Category

Training

Aug 21
0

Charities Advisory Council Update

By | Nonprofit, Training | No Comments

Training, Professional Development Opportunities and More

The Washington State Charities Advisory Council was formed in 2007 to advise the Washington Secretary of State as to: 1) training and professional development programs needed for charitable programs; and 2) model policies related to governance and administration of charitable organizations in accordance with fiduciary principles. The Council also advises the Secretary on industry trends in the nonprofit world so that charities and nonprofits can prepare in advance for these trends. The Council’s latest updates are now available.

Members of the council appointed by Secretary Kim Wyman represent a broad and diverse range of nonprofit charities, both big and small, and  with a wide range of missions. The idea is to be as inclusive as possible so as to address all the needs and potential needs of charities for information pertaining to industry trends, training, and professional development.

Free Webinars for Nonprofits

Interested in continuing education? The Washington Secretary of State’s office provides free webinars to help nonprofits increase their knowledge in a range of areas. Upcoming topics include financial issues, legal compliance for nonprofits, and board development. The link to the upcoming webinars may be found here.

Tax Update

The Washington State Department of Taxation provided an update on guidelines for nonprofits. The state produces a valuable online publication which may be found on the Washington Taxation Department site. The guide is provided at no charge to the public and offers an overview of registration requirements, tax exemptions, reseller permits for fundraising events, and taxability of various nonprofit activities.

Renewing Nonprofit and Charities Registration

Washington state has successfully issued a soft launch of their new online registration system for nonprofits and charities to renew their status. The old postcard reminder system isn’t going away – yet. But nonprofits may wish to log into the system soon and learn the process. It’s probably going to be the way of the future for all Washington state charities. Log in with your UBI number to start the renewal process.

Tiered Financial Reporting

SOS Charities Program Liaison, Rebecca Sherrell, spoke at the meeting and provided a summary of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 19.09.541). This code establishes a set of tiered financial reporting requirements for charitable organizations. The statute requires that charitable organizations with annual gross revenue over $1 million have a professionally prepared federal tax return and organizations over $3 million obtain an independent, third-party audit of their financial records. This audit report must be made available in paper form to the public upon request or accessible to the public on the internet. Nonprofits that receive most of their support from noncash donations. An organization receives less than $500,000 cash can waive the audit requirement.

Asking for Donations? Check out the Attorney General’s Site

The Washington State Attorney General’s office provides guidelines for charities and nonprofits that are requesting donations. To remain compliant with state law, it’s a smart move to review the guidelines and discuss them with your entire team, especially those in marketing and donor relations. The full guidelines are available on the AG’s site.

The next meeting of the State Charities board will take place in January 2019. This meeting has provided plenty of food for thought and interest to those in the Washington nonprofit world. Whether you’ve just started a nonprofit organization or you’re working for a mature organization, there is something to learn from the various people and groups who participated in this meeting.

Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.

Apr 30
0

Understanding Generation Z in the Nonprofit Workforce

By | E-Learning, HR, Nonprofit, Training | No Comments

With Millennials being the largest generation in the workforce, it’s no surprise that recruiters have been working diligently to understand the needs and wants of this generation.  HR departments around the country have discovered and implemented strategies to connect with Millennials to recruit and retain them.  It just may be time that a new generation takes the spotlight: Generation Z.

Recently, Jason Dorsey, from The Center for Generational Kinetics, enlightened the audience at AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference with an overview of what Gen Z is all about, and what that means for everyone else.

Here are the top six takeaways shared from Dorsey regarding Gen Z and the workforce:

Who is Gen Z? The Center for Generational Kinetics defines generations by life experiences and geographies – not a span of time. Gen Z is a group of individuals born 1996 to present date.

  1. Work Ethic: There’s hope for the future with Gen Z. Dorsey shared that Gen Z is anticipated to “leapfrog Millennials in the workplace due to their higher work ethic and lower expectations.” This is key to takeaway, as early Gen Zers are already out in the workforce and many are available for hire.
  2. Money Management: A major difference between Gen Zers and Millennials is the recession. Gen Zers are not as conservative with money, since they didn’t experience as much of the recession as Gen Yers.
  3. All the Technology: Gen Z is far more technology savvy than the technology-dependent Gen Y (Millennials). If you’re looking to hire a well-rounded, technology-savvy individual, then don’t overlook this generation of digital natives.
  4. Attention Span: According to our 2017 Member Professional Development Study, the attention span across Gen Yers, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers peaks from 30-minute educational courses to one-hour courses. Members of Gen Z are expected to have even less of an attention span, so fast-paced environments will work well for these individuals.
  5. Driver of Key Trends: With an entrepreneurial spirit, Gen Zers are going to be key in driving trends, which can benefit your organization in brainstorming new solutions, creative content, and money management.

If your nonprofit is looking to grow, then the needs and talent of this generation shouldn’t be ignored – they’re ready to get their hands dirty and take your organization to the next level!

Take a look at Welter Consulting’s previous blog post for some fantastic ideas regarding retaining millennials and other generations, Attract and Retain the Best Employees with Job Flexibility Offers.  Also, don’t miss out on attracting a board member from all generations and professions.  Check out Millennials: Ready, Willing, and Able to Serve on Your Board for more information.

 Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.

Mar 19
0

Key Takeaways from the Journal of Accountancy’s 6th Annual Roundtable

By | Data, MIP Fund Accounting, Nonprofit, Technology, Training | No Comments

In this year’s 6th annual roundtable, sponsored by the Journal of Accountancy, some familiar themes emerged: the importance of cloud computing, improving technology training for all staff, and cybersecurity. But among the topics discussed during the roundtable, new trends emerged that are worth noting.

Mid-Sized Accounting Firms Struggle with Technology

According to the experts participating in the roundtable, mid-sized accounting firms lag behind both small and large-sized firms in many areas of technology: Implementation, maintenance, and strategy, which can create problems.

For example, lagging behind in cybersecurity puts your entire IT infrastructure at risk. Cyber attacks aren’t limited to big firms; mid-sized and small-sized nonprofits may be at greater risk since criminals view them as low-hanging fruit and quick to capitulate and succumb to things like ransomware. They may also have no dedicated staff to cybersecurity, which means less attention is paid to it and criminals may have an easier time accessing critical data, personal information they can resell, and other information.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing may bridge the gap mid-sized firms experience in the technology world. Because cloud computing services are set up through the internet, they are accessible to all sizes of companies. They also offer higher security since cloud-based companies providing software and services invest in tighter security to protect multiple clients.

Software delivered through the cloud can also be less costly than previously available versions that were seat-based. Cloud software, shared among multiple mid-sized firms, spreads the cost out so that it is more affordable. Better computing power at a lower cost makes it an obtainable goal for many mid-sized companies.

Technology Improvements Needed

Throughout the roundtable discussion, the need for overall improvement in the use, adoption, and understanding of technology was apparent. Many nonprofit organizations feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of technology solutions they are expected to learn and apply.

Partnering with a strong consulting firm who can teach, advise, and guide you through the process of adopting tighter cybersecurity practices and cloud-based software solutions may be a good path to follow. Small to mid-sized nonprofits do not have the resources or time to invest in cybersecurity, but they can partner with a company or consultant who is an expert in this area to help them. Understanding your nonprofit’s strengths and partnering with others to shore up your weaknesses is a smart way to proceed.

Simple Changes that Reap Big Results

A few simple changes suggested by the experts that can produce big results include:

  • Encrypting emails: Encryption can protect sensitive information and provide an additional layer of security with an easy fix.
  • Training: Training staff how to screen for phishing schemes, how to craft strong passwords, and other simple cybersecurity measures needn’t be a huge undertaking, but even a little training can go a long way to improve cybersecurity.
  • Updating hardware: Many experts talk about updating software, but how about updating the hardware your staff uses? Bigger monitors may sound like a strange thing to focus on, but they can make workstations more comfortable and prevent mistakes by simply enlarging information on screen.

There’s a lot to focus on when it comes to technology for your nonprofit association. It can feel overwhelming to tackle everything on your technology to do list. Finding and working with a consulting partner may help you move into a better, more comfortable place when it comes to technology.

Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.

 

Sep 25
0

10 Essential Keys to Effectively Engage Clients in E-Learning

By | Abila, Accounting, E-Learning, Grant Management, Nonprofit, Training, Webinar | No Comments

As nonprofit professionals, it’s imperative to endlessly observe your member experience and reflect on ways to improve your processes. Here are 10 keys to enhancing your E-Learning to better engage your users.

KEY 1: Get to know your members: What do your members value in educational programs? If you don’t know the answer, it’s time to find out. Get to know their generational and career stage preferences, technology comfort levels, content interests, and more.

KEY 2: Enhance member benefits: Nearly half of all association members who responded to Abila MIP’s™ Member Professional Development Study want a combined, all-in-one option for membership and education. Yet, less than one-third of organizations report having this type of offering. Consider ways to bundle and personalize your membership and education to meet your learners’ needs.

KEY 3: Attract young professionals: With Millennials representing the largest generation in the workforce, having a strategy to attract, engage, and retain them as members is crucial. Millennials want to learn new skills and advance in their careers, so creating programs that cater to these needs will help associations deepen their relationships with this group.

KEY 4: Personalize your learning: Apply what you learn about your members, and deliver the content and communication that keeps them coming back. Content is the single most important driver for why members choose an educational offering over another. Use your data to deliver a personalized learning experience to your members.

KEY 5: Wrap it in a bow: Make the buying process easy for your members with creative and strategic opportunities for them to access your content. Create packages of on-demand programs or a webinar series, or allow users to curate their learning experience with a create-your-own program bundle.

KEY 6: Blend the distribution: We learned that members still use a variety of learning formats for their education. To cater to the different preferences, vary your methods of content delivery and offer multiple mediums for your programs. This will ensure you meet the needs of all your members.

KEY 7: Get the bang for your buck: Offering multiple mediums does not have to be hard. Leverage the content you’ve already created. Take your in-person event and webcast it. Following the event, sell the recording as a whole or  in segments with on-demand and podcast offerings. Don’t forget you can rebroadcast the program as well!

KEY 8: Make it easy: Finding the right technology remains a challenge for organizations, with only one-third or fewer saying they are “very satisfied” with their systems. Finding a system that integrates, has a simple user flow, and offers options for live and on-demand learning content can make for a seamless experience for your users and staff.

KEY 9: Engage your audience: Holding a learner’s attention can be difficult, with most saying they start to lose interest after one hour,. Incorporating interactive elements into your programming, such as polling and chat, can help to keep your members engaged.

KEY 10: Offer certification (Professional Development): Earning certification and maintaining a license is one of the top reasons members seek professional development. Make sure your course and credit offerings meet the needs of your market. If you aren’t in a career that requires a license, consider creating your own certification program.

To learn more about each key and how Abila clients are putting them into action, check out the 10 Keys to Enhancing the eLearning Experience whitepaper.

Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.