Answers to your most pressing social sector and nonprofit questions.
Social enterprise, also known as social entrepreneurship, broadly encompasses ventures of nonprofits, civic-minded individuals, and for-profit businesses that can yield both financial and social returns. One example of social enterprise...
One of the key responsibilities of a nonprofit board is to ensure that the organization has enough resources to fulfill its mission. Thus, board members are often encouraged, even required,...
Determining your nonprofit's technology needs and choosing from the vast array of available software can be overwhelming. Choosing carefully will help ensure that technology will maximize your nonprofit's impact and...
Program evaluation is the process of collecting information about a program in order to make decisions about it. Including an evaluation plan in your program shows that you take your...
What is technical assistance? Technical assistance (TA) can be broadly defined as any specialized service or skill that a nonprofit does not possess within the organization, but which it may...
According to the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, risk management is defined as follows: [...] a discipline for dealing with the possibility that some future event will cause harm. It provides...
Nonprofits have different budgets for different needs. Given our focus on foundation grants, most of Candid's budget resources are for proposal budgets. You can also find information here about other...
As with all questions having to do with tax law, please consult a legal, tax, or accounting professional for definitive answers to your specific question(s). Nonprofit organizations that want to...
Candid offers a growing digital collection of eBooks and audiobooks on social sector- and philanthropy-related topics, curated by Candid’s Online Librarian team. This free, public collection is available to anyone...
The National Council of Nonprofits defines an audit as: "the examination of the financial statements by an accounting professional to determine whether they conform to accounting standards. An "independent audit"...
According to the TCC Group, strategic planning is: "a tool for transforming and revitalizing corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations....A successful strategic planning process will examine and make informed projections...
Successful media relations, or public relations, requires its own set of learned skills. To quote an article from the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, your nonprofit may be doing incredible work,...
Recruiting and managing volunteers effectively is similar to doing the same for employees. Things to consider include: Organizational support, training, and preparation to involve volunteers Developing and marketing volunteer opportunities...
Nonprofit organizations are exploring how to work together in new and creative ways. Why? Demand for services is up, along with competition for financial resources, making the drive towards efficiency...
Many state nonprofit associations publish state-level salary surveys. Try an Internet search for these keywords: nonprofit salary [your state name here]. You also may be able to get executive summaries...
Capacity building can help make an organization more focused, efficient, and productive, according to Paul C. Light, author of Sustaining Nonprofit Performance: The Case for Capacity Building and the Evidence...
Keeping cash in reserve for a "rainy day" may seem like a luxury, but maintaining a nest egg can ensure your organization's long-term financial health. Yet recent reports suggest that...
The IRS requires all U.S. tax-exempt nonprofits to make public their three most recent Form 990 or 990-PF annual returns (commonly called "990s") and all related supporting documents. They must...
The board acts as trustee of the organization's assets and ensures that the nonprofit is well managed and remains fiscally sound. In doing so, the board must exercise proper oversight...
¿Qué es la asistencia técnica? La asistencia técnica, en inglés "technical assistance (TA)", se define en forma global como servicios profesionales o especializados que sirven de apoyo para las organizaciones...
Yes and no. In most states it is legal for executive directors, chief executive officers, or other paid staff to serve on their organizations' governing boards. But it is not...
For the right person, working as an independent consultant can have many advantages, including setting one's own schedule and priorities, working with a variety of clients, and developing a wide...
The nonprofit annual report, although not a legal requirement, is often a valuable communications tool for nonprofits to get the message out about their activities over the course of the...
Finding a nonprofit job is like finding a job in any other industry. Some resources to get you started: Your professional, personal, and social networks The organizations you would like...
Hiring a consultant is much like hiring an employee. Some key points are: Know why you need a consultant and what you want him/her to do Ask for word-of-mouth recommendations...
If you are seeking free or low cost legal or accounting services, see Where can I find "pro bono" tax or legal assistance for my nonprofit? According to Giving in...
Meeting minutes are legal records, so it's important to get them right. In essence, the minutes describe when your nonprofit's meeting was, where it was, who was there, any actions...
Candid's online job board features current full-time job openings at U.S. foundations, grantmaking public charities, and other nonprofit organizations. Try looking at some of these job postings to get a...
Advisory boards or committees are volunteer groups formed to give advice and support to a nonprofit's governing board or executive staff. Unlike a governing board, an advisory board does not...
Se entiende por evaluación el proceso de recolectar y analizar datos con el fin de poder tomar decisiones acerca de un proyecto o programa. Una definición útil proviene del Fondo...