NONPROFIT OPERATIONS

Our sister consulting group for non-profits

Operations Strategy

YOUR NONPROFIT OPERATIONS STRATEGY

Transparency and stewardship are vital to today’s donors and volunteers. No charity can thrive without the public’s confidence and trust.

Charitable Allies, your nonprofit consulting firm, can make sure your nonprofit organization meets the highest standards in operations, fundraising, Board Governance, Human Resources – and keep up with new policy trends. (For instance, do you have a whistleblower policy?)

OUR APPROACH

We want to help your philanthropic organization be a successful fundraiser, employer, tenant and partner as well as a successful charity. To that end, Charitable Allies will use its years of consulting experience to:

  • Negotiate the availability of credit that works for your charity

  • Help create an overall Nonprofit plan

  • Advise on how best to measure outcomes through anecdote and data

  • Review and advise on updates or changes to bylaws and articles

  • Secure property and liability insurance

  • Address hazards associated with fundraising and other events

  • Maintain and communicate donor stewardship and financial transparency

  • Monitor adherence to GAAP

Board Governance

BOARD GOVERNANCE

A board of directors must ensure that a nonprofit fulfills its obligations to:

The Law
Donors
Staff
Volunteers
Clients
Vendors
The Public

Charitable Allies can make sure board policies delineate responsibilities, help board members be appropriately informed about the inner workings of their nonprofit, and protect board members from unnecessary exposure.

OUR APPROACH

We will help your charity implement best practices, such as those recommended by BoardSource. For instance:

  • Conducting a board self-assessment leads to a better-shared understanding of the board’s responsibilities related to compliance, accountability, financial oversight and the organization’s ultimate direction.
  • Knowing how to evaluate your organization’s chief executive is a crucial board duty.

Most states have codified nonprofit board responsibilities under three main duties: care, loyalty, and obedience.

  1. Duty of care requires a board member to exercise the same care that an ordinary, prudent person would under similar circumstances. State laws differ on the degree of care required.
  2. Duty of loyalty requires a board member to act in good faith and pursue the organization’s best interests. This includes full disclosure of any issues that could cause (or be perceived to cause) a conflict of interest and recuse oneself from all discussions (formal and informal) related to it.
  3. Duty of obedience forbids acts outside the scope of the organization’s rules, policies, mission statement, articles of incorporation and bylaws. In addition, the board must comply with state and federal laws.

Employee Relations & HR

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS & HR

You’re an employer as well as a charity, and no matter the size, every employer must have policies that ensure consistent and fair treatment for all. A vast majority (95%) of liability comes from employment relations based situations. As developing case law has begun to hold Boards of Directors more accountable for their organization’s practices, it is crucial that nonprofit organizations take the time and effort to properly manage employee relations and human resources.

OUR APPROACH

A charity’s image can be irreparably harmed from employment disputes, which account for as much as half of all nonprofit liability. Charitable Allies can help your charity mitigate risks as an employer. Here are a few examples of services we can perform:

  • Creating paid-time-off schedules and policies

  • Developing employee orientation and training materials

  • Drafting Social Media, Do Not Compete and Do Not Disclose policies

  • Screening and training volunteers to protect clients and employees

  • Addressing hazards associated with fundraising events