1. The Community Platform Tom Pollak, Director, National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute June 17, 2010

2. Perspective #1: NCCS Community Platform Website NCCS Data  1.5 mil. nonprofit organizations  Maps, lists  Finances from IRS data  Program descriptions  600 activity categories in arts, educ, health, human services, & more Tools  Financial analyzer  Collect detailed info on programs, outcomes & more  Share goods & services  Track community needs  Map service/program delivery areas  Basic community demographic profile

4. User Scenarios Nonprofit financial managers Private and public foundations and gov’t funders and policy-makers Nonprofit program staff Community groups – issue-area specific Individuals who need services Universities and researchers

6. Perspective #2: A Larger Vision The Macro Perspective & Role of Nonprofit Sector Central domestic policy research question from '60s through '90s: What programs and policies – primarily government's – are effective at reducing poverty & addressing “the problems facing America's cities and their residents”? The question remains important, but paramount question today is different: What can be done by government, community leaders & nonprofits to foster the political maturity & political will needed to tackle our major national & global challenges before we face catastrophic consequences?

7. Political Maturity & Democratic Character [W]e shouldn’t imagine that these centralized institutions are going to work perfectly or even well most of the time. It would be nice if we reacted to their inevitable failures not with rabid denunciation and cynicism, but with a little resiliency, an awareness that human systems fail and bad things will happen and we don’t have to lose our heads every time they do. - David Brooks, The God That Fails, 1/1/2010 NY Times  Tocqueville, Democracy in America  John Dewey, Democracy and Education  Lawrence Harrison, The Central Liberal Purpose

8. The Micro Perspective A central lesson of social & cognitive psychology & behavioral economics: We are a lot more complicated than economists used to think. “"[W]e live simultaneously in two different worlds -- one where social norms prevail, and the other where market norms make the rules." - Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational “[G]etting the institutions [for collective action] right is a difficult, time-consuming, conflict-invoking process.” - Elinor Ostrom (2009 Nobel Prize winner), Governing the Commons

9. Implications for Research Design  If complex conditions, regression analysis will miss it  Goal is applied, not pure, research: What works NOW?  “Death by Demonstration Project” vs. “Rapid Prototyping” ( Iterative process; make mistakes early.) -- Stupski Foundation on its methodology for working with education district leaders  Other Research Questions  Following Ostrom’s work on shared pool resources, what are the “design principles” for successful and self-sustaining local collective action projects?  What is the concrete impact of projects and impact on community attitudes toward collective action, local & national institutions and leaders? Sense of self- & community efficacy?

10. “Achieving Culture Change: A Policy Framework” “Cultural capital – our attitudes, values, aspirations and sense of self-efficacy – has an important influence on the actions and behaviour we choose... [P]olicymakers should take a greater account of the social and cultural interactions individuals pass through in reaching decisions. There are a range of tools that have been shown to help support and encourage people into the behaviour required to reach the long-term outcomes they want – whether in relation to education, healthy living, or environmental sustainability.” - U.K. Cabinet Office Strategy Unit (2008)

11. Our Solution: The NCCS Community Platform State-of-the-art website technology Data on needs and resources Knowledge and education on best practices – for building sustainable and effective programs, nonprofit community collaborations, and civic engagement National & local on-the-ground partners (& UI staff?) Last, but maybe most importantly: Get the LEADERSHIP right – work with public & community leaders who see the “opportunity in crisis” and who are focused on our shared challenges Get the LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT right for sustaining & expanding community leadership

12. Mechanisms of Change  Purposive action  Dialogue  Social – Not just online but face-to-face  Leadership: Building on MLK/Obama's “fierce urgency of now,” & linking concrete local needs to national issues Key Activities – Beyond episodic volunteering & polite conversations to Dense & Sustained Relationships  Building nonprofit-community coalitions  Door-to-door canvass  Neighborhood Leadership Circles  Concrete community projects Education, environment, or for seniors…the community decides

13. Door-to-Door Canvass  Face-to-face contact – someone turning up at a doorstep to remind you in advance – was found to have a highly significant effect, boosting voter turnout by around 10 to 15%. Gerber, A.S. and Green, D.P. (2000)  Face-to-face communication promotes collective action in lab experiments (Poteete, Janssen & Ostrom 2010)  East Boston - 400 canvassers – nonprofit staff & volunteers & city government -- in 1 weekend canvass 7,000 households to connect people to public resources  DC Pleasant Plains Summer Project – Built nonprofit coalition, door-to-door canvass (80-90% state willingness to volunteer), community picnics & cleanups. Ongoing: hand-delivered newsletter & nonprofit activism.

14. Leadership  Olivia Golden, Reforming Child Welfare: The importance of leadership & vision  John Kotter, Harvard B. School: 8-step process: Biggest challenge is creating a sense of urgency  “Fund the leaders, not the programs.” – A recurrent theme among foundation funders

15. The American Mind: The Spirit is Willing, but the Civic Culture & Organization Is Weak We have good intentions We trust our neighbors We are willing to help We don’t know where to begin. Some don’t want to take leadership; others take too much. We are too polite: uncomfortable having the tough conversations needed to build sustainable collective action. We don’t trust elected leaders or gov’t. …but… Sources: Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, and various other sources.

16. Untapped Capacity: People of Good Will College senior's “very important” or “essential” personal goals:  "becoming a community leader" (40.8%)  "influencing social values" (52.5%)  "participating in a community action program" (36.8%) - Liu et al. College Senior Survey (2009) "When adults and teens were questioned about whether they had been asked to volunteer in the past year, 44 percent of adults and 57 percent of teens said yes...Among adults who were asked [to volunteer], 86 percent volunteered; among teens who were asked, 90 percent volunteered.” - Hodgkinson (1995)

17. “The Institution” (university, hospital) The Typical Community: Untapped Capacity, Weak Ties 26.4% volunteer (high of 43.5% in Utah) Of those who do, median of 52 hrs/year 8.5% work with neighbors on community problem 67% of households gave an avg. of 2.2% of income Our Challenges… Small number of volunteers & donors have limited time & resources for fertilizing the “grassroots” orgs Organization silos: busy executive dirs don’t have time to reach out Limited neighborhood connections, weak social capital & social fabric Potential “town-gown” conflicts & distrust Many people lack habits & skills of collaboration & proactive problem-solving

18. Key Actors: Shifting attitudes & actions Young adults & students: For-profit careerist focus → 2 paths: Sustained public service or 1-2 year full-time service “Soccer moms & seniors” with discretionary time: Episodic Volunteers or Disengaged → Citizens with Long-Term Commitments to help organizations or communities Isolated “grassroots” nonprofits → Active community collaboratives Nonprofit professionals: Market-driven career → Mission-driven public service National nonprofit infrastructure orgs: Individual websites & projects → A seamless web of resources

19. “The Institution” (university, hospital) The Fully Engaged Community: A dense social fabric, with “excess capacity” for others Climate Change International Development A nearby neighborhood that needs help Think globally, act locally Block parties, clean-ups & more Neighborhood leadership circles Tutors & mentors Aging in place Environmental consciousness

20. The Goal: Think Globally, Act Locally Creating the conditions, the tools, the intellectual framework, & the policies – governmental & nongovernmental – for the many Americans of good will to begin to work together more systematically, more thoughtfully, reflectively, more efficiently, with a consistent and patient focus on the big picture while they act in their communities.

21. A Sense of Urgency  Climate change  Nuclear terrorism  Persistent unemployment & poverty in U.S. & abroad  Deep polarization of public My perspective:  If a well-to-do thinktank like the Urban Institute with a mission to “improve social, civic, and economic well-being” through analysis, research, & data collection can’t find the resources – intellectual or financial – to grapple with the implications of these challenges, who will?  What about your college or university?

22. Working Together for Common Good & a Stronger Nation: A Bipartisan Issue “[We must] join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand...What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility” - Barack Obama (Nov. '08, Jan. '09) It's about personal responsibility...We have a right to fail...Americans aren't bad guys. We don't need to be taught how to give, how to be charitable. Why? We're Americans. - Glenn Beck (Feb. '10)

23. Public/Community/Nonprofit Leadership: Recap of Themes  Building on the “fierce urgency of now”: motivation & getting past private interests  Think globally, act locally  Creating the political maturity & political will – Dewey's democratic character? – for tackling our major challenges  A slow process of change: parenting, coaching or teaching  Leadership by example; self-sacrifice; “selfless service”

24. Practicalities & Opportunities  National Funders & Supporters  Local Funders  National Partners

25. National Funders & Supporters  Mott Foundation, Boston Foundation  White House Office of Social Innovation  White House Office of Faith-based & Community Partnerships  CraigsList Foundation  Living Cities Coalition: Major national funders  PACE: Civic engagement funders  Advisory committee

26. National Partners  Current or Likely  CraigsList Foundation  STRIVE/KnowledgeWorks – low-cost, widely publicized, well-funded HCZ-like project  Center for What Works – outcome measurement  U. Kansas Community Toolbox (7,000 pages)  Foundation Center  KaBoom!  Planned  Leadership Development: Center for Ethical Leadership

27. Local Partners  University community research/outreach projects & nonprofit research/mgt centers  Community foundations & major private fdns  United Way/2-1-1 information & referral systems  State nonprofit associations  Community action agencies  NNIP partners, community data centers & planning agencies  Local governments  Education coalitions  Local volunteer centers like Greater DC Cares

30. The Community Inventory is available in both map and list formats. Users type in a zipcode (or, soon, a location) to view organizations & other resources in the zipcode or within x miles of the location.

31. The map can be filtered to show particular types of organizations using the general categories on the left. Advanced users can choose from more the detailed 600-category NTEE system.

32. This is the same location, but limiting the display to “places,” including public schools, community centers, libraries & more. New resources – public or private, nonprofit or for-profit, programs, offices, police stations, etc. – can be added to the map.

33. The Statistics tab shows socio-economic data for the zipcode combined with statistics on nonprofit resources (expenses, assets & more) and charitable giving in the community (see next page).

35. The Needs tab is intended to provide a system for a neighborhood association, nonprofit coalition, university community research or outreach project, or just a group of citizens to create a comprehensive map of community needs ranging from public spaces to individual needs for transportation, companionship, babysitting & more. Individual needs & addresses may be kept confidential so only authorized users, such as someone who volunteers to meet a need, has access.

37. The Platform provides Organization Search screens for both basic and more advanced users. This is the search screen for more advanced users.

38. The Basic search shows only organization name, location and broad service area.

39. The standard search results page for registered users shows a range of information, much of it from IRS forms and registration information.

40. The Basic Search Results pages shows much less. (Users can put their mouse over the code to see a description. Version 2 will show only the description.)

41. From the Search Results page, a user can click on an organization name to see the Organization Profile.

42. Organization Profiles can be updated by Community Administrators, approved researchers, and by the organization itself. This screen lets a user identify herself as connected to the organization. The Community Administrator is alerted to the request and must approve it before changes are finalized.

43. PDF images of IRS Form 990s filed since around 2002 are available at a click of the mouse.

44. Sample IRS Form 990 image.

45. NCCS typically captures the chief staff officer or volunteer leader for unstaffed organizations from its IRS Form 990 data. Additional information can be added by the organizations themselves or approved users.

46. We start with IRS Form 990 data, but users can add new programs & supplement 990 info.

47. Basic program information for all nonprofit organizations is loaded directly from their IRS Form 990s. But that’s just the beginning…

48. Add program information & categorize programs for referral system & service delivery mapping. Supports real-time linkages to 2-1- 1 providers so organizations only have to update their information in one place.

49. Map a Service Area Registered users can map the program and service locations with a few mouse clicks!

50. Choose from a comprehensive list of Population Served codes to ensure that users can find the services they need. We also use the 600- category Nonprofit Program Classification system and National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) systems for classification. The AIRS Information & Referral Taxonomy could be incorporated.

51. Select program outcome indicators to track on a daily, weekly, quarterly or annual basis. Analyze trends & performance for individual orgs, communities, fields/industries, peer groups, or your member organizations. If you don’t find the indicator in our list, you can create your own. Indicators can be marked as private, public or for sharing among a group of organizations.

52. Report on your program results daily, weekly, monthly, annually or in whatever period works for your organization or collaborative.

53. Financial Analysis: Features Popup help Video and written guides to help boards and managers understand basics of financial analysis Other growth rates - revenues, net assets – Efficiency ratios – Balance sheet ratios Revenues, expenses, balance sheet

54. Users can select from a range of standard ratios

58. Version 2 will also show percentages: Contributions 52% Program service revenue30% Membership dues10% Other 8%

60. Shared Resourcs Infrastructure Tools for helping organizations develop partnerships or share resources with other nonprofits, find consultants or other resources – Share HR, accounting, tech. or other “back office” staff or consultants. Share development/fundraising help. (Create a full-time job out of multiple part-time jobs)‏ – Share facilities or equipment – Find lower cost options for insurance or supplies through bulk purchases (state nonprofit association)‏ Possible partners: State CPA Society, VolunteerMatch, BoardNet, Craigslist, idealist.org Ideal platform could combine “realtime” listings from VolunteerMatch, Craigslist, Boardnet and others

61. Sample Shared Resources Screen

62. Includes distance from your location to resources and the ability to search by distance.

63. KnowledgeBase Resources “Community Best Practices”: Link to successful or model community projects – Create your checklist of best practices that are viable in your community, then check off those that are in place, those in progress, and those worth exploring for the future “How to” section linking to resources on community-building

65. Sample Knowledgebase Entry

66. Create Project Teams Project teams to collect information & tackle community problems are at the heart of the system.

67. Project Notes & Assignments Project teams can keep private notes and organization lists and more.

68. Create Custom Lists: Group can share & analyze list of key local organizations, peer groups…

69. Understanding Places: Geographic Search

70. Users can easily drill down from a county, city or MSA to the zipcode level and get either a statistical profile or a list of organizations.

72. The Signup & Settings pages provide an easy way for users to manage their lists, organization associations, and shared resources.

73. Building an Open Platform Local Partnerships Community foundations State nonprofit associations United Way organizations 2-1-1 providers Universities Volunteer centers Local governments … and more Sharing information across the community to learn, grow and achieve greater impact. Current & Potential National Partners Foundation Center Mott Foundation GrantsFire Corporation for National & Community Service GuideStar Idealist, VolunteerMatch

74. The Time is Now “[We must] join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.” - Barack Obama (Nov. ‘08)