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This project was completed on Nov 15, 2019
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Matched with Gary G.
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See the Impact story
Finance call
Culture of Peace Alliance (COPA)
Culture of Peace Alliance (COPA)
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8
Finance Call
Call details
What we'd like to talk about
I'd like to brainstorm ideas for successfully transitioning from being a smaller nonprofit umbrella organization to a larger one that pays salaries vs. stipends and has a sustainable base of funding.
Additional context
The Culture of Peace Alliance (COPA) is a nonprofit umbrella organization that currently has 14 local peace-building groups and programs affiliated with or fiscally sponsored by COPA. We started in 2004 when several groups combined efforts to work collaboratively and build a sustainable culture of peace and nonviolence in Tucson, AZ. Up till 2018 our combined annual revenue was less than $50,000. We are slowly but surely increasing our revenue base and aim to reach at least $200,000 in 2020 and start paying salaries for staff. Up to this point, we have paid monthly stipends to individuals considered contractual staff. Our 3-year strategic plan focuses in part on building a more sustainable financial foundation for the important work being carried out by COPA and the various groups and programs connected under its nonprofit umbrella. We would like to consult with an accountant or someone with nonprofit financial management skills to help us answer questions such as how to transition to figuring salaries and ERE into our budgets; when & how we should be arranging for a financial review of our organization; and help with specific questions regarding QuickBooks and our system for preparing budgets and financial reports.
"Phone calls" are 1 hour, one-time calls with an organization. Learn the difference between volunteering on a Phone call and a Project here.
Posted by
Ann Y.
Youth & Peace Conference Coordinator
Our mission
COPA Mission:
To promote peace, justice and sustainability by creating and supporting peace-inspiring projects and events that model cooperative decision-making, alliance-building resource-sharing, youth leadership, and the use of nonviolent strategies.
Youth and Peace Conference Mission:
To collaboratively organize and present an annual youth-led conference targeted for youth ages 13-24 that explores and highlights diverse issues regarding violence prevention and peace practices through workshops, speakers, performances, dialogue circles and a resource fair.
What we do
The Culture of Peace Alliance (COPA) provides fiscal sponsorship for a range of community-based peacebuilding and violence prevention programs and groups. The Annual Youth and Peace Conference is one of the programs affiliated with COPA. The Youth and Peace Conference (YPC) started in 2012 and this year is presenting the 10th Annual YPC.
Each year's conference is planned and presented by a Youth Leadership Team made up primarily of high school age youth, who select the theme and title for the event, along with keynote speakers, workshops, and special activities to highlight the theme. The Youth Team works collaboratively with an Adult Logistics Team composed of representatives from interested community organizations and businesses.
Testimonials
I was extremely pleased with the outcome of our phone call, which delved into deeper structural and strategic issues about our nonprofit umbrella organization that really form the foundation for the financial management issues I had originally thought would be the focus of the call. Gary quickly got to the heart of one key financial challenge I was raising for his consideration and was able to articulate deeper questions about governance, values, and decentralized structure that need to be discussed and decided as we move forward in plans to grow the organization and make it more sustainable. I look forward to bringing those larger questions to our Coordinating Council and following up with another call with Gary to collectively consider these issues. This process will undoubtedly lead to our making some critically important decisions about how to grow the Culture of Peace Alliance(COPA) and stay true to our core values and long-range vision. I consider it quite miraculous that Gary was able to help articulate this deeper conversation for our organization in a one hour phone conversation after just being introduced to COPA!! I am incredibly grateful to Catchafire for making this connection possible and to Gary for agreeing to engage in another consultation phone call involving a small group from COPA.
(No testimonial has been submitted by Gary)
