AGI-ROME STUDENTS KNOW ALEPPO

October 16, 2016 Marco Tavanti Leave a comment

The University of San Francisco (USF) students who participate in the Academic Global Immersion (AGI-Rome) on Refugee Service Management know about Aleppo. They know about the crisis in Syria, the refugees coming through the Mediterranean to Europe and the current global humanitarian crises. Unlike some of the US presidential candidates, our students get to know refugee crisis and humanitarian solutions up close. Our Programs expose students to important knowledge in the field of refugee service, refugee international law, and policy issues related to forced migration.

Since 2015, our students from the Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) have been participating in a program of the School of Management (SOM) in an international immersion and study of refugees, humanitarian emergency and international organizations. The program involves expert speakers from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) along with testimonies of refugees and visits to refugee welcoming centers such as the Centro Astalli.

Our USF students participating in the AGI-Rome develop their knowledge, sensitivity and cultural competence to better respond to the current global refugee crisis. They learn about Aleppo, Syria and other conflicts and human insecurity situations forcing people to leave their homes. They learn about European policies and international laws in relation to the refugee crisis. They learn first hand about the best responses from NGOs and IGOs engaged in the services, hospitality, regulations and security related issues with asylum seekers and forced migrants. They compare the EU situations with the US policies for refugee resettlement and the Brexit syndrome with the US nationalist and anti-immigrant rhetorics. They conduct applied research projects useful to the partnering organizations and helpful for their career trajectories. They present their funding in the annual conference on Refugees with San Francisco Bay Area refugee agencies and scholars and experts in forced migrations, human trafficking and human security USF4freedom.

Participants are able to earn a Graduate Professional Certificate in Humanitarian Emergency Management (HEM) for their own professional development and earn credit towards their graduate degree. Participants earn a certificate of participation in the Academic Global Immersion Program in Rome, Italy.

Advocacy, Leadership, Women

Nonprofit Labor Force

September 5, 2016 Marco Tavanti 3 Comments

Too many people still don’t know or underestimate the labor and economic force of the nonprofit sector. The reality is that nonprofits provides 11.4 million jobs, accounting for 10.3% of the United States total workforce in 2012 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Between 2000 and 2010 the nonprofit employment grew at about 18%, a faster rate than the overall U.S. economy (The Independent Sector – The Urban Institute, 2012). The nonprofit workforce is the third largest of all U.S. industries behind retail trade and manufacturing (Center for Civil Society Study, 2012).

The University of San Francisco’s MNA Program is located A few minutes away from Rosie the Riveter Museum, a National landmark commemorating the power of women in the workforce during WWII (Rosie Visitor Center). The museum, with the weekly presence of the few still living ‘Rosies’ is a powerful reminder of what is possible during difficult times and with the determination of workers (mostly women) serving the country for a better future for all. The missions of our nonprofit organizations with its ambitious objectives mobilize many women and men to make the world a better place through health, education, advocacy, and many other necessary human services (Top NP Missions).

As we celebrate Labor Day in the Unites States (AKA May Day in the rest of the world), we recall the importance of integrating hard work with justice and dignity in the workplace. This is why nonprofits generally do not just strive to work efficiently and effectively for their services but also advocate for adequate policies and recognition of human rights, labour rights, environmental rights and other specific rights like disability, children, indigenous, etc. Integrating production with justice has been at the root of labor struggle and continues to be a priority in the nonprofit sector along social movements and unions seeking worker’s justice and dignity. This integration is inherently true in our social missions and it is gradually much better integrated in our own nonprofit workplaces (Overtime Regulations 2016).

The nonprofit sector, also known as the voluntary sector, is also rapidly professionalizing and requiring appropriate normative, comparative standards and specialized educational programs (see NACC). Of course the main drive for nonprofit workforce remains its dedication to the cause and ‘transformational leadership.’ But the value-based and mission-driven characteristics of ‘transformational leadership’ cannot be sustainable unless based on a relation of justice, dignity and fairness. In other words, the transformational spirit and dedication of the nonprofit workforce is and must be based on clear standards of transactional (contractual) leadership that aims at promoting fairness by avoiding exploitation while stimulating creativity and social innovation (Tavanti, 2008).

Entrepreneurship, Organization, Resources

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

June 9, 2016 Marco Tavanti 1 Comment

NPO growth — http://onlinempa.usfca.edu/resources/webinars-infographics/the-rise-of-the-nonprofit-sector/

How many nonprofit organizations are out there?

According to the The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) there are currently over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. More than 188,000 organizations are tax-exempt and charity organizations registered in the State of California. It is difficult to quantify the number of nonprofits in the world as they diversify in the classification due to the financial, governance, and legal national specifications. Generally, we estimate there are about 10M nonprofits – social sector organizations in 196 countries. The largest number of registered nonprofit is in India (2M), followed by US (1.5M) and France (1.3M).

How do I form my own nonprofit organization?

The large number of registered non profits around the world demonstrates the significant impact of entrepreneurship and organizational activism in the social sector. It is also a personal expression of how people want to make a difference in the world and in our communities through innovative and new nonprofit organizations. The MNA program often receives requests for assistance in establishing new nonprofits and tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations. To support these efforts and to promote sustainable and effective social sector organizations, we have created a list of resources to help you establish nonprofit and tax exempt organizations in the United States and the State of California.

Nonprofit Foundation Brainstorming

Begin the process by asking these important questions:

What is the social benefit and charitable purpose of the organization?
What kind of programming or core activities are you planning to do?
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Are there existing nonprofits with a similar mission, and, if so, have you discussed your ideas with them?
Can your mission be furthered more effectively and efficiently by partnering with an existing nonprofit?
Can you attract sufficient resources to start and operate a new nonprofit?
What is your revenue plan and business plan (including a three-year projected budget)?
Are you familiar with the steps you need to take to start and run a nonprofit in compliance with the state laws and best practices?
Have you considered alternatives to forming a new nonprofit, such as fiscal sponsorship and donor advised funds, or business-social enterprises?
Will you need a an attorney and/or CFO to form the nonprofit and get it running? Read more here.

Establish a Nonprofit in 10 Steps

Step 1: PRELIMINARIES: Do we really need another organization? Preliminary market analysis and need assessment of other organizations and programs. Nonprofit, for-profit or hybrid? Check nonprofit organizations here.

Step 2: BASICS: What do you want to do? Determine the name, mission and anticipated programming and revenue sources of the organization. Check corporate name availability here.

Step 3: INCORPORATION: What state will you incorporate? Prepare the documents and forms necessary for the incorporation. Think about the entity type. Follow the application procedure of your state. Check California tips and resources here.

Step 4: BOARD: Who should be in your board? People should be invited to serve based on their qualifications and contributions in treasure, time or talent. Generally, boards have a minimum of a president (chair), a treasurer and a secretary. Hold your first board meeting appropriately (RONR) and document it with minutes. Check IRS exceptions here.

Step 5: BYLAWS: What are the essential documents of the organizations? A corporation’s bylaws includes the fundamental provisions related to the management of the activities and affairs of the corporation. Bylaws should also provide guidance to the board and reassurance of sound governance. You should also prepare other important documents such as the corporation’s policies and conflict of interest (COIs). The bylaws need to be approved by the board. Check the essential text of bylaws here.

Step 6: EIN: How do you obtain an employer identification number? An officer or authorized third party designee (e.g. attorney) may apply to obtain an EIN number for the organization. Check this to apply for an EIN online.

Step 7: REGISTER: What other registrations are required? In California an annual registration is required for nonprofit public benefit corporations to be filed within 30 days after receipt of assets (Form CT-1). It is also required to file a Statement of Information with the State Department (Form SI-100). Check here for the online forms.

Step 8: TAX-EXEMPTION: How do I obtain a tax-exemption status? Completing the Form 1023 application for exempt status under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) is a challenging process. Once you complete the federal tax exemption (IRS application) you will need to apply for state exemption (California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and receive an affirmation of exemption letter from the FTB. Check here the IRS tools and instructions.

Step 9: FINANCIALS: Does the nonprofit need a bank account? Open a bank account and establish check signing procedures. To maintain tax-exempt status and establish a good governance practice in your organization is important to establish a prudent system of checks and balances when dealing with the finances of an organization. Check here for best practices and financial tools.

Step 10: COMMUNICATION: How do I make a good web presence? A professional website and active social media presence are a must for a serious nonprofit organization. There are a number of free web management tools such as WordPress.com that can be helpful with templates. Integrated contacts, fundraising and analytics are also becoming essential practices for successful, sustainable and effective nonprofits. Check for integrated solutions here.

Beyond these steps: There are other important elements that will be necessary to make your nonprofit effective with its mission. Please look at the additional competencies and resources in various areas of nonprofit management and leadership listed on the INNOVATION page and emphasized in MNA curricula.

Resources & Learn more

Click on the Logos of the Foundation Center and CalNonprofit for more information and resources:

Leadership, Philanthropy, Women

Nonprofit Women Leadership

June 8, 2016 Marco Tavanti Leave a comment

One societal gender bias characterizes women as ‘we-take-care’ and men as ‘we-take-charge.’ A recent study by The American Association of University Women (AAUW) explains this Barriers and Bias about advancing women in leadership across sectors. At the time of this posting, the United States is celebrating the breaking of another glass ceiling in public leadership with Hillary Rodham Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic Presidential Nominee (June 7, 2016). The nonprofit sector offers some of the most frequent and innovative examples for women leadership. Numerous women leaders in innovative nonprofits and social enterprises have been able to show the world how to effectively combine competence with compassion.

Millennial women and other generations want to lead and prefer work environments where they can make a difference and better balance work with life. Women in the nonprofit sector are more likely to express leadership and ‘take charge’ partly because they know they can make a difference in society. The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 2014 “Untapped Potential of Women in Nonprofits” found that women – who make up 75 percent of the nonprofit workforce – hold leadership positions (57%) or aspire to have a leadership position (72%). Although leaders of large nonprofits (budgets of more than $25 million) are only 20% women, they are still better than businesses where only 20 CEOs are women in Fortune 500 companies.

The MNA Program aims at promoting competencies and capacity building for women leadership in the nonprofit sector. This is not a gender exclusive agenda. Rather, it is a call for organizational transformation where innovative and inclusive leadership practices can effectively reconcile tasks with people orientation, executive leadership with societal intelligence, and financial prosperity with mission and service. The University of San Francisco is also invested in the promotion and recognition of women in leadership and philanthropy as recognized in the WILP initiative.

Learn more about nonprofit women leadership:

Advocacy, Education, Justice

Nonprofit Equity and Diversity

June 1, 2016 Marco Tavanti 2 Comments

The University of San Francisco is hosting the Social Equity Leadership Conference (SELC) on June 1-3, 2016. Established by National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), the Social Equity Leadership Conference is focused on advancing the knowledge and understanding of applied and theoretical research toward the promotion of social equity in governance. Nonprofits and the Third Sector are not exempt from the challenges and opportunities to advance social equity in the communities they serve and in the representations of their own organizations.

The papers presented represent many issues related to racial equality, gender inclusion, economic integration, access and justice. These topics are some of the main concerns of nonprofit organizations (NPOs). NPOs are on the forefront of addressing systemic issues related to various aspects of life and dignity in our societies. They do so though their advocacy work and by reminding us all that service and compassion are not enough to produce those systemic changes needed to address injustices generated by our socio-economic systems. But NPOs are also not exempt from looking inward and promoting social equity within the organizational structure and leadership compositions of our boards. Many NPOs still fail to promote more inclusive organizations, especially in nonprofit leadership that is still not diverse enough to represent clients and served communities.

The MNA program at USF takes these issues for social equity and racial diversity to heart by welcoming critical thinking and uncomfortable discussions about diversity, inclusion, access and inequality. We cannot change what we do not recognize as an issue and we cannot manage what we cannot identify and measure. Our Nonprofit Ethical Leadership course – a foundation course in the MNA program along with Strategic Board Governance – centers the discussion on these issues through cases, statistics and ethical decision making exercises. We discuss and reflect about how NPOs must promote equity from within. We compare our organizations and reflect on how promoting board diversity is not just politically correct – but essential for achieving effectiveness in our social missions.

On the one hand, racial, ethnic, political, and disciplinary diversity needs to be promoted and better integrated in our NPOs. On the other hand, economic inequality and privileged opportunities needs to be dissipated, accounted and transformed in order to guarantee that our mission reflects our practice. While nonprofits are becoming more efficient in their managerial and business practices they cannot lose sight of their social representation and social accountability for the common good. Unfortunately, the controversies regarding top salaries of nonprofit CEOs and EDs often reflect the extreme inequalities we see in not-so-conscious capitalist societies and unsatisfied self-serving leaders. This is unfortunately evident in underpaid nonprofit workers. It is also evident regarding gender gaps and women who lead and excel in every aspect of the nonprofit sector – except pay.

Nonprofits are active in denouncing extreme poverty – both locally and globally. But because of their donor-dependency for funding they fall short in denouncing extreme wealth. This is a factor that often makes nonprofits both a solution to the consequences of inequalities but also part of the problem. As they advance their strategies for fundraising they also must work to recognize and transform the extreme (systemic) inequities of our society.

Learn more through these studies and links:

Action, Education, Engagement

2016 Symposium on Refugees

May 12, 2016 Marco Tavanti 1 Comment

USF for Freedom 2016

Symposium on Refugees, Forced Migrants, and Human Security

There are many names for people who flee war and violence across borders: refugees, forced migrants, unaccompanied minors, displaced people. This symposium looks at the quest for freedom through the lens of human security and asks: Why do people leave their homes? What happens through the migration journey? How do youth and adult migrants navigate the process of relocation?

Symposium on Refugees, Forced Migrants, and Human Security

This symposium examines global issues and local perspectives on refugees and forced migration, bringing together scholars, migrants, service providers, and activists. The two panels and networking reception will offer a rich opportunity for building awareness and solidarity through dialogue and exchange.

Panel 1: Displacement and Human Security

Moderator: Annick Wibben, Associate Professor, University of San Francisco Department of Politics

Confirmed Panelists:
Olivier Bercault, Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco Department of International Studies
Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, Executive Director, CARECEN – Central American Resource Center
Bill Ong Hing, Professor & Dean’s Circle Scholar, University of San Francisco School of Law
Ali Khoie, Management Consultant, ORAM – Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration
Marco Tavanti, Professor & Director of the Nonprofit Administration Program, University of San Francisco School of Management

Panel 2: Relocation, Resettlement, and Human Security

Moderator: Monisha Bajaj, Associate Professor, University of San Francisco Department of International & Multicultural Education

Confirmed Panelists:
Lindsay Gifford, Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco Department of International Studies
Lauren Markham, Community School Program Manager, Oakland International High School
Vivian Faustino-Pulliam, International Faculty of Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins & Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco School of Management
Meron Semedar, Huffington Post Blogger, Youth Ambassador for One Young World, & Master’s Student, University of San Francisco

Dr. Marco Tavanti on the MNA Program and Refugees

What role can nonprofits play in the global refugee crisis?

Learn more about USF For Freedom 2016

This symposium is sponsored by CRASE Interdisciplinary Action Group and organized by Monisha Bajaj, Associate Professor, International & Multicultural Education, School of Education; Shabnam Koirala-Azad, Associate Dean, School of Education; Tika Lamsal, Assistant Professor, Rhetoric, College of Arts & Sciences; Marco Tavanti, Professor and Director, Nonprofit Administration, School of Management; Kathleen Coll, Assistant Professor, Politics Department, College of Arts & Sciences; Vivian Faustino-Pulliam, Adjunct Professor, Economics, Law and International Business, School of Management; Lindsay Gifford, Assistant Professor, International Studies, College of Arts and Sciences; Annick T.R. Wibben, Associate Professor, Politics & International Studies, College of Arts & Sciences.

Read more at: http://www.usf4freedom.org

Missed the 2016 USF4Freedom symposium? Check these feeds at https://storify.com/ATRWibben/symposium-on-refugees-forced-migrants-and-human-se

Impact, Innovation, Philanthropy

Salesforce.org Receives the USF California Prize 2016

May 12, 2016 Marco Tavanti 2 Comments

Awarding the 1-1-1 Model

The University of San Francisco is proud to award the 2016 California Prize for Service and the Common Good to Salesforce.org for its commitment to giving back to the community and setting a new standard for integrated corporate philanthropy. When Salesforce was founded in 1999, it transformed corporate philanthropy with the 1-1-1 model, an integrated philanthropy model that donates 1 percent equity, 1 percent product and 1 percent employee time to communities around the world. Today, Salesforce.org carries out Salesforce’s philanthropic mission.

The USF California Prize

Since 2008, the University of San Francisco has awarded the California Prize for Service and the Common Good to an individual or organization, recognizing significant service to the poor and marginalized as well as groundbreaking achievements in pursuit of the common good. The California Prize is USF’s way of rewarding, honoring, and celebrating the work of those who share our commitment to create a more humane, just, and sustainable world.

Salesforce.org… Beyond a Foundation

Salesforce’s philanthropic entities have donated more than $100 million in grants globally since 1999, including $14 million in grants to the San Francisco Unified School District; and Salesforce employees have volunteered more than 1.1 million hours in their local communities. Salesforce.org also powers more than 27,000 nonprofits by offering technology to nonprofits and higher education institutions for free or at a discount.

Transforming Corporate Philanthropy

Extending the power of the 1-1-1 model, Salesforce.org has created a movement of corporate philanthropy with Pledge 1%, resulting in more than 600 companies dedicating employee time, equity, product, or profit back to the community.

“Like the University of San Francisco, Salesforce.org is committed to making the city and the world a better place,” said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. “As the university of and for San Francisco, USF shares a commitment with Salesforce.org to educate and to give back for the good of all of society.”

Source: California Prize 2016 | University of San Francisco

Ethics, Leadership, Responsibility

Doing Good Better

May 9, 2016 Marco Tavanti 2 Comments

Ethical leadership is at the core of the MNA program. After all, doing good well (and do not harm now and later) are two sides of the coin for effective philanthropy. Doing some-good from good-intentions is not longer enough! Also being a silent member of society without active engagement for the common good is not longer and excuse. The social responsibilities of each one of us toward a more inclusive economic systems, more effective social services, and more sustainable solutions are extended also to our organizations — no matter if they are nonprofits, businesses, or public institutions. Peter Singer, beginning from his challenging ethical call for ‘The Life You Can Save’ has been a vocal and inconvenient reminder of our collective, systemic and leadership ethical responsibility to make the world a better place through effective, innovative and scalable solutions.

Learn more directly from him here: