The famed San Diego Zoo is managed by a nonprofit
Are you getting excited about watching the upcoming Olympics? Have you ever browsed Wikipedia? Do you listen to All Things Considered in your car? Guess what? You can thank nonprofits for all of the above. You might be surprised by how much we owe to nonprofits. Check out our list of 15 surprising things we have nonprofits to thank for:
Central Park first opened in 1857 and is managed by the Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit.
The famous San Diego Zoo, housing over 3,700 animals, is managed by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego.
Microfinance started gaining momentum in the 1970s, through the efforts of such pioneers as Grameen Bank, which led to the American offshoot Grameen Foundation USA.
Most canine search and rescue teams are managed by nonprofits with volunteer dog and people pairs, such as the American Rescue Dog Association, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, Inc and the Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States.
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
Earth Day, first taking place on April 22, 1970, was created by the Earth Day Network.
The Smithsonian Institute, established in 1846, runs the largest museum complex in the world.
Barney, Masterpiece Theater, The Teletubbies, and numerous other educational and kids’ TV shows are broadcast to American audiences by the nonprofit Public Broadcasting Service.
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Ellison's sailing team
Billionaire Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle, has been busy competing to own the biggest island with fellow billionaires Marc Benioff and Sir Richard Branson. But while he may be fabulous at island shopping, he’s not keeping up with them when it comes to another area: philanthropy. As we recently wrote, in addition to his beachfront mansions and jets, Ellison does have his own foundation. But in 2010, while the executive director of Ellison’s foundation was paid nearly a quarter of a million dollars in salary, the foundation only spent about $300,000 on charitable giving. That’s .00083 percent of Ellison’s estimated net worth. Even given this, Ellison still ends up on lists highlighting the most charitable CEOs in the US. Unless Ellison is a closet philanthropist, he’s losing the billionaire giving competition. But we haven’t lost faith in Ellison, maybe he just needs some suggestions on who to give to.
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Larry Ellison speaks, but presumably not about philanthropy.
Larry Ellison could use some lessons in philanthropy. The co-founder and CEO of Oracle and third-richest American (and sixth richest person in the world) according to Forbes, has recently made headlines for his purchase of 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. It reportedly cost him between $500 and $600 million. So why exactly would Ellison purchase this sleepy island, with no traffic lights and a strong commitment to native Hawaiian culture and traditions? Rumor has it Ellison bought Lanai to trump his arch rivals, Sir Richard Branson and Marc Benioff. Ellison however, is dead last behind those rivals in terms of philanthropy. Only $300,000 from his foundation went to charities in 2010. That’s only .00083 percent of Ellison’s estimated $36 billion
net worth.
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brittanylynae via Flickr
Independence Day is a lot more than just barbecue parties and fireworks. Not that those things aren’t fun, (on what other day of the year can you wear overalls that are emblazoned with tiny American flags?) but on July 4th this year we challenge you to both celebrate and reflect on the true reason for the holiday.
It is a day to celebrate our country’s rich history and to remember the efforts made to secure our independence and the freedoms that come with it. In line with the spirit of the holiday, here is a list of reviewed nonprofits dedicated to the preservation and celebration of our country’s history. Nonprofits who work to uphold the spirit of patriotism, justice and equality.
1. Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba Diving Inc.
“…They take wounded warriors returning from battle and restore some of the mobility they may have lost due to injuries. It must be very liberating to be unshackled from gravity and learn a skill which will last a lifetime. The physical and emotional benefits must be so uplifting!”
2. Intrepid Museum Foundation, Inc
“…I can think of no other organization that does as much good with the contributions they receive…. Films and speakers, overnight trips for schools and scout groups in the newly refurbished lower deck. Space exploration, aircraft from every era of aviation history. Special displays highlighting the US Navy’s early work in integrating our armed forces. It is a wonderful organization, and I am proud to support it.”
3. Telluride Historical Museum Inc
“…Telluride is an incredibly special place and without the Telluride Historical Museum to preserve and share its rich history the specialness of its past would be lost….”
4. Operation Understanding DC
“OUDC has been such an important part of my life and continues to impact me years after I graduated from the program. It has helped shape my education, career path, my way of thinking, my identity, and my understanding of history.”
5. Hope for the Warriors
“H4W gave me a reprieve from the daily struggle that is living with a combat injury, and more than that they showed me how much people care about us… I contacted a few of the people that helped me over a year later and they still remembered me.”
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Hey Nonprofits, we’ve got some great new tools for you! As we close our June Awards and congratulate the winners of our LGBTQ and Children and Families Awards, we’ve put together some screen shot examples of how to use our many badges on your own website. Also if you’ve ever had trouble claiming or updating your nonprofit’s profile, or wondered how to add photos, we hope our new video tour of the process (at end of post) will help you make your GreatNonprofits profile work to get you more attention and reviews.
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TOP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES CHARITIES NAMED BY GREATNONPROFITS
More than 100 Organizations Honored Nationwide
Redwood Shores, Calif., July 1, 2012 – GreatNonprofits.org announced today that over 100 charities from more than 40 states will be receiving a Top-Rated status on the public review website based on positive user reviews.
The charities, nominated by the public, ranged from Neighbor Ride, a nonprofit helping the elderly get around by offering ridesharing, to Little Helping Hands, a resource for volunteer opportunities for young kids. CHERUBS, another organization honored with the distinction helps expecting parents of babies who have been diagnosed in the womb with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Other charities help out pregnant moms, like The Fistula Foundation, dedicated to eradicating the pregnancy injury worldwide.
The winning results show the many aspects of child care and family life that nonprofits are involved in. The nonprofits showcased are generally smaller and less well-known – charities that may not have access to an advertising budget. “We encourage volunteers, clients served and donors to share their experience with a charity on our site to give that charity the recognition it deserves,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits.
The full list of winners of the Children and Families Top-Rated Awards can be found here.
About the Awards:
The 2012 Children and Families Awards ran throughout the month of July 2012. Reviews appear on GreatNonprofits.org as well as on GuideStar.org and CharityNavigator.org. Organizations receiving ten or more positive reviews are listed as one of the 2012 Top-Rated Children and Families Nonprofits.
About GreatNonprofits:
GreatNonprofits is a place to find trustworthy nonprofits. Our mission is to inspire and inform donors, and volunteers, enable nonprofits to show their impact, and promote greater feedback and transparency.
photo: LaDawna via Flickr
Thursday the Supreme Court upheld the Obama Administration’s individual insurance mandate. Mitt Romney has pledged to appeal the law immediately if elected.
How will the mandate affect you? If an individual chooses not to keep health insurance, that person would be responsible for paying the IRS one percent of his or her income. There will be exceptions made for religious and financial reasons. It will be unlawful to not buy health insurance and to not pay the IRS the additional money.
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Karen Klein is 68. Think she’s past the age of being bullied? Apparently not.
YouTube viewers everywhere were outraged after watching video of four 12 and 13-year old boys harassing Klein while she acted as a middle school bus monitor in Greece, New York. In the video, the kids call Klein vulgar names, curse at her, cruelly make fun of her weight and hearing aid and even go as far as suggesting that her family killed themselves to not be near her. According to reports, Klein’s son committed suicide about 10 years ago. The kids go on for nearly 20 gut-wrenching minutes while Klein tries to ignore them, at one point saying simply, “Unless you have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Throughout the bullying, not one person steps in to help Klein while one of the boys tapes the entire thing. (more…)
avrilllllla via Flickr
With Lilo’s latest legal trouble; a car accident on Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway in a rented Porsche, and reports of partying in Hollywood into the wee hours just after checking in to the hospital, we’re thinking of ways the fallen star could slow down and give back. (Or at least get some of her court-ordered community service hours out of the way!)
1. Helping out My New Red Shoes
This nonprofit helps give homeless children confidence by providing them with new clothes and shoes for the first day of school. Having previously come out with her own clothing line, this is right up Lohan’s alley. And although she recently had a wardrobe malfunction on the set of her latest project, “Liz and Dick,” she should be able to handle picking out clothes for children despite not being able to keep them on herself. And if she is found to have violated the terms of her probation from a 2007 DUI conviction, she won’t be needing her own closet full of clothes anyway—what with her wardrobe consisting of purely orange jumpsuits.
2. Getting Behind the Wheel for Neighbor Ride
Lindsay could use some slow and steady driving practice. Neighbor Ride, an organization helping seniors with transportation, could be just what Lilo needs. Lohan would be limited to a 900 square mile-area in Maryland, without having to wear an ankle bracelet.
3. Donning some Gloves for a Beach Cleanup
As we mentioned before, Lohan recently crashed her rented car (into an 18-wheeler) in broad daylight in Malibu. Now according to her eHarmony profile featured on Funny or Die, in addition to car chases on the Pacific Coast Highway, Lohan loves long walks on the beach. And alcohol. What better way to give back than pick up pieces of her front bumper while drunkenly stumbling down the shore. Sure she just totaled an $80,000 Porsche…cheers!
4. Donating hair (er…extensions) to a Cancer Charity
Unless her hair is too damaged from her switch from red to blonde to black back to red, Lohan has plenty she could donate to a charity that helps cancer patients get wigs . Just like formerly-troubled pop star Britney Spears did back in 2007 when she hit a rough patch, Lohan could possibly find the whole cutting-off-all-your-hair thing therapeutic. This could really do wonders for reinventing herself, as well as the child receiving her hair, since Lohan’s hair could really bring joy to the life of any young “Parent Trap” or “Mean Girls” fan. I mean, a lot of people wish they had someone else’s hair, but who actually gets to wear their favorite movie star’s hair?
5. Putting on a Tool Belt for Habitat for Humanity
Lastly, in case Lilo can’t get her acting career back on track, volunteer work building houses with Habitat for Humanity can prep her for a new career in construction. She’s already an expert in getting hammered. However, Habitat builds homes all over the world and, given Lohan’s history of drug abuse, it may be best that she not build in countries with a major drug trade.
What would you have Lindsay do? Do you think it’s important for stars to give back?
Trading homeless puppies for panhandling in San Francisco
San Francisco is bringing new meaning to the phrase “begging for a puppy.” In fact, the city is hoping that its panhandling population will trade one for the other. The city has long battled its panhandling problem with everything from outlawing sitting on the sidewalk to local employment programs with not much luck. Now that already overpopulated local animal shelters are seeing a huge influx in surrendered dogs due to the economic downturn, a new program pairing problem pups with certain panhandlers might be part of the solution. (more…)
Want to instill the values of compassion, kindness and giving in your kids? Teach them to have a positive impact in their community and the world; check out these ideas.
1. Join a Community Cleanup
Too much time in front of videogames and not enough time outside? Find a nonprofit organizing a beach, creek or park cleanup in your area. Spend some quality time outside while teaching kids to take pride in their community and local environment. Check out ACTERRA. Find environmental nonprofits in your area.
2. Walk to Fight Disease
Get some exercise and make some new friends by walking to increase awareness and raise funds for research and treatment. If your child is too young to walk a few miles, you could push him or her in a stroller. Find health organizations in your area.
3. Find a Toy Drive
Teach generosity. Many organizations hold toy drives for needy children. Got some unused toys that your kids aren’t going to use? Find a donation location in your neighborhood. While you’re at it, clean out the closets and then check out our number 8 recommendation.
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“Numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart. If you really want to reach people and change the world, tell them a story.” – Andy Goodman, Storytelling Best Practices: Websites
We’ve selected these three articles to show how storytelling is an essential element of successful fundraising. Stories are effective because they connect emotionally. And as Roberta Falkner writes, memorable stories can make the stats compelling and take on a life of their own through retelling:
“…Data presented with a compelling story, on the other hand, is inspirational, motivational, and, most of all, memorable. Inspirational and motivational stories compel your prospects to support your cause in some manner. Memorable stories make it easier for supporters to spread the word about you and your cause.” Read more in Non-Profit Fundraising and Storytelling.
In 7 Ways to Improve Your Nonprofit Storytelling Katya Andresen and Macon Morehouse describe how to find stories: (more…)
Ever been caught up in a friend’s personal story? Frequently, we come across moving personal accounts of nonprofits literally changing lives. Here is a recent review from a client of CHERUBS (The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research):
I was only 10yrs old when I first learned about CDH. My family was super excited about another baby coming into our family. I was hoping for another sister and my brother was hoping for a brother. I knew something was wrong, when the tech ask my dad to take us out of the room. I had no idea what to think. What seemed like a life time, was only a few minutes. My dad came and brought us back. Mom was crying and now the doctor was in there. The first thing they told us, was it was a girl. I was so excited. But I knew there was a long pause and when my parents did that there was something bad coming. All I recall was that the baby would need a lot of work. I told the doctor I would help and do as much as I could. He smiled and just shook his head. (more…)
Thank you to the Conservators’ Center for this great email about how they made use of Greatnprofits:
We love to hear about how your organization is using GreatNonprofits as a resource. If you have a success story to tell, email it to Haney@greatnonprofits.org and we’ll consider it for the next newsletter.
We love to hear about how your organization is using GreatNonprofits as a resource. If you have a success story to tell, email it to Haney@greatnonprofits.org and we’ll consider it for the next newsletter.
The reviews literally brought some of our hardworking employees and volunteers to tears. More important, they highlighted what people most enjoy about the Conservators’ Center, which has helped us better refine what we do to ensure visitors walk away determined to tell others about us. Thank you for challenging us with a campaign that has brought us a lot of good!”
-Mandy Matson
Communications
Conservators’ Center
photo: brittanylynae on Flickr
Following an incendiary CNN Anderson Cooper 360 report accusing the charity Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) of misusing millions of dollars, a Senate Finance Committee investigation has been launched to take a closer look at the nonprofit’s financials.
Well before this scandal however, starting in 2009, GreatNonprofits members were already negatively reviewing the veterans’ charity, giving it the lowest rating of only one star. Reviewers cited concerns about how donations were spent and the many useless “gifts” received via direct mail through “guilt-based” marketing. (more…)
When you make a purchase online, or grab a meal at a new restaurant, it’s likely that you think about writing a review; either positive or negative. Writing and reading reviews online has become a practice pervasive in our everyday lives as consumers. Why not use this model to also assess the efficacy of social welfare programs? GreatNonprofits CEO Perla Ni seeks to address this question in a recent article published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. (more…)
Mother’s Day is this Sunday (May 13.) What better time to celebrate Women’s Empowerment nonprofits? We partnered with the American Association of University Women, the National Council of Women’s Organizations, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Global Fund for Women, and Futures Without Violence to help us reach out to a wide range of groups. If you’ve benefited from, volunteered with, or donated to a organization that supports women, now is the time to support them with a review. Any organization getting ten or more positive reviews during the month of May will be a winner in the Top-Rated Women’s Empowerment Awards 2012. Click here to write a review of a great women’s nonprofit.
If you know someone working for a nonprofit that supports women, tell them about this opportunity for their organization to get recognition from supporters’ reviews.
Special thanks to our partners helping promote the Women’s Empowerment Awards 2012:
When we here at GreatNonprofits announced the winners of the 2012 Green Awards, we saw some fascinating trends. The organizations with the most reviews are far from the usual suspects; the leading nonprofits are small and local and frequently boast uncommon and niche missions.
One of the contest winners was the Bat World Sanctuary, based in Mineral Wells, TX. The nonprofit, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of bats has racked up 144 reviews and have nearly a five-out-of-five star average. The Sanctuary works to protect wild bat colonies and provides sanctuary for non-releasable bats.
Reviews ranged from kids who got help with school projects through the nonprofit, to wildlife rehabilitators. One reviewer stressed the importance of the organization’s educational component, “I feel that Bat World Sanctuary is doing a great deal to educate the public on the importance of bats, along with protecting these incredible creatures.” Another reviewer mentions needing help identifying bats, writing “The only group that responded to my plea for information was Bat World Sanctuary.”
The contest, which allowed local environmental nonprofits to be honored through online volunteer, client and donor reviews, was created as a way to bring attention to under-the-radar organizations doing exemplary work to promote sustainability and the environment. More than 130 nonprofits participated.
Another winning organization, WiserEarth, hopes to spread the messages of sustainability by offering a website covering eco-issues in Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Italian, Portuguese and Indonesian. Volunteers help with translation. Reviewers were impressed with the global and local opportunities the site provides:
“I am passionate about the potential impact nonprofits can have then they work together to build movements, instead of trying to “own” the cause or work themselves. As such, I was incredibly happy to work with WiserEarth to collaborate on local groups and events around the world that meant local organizations could come together, share knowledge, and grow together. WiserEarth’s collaborative approach is refreshing and promising!”
The Professional Animal Retirement Center shows 15,000 people around their sanctuary every year. Visitors learn about more than 45 exotic and endangered former “pets” and retired performers, and about conservation of endangered species and habitats.
“I love visiting,” writes one reviewer. “It was such an up close experience in seeing the animals, and the care that is tendered them is so very clear.”
Mindy Stinner, Executive Director at Conservators’ Center, another winning organization, says she entered the contest to get feedback from volunteers. The reviews the organization received “brought some of our hardworking employees and volunteers to tears,” she says. More importantly though, the reviews highlighted what people like most about the enter, which Stinner says has helped it better refine what it does to ensure that visitors walk away determined to spread the word.
The results of this contest is consistent with the overall ratings of nonprofits on the website. Small and local nonprofits consistently get higher satisfaction ratings from volunteers and donors than larger and national ones.
Why is this? We believe that smaller organizations provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to do real programmatic work – not just stuff mailers. They also provide more hands-on opportunities for donors. Donors might be able to visit the nonprofit, or meet with the staff or participate as a volunteer on a project. Smaller organizations are probably also a lot more “high-touch” – they can respond quickly to donor or volunteer requests or feedback.
And most importantly, the work of local organizations is more visible in the community where donors and volunteers live.
A sort of Zagat guide of candid reviews of nonprofits, GreatNonprofits.org provides a platform for those who want to share their experience and also functions as a library of honest, user-generated content to aid potential volunteers and donors in their search for the right nonprofit.
This April, we’re working with World Wildlife Fund, Mother Earth News, and Environmental Volunteers to recognize nonprofits protecting the environment and promoting sustainability in the Green Awards. If you want to celebrate Earth Day, show a green nonprofit your support by writing them a review and helping them gain recognition as a 2012 Top-Rated Nonprofit! Work at a nonprofit? Invite your volunteers and donors to write a review!
A story is a great way to give potential donors a personalized insight into what your nonprofit does and the change you’re making in the world. And the most compelling stories can be told by people who know you best – your clients, volunteers, and partners – as well as your existing donors.
In a recent survey, 84% of donors say that reviews are helpful when they are deciding whether or not to give to the nonprofit. And every day new potential donors are flocking to the web to research nonprofits. Won’t you tell them your story?
All you have to do is to encourage your constituents to tell their story about you. Send emails, tweets, Facebook updates with the link to your “Write a Review” page on GreatNonprofits, GuideStar, or CharityNavigator.
Here’s one example of a nonprofit making full use of their reviews. Joell Dunlap, Executive Director of Square Peg Foundation, reported, “reviews have helped us raise $10,000 for our organization. Specifically, Square Peg Foundation has used reviews in grant proposals and letters to donors. She said, “Using reviews by an outside, 3rd party, increases legitimacy of our foundation leading to increased donations.
So far more than 11,000 nonprofits have received a total of over 96,000 reviews. The organizations include the Cancer Schmancer Foundation (218 reviews) and Vounteer USA Foundation Inc. (198 reviews).
Launch your storytelling campaign today. Reach out to people who know your work well and ask them to help tell your story by writing a review. It’s easy, simply direct people to the URL: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/insert-your-nonprofit-name-here
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