Tools & Resources
- Board of Directors
- Direct Mail
- Financial Management
- Fundraising
- Marketing / Audience Development
- Nonprofit Management Resources
- Personnel & Staffing
- Planning / Evaluation
- Presenting and Sponsoring
- Technology Planning / Managing Information
- Working With Volunteers
Board Café
Board Café offers a menu of ideas, opinions, news, and resources to
help board members give and get the most out of board services. This site
is co-published by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards and CompassPoint
Nonprofit Services.
BoardSource
(formerly National Center for Nonprofit Boards)
NCNB is the world's largest, most comprehensive publisher of materials on
nonprofit governance, offering more than 100 booklets, books, videos, and
audiotapes that can be purchased online. The website also has information
on consulting services and workshops.
Alliance
of Nonprofit Mailers
Maintained by the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers in Washington, a coalition
of nonprofit organizations, this website provides information on nonprofit
postal rates and regulations and updates on postal issues that are pending
before congress, as well as the Postal Rate Commission
Direct
Mail Kits
On uspsdirctmail.com, learn how to plan, execute and deliver a direct mail
campaign and find tips and advice for beginner and advanced users. Direct
mail kits are available from the US Postal Service.
Financial Accounting
Standards Board
This site provides summaries of the main policies of the board, which issues
accounting rules followed by most nonprofit organizations. The website also
includes information on the board's publications, projects, and forthcoming
meetings.
Nonprofit Accounting
Resource Center
This website explains key policies of the Financial Accounting Standards Board
and several federal Office of Management and Budget circulars that set accounting
and audit standards for nonprofit organizations that receive federal funds.
It also provides links to other sites that provide information on government
regulations that affect nonprofit accounting.
Nonprofit Financial
Center
The Nonprofit Financial Center is a nonprofit organization in Chicago that
makes loans to charities in Illinois and offers advice and classes on nonprofit
financial matters. The center's website provides information on nonprofit
financial management— including selected articles from its monthly newsletter.
The Chronicle of
Philanthropy
The Chronicle lists internet resources for arts organizations by topics such
as gifts and grants, fundraising, managing nonprofit groups, arts education
and technology.
Cultural
Funding: Federal Opportunities
This is a National Endowment for the Arts online resource of federal funding
available for arts initiatives through national, state and local funding programs.
The Foundation
Center
The Foundation Center fosters public understanding of the foundation field
by collecting, organizing, analyzing and disseminating information on foundations,
corporate giving and related subjects. The site is aimed towards grantseekers,
grantmakers, researchers, policymakers, the media and general public.
Foundation Relations
The Foundation Relations website is designed to guide organizations and projects
on how to submit well thought-out grant proposals and execute careful stewardship
of grants. Links include: Finding the Right Foundation, nonprofit Search Engines,
Grant Seeking Tips, Foundation Links, Philanthropy Links.
Gill
Foundation: OutGiving
Developed by the Gill Foundation in Denver, this website provides information
on fundraising and management for nonprofit organizations. The site includes
interactive audits that groups can use to assess their fundraising and management
practices, a sample fundraising plan, and advice on making a fundraising pitch
at a special event.
GrantSmart
GrantSmart features a searchable data base of Forms 990-PF, the informational
tax returns filed by private foundations with the Internal Revenue Service.
Internet
Prospector
This website provides the current and back issues of the Internet Prospector,
an online newsletter that offers news, advice, and links to websites that
help fund raisers use the internet to gather information about foundations,
corporations, and individuals in the United States and abroad.
Resource
Development Handbook: Untapped Public Funding for the Arts
The Resource Development Handbook describes over 40 funding mechanisms and
programs being used by communities of all sizes to diversify their base of
support for the arts and use the arts as change-agents to address social,
economic and educational issues. The handbook is also available from Americans
for the Arts.
Marketing / Audience Development
Arts Marketing
Online
Arts Marketing Online focuses on the marketing issues of nonprofit arts organizations.
This site currently features marketing essays, offers recommendations of new
books and useful websites, a reading list of marketing texts, and provides
a way for visitors to ask questions and get marketing advice from experts
in the field.
From
NASCAR to Cirque Du Soleil: Lessons in Audience Development (PDF)
This article examines broad marketing trends and principles and their impact
on nonprofit presenters. These lessons help arts organizations as they struggle
with changing demographics and meshing their programs with the interests of
younger and more diverse patrons and audiences.
Nonprofit Management Resources
Alliance
for Nonprofit Management
AMN is a professional association of individuals and organizations devoted
to improving the management and governance capacity of nonprofits. Its website
has a comprehensive database of resources on nonprofit management and governance,
as well as an online search for Alliance member providers.
Arts and
Business Council
Operated by the Arts and Business Council in New York, this site provides
a directory of more than 25 council affiliates that match business professionals
with nonprofit cultural groups that need management assistance.
Arts Extension
Service
AES strives to achieve access to and integration of the arts in communities
through continuing education for artists, arts organizations and community
leaders.
Benton
Foundation's Best Practices Toolkit
This toolkit includes an online primer in advocacy, a database of Internet
public access sites, a link to technology funding for nonprofits and a list
of nonprofit technical assistance providers.
Business Committee
for the Arts
BCA is a national, nonprofit organization that works with businesses to develop
and advance alliances with the arts. BCA provides businesses with services
and resources needed to develop strategic alliances with the arts that meet
business objectives.
Center For What
Works
This website provides information on benchmarking, a process in which charities
evaluate their policies and programs and compare them to those of similar
organizations in their field. The site also includes a section that allows
visitors to submit questions on nonprofit management, evaluation, fundraising,
and technology to be answered by professionals in those fields.
Executive Service
Corps of New England
Provides high-quality, affordable consulting services, resources, and mentors
to nonprofit and educational leaders seeking to address critical organizational
issues from board development and strategic planning to marketing, public
relations and financial management. ESC also sponsors an annual day-long nonprofit
Management Conference.
Free Management
Library
This community resource is to be shared and contributed to by users and readers
across the world. The overall goal of the library is to provide leaders and
managers (especially those with very limited resources) basic and practical
information about business, management and organizations.
Echoing
Green Foundation: Resource Center
The EFC offers full-time fellowships to individuals who are starting innovative
social-change organizations. The "Resource Center" section of the
foundation's website features articles written by the foundation's fellows,
on starting a charity, nonprofit management, fund raising, financial management,
communications, and human resources.
GuideStar
Guidestar, "the web's clearinghouse of information on nonprofit organizations,"
is a free information service on the programs and finances of more than 667,000
charities and nonprofits, philanthropic news, and resources for donors, volunteers
and nonprofit practitioners.
helping.org
This site connects nonprofits and individuals with online resources, charitable
giving opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and information about the latest
efforts to help those without access to technology.
Idea Café:
The Small Business Gathering Place
Inc. Magazine lists Idea Café as one of the 10 top Online Business
Centers. Daily articles highlight what's going on in the small business world,
supplemented by online resources for direction on running a small business.
A great site to browse and generate ideas.
Idealist
Run by Action Without Borders, a New York charity, Idealist's site offers
a database that allows nonprofit organizations to post information about their
services, special events, volunteer opportunities, and jobs. It also has links
to more than 10,000 nonprofit internet sites and other sites of interest to
nonprofit organizations.
IKNOW (Interactive
Knowledge for Nonprofits Worldwide)
IKNOW is a collection of key online resources for the nonprofit community.
It covers fundraising, marketing/public and media relations, governance, business
services, legal issues, fringe benefits, legislation, strategic planning,
education and more.
Institute for Nonprofit
Organization Management
The INOM, based at the Univ. of San Francisco, offers on its site publications,
a list of events and conferences in CA, a newsletter and research studies.
INOM is also the home of the International Nonprofit Management Teaching Resource
Center where educators, practioners and students can take advantage of case
studies, course syllabi and program descriptions.
Internet Nonprofit
Center
INC's website provides links to articles and sites for funding development,
board organization, management and other related topics. The Nonprofit FAQ
presents information on a wide range of topics of interest to leaders and
managers of nonprofit organizations.
Management
Assistance Program for Nonprofits: Nonprofit Managers' Library
Developed by the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits, a nonprofit
management consulting organization in St. Paul, NML's site includes links
to internet resources that provide information about nonprofit management.
Topics discussed include legal matters, financial management, program evaluation,
volunteers, and nonprofit boards.
NonProfit
Ethics
NonProfit Ethics provides links to organizations that monitor charitable activities
and websites on accountability in the nonprofit world. It also offers links
to books, articles, and periodicals on ethical issues that affect nonprofit
organizations.
Nonprofit Gateway
Administered by the White House Office of Public Liaison, this site serves
as a federal information clearing house for nonprofit organizations and includes
links to nonprofit issues and a database of 520,000 government web pages.
Nonprofit Genie
This website offers information on nonprofit management topics, such as board
development, financial management, fundraising, and strategic planning. It
also provides reviews of books on nonprofit subjects, interviews with grant
makers and nonprofit leaders, and links to websites of interest to nonprofit
professionals.
Nonprofit
Law Resource Center
The Nonprofit Law Resource Library provided by Hurwit & Associates contains
information on dozens of nonprofit and foundation issues including start-up
issues, state filing and compliance, governance and bylaws, mergers and affiliations,
charitable contributions, nonprofit entrepreneurship and more.
Support Center
for Nonprofit Management
The SCNM offers publications on nonprofit management as well as classes in
management usually listed in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Third Sector New England
(TSNE)
TSNE is an evolving resource center for nonprofit organizations, foundations,
and others involved in voluntary activity. TSNE strives to help the sector
improve its understanding of its role and potential impact within a rapidly
shifting economy, and to provide materials and services that build knowledge,
skills and capacity.
Choosing
a Consultant
This section of the American Planning Association's site presents information
and answers questions organizations may have when deciding to hire a consultant,
including how to find and select consultants, the purpose of RFPs, legal considerations
and insurance, and how to manage the project.
American Evaluation
Association
The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association
of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation,
personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Their
website includes a searchable directory of evaluators and useful links.
American Planning
Association
The American Planning Association is organized to advance the art and science
of planning and to foster the activity of planning—physical, economic,
and social—at the local, regional, state and national levels. The website
has information about APA Conferences, research, publications, legislative
and policy issues and consultant services.
Center For What
Works
This website provides information on benchmarking, a process in which charities
evaluate their policies and programs and compare them to those of similar
organizations in their field. The site also includes a section that allows
visitors to submit questions on nonprofit management, evaluation, fundraising,
and technology to be answered by professionals in those fields.
InnoNet's Workstation
for Innovative Nonprofits
This website offers interactive work sheets that nonprofit staff members can
use to plan new programs and develop budgets, grant applications, and evaluation
and fundraising plans. InnoNet offers to review users' completed plans free.
The site also explains how to conduct focus-group discussions, interviews,
and surveys, and provides sample evaluation tools.
Kellogg
Foundation Evaluation Handbook (PDF)
This two-part publication provides a framework for thinking about evaluation
as a relevant and useful program tool. Part I outlines the Kellogg Foundation's
philosophy of and expectations for evaluation. Part II is a blueprint for
conducting project-level evaluation.
Lessons
Learned: A Planning Toolsite
Lessons Learned includes essays and case studies on topics such as minority
audience development, capital campaigns, strategic planning, community partnerships,
social entrepreneurism and fiscal crises.
Outcome
Measurement Resource Network
OMRN provides excerpts from the United Way's Measuring Program Outcomes: A
Practical Approach, a step-by-step guide to the United Way's outcome-based
model of program evaluation.
Association
of Performing Arts Presenters
It is the mission of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters to lead
a full exploration of the roles, responsibilities and opportunities for presenters,
artist managers and artists in order to enable and celebrate the rich and
diverse presenting field in its service to the public.
The National Association
of Performing Arts Managers and Agents
NAPAMA's site features the NAPAMA NEWSletter, which has the latest information
on items of interest to the presenters and agents. Visitors to the site can
also access the NAPAMA Member List, which provides a quick way to hyperlink
to many agencies and agents.
Technology Planning / Managing Information
Arts Wire SpiderSchool
Arts Wire provides online courses designed to help the arts community integrate
technology into their work. Courses include Technology Planning, (RE)Building
the Organization's Website, and Web Marketing.
Community Technology
Centers' Network
CTCNet is a member-based network of nonprofit organizations that provide technology
access and education to people who would otherwise have no access to them.
CTCNet provides members with low-cost access to computers and the Internet,
plus associated training and support.
NPower
NPower is a consulting company based in Washington State that specializes
in helping nonprofits effectively use new technology. Its website has free
online tools and guides created by NPower staff to assist nonprofits with
learning and understanding technology that can help them better run their
organizations.
TechSoup
Powered by the technology assistance agency CompuMentor, TechSoup is a free
comprehensive nonprofit technology resource. Featuring NPO discounts, articles,
and recommendations, TechSoup leads nonprofits to the technology support and
solutions they need.
The Verizon
Foundation
The Verizon Foundation offers eligible organizations in-kind donations, volunteers,
Internet training and web hosting services. Their website also includes a
comprehensive technology resource guide.
Verizon
Foundation eTraining Program
Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations can apply online for grants to take PC training
and other or technology-related classes given by their network of "E-Solutions
Partners."
Association for
Volunteer Administration
Maintained by the Association for Volunteer Administration, a professional
group based in Virginia, this website includes information on the association's
journal, conferences, and certification program and also provides links to
other websites of interest to volunteer coordinators.
Charles
A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin: Virtual Volunteering
Project
The Dana Center's website contains information on how nonprofit organizations
can take advantage of volunteers who complete their tasks via the Internet.
The site also includes examples of how charities are working with online volunteers,
information on how to start an on-line volunteer program. It also offers advice
for prospective "virtual volunteers."
The Corporation for
National Service
Run by the federal agency that oversees government-run community-service programs,
such as AmeriCorps and the National Senior Service Corps, this site includes
links to other Internet sites about volunteering, about ways that education
and service can be integrated, and about nonprofit issues.
Service Corp of Retired
Executives
SCORE connects to volunteers who know how to develop effective business plans
and create strategies for business growth. SCORE counseling is free, available
in person or via email.
VolunteerMatch
A project of Impact Online, a Palo Alto, Cal., charity, this site allows nonprofit
organizations to post their volunteer opportunities online. Potential volunteers
can then search by zip code and type of assignment.
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for assistance in compiling this extensive list of resources.
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