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1. Preparing to Start a Non-Profit 1. Preparing to Start a Non-Profit You will know you are ready to start a non-profit organization when you find that there is a need in society just not being met, and you feel you need to do something more than just volunteer. You may wake up one morning and have a brilliant idea to address a need or an issue from a totally different direction, like no one else. You may also be sitting around with friends one night and decide it’s time to stop talking and take action. Whatever your reason is for wanting to step up and help society make sure to remember that it takes some time and you are going to need some help along the way but it is well worth it. [Back to Top]ii. A Quick Background on Types of Non-Profits Trust A Charitable Trust can take two forms: The first is a lead trust, this is when an individual or group sets up a trust, which may include money, land, property, etc, and then donate taxable income to charities from the trust balance. A lead trust is for a set amount of time and after that period the remainder of the trust is distributed to individuals and companies in the private market. The second kind of trust is a remainder trust. In that case, the income is donated to taxable beneficiaries and the principal is donated to charity groups. Legislation Link: http://scouteh.ca/resources/matter_of_trust.php Unincorporated Association An unincorporated association can also be referred to as a voluntary association or just and association. An association is just a group of people who volunteer to form an organization. Legislative Link: http://www.corporationcentre.ca/docen/pinc/home.asp?t=nonprofit Co-operative A co-operative is when a group of people voluntarily agree to address a need through the joint ownership of an enterprise. Co-ops can take the form of housing, gardens, food, etc. Co-operatives are democratic and shares are used for voting purposes rather than profit. Legislation Link: http://coop.gc.ca/ [Back to Top] [Back to Top] i. Write a draft mission statement outlining the goals of your soon to be non-profit organization. Create a Draft Mission Statement Begin by deciding on a draft mission statement. The mission statement will help you transform a theory into a plan. Since the mission statement is just a draft it will tend to evolve quickly as you research the idea more. At this point the primary purpose of the mission statement is to define the goal(s) and purpose(s) of the organization. It is sometimes helpful to look at the mission statements of other non profit organizations with similar goals to get some ideas. ii. Find out the minimum number of people required to be on a nonprofit board of directors in your province. Minimum Board Members Required (Province Specific) British Columbia 5 Alberta 1 Saskatchewan 3 Manitoba 3 Ontario 3 Quebec 3 Nova Scotia 5 Newfoundland and Labrador 3 Prince Edward Island 3 New Brunswick 3 Yukon 1 Northwest Territories 5 Nunavut 5 Federally 3 All board members must be over the age of majority. If your non-profit organization decides to incorporate federally as well as provincially then you must have enough board members to satisfy both the federal requirements and the provincial. iii. Recruit individuals with expertise to help you get your nonprofit started. Involving Stakeholders Once you have decided on the need you would like to address begin by bringing together a group of individuals who are interested in joining you as a founding member. The founding members will most likely be the individuals who sit on the first board for the organization. Community leaders, prospective funders, public and private sector workers, along with individuals who will benefit from your services will all make excellent co-founders or future board members. When meeting with these individuals and explaining your idea try and get feedback and see if they can help you recognize problems, plan for the future, or have interest in eventually being a board member. iv. Decide on the initial board of directors. The Board Although there are infinite organizational structures for non-profits what remains the same is that the board (while elected in some cases) is the final word on the policies, budgets, programs, and all other aspects of a non-profit organization. Under provincial and federal legislation a board is required in order for non-profit organizations to incorporate. Deciding on Board Members There are two schools of thought when it comes to deciding who should be on a particular board and what their qualifications should be. One thought is that the primary function of the board should be fundraising and individuals on the board should be experts in fields like law and accounting in order to save the organization the costs associated with hiring experts outside the organization. The other belief is that boards should represent the client base that they serve, because individuals who experience issues have the most first hand knowledge and can contribute valuably to the solution. There is also the option of incorporating both experts and part of the client base to foster a diverse board. Where to Look for Board Members There are many services available that will help you recruit board members for your non-profit organization. Boardmatch.org is one of many websites that allows individuals interested in volunteering the opportunity to post their CV and have it referred to organizations looking for members. Networking is another way of attracting board member. Organizations can also use job posting boards to post board positions. The greater the number of perspective board members the better the chance of finding the perfect one. Name Registration Every province has a slightly different way in which you should go about registering the name of your non-profit organization. It is best to phone your provincial government and find out the specific requirement for your province. All provinces require: • That the name be distinctive. Every province may have a list of words that are not allowed to be used in registered names. Below is a table outlining the fees associated with registering a name for incorporation in different provinces.
British Columbia $30.00 Alberta included in incorporation fee Saskatchewan $20-$50.00 Manitoba $40.00 Ontario Dependent on Searchin House Quebec included in incorporation fee Nova Scotia $48.56 Newfoundland and Labrador $10.00 Prince Edward Island $100.00 New Brunswick included in incorporation fee Yukon $20 Northwest Territories included in incorporation fee Nunavut included in incorporation fee Federally $60.71 [Back to Top]vi. Formalize a structure for the organization Structure Upon deciding on the founding members the next task is to decide on the structure of your organization. Traditional Structure vii. In order to incorporate you must draft a set of Articles of Incorporation Articles of Incorporation In order to complete the incorporation process you must clearly layout how your organization is structured and articulate the goals of the organization. These requirements must be written in a formal document and are referred to as the articles of incorporation. viii. Draft a Set of Bylaws Drafting Bylaws Bylaws are a set of rules decided on by the board that dictate how your organization is supposed to behave. The structure of the organization, the structure of board meetings and their duration and intervals, the roles of staff, the structure of committees, and anything else that is unique to your organization should be included in the bylaws. ix. Prepare Audited Financials Financial Management Audited financial are an organizations financial statements that have been audited by a certified general accountant or a chartered accountant. For more detailed information look to the tips and guidelines section. [Back to Top]
Filing Incorporation The steps for filing incorporation papers are different in every province. The best thing to do is contact your provincial government and ask for a list of required paperwork as well as the address it is to be mailed to. All provinces require that you register the name of your organization as well as include the articles of incorporation. Below is a table outlining the cost (not including name registration) and the waiting period for incorporation in every province.
British Columbia $100.00 10 days Alberta $50.00 10 days Saskatchewan $65.00 14 days Manitoba $70.00 30 days Quebec $145.00 26 days Nova Scotia $35.00 21 days Newfoundland and Labrador $70.00 n/a Prince Edward Island Varies n/a New Brunswick $62 - $212.00 15 days Yukon $50.00 n/a Northwest Territories $50.00 n/a Nunavut TBD n/a Federal $250.00 5 days [Back to Top] Once your non-profit has been incorporated the board must remember to submit a copy of the audited financials every year within thirty days of the annual general meeting. Any changes made to incorporation documents, including bylaws, must be reported within ten working days. The government occasionally sends out a Special Notice requesting specific information that information must be returned with in thirty days of the notice being issued. [Back to Top] How to create a strategic social plan Pre-conditions for a successful social plan. Conducting a SWOT of your current environment in relation to your non-profit (idea) would be highly beneficial as a precursor for a successful social plan. A SWOT analysis represents the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats of your current situation and provides an opportunity for you to clearly indicate your situational context and how certain benchmarks and indicators can be used for success. Some examples include: • Strengths – strong mission, active board recruitment, engaged stakeholders. • Weaknesses – have not secured long-term funding. • Opportunities – current social landscape reflects strong interest in development of X initiative. • Threats – limited human resources threatened ability to secure funding and expand initiative. What is a strategic social plan? It is a framework for rationally and effectively responding to a specific social need. Your non-profit organizations should have a formal document that is approved by the board and outlines its social plan. Who should write the plan? Depending on the structure of your non-profit organization it is possible for many individuals to decide on the social plan. Social Policy Advisory Committees joined by the board and the executive director are usually good choices for social plan authors. How to structure a social plan? Begin the social plan with a brief introduction outlining background information, addressing and defining the social need, and the reason for the social plan. In the body of the plan include goals, objectives, and action steps. It may also help your non-profit organization if they outline a vision and then follow that up with action steps to achieve the vision. What are the benefits of having a social plan? A social plan is a valuable way of attracting attention from a community towards a particular social need. The goal is that attention will lead to support and support will lead to action. Resources The best resources for information on how to structure a plan can come from looking at other social plans. Some non-profit organizations, cities, and companies have social plans that are available to the public. 4. Fundraising Tips and Guidelines Foundations and Grants Grant Sources Online • Imagine Canada – www.imaginecanada.ca Books Other Grant Applications The key to a successful grant application is knowing who you are asking. Every grant application is different and should be tailored to meet the wants of the donor. i. Research what other organizations have received grants from the institution before, and look at the qualities and characteristics of those organizations; this will help you create a list of “suspects”. This may also help you to determine what the amount of your ‘ask’ should be. Research will also let you know who the foundation’s trustees, directors and staff are and could assist you with connecting your cause personally. ii. Build a Relationship – once you have completed your research, and know the foundation is a “suspect”, work to connect with them (preferably in person or on the phone) to ask them critical questions. • Introduce yourself, your organization and your leadership; iii. Determining your “ask” - In most cases foundation offer a wide range of grants but if you ask for too much or too little you may often be ignored. The ideal proposal is three to five pages long providing a detailed description of what is being proposed. If granting guidelines are given, FOLLOW THEM CAREFULLY. Foundations have created these guidelines for specific reasons and in order to be successful, you have to provide them with the information that they want. iv. Tell a story – fundraising is an art and a science, and one the most important aspects of successful fundraising is telling your story: • Why is your cause/project/organization compelling? v. Follow-up - Four weeks after submitting a grant application it is beneficial to follow up with a phone call. If your organization is short-listed for a grant and is asked to make a presentation it is best to keep things simple and transparent. During the short-list presentations many organization will go over their time limit and not allow the panel time to ask question, this does not reflect well on your organizational abilities and the organization itself. In presentations handouts and powerpoint presentations are helpful to guide the presentation, but should not be relied on, technical difficulties do happen. The most important thing to remember is to always tailor your message to be audience specific in any application or presentation. Corporate Sponsorship Corporate sponsorship can be a powerful tool for marketing, public relations, and funding. The mutually beneficial relationship allows the corporation to look good, through being affiliated with a good cause, and provides you with the benefit of funding and publicity. The best way to find a corporate sponsor is through research. Go to different corporate websites and read up on what causes they are interested in. Once you have found a corporation interested in the same causes look for an application or find out the procedure for receiving sponsorship. In many cases corporations feel more comfortable starting small, like sponsoring an event or providing materials for the event rather than money. It takes time to cultivate a trusting relationship. It is important to remember that many corporations have strict reporting procedures. Organization should weigh the benefits of having the sponsorship against the energy needed for reporting to decide if a sponsorship is worthwhile. Donor Recognition Foundations and corporations may have very specific ideas about how they would like to be recognized. It is important when you’re building the fundraising relationship to have an open discussion about what kinds of recognition are important to the foundation/corporation. As an organization you can determine what levels of recognition will be associated with what donation levels. For example, a foundation that donates $100,000 would likely get more (or more prominent) recognition than a foundation that donated $1,000. Recognition should be clear and usually be associated with a certain timeline. Some recognition opportunities include: Individual Donors Individual donations are great for your non-profit organization for many reasons. Individual donations can be a source or revenue for your organization that is unrestricted. Many grants are given to organizations to complete a specific task and are often required to be used for that purpose and that purpose only. The money that comes in from individual donors tends to be less restricted and can be convenient for things like paying salaries, updating technology, or just giving you the freedom to work on a great project that doesn’t really appeal to grant makers. Direct Mail and Monthly Giving Direct Mail, in the context of non-profits, is a mass mailing to current and potential donors. The primary goal of direct mail is to cultivate donor relationships and secondarily to get donation. Every piece of direct mail should have the goal of making the donor feel like they have made a difference as well as making potential donors want to make a difference. Direct Mail can be done in print as well as over the internet. If your organization decides to do a mailing it is recommended that you talk to Canada Post about their bulk mailing options. Electronic direct mail is usually the preferred method for smaller organizations because it is free. In short, direct mail is an excellent tool that should be used by non-profit organizations to develop relationship and solicit donations. Monthly Giving can be done online via groups like CanadaHelps (www.canadahelps.org)This online services allows you to be searched by organization name or type and then individuals can indicate donation type (i.e., one-time, monthly). Planned Giving Planned giving is a term to describe donations that are planned in advance. Sometimes they come in the form of an individual wanting to donate a lot of money over a set period of time in order to receive the maximum tax benefit. In other cases planned giving comes in the form of a donation included in an individuals will or a donation of a piece of property. There are many forms that planned giving can take but what is clear is that planned giving is beneficial to both the donor and the receiving organization. Major Gifts Major gifts are large donations that are usually made by individual donors. These gifts are usually given with requirements attached, like money for a new building, or money for a new expensive program. Major gifts usually stem from existing donor relationships because they require such a cultivated relationship. If your organization has decided to pursue specific donors in hope of gaining a major gift then there are a few things to remember: • Know everything there is to know about your organization. Major gifts are difficult to get, but the process of asking becomes easier with practice. The key to a successful major gift campaign is excellent donor relationships. Donor Relations Cultivating a relationship with your donors is the key to successful fundraising. It is imperative for your organization to set up a donor recognition program from the time of the first donation. In the beginning a simple verbal ‘Thank You’ may be enough to have the donor feel that their donation has been appreciated, but as your organization expands, and more donations come in, it may be difficult to offer every donor a verbal appreciation. After a donation is made it is a good idea to update the donor on what the organization has been up to, and in the case of larger donations, make sure to update the donor on how their money was used. It is always good idea to use a few specifics when referencing what a donation has helped accomplish and also to acknowledge that the task would have been more difficult without the help of the donor. Many organizations choose to have a donor recognition event that thanks all donors and give out awards and special mentions. No matter what the technique is, all that is important is that the donor feels like their contribution mattered and was appreciated by your organization. [Back to Top] Public Relations Day-to-Day Public Relations Although the day-to-day activities that cause your organization to interact with the media can seem meaningless it is important to realize that every action contributes to the public’s perception of your organization. The manner in which the public is greeted over the telephone to the length of reply-time to emails all impact the public’s perception. Maintenance of existing relationships is also achieved through day-to-day public relations. Through newsletters and group e-mails your organization is able to foster a better relationship with those it has already made contact with. Effectively offering great day-to-day public relations is the cheapest way for an organization to cultivate an image and can be as easy as a simple “Thank You”. Going outside of an organization to attract a larger constituency is important because it can help an organization attract new donors and volunteers. Press releases, brochures, newsletters, and conferences can all attract new individuals to your organization. It is important to remember to not build more relationships than your organization can handle. Although it is commonly believed that you can never have too many donor relationships, this is not true if you do not have staff to support and maintain the relationships. Losing relationships because of lack of capacity often leaves a negative image with those who were left out. Partnering for Public Relations When organizations work together for a common goal they have the option of working together to promote that partnership with the public. Partnerships are beneficial because they cut down on costs and allow for shared responsibility. There are also potential for problems with partnering. If two organizations become intertwined in the public’s perception, they have to share the risk of negative public relations. If for example one organization has what is deemed a scandal by the public, the other organization will be automatically associated with it, even if they were not involved. It is very important for organizations to choose the right partners for the right activities. The audiences for non-profit organizations are those in the public that are listening to your organizations message and paying attention to what your organization is doing, or members of the public that have the potential to do so. Knowing who is listening is crucial to developing a strategic marketing plan. The more defined the audience is, the easier it is to market to the audience. Audiences can be segmented by any characteristic that is shared by the entire audience (ex. location, gender, marital status, etc.). There are mutual benefits for partnerships between your non-profit organization and for-profit companies and corporations. The corporations benefit because they are linked with a good cause, and your non-profit benefits because they are able to get free marketing and in some cases funding. Like in the case of all partnerships, it is important for non-profit organizations to remain autonomous from their for-profit partner in order to manage the risk of poor association. Partnering with a for-profit institution is often referred to as cause-related marketing. Technology has allowed non-profit marketing to be not only effective but also to be affordable. Newsletters can be sent out for free via email. Fundraising requests can be sent out over email allowing for more profit. Non-profit organizations can also receive free public service announcements on the radio, in newspapers, or on TV. Guerilla marketing can also be used to insight interest into your organization. There are a plethora of cost saving or free marketing tools that can be used in order to market your non-profit organization. The best way to find the appropriate and most cost efficient marketing tools is to search on the internet, as well as, if you see an interesting marketing technique contact the organization for more information. Direct Marketing Media How to Connect with the Media When you try to get your organization media exposure it is always best to think about the audience first. Take some time to analyze who benefits from your organization and what the ideal outcome of media coverage would be. If your organization is trying to get coverage in order to gain support for a fundraising campaign then you are going to want to find a media source which is most popular with your donor demographic. If your client base is dwindling because not enough people know about your organization then you are going to want to find a media outlet with an audience that consists of your clients are people that interact with your clients. The best way to connect with the media is by doing research. Once you decide on a specific media source then you should contact them. Phone or email the source and find out how you would go about getting coverage. Most media outlets provide free public service announcements for non-profit organizations so the key is for you to find out who you should send it to and when it should be submitted. Remember to record media information and keep it on file to make it easier next time your organization would like coverage. Media Outlets and Resources Every organization is different and therefore the media outlet that will best you’re your organization will differ from other organizations. Using local familiar media may be best for your organization when it is small, and as it expands so can the scope of your media campaigns. If you are having trouble finding or deciding on a media outlet to use it can sometimes be helpful to find an organization similar to your own and research the media coverage they have received. 6. Financial Management
How to Select an Accountant Choosing an appropriate knowledgeable accountant is critical to the success of your organization. The easiest way to find an accountant is to talk to other non-profit organizations and ask for referrals. The next step is to sit down and interview different candidates to determine who the organization is comfortable with and if the price is fair. During the interview it is important to outline all the needs necessary, including: professional status (chartered accountant, Certified General Accountant, Bookkeeper, etc), specialized field, or anything that makes your specific organization unique. It is also beneficial to select an accountant that will be able to stay with the organization for multiple years. Legal Requirement of Financial Management Tax Receipts Information Return Financial Statements A Financial statement is a report which includes a balance statement, income statement, statement of retained earnings, and a statement of change in financial position. Income statement: A summary of all revenues and expenses for a specific time period. Statement of retained earnings: Details the amount of income retained by your organization from year to year. Statement of financial position: A statement which outlines where current funds came from and where they are intended to go. It is basically an outline of transactions. [Back to Top]Creating/maintaining a Budget Budgeting is a necessary tool for every non-profit organization. The best way to go about creating one is to sit down a few months before your year ends and decide on the goals, programs, grants, and details of the next year. Staff and board members should all take part in the budgeting process. A budget is very simple, it is basically an outline of the expenses and earnings that will take place in the future. Expenses should include things like staff salaries, supplies, rent, utilities, program costs, training courses, to name a few. Earnings should be things like grants, donations, event income, interest, and many many more. Budgets become easier year after year because you can apply what you learned from the previous budget onto the next. After you have outlined all of your expenses and revenues, you should total them and find out if your organization will be running on a surplus or deficit. After creating a financial budget for the year many non-profit organizations also create monthly budgets so they can stay on track. Budgeting is simple if you are a small organization with few to report to but as your organization grows it may be helpful to involve an individual with a financial background to help you with the budgeting process. Things can get complicated when your organization starts to own things like property and expensive equipment which may need to be amortized. The most important part of budgeting is to make sure it is done right, so if you have questions make sure to ask! [Back to Top]Insurance Liability Insurance It’s recommended that your non-profit organization get at least $100 000 worth of liability insurance. Liability insurance is used to cover the costs if your organization is held liable for something. Liability coverage not only protects your non-profit organization but also your board members. No matter what need your organization serves or how small your organization is, liability insurance will help to lesson the risk on your board members and help you organization to be sustainable. Accidents happen, your organization may get a bad volunteer or a troubled board member, liability insurance is the best option to ensure that your organization survives. Property Insurance 7. The Human Resource Dimension Board Development 1) When your organization involves a new board member it is important that someone explain to the individual why they were selected, the skills that the organization is hoping to gain through their involvement, as well as expectations surrounding commitment. Governance In order for your non-profit organization to run effectively and reach its full potential it is important to have a strong and committed board equally committed to efficiency and effectiveness. To a great extent the structure chosen for the board can determine its efficiency and effectiveness, but there is also the human side. Because individuals enter the board with different levels of knowledge and different backgrounds it is helpful for individual board members to attend workshops to build specific skills. Equally important to the skills individuals bring to the board is the ability the board has to work together towards common goals. Board effectiveness and efficiency are improved by planned workshops, board retreats, guest speakers and presenters, seminars and conferences. It is important for boards to be able to work together, despite diverse backgrounds and experience, in order to have an organization run effectively. Staff Recruitment The goal of recruiting and selecting employees is to find the best employee for the job. Before recruiting it is important for your organization to have a detailed job description. Once a suitable job description is created your organization can either release it to the staff or to the public, depending on policy. When an organization decides to recruit employees from outside the organization it is important to post the job opening in not just one medium. Newspaper classifieds, internet job boards, as well as email can all be great sources for attracting new employees. It is important to remember that the more applications and resumes your organization receives the higher the likelihood of finding the most suitable employee. As staff grows and your organization gets bigger, it is important to remember to keep an up to date personnel manual outlining the organizations employment policies. Although policies on sick leave, overtime, etc. do not seem necessary when an organization is small, it is a definite asset and facilitates smother future expansion. Volunteer Recruitment The first thing your organization must do to attract volunteers is determine how many volunteers they need and develop job descriptions for the potential volunteers. There are many directories available that can refer lists of individuals interested in volunteering to an organization. Directories sometimes allow you to request volunteers with expertise in specific areas like finance, PR, or fundraising. If volunteers are needed for a specific event it is an option to borrow volunteers from a different organization. Many organizations work towards the same goals and volunteers are sometimes willing to help out a relatable organization, especially if it is just a short term request. Volunteer Orientating and Evaluating Once volunteers have been recruited it is important to recognize their contribution to the organization. Yearly volunteer recognition events and awards are usually a good way of letting volunteers know they are appreciated. Recognition events allow for organizations to retain volunteers for a longer period of time which benefits staff who do not have to be consistently focused on recruiting. Recognition on the day-to-day scale can be as simple as a “Thank You”. Human Resources and Work-place Safety and Insurance Board References to Relevant Provincial and Federal Employment Legislation British Columbia http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/esaguide/ Alberta http://employment.alberta.ca Saskatchewan http://www.labour.gov.sk.ca/standards/$50.00 Manitoba http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/ Ontario http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_00e41_e.htm Quebec http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/home/index.asp Nova Scotia http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/employmentrights/ Newfoundland and Labrador http://www.hrle.gov.nl.ca/hrle Prince Edward Island http://www.gov.pe.ca/sss/lairas-info/dg.inc.php3 New Brunswick http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_training_and_labour/labour.html Yukon http://www.community.gov.yk.ca/labour/index.html Northwest Territories http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/Divisions/Labour/index.htm Nunavut http://www.gov.nu.ca/ 8. Growth and Expansion Often non-profit organizations decide to expand because their client base is expanding. Greater needs in a community can be a result of many factors like economic change, government policy, or other trends. It is important to determine what the cause is for the change in client demand in order to decide if it is a short term or long term change. If it is a short term change it is beneficial for an organization to hire staff on a contract and find short term funding to address the need. If the expansion is going to be long term it is important for an organization to acquire long term funding. Resource based In many cases, non-profit organizations chose to expand because they have acquired additional funding that will allow them to do so. It is important to realize that expansion is only necessary if there is a client base with a need. Over saturation of the market place can be a result of too much expansion and can lead to the evaporation of other non-profits, which does not benefit the client base. It is always best for non-profits to stay focused on their mission and to parallel their growth of the need of their client base. When the expansion of your organization becomes inevitable it is important to decide on a structure. The most popular structure for non-profit expansion is the ‘branch model’. In the ‘branch model’ leadership remains centralized. To facilitate expansion more supervisory roles are created to ease the burden to the executive director. The new supervisors report to the executive director, but take care of the day to day micromanaging tasks. Branch expansion is often preferred by smaller and younger non-profit organizations because it maintains the authority of senior staff, and ensures that the executive director maintains control over the macro organization but allows for a more micro approach in areas, if chosen. 9. Operational Management: Tips and Guidelines What you need to Succeed The Volunteers Most non-profit organizations in Canada do not have paid staff. Most are ran solely by dedicated volunteers. In organizations that are able to afford staff, volunteers are still an important part of the organizations. Volunteers can provide your organization with the human resources to provide programs that may otherwise not be offered. Volunteers also provide contacts and links to future volunteers if they enjoy their experience. Managing volunteers well, and providing appropriate recognition will help to make your organization great. The Funding Whether from person donations or large grants from foundations your non-profit organization is going to need to find some sort of funding to survive. When you are researching and projecting possible funding sources for your non-profit organization it is good to remember to diversify. Try not to get all your funding from the same place, because if something happens and for some reason that funder becomes disinterested your organization will have nothing to fall back on. Funding from Grants (big and small), individual donations, events, and other fundraising activities are within the reach of all non-profit organizations. The Whole Package Without volunteers and funding it would be difficult to impossible to keep your non-profit afloat, but funding and volunteers are not the only necessary ingredients to make a successful non-profit organization. Financial management, good governance, consistant evaluations, trained volunteers, a progressive board, and successful marketing are necessary to make your non-profit organization succeed. How to Evaluate Every aspect of your non-profit organization should be evaluated. It may be helpful for your organization to come up with a timeline for how frequently things should be evaluated. There are obvious evaluations like programs that should be evaluated (at least) annually, and staff evaluation that should take place annually, but there are also less obvious evaluations that should be done. Your organization should evaluate their fundraising plan, grant applications, volunteer recruitment techniques, client base, accessibility, mission statement, to name a few. Evaluation is important to the success of an organization and should be done regularly to ensure that your organization is on an efficient and effective track. References and Resources: Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization By Joan Hummel 2. Strategic Management and Creating a Strategic Plan The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management By Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc. 3. Resource Development – Fundraising Tips www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/pc-cp/pubs/index_e.cfm Conversations about Capacity Building By Joanne Kidd Marketing communications for local nonprofit organizations: targets and tools Edited by Donald R. Self, Walter W. Wymer, Jr. and Teri Kline Henley 5. Financial Management http://www.bnymellon.com/clients/publicnonprofit.html Budgeting for Not-for-Profit Organizations By Robert D. Vinter and Rhea K. Kish Introduction to Nonprofit Organization Accounting By Emerson O. Henke 6. The Human Resource Dimension – Board Development, Staff Recruitment and Volunteer Recruitment The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management By Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc. Executive Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations: New Strategies for Shaping Executive-Board Dynamics By Robert D. Herman and Richard D. Heimovics Welcome to the Board: Your Guide to Effective Participation By Fisher Howe 7. Operational Management Voluntary Nonprofit Enterprise Management By David E. Mason Management of Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations in Canada Edited by Vic Murray 8. Growth and Expansion Conversations About Capacity Building By Joanne Kidd Voluntary Nonprofit Enterprise Management By David E. Mason Sustaining Nonprofit Performance By Paul C. Light
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