Best Practices

[Tip Sheet]

20 Questions You Should Be Able to Answer About Your Org's Financial Health

Your rating: None Average: 4 (4 votes)
20 Questions That You Should Be Able to Answer At Any Given Time About Your Organization's Financial Health

  1. For each revenue line item, are we meeting our goals? If not, how much are we off, and do we have an explanation for why?


  2. What are acceptable variations and fluctuations in expected revenue?  
  3. Read more


[Recommended Book]

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

4.52
Average: 4.5 (25 votes)
By Stephen R. Covey
Another example of how business principles can effectively be applied in the nonprofit world.

Publisher's Description:

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People is a comprehensive program based on developing an awareness of how perceptions and assumptions hinder success—in business as well as personal relationships. Here's an approach that will help broaden your way of thinking and lead to greater opportunities and effective problem solving.  Read more


[Private Vault Tool]


Budget Worksheet

Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

The budget should accurately reflect the direct costs of the project.

Typical budgets are divided into two parts:  Read more


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[Recommended Book]

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

1
Average: 1 (2 votes)
By Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
Solid business concepts every nonprofit manager can and should apply to their nonprofit.
 
Publisher's Description:
 

"This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders. It is not about visionary product concepts or visionary products or visionary market insights. Nor is it about just having a corporate vision. This is a book about something far more important, enduring, and substantial. This is a book about visionary companies." So write Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in this groundbreaking book that shatters myths, provides new insights, and gives practical guidance to those who would like to build landmark companies that stand the test of time.  Read more


[Recommended Book]

Care and Feeding of a Non-Profit Board: So You "Wanna" Be a Board Member!

3
Average: 3 (3 votes)
By Willi Baer
Publisher's Description:  

If you have ever served on a non-profit board of directors or would like to do so, this book is for you. The author takes you through the recruitment and board development process, orientation, training, hiring, stewardship and evaluation of the Executive Director, termination (when necessary), setting policy, strategic planning, and self-evaluation as well as dealing with the difficult board member. Knowing when to step down is equally important and is also addressed here. Do yourself and your colleagues a favor and don't put it down until you've finished.  Read more


[Tip Sheet]

Conducting a Quality Board Meeting

Your rating: None Average: 3 (2 votes)

  1. Agenda must contain significant items.


  2. Agenda and support materials sent in advance.
  3.   Read more


[Recommended Book]

Critical Issues in Fund Raising

3.333335
Average: 3.3 (3 votes)
By Dwight Burlingame
Burlingame is a thought-provoking author, always expect the best from him.

Publisher's Description:

As the nexus between the nonprofit community and the donors who support it, the fund-raising profession has a tremendous impact on how the nonprofit sector is perceived by the public and how it fares in an atmosphere of decreasing government support and increasing competition for donor dollars. But fund-raising professionals must cope with a growing list of important issues, including resource management, increased regulation at all levels of government, ethical scrutiny, donor diversity, and the establishment of professional standards. In the face of all these pressures, it is not surprising that little attention has been given to the premises that underlie many of the decisions fund raisers make in their daily professional lives.  Read more


Development Office Start Up Special Offer!

If your organization is planning to start a development office this year, don’t miss this opportunity for savings! CAPITAL VENTURE is offering our start up program at a discounted price for clients who schedule before June 30, 2009 for start up before August 31, 2009.

In today’s economy, we know how important it is for you to maximize your budget and for your office to be cost-effective and successful immediately. The CAPITAL VENTURE program is a culmination of years of experience setting up development offices for nonprofits covering every area of interest and service.  Read more


[Tutorial]

Does Planning Really Matter?

2
Average: 2 (1 vote)
By Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE
CAPITAL VENTURE CEO/President
Originally published in the Club Managers Association of America Newsletter
“Cheshire Puss,” Alice began, “Would you tell me please which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a great deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice, “so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.

— Lewis Carroll

What is strategic planning? It can be defined as a program incorporating a strategy for achieving organizational goals and objectives within a specific timeframe and with substantive support in the form of methods, priorities and resources.   Read more


[Tutorial]

Establishing the Development Budget

3.333335
Average: 3.3 (3 votes)
By Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE
CAPITAL VENTURE CEO/President

Establishing the development office budget needs to be done by the development officer and the administrative team of the organization. It is unrealistic to think that a development program can succeed without making an investment in the development office. It often takes two to three years for a development office to be bringing in sufficient funds to cover expenses. Start up costs may be substantial and it may take a while to develop a donor base. Some things that need to be included in the budget are:Read more


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