Starting a Nonprofit

• VANNO
  The Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations is a statewide association of nonprofit leaders.
• VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads
  Provides training and resources for nonprofits in southeastern Virginia.
• The Planning Council
  Helps evaluate Hampton Roads community needs and plan solutions for them.
• The Nonprofit Resource Center
  Features links to a variety of online resources for nonprofits.
• National Center for Charitable Statistics
  The national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States.
• Internal Revenue Service
  Tax Information on charities and other nonprofits.
• Virginia Department of Taxation
  Provides information on applying for nonprofit sales and use tax exemption status.

Creating an Effective Board

• BoardSource
  Provides information about building effective nonprofit boards.
• Board Cafe
  Provides a free online newsletter for nonprofit board members.
   

Strategic Planning and Management

• Academy for Nonprofit Excellence
  Offers monthly two-day training sessions for southeastern Virginia nonprofits.
• Alliance for Nonprofit Management
  This professional organization is devoted to improving the management and governance of nonprofits.
• The Nonprofit Genie
  Sponsored by the California Management Assistance Project this site provides a variety of information to help nonprofits accomplish their missions.
• Free Management Library
  Provides a variety of links to help nonprofits with strategic planning and management.
• Internet Nonprofit Center
  Publishes Nonprofit FAQ and links users to numerous sites dealing with strategic planning and management.
• Independent Sector
  Works to strengthen, empower and partner with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations on behalf of the public good.
• Nonprofit Finance Fund
  Provides capital and advice to help nonprofits strengthen their mission, improve their capacity to deliver services and strengthen their communities.
  
• Nonprofit Risk Management Center
  Provides webinars on timely topics for nonprofits.

Technology Improvement

• Tech Soup
  Connects nonprofits with donated and discounted technology products.
• Charity Advantage
  Helps nonprofits with web site development, computer donations and computer purchase-assistance programs.
• CFTech
  Developed for community foundations, this site provides valuable technical assistance and resources for any nonprofit organization.
• CommonCraft
  Free, easy-to-understand and entertaining videos that show how to use all kinds of technology from software to social marketing tools.
• Nonprofit Technology Network
  Offers a free monthly newsletter focused on effectively using technology.
   

Fundraising

• Grassroots Fundraising Inc.
  Provides tips and tools for effective fundraising.
• Grantproposal.com
  Offers information for both experienced and novice grant writers.
• Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration
  Borrow ideas from some of the most creative nonprofit fundraising materials .
• Planned Giving Design Center
  Provides current information on planned giving; regional sponsorship is provided by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
• Community Foundation Locator
  Provides links to community foundations serving specific geographic regions.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals
  Works to advance philanthropy and has a chapter in Hampton Roads.
• The Foundation Center
  Offers a searchable database of grantmaking organizations nationwide.  Access must be gained onsite at Volunteer Hampton Roads or the Virginia Beach Public Library.
• Grant Select
  Offers a searchable database of grantmaking organizations nationwide.  Free access must be gained by going through Virginia Beach and Chesapeake public library Web sites.
• Grantsmart
  Facilitates communication between grantmakers and grantseekers by making available public 990 tax returns of private foundations and charitable trusts.
   

Communications and Marketing

• Nonprofit Marketing Guide
  Offers helpful publications, webinars and a blog focused on improving nonprofit communications and marketing efforts
• Nonprofit Communications Center
  Online resource with a variety of information about nonprofit communications.
• Public Relations Society, Hampton Roads Chapter
  Provides training in southeastern Virginia in communications and public relations.
• Communications Media Center
  "Guidelines for Evaluating Non-Profit Communications Efforts" summarizes four working papers about the subject and offers guidelines for evaluating nonprofit communications efforts.
• Cause Communications
  Provides three excellent publications for nonprofits, including a downloadable copy of "Why Bad Ads Happen to Good Causes And How to Ensure They Won't Happen to Yours and a downloadable copy of "Communications Toolkit: A guide to navigating communications for the nonprofit world."  The newest publication is Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes and is available in limited quantities for free.  
• Spitfire Strategies
  Provides a free interactive chart to guide nonprofits through the communications planning process or to evaluate a campaign that is in progress.
• Press Release Grader
  Grades your news release on a scale from 1 to 100 and tells you what to do to improve it.
• Fenton Communications
  Free downloadable publications provide useful tips on creating reports that garner media attention as well as successful advocacy communications and effective public interest communications.
• Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab
  Lists guidelines for website credibility as part of the lab's ongoing research into websites.
• The Communications Network
  Helps foundations and nonprofits communicate more effectively by providing web-based seminars, links to publications and The Jargon Finder, an online tool that helps nonprofits avoid using abstract, meaningless words.
• Sociable Media
  Author Cliff Atkins, author of Beyond Bullet Points, is one of the best PowerPoint designers. His site has advice, examples and discussions to help anyone create powerful presentations. Resources include free webinars and temples from the Beyond Bullet Points book.
• The Rowan Report
  Colin Rowan, a public interest communicator, offers best practices, tips and success stories about communicating in the nonprofit industry. Topics range from writing op-ed pieces to improving PowerPoint presentations.
• PollingReport.com
  Provides information on recent polls by CNN, NBC, CBS and other organizations that make help support a point an organization wants to make.
• The SPIN Project
  Features information and tutorials that help nonprofits improve communication by targeting audiences, developing relationships with reporters and linking them to other helpful websites.
• Hampton Roads Media Connectionz
  Provides a free service that links Hampton Roads nonprofit organizations and businesses with reporters interested in sources for their stories.
• We Are Media
  Provides a toolkit to help nonprofits learn to use new media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other online tools for listening and connecting people.
• Beth Kanter’s Blog
  Focuses on nonprofit use of social marketing tools.
• Chris Brogan’s Blog
  Teaches new ways to put social marketing tools to work.

Publications and E-newsletters

• The Grantseekers Gazette
  Monthly e-newsletter from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation highlights grant opportunities, courses and other timely nonprofit news.
• Ahern Communications Newsletter
  E-newsletter highlights the secrets of effectively writing to your donors.
• Getting Attention
  Gives insiders’ tips to improving nonprofit marketing and offers a free report on taglines for nonprofits.
• Straight Talk e-newsletter
  Focuses on common sense public relations and strategic planning for nonprofits.
• The Duck Pond e-newsletter
  Highlights effective communications techniques for nonprofits.
• Publicity Hound e-newsletter
  Provides creative tips on gaining media attention.
• Free-range Thinking newsletter
  Monthly e-newsletter provides simple ways to make nonprofit communications better
• PR Miscues and Marvels e-newsletter
  Points out the highs and lows of public relations efforts, primarily in Hampton Roads
• Contributions e-newsletter
  Highlights ways to improve fundraising efforts.
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy
  The newspaper of the nonprofit world.
• The NonProfit Times 
  A printed publication providing information about nonprofit management.
• Philanthropy News Digest
  The Foundation Center’s online news source.
• The Nonprofit Quarterly
  Offers a free online newsletter about nonprofit issues.
• Nonprofit Online News
  Covers news of the nonprofit community.
• Philanthropy Journal
  Provides online news about nonprofits.
• Volunteer Today
  Online newsletter carries news about volunteerism.
• Philanthropy News
  Delivers news, information, and resources to all segments of the nonprofit world.
• Blue Avocado
  Delivers intriguing and uplifting nonprofit news and tips.