InView November 2010 Issue
Who Pays Your Bills? What Foreign-Supported Associations and Nonprofits Need to Know about the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Lost in the media frenzy surrounding the arrest of 12 Russian spies by the FBI in June 2010 was the fact that the spies were arrested, not for stealing state secrets or trading technology, but for failing to register with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA, 22 U.S.C. §611 et seq.). This statute requires U.S. persons to register when they engage in certain political or quasi-political activities on behalf of "foreign principals."
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12 Weeks to a Better Association Board
Most association boards meet quarterly. If your last meeting was less than effective consider these quick tips for improvements in board service.
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New York Ranks Lowest in Civic Engagement
While facing many challenges, Americans are stepping forward to participate in civic life to solve problems and strengthen their communities, according to Civic Life in America: Key Findings on the Civic Health of the Nation released by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC). Unfortunately, New York ranked number 51 among the 50 states and Washington, DC, in the number of adults who volunteered with an organization.
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Attracting And Retaining Tomorrow's Top Talent
Kendra is majoring in finance in of one of the top universities in the United States. With one semester of schooling to complete, Kendra spent the summer as an intern in one of the leading high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. That company just made her an offer for full-time employment after graduation, which Kendra will accept, unless she gets the counter offer she's hoping for, from one of the world's most prestigious management consulting firms.
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Disabled Fall Behind in Companies' Attempts to Diversify
Although corporations recognize that hiring employees with disabilities is important, most are hiring very few of these job seekers and few are proactively making efforts to improve the employment environment, according to a survey sponsored by Kessler Foundation and National Organization on Disability (NOD). These results are especially important given the focus on employment by media and government and with October recognized as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
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Survey Finds Charitable Foundation Execs Testing Social Media Waters
The Foundation Center finds that about one-third of foundation CEOs surveyed regularly use Facebook or read blogs, and only six percent use Twitter. The report, Are Foundation Leaders Using Social Media?, documents the usage of social media tools by foundation executives based on survey responses from 73 members of the Center's Grantmaker Leadership Panel.
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Seven Moves To Help Your Association Reap the Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion
The world is one big marketplace. In it, associations and other nonprofits and companies of all shapes and sizes are vying for more diverse members and customers from diverse cultures. The organizations that will prosper understand that in order to stay open for business, they must mine their staffs' own diverse perspectives to differentiate themselves from their competition, define who they really are, and increase their relevancy. And to be truly effective, this engagement must start at the top....(read more)
Lessons from the Corporate World: Five Trade Secrets of Companies That Consistently Get Things Done
If your association or nonprofit is like so many others, it seems to have all the ingredients for success firmly in place. A well-thought-out vision? Check. A realistic strategy? Check. Skilled, highly engaged staff and volunteers, quality products and services, strong member/donor relationships? Check, check, check. So why, in the face of everything you're doing right, can't you deliver consistent results?
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