Thirty two percent of Sonoma Valley residents being 60 plus years old, it’s no wonder that the median age of member-based nonprofits in the Valley is increasing. But our member-based nonprofits, including service organizations and giving circles, won’t be able to sustain themselves if they don’t... Continue
Nonprofit Matters
For the past 100 years, U.S. nonprofits have benefitted from the fact that Americans who filed an itemized tax return have been able to take a tax deduction for donations to their favorite charities. However, life changed dramatically for nonprofits on January 1 when the... Continue
By Dr. B.J. Bischoff -- Recently I was in a meeting with the leader of a Sonoma County nonprofit organization. I knew she had lost her home to the Tubbs Fire in October, so we started chatting about her experience in fleeing her home and finding... Continue
By B.J. Bischoff It's been a somber and stressful two weeks here in Sonoma Valley. Everyone I know knows someone who has lost everything in the wildfires that started October 8 and blazed for over a week. The Nuns Fire (and Partrick Fire, which merged... Continue
Later this month, Sonoma Valley’s La Luz Center will launch a new initiative to help emerging Sonoma Valley Latino leaders hone their leadership skills and develop deeper linkages in the community. This program is called the La Luz Latino Leadership Program and is being led... Continue
July is a month of great change for many Sonoma Valley organizations. July begins the fiscal year for most Sonoma Valley nonprofits, schools and government agencies. It's also the date that the terms of many local nonprofit board members begin. How well organizational change goes... Continue
Last month, the Sonoma Valley Fund released its groundbreaking report describing Sonoma Valley's nonprofit sector and the charitable dollars that fuel it, called “Hidden in Plain Sight: Sonoma Valley and the Charitable Sector that Serves Us.” One finding in particular really caught my attention: Despite... Continue
It seems that whenever I place a phone call to a staff member of any nonprofit organization, I'm told 90 percent of the time that the person isn't available because she or he is "in a meeting." So, it's apparent to me that managing meetings... Continue
Trump's White House victory has already started shaking up the nonprofit world. As a result of the immigration executive order signed January 27, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) received $24 million through over 350,000 online donations during the weekend -- that's six times what... Continue
Volunteers are the lifeblood of most nonprofits. In fact, 85 percent of all nonprofits in the U.S. are run entirely by volunteers. Since nonprofits need so many volunteers to manage their programs, serve their clients, conduct their events, and participate in fundraising efforts, they are... Continue