Amy Coates Madsen, Director of the Standards for Excellence Institute, is one of several “stellar practitioners in their chosen fields” at Tidewater Community College's Academy for Nonprofit Excellence.“I love the classes; they’re wonderful. I knew enough about being a volunteer, but not the nitty-gritty. It’s a business,” says Academy student Melia Trost, founder of Samantha Makes It A Little Easier, Inc.In September, the Academy will receive the National Council for Continuing Education &[…]

We are pleased to bring you this article from Susan Detwiler, Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant. Whether or not your board acts like a team may actually depend on whether you’ve told them they are.There’s great research  out now that proves that teams are more productive when they’re told they’re working together.  In the research, small groups of people met, were then separated and each individual was given tasks to complete. Individuals in one group (the “Together” group) were told[…]

The Standards for Excellence Institute is pleased to announce that its Director, Amy Coates Madsen, has been appointed to the Internal Revenue Service’s Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT). Amy officially joined the ACT Panel on June 11, 2014. She was one of two appointees to the exempt organizations sub-committee. The ACT includes external stakeholders and representatives who deal with employee retirement plans; tax-exempt organizations; tax-exempt bonds; federal,[…]

We are pleased to bring you this Sealholder Profile, written by Standards for Excellence intern Tammy McCubbin. Tammy is presently working towards a Master of Science degree in Human Services Administration from University of Baltimore, Coppin State University.The Maryland-DC Campus Compact (MDCCC) is a membership association of public, private, 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. Initiated in 2008, MDCCC mobilizes the collective commitment and capacity of higher education to actively[…]

Nonprofit Business Advisor, one of the leading industry newsletters that provides practical guidance on current issues and best practices for operations, fundraising, and compliance, featured the Standards for Excellence Institute and the enhanced Code of Ethics in its August Newsletter. Read the full piece here. […]

The Standards for Excellence Institute would like to congratulate several organizations who recently earned or renewed their accreditation under the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector: Chrysalis House, Baltimore, MD Maryland-DC Campus Compact, Frederick, MD i2E, Oklahoma City, OK US Lacrosse, Baltimore, MDWe would also like to congratulate the following organizations who have earned their recognition under the Standards for Excellence[…]

The Standards for Excellence Institute is very pleased to announce that organizations who have completed the rigorous accreditation and recognition programs will be identified for their achievement on GuideStar©, www.guidestar.org.Beginning August 2014, GuideStar USA, the leading source of nonprofit information, will highlight Standards for Excellence accredited and recognized nonprofits by displaying a trademarked logo that refers to their level of accomplishment. The logos will appear in the[…]

We’re pleased to bring you this guest blog post from Maribel Torres-Pinero, CPA, CEO & Director of Client Accounting Services at Lumix CPAs and Advisors.  Maribel is a Standards for Excellence Peer Reviewer.  It is an honor being asked to be treasurer of the Board of a not-for-profit organization.  What seems like a time-consuming task is truly an opportunity to make a fiscal difference for the organization you are invested in.  As a CPA with an understanding of nonprofit experience, I have been[…]

Standards for Excellence Institute Accreditation Manager, Melissa Sines, has been selected to present at this year's BoardSource Leadership Forum.BoardSource's website states that "Speakers at the BoardSource Leadership Forum have always been among the most influential and knowledgeable in the nonprofit sector. They are inspiring leaders who are catalyzing change; researchers and consultants who are on the front-line of understanding effective governance and its influence on mission impact; and[…]

Maryland's The Daily Record has announced its 2014 Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs, a group of 30 top leaders in for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations statewide.William McLennan, Executive Director of Paul's Place, and Stephen H. Morgan, Executive Director of The Arc Baltimore, are among the honorees. Paul's Place earned their Standards for Excellence accreditation in 2004, and The Arc Baltimore earned their accreditation in 2005 through a partnership with The Arc of the United[…]