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.

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211 resources · 15 topics · 137 publishers · 197 free to use

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4 resources found

  • Search: capacity building support
  • 13.1C168

    Strengthening Nonprofit Capacity: Core Concepts in Capacity Building

    A primer for grantmakers on supporting grantee capacity. It defines nonprofit effectiveness, capacity and capacity building, and covers trust between funders and grantees, links to funder strategy, grantee and funder readiness, and 5 types of support from unrestricted grants to collective capacity building. It sets out 3 principles: contextual, continuous and collective. Each section ends with questions for grantmakers, and a final section covers measuring impact.

    Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree
  • 3.4C038

    Oak Foundation Governance Assessment Tool

    A framework for assessing the practices and processes of a grantee's governing body. Oak programme officers use it during due diligence and through the grant to give boards a consistent assessment, to discuss with grantees what an effective board looks like and to track governance over time. It also helps programme officers spot where capacity-building support would help and orients new staff to Oak's view of good governance.

    ClassicTool or templateFree
  • 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
  • 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

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