Tag Archives: philanthropy

The Value Of A Croissant

The basic Chinese character for prosperity
I recently bought breakfast pastries to bring to a client. I planned to cut them up and leave them in the office kitchen for people to munch.

When I got on my subway, an unfortunate man asked me if I have anything he could eat. I looked at my client pastry bag. I gave it to him, recognizing it means a lot more to him than it would to my clients–and me and everyone I know.

He smelled the sweet treats then started eating. This was quite a special breakfast for him, I presume.

It’s hard to remain conscious of the abundance I have and how much a minuscule fraction of it would mean to so many who are in need.

I gave the gentleman a few napkins I carry for when I’m caught short. I wanted him to enjoy his exceptional subway breakfast with the dignity that comes from not having to use his sleeve.

How special the savory almond and bittersweet chocolate croissants must have been for him. When he finished his treats he turned over his shoulder and gave me a thumbs up. I gave him an understanding wink.

Having so much, it’s easy to forget that what I take for granted would mean so, so much to someone with much less. Someone who may well be helped by the charity community I try to help.

It’s very hard to remain conscious of my abundance. I’m working on it.

Perseverance

I walked the Tunnel To Towers 5K this Sunday and a man I saw so moved me that this post jumps to the top of my queue.

I don’t know his name. He’s a soldier or marine who lost 3 limbs in one of our wars. He walked the 5K. With awe-inspiring perseverance, very slowly and followed by his wheel chair, which he did not need.

Watching him gave me goose bumps.

This unnamed warrior is a reminder of the value of perseverance. I think it’s vastly underrated.

Perseverance should be part of every job description and performance review. It belongs in marriage vows and oaths of office, from soldier to civil servant to supreme commander-in-chief.

It is critical if you work in or around nonprofits. Generally, staffing is lean; regulation is thick; oversight is uninformed; and bureaucracy is maddening, even absurd. Yet the money must get raised; forms filed; overseers mollified; personalities assuaged; and the important work accomplished for the good of those you serve.

(I see no better realm in which perseverance must prevail, very often over logic and rationality, than my state charity registration work. That discussion is for another day.)

I wish you could have seen this man sweat and struggle at each short, tentative, unsteady step. You may have seen him on TV.

He is remarkable.

In his honor, persevere.

Nonprofit Radio for September 28, 2012: The Law Of Attraction & Private Benefits: Not Dirty, But Bad

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Listen live or archive:

Tony’s Guests:

Melanie Schnoll Begun

Melanie Schnoll Begun: The Law Of Attraction

To attract major gift prospects and potential board members, you have to put your best foot forward to get what you’re seeking. Melanie Schnoll Begun is managing director at Morgan Stanley private wealth management. She helps her ultra high net worth clients make charitable gifts and get on boards, but she has practical and valuable advice that applies to any charity soliciting a major gift or recruiting a board member. (Originally aired on April 20, 2012.)

Emily Chan
Emily Chan: Private Benefits: Not Dirty, But Bad

Rules against private inurement, excess benefit transactions and private benefit (don’t think “friend with benefits”), keep your charity operating for the public good. Emily Chan, from the Nonprofit & Exempt Organizations Law Group, is our monthly legal contributor and she’ll explain the rules.

 
 


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Dahna hi there, it’s. Tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent on september twenty eighth twenty twelve i’m your aptly named host. I do hope you were with me last week. Yes, i do. It was a bonanza alliances remember we had the true italian roseanna imbriano principle of our eye consulting encouraged you to secure strategic alliances that expand your marketing and save your marketing budget because they cost you nothing and claire’s cliches. Claire meyerhoff returned she’s, principal of the planned e-giving agency creative director of this very show, we talked about cliches for you to avoid and simpler words to replace them with. I didn’t have the heart to put her in jargon jail because she created it this way. The law of attraction to attract a major gift prospects and potential board members, you have to put your best foot forward to get what you are seeking. Melanie schnoll begun is managing director at morgan stanley private wealth management. She helps her ultra high net worth clients make charitable gif ts and get on boards, but she also has practical and valuable experience and advice that applies to any charity soliciting. A major gift or recruiting a boardmember and this interview with melanie was originally aired on april twentieth, two thousand twelve. Show also private benefits not dirty, but bad rules against private in your mint i like that word in your mint. Yeah, private in your mint xs benefit transactions and private benefit we’re not thinking friends with benefits private benefits these things keep your charity operating for the public good. Emily chan from the non-profit and exempt organizations law group is our monthly legal contributor, and she will explain the rules between the guests on tony’s take two my block this week one more week still seven tips for small shop planned e-giving because i think it’s important and i’ll talk about one of those tips are you on twitter while you’re listening? You could be if you open up another window, don’t don’t close the window you’re listening on now because you’ll lose me, but if you want open up another browser window on twitter, you can join the conversation there using the hashtag non-profit radio we’re about to take a break and then we’re going to go right into my interview with melanie schnoll begun, but first i gotta send live listener love to takashi in japan. Takashi, japan, newport, rhode island, and minneapolis, minnesota. Live, listener love going out to all of you. Stay with me after this break, it’s. The law of attraction, co-branding think dick tooting getting stinking thing. You’re listening to the talking alternative network e-giving. Nothing. Cubine joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre. Awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city. In pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller emotional freedom, and greg brayden will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve, save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot order, or h a n j dot net. Hi, i’m donna, and i’m done were certified mediators, and i am a family and couples licensed therapists and author of please don’t buy me ice cream are show new beginnings is about helping you and your family recover financially and emotionally and start the beginning of your life. We’ll answer your questions on divorce, family, court, co, parenting, personal development, new relationships, blending families and more. Dahna and i will bring you to a place of empowerment and belief that even though marriages may end, families are forever. Join us every monday, starting september tenth at ten am on talking alternative dot com. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Schnoll durney welcome back to big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent on tony martignetti non-profit radio with me now is melanie schnoll begun. She is a managing director and head of morgan stanley private wealth, management’s philanthropic services. She serves as a philanthropic advisor to families, foundations and family offices, working with the firm’s, ultra high net worth clients. She’s, the incoming board president of the juvenile diabetes research foundation of new york and bored treasure of the partnership for philanthropic planning. My show has been a sponsor at there. National conference on philanthropic planning the past two years. I’m very pleased that her work and her expertise brings her to the show. Melanie schnoll begun welcome. Thank you so much, tony. Just one correct that’s why i’m the current oh, you’re the could hurt the president of the board of juvenile diabetes research funding. I have to say that because the topic today that we’re gonna be talking about if i didn’t correct you about my party particular officer position on a board, i wouldn’t be selling the reason why i said or or why i think it’s so important to serve for constance he believe in so this is why i need an intern we’ve built you and i would both blame the intern, and it wouldn’t have reflected on you badly at all. What is your work around with ultra high net worth individuals? What are you doing with them? Well, i think that my work is providing meaning in their life. Many of our clients come to us because they’re in the middle of a transition. Perhaps they’ve sold their business, maybe there’s some interesting event that’s happened in their life, perhaps even a very sad event. That’s happened their life, and we help them identify how to be very strategic, purposeful and planned in there, giving for many clients when they think about making a contribution, even a large contribution, they don’t put a tremendous amount of thought into it. It might be a cause that they’ve heard about maybe one that they’re associated with, but they’re not doing a deep dive into the background and the backdrop of what’s really going on in that non-profit organization or what else there might be out there in the world, so we try and provide that professionalism, and then along the way, make our clients professionals. Themselves. What? What? What do you find motivates ultra high net worth and shortly, i’m gonna ask you, what is ultra high net worth? But we’ll work our way to that. But what do you think motivates their giving? Well for some clients, it’s because someone sick in their family for other clients, it’s because they’re say little more about that someone sick where the e-giving in memory of the person soon will be a memory will hopefully to find a cure. Hopefully the final work usually clients witness a major keynes in their attitude. What they used to buy with their wealth no longer becomes important and that’s because the second that someone has a diagnosis in their family of someone who’s ill the only thing they’re thinking about is identifying better treatment and perhaps secure. So we find often that we come to the philanthropic table with someone who has just been given that diagnosis scammer and is looking for the solution where so many of us just our resource is we go to the web and we learn as much as we can, but when we’re talking about people with extraordinarily extraordinary wealth that can actually invested. In a possible cure that’s what they want to buy it, they want to buy the cure. I think what’s shocking and disappointing in many instances is that clients, no matter how wealthy they are, find out that they can’t necessarily buy everything. So it is that deep investment for the long term, perhaps not even for the benefit of their family member who might be ill but for others to find a cure better treatment. Better resource is that might bring some of our clients to the table. Others are just deeply invested in their community. They want better cultural organizations. They want better education for their kids. Certainly in new york, that’s a very big issue about private school, public school. And as your children are going through that educational problem situation, where are there enough of fine schools in new york to send our kids to? In many instances, they find that they that there’s not so. Our clients are interested in identifying. How can they be the solution to the educational drama issue? We have just a couple minutes before break. What? What what’s the definition of ultra high net worth. What is how much money? Are we talking about, well, a lot more money than i have? I’ve always said that i really hope to one day be able to be my own client, but for us, ultra high net worth is really defined as clients who have a net worth of twenty five million and more. The reality is that it’s a very open span for those clients, though, with twenty five million and mohr, they usually have a significant out a significant amount of money that they could do something incredibly impactful with their philantech, um, on how much i’m wondering, how much does somebody who has that kind of wealth walk around within their wallet, like, like i have typically, like thirty or forty dollars in my wallet, but so i would probably not be confused for ultrahigh worth of net worth. If someone stole my wallet, i probably wouldn’t i probably couldn’t get away with that, but, you know, like, how much do you think they have just on an average day in the well, how much do you think that carry around? Probably probably no cash. I think that i think that most about very wealthy people typically put most their stuff on cards today. So you know what? Actually, i would go after your wallet if i knew that you were on the street. So just watch thirty or forty bucks, so i was ready. I was ready to go, like, three or four hundred in my wallet, and then it almost be worth it to lose that much if i could get two muggers to think that i’m ultra high net worth. Yeah, yeah. Now they would share the story of the ultra high net worth guy, you know, among their prison friends. And i could, you know, get known that way. But i’m going about it the wrong way. You got to go down so well, no cash. Now, we need to talk about prison reform as faras labbate. Right? So so how can you make sure that those who come out of prison then are better off than when they went in and are telling the story of twenty martignetti being ultra? Yeah, absolutely. We have to take a break when we return. Of course melanie schnoll begun stays with me, and we’ll continue talking about the law of attraction. So i hope you stay with us talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level, and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. Dahna are you fed up with talking points, rhetoric everywhere you turn left or right? Spin ideology, no reality, in fact, its ideology over intellect, no more it’s time, join me, larry shop, a neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven easter for the ivory tower radio in the ivory tower will discuss what’s important to you society, politics, business, it’s, provocative talk for the realist and the skeptic who want to know what’s, really going on. What does it mean? What can be done about it? So gain special access to the ivory tower. Listen to me, larry. Sure you’re neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven new york time go to ivory tower radio dot com for details. That’s, ivory tower radio, dot com e every time i was a great place to visit both entertainment and education listening. Tuesday nights nine to eleven. It will make you smarter. Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com welcome back to tony martignetti non-profit radio. My guest is melanie schnoll begun, and melanie let’s talk about it. When charity’s air trying to solicit gif ts you have your clients who are ultra high net worth, but you have, i think, very valuable advice for any charity that’s trying to solicit any major gift, which maybe five hundred dollars or thousand dollars for some charities. What what’s your you see sort of faulty proposals a lot, don’t you? Yeah, i think that non-profits believe they understand who the donor is, and they prepare something in advance. That’s a critical error, you never know who that donor is, the famous saying. If you’ve met one philanthropist, you’ve met one philanthropist, so we try and tiki non-profits to perform a radical listening, and that means spending the time to really understand why a donor may want to be a donor to their organization. The time will be incredibly valuable both for the non-profit but even more importantly, for the donor, when a donor has the opportunity to talk about what they care about, why they care about the organization’s mission, you hear things you really hear things inside of that conversation inside the conversation in the donor’s hat so radical listening is a skill that we teach non-profits to practice. And that skill is something that serves both board members. It serves the staff of non-profit organizations, and at the end, you’re really giving a service to a donor. I think that most of my clients find that no one listens to them well enough. Yeah, but but a charity that’s that’s soliciting a major gift. However they define that might feel that they’re not going to get another meeting with this person. They go one shot. We finally got the meeting. We got forty five minutes. Way better. We’ve got to lay it all out because we may never get a second meeting that’s, right? So you walk into every meeting with the idea that if i really listen to this donor, i’m going to get the second meeting. If you walk in with a proposal thinking that you know who this person is and what they want to offer your organization, you’re probably guaranteeing yourself that you’re not going to see that donor again. So does it always work? It may not always work if you begin practicing it. Well, if you spend so much time performing discovery on that donor both in the dance of the meeting and then, while you’re sitting at that meeting, i think over time you’ll find that your practice as a fundraiser will dramatically improve. So you’re suggesting that if you can move the donor while while radically listening, then you’ll get a follow-up meeting brightstep my suggestion is, if you are performing radical listening, you will move the donor, okay, okay, even without introducing your mission and your work in the first in the first meeting, right? Because you’re going to hear from the donor what the donor wants to dio instead of telling the donor with a non-profit wants the donor and you do know there’s a threshold interest, otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten the first meeting would have gotten the meeting would have gotten the meeting. So it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s an important skill it’s something that has been written about andi, i think that we can’t live in that fear fundraisers can’t live in that fear that this is joan, or will not be interested in talking to me again. In fact, most of the conversation is not a conversation most of the conversation is letting that ultra high network don’t talk to you, and you’re just there. To listen or again, it could be any level donor, and i’ve had where we have a regular prospect. Research contributor maria simple is on, and she and i have talked about the value of the face to face meetings, and she’s a professional prospect researcher who knows all the web webb resource is, you know, but she still recognizes that the greatest prospect research comes from a good, good conversation, absolutely and and and and he’s absolutely right face-to-face looking the donor in their eyes. In many instances, i think being on the donor’s being in the donor’s territory so a place where they’re comfortable, where it’s an environment either their office, they’re home, maybe somewhere where they’ve recommended that they like to go for coffee. Usually i recommend going for a glass of wine because, you know, does it doesn’t hurt, but her loosen up? Yeah, exactly. I’ve tried to get sam lee boards to have wine here, but he’s not doing it now you’re not really radical listening, right? I just radically demand thanks, you know, but i’m not a charity, so i think i’m exactly only have third example, everything was but you only have thirty. Dollars you’re while you are charity ticket, you can’t get a decent bottle of wine for thirty bucks. So then the careful listening radical listening is goingto inform your valuable proposal when that when it’s the right time, that’s, right meds and the valuable proposal some hints that we give to non-profits as they’re preparing that that proposal brief three points know what are the key issues that you’ve heard? The donor has said to you, the areas where they’re really interested in supporting on ly talk about those areas, right? Putting in a proposal for stuff that you haven’t heard because the organization needs it, but the donor doesn’t want it what’s the likelihood of that getting funded so three typically are the most that we suggested a proposal going backto a donor that you know what they’re interested in, you’re going to get a much better response. Bilich other tips for the for the proposal itself for the written document, you brief couple pages, right? A couple of pages in fact, most of our clients today, they don’t want to read stuff, right? And they fear that if the non-profit is spending so much time and resource is preparing proposals, then they may not be spending the money that i’m giving to the organization i’m doing. The work so in many instances, it’s brief short. In fact, non-profit should ask the donor. How would you like me to prevent to present a proposal? Is it isn’t even something that you want in writing? Or should we just have another conversation? I would welcome that second conversation so that now the second meeting, the donors prepared to do their own radical listening, right? Is there a problem? Sometimes when a donor gets sort of passed off from somebody who knows the work very well to the fund-raising professional who’s goingto the closer it’s like it’s, like in a in a car dealership going to which i have very bad memories of a child. Buying my first car was awful, but at a car dealership going from the salesmen to the finance manager exactly going that office and the door gets closer, you know, but being passed from the maybe the executive director or someone who knows the work well to the closer, the fundraiser doesn’t something get lost there sometimes. Yeah. What? What gets lost is the gift. So no one wants to be handed off everyone in that non-profit organization, both from voluntary leadership to professional. Staff should be able to talk about programming if the executive director is the one who has contact with that donor. If it’s a boardmember who has the contact with that donor, or if it is the professional fundraiser that has the contact with that donor, the conversation could be between those two people bringing others include others in the conversation. But don’t hand a donor. Roth. I have ah ah, client situation that happened with a large university hospital. Incredible organization doing tremendous work. And this client’s unfortunately this this medical institution was not able to save the life of our client’s husband. But he wanted to honor him. She wants to memorialize him. And the doctor who was treating her husband was the individual that he wanted to leave a contribution for. So that he could continue doing the great work that he began with her clothes with her with her husband. Many of the conversations happened between her and the doctor. It was intimate. She could see clearly what she wanted to accomplish. And then when it came down to the clothes, she was handed to a development director. Ah, fine development director. Someone who’s spent years. In the business. But it was so disconnected and she felt that were there. Were you there for the meeting? So i was there after the fact also, i came in to help save the gift. Okay? And we this this donor-centric working with us after he felt that brush off from the doctor and it was completely unintentional. So totally unintentional. It’s just protocol just about innocuous handing off. But it’s, the way things are done, he wasn’t supposed to close that’s someone else’s responsibility. So what? I teach both boards as well as professional staff, it’s, everyone’s, responsibility clothes. If you’re the one who has the relationship, you need to be confident enough to make the ask. And you need to be prepared enough too close. And if it’s, i guess if it’s a really technical gift which it could be a large dollar amounts, then at least include the in your case, the doctor but generally the program the work expert in the conversations don’t leave him or her out in the hall while now the professional closer, you know, goes through his is her stick that’s, right? And you know it. The attorneys thie accountants all the financial advisor’s. All of those professionals need to play a role in the process if the donor wants him to be included in the conversations about the specifics of the gift that’s great, but there’s the technical aspects of giving and then there’s the emotional aspects of giving and what i see getting lost. It’s, it’s, it’s never technique, right? You could draft a perfect trust. It could be absolutely accurate. The document itself could get an a plus plus in any fine law school. But if the donor is not connected emotionally to the gift, it doesn’t matter what the document says. Melanie schnoll begun is managing director, head of morgan stanley, private wealth, management’s philanthropic services and we’re talking about the law of attraction basically had a look good when you’re either soliciting a gift or soliciting someone for boardmember ship, which is what i’d like tio transition to now, okay, appealing to a board appealing to a potential boardmember. Since you’re working with ultra high net worth people, i’m going to guess that sometimes there approached because they’re very wealthy. And how do they feel about that? Yeah, so in the law of attraction, it’s it’s rarely because they’re really good looking now. Many of them might be hot tonight, but it’s usually because they’re wealthy so similar to the idea of marriage. Right? So when i got married, i married for love. I married for looks there’s, you know there’s a little bit of money to that’s all so that’s, always wonderful when you think that before you can say sex on the show is this the part where you were thinking of coming? It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming sex is you have to have a little foreplay before sex. So it’s getting there russia you’re right. That’s been my problem. You’re russian it you’re as well among others, but let’s keep it let’s. Keep it focused on alt-right network from latto let’s. Take this conversation on the bed here. Right? Right, right. So the opportunity of creating a marriage between a potential boardmember and an organization it’s incredibly important. So the the reason donors believe that? Serving a non-profit is an appropriate step for them is because they’ve been courted well, it’s, because they find the organization incredibly attractive and good looking it’s because they want to spend a lot of time with that organization because they want to see that organization grow and really achieve incredible impact very similar to marriage alive know the problem with marriage is is half the men in divorce, so the same is true with non-profit port service, you’re excited at the beginning, right? You can’t wait for that next kiss can’t wait for the next date and then quickly within the first year, if the non-profit doesn’t really know how to work well, play well, dine the donor well doesn’t understand where they like to go to how they like to vacation. If the non-profit doesn’t know how to use the donor to his or her maximum capacity, they get bored, they get disenchanted and the worst thing is donors cheats like just like what happens in many families that fall apart, they begin looking at other opportunities that really do want them thinking that it’s better on the other side there feeling remorse about having joined this board. Everything was great in the beginning that right? The honeymoon stage, but about exactly right, exactly right? So spend your time non-profit should spend their time thinking about whether or not this is a person they want to marry. Is this a person that will bring value to this relation? Can we grow together? And what do we each bring to the relationship? It has to be more than just money again, just like many families, right? If all you’re going after is the wealth than a marriage for many, many years will fall apart, you know the boardmember potential boardmember wants to know that they’re going to be used effectively. That’s right? You’ve utilized way. Don’t use board members. We usually large numbers. Okay. Okay. Um, taking over the show? No. She, um let’s. See, so but a lot of times, board charities need an expertise. We need an accountant or we feel we need an attorney. And in some specialty real estate, maybe or something. So they’re seeking that profession. But that is contrary to what you’re recommending. Right? So i think what boardmember sze need to be on? What boards need to do to get the right. People on their team is they have to look for people different than themselves. What happens with most non-profit boards is you look around the board table and everyone’s the same right, because it’s, a friend introducing another friend. They come from similar backgrounds, specially smaller charity it’s, a friend of the executive director of the founder, absolutely especially small non-profits and specifically, when they’re getting off the ground, right. So it’s, the founder, it’s, the founders best friend, its founder, sister, and perhaps someone who worked for them at one point time or an intern. So non-profits really need to think about how can we bring true diversity to our board? Professionalizing aboard must include accountants, financial advisors, lawyers, but you can’t just look at them as a lawyer, you need to look at them as a lawyer that has a mission that there interest must be tethered, if not tied to the nonprofit organization, that they’re a lawyer that’s their skill set. But ultimately we know that even if they weren’t a lawyer, that they really support the work of that organization. I wantto have you bring something out that we had talked about that very wealthy people are not un interested in working for smaller midsize working among being utilized by small and midsize charities. Is that right? Absolutely. I think that many very wealthy clients believe that they can be better utilised in a small nonprofit organization. In fact, that’s where most of their money came from. So the majority of our client base started their own closely held businesses. And they realise what it means to rule up their sleeves to get dirty. They love that kind of opportunity and nonprofit organizations. So when you come into these large non-profit organizations very bureaucratic, very political. So many individuals that look like them. So it is even mohr attractive for wealthy people to see that you know, my gift. We’ll make a significant difference here, but my time may even be more valuable. Tulani schnoll begun is a managing director and head of morgan stanley. Private wealth, management’s philanthropic services. Melanie, thanks very much for being in the studio. Being a guest, tony. Thanks for having me. It’s. Been a pleasure. Got more live listener love tokyo. Welcome. Seoul, south. Korea. Welcome and chandler, arizona, also, and from minneapolis, my thoughts are with you, the very tragic shooting just yesterday. Very sad thinking about you in minneapolis, minnesota. Now we take a break, and when we return, tony’s take to stay with me. Talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre. Awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city. In pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller, emotional freedom, and greg brady will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve? Save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot order or a nj dot net. Are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you, too? He’ll call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight, three that’s to one to seven to one eight, one eight, three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com. We look forward to serving you. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Duitz no. Schnoll hi, i’m kate piela, executive director of dance, new amsterdam. And you’re listening to tony martignetti non-profit radio. Big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. Time now for tony’s, take two and then after that, it will be emily chan. We’ll be talking about private benefits not dirty, but bad on tony’s take two for my blogged this week is what i mean to be saying i kept up seven tips for small shop planned giving an extra week because i think small shops need encouragement and it’s important. And one of the one of the seven that i’ll talk about this week is just start simple. I had made the point last week that there is great opportunity for small shops and that you shouldn’t be intimidated by planned e-giving the best place to start is very simple gif ts charitable bequests in people’s will and everybody needs a will. Everybody understands what a will is on dh for some small, real small charities that might be the place to stop you might that might be your whole plan’s e-giving program encouraging bequests in a will. If you want to go a little further, you can encourage people to name you as a beneficiary of life insurance policies or their ira or pension. These are all those those air, very simple, being named as a beneficiary. You just encourage your, um your prospects to fill out a change of beneficiary form that they get from the company that administers there, ira or pension, whatever it is it’s very, very simple to do so. One of the seven tips that’s on my block is start simple and my blog’s is that tony martignetti dot com that is tony’s take two for friday, the twenty eighth of september and the forty first show of the year before. Before i bring in emily chan, i gotta send live listener love to my hometown. Well, my current town, new york, new york. Thank you. Finally, we don’t get too many listeners from new york. Where is everybody? Emily chan is a attorney and she is an attorney at neo-sage non-profit and exempt organizations law group, which is in san francisco. She’s, also a principal contributor to the non-profit law blawg she’s, the american bar association’s twenty twelve outstanding young non-profit lawyer i’m anxious to see what she’s going to do in twenty thirteen. You can follow her on twitter at emily chan and i’m very glad that she is one of the regular contributors to the show emily welcome. How are you? I’m doing great. Gene is not going to be with us this week right now. He’s in baltimore right now, working with one of our clients. Okay, so i have ah, costello, but no abbott that’s. All right. Um, we’re talking about private benefits in a moment, but first we want to wrap up a little bit about fiscal sponsorships. There’s a little more. You wanted to leave listeners with from from last month? Yeah, just to wrap it up, i think there’s maybe three things that i want to remind listeners about with physical sponsorship. We were able to talk about it in that short amount of time, but it is a very complicated concept, and more often than not, we see people doing it wrong as opposed to write. So if i have three tips for non-profits, that would be one. Definitely. Do your homework. You get that other one. Give me the cold in book on six weeks to do it right. I read about it. Talk to people to make sure that your organization has a process for oversight. That’s a big area where we see organizations dropping the ball. They just practically speaking can’t do it. And then finally, if you are going to enter into physical sponsorship agreement, make sure you get that contract review because that’s defying everything and all of your rights and the terms and conditions that both parties are agreeing to. Thanks very much, emily. Okay, we want to make sure we set the stage correctly for people on fiscal sponsorship now with private benefits. What are we’re not talking about friends with benefits, my innuendo? Because, you know, that’s just the way i think, for some reason, what are we? What are we concerned about with respect to private benefits? Private benefit is really one of the core concept for public charities because they’re organized for charitable purposes for public purposes and deserved charitable classes. So there’s actually three rules that helped to govern organizations to make sure that they’re in compliance with the federal tax laws and keeping there five, twenty three tax exemption, the three rolls are the private benefit doctrine, the private interment doctrine. And then finally, the access benefit transaction roll some hoping today we can just do a kind of a primer on these three rules to give organizations of better understanding about maybe some areas where they’re starting to tiptoe into violation. Okay, it’s. Interesting. You say primer? I say i always say primer, you know, that’s interesting i could do to short out. You do long i interesting. I don’t know which okay, maybe depends where you go to law school. I don’t know. Where did you go to law school. You see hastings, you see hastings university? Okay. I went to philadelphia temple. So could be a different philosophy thing. Maybe prime ing and priming. Ok, let’s, stay prim and proper when our prime ing and priming and talk about the private benefit doctrine what is what is that one? So this is the broadest rule in its applicability. It’s really? Just saying that in order to be organized exclusively and operated primarily for your exam purposes, you need to serve public purposes as opposed to private interests. So what this mean, really? Some examples would be entering into unfavorable or unreasonable contracts with third parties. It may be serving too small. The class of beneficiaries. Okay, wait, wait. Let’s, let ze unpack this little bit for listeners so unfavourable or unreasonable contracts. What? What does that? What does that look like? You? Yeah, so for example, paying more than fair market value for goods and services. Okayo are agreeing to certain terms and conditions that are just to the detriment of the organization, really giving more to that third party than the organization is getting in return. Okay? And that could be any any vendor doesn’t have tto be anybody who has a relationship to the we’re going to get to those but doesn’t have to have any relationship to the charity at this point right in this in-kind benefits and that’s quite the private benefit rules really the broader because we’re talking about any person, just any person out there saying that you cannot serve their private interests. You really deserve that public interest, okay, right, you’re enriching them unreasonably, and so your public benefit is being eroded, right? And it’s currently the iris acknowledges, though you know with e-giving public benefit, there may be some private interests that benefit from that. So the key for the private benefit doctrine is that any private interests that are served, they need to be incidental. So thie irs looks at it both on it qualitative perspective and saying it’s just a byproduct of serving that public benefit as well, quantitative so that private interests being served needs to be in a substantial amount as compared to the public benefit on an example would be an organization chooses to help with the restoration of a lake for public use. Yeah, and there’s certain properties that live around the lake, those properties are going to increase in value if that lake is improved. But that’s a byproduct of fixing this lake so that the public can come in and use it as a public space. And when they compare it, then hopefully thie value that’s being given to these homeowners that live on the lake, hopefully insubstantial as compared to the public benefit that’s being served by fixing this lake. Okay, way sent. I sent live listener love out to minneapolis, minnesota. That could apply right there because it’s, the land of ten thousand lakes that’s very timely example. Very, very bright. You see, hastings, very good law school. You’re the outstanding young attorney in two thousand twelve, so i’m not surprised at all. You’d make that connection. Okay, so is this. So this is sort of related to ensure ensuring your exam purpose the same as what the irs does when they initially evaluate whether you’re entitled to a tax exempt five oh one c three status, right? This is just sort of same evaluation, but ongoing absolutely and so for organizations out there that are applying for their toxic status, private benefit is a big red flag for the irs in delaying the application or maybe even a denial of exemption. So it’s important to understand this when you’re developing your programs and you’re describing it on your application and also thinking into the future about how you’re going to operate, right? It’s not it’s, not enough to just do it at the outset, meet meet, meet the criteria in the beginning, get your approval and then lose. Lose, i guess lew’s mission focus. Really? I mean, you are supposed to be a public charity, right? Public benefit. Ok. And the organization’s record on this well on their annual information returns so that’s another area that even after they get their exemption, that they need to be cognizant of this rule, and understand that their programs need teo being compliant with this doctrine. So it’s part of the form nine ninety or the nine. Ninety easy there’s an explicit question are you serving? Would say no to that? Yeah, the questions they ask, though, certainly can reveal those types of facts. So when you describe your mission or you describe your biggest program on these are the things that will come up also looking at payments, you know what parties do you have contracts with? What kind of relationship you have with them? All of this information just kind of comes out through the form because it asked so many questions. Okay, interested? I want to send live listener love teo someone who joined us from brisbane, australia live love look live love going out to brisbane. Emily, there is, uh, anything else you want to say about the private benefit doctrine that that broadest of the three, i think that’s i think that’s a good start. You feel you’ve exhausted that. Ok, ok, i’m not exhausted. I’m not saying i’m exhausted. I’m just exhausted the topic way, tio. Now you have the prohibition against private in your mint. I like that word in your mitt spelled with an area of course in your mint is that? How you would say in your mentor, do you say in norman? And you would say in your mind, okay, i thought, maybe hastings, you say it differently than, like primary dreamer. Ok, what’s this what’s, this mean private in your mint? So this this doctrine actually comes from the language in five twenty three of the internal revenue code, which says that no part of him, that earnings of the exempt organization can unearth the benefit of any private shareholder or individuals in your and your to benefit right private, individual or shareholder. Okay. In other words, it means that the organization cannot give a disproportionate share of benefit, too. Specific people and what’s different about this rule on the main difference from the private benefit rules. But it’s looking at just a specific group of people what they call insiders, which are persons who are in a position to exercise significant influence over the organization. So directors the officers and directors right? Sanders to write. And so the most common example of where these problems who comes up is with excessive executive compensation because you’re giving a disproportionate share of benefit to someone who has significant this’s something that we see in the press in the in the popular press a lot. Where a million dollars, nine and a half dollars salaries. And meanwhile, the organization’s cutting the programs. Okay, i mean, it’s certainly an important issue, and it does make people very angry. And when they give their money to the station to find out that you know the disproportionate share going to insiders who have control over the organization but to give to be fair to it may not be a disproportionate share. Me, if it’s a big enough charity, a million dollars salary could be very well justified, right? Yeah, absolutely. Andi, we have just just, uh, let you know, we just have a minute before break or so okay. Um, and i just wanted to point out to there’s other ways that this comes up. For example, paying excessive red paying again less than fair market value for goods and services from an insider. The greg mortenson issue. With central asia institute. There’s. A lot of speculation about whether about organization violated private interment rules because they paid so much to support his book signings and, you know, the publication of his book. And there was a question of what did they actually get in return? There’s. Lots of ways that private interment can happen, even though what we see most commonly is executive compensation issues. All right, we’re going to take a break when we returned. Of course, emily chance days we listen, we keep talking about private benefits, not dirty, but back. Stay with us. Dahna hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it it better because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought. Join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Have you ever considered consulting a road map when you feel you need help getting to your destination when the normal path seems blocked? A little help can come in handy when choosing an alternate route. Your natal chart is a map of your potentials. It addresses relationships, finance, business, health and, above all, creativity. Current planetary cycles can either support or challenge your objectives. I’m montgomery taylor. If you would like to explore the help of a private astrological reading, please contact me at monte at monty taylor dot com let’s monte m o nt y at monty taylor dot com how’s your game want to improve your performance? Focus and motivation. Then you need a spire athletic consulting stop, second guessing yourself. Move your game to the next level, bring back the fun of the sport, help your child build confidence and self esteem through sports. Contact dale it aspire, athletic consulting for a free fifteen minute power session to get unstuck. Today, your greatest athletic performance is just a phone call away at eight a one six zero four zero two nine four or visit aspire consulting. Dot vp web motivational coaching for athletic excellence aspire to greatness. Hey, hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com. Welcome back, emily there’s. No there’s, no rule against doing business with boardmember sze businesses though, right? Of course, no there’s not, but because of these types of private benefit rules certainly you want to be cautious that’s an organization and make sure that you understand what is appropriate and what wouldn’t be appropriate, even if it’s the terms and conditions there all there you also have to think about how the public’s going to do it, and how your supporters and also your critics so that all gets taken into account as well. Okay, are there’s some measures that we can use for what’s what’s market value what’s appropriate if let’s say a boardmember is offering office space for rent for the organisation. But what do we do? A market analysis what’s your advice? Yeah, those are all great. Basically you want to take all the steps to show that it’s being negotiated at arm’s length? I’m getting independent appraisal having let’s say if the contract approved, i haven’t reviewed by an attorney you know, documenting in your meeting minutes what it is that you’re considering and why this is justified and why this is really in further in severe exam purposes. All of those steps are going to help protect the organization on it is important because under this doctrine, there’s no de minimus exception. You know, we talked about with the private benefit doctrine that you can have incidental private interests served with the private and merriment doctrine where we’re just looking at insiders it’s an absolute rule and the way that it’s written on the irish i can actually take away your tax exempt status if you violate it. Now we don’t see that happen very often, but let’s, hold off on that. So so there’s. So when you say there’s no de minimus testing me even just a little bit over, say, ah, market value or a little bit over what would be an arm’s length transaction could be in violation of the prohibition against private inhuman. Yeah. In theory, yes, at one dollars. Okay, okay. You’re right. We don’t see it happen a lot because that is a very city air penalty for let’s. Say something that can be corrected or something. That’s. Very small. An amount. So what the irish did they developed. What is the third rule? The excess benefit transaction rolls. On basically what this does is it creates an immediate sanctions so that the irs doesn’t have to go so far as to i’m takeaway tax exempt got it intermediate sanctions okay, immediate sanctions, so this fool is going to sound very similar, but there are a little there are some differences on this school basically says that an organization cannot provide an economic benefit. Tio what i’m going to call it disqualified person, which i’ll explain in a second have exceeds the consideration that the organization is receiving in return, so disqualified person is similar to the concept of an insider, but they want to use a different term for it. You could have just said the supplies for insiders, there was someone and there’s a little nuance to it, it’s someone who has a substantial influence over the organization within the last five years. So we’re thinking of the same type of people, though high level managers, directors hyre speeding, please let’s say papa upleaf founders the same types of people that they choose to call it disqualified person under this role on basically if it found that there’s an excess benefit transaction, the penalty now is an excise tax. So it’ll be twenty five percent of the excess benefit tax to the disqualified person. You received that. Okay, let’s, unpack this a bit. All right. So it’s paid by the individual, right? It’s paid by that disqualified person to dp. Okay. And they could actually get bumped to a two hundred percent tax if they don’t correct it. Ok, ok. Also important for organizations is an organizational manager can also get taxed if they knowingly and willingly approved that transaction as tax tax as an individual. You mean yes. Ten percent of the excess benefit up tio twenty thousand dollars. Okay, so the organization would be prohibited in these cases from from paying these excise taxes for the individual. And it would be inappropriate for the organization to pay the taxes because there are certain indemnification that an organization can provide again, this is going to be a state law that california, for example, a breach of your fiduciary duty takes you out of being qualified indemnification. So here, if you’re you knowingly and willingly approving a gn xs benefit transaction, that certainly, you know, raises the concern about reaching a fiduciary duty and having approved that and so, organizations again doing their homework, getting reliable third party dahna toe look at asking for professionals for, you know their ex offgrid opinion on the matter. Those are all things that help protect the organizational managers from ever finding themselves in this situation on def, they if the charity pride tried to pay the excise tax, that could be in violation of the prohibition against private in your mint, keep going. Good. It’s a grand circle. Okay, we have to leave it there. Oh, god. You have one more point. You can make it a few seconds. Yeah, organisations would also look up and you’re going to put me in jarring in jail a procedure called a rebuttable presumption of reason. Profnet oh, my goodness. She does this with ten seconds left. Idea rebuttable presumption of reasonable this. Go ahead. Googling it’s a three step process that organization’s community based we give some the presumption that they’ve done a reasonable entered into a reasonable transaction with these disqualified people. So we don’t need to get into the details but write it down. Look it up. Okay. Say the phrase one more time. Rebuttable presumption of reasonable next-gen multi-channel. Is an attorney at the non-profit exempt organizations latto group in san francisco and our one of our regular legal contributors. You can follow her on twitter at emily chan. Thanks for being on. Emily would talk to you in just a couple weeks. You’ll be back, thank you very much. My thanks also, of course, teo melanie schnoll begun and the people at her company at morgan stanley who help arrange that interview next week nufer ends at events andrea nirenberg is president of nierenberg consulting group. She wants you to deepen and broaden the relationships that you create with people who come out to your events. We’re going to go deep and broad sounds promising and amy sample ward she’s going to kick off her new exalted status as social media contributed to the show, you’re going to be on once a month. We’re going to talk next week about designing for engagement, andi that maybe a jog in jail before she even gets on the show? I don’t know, maybe i’m a take her mug shot between now and next friday, designing for engagement, social media, new social media contributor amy sample ward shall i unpack it? For you, trust me, have you joined? Are linked in group? We have members from galveston, texas, dubuque, iowa, and muncie, indiana, where ball mason jars come from. Are you in the linked in group? You ought to be because you can continue the conversation with guests at that site. I do it. I asked questions follow-up questions, and in fact, i have a perfect one for emily. If you’re going to talk a little about that rebuttable presumption on the linked in group, i have a new fund-raising fundamentals podcast up just up this week, recruiting the best volunteers for your fund-raising this is the podcast that i do for the chronicle of philanthropy, you’ll find that ten minute podcast on itunes it’s, also on the chronicle of philanthropy website and again, it’s called fund-raising fundamentals wishing you best luck. Good luck, the way performers do around the world last week was italian in cool. Oh, allah bolena, and i’m wondering if you are still in the ass of the whale, you’re gonna have to stay there for another week because not till next week. We’ll have a new language lesson for you and a new way performers wish. Each other luck. Our creative producer was claire meyerhoff. Sam liebowitz is line producer shows. Social media is by regina walton of organic social media and the remote producer of tony martignetti non-profit radio is john federico of the new rules. Oh, how i hope you will be with me next friday, one to two p m eastern, at talking alternative broadcasting, which is always at talking alternative dot com. I didn’t think that shooting the ending. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. E-giving e-giving it’s. Hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it better, because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought. Join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three the conscious consultant helping conscious people be better business people. You’re listening to talking alternative network at www dot talking alternative dot com now broadcasting twenty four hours a day. Hey! This is tony martignetti athlete named host of tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent technology fund-raising compliance, social media, small and medium non-profits have needs in all these areas. My guests are expert in all these areas and mohr. Tony martignetti non-profit radio fridays, one to two eastern on talking alternative broadcasting are you concerned about the future of your business for career? Would you like it all to just be better? Well, the way to do that is to better communication. And the best way to do that is training from the team at improving communications. This is larry sharp, host of the ivory tower radio program and director at improving communications. Does your office need better leadership, customer service sales or maybe better writing speaking skills? Could they be better at dealing with confrontation conflicts, touchy subjects all are covered here at improving communications. If you’re in the new york city area, stop by one of our public classes or get your human resource is in touch with us. The website is improving communications, dot com that’s improving communications, dot com improve your professional environment, be more effective, be happier and make more money. Improving communications, that’s. The answer. Dahna

Nonprofit Radio for September 21, 2012: Abbondanza Alliances & Claire’s Cliches

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Listen live or archive:

Tony’s Guests:

Rosanna Imbriano
Rosanna Imbriano: Abbondanza Alliances

Rosanna Imbriano–a true Italian–and principal of RI Consulting, encourages you to secure strategic alliances that expand your marketing and save your marketing budget–because they cost you nothing.

This segment with Rosanna has a survey. Please take a moment to answer three quick questions. You’ll find it below. Thank you! If you could also share it with other nonprofit professionals, I would appreciate it.
 

Claire Meyerhoff
Claire Meyerhoff: Claire’s Cliches

Claire Meyerhoff returns. She’s principal of The Planned Giving Agency and creative producer of Nonprofit Radio. This week she’s got cliches aplenty for you to avoid and simpler words to replace them with. The show’s Jargon Jail is sure to suffer overcrowding.

 
 

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Here is a link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZK698ZR


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond. Always with you in mind.

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Zoho dahna oppcoll hello and welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for your for the other ninety five percent. I’m the aptly named host. Oh, do i hope you were with me last week? I’d be in distress if i learned that you had missed last week’s show, which started with small shop planned e-giving claire meyerhoff is the principle of the plan giving agency and this show’s creative producer. We talked about marketing gift planning in ways that are not same old, same old for small and midsize charities. Claire turned the tables and interviewed me at last year’s national conference on philanthropic planning and last week events technology, scott koegler was with me to help you with event planning, he shared free tools to collaborate with the volunteers, employees and vendors who were putting your events together. Scott is our regular technology contributor and the editor of non-profit technology news this week aban danza alliances roseanna imbriano a true italian and principle of our eye consulting encourages you to secure strategic alliances that expand your marketing and save your marketing budget because they cost you nothing and claire’s cliches. Claire meyerhoff returns two weeks in a row it’s too much already she’s, principal of the plan giving agency on dh, still creative producer of this show this week, she’s got cliches, plenty of cliches for you to avoid and simpler words to replace them. Jargon. Jail is sure to be overcrowded this week between the guests on tony’s take to my block this week is seven tips for small shop planned e-giving. I don’t think that requires any explanation. Are you on twitter while you’re listening? If you are, use the hashtag non-profit radio to join our conversation at this moment, we take a break, and when we returned roseanna imbriano and a bonanza alliances stay with me. They couldn’t limp dick, dick tooting, getting thinking, you’re listening to the talking alternative network, itching to get anything. E-giving, you could joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city in pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller, emotional freedom, and greg brady will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve? Save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot, or or a h a n j dot net. Hi, i’m donna, and i’m done were certified mediators, and i am a family and couples licensed therapists and author of please don’t buy me ice cream are show new beginnings is about helping you and your family recover financially and emotionally and start the beginning of your life. Will answer your questions on divorce, family, court, co, parenting, personal development, new relationships, blending families and more. Dahna and i will bring you to a place of empowerment and belief that even though marriages may end, families are forever. Join us every monday, starting september tenth at ten a m on talking alternative dot com. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Welcome back to big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent with me now is roseanna imbriano. She is a marketing strategist and consultant, she’s, the owner of our consulting, which you’ll find it r ight consulting llc dot com she is past president of the essex chapter of new jersey association of women business owners and his marketing director for the center for italian and italian american culture. Mary-jo no, senora, welcome, amjad no, tony, actually bump a gritty joe. Oh, i’m stumped already. What does that mean? Good. I mean, good afternoon. Okay. Thank you. I said, well, good one, john doe is ok. Can i use that? Anytime? Of course. Okay. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to correct me, so don’t don’t don’t jump it small, small things that i get the half right. Well, you’ve already tagged me as a true italian, so i have to live with that. All right, all right. We’re talking about strategic alliances. Abbondanzieri, alliances. What is your definition of a strategic alliance? Ah, a strategic alliance. Our two entities that are committed to each other’s success. It’s that simple. That simple. Okay, what do they what sort? Of things, do they do they do together? What? Where they committed to each other’s success. Well, uh, first of all, because it’s beneficial to both of them, uh, you want to start when you’re dealing with a non-profit teo, look at where are their supporters coming from eyes their common thread. Is there something that is unique to both of them? And you start to develop a plan of what do they need to do together? What are their goals? What? What were they looking to accomplish? Okay, so i put it down on paper. Okay, so we’re starting to look. We’re sorry. Look, for commonalities, something in common maybe could be same constituency could be related. Work would be one’s work and maybe one’s interest in in joining that work. But they’re not currently doing it. Would that be acceptable, partner? Yes, acceptable. Someone whose mission statement is similar. Okay, i pulled the listeners before the show and asked, have you looked outside your organization for other charities or cos you can ally yours with? And i think it’s very positive. One hundred percent said yes, they have done that. And the other option was no, i better listen to the show, hopefully people other than the survey listeners are listening to the show because it is only that i mean the survey completed because it was only a survey complete er’s then they wouldn’t be listening to the show unless they wanted to get even more than just strategic alliances from it. So hopefully there’s other people, but i’m sure there are no yes, and it also is that maybe those people who actually doing things on and have developed these strategical lines can do it more efficiently. They want to learn more exactly it’s where they’re listening to the show. What? What a business development person you are for me. Thank you. So now we have identified that we can save some money at this too. These don’t need to be costly, right? Yes. It is a miss in the marketing community. Uh, that in order to create business or create revenue, you need to throw money at marketing. Okay, you don’t really have to spend thousands of dollars. Some of it is right underneath your nose in terms of developing business, it’s just a different way of thinking outside the box. And so for little. Or no money. We can also get sort of ah, multiplier effect, because you’re going to be learning and gaining from your your alliance partner correct, i have actually had non-profits i’m working with or have worked with in the past that have increased their donations, or they’re giving ten percent with a one strategic alliance, okay? And but of course, it doesn’t end with increased giving. You could maybe increase volunteers or maybe gained new board members, right? I mean, there’s other things besides just giving go ahead so well in the nonprofit world, we’re always looking to do a lot more with less, and we all know that if you have been in non-profit you know that especially in these economic times, so you’re trying to think outside the box of what can you d’oh? How can you multiply your success? Whether it’s having people attend an event, whether it’s donations, whether its membership, um, there’s so many different ways and you can have strategic alliances in different areas, they don’t necessarily all have to result in just donations. So that’s the in the box thinking you need to step out of the box. Okay, so are there. Other things than the ones i mentioned that could be gained from a strategic alliance. Yes, um for instance, who you definitely have membership. You have donations. You have attendance at different events from you. If you’re doing a huge fundraiser, uh, and you want to have two hundred people that will how do you get for hundred people there? So it’s it’s different things that you want to look at? You wantto align yourself with maybe a different venue vendors that air providing services to the non-profit different other organizations that have the same mission statement. It’s endless. Okay, okay, way have just about a minute before a break. So why don’t we just start to talk about how do you start to find these partners? And then we’ll take a break and continue it. Okay, what i usually do when i’m working with non-profits has asked them where their supporters are coming from and kind of get a baseline of what they’ve done in the past and what they haven’t tried. And then then i go a little bit further and then start to do the creative part. Okay, the that thinking beyond what they’ve been doing, correct. Okay, all right. We’re going to take our break when we returned. La senora, the true italian. Rosana imbriano stays with me, she’s, a marketing strategist and consultant, and we’re going to continue talking about strategic alliances. Stay with us, talking alternative radio, twenty four hours a day. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level, and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. Dahna are you fed up with talking points, rhetoric everywhere you turn left or right? Spin ideology, no reality, in fact, its ideology over in tow, no more it’s time, join me, larry shot a neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven easter for the ivory tower radio in the ivory tower. We’ll discuss what you’re born, you society, politics, business and family. It’s, provocative talk for the realist and the skeptic who want to know what’s, really going on. What does it mean? What can be done about it? So gain special access to the ivory tower. Listen to me, larry sharp, your neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven, new york time go to ivory tower radio dot com for details. That’s, ivory tower radio, dot com e every time i was a great place to visit for both entertainment and education. Listening. Tuesday nights nine to eleven it will make you smarter. Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com wait! Duitz honey. Way i see the marquis. Miree tim that’s not booker t and the mgs that is michael castaldo, he’s singing brooch piela terra the theme from the godfather the reason i decided to play that is because michael introduced metoo roseanna and i wanted teo give a shout to michael. You can hear more of his music at michael castaldo dot com sabelo j c senora altum piela sabelo chairman’s what a beautiful grayce voice, of course, let’s see, i’m all i’m all a flutter now with different music. I’m i’m used to booker t and the mgs singing jelly jelly jelly roll okay, way. We’re talking about how you start too find the strategic partners are going to be that are going to be with an alliance with you. So how do we how do we get started with that? Well, we definitely have tio have a baseline when i’m working with a new non-profit you need a baseline, you need to know what they’ve done in the past and what they have not tried, according to to the strategy i implement with them and start to look at, uh, alliances that they currently have and then look at alliances that they may need to. Develop uh, i am definitely in the frame of mind to understand and teo latto isolate that this doesn’t does not need to be a process in which you need to spend a lot of money to do. You may spend the money in furthering relationships, but not necessarily to develop them on. And then once you’ve identified, you know and you’ve identified a partner, you want to know what their goals are, what goals are what your goals are. Wait, let’s, not go let’s, not go too fast. We still have to need some help identifying the right partners. You and of course, a consultant could be indispensible for this. But there are small charities that may need to do it on their own. I would think networking is a part of trying to find the right organization, right? You want to be out there in the community? Absolutely. You want to have a very professional web presence? Some of the charities that i have work with, uh, have excellent websites. Very easy to use. Very that you can maneuver and find them very easily. They have very clear, clean look, help them. Whatever makes the process simple and if you make it difficult for feeding people to find you, they’re not going to find you, obviously, and and while they’re looking for you, you could be out on the web looking for for for partners as well. How would that research where’s that research look like? Well, it depends on, you know, again identifying what you’re looking for, that’s half the battle on, once you identified the type of person that the type of alliance that you want, then it makes it easier to search the web, of course, okay, and we’ve been talking about outside partners, but this you could have an alliance with people that are already known to you, they’re just they’re not sure how to how to help you write direct or they’re not sure how to help you. So when you have these partners, they act as an advisory board as a board of directors that can help you grow your business and buy-in versa. Okay, i got to send some live listener love out. Troutdale, oregon welcome carrollton, texas welcome, dalton, georgia. Welcome, welcome live listener love going out to the pacific northwest. This and the south, mid and southeast. You talked? A little about goals. What might some of our goals of these strategic alliances b the goal for any non-profit of courses is donation worships? Uh, getting people out to events, tendencies if you have a gal, a golf outing and you have no one that comes so you know, it makes it’s no use or if you’re promoting that gal thought in three weeks before the event it’s not working, but if you take your database and within the database, you have organizations that you are aligned with that have, um, you know, an email database of ten thousand each, then multiplied your success. Okay, right. So, there’s, your multiplier, because you’re going to be sharing marketing in your example, you’re going to be sharing marketing with them, and they’ll be sharing with you and correct there’s, your there’s, your multiplayer. Okay, those of course, our relationships that are concrete that are developed and there’s a win win for both parties, right? What? So now, how do you translate some of your goals or your specific goals for the alliance into the right strategic alliance partners? Well, because you’re you’re going to determine what the goal is for both. Parties, you’re going to determine what are what are both parties looking to get out of the relationship? And is it feasible? Okay, i’m going to evaluate that over a period of time. But, i mean, as you’re doing your research to try to find the right partners, how do you go from the goal of, you know, we want more people at our golf outing next year to finding the partners that are going to help you do that to researching, you know, finding the right potential partners, right? You’re going to see if you can find the people who are commited the people who are have a vested interest in your organization in your mission and may be a partner for that particular event. A corporation, you know, a donor aa sponsor. Okay. Okay. Um and when we have identified the right alliance partner or partners, then i assume there’s some negotiation that goes on, say little about that. Yeah, you want tio? I don’t get too involved in the process. What i’d like to do is basically to write the goals down and tow. Have both parties sign it so that we know six months from now. What have we committed to and what was your portion of the deal? And what is my portion of the deal and agreed to that? Because over a period of time, people tend to forget what they promised each other, right, so and then evaluated. Okay on, we’ll get to those steps, but but the process of negotiating what’s going to be in the agreement, you know, you’ve got to give some i’ve got to give some and there’s just going, tio, we’re trying to accomplish i’m sorry. So based on what gold both parties are trying to accomplish, okay, right? And now you said you like to see this in a assigned writing should both parties actually be signing this? I believe that you should have the commitment. Yes, my my attitude has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years on that tony on ly because, like i said, i people have short memories. Sounds like you got your client’s got screwed is what you’re saying. Well, now, you know they’ll say, well, now i didn’t promise you that. Well, yes, you did. Uh, people forget what they always sit down when you’re having a meeting. And people forget so a one page document of both parties. Responsibilities signed by both parties, i think, makes more sense. Okay. And isn’t usually the executive director seo’s that you see having these conversations or is it somewhere lower or board level? What, depending on mott non-profits it’s usually the executive director? Yes. Okay. Okay. And of course, there’s an important something else you touched on evaluation, of course. So you say something about evaluating this? Well, in order for this strategic aligns tow work, both parties have to be committed. It has to be a win win if one party is winning and the other one is losing than over a period of time. It’s just going to fall apart. So you want to make sure that you evaluated every three months hyre so that neither one of the parties is wasting too much time. If the alliance is not working or if the alliance is working, just how do how do we make it work more efficiently? Okay, so we’ll go back to that written document and evaluate based on that correct and then makes the adjustment. Okay? And we can’t be afraid. Teo cut ties when things aren’t going so well, correct? There is not working for either party. It really is not it’s a waste of time and money. Okay. You have, ah, client example of successful alliance that you want to share. Yeah, actually. For the non-profit i am currently involved with, uh, which is the centre for italian? Italian american culture is an organization that has been in existence twenty one years. Um, i been in my position for the last three and a half. Last year. We were able to produce for our annual fundraiser events seventy two thousand dollars in one night. Okay. And that was significant increase, i assume, over past years, correct. It was one of the most successful in twenty one years. Okay, so it’s, not like the year before was seventy one thousand five hundred. Okay, we probably took it to the point where we did double or tripled. Um, the success. Okay. Okay. I pulled listeners for their own success around strategic alliances. And about eighty five percent said either they’ve done this either very successfully or somewhat successfully. About fifteen percent said no, not not so successful. What? What problems have you seen that we can help listeners overcome onda void when you’re developing these alliances, they both parties need to be committed. Okay, sometimes you have situations in which one party is not as committed as the other, and so there’s sort of an imbalance there. So even though even though they commit, they’re not really committed, correct? They make promises, they don’t promise, they promise and don’t deliver. Yeah, okay. Okay. So how do you how do you make sure that you’re alliance partner is serious. Ah, well, you start by choosing the right partners. It’s, just like a marriage. You start by choosing the right partner, right band. If if if. If you’re not choosing the right partner from the beginning, it really makes no difference how much effort of time or money you’re putting into it. It’s really not gonna work? So, exactly. But how do we do? Make sure that we’re getting the right partner, like instinct and research of you know what? What’s your advice around, making sure we got that right, partner. You have to kind of feel it out. It’s every every relationship is different. Every it depends on whether it’s a new relationship or something that has been there’s a history there. You have to really evaluate each individual situation is different, but you want to trust your gut instinct if your instinct for me it’s instinct, not for a lot of other people, i can pretty much read whether the relationship is going to work or not work for the non-profit or a client. Okay. On dh. Probably a good idea to maybe start small in your alliance. Start with a smaller project to do together is what i mean, something like that. Something maybe that works that way. But there many times, like in your particular industry, finding a person who has ah, ah, lot of money that they want to donate to a tower charity would be wonderful. Uh, and you know, something like that. How do you start small? You really don’t it’s a person who either want to do it or they don’t. So it’s. Very simple, simple process and my job as a consultant to these entities, there’s, just to make the process simple for both parties. Okay. Um rosanna, why don’t you share with us? What? What is what is it that you that you really love about bringing? The right parties together what really moves you about this work? Okay, we’re fortunate to live in the united states of america where non-profits thrive and that there’s a non-profit so for every mission, every possible issue out there and what what brings me the satisfaction i had for many years and continue to have a client who every christmas donates to annoy organization called oasis in patterson, and the client donates thousands of dollars every year to this non-profits the women and children could have a wonderful christmas, which they wouldn’t ordinarily have. And for me, those kind of matching up people to for a greater good is really what i live for. Ok? And how long have you been doing this work? I’ve actually been doing this all my life, but in my own business for about twelve years. All right, now you contributed to a book by new jersey women business owners. Why don’t you tell people what? What about that book and where they can find it? Okay, the book is called jersey women mean business. The big both business advice from new jersey business women owners, business owners. I’m sorry. And they could get the book at. Uh uh. Woodpecker, press dot com www dot woodpecker press dot com it is a compilation of seventy two business women across the state of new jersey. It was the brainchild of the publisher, dahna thompson. Yeah. To bring all these business women and their expert teeth to the economy and to grow the economy. Okay. Now all the contributors are not italian, though, are they? They are not, but added seventy two, we have about twenty one, twenty two women that are italian in italian american descent. Dahna third. Okay. That’s pretty good. Right? Was still still recommend the book. Okay? Yep, yep. Way. Okay, you’ll find that it woodpecker press dahna dahna thompson, by the way, is italian american. So is our editor, joyce christine. Oh, and our graphic design who person? Richelle bonem isa. So all these women together are a force to be reckoned with. Okay, alongwith you. Rosana imbriano is a marketing strategist and consultant. You’ll find her at our eye consulting. L l c dot com assume our eyes is not rhode island. That’s who’s on imbriano. Okay, it’s. Quite a coincidence. If you were in rhode island that we even better. That would be even roseanna, thank you very much for being against tony is my pleasure, it’s, always a pleasure to spend some time with you, and i think what you’re doing for non-profits is is a tremendous asset said in that industry. Oh, thank you, thank you so much, although buttering me up is not going to get you on the show. So it’s too late for that, but thank you for your kind words. I’ve gotta send live listener love, teo, somerset, new jersey, mountain view, california. Cool rest in virginia, all these different states, i love it, live listener, love out, tio, california, virginia and new jersey, where rosana imbriano was from stay with me. And when we returned, it’s tony’s, take two, and then claire’s cliches. Told you. Hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it better, because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Have you ever considered consulting a road map when you feel you need help getting to your destination when the normal path seems blocked? A little help can come in handy when choosing an alternate route. Your natal chart is a map of your potentials. 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Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business, why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com if you have big ideas and an average budget tune into the way above average tony martin any non-profit radio ideo, i’m jonah helper from next-gen charity. Welcome back, it’s, time for tony’s take two at roughly thirty two minutes into the hour. My block this week is seven tips for small shop planned e-giving and i want to focus on just the very first one of those seven, which is you don’t have to be big to be successful at planned e-giving lots of opportunity in planned giving for small shops you basically to start with big quests or iras or something that’s, just simple for people to understand and easy for them to execute and that’s very common in people’s lives like a will or like an ira or a pension, and you just encourage people to include your charity buy-in one of those methods, you don’t have to have expertise and sophistication either on your board or as consultant, or even now in your development staff. I just want to break down the the perception and the myth that you have to be a big shop to be successful in plant e-giving it’s just not so, and there are six other tips for small shop planned e-giving on my block, which is that tony martignetti dot com and that is tony’s take two for friday, september twenty first, the fortieth show of the year. Now at the break, i had a text message. Someone requested that i play mala femina which again, my bad italian. But i’m gonna soon. Mala femina means bad lady and here’s our bad lady clare markoff climb arika half. How are you? Welcome. Hi, tony. Thanks for having me on the show. It’s. My pleasure always to have you back. Claire’s, of course, principal of the plant e-giving agency and she’s, creative producer of this very show. And this week we’re talking about claire’s cliches. Why are cliches bad, claire? Well, cliches, they’re bad because they’re old and they’re tired and they’re worn out and when you’re a non-profit trying to inspire people to volunteer for your cause, care about your cause and especially donate money your cause then you’re writing should not be tired and worn out. It should be fresh and vibrant and draw you in ok, but these air phrases that we phrases and sometimes just single words that we all understand that is a is a common understanding, even if there may be a little wordy. What’s what’s the problem with everybody, you know, if you’re using something that everybody, everybody grasps easily, well, you know, it depends on every single situation, so in some situations, when you have no time to think and you’re in a real hurry and, you know, a cliche is what comes to mind? Well, yeah, then just, you know, spit it out and use it and if your audience is, you know, inspired by that word great, but for the most part, what i find is that when people do use cliches and these air things like, you know, staying ahead of schedule or, you know, there’s millions of them and we’ll go through a list, but when people use cliches often times it’s just because they were in a habit, right? It’s a habit of using it and a lot of times what it signals to me is that if you’re in, like, a habit of using these phrases over and over, like, make a difference, make a difference, maybe it’s time for something new, and perhaps you need to re think your entire communications system and what you’re doing and what you’re telling people if you’re falling back all the time on cliches and jargon, okay, i assume you would you also would argue for economy of words, maybe using fewer words sometimes to say the same thing. Like you said the example you gave forget which phrases but another one at the present time or something you like. You like it exactly, because tony, think about how most people learn how to write you learn how to write when you’re in school, especially when you get to college so your college freshmen and you have to turn in a paper and the teacher wants fifteen pages. So as you write, you’re just like your so effusive you do just like all these words come out of you because, you know, gosh, i’ve gotta fill up fifteen page if i need to sound smart and important, so you start writing like that. But then when you get to the real world, not that many people are looking for a fifteen page paper from you’re either a five page paper from you, bennett, he needs five words from you write like a really nifty thing on a twitter or facebook or or in a postcard or something that you’re sending to your donors just a few lines to really? Did someone excited about something? It’s, not a fifteen page paper, even a two page paper. So economy aboard is really, really important to sort of change your whole mindset from that writing for writing sake to writing for, you know, being exciting and being interesting and really making your point in in a clear way that paints a picture in the person’s mind, okay? And you’re not being paid by the word. No, you’re not being paid by the word, not at all. A matter of fact, you should be thanking yourself is being paid for the fewer words, maybe you get a bonus instead of getting paid like, you know, ten cents a word instead, you’re getting paid like you know, one hundred dollars if you khun, if you could do it in half the words or something, if you think about if you think about okay, you want you want charity clarity, right? Hey, that’s! Good. I like that charity clarity. Okay, cool. You’re always pointing new phrase change one letter. I know charity clarity school alright. Came up with one the other day with one of my clients at the national wildlife federation and we had something that at first seemed terrible. This thing happened right with the letter we were sending out, and we thought it was a terrible thing. But then, all of a sudden, we realize, wait a minute, maybe that’s. Not a bad thing to think that through. And so the phrase we came up with horror and hope. Of course, i’m a fan of alliteration, ze mean, we’re here talking about claire’s cushions, so horror dankmyer strikes, right, right? Uh, right. So what? You’re gonna run time with something you think? Well, maybe there’s hope in this first you’re horrified, but maybe there’s, hope, horror and hope. Um, let’s. See? So your your interest in this goes back because you’re old radiohead, u did radio journalism? I mean that’s ah, you got to be concise in radio journalism, don’t you? Absolutely and that’s where? That’s where i come from, i’m a non-profit girl through and through mostly and fund-raising especially with plan giving, marketing and that’s what i do now, but my background is i was a in the broadcast duitz business, so i worked in radio news as a reporter and anchor it all news radio station, and i’ve also worked at cnn as a news writer, writing especially on some of the international shows, so but i always like to tell people, is when they say, well, gosh, i don’t think that i can explain our mission, you know, in in three sentences final it’ll go on and do that. I always say, you know what? I think if i could explain the ethiopia eritrea border conflict in three sentences and tell you the latest what’s going on with that conflict, give you some person effective and some background and what’s next, if i could do that in three seconds, if i think we could talk about your food pantry and i love your drop names to national wildlife federation, cnn, you know, so she squeezes those in there it’s but their admirable well, they’re the truth that our revolution and and that’s the thing and it’s details and and when you talk about writing details are actually what make it interesting, because as soon as i say, like i was a writer at cnn, like, you know what that means, like you picture that you’re like, wow, you know, when i see the person reading that on tv and i see the person covering that story, yes, someone has to write that. So when i say national wildlife federation that’s so it’s a big non-profit that you know, that has a has a big old mission. You know exactly what it is. So details are really important and writing rather than a bunch of fluffy. Words aren’t any details? Ok? Charity clarity what i always love about cnn is the people who write the the crawl i always admire, but the you know, for listeners, i don’t know what the crawleys keep myself out of jargon jail that that those words at the bottom of the screen that air that air crawling across and describing you said, you know, ethiopian eritrean border conflicts, but they’re doing it in the twitter space one hundred forty characters or less. That’s that’s really amazing, right? Sort of the original twitter when you think about it long before twitter, you had the crawl across the bottom of the screen and crawl started pretty much with breaking news, even in your local television station, maybe dio something going on, you would see that it would be like, you know, weather alert, you know, tornado warning in effect for these areas so that’s really where the crawl started and then when cable news became all the rage, you know, they started doing crawls to and, you know, think about the crawl right it’s like you’re listening to a story about the economy and business, but then there’s a crawl on the bottom that’s telling you like fifty other things, including the fact that lindsay lohan has been arrested again. So it’s it’s it’s the crawl you khun and she just she just hit somebody in new york city i think just just, she said, but it is always time latto proportion he was just looking for the money. Ok, well, really interesting that you’re non-profit involves lindsay lohan called go for what we were talking about the crawl and we were talking about writing for writing for broadcast and here’s the really important thing that you learn what you write in broadcasting and it’s called the teas and it’s a little thing that you say before you know what’s coming up i hate those damn things i hate that cheez its such a tease in the shadows dankmyer get you to stay tuned. For instance, i just thought someone about about writing teases and teases that’s applicability to toe like facebook and to your block and you know headlines for block to get people to come and read your block to read the post so if you tell them what’s in it, if you say like, you know, unemployment is up sixteen percent, you know, or whatever. Then then you’ve already told them the news and there’s no reason st john to read your blood if you say, if you say, you know, fascinating news about unemployment statistics coming up next, you know, like, oh, god, i need to hear that e i know you’re complaining, but the fact is that work, you’re doing a good job and they were i know i’m complaining because they work, they keep me teased and then what? I really get annoyed with me. All right? I’m so annoyed i gotta send out live listener love because got to counteract my annoyance live listener love staten island, new york welcome international china non jin welcome korea welcome korea welcome china more close to home. Welcome staten island live listener love out to those three as well as we still got california, virginia, new jersey, georgia it’s, incredible, texas okay, i feel better know the reason i don’t like to tease is because it works, but you know, what really gets me about the tease is when they tease it and then there’s the commercial break and then they don’t, then they don’t fulfill and then and then wolf blitzer teases, and then he teases it again before the next commercial. Yeah, that’s, that that is very, very annoying. And i do if i’m going to be teased like that, i want i want to pay for it. And then and then, if there’s no real payoff like if it’s the greatest thing you’ve ever seen, like the greatest video you’ve ever seen in your life, then maybe that’s one thing, but if it falls flat, which a lot of times stories d’oh, it’s like you need to deliver. So let’s, think about that in your non-profit writing. So you have a newsletter and you know, it folded up four ways, right? Put in the mailbox and then it lands on your you know, boardmember kitchen counter with all her mail, and she picks it up, right and and it’s it’s folded over his little piece of tape. So you want her to open that. So if you if it’s really like boring on the outside, well, maybe should not even gonna open it, not gonna open it for days. So the thing is to think about what’s on the outside and that little space that you have right a tease. So instead of saying like news and information inside, well, that’s real estate that you’re wasting writing teams there say, like, you know, what’s what’s, the biggest thing that’s happened lately, you know what? That was totally i just thought of that. I mean, i don’t know what your biggest thing is. So even that’s better than then news and interesting information. You look out the information, look how good clarence c i was ranting about wolf blitzer, and she brings it back to the yurt fund-raising newsletter on the kitchen table so so well, so well, adjudicator so thank you. I know i’m grossly inelegant. That’s why claire’s associated with the show to keep me in. I’d like to give a little shout out to the person who taught me everything i knew and that was built. Torrey william tory who’s, the network newscaster worked in neutral radio news and nbc and everywhere else and is a long time d c news guy. And when i was an american university in the early eighties, i’m dating myself here. Oh, my god, you’re really you’re in college in the early eighties. Oh, my god, i was in college in the early eighties, graduated college in eighty three along with my friends julie malkin and angie column these and these are all people now that work for top notch news agencies, and we were all in the same class together. We were young, twenty twenty one year old students in d c very excited about working in the business. Our teacher was built, torrey. And he came from the business which was so important, because in communications, sometimes you get these teachers that are academics, and they’ve never actually worked in the business. But bill had worked, you know, in news and was probably working at the time we had him and he would say things like the beginning of class you take, okay? Let’s say, something’s happening down on you? No dupont circle. How did you get there from here? And, you know, some of the kids to be like, well, i don’t know i’m not very good at directions, but i would raise my hand and say, oh, massachusetts having to make a left and it was it was really interesting. Way to see, like, who could be a reporter? Okay, that was you. Know it’s, that project stuff, so the writing that he taught us was great, because he would say, just say it. So the classic thing i always remembered, all right, one last shot, and then i got to just say, we got to take a break, go ahead, say it, we got to take a break, okay, we’ll make it really quick with the word used, bill said to us. Well, the last time you heard someone say, i saw three youths running down the street, youth, all right, i’m going to quibble with that one, okay, we got to take a break when we returned the way, come back with claire’s cliches, principle of the plan giving agency creative producer of this very show. You may be surprised to know that we have one, but you’re talking. You’re listening to her stay with us, talking alternative radio, twenty four hours a day. Joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre. Awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city. In pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller, emotional freedom, and greg brady will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve? Save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot or or a nj dot net. Are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com way. Look forward to serving you. Dafs you’re listening to the talking alternative network. Welcome back with claire’s cliches, claire meyerhoff. And i just realized, of course mean, before every break i tease. So i’m a hypocrite. Well, learn. You learn from me. So i helped you build out the show. So i taught you about the cases on the brakes and things like that. But you did teach me that much let’s not get carried away. You talking a few things, but no, he taught me a lot about your hot considerably. Yes, my clock. My time sheet. Okay. So youth, you know, what’s. So what’s wrong with saying we do youth youth development or youth mentoring? Well, i mean, that’s. Fine, if that’s if you’re talking to another person in the nonprofit sector, so say you’re at a conference and you need someone and it’s that’s the easiest thing to say, like, well, you know what is what is? What is new beginnings all about? They see your name tag, right says you’re non-profit beginning what’s new beginnings. Hold over your development agency, that person that works in the non-profit they know immediately what that is it’s shorthand. But now when you’re in the real world, if you meet someone at a cocktail party and perhaps there your next big donor, and they say, oh, well, what do you d’oh? I haven’t non-profit called new beginnings really well, what’s that oh, used development, the person might be like let’s say they don’t work in schools or anything even remotely related to that you’re just gonna they’re gonna tune you out instead of saying, well, gosh, you know, we heat we help teenagers that are really having a rough time, and they come to a failing in school and they come to be of a program where they come every day for two hours and by the end of six weeks there, you know, now they’re they’re getting, you know, degrades and and they all have an after school job, right? A detail much richer. Um and yeah, just you, right don’t write for for people in the nonprofit world because a lot of times, you’re not talking to them, all right? Because, you know, shorthanded fine jargon is fine when you’re talking amongst yourself, and sometimes you come up with your own jargon, like like my my favorite client of the national wildlife federation, we have it, we have a term called block and it just means, like, make stuff like, like, oh, we have this new thing all of a sudden she’ll say what we need to block and that just means we know what that means, it’s like, okay, we’ve got to come up with, you know, like the mailings were going to do, and they were going to write things that were going off. We have all these things, and we already know, like what that means, but i can’t go to someone else and say, let’s, watch, right? Of course, that shorthand that we’ve come up with. Now you have a block post work together, you have a block post on this subject, which has a list of jargon, e words, a big list of words and phrases on we’re going to talk about a couple of them, but why don’t you tell people where they can see your comprehensive list of jargon offenses? Well, i’m i’m a frequent tour or sometimes frequent writer and blogger for non-profit marketing guy dot com, which is run by the marvelous stand kitty larue miller, who was really just a genius, and i tend to write for her all kinds of stuff about the media were related to the media, so i wrote a three part series recently about georgian and cliches and writing more concisely and writing more. Okay, where can we find it? Non-profit marketing died dot com mark non-profit marketing guide dot com con word not, or there may be a link to it on your i’ll have to put it on your page. Well, you’re welcome to put it on the show’s facebook page and also the show’s linked linked in group two don’t forget linked in okay, so you go if you go, you know you go to non-profit marketing guy dot com and you’ll see the block and i’m right now. In the second post, my most recent ones so titled jargon jargon, we got jargon, we just have about ninety seconds left. Claire meyerhoff what’s wrong with despite the fact that despite the fact that it’s just long it’s long, why would does anybody say that when you, when you’re talking, despite the fact that no it’s just but okay, all right, i might quibble with some of these not that one i don’t really like, despite the fact that it’s funny it’s like they were, you know, these are from bill torrey, my college teacher had these years ago. And, you know, they’re collected from different sources, like the bbc, the ap, you know, put together by some of these teachers at american university that he worked with, like lincoln, ferber and and and all those guys. So these air list just kind of had around, and he scanned them and sentence which is and wonderful service. What if we render assistance to people? What? What? Everything render assistance to, would you say, would you say i was driving down the street and i saw this poor woman and she had a flat tire, so i immediately pulled over and rendered assistance. I would not say that. I would probably say something more like help. Yeah, i pulled over and helped her system. I would even say assisted right, helped helped. Right? And the thing is, when you use long stuff like that, you know, you could put more details in there. So instead of saying i immediately pulled my car over to the side of the road, you could say, like, you know, she was she was down on her, you know? She was sitting there on the ground that she looked so sad trying to figure out daddy is jack. So i came over and helped, so i helped her way have to leave it there. Claire meyerhoff, principal of the plant e-giving agency. And this show’s creative producer clare, thank you so much for being on again. Thanks, tony it’s. Always a pleasure. My pleasure as well. Even though it’s been two weeks in a row. Still my pleasure, claire. I hope you’ll be with me next week when emily chan will return she’s one of our legal contributors she’s going to be alone. Jean will not be with her she’s from the non-profit and exempt organizations more group and she’ll have something interesting and we’ll have some fun around the law. Have you joined arlington group? You heard me mention it for pete’s sake. Join the group and i’ll stop saying it. You can post your follow-up questions and the guests will answer on the linked in group i host a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy. It’s called fund-raising fundamentals it’s, a ten minute monthly podcast. And that one is devoted to fund-raising topics it’s on itunes, it’s. On the chronicle of philanthropy website. If you like this show, please check it out. It’s called fund-raising fundamentals wishing you good luck the way performers do around the world. I’m keeping it up. I did italian a few weeks ago. That was in boca. Lupo, remember? And the answer the answer was crappy lupo in the mouth of the wolf and let the wolf die. But since we had the real italian roseanna imbriano on today, michael castaldo helped me out and we have another version of the italian as we robbed through with the italians today, michael costello taught me in the ass of the whale and let’s. Hope you don’t take a ship which sounds much lovelier as in cool. Oh, allah bolena and the reply would be sperry. Ah, mo can oncology so i wish you this week in cool. Oh, allah bolena, i hope it’s oh, it’s comfortable in there for you, our creative producers. Claire meyerhoff. Hard to believe, but it’s true. Sam liebowitz is our producer line producer on this show. Social media is by regina walton of organic social media. The remote producer of tony martignetti non-profit radio is john federico of the new rules. Oh, how i hope that you will be with me for another live show. Next friday, one to two p, m eastern on talking alternative broadcasting. The singing live at talking alternative dot com. Dahna sending dick dick tooting, getting dink, dink, dink, dink. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Get anything? Nothing. You could. Hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it better, because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought. Join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three the conscious consultant helping hunters. People be better business people. You’re listening to talking on their network at www dot talking alternative dot com now broadcasting twenty four hours a day. This is tony martignetti athlete named host of tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent technology fund-raising compliance, social media, small and medium non-profits have needs in all these areas. My guests are expert in all these areas and mohr. Tony martignetti non-profit radio fridays one to two eastern on talking alternative broadcasting are you concerned about the future of your business for career? Would you like it all to just be better? Well, the way to do that is to better communication. And the best way to do that is training from the team at improving communications. This is larry sharp, host of the ivory tower radio program and director at improving communications. Does your office need better leadership? Customer service sales or maybe better writing are speaking skills? Could they be better at dealing with confrontation conflicts, touchy subjects all are covered here at improving communications. If you’re in the new york city area, stopped by one of our public classes or get your human resource is in touch with us. The website is improving communications, dot com that’s improving communications, dot com improve your professional environment. Be more effective, be happier. And make more money. Improving communications. That’s the talking.

7 Tips for Small-Shop Planned Giving

Claire turning the tables and interviewing me at last year’s National Conference on Philanthropic Planning!
These ideas come from my interview of Claire Meyerhoff, principal of The Planned Giving Agency, who turned the tables and interviewed me. It played on last week’s Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio and it’s embedded below.

Here’s the executive summary:

 1. You don’t have to be big to do Planned Giving. Dismiss the idea that only big charities with lots of expertise can have a Planned Giving program. It’s not true.

If you’ve been around for at least 5 years and have individual donors over age 60, you’re ready.

 2. Make your message about the donor. Keep your copy free of fundraiser jargon. Here’s your test: would your dad and grandmother get it?

 3. Start simple. Bequests in a will and naming your charity as a beneficiary on life insurance, IRAs and pension plans are easy to promote and easy for your donors to execute. No expertise required.

 4. Say “Thank you.” When you learn of a gift, don’t let your first thank you be the last. A small recognition society is an ideal way to keep donors engaged and regularly express gratitude. You do this for donors who make outright gifts. Your deferred gift donors deserve the same.
 
Give your society a name that’s unique to your organization. Avoid “legacy circle” and “heritage society.” They’re ubiquitous.

 5. Talk about something new. Inaugurating your Planned Giving program is newsworthy. Creating your recognition society is newsworthy. The mere fact of your existence and hard work isn’t enough to get attention. What’s new?!

 6. Ask. If you’re not asking for gifts, you’re leaving money on the table. If planned gifts come in without asking, you’ll get even more when you start asking.

 7. Talk about the impact. Tell us what a bequest will do for your charity. Provide food or clean water? Rescue a cat? Save lives by investigating human rights abuses?

There’s a lot more on this subject in my series for GuideStar, “Make 2010 The Year YOU Start Planned Giving.” It remains timely in 2012.

Here’s the video of my interview with Claire.