Resource library · free toolkits, templates and guides
The practical library for people who build nonprofits
211 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 welcome211 resources · 15 topics · 137 publishers · 197 free to use
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22 resources found
- Search: ai funding
- 15.3C196
Finding Your Funding Model
A workbook for nonprofit leaders and boards choosing how to fund their organisation. It takes them through 6 steps: analyse current funding, learn from peers, narrow the range of funding model options, assess revenue potential and costs of a short list, select the models to pursue, and plan implementation. Appendices include a sample workplan, sample outputs and advice on researching funding sources.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 12.3C163
Pursuing the Promise of AI
A guide for African nonprofits on using AI in their programmes. It sets out 4 stages of AI adoption: explore and prepare, prove and learn, embed and operate, and sustain or scale, each with guiding questions. It draws on interviews and a focus group with over 40 nonprofits, social enterprises, funders, experts and intermediaries. It describes the type of funding needed at each stage, from risk-tolerant early capital to patient operating support.
EmergingKey manual or guideFree - 15.3C197
Ten Nonprofit Funding Models
An article that sorts large nonprofits by how they raise money and names 10 funding models, from Heartfelt Connector and Member Motivator to Public Provider and Market Maker. For each model it describes the typical funders and organisations and the questions leaders should ask to test the fit. Leaders and boards use it to name their current model and discuss where to focus fundraising.
Start hereClassicKey online resourceFree - 15.2C193
Business Sustainability Planning and Resource Mobilization Toolkit and Training Curriculum
A toolkit and training curriculum from Pact for local NGOs and civil society groups. It helps organisations plan for financial sustainability, choose a business model suited to their own funding context and mobilise resources beyond donor grants. Capacity builders use the curriculum to run workshops. Organisations use the tools to draft their own sustainability plans. It is free under a Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 licence.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 12.4C164
Digital Security & Grantcraft Guide
An introductory guide that helps funders judge whether grantees face digital security threats and how to support them. It explains the difference between passive monitoring and remote intrusion and suggests a case-by-case approach in 3 steps: triage, recalibration and reaction. It gives 7 questions for funders to ask about grantees' security systems, encourages short and long term security plans, and adds an annex on travel security.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 13.4C180
Time to Decolonise Aid: Insights and lessons from a global consultation
A report on how structural racism keeps power in the Global North across humanitarian, development and peacebuilding work. It presents findings from a 3-day online consultation in November 2020 with 158 activists, practitioners, academics, journalists and decision-makers, who left over 350 comments. It sets out recommendations for donors, INGOs and others. The report is available in 15 languages.
CurrentResearch and evidenceFree - 13.3C178
When Shift Happens: Navigating Toward a Framework for Responsible Philanthropic Exits
A journal article that sets out a framework for responsible exits when a foundation stops funding a field or grantee. Learning leaders from the Skillman Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts drew on literature, focus groups, interviews with foundation staff and nonprofit leaders, and their own experience. The result is 7 core elements meant to keep a field resilient after funding ends.
EmergingResearch and evidenceFree - 15.3C195
Developing a Financing Strategy
A CIVICUS toolkit for civil society organisations that have not yet written a financing strategy. It explains why one is needed and what must be in place first: planning, budgeting, financial systems, public image and clear values. It then sets out the options: donor funding, earned income, member fees, public fundraising, investments and careful spending. It ends with ideas for writing the strategy document and putting it into practice.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 10.2C137
Localisation Performance Measurement Framework (LPMF)
A framework from NEAR, a network of local and national civil society organisations, for measuring progress on localisation in humanitarian and development work. Developed between 2017 and 2019, it turns broad commitments, mainly those of the Grand Bargain, into clear areas of change with indicators. Local NGOs, international partners and donors use it to check whether funding, partnerships and decision-making are shifting toward local actors.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 13.1C169
Longitudinal evaluation of BUILD
The final report of an evaluation of the Ford Foundation's BUILD initiative, which gave grantees flexible multi-year funding and capacity support. It covers 289 grantee partners from the 2016 to 2019 cohorts, using a survey with 110 responses, 27 interviews, 4 focus groups and document review. Findings show BUILD helped impact and resilience, a second grant consolidated gains, and grantees need clear, timely word on future funding.
EmergingResearch and evidenceFree - 13.2C172
Breaking the Starvation Cycle
A research report on whether international funders cover the administration costs of national NGOs. It draws on 81 NGOs in 10 countries and financial data from 286 restricted funding agreements with 92 funders. It finds no group of funders paid a full and fair share. Half the NGOs had 21 days or less of unrestricted reserves. It recommends full cost cover, funding for reserves and cost recovery skills, and better data on cost coverage.
CurrentResearch and evidenceFree - 8.4C109
The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle
A short article on why nonprofits underfund overhead such as IT, finance systems, training and fundraising. It describes a 3-stage cycle: funders expect low overhead, nonprofits feel pressure to match, then underspend and underreport their costs. It cites data on real versus reported overhead rates. Closing sections set out what funders can do, such as general operating support, and what nonprofit leaders and boards can do.
ClassicShort readFree - 2.1C016
Scenario Planning for Nonprofits
A worksheet toolkit that helps nonprofit leaders plan under uncertainty. Teams first agree guiding principles, then work through 4 steps: identify key drivers of programmes, operations and funding at risk; build best, moderate and worst-case scenarios and model their effect on revenue; create a portfolio of actions with costs or savings; and set measurable trigger points that tell them when to act. Leadership teams fill it in together.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 6.3C080
What's the Point of the Revolution if We Can't Dance?
A book based on the experiences of more than 100 women human rights activists around the world. It looks at how activists keep going over time, covering fear, hope, exhaustion, grief, pleasure, humour and spirituality, and practical problems such as lack of funding, conflict inside movements and burnout. Activists, movement groups and funders use it to talk about collective care. Free PDFs are available in 6 languages.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 11.2C150
Safeguarding & participatory grant-making: An essential guide for funders
A guide for funders on building safeguarding into participatory grant-making. It walks through planning, delivery and review, with the aim of protecting the community members who make funding decisions from harm. It includes a handout, Questions for decision makers to funders, which decision makers can use to ask whether a funder has planned for their safety. Foundation staff use it when designing or reviewing a participatory process.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 6.2C077
Sabbatical Programs for Nonprofit Leaders
A how-to guide for foundations that want to fund sabbaticals for nonprofit leaders, written from the Durfee Foundation's own programme. It explains why funders should sponsor rest, then covers legal points, eligibility, applications, selection, cover for the leader's job, orientation, awards, reporting, evaluation, peer support, retreats and budget. It ends with a list of 9 other funder sabbatical programmes. Funders use it to design and run a programme.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 10.1C130
Catalyzing Networks for Social Change
A guide for grantmakers who want to work with a network mindset. It describes 5 network approaches: weave social ties, access diverse perspectives, build and share knowledge openly, create infrastructure for wide engagement, and coordinate resources and action. Later sections cover how foundations can cultivate networks, the roles they can play, a tool on traits of a healthy network, and how to assess network impact. It ends with resources and a glossary.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 10.2C136
Becoming locally led as an anti-racist practice
A guide from Bond, developed by The Social Investment Consultancy, for UK-based and other international NGOs that want to become locally led. It gives a baseline view of what locally led development looks like and tools to review how each department works, from HR and finance to programmes, communications and trustees. Staff at any level use it to start internal conversations, plan organisational change and discuss funding models with donors.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree - 14.1C183
Understand fiscal hosting
Online documentation from Open Collective Europe, a Belgian public utility foundation that acts as fiscal host for groups without their own legal body. It explains who does what among the collective, its administrators, the foundation and the Open Collective platform. It sets out the difference between a collective and a fund and what to check before applying. Grassroots and civic groups in Europe use it to decide whether fiscal hosting suits them.
CurrentKey online resourceFree - 13.4C179
Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking
A guide to participatory grantmaking, where funders share funding decisions with the communities they serve. It explains why and how funders around the world do this, drawing on input from participatory grantmakers. It covers models, challenges, lessons learned and good practice for inclusive grantmaking. Funders use it to design a participatory process or to explain the approach to boards and staff.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree - 13.2C176
Trust-Based Philanthropy Self-Assessment Tool
A self-assessment that helps a grantmaking organisation reflect on how far it has put trust-based philanthropy into practice. It covers 4 areas: culture, structures, leadership and grantmaking practices. Each section gives reflective prompts on how trust shows up and where practice needs work. It is available as an online interactive tool and a fillable PDF. Foundation teams use it to plan changes.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 11.3C153
Charities and risk management (CC26)
Guidance from the charity regulator for England and Wales on how trustees identify, assess and manage risks to their charity. It defines a risk as any event that could stop a charity achieving its aims or carrying out its strategies, with examples such as reputational damage, lost funding, poor investments and policy changes. Trustees use it to set up and review a risk register and to report on risk in their accounts.
Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree
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