NCET

With the current stagnant funding environment, many non-profits are desperately looking ways to stay afloat, while trying desperately to not cut programs or closing their doors. Non-profits that had been around for decades are facing the possibility of foreclosure or bankruptcy because all their revenue eggs were kept in the grant funding basket. The remaining organizations are scrambling to ensure that they don’t face the same outcome as their former contemporaries.

Here are some tips to help you weather our current economic reality:

Collaborate

Collaboration can help your organization reduce expenses, expand reach, and increase resources.

Find other organizations that serve a similar population as your organization and partner with them on things such as: marketing, grant-writing, fundraising, services, etc. Partnering will help dramatically reduce costs, and increase resources through collaboration.

Innovate

Now is the time to put on the thinking hats and start brainstorming. Entertain any and all ideas, and encourage new paradigms. Start from scratch by looking at your organization from a completely fresh perspective. Doing so just might lead to discoveries like, no longer receiving funding from one source, opens up other sources that you didn’t qualify for before.

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Palkin Zed is the president of JD ROW Inc, a marketing and business development company, and the Executive Director of Project Solution, a nonprofit for Homeless and Low Income Youth in Reno. Palkin is also Vice President of Grants for NCET, Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.

NV Energy, 6100 Neil Rd., Reno. Local 6^th to 8^th grade Mathletes and future engineers work against the clock to show off their mental arithmetic skills. Sponsored in part by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Open to the public at approximately 11:00 a.m. FREE. Learn more at www.mathcounts.org or contact Tim Holst, tholst62@gmail.com, 775-232-4533.

Capacity Building Theme: Removing Obstacles To Financial Success

Learn from two local experts:

1. Session 1: New Year’s Financial Tune-Up With Brent Forbush
2. Session 2: Grant & Fundraising Online Readiness With Phil Johncock

Great opportunity to network with for-profit and not-for-profit leaders! Doors open at 8 am. Enjoy a free continental breakfast while networking.

Feb 10, 2012 – 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

1301 Cordone Ave, Reno, NV 89502

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Don’t forget to BRING A BOARD MEMBER! Bring a Board member and be entered into a drawing for a free Google Grant application (value = $297) or a Google Maps/Places make over (value = $397).

During 2012, NCET will be holding the 8^th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition. But that’s not the news. The news is that Nevada’s college and university students can now enter FIVE additional college business plan competitions, each offering prizes, experience, business skills and the chance to actually launch their businesses.

When I started at NCET in 2006, the Governor’s Cup competition was the only college business plan competition in town. Just six years later, Nevada’s college and university students can enter business plan competitions at Truckee Meadows Community College, Sierra Nevada College, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and new for 2012, the Sontag Entrepreneurship Award Competition at the University of Nevada, Reno. In addition, the US Department of Energy is conducting the “FLoW” competition for energy-related business plans. Collectively, these competitions offer over $400,000 in cash prizes.

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“Ask The Lawyers”
Intellectual Property Beyond the Basics
What to do to protect your business

Topics Include:
 Copyright
 Trademark
 Trade Secret
 Patent
……and more!

“Ask The Lawyers”: After the seminar, participants will have an opportunity for a brief one-on-one consultation with an attorney for specific issues regarding intellectual property (patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret) FREE OF CHARGE.

Monday February 27, 2012 – 6:00 pm—9:00 pm
Location: Nevada Minority Supplier Development Council
1785 E. Sahara Avenue, Suite 360
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Sign-up NOW—Call (702) 895-4270 or register at http://business.unlv.edu/?p=11298