p:nm REVEALED!

On a glorious sunny Saturday in mid-July, over 20 hard-working graphic design and communications volunteers gathered in the offices of Surface 51 in downtown Champaign to change the future of the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation.

An amazing makeover of the organization’s look was delivered that day to awe-struck Foundation members looking on. Through project: non-profit makeover, sponsored by do good Consulting and the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization, a new Foundation logo was created (see old and new side-by-side above), then a new website took shape. Webpages began to fill with stories and images, and new letterhead, envelopes, and business cards were designed and ordered.

“I cannot possibly put into words how grateful I am,” said Debby Rehn, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “It was amazing to see all the volunteers become part of the Foundation for a day to advance our cause. And this makeover will advance our cause!”

Everyone knows that the secret to happy, productive volunteers is good food, right? Well, a big shout-out goes to L.A. Gourmet Catering which provided an amazing breakfast and lunch spread to the legions of hard-working volunteers. L.A. Gourmet Catering is run by two dynamic, entrepreneurial Foundation scholarship recipients, Lauren and Annie Murray (the "L" and the "A"). They offer a scrumptious array of fresh, gourmet, customized foods through their business. How special it was to have some of the Foundation's own program participants donate really good food for the day to make the event and its impact even more real.

“The volunteers put their creative talents together to accomplish something that I would have spent years spinning my wheels to come up with,” commented Rehn. “This event is ultimately supporting the future leaders of the agriculture industry!”

Since 1985, the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation has awarded nearly a half million dollars in scholarships to students like Lauren and Annie who are pursuing careers related to agriculture.

“Every time I look at the new logo I think to myself, ‘They nailed it!’” Rehn said of the transformation. “That was not an easy task given the broad scope of agriculture. Thank you!”

See the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation’s new website here.
Click these links to see the Foundation’s new business cards and letterhead. And a shout-out goes to UpClose Marketing & Printing for their willingness to provide discounted business card, letterhead, and envelope printing for the project.

Stay tuned for next year’s project: non-profit makeover where another great non-profit organization will get a total transformation!

ONE SIMPLE ACT: TAKE A BREAK!

In each month’s Doing Good, you’ll find one great tip to implement over the next month. By taking this one small, achievable action each month, you can make big changes in your organization’s and your own performance, increase donations and volunteerism, and expand your group’s visibility. Give it a try!

This month's ONE SIMPLE ACT focuses on taking care of YOU.

Sometimes the best way to do more and better work is actually to STOP doing work. This isn’t news – you’ve heard it a million times – but we all need a little reminder sometimes. Just as a 5-minute mid-morning break helps you clear your head and return to your tasks with renewed energy, taking a few days away from work can help prevent burnout, promote good health, and create mental space for renewed creativity.

August's ONE SIMPLE ACT is: Take a vacation! Even if it’s just one day. Turn off your phone, don’t check your email, and don’t talk or even think about work. Your brain and your body will thank you. And so will your co-workers and clients when you come back to work refreshed and relaxed!

Q&A: Non-profit Budget Diversification

Dear do good:

With all the budget cuts happening at the state level, our organization is not getting the sort of grant funding we're used to. Grants have been the mainstay of our nonprofit budget for years, but it's clear we need to do something different now. We aren't sure what. Help!

- Money Matters, Champaign

Dear Money Matters,

In a situation such as yours, diversification is the name of the game. My immediate advice to you is to sit down with your budget and a calculator and add up the revenue streams that your organization can directly influence; for example: donations, memberships, sponsorships, events, and endowments. Then add up the streams you can't directly control, things like grants and government funding. If the former doesn't add up to at least 50% (and ideally 75%) of your budget, you are in a precarious place!

Imagine for a moment that your group needs to move a large, heavy box. If you only have two very strong people doing the work and one of them drops their end of the box, you are stuck! However, if you involve a large number people in the task, the loss of any one of them will not make or break the job. This is what budget diversification is all about: sharing the load by increasing the variety of support your organization receives.

Foundations make up only 12% of charitable giving while individual donors constitute as much as 83%. Unfortunately, many non-profits still view grant funding as 'free money', even as it plunders development resources without a fair return on investment (i.e., it takes up far more than 12% of your organization's time with a return that doesn't come close to matching your resource investment). Instead, match your efforts to the money available: invite individuals to become donors in a way that is meaningful to them. The stability of a broad resource base is worth it!

As a side note, the principle of diversification also applies when creating a fundraising plan that includes individual major donors. A successful strategy will aim to bring in at least 10 'regular' donations for every major gift that comes in. This in no way means that you should abandon your current funding sources, but that, as resources become available or opportunities arise, you should begin to shift support to the currently underutilized areas of your resource base. Here's to a well-balanced budget supported by a well-balanced fundraising plan!

-Elizabeth Simpson, Group Dynamics Specialist, do good Consulting

Wanted: Non-profits for unique opportunity

Champaign-Urbana area non-profit organizations are being sought to participate in a pioneering opportunity to improve their organization’s effectiveness. The Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is seeking non-profit organizations to participate in an innovative research study and service-learning program to investigate non-profit organizational capacity and develop measures to help organizations identify areas for future growth.

Qualified organizations will be assigned one student enrolled in a non-profit management course from the University of Illinois to work as a volunteer for 30 hours over the fall semester. Student volunteers can assist in a variety of organizational duties, including specific organizational functions, public relations, event planning, fundraising, managing social networking, and establishing organizational partnerships. Upon the completion of their services, each student will prepare a unique and individual comprehensive assessment report that provides suggestions for improving non-profit management for the organization. The quality of each student’s report and the non-profit leader’s evaluation of their professionalism will determine a portion of their grade in the course. Qualified students who complete the course may be able to continue their internships the following semester.

To participate, non-profit executive directors will be required to complete a 4-hour organizational assessment. Participating organizations will be eligible for a $1,500 grant, awarded to one of 35 participating organizations per semester that demonstrate the potential for future growth and improvement.

To qualify, organizations must:
• Be a registered non-profit organization in the Champaign-Urbana area
• Have appropriate space for a student volunteer to work
• Provide a safe working environment for student volunteers

If your organization qualifies, click here to apply. For more information, contact Professor Michelle Shumate.

GROUP PROFILE: Illinois Stewardship Alliance

The past year has seen a surge in interest in local and family farming and sustainable agriculture, due to such films as Food, Inc. One organization that is pleased to see the increase in public awareness is the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, which has been working on these issues for 36 years.

In that time, ISA has spearheaded or participated in a number of projects to support family farms in Illinois with a focus on environmental stewardship and strong communities. ISA partners with other organizations and government agencies at the state and local levels to develop and advocate public policy that is favorable to family farmers, to educate the public, and to promote the economic development of the local food system.

A current major focus is the Buy Fresh Buy Local Central Illinois campaign. Through the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign’s marketing materials, consumers can identify locally produced foods and farmers can reach new local markets. The campaign is currently in full swing in Springfield and Bloomington-Normal, and efforts are underway to bring it to Champaign-Urbana as well.

ISA has also been instrumental in achieving state legislation that supports local food growers, vendors, and consumers. Mid-July was particularly triumphant, when Governor Quinn signed two important local food laws. One was the Farmers’ Market Technology Improvement Act, which expands the use of LINK card terminals at farmers markets across the state. This means that people who receive food stamps can use their Illinois-issued LINK cards to purchase fresh fruits, vegetable and meats at farmers markets across Illinois. The other new law creates a Farm-to-School database , to provide a way for schools and farmers to get in touch with each other – making it easier for schools to purchase fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, and for local farmers to support local schools by selling them produce.

The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is a membership organization of individuals and organizations that support local food systems in communities across Illinois. Anyone wishing to support ISA’s work may become a member.

For more information about the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, current state and local food policy initiatives, the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign, or how to become a member, visit http://ilstewards.org.

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