An Insider's View of Nonprofits

For nearly 12 years now I have worked for nonprofit organizations. In addition, I have worked with a handful of other nonprofit groups in a volunteer leadership capacity. In hanging out on Facebook tonight, I saw a post that got me all worked up. It was an infographic that claimed to tell about how some very large charities were paying large salaries to their executives and how some smaller charities were putting more of the money donated to "the cause."

After a quick check of Snopes to see if anything had been said about this infographic, I found that the information it presented was old and very inaccurate.  Unfortunately, things like this fly across Facebook at amazing speed and most people will just decide to turn their backs on larger charities without ever trying to learn the truth.

If you intend to give to a charity/nonprofit, you should be checking to see where the money goes. I'd like to .

tell you some of the things I've learned so you can have a better understanding of how some of these organizations work.  I'm no expert, but I have a working knowledge to share. The first thing to be aware of is that charities need to be recognized as such by the IRS. Getting that official nonprofit status means that they've set up the organization and proven their purpose and that they will have to meet certain standards to keep that status. Not every charity is a nonprofit. There are actually some charities that are for profit rather than nonprofit.

My biggest pet peeve when people look at and judge nonprofits is that they assume that everyone involve should be working for free or for very tiny salaries. Good will and desire to help drives many people to volunteer their time and talents to the causes they believe in, but how many of you would be willing to work a 40+ hour per week job all year long without any pay? Those in executive positions would make at least 2-4 times more for the same work in a for-profit company. In my current job with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, we make very good use of volunteers and the hours they contributed last year were equivalent to five full-time employees.

The task of calculating where the donated money goes is a very interesting process. You have to determine how much money went toward the mission of the organization. That could be programs, services, research, etc. On the other side are the administrative and fundraising costs. Although some donations would probably come in without prompting, the majority of donations will come in through fundraising campaigns and events. There will generally be costs associated with either of those activities.

For example, I manage our Walk MS events in Utah. We do what we can to get things donated and have fees waived, but we still have a lot of costs involved. It was a challenge to do the budget and determine every penny needed and where to cut spending. Here is just a sampling of what costs go with this type of event:

• event permits
• police fees (for blocking streets along the route)
• location/park rental
• food and water for participants
• signage (sign, sign, everywhere a sign)
• bibs (race number) and safety pins
• design and printing of posters, brochures, postcards, etc.
• design and printing of event shirts, volunteer shirts
• prizes/incentives to motivate fundraising by participants
• rental of sound system, tables, chairs, tents
• envelopes, letterhead, and postage for letters to acknowledge and thank donors
• miscellaneous office supplies and printing for registration forms, waivers, check-in lists, etc.
• first aid/emergency personnel
• gas/mileage, truck rental, etc. to haul supplies
• armored transport for money
• advertising for event
• bank fees for credit card donations
• software platform for online fundraising
• salaries of staff involved

Even with a fundraising campaign, you're paying for the envelopes, letterhead, and postage and then the salaries of those involved with preparing and executing the campaign. Bulk mailings can help with costs for sending out a lot of appeals at one time. Despite the way most people seem to feel about these appeals, they tend to bring in more than what was spent with much less effort than a large event or phone campaign.

I used to work for a different nonprofit that had a very different setup. It was a residential treatment center for youth and the fundraising (or development) side of things was actually quite small. Funding for the treatment provided came in from various agencies, health insurance, and families of the clients. That meant that the basic needs of the facility were already taken care of. Fundraising targeted specific needs and improvements to the program rather than the daily needs. In some ways, they could claim that 100% of the donations went directly to the cause and nothing was spent on administrative and fundraising expenses since the employees, buildings, equipment, etc. were already being paid for and weren't dependent on the fundraising. It makes sense, but the official way of calculating it isn't swayed by that logic. Salaries for executives and the development personnel had to be weighed against the small number of donations that were coming in (fees for the services provided aren't donations) and that gave an unfavorable picture.

Next time you decide to support your favorite cause, check to see how they handle the money and keep in mind what it takes to keep that organization up and running. If you decide to be part of a charitable event that doesn't charge a fee, I hope you will consider donating a few dollars to offset the costs of that "free" event. I hope you will also consider how you can make a difference by contributing your time and talents (especially professional skills) as a volunteer for your favorite charity.

Win a Keepsake Tatted Lace Doily

I'm doing something bold here to support a cause dear to my heart.  I'm offering up a tatted lace doily that I made for my mom. In 1999, I lost my mom to complications due to multiple sclerosis (MS). She had lived with MS for 25 years and was only 54 years old when she died. The doily I made her returned to my possession at that time and I've decided that it's time to bring it out of storage.

I am raising money for an event called Walk MS. It supports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and will help fund research to find a cure so nobody else has to lose their mom to this horrible disease.  For every $1 donation to my fundraising efforts, your name will be entered into a drawing to win this doily ($5 donation puts your name in the drawing 5 times). I will draw the winning name on May 1, 2013.  Donations can be made online, delivered to me in person, or mailed to the National MS Society (address below).

Thank you for anything you are able to give. Giving up this keepsake will be worth it if it brings us closer to finding a cure.

Mailing address:
National MS Society
1440 Foothill Dr., Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(Please make sure you include a note that says "Karen Tapahe, Walk MS" so the money is credited to the right place)

The doily is approximately 8.5 inches across and tatted in peach colored cotton thread. This was one of the first doilies I ever tatted.

Changing the World in Just One Day

There is an amazing new trend and it's absolutely awesome! Various communities are holding giving days. These are 24-hour fundraising blitzes encouraging people to give where they live. The state where I live (Utah) is having it's Love Utah Give Utah campaign on Friday, March 22, and I'm thrilled to be involved.

One of the wonderful things about this campaign is that many smaller nonfprofit organizations are getting exposure because of the campaign as a whole. In Utah, the hosting organization is also giving extra donations of $1,000 - $2,500 to the causes/organizations that bring in the highest number of unique donations. That's the number of donations, not the dollars given in the donations! This is a great opportunity for those of us working for organizations that have lots of regular people donating instead of major donors.

Another cool thing is the potential for doubling your donation. I heard this morning that there are companies like Maverik and IntegraCore willing to match employees' donations. Some of the charities have also lined up matching donors.





My mom - walking with only
20% feeling in her legs
after 13 years with MS.



My heart is with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and not just because I work for the Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter. I was only nine years-old when my mom was diagnosed with multiple Sclerosis (MS). There weren't any treatments back then and I felt so helpless. She taught me to do "the twist" and we had our "shop til you drop" tradition every Black Friday. Over the years, I watched her struggle with her eyesight and lose feeling in her legs to the point that she eventutally couldn't walk. MS is unpredictable and affects each person differently, making this a very frustrating disease. Mom died in 1999 after 25 years of living with MS. I thought my fight against MS was done until I found friends being diagnosed with MS and I just couldn't sit back and do nothing. Nobody else should lose their mom (or dad, friend, son, daughter, etc.) to this crazy disease! Even kids are being diagnosed with it now.

There are now nine disease-modifying treatments and amazing progress is being made. In case you aren't familiar with scientific and medical research, it's important to know that researchers go where the dollars are. If we can't fund their research, they will move on to other projects. That's just the harsh reality. Please join me in supporting the National MS Society or another great charity during Love Utah Give Utah or find the giving day for your area (Arizona's was March 20). I challenge you to give $14 for the 14 years since I lost my mom to MS. There is a matching grant that will double at least the first $1,000 of donations to the Society, so your money will be extra powerful. If we get the most people donating, we could also earn some extra funds.  YOU will be helping to change the world!

Being Dumped by a Job

Just over a year ago, I had an experience that I'd never had before and that I didn't see coming. I lost my job. It was a job I had loved for 10 years and being told that my position was being eliminated was an absolute shock. How am I doing now that a year has gone by? That depends on when you ask me.

Although I took the news well initially, I eventually struggled with it in some interesting ways. The closest scenario I could compare it to is that of being dumped by a boyfriend. The sting of rejection. Trying to figure out how to define yourself without that relationship/job. A sense of betrayal as you wonder what went into the decision and how long the decision was in the making. The heartache of remembering the good times and almost feeling guilty for having any good feelings. The constant temptation to dwell on every ugly, unhappy, or bad thing you can conjure up about the job or employer. And a lingering hope that you'll wake up and it was all a dream or that they'll call and beg you to come back.

Well, nobody called to stay they were wrong to let me go. No news has come out that they totally fell apart without me there. I am now ancient history and I have to cope with it. Originally I thought I would still do volunteer work and stay connected somehow with my former employer. For the first events to come along, they were the ones to push me away. They said it was to help me focus on finding a new job. Later, after I found a new job, things really didn't change and I had lost that drive to be involved since I felt unwanted.

My life has moved forward and I'm busier than ever with my new job. Even though I stay in contact with a few former coworkers (via Facebook), I miss the relationships I had in that old job. It's hard to explain, but there were people that seemed more like an older brother or cool aunt than a supervisor or coworker and I find myself wishing I could get their advice on things. Just like with a bad breakup, I tested those waters and didn't get good results.

Learning to move on and put the past behind me has made me more cautious about thinking of any job or situation as permanent. When my parents were working, most people stayed in their jobs until retirement. Once you found your career, you stuck with it and the job usually stuck with you unless you did something awful. Times have changed and people change jobs all the time. My goal from this point on is to have any job changes be my decision and not another surprise.

I do appreciate all my friends and family members who have put up with this rollercoaster of emotions and helped me see my value. Let's hope I don't have to face another adventure like this any time soon.

I've Been Blowing My Nose Wrong

I'm 45 years old and I can't believe nobody told me I was doing it all wrong. Well, my husband has expressed his concern over my technique, but I always thought he was just teasing me. When I get congested, I tend to put everything into trying to clear my nose. This winter's bout of illness really did me in. I had bronchitis and sinusitis, had a few days of feeling good, and then launched into another miserable mess of coughing, sneezing, and congestion. Things took a turn for the worst and I finally got the doctor to put me on a strong antibiotic. For a few days, I felt human again and it was awesome.  Unfortunately, my runny nose and congestion returned full force and I'm miserable again. I think it's due to the inversion - Utah's version of winter smog.

After boxes of tissues, machine gun sneezing, coughing that keeps me up, and a face that now feels like it was rubbed with sandpaper, I was finally desperate enough to do some serious internet research. I discovered that I was being too aggressive about blowing my nose. It's possible that I've been making things worse for myself. I've already taken care of letting my hubby know that he was right and now I want to pass the information along to all my friends. Life is tough enough without doing such a simple thing wrong.

Here's some advice on how to blow your nose correctly.

Essentials for Working Far from Home

Assuming you survived commuting to work, you're not exactly free and clear of problems. I went from a working at a location just five miles from my house to working 50 miles away. There are so many things that can go wrong during the work day and now I was too far away to be able to run home for a quick remedy.

Ibuprofen, lip balm, lotion...having these at your desk sure beats having to run to a nearby store when you need them.

Hygiene products like toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant...these are a lifesaver when you get rushed in the morning and forget to brush your teeth. I've had some very physically active days while preparing for events and was relieved to be able to reapply some deodorant.

Cosmetics, hair products...great for those days when you oversleep and had to skip a step getting ready. It's also nice for when weather messes up your look or you just need a little touch-up.

A change of clothing...surprised by this one? Have you ever spilled something on your clothes at work? Maybe you had to spend the day moving boxes and your clothing isn't fresh anymore. Any number of things could happen to mess up your shirt, pants, skirt, dress, etc. and you can't just run home to change.

Spare car key...very crucial unless you want to spend a fortune on calling a locksmith. It only took one close call for me to realize that I would really be stuck if I locked my keys in my car while at work. One of my coworkers went down the road at lunchtime to put gas in her car and ended up locking her purse and keys in the car. She called the office and I rushed to her rescue. Unfortunately, the only other person who had a key was her husband and it took 45 minutes for him to arrive. She couldn't just leave the car there since the gas station owner was threatening to tow it. Having a copy of your key made isn't usually expensive and it will quickly pay off if you ever need to use it.

That's my basic list. What are your work essentials?

The Middle Aged Woman's Guide to Commuting

The only thing I really don't like about my current job is that I have to commute every day to the office. Despite massive amounts of freeway construction (which I got to experience driving through), the traffic is absolutely horrific at times. My home and my office are very close to the freeway and about 45-50 miles apart. It doesn't take a math genius to figure out that driving 50 miles on a road with a 65 mph speed limit should take less than an hour.  That math doesn't work when you drive during rush hour...and I do.

Morning commutes run 1-1.5 hours and aren't too stressful unless there are weather problems (Utah = snow & ice) or traffic accidents are blocking the road. When I leave my office at 5:00 pm, however, it feels like the entire state of Utah decided to get on the road with me. Traffic just crawls and it sometimes takes two hours to get home.

In case you ever get stuck commuting to work, I'm going to offer some advice so you don't have to learn everything the hard way.

• Make sure you have food and drink in the car. These are very handy if you break down or get stuck for extended periods of time. Keep them within your reach to partake while driving.
• Go to the bathroom before you leave. Yes, that's the same thing you keep telling your kids. Now it's time for you to take that same advice. No matter how short you think your drive is going to be, I guarantee it will double if you get the urge to pee. If you ignore this advice (or drink too much Diet Coke while driving), I guarantee you're better off getting off the freeway and going to a gas station to relieve yourself. Trying to hold it does not help your driving skills at all!
• Have a coat and a blanket in the car. My car broke down on the way to work one day. The weather didn't seem too cold until I was stranded in the shade of a cement wall in a car that wouldn't start. I huddled under a blanket I had in the backseat (from football season) until someone could come get me. Our current temperatures in Utah are below freezing and it's not worth getting caught without some way to keep warm.
• Keep napkins, tissues, cough drops, ibuprofen, trash bags, etc. handy. When you spend 2-3 hours each day in the car, there's a pretty good chance you will sneeze or have a headache or even spill something. Having these items where you can quickly reach them (without looking) could be a lifesaver.  And my car would be an absolute disaster if I didn't always have a grocery bag dedicated to holding the trash. 
• Bring music. When traffic starts to stress me out, I find that playing music puts me in a better mood. Plus, I keep hoping that if I bounce around enough (in an attempt to dance), maybe I'll burn off some calories. Nobody really knows who that crazy lady be-bopping in her car is...
• Know the best radio station for traffic reports. Most radio stations in a metropolitan area will give a few traffic reports during the rush hour drive. It's better to find the station that gives updates every 10-15 minutes. When problems happen, you'll know in time to reroute or let people know you're going to be late. You can't always avoid the traffic jams, but it helps to know what lies ahead of you.
• Find out what the alternate routes are. When the freeway turns into a parking lot, it's too late to go on an adventure to find a new way to or from work. Check out some of the alternate major streets and give them a try from time to time to see how viable an alternative they are. 
• If traffic is really bad, find something else to do. Sometimes you can run a few errands or work out at the gym before hitting the road and you end up getting home at the same time you would have if you had suffered through the traffic. Leaving a little earlier in the morning could give you time to fit in some errands or just get to work before all the phone calls start.
• Learn how to merge! One of the toughest and scariest parts of my commute is where lanes merge. I used to hate people who didn't get out of the ending lane right away. That was until I learned to do a zipper merge. As implied by the name, the cars carefully come together like the teeth in a zipper. Match your speed to the cars in the lane next to you. When the lane ends, carefully move over into a gap between cars. Some drivers may challenge you on this, but if you're not trying to race ahead, most people will let you in. I like to position myself so the car behind me doesn't speed ahead and ruin the good mood of a successful merge.

These are the things that have kept me alive during the daily commute. I also like to make phone calls to make the drive seem shorter, but that may not be legal where you live. In a perfect world, my job would be closer to where I live (or vice versa) or I would be able to work from home. Until then, I'll be dancing in the driver's seat!