At the Center magazine's summer 2012 issue

More Than Food Stamps By Emily Chase

Divine Appointments By Elaine Ham

More Than Pregnancy Tests and Diapers By Amanda Naugle

Just Outside the Center Door By Sherry Camelleri

The Biology of the Abortion-Breast Cancer Link By Angela Lanfranchi, MD

The Legal Basics of the Pregnancy Resource Medical Clinic Model By Thomas A. Glessner, J.D. and Audrey Stout, R.N. R.D.M.S.

Are You a Contradiction? By Mark Hiehle

Wandering in a Fundraising Desert By Ron Haas

Marketing 101: Different Strokes for Different Folks By Jerry Thacker 

Engaging Highly Skilled, Specialized Volunteers

A Case Study Analysis of Engaging Highly Skilled, Specialized Volunteers Nonprofit | Volunteer | Analysis / research / study | IdeaEncore Network: Traditional envelope-stuffing, database entry-type volunteers are harder to find. Younger generations of volunteers have different motivations than their predecessors. This is an analysis of several instances of skilled volunteer engagement at nonprofit organizations. The key findings are interesting food for thought as the sector continues to engage the "next" volunteer.

More volunteer resources

'via Blog this'

Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers

Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers Nonprofit | Volunteer | Policy brief | IdeaEncore Network: This report is the second in a series of briefs on a 2003 survey of volunteer management capacity among public charities in the United States. It focuses on charities' adoption of nine volunteer management practices: supervision and communication, liability coverage, screening and matching, regular collection of volunteer numbers and hours written policies and job descriptions, recognition activities, measurement of volunteer impacts, training and professional development, and training.

'via Blog this'

Engaging the next generation of supporters

Engaging the next generation of nonprofit donors, volunteers and leaders can be a crucial component for the longevity of your organization and your organization's mission. These resources, shared by your nonprofit colleagues on IdeaEncore, can give you strategies for engaging NGen (next generation) or younger supporters.

These free resources can help you learn how to attract and retain millennial donors:

• Motivating Each Generation to Buy . . . Into Your Mission
• Millennial Donors: A Study of Millennial Giving and Engagement Habits
• The Fire-Belly, Mountain-Climbing, Social Media-Using Next Generation Donor

These resources offer information and advice on engaging young adults as volunteers:

• The Youth Volunteer Audit: Best Practices for Engaging Youth Volunteers ($12)
• Innovations in International Youth Volunteering (Free)

These resources can help your organization guide the next generation into leadership roles in your organization:

• Preparing the Path to Leadership ($10)
• Ready to Lead? The Next Generation Speaks Out (Free)
• Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN)  
• Independent Sector's NGen program 

Get a sneak peek of the Summit brochure

The brochure will be in the mail soon to all the PCCs in our database, but you can get a sneak peek here.

Will we see you at the Summit? 

Hope so!

Learn more online.

Register here. IMPORTANT: If your center is associated with Partners in Ministry, log in before adding items to the shopping cart. This ensures your associate discount will be applied.

Only do what your heart tells you?

EPM, page 5: Princess Diana once promoted this creed, but what kind of trouble can a client get into following her heart?

Thanking your supporters

Letting volunteers, donors and other supporters of your organization know how much you appreciate their efforts is integral to retaining their support. These resources shared on IdeaEncore offer tips and advice on thanking your organization's supporters.

• A Low-Cost Way to Thank Supporters
• How to Write the Perfect Thank You Letter 
• 6 Ways to Thank Your Donors 
• Building Donor Loyalty
• Motivating and Thanking Volunteers

Summit schedule posted

Download a PDF file of the 2012 Summit schedule

2012 Summit: Speakers and workshops

2012's roster of speakers and topics

June 21-22 in Grand Rapids, MI

Here's what some of you said about last year's Summit: 

“The greatest conference I’ve been to in a long time.” 

“Everyone was very informative and relevant. The speakers were great!” 

“Wonderful! Can’t wait until next year! What a huge help!” 

“Very inspirational, motivating, and life-changing!”

“I’ve been to many, many . . . conferences and the workshops and info you offer here is equal in content to that of the larger ones.” 

“Each presenter was informed and well-prepared – shared their materials with professional grace and expert skill.” 

“Great conference! My soul was uplifted by Pastor Merritt’s sermons and through the biblically grounded workshops. Thank you!”

Learn more 

WHEN YOU REGISTER: If your center is associated with Partners in Ministry, log in before adding items to the shopping cart. This ensures your associate discount will be applied.

Safety tips for volunteer-based nonprofit organizations

IdeaEncore: CIMA Volunteers Insurance "Preventer Papers" provide guidance on injury prevention and auto safety for nonprofit organizations that engage volunteers. Most are only one page -- ideal for five-minute group safety talks, or to give to individual volunteers, to help create a culture of safety awareness. Select the individual papers you want from the list, and they will be emailed to you.

How to Turn Your Volunteers into Marketing Ambassadors

IdeaEncore: Volunteers affect your public image every time they interact with the your customers, your constituents, or the media. The question is: what impression are they giving these audiences about your organization? This article offers tangible, practical steps to assess the impact your volunteers are having on public perception, and how to turn them into ambassadors for your brand.

The woman who was a sinner

Women of the Bible: She saw her degraded life in the white light of divine holiness personified in Jesus, and as she wept her tears brought her triumph over a shameful past. Coming to Simon’s house in all her guilt, afraid and ashamed to mingle with the invited guests, she flung herself at the foot of Him who said that Publicans and harlots would go into His kingdom before the self-righteous Pharisees. . . . Those tears of hers, evidence of her sorrow for her many sins, cleansed her vision and gave her a sight of Him who came to save sinners.

Editor: Oh, that our clients could be moved the way she was.

FRC Delivers Second Pregnancy Report

Family Research Council will release a second edition of A Passion to Serve: How Pregnancy Resource Centers Empower Women, Help Families, and Strengthen Communities during ProLifeCon on January 23, 2012. Building on the original PRC report, the second edition includes new data from 2010 regarding the national network of almost 2,000 pregnancy resource centers, as well as estimated local cost savings for the plethora of services offered by the centers. The report includes information such as the number of people annually served by the Pregnancy centers (over 2.3 million) as well as the number of volunteers (71,000) and volunteer hours (over 5.5 million). Tune in to ProLifeCon for the most encouraging information on these life-affirming centers.

Visit A Passion to Serve, where you will be able to download your own free copy on January 23.

It’s here!

We’re pleased to announce . . . the newly revised and updated Standards for Excellence manual is now available for purchase.

This manual can be used to guide your leadership team through an evaluation of your ministry, help you chart an upgrade process, continue to maintain the highest standards, and build a solid future.

Peruse the Table of Contents

• Expanded content
• Many new features
• Over 130 pages of sample forms and documents

Download the Assessment Tool and start evaluating your center today! The assessment consists of nearly 400 questions that you simply answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ This is a FREE download!

Purchase through our Online Store, ‘PCC Help’ category.

FREE copy for associates of Partners in Ministry! During 2012, any center joining Partners in Ministry as an associate will receive a free manual — a $95 value. Click here to learn more!

Volunteer resources from IdeaEncore

• Tip Sheet: NGO Board Member and Professional Volunteer Recruitment
• Designing a Successful Volunteer Recruitment Advertisement
• Volunteer Training Tips
• Volunteer Match Resource Library

Volunteer Development for Nonprofits

Volunteer Development for Nonprofits Nonprofit | Volunteer | How to / Guide | IdeaEncore Network: Sample volunteer development policy and procedures from "Core Elements of a Successful Nonprofit." Includes templates for conflict of interest statements, commitments to serve, board member applications, agendas for orientations, recongition ideas and suggested policies for dismissals.

'via Blog this'

Fall issue of At the Center magazine

Centerboard: Stepping up to the Challenge
By Tom Lothamer

Project 180 Helps Kids Make a Turn for the Better!
By Lori Hatcher

Pregnancy Centers and the Local Church: Partners in Life or Adversaries in Ministry? — Part 3
By Elaine Ham

Dream to Vision to Reality
By Pat Stonestreet

ARIN: Abortion Recovery InterNational
By Stacy l. Massey

It's That Time Again — Back to School
By Sherry Camelleri

Preparation for Future Attacks in the Upcoming 2012 Legislative Sessions
By Thomas A. Glessner, J.D.

Walking by Faith Toward Adoption
By Mark Hiehle

Fishing for Foundations
By Ron Haas

Marketing 101: Speaking the Same Language
By Jerry Thacker

Articles on volunteering, from NonProfit Direct

Entrepreneurs in the Volunteer Corps: Building Capacity as Nonprofit Organizations Answer the Call to Serve by Jennifer Rackow and Jill Fixler, JFFixler Group

Hiring Effective Volunteers by Michael A. Sand, Sand Associates

The Value of Engaging Your Volunteers by Carrie Gray, Capability Company

Your only job with volunteers is to make them successful by Susan Black, Allene Professional Fundraising

Should Volunteers Do Data Entry? Cheryl Weissman, CJW Consulting and Services

Questions About Volunteers at a Gala by Kayte Connelly, Best Principled Solutions

Volunteerism is all about the experience by Linda C. Ridge, OnPoint Solutions, Inc.

Leveraging the Valued Volunteer: How to Turn Your Nonprofit or Grassroots Cause Volunteers into Marketing Ambassadors

Leveraging the Valued Volunteer: How to Turn Your Nonprofit or Grassroots Cause Volunteers into Marketing Ambassadors Nonprofit | Communication | Article / Position Paper | IdeaEncore Network: Volunteers affect your public image every time they interact with the your customers, your constituents, or the media. The question is: what impression are they giving these audiences about your organization? This article offers tangible, practical steps to assess the impact your volunteers are having on public perception, and how to turn them into ambassadors for your brand.

'via Blog this'

New dates for the Summit 2012

We're trying something new -- June dates for the Summit -- hoping this will free up more of you to attend. 

Not a lot of other details yet. For those who don't know what a Summit is, learn more here. (The website has info from this year, but it's representative of what will be in store for you next year.)

Mark your calendars!