Resource library · free toolkits, templates and guides
The practical library for people who build nonprofits
227 really practical toolkits, templates and guides for nonprofit and NGO leaders, and the consultants and funders who support them. A mix of the classics and newer methods.
Suggestions are welcome227 resources · 15 topics · 145 publishers · 210 free to use
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15 resources found
- Search: accountability
- 7.4C097
Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability
The 2024 revision of the Core Humanitarian Standard, launched in March 2024 after a 2-year consultation with more than 4,000 contributors in over 90 countries. It sets out 9 commitments to people and communities affected by crises and can be used by any person or organisation that supports them. Organisations use it to check their own practice and as the basis for verification. The booklet comes in 17 languages.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 5.4C231
Holding People and Teams: An Organizational Handbook for Growth, Care & Accountability
A free handbook from Change Elemental for organisations that want systems which support shared leadership, care and accountability at the same time. It covers team agreements, feedback practices, role clarity and accountability processes, and how they fit together so people can grow without accountability becoming punitive. Written for teams working on equity and collaborative ways of working, and shared as an open Google Doc.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 7.1C083
Guide to the MEAL DPro
A sector guide to monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) for development and humanitarian project staff. It explains each of the 4 parts: monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. The guide is free under a Creative Commons licence and comes in 7 languages, with a short Quick Guide in English. It underpins the MEAL DPro certification exam, offered in 5 languages, which staff take to show competence.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 10.3C139
Transactions, Transformations, Translations
A report for funders and movement groups on how to measure movement building. It argues for metrics that capture both transactional and transformational change, with a matrix across 10 movement-building strategies. It looks beyond single organisations to whether groups can act together as a larger force, and asks that measures be co-created with the field. Recommendations cover new measures, capacity to use them, leadership development and movement-level metrics.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 7.4C096
Feedback Resources
A resource page from Feedback Labs that groups tools for listening to the people organisations serve into 3 stages. Getting started includes research, a feedback tools repository and funder listening guides. Establishing practice includes the Feedback Quiz, a crash course and Listen4Good's step-by-step guide to equity-centred feedback. Later resources include LabStorms, a fellowship and a conversation deck. Nonprofits and funders use it to build feedback loops.
Start hereCurrentKey online resourceFree - 7.4C098
Happy Beneficiaries
A 3-question pulse survey that measures beneficiary satisfaction in about 2 minutes. It asks how likely people are to recommend the organisation, why they gave that score and what could improve. Nonprofits run it continuously at events, after services or at other contact points, then read an AI-written report with scores and suggested actions. Use is free with sign-up.
EmergingTool or templateFree with sign-upNonprofit Builder tool - 3.4C039
Good Governance: A Health Check
A board self-assessment tied to the Code of Good Governance (3rd edition) in Northern Ireland. It has 92 questions across 5 principles: understanding the board's role, working as a team, control and risk, integrity, and openness and accountability. Boards rate each item not met, part met or fully met, record evidence against suggested prompts and fill in an action table for each principle with actions, owners and dates.
Start hereCurrentTool or templateFree - 4.2C047
Doing More with More: Putting Shared Leadership into Practice
An article on a 2-year learning community, from 2008 to 2010, in which leaders of 27 California civic participation nonprofits tried shared leadership. It reports results, such as 78 percent of participants growing their ability to develop staff as leaders. It names 4 preconditions: senior commitment, upfront planning time, sound basic management and clear accountability. It then describes 4 areas of change: leader mindsets and roles, structure, decision processes and culture.
Start hereClassicResearch and evidenceFree - 4.4C229
The Three Dimensions of Effective Management
The Management Center's short definition of good management for social sector organisations. It holds that effective management blends three dimensions: equitable, creating conditions where every person can thrive and belong; sustainable, investing in people, relationships and systems for the long run; and results-driven, with clear roles and goals that build shared accountability. Free to read online or download as a PDF or Google Doc.
CurrentShort readFree - 7.2C237
Why Am I Always Being Researched?
Chicago Beyond's guidebook on the power dynamics in research and evaluation between community organisations, researchers and funders. It names seven inequities held in place by power: access, information, validity, ownership, value, accountability and authorship. For each, it gives questions and tools that community organisations, researchers and funders can use to examine bias, share power and get closer to the truth about what works.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 8.1C105
Change the Game Academy
A free online learning platform for community-based organisations that want to raise money and support from their own communities. It has 2 self-paced courses. Local Fundraising covers proposal writing, fundraising communication and donor relations. Mobilising Support covers winning commitment from stakeholders and decision makers, lobbying, social accountability and communication. Users create an account and follow the courses at any time. A Green version for groups managing natural resources launched in 2025.
CurrentKey online resourceFree with sign-up - 10.1C132
Centering Equity in Collective Impact
An article from the Winter 2022 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review in which the authors of the collective impact approach revisit it with equity at the centre. It sets out 5 strategies: use local data and context to aim solutions, pursue systems change alongside programmes, share power within the collaborative, listen to and act with the community, and build equity-focused leadership and accountability. Coalitions and funders use it to review their own collective impact work.
CurrentShort readFree with sign-up - 11.2C147
The International Child Safeguarding Standards
A set of 4 standards that describe what an organisation needs in place to protect children from harm caused by its staff, activities, operations and partners. The standards cover policy, people, procedures and accountability, and list requirements under each. 5 guiding principles frame them, including shared responsibility and the best interests of the child. Organisations, donors and auditors use them to build and check safeguarding policies.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 11.3C154
Risk Appetite Statements: A guide for NGOs
A guide that explains what a risk appetite statement is, why it is useful and how an NGO can develop one. It focuses on security risk and shows how security risk management fits into organisation-wide enterprise risk management. Chapters cover the strategic value of a statement, its role in governance and accountability, and practical steps for putting it in place. It is written for security practitioners, senior leaders and boards.
EmergingKey manual or guideFree - 13.2C170
General Operating Support: Action Guide (executive summary)
The executive summary of GEO's 2007 action guide for grantmakers on general operating support. It covers what operating support is, why it matters, how to make it work and how to keep accountability. Foundation staff use it to decide when and how to give unrestricted grants. The full guide is not online.
ClassicShort readFree
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