Category: Uncategorized

The DER Board recently reviewed its job posting policy and has made a change to better align with our goals to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our new policy is in effect as of June 1, 2022. The new policy will require that groups posting a job provide the salary information. Pay transparency has been shown to address gender and race salary inequities, increase candidate interest, and illustrates a commitment to the organization’s values. There is also a California legislature bill, CA SB 1162 – Pay Transparency for Pay Equity – that if enacted will require employers to have both internal transparency and public listing of salary ranges on job postings. You can see a summary here. Here are some articles on the subject:

• Pay transparency: what it means for job seekers and employers (Candid, July 2020)
• Disclosing Salaries is Good for the Fundraising Profession and Society as a Whole (AFP, July 2021)
• Not showing the salary range in job postings is archaic and inequitable. So why do we keep doing it? (Nonprofit AF, September 2020)
• Nonprofit ‘Salary Secrecy’ Targeted in the Name of Pay Equity (Chron of Philanthropy, July 2021 – paywall)

We appreciate your assistance in this as we work toward advancing employment equity. If you have any questions, please reach out to Melissa Perez, DER Board President, at mperez@dersf.org. Thank you. DER Board of Directors

The DER board is excited to announce that starting February 1, 2022, DER will launch three Membership types to better meet our community’s needs. The membership types that will be available are as follows:

• Professional Membership – $110 per year: This new membership is for consultants, employees of consulting firms, staffing and professional search firms, and other small businesses and corporations.
• Nonprofit Membership — $85 per year: This membership is for employees of nonprofits and foundations, including managers, directors, vice presidents, executive directors, CEOs, and board members.
• Emerging Leaders Membership — Sliding Scale: This new membership is a sliding scale scholarship-based membership for emerging leaders and entry-level employees in our fundraising community including volunteers, coordinators, assistants, and aspiring fundraisers. Current members will be able to nominate potential emerging leader members or emerging leaders can complete an application process. We expect to launch this program on April 1, 2022 and it is available to potential new members only.

Questions about Membership can be sent to DER Membership Chair, P Tyrone Smith at ptyrone@dersf.org.

Monthly Programming Rates: Starting February 1, 2022, the following monthly programming rates will go into effect:

• Non-Member Registration – $45
• Member Registration* – $20

*Members can register additional guests utilizing the member registration rate as a way to introduce more people to the DER community.

Job Posting Rates: Starting February 1, 2022, the following job posting rates will go into effect:

• Non-Member Job Posting – $50 per job
• Member Job Posting – Free

Other Member Benefits:

• Access to the “Members Only” section of the DER website, including program speaker materials and other content available for download
• Discounts to special events, including the 2021 Corporate Philanthropy Panel and Hank Rosso Forum  
• Priority registration for special programs like Masterminds
• CFRE Credit Management

You can join or renew your membership by going here.

On July 23, 2020, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, held in committee a bill, critically important to nonprofits, which had already passed in the Assembly. This unwelcome move prevented it from being heard in the State Senate and effectively killed it for 2020. AB 2936 is designed to bring modest transparency to donor-advised funds and simply calls for: a) defining the terms “donor-advised fund” (DAF) and “donor-advised fund sponsor” in California law, and b) affirming the authority of the Attorney General to ask for reports from DAF sponsors. Sponsored by CalNonprofits, the bill was strongly supported by DER plus about 400 California nonprofits as well as statewide associations like the California Association of Museums, California Association of Food Banks, United Ways of California, and Californians for the Arts – as well as the United Domestic Workers and the Women’s Foundation of California. 

Even with the nonprofit community’s overwhelming support, it seems that Senator Jackson’s decision was swayed by powerful Wall Street DAF sponsors Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab, and the League of California Community Foundations who opposed it by arguing that even modest reports burden them and would deter donors. DER deeply regrets the Senate’s Judiciary Committee’s denial of a vote for AB 2926 and their disregard for the nonprofits from the Senate districts of many Committee members that asked for and held meetings with their Senators to advocate for the DAF transparency bill. AB 2936 was staunchly fought for by Calnonprofit’s Jan Masaoka and authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (East Bay). 

DER will continue to support Calnonprofits in this heroic effort, and we call on our members to join us as nonprofits, community activists, partners, collaborators, and system disruptors in the struggle against the grave and increasing inequality caused by DAFs. Thank you! 

If you’re feeling stressed, stretched, and exhausted right now, you’re not alone. See the full results of the May 2020 Development Executives Roundtable COVID-19 Survey here, or read the summary below.

HOW HAS YOUR WORK CHANGED? Our DER COVID-19 survey shows how you are adapting to changing conditions, with more than 80% saying they are now working from home; 46% working more hours; 40% working with children/pets/distractions at home; 39% working at strange hours; 20% working with less staff support; and 14% working fewer hours.

HOW ARE YOU DOING? When we asked how you’re doing, you told us that while you’re hanging in there, working to stay positive and feeling grateful for what you have, you’re also stressed, anxious about the unknown, and exhausted, as shown in the word cloud above.

ENGAGING IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Your professional development sources today include: more free webinars (77%); reading more free articles (54%); attending virtual networking events (21%); and attending more paid webinars (16%). Some are engaging in less professional development now due to time limitations (20%) and lack of focus/interest (14%.)

VALUE OF VIRTUAL EDUCATION You have mixed opinions about the value of online educational programs, with 47% of those with an opinion saying online programs provide less value than in-person events, 44% saying they provide about the same value, and 10% saying they provide more value. The most commonly mentioned weakness is how difficult it is to support casual networking and interactivity (as one person at a time can talk on a videoconference); the most commonly mentioned strength is that online sessions require no travel, and are therefore easier to fit into work schedules.

OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT You said you are interested in activities that allow you to connect socially and build your networks, by: meeting in small breakout groups (59%); staying 15 minutes after the end of an online event to chat with others (46); highlighting job openings at the beginning of each program (39%); joining virtual social events like coffees or happy hours (37%); and arriving 15 minutes prior to an online event to chat (29%).

WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE? While acknowledging that the needs of the communities we serve have not gone away — and in some cases have become more urgent — you told us that you draw your inspiration from: seeing philanthropists meet the moment by increasing their giving; seeing the heroism of medical staff, first responders and essential workers; and seeing the kindness of neighbors and the solidarity among colleagues. You told us about being in nature and working in your gardens, and also for being grateful for PPP loans, simplified funding applications, and having terrific staff.

We are evaluating your suggestions for relevant program topics and better online networking opportunities, so watch for changes in the months ahead. If you have additional suggestions, contact our Administrative Director Jeri Devereaux at administrator@dersf.org.

To see the full results click here.

November 4, 2019

The Honorable Mark Stone,  Chair Assembly, Judiciary Committee
1020 N Street, Room 104
Sacramento, CA, 95814

Re: Assembly Bill 1712 (Wicks) Donor Advised Funds- SUPPORT

Dear Chairman Stone:

Development Executives Roundtable and The Association of Fundraising Professionals
(AFP) Golden Gate Chapter strongly support AB 1712 (Wicks), which requires organizations
that sponsor donor advised funds (DAFs) to report additional information about their DAFs,
subject to new rules and regulations developed by the California Attorney General’s office.
DAFs have grown significantly over the past several years. The national share of total
individual charitable giving contributed to DAFs increased from 4.4% in 2010 to 10.2% in
2017, and DAF sponsoring organizations held more than $110 billion in charitable assets in
2017. This trend is alarming and controversial because:

• The State of California spends millions of dollars annually on tax expenditures
  resulting from charitable contributions made to DAFs – while many operating
  nonprofits that provide vital benefits to California communities struggle to obtain
  the funding they need to stay afloat.
• Recent media coverage of DAFs suggests that some DAFs provide substantial
  benefits to Wall Street financial firms and their wealthy clientele, while providing
  relatively few benefits to grassroots charitable organizations.
• Despite their rapid growth and prevalence, very little is known about the rates at
  which DAFs distribute funds or where or to what causes those funds are given.
  Recent analyses express concerns about the impact of DAFs on nonprofits and
  communities – especially DAFs held by for profit firms like Schwab and Vanguard –
  so the need to understand their impacts has become imperative.
• News reports indicate that in some cases political donors may be using anonymity
  provided by DAFs to conceal their support for candidates, ballot measures and other
  efforts to influence policy or the public.

The current lack of transparency around DAF giving makes it difficult to determine the
accuracy of these critiques. By gathering more reporting and financial information about
DAFs to determine levels of contributions and disbursements, AB 1712 will help
policymakers and members of the public analyze how much charitable benefits DAFs
produce and understand what entities manage them and how they are managed.
As two nonprofit membership organizations dedicated to providing exceptional
fundraising education in the San Francisco Bay Area, Development Executives Roundtable
and AFP-Golden Gate believe that thoughtful regulation will help to assure good
stewardship of charitable funds. We strongly support AB 1712 and urge you to vote in
favor of this vitally important legislation.

Sincerely,

Christine Poremski Rodrigues

President, Development Executives Roundtable

Chandra Alexandre

President, Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter

Thanks for taking time to complete the DER member community survey!  You can learn how others responded here. If you have questions or comments, please let us know by sending a note to the DER board of directors derboard@dersf.org or posting on your LinkedIn or FaceBook pages and adding #DER.

The Northern California Planned Giving Council is holding their 26th Annual Conference on Planned Giving on May 4, 2018 in San Francisco.  DER members can receive the NCPGC member rate, a $50 savings.  This conference offers 20 workshops in 5 tracks – there will be something for everyone.  For details and to register, go to http://www.ncpgcouncil.org/annual-conference1.html.  (Just select the member rate when you sign up.)

 

The Fund Raising School has launched the First Day Podcast! Highlighting current news and research, this weekly 10 minute podcast provides fundraisers with the latest information in fundraising and philanthropy.  Visit their professional development site for more information.

Next up…
Philanthropy Outlook Study with Dr. Una Osili
February 26

Board Engagement with Fundraising with Dr. Gene Tempel
March 5

Women’s Philanthropy Institute Top Hits with Dr. Debra Mesch
March 12

Religion & Charitable Giving with Dr. David King
March 19

Impact Investing with Melanie Audette
March 26

They Created a DAF, Did They Put Up a Parking Lot? with Dr. Patrick Rooney
April 2

BY Susan Todaro

It was a packed house on November 17 at the Foundation Center for the Annual Bay Area Corporate Philanthropy Panel. More than 100 nonprofit professionals gathered to learn about corporate giving trends and the philosophies of some of our largest and most philanthropic Bay Area companies.

The luncheon was co-sponsored by DER, Foundation Center West, and the San Francisco Business Times. Panelists included Nicole Snow, Senior Manager, Oracle Giving and Oracle Education Foundation; Blair Blackwell, Manager of Education and Corporate Programs at Chevron Corporation; Amy Millington, President, eBay Foundation; and Stephanie Isaacson, Director of Community Relations, PG&E.

When asked about the overall culture of giving at their companies, a common theme was partnerships and employee engagement. Each of the panelists stressed that it’s a priority to support organizations where their employees are involved and to engage company employees in charitable decision-making.

Each of the panelists also said that they strive to develop ongoing relationships with the organizations they support, rather than just giving out dollars. To develop effective partnerships they seek to fund organizations whose mission aligns with the company and the corporate culture. Partnerships also rely on open communication and listening on both sides. Ms. Blackwell stressed that nonprofits need to be honest with their funders and not let funding dictate what you do and how much you take on as an organization.

Corporate funding priorities are most often related to corporate and community interests. For example, Ms. Millington said that at eBay, their philanthropy is authentically tied to what they do as a company; so much of their giving is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship.

To initiate a relationship with a company, the panelists recommended that nonprofits start by engaging employees in projects and volunteering at your organization. Other recommendations include seeking out employee matching gifts and contacting the local office of the corporation. Ms. Millington also suggested that organizations set up an eBay charity platform on their website at www.charity.ebay.com.

Good data is essential to fundraising.  Join us Friday, September 8 as Rob Weiner leads us through an overview of donor and member databases in The Care and Feeding of Your Donor Database at Noon, Friday, September 8, Lighthouse for the Blind, 155 Market St., 10^th Floor; San Francisco, CA 94103. $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers.  Reserve your seat here.

 

 

Friday, August 11 Luncheon Program – New Research into What’s Holding Back Planning Giving

Thursday, September 7 Fundraisers’ Anxiety Buster (FAB) – How as the Philanthropy Field Evolved?

Visit the Events Page to learn more about these programs and reserve your seat today.

Did you miss out on the the combined MGM/Luncheon program on July 12?  It’s all about engaging your board joyfully in fundraising.  Visit the events page now!

Amplifying Your Fundraising by Making a Compelling Presentation 

Thursday, June 15, 2017 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PDT)

Sanford Institute of Philanthropy @ John F. Kennedy University
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Participants will learn the skills needed to sharpen their approach and develop strategies for making a compelling presentation to new and existing donors with the goal of growing their donor pipeline and increasing donor retention. Presenters will share areas of opportunity for nonprofit leaders in both small and medium-sized organizations. The information will support new donor acquisition and cultivation in support of the organizations’ cause. At the end of the seminar, participants will share actionable next steps.

Register through the Sanford Institute’s Eventbrite page

GIVING USA REVIEW OF RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: A National and Bay Area Perspective

Tuesday, June 23 from 10:00 – 11:30am     World Affairs Council Building (312 Sutter Street, Suite 200 in San Francisco)

Join CCS and the Foundation Center for a panel discussion to coincide with this year’s Giving USA results release. Hear CCS’s impressions and discuss the implications of the results with a panel of non-profit leaders from prominent organizations around the Bay Area.

To register or if you have questions please contact to Diana Huynh at dhuynh@ccsfundraising.com or (949) 954-5252.

Registration opens April 21st for the next Hank Rosso Forum, which takes place October 4, 2017.  This year’s theme is Accelerating Social Change: Move Fast and Fix Things. Register here.

You come to DER events and programs because they are informative, affordable and offer opportunity for professional networking.  You can enhance your member experience and support our efforts by volunteering.  If one of the following looks appealing, please send an email to volunteer@dersf.org for a prompt and enthusiastic response.

• Monthly luncheon volunteers to assist with set-up and registration
• Fundraisers Anxiety Busters (FAB) needs two co-facilitators for organization this quarterly peer support group.  You can contact  Meg Cruz directly.
• The marketing committee seeks assistance with a variety of activities to support member communications and recruitment, including social media, the DER Newsletter, job postings and special features and updates to the DER website.

Join us Friday, April 21 from Noon to 1:30 pm at our new East Bay venue, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, for Volunteer Boards: When Being the Best Requires More Than Passion with consultant Charlie Roddy of Charles E. Roddy Consulting.  Visit the Events page for more detail and to reserve your seat through registration.

Check NEWS for quick updates on our events and programs.