Financial & Strategic Management

Financial and Strategic Management resources are divided into seven sections:

• Financial Management
• Capacity Building
• Boards and Governance
• Human Resources
• Leadership
• Planning
• Risk Management

Financial Management

• MCN Info Central – Financial Management
  http://www.mncn.org/info_finance.htm
  Provides articles and templates for all aspects of financial management including accounting, budgeting, chart of accounts, fiscal sponsor agreements, and audits.

• National Center for Charitable Statistics
  http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/FAQ/index.php?category=31
  A national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector, the Center also works to improve the quality of nonprofit tax filing and provides an electronic 990 application.

• Internal Revenue Service
  http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html
  Provides tax information, Form 990 filing developments, regulations, and charitable organization search.
  For telephone assistance: 1-800-829-1040
  For forms delivered via mail: 1-800-829-3676
  For forms delivered via Fax-on-Demand: 703-368-9694

  Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status
  http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=117894,00.html
  IRS Publication 4220 explains why groups should consider applying for 501(c)(3) status, what types of groups are eligible, and the responsibilities and procedure for obtaining that designation. (2003, 16 pages)

  Compliance Guide for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations
  http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=117894,00.html
  IRS Publication 4221, explains why and what types of records must be kept; how long they must be kept; federal tax returns and reports that must be filed; and disclosures that must be made. (2003, 20 pages)

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division
  http://www.state.ma.us/sec/cor/coridx.htm
  Maintains records and information on Massachusetts non-profit organizations.

Back To Top

Capacity Building

• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/
  The website is designed to help you manage your nonprofit organization efficiently and effectively. The website provides articles, standards of practice, resources, and glossaries. Includes sections on:

  • Management and Leadership
  • Staff Development and Organizational Capacity

• Nonprofit Quarterly
  http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/
  The Nonprofit Quarterly offers a FREE monthly e-newsletter that provides nonprofit leaders with values-based management information and proven practices.

• Community Tool Box
  http://ctb.ku.edu/
  Over 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on over 250 different topics including step-by-step instruction, examples, checklists, and related resources. Sample topics on strategic management include:

  • Developing a strategic plan
  • Developing an organizational structure

• Common Wealth
  http://www.movingideas.org/commonwealth/
  This site provides news from the American Prospect that focuses on nonprofits, philanthropy, and civil society.

Back To Top

Boards and Governance

• MCN Info Central: Governance
  http://www.mncn.org/info_govern.htm
  Provides articles and templates for all aspects of governance including: roles and responsibilities of board members; board composition, structure, and conduct; conflict of interest; and recruiting board members.

• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/
  The website is designed to help you manage your nonprofit organization efficiently and effectively. The website provides articles, standards of practice, resources and glossaries. Includes a section on nonprofit governance.

• Roles and Responsibilities of the Nonprofit Board
  http://www.mncn.org/info_govern.htm
  A quick look at the responsibility of each board member and how all board members can work together for effective governance.

• Best Practices in Board Governance: Implementing Changes that Make a Difference
  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/PDF/Article15.PDF
  Identifies the greatest challenges to effective governance and suggests best practices to meet these challenges.

• The International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law: Trends of Self-Regulation and Transparency
  http://www.icnl.org/journal/vol4iss1/bothwell1.htm
  Examines the trend toward self-regulation and transparency in U.S. nonprofits and tracks the results of these efforts.

Back To Top

Human Resources

• 360 Degree Evaluation Questionnaire
  http://garberconsulting.com/360_degree_questionnaire.pdf
  Sample 360 degree performance appraisal questionnaire for obtaining community, board, and staff feedback.

• Board Cafe Executive Director Evaluation
  http://www.compasspoint.org/publications/board_cafe/bc9909.html
  Sample executive director evaluation tool and process for a comprehensive, mission-based board review of executive leadership.

• MCN Info Central: Human Resources
  http://www.mncn.org/info_humanres.htm
  Provides articles and templates on human resource issues tailored to nonprofits, including: personnel policies, evaluating staff, and evaluating executive directors.

• My Noodle
  http://www.mynoodle.org/noodlesoup/
  Geared toward small and mid-size nonprofits, the website provides articles on issues for nonprofit managers and professionals, and tracks news affecting non-profits. Includes a series of eight articles on supervision.

• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/
  The website is designed to help you manage your nonprofit organization efficiently and effectively. The website provides articles, standards of practice, resources, and glossaries. Includes a section on staff development and organizational capacity.

• Nonprofit Quarterly
  http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/
  The Nonprofit Quarterly offers a FREE monthly e-newsletter that provides nonprofit leaders with values-based management information and proven practices.

Back To Top

Leadership

• Community Tool Box
  http://ctb.ku.edu/
  Over 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on over 250 different topics including step-by-step instruction, examples, checklists, and related resources. Sample topics on leadership include: core functions of leadership, building relationships, and group facilitation.

• Leader to Leader Institute
  http://www.drucker.org/
  Provides articles, resources, and e-newsletters focused on strengthening the leadership of the social sector.

• Independent Sector – Nonprofit Leadership Institute
  http://www.independentsector.org/programs/leadership/el_resources.htm
  Provides links to programs providing leadership information and training.

• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
  http://www.nonprofitbasics.org/
  The website is designed to help you manage your nonprofit organization efficiently and effectively. The website provides articles, standards of practice, resources, and glossaries. Includes a section on management and leadership.

• Center for Creative Leadership
  http://www.ccl.org/connected/enews/current.htm
  The free e-newsletter provides research and tools on increasing effective, creative leadership.

Back To Top

Planning

• Sample Strategic Plan
  View a sample strategic planning process and plan for a mid-size nonprofit organization.

• Nonprofit Business Planning
  http://ventures.yale.edu/aboutresourcecenter.html
  The Yale University School of Management provides a resource library of business planning tools for nonprofit organizations, as well as the winning business plans from their prestigious and highly-competitive nonprofit business plan competition.

• Community Tool Box
  http://ctb.ku.edu/
  Over 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on over 250 different topics including step-by-step instruction, examples, checklists, and related resources. Includes tasks, samples, and links on broad range of planning activities.

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Guide
  http://www.wkkf.org/Programming/ResourceOverview.htmlx?CID=281&ID=3669
  Helps you assess the connections between your activities, mission, evaluation, and planning. This guide provides an orientation to logic modeling and useful tools improve your program planning, implementation, and dissemination activities.

• Foundation W.K. Kellogg Guía de Desarrollo de Modelos Lógicos
  http://www.wkkf.org/Knowledgebase/Pubs/ResourceOverview.htmlx?CID=281&ID=3673

Back To Top

Risk Assessment

• Nonprofit Risk Management Center
  http://www.nonprofitrisk.org
  To help nonprofits manage uncertainty, this site provides information, technical assistance, software, and publications on risk management topics.

Back To Top

As always, we would like to hear from you! Contact us with comments.