In this issue... (click to jump)

• Spring Conference
• Road Rallye
• IRS Inflation Adjusted Rates
• Welcome New Board Members
• Advocacy Training Webinar
• Electing a Devil's Advocate
• How Does Your Board Measure up?
• Treasurers of All-Volunteer Organizations: Eight Key Responsibilities
• Alternatives to Strategic Planning
• Thank you to the Foundations that have Supported our Work this Year!
• Upcoming Workshops

MNA is offering a webinar: How & Why Nonprofits Should Advocate on April 6.

What is the difference between advocacy and lobbying? How much can your nonprofit lobby? Get answers to these questions and learn more about:

-Messaging and Framing
-Tools and Tactics
-Meeting with an Elected Official
-Resources available for you

To register or get additional information, click here.

Please welcome new board members, Mike Shore and Shelly Hendrick.

Mike Shore, retired from Consumers Energy, has served on many boards as well as teaches our Board Chair workshop. Shelly Hendrick is one of our founders and served as the first Executive Director from 1999 - 2003.  She is currently the Executive Director of the American Red Cross, South Central Michigan

They join:

Shari Smith-Walters, CP Federal Credit Union

Chair

Cheryl Pezon, Curtis & Curtis

Vice-Chair, Chair Elect

Judy Jove, Family Service and Children’s Aid

Secretary

Terri Papiersky, South Central Credit Union

Treasurer

Lesia Pikaart, Michigan Prisoner Reentry

Immediate Past Chair

Tim Bair, Voice Data Network

Mindy Bradish-Orta, Jackson Chamber of Commerce

Karen Coffman, Jackson County

Ted Hilleary, Retired – Consumers

Suzy Turpel, Allegiance Health

If you haven't found Blue Avacado yet, you should.  It's a great resource, "practical, provocative and fun food-for-thought for nonprofits."

Here is a great article on Strategic Planning

Strategic planning -- when done appropriately for your organization -- can be exactly the right tool for the job. But, too often, strategic planning is undertaken for reasons that would be better served by other methods: engaging the board, getting everyone on the same page, getting buy-in from stakeholders, and so forth. And sometimes when boards are unhappy with their executive director, a strategic planning effort is the one thing they both can agree on.  

Different processes are better for different types of decisions and challenges. Here are some tips to strengthen any process as well as some specific alternative planning processes.

For the rest of the article, click here.