New Resources: ACA Launches Website

Best practices and a how to guide written by real practitioners of angel financing are just two of the new resources available through the Angel Capital Association (ACA). The following papers for understanding and growing a local seed capital activity within a region are available through the association's website:

• Business Angel Groups Growing in North America - white paper establishing trends, organizational structures and general best practices for operating angel groups, established as a result of Angel Organization Summit I.
• Angel Investing Group Best Practices - Managing Members, Guiding Presentations and Finding the Right Deals - white paper produced as a result of Angel Organization Summit II.
• Primer for Angel Investment in Canada - National Angel Organization (NAO), led by Chair Henry Vehovec - project compiling best practices, research and ideas intended to encourage competitiveness on Canadian angel investors. Published by NAO with financial support from RBC Financial Group.

In addition, ACA provides a number of tools to guide communities as they develop local angel capital organizations:

• Preview of Guidebook for Starting Angel Groups - Susan Preston, Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur-in-Residence, has developed a set of materials that is leading to a comprehensive guidebook. The book will be published in Spring 2004. The materials below have been used before in a workshop for angels and community groups interested in forming angel organizations. Available on the website are several worksheets for community assessment, management structure, legal structure, organizational structure, membership, meeting structure and financing.
• Example Community Assessment - David Frankland, chief executive officer of KC Catalyst, prepared the "Entrepreneurial Environmental Landscape for the Kansas City Region" in February 2003 to determine if this community had the right deal flow and support resources to sustain a second angel group.
• Case Study - Luis Villalobos, founder of TechCoast Angels, writes about this large Southern California angel group's keys to success and operations.
• Example Angel Group Business Plan - Lake Las Vegas Angels - This plan for a fictional angel group provides detailed ideas for development of an angel group.
• Joining Angel Organizations: A Win-Win Opportunity - Bill Payne, Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur-in-Residents discusses the many reasons that active participation in angel groups is a great idea for individual angels.

Each report, as well as other information about ACA, is available at: http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org/