NPAction Update
Vol 3, Issue 4
2/22/2005

Welcome to this edition of the NPAction Update, the perfect antidote to this month's weird weather.

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- Monster Volunteers*
*Current Poll- Random Work*
*Featured Article- Six Reasons to Get Involved*
*Featured Resource Links- Other Showcase and Newsletter*

*What's New*

It's like working, only for free! Monster.com has partnered with Idealist.org and BoardNet USA to open a volunteer version of its job-finding services. Post your organization's volunteer opportunities or search by geographic area and organizational focus to find places to volunteer.

Monster Volunteering
http://volunteer.monster.com/

Also, don't forget to check out OMB Watch's Nonprofit Issues blog at:
http://ombwatch.org/article/blogs/298/0

*Current Poll*

A short month forces us to leave our current poll up one more week, so you've got one more chance to tell us if your organization's work is relatively steady, cyclical, or completely unpredictable? Most of your say your work is cyclical, with just enough randomness thrown in to keep you on your toes.

Stop by and vote in the poll, continually displayed on the right hand side of the site.

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*

If you're reading this, hopefully you've made the decision to be an advocate, but if you (or someone you know) need some convincing, this week's feature article will do the trick. This chapter from "So You Want to Make a Difference" lays out reasons for involvement in policymaking by any and all organizations, as well as some potential benefits to the organizations.

"Six Good Reasons to Get Involved"
http://www.npaction.org/article/articleview/208/1/187/

Download "So You Want to Make a Difference"
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/119/

Don't forget to check out NPAction's "Showcase Groups" to see innovative approaches to advocacy.

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.

While we here at NPAction like to think we do a good job of highlighting innovative advocacy practices, we know we're not the only ones. The Michigan Nonprofit Association's "Advocacy Grapevine" posts case studies of groups doing good and innovative work in the policy arena, especially focused in Michigan.

"Advocacy Grapevine"
http://www.mnaonline.org/grapevine.asp

Just as we're not the only ones showcasing best practices, we're not the only biweekly advocacy newsletter out there. The Advocacy Tipsheet is a newsletter focused on (see if you can guess) advocacy (did you get it right?). While not exclusively catering to nonprofits, the tipsheet is a good source of ideas for your public policy work.

"Advocacy Tipsheet"
http://www.advocacyguru.com/tipsheet.htm

The NPAction Staff is in the process of pruning the resource links database, which has grown a little larger than we had originally imagined. We apologize in advance if we cut out your favorite link, but if you're convinced it should stay, drop us a line and we will give it a pardon.

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


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