About Nonprofit Resources
Our Start
Founder Kristin Bennett has been managing nonprofit organizations of all types for over 27 years and in 2007, decided that she would go from a one-woman shop and expand to help multiple nonprofit clients. Nonprofit Resources was then born.
The company was founded to help client organizations share resources and operate more efficiently. NPR has grown and now employs a highly qualified team of specialists who tackle everything from strategy and executive-level work to event management, graphics, technology, and operations.
What We Do
We enjoy long-term relationships with clients and specialize in meeting the needs of small and medium-sized nonprofits. Every member of our dedicated staff values their university education, yet continues to pursue supplemental specialized nonprofit certificates and credentials. This keeps us at the top of our game, and well-tuned in to what’s happening in the nonprofit arena. Nonprofit Resources is currently the most experienced, and only accredited organization of its type in a five-state area.
There are four ways nonprofits are typically managed. Most still follow a standard business model of captive employees and regular payroll. These days, however, more organizations than ever are stepping outside the norm to find a more efficient and professional way of doing things.
Maybe it’s time for your organization to evaluate and shift with the changing times. Where are you now? Where should you be?
The first step is to determine if you’re interested in exploring either managed model or assisted model.
Your Board of Directors and current staff should carefully consider your current situation, and decide if your organization might benefit from a change.
Here are some questions you should discuss as a Board:
- Are we as effective as we’d like to be?
- Does our organization keep pace with today’s advanced technology?
- Do we feel our current staff is professional and efficient?
- Is overhead too high?
- Are we clear in our mission and vision, and do operations reflect our passion?
- What do we wish could be different?
After considering these questions, just pick up the phone or shoot an email to begin discussing our concept. We’re happy to answer questions and engage in an informal conversation about what it means to follow a managed or assisted model for operations. We work with you through a proposal process that evaluates what you want to be done, and what you can afford. Through open dialogue or even an initial meeting with your board, we discuss what’s feasible and arrive at desired outcomes.
From there, we develop a contract for services. This will completely spell out exactly what you need us to do and how much you will pay for the requested services. Our contract will detail whatever payment options work best for you, and every possible detail on transition and terms. Your contract will typically include everything from staff and equipment to payroll taxes and benefits. One flat fee makes budgeting easy and cash flow predictable.
Efficiency is the name of the game.
As your board begins to strategically evaluate your business model, pay particular importance to the cost of staffing. Assess whether you need full-time staff, 12 months of the year. Evaluate performance vs. demand, and employee maintenance vs. productivity. And look for over-specialization of job duties that may be leading to decreased efficiency. To capitalize on time and energy, we provide nonprofit organizations and associations with the expertise they need, when they need it.
We customize client services, assigning staff specialists as needed to carry out specific goals. For example, a publications editor coordinates a monthly newsletter or annual report to keep members and donors connected to your work. An exhibits manager oversees the annual meeting and trade shows, working to gain maximum visibility among key audiences. Or membership specialists are brought in to enhance programming and build an association’s membership base.
These specialists operate as an extension of association staff, delivering high-quality services that align with and advance the organization’s overall mission. Each nonprofit pays only for the services they need, finding more value in concentrated, professional expertise. By outsourcing functional areas, board members and executives are freed up to concentrate on strategic initiatives.
Running a trade association or professional society is often similar to running a for-profit business.
The same questions need to be asked:
- How can the organization grow?
- Where will we find new members, donors, or sponsors?
- What positioning do we want for our organization with our target audiences?
To keep nonprofits on top of trends and ahead of the curve, we perform regular environmental scans. We help organizations continue to plan for the future, surveying constituents to see if and how their needs have changed and identified new opportunities.
High on the list of benefits of partnering with us is the strategic specialization we bring. Seasoned executives with years of nonprofit management experience conduct a comprehensive organizational evaluation, offering strategic advice and best practices for moving forward.
In any business, you’re likely to hear heightened talk of the “value of money.” It’s not just about how much you have in the bank, but about buying power, as measured by the quantity and quality of products and services your organization can buy.
Stretching a dollar will get you so far, and of course, it’s important to identify and work to remove any gratuitous expenses. Joining together with other organizations that have similar purchasing needs can effectively minimize costs and ‘up’ the value of your money.
Buying in bulk reduces service fees and purchase rates. Pooled resources improve the ability to obtain goods and services, and boost negotiating power. The greater the volume of business, the greater the savings.
Nonprofits managed by AMCs are able to leverage extensive buying power when it comes to meeting planning, marketing, and communications, creative services and technology, among others.
Because AMCs are responsible for negotiating contracts with outside vendors on behalf of thousands of associations and nonprofits, they have developed vast networks of insurance providers, printers, meeting venues and more. By working with these suppliers on a regular basis, AMCs often realize savings which are then passed along to their association clients.