Lydia Alcock
Spending a Week with Maryland Nonprofits
After spending a week in every corner of the state, we wanted to give you a little glimpse of what the week looked like for our team!
Developing a Code of Ethics
Back in the mid-1990s, I had the privilege of working with the volunteer taskforce that ultimately developed and released the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector in 1998.
Creating Nonprofit Volunteer Policies
Volunteers are an essential part of just about any nonprofit organization. As such, it is crucial that volunteers are treated with respect and that they are managed effectively – after all, they are giving you their time.
How Do I Prevent Conflicts of Interest at My Organization?
Its that time of year again! For many nonprofit boards, this is the time of year when all active board members are asked to complete an annual conflict of interest disclosure form.
Nonprofits and Political Advocacy
It’s an election year and it’s important for nonprofits to understand what they can and can’t do when it comes to political advocacy. There is a common misconception that nonprofit organizations are legally prohibited from engaging in advocacy or lobbying activities. This is entirely untrue.
Welcoming Our New Board Members and Officers for 2020
The new year also came with the election of three new members to the Maryland Nonprofits board. We are so excited to see how their experience contributes to Maryland Nonprofits.
10 Things to Know About Board Diversity – Lessons from “Building a Diverse Board of Directors: Turning Intention to Results”
Your board composition influences how your organization is represented to the public and will make all the difference in how effective you can be at creating the change for your communities. Building board diversity doesn’t have to be an urgent task “fill in the gaps.” Instead, if you approach the process with thoughtful intention with an eye toward embedding equity, inclusion and diversity values into the board’s work, over time, you can shift your board composition and achieve the appropriate mix of talent, diversity, and connections that advance the organization’s mission delivers service to the community equitably.
We Need Your Help – Reforming the State’s Grants Process
Maryland Nonprofits will be hosting two important discussion sessions on possible state grant reforms in the next few weeks. Legislation will be proposed in the 2020 Legislative Session to begin a streamlining and standardization of state grants procedures...
Meet the 2019 Class of Licensed Consultants
The Standards for Excellence Institute, an initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations operate more ethically and accountably, announces its 2019 Class of Licensed Consultants. Twenty-nine class members hailing from nine states recently completed the intensive, three-day training seminar and can assist nonprofits nationwide.
Policy Update: Spending Affordability Committee Briefing
Last Wednesday, the annual Department of Legislative Services (DLS) briefing to the Spending Affordability Committee and the fiscal committees took place in Annapolis. This event is viewed by many as the real start of the legislative season.