Achieving Organizational Excellence Through the Performance Measurement System
This research report explores how organizations use financial and nonfinancial measures to achieve their goals.
AmeriCorps Program Applicant Performance Measurement Toolkit
The purposes of this Performance Measurement Toolkit are to introduce the concept of performance measurement, provide information on performance measurement as it applies to AmeriCorps programs, and in particular to help potential applicants for AmeriCorps funding satisfy the performance measurement requirements of the application process.
An Agenda for Action: Outcome Management for Nonprofit Organizations
This report represents an effort by nonprofit representatives, with a variety of perspectives in this diverse sector, to explore outcome measurement by nonprofit service providers and the use of the resulting information to better inform management of the programs.
A Board Member Contract
One way to be sure that everyone on the board is clear on his or her responsibilities is to adopt a board member contract. The discussion on the board about what to put in its contract or agreement is valuable in itself. This sample may help get that discussion started.
A Board-Staff Contract for Financial Accountability
Financial matters span a broad range of topics, including personnel and internal controls as well as accounting and the budget. Not all board members need to be familiar with financial terms and concepts, but each organization needs to develop a clear and explicit agreement for how financial accountability will be ensured. The following is a starting point for a "contract" which the board and staff can make to ensure a partnership for accountability.
A Financially Healthy CAA: A Board Member's Guide developed by MICA
Mid-Iowa Community Action created a training presentation – A Financially Healthy CAA: A Board Member's Guide – to assist Community Action Agency (CAA) board members in carrying out their duties related to the financial health of their agency.
A Financially Healthy CAA: Board Member's Guide
A Virtual CAP project description that provides an overview and access to the "A Financially Healthy CAA: Board Member's Guide" training CD developed by MICA.
An Organizational Assessment tool by Innovation Network
This tool is designed to help you understand your organizational strengths, and to throw some light on areas in need of improvement. It can be used as a framework around which to build an action-oriented workplan for enhancing your organization's effectiveness. The OAT can also help you inform your staff and Board of how things stand in your organization.
Analyzing Outcome Information: Getting The Most From Data
This guide describes the basic analysis activities nearly all programs can do themselves and identifies steps to interpret collected data and make the data useful for decision making.
Ants and the Cockroach: A Challenge to the Use of Indicators
This research report examines the use of indicators as a way of measuring outcomes. The author deals with the challenge of selecting effective indicators that give meaningful results.
Audit Committee Charter Matrix
Purpose of This Tool. Preparing an audit committee charter is often referred to as a best practice and is required for many public companies. It is encouraged for most organizations and required by some states for not-for-profit organizations. However, the charter is often prepared and forgotten except for its annual review. This tool is designed to help audit committees make the charter a living document and use it to manage the agenda. This tool is meant as a sample of what might be considered to be a best practice.
Audit Committee Financial Expertise Considerations
The following information illustrates how the audit committee might approach assuring it has access to requisite financial expertise.
Becoming a Better Supervisor: A Resource Guide for Community Service Supervisors
Becoming a Better Supervisor: A Resource Guide for Community Service Supervisors was developed to help front-line supervisors in all kinds of community service programs. The guide was drawn from three major sources of information: a comprehensive needs assessment; views of supervisors who participated in Supervisory Skills Workshops; and literature of specialists in the fields of supervision, management, and community participation.
Benchmarking: Leveraging Best-Practice Strategies
This research report explains how companies use benchmarking of best practices to improve performance, quality control, strategic decision making, and organizational learning.
Board Self-Assessment Tool
At a regular physical check-up, the doctor may begin by asking the patient, "How are you feeling?" The answer is important. Although some patients may feel well but have a hidden disease, the patient's own sense of well being is still an important indicator. In a similar way, when a board asks itself, "How do we feel about our board and our organization?" the answer is a useful indicator, if not an error-proof test. An annual poll of board members lets the board get a sense of how its members feel. There are many such surveys, but here's a short one you can try. Give board members a scale to choose from for each answer, such as 1 - 5 , with 1 being Not Confident and 5 being Very Confident. You might also ask your executive director (and other staff who frequently work with the board) to fill out a similar survey, and then use the results of both to kick off a discussion where people reflect on the survey results and establish objectives for the year about board activities.
CAPLAW Conflict of Interest Policy and Agreement for Directors and Staff of the Community Action Agency
This document is an example of a Conflict of Interst Policy and Agreement for Directors and Staff of theCommunity Action Agency povided to CAPLAW by Joel Kaleva, Esq., of Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole & Dietrich in Helena, Montana.
CAPLAW Information Technology Resources Policy
This policy sets forth Employer’s policies with regards to information technology (“IT”) resources (e.g., e-mail, electronic voice and video communication, facsimile, the Internet and future technologies), including Employer access to review or disclosure of electronic files, electronic mail and electronic voice and video communications through or stored on any part of the IT resources systems. This memorandum also sets forth the policies on the proper use of the IT resources systems. These policies do not constitute a contract.
CAPLAW Model Head Start Conflict Resolution
This is a sample policy dispute resolution agreement by CAPLAW.
CAPLAW Sample Community Action Agency Code of Conduct
This is a sample Community Action Agency Code of Conduct provided to CAPLAW by Joel Kaleva, Esq., of Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole & Dietrich in Helena, Montana.
CAPLAW Sample Community Action Agency Political Activity Policy
This document is a Sample Community Action Agency Political Activity Policy by CAPLAW
Community Action Agency Board Member TOOLKIT
This Toolkit for CAA Board Members focuses on a few topics: community assessment, Results-Oriented Management and Accountability, planning, basic Choices for Board members, history and future of community action, organization and responsibilities of a board, program monitoring and evaluation, and quizzes to help solidify knowledge.
Community Status Reports and Targeted Community Interventions: Drawing a Distinction
Community status reports and targeted community interventions are two useful tools in community work. The two share commonalities, including a “larger-than-program-level” focus (for example, neighborhood or community focus); heavy use of data; and the use of indicators. Because they are similar, the two tools are often confused. This paper clarifies the differences and relationships between community status reports and targeted community interventions, including the purpose of each approach, key tasks and challenges, and how the two relate in the work of creating stronger, healthier communities.
Conducting an Audit Committee Executive Session: Guidelines and Questions
This tool is intended to help the audit committee ask the right first questions, bearing in mind that the audit committee should have the necessary expertise to evaluate the answers and the insight to identify the appropriate follow-up question.
Conducting an Audit Committee Self-Evaluation: Guidelines and Questions
The sample questions included in this tool are suggestions and intended to provide a starting point to evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the audit committee.
Confused About Governance Models? You're not alone!
This article addresses the following questions:What difference do boards really make to nonprofit organizations? What is governance anyway? How can boards add value to organizations? How can we evaluate their performance? What do you think about the “policy governance” model? What are the alternatives?
Crafting a comprehensive approach to leadership development
Creating a leadership development program requires clarity on leadership values as well as competencies, clarity on the purpose for which a program is developing leaders, intentionality about reinforcing leadership development throughout all aspects of the program, and efforts to model and practice the leadership internally programs are seeking to develop among members. Public Allies offers this model in the resource Lessons on Leadership Development: Developing a Comprehensive Approach, shared at the AmeriCorps Best Practices Conferences in Nashville, Tennessee in April 2005.
CSSP's Learning Guide 6 Chapter 2 Sharing Accountability
Goal: You will understand shared accountability and options for partnership agreements and will know how to apply this understanding to the work of the Local Governance Partnership.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Building a Comprehensive Community Strategy
Goal: You will incorporate systems thinking into the development of a comprehensive community strategy.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Building a Core Funding Base
Goal: You will be able to identify financing strategies and sources for building a core funding base.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Identifying Promising Practices
Goal:You will incorporate systems thinking when developing a comprehensive community strategy by identifying promising practices.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Implementing Strategies
Goal: You will incorporate systems thinking when developing an implementation plan for a comprehensive community strategy.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Involving Partners in Strategy Development
Goal:You will know how to involve partners in the development of a comprehensive community strategy.
CSSP's Learning Guide for System Thinking
Goal: You will understand “systems thinking” and its importance when developing strategies to improve results for children, families, and communities.
CSSP's Learning Guide for Understanding Existing Funding and Resources
Goal: You will know how to identify and assess existing funding and resources.
CSSP's Learning Guide: Results-Based Accountability
Goal: You will understand the underlying concepts of results-based accountability and will know how to apply them to the work of the Local Governance Partnership.
CSSP's Learning Guide: A Collaborative View of Financing for Local Governance Partnerships
Goal: You will understand a collaborative view of financing and how this view relates to the work of Local Governance Partnerships.
CSSP's Learning Guide: Building a Data System
Goal: You will understand what a data system is, how to set one up, and how to apply this understanding to the work of the Local Governance Partnership.
CSSP's Learning Guide: Collecting Data
Goal: You will understand how to collect data and how to apply this understanding to the work of the Local Governance Partnership.
CSSP's Learning Guide: Measuring Progress Through Self-Evaluation
Goal: You will understand the importance of measuring progress and will know how to apply a self-evaluation approach to the work of the Local Governance Partnership.
CSSP's Learning Guide: Putting It All Together: Two Profiles
Goal: You will incorporate systems thinking when developing an implementation plan for a comprehensive community strategy.
Developing Community-wide Outcome Indicators for Specific Services
This guide focuses on how local community funders and service providers can work together to develop a common core set of indicators that each provider would regularly collect data on, for its own use and to provide to funders.
Discussions With the Independent Auditors: What to Expect
Auditing standards issued by the AICPA require that the auditor communicate, either orally or in writing, certain information to an audit committee of the board, or another designated party that performs oversight of the financial reporting process.
DOUBLE BOTTOM LINE PROJECT REPORT: Assessing Social Impact in Double Bottom Line Ventures
The Double Bottom Line Project, Co-Directed by RISE’s Director, has released the first catalog of methods that for-profit and nonprofit social ventures and enterprises can use to assess the social impact of their activities. The Catalog analyzes feasibility and credibility of 9 methods and provides examples of them in use.
Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool
The Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool provides a process for nonprofit organizations to clarify mission, define results, set goals, and develop a focused plan. The sections below provide an introduction to the content of the Tool, and detailed information about using and learning about the Tool.
Emergency Financial First Aid Kit
The EFFAK is a simple tool designed to assist you and your family in maintaining financial stability in the event of an emergency. EFFAK helps you to identify and organize key financial records and provides a quick reference file for your most important financial documents. One kit per household is recommended, although in the event one kit is used for a couple, all joint and separate accounts and liabilities should be included.
Evaluating Community Collaborations
Dr. Thomas E. Backer, ed., Springer Publishing Company, 2003, order at 877/687-7476. The first comprehensive treatment of theoretical, research and practice issues concerning the evaluation of collaborations, includes an extensive collection of forms that can be adapted for this purpose.
Evaluating the Auditor’s Engagement Letter—Questions to Consider
The sample questions included in this tool are a starting point to evaluating the engagement letter with the independent auditors. Audit committee members should answer the following questions with consultation of the auditor and financial management as needed.
Evaluating the Independent Auditors: Questions to Consider
Auditing standards issued by the AICPA require that the auditor communicate, either orally or in writing, certain information to an audit committee of the board, or another designated party that performs oversight of the financial reporting process.
Evaluating the Internal Audit Team: Guidelines and Questions
The sample questions included in this tool are only a starting point to assist the audit committee in evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the internal audit team.
Evaluation as a Pathway to Learning
Twenty-eight pages, from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. The latest thinking, case study summaries, resources and more on evaluation and grantmaking, with much of value for nonprofits. Can be downloaded at no charge.
Evaluation for Racial Equity
The Center for Assessment and Policy Development and MP Associates, Inc. launched a new website for those interested in evaluating their progress toward anti-racism and inclusion goals. Includes tips, tools, and links to additional information on all aspects of evaluation related to racial equity. Was created for Community Groups and Individuals who want to know more about how to do evaluation, are working on changing their communities, and want to be certain that their evaluations take into account issues of racism, power, privilege, and oppression in: (1) Ways they organize and carry out evaluation, (2) kinds of questions they ask and outcomes they measure, (3) thinking about and using results, (4)at every step along the way.
Evaluation of Capacity Building: Lessons from the Field
This research report helps practitioners move toward the goal of effective nonprofit capacity building by pointing to some evaluation tools that have worked for other organizations.
Evaluation of the Executive Director
This Assessment is best used as a "first draft" for your own tool. You might add questions related to publishing, or meeting with the press, or adapt these questions to your own organization's work.
Fraud and the Responsibilities of the Audit Committee: An Overview
This tool is intended to make audit committee members aware of their responsibilities as they undertake this important role. This tool highlights areas of activity that may require additional scrutiny by the audit committee.
Global Social Venture's Measuring Social Impact: The Foundation of Social Return on Investment (SROI)
While the true value of many social impacts can not be monetised, the SROI calculation is a straight forward approach to demonstrate value creation for society to social investors of all profiles.
Global Social Venture's Social Impact Assessment Guide I - Entrant Requirements
This document is the first in a series of three that define the GSVC entrant requirements for Social Impact Assessment.
Global Social Venture's Social Impact Assessment Guide II - Defining Social Value and Social Indicators
This document is the second in a series of three that define the GSVC entrant requirements for Social Impact Assessment.
Global Social Venture's Social Impact Assessment Guide III - Monetizing Social Value/SROI
This document is the third in a series of three that define the GSVC entrant requirements for Social Impact Assessment.
Goal Based or Goal Free Evaluation?
This research report discusses the advantages of a goal free evaluation, which tries to find what a program is actually doing without being cued to what it is trying to do.
Guidelines for Hiring the Chief Audit Executive (CAE)
An internal audit function is a key mechanism in the internal control structure for many organizations. It is recognized that most not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) cannot justify the expense of an internal auditor, while some have very large internal audit departments headed by a senior executive. It is becoming more common in larger organizations to refer to the person heading the internal audit function as the chief audit executive (CAE). As used in this tool, the terms chief audit executive and CAE refer to the person responsible for the audit function, irrespective of their title or organizational role.
Head Start Self-Assessment Guide: Your Foundation for Building Program Excellence
The Self-Assessment process, mandated to be done annually, involves the collection of information from a variety of sources to determine if systems and services have been implemented and are working effectively. Download this essential resource in html and/or pdf.
How Program Outcome Measurement Contributes to Community Impact
Community impact United Ways improve lives by investing in two broad strategies: services that are delivered directly to individuals and families -- the types of services that United Ways traditionally have supported; and efforts to create lasting changes in community conditions. Program outcome measurement is a core tool for both strategies. This brief paper identifies specific ways that it contributes to the work of the community impact United Way in three strategic areas.
Increasing State and Local Capacity for Cross-Systems Innovation: Assessing Flexibility and Opportunities under Current Law
By Mark Greenberg and Jennifer L. Noyes. This paper was written as part of a collaborative effort between the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Hudson Institute, and CLASP. The authors analyze the flexibility, opportunities, and barriers under current federal law with respect to cross-program integration and collaboration.
Independence and Related Topics: Conflict of Interest, Related Parties, Inurement, and Other Issues
The purpose of this tool is to provide audit committee and board members with an overview of issues of independence and related topics. These topics must be considered in connection with audit committee membership, board membership, and relationships with external auditors and other parties.
Independent Sector Panel on the Nonprofit Sector Accountability Tool
The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector has published recommended actions to strengthen governance, ethical conduct, and accountability among charitable organizations including 501(c)(3) agencies.The Panel’s recommendations place emphasis on the importance of transparency that involves providing the information that allows the public to make informed choices and government officials to root out problems. A sign-on form can be submitted electronically for organizations to show their support of the Panel’s Final Report. Organizations that sign on will be recognized on the Panel's web site and in press materials.
Internal Control: A Tool for the Audit Committee
This tool is intended to give audit committees basic information about internal control to understand what it is, what it is not, how it can be used most effectively in the organization, and the requirements of management with respect to the system of internal control over financial reporting.
Issues Report From Management
This tool is to be used by audit committees in considering significant issues, estimates, and judgments that may have a material impact on the organization’s financial statements, among other concerns.
Key Steps in Outcome Management
This guide documents the key steps in establishing and maintaining an outcome-oriented measurement process and in using the data collected.
La Piana's Ten Commandments for Executive Directors
A common cause of board/management dysfunction is a lack of clarity about the executive's responsibilities toward the board and about how to structure the relationship. David La Piana has drawn on his 16 years of successful executive leadership of a nonprofit and his 10 years consulting with nonprofit executive directors throughout the country to develop the following "Ten Commandments for Executive Directors." He has used it as a basis for training and mentoring of nonprofit chief executives.
Measuring What Matters in Nonprofits
This research report discusses three types of performance metrics useful for evaluating nonprofit performance: success in mobilizing its resources, its staff's effectiveness on the job, and progress in fulfilling its mission. Note: A free log-in is required to view this report.
Monitoring and Assessment Task Force (MATF) Guidance Measures
In August of 1994, Donald Sykes, the Director of the Office of Community Services (OCS), chartered the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Monitoring and Assessment Task Force. The task force created six broad goals and a list of direct measures for members of the Community Action Network to use when responding to GPRA.
National Community Action Management Academy: A Financial Planning Blueprint
The National Community Action Management Academy, an OCS T/TA grantee, is committed to helping Community Action Agencies foster stability, accountability and credibility. With an increasing emphasis on sound financial management, NCAM is pleased to announce a new series of trainings for agency executive directors and chief financial officers.
National Community Action Management Academy: Creating an Agency Wide Budget
The National Community Action Management Academy, an OCS T/TA grantee, is committed to helping Community Action Agencies foster stability, accountability and credibility. With an increasing emphasis on sound financial management, NCAM is pleased to announce a new series of trainings for agency executive directors and chief financial officers.
Outcome Measurement Data Management Systems for Agencies
Independently and in collaboration with local United Ways, health and human service agencies across the country have been implementing program-level outcome measurement. As these efforts generate outcome information, agencies look for ways to store, analyze, report, and track outcome data over time. This report was developed to help them identify commercially available software to meet that need.
Outcome Measurement in National Health & Human Service and Accrediting Organizations
Many national nonprofits are promoting and supporting program outcome measurement. This report describes outcome measurement activities of 33 national health and human service organizations, and activities and requirements of 4 national accrediting organizations. Includes summary tables and narrative descriptions, a list of outcome measurement resources from these organizations that are available to the public, and a summary of UWA’s collaborative activities with national agencies.
Outcome-focused Planning for Community Mobilizations
Creating lasting changes in community conditions that improve people's lives requires effective strategic planning and partnerships. This technical assistance brief summarizes United Way of America's outcome-focused planning process, which starts by explicitly identifying the target outcome - the specific change the community partnership seeks for a defined population.
Pathways To Outcomes
Each Pathway displays Actions that contribute to the Outcome, Attributes of Effectiveness, and Indicators that measure progress. Users will also find Rationale and Evidence that explain why actions are likely to contribute to achieving the outcome and Examples of programs that incorporate promising actions and attributes.
Peer Review of CPA Firms: An Overview
This tool is prepared to inform audit committee members about the practice-monitoring programs over the accounting and auditing practices of the substantial majority of CPA firms. This tool is intended to help audit committee members understand the obligations and oversight of CPA firms, and thereby gauge the suitability of the CPA firm for the not-for-profit entity.
Points to Consider When Engaging External Resources
While not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) are not subject to the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the audit committees of many NPOs may deem it necessary to engage outside advisers in the course of carrying out its duties. This tool is intended to assist audit committee members in understanding the process of engaging independent counsel and other advisers if needed.
Public and Private Agencies Need to Manage for Results, Not Just Measure Them
"To make measurement efforts really worthwhile, public and private agencies also need to analyze and use the information to help them improve services. This transforms 'outcome measurement' into 'outcome management."
Resources for Audit Committees
This Tool provides an overview of organizations and Web sites that contain topical resources for audit committee members to investigate.
Sample Request for Proposal Letter for CPA Services
This tool contains sample language that may be used by an organization when requesting a proposal letter from qualified CPA firms when seeking a new service provider. As such, the sample letter may be subject to audit committee review or discussion, if an audit committee exists.
Sample Whistleblower Tracking Report
If a not-for-profit organization chooses to institute a whistleblower program, this tool could be used by the audit committee and management to implement an appropriate policy and process, to review any complaints received regarding internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and to track complaints received to an appropriate resolution.
Single Audits – Circular No. A-133: Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations
This tool is intended to aid not-for-profit organizations in complying the requirements and expectations of the Single Audit Act, as well as to assist with compliance of the provisions of the Act.
Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning
Our Publications Strategy Formation: Beyond Strategic Planning This briefing paper describes our Strategy Formation project and the preliminary findings of our research on ways nonprofits can form effective strategies using a process that is less time-and resource-consuming than the typical strategic planning process now prevalent in the sector.
Supporting Cross-Program Integration: Some Recommendations for Federal Policy and Practice
By Mark Greenberg and Jennifer L. Noyes. This brief is based on the paper Increasing State and Local Capacity for Cross-Systems Innovation. Drawing on the papers’ findings and consultation with a range of state and federal policymakers, the brief provides the authors’ recommendations for federal action on cross-program state and local service integration efforts. This brief was written as part of a collaborative effort between the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Hudson Institute, and CLASP.
Surveying Clients About Outcomes
This guide provides information on what nonprofits need to know and consider when client surveys are used to track performance.
Ten Ways to Invigorate Board Meetings
When we think about the boards we're on, we usually think about the board meetings which says a lot about the importance of having good meetings. Try to implement one of the following ideas each month.
The Roles of the Nonprofit Board of Directors by LaPiana Associates, Inc.
To be effective, a nonprofit organizations needs a strong board of directors that understands its roles and pursues them with passion and a mission orientation. The following outline provides an overview of board roles and responsibilities to guide discussion between the Executive Director and board members seeking to define their place within the organization.
The United Way Outcome Measurement Resource Network
As leaders in results-oriented philanthropy, United Way of America and United Way organizations across the country have championed the adoption of outcome measurement by health and human service programs. The Resource Network offers information, downloadable documents, and links to resources related to the identification and measurement of program- and community-level outcomes.
Unique Transactions and Financial Relationships
This tool is intended to assist audit committee members in gaining an understanding of these unique transactions and relationships so they may assess the appropriateness of management’s accounting treatment for them and whether it meets the objectives of financial reporting.
Using Outcome Information: Making Data Pay Off
This guide offers practical advice to help nonprofits take full advantage of their work, identifying a variety of ways to use data and specific methods for pursuing each use.
