According to the lamentations of capitol hill lobbyists, earmarks and appropriations are getting harder and harder to find Click Here to read more. Until transparency laws passed last year, earmarks and appropriations were often hidden bonuses secured by members of congress for their constituents. Some were good and some entirely frivolous (e.g. the famous “bridge to nowhere”).

This is of grave concern to many nonprofits however, because many nonprofits benefit from the benevolent, though often self-serving, largess of their particular member of congress. It is the unique domain of congress to determine how the federal budget is to be spent and, as a result, their’s is the corollary power. The wise nonprofit develops a relationship with it’s congressman with the hope of someday gaining the golden ring of an earmark or appropriation.

But what happens when the earmark and appropriation monies begin to dry up? Nonprofits must consider alternative sources of revenue. Here at the Thomas Scott Company we recommend a diversified portfolio of funding sources including grants, signature events, constituent subscriptions and contributions, major donors, and sustainable enterprise.

Now I know some of you are thinking, “I didn’t even know government earmarks and appropriations were available to us.” Well they are IF you have significant capacity and/or unique community impact… or a nice cozy relationship with your congressman!

As a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, I get their e-newsletter and the following article was in a recent edition. I’ve read the instructions and find them easy to follow, but I’ve also viewed the instructional videos and they’re great. I think you’ll find it interesting. For the online version Click Here

Google Offers Charities New Portal for Online Services

(March 24, 2008) A new portal, called Google for Nonprofits, is now available that provides charities access and guidance on how to use a variety of tools and resources that Google offers.

The portal offers such programs and features as:

* The Gmail email system
* An online donation collection and processing program
* A system for sharing and editing documents online
* An analytics program to determine how often people go to your website and how they use the information that it provides
* An online grant search engine
* A dynamic, interactive maps program to visually illustrate the work of a charity
* Blogging software

For each service, Google for Nonprofits also offers instructions (with video tutorials) on how to use the program, as well as guidance as to how charities can get the most benefit out of each. Use of each of the services is free of charge.

The site also features examples of how some charities are already using the various tools to further their mission.

None of the programs offered through the portal are new. They have all been previously offered by Google, but the Google for Nonprofits portal is the first time the company has proactively marketed many of them to the nonprofit community. The portal is not a program of Google.org, the charitable arm of Google which supports a number of philanthropic initiatives.

I am giving Jott a try. Beginning today I have the capability of entering my blog entries using voice activation off of my cell phone. Tell me what do you think. listen

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I’m in the Smoky Mountains on a writing retreat. Sometimes you just have to get away from the phone and usual tyranny of the urgent. I’m wanting to make some real headway on my book and there’s no better way to do it than a get-away in the mountains.

Writing beside one of my favorite trout streams - nice.

You can be included in the upcoming book. Just email your nonprofit story (positive or otherwise) to me at info@thegrantwritingcoach.com. Or you can simply add your comment below.