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Guiding Principles & Best Practices (All Nine Sessions- Columbia) |
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Date: 10/13/2009 |
Member: $525 |
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Guiding Principles & Best Practices The practices are organized around nine core principles:
Adherence to these principles and practices is not mandatory. However, SCANPO believes that all well-run organizations should adopt them. At the same time, it is recognized that nonprofits are diverse and that they evolve differently over time. Nonprofit board members and staffers are encouraged to use the document as a guide to assess their current levels of practice, with an eye toward identifying opportunities to improve the effectiveness of their organizations. SCANPO acknowledges that many nonprofits have taken steps toward excellence by obtaining accreditation or certification as affiliates of parent organizations that have established their own performance standards. The Guiding Principles & Best Practices are seen as complementary to the work of these other bodies. In fact, some of those organizations’ standards helped inform the work of the task force. In addition, organizations whose boards are operating under Policy Governance®, also known as Carver Governance, may differ slightly in their definition of “best practices”. For these organizations, a brief supplement to the Guiding Principles & Best Practices is provided on SCANPO’s Web site. Below is information for each training: Guiding Principles & Best Practices Mission & Planning Location: A nonprofit operates for a clearly defined mission that flows from its vision of the community it seeks to build and the role it will play in achieving that vision. A set of values guides both that vision and how the organization believes it will go about achieving its mission, vision, values and mission drive, fundamental decisions and planning. What You Will Learn: · Understand the importance of being ready to plan. · Be aware of stakeholders that need to be involved and techniques to solicit stakeholder input regarding the strategic direction of the organization. · Be able to define and increase their understanding of vision, values, and mission statements. · Be able to establish strategic goals. · Better understand how to monitor, modify, and update the strategic plan. · Be able to differentiate between board and staff planning roles. · Develop an action plan to make one positive change in the organization’s mission and planning efforts. Governance Columbia Location: The responsibility for governing a nonprofit lies with its board – a decision making body that provides overall leadership and policy direction. The board ensures sound stewardship of nonprofit assets and resources. Board members are held to the highest legal and ethical standards to ensure that their loyalties lie entirely with the nonprofit, that they are diligent in carrying out their duties, and that they act in good faith to advance the nonprofit’s mission. What You Will Learn: · Understand board member roles and responsibilities · Develop an understanding of board governance and how individual board members participate in governance functions · Be familiar with the legal and social accountability of boards as well as ethical integrity and conflicts of interest · Learn about effective board development activities, to include board member recruitment, orientation and training · Differentiate between board and staff roles · Comprehend the board’s role as an employer · Develop an action plan to make one positive change in the way the organization’s board governs Columbia Location: Nonprofits, by their nature, exist to serve the public good. They have a legal and ethical obligation to conduct their activities in a way that ensures their accountability and is transparent, or clearly evident, to the public. Communication to constituents and the public about the mission, activities and decision-making is open, honest and ongoing. Information that is easily accessible promotes external visibility, public understanding and trust. What You Will Learn: · How to avoid the most common legal pitfalls that get nonprofits and their boards in big trouble · How to recognize and deal with the many different ways conflicts of interest may arise · What a whistleblower policy is and why it’s essential to every nonprofit · How to design a “dashboard” that enables board and staff members to track and communicate progress toward critical financial and programmatic goals.
Columbia Location: Nonprofits develop, implement and monitor operational plans based on the vision, values, mission and strategic direction created by the board of directors and key staff. Operational plans ensure accountability and provide the foundation for an evaluation of the organization’s activities. Nonprofits understand their essential responsibility to assess the impact of their efforts and act upon the information. What You Will Learn: · Understand how the operational plan links to the strategic plan · Understand the components of an operational plan and key activities for developing it · Understand how evaluation is integral to planning and implementation
Columbia Location: Nonprofits are knowledgeable and responsible stewards in managing their financial resources. This requires effective annual budgeting practices, compliance with legally mandated financial requirements, adherence to sound accounting principles that ensure fiscal responsibility and public trust, effective internal controls, effective and efficient use of resources, and clear policies and practices to monitor the sources and uses of funds. What You Will Learn: · To understand best practices associated with financial management and stewardship · How to assess your current level of practice · How to Review tools to support best practices · To Identify and commit to at least one action step to improve financial management practices in your organization Columbia Location: People are a nonprofit’s most essential assets. Effective leadership, adequate resources, and capable management of these assets enable nonprofits to accomplish their goals. Fair and equitable practices, including adherence to applicable local, state and federal employment laws, ensure the attraction and retention of qualified staff members and volunteers, and support a healthy work environment. What You Will Learn: · What motivates people to work or volunteer for nonprofits · The latest trends in volunteer recruitment · How to ensure you’re hiring good people · How to achieve a diverse workforce · Proven strategies for training and retention · How to link the strategic goals of your nonprofit with individual performance goals Columbia Location: As the intermediary between donors and beneficiaries, nonprofits serve as the vehicle through which philanthropy occurs. They have an ethical and fiduciary obligation to ensure funds are handled properly to carry out the organization’s mission and the intentions of donors. Fundraising adheres to high standards of practice, governed by clear policies and open communication with donors and other stakeholders. What You Will Learn: · This session will explain the roles of board and staff in nonprofit fundraising, the ways to build lasting relationships with donors, and provide tools to create a sustainable funding plan. · Legal and ethical issues will be covered. Participants will come away with tools to help build dependable, long-term funding programs for mission fulfillment. Columbia Location: Nonprofits engage in marketing to communicate their vision, values, mission and progress of social change to both their internal and external constituents. They adhere to the highest ethical and professional marketing standards. Effective communications and sound marketing practices build trust through accountability and enhanced relationships. Investing in a clearly defined marketing and communications plan raises public consciousness, influences decision making, increases funding and sustainability of the organization, and contributes to mission fulfillment. What You Will Learn: · Understand the importance of marketing and why it’s important to “do it right.” · Have a general awareness of how a plan relates to achieving vision, mission, values · Learn the steps required to create a communications and marketing plan · Be prepared to do an assessment of their current situation · Have tools to implement some aspects of an assessment
Columbia Location: Nonprofits have extensive responsibilities for managing information in a way that ensures confidentiality, accuracy, timeliness, integrity, security and legal compliance. Adequate and current technology is critical for managing information and achieving the organization’s mission. What You Will Learn: · Participants will learn how to assess the effectiveness of their information management systems · Establish effective information management and technology policies, · Assess their staff/volunteers capacity to use computer technology, prepare for crisis/disasters · Know the impact that information management has on their business processes. |
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