Catching up on my professional reading this summer has led me to a number of great books that are excellent tools for the maturing nonprofit. My latest find is one that helps nonprofits create needed policies for their operation.
Too often, policies are created after a bad experience brings awareness that a new policy or better policy is needed. It’s far better to have a well thought out policy in place when a crisis hits than to react after the fact.
The alternative approach sometimes used, making sure policies are in place for those issues that get extensive play like conflict of interest and whistle-blower policies, are an equally inadequate response to the need for policy making.
Happily, there’s a more proactive way to go about setting policies for your nonprofit.
Since this ground has been covered by highly experienced nonprofit professionals, why not benefit from their experience? One example is a book on nonprofit policy development in its third edition — The Nonprofit Policy Sampler, by Barbara Lawrence and Outi Flynn (2013).
More than a mere set of sample policies, this excellent resource begins by helping the reader understand the importance of policy setting, what one’s core organizational documents should be and how to properly fit policies to your group.
Discussion on setting policies about your board’s roles and activities are detailed. And many policies are addressed that you might not otherwise consider, such as policies for borrowing money, dealing with the media or accepting gifts.
The book offers advice on 70 different policy topics, with multiple samples for each.
Since nonprofits come in all shapes and sizes, multiple samples are provided so you can pick those that seem the best fit for your own organization, as a jumping off point for discussion and further development.
The samples have all been reviewed by legal and high level nonprofit professionals and can be accessed in downloadable content that comes with the book.
As we know, policy making is the purview of the nonprofit board of directors. So this is yet another must-read for your board. This is true even if it’s a young board primarily in the “hands-on work” stage of development, rather than focused at the primarily policy-making and fundraising stage.
The book is a great tool for encouraging thinking ahead. That’s important for small, young nonprofits that often become mired in their day-to-day activities at the expense of future planning.
The book is a bit pricey, but that price is a good investment against possible wasted effort and money from the lack of proper policies being in place.
Sarah Todd is founder of Calhoun Enterprises, a resource for positive social change. She can be reached at 912-224-2120 or calhounent@gmail.com.
By Sarah Todd
