Archive for May, 2008

How to Guarantee Board and Colleague Support for Your Nonprofit’s Marketing Plan

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

By Nancy E. Schwartz You and your staff and board colleagues spend a lot of time planning and fine-tuning your nonprofit’s marketing plan. But once the plan is approved, the pressure is on you — the nonprofit marketer — to carry it out successfully. How can you ensure that board and staff members will continue to support the plan? And how do you guarantee that colleagues will agree with your actions going forward and be pleased with results? At times like these, nerves can run as high as expectations. Over the years, in my work on staff and as a consultant, I’ve found that nothing works as well as clear, frequent communication in a situation like this. Make sure you communicate frequently and thoroughly to your board and colleagues, so they aren’t surprised at any step along the way. There’s absolutely no way for you to predict their actions but you’ll be treating them with the utmost respect and, through including a broader group, be likely to receive some very useful feedback along the way. Here are some tips to pave the way for a smooth implementation process: • Before you take another step, work with the board to define a series of benchmarks to be met as you bring the marketing plan to life. The benchmarks should be designed to motivate review of activity to date and course correction if necessary (averting the possibility that you’ll go too far in the wrong direction). • Plan how frequently, and via what means you’ll update board members and relevant colleagues on your progress. Think of this group as your marketing team and let them know what they can expect from you.

I recommend a periodic group email report, and occasional update meetings. • Consider what you are seeking from your marketing team. And the kind of input they demand? Will you be soliciting approval or just keeping folks updated? More input is not always useful, especially when it comes to design issues.

You’ll want to come to the table with a concrete recommendation that is feasible for you to maintain while meeting your marketing budget and timeline. Also, make sure you define what results you can deliver. The kind of marketing you’re doing generates tangible results. Let your team know what you expect. But remember, nothing is worse than promising what you can’t deliver. • Let your marketing team know immediately if (and we can probably say "when") you come up against stumbling blocks. Nothing is better than an immediate group email to update team members on a glitch and your intended solution. Not only will they feel included, and satisfied to be made aware of a diversion from the original plan – you give yourself great pr by providing an immediate solution. When you put these four tips into play, you’ll be doing as much as is humanly possible to make sure the marketing plan implementation goes smoothly. Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. Subscribe to her free e-newsletter “Getting Attention,” at http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_E._Schwartz http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Guarantee-Board-and-Colleague-Support-for-Your-Nonprofits-Marketing-Plan&id=345955 i need a signature loan but i have bad credit personal loans for people who have filed for bankruptcy and bad credit private lenders & personal loans & toronto ontario payday advance no telecheck

Jewelry Insurance - Hints and Tips So You Don’t Get Ripped Off

Monday, May 26th, 2008

By David Foard As crime and drug use increases, the risks involved in having Antique and Estate Jewelry just lying around your home seem to treble. It becomes a nightmare and you find you are just not sure what to do. Here are some timely pieces of advice, but by no means comprehensive. If you have special circumstances, it may pay you to go one step further and get some professional advice. BALANCE AND COMMON SENSE… If you collect Antique Jewelry and your collection has grown to more than ‘Just a couple of Rings’ you will have a double edged sword to handle. In the first place you have two problems. * You are an active buyer, so people know who you are. * Insurance has put ‘Premiums’ through the roof. Personally, we just Hate to see items collected and never worn. Jewelry was made to adorn, so if you can, wear them. But remember this is an open advert to the whole world that you have ‘Got some Jewelry’ at Home. It pays to be just a little aware! YOUR INSURANCE POLICY… Your Home and Contents policy ‘GENERALLY’ does NOT cover your personal Jewelry over a certain amount (this varies from company to company). Plus if you had to claim, the Insurance company may take a ‘premium’ from you (say $100) which they would DEDUCT from the final payout. The remaining value may not cover one item in your collection, yet alone the ’sentimental’ value associated with your personal favorites. So you will have to list all of the items individually and get an Insurance Valuation certificate as well. Because ‘Sentimental’ value does not apply, only the replacement costs, you will have to ensure your qualified gemologist/jeweler/valuer understands why you are having an appraisal done in the first place. This can get expensive as professional appraisals typically cost a flat ‘Take-in’ price of around $20 plus a sliding scale fee of approximately one percent of the final value. In an item is valued around $1000 dollars, that fee is $10 + $20 take-in or $30 total. This is just for ONE item. Valuation Appraisals can cost up to $60 dollars or more so if you have a small collection, you may need a small fortune just to keep up with current prices. The BIGGER your collection - The B I G G E R your cost! But if you don’t want a great outlay, you might just take advantage of the useful ‘Do-it-Yourself’ Online Jewelry Self Appraisal Kit at the Online Jewelry Appraisal Center at the address shown below, which is a great alternative. This ONLINE database system calculates everything for you and prints out a descriptive Certificate and is hundreds of times more accurate and thorough than your local high street jewelers’ scribbled letterhead. At such a low fee it’s money well spent. Indeed, if you just purchased something on eBay or Yahoo auctions, for example, you might wish to just confirm an approximate value by using this easy to use DIY Valuation Appraisal Kit. Suppose you recently bought something from a local Dealer, on the Market or Antique Fair, why not get it checked. What’s the worst that could happen? For less than the price of a Big Mac and Coke it’s a Bargain, plus there are many other advantages to having your Jewelry done at the Online Jewelry Appraisal Center. Your appraisal valuations should be re-done every couple of years as the price of Gold and Silver changes, as does the price of Diamonds and Gemstones and Antiques in particular. We do offer an excellent reminder service to anyone who completes a ‘Do-it-Yourself’ Online Jewelry Self Appraisal Kit with us. This alone is worth the small fee as it relieves you of the problem. But remember that if your Jewelry is lost or stolen, the insurance cover will only help replace your treasure with something of ‘COMPARABLE’ value. It can’t buy you ’sentiment’ and it can’t buy you another Georgian Chatelaine to exactly replace the one you had. You may be able to get another ‘Similar’ item though, and that is better than the few dollars or so, you may have received from the Homeowners policy. It pays to have an up-to-date Certificate. I can’t stress that enough. If in doubt, talk with your trusted Insurance Company. But even if it’s just for ‘Peace of mind’, the small price (less than a Cinema Ticket) is well worth the effort. It’s a No-Brainer really. There are several other SPECIAL REPORTS available through our eMail-on-Demand subscription box at the website, so please take some time to visit. There is a timely warning on Security issues. It’s good advice, plus there is some great tips on Investing in Jewelry, Insurance guidelines and other notes on selling, Hallmarking tips etc, and they are being added to all the time. And the best bit is they are FREE…. Thank you for taking the time to read this special report. If you thought it interesting, useful or found it helped you in any way I would appreciate your comments via email at the address shown below. This is my personal email address and I read every comment - good or bad. Alternatively: why not pass it on to a friend. I’m sure you can think of someone who might benefit from this useful information. Treat it as doing me a big favor. I will certainly appreciate it. regards and please watch the road. David Foard F.G.A.A. Fellow of the Gemological Association of Australia and former member of JATVC - The Valuers Council (retired). P.S.If you administer a website or publish an ezine, please feel free to use this article as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below. Although it’s not compulsory, just send me an email at gemmo1@jewellery-antiques.com and let me know if and where you used it. If you need other great content - complimentary of course - then drop me a line at the email address given - ’cause I’ve got Gallons of the stuff…. David Foard has spent over 30 years in the Antique Jewelry Trade as a qualified gemologist and member of the Valuers Council. Get a FREE 3 part ‘Hallmarking Report’ on How to Identify your Jewelry Hallmarks at Home or Work by going to ==> http://www.jewellery-antiques.com and grabbing yourself a fistfull of Hints - Tips and Secrets. gemmo1@jewellery-antiques.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Foard http://EzineArticles.com/?Jewelry-Insurance—Hints-and-Tips-So-You-Dont-Get-Ripped-Off&id=58283 fast unsecured loans in the uk bad credit home loans no money down michigan instant cash contest personal loan document examples

Bail Bond Agents: The Good, Bad And Not-so-pretty

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

By John Schmidt Bail bond agents are not your friend, not your attorney or your confidant or your confessor. But he is, when you need him, much better than all those. Because if you land in jail, he’s the one person who will travel through the flames to get you out. A good bail bondsman will have reasonable rates, require only fair collateral, and be available at any time of the night or day because you don’t always get arrested during normal business hours. A good bail bonds agent will get you out as quickly as possible, barreling through the bureaucracy that doesn’t care that you are locked up in a very ugly place. But you in turn need to have the right expectations. Legally, the amount of bail is determined by the judge. The catch is it can take several days before a judge actually has time to hear the case in order to set it. Under U.S. federal law a person taken to jail has to be brought ‘without unnecessary delay before the nearest available … magistrate’. Most states follow the federal rule. But ‘unnecessary’ can be up to 48 hours, not counting weekends or holidays. Luckily, most courts have set ‘bail schedules’ that determine bail amount for a common list of offenses. That schedule acts as a guideline for the bail bondsman as well. They typically get 10% of the bond amount as a fee for taking the risk. Incidentally, most don’t take credit cards or personal checks. Bail bond agents, who in effect are money lenders, have a serious responsibility and carry considerable risk. They’re responsible for seeing that defendants show up for trial. When defendants fail to, the bail bondsman forfeits the bail. As a result, they typically require good security before committing to guarantee funds. That security, or collateral, can be savings, a lien on property - jewelry, a boat, a house, the list is endless - or any other attachable asset that will allow them to recoup their money, should you flee the law. Bail bondsmen have one other means of protecting their investment, one you don’t want to learn about first hand. Should you decide not to show up for court on the appointed day, you might just be visited by a bounty hunter (employed by the bail bondsman) to compel you to attend. Bounty hunters are not known for being gentle people. Bail bondsmen often have offices near the local courthouse, but can be found through the phone directory or online. Like any business service, it’s best to get a good reference rather than choosing one blind. It’s also a good idea - just as with having an attorney or doctor - to have one picked out before you need him. At the moment you need him is not the ideal time to be making that choice. Plan ahead. This article is brought to you by bonds-any-time.com If you’re looking for more information about bail bonds feel free to visit our website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Schmidt http://EzineArticles.com/?Bail-Bond-Agents:-The-Good,-Bad-And-Not-so-pretty&id=253338 personal unsecure loan home loan for people with bad credit fast cash bad credit sba loan restructure

Blackberry Pearl 8100: Sleek, Elegant Smartphone

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alice_Erin]Alice Erin Great looking smart phone with loads to offers, this is the Blackberry Pearl 8100 for you. The superb design adds more to its value, as it does come with stunning features, to make things easier for you. This compatible design came after an intensive research of three years with rigorous testing to cater to the needs and desires of the mobile phone users, which are looking forward for some superb features. One striking feature that makes Blackberry Pearl 8100 hugely popular is its intuitive and user friendly keyboard. It does come with superb interface with a very good navigation system. As far as display of the Blackberry Pearl 8100 is concerned, its is simply amazing. Its vivid display comes with more than 65,000 colours, which is quite appropriate to give you great viewing experience. Furthermore, it incorporates light sensing technology, which helps in automatic adjustment and also gives brightness to keypad and screen. Even its possible to browse through the web with Blackberry Pearl 8100. In fact, the Blackberry Pearl 8100 is very well designed to make the maximum use of the high speed EDGE networks. With the Blackberry Pearl 8100 , one can easily listen to his kind of music, as this handset is loaded with excellent music features. You can also take quality pictures with its 1.3 mega pixel digital camera assisted by its 5x digital zoom and in-built flash. You can send images and multimedia content via MMS, email or blackberry messenger. Moreover, you can download wallpapers, applications and games, as per your preferences and interests. Furthermore, you can store images and other content. It also comes with an integrated memory, which can be expanded easily by using MicroSD cards, which give you enough space to store all kind of right stuff. You can search the Internet to get the Blackberry Pearl on attractive deals, as most of the mobile phone dealers offers these deals to attract more and more customers. [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/dealset.asp?act=mobset&id=382] Blackberry Pearl Alice Erin is an expert Author.He has written good quality articles on Mobile Phones.Catch the latest [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/mobiledeals.asp] Mobile Deals on [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/] Mobile Phones Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Erin http://EzineArticles.com/?Blackberry-Pearl-8100:-Sleek,-Elegant-Smartphone&id=381177 sample paycheck stubs templates free money to pay off nursing school loans online payday loans in canada faxless approves benefits payday installment loan

Blind Dates: Why Men Should Never Go on Them

Friday, May 9th, 2008

By Teddy Shabba Any many who has the pleasure of being single for an extend period of time, has inevitably had a friend, co-worker, or family member tell them they know the perfect woman for you. At which time they either give you her phone number or set you up on a “blind date.” Now any man if he knows what is best will not call or go on a date with any woman with whom he has never even seen or talked to. Just in case (I know you are out there) there are any men who don’t understand why they shouldn’t go on a blind date below is a list of reasons in no particular order. Average to Hot Women have no problems getting dates unless… something is wrong; she has kids, some kind of personality disorder, or an ex that likes to create new ex’s. She is fat, ugly or a combination of the two. I know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, yet realize that a blind date means that you are going to have to spend some time with her and if she is will that really be how you want to spend it. She is Hot or the Woman of Your Dreams… Yeah right, however, just for a moment lets pretend that she is, now realize that your inner game is so weak that you are going on a blind date that if she is truly hot or sexually attractive you are going to inevitably screw it up with your self doubt and negative self talk. If you really want to meet this “unknown blind date” tell the person who thought of it to throw a BBQ or Wine Party. That way it allows you to be the man and naturally select the woman or if she isn’t your type at least you don’t have to cut the night short and potentially hurt her feelings. If on the other hand you know that self doubt and negative self talk is the real reason why you are single. Get that part of your life taken care of with a dating coach, seminar, or both. Teddy Shabba is a Dating Coach for Men and creator of Dating Advice and Tips for Men which provides an abundance of information for men on dating and more. If you would like more information on how to attract, seduce and meet women sign up for the Teddy Shabba Dating Advice Newsletter for Men today. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teddy_Shabba http://EzineArticles.com/?Blind-Dates:-Why-Men-Should-Never-Go-on-Them&id=246281 salem oregon pay day amount of tax out of paycheck pay day loan baton rouge no credit check car loan

Spring Cleaning: New Twist on an Old Tradition

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

By Harriet Hodgson When I was growing up in the 1940s spring cleaning was an annual event. Housewives prepared for spring cleaning with military precision. Because Monday was wash day, housewives usually started their spring cleaning on that day. But spring cleaning could last days or even weeks. My mother took down all of the curtains in our house and washed them by hand or in the washing machine. I thought the washing machine was a metal beast, and actually, it could be dangerous. One day I heard my mother call me from the basement. Though her voice sounded calm, I sensed an urgency in it, and ran down the basement stairs. My mother’s hand and upper arm were caught between two rubber rollers. This wringer mechanism squeezed excess misture from clothes and you had to “feed” the clothes into the wringer one by one. Fortunately, I was able to reverse the rollers quickly and my mother wasn’t injuired. Like the other housewives on the block, my mother laid our scatter rugs on the front porch to freshen them in the sunshine. Larger rugs were hung on the clotheline and mother beat them with a rug beater. But the “star” of my mother’s cleaning equipment was her vacuum cleaner. A traveling salesman managed to sweet-talk my mother and gain entry into the house. The salesman spotted my father’s ash tray (he didn’t know about the dangers of smoking) and dumped its contents in the middle of the rug. My mother gasped in alarm. “Don’t worry,” the salesman said. “This vacuum will pick it all up.” And it did. My mother was so dazzled by the demo and sales pitch that she bought a vacuum cleaner. To say my father wasn’t pleased is an understatement. Young as I was, I picked up on the fact that this was an expensive vacuum cleaner. Howwever, it was efficient, just as the salesman said, and we used it for years. The electric vacuum and washing machine were invented in 1903. Most families had these appliances, and a few had a mangle, an electric appliance that ironed flat items. Commercial laundries had dryers, but they weren’t avaiable to the home market yet. Housewives dried their laundry on outdoor or indoor clotheslines. Our pully-type clothesline went from the kitchen window to the garage. This was a simpler time, a time when nobody locked their doors and when modesty was alive and well. My mother hung underwear inside a pillow case so nobody could see “unmentionables.” In my mind I still see sheets flapping in the wind and smell the wonderful outdoorsy smell of those sun-dried sheets. The concept of spring cleaning is also etched in my mind. After I married I felt guilty because I wasn’t doing my spring cleaning. What was wrong with me? Nothing was wrong. I lived in a time of electric or gas dryers, dishwashers, dusbusters, and powerful detergents. Cleaning equipment had improved so drastically that I did a little spring cleaning all the time. Spring cleaning is an old idea, but it’s still a good idea. Today, spring cleaning may include home inspection, trying new products, identifying and removing mold, and maintaining your home. INSPECT YOUR HOME. Cleaning gives you the chance to look at things close up. I didn’t know we had a cracked window until I looked behind a blind. Apparently the neighborhood boy who mows our lawn had hit a stone and the stone cracked the pane. So check your windows, look for cracks, peeling weather stripping, and other signs of wear. CHECK FOR MOLD. Though molds are a natural part of your environment, some molds cause health problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold can cause allergic reactions and asthma. Mold grows in damp places so look for moisture as you clean. Fix a moisture problem right away because mold can get worse. TRY NEW PRODUCTS. A vast array of cleaning products are available to us. I think the new static-charged dust mops and dust cloths are one of the best inventions yet. Stovetop cleaner is another time-saving invention. I use it to clean my stovetop, my oven window and toaster oven window. Stovetop cleaner also removes spots from counters. MAINTAIN YOUR HOME. I’ve moved so many times I’ve lost count, but I learned a lot from realtors. One thing I learned is that clean places sell faster than dirty ones. Good cleaning practices also protect your home. “I don’t know why, but empty houses get dirty,” a realtor explained. “Dirt builds up and the property starts to deteriorate.” Cleaning may be boring, but think of it as a way to maintain your home. So I guess our grandmothers and mothers were right about spring cleaning. Thank goodness we have an array of appliances and products to help us. Spring cleaning is an old idea with a new twist. Put on your gloves and get to it! Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journlists. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson http://EzineArticles.com/?Spring-Cleaning:-New-Twist-on-an-Old-Tradition&id=129227 saskatchewan online loan application bad credit loans with licensed north dakota lenders hard money real estate loan online unsecured personal loans

What Husbands do

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

By Joanne Robbins He pays attention to the little sticker that tells when the oil needs to be changed in every vehicle. If you ask nice he will unload the dishwasher. He remains calm while driving in traffic. He will put out mouse traps and empty them too. He will shovel the walk and clean snow off your car too. He will usually remember your birthday when nobody else does. He will keep a secret. He will tighten the shower faucets without calling a plumber. He will change the furnace filer without calling a professional. He knows which thing to push when the lights go off when youre running the dishwasher. He can carry that old television up from the basement. He can change light bulbs in the ceiling fixture without a ladder. He can warm you up at the football game just by putting his arm around you. He can explain to you what an extended warranty is and why we dont need one. He can hang up on a telemarketer without feeling guilty. He will taste any new recipe you cook for dinner. He will eat creamy peanut butter if nobody else in the house likes chunky peanut butter. If you ask nice he will go to the store for tampons. He wont get mad if he has to search in his drawer for matching socks. He is better than a body pillow for keeping warm at night. He will listen to your dreams and dream with you. He knows what to spray for bugs. He doesnt scream when a mouse runs between his feet from under the sofa. He knows what thingamabob makes the garage door open. He knows where to shut off the water. He will go to the grocery store when 50# dog food is on sale. He will not only wash the car but will vacuum it too. He will take you out for coffee even though you can easily make coffee at home. He can explain those car noises to the mechanic. He doesnt laugh when he sees you first thing in the morning. He knows a guy with a truck to haul all that junk to the landfill. He can begin a conversation before getting into the shower and pick up right where he left off when he gets out. He will help you paint the living room mocha without being critical. He will chase a raccoon away from the garage. He will drive you to the hospital as many times as it takes for you to actually deliver the baby. He will pass the Halloween candy and make small-talk with the kiddies. He will be a hero to your children. He will be your friend. He will be your lover. He will be your husband. Joanne Robbins has published several articles on a variety of topics. Dealing with our parents as adult children is an extremely important topic and you can find more My Elderly Parent information at http://boomer-gear.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Robbins http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Husbands-do&id=357359 us government free credit report auto loans for bad credit home loans bad credit canada credit reporting organizatios