Here is a blast from the past–a link to the North Lawndale TIFs website. The late Terrance Harrington and I developed this back in 2011 to track the performance of every TIF that had some land mass in the North Lawndale community. We haven’t made any posts since 2015 or so, but we felt it important to leave it up as an archive to show what is possible, in terms of local residents providing information to neighbors concerning TIFs and how they impact our daily lives. Some of the links are broken, but there is still enough information to see how our work evolved over time. This website came abo ..read more

In the vast landscape of ideas and creativity, protecting one’s intellectual creations is essential. This safeguarding process is known as intellectual property (IP), a term that covers a range of creations from inventions to artistic works. In this article, we’ll delve into what intellectual property is, what it isn’t, and how it differs from copyright, all explained in simple terms. At its core, intellectual property refers to the ownership of intangible creations of the mind. These creations can be anything from inventions and designs to music, literature, and even symbols used in commerce ..read more

You are the newly-hired executive director of a community-based youth agency with a budget of $350,000. In this capacity, you would have 8 employees, including an administrative assistant, 2 program directors, a business manager and 4 case workers. You have a master of social work degree, and have recently served as the associate executive director of a citywide youth program with a one million dollar budget and 40 employees. The board of directors of your former agency was well on its way to becoming institutionalized. The board consisted of a number of up-andcoming civic leaders. For the mo ..read more

There are a number of reasons organizations are not successful in receiving tax exempt status on the first try. I am sharing 13 reasons, based on the IRS’ recommendations for shortening the review process and my personal experience. 1. Using common language to describe your organization’s purpose. In the State of Illinois, there are 33 allowable purposes for which a not-for-profit organization may be formed. You must choose one of the 33 purposes on your articles of incorporation. It is conceivable that you can have a stated purpose in your articles of incorporation that passes muster with th ..read more

You have just been invited to join a board of directors of one of the hottest local nonprofits in the city. What should you do before accepting? 1. Do some self-reflection. Being a member of a board is serious business. Unlike other volunteer assignments, being a board member carries with it fiduciary responsibilities. As such, the board is responsible for adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission. (Council on Nonprofits, 2018). Are you willing to commit ..read more

Nonprofits should have a well-documented track record in developing programs that have a meaningful impact upon the community and the clients served; the ability to exercise good stewardship over financial and human resources; the ability to manage relationships among various community constituencies; and the ability to respond to change. Those organizations that make the investment in building are more likely to be in a position to sustain themselves over the long term. Take a few moments to complete this organizational assessment and then answer the following questions. How would ..read more

When we speak of capacity, we are generally referring to organization’s potential to marshal their human, financial and other resources to effect positive change in the communities and clients they serve. Organizational capacity is impacted by a number of factors, including leadership, the organization’s stage of development and changes in the environment, to name a few. Organizations engage in capacity building activities in order to increase their effectiveness in serving their clients. Such activities include, but are not limited to, hiring new employees to meet increased demand for s ..read more

According to publicly available IRS data. 949,470 of 2,727,461 U.S. nonprofit organizations (35%) lost their tax-exempt status because they didn’t file Form 990 for three years in a row. And while failure to file Form 990 is one reason organizations are penalized, this is not the only reason. Organizations can unwittingly step into landmines caused by apparent conflicts of interest, failure to file and pay payroll taxes on time; not understanding the limits of political activities in which they can engage, and the list goes on. We will spend the month of April helping you to understand issues ..read more

Valerie F. Leonard, the Founder of Nonprofit Utopia, LLC today announced that she has joined the John Maxwell Leadership Certified Team. In addition to the services she provides through Nonprofit Utopia, she can offer clients an even broader selection of workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, DISC assessments and coaching. This will help them in their personal and professional growth through study and practical application of John’s proven leadership methods. Working together, Valerie and your team will move your organization in the desired direction to reach your goals. The post Valerie F. Le ..read more

When we think of technology planning for nonprofits, the temptation is to think of someone who works a help desk, helping people troubleshoot problems.  We even picture in our minds someone who either has a degree in some computer-related field, or who has a hobby building computers and breaking them back down for the fun of it. And then, we start comparing our own abilities to this stereotype.  If you’re anything like me, you start to immediately feel inadequate, because you’re not tech-savvy.  After all, you started this work to help people—not to be holed up somewhere in a co ..read more