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 Home     May 17, 2012  
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The Standards for Excellence Code
Standards for Excellence Code Book
  • 8 Guiding Principles
  • 55 Performance Benchmarks

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    Get recognized for implementing the code through our tiered recognition and certification programs.
     
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    List of the organizations that have committed to improving their governance and management. These are truly organizations you can trust.

     
    On The Road to Excellence
      Standards for Excellence Institute staff have been criss-crossing the country to spread the word about the Standards for Excellence. Click here for information about our presentations.
     
    Our Blog
    Gifts with Strings and Friends in Low Places
    Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:31:47 +0000 -
    Garth Brooks sings about his less-than-reputable buddies in his popular country song, “Friends in Low Places.” It is hard to determine whose reputation appeared more sullied in Mr. Brooks’ recent headlining activities – himself or the nonprofit hospital which he sued for apparently not following his wishes. Recently, a jury in Oklahoma ordered the Integris [...]
    Celebrating and Deliberating over Right versus Right Decisions
    Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:19:31 +0000 -
    The ethics field lost a giant last week when Rushworth Kidder, President and Founder of the Institute for Global Ethics in Rockport, Maine passed way in Naples, Florida. While I am sorry to say that I never personally met Rush, I was an avid reader of his publications and works and I often cited a [...]
    Public media, ethics and integrity
    Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:03:40 +0000 -
    I had a pang of sadness and nostalgia recently when I read that the Helena Rubinstein Foundation would soon be closing its doors and ceasing operations.  You see, growing up in the seventies in suburban New Jersey, the Helena Rubinstein Foundation was the one and only foundation that ever crossed my conscientious because Helen Rubinstein [...]
    When is a brother not a family member?
    Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:34:55 +0000 -
    The Boston Globe (Khazei OK’d hiring brother at nonprofit, 8/22/2011) reported that Democratic primary Senate candidate Alan Khazei, former president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit, Be the Change, approved a consulting contract for his brother, Lance Khazei, a Hollywood writer, for his Be the Change work on media strategy.  According to the article, [...]
    Fundraising Pressure
    Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:26:17 +0000 -
    How much pressure is too much? I am aware of churches and other faith based organizations that include a list of those families who have made financial commitments to the congregation in each week’s bulletin or order of service.  This may or may not feel like too much pressure, but surely many of us would [...]
    Can you really deduct that as a charitable contribution?
    Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:43:21 +0000 -
    One of my friends once told me that she was never upset when she had to pay library fines because she supports and loves her local library.  Perhaps it is a very small price to pay for the ability to borrow such a variety of great books and not have to actually purchase these books [...]
    There’s no better time to implement the Standards for Excellence® code than right now!
    Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:20:45 +0000 -
    It is possible to implement Best Practices for your organization’s management and governance. Six months into 2011, the gyms that were so packed by well-meaning individuals with lofty New Year’s resolutions for getting in shape are now back to normal attendance levels. Many of us may also feel the year is now “old hat” and [...]
    Three Cups May Be Too Much
    Mon, 02 May 2011 13:27:05 +0000 -
    With the airing of 60 Minutes investigative report on Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and CEO of Central Asia Institute, a recognized 501(c)3, we are once again confronted with controversy in the nonprofit sector. Here is an organization with a very compelling and important mission – building schools and educating girls in [...]
    Raising the All Mighty Dollar: Board Involvement
    Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:28:53 +0000 -
    The Standards for Excellence Institute has always encouraged nonprofits to have a clearly written list of expectations for board members.  One of the most important responsibilities for every nonprofit board is the responsibility “to assure that adequate . . . financial resources (earned income, government contracts and grants, and charitable contributions) are available. . .”  [...]
    Fundraising Freedom
    Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:34:50 +0000 -
    In a recent column, the Baltimore Sun’s Jay Hancock slammed the relationship between nonprofit organizations and for-profit fundraisers.   He had received a telephone call on behalf of an organization to which he had previously donated, and after some digging, discovered that the nonprofit had only received 51% of the funds collected the last year from [...]
      
     
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