Resources for managing nonprofit organizations

Running and managing nonprofit organizations is similar to managing a small business enterprise: strategic planning is necessary; achieving revenue goals is essential and serving the right audience is central to the nonprofit mission.

Here is a list of useful tools for nonprofit executive directors and managers:

Starting and Building a Nonprofit from Nolo Books.

This is an excellent book available through Amazon. It takes the reader from writing a mission statement to developing a nonprofit budget. It’s written by Peri Pakroo, author of The Small Business Start-up Kit.

There are sections that are well-written on developing a strategic plan, working with a board of directors, and guidelines for fundraising.

The Nonprofit Handbook by Gary Grobman is another recommended reference. While it’s similar to Starting and Building a Nonprofit this book also has an extensive section on Nonprofit Organization Ethics. It also points to the importance of financial management to nonprofits.

These books don’t have to be read cover-to-cover. Each chapter can stand on its own and serve as an easy, quick reference guide.

See links below for the following websites listed:

USA.gov, has a listing of fundraising resources for nonprofits. It contains property sales and auctions for government and nonprofit organizations. It also serves as a portal to other nonprofit resource sites.

Center for nonprofit management

This Web site is well-known for its resources and online articles that offer practical, how-to information. Articles focus on executive leadership, board governance, fundraising and marketing and management and supervision.

The Center for Nonprofit Management is located in Los Angeles but the information is applicable to nonprofit organizations anywhere in the United States. It also covers legal issues, too.

Foundation Center is another resource related to funding and grants through foundations. It is “the most authoritative source of information on private philanthropy in the United States.”

Tech Soup is a web site offering technical help for nonprofit organizations of all sizes. There are “how-to articles, worksheets, and product comparisons are written for all levels of technical expertise and all sizes of nonprofit and social benefit organizations.”

The site has an events and community center to make it easy to exchange ideas.

Nonprofit management is focused on people management: program recipients, volunteers, staff and key board members to donors and local businesses.

The nonprofit that stays focused on its mission and involves people passionately is in a good position to be successful in fulfilling its mission.