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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9 resources found
- Search: nonprofit board governance
- 3.1C029
Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
A short book that sets out the 10 core responsibilities of a nonprofit board and places them in the context of current governance challenges. It separates the board's role from that of the chief executive and senior staff, and it has 2 appendices: one on the individual duties of board members and a sample self-assessment for board members. It is part of BoardSource's 6-book Governance Series and is used in board induction and role descriptions.
ClassicKey manual or guideBook - 3.1C228
Board Passages: Three Stages in a Nonprofit Board's Lifecycle
Karl Mathiasen's classic short paper on how boards change as an organisation grows. It describes three stages: the founding board, small and close to its leader or doing the work itself; the governing board, which shifts to policy, finances and sharing authority with staff; and the institutional board, larger and focused on major issues and fundraising. It closes with practical steps for moving between stages, such as term limits, regular self-assessment and a board development plan.
ClassicShort 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 - 3.1C032
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 - 3.1C034
Guide de gouvernance pour les organismes à but non lucratif du milieu du sport et du loisir au Québec
A French-language governance guide for nonprofits in sport and recreation in Québec, many of them run by volunteers. Part 1 covers roles and responsibilities and the legal setting. Part 2 covers board structure and composition, board duties, how the board works and transparency. Nine annexes provide tools, including a board self-evaluation questionnaire, a board work plan, a skills grid, an executive director evaluation grid and a management dashboard.
EmergingKey manual or guideFree - 14.1C240
Nonprofit Management 101
Edited by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Laila Brenner, this guide gathers advice from dozens of sector practitioners into one book on running a nonprofit. It covers the whole job: starting an organisation, strategy, boards and governance, fundraising, financial management, marketing and communications, staff and volunteers, and technology. Written for leaders new to the sector and for experienced managers who want to see how the pieces fit together.
ClassicKey manual or guideBook - 12.3C159
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics for Nonprofits: Toolkit
A workshop kit that helps nonprofits design, deploy and use AI responsibly. This first part focuses on the principle of fairness. It contains a facilitator guide, a master slide deck, case studies, key AI and machine learning terms, AI ethics concepts and an example Miro board. Participants learn AI ethics basics, then apply fairness to humanitarian and international development use cases.
CurrentTool or templateFree - 1.5C214
Nonprofit Lifecycles
A short book that sets out seven stages a nonprofit can pass through: idea, start-up, growth, maturity, decline, turnaround and terminal. For each stage it describes what programmes, management, governance, resources and systems typically look like. Leaders, boards, funders and consultants use it to place an organisation on the curve, spot the area that lags behind the others and plan capacity work that fits the stage. Copies are sold through the Nonprofit Lifecycles Institute and partners such as SaskCulture.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideBook - 1.2C008
Bridgespan Organizational Effectiveness Framework survey
An online team survey on Org360 that runs a Bridgespan-based organisational assessment for nonprofits. It has 85 questions and takes about 34 minutes. Areas include strategic clarity, governance, financial sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion, with rating questions and open reflection questions. Leaders, board members and staff respond, and Org360 produces an automatic report with strengths, gaps and a development plan. It is free to use after sign-up.
Start hereEmergingTool or templateFree with sign-upNonprofit Builder tool
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