Most Sonoma Valley nonprofit board orientation programs fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

No matter how much prior board experience with other organizations newly elected board members have, they all need a comprehensive orientation. No two boards have the same personalities, practices, and policies, so it is critical for all new board members to learn the ropes as soon as possible. It is usually the organization’s governance committee that has the responsibility for developing the board’s orientation program and determining how it should be implemented. Frequently, it is the organization’s staff members who assemble relevant documents for new board members.

According to Annie Bacon, executive director of Sonoma-based Seeds of Learning, “Once the person is on the board, we have a board binder, which is shared with the new member. After that point, they are invited by the executive director or a fellow board member to ask any questions.”  At the very least, new board members need a packet of information, in hard copy or in an electronic format, that includes key information. Examples of materials that should be included in such a packet are: contact information and background on all board members; organizational mission statement; overview of programs and services; annual report with financial statements from past fiscal year; by laws; personnel policies and staff overview; all policies and procedures previously adopted by the board; committee descriptions; current operating budget; and minutes from recent board meetings. Some larger organizations include a glossary of commonly used terms and a list of facilities where the organization operates programs.

Personal mentoring under experienced board members is another approach. Janet Constantino, president of Friends of the Sonoma Valley Library, stated, “Our new board officers attend board meetings regularly, or, once nominated, they do. The board officer whom they are replacing is the one to orient them. For instance, I’ll be resigning as president this fall. So, the newly elected president will sit next to me for at least one meeting. I will also meet with that person and go over the details of my job description and duties.” This personal contact with new board members is also helpful for determining committee assignment preferences, explaining important upcoming board decisions and events, and discussing personal fundraising commitments.

Many organizations set aside a day or half-day to integrate new board members and conduct annual planning. “Rotary has a one-day board retreat that is organized by the incoming president to set goals, approve the budget and get excited about the coming year,” said Vicki Whiting, president of the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley. An effective board orientation meeting will include: personal introductions; presentations by experienced board members on board roles and responsibilities; staff presentations about programs and services provided by the organization; defining expectations on the board’s role in fundraising; and an opportunity for discussion about the organization’s operations.

Annie Bacon added, “Orienting new board members is an important step to helping new members know where to focus their energies, make them feel welcome, and give them the support they need to get started.” By implementing a well-conceived board orientation program that fits within the culture of the organization, new board members will become fully engaged quickly and will gain a thorough understanding of the organization’s operations, ultimately leading to a deep commitment to the nonprofit’s mission.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff owns Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm that builds the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma, leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council and serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

The first step in developing an advisory group is to determine and document the group’s true purpose and level of authority. Many organizations are steering away from using the term advisory board to avoid any confusion with the governing board of the organization and are instead using the term advisory council or committee. Typical advisory group purposes include advocacy, fundraising, providing advice on a specific issue, providing community relations, or serving a liaison role with the organization’s participants or beneficiaries. It is also important for the organization’s leadership to determine how the advisory group will interact with the organization’s board of directors.

Sweetwater Spectrum, a new Sonoma residential community for adults with autism, has already established an advisory group. According to board president Mark Jackson, “Sweetwater Spectrum has an advisory committee that complements our organization’s mission. Committee members have diverse backgrounds, including nonprofit management, fundraising, finance, and medical expertise surrounding autism.”

When determining who should serve in an advisory group, it is critical to identify people who will be a good fit with the core purpose of the group, represent the mission of the organization with integrity, and knowledgably speak about the organization’s programs and services. According to WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center Executive Director Barbara Cullen, “As needs arise, we develop ad hoc advisory committees around specific needs we have. We want to utilize people’s expertise and we don’t want to waste anyone’s time, so our advisory committees are project-driven. We are excited about expanding our space next month to accommodate our program growth, so we are thinking about having a committee to help us think through our future space needs.”

Although many nonprofits may have an official advisory committee with member names proudly appearing on their letterhead and website, a great many of those groups never meet and lack a clear purpose. To have an advisory committee that adds value and is more than just a list of names on the letterhead, nonprofit leaders can take the following steps: (1) name a committee chair and establish a clear reporting structure; (2) have members start working on a task immediately to develop a sense of ownership; (3) prepare members for the work they will do by providing an orientation, reviewing the group’s mission, clarifying their limits of authority, and identifying the decisions the group will make; (4) develop a clear scope of work, measurable objectives, and key priorities; and (5) provide ongoing nurturing and maintenance.

Cherie Hughes, Board President of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, said, “The Mentoring Alliance is in the process of rejuvenating its advisory council. We had an advisory board in past years, but it lost its momentum. So, now we are hoping to get a nucleus of former board members and other supporters of the mentoring program who we can turn to when we need to get a second opinion on some of our ideas.”

It’s never too late to breathe a second wind into those advisory boards that may not have met in years. And now just might be the best time for your nonprofit to start an advisory group to help guide your organization into the future.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma, leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council and serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

During infancy, the nonprofit’s founders are in charge of everything and organizational management is often in crisis mode. There is no long-term planning or paid staff. The organization often survives on the founders’ commitment and their ability to raise all the money the organization needs. As an organization transitions from infancy to the toddler phase, everything is a priority; there is a lack of clarity around communications, goals, responsibility, and authority; infrastructure is weak; and the sole focus is growth. When it becomes a toddler, the organization hires its first staff, has high energy, and day-to-day crises no longer require all of the founders’ attention.

To be successful as a toddler, the organization’s staff needs to add structure; focus on strategic priorities; begin delegating responsibility; and institute a more professional management approach. The board needs to become strategic in recruiting board members; develop job descriptions for board and committee positions; develop policies; establish goals and metrics; and clarify and showcase its values.

Adolescence may be characterized by internal conflicts between those who want uncontrolled growth and those who want to get organized. Written plans, systems and procedures, and a more organized approach to fundraising defines this phase. To survive adolescence, an organization must bring order and discipline to its work without sacrificing innovation and risk-taking. It is during adolescence that the board should assume more responsibility and control, despite the fact that founders may find this threatening.

When an organization reaches its prime, talented staff and volunteers work well together; innovation occurs within established systems; there is predictable growth; conflicts are resolved in a healthy manner; and board and staff are fully engaged in fundraising. When it becomes mature, the organization achieves financial strength and optimal growth; programs and services are popular and financially supported by donors in the community; and there is a great need to stay in close contact with donors and other constituents to keep them excited about the organization’s work. Unless the organization continually reinvents itself and focuses on innovation after it has reached this level of stability, it will begin to age and may ultimately die.

There is great variety in the current life phases of Sonoma Valley’s nonprofits. In a recent discussion among Sonoma Valley nonprofit board leaders, Chuck Levine, board president of the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, said, ”We have actually moved from maturity to being a toddler again.” He added that when his 35-year old organization separated from State of California management last year, they had to have board members conducive to their new mission, so board recruitment became critical. Tim Boeve, president of the Sonoma Valley Teen Services board, stated, “We are moving from being a toddler into adolescence. We now have our first executive director and I am confident her vision and drive will move the organization forward.” He commented that the board is becoming more focused on effective governance practices. WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center’s new board president, Paula Moulton, said, ”We’re in our adolescence. Our biggest issue is the fact that we’re growing and we have to manage decisions about the risks that come with growth.”

It is wise for the leadership of a nonprofit organization to periodically assess its current life phase and develop strategies to thoughtfully and successfully move to the next phase when the time is right.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector, assisting with strategic planning, training, performance improvement, fund development, and community relations.  She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council and serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

As more funders are requiring that nonprofits develop logic models to show the connection between the activities they fund and desired outcomes, it is becoming increasingly important for local nonprofits to develop logic models that define their programs.

A logic model starts with a problem statement that provides a description of the societal problem a nonprofit’s program is designed to solve. The problem statement answers the question, What community problem does my program solve? After clearly defining a problem statement, the next part of the logic model involves identifying assumptions and theories related to why the community problem exists and how it might be solved.

To develop these assumptions, nonprofit leaders generally review current research related to the problem. Then, the nonprofit identifies environmental factors that cause this societal problem, including political, economic, social, cultural, and geographical trends and realities.

After developing this foundation, the nonprofit’s leaders can begin to identify how their organization can solve the community problem through its efforts. The next step is to identify the resources the nonprofit has or can obtain to solve the problem. Examples of resources include people, time, dollars, space, technology, materials, and community relationships. Based on the availability of these resources, the nonprofit can begin to identify the activities in which it will engage to solve the community problem. These activities define the nonprofit’s programming and could include counseling or training or animal rescue.

Then, it’s time to identify the specific outputs, or tangible results, which will happen as a result of the nonprofit’s programming. These outputs could include youth graduating from high school or immigrants learning English.

Finally, an effective logic model identifies long-term and short-term outcomes that the community will realize as a result of the nonprofit’s successful programming. These outcomes could include homeless individuals moving into stable housing, or fewer criminal convictions.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, through its Upstream Investments initiative, requires that nonprofit organizations applying for their programs to be included on the Upstream Investments portfolio of evidenced-based programs submit logic models with their applications. Marla Stuart, director of the Sonoma County Human Services Department Information Integration Division and leader of the county’s Upstream Investments program, said, “Logic models are the foundation of sound program design, delivery, and evaluation. At their best, they summarize and communicate our complex programs and impacts for our staff, clients, funders, legislators and our community.”

According to Stuart, the benefits to a nonprofit for having a logic model include the following: (1) keeps the nonprofit focused on achieving outcomes; (2) helps clarify program rationale; (3) summarizes the nonprofit’s theory of change; (4) demonstrates accountability; and (5) summarizes complex programs to streamline communication with stakeholders.

Sonoma Valley nonprofits that invest the time to develop a simple and clear one-page logic model for their programs will undoubtedly find that the people they serve and the individuals and organizations that fund them will value that investment.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

There are some great technology-related discounts available through TechSoup (techsoup.org). Through TechSoup, nonprofits can access more than 450 technology products and services from more than 50 donor partners including Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Intuit, and Symantec. Through TechSoup, a nonprofit can purchase Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 for $32, as opposed to paying $325 to $395 retail. Quick Books Premier Editions for Windows 2012 is available through TechSoup for $45, as opposed to $250 to $280 at retail.

Many nonprofits use email marketing software to communicate with their constituents. Lauren Parkhill, with Slow Food Sonoma Valley, reported that Slow Food “signed up for Vertical Response’s email marketing (verticalresponse.com) for nonprofits, which allows us to communicate with our members for free.” Another free technology resource used by over 16,000 nonprofits to manage their donations, grants, and program records is through SalesForce Customer Relationship Management and cloud computing (salesforcefoundation.org).

In addition, many manufacturers make hardware and software available to nonprofits for free or at a discount. Companies such as Microsoft, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, and Packard Bell all have active charitable donation programs through their corporate giving or public relations departments.

A great resource for discounts from a variety of retailers is U.S. Communities (uscommunities.org). As a U.S. Communities member, nonprofits can save 40 to 70 percent on Herman Miller office furniture, 67 percent on Ricoh/Savin/Lanier copiers, and 86 percent onoffice products through Independent Stationers, plus others. Grassroots.org provides nonprofits with free web hosting, web design, website building, graphic design, foreign language translation, and search engine optimization, among other services. Good360 (Good360.org) charges an administrative fee for shipping and handling to provide nonprofits with a wide a range of products donated by several national retailers, including Walmart, H&M, 3M, Bed Bath & Beyond, and others. Examples of products available through Good360 are bedding, personal care items, clothing, toys, and office supplies. The National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources (Naeir.org) provides new items donated by companies such as Microsoft, Rubbermaid, 3M, and American Greetings. Depending on what they have at any given time in their warehouse, nonprofits can get office equipment and supplies, appliances, computer software, books, sporting goods, furniture, toys, clothing and more. There is an annual fee of $375 to $575, but the $575 fee, for example, guarantees that the nonprofit will receive an average of $12,000 worth of donated goods during the year. In addition, one of the best-known local sources available for free products and services is Craig’s List’s bartering section (sfbay.craigslist.org/bar).

Nonprofit leaders can make their budgets stretch just a bit further by investing some time in exploring the myriad deep discounts available online. Plus, it never hurts to negotiate with any retailer, regardless of if it’s online or just down the street.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations through strategic planning, fund development consulting, and grant proposal writing. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

Unfortunately, many local nonprofits contact The Sun with their news in a way that makes it difficult to turn it into a story. According to The Sun’s Managing Editor, Val Robichaud, “Some nonprofits send us copies of their event posters. Or they send us the date of an upcoming event and direct us to their Facebook page for more information. What we need instead is a good press release.”

It’s important for nonprofit leaders to master the art of developing effective press releases, since that’s how weekly newspapers with small staffs usually learn about nonprofit news. Katie Holden, Director of Marketing and Events for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, said, “A good press release should contain basic event details: time, date, location, event purpose, and contact information. I look at each press release and determine if I can answer the who, what, where, when and whys in a clear and concise way. It’s also important to include your mission statement to remind folks why you are holding the event or what the fundraiser proceeds will fund.   Each press release should highlight a different aspect of the event, such as entertainment, exciting auction lots, or a special menu.  A human interest piece highlighting a nonprofit success story makes the best case.  Send along a high resolution jpeg of a photo to highlight the story, and be sure to have permission from the subjects in the photo.”

Other tips for creating press releases that will interest the media enough to print them include: (1) use authentic quotes that sound how people actually talk; (2) be sure the press release subject is really newsworthy; (3) email it as a Word attachment, so it’s easy to edit; (4) use excellent writing skills and accurate grammar to minimize editing time; (5) start with a strong sentence that captures interest; and (6) keep sentences short and simple.

The timing of sending a press release is also important. Katie Holden suggests, “Depending on the scope and size of the event, I’d send a save the date press release out anywhere from two weeks out for an open house to ten weeks out for a large fundraiser.  Most people in this town RSVP at the last minute, so sending along additional press releases as the event draws closer is important.” 

In addition to receiving press releases before an event, The Sun wants to hear from nonprofits after an event. Simply emailing a photo of an event with a brief description of the photo and a recap of the event is a great way to communicate with community newspapers that are too small to assign reporters to cover every local event. Nonprofit leaders wanting to publicize their events and activities in The Sun should send their press releases, photos, and emails to news@sonomasun.com by 5 pm on Mondays to appear in the weekly issue distributed on Thursdays.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations. She assists her clients with strategic planning, fund development consulting, and grant proposal writing. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

Legacy giving, also known as planned giving, is a way for an individual to ensure that the work his or her favorite charity will continue well beyond the individual’s lifetime. Legacy giving takes two forms: one is an outright gift of a complete transfer or realized gift of cash or stock. The other form is a deferred gift that is realized in the future. These deferred gifts are granted through a variety of instruments, including bequests, life insurance policies, retirement funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, pooled income funds, and life estate contracts.

According to Joshua Rymer, vice president of the Sonoma Valley Fund and Chair of Endow Sonoma Valley Month, “We came up with the idea to create Endow Sonoma Valley Month with one simple purpose: to increase the number of families and individuals who make legacy gift commitments to nonprofits in the Valley. Our goal is to double the number of legacy gift commitments during this year. That would mean more than 250 legacy gifts to help support the important work of our nonprofit community.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley boasts the largest number of legacy donors of all the Sonoma Valley nonprofits, with The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art a close second, and the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance as a close third. Marchelle Carleton, president of the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs, said, “It is a priority of mine during my term as board president to build our endowment. At the Boys & Girls Clubs, we understand the importance of developing an endowment that can serve to perpetuate our mission.  We put effort into helping our supporters understand the importance of legacy giving through their estate plans.”   

Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance Board President Cherie Hughes said, “Because so many of our supporters have been mentors or have a spouse or close friend who are mentors, they understand first-hand the critical importance of the mentoring program in the lives of the children we help. So, when we began to ask them to continue their support of our programs through legacy giving, we were gratified and humbled that so many of our supporters wanted to make a commitment to help insure that we will be able to carry on the important work of the Mentoring Alliance in the future.”

Over 75 people attended Endow Sonoma Valley Month’s kick-off event October 11, featuring Ben Stone of the Sonoma Economic Development Board and Valerie Pistole Walter, local attorney. On October 16, local nonprofit leaders attended a workshop to learn how to manage a successful legacy gift program. On October 18, from 5 to 7 p.m., prospective legacy donors are invited to a reception to learn next steps toward making a legacy gift commitment.

The public is invited to the Sonoma Valley Fund’s Annual Celebration, October 21, 3 to 5 p.m., at Hanna Boys Center, to honor all legacy donors.

Legacy giving is especially critical during tough economic times. Barbara Young, Sonoma Valley Fund president remarked, “In the current economic environment, many of our nonprofit organizations are struggling to raise the funds necessary for their day-to-day needs. Promoting planned giving is a way for nonprofits to build a secure foundation for their future hard work.”

Harriet Derwingson, past president and board member of the Sonoma Valley Fund, dispels the myth that only wealthy individuals can be legacy donors. “Everyone can become a legacy donor; you don’t have to be wealthy,” she advised. “There are so many options, and Sonoma Valley Fund can help donors find a solution that works for them. There is no gift that is too small.”

Undoubtedly the biggest champion of legacy giving in Sonoma Valley is Sonoma’s 2012 Alcade, Whitney Evans. He founded the Sonoma Valley Fund in 2006 as an affiliate of the Sonoma Community Foundation and continues to promote legacy giving as a member of the Sonoma Valley Fund Board. He sums up why all of us who live here, whether we are wealthy or not, should make a legacy gift to the nonprofits we love. As he put it, “Legacy giving is all about saying thanks for the wonderful life we have enjoyed here in Sonoma Valley.”

Direct any questions about Endow Sonoma Valley Month to Joshua Rymer at jrymer@endowsonomavalley.com or call 707-303-9625.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

SLS offers “The Leadership Challenge” four times a year in Sonoma. These two-day workshops attract leaders from the country’s largest corporations and government agencies. Last year, Nichols began inviting a different local nonprofit executive director to attend these public workshops every time she offered one. She said, “I decided to offer “The Leadership Challenge” to Sonoma Valley nonprofit executive directors because I’ve seen the value of leadership development with leaders in organizations both in the private and public sector. There is no doubt about it, better led organizations benefit in several ways—higher employee and volunteer engagement, lower turnover, and higher productivity.”

The centerpiece of “The Leadership Challenge” workshop is the opportunity for individuals who regularly see the participants at work to complete an anonymous assessment of the individual’s leadership strengths and challenges. Participants use the results of that assessment to develop competencies around five key leadership practices: modeling the way; inspiring a shared vision; challenging the process; enabling others to act; and encouraging the heart. Local nonprofit executive directors who complete the workshop are then invited to meetings of the monthly Nonprofit Leadership Forum “to discuss leadership challenges and to further cultivate their leadership skills,” according to Nichols.
According to Leadership Forum member Laura Zimmerman, executive director of the Sonoma Education Foundation, “Through the workshop process, I have learned a new way of thinking about and measuring my work.”
Dr. Holly Seaton, psychologist and leadership coach, leads the monthly meetings of the Leadership Forum. Topics discussed at the Forum include leadership road blocks, ways to better collaborate with each other, and strategies for continuing to grow as a leader. Dr. Seaton said, “I believe that leadership is everybody’s business.  Executive directors of social profit organizations are challenged daily with leading with heart and managing the bottom line with limited resources.”

Kathy Witkowicki, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance and member of the Leadership Forum, said, “I seize every opportunity to improve my leadership skills and this monthly Nonprofit Forum focuses on just that. Each session addresses specific issues that will ultimately enhance my ability to be a more effective and competent leader.”

Barbara Cullen, executive director of WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center and Leadership Forum member, stated that the Leadership Forum “is a collaborative, learning time between community leaders.” She added, “There is a strong sense of trust between the participants and the group facilitators.” Additional Leadership Forum participants include Dave Pier of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley; Nancy King of Pets Lifeline; and Cynthia Scarborough of Vintage House.

For more information about “The Leadership Challenge” workshop for nonprofits, call 933.3882.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She assists her clients with strategic planning, training resulting in performance improvement, fund development, and community relations. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

Most Sonoma Valley nonprofits are following national trends and using social networking for a variety of purposes. “We enjoy social media and like the instantaneous interactions that social media generates,” commented Laura Zimmerman, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.
According to Kathy Witkowicki, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, “We use many different social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. We believe that social media has already helped us to tap into a younger generation of volunteers, as more and more young people are now signing up to become mentors.”

In the “Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report,” organizations with a significant presence on social networks reported that they attributed their success to the following 3 factors: 41 percent said they developed a vision and strategy for their use of social networking; 37 percent said that their executive management team made social networking a priority; and 28 percent said that they had created a new position specifically focused on their social networking program.

Kevin McNeely, executive director of the Sonoma International Film Festival, said his organization uses a local firm to regularly update their social media information. He added, “During our annual film festival, there is a team of six to seven people who are constantly tweeting, blogging, and updating our Facebook account with updates on films, schedule changes, to-be-announced films, and sharing info on where the filmmakers and celebs are hanging out. We also use Foursquare and Pinterest, which allow us to share and organize photos and videos as well as note (event) locations.”

Facebook seems to be the most popularly used social networking platform among local nonprofits, with fewer organizations using Twitter. Annie Bacon, executive director of Seeds of Learning, mentioned, “We post pictures and stories about all of our programs on Facebook. While we have a Twitter account, our tweets are few and far between.”


Cristin Lawrence, administrative director of Sonoma Valley Teen Services, said, “We use Facebook and we maintain a blog on our website. I don’t know many teens who tweet. When working with teens, it’s an absolute must to stay up-to-date with the latest in social media. Facebook is the absolutely most effective way to let teens know about upcoming events and activities. I sometimes find I can reach teens on Facebook faster than I can on their cell phones!” She added, “The blog on our website works well for keeping adults informed about our programs and events.” 

In this era of tweeting, posting, and blogging, local nonprofit leaders realize that to maintain strong connections to their volunteers, program participants, and donors, they have to stay in touch with them through the latest on-line social networking methods.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She assists her clients with strategic planning, training resulting in performance improvement, fund development, and community relations. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Contact her at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.

The purpose of the “Fair Pay” study is to showcase local nonprofit compensation and benefits practices to provide nonprofit leaders with the information they need to evaluate their organizations’ compensation and benefits practices. According to the publishers of the study, competitive compensation, attractive benefits packages, and equitable practices enable nonprofit organizations to attract, recruit, and retain well-qualified professional and support staff.

Since only seven of the 29 Sonoma County organizations featured in the study are in Sonoma Valley, there isn’t enough data to draw exact conclusions about Sonoma Valley-specific nonprofits. However, Rita Haronian, creator of the software that analyzes the survey responses, said, “Sonoma Valley organizations tend to be on the smaller side in terms of annual operating budget, and so not surprisingly, some of the managerial positions pay a bit less than the Sonoma County group overall. That doesn’t mean they are underpaying, though, because they would probably be close to the average of the other Sonoma County organizations if we looked only at similarly-sized organizations. Pay for non-managerial jobs in the Sonoma Valley looked generally close to the results for Sonoma County as a whole.”

The average annual cash compensation for a Sonoma County nonprofit executive director is $95,309. Nonprofits with budgets up to $685,000 pay their executive directors an average of $80,000 per year, while organizations averaging $3.6 million budgets pay almost $105,000 per year. The average nonprofit program director earns about $69,900 per year, while the average office manager makes $43,100 per year. Approximately one-third of the Sonoma County nonprofits in the study reported that they have a development director, making an average of $70,500 per year.

According to Rita Haronian of Northern Compensation Associates, “To run their organizations effectively, nonprofit managers need to know what the current employment market looks like for the specific jobs at their organizations. Employment markets are local by definition, and this is why the survey reports compensation data by specific location within Northern California. The 2012 survey’s sample of 29 Sonoma County organizations is not large, but does provide enough data to give us salary information for some of the more frequently found jobs among local nonprofits. Since the recession hit in 2008, organizations have reported a variety of ‘belt-tightening’ policies: layoffs, reduced employee benefits, pay freezes, and pay reductions. The 2012 survey reports a tapering off of these policies, with 66 percent of survey participants giving salary increases during the current fiscal year and an average overall increase of around two percent to two-and-a-half percent.”

The complete “Northern California Nonprofits Compensation and Benefits Survey” is based on responses from 402 nonprofit organizations that employ over 28,000 individuals. Over 99 percent of the participating nonprofits provide their full-time employees with paid time off in some form, while 85 percent indicate that their part-time employees are eligible for paid time-off. Approximately 95 percent of the surveyed nonprofits offer some type of medical insurance to full-time employees, while 77 percent report that their part-time employees are eligible for medical insurance coverage, as long as they work a minimum number of hours per week (on average, 23 hours per week).

About 34 percent of the surveyed Northern California nonprofits report that they have a formal policy that allows for incentive pay for their executive directors. On average, male executive directors in Northern California earn significantly higher pay than do females. The average pay for all executive directors in the Northern California sample is $131,209 per year. The average male executive director earns $139,866 per year, while females earn $122,711 annually. Anyone interested in purchasing the complete study may go to www.nonprofitcomp.com.

Dr. B.J. Bischoff is the owner of Bischoff Performance Improvement Consulting, a Sonoma firm specializing in building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies to better serve their stakeholders. She assists her clients with strategic planning, training resulting in performance improvement, fund development, and community relations. She is President of Impact100 Sonoma and leads the Sonoma Valley Presidents Council. She serves on the Sonoma Upstream Investments Portfolio Review Committee as an appointee of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. She can be contacted at bjbischoff@bjbischoff.com.