2-Gen Approach: The Aspen Institute’s policy program and national hub for collaborations, Ascend, is a valuable resource for understanding, implementing and evaluating the 2-Generation Approach. Visit The Aspen Institute’s site.

AmeriCorps Vista: Ecolibrium3, a Duluth-based community organization, is seeking host sites for AmeriCorps Vista members in northern MN. Vista members increase organizational capacity, address community issues, and work to end poverty. Learn more

Digital Accessibility Bootcamp: This free program takes participants through the steps of building a fully accessible online presence. Provided resources include webinars, best practices, and an action plan, which participants can access at their own pace or through the recommended 5-day learning plan. Learn more

Grammarly:  Grammarly, which provides tips and assistance as you write online, provides its premium service free to nonprofits. A favorite of United Way of 1000 Lakes staff, the app allows users to save time and keep their communications clear and consistent. Apply

United Way Social Media: Is there something you’d like United Way to share on our social media pages? Let us know by filling out our Social Media Request Form. We’re always looking for more content and opportunities to spotlight our partners and the work they’re doing. Request

Insecurity Podcast: Episodes 77 & 78, “Working from Home,” by Evan Francen, discuss security concerns and mitigation for remote workers.

LastPass stores your personal and/or business passwords across all your devices without sacrificing security.

Ready.gov is a national public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. Topics range from Cybersecurity to IT Disaster Recovery Plans.

SecuritySudio has a collection of free information security policy templates that security experts have assembled for others to reference and utilize. They have been filled with placeholders to make customizing them quick and easy. These are meant to provide you with a solid policy template foundation from which to begin constructing information security policies for your organization. Their Information Security Model quiz can be used to evaluate your organization’s information security strategy.

S2Me is a simple tool you can use for free (always) to assess your cybersecurity and safety habits and use what you learn to better protect what matters to us the most. Simple; assess, consider recommendations, make changes, and manage your progress.

Diversity & Inclusion Employer Action Guide
The Equity Committee of the Duluth Workforce Development Board assembled this action guide to help employers in our region improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The guide offers concrete practices to build diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces in the areas of recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention of staff. Much of the information contained in this guide was crowd-sourced from employers and experts committed to achieving equity outcomes. View guide

Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege
This toolkit is meant for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level. Perhaps you are a teacher, youth group facilitator, student affairs personnel or manage a team that works with an underserved population. Learn more

Equity.UnitedWay.org: This website contains content, tools, and resources to help United Ways and network partners become more equitable organizations and advance changes that close persistent disparities experienced by historically disadvantaged and/or marginalized communities. Get started by completing the Organizational Assessment.

Give Your Own Unbiasing Workshop, Google
This resource offers ideas and suggestions for talking about unconscious bias and arming employees with the vocabulary and skills to address and talk about unconscious bias. It is meant to provide guidelines, not act as a script or manual. Users are encouraged to customize the content and only use what is relevant for their own community and organization. Learn more

Implicit Bias Resource Guide
We all have implicit biases which affect the way we live and work in the world. Identifying how these biases may negatively affect workers and the bottom line is pivotal in the development of workplace equality. SHRM has gathered the following list of resources (video, articles, books) to highlight work being done in this area. Learn more

Leading with Intent: Reviewing the State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Nonprofit Boards: This report from Leading with Intent explores the extent to which boards are reflective of the communities they are seeking to serve, how boards are thinking about racial inequity in relation to the organization’s mission and programmatic outcomes, and board practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Download report

Six Steps Nonprofit Boards Can Take to Advance DEI Goals
A recent study found that nonprofit boards are 78.6 percent white. That means nonprofit boards do not reflect the make-up of the American population or the constituents these nonprofits and foundations serve. Nilan Johnson Lewis recently released an article outlining a roadmap for a community foundation (or any nonprofit) when thinking about updating governing documents with an eye toward promoting the organization’s DEI goals.

Steps We Took to Create the Americans for the Arts Statement on Cultural Equity: Americans for the Arts shares the tools and strategy they used to devise an appropriate and relevant equity statement for their organization. Read more

Tips to Reduce Bias in Hiring Practices: Quiz | PDF
Unconscious bias occurs when individuals make judgments at least partially influenced by gender, race or other prohibited factors without realizing they have done so, usually based on societal stereotypes or their own personal experiences.

True Tuesdays: The TRUE (Transforming Rural Understanding of Equity) Partnership hosts a series of Zoom explorations to identify, nurture, model, and advance actions that support a rural Minnesota that is safe, inclusive, and prosperous for all. Sign up to attend an upcoming session, or view past sessions and read related resources. Learn more

Media Resources: Ouch! Your Silence Hurts.  |  1619 Podcast  |  Systemic Racism Explained  |  Amend: The Fight for America

Bounce Back Project: To help you be resilient and stay encouraged during this difficult time, the Bounce Back Project provides timely and useful “Stay at Home” resources for people of all ages and situations. They offer resources, gathered from reliable sources, categorized into four areas; For Kids, For Fun, Self-Care and More Info. You’ll find a variety of online activities, videos, projects, good reads, games, links to key COVID-19 websites, healthy and tasty ideas and much more! Learn more

MDH: The agency launched a new campaign this week call #StayConnectedMN. This is a four-week communications plan that aims to address mental health and well-being across Minnesota. There is a free toolkit (and pocket guide free to download as well) to help guide the work for those that participate. Learn more

Beginning Grantwriting: August 3rd | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Virtual | $89 – $129
Specifically designed for beginners, this workshop will introduce grantwriting to nonprofit professionals who have less than one year of experience with the skill. By the end of this session, participants will learn the steps to craft, construct, and submit an effective grant application. Register

Cultural Community Action & Engagement for Nonprofit Staff and Boards: June 20th | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Virtual | $45-$65
Hosted by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, (MCN), attendees of this training session will learn approaches to building more outreach and advocacy strategies for nonprofits. Attendees will identify and discuss the systems and structures that are currently in place in their organizations and how to make changes. Register

Nonprofit Fundraising Conference: July 28th | 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Saint Paul, MN | $69-$269
At MCN’s statewide fundraising conference, attendees will examine how fundraising in itself is a key element of nonprofit missions. This conference will challenge even experienced fundraisers to reframe perspectives through emerging trends and ideas. Grant writers, development directors, board members, and executive directors will leave the conference with tools and ideas. Register

Nonprofit Leadership Conference: June 14th | 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Minneapolis, MN | $69 – $309
The 2023 Nonprofit Leadership Conference takes as its premise that leadership defines our work and relationships, directs the change taking place in our communities, and is healthiest and most effective when it is a communal rather than isolated process. This day-long gathering will focus on refreshing and building knowledge, recognizing current trends, questioning long-ingrained models and understandings, and supporting each other as a community of interconnected nonprofit leaders. Register

The Best (Free) Tech for Nonprofits: From security to self-care, Flipcause recaps a 30-minutes session from the 2020 Nonprofit Technology Conference on the best free tech tools for nonprofits. Read more

Beyond Digital After COVID-19: Self-Assessment Questions – The NonProfit Times: Michael Silberman, executive director of the Mobilisation Lab, and Hanna Thomas Uose, a principal consultant at Align, serve up questions for leaders and managers to help come out of the Covid-19 crisis even stronger than before. Read more

Creating Affordable Housing Opportunities Means Talking Equity: To attain affordable housing for all, we must build public support by shifting narratives away from consumer choice and personal responsibility. Read more

The Ford Foundation’s Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT) is designed to measure the maturity, resiliency, and strength of an organization’s cybersecurity efforts. We have created this questionnaire with busy nontechnical grant makers, grantee partners, civil society organizations, and nonprofits in mind, and we hope it helps shine some light on a recommended path forward for any organization undertaking a cybersecurity journey. Read more

More than ever, jobs for the disabled are vital – StarTribune: Eric Black, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based manufacturer Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI) talks about the organizations inclusive hiring philosophy. Read more

12 Strategies To Reduce Employee And Volunteer Turnover At Your Nonprofit: Forbes offers strategies for keeping your greatest resource – the people who make up your organization – on board. Read more

BenefitsMN: BenefitsMN is an Association Health Plan available to nonprofits throughout the state through the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Learn more | Program Overview

‘The Changing and Constant Dynamics of Labor’ Deed Presentation: View Slides

Bonfire: Bonfire, the Itasca area’s online volunteer portal powered by United Way, allows nonprofit agencies and community groups to recruit, schedule, and manage volunteers. Local nonprofits and organizations can access the platform for free. To get started, create a profile for your organization and/or schedule an onboarding session with United Way.

Value of Volunteer Time Data: Independent Sector provides location-specific and historical data on the value of volunteer time, which can be used for grant and annual reporting and volunteer recognition.  Learn more

United Way operates a lending library of tools and resources for area nonprofits and community organizations to use at no cost. Items available for checkout include games for events, market booth materials, and use of our conference room. View the resource list of available items and use the button below to borrow from the library.

Each year, United Way recognizes outstanding community members who dedicate their personal time to improving the community in which they live. Agencies are invited to nominate an outstanding volunteer to be considered for the Volunteer of the Year Award, with nominees highlighted in April (National Volunteer Month). Nominees will also be recognized and a winner announced at United Way’s annual Community Celebration and Best of Awards.

Nomination Period: January 1st – February 28th, 2024

Agency representatives nominating volunteers should submit the online nomination form using the button below. An outline of the nomination form is available for download, as once beginning the nomination form, it cannot be saved and returned to.

Download outline: Word | PDF