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Elections are taking place every month in America. This month – and almost every month –you can bet that somewhere in the country, an engaged citizen is stepping up to cast her vote in a special election for mayor, a primary for county supervisor, or a ballot initiative that will directly impact her daily life. In the next five months, residents in more than 400 communities across the United States will go to the polls, exercising their rights as Americans by engaging in the purest form of democracy.

When you hear about “new proposed federal regulations,” you may immediately think: “I need to learn all about these new regulations so our nonprofit doesn’t get into trouble!” But it’s very unlikely that the proposed rules you heard about will become the “law of the land” as proposed. “Proposed” means just that – a draft change has been suggested and the government is asking for comments before finalizing the rules.

When you hear about “new proposed federal regulations,” you may immediately think: “I need to learn all about these new regulations so our nonprofit doesn’t get into trouble!” But it’s very unlikely that the proposed rules you heard about will become the “law of the land” as proposed. “Proposed” means just that – a draft has been proposed and the government has asked for comments before finalizing the rules.

In the first half of 2015, the nonprofit community encountered innumerable public policy challenges across the country. Some good ideas became law, making it easier for charitable nonprofits to advance their missions. Most bad ideas were rejected (but see “Worst Bills of the Year (so far)” in the June 29 edition of Nonprofit Advocacy Matters). Throughout the many advocacy engagements, nonprofits have earned respect from policy makers and opinion leaders.

In the first half of 2015, the nonprofit community encountered innumerable public policy challenges across the country. Some good ideas became law, making it easier for charitable nonprofits to advance their missions. Most bad ideas were rejected (but see “Worst Bills of the Year (so far)” in the June 29 edition of Nonprofit Advocacy Matters). Throughout the many advocacy engagements, nonprofits have earned respect from policy makers and opinion leaders.

An ongoing problem many nonprofit organizations face is finding new board members. For a large number of us, this ranks only behind fundraising as the biggest thorn in our side. Finding the time to recruit people is tough, not to mention knowing where to look for them. The most common initial step in identifying potential board members starts with our current board. It’s simple – we ask them who they know. The problem is that in many cases within a few minutes that discussion comes to a dead end. Now we’re faced with squeezing “find board members” onto our already packed to-do list.