Nonprofit Communications: Writing For A Better World

By James D’Ambrosio

Throughout my career, I’ve sought information and presented new ideas to management and colleagues to help organizations move forward. In the charitable sector, The New York Council of Nonprofits is a resource I believe can benefit agencies. NYCON, a 501 (C)(3) statewide association whose mission is to increase the capacity of nonprofits and enhance the quality of life in New York State, has 3,200+ members and offers many professional services and programs agencies can draw on. This is of particular importance for start-ups and nonprofits with limited resources. Headquartered in Albany, there are regional offices in New York City, Poughkeepsie, Oneonta and Rochester.

PROGRAMS AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

The following is a sampling of offerings available from NYCON:

♦ CONSULT WITH EXPERTS: Get advice and assistance from nonprofit experts in the areas of finance, governance, legal, marketing, human resources, benefits, risk management, etc., by phone or e-mail. Services are free with a corporate membership.

♦ TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Access to quality, affordable technical assistance. NYCON works with agencies on issues such as board governance, fiscal procedures, budgeting, personnel policies, bylaws, compliance issues, collaborations, and more. Tailored to individual needs, most services begin at $95 an hour.

♦ EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: Through Council Services Plus, an insurance subsidiary, NYCON provides information and products and services helping nonprofits develop an affordable benefits program for employees.

♦ TRAINING, EDUCATION & CONFERENCES: A recent NYCON survey indicated that workshops, trainings and events were rated as one of the top benefits. Members receive significant discounts and can apply for scholarships to attend conferences.

♦ AFFORDABLE MEMBERSHIP: Membership fees are scaled to operating budgets: Organizations under $50,000 pay $60 per year; those with budgets from $1,000,000 – $1,999,999 pay $160; and agencies with budgets exceeding $10,000,000 pay $460 (there’s additional brackets in-between). According to the Council, the average nonprofit member pays $110. In addition, individuals can join as a Citizen Member for $75 (I’m a Citizen Member.) Benefits for individuals include a bi-monthly e-mail newsletter, discounted rates for trainings and workshops, free copies of select publications, voting privileges at the Annual Meeting, networking opportunities and more. (Note: membership follows the calendar year, January-December.)

♦ GROUP PURCHASING PROGRAMS: Group purchasing programs are available for office supplies, payroll, conference calling, fund-raising software, technology assistance and more, with potential significant cost savings. Click here to see a comprehensive listing.

A FINAL WORD

While NYCON can work with all nonprofits in New York State, only members receive discounted rates and benefits. Given the many challenges facing nonprofits today, I present this information for those who may not be aware of this resource. For organizations outside New York, the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS provides contact information for 36 state associations throughout the U.S. VIEW THE LIST HERE.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NYCON

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QUESTIONS TO READERS:

A) If you’re a NYCON member, how has your agency benefitted?

B) If you’re not a member, would you consider joining?

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: New York Council of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Assistance, Nonprofit Cost Savings, Nonprofit Professional Development, Nonprofit Professional Resources, Nonprofit Support, Nonprofit Support Services, Nonprofit Support Services New York, NYCON |