What you must do before you select a vendor?
Many of my clients follow the POST methdology, which is a framework where you first understand the People they’re trying to reach, and how they use social technologies. Then to pick an Objective that aligns with your business, next, spend a considerable amount of time scoping out the Strategy, which includes internal processes, stakeholders, roles, budgets, empowerment, policy, and change management. Once you’ve done that, only then you’re ready to choose a vendor, which is the Technology. As a rule of thumb, successful brands focus about 80% of their efforts on the People, Objectives, and Strategy, and about 20% effort on Technologies –don’t get it backwards.
What is “White Label” Software?
There are software platforms that you can you can use to brand your own nonprofit’s identity and integrate it tightly into your existing domain. The user experience should be near seamless; therefore any company can have their own personalized identity.
Social Networking Goes mainstream
Social networking platforms that can be branded or changed as needed (is where the term ‘white label’ has come from. Two examples are BlogTronix and Ning. Non-profits use white label platforms like Ning to connect with their communities. Churches, Ministries and non-profits use Ning to develop a deeper layer of conversation and engagement with their supporters and advocates. “Their memberships are those that are looking for a more contextual social experience around the things they care about most.”
Now, let’s discuss five (5) tips nonprofits so use if they are considering their own white label community.
Tip 1 – The Cause Is The Purpose
The cause is the purpose of the network. Don’t build a network for your organization’s website. The mission of the site needs to revolve around the general common bond a non-profit has with its stakeholder community.
Example: TuDiabetes.org- The common ground of this white label community is to connect people with diabetes.
Tip 2 – Listen
Listening to your community remains a core social media principle. When considering building a cause or organization-specific network, listening can be critical in driving community requirements for function and content.
Tip 3 – Choose a Platform That Serves Your Community Needs
Some networks enable privacy; others integration with larger networks. Still others offer great information sharing via wikis. When considering the many white label community options available, try to understand what your community’s needs are before setting up shop. Spend time assessing your options for starting a white-label social network. Look for a platform that offers your nonprofit the right combination options that meet your requirements. Such as privacy controls, quality user experience, easy administration and customization, and ongoing support.
Tip 4 – Offer Great Value To Your Network
Many nonprofits make a common mistake by using a network to drive information out into the public as opposed to creating a compelling experience for members. Sometimes that means getting off of the information bandwagon and getting out there providing value includes a dynamic environment where members interact and drive conversation, participate in activity they can’t find on general social networks, and receive acknowledgment.
Nonprofits, remember to key to successful networking is to offer great value
Tip 5 – Use The General Networks As Opportunities or Beachheads
Is it smart to include Twitter and Facebook in your community? Most definitely! Even though you have your own niche social network; engage in LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Not all conversations will be on Twitter, your network or even on your Facebook Fan Page. The key thing here to remember is that PEOPLE WILL HAVE CONVESATIONS WHERE IT IS MOST CONVENIENT TO THEM!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
How To Organize Your Music Using MP3 Managing Software
Can This Be Done?
Figuring out how to organize music files the fastest way used to be tricky. But thanks to mp3 managing software you can sort your music collection in minutes.
Keeping Your Music Organized
Keeping an organized music library is much easier said than done. With the internet being the fastest and easiest place for music downloads, the average music listener's collection contains thousands of songs. And since the majority of these downloads don't take place at reputable sources like the iTunes store or Amazon Mp3 the quality of the mp3 files may be suspect. The chances of downloading music with fully completed and accurate ID3 tags are slim to none.
What Is An ID3 Tag and Who Invented It?
An ID3 tag is a type of meta data container used to store information about an MP3 file within the audio file itself. An ID3 tag allows the creator of a file to embed relevant information like the name of the artist, track title, album, track number and genre in the file, allowing that information to travel with the file. Eric Kemp created the first ID3 tag in 1996.
Fix Mp3 Tags Automatically
This cool new software can automatically fix mp3 tags in a matter of minutes. New technology allows for the program to scan your music files and create acoustic fingerprints, which are in turn matched up with files in the largest online music database ever. After that it's only a matter of downloading the correct ID3 tags to your songs and you are done! Since the software used the "fingerprint" method for identifying songs, it can even fix all your Track 01 and Unknown Artist files as well.
How Mp3 Managing Software Organizes Music Files
Fix Misspelled Songs
Delete Duplicate iTunes Files
Organize Genres
Get Album Artwork
Fully Automated
Quick & Easy Download
If your music collection is a mess and full of "Track 01" and "Unknown Artist" you can fix mp3 tags automatically in minutes!
Fix mislabeled music, download album art, delete iTunes duplicates, and complete missing ID3 tags with the best mp3 managing software on the market. Click the links above or copy and past this url in to your address bar for a full review of the program and its features, complete with a video tutorial on how to use the software.
Where To Download?
Go to http://download.cnet.com/windows/music-management-software/ to read about the myriad of MP3 management softwares. Each listing come with an explanation, user rating, total downloads, and more. Some of the downloads are trial versions with an option to buy.
Figuring out how to organize music files the fastest way used to be tricky. But thanks to mp3 managing software you can sort your music collection in minutes.
Keeping Your Music Organized
Keeping an organized music library is much easier said than done. With the internet being the fastest and easiest place for music downloads, the average music listener's collection contains thousands of songs. And since the majority of these downloads don't take place at reputable sources like the iTunes store or Amazon Mp3 the quality of the mp3 files may be suspect. The chances of downloading music with fully completed and accurate ID3 tags are slim to none.
What Is An ID3 Tag and Who Invented It?
An ID3 tag is a type of meta data container used to store information about an MP3 file within the audio file itself. An ID3 tag allows the creator of a file to embed relevant information like the name of the artist, track title, album, track number and genre in the file, allowing that information to travel with the file. Eric Kemp created the first ID3 tag in 1996.
Fix Mp3 Tags Automatically
This cool new software can automatically fix mp3 tags in a matter of minutes. New technology allows for the program to scan your music files and create acoustic fingerprints, which are in turn matched up with files in the largest online music database ever. After that it's only a matter of downloading the correct ID3 tags to your songs and you are done! Since the software used the "fingerprint" method for identifying songs, it can even fix all your Track 01 and Unknown Artist files as well.
How Mp3 Managing Software Organizes Music Files
Fix Misspelled Songs
Delete Duplicate iTunes Files
Organize Genres
Get Album Artwork
Fully Automated
Quick & Easy Download
If your music collection is a mess and full of "Track 01" and "Unknown Artist" you can fix mp3 tags automatically in minutes!
Fix mislabeled music, download album art, delete iTunes duplicates, and complete missing ID3 tags with the best mp3 managing software on the market. Click the links above or copy and past this url in to your address bar for a full review of the program and its features, complete with a video tutorial on how to use the software.
Where To Download?
Go to http://download.cnet.com/windows/music-management-software/ to read about the myriad of MP3 management softwares. Each listing come with an explanation, user rating, total downloads, and more. Some of the downloads are trial versions with an option to buy.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Mount Holly's Way of the Cross Baptist Church Treasurer & Secretary Embezzled Over $360,000
MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. -- Mount Holly's Way of the Cross Baptist Church held its first Sunday service this weekend since the former members accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars appeared in court.
"It's about like starting all over. God's given us a new beginning," Way of the Cross pastor, the Rev. Bobby Meeks, said.
The church’s former treasurer and secretary, Alan and Linda Roland, appeared in a Gaston County courtroom last week. Over the years, detectives say they embezzled more than $360,000 from the church bank account.
"We found out we didn't have but $1,700, and it was a shock to all of us," said Meeks.
Church leaders had very little to say about the case Sunday except that the focus was on the worship service, one in which Meeks talked about forgiveness.
"I talked to them and just said, ‘just try to love each other and bring unity back in the church,’" he said.
Meeks says his congregation is already in the process of replenishing the money that was taken. He says the ladies of the church raised more than $2,000 through several yard sales and they plan to hold other fundraisers to restore the church account.
"It's about like starting all over. God's given us a new beginning," Way of the Cross pastor, the Rev. Bobby Meeks, said.
The church’s former treasurer and secretary, Alan and Linda Roland, appeared in a Gaston County courtroom last week. Over the years, detectives say they embezzled more than $360,000 from the church bank account.
"We found out we didn't have but $1,700, and it was a shock to all of us," said Meeks.
Church leaders had very little to say about the case Sunday except that the focus was on the worship service, one in which Meeks talked about forgiveness.
"I talked to them and just said, ‘just try to love each other and bring unity back in the church,’" he said.
Meeks says his congregation is already in the process of replenishing the money that was taken. He says the ladies of the church raised more than $2,000 through several yard sales and they plan to hold other fundraisers to restore the church account.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
IRS Announces Deadline for Tax Exemption Revocations
The IRS has finally announced its decision regarding the extension it promised to small charities facing the loss of tax exemption due to not filing Form 990N. Now, small nonprofits have until October 15, 2010 to file Form 990N and preserve their status. The IRS is calling this a one-time offer, so organizations that miss the new, extended deadline will be out of luck. The IRS plans to announce the list of organizations removed from Publication 78 (the definitive list of recognized, tax-exempt organizations) sometime in early 2011. Donors giving to such organizations will be sheltered until the list is published.
For those organizations under the same threat, but needing to file Form 990EZ, they will also get an extension to October 15, but will face a financial penalty.
For those organizations under the same threat, but needing to file Form 990EZ, they will also get an extension to October 15, but will face a financial penalty.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Faith Leaders Back Obama on Immigration Reform
By Jennifer Riley|Christian Post Reporter
President Obama’s call on Thursday for the federal government to quickly pass immigration form was backed by diverse and somewhat unlikely groups of religious leaders.
Related
• Hispanic Evangelical: If Not Immigration Reform Now, When?
• Megachurch Pastor: Public Ahead of Congress on Immigration
• Evangelicals Call for Earned Citizenship for Immigrants, Not Amnesty
• A Moral and Just Response to the Immigration Crisis
• Ariz. Pastor's Worry: Criminalization of Ministry Work
A Joining of Forces
African-American and Hispanic pastors joined forces Wednesday in a first-of-its kind coalition to support comprehensive immigration reform. And on Thursday, conservative, white evangelical leaders attended the American University event in support of the president’s first major speech on immigration. The Rev. Bill Hybels, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago, introduced President Obama who went on to call Republicans and Democrats to work together to overhaul the country’s broken immigration system.
"The question now is whether we will have the courage and the political will to pass a bill through Congress, to finally get it done," the president said. "I'm ready to move forward, the majority of Democrats are ready to move forward and I believe the majority of Americans are ready to move forward. But the fact is that without bipartisan support, as we had just a few years ago, we cannot solve this problem." "Reform that brings accountability to our immigration system cannot pass without Republican votes," he said, indirectly accusing Republicans of holding up comprehensive immigration reform. Conservative, white evangelicals among the Republican Party’s staunchest supporters. But several of the evangelical community’s most prominent members were in the audience Thursday to support the president and immigration reform.
Roll Call
The Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, were in attendance. In May, Anderson and Land were among the conservative, evangelicals that endorsed a statement urging immigration reform that included an earned pathway for undocumented immigrants already in the country. An ad version of the statement ran in “Roll Call,” which is widely read by members of Congress, urging lawmakers to take up the issue. “Let us be clear – an earned pathway to citizenship is not amnesty,” the leaders contended in the statement, addressing the popular criticism. “We reject amnesty. And we ask those who label an earned pathway to citizenship as amnesty to stop politicizing this debate needlessly and to honestly acknowledge the difference.”
Pastors Address Criticisms
African-American and Hispanic pastors also addressed criticisms – mainly that illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from poor black Americans – on Wednesday while publicly rejecting claims of a “black-brown” divide on the issue. “We have come together to dispel the ugly myths about a black and brown divide on immigration reform,” said Derrick Harkins, senior pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and co-convener of the coalition. “Throughout our history, immigrants have strengthened our country with their hard work and commitment to core American values.”
The African-American and Hispanic Coalition
“Immigrants are not taking our jobs or public resources,” said Harkins. “The reality is that we are unified across ethnic and racial lines. We will not waver as we pursue justice on this human rights issue of our day.” The African-American and Hispanic coalition includes Esperanza for America; the National Baptist Convention, USA; the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. There are an estimated 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. A recent CNN/Opinion Research poll found that 80 percent of Americans support a program to allow illegal immigrants already in the United States to apply for legal residency if they have a job and pay back taxes.
President Obama’s call on Thursday for the federal government to quickly pass immigration form was backed by diverse and somewhat unlikely groups of religious leaders.
Related
• Hispanic Evangelical: If Not Immigration Reform Now, When?
• Megachurch Pastor: Public Ahead of Congress on Immigration
• Evangelicals Call for Earned Citizenship for Immigrants, Not Amnesty
• A Moral and Just Response to the Immigration Crisis
• Ariz. Pastor's Worry: Criminalization of Ministry Work
A Joining of Forces
African-American and Hispanic pastors joined forces Wednesday in a first-of-its kind coalition to support comprehensive immigration reform. And on Thursday, conservative, white evangelical leaders attended the American University event in support of the president’s first major speech on immigration. The Rev. Bill Hybels, senior pastor of the 12,000-member Willow Creek Community Church outside of Chicago, introduced President Obama who went on to call Republicans and Democrats to work together to overhaul the country’s broken immigration system.
"The question now is whether we will have the courage and the political will to pass a bill through Congress, to finally get it done," the president said. "I'm ready to move forward, the majority of Democrats are ready to move forward and I believe the majority of Americans are ready to move forward. But the fact is that without bipartisan support, as we had just a few years ago, we cannot solve this problem." "Reform that brings accountability to our immigration system cannot pass without Republican votes," he said, indirectly accusing Republicans of holding up comprehensive immigration reform. Conservative, white evangelicals among the Republican Party’s staunchest supporters. But several of the evangelical community’s most prominent members were in the audience Thursday to support the president and immigration reform.
Roll Call
The Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, were in attendance. In May, Anderson and Land were among the conservative, evangelicals that endorsed a statement urging immigration reform that included an earned pathway for undocumented immigrants already in the country. An ad version of the statement ran in “Roll Call,” which is widely read by members of Congress, urging lawmakers to take up the issue. “Let us be clear – an earned pathway to citizenship is not amnesty,” the leaders contended in the statement, addressing the popular criticism. “We reject amnesty. And we ask those who label an earned pathway to citizenship as amnesty to stop politicizing this debate needlessly and to honestly acknowledge the difference.”
Pastors Address Criticisms
African-American and Hispanic pastors also addressed criticisms – mainly that illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from poor black Americans – on Wednesday while publicly rejecting claims of a “black-brown” divide on the issue. “We have come together to dispel the ugly myths about a black and brown divide on immigration reform,” said Derrick Harkins, senior pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and co-convener of the coalition. “Throughout our history, immigrants have strengthened our country with their hard work and commitment to core American values.”
The African-American and Hispanic Coalition
“Immigrants are not taking our jobs or public resources,” said Harkins. “The reality is that we are unified across ethnic and racial lines. We will not waver as we pursue justice on this human rights issue of our day.” The African-American and Hispanic coalition includes Esperanza for America; the National Baptist Convention, USA; the African Methodist Episcopal Church; and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. There are an estimated 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. A recent CNN/Opinion Research poll found that 80 percent of Americans support a program to allow illegal immigrants already in the United States to apply for legal residency if they have a job and pay back taxes.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Starting a Scholarship Program at your Church
Maybe you are thinking you want to start a scholarship fund. That is a great idea, but the question is: how? Is there any special paperwork that needs to be done with the IRS? How about a scholarship that is for over $600.00? Does the church issue a form 1099-Misc? Did you know that many churches do scholarship programs each summer and not realize that they are violating many charitable regulations that could jeopardize exempt status? Let me share five of the most important steps for setting up a scholarship program.
Five Important Steps in Setting Up a Scholarship Program
1. Ceate a written program that describes the type of scholarships the church will award. Will they be only for Christian college attendance, or for any accredited college? Make sure you also list the maximum dollar amounts you issue each year, semester and whether recipients can receive a scholarship each year if they maintain a certain GPA. This should fit in two pages or less.
2. Make at least one public announcement. One of the biggest shortfalls of church and ministry scholarship programs is failure to announce them. This is a requirement.
3. Present the written program in a board meeting and get it approved. It is necessary that the program be board approved and that at least three individuals be appointed to serve on a selection committee. I know that some people hate committees, but in this case it is a good thing. It helps to prove that the church is objective in selecting recipients.
4. Keep a case history of recipients for at least three years and show how they were selected. To do this, you will need to create an application that asks questions necessary to help you select students who meet the criteria of the program. If any applicants or recipients are related to any individuals on the committee or the board of directors, please be very certain that you implement a written procedure to ensure objectivity.
5. Require that the individual recipients sign an annual statement showing that funds were used towards books or tuition. (This is a form that the church prepares).
Scholarship and Taxes
Under the law, if a student receives a scholarship and it is not used to pay for books or tuition, it becomes taxable income to the student. If the scholarship is for more than $600.00 and it does not get used to pay for their schooling, then the church has to issue form 1099-Misc. to the student.
What the IRS Has to Say About Scholarship Programs
While a scholarship program may be a wonderful way to invest in the lives of the young men and women of your church, do not let it become a stumbling block by violating the five simple steps above. The amendment of the regulation of section 7611 was approved in February this year and the IRS will once again begin church audits. When the IRS begins church audits this fall, it will be with renewed vigor. Be ready by ensuring that you maintain good, clear and adequate records.
Five Important Steps in Setting Up a Scholarship Program
1. Ceate a written program that describes the type of scholarships the church will award. Will they be only for Christian college attendance, or for any accredited college? Make sure you also list the maximum dollar amounts you issue each year, semester and whether recipients can receive a scholarship each year if they maintain a certain GPA. This should fit in two pages or less.
2. Make at least one public announcement. One of the biggest shortfalls of church and ministry scholarship programs is failure to announce them. This is a requirement.
3. Present the written program in a board meeting and get it approved. It is necessary that the program be board approved and that at least three individuals be appointed to serve on a selection committee. I know that some people hate committees, but in this case it is a good thing. It helps to prove that the church is objective in selecting recipients.
4. Keep a case history of recipients for at least three years and show how they were selected. To do this, you will need to create an application that asks questions necessary to help you select students who meet the criteria of the program. If any applicants or recipients are related to any individuals on the committee or the board of directors, please be very certain that you implement a written procedure to ensure objectivity.
5. Require that the individual recipients sign an annual statement showing that funds were used towards books or tuition. (This is a form that the church prepares).
Scholarship and Taxes
Under the law, if a student receives a scholarship and it is not used to pay for books or tuition, it becomes taxable income to the student. If the scholarship is for more than $600.00 and it does not get used to pay for their schooling, then the church has to issue form 1099-Misc. to the student.
What the IRS Has to Say About Scholarship Programs
While a scholarship program may be a wonderful way to invest in the lives of the young men and women of your church, do not let it become a stumbling block by violating the five simple steps above. The amendment of the regulation of section 7611 was approved in February this year and the IRS will once again begin church audits. When the IRS begins church audits this fall, it will be with renewed vigor. Be ready by ensuring that you maintain good, clear and adequate records.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Facebook Ads vs Google Ads – Which is Better?
This is a guest post from Mark Baartse, founder of Shopping Cart Reviews.
Did you know that Facebook is the most popular site on the web? It beat Google to the top spot in 2009. Yet, despite its popularity, when you talk about advertising, most of the talk is still about Google.
In competitive industries such as insurance, when you click on an ad in Google it can cost the company up to $20 for just one click - no wonder your insurance premiums as so high! Yet, while insurance companies are handing over millions to Google, Facebook is sitting in the corner quietly waiting for some attention – and offering a lot less than $20 a click.
So what’s the difference between Google and Facebook? They are quite different. People searching on Google generally have a lot more intention – they are more interested in buying. If you go to Google and type in “home insurance”, then there’s a fair chance you are interested in home insurance.
In Facebook ads are targeted based on interest. When you create an ad you show them to people who have expressed an interest in that area. You sell gardening supplies? Facebook ads allows you to target people who have expressed an interest in gardening. If it’s a local business, no problem, just target people in your city.
A big catch with Facebook ads is creatives – the actual ad you see. Usually you make an ad, and then you run it for the duration of the campaign. More sophisticated advertisers will create several versions and swap them to see which performs best. With Facebook, people get bored. Quickly. Have you been annoyed by Facebook ads that keep showing up? If you want to get lots of clicks boredom is your enemy so you need to change your ad constantly, perhaps as often as every 1 or 2 days! Just changing the picture is a good start.
As Facebook users typically have less intention than a Google user, they are less likely to buy (although I’ve seen some successful direct sales campaigns on Facebook). A good strategy is making a Facebook fan page and sending your visitors there instead of your website. By doing this, if they add you (or “like” you in current Facebook-speak), you get to have an ongoing connection with them and engage them in your company. In addition, their friends see that “like” in their news feed and some of them will then also “like” you. I know of people who got 5 users by seeing “like” in their news feed for every one they paid for.
Facebook advertising is likely to explode soon, so my advice is to get in now, beat the rush before it’s too late!
Mark Baartse is founder of Shopping Cart Reviews, an ecommerce resource site covering some of the latest shopping cart innovations such as Prestashop and OpenCart.
Did you know that Facebook is the most popular site on the web? It beat Google to the top spot in 2009. Yet, despite its popularity, when you talk about advertising, most of the talk is still about Google.
In competitive industries such as insurance, when you click on an ad in Google it can cost the company up to $20 for just one click - no wonder your insurance premiums as so high! Yet, while insurance companies are handing over millions to Google, Facebook is sitting in the corner quietly waiting for some attention – and offering a lot less than $20 a click.
So what’s the difference between Google and Facebook? They are quite different. People searching on Google generally have a lot more intention – they are more interested in buying. If you go to Google and type in “home insurance”, then there’s a fair chance you are interested in home insurance.
In Facebook ads are targeted based on interest. When you create an ad you show them to people who have expressed an interest in that area. You sell gardening supplies? Facebook ads allows you to target people who have expressed an interest in gardening. If it’s a local business, no problem, just target people in your city.
A big catch with Facebook ads is creatives – the actual ad you see. Usually you make an ad, and then you run it for the duration of the campaign. More sophisticated advertisers will create several versions and swap them to see which performs best. With Facebook, people get bored. Quickly. Have you been annoyed by Facebook ads that keep showing up? If you want to get lots of clicks boredom is your enemy so you need to change your ad constantly, perhaps as often as every 1 or 2 days! Just changing the picture is a good start.
As Facebook users typically have less intention than a Google user, they are less likely to buy (although I’ve seen some successful direct sales campaigns on Facebook). A good strategy is making a Facebook fan page and sending your visitors there instead of your website. By doing this, if they add you (or “like” you in current Facebook-speak), you get to have an ongoing connection with them and engage them in your company. In addition, their friends see that “like” in their news feed and some of them will then also “like” you. I know of people who got 5 users by seeing “like” in their news feed for every one they paid for.
Facebook advertising is likely to explode soon, so my advice is to get in now, beat the rush before it’s too late!
Mark Baartse is founder of Shopping Cart Reviews, an ecommerce resource site covering some of the latest shopping cart innovations such as Prestashop and OpenCart.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Joblessness Hits the Pulpit
More Churches Lay Off Clergy as Donations Drop; Few Get Severance Benefits
by Joe Light
When Tim Ryan was called to an urgent meeting last year to discuss his duties as children's minister at West Shore Evangelical Free Church, he knew something was amiss.
"This is really hard. I don't know how I can do this," said executive pastor John Nesbitt, who helps lead the 2,500 attendee megachurch in Mechanicsburg, Pa. The church, part of the Evangelical Free Church of America, had been growing rapidly but giving was down and well below projections as the recession weighed on members. So Mr. Ryan was losing his job, as was another pastor.
While the economy appears to be recovering from the worst downturn in generations, more clergy are facing unemployment as churches continue to struggle with drops in donations. In 2009, the government counted about 5,000 clergy looking for jobs, up from 3,000 in 2007 and 2,000 in 2005.
Church staff are feeling the pinch, too. In an October survey, about one in five members of the interdenominational 3,000-member National Association of Church Business Administration said they had laid off staff amid the recession. The official unemployment rate among clergy sits at 1.2%, far below the national average jobless rate, but layoffs can be particularly painful for ministers. Churches aren't subject to unemployment taxes, so laid-off employees can't collect the benefits available to other workers.
West Shore kept Mr. Ryan, 42-years-old, and the other pastor on staff for five months while they looked for new jobs, but many churches don't offer severance benefits, experts say."Churches are so reluctant to let people go that by the time they get to the point where they have to, they don't have the resources for a big severance package," said Bob Clarke, who directs programs that assist ministers in need for the Presbyterian Church in America.
Two things have contributed to the layoffs: a long-term drop in attendance in many denominations and the short-term stresses of the recession. Nearly 30% of church attendees said they had reduced their giving since November 2009, according to a survey of 1,008 adults conducted in late January and early February by the Barna Group, a Ventura, Calif., firm that researches trends in faith and does consulting work for churches. Nearly half of the 3,000 members of the National Association of Church Business Administration say they have reduced or frozen salaries and benefits.
That is a tough blow for many clergy, because salaries are low to begin with. For example, the average salary of a youth minister with a few years of experience is $32,000, according to MinistryPay.com, a website run by the National Association of Church Business Administration. An associate pastor with a decade of experience might earn around $64,000. On average, men with a bachelor's degree earn more than $77,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some church leaders fear donations won't reach prerecession levels as long as unemployment stays elevated. Church surveys report that giving dropped off sharply beginning in November 2008, when the overall unemployment rate was at 6.7%. Since then, contributions have slipped in tandem with rising unemployment. Some of the hardest hit by the recession have been megachurches, roughly defined as those with 2,000 or more attendees. Last year, the 6,000-member Granger Community Church in Indiana laid off eight employees and cut the hours of 15 other staff members.
A pastor's departure can have a particularly emotional impact on members of a congregation. When West Shore announced which ministers would lose their jobs at a congregation meeting, several members in the audience gasped.
"People knew we were behind on our giving, but I don't think people were comprehending that it would come to this," Mr. Ryan said. In addition to Mr. Ryan, the church laid off the pastor who led its 60-member disabilities ministry, which caters to mentally challenged and disabled church members. The pastor, who now works in a group-home system in New York state, didn't respond to requests to be interviewed. One 44-year-old mentally disabled busboy said several people in the class started to cry when the pastor announced he was leaving. "I had to walk out of the class to get some fresh air. It was hard for us," he said.
The extent to which ministers are susceptible to layoffs depends in part on which church or denomination they serve. Catholic and United Methodist bishops appoint clergy to their posts. So while a Catholic parish may have to eliminate a position, the bishop can relocate the priest to another church that can afford him. Meanwhile, placement offices for Jewish rabbis say the average length of the job search for rabbis has increased, but that few temples and synagogues have resorted to layoffs. But pastors in other Christian denominations are mostly on their own in managing unemployment and a job search. Right now, the Presbyterian Church in America, which includes about 1,700 churches, has about five pastors looking for work for each of its 54 job openings, about twice the level before the recession, said the group's business administrator, John Robertson.
Stiff competition isn't the only hurdle clergymen face. Each job comes with a laundry list of required qualifications that are sometimes more specific than is common in corporate hiring. Courts have consistently declined to interfere in the hiring of clergy members on First Amendment grounds, meaning the usual prohibitions on discrimination based on disabilities, age, sex, and gender generally don't apply said Dianna Johnston an attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
A job listing for a pastor opening in Florida on the Southern Baptist Convention website, for example, requires that applicants be married and between the ages of 30 and 49. Another ad for a part-time position in Kansas warns that the committee won't consider someone who has been divorced.
Mr. Ryan, who served at West Shore for a year and a half but was never ordained, decided against uprooting his wife and four children and took a lay job in home remodeling offered by a member of the congregation. His new job? Carpentry—the biblical profession of Jesus and his father, Joseph.
"The irony is not lost on me," Mr. Ryan said.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
For Attention of US Based Non - Profits
By MOLLY HOTTLE, Associated Press Writer Molly Hottle, Associated Press Writer
DES MOINES, Iowa – More than 200,000 small nonprofits across the nation are days away from losing their tax-exempt status because they haven't filed a new form with the Internal Revenue Service.
Many of these groups already operate on razor-thin budgets and some worry an unexpected tax bill could force organizations to close.
"The nonprofits in your backyards, some of them are going to be gone," said Suzanne Coffman, a spokeswoman for GuideStar, which tracks data on nonprofits.
It's most likely the nonprofits aren't aware of the Monday deadline that only applies to groups that report $25,000 or less in income, excluding churches. Those organizations may not find out until Jan. 1, 2011, when they're notified they have to pay taxes on donations they thought were exempt. And it could be months before their nonprofit status is restored.
Congress required the form, called a 990-N, when it amended the tax code three years ago and groups with a fiscal year ending Dec. 31 had until Monday to meet the deadline.
The Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, which conducts economic and social policy research, estimated Friday that 214,000 nonprofit organizations haven't filed the form as required.
Tom Pollak, program director for the center, said organizations that lose their tax-exempt status are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible donations and are not likely to be awarded grants.
Donors who give to the organizations that lose their status will be able to receive tax-deductions on gifts until January because the revocations won't be public until then.
In Iowa, the Warren County Historical Society was among more than 2,700 small nonprofits that hadn't submitted the form. The group's president, Linda Beatty, said she'd never heard of a 990-N until contacted by The Associated Press.
Beatty said she would scramble to get their application in, but if the society lost its nonprofit status, donations likely would drop and members would struggle to pay taxes until they could get the situation resolved. The group maintains a small museum and historical library in Indianola, south of Des Moines.
Stephen Baldassare, president of the Catwalk Theatre Guild in Arvada, Colo., said loss of its tax exemption would have endangered the college scholarships his group awards annually to two high school students and limited other programs.
"It's huge giving those scholarships," he said. "We'd also have to figure out how to do the rest of the functions we do. We would have to change how we bring in money."
In West Chester, Pa., the A Cappella Pops performing group also hadn't heard about the deadline.
Money already is a problem for the 40-member singing group, marketing director Bruce Koepcke said, and would have been far worse if donations dropped or the group faced a big tax bill. He said tax-exempt donations make up 25 percent of the group's revenue.
"We break even in good years," Koepcke said. "We can't afford to lose one iota of funding."
Bobby Zarin, an Internal Revenue Service director who works with non-profits, said the agency sent out press releases and letters to more than 500,000 nonprofit organizations to get the word out about the 990-N forms. She didn't know why the change was catching so many groups by surprise.
"I can honestly say this is the most extensive outreach we have done," Zarin said.
Ultimately, Zarin said the requirement would be helpful because it would eliminate defunct organizations from IRS records and provide more transparency for the public.
"It will give us a much cleaner list of organizations that actually do exist," Zarin said. "More organizations will be filing, so more information will be available."
DES MOINES, Iowa – More than 200,000 small nonprofits across the nation are days away from losing their tax-exempt status because they haven't filed a new form with the Internal Revenue Service.
Many of these groups already operate on razor-thin budgets and some worry an unexpected tax bill could force organizations to close.
"The nonprofits in your backyards, some of them are going to be gone," said Suzanne Coffman, a spokeswoman for GuideStar, which tracks data on nonprofits.
It's most likely the nonprofits aren't aware of the Monday deadline that only applies to groups that report $25,000 or less in income, excluding churches. Those organizations may not find out until Jan. 1, 2011, when they're notified they have to pay taxes on donations they thought were exempt. And it could be months before their nonprofit status is restored.
Congress required the form, called a 990-N, when it amended the tax code three years ago and groups with a fiscal year ending Dec. 31 had until Monday to meet the deadline.
The Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, which conducts economic and social policy research, estimated Friday that 214,000 nonprofit organizations haven't filed the form as required.
Tom Pollak, program director for the center, said organizations that lose their tax-exempt status are no longer eligible to receive tax-deductible donations and are not likely to be awarded grants.
Donors who give to the organizations that lose their status will be able to receive tax-deductions on gifts until January because the revocations won't be public until then.
In Iowa, the Warren County Historical Society was among more than 2,700 small nonprofits that hadn't submitted the form. The group's president, Linda Beatty, said she'd never heard of a 990-N until contacted by The Associated Press.
Beatty said she would scramble to get their application in, but if the society lost its nonprofit status, donations likely would drop and members would struggle to pay taxes until they could get the situation resolved. The group maintains a small museum and historical library in Indianola, south of Des Moines.
Stephen Baldassare, president of the Catwalk Theatre Guild in Arvada, Colo., said loss of its tax exemption would have endangered the college scholarships his group awards annually to two high school students and limited other programs.
"It's huge giving those scholarships," he said. "We'd also have to figure out how to do the rest of the functions we do. We would have to change how we bring in money."
In West Chester, Pa., the A Cappella Pops performing group also hadn't heard about the deadline.
Money already is a problem for the 40-member singing group, marketing director Bruce Koepcke said, and would have been far worse if donations dropped or the group faced a big tax bill. He said tax-exempt donations make up 25 percent of the group's revenue.
"We break even in good years," Koepcke said. "We can't afford to lose one iota of funding."
Bobby Zarin, an Internal Revenue Service director who works with non-profits, said the agency sent out press releases and letters to more than 500,000 nonprofit organizations to get the word out about the 990-N forms. She didn't know why the change was catching so many groups by surprise.
"I can honestly say this is the most extensive outreach we have done," Zarin said.
Ultimately, Zarin said the requirement would be helpful because it would eliminate defunct organizations from IRS records and provide more transparency for the public.
"It will give us a much cleaner list of organizations that actually do exist," Zarin said. "More organizations will be filing, so more information will be available."
Friday, May 14, 2010
Guard Against Embezzlement
Advice and resources to combat a growing problem.
At first glance, the two churches don't have much in common. One is a large, historic congregation, in Washington, DC. The other, a smaller, much younger congre gation in a small Virginia town. Big differences, right? That changed in late December, when the former finance director of the DC church was arrested and charged with stealing more than $500,000 from that congregation during a six-year span. And less than a week later, the former bookkeeper of the Virginia church was accused of stealing about $300,000 over five years.
Both suspects used the money for big-ticket purchases—real estate, cars, jewelry, and furniture—according to the charges filed.
Embezzlement is on the rise in churches of all sizes. One major church insurer logged 32 embezzlement-related claims in 2009, up 12.5 percent from its recent annual averages. "Regrettably, financial misconduct tends to be more predominant in economic down times," says David Middlebrook, a Texas-based attorney specializing in church law.
Fraud experts often refer to a three-legged stool for embezzlement risk: opportunity, need, and organizational ethos.
Opportunity often is born out of non-existent or poorly managed financial controls.
In terms of need, church leaders must pay attention to hardships in the lives of their employees. The most common scenario for church fraud involves longtime employees who face an unexpected financial stress—a job loss for a spouse or an extended illness with hefty medical bills for a family member.
Some studies suggest the average tenure of a church employee who commits fraud is seven years. "These employees don't start off thinking they're going to steal," says Frank Sommerville, another Texas attorney. "They think they're going to borrow from you and pay you back when things improve."
Global Day of Prayer, May 23, 2010
May 23, 2010 is a very special day this year! Not only does the Eastern and Western Pentecost fall on the same day, but it is also the Global Day of Prayer! This is of great significance. Pray for God to give you the revelation of its importance!
Please join All The Praise and many, many others around the world as we unite in prayer and lift our voices to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Let us cry out to God for the nations! Get down on your knees and ask God for a fresh anointing to wash over the nations! Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession. Psalm 2:8 (Amplified Bible) We want to seek the will of God and ask forgiveness for our sins! Gather together with Christians from around the globe in fasting, repentance and prayer!
Welcome to All The Praise & Church Notes
Welcome to All The Praise & Church Notes!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Feel free to leave me messages and thoughts about my posts. P.R.A.I.S.E. stands for Preparing Righteous Anointed Individuals Saved Everywhere.
Ophelia Livingston
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Feel free to leave me messages and thoughts about my posts. P.R.A.I.S.E. stands for Preparing Righteous Anointed Individuals Saved Everywhere.
Ophelia Livingston
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