This document provides an overview of strategies for managing a nonprofit organization. It discusses key areas such as hiring and managing staff and volunteers, board administration, ethics and accountability, financial management, fundraising administration, and marketing and public relations. For each area, it provides tips and considerations. For example, when hiring staff, it recommends deciding needed roles, writing job descriptions, and choosing recruitment methods. For financial management, it suggests reviewing accounting books, resolving errors, and hiring an accountant. The presentation aims to help nonprofits strengthen operations and better achieve their missions.

1. Nonprofit Operations: Strategies &
Steps for Successful Mission Achievement
Heather Carpenter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Public, Nonprofit, and
Health Administration

2. Introductions
Name, Organization, Mission/Cause,
Budget size
Idea or established organization
What’s one area of nonprofit
operations/administration you are
hoping to learn more about today?

3. 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

4. Hiring and Managing: Key Staff and
Volunteers
Based on organizational activities decide
which staff and/or volunteers are
needed
Create specific roles and job
descriptions
Choose recruitment method
Volunteers as a Resource
Training and Development
Evaluation

5. 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?

6. 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

7. Hiring and Management: HR
Practices
Review Employment Records
Organize records to include relevant
information:
employee attendance,
disciplinary warnings,
vacation requests,
employment hiring forms,
benefit enrollment forms.

8. Hiring and Managing: HR
Practices
Training orientation procedures for new
employees.
See Sample New Hire Procedure Handout

9. Board Administration
With board’s advice and input
Create 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 public
 990s/ Annual Reports

10. Ethics and Accountability:
Insurance/Risk Management
Review the organization’s Insurance
policies
General Liability
 Special event forms
 Non-hired auto
Directors and Officers
Independent Sector’s Checklist for
Accountability

11. 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 Form
Relationships with Politicians
 Find your elected officials http://www.usa.gov

12. 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?

13. Financial Management
How is nonprofit accounting different
then for profit accounting?

14. 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.

15. Financial Management:
Financial Reporting
Sarbanes-Oxley
Review vs. Audit
Internal Controls

16. 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.

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

18. Fundraising Administration
Grant Filing System:
 Track grants folder by year/color coded
sub-folders including
 Proposal
 Contract
 Correspondence
 Report

19. Marketing and Public Relations
How is Marketing different than
fundraising?

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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?

23. Additional Resources
http://www.delicious.com/heathercarpe
nter
http://www.nonprofitalternatives.org
http://www.twitter.com/heathercarpent
e