NPAction Update
Vol 3, Issue 1
1/11/2005

Welcome to the first NPAction Update of the year. Our first new year's resolution? Getting a better server that doesn't crash a few days before Christmas, when nobody's around to fix it! Our apologies to anyone who was inconvenienced by the spectacular death of NPAction's main server.

You are receiving this newsletter as requested during your registration with NPAction.org. To unsubscribe, send an email to npaction@npaction.org.

In this issue:
*What's New- Call for Showcase Groups & Nonprofit Blog*
*Current Poll- End of Year Giving*
*Featured Article- Showcase Groups*
*Featured Resource Links- Fundraising Professionals and Budget Process*

*What's New*

Behind the scenes at NPAction, we're redesigning the site, and are looking for "showcase groups" that have an innovative, or particularly effective approach to nonprofit advocacy. If you think your organization, or an organization that you know, should be a showcase group, drop us a line at npaction@npaction.org

Also, our good friends at OMB Watch would like to announce that they have started a launch of their "Nonprofit Issues Blog." The new blog will cover a wide range of nonprofit issues, and will be updated throughout the week by OMB Watch staff Nonprofit Issues Blog
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/blogs/298/0

*Current Poll*

In last month's poll, we asked if there were any problems with voting in your district. Only about 40% said there were no problems, 13% cited problems with voter identification, and an additional 13% saw problems with provisional ballots. 38% cited "other" problems.

This issue, we ask about end-of-year giving appeals. Vote on the poll, which is continuously displayed on the right hand of the site, just 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 is NPAction's list of showcase groups, to get your minds going on who else should be a showcase group. See who's doing innovative things in nonprofit advocacy, and perhaps be inspired to come up with a great idea for your organization.

Showcase Groups
http://www.npaction.org/article/archive/222/

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

*Featured Resource Links*

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

Is one of your organizational resolutions to do more development work? Nobody really likes fundraising, especially when they're also program staff. Eventually, most of us have to bring in a professional, but where to start? Our first link can help you brush up on your fundraising skills, or to find a professional to do the fundraising for you.

Association of Fundraising Professionals
http://www.nsfre.org/

More development resource links:
http://www.npaction.org/link/category/198/

We all know that legislative advocacy can make a big difference, but what about budget advocacy? Many nonprofits rely on federal funding of one type or another to accomplish their program goals, but just as many are spooked by the arcane and almost year-round federal budget process. The Coalition on Human Needs has just put a downloadable budget primer on their site that helps clarify the process, and might help your organization increase program spending for your constituents!

"Budget Basics 101"
http://www.chn.org/pdf/budget101.pdf

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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http://www.npaction.org/user/login

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
1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.,
Washington DC 20009
(202) 234-8494
E-mail: npaction@npaction.org
Web: www.npaction.org
© 2005 NPAction