New technology trends beneficial to nonprofits

As Master’s students in Entertainment Business, we hear the phrase “technology is ever-changing and rapidly advancing,” on a frequent basis. The former phrase is so true it’s astonishing. From player pianos and sheet music originating in the 19th century, to motion pictures, radio, television, CD’s, and digital music launched throughout the 20th century, and finally, to the Internet, digital music, and the use of the cell phone in the 21st century,   new entertainment media delivery methods each present consumers with new opportunities.

Nonprofit organizations must keep up with new trends in technology just as well as for profit businesses. To start, nonprofits must be engaging with all of their supporters. Things like “subscribe to our Blog,” “follow us on Twitter,” “join our LinkedIn Group,” “become a fan on Facebook,” and “subscribe to our Podcast,” are great and inexpensive ways to advocate your nonprofits cause. All of the former social platforms can help develop personal relationships with followers of the nonprofit.

The EBMS program has prepared me to excel in many areas involving technology, but the one area I find most useful to today’s generation is mobile technology. Nonprofits using email marketing, social media, mobile websites, and Smartphone apps have a great advantage when it comes to engaging their followers because the mobile audience is growing exponentially. Mobile marketing enables supporters to donate to the cause, be notified about upcoming events, RSVP to events, be connected to the nonprofits social media pages, provide feedback, and take action, all from their mobile device.

A remarkable new way to raise money through a mobile device is mobile giving or “text-to-give.” A fundraising study indicated that more than $50 million had been raised via mobile text in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti (Kats, 2011). Mobile giving allows nonprofits to stay engaged and connected with donors.

Technology will continue to evolve. Nonprofits must do whatever they can to fundraise and increase donor engagement. Nonprofits will reap benefits by integrating their marketing strategies through innovative devices.

References:

Kats, Rimma (2011). Mobile Web users increase to 69.9M: Study. Mobile Marketer. Retrieved August 26, 2011 from http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/5721.html.

Nielsen Wire (2010). What Americans Do Online: Social Media and Games Dominate Activity. Retrieved August 26, 2011 from http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/what-americans-do-online-social-media-and-games-dominate-activity/.

Alternative funding resources for your business

To stay afloat in today’s economy, businesses must consider new sources of revenue by looking at alternative funding. But, how are we supposed to know what funding sources are reliable? I decided to explore new funding options by considering alternative funding websites.

The Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (cdvca.org) invests in low-wealth communities and businesses that need social and financial assistance. CDVC funds help businesses gain customers, come up with marketing plans, and provide other means of financing in an attempt to build a successful business. To obtain funding, I recommend looking over fund profiles of industry leaders, and attend the introductory training sessions to gain necessary exposure. For a better chance at obtaining financing through CDVCA, your business should be poised for both financial and social returns. Your business will be more appealing if it is located in a low to moderate-income area where equity financing is not readily available. CDVCA also focuses on businesses that have great ideas, good management, provide numerous jobs with good wages, offer employee benefits, have marketing skills, and have strong growth potential. Having the former qualifications give the investors a greater return on investment and benefits the low-income community.

The Opportunity Finance Network (opportunityfinance.net) is another great alternative funding resource. Like CDVCA, The Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) benefits businesses in low-income communities that are outside the economic mainstream. OFN’s mission is developing communities in areas of childcare, healthcare, and education, and helping small businesses. To obtain OFN financing, a business must fill out a short application with its financial requests. The business must also provide a business plan with audited and interim financial statements, resumes of the staff, and a loan portfolio.

Through the examination of the former websites, I learned to not just focus on one potential funding resource. There are other ways of alternative funding, such as endowment funds, government grant programs (grants.gov), social and community fundraisers (philanthropyjournal.org, philanthropy.com), and private/local foundations. The Foundation Directory (fconline.foundationcenter.org) costs money to use, but cof.org/locator tells you what charitable foundations are located in your community and would be a good fit for your business. People dismiss these funding options because they require a lot of hard work, but if you are dedicated to seeing your business thrive, I would recommend taking a look at all of your options. 

Applying experts' views to my business plan proposal

From my previous blog, I absorbed a lot of useful information from business plan experts. In fact, I have had to make specific changes to my business plan proposal because I take the experts' tips and advice very seriously.

First, both of the experts I researched stressed the importance of a highly structured and exhaustive business plan. This means that every section must be strong, detailed, and concise. There are some sections in my proposal that I would like to conduct more research on, especially since my plan is a nonprofit organization that operates very differently than a for-profit business. Since the proposal is supposed to be detailed, I figured this meant filling the pages from top to bottom with information. The experts say to be concise and tight, but too much information can annoy the reader. I will make a change in this area by leaving sufficient white space. This will also be more inviting to the reader (Hopkins, 2001).
Second, one business plan expert reiterated the fact that you must continuously strive to answer the question, “why is this business uniquely qualified to succeed?” I need to be sure to have an exceptionally well-qualified management team because no matter what you are selling, you are selling your people, and your people are what really make your company unique. I need to be more specific on how my people will be used, the experience they have, accomplishments they have achieved, their education, their strengths, and their attributes that they must enhance to become more effective (Woodruff and Woloshyn, 2010).  

Lastly, the experts stated to focus most of your attention on the financials of your business plan. Readers are expecting to see professionalism, so I will be sure to use standard formats. I was under the assumption that for a newer business, words mattered more over the numbers. Since this is not the case according to the experts, I will have the financials be more of a focal point of my business plan.

After investigating business plan proposals, I consider the budget and financial projections to be the most important section when presenting the work to an investor. The investors need to know where the money will be coming from to fund the program and how the funds will be used. The investors also like to see (in numeric terms) the intended path of growth (Larson, 2002). 

Another section I consider to be the heart of my business plan is the market/industry analysis. Reliable and creditworthy research is a necessity because it helps the reader really understand the needs and demands of the target market. It is also extremely important for the reader to be informed of how your company is similar or dissimilar to other businesses.

References:

Hopkins, Bruce (2001). Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide. Wiley nonprofit law, finance, and management series. New York: Wiley.

Larson, Rolfe (2002). Venture Forth!: The Essential Guide to Starting a Moneymaking Business in Your Nonprofit Organization. Saint Paul, Minn: A.H. Wilder Foundation.

Woodruff, Gigi, and Elaine Woloshyn (2010). "Minding Your Business: Nonprofit Business Planning." Center for Nonprofit Excellence. 

Great advice from business plan experts

In the world of nonprofit organization management, it is crucial to have a thorough and well thought-out business plan in place before beginning the incredible venture. To gain more of an insight into the work it takes to create a business plan for a nonprofit organization, I found some experts in the field of NPO business plan writing and reviewing.

First, Dave Lavinsky is the President of Growthink: a company that provides strategic business plan consulting.  Since 1999, Lavinsky has created thousands of high-quality business plans. Growthink has been interviewed by top media sources, such as Business Week, and has received an A-rating with the Better Business Bureau. Lavinsky offered some great advice. The first being to not let a consultant do the work for you because many times the consultant does not do it correctly. He also stated to not use sample business plans because over 99% of business plans were put together incorrectly. Also, do not use business plan software because it is a waste of time and makes you answer useless questions. 
Lavinsky reiterates the fact that you need to be spending your time executing your plan, not writing it. So, in turn, he offered some business plan writing tips. The most important part of your plan is to answer the question, why are you uniquely qualified to succeed? The answer to this sets you apart from every other business out there. Another tip is to write a one-line company description, not a whole paragraph. Many times, investors reading your plan do not fully understand what your business does, so the one-line company description must be accurate and concise. Lastly, a great tip I took from Lavinsky was that multi tasking is a huge drain on your productivity (Lavinsky, 2011). It is crucial to establish a routine, work in a natural rhythm, get rid of distractions, prioritize, make good use of your time, filter your information, set goals, and have fun (Business Burrito, 2009).

The second business plan expert I researched was more specifically geared towards nonprofit business plans. Stephen Windhaus is a renowned planning expert who writes for Bplans.com: a company that helps you build and grow your business. Windhaus believes that individuals should write their nonprofit business plan as if it were a for-profit business. He stated that a nonprofit must generate income to pay the bills just like a for-profit does. Windhaus recommends attending some workshops on this topic to gain a better understanding and maybe even get some counseling. Unlike the former business plan expert, Windhaus believes that a business plan should be a work in progress because it evolves over time. It could be impacted by outside factors along the way, so it is important to keep in tune with the economy and local conditions around you. Windhaus also suggests to be extremely careful when creating the financial section of your business plan because it will most likely take the most time and effort in completing (Windhaus, 2011).

Although there is a lot that goes into writing a business plan, I have acquired great knowledge from the former business plan experts. I know that as I move through the process, I will be confronted with challenges, but they offered great advice to begin the nonprofit venture. The vision and options are mine to explore.

References: 

Business Burrito (2009). Put More Time in Your Day With These Personal Productivity Tools. Business Burrito. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.businessburrito.com/personal-productivity-tools.html.

Lavinsky, Dave (2011).  Business Plan Template for Your Nonprofit Organization. Growthink. Retrieved July 12, 2011 from http://www.growthink.com/products/customizable-template?s=Non%20Profit%20Organization&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=nonprofit%20business%20plans&utm_campaign=Non+Profit+Template++Search&utm_content=sgqmRlQN0%7Ckw%7Cnonprofit%20business%20plans%7Cpcrid%7C6924247601%7Cmt%7CExact%7Cpl%7C.

Windhaus, Stephen (2011). Starting a Nonprofit Community Organization. Bplans. Retrieved July 13, 2011 from http://articles.bplans.com/small-business-legal-issues/starting-a-nonprofit-community-organization/46.

VH1 Save The Music social media efforts

Repeated throughout my blog, I have a passion for nonprofit organizations that focus on music and helping children. An organization I have dedicated my time to and will continue to show loyal support for is the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.


http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/


The Save The Music Foundation (SMF) does a substantial amount of work in the social media sector. SMF has successfully used social media and integrated social media into their marketing efforts. The above website contains videos with celebrity interviews, an option to subscribe to VH1.com newsletters, and a chance to join in on the organization's efforts by becoming a student advocate or young benefactor. The website also has an easily accessible donation button, a live Twitter feed, a Facebook button, a way to shop at retail stores that benefit the foundation, and an entire media section dedicated to sharing news and events, red carpet interviews, promotions, and public service announcements. In my opinion, SMF has done an extraordinary amount of work in their efforts to raise awareness about the importance of music education. I see SMF on television, via email, and in print-media on a frequent basis.
Social media plays a large role in the foundation's marketing efforts. SMF has done a remarkable job working with a multitude of companies to put philanthropy, music, and celebrity at the center of their product lines. Their sponsorship opportunities includes celebrity and talent participation, inclusion in aggressive public relations campaigns, mention on the Foundation’s website, inclusion in an email blast (which has over 75,000 members), and mention on the VH1 Radio Network. VH1SaveTheMusic.com receives over 30,000 hits per month, their Facebook page has over 13,000 fans, and their Twitter page has over 8,000 followers (vh1savethemusic.com). SMF’s campaign is definitely helping the company meet their marketing objectives. I want to point out the large campaign VH1 Save The Music did back in 2008. The year-long public awareness campaign entitled, “First Make Music, Then Make History” reached new audiences and invigorated longtime supporters. It also generated support and funds to foster the next generation of great leaders.
I can honestly say that I am wowed by the Foundation’s marketing efforts, so I would not change anything about their strategy because it can only get better with time and staying up-to-date with technology. The website has even provided demographic figures on their target audiences (36% male, 64% female, 62% are between 18 and 49 years old, 97% are college graduates or above).
Social media can help organizations foster relationships, boost traffic, generate press coverage, increase sales, and build brand awareness. Facebook http://www.facebook.com/vh1savethemusic?ref=mf, LinkedIn, Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/vh1savethemusic, and MySpace are all great tools to use. Because of SMF’s media efforts, they have garnered millions of media impressions. Even through this tough economic time, the Foundation has still managed to donate millions of dollars to schools around the country and impact the lives of millions of students.
vh1savethemusic.com

Please fill out my blog survey :)
http://msgeiwitz.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-survey.html

Blog Survey

Survey

Impact of digital marketing on the nonprofit industry

Digital marketing has a profound effect on any business, but it becomes extremely beneficial for nonprofit organizations because it is free or inexpensive to market and advertise. For nonprofits, free is most definitely a word we all love to hear. There are many ways for nonprofits to take advantage of social media, etc. 

First, a blog platform is crucial. We are all well aware of the impact a blog can do for your business, but which one is best? Personally, I like Google’s Blogspot and Wordpress. Both are prevalent, flexible, and inexpensive blogging platforms. Visit wpbeginner.com for more information on how to set up your site. I came across this great article - "Five Reasons Why WordPress is Ideal for Small Nonprofits." Link: http://www.johnhaydon.com/2010/08/5-reasons-wordpress-ideal-platform-small-nonprofits/. Also, meet blogging enthusiasts via Meetup.com.

Second, setting up a PayPal account for your nonprofit can be extremely helpful because it allows you to use ‘donation’ buttons. First things first though, your nonprofit needs to get a validated nonprofit checking account and a tax-exempt letter from the IRS to verify the PayPal account. If your nonprofit is putting on a fundraising event, as I plan to do, you need to have a portal to purchase tickets and receive donations. PayPal is great, but the only problem I have with it is the fact that donors must already have a PayPal account set up to donate. So, try this link if that is a concern of yours: EventBrite.com. Through this site, you can post events, sell tickets, raise funds, print tickets, and track activities online. I believe there is a small fee, but it’s worth it to have a strong fundraising platform. I also hear that give.fm is another great platform that offers donations via credit card.

Third, I recently found a great resource called Nonprofit Tech 2.0: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits. Here, favorite nonprofits are featured, webinars are posted, and book research and interviews are great tools. I found this article to be of particular importance: 10 Essential Tools for the Nonprofit New Media Manager on the Go. It offers advice that nonprofits can follow in order to keep up to date with mobile technology such as iPhone/Smartphone apps, mobile websites, social media, and mobile fundraising. It is helpful if you want to transform your nonprofit and spread your message to as wide of an audience as possible.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=196082131&gid=1172477&type=member&item=29575757&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fnonprofitorgs%2Ewordpress%2Ecom%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2F10-essential-tools-for-the-nonprofit-new-media-manager-on-the-go%2F&urlhash=eT9Z.

Fourth, a nonprofits goal is to promote community rather than competition. So, I decided to research ways in which to make this possible. A great way to do this would be to use Facebook to reflect the mission of community building.  A nonprofit could obtain a corporate sponsor to donate a certain amount of money based on how many “likes” the Facebook page receives. This would create a sense of community because people are working together to get the word out. I would also give regular updates on the Facebook page in order to keep people engaged. We all know Facebook is all about sharing, so I would be sure to make it personal and engaging by adding personal stories and event photos. This would bring a sense of community because it encourages each other in this difficult economic time.

Fifth, I figured there had to be some way for nonprofits to use YouTube as a platform. I found my answer in the article titled, “5 YouTube Projects That Are Making a Difference.” YouTube can be a very powerful tool for creating change because it connects people and communities in amazing ways.  Videos on YouTube can connect people visually and orally, so I would recommend getting on board because it can be very beneficial to social good. http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=216601765&gid=1172477&type=member&item=31513237&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable%2Ecom%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fyoutube-projects-social-good%2F&urlhash=0RTS.

Sixth, video conferencing tools such as Skype are great to use when you need to be interactive with others.  Skype allows you to mentor, coach, and administer your team when you aren’t able to meet face-to-face. But, I found a couple of other options as well: UStream, LiveStream, and JustinTV. These allow free live broadcasting, recording, and sharing of your videos through social media. Here is how to record with Skype so that people can watch even after the event is over: http://www.extralabs.net/skype-recorder.htm. Here is how to record using UStream: http://helpcenter.ustream.tv/content/how-record-your-broadcast.
 

Seventh, I found an archive of 11 different interviews each explaining how their nonprofit created successful social media campaigns. I find it very important to look at how nonprofits excel in their use of social media. Learning from others that have already done a lot of the work could teach you how to raise money for your nonprofit. http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/book/.

Eighth, I always find social media webinars extremely useful because they offer comprehensive training on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, WordPress, Foursquare, etc. The webinars do cost money to watch, but 10% of the proceeds are donated to nonprofit organizations. The webinars are throughout May and June, 2011. http://www.diosacommunications.com/services/webinars.htm.

Lastly, if you are thinking about creating an e-Newsletter, read the article titled “Five Ways Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Build Their e-Newsletter List.” It offers great advice that is fairly easy to execute, but oftentimes we miss. http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=371296417&gid=1172477&type=member&item=43680488&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fnonprofitorgs%2Ewordpress%2Ecom%2F2011%2F02%2F14%2Ffive-ways-to-use-social-media-to-build-your-e-newsletter list%2F&urlhash=GB_P&goback=%2Egde_1172477_member_43680488.

I hope this blog post offered some great advice on how to get your name out there, and great social media tactics that nonprofits (or any other business for that matter) can use.

I would like to leave you with a quote that I like from Carie Lewis, Director of Emerging Media, The Humane Society of the United States.

“Don’t be afraid to fail! We’ve done so many things in social media that flopped. We didn’t get discouraged; we learned from our mistakes and next time came back even stronger.”

References:
Haydon, John (2011). Five Reasons Why WordPress Is Ideal For Small Nonprofits. Retrieved May 8, 2011 from http://www.johnhaydon.com/2010/08/5-reasons-wordpress-ideal-platform-small-nonprofits/.
Kessler, Sarah (2010). 5 YouTube Projects That Are Making a Difference. Retrieved May 7, 2011 from http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=216601765&gid=1172477&type=member&item=31513237&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Fyoutube-projects-social-good%2F&urlhash=0RTS.
Nonprofitorgs (2010). 10 Essential Tools for the Nonprofit New Media Manager on the Go. Nonprofit Tech 2.0: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits. Retrieved Wednesday, May 4 from http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/10-essential-tools-for-the-nonprofit-new-media-manager-on-the-go/.

Ideas on how to properly plan a fundraising event

I decided to gain some valuable experience in event planning as practice for the career I am trying to obtain. I want to work for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, helping to raise funds to restore music education programs in America’s public schools. Doing so takes experience in planning fundraising events. I recently joined a local non-profit organization (Madison Area Music Association) with similar goals as VH1 Save The Music Foundation. I agreed to be the head of the fundraising committee for a local event. Along the way, I wanted to be aware of possible publishing opportunities for either the organization or myself.

First, I will publish a blog for the event. In an effort to raise as much awareness to the event as possible, I will detail the events the day of and a few weeks prior to the main event. This will create a buzz about the charity and give donors a chance to donate or volunteer. Second, I will make t-shirts. I will design t-shirts using the events logo and the non-profits logo. Joining the two will receive more attention because those connected to one, are now connected to the other. The best Print-On-Demand (POD) site/aggregator I could find in regards to working with the Madison Area Music Association was Zazzle.com. I found Zazzle.com to be a fantastic site to use for fundraising purposes. On Zazzle.com, you can upload images and text to merchandise like coffee mugs, buttons, and t-shirts. It takes little time commitment and is very inexpensive. If the budget allows, I will print on more than just the t-shirts. Third, I will post videos on YouTube. People love to be interactive in this day in age, so providing the onlookers with a first hand view of what is going on will acquire more viewers who will most likely support the organization once exposed to it. Along with the former comes creating a photo gallery on Flickr. As stated above, it is important to be interactive with your target market, but photos are also important to share because they show what the organization has done in the past. It brings a sense of legality to it and gives the donor an ease in donating because they know their money is going to a good cause. Fifth, of course I will use social media (Facebook and Twitter) to create a brand message. Facebook and Twitter will provide the organization with a fan group and will allow for freebies and fun ways for the spectators to get involved. It also provides a safe, efficient, and easy way to obtain more donors. Finally, I will create a blast email. I will send emails to everyone in the organizations network. Here, I will provide a link to the Facebook page, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, and the events main homepage.

So, could I publish any of these items? Absolutely. I could publish the merchandise on Zazzle.com and publish the blog. I will probably get more publishing ideas as I go through the process of doing all of the work. I definitely want to take advantage of the unique opportunity to self-publish because many do not know how to monetize it or the self-publishing ballgame has not become widely popular quite yet.

Taking advantage of podcasts for nonprofit knowledge

Since my business plan includes starting up a nonprofit organization, I decided to dive into the iTunes Store to find some great podcasts on the subject. What I found was astonishing because I had no clue that this incredible resource was available. I found a wide variety of podcasts related to nonprofit organizations, but decided to focus on three that really got my attention. I especially enjoyed the following podcasts because not only did they provide general information about nonprofits, they also imparted wisdom on legal issues that arise in relation to nonprofits.

The first podcast is titled Nonprofit Law Podcast #2: Startup nonprofit. I have always been curious about whether it is critical to hire a lawyer when starting a nonprofit organization. Mr. Mooney (the author/speaker of the podcast) stressed that a lawyer is not always necessary, but getting a professional to help is a very useful tool. The key here is to find a lawyer that has training and experience in nonprofit laws. I also gathered a lot of helpful tips about obtaining nonprofit corporate status and tax-exempt status with the IRS. Mr. Mooney made it seem like gaining nonprofit status was fairly simple, while obtaining tax-exempt status was a much tougher area to accomplish. I need to be sure to factor that into my planning because nine to twelve months is a long time to wait for the approval from the IRS. People will not be able to give charitable contributions without this crucial step, so if I want to put on any fundraisers, gaining the tax-exempt status is a priority. Lastly, I know how important it is to have really great volunteers on your team, but it is of utmost importance to have great board members as well. They must be extremely committed and dedicated to the organization because I will be relying on them a lot, especially in the first year of running the nonprofit.

The second podcast is titled Nonprofit Law Podcast #4: Public disclosure rules. This podcast really showed me the way in regards to how nonprofits get taxed. I learned that nonprofits actually get preferential tax treatment, but there are also some disadvantages that come with the tax privileges. Nonprofits have to have their tax returns from the prior three years available in case someone requests this information. As a nonprofit, we would have to have these documents on hand at all times. After I gave it some thought, I realized it makes sense to give public disclosure of information because we are a public charity.

The third podcast is titled Nonprofit Law Podcast #5: The different flavors of nonprofits. I particularly enjoyed this podcast because it showed me the similarities and differences between a public charity and a private foundation. Both the public charity and the private foundation are tax exempt and have a legal form in each state. A public charity, aka 501(c)(3), has a lot of public support and donors get tax deductions. Some examples include the Red Cross and the American Cancer Society. A private foundation is pretty similar to a public charity, but they cannot show their public support. This means that they get their money from a limited source. An example of a private foundation would be the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

References:

Mooney, Tim (2007). Nonprofit Law Podcast #5: The different flavors of nonprofits. Nonprofit Law Podcast. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nonprofit-law-podcast-5-the/id
25681383 2?i=92174163.

Mooney, Tim (2007). Nonprofit Law Podcast #4: Public disclosure rules. Nonprofit Law Podcast. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nonprofit-law-podcast-4-public/id256813832?i=92174154.

Mooney, Tim (2007). Nonprofit Law Podcast #2: Startup nonprofit. Nonprofit Law Podcast. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nonprofit-law-podcast-2 startup/id256813832? i=92174137.

Legal liabilities for non profit organizations

I have chosen to integrate a non profit organization into my business plan. I quickly discovered that similar rules and regulations of a for profit business apply to a non profit organization just as well. There are oftentimes problems with common people using copyrighted material from non profits or vice versa where non profits think that being a non profit entitles them to fair use on copyrighted materials. Both cases are sufficiently incorrect. Below, I outlined three court cases associated with non profits in order to gain a better understanding of their legal liabilities.

Answers in Genesis v. Creation Ministries International

www.internationallawupdate.com

This 2007 court case between Answers in Genesis (AiG) and Creation Ministries International (CMI) broke out because of accusations against AiG’s leader, Ken Ham. Mr. Ham was blamed for not representing the US office appropriately and not gaining permission from the publishers of the CMI offices. The US office blatantly deceived CMI customers and used the shared trademark without authorization.

In my opinion, since AiG (the US office) and CMI (the international office) are non profit organizations working together for the common good, they should have been more specific on what areas were to be conducted together and which areas could be worked on individually. AiG and CMI should have discussed trademark, copyright, website sharing, and control of affiliate regulations, and then they should have proposed a written contract.

Montana Supreme Court v. Charles M. Bair Family Museum

http://chronicle.com

This 2008 court case between The Montana Supreme Court and Bair Family Museum is closely followed in the non profit sector because of its importance in dealing with trustees who pass away. The Bair Family Museum was unjustifiably closed in 2004, but later reopened after reviewing the case. Lawyers soon realized that the trustee originally opened the museum with purposes of charitable giving, not to make a profit for the Bair family.

In my opinion, just because the trustee in the former case had passed on, it does not mean that the museum can be dealt with in a way other than what the trustee originally intended. The trustee’s preplanning must be honored and followed through on. Donations must be spent as stipulated by the trustee. In my opinion, non profits must work harder to eradicate selfish behavior and comply with the law.

AOSI v. USAID

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/aosi_v_usaid/

This 2006 court case between the Alliance for Open Society International (AOSI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was a case where the First Amendment right came into question. USAID penalized AOSI because they felt the privately funded organization was not adapting to the anti-prostitution pledge.

In my opinion, the anti-prostitution pledge prohibits speech in violation of the First Amendment. AOSI is a privately funded organization helping in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The organization should not have to censor their privately funded speech, and especially not be extracted from federal funding. USAID should recognize that they are potentially eliminating a lifesaving non profit organization.

References:

Abel, Laura. May 11, 2010. Brennan Center For Justice. AOSI v. USAID. Court Cases. Challenging Global AIDS Funding Restrictions.

Gose, Ben. May 15, 2008. The Chronicle of Philathropy. Montana Court Ousts Board of Museum. Vol 20. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from http://chronicle.com.

Transitional Law Associates, LLC. Feb 1, 2009. International Law Update. Arbitration. Vol 15. Retrieved March 6, 2011 from www.internationallawupdate.com

Product and Artist Management course offers great insight into the entertainment industry

Throughout the Product and Artist Management course, I have gained a great deal of useful information that I will utilize and apply in my entertainment business future career. First, a manager in the entertainment field must look at their work as more of an art than a science. A manager must possess certain characteristics such as cooperation, honesty, and dependability, and exhibit exceptional communication skills. A manager must also be capable of change and compromise, and have a strong will. In the case of a traveling artist manager, he/she is obliged to be an impressive advisor, planner, and organizer because there is a lot of overseeing and coordinating involved in working with a traveling artist.  

The second concept I will carry with me is the realization that the entertainment industry, more specifically the music industry, will continue to drastically change as time goes on. With modern technology and expanding marketing techniques, it is crucial to keep up to date with the whole operation because the music business is getting even more complex. It is also important to understand how the economy’s recession will affect your life. I learned to study professionals in order to become competent in multiple areas in the industry. You never know what bit of information and insights an experienced and trained professional can give you. They can even give you ideas on how to strategize your career path, and maybe you can even learn what NOT to do.

Third, as I move into the next course, I found it very beneficial to understand the terms of a formalized management contract because we will be elaborating on this topic in Advanced Entertainment Law. When producing a contract, it is of utmost importance to foresee any issues that could cause a problem for either party. It sounds strange to “think negatively,” but a properly drafted contract where all areas are covered could potentially protect you. Both parties need to be aware of the fact that a contract will not hinder their relationship, but help it. If both parties grasp that they want to have a positive, working relationship, an acceptable agreement should fall into place.

All in all, the Product and Artist Management course was a positive learning experience. I appreciate the fact that it built on previous courses and related to concepts we will use for future courses. I will continue to utilize and apply the knowledge and skills I obtained. 

Practical resource for product management

Ms. Warren is the Sales Manager for Entercom, a powerful and efficient digital advertising company that works with radio stations all throughout the Wisconsin area. She is by far a great example of a product manager in that she is assigned to specific duties and responsibilities. She is delegated to advertise a business or organization (with radio as the media vehicle) and then she guides the company through every phase in the advertising process.  Ms. Warren’s goals are to advertise in a cost-effective way that reaches the companies target audience and proves profitable to the company. The more on the mark she is in the former areas, the better her success as an employee.
Her main goal is long-term customer satisfaction. She has the responsibility of building trust with her customers, which means a product manager should be compelled to be honest. Among honesty should be integrity and technical competence. Having these traits will help the product manager handle varying situations to the best of their ability.

According to Warren, a product manager must have a solid business background with the ability to work through other people to achieve the intended results. They must have a great understanding of the customer in order to provide a superior service. A product manager should be able to juggle numerous projects and must exhibit exceptional time management and organizational skills. If a product manager lacks in these areas, they are only performing on a fundamental level versus a fully operational level.

When asked what the most difficult part of her job was, her response was “in today’s market, you cannot just have the skills and abilities to do the job, you have to push the competency to a higher level.” To reach that level, Ms. Warren suggests reading up on the subject, sit in on seminars and classes, and get involved in a similar professional organization. I would even go so far as to suggest volunteering for a civic group where you could further develop your business skills and gain more experience. 

Negotiating in the non profit industry

I have established some pretty incredible contacts in the industry I wish to enter into someday. More specifically, I aspire to work for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation on either their development or program team. To gain a better understanding of the non profit industry, I interviewed Mr. R – Director of Programs at the foundation. As part of his job, he negotiates with public school administrators from all around the country in order to restore their instrumental music education programs. 

The foundation works with public elementary and middle schools that have dormant music programs. This means that the program team must be very careful when choosing which schools receive the $30,000 grant. They must base their decisions off of studied and sought after objective criteria. For example, which schools would benefit the most from funding certified music teachers’ salaries? Which schools need the most help with providing maintenance and supplies? Which schools should be rewarded with instrumental music classes during the school day? 

As stated in the interview with Mr. R, it is extremely difficult determining the schools to receive the grant, but it has to be done because they are obviously on a strict budget. There are so many schools that want to be a part of this initiative because students would greatly benefit from studying a musical instrument. In order to make a fair judgment, Mr. R states that he must separate the people from the problem – the problem being that he would like to be able to help everyone, but it is just not possible. Emotions play a large role in negotiations, especially in the non profit industry because you really develop a sense of connectedness with the individuals you are trying to help. The deeper you get into the business, the more you affiliate with and band together with individuals that want to do the same things you do. I have learned so much from Mr. R and now I have acquired very useful knowledge to take with me on my journey in the non profit industry.