Happy Independence Day! Welcome to my inaugural issue of Nonprofit "U", an
occasional electronic newsletter to provide resources and lessons learned from
the nonprofit sector. I am in the process of migrating my mass e-mail system
to Mail Chimp. If you would like to continue getting occasional emails from me
please subscribe to my email list. Because I am still migrating, I ask that if
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remove you from my database.
occasional electronic newsletter to provide resources and lessons learned from
the nonprofit sector. I am in the process of migrating my mass e-mail system
to Mail Chimp. If you would like to continue getting occasional emails from me
please subscribe to my email list. Because I am still migrating, I ask that if
you need to unsubscribe, email me at <email obscured> and I will
remove you from my database.
Nonprofit "U"
I just thought I'd share a few highlights from my
website.
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Volume 1 Issue 1 July 4, 2014
Keep Your Organization Legal!
Just Checking:
Nonprofit Compliance Checklist 2014
Did you know that tax exempt organizations are 2 times more likely than tax
payers to be late with filing annual returns with the IRS?
There are approximately 1,542,055 registered organizations in the United States
(IRS, June 6, 2014). Of this number, 554,082 registered organizations, or 36%,
lost their tax exempt status as a result of not filing Form 990 for three years
in a row. Just two years ago, there were approximately 1.2 million nonprofit
organizations with about 32% losing their tax exempt status for failing to file
Form 990 three years in a row. In contrast, about 85% of individuals and
corporations file their income taxes (Form 1040) on time.
Its that time again. Make sure your organization has completed the necessary
filings to maintain tax exempt status. Download your checklist with links to
the relevant State of Illinois and Federal forms here.
I am deeply honored to have been selected to receive the Saul Mendelson Social
Justice Award. Click here for further information about the program and to
purchase tickets.
Stay in the Loop
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community development industries; job notices; In the Loop newsletter, School
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please subscribe. If you know of others who may be interested in the content
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Please note that because I am still in the migration phase, that if you need to
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than clicking onto the "unsubscribe" link at the end of the email. Your
assistance is most appreciated.
Taking Control Of
Our Economic Environment
I participated in A Roof Over Our Head, a community housing resource forum
hosted by the Chicago WestSide Branch NAACP at Christ the King High School. The
forum highlighted a number of issues and resources for tenants, first time home
buyers, current homeowners and community concerns.
I was a part of the Community Concerns Panel, and shared lessons learned from
TIF advocacy in North Lawndale. My presentation included the following
sections: What TIFs are, how they work, and their impact; Common TIF programs ;
Case Study-Ogden Pulaski TIF in North Lawndale; Lessons Learned. You will find
a copy of my Power Point presentation here.
When Mission Meets Mortar:
Building Sustainable Communities Through Responsible Development
Join Terrance Harrington, CEO of Nonprofit Matters, and me as we discuss using
real estate development as a social enterprise for your community and
faith-based organization. You will get an overview of the real estate
development process, including site selection, pre-development, marketing and
financial feasibility, construction management and operations. This workshop
will include a self-assessment of your organization's operations and capacity
to engage in real estate development.
Contact Valerie F. Leonard at 773-521-3137, or Terrance Harrington at
773.426.7728
Register here today!
Come to the African-American Small Business Expo!
I thank Otis Monroe for inviting me to facilitate the Small Business Bootcamp,
a series of workshops for emerging business owners on behalf of the Monroe
Foundation to be held this fall at Kennedy-King College. I will be one of the
representatives present at the African American Small Business Expo to share
more information about the workshops. Find out more about the Small Business
Expos below, and here. Find out more about the Monroe Foundation Small
Business Bootcamp here.
Small Business Center on the Road. The expos, sponsored by Western Union, are
free and open to the public and will offer business education, resources on
financing, licensing process, tax laws and provide an opportunity to network
with important stakeholders in the community. Click here to find out more
about the expo and register. Click here to find out more about the Monroe
Foundation Small Business Boot Camp.
Monroe Foundation
Small Business Bootcamp
The Monroe Foundation will sponsor an 8-week Small Business Boot Camp,
beginning Wednesday, September 10, and ending October 29, 2014. The classes
will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Dawson Tech 3901 South State Street. I will
be teaching 6 of 8 of the sessions.
The Monroe Foundation Small Business Bootcamp will arm you with the tools you
need to move your business startup to the next level. We will show you how to
start a new business and help you avoid some of the common landmines that
await new entrepreneurs. More
What Is Organizational Capacity, And Why You Should
Care
When we speak of capacity, we are generally referring to organizations
potential to marshal their human, financial and other resources to effect
positive change in the communities and clients they serve. Organizational
capacity is impacted by a number of factors, including leadership, the
organizations stage of development and changes in the environment, to name a
few. More
"One-Woman Think Tank"
I was deeply honored to have been named "One-Woman
Think Tank" by Ben Joravsky for the Chicago Reader's annual "Best of Chicago"
edition. You can read the story here.
Assess Your Organizations Capacity In 6 Areas
Nonprofits should have a well-documented track record in developing programs
that have a meaningful impact upon the community and the clients served; the
ability to exercise good stewardship over financial and human resources; the
ability to manage relationships among various community constituencies; and
the ability to respond to change. Those organizations that make the investment
in building organizational capacity are more likely to be in a position to
sustain themselves over the long term. Go to Valeriefleonard.com to download an
assessment tool.
Catch me if you can...
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Valerie is a Chicago-based consultant
with a mission strengthen the capacity of organizations to make a positive
impact on the communities they serve through technical assistance, specialized
workshops, resource and organizational development and project management.
Copyright 2014 Valerie F. Leonard, Community
Development Consultant, All rights reserved.
I own the list
Our mailing address is:
Valerie F. Leonard, Community Development Consultant4111 West 21st Place,
Chicago, IL, United StatesUnit 1Chicago, IL 60623
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