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 welcome

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

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7 resources found

  • Search: uk charities
  • 3.2C036

    Getting on Board free guides

    A set of free practical guides for UK charities on trustee recruitment and board diversity. How to Diversify Your Board gives advice, case studies and templates for recruitment and onboarding. How to Recruit Trustees for Your Charity draws on 30 charities and includes skills audit and advert templates and an 8-step recruitment process. From Here to Diversity, from Action for Trustee Racial Diversity, covers recruiting Black and Asian trustees.

    Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree
  • 12.1C155

    The Charity Digital Code of Practice 2025

    A voluntary code of good practice that helps UK charities benchmark digital progress and make digital decisions. It sets out 8 principles: leadership, user led, culture, strategy, data, skills, risk and ethics, and adaptability. Separate editions exist for charities with income above and below £1 million. The 2025 update adds a data principle, AI guidance across all principles, tips on buying digital tools, and stronger cyber security and accessibility sections.

    Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree
  • 13.2C174

    Open and Trusting Grant-making commitments

    A set of 8 commitments for UK funders who want to make grant-making more open and trusting. Funders commit to be clear, ask only what is needed, accept risk, decide quickly, share openly, give flexible funding, communicate purposefully and keep reporting proportionate. The commitments grew out of the COVID-19 response, and funders sign up publicly. Charities and funders use them to check grant practice.

    Start hereCurrentKey online resourceFree
  • 3.1C030

    Charity Governance Code

    A voluntary governance code for UK charities of any size. It sets out 8 principles with 41 outcomes, and each principle comes with suggested behaviours, examples of policies and processes, and suggested evidence of good governance. Boards apply it on an apply or explain basis and are encouraged to publish a short statement in their annual report on how they use it. Smaller charities can use it to spot gaps as they grow.

    CurrentKey manual or guideFree
  • 2.1C017

    Strategic planning: a toolkit for small NGOs

    A short, step-by-step strategic planning toolkit for small NGOs, including those that fund partners and those that work directly with communities. It is one of 5 toolkits from INTRAC's Strengthening Small Organisations with Big Ambitions project (2021 to 2022), funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It comes as a PDF and as a lighter online version for low-bandwidth and mobile users. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

    Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree
  • 7.1C084

    Monitoring, evaluation and learning

    A short toolkit that helps small NGOs set up monitoring, evaluation and learning they can run with few staff and little money. It is one of 5 toolkits from INTRAC's Strengthening Small Organisations with Big Ambitions project for small UK charities working internationally. It comes as a PDF and a lighter online version for slow connections and mobile use, under a Creative Commons licence.

    Start hereCurrentKey manual or guideFree
  • 9.4C127

    Shifting the dial

    A 16-page NPC guide for charities, funders and consultants who run or back policy change campaigns. It covers 3 areas: planning a campaign with impact in mind, choosing the right tools to evaluate it, and learning and improving as the campaign goes on. It draws on examples from several UK organisations. Teams use it to track progress, adjust strategy and respond to changes in the policy environment.

    ClassicKey manual or guideFree

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