conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a description for a book titled The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management about Nowin, Second, Edition with the genre: Business & Money, Management & Leadership
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: As nonprofit organizations face tough times, efficient andeffective business management is essential for their survival. Nowin a significantly revised and expanded Second Edition, thispopular how-to book identifies and addresses the key areas ofbusiness for nonprofit organizations, from public relations andstrategic planning to office management and the effective use ofinformation technology.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first five paragraphs for the book. End with the sentence ' Large leaps can make training extremely difficult, so well-managed organizations make change gradually and constantly so that it is the norm rather than the exception.'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management
  Once you have found strong candidates, here are some questions to ask the customers they provide as references:
  After you have selected outside Web site support services and are satisfied with the vendor's initial work, periodically review its performance and rates. Compare its service with others that support Web sites like yours by contacting their clients. You may find good reasons to change outside resources over time as the technology changes and new and more innovative organizations emerge.
  In order to take full advantage of IT capabilities, nonprofits need someone on staff to manage these resources. Smaller groups (and even some midsized groups) need not hire an MIS expert. The staff person who takes on this responsibility needs to know the functions that computers can perform and how to use them, and must have the aptitude and drive to keep up with fast-changing trends. But you do not need or necessarily want a specialist on staff who can program or service computer systems. These functions can be costeffectively outsourced to service bureaus, ISPs, or Web site developers. The staff executive responsible for your MIS function should focus on how best to apply the technology without being distracted by the minutia of programming and time-consuming hardware maintenance and upgrades. This individual can then serve as an intermediary between the nonprofit's members and staff and the outside MIS experts. In this position, the executive can help the group use computers to accomplish its most important goals.
  Another critical role for the MIS executive in any large or midsized nonprofit is to develop training programs to ensure that employees have the skills to use IT systems effectively. The use of computers takes skills that can be learned, but they are different from other business skills. Training is vital for efficient information flow, and your investment in training should equal or exceed your investment in capital equipment. Presently, high schools and colleges do not teach their students the "industry standard" software programs, nor do students always learn them on their own with any degree of competence. Your organization must take it upon itself to ensure that your workers know how to use the tools you are providing them.
  There are numerous ways to provide training, and the instruction does not need to be expensive if it is spread out over time. Large leaps can make training extremely difficult, so well-managed organizations make change gradually and constantly so that it is the norm rather than the exception.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: another paragraph
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Size. Ideally, an office should provide approximately 200 sq ft of space per person, including common space. At the start, the office space may be tight, so try to anticipate growth. Also take into consideration needed space for volunteers or board members.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last four paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: It stands to reason that nonprofit executives will be able to help consultants do their work only if they understand what the consultants are doing. Most projects should be a partnership between the nonprofit's staff and the consultant. Communication must be good; usually, this means frequent, but not, as stressed earlier, time-consuming. Two fiveminute telephone calls are usually better than one one-hour meeting.
  No consultant will know your own business as well as you do. Even if the consultant is a national expert on the cause to which your organization is devoted, he or she probably doesn't understand your local situation as well as you do.
  The issue of how you can best work with the consultant, helping that person or firm to produce a report or hold a workshop or prepare a press conference that will serve your purpose, should be addressed in the selection process. How much help does the consultant want from you? How does he or she want to communicate? Rapport is intangible, but if it's not there from the outset, it may be hard to develop later.
  For some projects-research projects most obviously-the final report is the purpose of the exercise. For other projects, such as fundraising or organizing a meeting, the results will be in the numbers. But a summary of activities carried out under the contract and of results achieved is always useful.You will usually circulate this summary to at least part of your board of directors, and it will be very useful the next time you take on a similar project.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swap the first and the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: You will usually circulate this summary to at least part of your board of directors, and it will be very useful the next time you take on a similar project. Most projects should be a partnership between the nonprofit's staff and the consultant. Communication must be good; usually, this means frequent, but not, as stressed earlier, time-consuming. Two fiveminute telephone calls are usually better than one one-hour meeting.
  No consultant will know your own business as well as you do. Even if the consultant is a national expert on the cause to which your organization is devoted, he or she probably doesn't understand your local situation as well as you do.
  The issue of how you can best work with the consultant, helping that person or firm to produce a report or hold a workshop or prepare a press conference that will serve your purpose, should be addressed in the selection process. How much help does the consultant want from you? How does he or she want to communicate? Rapport is intangible, but if it's not there from the outset, it may be hard to develop later.
  For some projects-research projects most obviously-the final report is the purpose of the exercise. For other projects, such as fundraising or organizing a meeting, the results will be in the numbers. But a summary of activities carried out under the contract and of results achieved is always useful.It stands to reason that nonprofit executives will be able to help consultants do their work only if they understand what the consultants are doing.