Nonprofit Operations: Strategies & Steps for Successful

Mission Achievement

Heather Carpenter, Ph.D.

Assistant ProfessorSchool of Public, Nonprofit, and Health Administration

Introductions

Name, Organization, Mission/Cause, Budget sizeIdea or established organizationWhat’s one area of nonprofit operations/administration you are hoping to learn more about today?

Class Overview

Strategies for Managing a Nonprofit Organization

• Hiring and Managing Staff and Volunteers• Board Administration• Ethics/Accountability/Risk Management• Financial Management• Fundraising Administration• Marketing and Public Relations

• Tips / Strategies 

Hiring and Managing: Key Staff and Volunteers

Based on organizational activities decide which staff and/or volunteers are neededCreate specific roles and job descriptionsChoose recruitment methodVolunteers as a ResourceTraining and DevelopmentEvaluation

What does your ideal organizational chart look like?

Create your own organizational chart Include volunteers Who reports to who? What positions are easier to get

funding for?

Hiring and Management: HR Practices

Create a New Hire Packet Materials in new hire packet include:

1-9 W-4 Direct Deposit Form Personnel Manual Benefit Enrollment Forms Blank Common Forms—mileage

reimbursement, reimbursement request forms

Organizational brochure/program information

Hiring and Management: HR Practices

Review Employment RecordsOrganize records to include relevant

information: employee attendance, disciplinary warnings, vacation requests, employment hiring forms,benefit enrollment forms.

Hiring and Managing: HR Practices

Training orientation procedures for new employees.See Sample New Hire Procedure

Handout

Board Administration

With board’s advice and inputCreate or revise board orientation binder

and board job description.Compile board minutes from all previous

board meetings and place together in one binder, or one binder per year.The board minutes are supposed to be

available for the public at all times.

Other items to be made public990s/ Annual Reports

Ethics and Accountability: Insurance/Risk Management

Review the organization’s Insurance policiesGeneral Liability

Special event forms Non-hired auto

Directors and OfficersIndependent Sector’s Checklist for

Accountability

Ethics and Accountability: Lobbying and Political Involvement

Many nonprofits believe lobbying activities will jeopardize their non-profit status. Can do certain bipartisan activities Bills/Issues No specific candidates

Can fill out simple IRS H FormRelationships with Politicians Find your elected officials http://www.usa.gov

Strategic Activity

What activities can my organization do? Human Resources (Hiring and Managing) Board Administration Ethics/Accountability/Risk Management

What is my staffing/volunteer capacity?What is the time frame?

Financial Management

How is nonprofit accounting different then for profit accounting?

Financial Management: Review the accounting books

Resolve accounting/bookkeeping errors. Incorporate Nonprofit Chart of Accounts and/or clean up the chart of accounts.Hire an accountant on a monthly basis to review the financial books and provide Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) procedures.

Financial Management: Financial Reporting

Sarbanes-OxleyReview vs. AuditInternal Controls

Financial Management: Review vendor lease agreements and bill paying

practices

Implement any cost saving methods the organization can take with working with its vendors.

For example, pay off a lease early to avoid having to pay an excess amount of interest.

Make sure proper financial forms and procedures are in place.

Fundraising Administration

Create procedures for grant writing and submitting grant proposals as well as cultivating the donor relationship. Fundraising tracking systemCreate fundraising calendar that includes grant deadlines, report dates, and renewal dates.

Fundraising Administration

Grant Filing System: Track grants folder by year/color

coded sub-folders including Proposal Contract Correspondence Report

Marketing and Public Relations

How is Marketing different than fundraising?

Marketing and Public Relations: Common Communications Strategies

Communications effort should be based on program and operations goals. Conduct research and focus groups to find the best communication methods.Tell stories about your organization.

Marketing and Public Relations: Choose a strategy or strategies

Strategies for getting into the media Media Release Letters to Editor Op Ed

Strategies for Social Media Facebook Twitter You Tube

Strategic Activity

What activities can my organization do?• Financial Management• Fundraising Administration• Marketing and Public Relations

What is my staffing/volunteer capacity?What is the time frame?

Additional Resources

http://www.delicious.com/heathercarpenterhttp://www.nonprofitalternatives.org http://www.twitter.com/heathercarpente