Thursday, March 20, 2008

Running a nonprofit on $5 / day

I see a lot of grant proposals at the Foundation and have spent years on the other side of the fence as a grant proposer. A few of the secrets of running a nonprofit as well as possible is to first have a good plan, work the plan, AND find ways to get by on what you can lay your hands on. "Use it up, wear it out, make do" Two quick suggestions:

Tech Soup has great software and some hardware for a nominal shipping fee. You must be a 501.c to qualify they are a tremendous resource and have kept me in tune for a fraction of the retail price. TechSoup.org - The Technology Place for Nonprofits (www.techsoup.org/).

Another place I have found some great ways to meet the needs of my projects at a nominal cost is State and Federal Surplus Property. In Alabama - ADECA runs a good program. The items range from office supply to vehicles and office furniture. The inventory is constantly changing. For more info go to : http://www.adeca.alabama.gov/Surplus%20Property/default.aspx

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