NPAction Update
Vol 2, Issue 5
3/2/2004

Welcome to this week's edition of the NPAction Update.

You are receiving this newsletter as requested during your registration with NPAction.org. To change subscription options, see the end of this message.


In this issue:
*What's New*
*Current Poll*
*Featured Article*
*Featured Quiz*
*Featured Resource Links*



*What's New*

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has published its annual survey of the year's largest donors. Gifts from the 60 biggest donors totaled .9 billion in 2003, up .3 billion from 2002. McDonald's heir Joan B. Kroc led the list with a total of .9 billion in bequests, .5 billion of which went to the Salvation Army.

"Big Giving Makes a Comeback"
http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v16/i09/09000601.htm



*Current Poll*


Take a moment to participate in the biweekly NPAction Poll, continuously displayed on the right side of the website.

This week's poll asks if your organization has ever organized a demonstration or a rally, either alone or with the help of other organizations. Stop by and vote today (but don't try to vote twice!).


Here's your chance to ask a question you've wanted to ask other nonprofits, but couldn't figure out how. Send your idea for a poll to npaction@npaction.org.

Past Poll Results
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/207



*Featured Article*

This issue's featured article explores using online technologies to support traditional petition and letter writing campaigns. Highlighting two websites, Global Response and Amnesty International, the article shows how online technologies can play a secondary role and support more traditional organizing and mobilizing activities, even as the nonprofit sector becomes more focused on the internet.

"Global Response and Amnesty International Online"
http://www.npaction.org/article/articleview/139/1/117/

Remember that you can rate and comment on most NPAction articles by clicking the "New Comment" button at the end of an article.



*Featured Quiz*

Take some time out of your busy day to test your knowledge of what kinds of activities come under the IRS definition of lobbying, and learn what types of things you can do without using your lobbying budget. In this quiz, you will be presented with several situations, and asked if it is or is not considered lobbying.

Stretch Your Lobbying Budget- Is This Lobbying?
http://www.npaction.org/quiz/game/play/4

NPAction Quizzes
http://www.npaction.org/quiz/game/list/



*Featured Resource Links*

The NPAction Resource Links Directory is a human-edited compendium of tools and references, contributed by nonprofits for nonprofits.

Both of this issue's links focus on organizing and mobilizing. The first is a manual for grassroots organizing from the Pro-Choice Resource Center. Each downloadable chapter focuses on a different aspect of organizing, including building an organization, fundraising, reaching out to new constituencies and forming a coalition.

"Strategies for Action: A Grassroots Organizing Manual"
http://www.prochoiceresource.org/about/grass.html


The second link comes to us from the Vernal Education Project and is a primer that lists the important components of well designed nonviolent actions. Beyond offering a starting place for people or organizations considering rallies or demonstrations, the primer also lists several good sources for more in-depth information.

"Well-Designed Strategic Nonviolent Actions"
http://www.vernalproject.org/Papers/WellDesignedNV.html


More Organizing and Mobilizing links:
http://www.npaction.org/link/category/88/

Suggest a Resource Link
http://www.npaction.org/link/suggestlink



*"Steal This Code": Put NPAction on Your Site*

NPAction invites organizations to share our tools on their websites. Choose a logo that best meets your needs, whether you want to link to our site, incorporate our search engine with results from a range of nonprofit sources, add the ability to connect to federal lawmakers and national media, or state-level policymakers and media. Just copy the HTML code from our site, and you're ready to go (but when you steal the code, just let us know!).

"Steal the Code" today
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/208


*NPAction Update Archives*
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/210/


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NPAction, an online resource hosted by OMB Watch, provides access to tools and information for nonprofit advocacy from a wide range of organizational partners and sources in order to encourage greater participation by nonprofits in the policy arena. Funding for this project was provided by Atlantic Philanthropies, the Ford Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation.

For more information, contact:

NPAction
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(c) 2004 NPAction