have the most influence over donors.

During the discussion, the meeting facilitators will determine points that require follow-up expertise and will schedule a speaker to address them at the Autumn Expert Follow-up meeting December 2.

Please note the Autumn Roundtable meeting is the October meeting, but because of overbooking at United Way, has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, rather than the usual 4th Tuesday of the month.