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abcGTA is an initiative of
The Maytree Foundation. The
project addresses the current imbalance between the proportion of immigrants and
visible minorities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and their relative lack of
representation on the boards of public agencies, boards and commissions (abc).
The project has published some well-constructed guides to help boards be
responsive to the needs of the diverse communities their organizations serve.
Diversity in Governance
www.abcgta.ca/docs/diversity_toolkit_nonprofit.pdf. is a toolkit describing
seven ways to dismantle barriers that potential board applicants may face,
enabling organizations and board members to benefit from increasingly diverse
skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Board Mentoring Handbook www.abcgta.ca/docs/BoardMentoringHandbook.pdf
outlines a plan for a mentoring program to prepare new board members for full
participation in the work of a nonprofit board.
Alberta Community Development
http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/building_communities/volunteer_community/resources/index.asp
You might not expect the Government
of Alberta to be a great source of assistance to nonprofit organizations but
this Ministry's website has some of the best resources on the internet.
Boardsource (formerly
National Center for Nonprofit Boards) http://www.boardsource.org
Publishes a number of useful books and booklets which can be
ordered online. Their list of responsibilities of a board of directors is one of
the best.
Has a great library of articles, many of which are
available to non-members. Canadian articles are identified.
Canadian Cooperative Association
has
links, articles, a newsletter, "toolkits" and discussion groups covering recent
research, current practices and lessons learned on issues related to
co-operative governance and leadership. I especially like their newsletter
"Governance Matters"
Charity Channel is best known for its moderated discussion forums. Some forums
deal with general topics, others are specialized. Several forums specifically
for Canadians. Excellent source of advice and ideas on many topics, including:
the law of tax exempt organizations; boards of directors, annual and capital
fundraising; book reviews; sofware; leadership; grant-writing; volunteer
management; and many others. A number of articles are posted on its GuestShare
web pages and the archives can be searched for specific topics.
Canadian focus makes this site particularly helpful. 3,000 pages original
information and links to news, jobs, information and resources. Some pages aimed
at nonprofit managers, staffers and fundraisers, while others are primarily for
volunteers, donors and supporters. There are also special sections for media,
and for vendors of products and services. They publish a free, weekly e-mail
newsflash, Village Vibes. This site is particularly strong on fund-raising.
Includes free tip sheets to help
not-for-profit and public sector organizations reap program-enhancing,
money-saving benefits from technology.
Dalhousie University Non-Profit Sector Leadership
Program
Dalhousie University Non-Profit
Sector Leadership Program is a continuing education program for persons working
in the voluntary sector. The program is based at Dalhousie University's College
of Continuing Education in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They have a newsletter and some
excellent links and original resources on Governance and Board Development on
the site.
http://collegeofcontinuinged.dal.ca/Continuing%20Management%20Education/Non-Profit%20Sector%20Leadership/index.php
Dorothy A. Johnson Center for
Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
www.npgoodpractice.org
Articles, standards of practice,
resources and glossaries on fundraising and financial sustainability;
governance; staff development; accountability; volunteer management;
operations management and leadership; communications and marketing ; advocacy;
technology
Created by Resolve Inc. in
Tucson Arizona, this site has many excellent online articles about
recruiting board members, board role, hiring an executive director, and other
topics.
Particularly strong on how to use the
internet.
Carries out research, runs
professional development programs, and provides advice in the following
knowledge areas: aboriginal governance; accountability & performance
measurement; board governance; building policy capacity; technology and
governance; youth & governance. Their site includes some interesting reports
and useful tools.
Managed by Putnam Barber, Cliff
Landesman and Michael Gilbert. Extensive FAQ section with many items of
information and advice about nonprofits. Some are original articles, others come
from discussions on email lists, newsgroups, and other sources.
Management Library for Nonprofits
Vast collection of links and helpful documents, many of which are original.
Compliled by Carter McNamara.
The
Milano Nonprofit Management Knowledge Hub provides high-quality, current
information that nonprofit managers, leaders, students, researchers, teachers
and anyone else interested in the subject can find quickly and easily
National Survey of
Giving, Volunteering and Participating http://www.nsgvp.org
NSGVP-Online provides an in-depth look at the support that Canadians
provide to one another and their communities drawing on data from interviews conducted by Statistics Canada
.
This Australian organization supports
boards and management towards high ethical and professional standards in the
governance and management of charities and nonprofit organizations. Website
contains articles from Board Matters, a newsletter for board
members and executive managers.
Jeane Vogel's site has many good tips
on fundraising and planning.
Terrie Temkin includes some excellent
resources on her site including an extensive page of links, copies of her
newsletter and articles and much more.
Their Voluntary Sector Working Group.
has produced
Valuing the Rural Volunteer, a useful set of tools for organizational
development designed for poorly resourced rural organizations.
This
organization assists environmental organizations in the areas of management and
leadership skills and organizational development. they provide training
workshops, forums and online courses, direct management assistance, bursaries
and other activities that help build capacity in the environmental sector.
Total Nonprofit Resources
tnpr.ca
T his
ambitious site, managed
by Volunteer Hamilton (Ontario), is intended to help staff and volunteers
of small to medium-sized voluntary sector organizations to access
management resources.
A library of Resources, mostly on boards.
Nothing new has been added for a while.
international professional
association with information related to many aspects of managing volunteer
resources, including bibliographies and information on volunteer management
software, sources for purchasing volunteer Recognition items, links to
organizations and resources and clip-art gallery.
an international training, consulting
and publishing firm specializing in volunteerism. Founded by Susan Ellis, the
website is rich with valuable information and links.
Ontario Rural Council
Their Voluntary Sector Working Group.
has produced
Valuing the Rural Volunteer,
a useful set of tools for organizational development designed for poorly
resourced rural organizations.
Virtual volunteering means volunteer
tasks completed, in whole or in part, via the Internet and a home or work
computer.
Good online bookstore on volunteerism
(note: at time of writing, the order desk was not using a secure internet
connection)
Has online discussion groups. Also
has good information on volunteer screening.
Includes news, articles, and tips on
a variety of topics related to volunteers and voluntary organizations. Good
links.
Resource Centre has a collection of
downloadable articles
Internet discussion groups are the
best way to to get help with problems, large and small. Many of them offer
access both through the worldwide web and through email.
ARNOVA (Asociation for Research on
Nonprofit organizations and
Voluntary Action) is a membership organization, primarily of researchers and
university professors who specialize in the nonprofit sector but the discussion
forum is open to anyone. Browse to the website for instructions on how to
subscribe.
One of the best sources of advice and
information about all aspects of nonprofit organizations, CharityChannel hosts many
free discussion groups and publishes a number of free electronic newsletters (I
am editor of Nonprofit Boards & Governance Review). Some discussion groups deal with general topics, others are specialized including several
dealing specifically with Canadian topics. To subscribe, direct your Web browser
to the website.
A worldwide online discussion of
volunteer program management.
Lawyers and legal services that
specialize in the law of nonprofit organizations and charities. They post
current information on legislation and regulations. Some publish
e-newsletters.
The Volunteer Lawyers Service offers legal assistance at no charge to
non-profit and charitable organizations in Ontario. They match community
agencies with legal counsel in their area and host information
seminars to non-profit groups. The website contains a frequently
asked questions section and announcements of upcoming workshops.
Contributions to this site are provided by several law firms. CharityLaw.ca
provides information on legal issues of interest to charities and not-for-profit
organizations both in Canada and internationally. Available online are Charity
Law Bulletin (brief synopses of current developments in the law of charities)
Charity & the Law Update and Church & the Law Update (more detailed
commentaries.
The Internet has links to dozens of good resources on outcome
evaluation, including examples from many types of organizations. This list
covers some of the best sites for general information, step-by-step manuals, and
tools.
Carter McNamara’s introduction to
evaluation describes the different kinds of evaluation that can be applied to
nonprofit programs.
Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations with
Very Limited Resources
www.mapnp.org/library/evaluatn/outcomes.htm
Another of Carter McNamara’s useful
guides. The title says it all.
The United Way of Greater Toronto
created this site to help agencies locate both print and on-line evaluation
resources - including how-to manuals, reports, bibliographies, and relevant
research - that will facilitate the application of outcome measurement within
their agencies. has developed this online Clearinghouse to help steer people
through the labyrinth of evaluation resources that are available.
This short report provides a view of
the state of outcome measurement as implemented in a number of nonprofit service
organizations. It provides examples of procedures used. The research was
conducted in 1998.
At a 2001 Symposium on Outcome
Management for Nonprofit Organizations, participants identified issues in
implementing outcome evaluation and made recommendations for building
organizational capacity for outcome evaluation.
This web site aims to assist human
service organizations in evaluating the effectiveness of their programs and to
help them identify resources that will enable them deliver services in a more
effective manner.
The Resource Network of the United Way
of America offers information, downloadable documents, and links to resources
related to the identification and measurement of program- and community-level
outcomes.
Although targeted to library
evaluation, the four step process for conducting an outcome-based evaluation is
easily adaptable to other services.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook
www.wkkf.org
This handbook provides a framework for
thinking about evaluation as a relevant and useful program tool. It was written
primarily for project directors who have direct responsibility for the ongoing
evaluation of W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded projects.
 Nonprofits
Assistance Fund (NAF)
http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/
The NAF website contains a set of valuable tools for nonprofit financial
management. These include:
- Glossary of Financial Terms - A handy reference to help you navigate
nonprofit financial terminology
- Financial Management Self-Assessment for Nonprofit Organizations - A
checklist to assess your organization's financial management practices and
identify areas for improvement.
- Cash Flow Template - An Excel worksheet developed to help nonprofit
financial managers build a customized cash flow projection. Instructions for
using the template are included in the workbook.
- Audit Services Request for Proposal (RFP) - A RFP template to simplify the
process of soliciting bids from auditors.
- Red Flags of Financial Problems - Ten indicators pointing to serious
financial problems
- Business Plan for Nonprofits and Social Ventures - An outline developed
for nonprofit organizations wishing to embark on earned income ventures with a
business model.
- Analyzing Financial Information Using Ratios - An overview of how to make
the most of ratio calculations. [note, however, that not everyone agrees that
ratios are useful indicators for nonprofits. See, for example, the discussion
at Idealist.org
http://tinyurl.com/2qmp2y ]
St.
Luke's Health Initiatives
http://www.slhi.org
St. Luke's is a public foundation located in Phoenix, Arizona. The fall, 2002
issue of its newsletter, Community Connect discusses how to understand nonprofit
financial statements and use them to make sound management decisions.The
articles also discuss how to present the financial facts in ways that reinforce
your organization’s mission and reflect favorably upon management and the
allocation of scarce resources. Spinning the Numbers: Understanding and Using
Nonprofit Financials.
http://www.slhi.org/development_tools/pdfs/cc-02fall.pdf
Management
Accounting for Non Governmental Organisations (MANGO)
http://www.mango.org.uk
MANGO is a wonderful UK charity whose mission is to strengthen the financial
management of Non Governmental Organizations. They have many resources but I
suggest you begin with Mango’s Financial Management Health Check. It has been
specifically designed for small and medium sized organizations.
http://www.mango.org.uk/guide/resources/healthcheck.aspx It will help
you pinpoint the areas for which you need to implement improved financial
reporting. Then explore the site for resources to help you prepare and present
financial reports.
Alliance
for Nonprofit Management
http://www.allianceonline.org
The Alliance has an excellent compilation of FAQ's. including
- How do we interpret our financial statements?
- What financial reports do management and the board need?
Go directly to the page
http://www.allianceonline.org/FAQ/financial_management .
The
Philanthropist
http://www.thephilanthropist.ca
This journal for nonprofit professionals is strong on legal and accounting
issues. In an article titled Accounting 101: Providing a Framework to Convey
Financial Information at a Board or Similar Meeting (Volume 21, No. 1)
Gordon Ahier describes how nonprofit organizations can ensure that their boards
of directors have useful financial information. The article
- discusses the underlying issues that act as impediments to the production
of focused financial information.
- explains why organizations should consider using operating statements,
which are one-page summaries of financial information that can be presented at
board meetings.
- explains how the operating statement must be paired with a presentation to
the board that is based on reviewing the financial data and asking probing
questions.
You must subscribe to the journal to obtain online access to the article or
purchase a back issue from the publisher. Personally, I have found my own
subscription invaluable as the articles are written authoritatively on some of
the more complicated legal and financial issues of charities.
Bookkeeping
and Accounting Manuals Online
Carter McNamara’s Basic Guide to
Non-Profit Financial Management
explains basic practices
in financial management, and how to build accountable systems and practices
http://www.managementhelp.org/finance/np_fnce/np_fnce.htm
Accounting & Financial Operations
For Nonprofits In Rural Housing
a manual covering basic
information necessary to manage the accounting and financial areas of the
organization.
http://www.ruralhome.org/pubs/guides/accounting/contents.htm
Office of Women's Business
Ownership, Small Business Administration
an online training course
on bookkeeping for a small business. Written in informal, friendly style.
http://www.onlinewbc.gov/docs/finance/bkpg_acct.html
Consultative Group to Assist The
Poorest
Designed for economic
development projects in developing countries, volume 1 of their External Audit
Handbook http://www.cgap.org/docs/TechnicalTool_03_v1.pdf
and their manual on Management Information Systems http://www.cgap.org/docs/TechnicalTool_01.pdf
are well-written and useful for training anyone unfamiliar with these concepts.
Civicus Financial Toolkits
CIVICUS is an
international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil
society throughout the world. Their financial “toolkits” provide basic
information in clear language. Titles include “Developing a Financing Strategy”,
“Financial Controls and Accountability”, and “Budgeting”.
http://www.civicus.org/new/civicus_toolkit_project.asp?c=036FB9
Accounting Controls to Prevent Fraud
Two Canadian articles from
Charity Village.
Nonprofit fraud: Focus on segregation of duties
and good reporting procedures
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rlegal17.html
Nonprofit fraud: What are the key indicators?
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rlegal16.html
Risk Management and Employee
Dishonesty Losses
Written for churches,
this manual is applicable to any organization and covers handling of cash
donations among other important topics.
http://www.insuranceboard.org/press/CaringForOurChurches_rev.pdf
What does an Auditor do?
See Nonprofit Boards and Governance Review
http://charitychannel.com/nbgr.shtml
for the articles by Colleen Boland and Carolyn Sechler.
Voluntary Sector Forum
Connie Berry at Imagine Canada has created a website covering much of what
you need to know about liability insurance in Canada. Insurance Basics
sections offer tools to help you with your immediate insurance and risk
management needs. She provides links to risk management resources, a
listing of vendors of insurance products and a backgrounder summarizing the
issues at play in the industry.
http://www.voluntary-sector.ca/eng/liability/index.cfm
Directors
and Officers Liability Insurance: An Overview
By Maureen Fitzgerald.
http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rbod8.html
Directors’
Liability: A Discussion Paper on Legal Liability, Risk Management and the
Role Of Directors in Non-Profit Organizations. This paper informs board members
about their legal responsibilities and provides practical suggestions for
managing risks and minimizing personal liability.
http://www.volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/LiabilityEng.pdf
National
Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance Program
for members of Volunteer Canada.
http://www.volunteer.ca/volcan/eng/content/board/program.php
Not-for-Profit
& Charity Law website
a
project of the Legal Studies Program of the University of Alberta. It provides
information on not-for-profit, non-profit, and charity management; liability;
directors, volunteers, and employees; fund-raising law; and tax law. It also has
reprints from Law Now including this article: Volunteering for Trouble.
http://www.law-nonprofit.org/261-trb.htm
Nonprofit Risk
Management Center
provides assistance and resources for community-serving nonprofit organizations.
The website includes many articles covering topics from criminal record
screening to media relations.
http://www.nonprofitrisk.org
Charities Bulletin # 6 (Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General)
Explains the change in the regulation under the Charities Accounting Act that
allows Ontario charities to indemnify and buy liability insurance for their
directors.
http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/pgt/charbullet/bullet6.asp
Insurance Bureau of Canada
provides a good explanation of risk management and recommended procedures for
managing risks face by nonprofit organizations.
http://www.ibc.ca/bc_riskmanagement.asp
Community Insurance and Risk
Management Centre: Our Community.com.au
provides risk management help sheets and checklists
covering a wide range of nonprofit organizations and activities.
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/insurance/insurance_main.jsp
If you have suggestions for sites to add, drop me an
e-mail
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