Today is Philanthropy Day on Martha’s Vineyard. Proclaimed by Dukes County, it’s a day to honor everyone, seasonal and year-round for the tremendous amount of time and money you donate to preserve the Vineyard and keep its nonprofits running.
In the last year there’s been a lot of philanthropy to thank you for. Some of it preserved or improved important Island institutions.
The Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative has scheduled its spring workshop for Vineyard nonprofits, Strong Boards For Effective Governance and Good Fundraising, on Wednesday, April 16 at Outerland, 17 Airport Road, Edgartown.
The workshop is designed for organizations that have a challenge recruiting and retaining good board members or need to restructure their board to improve their governance and fundraising in an increasingly competitive environment.
Charitable giving on the Vineyard remains almost inexplicably robust this summer season, even while across the nation there is mounting evidence the sagging economy is having a devastating effect on philanthropy.
Donations to the Salvation Army are reported to be down 20 per cent, contributions to church collection plates are off an estimated 35 per cent, and several charities tasked with providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina have nearly gone bankrupt.
The Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative is offering Island nonprofits two workshops this fall designed to help them through the current economy and give them tools to improve the effectiveness of their organizations.
A marketing workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 10 is designed to help Island nonprofits compete for limited funds. The aim is to hone their 2010 marketing plans so they can communicate their impact in a compelling way and connect with donors.
As part of its ongoing effort to help Vineyard nonprofits find new sources of revenue, the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative is pleased to announce that Grant Resource Network: Martha’s Vineyard will offer a workshop in basic grant-writing skills. The two-part workshop will be offered on March 1 and 2 at the Oak Bluffs Public Library. The workshop includes three classes over one and a half days and is open to all. The cost is $25.
The Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative has started a new project to create an Islandwide volunteer database. The collaborative’s Web site has a list of volunteer opportunities ranging from answering the phone to keeping counts of horseshoe crabs. Check it out at mvdonors.org/volunteers.
Today is Philanthropy Day on Martha’s Vineyard. Proclaimed by Dukes County, it’s a day to honor everyone, seasonal and year-round, for the tremendous amount of time and money you donate to keep the Vineyard and its nonprofits running. We salute and thank all of you for giving back. You play a major role in keeping this a special place.
