Educational Resource Packets

The following educational resource packets are available from the Standards for Excellence Institute:

1.   Mission and Organizational Evaluation - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Developing a mission statement
  • Viewing sample mission statements
  • Reviewing your organizations mission statement

2.   Program Evaluation - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Detailing the key elements of program evaluation
  • Deciding how to evaluate
  • Deciphering methods of data collection (qualitative and quantitative)
  • Evaluating for program effectiveness, efficiency, and outcomes for program participants
  • Evaluating the cost benefit relationship of programs.

3.   Program Service - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Implementing confidentiality policies
  • Making available grievance policies
  • Securing program participant satisfaction.

4.   On-Going Planning by Organization's Board of Directors - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Reviewing reasons for planning
  • Implementing ongoing planning activities
  • Putting long range planning into practice
  • Engaging in strategic planning
  • Organizing through yearly operational planning
  • Starting and implementing the ongoing planning process

5.   Compensation and Employee Evaluation - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Hiring and evaluating the executive director
  • Evaluating employee performance
  • Conducting a salary structure review
  • Developing a compensation philosophy

6.   Board Composition - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Commitment to the mission of the organization
  • Board size
  • Board diversity
  • Employees on the board
  • Term limits
  • Compensation of board members

7.   Conduct of the Board - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Meeting board expectations
  • Selecting, orientating, recruiting, training and developing, and evaluation of board members
  • Attending board meetings
  • Tips for running effective meetings
  • Keeping meeting minutes

8.   Conflict of Interest - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Implementing a conflict of interest policy
  • Importance of identifying conflicts
  • Allowing for disclosure
  • Identifying real or perceived conflicts
  • Utilizing a model conflict of interest policy

9.   Personnel Policies and Employee Orientation - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Reviewing personnel policies and model employee handbook
  • Developing of personnel policies
  • Drafting employee handbook
  • Distributing handbook
  • Orienting employees

10.   Volunteer Policies - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Developing volunteer policies
  • Screening or initial assessment
  • Assigning and training volunteers
  • Ongoing supervision and evaluation
  • Recognition and opportunities for advancement

 

11.   Financial Planning and Monitoring - Budget, Audit and Internal Financials - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Understanding fiduciary responsibilities of board members
  • Reading and preparing budgets, financial statements, and audits

 

12.   Reporting Financial Improprieties - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Reporting financial improprieties
  • Identifying misuse of organization resources
  • Establishing methods for confidential reporting
  • Implementing a confidential reporting policy

 

13.   Financial Policies - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Establishing investment policies
  • Establishing internal controls policies including unrestricted net assets/reserves
  • Discerning policy vs. procedure
  • Establishing purchasing policies and thresholds

 

14.   Legal Compliance and Accountability - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Examining requirements applicable to tax exemption/tax exempt status
  • Reviewing requirements for corporate start up
  • Covering requirements related to organizations with employees
  • Observing requirements applicable to lobbying activities

 

15.   Legal Compliance - Liability - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Reviewing immunity for nonprofits and federal law
  • Reviewing director's and officer's insurance
  • Reviewing other types of insurance

 

16.   Openness - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Writing annual reports
  • Ensuring public access
  • Following public disclosure requirements

 

17.  Fundraising Costs - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Controlling cost of raising money
  • Determining ratio of charitable contributions for fundraising results to costs
  • Realizing fundraising ratios
  • Reviewing reasonableness over time
  • Implementing fundraising cost guidelines

 

18.  Fundraising Practices - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Ensuring accurate and truthful solicitations
  • Reviewing examples of false claims in fundraising solicitations
  • Ensuring donor privacy
  • Implementing a sample donor privacy policy

 

19.   Solicitation and Acceptance of Gifts - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Preparing a gifts acceptance policy
  • Limiting persons or entities from whom organization will accept gifts
  • Limiting the type of gift and purpose for which gift will be used
  • Anticipating the unexpected

 

20.   Employment of Fundraising Personnel - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Avoiding the commission or formula-based compensation for fundraisers
  • Working with fundraising consultants vs. fundraising staff
  • Reviewing proper registration of fundraising consultants

 

21.   Public Policy Advocacy, Promoting Public Participation - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Reviewing advocacy and lobbying in charities
  • Defining the terms advocacy and lobbying
  • Examining allowable lobbying activities
  • Registering and disclosing public policy activities
  • Developing public policy/advocacy policy for your organization

 

22.   Public Education - Standards for Excellence Educational Resource Packet

  • Ensuring accuracy and presentation of materials released to public

 

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