Organizational Development

Learning Topic

Nonprofit organizations, no matter what their mission, face similar challenges. We have gathered key resources and tools to provide quick reference on the key issues that nonprofit board and staff members deal with every day. We have also included information specific to collaborative groups.

Becoming a Nonprofit

Essentials of Building a Nonprofit Organization
Although this document is specific to Minnesota, it provides a thorough overview of what is needed to become a nonprofit organization.

The National Council of Nonprofits offers a variety of resources for nonprofits and can help you find your state's nonprofit association, which can provide your state's requirements for forming a nonprofit.

Board Development

Self-Monitoring Tool for Nonprofit Boards
An organizationally healthy board of directors evaluates its own performance at least annually. We suggest you review this tool, adapt it if necessary to reflect your own organization, and then ask your board members each to fill it out. After compiling the results, the board and staff can have an objective discussion about what is going well and where change is needed.

Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
What do nonprofit boards do? Find out here.

Community stewards from across the country share information at NFF's 2008 Collaboration and Capacity Building Workshop

Staffing

Getting the Work Done – Employee vs. Contractor?
Decisions of whether to hire an employee or contractor have important ramifications in terms of board oversight, transitional roles, organizational growth, finances and tax reporting requirements. This document helps work through the pros and cons of each choice.

Board and Staff Roles Worksheet
This tool can help your organization determine if the roles and responsibilities of your board and staff are clear.

Building Your Organization

The Five Life Stages of a Nonprofit Organization
 Nonprofit organizations commonly experiences different stages of growth and change. This tool will help you assess where your organization fits in the spectrum of development, as well as what to expect and work toward next.

Fundraising

Basic Fundraising Plan
Plot out the "who, what, when and how" of your fundraising plan using this basic outline as a guide.

Board Fundraising Checklist
This handy checklist can help each of your board members do a quick assessment of whether s/he is fulfilling fundraising responsibilities.

Eight Questions to Craft the Message
At the core of every successful fundraising campaign is a strong, clear message. Help your organization find its voice and convey its mission and passion with this guide.

Rural Fundraising Success Stories
Kim Klein, founder of Grassroots Fundraising Journal, offers a host of success stories and a nuts-and-bolts essay about overcoming the challenges of raising money in rural areas.

Measuring Results

Developing an Outcome-based Monitoring Plan with Measurable Indicators and Targets
Thinking through a plan to measure the results of your work is critical to success, especially when integrating ecological, social and economic objectives. Here's one approach to evaluating your organizational impact.

Outcome-Indicator Form
We offer a blank worksheet to accompany Developing an Outcome-Based Monitoring Plan with Measurable Indicators and Targets.

Collaborative Groups

Running an Effective Collaborative Meeting
Meetings are the bread and butter of collaborative work, and play a vital role in the success of a group's effort. Here is a compilation of best practices, based on the experiences of collaborative groups across the country.

The Collaboration Cloverleaf: Four Stages of Development
Collaborative groups that bring together people representing varied-and often conflicting-interests go through their own stages of development. Despite the many different models of collaboratives, most share common experiences.

Stages of Collaboration Grid (11" X 17")
This document is a short-hand version of the Collaboration Cloverleaf.

Factors Influencing Successful Collaboration
It's important to periodically "take the temperature" of your collaborative effort. Use this form to get feedback from members of the collaborative, then discuss the results as a group and decide whether adjustments in process need to be made.

Volunteers

Ideas for Recruiting Volunteers
Need volunteers? This list is a great place to start brainstorming where to find them. For other resources related to volunteers, visit the Working with Volunteers Learning Topic page.

Do you want to have a "live" discussion of these or other issues? Email Karen DiBari or call (406) 830-3352, for information and referral.