(Thanks to www.mncn.org for technical assistance, inspiration and guidance for our blog. Any errors are solely ours.  Any resemblance to actual people or organizations already in existance is entirely coincidental.)

Continuing on with our blog topic of Starting a Non-profit the VISIONARY STAGE...

we finish up step 4 with a discussion of slogans and logos.

Slogans or "tag lines" have a way of either reinforcing your mission and or can be a means of identification.  If you had not considered having a tagline or slogan for your organization, don't let the opportunity pass you by. 

For example:  if we were to say:  "it melts in your mouth - not in your hands!" - how many of you would know right off the bat we were referring to the candy "M & Ms"?  Probably most of you.  The slogan/tag line highlights a "selling point" or feature of this candy that might appeal to the purchasing adult audience.  What parent wouldn't welcome a non-messy candy when their child asks for a treat?

Another example:  "What can BROWN do for you?"  No we would not be talking about a paint company but we would be talking UPS.  The UPS slogan indicating their desire to help YOU.

Another example:  "Your Pets.  Our Passion."  The Premier Pet Products motto conveys the concept that we care for your pets with the same passion and committment as you care.  This passion is evidenced by our work within the pet rescue community.  If you were picking a store to buy pet themed gifts, wouldn't you want to buy from a company that also supports the rescue community?

As you can see, slogan/tag lines can be a great marketing tool.  Getting your new organization known in the community will certainly be made easier if your supporters can identify with you.  For our ficticious organization, Paws-i-tive Hands, our "mission" may not be immediately known simply by the name itself, hence a slogan/tag line would help clarify what the organization is all about.  Using your volunteers to come up with a creative slogan or tagline, may bring in just the right "catch phrase" to grasp attention and promote support of the organization.  Slogan/taglines, if well thought out, can be great means of identification for any organization.  Slogans/taglines should also be brief and to the point.  They do not need to be complete sentences to be effective.

We are looking for your suggestions for a slogan/tag line for Paws-i-tive Hands.  Please email your entry to:  sue@sewmanypaws.com before Wednesday July 23rd to be considered.  Our ficticious board will vote on the suggestions and the winning slogan will be announced on next week's blog.

Logos also play a key role in identifying your organization.  Having 3 or 4 different logos can be confusing for your supporters.  By maintaining the same logo throughout your organization, supporters are able to identify that the piece of literature received is coming from the same organization that was found on the internet and is the same organization whose logo'd t-shirt you saw at a special event.

Consider the Ford blue oval logo.  Even when written in a foreign language, the logo is recognizable worldwide.  Having traveled to foreign countries, a familiar logo quickly identifies for me the company even if I can't speak the language written within the logo. 

On the opposite perspective, if someone said to you they were with "lab rescue" - would you know which Indy based group they were associated with?  Probably not from just that description alone.  There are several "lab rescues" in Indy not to mention other great rescues who have "labs" up for adoption from their rescue.  But if they showed you a certain logo, then you'd know if you had the right group or not.


When designing a logo for your organization, it also helps to consider how the logo will be used.  Oftentimes, logos are printed on business cards, stationary, on websites, invoicing as well as t-shirts, bags, hats and other products.  Consider how your volunteers/board members will use logo'd items.

The logo design should be simple enough to use with screen printing, embroidery as well as in print.  With our ficticious Paws-i-tive Hands organization, we are lucky in that we have many creative people who can design, embroider, screen print or print on paper, all the marketing literature, t-shirts, ballcaps, blankets, towels and other products useful for gaining attention and promote easy identification. 

If you are starting an organization and want to get your group name out into the public quickly, consider hiring an embroiderer to re-create your logo in stitches and letting your volunteers supply their own shirts for embroidery.  The volunteers will welcome being able to pick out a style that fits their personality and your organization will save money. 

Working with your own embroiderer or screen printer, you will also be able to create items that can be used as fundraisers as well.  Clients, adopters or others who use the services/products of your organization may also like to receive thank you gifts.  What better way to spread your advertising dollars than to let your satisfied contacts advertise your organization?

Our ficticious organization, Paws-i-tive Hands, is also looking for an artist that is willing to draw us a logo.  Interested?  Email us with your ideas.  Board members will vote on the logo design as well.  Drawings should be submitted to sue@sewmanypaws.com no later than Wednesday July 23 to be considered.

Next week:  We move from the Visionary Stage to the Planning Stage

(Thanks to www.mncn.org for technical assistance, inspiration and guidance for our blog. Any errors are solely ours.  Any resemblance to actual people or organizations already in existance is entirely coincidental.)

Continuing on with our blog topic of Starting a Non-profit the VISIONARY STAGE...

Step 1 - we determined a need to start a (fictitious) non-profit charity "Paws-i-tive Hands" rather than operate as an informal club, association or "for profit" business.

Step 2 - we defined the "Paws-i-tive Hands" purpose and mission.

Step 3 - we have recruited board members for "Paws-i-tive Hands" with an executive board of 3 members and 4 at large members who will determine the direction and goals by writing the articles of incorporation, bylaws and initial policies/procedures. 

This week we move on to Step 4 in the visionary stage of starting a new non-profit organization -- Checking for availability and Reserving a name.  Simply picking an organization name and giving it the president's home address may not be either possible or in the best interests of the organization.  

Names play a big role in various aspects one might not always think of immediately.

Legal - Having accomplished step 3, your group will have already researched the very important decision as to organization structure.  As with a for profit business, the legal entity structure will eliminate some potential names.  For example, calling the organization name Pawsitive Hands LLC when the organization is really incorporated would not be appropriate - calling the organization Pawsitive Hands, Inc. when the organization was not incorporated would not be appropriate either. 

So too - if another organization has the legal name Pawsitive Hands, Inc., you will not be able to use it for your new organization.  By checking with your Secretary of State Office for legal entity names in the visionary stage, you can reserve the name usually for a small fee.  This will ensure the name is still available when you are ready to launch.

Marketing - When considering a name for your organization, you may also wish to consider how you will "market" or "advertise" your organization.  If you plan to have a website, is your organization name available as a domain name?  Will the name easily fit on business cards and other marketing materials? 

Will the spoken name cause confusion when compared to written name?  For example  Positive Hands and Pawsitive Hands may sound the same but if the website domain name is entered in as www.PawsitiveHands.org but potential visitors look for www.PositiveHands.org confusion may result.  One way around this potential issue would be for the organization to buy both domain names.  In the visionary stage, the board would want to decide whether or not to have both domain names.

Still think name is not a big deal?  Consider for example the old Abbot and Costello skit "Who's on First?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whos_on_first#The_sketch   If you were to name your organization Who's Helping Paws, can't you just imagine the comedy skit to follow?

Thinking of just using initials to shorten your web address for ease of memory?  Make sure the initials themself don't spell out un-intended words/names.  For example Positively Organizing for Others Paws  would be www.POOP.org  probably not what you want right?

Addresses - don't forget about address decisions.
Addresses too need to be chosen wisely.  If your organization is going to be entirely web based, would it be better to set up a PO Box for the address?  PO Boxes can be handed over to the next administration when you retire.  If your organization is based out of your home, will you really want to give up your home?  Not to mention, the consideration of "unwanted visitors".  Anyone in a "pet friendly" business with an actual storefront can tell you of times when unwanted pets have been dumped at their location.  By planning ahead for worst case scenario, you may avoid unexpected results. 

Is your organization going to have a "physical building"?  Be sure to do some research in the neighborhood.  High-crime areas, Flood-prone areas, Noise Level / Traffic pattern concerns are just a few considerations before signing on the dotted line.

Visions become Plans - Remember if your name is Who and your organization address is on First street you would be well advised to hang out in the visionary stage just a bit longer before moving on the Step 5 - The Planning Stage.

ABBOTT: Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.
COSTELLO: You know the fellas' names?
ABBOTT: Well, I should...
COSTELLO: Then tell me who's on first.
ABBOTT: That's right.
...  (more)

(Thanks to www.mncn.org for technical assistance, inspiration and guidance for our blog. Any errors are solely ours.  Any resemblance to actual people or organizations already in existance is entirely coincidental.)

Continuing on with our blog topic of Starting a Non-profit the VISIONARY STAGE...

Step 1 - we determined a need to start a (fictitious) non-profit charity "Paws-i-tive Hands" rather than operate as an informal club, association or "for profit" business.

Step 2 - we defined the "Paws-i-tive Hands" purpose and mission:  "Paws-i-tive Hands is a group of volunteers joining together to use their gifts in the handyman and seamstress industry to paws-i-tively affect fundraising efforts of underfunded rescues and shelters.  Our volunteers perform the work of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters, embroiderers, seamstress and other skills for businesses and private citizens.  In exchange for the work, payment for services rendered is made in the form of a donation to a specified rescue/shelter."

This week we move on to Step 3 in the visionary stage of starting a non-profit organization--Recruiting Board Members.  Any time more than 1 person is involved in a decision making process there will be times when each party has a different perspective on how to accomplish a task - suddenly life becomes a balance of consensus and compromise.  Even when both parties have the same end goal, they may have differing methods to accomplish the goal. 

The question then becomes should all parties' vote be counted as equal?  When the organization gets to a certain size, then also, the question is should everyone have a vote in the decision making process?  The task of making decisions can get bogged down if too many in the group have voting rights. 

Longevity would seem to favor those groups with a true working board of directors.  Having a board in "name only" may allow decisions to be made quicker but may hender the organization's growth.  A true working board will also put the structure in place for the organization to continue long after you've gone on to puppy heaven.  As a founder of a group, it may be hard initially to open oneself up to the possibility of losing control of the organization entirely or even just lose control on a certain "mission/goal" issue. 

If a group is to be a 501c3 non-profit, the government also requires it to have a board of directors.  Obviously when recruiting board members, it will be important to find people who share your vision and are willing to make the organization a success.  Having "YES" men or women on your board would be short sighted as well.  Having individuals bring a different perspective may actually help your organization grow and become more successful.   

As Paws-i-tive Hands founder, I've read the startup tips available on-line and am ready to recruit the first board member.  The first potential board member wants to know: 

"What is involved in being a board member?"  What a good question.  Especially in newly formed organizations, board members determine the direction and goals of the organization and they also set forth the policies & precedents for future board members.  Some expectations for board members may also change and evolve as the group becomes self-supporting.

The initial board will write the articles of organization and create the by-laws by which the group will operate.  The initial board will do most of the initial fundraising and work involved in getting the organization from an entity on paper to an actual working organization.  The board will also determine if the organization will be all volunteer or if paid staff will be hired.  Board members will often times be the funding source until the 501c3 status has been approved (and sometimes even after that).

"What liabilities are involved?"  The liability question is one not to be taken lightly - especially as the group begins to prosper.  Having adequate and appropriate insurance to cover not only the organization but also the board members and volunteers, will be necessary to the groups success.

"Will my vote count?"  Before you (as the group founder) invite the first board member, it would be a good idea to have a vision for how the board should operate and how many board members would be ideal to operate effectively.  Having "executive board members" each with two votes and "members at large" each with one vote, might work.  Then again--having only the executive board have voting rights might prove more efficient. 

"How much time, money or effort will be required?"  One key to success is to remember that even the board members who share your enthusiasm and passion may appreciate setting "limits" at the very beginning.  By defining expectations up front, your board members (or in the future your volunteers) will not have to feel guilty "for not doing their fair share".  

"Will I have to have any special skills or experience?"  Depending on your group's mission or goals, your answer to this question may differ.  Maybe in the Paws-i-tive Hands case, board members will not have to possess certain skills but a volunteer sent out to do plumbing for example would be required to have a plumbers license.



At Paws-i-tive Hands having completed steps 1 and 2, we move on to step 3--recruiting board members. 

Policies & By-Laws:
Initially the founders (Tom and I) have decided that we will work up a rough draft of the policies and by-laws we'd like Paws-i-tive Hands to operate by. 

Board Members & Voting Rights
We decide that it will be an all-volunteer staff with three board members having full voting rights and up to 4 members at large who will be able to participate in board meetings but who will have partial voting rights only. 

Paws-i-tive Hands Executive Board will consist of:
myself as President,
my ficticious friend Jill  as Vice-President and
my other ficticious friend Kathy  as Secretary/Treasurer. 

Members at large will include:
Tom and
our ficticious friends  Denny, Amy and Sandy.

Liability & Funding:
For our initial funding, as founder, I will pay for incorporation fees, general operating expenses and insurance for the first year in an amount not to exceed $xxxx.   Any additional expenses incurred must be approved unanimously by the executive board.

Committment:
Board members agree to meet at least twice per month until 501c3 approval is granted.    Afterwards, board members will meet monthly during the first year of organization operation.  All board members will be expected to not overextend themself in terms of finances or time spent on Paws-i-tive Hands business. 

Skills:
Board members need no experience other than a willingness to help accomplish the goals set forth in the Paws-i-itve Hands Mission Statement.  Board members will need to be open-minded and willing to work toward a common goal in a safe and professional manner. 

Board members (and future volunteers) will operate on the Big Dog Principle:
- LEAD
- FOLLOW - OR
- GET BACK ON THE PORCH!

...by leading when they can, following when others are leading, or stepping back from a situation that is not in the best interest of Pawsitive Hands, board members and volunteers will make a positive difference in the Paws-i-tive Hands Mission.

Next week - we'll explore Step 4 in the Visionary Stage of starting a non-profit - Names & Addresses please