How to Improve Your Nonprofit Operations in Less Than Two Months

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*Heather Carpenter, Nonprofit Management Employment Alternatives (NMEA)
*Jennifer Chien, New Nonprofit Nexus
*Link to Presentation
Goals of this workshop
*Spend less time worrying about Nonprofit Operations
*Spend more time on program work and achieve your mission
Overview: 10 Steps to Success in Nonprofit Operations
Topics covered:
*Insurance
*Human Resources
*Financial Management
*Fundraising
*Board of Directors
Step 1: Review the organization’s insurance policies
*General Liability
*Special event forms
*Non-hired auto
*Directors and Officers
*Errors and Omissions
Step 2: Create a new hire packet
Training orientation procedures for new employees.
Step 3: Review employment records
Organize records to include relevant information:
*employee attendance
*disciplinary warnings
*vacation requests
*employment hiring forms
*benefit enrollment forms
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: Create accounting/bookkeeping procedures and necessary forms
*To keep in compliance with GAAP procedures.
*Create reimbursement/check request
Step 6: 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.
Step 7: Review Database and File Saving Methods
*Create database entry procedures
*Train staff on those procedures
*Create a file saving procedure (e.g. NameofFileDateVerson.doc)
Step 8: Review Development Tracking
*Create procedures for grant writing and submitting grant proposals as well as cultivating the donor relationship
*Create fundraising calendar that includes grant deadlines, report dates, and renewal dates
Step 9: Board Policies and Procedures
*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
Step 10: Plan for the rest of the 10 months of the year
*Review marketing practices of the organization including website, newsletter, and promotional materials. Plan steps for improvement of these materials.
*Print out Healthy and Secure Computing booklet from Compmentor and start technology inventory. Assess the computer and networking situation in your office.
*Plan how to templatize the organization’s event planning process so that events can be easily replicated, then create procedures for event planning.
*Hire a personnel attorney to start to review and provide recommendations for Personnel Manual to be in compliance with the state’s employment law.
*Organize the accounting paper files so they are ready for an accounting review or audit.
*Assess whether or not an office move is necessary. Then take steps to look for a new office space. (See the Nonprofit Operations Blog)
Where can I get more training and information about the topics covered today?
*New Nonprofit Nexus
*Nonprofit Operations Blog
*Monthly Nonprofit Operations brown bag lunch discussions - Starting Wednesday, September 20th
category:bootcamp