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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8 resources found
- Search: foundation boards
- 13.2C173
Making the case for unrestricted funding
A short briefing that brings together IVAR's research on unrestricted funding. It is written for foundation staff and board members who want to consider unrestricted funding and argue for it inside their organisation and with peers. It finds that the preference for restricted funding rests on familiarity and lacks evidence, accepts that restricted grants sometimes fit, and sets out the value unrestricted funding brings to charities and funders.
CurrentShort readFree - 3.1C028
Boards of Directors and Governance Systems
A practical guide to strengthening NGO boards, first written in Spanish for organisations in Latin America, where board development tools adapted to local culture and language were scarce. The English version followed requests from outside the region. It walks through board roles, structures and governance systems in practical steps, with tools that boards and executive directors can apply to their own organisation.
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 - 4.3C051
Founder Transitions
A guide for founders, long-serving executive directors and boards facing a founder transition. It explains the particular challenges when a founder or long-term leader steps down and how to plan for both planned and unplanned departures. It argues that supporting founders through the exit protects their legacy and the organisation. Boards and executives use it to prepare the handover, the search and the founder's next role. It is part of the Casey Foundation's executive transition series.
ClassicKey manual or guideFree - 4.3C050
Building Leaderful Organizations
Volume 6 of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Executive Transition Monograph Series, written for nonprofit executives and boards. It sets out 3 approaches to succession planning: strategic leader development, emergency succession planning and departure-defined succession planning. A section on the tough issues covers common sticking points, and a resource list closes the guide. Boards and executives use it as a framework to start succession planning and to spread leadership across staff.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree - 6.2C076
Do-It-Yourself Sabbatical Guide for Nonprofits, with Sample Policies
A practical guide for nonprofit executive directors who want to plan a sabbatical without a funded programme. It sets out a timeline from 6 to 12 months before departure through the time away, the return to work and life after sabbatical. It also reproduces staff sabbatical policies from 6 organisations, including Peace Over Violence, CPAF, SAJE and GEO, which boards and HR leads can adapt.
Start hereClassicTool or templateFree - 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 - 3.1C032
Guía para la Gobernanza Efectiva de Fundaciones y Corporaciones en Chile
A Spanish-language governance guide for foundations and nonprofit corporations in Chile, based on research with local organisations. It sets out a model with 4 pillars: clarity of purpose, the right board composition, how the board works and divides tasks with the executive director, and legitimacy and relations with the wider community. Annexes list recommended governance guides and the duties of board members. Boards use it to review their own practice.
CurrentKey manual or guideFree
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