Strong nonprofits are built through intentional planning and informed decision‑making. This page breaks down the core elements of organizational effectiveness and provides what you need to strengthen each one.
In every section, you'll find quick-start resources, opportunities to dig deeper, and courses (when available) designed to help you put best practices into action.
Know exactly what you're here to learn? Go ahead and skip to that topic. If you're not sure where to start, taking an organizational assessment can provide helpful clarity about which areas deserve your attention next.
People are at the heart of every nonprofit. Staff, board members, volunteers, and community partners all play vital roles in advancing your mission. Creating a work environment where everyone feels supported and connected strengthens your organization from the inside out.
This section explores how to engage your people thoughtfully, nurture a healthy culture, and invest in the people who drive your work forward.
An effective board where everyone knows their role is a cornerstone to an effective organization.
A single nonprofit cannot significantly move the needle on the issues we most care about. Nonprofits working together with government and businesses can make a tremendous difference.
Nonprofits proactively work to ensure everyone feels a sense of belonging inside and alongside our organizations.
Whether the people doing the work of your organization are staff or volunteers, it is important to have a people strategy.
Leadership happens at every level of an organization, including the board, executive leadership, and staff. Leadership changes over time — an effective nonprofit spends time on leadership transition and succession planning.
Money is the fuel that propels your organization forward. By developing a solid understanding of both finance and fundraising, you can put practices in place that strengthen your organization's stability and impact.
In this section, you'll find tools to help you steward resources responsibly, diversify revenue, and build financial resilience.
A strong understanding of finance is important to make good decisions and steward your resources wisely.
How do you get your whole team involved in raising the resources you need to achieve your mission? A basic understanding of fundraising can help.
Susan Howlett is a nationally-known fundraising expert who has written helpful books on nonprofit fundraising:
Grant writing is one fundraising practice that many nonprofits use to raise funds.
These grant writing courses have been well received by many small to medium size nonprofits:
Many nonprofits hold events to build community and raise funds.
There are many event planning checklists online. Here are a couple:
Nonprofits must follow all laws related to liquor and gambling.
Philanthropic endeavors work closely with nonprofits to advance causes within our communities.
From logistics to strategy, excelling in nonprofit operations leads to efficiency and impact. When your core processes run smoothly, your team has the clarity and capacity to focus on serving your community.
This section provides resources to help you strengthen the systems, tools, and routines that support effective, mission‑driven operations.
Nonprofits can (and should!) advocate for their mission as a way to achieve their mission. Everyday advocacy is something any nonprofit can engage in — it means that you elevate your voice on topics that matter. Some nonprofits go further and get involved in lobbying. A little information goes a long way when it comes to advocacy.
Nonprofits incorporate at the state level. They can then choose to apply for tax‑exempt status at the federal level. All local, state, and federal laws apply to nonprofits. This includes worker‑related rules, unrelated business income tax rules, etc.
Evaluation of programs helps nonprofits learn what works and what can be improved on. When a nonprofit integrates evaluation and assessment into its workflow, it strengthens its learning culture and better achieves its mission.
Nonprofits regularly communicate with their communities. There is significant research that can help inform this communication. A communication strategy can ensure regular, effective messaging to the people who matter to a mission.
Once you figure out your message, this list of tools may help determine how to get it out:
If you are looking for discounted tools available for nonprofits, TechSoup has options:
If you find your organization involved in a heated topic, you may need a Crisis Communications Plan:
When a nonprofit board or staff pays attention to risk, it prioritizes the continuation of its work should a disaster or unexpected event happen. It is a board's responsibility to assess risk on a regular basis.
A strategic planning process involves reflection on a nonprofit's mission to identify goals and determine the best ways to achieve them. Strategic planning can be a formal process or a way of approaching challenges and opportunities.
Is your nonprofit in need of additional support? Tom Iselin is president of First Things First, a nonprofit consulting business specializing in board retreats, strategic planning, fundraising, and executive coaching.
Technology helps nonprofits be more efficient and effective both in their internal operations and their external outreach. There are two main support organizations related to technology and nonprofits:
Many nonprofits involve volunteers to do their work. Volunteers expand an organization's capacity and provide key ways for community members to contribute to a cause they care about. Having a volunteer management strategy will help streamline the process of engaging volunteers and produce a more enjoyable experience for the volunteer.
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